Southern California rides an early-season wave of offensive production into what is technically a neutral-court game against Illinois State on Friday at Inglewood, Calif.The game at the Los Angeles Clippers’ 2-year-old home is the first of two in the Hall of Fame Series Los Angeles, with Arizona vs. UCLA serving as the nightcap.USC (2-0) makes the short trip west of campus for the program’s first meeting with Illinois State (1-1) in more than 40 years.The schools last met in the 1985 NCAA Tournament, a matchup the Redbirds won 58-55.While the Trojans managed just 55 total points in that contest four decades ago, the 2025-26 version heads into Friday’s affair having scored at least 55 points in their last three halves.USC began its prolific run with a 57-point second half in a 94-64 opening-night rout of Cal Poly. The Trojans followed up last Sunday with halves of 55 and 59 points in a 114-83 rout of Manhattan.The 114 points were the most USC has scored in a game since March 1998. Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara fueled the Trojans on Sunday, scoring 26 points in what USC coach Eric Musselman called a breakout game.”It meant something to Chad, and we’re going to need him and Rodney (Rice) to carry some of our offensive load late in games,” Musselman said.Rice, a transfer from Maryland, scored 21 points against Cal Poly and 14 against Manhattan.