The Trojans (6-3) move into the “easy” portion of their nonconference schedule when they host the Delaware State Hornets (3-5) at the Galen Center at 7:30p tonight.

The matchup
The Hornets, who average just 56 points per game, have lost five of their last six games, including a 77-38 defeat at Arizona State in their last contest on December 5th. Last year’s Delaware State squad reached the NIT and finished the year with a 21-13 record. This season, they are led by 6′6″ senior forward Roy Bright, who averages 18.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. No other Hornet averages in double figures.

USC is coming off a pair of losses to top-five teams Kansas and Memphis that, if anything, earned some respect for the inexperienced but talented Trojans. Freshman OJ Mayo is second in the Pac-10 with 20.4 points a game, and fellow freshman Davon Jefferson is second on the team with 14.0 points per game. Outside of Jefferson, the Trojan frontcourt has underperformed this season, with Taj Gibson perhaps the biggest disappointment. The sophomore has fouled out in each of his past three games, and is averaging just 8.8 points a game after being named a preseason Wooden Award candidate.

Injury report
F Kasey Cunningham is out for the season with a torn ACL, and F Kyle Austin continues to sit out with a back injury. Otherwise, the Trojans are at their healthiest point of the season, with freshman G Marcus Simmons and C Mamadou Diarra back from injuries that have sidelined them for all or most of the season (although it is still uncertain whether they will find their way into tonight’s contest). Gibson admitted that his sore left ankle was affecting him during USC’s past three games, but he has been spending extra time with strength and conditioning coach Rudy Hackett to deal with the problem.

TV/radio
Tonight’s game is not televised, although it can be viewed live online through Trojan TV All-Access for a fee. The live radio broadcast will air on 710AM.

Game press release (Official USC site)
Trojans try it the UCLA way (LA Times)
DeCourcy: Losses show USC can win big (The Sporting News)