USC Trojans Basketball's Saint Thomas Predicts March Madness Run After 2-0 Start

The USC Trojans moved to 2-0 with a close win over Idaho State on Thursday night. The Trojans barely escaped out of the Galen Center with 75-69 win over the Bengals, however the win raises a lot more questions than gave answers.

Nov 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman cheers after the game against the Chattanooga Mocs at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After a convincing win 77-51 over Chattanooga in the season opener on Nov. 4, the USC Men's Basketball team survived a nail biting game over Idaho State, 75-69 on Thursday night at the Galen Center.

With virtually an entirely new roster, USC coach Eric Musselman will have his work cut out in front of him to get the Trojans back into the NCAA tournament.

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1. Saint Thomas will be the go-to for the Trojans

USC Trojans forward Saint Thomas (0) looks to shoot during the second half of their exhibition game at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. / Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC forward Saint Thomas played the entire 40 minutes for the Trojans. Thomas finished with 10 points, nine assists, and six rebounds as he didn't come off the floor. The assists and rebounds were a team-high for USC. It was a good shooting nice for Thomas as he shot 4-8 from the field, which included 2-2 from three. Offensively, Thomas can play the role of table-setter as shown in his nine assists or could be a threat with the ball in his hands. His 6-foot-7 frame helps him defend 1-4 with ease throughout the court. This could be the first of many games that Thomas plays all 40 minutes in as he leads the Trojans.

“I’m feeling very good about this team,” Thomas said. “I’ve said since the start that I think we can make a run late in March Madness, but it starts with just being disciplined.”

2. Rough night shooting from the USC bench

Nov 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Desmond Claude (1) dribbles the ball against Chattanooga Mocs guard Honor Huff (3) in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Three key pieces of USC's bench, Rashuan Agee, Clark Slajchert, and Matt Knowling, all had tough nights offensively. The three combined for 11 points and shot 3-10 from the field collectively. Slajchert's six points all came from the free throw line as he went 0-3 from the field. However, Trojans big man Josh Cohen finished as USC's leading scorer with 19 points. It was a great game from Cohen as he went 8-12 from the field along with two blocks. Interestingly, Cohen had only three rebounds despite being listed at 6-foot-10.

3. USC needs more from Desmond Claude

Nov 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Desmond Claude (1) and Chattanooga Mocs guard Trey Bonham (2) battle for the ball in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Although only two games into the season, USC guard Desmond Claude has yet to put up points in double-digit figures. Claude had nine in the season opener and seven vs. the Bengals. He averaged 16.6 points per game last year at Xavier. It was expected that Claude would have a huge part in the Trojans' offense, but that has not yet materialized. He needs to step up for the Trojans and figure things out to become a more effective offensive contributor. He only played in 22 minutes for Musselman's unit as Slajchert saw extended run along with fellow guard Isaiah Elohim picking up 15 minutes in his first career start.

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