USC vs. Oregon College Basketball Game Preview, Prediction, TV Schedule

By Taylor Sturm

TV Schedule: Thursday, Jan. 21, 9:00 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

Arena: Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, Ore.

Line: Oregon (-5)

The Pac-12 is slowly shaping up to be one of the better conferences in college basketball, mostly due to the emergence of teams many thought were average into solid 2016 NCAA tournament teams. Two of these teams, the Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans, face off on Thursday night with Pac-12 regular season title implications on the line.

Currently second in the Pac-12, the Trojans are ranked No. 21 in the country after a fantastic start to the season that saw them upset the Wichita State Shockers and secure wins over several NCAA tournament-bound teams. Their lone loss in conference play so far has been to the first place Washington Huskies, and a win over Oregon could be the difference between a top three finish in the Pac-12 and keeping the UCLA Bruins and Arizona Wildcats at bay.

Oregon, on the other hand, has lost two conference games so far, but both were to average opponents, the Colorado Buffaloes and the Oregon State Beavers. Their wins have come against some of the better teams in Pac-12 play, which hints at their struggles being far more mental than actual on the court issues. When and if the Ducks get that fixed, Oregon will be one of the most dangerous and underrated teams in the country.

That being said, I expect both of these teams to make the 2016 NCAA tournament. However, USC boasts the much better offense and should win this game on the road in a close one. The Trojans are not just some flashy team under Andy Enfield, and I expect them to do some damage in March.

Prediction: USC 79, Oregon 77

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