USC basketball: Washington pregame

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Coming to you from Bank of America Arena, where USC (15-9 overall, 7-5 in Pacific 10 Conference) aims to win its first road game outside of Los Angeles County by beating Washington (17-8, 7-6). Just a warning to USC fans: That won’t be easy. Washington is 16-1 at home while USC is 1-6 on the road, with that one win coming at UCLA.

But speaking of Seattle (because I’d like to steer the conversation that way for promotional purposes) on my flight out of LAX to the Emerald City this morning, I focused on one thing and one thing only: Pike Place Market.

(Incoming childhood memories in three...two...one)

Having been born just north of Seattle, that market comprised the bottom level of my food pyramid growing up: seafood and Red Delicious apples. It’s half tourist trap, half fantastically awesome. If you’re nearby, stop by. If you’re not nearby, then get there. And if you decide not to go for whatever reason, shame on you.

But I digress...

Here are some facts and stats to get you ready before tipoff at 7:30 p.m. (televised on Prime Ticket, radio broadcast on 830 and 1260):

USC player to watch: Marcus Johnson


Johnson scored a career-high 22 points against Washington when the teams met earlier last month, and USC won, 87-61. He shot nine of 11 from the floor, including a couple of thunderous slams. It’s a cliche by this point, but USC Coach Kevin O’Neill has stressed that if Johnson plays well, the entire team’s overall play improves significantly. That game was a key example: Johnson scores 22 and the Trojans, a team that is usually terrible on offense, scores a season-high 87 points and stomps one of the top teams in the conference. If Johnson’s jump shot is falling, that will stretch Washington’s defense. And if the Trojans can get out on the fast break, look for USC guard Mike Gerrity to lob a few to Johnson.

Washington player to watch: Quincy Pondexter

Arguably the top NBA prospect in the Pac-10, Pondexter is a versatile 6-6, 215-pound guard/forward who is a nightmare matchup for defenses. He’s too mobile for big men, but too big for guards. He averages 20.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, but when these teams last met at the Galen Center, Johnson shut Pondexter down, holding him to two points on one-of-10 shooting. The Trojans expect Pondexter to come out more aggressive in his home arena, and that’s probably the safest bet of all time.

Key to the game: Tempo

Washington has led the conference in scoring three times in the past five years, and the Huskies are leading the league again this year, at 81.1 points per game. If USC gets caught in the Huskies’ fast-paced tempo, the game could get out of control, a fact O’Neill admitted. But if USC is able to grind the game with its defense and keep Washington from pushing it up the court, the Trojans could dictate the pace and have more of a chance. Regardless, the Trojans have their work cut out for them: Washington averages 15.8 more points per game at home than on the road.
-- Baxter Holmes, reporting from Seattle