Trojans Move Up to No. 15 in Rankings

The Trojans’ 3-0 start has moved them from 20th to 15th in the Associated Press poll. It’s USC’s highest ranking since finishing eighth in 1992.

USC is one of three Pacific 10 Conference teams ranked this week. Stanford is fourth and Arizona--which lost to Purdue--dropped from first to fifth.

Utah (3-1), which plays USC Saturday in the Wooden Classic, slipped from 13th to 18th.

But forward David Bluthenthal said the Utes hardly qualify as underdogs.

“They bring size, so rebounding is going to be one of the keys,” Bluthenthal said Monday. “Who gets the ball inside and who shoots free throws will also be keys.

“Hopefully Jeff [Trepagnier, who has missed all three games because of a stress fracture in his left foot] will be back. That brings a whole new dimension to our team.”