CBB Matchups

Every D1 game with tempo-free ratings, four factors and market lines, one place.

College basketball is being built for the 2026-27 season (tip-off Nov 3). What's here fills in as games are played.
Non-conferenceHaas Pavilion, Berkeley, CA
USC
Efficiency #97
2025-26: 18-14 · 7-14 conf
@
California
Efficiency #79
2025-26: 22-12 · 9-10 conf
Wed, Nov 11 · TBD
73.3
win 32%
Projected
78.8
win 68%
No line posted yet.
Model: CAL −5.5 · total 152.1 · ratings as of Sat, Oct 3
Preseason ratings start from 2025-26's final adjusted ratings, regressed toward the D1 average. The stats below are 2025-26's too; both update once 2026-27 games are played.

How the projection is built

each step, from an average D-I game to this one
Projected total
Average D-I game
148.2
PaceAdjusted tempo: California 68.7, USC 70.5 → 70.9 possessions
+5.7
California offense vs USC defense
−0.2
USC offense vs California defense
−1.6
Projected total
152.1
Axis starts at 145 pointsPoints added or removed at each step
Projected margin
Even game
0.0
California offense vs USC defense
−0.2
USC offense vs California defense
+1.6
Home court+2.9 points per 100 possessions to the home offense, −2.9 to the visitors
+4.1
California by 5.5
5.5
USC side ◂▸ California side

Steps are rounded to one decimal, so they can differ from the total by 0.1. The margin is the same build seen from the home side; positive numbers help California.

Pace & total

possessions per 40 minutes
Tempo, possessions per 40 minutes

Projected possessions: 70.9, from each team's opponent-adjusted tempo. On raw 2025-26 season pace, USC is the faster team (71.0, #53 of 365) and California the slower (69.3, #125). When tempos clash, the slower team usually pulls the pace harder (study weights 0.80 vs 0.66).

Projected possessions
70.9
per team, 40 min
Projected total
152.1
model
Projected team totals
73.3 / 78.8
USC / California
Adjusted tempo, vs an average opponent
70.5#25
USC
68.7#141
California

How this game plays

what the study found each side's numbers actually do when these two teams meet
DefenseUSC
USC's shot-blocking
USC ranks #9 nationally in block rate — one of the few defensive numbers that travels. Expect about 13.9% of California's two-point attempts to get blocked against this defense.
Pace
Track meet
California averages 69.3 possessions per 40, USC 71.0. Slower teams pull the pace toward themselves more than fast teams push it (0.80 vs 0.66 in five seasons of games), so expect about 71 — more possessions mean more points in the total and more chances for the better team to separate.
Watch for noise
3-point caution
A notable season 3-point number here (California, California's defense, USC's defense) is close to a coin flip going forward — the study's model of next-game 3P% barely beats guessing the D1 average. Shot volume is what actually carries: expect USC at about 36.0% of its shots from three, California about 43.0%.
AdvantageUSC
Where USC struggles: shooting
USC shoots an effective 50.4% (#225); California allows 49.8% (#91). Expect about 50.0%, 1.3 points below an average D1 matchup — worth roughly -1.8 points per 100 possessions.
ClashCalifornia
Strength vs strength: 3-point shooting
California (#30 in 3-point shooting) against USC (#31 in the same stat allowed) — both rank inside the national top 60. Expect about 34.1%. Historically California's own number has carried a bit more weight in that exchange (0.25 vs 0.16).
USC has the ball
OffenseCalifornia allowsvs D1 avg
50.4% #225
49.8% #91
-1.8 pt/100
17.4% #228
16.1% #218
+0.1 pt/100
32.4% #113
30.5% #180
+0.8 pt/100
44.2% #8
36.3% #220
+0.6 pt/100
72.6% #182
—
+0.0 pt/100
USC net across the four factors + FT%, vs. a D1-average matchup: -0.2 pts/100
California has the ball
OffenseUSC allowsvs D1 avg
52.7% #119
49.7% #89
+0.0 pt/100
15.1% #76
16.3% #198
+1.5 pt/100
26.0% #322
32.2% #269
-1.3 pt/100
36.2% #146
33.4% #139
-0.1 pt/100
77.4% #25
—
+0.4 pt/100
California net across the four factors + FT%, vs. a D1-average matchup: +0.5 pts/100

