The turnaround has come quickly at Southern California, where coach Tim Floyd has the Trojans back in the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years.

Fifth-seeded USC will try to avoid an upset when it plays controversial at-large selection and No. 12 seed Arkansas on Friday in Spokane, Wash.

While the Trojans (23-11) are thrilled to be back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002, they are also well aware of the upset potential of the Razorbacks (21-13).

"Five-12 has always been one of the historical upset brackets," Floyd said. "And we'll make sure our players are aware of that. We'll go back and do our history."

USC only needs to glance at its past to avoid looking past Arkansas. As a No. 4 seed five years ago, the Trojans were upset in the first round by North Carolina-Wilmington, and Floyd isn't likely to let his team think too far ahead.

After the Trojans won just three of their final seven regular-season games, they made an impressive run to the Pac-10 tournament final before getting blown out 81-57 by Oregon.

"We got embarrassed," said USC's Nick Young, the team's leading scorer at 17.4 points per game. "We've got a lot to prove. It's a new season now."

The Trojans trailed the Ducks by as many as 39 points, looking nothing like the team that went 7-5 against ranked opponents this season. With the Pac-10 full of competitive squads, USC beat Oregon and Arizona twice and split with Washington State.

Oregon and Washington State both received No. 3 seeds while Arizona is a No. 8 seed. In all, the conference received six bids and the Trojans could face Washington State in the East Regional final.

"In almost every game in the Pac-10 we played a ranked team," USC guard Lodrick Stewart said. "That helped us a lot."

After going 17-13 in Floyd's first season, the Trojans broke through for their first 20-win season since 2001-02. Floyd's 40 victories in his first two seasons are the most by any coach in school history.

"I was just trying to get it done by the end of my contract, which is the fifth year," Floyd said of the NCAA bid.

Arkansas is in the NCAA tournament for the second straight year, but it didn't come without a lot of speculation. With reports that he needed an NCAA berth to keep his job, Razorbacks coach Stan Heath led his team to five straight wins before losing to Florida in the SEC tournament final on Sunday.

Despite a 7-9 conference record, Arkansas was awarded one of the final at-large spots in the field.

"We all look through our own situations with probably tinted glasses," Heath said. "I do feel for the teams and the kids that were left out and didn't get a chance to be in this field. There are certainly strong arguments about all the teams that were (borderline). It's just the way it is.

"We can't get caught up in this, that and the other," Heath said. "We're excited to be in the field."

Arkansas finished with an RPI of 35 and its strength of schedule was ranked 10th. After starting the season 12-3, the Razorbacks lost nine of 13 games before closing out strong.

Freshman Patrick Beverley leads the Razorbacks in scoring at 13.8 points per game. Forward Charles Thomas, who had 18 points and 18 rebounds in a victory over Mississippi State in the semifinals of the SEC tournament, is day-to-day with a left ankle injury he suffered less than 90 seconds into Arkansas' 77-56 loss to Florida.

"We need him to be available," Heath said. "He helps us in these small matchup type of games, but he needs to make some recovery. We need to see him on the floor by Thursday."

The Razorbacks haven't won an NCAA tournament game since 1999 and their four-game tournament losing streak is the longest in school history.

USC has won both meetings with Arkansas, but the teams haven't met since 1986.

Friday's winner plays Texas or New Mexico State in the second round.