MBK: Cougs head to LA, face Trojans Thursday night
Ernie Kent hopes the second time around against USC produces a more favorable result for Washington State (9-10 overall, 1-6 Pac-12) than the first meeting four weeks ago.
In the Pac-12 opener for both teams on New Year’s Day, the Trojans jumped out to a huge first-half lead and cruised to a 90-77 victory over the Cougars. The Trojans established an early 23-10 lead in the first nine minutes before extending the lead to as many as 25 points with 4:32 left until halftime
Washington State’s chance to avenge the loss to USC (15-5 overall, 4-3 Pac-12) comes Thursday night when the two teams square off in the rematch at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, Calif. at 7:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks).
More importantly, the Cougars eye snapping a frustrating five-game losing streak. WSU’s last win came Jan. 3 when they beat UCLA, 85-78, at Beasley Coliseum for their lone conference win so far.
“For a team with so many new players, the second time around should (produce) much better basketball against anybody we play,” Kent said Wednesday. “Now we know what to expect personnel-wise wise and we have seen how hard teams play. We have seen how good they are athletically and who can shoot the ball."
Regarded as one of the most physically talented teams in the Pac-12, USC’s 15-5 start is its best since beginning the 2006-07 season with the same record. The last Trojans team with a better 21-game record was the 2001-02 team which was 16-5.Despite the solid start, USC shot a season-low 33.9 percent, including 26.9 percent in the second half, and fell 85-70 at Oregon State on Jan. 24 in its last game.
The Trojans rely on a balanced scoring attack. They do not have a scorer among the Top 20 in the Pac-12 as their top three scorers average between 12.3 and 12.6 points per game, led by Julian Jacobs (12.6 ppg) and Jordan McLaughlin (12.6).
USC has six players averaging 10.9 or more points and eight players averaging 3.2 rebounds or more in the first 20 games. Seven different Trojans have scored at least 19 points in a game this season. USC has four players with at least 35 three-point baskets. The Trojans have made 169 three-point baskets this season, tops among Pac-12 teams through games of Jan. 24.
USC is 11-0 at home this season, the most consecutive home wins to start a season since the Trojans won the first 11 home games of the 1973-74 season.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how we respond against a conference opponent we did not play very well against when they came to Pullman to play,” Kent said. “Watching the video of the first game gives us a chance to see what we did wrong and what they did right and gives us a chance to make the necessary adjustments and play a little tougher.”
Additionally, Washington State is playing back-to-back road games for the second time this season. Two weeks ago, the Cougars traveled to the Grand Canyon State and were swept by Arizona State (84-73) and Arizona (90-66).
“I think the first time was a little shocking, particularly going down to Arizona and playing in two tough environments,” Kent said. “A lot of our guys are from Los Angeles. I would think they would handle themselves a lot better going down to LA on this road trip. This is our second opportunity to get out on the road. I would expect us to handle ourselves a lot better in terms of the game. Now that they’ve seen it, I expect a little more fire, a little more energy and a little more focus. And hopefully, more success.”
Spero Dedes (play-by-play) and Mike Montgomery (color analyst) have the call on the Pac-12 Networks, while Matt Chazanow has the call on the Washington State IMG Radio Network.
MISSING VALENTINE: Junior center Valentine Izundu has missed WSU’s last five games with a foot injury, but returned to practice earlier this week. Without a doubt, Washington State has sorely missed his large presence and defensive prowess in the paint. Prior to his injury, Izundu ranked third in the Pac-12 in blocks per game.
“We’ll see how he responds (after practicing) and we'll keep letting him do a little bit more and see how he goes,” Kent said.
WSU has lost all five games Izundu has missed. With Izundu, the Cougars are 9-5, including 1-1 in Pac-12 action. WSU is blocking 2.0 fewer shots per game with Izundu out of the lineup. Moreover, Cougar opponents are averaging 88.0 points per game without Izundu in the lineup. In the 14 games with Izundu, Cougar opponents are averaging 70.9 points per game.
LAST TIME OUT: WSU fell to Colorado, 75-70, last Saturday night at Beasley Coliseum for its fifth straight loss. Ike Iroegbu scored a team-high 27 points, one shy of his career high against Washington in an overtime game on Jan. 9. Iroegbu was 12-for-20 from the field. Junior Conor Clifford tied his career high with 18 points, making 8-of-9 shots from the floor. Free throws were the difference as WSU missed 11 of 27 attempts from the charity stripe while the Buffs drained 22-of-26.
STATISTICAL LEADERS:
Total Points: Josh Hawkinson (296)
Points Per Game: Josh Hawkinson (16.4)
Total Rebounds: Josh Hawkinson (197)
Rebounds Per Game: Josh Hawkinson (10.9)
Offensive Rebounds: Josh Hawkinson (26)
Defensive Rebounds: Josh Hawkinson (171)
Total Field Goals: Josh Hawkinson (109)
Field Goals Attempted: Josh Hawkinson (194)
3-Pointers Made: Ike Iroegbu (25)
3-Pointers Attempted: Two tied with 56
Free Throws Attempted: Josh Hawkinson (81)
Free Throws Made: Josh Hawkinson (67)
Assists: Ike Iroegbu (73)
Turnovers: Ike Iroegbu (57)
Blocks: Valentine Izundu (38)
Steals: Charles Callison (24)
LAST FIVE RESULTS:
Jan. 9 vs. Washington, L 99-95 (OT)
Jan. 14 at Arizona State, L 84-73
Jan. 16 at Arizona, L 90-66
Jan. 21 vs. Utah, L 92-71
Jan. 23 vs. Colorado, L 75-70
NEXT FIVE GAMES:
Jan. 28 at USC, 7:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
Jan. 30 at UCLA, 4 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
Feb. 3 vs. Arizona, 7 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
Feb. 6 vs. Arizona State, 3:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
Feb. 11 at Colorado, 7 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
(All Times Pacific)
PAC-12 SCORES/SCHEDULE (Jan. 27-28)
Colorado 91, Stanford 75 (1/27)
Utah 73, California 64 (1/27)
Oregon State at Arizona State, 5:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
Oregon at Arizona, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Washington at UCLA, 7 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)
Washington State at USC, 7:30 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)
(All Times Pacific)
