After entering the 2024-25 season with high expectations, Head Coach Eric Musselman’s first year at the helm of USC men’s basketball left a lot to be desired. 

A second-round Big Ten Tournament exit and subsequent loss in the College Basketball Crown ended a 17-18 campaign for the Trojans, who failed to receive a March Madness bid for the second straight year. USC lost many of its key players to the transfer portal during the offseason, leaving it with just three returners.

However, a disappointing debut isn’t necessarily indicative of future struggles. With a revamped roster bolstered by the seventh-highest-ranked transfer portal class in the country, the Trojans enter the 2025-26 season with high hopes of making their mark on a stacked Big Ten conference and returning to the NCAA Tournament.

Fresh faces raise questions

New Trojans will populate the bulk of USC’s lineup this season, with 10 transfers and three freshmen joining the three returners from last year’s squad. 

“Trying to bring a group of guys together early, quick, in a short amount of time, it’s made it challenging,” Musselman said in a Zoom news conference Tuesday. 

Graduate forward Chad Baker-Mazara was the offseason’s hallmark edition after averaging 12.3 points and 3.0 rebounds with Auburn last year. The Julius Erving Award watchlist nominee posted a team-high 15 points in the Trojans’ 67-61 exhibition win at Grand Canyon University, despite shooting just 5-for-21 from the field. With 119 games and 1,159 points under his belt, Baker-Mazara brings valuable experience to the overhauled squad. 

Junior center Gabe Dynes, the 7-foot-5 Youngstown State University transfer, was similarly impressive against Grand Canyon, totaling 13 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes against the Antelopes. Senior forward Ezra Ausar and freshman guard Jerry Easter II each tallied 10 points, securing 11 and 4 rebounds, respectively.

The influx of talent doesn’t come without a corresponding exodus: USC lost six players to the portal this year, including its two highest scorers. 

Among those leaving, Desmond Claude’s unexpected departure was the most gutting. The then-junior point guard played 32.5 minutes per game last year, more than any other Trojan, and an impressive 15.8 points and 4.2 assists per game placed him in the top 12 of the Big Ten in both categories. 

Claude’s exit, along with freshman guard Alijah Arenas’ meniscus injury, poses a huge question mark at point guard. Early on, the Trojans will rotate multiple players to supplement production, according to Musselman. 

Four-star Maryland transfer junior guard Rodney Rice didn’t play in either exhibition game after suffering an offseason shoulder injury. While he likely won’t appear “in the first game or two,” according to Musselman, the staff plans on reintegrating him into the point guard position alongside Easter and junior Jordan Marsh, who will adopt combo-guard roles. 

Trojans head back to basics 

Lack of continuity in the starting five means fundamentals become all the more important. Sound defensive showings in the two exhibitions should inspire optimism, but Musselman said the Trojans simply have to “figure out a way to score better.” 

Free-throw accuracy and transition scoring will be pivotal for a group struggling with a middling offensive output. Musselman quipped that the team “can’t have a [free throw] shooting percentage that looks like a batting average.”

Last year, USC recorded just 31.7 rebounds per game, the lowest rate among Big Ten teams. The Trojans will need to make strides on the offensive glass to maximize scoring opportunity, especially while their offensive leaders are sidelined by injury. 

“It’s super hard without Alijah [Arenas] and without Rodney Rice out there from an offensive standpoint,” Musselman said.

The exhibition games were a good start, as the Trojans notched 43 rebounds against Loyola Marymount University and 45 against Grand Canyon, markedly higher than last season’s averages. Graduate forward Terrance Williams II, another portal addition, averaged 4.5 rebounds with Michigan two years ago; his size up front should help USC overcome its woes in the paint. 

Top-heavy Big Ten pushes USC to bubble

The Big Ten boasts six squads in this year’s inaugural Associated Press Top 25 Poll, setting up a gauntlet for the Trojans to fight through. No. 1 Purdue, No. 7 Michigan and No. 12 UCLA are positioned to dominate, but a unique depth places at least ten teams on the bubble. ESPN’s Bracketology has 11 Big Ten teams in its predicted tournament field, tied with the SEC for most features.

According to ESPN FPI, USC has at least an 85.2% chance to win each of its first four games. Afterward, the Trojans will head west to compete in the Southwest Maui Invitational beginning Nov. 24; a win over Boise State in the tournament’s opening round could catalyze momentum before conference play tips off Dec. 2 at Oregon. 

USC will kick off its regular season at Galen Center with a matchup against Cal Poly on Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m.