Tag: USC basketball

It’s only an exhibition, but USC basketball’s win over Gonzaga could mean a lot

It’s only an exhibition, people will say. Gonzaga was playing backups, people will say. Even if that’s true, USC’s win over Gonzaga could be very important.

The USC Trojans had Andy Enfield on their bench for more than a decade. Finally, USC basketball will get a different voice and a fresh perspective this season with Eric Musselman coming from Arkansas to see what he can create in Southern California. Let’s remember this about Musselman: He has reached the Sweet 16 at two different schools (Nevada and Arkansas). He made consecutive Elite Eights at Arkansas and three straight Sweet 16s. He can coach. USC pretty clearly gained an upgrade at its head coaching position. All that is left for Musselman is to prove to recruits and fans that he hasn’t lost his fastball. Beating Gonzaga is a great way to do that.

USC defeated Gonzaga, a team ranked No. 6 in preseason polls, on Saturday night in Palm Desert, Calif. Skeptics will say it was only an exhibition game, and that Gonzaga was playing guys from the back end of its bench, which is not representative of what we will actually see from the Zags once the regular season begins. All of that might be true, but here’s the thing: Eric Musselman built this roster from scratch. Only one player from last season’s roster, Harrison Hornery, returned for a ride on the Muss Bus.

For this completely new USC roster to come together and beat Gonzaga — even in an exhibition, even with the Zags playing their backups — is an eye-opener. Musselman obviously has created some degree of continuity and cohesion on his roster. There is obviously some talent and potential here. If it all comes together and the transfer portal pieces fit smoothly, Musselman and USC could have something good on their hands in Year 1.

Beating Gonzaga is important because it offers proof of concept to the USC players who left other schools to play for Musselman in Los Angeles. Guys in the locker room can see that the system and its principles can work if applied properly. That’s what a coach and his transfer-laden roster need to see.

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Eric Musselman, USC basketball upset No. 6 Gonzaga

USC men’s basketball got off to a flying start in an exhibition game against No. 6-ranked Gonzaga. The Trojans beat the Zags and created a lot of optimism for their season.

The Eric Musselman era at USC basketball has not yet arrived at its first regular-season game, but the Trojans did take the court against another college basketball team on Saturday night. USC faced No. 6 Gonzaga in a charity exhibition game in Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif. The Trojans got a good first look at their roster, and Musselman was able to get a sense of what does and doesn’t work for his team.

The results were certainly encouraging. USC defeated Gonzaga, 96-93, in a game which will get plenty of attention from college basketball analysts throughout the country. Terrance Williams, a transfer from Michigan, scored 20 points to lead USC. Desmond Claude, the transfer from Xavier, scored 19 points for USC, which built a solid lead and then withstood a late 8-0 run from the Zags to win. Five USC players scored in double figures, giving the Trojans balance and versatility. There was a lot to like in this game. Now the team needs to build on it as it heads into the regular season.

USC opens the regular season against UT-Chattanooga at the Galen Center on Monday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. local time in Los Angeles.

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USC women’s basketball is an elite team playing an elite schedule in 2024-2025

It is clear that USC women’s basketball wants to be challenged by the very best opponents this season, so that it will be battle-tested come March.

The best teams and athletes want to be challenged by the best opponents. USC women’s basketball has all the appearances of an elite team in college hoops. Accordingly, coach Lindsay Gottlieb has constructed a top-notch nonconference schedule for the 2024-2025 season. That nonconference slate, combined with the Big Ten Conference schedule, gives USC one of the toughest schedules in the country for the coming campaign.

The Trojans, who are ranked No. 3 in the preseason Associated Press Poll, are one of the favorites to make the 2025 Women’s Final Four in Tampa on April 4 and 6. USC reached its first Elite Eight since 1994 last season. This season is “Final Four or bust” for the Women of Troy, and there’s no reason to shy away from those expectations. If a team wants to be Final Four-worthy, it might as well start playing Final Four contenders.

How tough is USC’s schedule? The Trojans will play four games against teams ranked in the top six of the preseason AP Poll. USC plays No. 2 UConn in December. The Trojans face No. 6 Notre Dame in November. USC will play No. 5 UCLA twice in the Big Ten. In nonconference play and in the Big Ten, USC will go up against the very best in college basketball. If these tests make USC better and help the Trojans reach the Final Four, the scheduling philosophy used by Lindsay Gottlieb will have been worth it.

