That fact is still on the Bruins’ minds, but USC is living in the present now that the team has arrived in Indianapolis as the top seed for the Big Ten Tournament.
“That (accomplishment) should be part of who we are, but it doesn’t give us any points,” Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb told reporters Thursday. “We’re trying to win – and it’s unique to win three games in three days. We’re locked in on that challenge.”
The Trojans (26-2) open against ninth-seeded Indiana (19-11), which beat eighth-seeded Oregon 78-62 on Thursday, in a quarterfinal on Friday and will have to win three games in a row in order to take home a second conference trophy Sunday.
Second-seeded UCLA (27-2) is on the opposite side of the bracket, making a third rivalry game of the season a realistic possibility.
“I don’t think it’s hard to keep them from looking ahead,” Gottlieb said, “and the reason for that is we’ve talked about whether we play Indiana or Oregon, that is like a second round and NCAA Tournament game. In this league, if you’re an eight, nine seed – shoot, if you’re a 10, 11 seed in our conference – you’re probably an eight, nine seed in the NCAA Tournament.”
“So we look at each game as, this is a one-and-done situation and these are really good teams that can beat anyone on any given night.”
Five Big Ten teams are currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, proving the intensity of the conference. USC is the highest-ranked Big Ten team at No. 2 and took home multiple all-conference honors.
JuJu Watkins was named Player of the Year and Gottlieb is Coach of the Year. Watkins and Kiki Iriafen are first-team selections while Rayah Marshall and Kennedy Smith earned second-team recognition.
The success against Big Ten opponents as well as the travel schedule have USC feeling prepared for a strong Big Ten Tournament appearance as well as a lengthy NCAA Tournament run.
“A lot of these teams could be second-round games,” Iriafen said. “In the Big Ten, you can see so many different things and just speaking for myself and my position, sometimes I’m guarding a more post-y post and then other games I’m guarding a guard who’s just really playing the four. It’s a different defensive matchup every single night. The Big Ten keeps you on your toes.”
USC beat Indiana, 73-66, on Jan. 19. The Trojans fell behind early but gained a six-point advantage at halftime before putting together a 12-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Four starters – Watkins, Iriafen, Smith and Marshall – scored in double figures and Talia von Oelhoffen added 10 points off the bench.
“We built a lead and then we lost the lead because we put them at the free-throw line,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said of USC on Thursday. “We tell our kids after every opponent: They don’t need your help. So quit fouling them, quit putting them at the free-throw line, make them earn everything. It’s another shot at one of the best teams in the country and one of the best players in the country. It’s going to take our very best.”
No. 2 USC (26-2) vs. INDIANA (19-11)
When: Friday, 9 a.m. PT
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
TV: Big Ten Network
Fourth-ranked UCLA (27-2, 16-2) will play Nebraska at 3:30 p.m.
History suggests that the Trojans and Bruins will get their third meeting this season.
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USC, without Rayah Marshall, beats IU 84 – 79. A gritty, tough win in front of a big Hoosier crowd.
Kiki Iriafen fouled out late.
JuJu had 31 points (7th 30-point game of the season) and 10 rebounds.
USC’s next game is tomorrow vs the MICH v MARYD winner.
Marshall needs to get well quick. Hope it’s too bad. Michigan tomorrow Noon on BTN.
USC leads IU 38-34 at half.
The Trojans are missing B1G HM selection 6-4 center/forward Rayah Marshall, who is out of the game with sickness.
Dan Lanning staying with Oregon through 2030 after agreeing to extension Fox — The Dan Lanning era in Oregon will continue into the next decade. The Ducks added two more years to their head coach’s existing contract on Thursday, keeping him with the team through 2030. The 38-year-old Lanning will now reportedly make an average of $11 million over the next six years, making him the fourth-highest paid coach in college football on a yearly basis. He’s just above Texas’ Steve Sarkisian ($10.8 million) and just behind Clemson’s Dabo Swinney ($11.5). Kirby Smart ($13.2 million) is the highest-paid coach in the sport. Lanning was the defensive coordinator for… Read more »
The MICH ST men beat IOWA tonight 94-81.
USC is now officially in the B1G basketball tournament. How long can we stay in it?