8:35 pm
March 11

Pac-12 Tournament: Utah v. #24 USC

Who will WIN this matchup?

Utah Utes (12-12)

#24 USC Trojans (21-6)

 

Current odds:

Utah Utes: (+230)

USC Trojans: (-270)

 

• The line for this game is USC by 7 points.

No. 24 Southern California would have won its first conference title since 1985 had it not been for a late-season 71-61 loss at Utah. The second-seeded Trojans (21-6) will get another shot at the seventh-seeded Utes (12-12) when the teams meet Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Conference tournament in Las Vegas. Even USC’s Andy Enfield, the conference’s coach of the year, doesn’t quite know what to expect from his team.

The Trojans are led by 7-foot freshman Evan Mobley, who swept the Pac-12’s top honors by being selected player of the year, freshman of the year and defensive player of the year. Mobley averages 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.

Guard Tahj Eaddy, a transfer from Santa Clara, has helped guide the USC offense. He made a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining in a 64-63 victory against rival UCLA in the regular-season finale. Fellow transfers Drew Peterson (Rice) and Isaiah White (Utah Valley) start for the Trojans, and Chevez Goodwin (Wofford) is a key reserve.

The next chance comes against a Utah team that advanced with a 98-95 victory against Washington in the opening round Wednesday. Timmy Allen scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Alfonso Plummer added 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting from 3-point range for the balanced Utes. All five starters plus reserve Riley Battin scored in double digits. The Utes led by 19 points with 5:08 left before the Huskies rallied late.

For the second consecutive game, Utah just missed reaching the 100-point mark. The Utes defeated Arizona State 98-59 in their regular-season finale.

The Utes also enter the quarterfinal matchup knowing they’ve held Mobley to a combined 14 points, 13 rebounds and just seven shot attempts in the two meetings between the schools this season. The Trojans won the first matchup 64-46 at Los Angeles on Jan. 2 despite Mobley managing only three points.

7/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
#24 USC Trojans
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