Tag: Eric Musselman

USC, Eric Musselman land Michigan transfer Terrance Williams II

Eric Musselman has landed a lot of mid-major transfers at USC. Now he has landed a Power Five transfer.

The USC Trojans and coach Eric Musselman have added another player in the transfer portal. This time, USC basketball went to the Big Ten and gained Terrance Williams II from Michigan.

Connor Morrissette of 247Sports has more details on Williams:

“Williams was a team captain at Michigan last season. He averaged 12.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game shooting 43.3 percent from the field. Williams took a jump as a 3-point shooter in his senior year with the Wolverines, hitting a career-best 39.7 percent of his shots from deep. He’s a career 74.3 percent free throw shooter.

“Williams, who stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs 225 pounds, played the last four seasons at Michigan. He’s unranked in the 247Sports.com transfer portal recruiting rankings. As a high schooler coming out of Gonzaga College in the Washington D.C. area (the same high school as Caleb Williams), Williams was the No. 105 overall recruit and No. 20 power forward nationally. He has one year of college eligibility remaining.”

Beyond having Big Ten experience and therefore being a player who can more effectively help USC counter its 2025 Big Ten opponents, Williams is notable because he is a Power Five transfer. So many of Eric Musselman’s previous transfers in the 2024 cycle were mid-major players. Williams offers a different perspective and background. Having played in the Big Ten, he should be able to physically withstand the rigors of the coming season at USC.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.

Oklahoma Sooners forced to pivot with Brandon Garrison committing to Kentucky

Oklahoam transfer target Brandon Garrison picks Kentucky over Oklahoma and others.

Oklahoma’s search for a big-time contributor in its frontcourt continues. The Sooners found out Tuesday that talented Oklahoma native and former Oklahoma State forward Brandon Garrison would take his talents to the Blue Grass State and the Kentucky Wildcats, one of college basketball’s biggest bluebloods.

Kentucky is in the process of retooling after losing Hall of Fame coach, John Calipari. Calipari took his operation to Arkansas to take over the Razorbacks after Eric Musselman left for the USC Trojans.

Garrison would have filled a massive need and given Oklahoma a caliber of big man that the program hasn’t seen in years. He was a former four-star recruit out of high school and a former McDonald’s All-American.

This past season in Stillwater, he averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game for the Cowboys.

With Garrison no longer an option, Oklahoma is back on the hunt to find another impact player in the front court. With the Sooners losing John Hugley to Xavier and Rivaldo Soares to graduation, the Sooners cannot just roll with Sam Godwin as its primary interior presence. Oklahoma still has two scholarships to play with as they continue to build the roster for next year.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on X @thatmanbryant.

Eric Musselman and USC basketball land top-60 recruit Jalen Shelley

Eric Musselman brings in another recruit with a lot of upside.

The Muss Bus is picking up momentum. Eric Musselman and USC basketball have landed top-60 2024 recruit Jalen Shelley, filling another roster spot with a high-end talent. It’s true that USC has roster spots which need to be filled, but the Trojans needed to address those roster holes by getting legitimate upgrades and not merely settling for lower-tier players. Shelley gives USC a real chance to raise its ceiling. He provides Musselman with a level of dynamism and explosiveness which could help USC become a legitimate force at the offensive end of the floor.

Musselman’s remaking of the USC basketball roster, after the 2024 group scattered in the wake of Andy Enfield’s departure to SMU, has been substantial. One notable dimension of this transformation is that Musselman has looked to the mid-major ranks for seasoned transfers. Most college basketball analysts felt Muss needed a big-time recruit to add upside to the 2024-2025 roster. Shelley gives Musselman and USC a real opportunity to become something special. There is now a much better balance between portal pickups and incoming recruits on the USC basketball roster.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.

UC San Diego scorer Bryce Pope transfers to USC, Eric Musselman

Eric Musselman brings an 18-points-per-game scorer to USC.

