Up next for USC basketball: Thursday at Texas

AT NO. 2 TEXAS

When: 6 PST.

Where: Frank Erwin Special Events Center, Austin, Texas.

On the air: TV: ESPN2; Radio: 710.

Records: USC 2-2, Texas 5-0.

Update: After a loss to Nebraska, this is USC’s second game of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series and the first of back-to-back road games for the Trojans. USC plays at Georgia Tech on Saturday. First-year Coach Kevin O’Neill thinks the games will help USC’s development regardless of the outcome. “It’s a good experience to go and play with these guys,” he said. “They’re both challenging. We’ll have to play our best. We know it won’t be easy, but nothing is going to be easy this year.” Texas has won its games by an average of 27.6 points and the Longhorns have so much depth that 10 players are averaging double digits in minutes. Texas is led by senior swingman Damion James, who recently became only the sixth player in Big 12 Conference history with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. James is averaging 15.4 points and 10.2 rebounds. Senior center Dexter Pittman averages 15.2 points and freshman guard J’Covan Brown 12.8 points. The Longhorns’ 52.0% shooting is eighth in the nation, and Texas leads in field-goal percentage defense (32.8%). Senior guard Dwight Lewis leads USC with a 12.3 scoring average.

-- Mark Medina