USC Fans Will Love Latest NCAA Tournament Prediction

The Trojans have lost two straight games, including an overwhelming home loss to the No. 10 Illinois Fighting Illini, 101-65. USC missed out on a golden opportunity to earn a signature win at home; however, with five games remaining in the regular season, there are still opportunities ahead for the Trojans.

USC Trojans' Current NCAA Tournament Projection

According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology projections, the Trojans, ahead of their home matchup at the Galen Center against the Fighting Illini, were projected to be the No. 11 seed in the West Region of the tournament.

Lunardi has the Trojans playing the No. 6-seeded Kentucky Wildcats in the first round of the tournament in Oklahoma City. The winner of the projected Kentucky-USC matchup will match up against either the No. 3 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders or the No. 14 seed North Dakota State Bison. 

Other top seeds in the West Region with USC include the Arizona Wildcats (No. 1), Purdue Boilermakers (No. 2), and Michigan State Spartans (No. 4). USC, facing off against Kentucky in the first round, would be an exciting matchup for Trojan fans. 

In their second season under coach Mark Pope, the Wildcats currently post a 17-9 overall record and are 8-5 in the SEC following an 86-78 home loss to the Georgia Bulldogs. Kentucky, despite its talent, has shown inconsistency throughout the season, and the Trojans are more than capable of knocking them off if they play in the first round. 

How USC Can Improve NCAA Tournament Chances

With five games remaining in the regular season and the Big Ten tournament ahead for the Trojans, USC must finish with 11 losses or fewer to remain comfortably on the bubble. Anything less than 10 losses will be enough for the Trojans to secure a spot in the tournament. 

The Trojans also can't afford another performance as they had against the Fighting Illini on Wednesday night. In the loss, USC was outplayed from the start. Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic led the charge for the Fighting Illini, scoring 22 points, three rebounds, and one steal on 6-of-7 shooting from the field.

USC will face its arch-rival, the UCLA Bruins, twice. The Trojans also have remaining home games against the Oregon Ducks and the No. 9 Nebraska Cornhuskers, as well as a road matchup with the Washington Huskies.

USC looks to rebound from its brutal loss to the Fighting Illini and complete the regular-season sweep of the Oregon Ducks. The tip-off from the Galen Center between the Ducks and Trojans is scheduled for 1 p.m. PT with the game broadcast on FS1. This is a game that the Trojans can't afford to lose, as a loss to one of the bottom teams in the Big Ten would be a massive hit to USC's tournament resume late in the season.