How to Watch USC Trojans vs. Nebraska Men's Basketball: Preview, Prediction

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team is 11-7, 3-4 in Big Ten conference play. The Trojans are coming off a loss against the Wisconsin Badgers. The Trojans will look to bounce back against the 12-6 Nebraska Cornhuskers on Jan. 22.

How to Watch:

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team will face the Nebraska Cornhuskers at 6 p.m. PT on Wednesday at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. The game broadcast will be on the Big Ten Network.

USC Trojans Saint Thomas — Jan 14, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Saint Thomas (0) and guard Wesley Yates III (6) and Iowa Hawkeyes guard Brock Harding (2) react in the second half at the Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC vs Nebraska Preview:

The USC Trojans are coming off an 84-69 loss against the Wisconsin Badgers. The loss dropped the Trojans to a losing conference record, putting their chances of the Big Ten tournament in jeopardy.

After the game, USC coach Eric Musselman gave credit to Wisconsin and pointed out not being able to make stops on defense.

“I thought Wisconsin played hard, I thought they played smart. That’s why they’re ranked,” Musselman said. “I mean maybe you have a defensive scheme you can get me. I’d love to get it. But when they go in the first half seven of fifteen, you have to stay attached to the shooters normally. That would be your normal thinking.”

USC forward Saint Thomas played hard scoring 19 points. Forward Rashaun Agee also came off the bench to score 15 points. The Trojans have the players to score but have to step up moving forward. Thomas leads the team with 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals. Despite having a down game with scoring, USC guard Desmond Claude leads the team averaging 16 points per game.

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The attendance at Galen Center against Wisconsin was 6,938, which means roughly 40% of the stadium was filled. Musselman also voiced his frustration about not having a home court advantage over teams.

“We have no home court advantage,” Musselman said.

Filling up the stadium is something that will come the more the team wins. USC will look to turn things around against Nebraska, and push to finish the season on a high note.

The Badgers held the lead for the majority of the game and while the Trojans had times where they could get the score closer, it was not enough. The USC defense allowed Wisconsin sophomore guard John Blackwell to score 28 points. The Trojans will need to step up defensively as they look to even out their conference record against Nebraska.

USC Trojans head coach Eric Musselman — Jan 14, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Nebraska Cornhuskers are 12-6, 2-5 in Big Ten conference play. This is a fairly even matchup, but the Huskers are 8-1 at home, causing a challenge for the Trojans. USC is 2-1 on away games this season. The Cornhuskers have not won since Jan. 4, currently on a four-game losing streak. Nebraska is looking to turn things around on their home court against the Trojans.

Nebraska has a set of players leading their team. Guard Brice Williams leads the team averaging 18.6 points, guard Rollie Worster leads with 2.6 assists, forward Berke Buyuktuncel leads with 0.8 blocks and 5.9 rebounds, and guard Sam Hoiberg leads with 1.4 steals. USC will have to watch out for each player as they look to win on the road.

The USC Trojans and the Nebraska Cornhuskers have only faced each other three times in history. USC has never beaten the Cornhuskers, but the two have not played since 2011, and both have completely different teams.

USC vs. Nebraska prediction:

The USC Trojans will defeat the Nebraska Cornhuskers by a close margin, 76-73.

After USC’s game against the Cornhuskers, the Trojans will head home to Galen Center to play the 12-6 UCLA Bruins on Jan. 27.

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