USC (17-10) (NET: 63)
2-7 (Q1), 7-2 (Q2), 5-1 (Q3), 3-0 (Q4)
Eric Musselman is still trying to find his groove out at USC. The Trojans really got this season started on the right foot and were 12-1 on New Year’s Day, but the Big Ten is a challenging league and USC really hasn’t been able to hang around with the top teams in this league.
The Trojans stocked up on Quad 2 wins during nonconference, beating squads like Seton Hall and Boise State, but grabbed those two Quad 1 wins against Big Ten foes. The big one was a road win at Wisconsin in late January while also knocking off Minnesota on the road.
Unfortunately, the Trojans haven’t exactly been consistent and are riding a 4-game losing streak. This current streak includes their Quad 3 loss, which just came at home to Oregon, and also includes a 36-point loss against Illinois. USC is frankly trending in the wrong direction when they need a few more big wins.
Has USC fallen out of contention? They can make a significant statement if they can upend Nebraska this upcoming weekend, while they’ll seek revenge at Washington in another Quad 1 opportunity. Winning both of those games could put USC back in a more comfortable position but time is running out in Los Angeles.
VCU (21-7) (NET: 47)
1-5 (Q1), 5-2 (Q2), 7-0 (Q3), 8-0 (Q4)
It’s year one for Phil Martelli Jr. as the latest new leader of the Rams and he has this program in as great a shape as many of his predecessors. The Rams are clearly playing second fiddle to Saint Louis in the A-10 but are still one of the best mid-major programs in the country and have proven that.
They grabbed some nice wins over current bubble teams back in nonconference play, getting a Quad 1 win against Virginia Tech and a Quad 2 victory over South Florida during their trip to the Bahamas. While not rife with opportunity, the Rams recently ran off 10 straight wins to put themselves near the top of the A-10 standings and to keep building their metrics.
Aside from a few Quad 2 wins during that streak, VCU just hasn’t had a ton of opportunities. Having just one Quad 1 win isn’t great, though at least none of their losses were lower than Quad 2. They really wish they had gotten at least one of the two matchups with Saint Louis or been able to hang on in close losses to New Mexico and Utah State.
Unsurprisingly, the last few weeks of the regular season isn’t exactly filled with opportunity either. The Rams clearly have to win out to stay in this bubble race, and that includes a Quad 2 chance at Dayton in their finale next Friday. If they take care of business and make a statement at the A-10 Tournament, then there’s certainly potential with this program.