Southern California @ Stanford preview
Maples Pavilion
Last Meeting ( Jan 18, 2020 ) Stanford 78, Southern California 82
Let's try this again.
That's what Tuesday's game at Palo Alto, Calif., between the Southern California Trojans and host Stanford Cardinal represents. The teams tried to play their scheduled Pac-12 game on Jan. 21, but a COVID-19 issue on the USC team forced a postponement just 15 minutes before tipoff.
A game set for Dec. 13 at USC also was postponed and is now set for Feb. 22.
The most recent postponed game between the teams was set for nearby Santa Cruz at the Golden State Warriors' G-League facility. That is where Stanford has been relegated for "home" games because of strict COVID-19 regulations in Santa Clara County, where Palo Alto is located. Tuesday will be the Cardinal's first game at Maples Pavilion this season.
Barring another late problem -- the Trojans (13-3, 7-2) will try to extend their two-game win streak in a battle against short-handed Stanford (10-6, 6-4).
Stanford has been without three starters recently. Fourth-year veterans Daejon Davis (second on the team in scoring at 13.1) and Bryce Willis (9.3 scoring average) and true freshman Ziaire Williams (12.5 scoring average) have missed the past three games - Davis and Willis with leg injuries, and Williams for undisclosed reasons.
Yet, Stanford is 2-1 in those games, defeating UCLA and Arizona, but losing its most recent game 79-75 at Arizona State on Saturday night.
The Cardinal's Jerod Haase -- a strong candidate for Pac-12 Coach of the Year along with USC's Andy Enfield -- said he was not discouraged by the defeat at Arizona State.
"We took a step back in the win-loss column," Haase said. "But I feel like we took a step forward overall."
Oscar da Silva, a native of Germany and another fourth-year veteran for Stanford, leads the Pac-12 in scoring (19.5). He also leads Stanford and ranks fifth in the league in rebounding (7.3). His numbers in those categories have gone up in each of his collegiate seasons.
Also, Michael O'Connell was named Pac-12 freshman of the week after averaging 13 points in the two games in Arizona.
The Trojans, meanwhile, are coming off a 75-62 win over Oregon State on Thursday. USC's bench scored a season-high 31 points against the Beavers.
"We didn't play a perfect game," Enfield said. "But we grinded out a win."
USC is led by 7-foot freshman center Evan Mobley, who is widely considered a likely top-three pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Mobley leads the Trojans in scoring (16.4), while leading the league in rebounding (8.9) and blocks (2.8).
Guard Tahj Eaddy, in his first year with USC since transferring from Santa Clara, is the Trojans' only other double-figure scorer (12.5).
According to a San Jose Mercury News midseason assessment of the Pac-12 Conference, Enfield is the frontrunner for Coach of the Year, and Mobley is a lock for Rookie of the Year.
On the other side, da Silva was the pick for Player of the Year.
--Field Level Media