Indiana men’s basketball (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten) had a successful trip to one of college basketball’s most historic venues last time out, defeating Penn State 77-71 Jan. 4 at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
Now, after picking up their first Quad 1 victory this season, the Hoosiers will return home to a similarly renowned venue to host USC at 7 p.m. Wednesday night inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
Playing without Reneau
Indiana will once again be without junior forward Malik Reneau, who suffered a knee injury in the first minute of a Jan. 2 win over Rutgers. Following the Hoosiers’ most recent outing against the Nittany Lions, head coach Mike Woodson indicated the injury was long-term, stating he wouldn’t return “anytime soon.”
Before being sidelined, Reneau led Indiana with 14.1 points per game, was second on the team with 5.9 rebounds per game and started all 14 games.
In Reneau’s absence, Woodson has filled the vacant spot in the starting rotation with senior forward Luke Goode. Despite making the lineup significantly shorter height wise, Goode’s increased role has provided the Hoosiers with better offensive consistency from the perimeter.
Woodson’s new-look offense made a combined 21 3-pointers against Rutgers and Penn State — the most Indiana has made in a two-game stretch since Dec. 10, 2022.
While it would be illogical to claim the Hoosiers improved without Reneau, an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention last season, they’ve certainly stepped up in his two-game absence.
Sixth-year center Oumar Ballo recorded a double-double in both games, oftentimes serving as the sole post player on the floor. Meanwhile, sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako averaged 18 points per game during that stretch.
USC’s season of firsts
The Trojans enter Wednesday night’s matchup with a 9-5 record in their first season as a member of the Big Ten. USC’s entrance into the conference is fitting for a program that started the 2023-24 season with a blank slate.
First-year head coach Eric Musselman brought in 11 transfers and a pair of four-star recruits to revamp the Trojans’ roster. As a result, 13 of USC’s 14 rostered players are playing their first season in Los Angeles.
For a team composed almost entirely of new pieces, there were concerns regarding the Trojans’ chemistry entering the season — concerns which were heightened after a 71-36 loss to Saint Mary’s College on Nov. 28. Still, USC has shown promise in its 1-2 start to conference play.
The Trojans played then-No. 12 Oregon close in a 68-60 loss on Dec. 4 and routed fellow conference newcomer Washington 85-61 on Dec. 7 to secure their first-ever Big Ten win.
Musselman’s team has found success with a scoring-by-committee recipe that features junior guard Desmond Claude, graduate student guard Chibuzo Agbo and graduate student forward Terrance Williams II, who all average double-digit scoring.
Williams, having played four seasons with Michigan, is familiar with Assembly Hall, unlike most of his teammates and USC as a program. Indiana has faced the Trojans four times in program history, most recently on March 18, 1974. However, the fifth matchup between the two sides will be the first one played in Bloomington.
Game Info
Indiana enters with a 68.4% chance to take care of business on its home floor, according to ESPN’s matchup predictor. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network with Kevin Kuglar handling play-by-play duties alongside Robbie Hummel.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
