The USC Trojans basketball team is off to one heck of a start to this season. Andy Enfield's young ball club made their presence felt this past week in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. at the AdvoCare Invitational. USC shocked No. 20 Wichita State, before falling to Xavier in the semifinals. Next up for the Trojans is a familiar foe in Monmouth, whom USC defeated in their second game of the season.
Let's get you ready for Sunday's contest.
Game Details:
When: Sunday Nov. 29 @ 9:30 am PST
Where: HP Field House, Orlando, Florida
How to Watch: ESPN2/WatchESPN
Monmouth Players to Watch:
G Justin Robinson, Jr.
Robinson is currently ninth in the country in scoring, averaging 24.4 points per game for the Hawks. In the first meeting between the two teams, he exploded for 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Robinson certainly isn't the biggest player on the court on any given night, standing only 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds, but he sure does play big. The Trojans will need to key on him all game long.
G Deon Jones, Sr.
In typical senior fashion, Jones is a do-it-all type of player for Monmouth. He's averaging 7.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season. He is a gifted rebounder from the guard position. His impact on the glass helps make the Hawks a tough team. Jones has good size and length, so USC must do their best to keep him off the glass.
G Micah Seaborn, Fr.
As you can tell, the Hawks rely heavily on production from their guards. Seaborn is averaging 12.6 points in 28.8 minutes per game as a redshirt freshman. He contributes to the game in so many ways and is pretty effective on both ends of the floor. Seaborn has scored in double figures in four of Monmouth's five games this season.
Three Keys for USC:
1. Contain Justin Robinson
As stated earlier, Robinson had a field day against the Trojans in their first meeting. He is highly capable of taking a game over all by himself. If USC isn't prepared for him, it could be a long night. It'll be hard to shut him down completely, but they'll need to slow him down a bit.
2. Feed the big man
Forward Nikola Jovanovic has taken the next step in his development this year. So far, through six games, he has recorded three double-doubles. Monmouth's strength is in the backcourt, so it is vital for the Trojans to take advantage of the edge they have in the frontcourt.
3. Attack, Attack, Attack
USC is fairly underrated from a roster standpoint. There are a handful of players on this team who are capable of creating their own shots. The Trojans are an athletic bunch and should use that to their advantage. There are simply too many weapons on this roster for USC not to be aggressive offensively in this game.
Prediction:
Expect another good game from these two teams. Both USC and Monmouth possess plenty of firepower, which should make for an exciting matchup. The Hawks should give USC everything they can handle and then some, but in the end, the Trojans will pull away and get their second victory over Monmouth this season.
USC 90, Monmouth 81