Category: Men’s college basketball

The big loser in USC football’s quarterback change? Eric Musselman

Eric Musselman and USC are 2-0, but the football team was still the big story of the week due to its QB change. It’s a reminder about what gets the headlines.

Monday night at USC basketball was supposed to be all about Eric Musselman. Coaching his first game in charge of the USC men’s basketball program, the “Muss Bus” impressed in his debut. The Trojans dominated UT Chattanooga in a wire-to-wire 77-51 victory. Unfortunately for Musselman, however, he only had the spotlight for barely an hour after the game ended. That was because around 10 p.m. local time on Monday night in Los Angeles, it was reported that the football team was making a change at quarterback, and turning to Jayden Maiava to start against Nebraska.

Suddenly, Musselman and the basketball team were pushed to the back page. With the attention of USC fans naturally turning toward the big football news, they quickly forgot about the impressive performance from Musselman’s team in a game they had just watched.

Oh, and to top it all off, there was an election the next day — that was kind of important.

Fortunately for Musselman, Monday was only the first game of a long season. He and his team will have plenty of other opportunities to play their way back into the spotlight. USC beat Idaho State on Thursday in a game which was not on national television. It’s just as well: USC didn’t play particularly well. Yet, the Trojans are 2-0 and are trying to build something special under Musselman.

For the time being, however, being pushed aside by football in the news cycle must have been at least a little bit frustrating for the new head coach.

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NBA MVP visits USC as Eric Musselman focuses on improving team culture

A brush with stardom occurred for young Trojan hoopers: A 7-time NBA All-Star made an appearance at USC basketball practice this week.

The USC Trojans and Eric Musselman had a surprise visitor during their basketball practice earlier this week. Joel Embiid, a seven-time NBA All-Star for the Philadelphia 76ers, dropped by the Galen Center to watch USC basketball practice on Wednesday.

The 76ers were in Los Angeles on Wednesday to face the Clippers when the former MVP, who is currently sidelined due to a suspension, decided to visit the team.

Embiid comically towered over head coach Eric Musselman in a picture posted to Musselman’s X/Twitter account the same day.

Later that evening, Musselman attended the Clippers versus Sixers matchup and met up with former Trojans Caleb Martin and Ricky Council IV after the game, evidenced by another X/Twitter post.

Musselman is having an immediate impact on USC. He intends to start his tenure with a main focus on changing the culture of the team. Bringing in a former NBA MVP certainly helps to achieve that goal.

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ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins says Longhorns freshman Tre Johnson will be lottery pick

Freshman Tre Johnson broke Kevin Durant’s Longhorns record in a strong debut. Now ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins says he’ll be an NBA Lottery pick.

Despite an 80-72 opening night loss to Ohio State, there was plenty to smile about for Longhorns fans who finally got a good look at super-freshman Tre Johnson.

The Lake Highlands product went 10 of 2 for 29 points while dishing out four assists. He also finished tied for second on the team in rebounds with five and saw the most floor-time of any Longhorns starter. The top five 2024 recruit actually broke Kevin Durant’s Longhorns record for most points in a debut.

One NBA analyst is already taking notice of Johnson. Longtime NBA big man Kendrick Perkins told his social media followers to keep an eye on Johnson. The ESPN analyst, who is also from Texas, thinks Johnson will be an NBA Lottery pick some day, “A born and raised Texas Boy straight outta Dallas. Cooper Flagg gets a lot of Attention and rightfully so… but PLEASE don’t sleep on this young Killa Tre Johnson. He will be a lottery pick in 2025 NBA Draft.”

Texas opens its home schedule Friday against Houston Christian.

 

 

Ohio State basketball freshman guard erupts in upset win over Texas

The Ohio State Buckeyes may have a rising star on their hands with freshman John Mobley Jr., who tallied 14 points in his career debut.

If there’s just one takeaway from the Ohio State Buckeyes opening-season upset win over the No. 19 Texas Longhorns, it could be that John Mobley Jr. might be a budding star.

