The USC men’s basketball team seemed to be turning a corner earlier this season, securing key victories over two top-15 teams, including a pivotal win against No. 7 Michigan State. However, the Trojans have since hit a rough patch, losing three of their last four games-two of which were decided by a combined five points to lower-ranked conference opponents. As a result, their NCAA Tournament hopes have all but evaporated, and even their bid for the Big Ten Tournament is now in jeopardy.
Currently sitting in 11th place in the 18 team Big Ten standings, USC must finish within the top 15 to qualify for the conference tournament. With a daunting four-game stretch ahead that includes road matchups against No. 20 Maryland, Rutgers, and Oregon, along with a home game against Ohio State, the Trojans risk slipping further down the standings if they don’t turn things around.
Last Saturday’s loss to Minnesota (13-12, 5-9 Conference) was particularly damaging. Despite limiting Golden Gophers star Dawson Garcia, who averages 19 points and seven rebounds per game to just seven points, USC squandered a 10-point second-half lead, ultimately falling 69-66 at home. The Trojans shot better from both three-point range and the free-throw line than their opponent but were undone by late-game turnovers and poor execution in crunch time.
“I thought at halftime we could have been up by more than nine if we played a little bit cleaner basketball,” head coach Eric Musselman said in the postgame press conference. “We ended up playing super sloppy basketball in the second half.”
“Based on how our schedule was… this game was monumental,” coach Musselman added. “There’s no excuse for this game, but I know the next three-game segment is like an NBA team going on a brutal road trip.”
That road trip begins Thursday at No. 20 Maryland, followed by a game at Rutgers on Feb. 23. USC then returns home to face Ohio State on Feb. 26 before traveling to Oregon. With their postseason fate hanging in the balance, the Trojans must find a way to reverse their fortunes quickly. If not, their Big Ten Tournament aspirations and their season could come to a premature end.