Colorado vs. USC: How to watch, start time & TV schedule

Buffaloes and Trojans meet for the first time in 2024

CU Buffs

The Buffs (11-5, 2-3 Pac-12) return to Boulder after going 0-3 on the latest road trip in conference play. They look to get back into the win column against the USC Trojans on Saturday night. CU is a perfect 9-0 at CU Events Center on the season and hopes to make it 10 straight with their first conference win of the 2024 calendar year.

Colorado blew a 16-point lead and fell on the road to Cal. The good news coming from the loss was the return of Cody Williams, who scored 16 points and grabbed four rebounds. The Trojans (8-8, 2-3 Pac-12) are coming off a loss against Washington State and are looking for their second road win of the season.

USC is led by Boogie Ellis who is averaging 18.7 points per game, which is fourth-best in the Pac-12. They’ll be without Isaiah Collier after the star freshman suffered a hand injury in the loss to WSU. This could mean more playing time for Bronny James against CU. The son of NBA superstar LeBron James committed to USC over Colorado during his recruitment. Kobe Johnson is the team leader in rebounds with an average of 4.7 per game and should get more opportunities to step up with the injury to Collier.

Four of the five starters for CU are averaging double digits in scoring with KJ Simpson leading the way with 19.9 point per game. He’s followed by Tristan da Silva with 16.2 per game, Cody Williams with 14.3 point per game, and J’Vonne Hadley with 10.3 points per game. Eddie Lampkin Jr. just outside with 9.9 points per game. The TCU transfer led the Buffs in the loss against Cal with 22 points and 11 rebounds. It was Lampkin’s sixth double-double of the season.

USC comes in as the fourth-best team in the Pac 12 in steals. Both Johnson and Ellis will try to make things difficult for the Buffs backcourt. The Trojans are also the third-best shot blocking team in the Pac-12, averaging 4.6 blocks per game. Joshua Morgan has 45 blocks on the season, but missed the game against Washington State with an upper respiratory infection. If Morgan is out, Colorado will need to attack the bigs of USC. He’s key to the Trojans’ shot blocking ability.

CU continues to be one of the best shooting teams in the nation, even with their struggles these past three games. The Buffs are tenth in the nation in three-point shooting at 39 percent, which also leads the Pac-12. They’re also ranked 11th in the nation in shooting from the floor at 50 percent.

This is a game that CU must win at home and improve to 12 wins on the year. It will boost them to being .500 in conference play as well. The only issue is you don’t win on paper, you win on the floor. A win over USC would mark Colorado’s 500th in the facility which opened for the 1979-80 season (499-190, .724).

This will be the 27th meeting between Colorado and USC with the Buffaloes holding a 16-10 series lead. Tad Boyle's team has won eight of 12 all-time meetings against the Trojans in Boulder.

Tip-off: 10:05 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN2 (Dave Pasch, Bill Walton) *Available on Fubo 

Radio: KOA 850 AM & 94.1 (Voice of the Buffs Mark Johnson, Scott Wilke)

Satellite: Sirius XM 373 & SXM App (Pac12)

Listen Online: CUBuffs.com