NCAA Tournament Bracket 2022: USC Trojans earn No. 7 Seed in Midwest Region

USC basketball was grouped into the Midwest Region as a No. 7 seed for the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday.

It is unclear as to why, as USC is ranked in the AP Poll as the No. 22 team in the country and there are only nine Power 5 teams with more wins than them (26 wins). It appears that they have something against the Pac-12, as they only put three Pac-12 teams in the NCAA Tournament.

The Pac-12 didn't blow anyone away this regular season, but it's also important to remember that this was the same narrative pushed last year, and then the Pac-12 ended up having three teams in the Elite Eight (the most of any conference). East coast bias continues to prevail, as most people simply don't stay up to watch Pac-12 games. This was proven last year, but the Pac still has this stigma.

USC basketball will play Miami in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

That first opponent for USC basketball is a 10 seed, and they had a poor regular season. They went 23-10 in an even worse conference than what people are claiming the Pac-12 is. The ACC only has one ranked team (Duke) compared to the Pac-12's three (USC, UCLA, Arizona).

After that, they will likely play 2 seeded Auburn, who has what should likely be an easy first round matchup against 15 seeded Jacksonville State. The No. 1 seed in the region is Kansas, who USC beat in the Round of 32 last year. The 3 seed is a Wisconsin team ranked 14th in the AP poll, and the No. 4 seed is No. 13 ranked Providence.

Iowa is the 5 seed, and ranked 16th nationally after their Big Ten Tournament Championship, but the most perplexing one is LSU. LSU is the No. 6 seed in the region despite going 22-11 on the year and finishing unranked. SC should take this disrespect personally, and use it as fuel to go on a run and surprise people just like they did last year.

There's no Evan Mobley on the roster anymore, but there still are two First-Team All-Pac 12 players on the roster in Isaiah Mobley and Drew Peterson. If they play their brand of defense, they have a shot to go on the deep run. Playing Auburn second round won't be easy, but it's March. Anything can happen.