Norman, OK (Sportsbooks) - The Oklahoma Sooners have risen to the sixth spot in the most recent poll, and they figure to be challenged at home tonight by the USC Trojans in a non-conference clash as part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series.
USC is set to play its first true road tilt of the season, and the team is currently unranked because of two losses at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Fortunately, the Trojans have won their last two outings, including a 74-69 triumph over San Francisco on Monday.
Oklahoma is ranked in the top-10 for the first time since December of 2005, and the club is a perfect 6-0 thus far. The Sooners were last in action on Friday when they captured the NIT Season Tip-Off title with an 87-82 overtime victory over a strong Purdue squad from the Big Ten Conference. Oklahoma belongs to the Big 12 and figures to face stiff competition from the likes of Texas and Kansas when league play rolls around.
The all-time series between USC and Oklahoma is tied, 5-5, after the Trojans beat the Sooners last season by a 66-55 final.
USC is paced by Dwight Lewis, who is scoring 16.6 ppg this season. Taj Gibson provides 15.7 ppg and 11.1 rpg while also blocking over three-and-a-half shots per contest. The third and final double-digit scorer for the Trojans is Daniel Hackett with his 10.1 ppg. DeMar DeRozan, the team's blue chip freshman, is scoring 9.7 ppg and has taken a back seat to some of his more experienced teammates. USC is scoring 71.6 ppg as a team and has played tremendous defense, limiting foes to 59.9 ppg on 37.3 percent shooting from the floor. It is hard to get overly excited about a five-point home win over San Francisco, as the Trojans needed a career-high 26 points from Lewis just to get past the Dons. Hackett added 18 points for USC, which turned the ball over 18 times and permitted USF to shoot 10-of-19 from three-point range. Fortunately for the Trojans, they earned a decisive 26-9 advantage in points from the foul line.
The Big 12 Player of the Week Award has only been given out three times thus far, and Oklahoma's Blake Griffin has been the recipient all three times. Just a sophomore, he is scoring 25.7 ppg while pulling down a staggering 19.2 rpg. Already being billed as the clear frontrunner for national player of the year honors and potentially the first pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Blake Griffin will get plenty of attention from USC defenders this evening. Fortunately for Oklahoma, it has more than just one standout performer in the lineup. Freshman Willie Warren has been outstanding, as he is scoring 14.8 ppg. The third and final double-digit scorer is Taylor Griffin, the old brother of Blake, who provides 11.5 ppg. OU is generating 83.8 ppg while limiting opponents to 68.3 ppg on 39.3 percent shooting. Against Purdue last Friday, Warren led the team with 22 points, and Taylor Griffin scored 19 points. As for Blake Griffin, who was limited to 18 points, he ripped down 21 boards. The fact that Oklahoma attempted 41 more free throws than Purdue was clearly the difference in the game.
