USC basketball will not travel to the Arizona schools next season, as announced Monday in the released Pac-12 Conference schedule pairings. The Trojans only host Arizona and Arizona State at the Galen Center the week of Jan. 23-27, 2019.
Without visits to Tempe and Tucson, USC is left without two potential marquees games that could bolster its NCAA tournament chances, after the selection committee cited a lack of quality wins last March. The Wildcats and Sun Devils were among the three Pac-12 teams to make the tournament field last season, along with UCLA. The Trojans only faced Arizona and Arizona State once in the regular season last year.
USC’s on-conference lineup for the 2018-19 season was set last month.
Though the Pac-12’s schedule has not been finalized, the Trojans will open the conference slate at home, with two games against the Bay Area schools.
PAC-12 MATCHUPS (SPECIFIC DATES TBD)
Jan. 2-6: vs. California/Stanford
Jan. 9-13: at Oregon/Oregon State
Jan. 16-20: vs. UCLA
Jan. 23-27: vs. Arizona, Arizona State
Jan. 30-Feb. 3: at Washington, Washington State
Feb. 6-10: vs. Colorado, Utah
Feb. 13-17: at California, Stanford
Feb. 20-24: vs. Oregon, Oregon State
Feb. 27-March 3: at UCLA
March 6-9: at Colorado, Utah
