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USC Peaking at Right Time with Alijah Arenas in Top Form

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  By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports


Following their win over Indiana on Tuesday night, USC has won consecutive games and three of their last four, with the lone loss during that stretch a tough one-point game at Iowa.

usc logoHolding serve at home against an Indiana team ranked 30th in the NET was huge for the Trojans, a team sitting firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble as February gets rolling.

And the importance of the win over another bubble team was not lost on Eric Musselman, who pointed out in the postgame that given the NCAA Tournament implications and Big Ten Standings, “This game is not worth one game.”

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the victory was the play of Alijah Arenas. The five-star recruit with an NBA pedigree had his best game to date in the win over the Hoosiers. Arenas established new career highs with 29 points and six rebounds.

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It was the first time in his five games played that he had cracked double figures in scoring. Perhaps more importantly, he played 37 minutes on Tuesday night.

Arenas made his Trojan debut on January 21 following a tumultuous 11 months in which he nearly died in a horrendous car accident, then had to rehab from a torn meniscus.

In his first four games with the Trojans, he averaged just 23.3 minutes per game. Getting a full run is a promising sign.

And for a USC team on the bubble, getting production from the talented guard as he finds his stride is huge.

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Arenas is a bona fide scorer and playmaker who can create his own shot. Moving forward, opponents will have to pay even more attention to Arenas’s offensive prowess—and that should open things even more on the offensive end for the likes of Chad Baker-Mazara and Ezra Ausar.

USC's Chad-Baker Mazara
USC’s Chad-Baker Mazara | | Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Baker-Mazara is another guy who can create space for himself on offense. Ausar is athletic in the front court and has reached double figures in 20 of 23 games, including 12 in a row. Adding another scorer also allows Kam Woods to be a true point guard and really play to his strengths.

With Arenas hitting his stride, the Trojans have a chance to make a lot of noise down the stretch.

The lone East Coast trip remaining is the Penn State/Ohio State combo.

The Nittany Lions have been a disaster this season with just one Big Ten win and nine of their 10 wins on the season being Quad 4 wins. The Buckeyes offer SC a chance to steal a road game against another bubble team, albeit in a tough place to pick up a road win.

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The rest of the slate sees just one road game, a trip to a sneaky good Washington team and the cross-town trip to UCLA.

USC could certainly solidify themselves as tournament locks before the calendar turns to March with visits from a pair of top 10 opponents in Illinois and Nebraska later this month. Even getting one of those would certainly erase doubt as long as the Trojans take care of their business.

With the firepower USC possesses, especially with a healthy and productive Alijah Arenas, this is a squad that could put together a run in March.

Simply making the big dance may not seem very ambitious once we reach mid-March.

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Stephen Vilardo
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Meet the stars behind the film and the roles they play

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Normal (2026) is an American action film written by Derek Kolstad, directed by Ben Wheatley and dramatizing a story originally by Kolstad and Bob Odenkirk. Normal (2026) had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in late September 2025 and its US theatrical release on April 17, 2026. Normal (2026) is a story about a small-town sheriff who discovers a bigger criminal network, which leads to a series of violent incidents.

The film setting is a peaceful town that suddenly gets out of control with Normal (2026) mixing action with a multi-layered story about corruption, crime, and survival.

The movie features Bob Odenkirk as Sheriff Ulysses, alongside Henry Winkler as Mayor Kibner and Lena Headey as Moira, supported by a cast including Reena Jolly, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Brendan Fletcher, Peter Shinkoda, and Jess McLeod.


Who stars in Normal (2026)?

1) Bob Odenkirk as Sheriff Ulysses

Bob Odenkirk - Source: GettyBob Odenkirk - Source: Getty
Bob Odenkirk – Source: Getty

Bob Odenkirk stars as the main character, Sheriff Ulysses, in Normal (2026). He is a well-known actor, writer, and producer who has won several awards, including Primetime Emmy Awards and has been nominated in most major categories several times. Odenkirk started his career as a writer for Saturday Night Live from 1987 to 1991.

He then moved on to work on The Ben Stiller Show, where he won an Emmy for writing. Besides, he was a writer for Late Night with Conan O’Brien and an actor in The Larry Sanders Show. Odenkirk became famous for his role as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul, for which he was nominated multiple times for the Emmy Awards.

Besides the TV-series, he has been a part of Fargo and was also recognized for a guest role in The Bear. In the movie industry, Odenkirk has featured in Nobody and its sequel, while also having supporting roles in Little Women and The Post.

Read More: Who was Nadia Farès married to? Children and all you need to know as French actress dies aged 57

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2) Henry Winkler as Mayor Kibner

Henry Winkler- Source: GettyHenry Winkler- Source: Getty
Henry Winkler- Source: Getty

Mayor Kibner is portrayed by Henry Winkler in Normal (2026). Winkler is a seasoned actor who has enjoyed a lengthy career in television and film, earning multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards. In the early phase of his career, Winkler gained recognition for his role as Fonzie in Happy Days, which was on air from 1974 to 1984.

This acting effort catapulted him to become a well-known figure on television. As a result, he diversified into both the media of film and television. You can see him in projects like Scream, The Waterboy, and Click.

Recently, he has been active on the small screen with roles in Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry, the latter of which won him an Emmy Award. Besides acting, Winkler has also been a director, producer, and author. For example, he has written a children’s book series that is based on his own experiences.


3) Lena Headey as Moira

Lena Headey - Source: GettyLena Headey - Source: Getty
Lena Headey – Source: Getty

Lena Headey portrays Moira in Normal (2026). She is an English actress whose career has encompassed television and film, earning her international fame. Playing Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones is probably Headey’s best-known work, a character for which she received several Emmy nominations and garnered great critical praise.

Additionally, she starred as Queen Gorgo in 300, one of her many cinema appearances, and The Purge is another example. She enjoys a diversified filmography featuring a variety of action, drama, and fantasy titles.

The Brothers Grimm and Imagine Me & You are among her earlier films while quite recently, television productions include Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Not limiting herself to live performances only, Headey has lent her voice to animated series and video games.

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The movie was released in theatres on April 17, 2026.