USC Basketball 2017-18 schedule announced

USC Basketball’s non-conference schedule and weekly matchups for the 2017-18 Pac-12 slate were announced on Thursday.

With excitement around USC Basketball at it’s highest point in years, the Trojans now know exactly what their slate for the 2017-18 season will entail.

USC released the official non-conference schedule while the Pac-12 set weekly match ups for conference play on Thursday.

The Trojans will open the year against Cal State Fullerton at the Galen Center, taking on North Dakota State, Lehigh and Texas A&M on their home court in November, while traveling for a game at Vanderbilt.

The December slate includes a NCAA Tournament rematch at SMU before a showcase event at the Stapes Center against the Oklahoma Sooners.

Santa Clara and UC Santa Barbara also feature on the home slate.

USC’s participation in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii will open with Princeton, while other opponents may include Akron, Davidson, Hawaii, Miami, Middle Tennessee and New Mexico State.

Non-Conference Schedule:

Nov. 10 – CS FullertonNov. 13 – North Dakota StateNov. 19 – at VanderbiltNov. 22 – LehighNov. 26 – Texas A&MDec. 2 – at SMUDec. 8 – Oklahoma (at Staples Center)Dec. 14 – Santa ClaraDec. 17 – UC Santa BarbaraDec. 19 – Princeton*Dec. 22 – Diamond Head Classic*Dec. 23 – Diamond Head Classic*Dec. 25 – Diamond Head Classic*

With the non-conference schedule out of the way, USC will begin the Pac-12 season at home against Washington and Washington State as 2018 approaches.

Specific dates for conference games will not be set until later this summer when the Pac-12’s television partners finalize their schedule.

Still, the Trojans know they will host the Huskies and Cougars without a return trip up north. On the flip side, USC will have to travel to the desert to play Arizona and Arizona State, while the Wildcats and Sun Devils will not play in Los Angeles.

The first leg of USC’s rivalry tilt with UCLA will come at the end of January or the beginning of February at Pauley Pavilion. The Trojans will finish the regular season by hosting the Bruins at the Galen Center at the end of February or beginning of March.

Conference Schedule:

Dec. 27-31 – Washington/Washington StateJan. 3-7 – at California/StanfordJan. 10-14 – Colorado/UtahJan. 17-21 – at Oregon/Oregon StateJan. 24-28 – California/StanfordJan. 31-Feb. 4 – at UCLAFeb. 7-11 – at Arizona/Arizona StateFeb. 14-18 – Oregon/Oregon StateFeb. 21-25 – at Colorado/UtahFeb. 28-March 3 – UCLA

The 2017-18 schedule features 12 teams who made the 2017 NCAA Tournament, including seven of the Trojans non-conference opponents.

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Four of USC’s opponents –Arizona, UCLA, Oregon and SMU– finished the 2016-17 season in the AP Top 25.

Great things are expected of Andy Enfield’s squad this coming season, with USC’s top eight scorers from last season returning. Chimezie Metu and Bennie Boatwright headline that group having spurned the NBA to come back for their junior campaign.

The Trojans have also added more strength via the recruiting trail, signing four-star prospects Charles O’Bannon Jr. and Jordan Usher in the 2017 recruiting class.

Further bolstering USC’s hopes of success, former five-star Duke transfer Derryck Thornton will be eligible to play this season after sitting out last year.

CHECK OUT: USC Basketball’s Hype Grows in Preseason Rankings

With all those pieces in place, including the veteran presence of guards Jordan McLaughlin and Elijah Stewart, the Trojans have been projected as a potential Top 10 team heading into the fall.