Last year turned into a major transition period at USC. The Trojans made a head coaching move by bringing Eric Musselman to town, as the former NBA head coach headed back to his home state to try to revitalize this program. At the same time, USC just completed its first season as a new member of the Big Ten. While that move was largely done because of football, it gives this program intriguing opportunities on the basketball end.
The first year of that transition wasn’t something to write home about, as the Trojans finished the year 17-18, tying for 12th place in the Big Ten standings. While it’s easier than ever to turn programs around in an instant, this type of result wasn’t a shocker for this crew after such a major offseason change. However, Musselman has shown over the last decade that he’s adept at utilizing the transfer portal and freshmen recruiting to build competitive teams, doing so with Nevada and Arkansas in recent memory.
While not a complete and utter reconstruction, this USC team looks extremely different from year one to year two, shedding stars like Desmond Claude and Wesley Yates from last season and replacing them with a plethora of new talent. Musselman’s debut might have underwhelmed but it’s around the second season at his previous stops when the program really started to kick into gear, and you know this staff tirelessly built a competitive roster in the offseason.
Below we’ll be taking a few moments to detail the important pieces on this new roster, looking closely at the major additions from the transfer portal. We’re not focused too strongly on overall rankings, but this transfer class was certainly one of the most significant in the nation. After a look at Musselman’s new crew, we’ll take a gander at the upcoming schedule and start trying to figure out how this all will be pieced together during the regular season and beyond.
Projected Starters
Guard – Jordan Marsh (Junior)
Coming fresh off First Team All-Big South honors as a sophomore, Marsh is a 5-10 point guard who steps into a major opportunity at USC. He spent a year apiece at Appalachian State and UNC Asheville, earning those conference honors by putting up 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game with the Bulldogs. Marsh is an impressive scoring guard and facilitator and also has great potential on defense even with his size.
Guard – Rodney Rice (Junior)
A significant offseason addition, Rice heads west after splitting time at Virginia Tech and Maryland earlier in his career. The former 4-star guard averaged 13.8 points per game and made 37% of his 3-pointers while helping the Terrapins to the Sweet Sixteen last season. He now steps into a major role with the Trojans, depended on as a scorer at multiple levels while also providing that leadership in the backcourt.
Guard/Forward – Chad Baker-Mazara (Senior)
Baker-Mazara became something of a polarizing figure with Auburn, but arrives for another season of eligibility with the Trojans. The former wing went Duquesne, San Diego State, and JUCO before brilliant work with the Tigers, putting up 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while helping guide the Tigers to the Final Four last season. Auburn’s loss is a major gain for USC as Baker-Mazara affects the game on multiple levels and is a great free throw shooter.
Forward – Terrance Williams II (Senior)
After four seasons at Michigan, Williams found his way to USC last year but his time with the Trojans was cut short. He had been a major playmaker as an upperclassman with the Wolverines, averaging 12.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his final year with Michigan before breaking his wrist seven games into last season. Williams is healthy again and brings much strength to this frontcourt, including his shot making and defensive capability.
Forward – Ezra Ausar (Senior)
Ausar did great work as an underclassman at East Carolina before spending last year in the Big 12 over at Utah. He put up 12.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Utes, establishing himself as a big man who can affect the game inside the paint. While the depth chart is still undetermined here, look for big potential from Ausar as an interior scorer and safety valve in the defense.
Key Reserves
Guard – Alijah Arenas (Freshman)
The major freshman haul, Arenas is a 6-6 shooting guard from Chatsworth, California who is widely considered a Top 10 prospect in this class. While still something of a raw prospect, Arenas has great size and athleticism and can score and produce at all levels on the court. The unfortunate news here is the he’ll not see the court until late this year if at all after a car accident during the summer, but when he’s healthy he could be one of the best young backcourt players in the nation.
Guard/Forward – Amarion Dickerson (Senior)
Following some brilliant work at the JUCO level, Dickerson found a home at Robert Morris last season and became Horizon League Defensive Player. He helped lead a revival for the Colonials while averaging 13.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Dickerson affects the game at multiple levels, with the potential to knock down shots outside the arc and defend multiple positions. He was one of the nation’s top shot blockers and will be extremely important for Musselman’s defensive gameplan.
Forward – Jacob Cofie (Sophomore)
A Top 100 recruit last season, Cofie is a 6-10 forward who spent his first collegiate campaign at Virginia. He averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds during what became something of a lame duck season after Tony Bennett’s retirement right before the season. Cofie started half of the Cavaliers’ games and showed signs of brilliance late in the season, hoping to refine his game into another menacing addition to this frontcourt.
