By Seth Rubinroit

Stop Cal’s Guards

Cal’s starting guards, Allen Crabbe and Justin Cobbs, can score at will. Crabbe (20.9 points per game) and Cobbs (16.1) average more than half of Cal’s total scoring. To put Crabbe’s scoring average into perspective, only one time has a player on USC even scored more than 20 points in a game this season, when J.T. Terrell scored 21 points for the Trojans against Marquette. Crabbe leads the Pac-12 in points per game.

Make Cal Shoot Threes

Cal does not shoot the ball well from beyond the arc. The Golden Bears missed all 13 of their three-point attempts in the 79-65 loss to UCLA on Thursday. Cal is last in the Pac-12 in 3-point field goals made.

Ignore History

The Trojans have only started 2-0 in conference play once in the last 11 seasons (2009-10). USC has not won three games in a row since 2011.