T-8: USC Trojans (15-16, 8-10 Pac-12) LW: 8
Just like their Los Angeles counterpart, USC was unsuccessful against the Mountain schools, losing to Utah and Colorado.
Though neither of the defeats were blowouts, this past week dropped the Trojans further toward the Pac-12 cellar. The first game, USC fell 83-74 to Utah.
Despite shooting 55.6 percent from the field, the Trojans were unable to keep up with the Utes’ up-tempo offense. In this game, that was led by Parker Van Dyke.
A senior guard, Van Dyke notched 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc. As a team, Utah shot 40.7 percent from deep.
While the matchup was close in most statistical categories, the Trojans were crushed on the boards. Utah outrebounded them 32 to 23, helping the Utes hold an advantage in the paint.
One game later, Colorado defeated USC, 78-67, in Boulder. Contrasting their proficient shooting night against Utah, the Trojans shot a dismal 41 percent from the field. And of USC’s 26 field goals, just eight were assisted.
Once again, USC was outrebounded, this time by nine.
Fouls were another category in which Colorado dominated. USC committed 26 fouls and the Buffs responded well, shooting 79 percent from the line.
In both of the defeats, Nick Rakocevic was the leading scorer with 17 points in each game.
These back-to-back losses place USC at No. 9 in the Pac-12, which sets them up with a first-round game against Arizona in Vegas. The winner of that takes on Washington in the quarterfinals.