NCAA Tournament bracketology: Is USC still in projected field after Arizona State loss?

A strong showing in the Pac-12 Tournament could've locked USC into the 68 team NCAA Tournament field. Instead, the Trojans dropped their opener, a 77-72 quarterfinal defeat to Arizona State, and will now have to wait until the selection committee determines their fate on Selection Sunday.

The good news for USC is that prominent bracketologists Joe Lunardi of ESPN and Jerry Palm of CBS Sports both still predict that the Trojans will make the tournament as of Friday morning.

Lunardi actually moved USC up to a No. 9 seed from a No. 10 seed following the Pac-12 Tournament loss. He projects that the Trojans will play No. 8 seed Florida Atlantic in an opening round game in Des Moines.

Palm moved USC down from a No. 10 seed to a No. 11 seed in his latest bracket prediction. Palm has USC playing No. 6 seed San Diego State in a first round game in Columbus.

The website bracketmatrix.com inputs bracket predictions from analysts all across the country. Of the 61 bracket projections that came out on Friday, USC is listed in every one. The Trojans range from as high as a No. 9 seed to as low as a No. 11 seed.

USC head coach Andy Enfield was asked about his team's tournament credentials following their loss to ASU. He responded:

"We were tied for second [in the Pac-12] at 22-9 during the regular season. We were 14-6 in the league and had some really good wins. We've had a lot of injuries this year and I thought our players battled through that...That's why I'm so proud. This has been the most improved team we've had in a long team, maybe ever in the ten years I've been here as a head coach...So where that puts us on Sunday, that's not my decision. But I'm very proud as a head coach of what these guys have accomplished."

Selection Sunday awaits...