USC’s  70-64 win over No. 7 Michigan State at Galen Center on Saturday was a massive accomplishment for both Head Coach Eric Musselman and the team as a whole. With that victory and the Trojans’ road conquest of No. 13 Illinois on January 11, their first ranked road victory since 2010, USC already has two signature wins in the Musselman era. 

But these wins are far from the only time that USC has stolen the college basketball spotlight. Here’s a look back at five more of the best regular season victories in the history of the USC men’s basketball program. 

March 9, 2024, 78-65 victory over No. 5 Arizona

Believe it or not, one of the biggest regular-season wins in the Trojans’ storied history came just last year. A powerhouse Arizona team rolled into Galen Center against a USC team that came into the season with plenty of hype but underperformed tremendously. The number of Wildcat fans in the arena rivaled USC’s own home turnout. 

But the Trojans surprised Arizona with their offensive depth. DJ Rodman, Kobe Johnson and Isaiah Collier each had more than 15 points. 

It was USC’s first top-five win since 2008 and its highest-ranked victory in Galen Center history. And, it was a big night of what-ifs. USC played like everyone dreamed it might for one magical night, with offensive production across the board and disciplined defense.

Arizona got its revenge just five days later, demolishing the Trojans 70-49 in the second round of the Pacific-12 tournament. It ended USC’s season, a shot at the NCAA tournament, its time in the Pac-12 conference and the Andy Enfield era. Virtually none of the players from that team are still around to remember the big win. 

January 19, 2008, 72-63 victory over No. 4 UCLA 

Speaking of that top-five win in 2008, the Trojans’ 72-63 upset of the No. 4 Bruins at Pauley Pavilion remains one of the most exciting wins that USC fans can remember. 

Technically, the victory was later vacated by the NCAA because of benefits that then-freshman guard OJ Mayo had received that violated NCAA rules. But it still happened. 

Heading into the game, the focus was on the freshmen. Five-star recruit Kevin Love was having a superstar season for the Bruins. The Trojans had a top-ranked freshman of their own in Mayo. Sophomore Russell Westbrook was also on this UCLA team. Those three players would be picked consecutively in the 2008 draft. 

However, this meeting was about a surprise young star: USC freshman forward Davon Jefferson. He torched the Bruins for 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting and nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds. 

Ultimately, Jefferson never played a minute in the NBA. But for one special day, he played with one of the best Trojans in program history — Mayo — and against two future NBA superstars — Love and Westbrook — and he was better than all of them. 

February 3, 2007, 71-68 victory over No. 9 Oregon

In 2007, a fun Trojan team made a run to the Sweet 16. Their signature regular-season victory came against No. 9 Oregon at Galen Center, which was instrumental in establishing the culture of Galen during its inaugural season. 

The Trojans’ leading scorer was eventual Chicago Bulls fan favorite Taj Gibson, who had an efficient 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Nick Young contributed 13 points of his own. The Trojans also held Ducks star — the Pacific-10’s leading scorer — and future NBA player Aaron Brooks to 5-of-14 shooting. 

After USC put their finishing touches on the victory, the players sprinted over to celebrate with the brand new student section, giving USC a signature moment in a successful season-long start to a new era of USC basketball. 

March 14, 1992, 70-69 victory over No. 2 Arizona

The 1991-92 men’s basketball team was easily one of the most talented in USC history, but their tournament run ended prematurely after Georgia Tech beat them on a buzzer-beater in the second round. Apart from the heartbreaking tournament exit, however, the Trojans delivered a storybook end to their regular season. 

The Pacific-10 was highly competitive in 1992, with USC, UCLA and Arizona all finishing near the top of the conference and the top of the national rankings. Leading the Trojans was all-time great Harold Miner, who is still the program’s all-time leading scorer. The legend recorded 21 points in his final home game at USC. 

But the game’s standout was junior guard Rodney Chatman, who sank a 17-foot shot as the clock expired. It gave USC an iconic buzzer-beater and the No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, their highest ever to date.

It was ultimately a cruel twist of fate that such a promising season would also be ended in such a way. But Chatman’s shot usurped legendary Wildcat coach Lute Olson’s squad and bookended one of USC’s most successful regular seasons ever.  

March 8, 1969, 46-44 victory over No. 1 UCLA

UCLA simply didn’t lose in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In a nine-year stretch from 1967-75, UCLA won eight national championships under John Wooden. 

The Bruins had already won back-to-back national championships when USC strolled into Pauley Pavilion on the final day of the 1969 season. UCLA was 25-0 on the season at that point and had never lost at Pauley, which opened in 1965. 

But the only thing that matters in rivalries is bragging rights. The Trojans earned them by shutting down UCLA defensively, allowing only 44 points to a juggernaut team led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 

USC didn’t have a fantastic offensive game either, but they kept level with the Bruins long enough for star forward Ernie Powell to hit a shot with six seconds left, handing UCLA their only loss of the 1969 season. 

UCLA wouldn’t lose again that year, and the Bruins took home another national championship. But the only blip on their perfect season and their first-ever loss at Pauley Pavilion came at the hands of the Trojans, who can hold that upset over UCLA fans’ heads forever.