It took a long time, but the USC basketball team is finally playing like we all expected them to play this season. It's been a rough year, but the Trojans have now won four of their last six games and they are finding their groove at the right. Better late than never, right?

USC basketball won their latest game as they took down Arizona State basketball on Thursday night at home. The Sun Devils kept things close for most of the game, but the Trojans ended up pulling away down the stretch to win the game 81-73. Every win is big right now for this team, and they know that because of how most of this season has gone, all of these remaining games are must-win.

“Coach really emphasized, our March is now,” Boogie Ellis said after the win, according to an article from the Orange County Register. “So, we just gotta prepare ourselves now. We gotta act like we’re in the tournament now. We gotta win every game, so you know that when we get to the Pac-12 tournament, there’s no room for error.”

Boogie Ellis was the guy for USC on Thursday night as he led all scorers with 28 points. He was playing so well that Arizona State didn't want him to get his hands on the basketball at all.

“He was just telling me that his coach told him not to let me catch the ball,”  Ellis said in regards to Arizona State's Frankie Collins. “So he didn’t want me to catch the ball.”

When Ellis and the Trojans are playing like they have been, they are tough to beat. USC head coach Andy Enfield knows that his team is close to reaching their full potential.

“This is the team we thought we’d have,” Andy Enfield said.

You never know what can happen once the Pac-12 Tournament rolls around. The conference is extremely open this year and the Trojans have a chance to test the water against the best team this weekend when Arizona comes to town. It's a tall task, but this USC basketball team truly thinks that they can win the Pac-12 tourney and get into the big dance.

“I think once we just clean up just holding the lead, and how to finish out games, I don’t think there’s anybody that can beat us,” Kobe Johnson said. “I think there’s a really strong chance we’re going to make a strong run here in the Pac-12 tournament, and surprise a lot of people.”

USC is playing their best basketball at the right time. They are going to be a fun team to watch at next week's Pac-12 Tournament, and Johnson is right, they could surprise some people.