LOS ANGELES >> In the aftermath of USC’s 74-58 men’s basketball victory over Washington to end the regular season, Coach Andy Enfield wanted to take stock.

Enfield opened the first 105 seconds of his postgame news conference Saturday by offering a handful of examples of his program’s progress.

He pointed to the Trojans’ 23 victories, their most in a season since 2007.

“I don’t think anyone predicted this,” Enfield said.

He added that this success occurred even amid early departures for the NBA that led to a roster full of underclassmen. He has before noted that college basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy ranks USC 326th among 351 Division I schools in total experience. He mentioned injuries. Sophomore forward Bennie Boatwright missed 17 games with a knee sprain.

Yet, his team is again likely to make the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s important to enjoy the moment,” Enfield said, “because you get caught up in this business as a player, a coach or anyone associated with a program. You’re nonstop for four or five months. At some point you have to realize what you accomplished.”

After finishing a combined 18 games below .500 in the first two seasons under his watch, it would be USC’s second consecutive trip to the postseason.

“We’ve done a complete 180,” said Samer Dhillon, a senior walk-on and the lone holdover from Enfield’s first team.

Enfield and his players eschewed questions afterward about their tournament fate, which might be more clear but still not certain. After a four-game losing streak to end February, including a last-minute collapse at Arizona State, it was widely thought the Trojans were moving toward the wrong side of the tournament bubble.

“We know the selection committee is going to do what they do,” Enfield said, “and we have no control over that.”

“Our goal’s just to win games,” added junior guard Jordan McLaughlin.

But the victory over the Huskies on Saturday, coupled with a rout of Washington State three nights earlier, gave the Trojans a sweep of their final homestand and helped to solidify their chances of making the 68-team field.

At 23-8 overall, their record is two games better than at this point last year, when they were 21-10. They ended up seeded eighth in the tournament. This year, they also finished 10-8 in the Pac-12 and tied for fifth. Last year, they went 9-9 and were tied for sixth.

In the final week before Selection Sunday, the Trojans can further their case in the Pac-12 Tournament, which begins Wednesday in Las Vegas when they face No. 11-seeded Washington in a rematch in the first round. The winner will face third-seeded UCLA in the quarterfinals the following day.

As USC toppled the Huskies on Saturday afternoon at the Galen Center, it was steadied by McLaughlin.

The veteran point guard scored 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, dished out nine assists and collected four rebounds

“That’s what he wants to do, is relied upon to do and is expected to do for us,” Enfield said. “He’s our leader.”

It was another strong performance from McLaughlin, who was one rebound shy of a triple-double against Washington State.

In the final homestand, he averaged 19 points, 6.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists.

“It’s March,” McLaughlin said. “You gotta play your best basketball. It’s about that time. March Madness. It’s something that gets me. The better the games, the higher the stake. I feel like that’s when I perform best.”

USC also shot a season-high 58.7 percent from the field.

Sophomore forward Chimezie Metu added 17 points and four rebounds, while freshman forward Nick Rakocevic finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Washington was without star freshman guard Markelle Fultz, the Pac-12’s leading scorer, for a third consecutive game because of a sore knee. Washington coach Lorenzo Romar told reporters earlier it was “unlikely” Fultz would play in the teams’ Pac-12 Tournament matchup.

Without Fultz, the Huskies (9-21, 2-16), challenged the Trojans early, pushing ahead 14-4 after the first five minutes, and remained ahead for most of the first half.

USC overtook them a few minutes before halftime and eventually closed on a 15-3 run. It lead 39-33 at halftime.

The Huskies made another push midway through the second half, when it cut USC’s lead to three with 12:01 remaining, but the Trojans were not overtaken, no Arizona State-like breakdown, not another bad loss.