RALEIGH, N.C. — Providence 70, USC 69, the morning after:
• In 1992, Georgia Tech’s James Forrest swished a long jumper to knock USC out of the NCAA tournament, 79-78. That was a second-round game, not a first, and the Trojans, with Harold Miner, felt they had at least a decent shot at a Final Four that year. It was a hard shot to George Raveling’s kidneys. Since then, USC basketball has largely been just a dull ache, with a few exceptions, but Thursday night’s loss drew blood. It was much more self-inflicted than the loss 23 years ago, even though USC would have been a decided underdog to North Carolina in the second round Saturday.