USC-#19 Washington

USC got the win they needed on Thursday against Washington State. Today's challenge, however, is much greater as the first place Washington Huskies come to town. With a win today, I believe the Trojans will be in the NCAA Tournament. It would put the Trojans at 17 wins with four games to go, three coming against the Oregon schools and Stanford. The Trojans should win those three games and have a chance to win in Berkeley this Thursday night. First order of business: Get a big W today.

The big key for USC today is slowing the pace of the game down. The Huskies really like to get up and down the court. Watching the Huskies this year, I have been unimpressed by their half court offense and their defense. If USC can dictate the pace and force the Huskies to execute in the half court, they should be in great shape. That will be easier to do today at the Galen Center than it was in Seattle last month, when the Trojans lost by 5. USC is 13-1 at home.

Another key for the Trojans today is containing the small back court of Isaiah Thomas and Justin Dentmon. They are Washington's two leading scorers, both averaging over 16 ppg. They both killed the Trojans in the first meeting in Seattle. USC always seems to have trouble with smaller guards because their guards are big and can't move as quickly laterally. That makes USC's help defense absolutely critical today. They also must close out on Washington's shooters because they love to jack it up from the perimeter.

Look for Taj Gibson to have a big game today. He is experienced and knows how critical this stretch is for the Trojans. He dominated a good big man in Aron Baines on Thursday and always seems to have Jon Brockman's number. It will be a good battle with the Huskies big man today.

In the first meeting, DeMar DeRozan was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 12 points. The Huskies had no answer for him. DeRozan needs to play a full, solid game for the Trojans to win today. Also, the Trojans need at least some contribution from their bench. Look for Nikola Vucevic to start again at the 4, so it will be up to Leonard Washington, Keith Wilkinson, and Marcus Simmons to give the Trojans something. They had zero bench points against Wazzu; that won't fly today.

Again, this game is so pivotal for USC. Win it, and the Trojans can feel very good about their tourney chances. Lose, and they're squarely on the bubble. Now we go!