In earlier years, the prevailing storyline heading right into a conflict between the Washington males’s basketball staff and No. 24 USC would give attention to the three Huskies who not too long ago left the Trojans and return to Los Angeles to face their former staff for the primary time.
Final season, ahead Desmond Claude, guard Wesley Yates III and assistant Quincy Pondexter, the previous Husky star, helped USC seize a pair of wins to increase its 11-game profitable streak in opposition to UW that started 5 years in the past.
Now they’re with the Huskies for the three p.m. Saturday showdown at Galen Middle, which is the most recent instance of the fluent and unexpected nature of big-time collegiate sports activities the place previous enemies change into new associates within the blink of a watch.
“Truthfully, I haven’t thought a lot about it,” Claude mentioned at Huge Ten media day when requested concerning the UW-USC matchup. “I do know we return there to play them, but it surely’s not prefer it’s circled on my calendar or something like that.”
The 22-year-old Claude, who’s a local of New Haven, Conn., started his collegiate profession with a two-year stint at Xavier earlier than transferring to USC final 12 months. His basketball journey has reshaped how he views conventional sports activities rivalries.
“We all know faculty basketball isn’t what it was with the portal and NIL and every little thing else. I do know I’ve moved round and for me, there’s no animosity in these choices. I don’t have any beef with these guys (at USC).
“And I can’t converse for anybody else. I’m certain some guys may need a chip on their shoulder or one thing like that after they play their previous staff. … However when you concentrate on it, a lot of the guys we performed with have left and that’s a complete new staff. So, every little thing is totally different besides the coaches.”
After a disappointing debut final season (17-18, 7-13 in Huge Ten), second-year USC coach Eric Musselman reset the roster with pivotal portal pickups Chad Baker-Mazara (Auburn), Rodney Rice (Maryland) and Jacob Cofie (Virginia), the previous Eastside Catholic standout.
The Trojans added 9 transfers to offset seven gamers who left through the portal, together with main scorers Claude and Yates, who averaged 15.8 and 14.1 factors, respectively, final season.
Led by Baker-Mazara (20.9 factors per sport) and Rice (20.3), who’re tied for second and fifth within the Huge Ten in scoring and the one Division I teammates averaging not less than 20 factors, USC is 8-0 total and 1-0 within the Huge Ten.
“They’re taking part in quick and so they’re athletic,” UW coach Danny Sprinkle mentioned. “They put a whole lot of stress on you on the rim. Chad Baker-Mazara is arguably taking part in in addition to anyone within the nation proper now. They’re undefeated for a purpose. … We bought our work reduce out for us on Saturday.”
Sprinkle, who’s at the beginning of his second season with UW, additionally reloaded within the offseason after a dismal 13-18 total document and last-place Huge Ten end at 4-16.
Nevertheless, the Huskies, who introduced in 13 newcomers, are 5-3 total and 0-1 in Huge Ten play following two straight losses.
At occasions, Yates, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, has appeared like a budding star whereas scoring not less than 23 factors throughout a current three-game stretch. He’s additionally had his lowest-scoring performances (eight, 9 and 12 factors) throughout UW’s three losses.
“We’re at our greatest when he’s aggressive … however that doesn’t imply jacking up photographs at any time when he touches it,” Sprinkle mentioned. “We have to get him photographs when he’s in rhythm. … As soon as he makes one or two, that opens up drives the place he actually places stress on the protection.”
After an ankle damage compelled him to overlook the primary eight video games, Claude’s manufacturing has been inconsistent. He dropped 20 factors in his UW debut and scored two, 14 and 5 factors prior to now three video games.
The 6-5 senior guard is averaging 10.3 factors whereas capturing 31.9% from the ground, which is a steep decline from when he shot 48.2% final season.
“While you’re out for six weeks, it’s exhausting to get that rhythm again,” Sprinkle mentioned. “And someway, he’s bought to discover a option to get it again as a result of at occasions, he’s bought it.
“He’s simply bought to get snug taking part in and having the contact and being snug on the market. As a result of we all know what sort of participant he’s and we’re simply ready for him to point out that to everyone.”
Sprinkle doesn’t imagine Claude and Yates will probably be further motivated to show some extent or settle a vendetta in opposition to the Trojans.
“It’s what it’s. You see it all around the nation now with youngsters taking part in in opposition to their former groups,” Sprinkle mentioned. “However we bought to fret about ourselves.”
The Huskies are hoping to scrub up the errors, together with 15 turnovers and defensive gaffes that undermined an outstanding career-high 29-point efficiency from star freshman ahead Hannes Steinbach and resulted in an 82-80 loss to UCLA on Wednesday.
Washington, which aspires to snap its six-year NCAA event drought, is in determined want of a signature win to spice up its sagging resume. The Huskies fell to No. 87 within the NET and 0-3 in Quad 1 and a pair of video games.
After USC and 4 nonconference video games in December, UW travels to face No. 22 Indiana (7-1) and No. 1 Purdue (8-0) earlier than internet hosting Ohio State (6-1), No. 3 Michigan (7-0) and No. 7 Michigan State (8-0).
“It’s most undoubtedly essential to get again on observe,” sophomore guard Zoom Diallo mentioned when requested if USC is a must-win sport. “The following sport is crucial sport.”
Observe
• Rice has missed the previous two video games attributable to a shoulder damage whereas senior guard Amarion Dickerson suffered an undisclosed damage that restricted him to only 4 minutes throughout USC’s 82-77 win in opposition to Oregon on Monday.
• Trojan freshman guard and five-star recruit Alijah Arenas (knee) is predicted to make his collegiate debut mid-January.
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