USC Men's Basketball Suffers 5th Straight Loss to Nebraska

Trojans' NCAA Tournament hopes all but dashed after 82-67 home defeat

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The USC men's basketball team fell to Nebraska 82-67 at home on Saturday, extending their losing streak to five games and dealing a major blow to their NCAA Tournament aspirations. The Trojans led by 5 at halftime but collapsed defensively in the second half, giving up 51 points to the 12th-ranked Cornhuskers.

Why it matters

USC's recent slide has them closer to the bottom of the Big Ten standings than the top, making it highly unlikely they'll earn an NCAA Tournament bid for the third straight year. The loss also came with more injury woes, as key player Chad Baker-Mazara appeared to re-aggravate a knee injury.

The details

After playing well in the first half and leading by 5 at the break, the Trojans completely fell apart defensively in the second half, allowing Nebraska to score 51 points and pull away for an 82-67 victory. The loss was USC's fifth in a row, dropping them to 18-11 on the season and 7-11 in Big Ten play.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 1, 2026.
  • USC will travel to Seattle to take on Washington on Wednesday, March 5, 2026.

The players

Chad Baker-Mazara

A key player for USC who appeared to re-aggravate a knee injury during the second half of the loss to Nebraska.

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What they’re saying

“Five straight losses is really tough, especially when we were starting to turn things around a few weeks ago. We've got to find a way to get back on track before it's too late.”

— USC Player (Yahoo Sports)

What’s next

With only two regular season games and the Big Ten Tournament remaining, USC's NCAA Tournament hopes are all but dead. The Trojans will need to pull off something truly remarkable to avoid missing the Big Dance for the third consecutive year.

The takeaway

USC's collapse in the second half against Nebraska highlights the team's struggles this season, as injuries and inconsistent play have put their NCAA Tournament aspirations in serious jeopardy. The Trojans will need to regroup quickly if they hope to salvage anything from what has been a disappointing campaign.