Perfect Day For USC Basketball and More USC Football News
USC basketball sealed their first perfect day in four years Thursday night against Washington State.
Can’t get enough USC football and basketball news? We’ve got your morning dose of all the best content from around the web concerning the men of Troy.
1st & 10:
First Take… When USC basketball bested Washington State 81-71 at the Galen Center on Thursday night, they sealed the first Perfect Day on the hardwood in years.
Earlier in the evening, Notre Dame was thumped by Syracuse 81-66 to end the Irish’s four-game winning streak. Then at Pauley Pavilion, Washington jumped out to a big lead over UCLA before fending off a late comeback attempt from the Bruins to win 86-84.
To find the last Perfect Day for USC basketball you have to go back just over four years to November 22, 2011.
On that day, the Trojans were led by 19 points from Aaron Fuller and 18 points from Maurice Jones as they narrowly beat win-less Morgan State. Meanwhile, UCLA was blown out by No. 14 Kansas at the Maui Invitational and Notre Dame fell to Georgia in the third place game of the CBE Classic.
Surprisingly enough, Perfect Days have not come much more regularly on the football field for USC.
In 2015, USC’s November 28th victory over UCLA on the last day of the regular season coincided with Notre Dame’s 38-36 loss to Stanford. However, that also ended a four-year Perfect Day drought.
Though the Trojans achieved a Perfect Weekend on the last day of regular season play by beating Notre Dame at the Coliseum in 2014, UCLA’s loss courtesy of Stanford came on Friday, a day too early.
With no Perfect Days in either 2013 or 2012, the last football Perfect Day before this past season was on November 26, 2011 just four days after basketball’s achievement.
And Ten USC Football and Basketball News Links…
- ESPN: Garry Paskwietz examines the foundation behind Clay Helton’s statement that Kenechi Udeze is a coaching “superstar” in the making.
- ESPN: Greg Katz warns that USC’s natural recruiting advantages can only take the program so far. There needs to be top level coaching as well.
- Reign of Troy: We graded the Clancy Pendergast hire, which seems a good move on its own though judging the hire may get complicated with comparisons to Dave Aranda.
- Reign of Troy: Devin Asiasi, Boss Tagaloa and Rashan Gary will make their Signing Day announcements on ESPN.
- RipsIt Blog: Cody Kessler and Soma Vainuku have been participating in Senior Bowl practices and NFL interviews this week.
- Bleacher Report: USC’s six Pro Bowl representatives are tied with LSU and Georgia for the most among college football programs this season.
- Reign of Troy: Ronnie Lott and Lynn Swann were named to the Super Bowl 50 Golden Team.
- Deadspin: Today in “news that makes you do a double take”…former USC volleyball player and walk-on tight end Owen Hanson was indicted on charges including racketeering, drug trafficking and money laundering related to an international drug smuggling ring.
- LA Times: Gary Klein touched base with Rams GM Les Snead discussing, among other things, how pro players will handle playing in the Coliseum.
- Daily News: Bennie Boatwright has been a major contributor to USC’s success this season, but he says he can still get better.
Stat of the Day:
USC basketball is 12-0 at home for the first time since 1943.