The USC Trojans have yet to be challenged through two games this season, but will meet a strong opponent in the Illinois Fighting Illini as the two team travel to Hawaii for the EA Sports Maui Invitational on Monday night.
USC has struggled offensively this season, scoring only 74 points per game and ranking 107th in field goal percentage. The team ranks 77th in assists per game, but have grabbed a solid average of 39 rebounds through two games.
The Trojans opened the season with an 87-73 win against Coppin State and defeated Long Beach State 62-44 for their second home win. J.T. Terrell has been one of the best player for USC this year, leading the team in scoring with 13 points per game.
The Trojans are 2-0 for the third time in 11 years after the win on Tuesday night and will look to stay undefeated against Illinois. Dewayne Dedmon had 10 rebounds and eight points for USC, while Ari Stewart had 10 points.
Senior Eric Wise has provided leadership and consistency, averaging 8.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, including a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds against Long Beach State.
Dedmon is leading the team with rebounding, including the 12 he grabbed in the win against Coppin State to start the season. Senior Jio Fontan is first in assists, averaging 5.5 per game. Against Long Beach State he had only one turnover to go with four assists.
The bench for the Trojans has been stellar this season, outscoring their counterparts 23-3 in the win against Lon Beach State. USC let the game stay close in the first half before pulling away in the last eight minutes.
The Trojans have a tough upcoming schedule, including a home game against 25th-ranked San Diego State and a Dec. 3 contest on the road at Nebraska. USC hasn't had much postseason success in the past few seasons, but are hoping a fresh crop of new recruits can turn things around.
Illinois comes into the game coming off of a dramatic 78-77 overtime win against Hawaii at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu on Saturday.
First-year coach John Groce rallied from a 16-point deficit and senior guard D.J. Richardson scored the wining three-point basket as time expired. Senior guard Brandon Paul led the way for the Illini, scoring 25 points, while Tracy Abrams scored 22.
One reason Illinois is 3-0 is due to the play of Paul. This year he leads the team in scoring with nearly 20 per game and is also averaging 4.3 rebounds and assists. In the team's opening win against Colgate, Paul had 20 points, five assists and eight rebounds.
The team has scored well through three games, averaging 80 points per contests, but has not been very efficient. Illinois is shooting only 43 percent and is producing only 13 assists per game.
Against St. Francis, the Illini had trouble protecting the ball, giving up eight turnovers. The team once again allowed their opponent to hang close before going on a 15-0 run to put the game away.
Last season Illnois started out 10-0 before losing to UNLV at home 64-48. The loss sent the team into a spiral, as the Illini lost five of their next nine games.
The team had a very rough end to the season in 2012 losing 12 of their last 14 games, including the opening round game against Iowa in the Big Ten tournament.
USC lost in the opening round of the NCAA tournament last season to Virginia Commonwealth, while Illinois made it to the second round after defeating UNLV. The team lost against Kansas, the eventual runner-up.
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