Does the USC basketball team have a reasonable chance at making the NCAA tournament this March? Through the first 13 games of the season, this did not seem likely at all.
Despite having the potential to be one of USC’s best squads in a long time, the Trojans went a disappointing 7-6 through non-conference play, including a tough loss to a mediocre Santa Clara team.
However, things are not as bleak as they appear on paper. First of all, USC played a subtly difficult non-conference schedule this season, facing teams such as now 10th-ranked Nevada, eighth-ranked Texas Tech, 25th-ranked TCU, and 23rd-ranked Oklahoma.