Originally from Las Vegas, Mobley Jr. obviously had a passion to light it up as the Buckeyes were taking on the Longhorns in the Hall of Fame Series from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The four-star point guard played for Wasatch Academy in Utah and was the highest-rated player by 247Sports from the state in the Class of 2024. He chose Ohio State over a plethora of other programs.

That said, Mobley Jr., in his first collegiate action, lit up the Longhorns, and some of the shots he was making were just downright impressive.

He ended up playing just 13 minutes but hoisted six shots and connected on four. He was 4-for-4 from deep and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Mobley Jr. was the only Buckeyes player to make 100% of his triples, and he shot four of them.

Expect to see more of the freshman guard in the coming weeks. The Buckeyes will take the court again Monday as they welcome Youngstown State to Columbus.

Eric Musselman opens USC tenure with rout of Chattanooga

Eric Musselman made his USC basketball debut. Opening night could not have gone any better. The Trojans looked very well-coached throughout.

USC opened up its season with a dominant 77-51 victory over Chattanooga on Monday, beginning the Eric Musselman era with a bang. The Trojans looked like a well-oiled machine and did not play like a team which had just one returning player from Andy Enfield’s last team. This group, comprised almost entirely of transfers, looked sharp and connected at both ends of the floor. Guard Chibuzo Agbo scored a team-high 14 points on 4-of-9 from 3 while forward Matt Knowling added 13 off the bench. It was an all-around successful night for the Trojans, who had seven players score 8 or more points in the win. The Trojans held the Mocs to just 27.8% shooting from the floor including 17.6% beyond the arc.

The win is reflective of this team’s identity that was showcased in its exhibition win over Gonzaga in late October.

Kevin Sweeney, a college basketball writer for Sports Illustrated, put it this way:

“USC didn’t treat this (Gonzaga) like an exhibition, really pushed its starters to the brink and did everything it could to win the game. Probably a decent move by Muss – try to build some buy-in and confidence inside the locker room while getting a big-name win to build excitement with the fans. Was impressed with how Claude looked as essentially a full-time point guard (a new role for him) and the positional size and shooting they have from 1-4 is impressive.”

In his first year with the program, head coach Eric Musselman seems to be putting an emphasis on culture and making his players buy into his plan. While Chattanooga is one of the easier opponents this team will face this season, a big win, with no roadblocks, will make any Trojan fan happy. This was a very strong and positive opening game. Keep in mind that Terrance Williams, the Michigan transfer who is expected to be one of USC’s better scorers this season, did not play due to injury. USC did really well without him. Imagine what could happen when he gets healthy and gets playing time.

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Ohio State basketball has the “best backcourt in the Big Ten”

Ohio State basketball beat Texas to open its season Monday, and it did so with a strong showing from its talented backcourt.

Ohio State basketball went into Las Vegas for a battle against the No. 19 Texas Longhorns as part of the Hall of Fame Series.

It wasn’t expected to come out on top, closing as a 2.5-point underdog, but it pulled off the upset and left with a resounding victory. The Buckeyes won 80-72, and they were led by a dynamic backcourt duo. Their guards off the bench played were efficient as well.

While the early-season overreactions are always welcome when they positively mention the Buckeyes, CBS Insider Jon Rothstein said following the game that Ohio State has the “best backcourt in the Big Ten.”

After Monday night’s battle, he might not be wrong either.

It was a strong showing for Ohio State’s guards.  The Buckeyes start three guards — Meechie Johnson Jr., Evan Mahaffey and Bruce Thornton.

Thornton led the team in scoring with 20 points, and his efficiency was what one should write home to Mom about. He went 7-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 from deep. Mahaffey finished with 17 and three triples as well while Johnson Jr. had just six points on 2-for-11 shooting.

The Buckeyes guards off the bench scored 17. Twenty points were contributed by non-guard players and 16 of those were poured in by sophomore forward Devin Royal.

If this backcourt stays at this level, the sky is the limit for this Ohio State basketball side.

