With their 17th and 40th pick in the NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and forward Maxwell Lewis. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka noted how the scouting staff ranked the two players high in the first half.
USC are 5-0 for the first time since the 2017 season when the Trojans got off to a 14-0. 6’9 Freshman Onyeka Okongwu powered to the Trojans to a 91-84 victory over the Pepperdine Waves with a career-high 33 point performance, scoring more than 20 points for the third time in five games. Okongwu lived at the free-throw line all night converting 17-of-21 at the line, which got him settled into his groove for the night. Avoiding foul trouble has been an issue for the Freshman early in the season, but he played more disciplined and showed growth against Pepperdine.