LOS ANGELES – Moving southwest out of the Rocky Mountains, the UTSA men’s basketball team (4-6) wraps its December swing of three consecutive power conference opponents on Wednesday evening at RV USC (10-1). The Roadrunners and Trojans will meet officially for the first time since 1983, tipping off at 8 p.m. CT on Dec. 15 at the Galen Center with a Big Ten Network+ broadcast.
On the Air and on the Web
Wednesdy’s 8 p.m. CT (6 p.m. PT) tipoff with the Trojans will air on Big Ten Network+. On the broadcast call will be Guy Haberman (play-by-play) and Earl Watson (analyst) at the Galen Center.
The radio broadcast will appear on Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket with Andy Everett (play-by-play) covering the action live from Los Angeles. The broadcast will feature a 30-minute pregame and 15-minute postgame show – available online at Ticket760.com or via the free iHeartRadio app.
USC Athletics will also provide Live Stats.
About the UTSA Roadrunners
The Roadrunners have run up against three big-time offensive challenges in South Alabama, then-No. 12 Alabama and last Saturday at Colorado, and UTSA is still looking for its first December win following a 4-4 November.
Last time out, the Roadrunners slugged it out with Colorado in the first half with four ties and nine lead changes at CU Events Center for a mere three-point halftime deficit. However, the Buffaloes surged after half and pulled away to an 88-64 win.
After being tested heavily to start 2025’s final month, the Roadrunner defense still ranks high, holding the opposition to an NCAA 38th-ranked 39.4 percent shooting from the field, 60th-ranked 29.4 percent defense beyond the arc and a 62nd-ranked 4.5 blocks per game – in addition to pulling down and American Conference second-most (NCAA 34th) 41.4 rebounds per game. Offensively, UTSA averages 71.7 ppg on 39.7 percent shooting.
Leading that effort from the opening tipoff this year, graduate student guard Jamir Simpson just recorded his sixth 20-point game of the year, going back-to-back against the toughest teams on the schedule so far. The Southern Utah transfer scored 20 points with team highs of six rebounds and five assists at Colorado, bringing his scoring to an NCAA 57th-best 18.9 ppg, while shooting 42.8 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from three, grabbing a team third-most 5.3 rpg. The No. 2 scoring spot goes to freshman guard Dorian Hayes with 8.3 ppg, while junior point guard Austin Nunez averages 7.7 ppg and a team-high 2.5 apg. With two double-doubles this season freshman forward Kaidon Rayfield leads on the boards with 6.8 rpg to go with 7.7 ppg and sophomore Baboucarr Njie averages 5.5 rpg, 6.6 ppg and an American-sixth 1.7 bpg.
About the USC Trojans
The Trojans are off to a red-hot 10-1 start in the second season under Eric Musselman – their only loss a 76-84 Big Ten setback to Washington on Dec. 6. USC came out as victors at the Maui Invitational, edging past Boise State and Seton Hall before downing Arizona State in a 13-point win. USC finished 17-18 in Musselman’s first season, reaching the second round of the College Basketball Crown.
USC will move the ball as much as any opponent UTSA has seen so far, with an efficient 49th-ranked pace of play, ranking 74th nationally with a 48.2 percent shooting average toward its 40th-ranked 87.5 ppg average. Aiding that effort, the Trojans lead the nation in free throws per game with 23.4 on average, hitting 73.9 percent at the line.
Grad transfer Chad Baker-Mazara was the Maui Invitational MVP and leads the scoring effort, putting up 21.9 ppg for the ninth-highest average in the country – boasting six games of 20+, including a pair of 30-point contests. Meanwhile, senior forward Ezra Ausar brings another big scoring presence to the table with a 17.2 ppg average, going over 20 points four times. Feeding those scoring efforts, guard Rodney Rice averages 3.3 assists per outing, on top of going 20.3 ppg. Topping their rebounding effort, sophomore forward Jacob Cofie collects 6.8 rpg in addition to 9.1 ppg and an NCAA 27th-best 2.2 bpg.
Series History
UTSA is facing USC for just the second time and first since 1983. This will mark the first regular-season trip for the Roadrunners to the Galen Center, with the first meeting on Dec. 15, 1983, at the L.A. Sports Center – the Roadrunners led by the late Don Eddy, UTSA’s first men’s basketball coach. The Trojans won that lone meeting, 84-68.
In the first unofficial action at their respective schools, Austin Claunch and Eric Musselman debuted last season in their new roles with a charity exhibition at the Galen Center. USC led UTSA only 35-32 at the half, but ramped up the offense and pulled away to an 84-63 final.
Up Next
UTSA will close off the non-conference schedule on Monday, Dec. 22, back home at the Convocation Center, hosting Seattle in a 2 p.m. tipoff.
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