USC Trojans vs Utah Utes Match Preview – Injury Report, Starting Lineup, and Prediction

The University of Southern California Trojans will lock horns with the Utah Utes at the Galen Center on Thursday. While the Trojans have a 9-15 record, the Utes have a 15-9 tally.

In the conference the Trojans are placed at the 11th spot in the Pac-12, and the Utes occupy the eighth spot in the same conference. 

Players to Watch 

For the Trojans, the main player to watch out for will be their guard Boogie Ellis. Though Ellis has returned to the team after an injury, currently he looks to be out of form.

He could only basket 7 points against the Stanford Cardinal and would be looking to stand tall to the fans’ expectations. This is one of the best times to make a mark towards the end of the regular season and Ellis will be keen to make the most of this contest.

Another player to keep an eye on will be their guard Isaiah Collier. Collier was also out of the regular season for quite some time but since his return, he has shown commendable skills. He potted 18 in his last against the Cardinal and would be looking to show his mettle once again against the Utes. 

For the Utes, the chief player in this game would be center Branden Carlson. Carlson has an astounding average of 17 points per game with 7 rebounds per match.

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He has shown his prowess as an alpha and is the go-to player for the Utes this season. If the Utes are to make a difference in this game then Carlson will have to go all guns blazing.

Head to Head

As per the official USC Trojans website, the Trojans have won 12 games between December 2000 – February 2023. They have unfortunately lost an equal number of games.

The Trojans have been 7-4 in their home record against the Utes, whereas in the conference the Utah have edged past the Trojans by a 10-9 tally. This game will be another encounter between two level-headed teams. 

Prediction

The game between the two teams is going to be an exciting one. It will be interesting to watch which team goes past the other. Considering the way, the Trojans have performed the match looks to be poised in favor of the Utah. Although the match is at Galen Center, still the Utah have a better probability of emerging triumphant in this contest.

Injury Report

As per covers.com, for the Trojans, their forward Brandon Gardner has been out of the game due to an undefined injury.

As per the same source, the Utah guard Rollie Worster has been sidelined due to a leg injury and there is no clarity on his return.

According to report, the Utah Utes Wilguens Exacte Jr. has been redshirted this season due to an undisclosed injury.

Starting Lineup

USC Trojans: Vincent Iwuchukwu, DJ Rodman, Bronny James, Isaiah Collier, Boogie Ellis

Utah Utes: Keba Keita, Branden Carlson, Deivon Smith, Gabe Madsen, Cole Bajema

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