Shot diet

Where each offense shoots from and where each defense lets teams shoot · 2025-26 numbers
USCoffense vsCaliforniadefense
Share of shots by zone
USC shoots
California allows
D-I average
FG% by zone
ZoneD-I avg
Rim59.7%#12860.8%#26058.6%
Short 2 (≤9 ft)39.6%#18435.2%#6339.5%
Mid 2 (10 ft+)38.3%#17936.7%#12338.0%
Three31.7%#29931.0%#3433.7%
Californiaoffense vsUSCdefense
Share of shots by zone
California shoots
USC allows
D-I average
FG% by zone
ZoneD-I avg
Rim57.8%#20256.0%#8758.6%
Short 2 (≤9 ft)26.9%#36344.6%#28339.5%
Mid 2 (10 ft+)40.2%#10544.3%#34238.0%
Three36.9%#3030.9%#3133.7%
RimShort 2 (≤9 ft)Mid 2 (10 ft+)Three

Zones from play-by-play shot descriptions; garbage time removed. Bars show the share of field-goal attempts in each zone; where a slice is too thin for its number, the shares are listed under the bar. FG% ranks: #1 = best for that side (most accurate shooting, stingiest defense).

Shot volume

Extra scoring chances from rebounds, turnovers and the foul line · 2025-26 numbers
USC
+2.3extra scoring chances per game vs a D-I average team#82 of 365
Off reb %
32.4%
#113
Def reb %
67.8%
#269
Turnover %
17.4%
#228
Forced TO %
16.3%
#198
FT rate
44.2%
#8
FT allowed
33.4%
#139
Where the chances come from (per game)
Offensive rebounding+0.6
Defensive rebounding−0.5
Ball security−0.4
Forcing turnovers−0.2
Foul shots drawn+2.4
Foul shots allowed+0.5
California
−0.6extra scoring chances per game vs a D-I average team#208 of 365
Off reb %
26.0%
#322
Def reb %
69.5%
#180
Turnover %
15.1%
#76
Forced TO %
16.1%
#218
FT rate
36.2%
#146
FT allowed
36.3%
#220
Where the chances come from (per game)
Offensive rebounding−1.4
Defensive rebounding+0.1
Ball security+1.1
Forcing turnovers−0.4
Foul shots drawn+0.3
Foul shots allowed−0.3

USC has more extra scoring chances per game: +2.3 (#82 of 365) to California’s −0.6 (#208).

Grade = extra shots and foul-line trips per game compared with a D-I average team, built from six season rates. Cell shading is the national rank for each rate (greener = better for that team).

Rotation

USC2025-26 numbers
#PlayerPosClHtGP-GSMPGPPGRPGAPGTOVeFG%3P%3PA/gFT%UsageStatus
6Jacob CofieFSo6'10"32-3230.49.96.81.91.755.3%31.8%2.160.5%19.5%
13Kam WoodsGSr6'2"20-1731.48.84.34.12.044.1%16.7%2.161.1%20.9%
7Jordan MarshGJr5'11"28-018.37.32.01.91.149.7%35.7%3.077.8%23.3%
8Jerry Easter IIGFr6'5"28-717.94.63.11.10.945.5%23.5%0.674.4%17.0%
5Terrance Williams IIFSr6'7"30-1313.72.32.00.60.136.7%27.6%1.064.1%11.2%
0Alijah ArenasGFr6'6"14-1327.614.12.92.12.337.6%21.3%4.479.2%37.1%
33Jaden BrownellFSr6'10"30-011.65.11.90.40.648.2%29.4%2.883.3%26.9%
9Ryan CornishGSr6'5"25-1111.02.40.70.80.448.0%32.4%1.493.3%13.7%
1Rodney RiceGJr6'5"6-634.020.33.36.01.848.9%38.5%6.574.4%32.8%
3Amarion DickersonGSr6'7"8-121.64.63.41.11.059.1%44.4%1.161.1%12.3%
12EJ Neal Jr.GSr6'5"8-02.30.80.30.00.337.5%0.0%0.6—28.3%
21Jonah GoorinGSo6'4"2-02.00.00.00.00.00.0%0.0%0.5—26.4%
18Patrick O'BrienGFr6'5"2-02.00.00.00.00.0——0.0—0.0%
22Brit BurdenFSo6'7"2-01.51.00.50.00.0100.0%—0.0—17.4%
Rosters come from ESPN and are still filling in; incoming transfers and freshmen may be missing.

