July 31, 2007

USC 2007-2008 Basketball Schedule

DATE/DAY OPPONENT SITE

Oct. 28, Sunday Cardinal and Gold (Exhibition), Galen Center

Nov. 10, Saturday Mercer Galen Center

Nov. 15, Thursday at The Citadel, Charleston, S.C.

Nov. 17 , Saturday at South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.

Nov. 22, Thursday San Diego, Anaheim

Nov. 23, Friday South Alabama/Miami (OH), Anaheim

Nov. 25, Sunday Miss. State. Sou. Illinois, UCI or Chattanooga, Anaheim

Nov. 29, Thursday Oklahoma, Galen Center

Dec. 2, Sunday Kansas, Galen Center .

Dec. 4, Tuesday vs. Memphis, Madison Square Garden, NYC

Dec. 8, Saturday Fresno Pacific (Exhibition), Galen Center

Dec. 17, Monday Delaware State, Galen Center

Dec. 22, Saturday Cal Poly, Galen Center

Dec. 29, Saturday UC Riverside, Galen Center

Jan. 3, Thursday at Cal, Berkeley

Jan. 5, Saturday at Stanford, Palo Alto

Jan. 10, Thursday Washington State, Galen Center

Jan. 12, Saturday Washington, Galen Center

Jan. 19, Saturday at UCLA, Pauley Pavilion

Jan. 24, Thursday at Oregon State, Corvallis

Jan. 26, Saturday at Oregon, Eugene

Jan. 31, Thursday Arizona State, Galen Center

Feb. 2, Saturday Arizona, Galen Center

Feb. 7, Thursday at Washington, Seattle

Feb. 9, Saturday at Washington State, Pullman

Feb. 16, Saturday UCLA, Galen Center

Feb. 21, Thursday Oregon, Galen Center

Feb. 23, Saturday Oregon State, Galen Center

Feb. 28, Thursday at Arizona, Tucson

March 1, Saturday at Arizona State, Tempe

March 6, Thursday Stanford, Galen Center

March 8, Saturday California, Galen Center

March 12-15, Wed.-Sat. Pac-10 Tournament, Staples Center

March 20-23, Thur.-Sun. NCAA 1st and 2nd Rounds, TBA

March 27-30, Thur.-Sun. NCAA Regionals, TBA

April 5 & 7, Sat. & Mon. NCAA Final Four, San Antonio, Tex.

Advantage USC

For those who took every opportunity to take shots at a USC basketball schedule a year ago that featured the likes of Longwood, Charleston Southern, Bethune-Cookman and Cal Poly-Pomona, the Trojans have assumed the high ground in the scheduling argument this season.

Let's hear it for the folks who want to see O.J. Mayo, like the Jimmy V. Classic people at Madison Square Garden and ESPN schedulers who helped make the Anaheim Tournament happen.

And to Tim Floyd for saying yes.

Despite having an early road trip return to face a South Carolina team that beat USC at Galen last season, the Trojans picked up Memphis team that could be No. 1 at Madison Square Garden. They also get to host the first game in the Pac-10-Big 12 Classic that brings Oklahoma in with a possible No. 2 Kansas owing USC a return game and coming to Galen Center as well.

Then of course, there's the Pac-10 with seven teams getting mentioned in Top 25 preseason rankings making it easily the toughest league in the nation next year, top to bottom, with UCLA, Arizona, Stanford, Cal, Washington and Washington State all sure to earn early votes.

But the real work of art in this schedule is the eight-team Anaheim event opening on Thanksgiving Day in a basketball-football home-away doubleheader with the USC football team in Tempe that night to face Arizona State.

USC's basketball team picks up San Diego that day then gets either Miami (Ohio) or South Alabama the next day and one from Mississippi State, Southern Illinois, UC Irvine or UT Chattanooga in the Sunday finals.

You have to think this is the way of scheduling in the future. At least you have to hope it is. The opponents are all legitimate Div. 1 programs with half of them having NCAA tournament shots.

And with the games at a nominally neutral site, you get better games in the early season than you ever will trying to coax teams to play you in a true road game. And even if they do face USC in Southern California, they get two other true neutral court games against decent teams.

For fans disappointed that it's not an "Elite Eight'' field, get over it. That wasn't happening. But this isn't bad.

It's a win-win deal with the RPI helped, the competition better and without worrying about home-cooking from the officials.