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Penn State-USC Basketball Game Preview: Nittany Lions Conclude West Coast Trip

Penn State Basketball, USC Basketball, Game Preview

Penn State will finish its West Coast trip against the USC Trojans on Tuesday. This will be only the third meeting between these two programs since 1954, with Penn State winning the most recent matchup in 2014.

If PSU wins, it will end its five-game losing streak and earn its first road win in the Big Ten.

GAME DETAILS

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025
Time: 9 p.m. EST
Site: Galen Center
City: Los Angeles
Network/Streaming: Big Ten Network

GAME ODDS

Odds on DraftKings Sportsbook

Odds: USC (-198), Penn State (+164)
Spread: USC (-4.5)
Over-Under: 151.5 points

GAME NOTES

Penn State (13-11, 3-10), 63rd KenPom, 65th NET

After Saturdayโ€™s loss to UCLA, Penn State is now 1-9 over its last 10. The Nittany Lions have dropped to the bottom of the Big Ten standings and are on the verge of missing the postseason. ESPN predicts that Penn State will go 3-4 over its last seven games, finishing just outside the top 15 playoff qualifiers in the conference.

While PSUโ€™s play has been subpar, injuries have riddled this team since the start of the new year. In the last nine games, at least one double-digit scorer has missed time. The most recent players to miss games have been Puff Johnson (wrist) and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (ankle).

USC (13-10, 5-7), 59th KenPom, 70th NET

The Trojans return home from a two-game road trip with two losses. While USC has been .500 on the road (3-3), it has found success defending the Galen Center, posting a 10-5 record. Before the most recent losses to Northwestern and No. 7 Purdue, USC handed No. 11 Michigan State its first conference loss of the season in Los Angeles.

Key Leaders:

*Desmond Claude: 16.2 PTS (10th in Big Ten) | 4.2 AST | 49.8 FG%

Wesley Yates III: 12.5 PTS | 48.4 FG% | 39.2 3P%

Chibuzo Agbo: 11.5 PTS | 4.7 REB | 34.8 3P%

Saint Thomas: 10.1 PTS | 6.1 REB | 4.3 AST

*Missed last two games with injury

KEY STAT

Over the last 10 games, USC is 4-6. During that stretch, the Trojans have given up 79.8 points per game — the third most in the Big Ten — and have allowed their opponents to shoot 47.7% from the field (44.7% for the season).

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