Tale of the tape

national rank toned left for away, right for home
USCCalifornia
Efficiency
109.7
111.2
105.5
105.0
70.5
68.7
—
—
Shooting
50.4%
52.7%
51.8%
50.6%
31.7%
36.9%
72.6%
77.4%
44.2%
36.2%
Ball control & glass
17.4%
15.1%
16.3%
16.1%
32.4%
26.0%
32.2%
30.5%
10.2%
7.5%
8.3%
11.1%
Style
34.1%
43.1%
42.7%
35.6%
12.8%
12.1%
56.5%
54.1%
30.8%
27.5%
Roster
2.79
2.90
6'5.7"
6'5.2"
68.1%
20.5%

Offseason

roster movement into this season — descriptive, not a model input
USC
Returning minutes: 68.1%Returning production: 58.4%
Lost
  • Ezra Ausar 29.8 mpg, 14.8 ppg · not on a D1 roster yet
  • Chad Baker-Mazara 24.1 mpg, 15.0 ppg · not on a D1 roster yet
  • Gabe Dynes 11.2 mpg, 2.8 ppg · transferred to Louisville
Added
Nobody of note.

No incoming D1 transfers are listed on ESPN's roster yet — until they are, returning shares read high.

Returns 68% of last season's minutes; lost 2 of its top 5. Teams returning at least 65% of last season's minutes have historically gained about 2.2 points of AdjEM (n=156 team-seasons, 2022-2026).

California
Returning minutes: 20.5%Returning production: 20.2%
Lost
  • Dai Dai Ames 31.9 mpg, 16.9 ppg · not on a D1 roster yet
  • John Camden 30.6 mpg, 13.4 ppg · not on a D1 roster yet
  • Justin Pippen 29.0 mpg, 13.4 ppg · not on a D1 roster yet
  • Chris Bell 27.8 mpg, 14.2 ppg · not on a D1 roster yet
  • Milos Ilic 17.3 mpg, 3.6 ppg · not on a D1 roster yet
  • DeJuan Campbell 10.3 mpg, 2.2 ppg · not on a D1 roster yet
Added
  • Nojus Indrusaitis from Pitt · 23.6 mpg, 9.1 ppg last season
  • Michael Cooper from Wright St · 23.4 mpg, 11.9 ppg last season
  • Jordan Ross from Georgia · 20.2 mpg, 6.5 ppg last season
  • Jake Wilkins from Georgia · 9.9 mpg, 4.8 ppg last season
  • Amier Ali from Mississippi St · 2.7 mpg, 1.2 ppg last season
  • Jorell Clark no D1 minutes last season

Returns 21% of last season's minutes; lost 4 of its top 5. Teams returning under 40% of last season's minutes have historically fallen about 0.8 points of AdjEM (n=716 team-seasons, 2022-2026).

Head-to-head

this season and last
No meetings the last two seasons.

The CBB Matchups tab lays out the day's Division I slate: matchup, tip time, records and rank, and — once posted — Pinnacle's spread and total (the median across books when Pinnacle has no line). Three views switch the table between projected scores, pace and totals, and each team's offensive and defensive tendencies. Each game opens into opponent-adjusted possessions, efficiency and four-factor tendencies for both teams, plus recent form, rotation and head-to-head history. Every game also carries our projected score, spread and total, built bottom-up from those same numbers: expected possessions times each side's opponent-adjusted points per possession, plus home court.

What these numbers mean: line shopping.