Three Bold Predictions Ahead of USC's High-Stakes Matchup vs. Indiana

The USC Trojans men's basketball team is set to clash with the Indiana Hoosiers in a Big Ten matchup with NCAA Tournament stakes on the line.

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After staving off a second-half comeback to beat the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 78-75, the USC Trojans men's basketball team is set to clash with the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at the Galen Center on for a pivotal Big Ten matchup with major NCAA Tournament expectations on the line for both teams. 

USC enters Tuesday night’s matchup with a 16-6 overall record and is 5-6 in the Big Ten. Indiana, following Saturday’s thrilling 98-97 double overtime win over the Trojans' crosstown rival, the UCLA Bruins, posts a 15-7 overall record and is 6-5 in conference play. 

Jan 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the Northwestern Wildcats in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In addition to the thrilling win over UCLA, the Hoosiers have won three straight games, including a 72-67 upset victory over their arch-rival, the No. 12 Purdue Boilermakers in Bloomington on Jan. 27. The Trojans look to cool off the red-hot Hoosiers and earn a statement win on Tuesday at the Galen Center. Here are three bold predictions for USC’s matchup against the Hoosiers. 

Chad Baker-Mazara Scores Over 20 Points

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Chad Baker-Mazara (4) celebrates at the end of the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In several of the biggest games for the Trojans this season, USC guard Chad Baker-Mazara has risen to the occasion with multiple impactful performances. Baker-Mazara leads the Trojans in scoring, averaging 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. 

Baker-Mazara was one of three Trojan players, along with USC forwards Jacob Cofie and Ezra Ausar, to score in double figures in the win over Rutgers, as he finished with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block on 7-of-15 shooting from the field. 

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In nine of the Trojans' 22 games this season, Baker-Mazara has scored 20-plus points. With so much on the line against the Hoosiers, Tuesday night’s game presents the perfect opportunity for Baker-Mazara to have another 20-plus point performance. 

USC is 8-1 in games this season where Baker-Mazara has scored 20 points or more, with the one loss coming at home to the Washington Huskies on Dec. 6, a matchup in which the Trojans lost 84-76. 

Jacob Cofie and Ezra Ausar Score In Double Figures Again

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Ezra Ausar (2) shoots the ball against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Among the several transfers coach Eric Musselman added via the transfer portal last offseason, Cofie, Ausar, and Baker-Mazara have made the biggest impact for USC this season.

In the win over the Scarlet Knights on Saturday, Cofie and Ausar both scored in double figures for the Trojans. Ausar led the Trojans, scoring 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal on 6-of-8 shooting from the field.

Cofie also recorded his fifth double-double of the season, scoring 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and one steal on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. With high expectations entering Tuesday’s matchup against Indiana, expect both Cofie and Ausar to have another impactful performance for the Trojans and score in double figures for the second consecutive game. 

Lamar Wilkerson Collects Over Five Rebounds

Indiana's Lamar Wilkerson (3) claps during the Indiana versus Purdue mens basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In Indiana’s 98-97 win over UCLA in double overtime, guard Lamar Wilkerson was one of three players for the Hoosiers, along with guard Nick Dorn and forward Reed Bailey, to score over 20 points. Wilkerson in the win against UCLA scored 24 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 8-of-22 shooting from the field. 

Wilkerson's eight rebounds were the second most for the Hoosiers against UCLA. While Wilkerson leads the Hoosiers in scoring this season, averaging 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, he has been excellent this season in the rebounding category, a trend that he hopes to continue against the Trojans.

Against UCLA, Wilkerson grabbed a season-high eight boards. Wilkerson has grabbed five or more rebounds in the Hoosiers' last three games against UCLA, Purdue, and Rutgers. Expect that trend to continue against the Trojans at the Galen Center on Tuesday night, as the Hoosiers will extend their winning streak to four straight with a victory over USC.

Final Score: Indiana 80, USC 72