Bracketology 2023: Complete Bubble Watch before final weekend of regular season

USC: 21-9 (13-6 in Pac-12) NET: 50

If the bracket was announced today, USC would be in the NCAA Tournament but their position is certainly precarious, much like a number of other teams on today’s list. They do have 4 Quad 1 wins and a 13-6 mark in a power conference league always looks impressive. They beat Auburn back in December, beat rival UCLA at home, and got Quad 1 road wins at Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah, but have they really done enough?

On opening night, they got a Quad 4 loss at home to Florida Gulf Coast, coach Andy Enfield’s former team. They added a Quad 3 loss much later in the season when they had a rough performance against Oregon State. These two losses are an anchor, especially for a team in a league like the Pac-12 that doesn’t have great opportunities for impressive wins on a regular basis. They had a great opportunity on Thursday against Arizona, but fell in the end, costing them a win that might have solidified their bid.

For now, USC turns its attention to Arizona State, hoping to finish a sweep of the Sun Devils in a major showdown between two bubble teams. They’re in the Tournament right now, but losing at home to Arizona State wouldn’t be great. They need to win that game and not lay an egg at the Pac-12 Tournament; doing this would likely put them not just in the field but avoiding the First Four. Failing to do this would be very disappointing for a talented Trojans team that’s played good basketball in recent weeks.