USC Doubleheader in Las Vegas to Open 2023-24 Men's and Women's Basketball Seasons

There is perhaps more anticipation and intrigue about USC’s men’s and women’s basketball programs heading into the 2023-24 season than there has been heading into any recent season. And now USC fans will have an opportunity to see both open their seasons as part of the 2023 Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas on Monday, Nov. 6. The teams will take part in a quadruple-header at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The USC men’s team will take on Kansas State, while the women will battle future conference rival Ohio State. The other games will feature defending NCAA women’s national champion LSU against Colorado, and a men’s matchup between Georgia and Oregon.

“We are looking forward to opening the year playing at the Hall of Fame Classic on Nov. 6 in Las Vegas, Nev.,” USC head coach Andy Enfield said in a statement. “It will be an exciting atmosphere at T-Mobile Arena and is the perfect way to start the 2023-24 season.”

USC is 1-4 all-time against Kansas State in men’s basketball. The last game came in the 2008 NCAA Tournament when hyped true freshmen O.J. Mayo of the Trojans and Michael Beasley of the Wildcats spent their one year in college. Eleven-seed Kansas State beat six-seed USC 80-67 in the opening round of the Midwest Regional.

The USC and Ohio State women last played in a 2006 game in Columbus. The No. 6 Buckeyes took down the No. 20 Trojans 77-58.

The Kansas State men’s team is coming off a very strong 2022-23 season. The Wildcats finished 26-10 and won three games in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed. Kansas State made it to the Elite Eight by beating Michigan State in the Sweet 16. The Spartans had knocked the Trojans out of the tournament in the opening round.

The Ohio State women are also coming off a run to the Elite Eight last season. The Buckeyes went 28-8 and earned a No. 3 seed. Ohio State beat No. 14 James Madison, No. 6 North Carolina and No. 2 UCONN before losing to No. 1 Virginia Tech in the Elite Eight.

Freshmen Debut

It will be a big stage for two gigantic debuts as the No. 1 men’s and women’s high school basketball recruits will be on display.

Isaiah Collier and Juju Watkins will be asked to take on significant roles for their respective teams this season. Collier could develop into the primary ball-handlers for the men’s team, while Watkins could become the women’s team-leading scorer and all-around playmaker as a true freshman.

Newcomers to Make a Big Difference

Both programs added plenty of newcomers who should make quick impacts.

Collier and Watkins are on a different level than most, but there are plenty of others who should provide help. Bronny James got the headlines this offseason as a second five-star addition for the Trojans. He might not make the same impact Collier does on the court, but he’s a strong addition as a big-time defender and outside shot-maker. Four-star big men Brandon Gardner and Arrinten Page could get into the mix as freshmen as well.

USC also landed a key transfer from former Washington State forward D.J. Rodman. The 6-foot-6, 215-pound Rodman is another three-and-D type player who brings plenty of production and experience to a team that lost Drew Peterson, Reese Dixon-Waters, Tre White and Malik Thomas to graduation or the transfer portal.

On the women’s side, the Trojans could conceivably fight for a championship on the basketball court and in the classroom. USC added three Ivy League grad transfers in forward Kaitlyn Davis from Columbia, guard Kayla Padilla from Penn and guard McKenzie Forbes from Harvard. That trio should bring a massive scoring punch for the Trojans. All three finished among the top eight in Ivy League scoring last season. Padilla averaged 17.7 points per game (second-best in the conference). Forbes averaged 13.7 PPG (seventh) and Davis averaged 13.6 PPG (eighth)