Southern California @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 29, 2017 ) Washington 88, Southern California 81

Riding a three-game winning streak that includes blowout victories over UCLA and Arizona, USC begins the week tied for second in the Pac-12 with Utah. But the Trojans, who travel to first place Washington on Wednesday night, have their sights set on bigger goals.

USC, which hasn't won a regular-season conference championship since 1985, could close to within one game of the top spot with a road win over a Washington team that has won nine straight games including a sweep of the Oregon schools last week. "That's our goal," junior forward Nick Rakocevic told the Los Angeles Daily News. "That's our mission right now. We want to win the Pac-12." The Huskies' 7-0 record in the Pac-12 marks their best start in conference play since 1952-53 when they advanced to the Final Four. "I want more," senior point guard David Crisp told the Tacoma News Tribune after the program's second road sweep in Pac-12 play this season capped by a 79-69 victory at Oregon State on Saturday. "I'm going to take it one practice at a time, one game at a time. And that's the key to success, really. Every moment is huge, you know?"

TV: 11 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT USC (12-8, 5-2 Pac-12): The Trojans are 0-4 in true road games this season including 0-2 in Pac-12 play, losing in overtime at Oregon State (79-74) and then getting blown out three nights later at Oregon (81-60). But they enter with plenty of momentum, winning seven of their last nine including an emotional 69-67 victory over Arizona State on Saturday afternoon that was highlighted by a game-winning 3-pointer by 6-10 senior forward Bennie Boatwright, who leads the team in scoring (17.0), with 11.1 seconds remaining. "We're just doing things we haven't done before," said the 6-11 Rakocevic, who is averaging 15.8 points and a team-best 9.8 rebounds. "We haven't beaten Arizona since I've been here. So we got that. We beat them by double-digits. UCLA, we hadn't beaten them the last three times we played. Completed that two weeks ago. We got back on Arizona State. We're on a run now. Everything is clicking."

ABOUT WASHINGTON (16-4, 7-0): The Huskies and their 2-3 zone defense lead the Pac-12 in scoring defense (61.6) and are holding opponents to just 41.4 percent shooting, including 28.4 percent from 3-point range during their nine-game winning streak. Sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell leads the team in scoring (17.0) and earned his third Pac-12 Player of the Week Award on Monday after averaging 19.5 points on 61 percent shooting, including 6-of-8 3-pointers, in the road wins at Oregon (61-56) and Oregon State (79-69). Senior forward Noah Dickerson (12.8) and Crisp (11.7) also are averaging in double figures.

TIP-INS

1. Washington is 10-0 at home this season, the only Pac-12 team without a home loss.

2. Rakocevic, who had 27 points and 12 rebounds in USC's 80-57 win over Arizona last Thursday, has nine double-doubles this season.

3. Washington G Matisse Thybulle, the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, is the only player in the NCAA averaging at least 2.9 steals and 2.2 blocks per game.

PREDICTION: Washington 67, USC 63