USC vs North Dakota State: College basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Connor Hope
The USC Trojans look to follow up their very impressive opening win with a victory over the North Dakota State Bison.
TV Schedule: Monday, November 13, 11:00 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
Arena: Galen Center, Los Angeles, CA
The No. 10 USC Trojans tipped off their season with a lopsided 84-42 victory over CSU Fullerton on Friday.
Despite missing versatile guard De’Anthony Melton, the Trojans top three players lived up to their billing. Frontcourt duo Chimezie Metu and Bennie Boatwright combined for 31 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Senior point guard Jordan McLaughlin contributed 12 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals, while transfer Derryck Thornton added 11 points off the bench.
From the start, it was clear that USC was focused on Coach Andy Enfield’s traditional defense-first approach, holding the Titans to 23% shooting from the floor.
The Trojans will continue their season with a home game against the North Dakota State Bison.
The Bison were not so lucky in their opener, losing 85-66 against a much improved UC Santa Barbara team.
Despite an impressive 18 points and 6 assists from guard Paul Miller, The Bison could not get anything going from deep and lost the rebound battle. The Bison also had to look to their bench, which scored 30 of their 66 points. Now facing a much tougher opponent in the Trojans, the Bison will need to get drastically better production from their starter to have a chance at the upset.
Next: Oregon Ducks Season Preview
This game should act as another tune-up for the Trojans before they travel to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt. North Dakota State will be competitive in the Summit League, but they do not have the firepower to compete with such a talented USC team.
Prediction: USC 80, North Dakota State 58