San Juan, PR (Best E Casino) - The 19th-ranked USC Trojans and the Seton Hall Pirates have arrived in San Juan to begin play at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
USC opened its season on Saturday with a 78-55 decision over UC Irvine and followed that effort with a 73-60 decision over New Mexico State on Tuesday. The Trojans will face several tests before the start of Pac-10 play, and may go head-to-head with Memphis tomorrow if things go well. A December 4th clash with Oklahoma will be one to watch as well, and a couple of key victories over strong non-conference competition will be tremendously valuable when selection time comes in mid-March.
Like USC, Seton Hall has won its first two games of the season, both at home. The Pirates dominated both contests, as they followed a 27-point romp over St. Francis-NY with a 71-50 decision over Columbia. With the exception of this tournament, the non-conference schedule is extremely soft for Seton Hall, which hopes to build a solid record heading into what is sure to be a brutal Big East slate.
USC and Seton Hall have split their only two previous meetings, and the most recent encounter took place in 1995.
After one year at USC, O.J. Mayo decided to leave for the NBA and was rewarded by being chosen the third overall pick. Don't feel too bad for the Trojans, however, as there is still plenty of talent in place. Taj Gibson mans the paint, and he is off to a tremendous start with 19.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg through two outings. Gibson has also blocked 10 shots and will be even more effective if he can shoot his foul shots a bit more consistently. Dwight Lewis checks in with 17.0 ppg, and he figures to be a go-to guy at the offensive end all season. As for highly-touted recruit DeMar DeRozan, he is netting 10.5 ppg and figures to get better with every game he plays. Daniel Hackett, who has dished out 10 assists, adds 10.0 ppg to the mix. Gibson was dominant against New Mexico State on Tuesday, as he tied his career high with 22 points and posted a personal-best 10 rebounds. USC earned a 42-28 rebounding edge in that clash, key to the win.
It comes as no surprise that Seton Hall was able to dominate Columbia. Start with the play of the Pirates at the defensive end of the floor, as they were able to limit the overmatched Lions to 34.5 percent shooting from the field while forcing them into 16 turnovers. A 46-34 rebounding advantage also played a major role in the victory, as did a 20-9 edge in points from the foul line. The Pirates made good on just 37.5 percent of their field goal attempts, but that negative was clearly overshadowed. Leading the way in the triumph was Jeremy Hazell with 21 points. Eugene Harvey added 12 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while John Garcia pitched in 11 points and 14 boards. The fourth and final double-digit scorer for the winners was Robert Mitchell with 10 points. Through two outings, Hazell is averaging 22.0 ppg but he has had very little impact on any other aspect of the game, boasting just one total assist and six rebounds.
