U-S-C (21-12) Vs. Boston College (22-11)
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GAME NOTES: The Pac-10 meets the ACC in tonight's NCAA Tournament first round tilt, featuring the 10th-seeded USC Trojans and the seventh-seeded Boston College Eagles. The survivor of this Midwest Region contest at the Metrodome will move on to meet either Michigan State or Robert Morris on Sunday.
The Trojans were on the outside of the NCAA Tournament picture heading into the Pac-10 Championship and nothing short of winning the conference tourney would have gotten them into this event. USC did what it needed and even overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat Arizona State, 66-63, for its first Pac-10 Tournament title in school history. Winners of five straight games, the Trojans are making their school-record third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 15th overall. USC is 11-16 all-time in this event, reaching the Sweet 16 as recent as 2007.
As for BC, it earned an at-large bid to the Big Dance courtesy of a 22-11 record that included quality wins over North Carolina, Duke and Florida State. The Eagles are making their 18th overall appearance in this event and the seventh in the last nine years. BC has compiled a 22-18 all-time ledger in the NCAA Tournament, including a 13-3 mark in first-round bouts.
The only prior meeting between these two teams came in the second round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament, with the Trojans taking a 74-71 decision in that matchup.
The Trojans are a tough club defensively, and they are holding challengers to just 63.5 ppg and only 40.6 percent shooting from the floor. Taj Gibson is a big reason for the success on defense, as the 6-9 forward has turned away 92 shots and recorded 32 steals. He is also pulling down a team-high 9.4 rpg, while leading the way offensively with 14.3 ppg. Dwight Lewis, a 37.8 percent three-point shooter, is hot on the trail of Gibson with 14.1 ppg. Freshman DeMar DeRozan adds 13.6 ppg and 5.7 rpg to the lineup, while Daniel Hackett contributes 12.5 ppg and a team-best 4.7 apg.
The Eagles will test the Trojans' stingy defense with their solid offense, as they are generating 74.9 ppg on 44.6 percent shooting from the field this season. Tyrese Rice has the ability to take over a game and he is clearly the team's go-to-guy, heading the way with 17.1 ppg and 5.3 apg. Joe Trapani, one of four sophomores that joins Rice in the starting lineup, delivers 13.5 ppg and a team-high 6.6 rpg for the Eagles. Rakim Sanders logs 13.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg, and fellow sophomore starter Corey Raji adds 9.8 ppg and 6.1 rpg to the mix.
These are two schools from power conferences and that should make for an entertaining game tonight. USC is playing with a lot of confidence right now and its ability to clamp down on defense will help it get past BC is a close one.
Predicted OutcomeUSC 69, Boston College 67Copyright 2009 Courtesy of The Sports Network.
