As we get closer to the end of our Pac-12 Friday coverage (forever?), today is the day to look at the USC Trojans basketball program. The Conference of (real NCAA) Champions leader in football hasn’t been anywhere near as successful in basketball; that honor belongs to its crosstown rival, of course, as we will see in a few weeks. For now? This is a fun look at the best hoops that USC has had to offer … it’s not too bad.

5. 1997

This was a season where the league put 4 teams into the Sweet 16, but the Trojans were not one of them after a first-round exit from March Madness. USC finished 12-6 in conference play for second place, but the 17-11 overall record revealed some issues despite the No. 27 SRS ranking overall. The team received just an 11 seed in the NCAA tourney despite playing the No. 12 SOS in the nation, including 8 ranked opponents.

4. 2002

Another 12-6 record in league games brought another second-place finish to Troy, and the team posted a 22-10 record overall. As a No. 4 seed in the NCAAs, though, USC was upset in the first round. That was a bit of shock for the No 15 team in the SRS rankings; the Trojans also finished No. 18 in the Associated Press poll. After losing the Pac-10 Tournament final, going down in the last 2 games of the season really hurt.

3. 2001

All three of these teams so far were coached by Henry Bibby, and this was the best of his era: 24-10 overall, including a nice run to the Elite 8 after a disappointing fourth-place finish in Pac-10 play with an 11-7 mark. Playing the No. 14 SOS, the team finished No. 17 in the SOS, beating seventh-ranked Boston College to reach the Sweet 16 and No. 9-ranked Kentucky to reach the regional final. No shame in losing to No. 1 Duke there.

2. 1971

This team went 24-2 overall and didn’t get an NCAA invitation under the rules of the time. A 12-2 record in league play included 2 losses to UCLA, the eventual national champion. But USC finished No. 5 in the AP poll and No. 2 in the SRS rankings, losing to the Bruins by a combined 15 points. Otherwise, the Trojans played the No. 19 SOS, beat 3 other ranked teams, and helped usher in a rules change that made real sense.

1. 2021

Another squad that reached the Elite 8 before losing to the No. 1-ranked team (Gonzaga, this time), the Trojans finished No. 7 in the SRS and No. 24 in the AP poll. They received a 6 seed from a stupid committee and then beat No. 12 Kansas to reach the Sweet 16. A 15-5 record in league play was good enough for second place, and the 25-8 overall mark was quite impressive, too. USC played the No. 19 SOS in the nation as well.