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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