Eric Musselman came to USC basketball and did not inherit a roster. He inherited a situation in which Andy Enfield recruits decommitted from the Trojans and Isaiah Collier left for the NBA. Musselman would have wanted some of Enfield’s recruits and prime players to stay, but that didn’t happen, and there’s no way to hold Muss responsible for any of that. No incoming coach can be held responsible for that kind of situation. Musselman had to throw together his roster from the transfer portal. Saint Mary’s is one of the worst opponents for a transfer-filled team to face in the early weeks of a college basketball season.
That was made apparent on Thanksgiving Night in Palm Desert, Calif.
Do we need to bother to give you any analysis in a game which ends 71-36? Do we need to explain anything about a game in which USC went 0 for 12 on 3-point shots and scored only 15 points in the second half? Do we need to offer a research paper or dissertation on the state of USC basketball when the Trojans scored six points in a span of 11 minutes connecting the last 7:30 of the first half and the first 3:30 of the second half?
We’re done here. This team is a work in progress. Quick fixes won’t happen. This season has become a process of molding a team and learning what works. The idea that USC was an NCAA Tournament-ready team in the first weeks of the season has been blown out of the water.
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