NCAA Tournament Sleeper: USC Trojans

USC is back in the NCAA Tournament, fresh off a 2007 Sweet 16 appearance and poised for another deep run.

Led by the outstanding play of freshmen OJ Mayo and Davon Jefferson, with help from sophomore sensations Dwight Lewis, Taj Gibson, and Daniel Hackett, the Trojans are not only one of the youngest teams in the Field of 65—they're also one of the most dangerous.

Head Coach Tim Floyd is also very solid. In only two full seasons with the Trojans, Floyd has notched third- and fourth-place finishes in the Pac-10, along with a Sweet 16 appearance.

But neither he nor the Trojans are satisfied.

USC will play in Omaha the first two rounds, drawing fellow teen-heavy powerhouse Kansas State in the opener. KSU has the best overall player in college basketball in Michael Beasley, who's averaging 26 points and 12 rebounds per game.

KSU finished third in the Big 12, with wins over Kansas and Oklahoma. However, outside of Beasley and Bill Walker, another freshman, the Wildcats really don't have a third scoring option—which has been an issue all season long.

The Trojans, on the other hand, have four starters averaging double-digits. The fifth, Hackett, contributes 8.5 points per game.

USC should advance with relative ease, as KSU is very mediocre away from home, boasting a mere 5-9 record. The Trojans, on the other hand, have proven all year long they can compete on the road, with wins over UCLA, Oregon, and Arizona that contributed to an 11-6 road/neutral court record.

Round Two should be interesting, as the Trojans will take on the Big Ten regular-season and tournament champs, the Wisconsin Badgers.

This matchup is the definition of contrast in styles as the Badgers slow the game down to a crawl. However, the problem lies on the offensive end, as Wisconsin has scored over 70 points only twice in its last 17 games.

If USC can get out and run, which is a very good possibility, Wisconsin just doesn’t have enough firepower on the offensive end to compete. In the end, USC will be too much for the offensively-inept Badgers, and will advance to a second-consecutive Sweet 16.