Usc Trojans vs Washington Huskies Picks and Predictions March 5th 2025

Southern California Vies to Keep Big Ten Tournament Hopes Alive vs. Washington

With first-year head coaches and nearly overhauled rosters, both Southern California (14-15, 6-12 Big Ten) and Washington (13-16, 4-14 Big Ten) have faced major growing pains in their inaugural Big Ten seasons.

As the Trojans host the Huskies on Wednesday night, USC is battling for its postseason life, while Washington has already been mathematically eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament race.

USC Holding on to the Last Tournament Spot

The Trojans enter the game on a five-game losing streak, currently tied with Iowa for 15th place in the 18-team Big Ten Conference.

Since only 15 teams qualify for the conference tournament, USC must finish ahead of Iowa—a team it holds the tiebreaker over thanks to a 99-89 win on Jan. 14.

USC head coach Eric Musselman acknowledged his team’s difficult position.

“I mean, we stand where our record says we stand,” Musselman said. “You see where we are in the standings.”

USC’s final two regular-season games are crucial:

• Wednesday vs. Washington (Must-win for tournament chances)
• Saturday at UCLA (Rivalry game with added pressure)

The Trojans’ offense runs through Desmond Claude (15.5 PPG), who led USC with 20 points in their 85-61 win over Washington in Seattle on Dec. 7.

Washington Playing for Pride

The Huskies have lost four straight games and were officially eliminated from Big Ten Tournament contention following their 78-62 home loss to Indiana on Saturday.

Star forward Great Osobor (14.5 PPG) struggled, finishing with just four points and failing to make a field goal.

Washington head coach Danny Sprinkle is now challenging his team to finish strong in their final two games, including Sunday’s season finale against Oregon.

“I told our team we got 80 minutes left and we got to compete,” Sprinkle said. “You always got to compete for the name on the front of the jersey, but in moments like this, these are some character moments.”

Washington has already secured its first losing season since 2020-21, but Sprinkle wants his team to show effort and pride despite their standing.

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What’s at Stake?

• For USC: A must-win game to stay ahead of Iowa and secure the final Big Ten Tournament spot.
• For Washington: A chance to play spoiler and avoid finishing last in the conference standings.

With everything on the line for USC, expect a high-intensity matchup as the Trojans fight for their postseason future against a Washington team looking to end its season with dignity.