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Basketball Quick Hits

As I noted in the diaries USC's 2007 Basketball schedule was released on Tuesday. This schedule looks pretty tough with some great matchups.

There are a couple of quick notes in local media on the upcoming schedule.

From the Press-Enterprise:

With a schedule featuring games against No. 1 preseason pick Memphis and No. 2 Kansas, USC may have a tough time matching last season's record 25 wins in men's basketball.

The Memphis game is at New York City Dec. 4, two days after Kansas visits Galen Center. Another Big 12 team, Oklahoma, will play at Galen Center on Nov. 29.

That schedule does look a little ominous.

From the OC Register (no link available)

USC, which is coming off a Sweet 16 appearance last March but lost its three leading scorers, will be challenged early. The Trojans has nonconference games against Oklahoma, Kansas and Memphis, and they also will play in a nationally televised tournament in Anaheim against well-regarded Mississippi State and Southern Illinois teams.

Coach Tim Floyd began assembling the schedule before he learned that juniors Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt would enter the NBA draft. He said much of the pressure will fall on highly touted incoming guard O.J. Mayo and the other freshmen.

I know we expect a lot out of Mayo and the other freshman coming in but they have their work cut out for them.

This is from the USC Official Website:

The USC men's basketball team, coming off a school-record 25-win season, will play a schedule in 2007-08 which includes a potential 16 games against teams garnering preseason top 25 recognition, it was announced today (July 31) by USC head basketball coach Tim Floyd.

"We are continuing to try and lift the profile of the USC basketball program and this schedule should be a reflection of that," said Floyd. "We have non-conference home games with Big 12 powers Oklahoma and Kansas--the Jay Hawks being ranked as high as No. 2 in many preseason polls. It's an ambitious schedule, given the departures of Nick Young, Gabe Pruitt and Lodrick Stewart, with the schedule featuring games against preseason No. 1 Memphis, at an improving South Carolina team which we lost to last season at the Galen Center and a made-for-TV tournament in Anaheim which will feature two potential top 25 teams in Mississippi State and Southern Illinois."

In addition, the Trojans will play the rugged Pac-10 Conference schedule which features as many as 12 games against teams receiving top 25 votes in the preseason. Among the Pac-10 team joining USC in various preseason top 25 polls are Arizona, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Washington and Washington State.

It is going to be interesting to watch to see how this team shapes up. Lets hope that they live up to those high expectations.