Maryland men’s basketball vs. USC preview

There are 15 more games in Maryland men’s basketball’s regular season. BartTorvik only favors the Terps in two of them: against Penn State and Rutgers. A season with single-digit wins is becoming increasingly possible, if not likely.

Watching that caliber of basketball can be unenjoyable — even more so when it takes place late into the night. That’s the case for Maryland on Tuesday night, when it takes on USC. 

Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET, and the game will air on FS1.

USC Trojans (13-3, 2-3 Big Ten)

2024-25 record: 17-18, 7-13 Big Ten

Fans who were looking forward to a reunion with Rodney Rice will need to find another storyline. The former “Crab Five” guard was ruled out for the season on Dec. 17 with a shoulder injury.

Losing Rice — who averaged 20.3 points and six assists in his six games this season — was a major blow. But it was far from the end of USC’s season. Second-year head coach Eric Musselman’s squad has squeaked into the Associated Press poll at No. 24 on two occasions this season. The Trojans received one vote in the most recent rendition.

While a 2-3 conference record isn’t great, two of those losses came to No. 4 Michigan and No. 12 Michigan State. It’s clear USC’s transfer-heavy roster has taken a step up from 2024-25.

Players to know

Chad Baker-Mazara, graduate guard/forward, 6-foot-7, No. 4 — As of 11 months ago, Baker-Mazara can rent a car in the United States without restrictions. I, Matt Germack, am a senior in college. I won’t get to do that for another three years and nine months.

Baker-Mazara will be 26 years old on Jan. 27. He is older than Jalen Smith, who left Maryland for the 2020 NBA Draft. Baker-Mazara is the oldest high-major player in the country, and he is on his fifth college team. He’s the poster child of many of modern college basketball’s problems.

But for Maryland’s sake, Baker-Mazara is a three-level scorer that averages 19.9 points per game with plus rebounding and playmaking abilities.

Ezra Ausar, senior forward, 6-foot-9, No. 2 — Ausar is a senior who’s over a year older than most current seniors. He’s also three full years younger than Baker-Mazara. Have I made my point clear? I’m done, I digress.

Ausar is on his third school in four years, but he’s found a home in Musselman’s system and is having the best year of his collegiate career. The former East Carolina and Utah big man is averaging career-highs in points (16.7), assists (1.7), rebounds (6.1) and steals (1.0) per game, as well as shooting percentage (59.7%). 

Jacob Cofie, sophomore forward, 6-foot-10, No. 6 — Cofie is yet another towering presence in the Trojans’ starting five, and he’s the best defender of the group, leading USC in rebounds (6.4) and blocks (1.8) per game alongside a team-high defensive win share. His 9.7 points per game are commendable, but that’s not where Cofie makes his money.

Strength

Size. It would have been overkill to make this section “having a player older than five-year NFL veteran Ja’Maar Chase.” So we’ll go with this.

Excluding Rice, four of USC’s five top minute-getters are at least 6-foot-7. That shows in the box score. While their rebounding numbers aren’t overly spectacular, the Trojans’ size has enabled them to be eighth in the nation in blocks per game (6.0) and first in free throw attempts per game (29.4).

Weakness

Turnovers. The downside of a big, ball-dominant lineup is the potential for things to go wrong on the dribble, or when players do decide to pass. That’s resulted in 13.3 turnovers per game, tied for the most in the Big Ten.

The team they’re tied with? Maryland.

Three things to know

1. Don’t tune in looking for ethical hoops. Maryland and USC are very similar in two key ways: they get fouled a lot, and they turn the ball over a lot. Both of those things lead to ugly basketball, which is exactly what should be expected Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

2. Undefeated all-time against USC. The Terps and Trojans have faced four times in program histories, and the Terps were victorious in all four. Will that keep up? Odds are against Maryland. But history isn’t.

3. The 10-loss mark is near. A loss to USC would mean Maryland reaches 10 losses on the season in mid-January. It had nine losses through the entire 2024-25 season, including the postseason.