Checking in on Trojans 2023 NCAA Tournament resume

USC Basketball Boogie Ellis #5 and Tre White (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

As the schedule swings into February, many bubble teams’ NCAA Tournament cases are on the verge of being made or broken. One of the most interesting resumes belongs to Andy Enfield’s USC Basketball Trojans.

USC has hovered around NCAA tournament contention throughout the season, but hasn’t exactly lobbied hard for an offer. That changed last week, when the Trojans rocked the Pac-12 with a huge upset against their near rival, the UCLA Bruins.

The win catapulted Les Troyens into the national spotlight for the first time this season. It also put USC directly in the discussion for an offer in March Madness, a conversation that could continue until Draft Sunday.

As conference play nears the halfway point, it’s time to check in with a team squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble: the USC Trojans.

Heading into February, USC is 15-6 overall and 7-3 in Pac-12 play. The Utah Utes are tied with the Trojans for third place in the conference standings, but the Utes still have two games in the works — including a loss — so the Trojans are better positioned for third place. The team is one game away from first place in the league.

The team has a relatively weak schedule for the rest of the regular season, largely because the Pac-12 is a weak conference. With UCLA’s two games in the past, there’s only one game left against a currently ranked team.

So what about USC’s inclusion in the big dance? And what is the case against?