Pac-12 hopes hang in Tuesday’s matchup


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Junior guard Boogie Ellis drives toward the basket during USC’s game against Washington.
Junior guard Boogie Ellis drives toward the basket during USC’s game against Washington. Ellis is averaging 12 points on the season. (Polina Past | Daily Trojan)

It’s beginning to look a lot like March Madness. 

The regular season will end this weekend with conference tournaments set to begin next week. As always, the few remaining games will define the season for many teams, as an extra win or loss could be the difference between a spot in the NCAA tournament and a spot on the couch. 

The good news for USC fans is that the Trojans, barring any extreme plot twists, have already secured a spot in March Madness. Behind Head Coach Andy Enfield, the Trojans have had a successful season, going 25-4 with remaining games against two of the Pac-12’s best: Arizona and UCLA. 

CBS Sports has USC projected to be a 6-seed, a regression of sorts as the Trojans were ranked fifth overall in the Associated Press poll just six weeks ago. However, USC can get a boost come Selection Sunday with an impressive finish in the regular season and conference tournament. 

With this week’s games against the Wildcats and the Bruins, the Trojans have an opportunity to gain momentum at the most important time of the season. 

If USC wins its remaining two games and UC Berkeley beats Arizona, the Trojans will be the top seed in the Pac-12 Tournament and will have added two impressive wins against top 25 ranked teams to their resume. 

This will require USC to play disciplined but aggressive basketball. While the Trojans have proven they have the talent to knock down elite teams, beating UCLA at home earlier in the season, they also have struggled against subpar competition.

Just recently, it took two overtime periods for them to squeak out a win against an Oregon State team with a measly 3-23 record. 

If a double overtime thriller wasn’t enough excitement on USC’s road trip to Oregon, don’t count out the 70-69 win over Oregon. 

 Senior guard Drew Peterson sank a 3-point shot with 11.5 seconds remaining to bring the Trojans ahead by a point. The Ducks, with every win vital as their chances at an NCAA Tournament bid are getting smaller and smaller, gave the Trojans their best shot. While many of USC’s victories have not been pretty, the team knows how to win. 

When Peterson plays his best, the Trojans typically win. 

Over their six-game winning streak, Peterson is averaging 18.3 points, 7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. In his last outing against UCLA, Peterson played almost flawlessly. The senior had 27 points and shot 69.2% from the field. He also showed up on the defensive end, adding 5 blocks. 

Another key player for the Trojans is junior guard Boogie Ellis. The Memphis transfer has proven his toughness this season and had a game winning shot in the Trojans’ 62-60 victory over Washington State. Ellis was out for the Oregon State game with an ankle injury but was able to play 24 minutes against Oregon. A healthy Ellis will be vital for USC in the coming weeks. 

Compared to the other Power Five conferences and the stacked Big East conference, the Pac-12 has had a disappointing year. 

Arizona, USC and UCLA are all likely bids but, barring Oregon making it over the dreaded bubble or a Cinderella story in the Pac-12 Tournament, that’s it. 

Every other conference has at least one more team in the mix, with the ACC also having a relatively down year. Apologies to Bill Walton, who revealed that he had eight Pac-12 teams making the Big Dance, but the Pac-12 will be lucky to get a quarter of its teams in the mix. 

However hectic the USC basketball season has felt at times, the Trojans are in a prime spot for another successful NCAA Tournament. Buckle in basketball fans, because March is here.