With a Little Help, No. 7 Spot Possible

As ugly as Thursday night’s 90-69 blowout loss at UCLA was, last-place USC still has a shot at qualifying for the eight-team Pacific 10 Conference tournament at Staples Center, March 9-12.

In one scenario, the Trojans could finish as high as No. 7.

Of course, USC would need to sweep Oregon and Oregon State, which swept the Trojans in the Pacific Northwest on the league’s opening weekend.

A sweep of the Ducks and Beavers would give the Trojans a 6-12 record in Pac-10 play.

If Washington State -- which plays Arizona State, Stanford and California -- loses out, California beats Washington State but loses its other two games, and Oregon beats Stanford at home but loses at USC and UCLA, there would be a three-way tie for seventh place among USC, Cal and Oregon.

The Trojans, then, would get the No. 7 seeding by virtue of a 3-1 record against Cal and Oregon. The Ducks would be eighth with a mark of 2-2 against USC and Cal, and the Golden Bears would be sitting home at ninth with a 1-3 record against the Trojans and Ducks.

Washington State, at 5-13 in conference play, would be 10th.

-- Paul Gutierrez