USC Trojans Men's Basketball Preview, Prediction, TV Channel, Odds vs. CSUN Matadors

The USC Trojans men's basketball team will face the CSUN Matadors on Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. PT. The TV broadcast for the game is the Big Ten Network. Preview, prediction, and odds for the matchup at Galen Center. Can Eric Musselman and the Trojans reach a three-game win streak?

Dec 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Saint Thomas (0) shoots against the Oregon Ducks in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesDec 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team is getting back on track, coming off a win against the Montana State Bobcats, 89-63. USC has an 8-4 record, 1-1 in Big Ten conference play. The Trojans will face the 7-3 Cal State Northridge Matadors on Wednesday night.

How to Watch:

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team will open against the CSUN Matadors at 7 p.m. PT on Wednesday at Galen Center in Los Angeles, California. The game broadcast will be on the Big Ten Network.

Dec 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Saint Thomas (0) shoots against the Oregon Ducks in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesDec 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Game Preview:

USC coach Eric Musselman and the Trojans are coming off a big win against the Montana State Bobcats. It was their second win in a row, and now they are seeking a three-game win streak. Though the season began with defensive struggles, Musselman and the staff took action quickly. After the game against Montana State, Musselman talked about what changed with his team.

“Quite frankly, we called a bunch of NBA teams too and just asked them for different defensive drills. And I thought that helped us because they were completely new and different from what our guys have seen,” Musselman said. “All the coaches reached out, I reached out, and some teams sent us some film of some of the stuff that they’ve done in practice.”

Since making the calls to NBA teams, the Trojans have won two in a row, including an in-conference game against the Washington Huskies. The tough part for USC will be that this game is their second one in three days and the Trojans will have to push through the physical toll that can take. The two players on USC to watch for are forward Saint Thomas and Guard Desmond Claude.

Claude has led the Trojans in scoring for three straight games and leads the team in points per game, averaging 14.1. While he has been playing well, what has helped USC the most is the way Thomas has also stepped up. Thomas leads the team with 5.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The team is playing as a unit, not leaning on one person to do it all. This has led to success, and keeping the consistency moving forward will be important.

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The last time USC and CSUN faced was in 2022. The Trojans dominated, defeating them 89-49. The Matadors are coming off a big 2023-2034 season, where they finished with 19 wins. They are entering the matchup against USC with a 7-3 record, 6-2 in non-conference play.

The key players to watch for CSUN are forward Marcus Adams Jr. and Keonte Jones. Adams leads the team with 15.2 points per game, while Jones leads the team in every other way. Jones averages 8.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game. Shutting Jones down early will be crucial for the Trojans. The CSUN Matadors will not make it easy for USC.

Dec 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Desmond Claude (1) reacts in the second half against the Oregon Ducks at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesDec 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC vs. CSUN Prediction:

The USC Trojans are 11.5-point favorites over the CSUN Matadors. Despite the heavy workload the past couple of days, the Trojans will get the win over the Matadors, 83-66

After UCS’s game against CSUN, the Trojans will face the Southern Jaguars on Dec.22 at 1 p.m. PT. It will be their final game of 2024. 

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