The Colorado Buffaloes square off against USC Trojans in the conference semifinals.
Where: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
When: 11:30 pm ET
TV: ESPN
It took double overtime and every part of Evan Mobley for the USC Trojans to knock of Utah last night. Then, at 3:30 am ET, the Colorado Buffaloes outlasted a resilient Cal team. The Pac-12 tournament lived very much up to its billing in the quarterfinals, with two overtime games and another one-possession game.
Colorado swept USC in the regular season, but beating them a third time here in Las Vegas will be no small task. The key for the Buffaloes will come on the interior, where they have had the better of the Trojans both times this year. They outrebounded USC twice and held Evan Mobley to a combined 11-27 from the field in those two games. Dallas Walton, Evan Battey, and Jeriah Horne all have crucial roles when it comes to containing the Mobley brothers.
The first time these two teams met, at USC, the Trojans were without guard Ethan Anderson. Anderson’s stats don’t necessarily jump off the page, but he is an incredibly vital cog in their well-oiled machine. USC has nine guys that average between twelve and 34 minutes per game, making them one of the deepest teams in all of college basketball. In the double-overtime win over Utah last night, six Trojans finished in double-figures.
Many will turn their eyes inside, to watch the Mobley brothers battle it out with Colorado’s tough-as-nails big men. But, the matchup to watch in this one comes out on the wing. Rice transfer Drew Peterson will draw the assignment of Colorado’s D’Shawn Schwartz, both of whom can really shoot the three.
As Coach Boyle stated in his media availability last night, this game will all come down to who can execute at a higher level. If Peterson can get it going for USC and put up big numbers like he’s capable of, it eases the tension off of Tahj Eaddy and Evan Mobley. The other way, however, if Schwartz can light it up from three-point land that puts the Trojans in a defensive quandary. The Buffaloes only average seven three-point baskets per game but have multiple guys who can light off three or four in rapid succession (including Schwartz).
There is nothing to be said about McKinley Wright that hasn’t been said already. That guy is more important to his program than just about anyone in the nation. This season, Wright averages 15.3 points and 5.7 assists. However, Tahj Eaddy is one of the tougher point guards in the conference. Eaddy started his collegiate career at Southeast Missouri State, as a teammate of the now Creighton star wing Denzel Mahoney.
As far as seeding implications are considered, USC is regarded as a five-seed while Colorado is currently slotted as a six. Those are likely to be flipped if Colorado is able to knock off the Trojans. The winner of this game will face the winner of Oregon and Oregon State in the Conference Championship.