The USC basketball team picked up a much needed victory on Thursday night as they took down Utah basketball at home. The Trojans came into the game with a 9-15 overall record and a 3-10 mark in Pac-12 conference play. They had lost eight of their last nine games as well. USC desperately needed a win, and they got it. It didn't come easy, but the Trojans fought off the Utes late to pickup the 68-64 win.

When USC basketball takes the court, all eyes are on true freshman Bronny James. The Trojans are one of the worst teams in power five basketball this season, but because of James, their games get a lot of attention. He had a solid showing on Thursday night as he was tremendous on the defensive end, and he also added seven points and three assists. Defense is especially key for James and USC, and his performance on Thursday showed how he can impact the game in a lot of different aspects.

“Smart player,” USC head coach Andy Enfield said after the game, according to a tweet from Luca Evans. “He had been struggling with his shooting. And we want him to shoot open shots, but as you saw tonight, he can affect winning in a variety of ways. And he did that.”

Bronny James and USC haven't had the season that people were expecting them to have. The Trojans were ranked in the preseason top-25, and they had one of the best recruiting classes in the nation last year. Unfortunately, things just have translated onto the court yet.

The Trojans needed that win badly and they got it, but they are still in second-to-last place in the Pac-12, and their only hope of making the NCAA Tournament is if they can somehow win the Pac-12 tournament. Anything is possible, but that is highly unlikely.

So far this season, James is averaging 5.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 2.6 APG. A lot of people expected more from him because his dad is LeBron James, but people also forget that he is a true freshman. It takes time to adjust to the D1 college level.

It's going to be interesting to see where the rest of the season goes for USC basketball, and also for James. Most people assumed he would go to the NBA after this season, but that certainly looks less likely now. There is less than a month remaining for the Trojans, so they don't have much time to start improving.