USC Trojans Receive Questionable Ranking After Undefeated Start

The USC Trojans are 7-0 this season after an impressive showing in the Maui Invitational. In three days, USC knocked off the Boise State Broncos, Seton Hall Pirates, and Arizona State Sun Devils to take home the tournament crown from Hawaii back to Los Angeles. 

USC has been led this season by three incoming transfers; Rodney Rice (20.3 PPG, Chad Baker-Mazara (20.3 PPG), and Ezra Ausar (17.3 PPG). The trio have carried the USC offensive attack, putting up a combined average of 57.9 points per game. The Trojans offensive as a whole has averaged 91.9 points in their seven games. 

This team is emerging as a threat to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2022-23 season, before Musselman was even there. The transfers that USC landed in the portal this offseason look to be home runs and should only get better the more they play with each other.

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Upcoming Opponents For USC Trojans

Up next for USC is their first road game of the season against the Oregon Ducks. Tip-off is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. PT in Eugene and will be broadcast on FS1. The Ducks have lost their last three games and need a win. This will be a test for USC. 

Further down the line, the Trojans will have ranked matchups in early January against the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines and No. 7 Michigan State Spartans. The Big Ten provides a lot of difficult games. There are six Big Ten teams in the AP Top 25.

No. 1: Purdue Boilermakers
No. 3: Michigan Wolverines
No. 7: Michigan State Spartans
No. 14: Illinois Fighting Illini
No. 22: Indiana Hoosiers
No. 24: USC Trojans

There will be opportunities to dramatically boost the resume when conference play gets going. For a Trojans team that has come off two losing seasons in a row, the goal for this year has to start at being in the thick of the NCAA tournament race when March rolls around. 

If they continue playing like they are right now, they will find themselves on the right side of the tournament bubble and possibly in the race for a high seed and conference title. 

Purdue, Michigan, and Michigan State clearly look like the class of the conference to this point, but don’t count out the Trojans just yet. Year two of the Musselman era is off to a great start.