USC Trojans on March Madness Bubble: Keys To Making NCAA Tournament

The USC Trojans men's basketball team suffered a significant hit to their NCAA Tournament hopes with a loss to Northwestern on Tuesday. Although the Trojans are 2-3 in their last five games, they still own one of the most intriguing tournament resumes among all power conference teams.

USC coach Eric Musselman has picked up two ranked wins and a 13-9 record in his first season at the helm in Southern California. The Trojans are firmly on the bubble and need to finish out their season strong, or else they will have to wait to learn their fate on Selection Sunday in March.

Jan 14, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In the loss to Northwestern, USC guard Desmond Claude did not play due to a bone bruise he sustained in their Feb. 1 win over No. 7 Michigan State. Claude is arguably the team's most important player as he averages a team-leading 16.2 points per game on 49.8 percent shooting from the field.

Despite USC guard Clark Slajchert having his best game as a Trojan in his first start of the season in lieu of Claude, Claude's absence on the offensive end was felt. USC had only 11 points from their bench in a rough showing vs. Michigan State.

If the Trojans want to have any chance of getting back in the win column on Friday vs. No. 7 Purdue on the road, it starts with Claude's availability. His status for the game is currently unknown, but if he were to miss another game, it would be a tough break for the Trojans.

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Feb 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard Wesley Yates III (6) takes a step back for a shot against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: William Navarro-Imagn Images | William Navarro-Imagn Images

After their Feb. 7 showdown vs. the Boilermakers, USC will still travel five more times before the regular season concludes, including an East Coast roadtrip to take on No. 18 Maryland and Rutgers. USC will also need to win at least two of three in their final three games of the season. It's not an easy ask as the Trojans dropped games earlier in the season to Oregon and UCLA.

After losing a handful of non-conference games at the beginning of the season, it was unclear what type of team USC would be coming into Big Ten play. After 11 games, it's clear to see the team has enough talent and coaching to warrant a spot in the NCAA tournament, but the Trojans need to find some consistency in their approach.

Musselman's group has shown that they are capable of winning big games, but it will take everyone within the program to reach the big dance in year one of Musselman's tenure.

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