USC Men’s Basketball’s NCAA Tournament Odds Are On the Line in Rivalry Game vs UCLA
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Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman looks on from the bench during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryce Jordan Center on Feb 8, 2026.
After a big 71-70 loss to Oregon on Saturday, USC men’s basketball is fighting to keep its NCAA tournament chances alive. In order to earn a bid for the tournament, the Trojans need to win as many of their final four regular seasons games as possible.
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That four-game stretch will start with a rivalry game against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi released the latest edition of his 2026 NCAA Tournament Men’s Bracketology on Tuesday morning. Lunardi has USC listed as one of the last four teams to miss the tournament, alongside Ohio State, California and San Diego State.
UCLA is also battling for a spot in the NCAA tournament. But the Bruins defeated No. 10 Illinois in overtime on Saturday, which will significantly improve their odds at earning a bid.
“It’s a rivalry game. You get up for those games,” said UCLA guard Donovan Dent, who scored the winning basket against Illinois, per the Orange County Register’s Haley Sawyer. “For us, these last four games that we have left, we need to have intensity for all of them. Our season’s on the line right now, so we’ve just got to play with everything we have. We’re in desperation mode.”
Feb 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA guard Donovan Dent (2) hangs in the air and scores the winning basket over Illinois center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) in overtime at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Lunardi listed UCLA is one of the last four teams to earn a first round bye in the tournament and projects the Bruins to take the No. 10 seed.
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How Has USC Done Against UCLA Throughout the Years?
USC and UCLA have not gone head-to-head this season. Tuesday night’s game at Pauley Pavilion will be the first of two crosstown showdowns between the programs during the regular season. The Trojans will host the Bruins at the Galen Center on March 7.
UCLA swept USC in both rivalry games last season. The Trojans’ most recent victory against the Bruins was during the second rivalry game of the 2023-24 season when USC won by a score of 62-56 at Pauley Pavilion.
One of the Trojans’ biggest strengths this season has been limiting their opponent’s success with 3-point shooting. USC has held its opponents to just 30.9 percent from beyond the arc. This will be a big advantage for the Trojans as they face the Big Ten Conference’s second-best 3-point shooting team.
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USC is currently on the bubble of making the NCAA tournament and will need to find a way to take down UCLA on Tuesday in order to secure a spot for March Madness.
