This week, the USC men’s basketball team is playing at the Maui Invitational in Hawaii. The Trojans have won their first two games of the tournament, and now sit at 6-0 on the 2025 season.
What have we learned from USC’s first two games in Maui? Here are a few key takeaways:
Legitimate victories
USC won its first four games of the year, but they all came against, low-level opponents. After taking down Boise State and and Seton Hall, the Trojans now have victories over a Mountain West school and a Big East school on their resume.
Winning close games
Including the victory over Troy last week, USC has now won its past three games by a combined six points. You can certainly criticize the Trojans for not pulling away in any of the contests, but this team has shown that it is capable of winning close games—something that will benefit the group when Big Ten play rolls around.
Fixing the free throws
The Boise State game felt like deja vu for USC basketball fans, as the Trojans struggled from the free throw line, shooting just 65 percent. Against Seton Hall, however, USC was much better, making 82 percent of its free throw attempts.
Owning the glass
Another area where the Trojans improved significantly from game one to game two was rebounding. After getting outrebounded 36-31 against Boise State, USC largely dominated the glass against Seton Hall, winning the battle on the glass 35-21.
Up next
USC will close out the Maui Invitational on Wednesday with the championship game against former Pac-12 foe Arizona State. Tipoff is set for 11:30 a.m. Pacific time on ESPN.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Takeaways from USC hoops advancing to Maui Invitational championship
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
