USC Basketball: Struggling Trojans Face Crucial Juncture This Season

A tough stretch is on the horizon for a struggling squad.

At 5-4 and 9th in the Pac-12, the USC Trojans are set to embark on an incredibly difficult stretch of games through the holiday season. 

On December 17th, they'll take on Auburn, followed by Alabama State on December 19th, Oregon on December 28th, and Oregon State on December 30th. It's key to note that all of these are road games, with 3 of them coming against formidable opponents in Auburn, Oregon, and Oregon State. 

The last time USC played 4 games on the road in a row was in 2002 when they faced off against San Diego, LMU, Washington, and WSU. Even that stretch, however, involved 4 West Coast opponents, all in the time same zone. Traveling cross country to take on Auburn and Alabama State back-to-back is a new challenge. 

The potential to be 5-5 after Sunday's battle with Auburn is an issue, as the Pac-12 is exceedingly competitive this season, carrying the potential to send several teams to the tournament. 

Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Washington State, Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, and of course, UCLA, are all tough opponents that USC can easily split their 2 games each with. 

Being just 6-5 (assuming a loss to Auburn and a win against Alabama State) heading into conference play isn't a place you want to be in, as it could easily lead to a near-.500 season for the Trojans. 

Beating Auburn on the road would be a signature win that could make up for some of their questionable losses (ex: UC Irvine), so we'll see if the Trojans can get it done. 

Don't forget to join our community at LA Sports Report, where we celebrate all things Trojans!