#22 USC vs. Oklahoma - Game Preview

#22 USC (5-1) vs. Oklahoma (5-1) - Game Preview

When:  Thursday, Nov. 29 @ 8:00 PM (PST)
Where:  Galen Center (Los Angeles, CA)
Watch:  FSN Prime Ticket

So the brutal stretch begins.  Up first is the (5-1) Oklahoma Sooners, a team weighted heavily in the frontcourt.  Leading the bunch is a super-frosh by the name of Blake Griffin, a highly-touted former 5-star prospect from Oklahoma City.  Blake doesn't shy away from the physical game and has excellent athleticism, which makes him an automatic match-up problem for any team he faces.  Look for Kasey to get the defensive call early and Daniel to be in support throughout the game.  We will likely see a defensive gameplan similar to the one against Southern Illinois, where Coach Floyd uses our guards to clog up the middle to disrupt the low-post game and bait the outside shooters.  Against Memphis, their only loss, the Sooner guards shot 38% from the field.

On the offensive end, expect another perimeter based game.  I'm making a early prediction and saying O.J. will have a BIG game tonight.  Look for him to constantly be moving along the baseline setting up single/double screens to create open jumpers.  Also, a major factor in this game will be how well SC can score in transition.  I can see Angelo getting a lot of minutes due to his ability to start the break.  On every long rebound I expect the team to be sprinting down court looking for the easy basket.  This game will be a contest to see which side will flinch first and conform to the other.  If SC can jump to an early lead, I can see them pulling away into the half and cruising the rest of the way, but if OU establishes their low-post game, it will be a dog-fight to the end.

Prediction:  W by 7