Indiana Hosts USC in Big Ten Showdown Wednesday Night

Indiana (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten) will look to extend its four-game winning streak when it hosts USC (9-5, 1-2) on Wednesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The game, set to tip off at 7 p.m. ET and broadcast on BTN, marks the first time the Trojans have played in Bloomington despite four previous matchups, the last of which occurred in 1974.

The Hoosiers are coming off a hard-fought 77-71 victory over Penn State at the Palestra in Philadelphia on Sunday. Indiana built a 16-point lead but had to hold off a late rally by the Nittany Lions. Key performances from Indiana’s starters helped secure the win, which marked the team’s first Quad 1 victory of the season.

USC, led by first-year head coach Eric Musselman, saw its four-game winning streak snapped in a 87-79 loss to Michigan on Saturday. The Trojans led 65-63 with 7:33 remaining but were outscored 22-9 down the stretch. USC has struggled against top-tier opponents this season, with just one win against a team ranked in the top 100 of KenPom‘s rankings.

The Trojans are without starter Terrance Williams II, who suffered a broken wrist last month and is out indefinitely. USC relies heavily on guard Desmond Claude, who leads the team with 14.9 points per game and has scored in double figures in seven straight contests. Forward Chibuzo Agbo, a transfer from Texas Tech and Boise State, adds 12.1 points per game and is shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc.

Indiana’s offense has shown improvement in recent games, particularly with the emergence of Myles Rice and Luke Goode as reliable perimeter threats. The Hoosiers’ defense, however, will need to tighten up after allowing Penn State to shoot 56% from the field in the second half.

KenPom projects Indiana as a seven-point favorite with a 74% chance of victory, while Bart Torvik‘s rankings favor the Hoosiers by six points. A win would bolster Indiana’s resume as it seeks to climb back into NCAA tournament contention.