It will be the fifth meeting between these two programs, with the series tied 2-2, but the Trojans are 2-0 at home against the Badgers. Tip-off is set for 12:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

USC’s NCAA tournament hopes took a hit with an 84-69 loss to Wisconsin. At 11-7, the Trojans need to finish strong in their final 13 games to boost their March Madness dreams in USC coach Eric Musselman’s first season.

Saint Thomas led the Trojans (11-7, 3-4) with 19 points and Rashaun Agee scored 15. USC, which had won its last two games, led for only 49 seconds on Saturday. Wisconsin had a 51-32 lead with 17:54 remaining before USC went on a 13-0 run. The Trojans ...

Wisconsin and USC are set to tip-off at 3 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network. The Badgers are in search of their seventh consecutive victory and fifth-straight in conference play. They may need their top form in order to achieve that result.

USC has taken significant strides since early-season losses to Cal, Saint Mary’s, New Mexico and Oregon. Part of that surge is due to resurgent offensive form — 82 points in a road win over Illinois and 99 in a win over Iowa.

The Trojans cut a one-time 19-point Wisconsin second-half lead to three, but the Badgers outplayed USC in virtually every facet to close out the game.

The Wisconsin Badgers (15-3) continued to play consistently sound basketball on Saturday, solidly defeating the USC Trojans (11-7) 84-69 in Los Angeles. More than halfway through the season, the Badgers seem to be firing on all cylinders.

The winning streak for USC men's basketball is officially over. After back-to-back victories, the Trojans fell at home 84-69 Saturday to No. 24 Wisconsin. The loss dropped USC to 11-7 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten play.

USC men's basketball is rapidly improving as a team. The Trojans will play a huge game on Saturday when they host the Wisconsin Badgers. A win would enable USC to become a legitimate bubble team with a chance to make the NCAA Tournament.

Ryan Kartje is the USC beat writer at the Los Angeles Times. He joined The Times after six years with the Southern California News Group. A Michigan native and University of Michigan graduate, Kartje previously wrote for Fox Sports Wisconsin and the Bloomington (Ind.) Herald-Times.

The Trojans (18-1, 8-0) have won 14 in a row since a 74-61 home loss to Notre Dame on Nov. 23. Watkins and No. 4 USC will look to end January with a second straight perfect month when they take on Minnesota (18-3, 6-3) Thursday at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team faced a loss against cross town rivals, the UCLA Bruins, 82-76. The loss dropped the Trojans to a 12-8 record, 4-5 in Big