Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: USC Trojans

In our Big Ten Offseason Evaluation series, we’ll break down the roster changes and outlook for all 18 Big Ten basketball teams heading into the 2024-25 season. Next up is USC, which enters its first season under coach Eric Musselman.

Jack Ankony | Aug 5, 2024

Former Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman protests a call against Florida in Gainesville, Fla. on Saturday, January 13, 2024. / Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

No Big Ten team went through more changes this offseason than USC. After a 15-18 season, coach Andy Enfield left to take the SMU job, and USC hired former Arkansas coach Eric Musselman.

As USC approaches its first season in the Big Ten, it has just one returning scholarship player from last season, two freshmen and 11 incoming transfers, all from different schools.

Here’s a full breakdown of USC’s offseason, plus its outlook for next year.

Who they lost

Transfers: Kobe Johnson (10.9 ppg, UCLA), Vincent Iwuchukwu (5.5 ppg, St. John’s), Oziyah Sellers (5.2 ppg, Stanford), Kijani Wright (3.9 ppg, Vanderbilt), Arrinten Page (3.1 ppg, Cincinnati), Brandon Gardner (2.0 ppg, redshirt, Arizona State)
NBA/graduation: Boogie Ellis (16.5 ppg), Isaiah Collier (16.3 ppg), DJ Rodman (8.4 ppg), Joshua Morgan (5.7 ppg), Bronny James (4.8 ppg)

What they gained

Transfers: Saint Thomas (19.7 ppg, Northern Colorado), Bryce Pope (18.3 ppg, UC San Diego), Clark Slajchert (18 ppg, Pennsylvania), Desmond Claude (16.6 ppg, Xavier), Josh Cohen (15.9 ppg, UMass), Chibuzo Agbo (13.7 ppg, Boise State), Rashaun Agee (13.3 ppg, Bowling Green), Terrance Williams II (12.4 ppg, Michigan), Matt Knowling (11.6 ppg, Yale), Kevin Patton Jr. (9.8 ppg, San Diego), Wesley Yates III (redshirt, Washington)
Freshmen: Isaiah Elohim (No. 50 in 247Sports Composite), Jalen Shelley (No. 62)

Returning

Harrison Hornery (3.3 ppg)

Reasons for optimism

Musselman clearly focused on bringing in transfers with a track record of production at their previous schools. Ten of the 11 incoming transfers averaged at least 9.8 points per game last season, led by Northern Colorado transfer Saint Thomas at 19.7 points per game. Thomas, a dynamic 6-foot-7 forward, made the All-Big Sky first team last season, shooting 33% from 3-point range and adding 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

Desmond Claude is another transfer expected to play a big role for the Trojans. A 6-foot-6 guard from Xavier, Claude had a breakout season last year, improving from 4.7 to 16.6 points per game as a sophomore and winning Big East Most Improved Player of the Year. Coming off elbow surgery, Claude’s next step is improving last season’s 23.9% 3-point shooting, but Musselman will certainly benefit from having a scoring guard who had experience in the Big East.

Coming from Boise State, Chibuzo Agbo fits a similar mold to Thomas and Claude in that he brings good size at the guard or wing positions at 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds. Agbo shot over 40% from 3-point range in each of the last two seasons, spanning 350 total attempts.

Musselman will likely rely on UMass transfer Josh Cohen to start at center, and he’s ranked ninth among transfer centers this offseason by On3. At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, Cohen made the All-Atlantic 10 first team last season and was named NEC Player of the Year in 2022-23 during his previous stint at St. Francis (PA). He’s a potential matchup problem for opposing centers as a 34.4% 3-point shooter.

Biggest concerns

While USC has some intriguing newcomers at guard and on the wing, the front court does not look strong overall. Cohen is a good offensive player, but he’s not much of a shot blocker or rebounder. Last season, he ranked 23rd in the Atlantic 10 in defensive rebounding percentage, 11th in offensive rebounding percentage and 29th in block percentage.

Depth behind Cohen is a bit uncertain, too, with Harrison Hornery and Rashaun Agee as backup options. Hornery, USC’s lone returner, has been unproductive across his three seasons with the Trojans. Both 6-foot-10, Hornery and Cohen are the only Trojans listed above 6-foot-8. Agee should help the team’s rebounding efforts at 9.9 per game last season, but it could take some time for Musselman to figure out the best options at power forward and center.

The bottom line

Musselman joins the Big Ten as one of the conference’s best coaches, so the long-term outlook for USC is promising. He took Arkansas to back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 2021 and 2022, then reached the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual national champion UConn. The Razorbacks had a disappointing season last year, going 16-17, but that shouldn’t negate all his previous accomplishments. Musselman had success with transfer-heavy rosters at Arkansas, but with a wholesale rebuild on his hands at USC, it might take a year or two to get things rolling. He has talent at guard and on the wings, but USC’s overall frontcourt looks worse, on paper, than most of the Big Ten, making the Trojans a bubble team.