Guard – Jerry Easter II (Freshman)
Easter is a 6-5 guard from Branson, Missouri and a 4-star prospect in this freshman class. While the Trojans won’t have Arenas in the earlygoing, Easter brings a lot of potential on offense as well. He’s still putting together the total package of his game, but he’s a physical guard who can score all over the court and also be a solid facilitator on offense.
Guard – Ryan Cornish (Senior)
While the expectations this season are unknown, Cornish comes to the Trojans after solid work on the other coast, spending four years at Dartmouth. He became one of the Ivy League’s best scorers last season with 17.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game with the Big Green. Cornish provides a veteran presence and experience though we’ll see how much run he gets against Big Ten defenses.
Forward – Jaden Brownell (Senior)
Year four for Brownell brings a new major challenge, as the former UIC and Samford forward joins the Trojans as a unique weapon in this frontcourt. Brownell was a bench piece with the Trojans before becoming a major playmaker at Samford, putting up 14.0 points and 4.0 rebounds last year as one of the SoCon’s most efficient shooters. Not only did he make nearly 40% of his 3-pointers and 60% from inside the arc, Brownell is a solid defender who can work his magic at both forward positions.
Center – Gabe Dynes (Junior)
While not as highly rated, Dynes is one of the most intriguing offseason additions for these Trojans. A 7-3 center from Kentucky, he comes to town after solid work at Youngstown State, using his size to become one of the nation’s best shot blockers. While not a starter, he put up 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game last season, finishing second in the nation in total blocked shots. Dynes has ridiculous size and potential, though we’ll see how USC wants to utilize him as the rest of his game continues to grow.
Schedule Outlook
USC begins the regular season with a pair of winnable home games before hosting Illinois State at the Intuit Dome as part of the Hall of Fame Series. The initial challenge in November comes out at the Maui Invitational, as the Trojans join and intriguing field with matchups against Boise State and then two other foes later in the event before Thanksgiving.
December debuts with a brief peek at Big Ten play that includes a tough road test at Oregon. Honestly, there really aren’t a ton of roadblocks on this nonconference schedule, even with a road game at San Diego a few days later. The most notably game in the month is at home on December 14th against former league rival Washington State before the rigors of Big Ten play set in fully in early January.
We’ll see how this west coast team handles those long Big Ten road trips, as conference play begins at Michigan and Michigan State right after the New Year begins. While the Trojans do get to host teams like Illinois and Purdue, they’ll have several tough challenges in the Midwest. The three teams they see twice in league play are their three former Pac-12 rivals, including both contests against UCLA coming in the final two weeks of the season.
Season Outlook
During his time at both Nevada and Arkansas Musselman established a reputation as a tireless recruiter, and not just for freshmen but transfers as well. He’s spent this offseason one-upping the job he did in his first months with the Trojans and has built a team that can sustainably win games in the Big Ten. The questions revolve around fit and health, but can these Trojans really make noise in their new league?
The initial attention goes to a few of those transfers who come from other power conference programs. Nobody can forget how important Baker-Mazara was for Auburn last season, but how will the 25-year old fare in this new role in a new system? He’ll be counted upon to be a major playmaker, as will Rice after his own success last season at Maryland. They’ll need double-digit type scoring from both of them for this to be a fruitful campaign.
We mentioned health and that’s a very important factor for this collection of talent. First and foremost, Arenas is far from ready to be back on that court and his presence would’ve been a major boon to this offense. The Trojans are hopeful that someone like Cornish, Easter, or Marsh can step up in Arenas’ absence. After losing Williams for most of last season, Musselman is desperate for this team to stay as healthy as possible.
There’s also an interesting battle for frontcourt minutes as the Trojans have a number of viable options. It’s impossible to deny the size of Dynes or the athleticism of Brownell but can they handle the transition to the Big Ten? Ausar has experience in the Big 12 but didn’t show great explosiveness last season with the Utes; can he hold onto that starting spot at the 5? Don’t forget about someone like Cofie either who could really burst onto the scene with an explosive sophomore season in this new system.
We could talk on and on about the potential on this roster but it all depends on how these new pieces come together. Most of Musselman’s patchwork Arkansas teams thrived by season’s end, though his final year in Fayetteville ended quite the opposite. Does this talented crew come together and make legitimate noise in the Big Ten, becoming a Top 25 program again, or will they fall short of expectations again?