USC will face Arizona State in Pac-12 quarters after Devils beat Oregon State
The USC Trojans figure to have a tough test against the Arizona State Sun Devils at the Pac-12 Tournament. ASU made a late run this past Saturday to challenge USC. The Sun Devils had a chance to tie at the very end of the game but missed a 3-pointer. USC has beaten ASU twice this season; winning a third time is likely to be difficult.
However, while USC’s assignment will probably be very tricky, meaning that the Trojans could lose in the Pac-12 quarterfinals, there’s one specific reason why Arizona State becoming USC’s opponent is good news for the Men of Troy.
Arizona State’s victory over Oregon State on Wednesday means that USC won’t face Oregon State. USC would have been a huge favorite over Oregon State. The Trojans would have been extremely likely to win if the matchup had emerged.
However, playing Oregon State would have invited the possibility that the Trojans could have lost to the Beavers. A loss to OSU would have significantly harmed USC’s chances of making the NCAA Tournament, since a loss to a bad team knocks a team down by two seed lines (roughly eight spots on the bubble) instead of only one or maybe just half of a seed line.
With USC not playing Oregon State, the Trojans might fall no more than two or three spots on the seed list if they lose to Arizona State. That’s it. They aren’t going to fall six spots purely based on a possible loss to ASU.
USC would need to get atrocious luck on the bubble — meaning that every competing bubble team wins multiple games — to somehow miss the field of 68 at this point.
Realistically, the worst-case scenario right now appears to be Dayton for the First Four next Tuesday or Wednesday.
The Trojans, of course, can do something about their situation: If they beat ASU on Thursday, they’re a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Winning would be the best and easiest way to enter Selection Sunday.
