Undermanned No.24 USC falters to No.2 Michigan Wolverines

ANN ARBOR -- With the 2025 portion of the USC men's basketball season in the rearview, the Trojans look on as 2026 brings a challenging gauntlet to begin the year, with the ever-so dangerous No.2 Michigan Wolverines welcoming USC to the new year. Michigan did more than welcome USC to the new year, but gave them a reality check as the Trojans fell to the Wolverines with a one-sided 96-66 deficit. 

The start USC had to begin a crucial Big Ten road game was surely unforgettable, which was a recurring theme presented throughout this contest, as they were scoreless until Ezra Ausar scored a layup, which in turn, resulted in a three-point play with 13:16 left in the first half. Up until that point, the Trojans were 0-7 on field goal attempts. 

USC began picking up some steam despite the slow start, as a few made threes by Chad Baker-Mazara and some solid defensive stops inched the Trojans closer to the Wolverines. But that would be short-lived as Michigan started showing its size and consistency on the floor, with Morez Johnson Jr. leading the pack with 17 points on a perfect 7-7. 

The fouls and turnovers committed by the Trojans in the first half hindered their ability ot create any rhythm to keep up with the Wolverines. USC had 12 first-half turnovers and 15 team fouls, with Baker-Mazara committing four early fouls when the final buzzer sounded at the half. 

When all was said and done, Michigan found itself with a commendable 49-31 lead over USC heading into the second half. 

Michigan would carry on its consistency into the second half by shooting 48% from the floor by game's end, and Johnson Jr. would finish his career game with a Michigan high of 29 points on 10-12 shooting and 6 rebounds. 

Jaden Brownell would lead the Trojans in points scored with 16, but fouled out at the 3-minute mark of the second half. Ausar was behind him with 15 points on 3-9 shooting. 

With this loss, the Trojans begin the calendar year with a 30-point loss to a top-five Big Ten opponent. The difficulty doesn't ease up either, as USC will continue its travels on Monday by playing another ranked opponent, No.9 Michigan State Spartans, and finish off the three-game road trip by playing the Minnesota Golden Gophers a week from now.