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Four-star forward Christopher Nwuli includes USC in top six

USC tries to keep an in-state four-star basketball prospect home in LA.

Christopher Nwuli has narrowed his list to six schools. That list includes the USC Trojans. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound power forward is considering USC, UCLA, San Diego State, Utah, TCU and Louisville.

Nwuli, a 2025 four-star wing prospect who played at Wasatch Academy in Utah last season, recently transferred and enrolled at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth (California). Two seasons ago, Nwuli played for Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas.

247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein gave the following evaluation on Nwuli:

“Chris Nwuli is a high-level athlete. That term gets thrown around a lot, but in Nwuli’s case it’s very literal. He plays high above the rim, covers the court, can slide laterally, and has very good functional strength. While his skill-set remains a work-in-progress, he’s very dangerous in transition and capable of making the type of explosive finishes that can immediately change the momentum of a game. He’s also very competitive and a potentially standout defender with the tools to be versatile guarding multiple positions. If he can keep developing his shooting to the point that he can make open, rhythm threes, he’ll have a translatable role for years to come.” This was written at ScoutHoops.com.

Nwuli averaged 8.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game as a junior last season. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Nwuli is the No. 72 overall prospect in the 2025 cycle. He’s also the No. 16 power forward prospect.

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USC basketball is a finalist for four-Star Utah guard

USC is trying to bring in a top point guard from Utah.

J.J. Mandaquit, a four-star point guard who plays at Utah Prep in Murray, Utah, announced his top nine schools with the USC Trojans in the mix. BYU, Cal, Creighton Hawaii, Louisville, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington are also in the running for his commitment, battling USC basketball in this latest theater of events.

Mandaquit played his freshman season at Iolani High School in Honolulu before transferring to Real Salt Lake Academy (now Utah Prep) for the 2022-23 season. He averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 assists, 3 rebounds and 2.9 steals.

Mandaquit also has Team USA experience. He helped the United States win gold this summer at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship tournament in Mexico. He averaged 3.7 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds in six games, with his best effort coming with six points, three assists and two rebounds against Argentina in the group phase.

According to the 247Sports Composite, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Mandaquit ranks as the No. 8 point guard and the No. 53 prospect in the Class of 2025.  Per247sports

“JJ Mandaquit is a high IQ point guard. He is very cerebral, and he reads the game at an advanced level. The ball is on a strong, and he manipulates angles very well, creating both space and opportunity. While he is an average athlete, he gives good effort on the defensive end. Mandaquit has an array of paint finishes, with floaters and runners. Size may be a question; he plays with a great pace and attacks with great balance. Originally from Hawaii, he is young for his grade, and will not turn 18 until May of his senior year.” –   On3‘s Jamie Shaw

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Five-star prospect Tounde Yessoufou puts USC basketball in top 10

USC and Eric Musselman are taking big swings on the trail.

Five star 2025 prospect Tounde Yessoufou out of Santa Maria (Calif.) has trimmed his list of schools down to 10. The USC Trojans and Eric Musselman have made the cut, giving the Men of Troy hope that their basketball recruiting efforts can deliver a splash hit.

Baylor, Kansas, Arizona, and Arizona State, Connecticut, Tennessee, Washington, UCLA, Kentucky, and USC round out Yessoufou’s updated list per Joe Tipton.

According to 247Sports, Yessoufou — a 6-foot-7, 210-pound wing — is a five-star, top-20 prospect and is ranked as the sixth-best forward in the 2025 class.

In addition to USC, Yessoufou has already taken official visits to Arizona and Kansas State. Over the next few months he plans to visit Baylor, UConn, Tennessee, and Kansas, with his final official visit being Kentucky.

One of the brightest stars on the Nike EYBL circuit, he averaged 20.8 points and 6 rebounds per game for Team Why Not. USC appears to have made him a top priority as Eric Mussleman and his staff assemble their first true recruiting class in Los Angeles.

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USC Trojans make top 10 list for five-star guard

Eric Musselman and USC are in the running for a top prospect.

