Spartans Catching USC at Right Time After Recent Struggles

The Michigan State Spartans will tip off their West Coast road trip on Saturday afternoon as they face the USC Trojans, a team that has experienced some recent struggles in their first Big Ten season. The Spartans have an opportunity to take advantage.

Jan 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the UCLA Bruins in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (18-2, 9-0) are gearing up for a two-game West Coast road trip that features both of the top schools in Los Angeles. The Spartans will start with the USC Trojans (12-8, 4-5) on Saturday afternoon, looking to take advantage of their recent struggles.

The Trojans are losers of two of their last three games, falling to No. 18 Wisconsin last weekend and most recently suffering a tough loss to their crosstown rivals, the UCLA Bruins. They do have a four-day rest period to recover before returning to action against the Spartans this Saturday.

Michigan State has done a phenomenal job all season of preparing for each opponent the same way, no matter the talent level. They must avoid treating this Trojan team any different as USC has shown their ability to win against top 25 teams this season, knocking off No. 13 Illinois two weeks ago.

USC possesses a few standout scorers that could pose issues for a Spartan defense that ranks third in the Big Ten, allowing just 67.2 points per game. Trojans junior guard Desmond Claude is averaging a team-high 16 points and 4.2 assists per game. He will be priority No. 1 for the Spartans defense.

One unsung role player is coming off a season-high 21-point performance against the Bruins as senior forward Rashaun Agee dominated the paint in the loss. The 6-8, 228-pound big averages just seven points, but has the ability to dominate down low and make a major difference this weekend.

If Michigan State is able to play its style of basketball with suffocating defense and strong rebounding ability, it should be able to handle this Trojans squad. USC is the worst rebounding team in the conference by average, which will be pivotal for the number of shots it gets up.

The Spartans are on the brink of starting 10-0 in Big Ten play, drawing closer to hoisting the Big Ten regular season title. Their cross-country road trip will not be easy, but both games are extremely winnable. It all starts this afternoon at the Galen Center with tip-off at 4:30 pm ET / 1:30 pm PT.

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