USC men's basketball was able to fend off a tough challenge
from Wichita State late Sunday night in Nevada. Now the Trojans stay on the road and go up to the San Francisco Bay Area. The Men of Troy are in Berkeley to play former Pac-12 foe California in a crucial early-season game. USC has to be able to win a game like this to ensure it gets into the NCAA Tournament and boosts its chances of grabbing a relatively high seed.USC men's basketball is viewed by many analysts as a team capable of making the Sweet 16 this season. The Trojans should make the NCAA Tournament, but that isn't the goal this season. It is to win a couple of games and play on the second weekend of March Madness. USC has underachieved in the first two seasons of the Eric Musselman
era. In order for the program to get back on schedule, merely reaching March Madness won't be nearly enough to satisfy fan expectations or, for that matter, the standards presented by those who follow and evaluate the program for a living. Musselman was an Elite Eight coach at Arkansas. Getting close to that standard is and should be the expectation for USC this season. If this really is a Sweet 16-caliber team, it should be able to handle its business against the Golden Bears.
Follow along as we chronicle this late-night nonconference game with a strong Pac-12 flavor:
USC vs California live updates, analysis
Hit refresh for the latest updates from USC men's basketball's game against California in Berkeley at Haas Pavilion.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC vs California live updates: Score, highlights, and analysis
