Why does the USC basketball team struggle so early?

LOS ANGELES — In the first half of USC men’s basketball’s 56-52 win over Utah on Thursday, the Trojans fell into a familiar, and frustrating, pattern. USC opened the game 2 for 12 from the field, and at one point in the first half missed 10 consecutive shots.
Slow starts on offense have become a recurring theme for the Trojans (17-4, 6-2 in Pac-12 play) this season.
There was the Stanford game, in which USC shot 36% from the floor in the first half, falling behind by 20 before