Eric Musselman has landed a high-scoring transfer portal prospect at USC. Bryce Pope, a 6-foot-3 guard from Torrey Pines High School in San Diego who averaged 18.6 points per game and was a first team All-Big West selection, has transferred from UC San Diego to USC.

Entering the portal, Pope had offers from a ton of college squads, including Texas, N.C. State, Creighton, Florida State, Louisville, UCLA, USC, Arkansas, LSU, Seton Hall, Maryland, Stanford, California, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame, among many others.

Per ESPN, Pope appeared in all 33 games. He averaged 35.6 minutes, 18.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals per contest, while hitting on 41.8 percent from the field, 33.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 81.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Musselman still has a lot of roster spots to fill, but it is clear that he is showing he values offense on his roster. Musselman wants to win, but also entertain. Playing an attractive style of ball will lure recruits to USC, given that crosstown rival UCLA plays a grind-it-out style under defense-first coach Mick Cronin.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

USC, Eric Musselman make a run at elite players in the transfer portal

Eric Musselman is taking big swings in the transfer portal.

The USC basketball roster has just a few players. Eric Musselman knows he needs to collect a lot of transfers to fill out the 2024-2025 roster. He isn’t limiting his options. Reports from Wednesday indicate USC has reached out to elite transfers Aidan Mahaney of Saint Mary’s and Micah Parrish of San Diego State. These are high-end players who are being contacted by elite programs. Mahaney has been contacted by defending back-to-back national champion Connecticut and Dan Hurley, for instance. The big boys are going after these players, and Eric Musselman has thrown his hat into the ring.

USC has missed out on a number of transfer portal battles, but let’s remember there are over 1,000 players in the portal. There are a lot of really, really good players currently available. It’s not as though teams are already scraping at the bottom of the pan for leftovers. No, that’s not remotely accurate. There are high-end players who are thinking about where they want to go, especially in light of coaching changes at Arkansas, Kentucky, BYU, and other notable programs. We will see if Eric Musselman can land a few really big fish. His identity as the portal king in college hoops will be tested at USC.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

College basketball experts think Eric Musselman will succeed at USC

Experts agree that Eric Musselman is a high-quality coach. This does not feel like a gamble by USC.

Commentators on the College Basketball Coast To Coast podcast weighed in on Eric Musselman at USC. People who follow college basketball closely are convinced Musselman can thrive at USC.

Tyler Jones, who hosts his own sports podcast in addition to his work at CBB Coast To Coast, is sold on the USC coach.

“I really like him,” Jones began. “I thought he did a very good job (at Arkansas) — I’m surprised he moved to USC. His offenses have always been fantatsic. That brand of ball should sell well in Southern California. His NBA track record is substantial. If USC is willing to invest, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be an NCAA Tournament team every year.”

T.J. Rives, the host of CBB Coast To Coast, had this more measured view:

“You have to wonder after all the success at Arkansas and only one disappointing sesason, why he would be so anxious to go to a program with so much uncertainty entering the Big Ten, whether it’s L.A. or not. There’s no doubt he can coach, but I’m still not sure about the fit.”

DeShaun Tate of Tate’s Take Hoops said that “It’s gonna help him going back to a market he’s familiar with — he’ll do a great job recruiting. I think he can have more success at USC than Arkansas, and he went to the Elite Eight at Arkansas. It’s (USC) a better destination for recruits. He has a really good balance between being a player’s coach and a coach’s coach. His energy is infectious, and that’s going to help.”

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Eric Musselman adds transfer from Penn as USC roster starts to grow

Eric Musselman has begun the long process of completely remaking the USC basketball roster.

Eric Musselman has a ton of roster spots to fill at USC. Players are leaving for the NBA draft. They are leaving through the transfer portal. They are decommitting from USC after being recruited by Andy Enfield, who has left for SMU. Musselman has the burden — and the opportunity — of having to build his roster from scratch. One by one, he will need to add pieces. He just did bring in one player: Clark Slajchert from the University of Pennsylvania.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior considered UCLA, Cal, Utah State, San Francisco, Stanford, Davidson, and Michigan, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. USC, however, won out.

