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Bronny James had one of his best games of the season on Thursday night, but it came in yet another loss for USC.
The freshman guard scored six points, dished out a career-high seven assists and grabbed four rebounds in 22 minutes in the Trojans’ 78-69 loss to Oregon. His two steals were tied for his most in a game this season.
Head coach Andy Enfield’s team is reeling right now. They have lost six straight games and have the worst conference record in the Pac-12 (2-8). Their 8-13 overall record is tied with California for the worst among Pac-12 teams.
The six-game losing skid is the longest for the Trojans since the 2014-15 team lost nine straight.
USC’s losing streak coincides with star freshman Isaiah Collier being out of the lineup for the past five games. He suffered a hand injury against Washington State on Jan. 10 that required surgery.
Enfield said before Thursday’s game that Collier is “getting closer” to being cleared for practice, but he didn’t have a specific date. He added the original four-to-six-week timeline for Collier is still on track.
On the bright side, James is starting to find some rhythm on offense. He’s averaging 6.5 points on 44.4 percent three-point shooting, 4.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds in the last four games.
James made both of his three-point attempts against the Ducks. It’s only his second game with multiple three-pointers in 13 appearances.
Another encouraging sign is that James has played at least 20 minutes in four of the past five games. He was on the floor for 22 minutes against Oregon.
If USC is going to pull itself out of this tailspin, it could happen soon. Its next two games are at home against Oregon State (3-7 record vs. Pac-12) on Saturday and at California (8-13 overall) on Feb. 7.
