The USC men’s basketball team, still without Alijah Arenas, suffered its fourth loss of the season on Saturday against No. 5 Purdue, but the loss showed plenty of progress by the Trojans.
After getting blown out by ranked teams Michigan and Michigan State just a few games ago, the Trojans actually competed hard with the Boilermakers, losing only by five points. The Trojans proved they can compete with any team in the nation, despite all the injuries they have suffered. That will certainly help USC’s case for making the NCAA Tournament field.
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But moving forward, the best thing USC can do to boost its tournament resume is getting back in the win column. That starts by taking care of business on Wednesday at home against a Northwestern team that is 0-7 in Big Ten play.
Here are five things to watch as the Trojans takes on the Wildcats:
Can USC get revenge for last season’s loss?
Last season, on February 4, 2025, USC was defeated by Northwestern 77-75 at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. The Trojans were without star guard Desmond Claude, but still had every opportunity to win the game.
None of USC’s current players appeared in that contest, but you can bet the loss still stings for head coach Eric Musselman and his staff. Look for the Trojans to try and get revenge.
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Alijah Arenas set to make his debut!
According to multiple outlets, USC freshman guard Alijah Arenas is set to make his in-game debut for USC on Tuesday against Northwestern!
The five-star freshman and son of NBA legend Gilbert Arenas is an elite offensive talent who could be a top NBA draft pick in 2026. His first game will be the most anticipated individual debut for a USC men’s basketball player since Bronny James made his collegiate debut against Long Beach on December 10, 2023.
Trojan fans should keep a close eye on how Arenas factors into USC’s rotation. If he has the talent and polish to be a star at the collegiate level immediately, he could give the Trojans the boost they need to finish near the top of the Big Ten standings and make a meaningful NCAA tournament run, especially in the absence of star guard Rodney Rice.
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USC’s free throw shooting woes
USC got a lot of offensive production at the beginning of the season from its star players getting fouled and making their free throws. Chad Baker-Mazara and Ezra Ausar are often particularly effective at this. Ausar leads the team with 151 free throw attempts on the season and Baker-Mazara is second with 106 attempts. Baker-Mazara is one of the country’s best free throw shooters, hitting over 90% of his attempts from the line.
USC was uncharacteristically awful at shooting free throws against Purdue. The Trojans attempted only 14 foul shots and made 5 of them, shooting 35.7% from the free throw line.
Ausar went 3-6 from the line, Jacob Cofie missed both of his free throw attempts, Jaden Brownell went 0-2 and Jordan Marsh went 0-4. Baker-Mazara didn’t get to the line at all.
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USC cannot shoot free throws that poorly and expect to beat good teams. The Trojans must prove that it was just an off night from the line. Hopefully they spent extra time in the gym in the wake of the loss working on free throws.
Is USC building defensive momentum?
I think that despite the loss, Saturday vs Purdue was USC’s best defensive performance of the season. The Trojans held a Purdue team that typically shoots 51.8% from the field to 41.8% shooting. The Trojans also held the Boilermakers to 69 points, their second-lowest total of the season and held one of the best point guards in the country, Braden Smith, to only four second half points.
This Trojan squad has had its share of struggles defensively, especially on the perimeter, which is uncharacteristic of a team led by Eric Musselman. The Trojans have recently fielded a bigger lineup to start games, playing Gabe Dynes alongside Ezra Ausar and Jacob Cofie.
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Is that the change that was necessary to unlock better defensive play from the Trojans? Will they continue to get better defensively as conference play goes on?
It’s all about locking down Nick Martinelli
Nick Martinelli is clearly the star player for Northwestern. The 6’7” forward averages 23.7 points per game, shooting 56% from the field and 53% on three-pointers. He has scored 20+ points in 11 of his last 12 games.
Last season against USC, he scored 27 points and hit the game winning shot with only a few seconds remaining. Eric Musselman is very familiar with how Martinelli can take over games.
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USC needs to pay him a lot of defensive attention. I’d expect the Trojans to put Jacob Cofie, their best defender, on Martinelli for most of the game. Cofie has the size to bother Martinelli in the paint and the mobility to disrupt his three-point shooting as well.
For a random Tuesday night, this is a game ripe with narratives. Can the Trojans write a winning narrative?
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC men’s basketball faces Northwestern with Alijah Arenas available
