USC Basketball: Trojans Plummet Off Associated Press Top 25 Poll

Another year, another set of ups and downs.

A questionable and injury-riddled start to the season has led to your USC Trojans to be off of the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll. 

Once ranked as high as number 16 in the country, USC has slipped out of the Top 25, a a situation driven largely by their 72-70 loss to Oklahoma in the championship game of the Rady Children's Invitational. 

As it stands, USC is 5-2, fresh off its 106-78 blowout against Eastern Washington University. Next up: a Saturday meeting against No. 11-ranked Gonzaga on December 2nd. 

We'll see how USC fares against a top-tier opponent, but given that the game will occur ahead of next week's rankings, a loss will likely keep USC off of the Week 5 rankings as well. 

The teams ahead of USC all have better records, outside of No. 10 Tennessee, but their two losses at the time were against No. 5 Kansas and No. 1 Purdue. Since then, they've also lost to No. 17 North Carolina, but given the caliber of their opponents, their record of playing them close rationalizes their ranking above the Trojans. 

As the Trojans get healthier, things should improve considerably. They're currently one of the most top-heavy teams in the country, relying on their starters to produce at a much higher, more volume-heavy level than other top teams. 

The returns of Bronny James and Vincent Iwuchukwu should definitely create a cushion for Boogie Ellis, Isaiah Collier, and Kobe Johnson, but the uncertainty about the timetable of Bronny's return paired with potential recurring health issues  may make this a long-term problem – one that ultimately caps this team's ceiling. 

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