Scouting report: No. 8 Arizona Wildcats at USC Trojans

Probable starters

ARIZONA

G Kerr Kriisa (6-3 junior)

G Courtney Ramey (6-3 senior)

F Cedric Henderson (6-6 senior)

F Azuolas Tubelis (6-11 junior)

C Oumar Ballo (7-0 junior)

USC

G Boogie Ellis (6-3 senior)

G Kobe Johnson (6-6 sophomore)

F Drew Peterson (6-9 senior)

F Tre White (6-7 freshman)

C Joshua Morgan (6-11 junior)

How they match up

The last time: In their first game starting Cedric Henderson over Pelle Larsson, the Wildcats received a payoff. Henderson had 11 points and seven rebounds, while Larsson had 15 points, three rebounds and three assists in UA’s 81-66 win over USC on Jan. 19 at McKale Center. Arizona shot 48.3% from the field, including 12 of 24 3-pointers, while USC standouts Boogie Ellis (2 of 11) and Drew Peterson (5 of 14) struggled from the field.

Last time at Galen Center: Originally scheduled to play at USC over New Year’s weekend last season, the Wildcats instead made a March 1, 2022, trip to Galen Center for a COVID makeup game in which they beat USC 91-71 to clinch the Pac-12 championship. Bennedict Mathurin had 19 points, and Kerr Kriisa had 18. The Wildcats held USC to 39.7% shooting.

Series history: Arizona has won its past four games against USC and leads the series 73-46 overall. The Wildcats have also won the past two matchups at Galen Center but have split their last eight games there overall, including a four-overtime loss in 2015-16.

What’s new with the Trojans

Since losing at Arizona on Jan. 19, USC has won 8 of 10 games to put itself in line for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. Their two losses during that stretch, at Oregon and Oregon State, came when starting center Joshua Morgan (ankle) and key reserve wing Reese Dixon-Waters (undisclosed) were out with injuries.

The Trojans are now projected as a No. 10 NCAA Tournament seed by both ESPN and CBS after coming off a road sweep at Colorado and Utah last weekend. Ellis averaged 18.5 points and shot 46.4% from the field over the two games.

In Pac-12 play, USC ranks second in overall offensive efficiency while leading in both overall field goal percentage (45.9) and 3-point percentage (39.0). The Trojans are aggressive getting to the basket. They shoot 51.4% from 2 in Pac-12 games (third best in the league) and have the second-highest ratio of free-throw attempts to field-goal attempts (30.5). They also take advantage of those trips to the line, leading the Pac-12 in free-throw shooting percentage (77.4) in conference games. From 3-point range, USC shoots 34.5% in conference games (third) but takes only 32.1% of its shots from beyond the arc (the third-lowest ratio in Pac-12 games).

On the other end of the floor, the Trojans are third in defensive efficiency, holding Pac-12 opponents to just 41.4% from 2-point range, blocking 13.6% of their shots (the second-best block percentage in conference play) and stealing the ball on 10.4% of opponents’ possessions (the fourth-best steal percentage in the Pac-12).

Morgan has a dominant lead in blocks during Pac-12 games (2.21). In all games, he’s blocking 10.1% of opponents’ shots when he’s on the floor, the 14th-best block percentage in Division I. USC has also worked five-star freshman 7-footer Vincent Iwuchukwu into its rotation after his midseason debut. He’s shooting 53.8% from 2-point range and makes 79.2% of his free throws.

He said it: “I think they’re probably being more efficient, and certainly they’ve been more efficient on the defensive end. They’re playing faster. They really push the ball and attack in transition and create. The biggest thing I think people forget about is they’re a really good defensive team. They hold teams to a low field-goal percentage, and they guard the 3. They’re active and athletic. They look to take the ball from you, and that leads to open-court basketball for them where they can shoot it. They’re shooting the ball well. (Ellis) is a scorer. When he gets going, he makes extremely difficult (shots).”

— UA assistant coach Steve Robinson, who scouted the Trojans

Key players

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USC — Drew Peterson

For three straight games against USC, Arizona has held both Peterson and Ellis largely in check, with Peterson shooting a collective 21.7% and Ellis shooting 23.5%. Maybe that keeps up again, but the 6-9 Peterson can be especially tricky to guard, a point forward of sorts who ranks seventh in assists (3.94) in Pac-12 games.

ARIZONA — Azuolas Tubelis

For all the matchup problems Peterson and the Trojans can create, Tubelis was one they couldn’t figure out on Jan. 19 at McKale: Tubelis had 15 points and 17 rebounds. But UA’s standout forward was quiet in the Wildcats’ win at USC last season, taking only four shots and finishing with six points and four rebounds.

SidelinesDonny Floyd, NAU fan

It’s one thing that UA coach Tommy Lloyd has managed to squeeze in a few trips to see son Liam play for NAU this season, including the Lumberjacks’ home finale on Monday against Weber State. (A private plane registered a 4:11 p.m. departure Monday for a one-hour flight from Marana to Flagstaff, then returned at 10:56 p.m.)

Once he gets to NAU, Lloyd also has to decide if he’s a coach, dad or fan. Or, if he wants to lower his high profile, maybe somebody else all together.

“I have a hat. Glasses. Nose. And mustache,” Lloyd said jokingly.

On the court, the Lloyd family had highs and lows Monday: Liam hit a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, but NAU lost in overtime 90-89 to the Wildcats of Utah.

But dad wasn’t looking at the trip that way.

“It was awesome to go up there and see him a few times,” Tommy Lloyd said. “You know, the tough thing in my job is the one thing a lot of times that gets neglected is your family. It’s hard. So anytime I can support one of my kids, I’ve gotta try to take advantage of that.”

Peterson’s Plan B

Often able to create opportunities by leveraging his size and shooting ability, Peterson has found that doesn’t always work against Arizona, which frequently double teams him. He’s shot only a combined 21.7% in his last four games and has had to look for other ways o help.

“I try to kick it out and find my teammates a lot,” Peterson said by phone after USC’s practice Tuesday. “They’re a good team, so you’re going to get harder matchups and things that makes life a lot harder for any player. They’re well-coached and have great personnel. We’re excited.”

Trojan horses

With center Morgan (ankle) and Iwuchukwu (heart) back to join Peterson and the microwavable Ellis, the Trojans have more options than ever.

Peterson said they’re also passing more and taking better shots.

“We’re playing our best basketball at the right time,” Peterson said. “We’re finding a lot (more) open 3s than we ever have this season. I think it comes with the confidence and chemistry we’ve developed over the last few weeks that just puts us offensively swinging at an all-time high. Combine that with our defense, and we’re a really dangerous team to play.”

Iwuchukwu, the five-star 7-footer who was hospitalized after collapsing with heart failure during a July 1 workout, first joined the Trojans on Jan. 12. He started five games in Morgan’s absence and has since moved back into a key rotation role.

“He really brings a lot of length and athleticism for us,” Peterson said. “He brings a lot of defensive versatility, and he’s just really athletic. When he catches it, we trust him to finish.

“(With Morgan’s injury) he got kind of thrown to the fire a little bit, but it’s really good to help the developmental progression. We’ve got all of our bigs back, and everybody’s healthy.”

Numbers game1 — USC loss in nine games this season when the Trojans have had all of their rotation players available, as they are expected to have on Thursday.

1 — USC loss in 15 games at Galen Center this season.

140 — Combined steals by USC’s Kobe Johnson (65), Ellis (42) and Peterson (33), the second most by a Pac-12 trio. (UCLA’s Jaylen Clark, Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Campbell have a combined 149.)