How to Watch Northwestern Men's Basketball vs USC: Preview, Predictions, TV Channel

The Northwestern Wildcats will look to end a losing skid on the road against the surging USC Trojans Wednesday.

Jan 9, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA: Southern California Trojans forward Chad Baker-Mazara (4) celebrates his three-point basket against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, the 8-10 Northwestern Wildcats will look to end a brutal five-game losing skid against the superior USC Trojans, as part of a two-game L.A. road trip.

In his second season with the Trojans, former Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Eric Musselman has USC up to a 14-4 record. But the Trojans have stumbled of late, having gone just 2-3 across their last five bouts.

Game Preview

The Trojans are led in scoring by two backcourt transfers, ex-Maryland shooting guard Rodney Rice and former All-SEC Auburn senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara.

Northwestern badly needs consistent offensive help beyond senior small forward Nick Martinelli, who's the second-most prolific scorer in all of Division I NCAA men's basketball.

Northwestern X-Factors

Reid is the biggest question mark here. The 5-foot-10 former South Florida guard scored a season-high 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting (4-of-6 from distance) and 6-of-7 shooting from the charity stripe, pulled down four boards, dished out three dimes, and swiped two steals against Illinois. But he's scored in single digits across three of his last four bouts. He's a turnstile on defense, and in theory being a microwave scoring option could be his best fit for this team. But his streakiness is frustrating.

Jake West, who's five inches taller than Reid, was his replacement at the point last week — but his paltry scoring touch and middling point-of-attack defense may compel Collins to reconsider.

New Northwestern center Arrinten Page actually kicked off his collegiate career with USC during Andy Enfield's doomed 15-18 final season in 2023-24. Collins' patience with him appears to be wearing thin, as he played just nine minutes against Nebraska. Collins prioritized small-ball and shooters late in that Cornhuskers blowout defeat.

Freshman forward Tre Singleton had a strong opening half against Nebraska, as he scored eight of his 14 points (on 6-of-13 shooting, mostly from inside the arc) during that window. Could that be the start of a trend or just a fluke?

Predictions

The Trojans are heavy favorites to fend off the Wildcats at home and end their current two-game losing streak.

Northwestern pretty much needs to steal this game or the Bruins clash later this week if it has any hoping of salvaging its season and helping Martinelli reach his third NCAA Tournament as a senior. Short of Reid, Singleton or Page stepping up to carry the load on offense, the 'Cats feel pretty doomed.

Final Score Prediction: USC 80, Northwestern 70.

How to Watch, Listen

• Matchup: Northwestern (8-10, 0-7 B1G) vs USC (14-4, 3-4 B1G)
• When: Wednesday, January 21
• Where: Galen Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Time: 10 p.m. CST 
• Watch: Big Ten Network (TV)
• Listen: WGN Radio 720 AM, The Varsity Network

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