Road to March Madness: Miami stops the Trojans’ postseason run before it started


March Madness has taken many victims this year. Teams such as Auburn, Kentucky and Baylor, who all had a great shot to win the entire tournament, saw their hopes crushed by lower seeds. 

USC’s exit, while far less dramatic, likely marks the end of the Mobley era for Trojan basketball. 

I would love to say that No. 10 seed Miami beating No. 2 seed Auburn makes USC’s loss to Miami more digestible, but rather, it is a reminder that anything can happen in March. The Trojans still have a great chance to make another run next year if they could get their offense on the same page.

In past columns, I prophesied that USC’s inconsistent offense would be their Achilles Heel this season. Against Miami, the offense made it almost impossible to win. The Trojans scored 20 points in the first half, and their stars struggled to find the basket. 

Junior guard Boogie Ellis only scored three points all game, and junior forward Isaiah Mobley didn’t show up until the second half. Mobley retreated to the perimeter against a relatively small Miami team after missing 2 free throws early in the game. 

Despite all these struggles, USC still had a chance to win down the stretch after senior guard Drew Peterson rattled in a three with 25 seconds left. Miami closed the Trojans out with 2 late free throws, winning 68-66.

This was a disappointing end to what has been a fantastic season. The Trojans won the most regular season games in 116 years of USC basketball, excelling in a year when many wrote them off after star center Evan Mobley was drafted to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Trojans opened with a dominant start, winning their first 13 games and rising to a No. 5 rank in the AP Poll — their first top-five ranking since the 1974-1975 season.

Stanford ended USC’s historic run after an 18-day break due to complications surrounding health and safety protocols. A couple weeks later, Stanford beat USC again, exposing major lapses in the Trojan offense — USC had 14 turnovers in this game. 

Turnovers plagued the Trojans in key games throughout the season, especially against Miami, and their high turnover numbers were a major factor in earlier losses to Oregon and Arizona as well.

USC’s record to start the season was admittedly misleading. They faced a lot of subpar teams early on and did not have to face Arizona or UCLA until Feb. 5.

USC’s mediocre performances against top teams left the selection committee unconvinced, contributing to their placement as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. 

It wasn’t surprising USC lost to Arizona. The Wildcats are one of the best teams in the nation and have a solid chance to win it all this year. 

Even though the losses to Arizona were justifiable, USC did not build a solid resume of wins against top-tier competition. These losses against elite teams weighed heavier on their postseason seeding. 

USC ended the season ranked No. 22, the highest in 20 years.

Last week’s first round exit is a setback after an Elite Eight run last season, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about USC basketball’s future. 

The Trojans’ recruiting class next year ranks No. 6 in the country, and they will be getting another elite center in Vince Iwuchukwu next season. 

Overall, it was a successful season. The Trojans proved they could play as a team, win big games and rally the school behind them. I am looking forward to seeing what USC basketball has in store for next season.

Ethan Horowitz is a sophomore writing about USC men’s basketball’s path towards the NCAA Tournament. His column “Road to March Madness,” runs every other Wednesday.