USC goes out with a whimper in Pullman

It really is hard to know what direction USC basketball is going to take in the off season.

Both the Ladies and the Men's programs will probably be looking for new coaches...yes, I think Michael Cooper is on the way out.

One thing is for sure to me, this past weeks performance in Washington confirms that Bob Cantu won't be the coach next season and I have no idea which direction Pat Haden will go in finding a new head coach.

As for yesterday's debacle, I was surprised that USC would lose by 25-points to WSU.

The Trojans made just eight field goals in the first half, trailed by 19 points at halftime and trailed the rest of the way in a 76-51 loss to 11th place WSU at Beasley Coliseum in the Pac-12 regular-season finale.

USC dropped to 14-17 and 9-9 in Pac-12 play. The Trojans will be the No. 7 seed in next week's Pac-12 Tournament, and will face 10th-seeded Utah at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

If momentum exists, and if USC had any after an impressive sweep of Arizona State and Arizona last week, it's surely gone now. But interim coach Bob Cantu isn't all that concerned about his team's ability to regroup in time for a game against surging Utah.

I am not sure that this team can regroup.

Utah is just one spot better than WSU in the upcoming Pac-12 tournament and we saw USC fall apart yesterday against the Cougars.

Cantu has had some good and bad performances in handling Kevin O'Neiil's rag tag roster after O'Neill's much needed firing. It really is hard to know what Cantu would be able to do given complete control of the team and some time to recruit.

I don't see it happening and to be honest I am not sure that it is a good thing or a bad thing.

Sadder still, I see absolutely nothing that gives me confidence in Haden making the right hire....nothing new there.

As for the tournament this week, here are the pairings...

*** Opening Round
No. 8 Stanford vs. No. 9 ASU (12:06 p.m.)
No. 5 Colorado vs. No. 12 Oregon State (2:36 p.m., approx)
No. 7 USC vs. No. 10 Utah (6:06 p.m.)
No. 6 Washington vs. No 11 Washington State (8:36 approx)
(All games on Pac-12 Networks)

*** Quarterfinals
Stanford/ASU vs. No. 1 UCLA (12:06 p.m.)
Colorado/OSU vs. No. 4 Arizona (2:36 p.m., approx)
USC/Utah vs. No. 2 Cal (6:06 p.m.)
Washington/WSU vs. No. 3 Oregon (8:38 p.m., approx
(All games on Pac-12 Networks except Oregon vs. UW/WSU, which is ESPNU)

*** Semifinals
Stanford/ASU/UCLA vs. Colorado/OSU/Arizona (6:06 p.m.)
USC/Utah/Cal vs. Washington/WSU/Oregon (8:38 p.m.)
(First game on Pac12Nets; second game on ESPN)

It will be an interesting off season...