USC's coach Eric Musselman targets non-conference improvement

It is nice when a coach is able to sit down and speak candidly about past experiences and the state of a program. For USC men's coach Eric Musselman, while on the Full Court Network: The Home of College Hoops, navigating the Big Ten was a heavy topic of discussion.

Noting the physicality and added travel aspect of switching conferences, coach Musselman identified an area that he would like to see immediate improvement in during his second year in charge of the Trojans.

During the discussion, coach Musselman and the host discussed the 17-18 record. While conference play and the travel are a concern and become a large focus, particularly in the lead-up to Big Ten Tournament play, that is not the area of immediate needed improvement.

Instead, coach Musselman mentioned how he would like to see non-conference play improve during the 2025-2026 season. That becomes a more difficult task with the Maui Invitational. It shows a willingness to face a good, worthy challenge while aiming to improve in that area specifically.

Every year the BIG can be up for grabs. A better start to the regular season as a whole can help serve as the foundation for when conference play comes. This is particularly true for a new-look team that has been retooled through the incoming freshmen and transfer portal.

Reasons to think USC will achieve this stated goal

Coach Musselman believes he has the right blend and that the current roster addresses some of the areas of need that were lacking to withstand the entirety of the season last year.

Trojan fans will get an early glimpse of how well this USC side will compete when playing in Hawai'i. Considering the experience of this staff and the depth chart as a whole, coach Musselman will likely be pleased with his stated aim to improve during the earlier games of the upcoming season.