Ohio State basketball’s stifling defense led way in season-opening upset

Ohio State basketball traveled West to Las Vegas and came away with a season-opening win over the No. 19 Texas Longhorns.

It was a fun night for the Ohio State Buckeyes basketball team in Las Vegas on Monday.

They kicked their season off with a battle against the No. 19 Texas Longhorns in the Hall of Famer Series.

While Ohio State did get some votes in the AP Poll, it didn’t end up cracking the top-25 teams in the country despite having one of the strongest backcourts in the Big Ten.

The Buckeyes might get their name on that list next week as they left Vegas with an 80-72 win over Texas.

While Bruce Thorton was huge and led the team with 20 points, it was the defense that spearheaded the win for Ohio State. It allowed just 31 points in the first half and took a 7-point lead into the break.

The Buckeyes forced nine turnovers. The most impressive part of the team’s defense was their ability to defend the perimeter. The Longhorns finished 7-of-28 from deep. If that defensive intensity continues, Ohio State could be a formidable opponent and certainly a strong contender in the conference.

This was a huge win and was among just a few upsets in the first real kickoff of college hoops.

The Buckeyes will take the floor again next Monday as they battle Youngstown State at home. That game can be viewed at 6 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.

Full Penn State men’s basketball schedule for 2024-25

Here is the full regular season schedule for the Penn State men’s basketball 2024-25 season.

Penn State is in its second year under head coach [autotag]Mike Rhoades[/autotag]. The Nittany Lions went 16-17 in the first year under Rhoades and is hoping to surprise many around the Big Ten this season. The Nittany Lions were picked by Big Ten media to finish toward the bottom of the expanded conference, and this will likely be a bit of a rebuilding season following a good amount of roster turnover from last season.

Star point guard [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] returns to the program for his final year of eligibility. The former VCU standout and Atlantic 10 Player of the Year is coming off a year in which he was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from Big Ten coaches last season.

One of the newest additions to watch from the recruiting trail will be center [autotag]Miles Goodman[/autotag]. The four-star recruit was Penn State’s second highest-ranked recruit in program history at the time of his commitment to the program and is expected to be a centerpiece of the Rhoades era turning the program into a more consistent competitor.

Here is Penn State men’s basketball schedule for the 2024-25 season:

  • Nov. 4 – BINGHAMTON, 7:30 p.m., B1G+
  • Nov. 8 – UMBC, 6:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Nov. 12 – SAINT FRANCIS (Pa), 7:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Nov. 15 – Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m., Peacock
    Baltimore, Md., CFG Bank Arena
  • Nov. 20 – PURDUE FORT WAYNE, 7:30 p.m., B1G+
  • Nov. 25 – Fordham, 4:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network
    Daytona Beach, Fl., Ocean Center
  • Nov. 26 – Clemson or San Francisco, 1:30 p.m. or 4:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network
    Daytona Beach, Fl., Ocean Center
  • Dec. 1 – BUFFALO, 2:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Dec. 5 – PURDUE*, 6:30 p.m., FS1
  • Dec. 10 – at Rutgers*, 7:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Dec. 14 – COPPIN STATE, 12:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Dec. 21 – at Drexel, 12:00 p.m.
    Philadelphia, Pa., Wells Fargo Center
  • Dec. 29 – PENN, 1:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Jan. 2, 2025 – NORTHWESTERN*, 7:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Jan. 5 – INDIANA*, 12:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
    (Philadelphia, Pa., The Palestra)
  • Jan. 8 – at Illinois*, 9:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 12 – OREGON*, 4:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 15 – at Michigan State*, 7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 20 – RUTGERS*, 6:30 p.m., Peacock
  • Jan. 24 – at Iowa*, 9:00 p.m., FS1
  • Jan. 27 – at Michigan*, 6:30 p.m.. Big Ten Network
  • Jan. 30 – OHIO STATE*, 6:30 p.m., FS1
  • Feb. 4 – MINNESOTA*, 7:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 8 – at UCLA*, 4:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 11 – at USC*, 9:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 15 – WASHINGTON*, 2:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 19 – NEBRASKA*, 6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 22 – at Minnesota*, 2:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Feb. 26 – at Indiana*, 8:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Mar. 1 – MARYLAND*, 12:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
  • Mar. 8 – at Wisconsin*, 1:00 p.m., Peacock
  • Mar. 12-16 – Big Ten Tournament
    Indianapolis, In.

