NCAA Tournament March Madness
#80 USC
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Projection: likely out
USC’s résumé mixes impressive moments with damaging setbacks so the team sits precariously. Neutral-site victories over Seton Hall and Boise State and true road wins at Oregon and Wisconsin show it can win away from home while home victories over Indiana and Maryland add useful quality. Those positives are outweighed by ugly blowouts at Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois and by lopsided results at both home and on the road against UCLA plus repeated setbacks to Washington that expose inconsistency. Close losses at high-level Big Ten sites demonstrate the squad can compete but without a defining signature win over top-tier opposition and with the late-season slide the path to the field is narrow.
| Date | Opponent | Ranking | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/3 | Cal Poly | 212 | W94-64 |
| 11/9 | Manhattan | 330 | W114-83 |
| 11/14 | (N)Illinois St | 103 | W87-67 |
| 11/20 | Troy | 143 | W107-106 |
| 11/24 | (N)Boise St | 62 | W70-67 |
| 11/25 | (N)Seton Hall | 51 | W83-81 |
| 11/26 | (N)Arizona St | 67 | W88-75 |
| 12/2 | @Oregon | 99 | W82-77 |
| 12/6 | Washington | 53 | L84-76 |
| 12/9 | @San Diego | 224 | W94-81 |
| 12/14 | Washington St | 137 | W68-61 |
| 12/17 | UT San Antonio | 340 | W97-70 |
| 1/2 | @Michigan | 3 | L96-66 |
| 1/5 | @Michigan St | 9 | L80-51 |
| 1/9 | @Minnesota | 77 | W70-69 |
| 1/13 | Maryland | 120 | W88-71 |
| 1/17 | Purdue | 8 | L69-64 |
| 1/21 | Northwestern | 57 | L74-68 |
| 1/25 | @Wisconsin | 22 | W73-71 |
| 1/28 | @Iowa | 25 | L73-72 |
| 1/31 | Rutgers | 124 | W78-75 |
| 2/3 | Indiana | 46 | W81-75 |
| 2/8 | @Penn St | 138 | W77-75 |
| 2/11 | @Ohio St | 26 | L89-82 |
| 2/18 | Illinois | 7 | L101-65 |
| 2/21 | Oregon | 99 | L71-70 |
| 2/24 | @UCLA | 27 | L81-62 |
| 2/28 | Nebraska | 14 | L82-67 |
| 3/4 | @Washington | 53 | L91-72 |
| 3/7 | UCLA | 27 | L89-68 |
| 3/11 | (N)Washington | 53 | L83-79 |