Michigan Wolverines vs USC Trojans College Basketball Preview

For anyone coming over from the end of football season: welcome! With the calendar turning to 2025, the Michigan Wolverines are diving (back) into conference play with a 10-3 overall record and plenty of optimism. Dusty May’s team has endured some frustrating defeats — losing three games by a combined five points — but has impressed overall, on the border of the Kenpom top 10 and potentially a legitimate contender in the Big Ten.

The Wolverines secured a pair of solid victories in the two-game conference opening stretch and now look for another road win in their first game against one of the four newcomers. The USC Trojans are struggling, and this is a contest Michigan needs to win, especially with UCLA waiting on Tuesday as the second part of this trip to Los Angeles. 2025 could be a big year for Michigan basketball, but that requires avoiding slip-ups against lesser competition.

Michigan Wolverines (10-3, 2-0) at Southern California Trojans (9-4, 1-1)

Date & Time: Saturday, Jan. 4, 8 p.m. ET
Location: Galen Center, Los Angeles, CA
TV/Streaming: FOX

The Trojans have nine wins on the season but have lost to the three best teams they have faced: Saint Mary’s, New Mexico, and Oregon. While USC dominated its second Big Ten opponent, Washington, the Huskies are among the conference’s weakest teams. USC is not faring much better, and even on the road, this should be one of Michigan’s most manageable games for the rest of the season.

While these new conference foes have a rich football history, the same cannot be said for basketball. That might change following realignment, as the Trojans have made the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons, and four of the past eight, and the Wolverines are clearly on the rise. FOX appears to think so, selecting this for primetime on the big network; Michigan will actually play eight of its final 18 games on either FOX or CBS.

One Big Question: Will the offense stay hot?

The Wolverines ended 2024 on a tear offensively, even with an abysmal three-point performance against Oklahoma. Over the holidays, Michigan rediscovered its long-range shooting touch, and a 62.7-percent clip inside the arc ranks second nationally. Turnovers occasionally remain an issue, but this offense has still been feasting, amassing over 1.20 PPP in its last three games.

USC has decent length but lacks substantial size, making Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin the keys yet again. While the three-point barrage against Western Kentucky was exciting, Big Ten defenses typically make that approach tougher. The Trojans have defended the three-point line reasonably well and use their athleticism to challenge wings, but they lack an answer for Michigan’s seven-footers. If the Wolverines run their offense through Wolf and Goldin, they should keep up their impressive scoring.

One Thing to Watch: Weird in-betweeners

USC’s unique profile will be evident on the offensive end as well. Eric Musselman has introduced positionless basketball to Los Angeles, emphasizing ball movement among his athletic roster. The Trojans do not rely heavily on threes but find shooters well, though their lack of size limits second-chance opportunities. However, USC features a borderline top-100 offense nationally, well below recent opponents like Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The Wolverines struggled defensively against those two SEC squads but tightened up to stifle Purdue Fort Wayne (No. 70 offense per Kenpom) and Western Kentucky. While USC does not boast the same high-end talent as the Razorbacks or Sooners, its athleticism and willingness to attack could pose challenges, and a hot shooting night from the Trojans would make this game uncomfortable. How Michigan is able to force tough shots and adapt to USC’s versatile lineup will serve as an early litmus test for 2025.