Slajachert was second-team All-Ivy League last season. He averaged 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game this past season, shooting 48.7% from the field and 42.2% from 3-point range.

Slajchert played in 27 of 30 games in 2022-23 and finished second in the team in scoring (13.6 ppg), second in steals (28), and fourth in assists (48). He played in 25 of 28 games in 2021-22, averaging 10.7 points per game.

The L.A. native has two seasons of eligibility remaining and was the No. 214 player available, per the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

USC among the finalists for mid-major guard in transfer portal

There’s a 20-point-per-game scorer in the portal, and USC is one of five finalists for him.

The USC Trojans are among five finalists for Northern Kentucky senior guard Marques Warrick. This is according to a report a few days ago via X from On3sports’ Joe Tipton. USC, now coached by Eric Musselman, joins a list of finalists which also includes Cincinnati, Missouri, Penn State and Seton Hall.

Last month, Warrick declared for the NBA draft while also maintaining his college eligibility and entering the transfer portal. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

Warrick was named first-team All-Horizon League and is the leading scorer in Northern Kentucky history, averaging 18 points per game in 125 games for the Norse.

Warrick averaged 19.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game this season.

Eric Musselman has a lot of roster spots to fill at USC. Some Trojans have either declared for the draft or will soon do so. Others have transferred out of the program. Others were incoming freshmen who have decommitted due to Andy Enfield’s departure. The 2024 roster is in a position to be completely and dramatically remade. This will not be an offseason marked by light tweaks on the edges. This is a full-on roster overhaul.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Eric Musselman is watching Andy Enfield’s four-stars leave USC

There’s not much Eric Musselman can do about Andy Enfield USC recruits who are decommitting.

Brody Kozlowski of Corner Canyon (Utah) signed to play college hoops for the USC Trojans, but after the departure of Trojans head coach Andy Enfield to SMU, the four-star prospect is looking to go elsewhere instead of playing for Eric Musselman. On3’s Joe Tipton reported Kozlowski’s decision.

Kozlowski, ranked No. 3 in the state of Utah and the No. 88 player overall in the 2024 class, has requested a release from his letter of intent and will reopen his recruitment after that release occurs.

The 6-foot-8 small forward originally chose USC out of a final five that also included BYU, Cal, San Diego State and UCLA.

Kozlowski averaged 20.5 points and 5 rebounds per contest. He helped Corner Canyon reach the 6A championship game in the state of Utah before the Chargers fell to the Lehi Pioneers.

The USC basketball roster is undergoing all sorts of changes as Enfield leaves and Eric Musselman takes over. Isaiah Collier declared for the NBA draft. Bronny James hasn’t yet made his decision. Boogie Ellis is expected to turn pro. A lot of open roster spots exist for the Trojans. This is just one more out of several.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

USC basketball roster shrinks as Eric Musselman considers options

More USC players are moving out. The influx under Musselman has yet to materialize (and that’s okay).

USC basketball has a roster which is still dwindling to even lower numbers. The roster is not yet expanding. Eric Musselman has another roster spot to fill after freshman center Arrinten Page entered the transfer portal.

Page is from Atlanta’s Wheeler High School. He was a teammate of Isaiah Collier at Wheeler, and he joined Collier at USC under Andy Enfield.

With Enfield leaving USC to take over SMU and Eric Musselman taking over as the Trojans’ head coach, the portal has been wild to say the least for the Men of Troy over the past week.

Page is a former four-star recruit. He appeared in 27 games for the Trojans this past season. He averaged 3.1 points and 2.1 rebounds per game on 49.2 percent shooting from the field.

The 6-foot-11, 245-pound big man will have will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Page and Collier are very close off the court. Page’s transfer makes it even less likely Collier might stay on with Musselman at USC. Collier is a projected lottery pick and is likely to enter the NBA draft, but if he wants a second season of college basketball, it is now more likely he would enter the transfer portal as opposed to remaining at USC.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.