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USC Trojans Recruiting: USC Finalist For Top Local Prospect

The USC Trojans are in contention for one of the top senior basketball players in the area after Angelino Mark revealed his top eight schools.

Randall Sweet

Dec 8, 2022; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Notre Dame Regents player Angelino Mark (35)
Dec 8, 2022; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Notre Dame Regents player Angelino Mark (35) / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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On Monday, 3-star Notre Dame Regents (CA) guard Angelino Mark revealed his top eight schools, with the USC Trojans making the cut.

Alongside the Trojans, Mark included TCU, Utah, West Virginia, Seton Hall, Rutgers, UC Santa Barbara and Loyola Marymount in his list. Hailing from Sherman Oaks, CA, the local product is listed at 6-foot-2 and 167 pounds as a senior in high school.

The USC target is rated the No. 141 overall prospect and No. 21 point guard in the 2025 recruiting class, according to On3.

With former Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman now heading up Southern California's basketball team, the Trojans seem to be in a good position with the skill guard.

"I like learning about Eric Musselman," Mark told 247Sports. "He is a winning coach who is very experienced. He is a top ten coach in college basketball. I would want to play for a coach that has that respect for others in a winning environment close to home."

A former college basketball player at San Diego, Musselman has a 221-93 record in nine years as a head coach, with the last five years coming in the SEC. The former Razorbacks head coach has led his team to the NCAA Tournament in six of his nine seasons and has reached the Sweet 16 twice and the Elite 8 twice.

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Eric Musselman
Mar 13, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Eric Musselman talks with forward Trevon Brazile (2) against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Musselman was the Mountain West's Coach of the Year in 2017-18 and won three consecutive Mountain West Conference titles at Nevada.

Musselman came to USC after Andy Enfield left the Trojans over the offseason to become the next head coach at SMU. With the established head coach who has proven to be a good recruiter now leading the program, Southern California should have a better chance at landing talented local recruits like Mark.

With a solid handle, decent size and a consistent shot from the perimeter, Mark fits well with Musselman's system and has a good skill set for a modern point guard. After leading his high school team to an impressive 31-4 record last year, the Los Angeles-area product played with the Oakland Soldiers over the summer to get in-game reps playing a different role than he would for his high school team.

Notre Dame Regents player Angelino Mark (35)
Dec 8, 2022; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Notre Dame Regents player Angelino Mark (35) against the Brophy Prep Broncos during the HoopHall West basketball tournament at Chaparral High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"Just looking at the schools that are recruiting me, it’s a mix of mid-majors and high-majors,” Mark told Rivals. “So, the big decision for me is whether I want to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond. That’s why I had to have that experience with the Soldiers. ... All of the high-majors basically say the same thing, that I’ll come in and fill a role and add depth for them but have an impact immediately. With the mid-majors, obviously, the message is different; they want me to have more responsibility and want me to help them win and they’re depending on me for that. It’s a lot to think about."

Mark told 247Sports that he hopes to announce his commitment on Nov. 4 and told Rivals that he plans to visit USC on Oct. 10. With the Trojans seemingly getting Mark's last visit before making his decision, Musselman and company seem to be in a good position with the 3-star guard.

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall Sweet is a Staff Writer for Sports Illustrated covering the Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, USC Trojans, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. Since graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in journalism, Randall has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports across the country as a credentialed media member. While in college, Randall wrote for the OU Daily and logged bylines in The Norman Transcript in addition to working with Sooner Sports Pad and OU Nightly. Following his time at OU, Randall served as the Communications Coordinator at Visit Oklahoma City before leaving to join the team at Sports Illustrated.

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