New-look USC men's basketball team can thrive in year two under Eric Musselman

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team is gearing up to tip off their 2025 season, marking their second year under head coach Eric Musselman and in the Big Ten Conference.

After a challenging 2024 campaign that saw the Trojans finish 17-18 overall and 7-13 in conference play which placed them 12th in the Big Ten, USC will look to establish a stronger foothold in one of college basketball’s most competitive leagues. The Trojans finished the campaign with an invitation to the College Basketball Crown tournament which saw the Trojans fall short to Villanova in the second round.

USC basketball has undergone a roster overhaul

The Trojans posted a solid 12-7 record at home last season, and the Galen Center is expected to once again serve as a stronghold for the team. USC will have an opportunity to build early momentum in front of its home crowd, with its first four games of the 2025 campaign set to be played in Los Angeles. All games will take place at the Galen Center except Illinois State, which will be played at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Head coach Eric Musselman and his staff, which remains largely unchanged from last season, turned once again to the transfer portal to reshape USC’s roster. The Trojans brought in nine new players through the portal, headlined by Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara, a four-star small forward and the highest-ranked addition to the class.

In total, USC landed five four-star transfers: Baker-Mazara, Ezra Ausar (PF, Utah), Rodney Rice (SG, Maryland), Jacob Cofie (PF, Virginia), and Gabe Dynes (C, Youngstown State). The Trojans also added Jaden Brownell, EJ Neal Jr., and Amarion Dickerson to round out a group that ranks as the No. 2 transfer class in the Big Ten.

That level of roster overhaul makes USC a popular wildcard team in the Big Ten. Musselman has shown ability in the past to find success with transfer heavy rosters, but the challenge in year two is less about collecting talent and more about finding continuity.

If this group buys into Musselman’s defensive intensity and embraces their roles, USC could easily outperform preseason projections, but if chemistry lags, the Trojans risk another up-and-down season in a ruthless Big Ten schedule.

Not to be outdone in the transfer market, USC also made significant strides on the recruiting trail, securing commitments from top-10 prospect Alijah Arenas and four-star guard Jerry Easter II from Branson, Missouri. Both players project as shooting guards, though the Trojans will have to wait for Arenas’s debut, as the highly touted freshman is expected to miss the entire season while recovering from a knee injury.

Losing Arenas for the year is a major set back. The impact will be felt not only in terms of production, but also in terms of star power. His absence puts added pressure on Baker-Mazara and Easter II to deliver early, and both have the scoring upside to do so. Easter’s poise and rebounding from the guard spot in preseason action already suggest he could be one of the most important freshmen in the Big Ten this year.

The Trojans enter the 2025 season with a deep and well-balanced roster, featuring talent across both the front court and backcourt. With several additions bringing valuable NCAA Tournament experience, USC appears determined to elevate its program after missing out on March Madness last season.

The expectation shouldn’t just be to make the tournament but to be able to compete for a top-half Big Ten finish. Anything less would feel like a step back given the resources and experience on this roster. The Trojans’ athletic administration swung for the fences when Athletic Director Jen Cohen poached Eric Musselman from Arkansas, signaling a clear commitment to keeping USC basketball relevant on the national stage. It’s imperative that the program, which saw recent NCAA Tournament success under Andy Enfield returns to that level of play.

Trojans preseason showed promise, and struggles

The Trojans have played two preseason games in preparation for the regular season, facing LMU and Grand Canyon. In their opener against LMU, USC secured a 60-51 victory, thanks in large part to a dominant defensive performance that limited LMU to just 10.3% shooting in the first half.

Offensively, Baker-Mazara and Jordan Marsh led the way with 14 and 12 points, respectively, while Gabe Dynes and Williams II anchored the boards with eight rebounds each. In their second preseason matchup, the Trojans edged Grand Canyon 67-61. Baker-Mazara once again topped the scoring charts with 15 points, joined by Dynes, Easter II, and Ausar, who all reached double figures. Easter II also recorded a double-double, adding 11 rebounds to his 10 points. An impressive feat for the true freshman.

Early growing pains are evident as the Trojans work to build chemistry, committing double-digit turnovers in both preseason games, with 18 against LMU and 16 against Grand Canyon. Building cohesion will be a key storyline early on, as the influx of new players must quickly adapt to Eric Musselman’s system while still having the freedom to create offensively when opportunities arise.

Turnovers are a natural by product of a team still learning each other’s tendencies, but they also underline USC’s biggest question which is leadership. Who becomes the vocal presence and late-game decision-maker when the game tightens?

Musselman’s best teams have always had that one player who sets the tone, and if someone in this group steps into that role, USC’s ceiling rises dramatically. Early indications suggest that Baker-Mazara will be that leadership presence both on and off the court, setting the tone with his competitiveness and two-way energy.

Defensively, however, the Trojans showed significant progress, holding both opponents under 35% shooting from the field and limiting LMU to a smothering sub-30% clip. If there’s an early identity forming, it’s on that end of the floor because being relentless, aggressive, and physical is a part of Musselman’s coaching image. That style will give USC a chance in almost every game, even when the offense stalls.

The Trojans will open their 2025 campaign at home, hosting Cal Poly on November 3 at the Galen Center. The season and home opener is set to tip off at 6:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on B1G+.