Avoiding the big donut on their Midwest road trip last week with the OT win at Minnesota, the Trojans now get a schedule break with three in a row at home. At Galen Center, SC usually has a sharper edge, and after enduring his worst night this season when scoring only 4 at Michigan State, Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara (19.9 ppg) had one of his best games (29 points) in the win over the Gophers. Though rugged Purdue looms on the weekend, nothing rugged about Tuesday foe Maryland, minus its best player (F Pharrel Payne) for over a month and which couldn't even make a 48-29 rebound edge over UCLA work on Saturday in a 67-55 loss to the Bruins. Play USC.