“*” denotes Big Ten Conference game.

All times are Eastern.

Penn State lands highest-rated basketball recruit in program history

Penn State basketball starts next week, but this may be the biggest win of the season already.

The start of Penn State’s men’s basketball season tips off next week, but head coach Mike Rhoades has already scored perhaps his biggest win of the year. On Friday, Penn State received a verbal commitment from [autotag]Kayden Mingo[/autotag], one of the nation’s top-50 basketball recruits in the Class of 2025. Mingo is the highest-ranked player to ever commit to Penn State in program history, making this one of the biggest recruiting victories for Rhoades since taking over the head coaching job in State College.

Mingo is a combination center and guard from Glen Head, New York. Mingo is a consensus four-star recruit according to the recruiting outlets, and he is rated as the second-overall player in New York according to 247Sports and On3. He is a consensus top-10 center-guard combo as well.

Mingo is ranked as the no. 43 player overall in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. Prior to the commitment of Mingo, the highest-ranked recruit for Penn State using the same player rankings mechanic was Tony Carr in the Class of 2016 (no. 84 overall). The third highest rated recruit for Penn State will be a future teammate of Mingo, Miles Goodman. Goodman was a four-star center in Penn State’s Class of 2024 and is entering his freshman season with the Nittany Lions.

The addition of Mingo’s commitment has skyrocketed Penn State’s basketball recruiting class all the way up to no. 12 in the nation, which is good for the third-best in the Big Ten at the time of this writing. Penn State currently ranks one spot higher than Kentucky, five spots ahead of Alabama, and nine spots ahead of Michigan State. Time will tell just how long Penn State can hold on to this rare high basketball recruiting ranking, but Rhoades is clearly putting in the work to transform Penn State from a program capable of making an appearance in the NCAA basketball tournament once a decade to realistically expecting annual trips to the Big Dance being the expectation rather than the exception.

Notre Dame not present in initial USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll

Notre Dame isn’t in the men’s basketball coaches poll.

It’s perhaps not surprising that a Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball squad that was 13-20 overall in 2023-2024 isn’t in the top 25 in the initial USA TODAY Sports coaches poll.

The Irish didn’t receive any top 25 votes at all.

With Notre Dame in rebuilding mode, this makes sense. And while the initial poll is something that hoops heads pay close attention to, no one has hit a shot that counts yet. The poll will change throughout the season, and it will be a lot more important in late February than it is now.

The top five are Kansas, Alabama, defending champion Connecticut, Houston, and Duke.

While Notre Dame is in a rebuilding mode, perhaps the Irish will improve enough to be in contention for an NCAA Tournament berth. At the very least, CBS thinks they’re worth showcasing against North Carolina.

Rank School Last Year’s Record Points
1 Kansas 23-11 743 (15)
2 Alabama 25-12 718 (6)
3 Connecticut 37-3 717 (6)
4 Houston 32-5 698 (4)
5 Duke 27-9 625
6 Iowa State 29-8 591
7 Gonzaga 27-8 575
8 Baylor 24-11 545
9 Arizona 27-9 510
10 North Carolina 29-8 498
11 Auburn 27-8 465
12 Tennessee 27-9 437
13 Purdue 34-5 390
14 Creighton 25-10 342
15 Texas A&M 21-15 332
16 Arkansas 16-17 272
17 Marquette 27-10 268
18 Indiana 19-14 208
19 Texas 21-13 166
20 Cincinnati 22-15 163
21 Florida 24-12 130
22 UCLA 16-17 123
23 Kentucky 23-10 95
24 Illinois 29-9 87
25 Mississippi 20-12 66

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