USC men’s basketball had a very rough ride in the month of November. This was to be expected with a roster almost entirely comprised of transfers. Only one player, Harrison Hornery, came back from last season. Coach Eric Musselman was bound to have some problems piecing together lineup combinations and styles of play which fit his assorted puzzle parts. We saw how difficult this process was when USC took its lumps in late November and got run off the floor by multiple opponents.
Now in mid-December, it seems this USC coaching staff and roster are learning how to create a polished product.
USC played Oregon tough, but lost. Then it blasted Washington on the road in an eye-opening display. Sunday night, USC hammered Montana State in a game which was never close. USC jumped to a quick 27-5 lead, then led by 26 at halftime and finished with a 26-point win, 89-63.
USC’s defense, consistency, effort level, and connectedness are miles better than what they were three weeks ago. The in-game lulls, droughts, and periods marked by a lack of focus are being weeded out of this team’s DNA.
It’s not as though Musselman was a bad coach three weeks ago; he simply ran into the limitations of an all-transfer roster he hastily put together after Andy Enfield and a bunch of 2024 players left the program. Given some time, Musselman has been able to drill deeper and improve player habits across the board. The identity of this team is not only better, but more defined. One can see that in these recent December performances. Hopefully USC can carry all of this into the teeth of the Big Ten season in January.