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Tim Floyd’s USC program entered the week with one goal, which was to win the Pac 10 basketball tournament. The difference between achieving and failing to do so, would be the significant difference between playing in the NIT and NCAA tournament. The Trojans reached their goal, defeating 24th ranked Arizona State 66-63 to win the Pac 10 title for the first time in the school’s history. And appearing as the conference’s sixth seed, they also became the lowest  to ever be crowned.

While the victory rewards USC with a prize that appeared to be unattainable just weeks ago, it placed a serious hurt on Arizona’s hopes of a tournament appearance and extension of their 24-consecutive streak.  In this final week of musical chairs, the tune was halted and the Trojans planted their bottoms in a seat.  The Wildcats are left standing in the silence, waiting for the words that will determine their fate.  The Desert Cats now face slim odds, though entry is not an improbable notion,  but the Trojans just made it more difficult.  If the Pac 10’s resume shows enough body of work to warrant 60 percent of the conference appearing in the madness, the Wildcats may become that sixth team.  But with upsets occurring in some of the mid-major conferences, which led to fewer at-large seats for power leagues, Arizona may find it difficult to gain acceptance over some Big East and ACC programs.

Weeks ago, USC wasn’t even a “bubble” discussion. They were a team engaged in fisticuffs with each other, and reeling in the Pac 10. Today, of all things, we’re left wondering how much of an impact they can have in the upcoming tournament.

Why they could be dangerous

Defense is the backbone of this Trojans team. They force opponents into bad shots and poor shooting percentages, while also profiting from turnovers. USC trailed by double digits at halftime of the Pac 10 Championship Game. And opening the second with full court pressure, quickly shaved the deficit and put them right back in the game. Taj Gibson presents a shot-blocking and rebounding presence down low, denying easy hoops and few second chance opportunities. The program is defensively comparable to Washington State teams over the past 3 years, who used a stifling defense to work deep into the tournament.

Offensively, freshman DeMar DeRozen has stepped up his game. Averaging just 14 points in the regular season, he went for 21 and 25 in upset victories over UCLA and Arizona State in the Pac 10 tournament. Guard play is proven repeatedly to be the most important element for advancement in the NCAA tournament, and despite the presence of Blake Griffin, Hakeem Thabeet, and DeJuan Blair, I don’t expect that to change.

Why they may be a non-factor

The NCAA tournament is a rigorous event, and one thing USC lacks is depth. At most, the Trojans go six or seven deep, not getting much contribution from the bench. Eventually, the wear and tear of tournament play may take a toll, if it hasn’t already. They are also a poor shooting program from the charity stripe. Only one point separated them in losses against Oklahoma and Seton Hall, and they had several opportunities late in other games played. Lack of depth and poor free throw shooting is a mixture for defeat, and also the formula for an early tournament exit.