The USC basketball team’s 80-61 win over crosstown rival UCLA last week proved that the Trojans are for real.

For the past few months everyone has been waiting for the Trojans to fall to earth. They continue, though, to reach for the sky. Ranked No. 23 in the nation at 18-5, they are in second place in the Pac-12 at 7-3.

They face a test this weekend when they travel to Arizona State on Friday at 5, and they at Arizona on Sunday at 5.

The Trojans need to win both if they expect to overtake Oregon for first place and gain a top four position in the NCAA Regional.

“Our goal is to compete at the highest level of the Pac-12 and on the national level,” said USC Coach Andy Enfield.

“We have a style of play we like to play. We like to get up and down the court.  We have six players averaging double figures and seven or eight players playing at a high level.  It does not matter who we have on the court.  We can score from any position.”

The Trojans have home court advantage at the Galen Center in their favor.  For the first time in recent memory the game against UCLA last week was a sellout.  “The Galen is a terrific atmosphere for college basketball,” said Enfield. “The student section was packed. That was really nice to see. People started showing up two hours before the game..”

Veteran guard Julian Jacobs is excited to see the turn around.  “I can’t remember the last time I saw 10.000 fans at the Galen Center.  We were the laughing stock of the Pac-12. Now people on campus actually know who we are.  It’s nice to be talked about in the same light as football.”

USC women are trying to make the NCAA tournament on the basis of their 17-7 record since they are in eighth place in the Pac-12 e at 5-7.  They host Washington at 7 on Friday and Washington State on Sunday at 4 at the Galen Center.