USC Basketball: Trojans Stun Fifth-Ranked Arizona In Regular Season Finale
Last night, your USC Trojans wrapped up what's been a fairly disappointing 14-17 2023-24 NCAA season with a shocking 78-65 victory over the visiting Arizona Wildcats, the No. 5-ranked club in the country.
As USC's official Twitter/X account notes, this marks the program's first victory over a top-5 opponent since its win over the No. 4-ranked UCLA Bruins in January 2008, when its freshman players this year would have been toddlers. The Trojans' Twitter also notes that the team has not dropped a game thus far this month. Granted, it's the 10th, but still.
The Senior Night victory was paced by the output of two relatively unheralded upperclassman forwards, junior small forward Kobe Johnson and fifth-year senior transfer combo forward DJ Rodman, officially jumping at the four. Both starters chipped in 19 points apiece. Freshman guard Isaiah Collier scored 16 points and dished out five dimes of his own, but in a trend that's been a problem all year, his backcourt cohort Boogie Ellis, a fifth-year senior guard, underperformed as he played well (it's usually been an either/or scenario in terms of who has a big night, rarely both in tandem). Ellis finished with five points while shooting 1-of-8 from the floor.
For the week, Johnson is averaging 17 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals and three assists, while Rodman is averaging a robust-for-him 15 points, 6.5 rebounds and two assists.
Next up for the Trojans is a Pac-12 Tournament matchup against the Washington Huskies, Rodman's old team, on Wednesday night.