Five-star shooting guard Trey McKenney has cut the schools he’s considering to 10. The USC Trojans are on the list. The Trojans are joined by Ohio State, Notre Dame, Miami (FL), Creighton, Oregon, UCLA, Georgetown, Michigan State and Michigan. Eric Musselman would love to add this particular piece to the USC basketball puzzle and develop his future roster while also sending a message to rest of the country.

McKenney ranks as the No. 3 shooting guard and No. 15 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2025 class. He’s also listed as the No. 1 player from Michigan.

The West Bloomfield (Mich.) native helped lead St. Mary’s Catholic to a 27-1 season, along with a state championship. McKenney averaged 22.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

No team is currently projected to land Mckenney, but if you look over at the Recruiting Prediction Machine on On3, the Michigan State Spartans hold just a slight lead with a 14% chance to land him.

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2025 elite prospect Taliyah Henderson offered by USC WBB

Lindsay Gottlieb is trying to build for the future at USC.

The USC Trojans women’s basketball program has offered 2025 four-star forward Taliyah Henderson. She is a member of Canada’s U18 Women’s National Team roster for the upcoming FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup 2024

Henderson plays her prep ball at Salpointe Catholic High in Tucson. She is ranked No. 21 nationally by ESPN among all Class of 2025 players.

“I want to go play in the WNBA, I want to go play overseas and I want to play for Team Canada, those have been my goals since I’ve started playing basketball at a young age,” Henderson said.

Aside from USC, she also picked up scholarship offers recently from Tennessee, Maryland and North Carolina. She already has numerous offers from Power Four programs, including ones from Arizona, Oregon, Utah, Arizona State, Illinois, Washington, Washington State, Iowa, BYU, San Diego, Florida State, UNLV and Utah. Lindsay Gottlieb would love to add another top-flight recruit to a program whose trajectory is going in the right direction.

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Top 2025 center Xavion Staton has USC in top 6 schools

Eric Musselman is making a run at a 7-footer from Vegas.

Xavion Staton has narrowed his list of school down to six which includes USC basketball, Arizona, Michigan, BYU, UNLV and Stanford.

The 7-foot four-star center out of Sierra Vista High School in Las Vegas is ranked as the No. 25 overall prospect in the country, according to On3’s Top-150 Player Rankings. He’s also the No. 2 overall center and the No. 1 player in Nevada.

The 6-11, 210-pound four-star player is one of the top shot blockers in the nation. He quickly saw his recruitment rise after starting basketball his freshman year.

“I want to be committed sometime in October,” Staton said. “I want to be able to go into my senior season and not worry about my recruitment. I just want to focus on getting better and developing.”

Staton, the 2023-24 Gatorade Player of the Year in Nevada, has only taken one college visit — an unofficial to UNLV. He is planning to schedule more visits in the near future.

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Multi-sport superstar Kendre Harrison excludes USC from top schools

USC misses out on a two-sport star.

The USC football and basketball programs had high hopes that Kendre Harrison, a five-star talent, would make his way to Los Angeles, but the North Carolina native has other schools in mind. The Trojans did not make the cut.

The No. 1 overall ranked tight end in the Class of 2026 has included North Carolina among his finalists, a list that includes Florida State, Miami, Penn State, Oregon and Tennessee.

Harrison, who hails from Reidsville (North Carolina), is ranked No. 12 nationally by On3 and No. 1 overall at the tight end position and in the state of North Carolina.

Harrison said “I have over 40 offers combining basketball and football and all six schools on my list say I can play both.” (On3.com)

247 director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote this about Harrison:

“A two-sport star with an intimidating frame that looks to be north of 6-foot-6. Could be molded into a variety of different things, but ceiling might ultimately be highest as an in-line tight end given large catch radius and potential as a blocker. Rare size makes him a straight up mismatch for high school defenders, especially in the red zone as he fights for positioning. Not the sharpest route runner at this stage in his development, but can adjust to off-target throws and is a handful to bring down in the open field once he secures the prize.

“Will move people out of the way and open up run lanes, but improved technique will only allow him to make more of an impact at the point of attack. Must keep progressing and buy into the process at the program of his choice, but has the tools to be a true difference-maker on Saturdays. Harrison might also get a look on defense as he has flashed the ability to redirect and chase down quarterbacks.”

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