The USC Trojans, as they have often this season, remained close with a superior opponent, staying within two points of the Stanford Cardinal in the second half on Sunday. But Stanford used an 11-0 run to put the game away and deliver to USC their fourth straight loss. The Trojans have lost 16 of their last 18 contests, and suffered their 20th loss for the first time since the 1988-1989 season.
With five games remaining, the 2011-2012 Trojans have a very good chance to finish with the worst record in the history of the school (not counting the brief 0-2 season in 1917-1918.
| Worst USC Basketball Records | ||
| Year | Record | Pct |
| 2011-2012 | 6-20 | .231 |
| 1976-1977 | 6-20 | .231 |
| 1915-1916 | 5-15 | .250 |
| 1987-1988 | 7-21 | .250 |
| 1918-1919 | 3-8 | .273 |
| 1922-1923 | 5-12 | .294 |
| 1988-1989 | 10-22 | .313 |
USC has lost 20 games for the fourth time, with the 11-20 team in the 1983-1984 season the only team not on the list above. Of course, the Trojans this year are down to just six scholarship players on the active roster, so they are a near lock to be heavy underdogs their final five games. The Trojans travel across town to face UCLA on Wednesday.
For more news and notes on USC hoops, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.