USC men’s basketball moves up the board in latest ESPN bracketology
There is one week left in the Pac-12 regular season, and the USC Trojans are now very much in the mix for the NCAA Tournament. Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi of ESPN dropped his latest projections. He has USC moving above the bubble as a 10 seed in the bracket. The Trojans would face Duke in the first round.
USC won both games last week and finished it off with a tough road win against Utah. However, this week coming up will be a bit different as the Trojans face Arizona State and Arizona.
Speaking of Arizona State, the Sun Devils’ stunning buzzer-beater over Arizona has shot them right into the Last Four In category.
There are no other Pac-12 teams in the bubble, and Lunardi has just four Pac-12 programs making the field of 68: USC, Arizona State, Arizona, and UCLA. Utah and Oregon have to win the Pac-12 Tournament to make the field.
A lot can change over the next week, but USC would be in the same region as San Diego State, Texas, Marquette, and top overall seed Alabama.
The Trojans can boost their seed with a win or two this week plus a strong showing in the Pac-12 Tournament, but being a projected 10 seed is good news for the Trojans with one week remaining. USC begins with a tough game against Arizona on Thursday night.
Bottom line: One win is huge, especially if it comes against Arizona. Two wins would make USC a near-lock. Three wins make USC an absolute, clear-cut lock.
