The Wisconsin Badgers (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten) may have their hands full on Saturday afternoon when they take on the surging USC Trojans (11-6, 3-3 Big Ten).
USC is red-hot as of late. The team is the winner of two straight conference games, each in decisive fashion. It defeated Illinois 82-72, then Iowa 99-89. That has elevated it into a crowded middle tier of the Big Ten standings.
Related: Updated win-loss predictions for Wisconsin basketball schedule entering West Coast road trip
That stretch is a stark difference from USC’s early-season form. It began the year, its first under head coach Eric Musselman, with a narrow win over UT-Arlington, a loss to Cal, then three straight losses to Saint Mary’s (71-36), New Mexico (83-73) and Oregon (68-60), respectively. The team’s 5-4 start had it ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten with the likes of Minnesota and Washington.
An in-season improvement was expected as Musselman, who arrived with a terrific track record from five years at Arkansas, reshaped the roster and installed his system. That is especially the case as he orchestrated a top-down roster overhaul upon arrival — the Trojans returned just 5.4% of minutes and 3.6% of scoring from a 2023-24 group that finished the season 15-18.
This is an extended way to deliver this pregame thought: USC is currently playing much better basketball than its 11-6 record and middling KenPom (No. 66) and ESPN BPI (No. 58) rankings indicate.
Trojans Wire’s Matt Zemek recently gave a good look at that reality and the Trojans’ momentum entering Saturday’s game:
The Trojans have looked like a very good team the past few weeks. They gave Michigan, arguably the favorite to win the Big Ten, a tough battle before losing late. They won at Illinois, another Big Ten title contender. Tuesday, they raced past Iowa by 10 points, very neary scoring 100.
Desmond Claude and Wesley Yates are balling. The Trojans are attacking the glass and are playing with hunger. USC is now bagging some good wins. If the Trojans can keep stacking quality results, the NCAA Tournament — viewed as a longshot (at best) in late November — could become a realistic possibility.
Eric Musselman is figuring things out. He was viewed as a good hire for a reason.
Wisconsin and USC are set to tip-off at 3 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network. The Badgers are in search of their seventh consecutive victory and fifth-straight in conference play. They may need their top form in order to achieve that result.
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