USC Planning Trip to Hawaii

The USC men’s basketball team has scheduled a holiday trip to Hawaii to play in the Rainbow Classic tournament next season. But the Trojans are awaiting a possible change in the NCAA’s rule of schools playing in no more than two exempt events every four years before breaking out the leis.

USC, which played in the Yahoo Sports Invitational in 2000-01 and the Preseason NIT last season, already has played in the maximum number of exempt events allowed by the NCAA.

A lawsuit by a variety of exempt events--a tournament that is counted as only one game toward a school’s maximum allowance of 28 games in a regular season--is looking to change the NCAA’s stance, which would allow schools to participate in one a season. A ruling is expected this month.

Also scheduled to participate in the eight-team Rainbow Classic Dec. 28-30: Hawaii, Western Kentucky, Texas Pan American, Butler, Bradley and Colorado.

The eighth spot is being held for an unnamed program hoping for a favorable verdict.

Should the NCAA win the case, the Trojans will schedule a team for that weekend.

USC has filled out the rest of its nonconference schedule.

USC opens the season at the Sports Arena against UC Riverside on Nov. 22 and plays at Rhode Island on Nov. 26.

The Trojans play host to Morris Brown on Nov. 30 before traveling to UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 3.

USC will meet Elite Eight team Missouri in the Wooden Classic at the Arrowhead Pond on Dec. 7 before playing host to Cal State Northridge on Dec. 14 and LaSalle on Dec. 21.

The Trojans’ final two nonconference games will be Jan. 11 at the Forum against Ivy League champion Pennsylvania and Feb. 9 at Nevada Las Vegas.