USC or Miami? How to pick the 7 vs. 10 matchup in 2022 March Madness bracket

March 14, 2022 Admin

When it comes to making picks for the Round of 64 in your March Madness bracket, the only matchups that may be tougher to select than the 8-seed vs. 9-seed are the 7-seed vs. 10-seed.

Seventh-seeded USC versus 10-seeded Miami backs that up in a battle between at-large qualifiers from the Pac-12 and ACC, respectively.

USC was ranked as high as fifth in the country at one point this season after starting off the year a perfect 13-0. It finished the season with a strong 25-6 overall record and had a fair shot at the Pac-12 regular season title if not for late losses to Arizona and UCLA – the two teams that finished above them in the standings.

DECOURCY’S REGION BREAKDOWNS: East | West | South | Midwest

Miami had a slower start to the year, getting out to a 4-3 record before it really got going. It was at that point that the Hurricanes ripped off nine consecutive wins, capped off by a massive road victory over No. 2-ranked Duke to send a message to the rest of the conference. Miami finished 22-9 overall and 14-6 in ACC play.

Should you ride with the Trojans or Hurricanes in your March Madness bracket? We have you covered with all the information you need to make a decision below.

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USC vs. Miami odds

USC vs. Miami will take place on Friday, March 18 in Greenville, S.C. According to Sports Interaction, USC is a slight favorite to win this matchup. Below are the details of their game, including the betting odds, time, TV and venue.

Odds: USC (-1.5)
Date: Friday, March 18
Time: 12:10 PM ET
TV: TruTV
Arena: Bon Secours Wellness Arena

USC (25-6, 14-6 Pac-12)

USC was one of the last undefeated teams standing when it owned a 13-0 record 10 weeks into the season. Ranked as high as fifth in the country, the Trojans were a pleasant surprise after starting the season outside of the top 25. They finished 25-6 overall and made a push for the Pac-12 regular season title but couldn’t come away with wins in big-time spots against Arizona and UCLA in their final two games. After defeating Washington in their first game of the Pac-12 Tournament, USC came up short to UCLA once again in the semifinals but had done enough to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

NET ranking: 35
KenPom ranking: 42
Quad 1 record: 4-4
Quad 2 record: 5-1
Quad 3 record: 11-2
Quad 4 record: 6-0
Offensive efficiency ranking: 47
Defensive efficiency: 49

Key players

Isaiah Mobley (6-10, 240-pound junior forward)

14.3 PTS, 8.5 REB, 3.2 AST, 0.9 BLK

Drew Peterson (6-9, 195-pound senior guard)

12.3 PTS, 6.2 REB, 3.3 AST

Boogie Ellis (6-3, 185-pound junior guard)

12.8 PTS, 3.3 REB, 2.5 AST

Chevez Goodwin (6-9, 225-pound senior forward)

11.0 PTS, 6.5 REB

Max Agbonkpolo (6-9, 195-pound junior forward)

7.8 PTS, 3.4 REB

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Miami (22-9, 14-6 ACC)

Miami came out of the gates slow this season but found their groove just ahead of conference play, earning nine consecutive wins, five of which came against ACC opponents. There was no bigger victory than its win over No. 2-ranked Duke, which set the tone for the rest of its conference schedule. Miami finished 22-9 overall and 14-6 in ACC play, with four of their six conference losses coming by one possession. In fact, three of those losses were by a single point. The Hurricanes made a major comeback to beat Boston College in their first ACC Tournament game, which may have saved their NCAA Tournament bid hopes. They eventually lost a tight game to Duke in the semifinals but impressed the committee enough to be one of the five ACC teams to qualify for March Madness.

NET ranking: 62
KenPom ranking: 62
Quad 1 record: 4-3
Quad 2 record: 5-4
Quad 3 record: 9-3
Quad 4 record: 5-0
Offensive efficiency ranking: 17
Defensive efficiency: 157

Key players

Kameron McGusty (6-5, 190-pound senior guard)

17.6 PTS, 4.8 REB, 2.5 AST, 1.7 STL

Isaiah Wong (6-3, 185-pound sophomore guard)

15.2 PTS, 4.3 REB, 2.0 AST, 0.9 STL

Charlie Moore (5-11, 180-pound senior guard)

12.6 PTS, 4.5 AST, 2.5 REB, 2.0 STL

Jordan Miller (6-7, 195-pound junior guard)

10.2 PTS, 6.1 REB, 1.1 AST, 1.8 STL

Sam Waardenburg (6-10, 225-pound senior forward)

8.6 PTS, 4.2 REB, 2.1 AST, 1.2 BLK

USC vs. Miami prediction

USC versus Miami is a matchup of two completely different styles of play.

The Trojans like to get inside and dominate the paint and the glass behind star forward Isaiah Mobley – brother of Cleveland Cavaliers’ current NBA Rookie of the Year frontrunner Evan Mobley. USC is one of the best rebounding teams in the country and their size could certainly pose a problem for Miami. The Hurricanes are the opposite – they like to play uptempo with a lot of ball pressure on the defensive end. Their backcourt of senior transfers in McGusty and Moore can suffocate teams on the perimeter, and McGusty has been an elite scorer this season, tallying 12 20-point games on the year.

MORE: Remembering UMBC’s shocking 16-1 upset of Virginia

Both of these teams have talent and experience on their side, it just comes down to your preference in style. USC is slightly more battled-tested playing in a better conference, so I’m leaning toward the Trojans.

For more insight on this and every matchup, check out the TeamRankings Predictor Tool below. TeamRankings subscribers also receive access to customized, data-driven picks for their bracket pools.