This season has not gone the way that the USC basketball team was expecting, but they seem to be playing their best basketball right now. The Trojans are currently in 11th place in the Pac-12 as they are 12-17 overall on the year and 6-12 in conference play. They are 3-2 in their last five games, though, and while that might not sound great, it's something to build on, and USC has looked much better in those games.

A big reason why USC basketball is playing better right now is because of Isaiah Collier. Collier had to miss about a month because of a hand injury, and ever since he came back, the Trojans have looked much better. He has been playing outstanding basketball, and he just won Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.

Last week, USC suffered a tough loss by three points on the road against #18 Washington State, but they did pick up a nice 82-75 win on the road against Washington. Isaiah Collier had 24 points in the loss to the Cougars, and he had 31 in the win over the Huskies.

Based on the way that USC has looked while Isaiah Collier was out vs. since he's been back shows how much of an impact he has on this team. Collier was the number one overall prospect in the 2023 class, and everyone had high expectations for him this year. He is showing why as he been playing tremendous basketball as of late.

Don't be surprised if this USC basketball team makes some noise in the Pac-12 Tournament. Their two losses in the last five games have been very close and on the road, and the Trojans could've easily won either one of them. They are a different team when they're healthy, and they're playing much better right now. Collier is a big reason why.