How to watch and what to know about Colorado men's basketball vs. USC
Cody Williams' return after a seven-game absence (wrist) was spoiled on Wednesday night in Berkeley, California. After leading by 14 at halftime and holding a 20-point advantage in the second half, Colorado allowed Cal to storm back late, handing the Buffaloes their third consecutive loss.
Williams, understandably, looked a bit rusty in his first game back in more than a month (team-high five turnovers) while still flashing his NBA potential, scoring 16 points and blocking two shots. Both Eddie Lampkin Jr. (22) and Tristan da Silva (20) reached 20 points but a 30-point performance from Cal guard Jaylon Tyson was too much to overcome.
The Buffs return home for a matchup with USC looking for their first win of 2024.
Here's a look at everything to know about Saturday's game.
What time does Colorado vs. USC basketball start?
Date: Saturday, Jan. 13
Start time: 8 p.m. MT
What channel is the Colorado vs. USC basketball game on?
The Colorado and USC game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
Who are the announcers for the Colorado vs. USC basketball game?
Play-by-play: Dave Pasch
Analyst: Bill Walton
What are the records, rankings?
Colorado enters Saturday night's game at 11-5 (2-3 Pac-12). USC sits at 8-8 (2-3 Pac-12).
Neither team is ranked, but the Buffaloes are receiving votes (8) in the latest AP poll.
Who are the coaches?
Andy Enfield is in his 11th season as USC's head coach and is 212-136 (.609) during that span. Tad Boyle is in his 14th season as Colorado's head coach and is 283-177 (.615) since 2010-11.
Series history
Colorado leads the all-time series 16-10 (7-3 in last 10 matchups), but the Buffs have lost three straight games to the Trojans dating back to the 2021-22 season.
Stadium information
The game will be at the CU Events Center in Boulder. The CUEC has a capacity of 11,064.
Who are the top players to watch?
Here are some players for each team who will be key to the game.
USC
Boogie Ellis: The Trojans' leading scorer (18.7 points per game) is playing through a lingering hamstring injury but was still able to score a team-high 18 points in USC's loss to Washington State on Wednesday night. Ellis is shooting a career-high 46.1% from the field and 45.5% from deep.
Isaiah Collier: Collier is second on the team in scoring (15.4 points per game) and leads the Trojans in assists (4.1 per game). The five-star freshman injured his hand during USC's loss to Washington State and was unable to finish the game. He later returned to the bench with a brace on his right hand.
Bronny James: If Ellis or Collier are unable to play, James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, could be thrust into a bigger role. The freshman guard averages just 17 minutes per game but recently saw extended action against Oregon State (15 points in 20 minutes) and Cal (10 points in 18 minutes).
COLORADO
KJ Simpson: Simpson was named one of just 25 midseason watch-list members for the 2023-24 John R. Wooden Award on Wednesday. The junior guard struggled with his shot later that night during the loss to Washington State (12 points on 5-for-13 shooting) but has scored 20-plus points in six of his last eight games.
Tristan da Silva: da Silva had one of his best games of the season against Washington State, scoring 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting and grabbing six rebounds. The 6-foot-9 senior from Munich, Germany, will have to continue to be efficient for Colorado to get back in the win column.
Cody Williams: A projected top-five pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Williams is averaging 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and two assists through eight games of his college career. The 6-foot-8 freshman has scored in double figures in each of the last five games he's played in and is an excellent defender.
Follow Colorado Buffaloes sports reporter Scott Procter on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: What channel is USC basketball vs. Colorado on?
