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USC Highlights: Trojans Open Season with Double-Digit Win Over Kansas State

Great way to start the season.

Martand Bhagavatula

USC Highlights: Trojans Open Season with Double-Digit Win Over Kansas State
USC Highlights: Trojans Open Season with Double-Digit Win Over Kansas State /

Back on October 29th, I took a gander through what, in my opinion, looked like the four most intriguing matchups this year for your USC Trojans.

Their matchup today against Kansas State Wildcats was the first one on that list. I cited Kansas State's great coaching and transfers added as obstacles for the Trojans to come away with a win. 

Tonight, USC made those advantages complete non-factors, defeating the Wildcats 82-69.

Several players deserve flowers for this game, highlighted by guards Boogie Ellis, who had 24 points and 8 rebounds, and Isaiah Collier, who had 18 points and six assists on 7-of-9 shooting. 

Here are some of the top plays of the night, beginning with a first-half reel of Isaiah Collier, who gave the Trojans a 10-point advantage heading into the break.

Boogie Ellis was called upon to do even more than expected tonight, as Collier fouled out with a few minutes left in the 2nd half. He responded incredibly well, hitting clutch free throws and likely putting the game away with a tough contested layup. Let's take a look at that play:

Here's Kobe Johnson's exclamation point on the night:

The Trojans' defense combined with how excellent Isaiah Collier looked in his first game are two things to be incredibly excited about going forward. 

USC forced 17 turnovers, forcing K-State to shoot 31% from the field in the process.

Their suffocating defense highlighted their size, length, and athleticism compared to the rest of the competitive field. 

On the negative side, things sort of collapsed without Collier. He fouled out with 4:50 to play in the contest, with the Trojans leading 17. 

Fairly quickly, the Wildcats cut the lead to just eight points, trailing 72-64. The Trojans managed to bounce back and close out the game, but it wasn't pretty. 

USC also had 18 turnovers of their own, six of which came from Collier. As a freshman with a high-usage rate being asked to operate the offense, it'll take time for him to become highly secure with the ball, but as matchups get more and more competitive, that could rear its ugly head. 

The Trojans host Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday, which should be much smoother sailing than this contest. Let's see if they can patch up on the turnovers and need to depend on Collier a little less. 

Don't forget to join our community at LA Sports Report, where we celebrate all things Trojans!

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Martand Bhagavatula
MARTAND BHAGAVATULA

Martand is currently a student at the University of Southern California, and has prior experience in the NIL space, sports financial advisory, and publishing in sports analytics. As a Lakers, Chargers, and Angels fan, he often finds himself disappointed.

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