USC Basketball: Top 4 Most Intriguing Matchups This Year

Mark these dates on your calendars.

Ahead of your USC Trojans’ 2023-24 basketball season, which tips off in less than 10 days, let's dive into the four most intriguing matchups on the calendar, as these contests will greatly impact USC's ranking, and thus, their postseason fate. 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS 📅

The full 2023-24 @USC_Hoops schedule is here!

🎟️: https://t.co/TTXnIVnQwc pic.twitter.com/0KDsaTwDfG

— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) October 25, 2023

1. @ Kansas State  - November 6th, 2023

This is USC's opening night game, and will be played on the road, and K-State is coming off of a season in which they made an Elite 8 run in March Madness on the backs of guard Markquis Nowell and forward Keyontae Johnson. Led by first-year Head Coach Jerome Tang, K-State defied expectations and had signature wins against Kansas, Baylor, Kentucky, Texas, and Michigan State. 

While the Wildcats will be without Nowell and Johnson this season, Tang's one-year turnaround of the program is unlikely to be a fluke, and the odds that he keeps them in the fold of great programs are high. They added 2023 Conference-USA Player of the Year Tylor Perry from North Texas in the transfer portal, along with Arthur Kaluma, a forward who was a multi-year starter for the Creighton Bluejays, who've been a top-20 program over the past couple of seasons. 

This is going to be a tough battle for the Trojans, especially as absent a surprising turn of events, they'll be without Bronny James. Playing in a hostile Big 12 environment against a well-coached team with high-end talent from the transfer portal is as tough as it gets for an opening night duel. With a win, however, the currently 21st ranked Trojans will get a nice boost to start the season. 

2. vs Gonzaga - December 2nd, 2023

USC is set to take on one of the top programs of the past two decades at the Legends of Basketball Las Vegas Invitational (neutral site game) in early December. 

Led by Head Coach Mark Few, the Bulldogs enter the season ranked No. 11, and appear ready for another national title-contending season. Despite the loss of All-American Drew Timme and wing Julian Strawther, the team brought in sure-handed guard Ryan Nembhard from Creighton, top recruit Dusty Stromer, and are returning former starters Nolan Hickman and Anton Watson. 

Few's track record speaks for itself, and for this reason, even in spite of the losses of Strawther and Timme, the Bulldogs make for an incredibly formidable opponent. With size, versatility, shooting, and a very modern offense, they deviate from USC's typical Pac-12 opponents. Expect a really tough contest.

3. vs/@ UCLA - Jan. 24th, Feb. 27th

Slightly cheating here by including both matchups, but pretty understandable why. These two conference bouts are huge for USC's pride and ranking. 

UCLA has been a top program, especially under Mick Cronin, and coming off of a season where they were seriously banged up entering March Madness, yet narrowly lost to Gonzaga on a buzzer-beater in the Sweet 16, they're seeking revenge, and doing so against a rival program like USC is certainly on their agenda.

UCLA has lost program staples Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell, among others, but remain well within the fold of great teams. Akin to K-State, they have a terrific system in place to maximize talent, and Head Coach Mick Cronin is highly unlikely to settle for a mediocre season. Led by returning big man Adem Bona, who was a Pac-12 All-Defensive Team selection and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, the Bruins should remain a top defense and thus a problem for the Trojans.

4. @/vs Arizona - Jan. 17th, March 9th

Arizona has been a thorn in USC's side since the beginning of the Tommy Lloyd era in Tuscon, having failed to beat them since January 2021, with a few of the contests not being particularly close. 

Ranked No. 12 to start the season, the Wildcats lost several key members of their roster, including forward Ąžuolas Tubelis, who was their leading scorer last season. That said, they've returned integral pieces like guard Kylan Boswell and center Oumar Ballo, keeping their roster solid. 

Lloyd is an innovative coach and Arizona plays quick, which USC has struggled with in the past. That said, if USC wants to compete for the Pac-12 or situate themselves better for March Madness, the Wildcats are a force that they should take down at least once. 

This is a tough schedule, but this is one of the best Trojans teams we've seen in a while. Let's see if they can get the job done.

Don't forget to join our community at LA Sports Report, where we celebrate all things Trojans!