Go beyond the scoreboard
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Eric Musselman is not one for sugarcoating. The new USC basketball coach knew what he was inheriting when he took the reins of an underperforming program last spring. He understood the limitations of rebuilding an entire roster on the fly. And now, on the doorstep of his first season with the Trojans, he’s not trying to hide his team’s perceived imperfections, either.
“We know we have some holes on our roster,” Musselman said. “We want our guys to understand what those areas of concern are, and how do we combat that by being honest about who we are.”
Musselman, well into his third decade as a basketball coach, knows no other way. There is no generalizing with him. When players make mistakes in practice, Musselman will call them out, believing that it’s his job to “put an address on it” with the source of his criticism.
Through a flurry of calls and Facetime chats from his Manhattan Beach ‘Portal House,’ Eric Musselman and his staff worked to revive USC basketball.
So there was no hiding when USC was picked 14th out of 18 teams in the Big Ten preseason media poll. Expectations for them, from the outside world, were low. Proving them wrong meant being clear about who the Trojans are. And as Musselman saw it, that meant playing this season like “sewer rats,” scratching and clawing their way through the Big Ten.
The truth is no one knows what USC will be in Year 1 under Musselman. But with the Trojans’ opener against Chattanooga upcoming on Monday, here’s what we do know about what to expect at the start of a new era of Trojans basketball:
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USC is putting a lot on Desmond Claude’s shoulders
The Big East’s most improved player a year ago, Claude exploded onto the scene last season as a do-everything combo guard at Xavier, averaging 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. But at USC, he’ll be asked to take on even more workload to make the Trojans’ offense go.
There aren’t many other options for Musselman but to rely heavily on Claude, who is the only natural lead guard on the Trojans’ roster. He has the requisite playmaking ability to excel in that role as a creator. But while he has proven able to score, especially at the rim, Claude has yet to prove he can be a consistent outside shooter. He shot under 24% from long range last season at Xavier, which could be a problem on nights when the rest of USC’s shooting is off-kilter.
That’s been a point of emphasisfrom Musselman. Claude’s command of USC’s offense has certainly been impressive in the early going — he had five assists and zero turnovers in an exhibition win over Gonzaga. The bigger question might be who takes those reins when he’s not on the court.
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The center spot is still very uncertain
When Musselman was asked about how 6-foot-10 Massachusetts transfer Josh Cohen might fit into his plans. He shrugged.
“I don’t even know,” the coach admitted.
Musselman had been pretty open about USC’s glaring question marks at center, where the Trojans have just two players over 6-8 — Cohen and 6-10 returner Harrison Hornery, neither of whom are really the physical, low-post type of big man.
Eric Musselman has a reputation for injecting life into stagnant basketball programs, and USC’s leadership is hoping he will do the same for the Trojans.
Rashaun Agee, a 6-8 transfer from Bowling Green, offers a more physical presence in the paint — and especially on the glass, where he notched 18 games with double-digit rebounds last season. But Musselman has made abundantly clear to Agee and the others where he believes USC is lacking down low.
“We don’t block shots very well,” Agee said. “That’s something I need to work on.”
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Saint Thomas is the skeleton key to USC’s rotations
USC forward Saint Thomas, right, drives against Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle during the first half of an exhibition game on Oct. 26.
(Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
Two years ago, no one would’ve envisioned Saint Thomas as the focal point of a college offense. He was averaging only a few points per game at Loyola Chicago, barely scraping by in the Ramblers’ rotation while also struggling with his mental health.
Then Thomas took a break from basketball, left for Northern Colorado, and everything clicked. He nearly averaged a double-double last season — 19.7 points and 9.8 rebounds, one of just four players in college basketball to reach both totals.
His versatility was the main selling point for Musselman, and since he’s arrived at USC it has become an essential part of USC’s offense, one that its coach is very much counting on this season. On any given day, Thomas has the passing ability to spell Claude as the point guard or, with his skills on the glass, step in as the center in a small-ball lineup.
“He knows our offense better than anybody,” Musselman said, “and so that allows us to do different things with him.”
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Length is USC’s biggest strength
USC might not have any depth at point guard or much in the way of rim-protecting big men, but what it does have is a litany of wings perfect for the style that Musselman wants to play.
On his first day as USC’s coach, Musselman made clear that he had a type: Versatile wings, between 6-5 and 6-8, who could play multiple positions. So it should come as no surprise that he stocked USC’s roster with eight transfers standing at least 6-7.
That length should help clog passing lanes, giving USC a strong, active defense from Day 1. Given all else that’s uncertain, Musselman can at least bank on that.
