USC basketball: Watch the players celebrate on learning of NCAA tournament bid

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Here’s the USC men’s basketball team in its locker room Sunday afternoon as the players and coaches watch CBS’ selection show and learn they’re among the field of 68 teams that will be playing in the NCAA tournament this week. It’s a nice little Monday morning pick-me-up.

The Trojans (19-14) will face Virginia Commonwealth (23-11) in a first-round game Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio. If USC wins, it will be the 11th-seeded team in the Southwest Regional and take on sixth-seeded Georgetown (21-10) in Chicago on Friday.

‘It’s a dream come true to celebrate with the people you care about,’ senior forward Alex Stepheson said.

‘It was something I’ll always remember for the rest of my life,’ junior guard Jio Fontan said.

This season, USC was one of the last teams to earn an at-large bid.

‘I was pretty positive we were going to make it, but once I saw our name on the screen, it was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,’ junior forward Nikola Vucevic said.

-- Baxter Holmes