USC men’s basketball and Iowa men’s basketball have had very similar seasons. Both squads have double digit wins (USC 15, Iowa 14) and only 5 losses, both largely dominated non conference play, both have some big wins, but both have struggled to beat ranked Big Ten teams.
3 of the Trojans’ 5 losses are against ranked Big Ten teams. 3 of the Hawkeyes’ 5 losses are also against ranked Big Ten teams, including 2 common opponents: Michigan State and Purdue.
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That makes this game one that could separate the two teams in the loaded Big Ten conference standings, vaulting one team into the NCAA Tournament and leaving the other on the outside looking in.
Can the Trojans win their second straight game on the road? Let’s talk about it. Here are five things to watch as USC takes on Iowa in Iowa City on Wednesday:
USC must slow down Bennett Stirtz
The Hawkeyes have a clear star. Senior point guard Bennett Stirtz averages 18.3 points (7th in the Big Ten) and 5 assists per game.
USC head coach Eric Musselman was clear in his postgame press conference comments following the Trojans’ win over Wisconsin that they are already thinking hard about how to contain Stirtz.
“[Iowa has] a point guard that plays at his own pace, who’s an All-Big 10 type player,” Musselman said. “We have our work cut out for us…”
Can the Trojan defense lock down Stirtz?
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Defense does continue to get better
Speaking of that USC defense, it has continued to improve over the last few games. Following a very solid performance defensively against Purdue a couple of games ago, USC put together one of its best defensive performances of the season on the road against Wisconsin.
The Trojans held the Badgers to 34% shooting from the field and 24% shooting from three-point range. Badger star Nick Boyd scored 29 points, but the Badgers’ second-leading scorer, John Blackwell, was held to 11 points on 3-13 shooting.
USC’s offense was exceptional to begin the season, but the defense struggled out of the gate. Can the Trojans continue to play well-rounded basketball? That would help them massively in postseason play.
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Jacob Cofie is special
Trojan fans who have tuned in all season long and have been paying attention know this, but Jacob Cofie is one of USC’s most important players because he just does so many things well. He’s a great rebounder and defender, he can score inside the paint and outside the three-point arc, he can pass well for a forward, and he can defend basically every position on the court well.
Sunday’s game against Wisconsin was a great example of this. Cofie had 9 points and tied his career-high with 5 assists, but he also pulled down 11 rebounds to make him the first Trojan to secure 10+ rebounds in three straight games since Evan Mobley in 2021. Cofie also had a block in the game.
Continue to pay attention to what Cofie does well. The sky seems to be the limit for the sophomore forward.
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Can Alijah Arenas straighten things out?
It’s clear that USC wants Alijah Arenas to score, and Arenas has taken plenty of shots in his first 2 college games. However, he is 6-27 on field goals, 0-9 on three-pointers and 3-9 on free throws so far in his career.
It’s not an area of massive concern; Arenas is likely just still adjusting to the collegiate level and knocking off some rust. But until he has a breakout game, it will be a storyline to monitor.
Can USC exploit a front court advantage?
Iowa doesn’t have a single player that averages more than 4.5 rebounds per game. The Trojans, on the other hand, have two established stars on the boards: Cofie (7.3 rebounds per game) and Ezra Ausar (6 rebounds per game).
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As a team, the Trojans average 37.9 rebounds per game while the Hawkeyes average only 30.6 rebounds per game.
Iowa does have some size; Cam Manyawu stands at 6’9”, Alvaro Folgueiras is 6’10” and Cooper Koch is 6’8”. But this game still seems like a clear opportunity for the Trojans to rely on their forwards to win the rebounding battle against a team that can’t count in its forwards to be consistently prolific rebounders.
Can the Trojans ride the momentum to another B1G road win?
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC men’s basketball faces Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday
