Wichita State, USC Meet in Stateline Sunday

Wichita State and No. 21 Southern California are set to face off Sunday in Stateline, Nev., after both opened the season with home wins.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Basketball

Wichita State, USC Meet in Stateline Sunday

Wichita State and No. 21 Southern California are scheduled to meet Sunday in Stateline, Nev. Wichita State opened with a 79-67 home win over Cal State Northridge, while USC opened with a 95-63 home win over Milwaukee.

Why it matters

The matchup pits two early-season winners against each other in a neutral-site setting near Lake Tahoe. Both programs are navigating roster availability questions as they look to build momentum early in the year.

Will Berg scored a career-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting and grabbed 16 rebounds for Wichita State, while Adonis Ratliff led USC with 25 points. Battie and Williams did not play Wednesday for precautionary reasons, and their status for Sunday is unclear.

The players

Wichita State Shockers

The men's basketball program of Wichita State University, a longtime Missouri Valley Conference competitor based in Wichita, Kansas.

USC Trojans

The men's basketball program of the University of Southern California, which competes in the Big Ten Conference and has a history of postseason success.

The details

USC's opener featured Darius Ratliff with 14 points and five blocks, and Rodney Rice with 15 points and nine assists in his first game in nearly a year. Alijah Arenas added 21 points, and Cofie was limited to nine minutes by back spasms. Kenyon Giles scored 21 points for Wichita State.

Monday: USC defeated Milwaukee 95-63 in its season opener.
Wednesday: Wichita State defeated Cal State Northridge 79-67.
Sunday: Wichita State and USC are scheduled to meet in Stateline, Nev.

Season Trajectory

Early-season neutral-site games like this one give both programs a measure of their depth before conference play starts. For USC, a ranked opponent in Stateline offers a test of whether its early depth can hold up against a disciplined Wichita State team.

Fantasy managers tracking Adonis Ratliff, Alijah Arenas, or Kenyon Giles should monitor injury reports closely before Sunday's game. Anyone following Wichita State's frontcourt depth should note Battie's and Williams' uncertain status.

The takeaway

Early-season results are often shaped by roster health, so checking injury updates before Sunday will clarify how both teams are likely to line up. Watch the rebounding battle, since Cal State Northridge's edge on the glass showed a vulnerability Wichita State will need to address.

What happens next

Wichita State and USC are scheduled to meet Sunday in Stateline, Nev., with the availability of Dillon Battie and T.J. Williams to be determined before tipoff.