5-Star Recruit Beckham Black's Connection With USC's Eric Musselman

Class of 2027 recruit, guard Beckham Black has a connection with USC Trojans coach Eric Musselman.

Feb 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts during the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans offered class of 2027 recruit, guard Beckham Black in July of 2024. Black recently went on a visit with the Georgetown Hoyas. 

Beckham Black on Eric Musselman Connection

Mar 16, 2023; Des Moines, IA, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Anthony Black (0) reacts after a play against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the first half at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Jamie Shaw of Rivals caught up with Black after his Georgetown visit and where he stands in his recruitment with USC. 

“Coach Muss (Eric Musselman) coached my brother, so I’ve known him for a while now. To be honest, the relationship is probably as strong as it could get with him and his coaching staff,” Black said. “Just because I’ve known them for five-plus years, or however long it’s been since my brother was in school.”

Beckham Black is the younger brother of current Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black. Anthony Black played for USC coach Eric Musselman back when Musselman was the coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. He was at Arkansas in 2022-23 and was selected No. 6 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. In his one season with the Razorbacks, he averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game.

Feb 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) moves the ball up court against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

For the Magic this season, Anthony Black has averaged 15.0 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. 

Beckham Black Player Profile

USC Trojans head coach Eric Musselman watches during the second half of the NCAA men's basketball game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Schottenstein Center on Feb. 11, 2026. Ohio State won 89-82. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Beckham Black is a 6-3, 180 pound guard out of Orlando, Florida. He is rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2027 class per 247Sports.

As a junior for Southeastern Prep, Black averaged 16.4 points, 9.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. 

USC’s Recent Recruiting 

Mar 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Alijah Arenas (0) drives to the basket against the Washington Huskies during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The past two recruiting classes for USC appear to have the program heading in the right direction. USC landed the highly-touted five-star guard Alijah Arenas in the 2025 class.

Arenas missed most of the start of his freshman season in 2025-26, but ended up playing in 14 games. He averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. Arenas will be returning to USC for his sophomore season. The Trojans lost their final eight games of the season to finish with a record of 18-14, missing the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year. 

The Trojans’ 2026 was even better than 2025. This class is headlined five-star small forward Christian Collins, four-star center Adonis Ratliff, and four-star center Darius Ratliff. Will this class be able to snap USC's tournament drought?

Eric Musselman will be entering year three with the Trojans in 2026-27. The Trojans have not made the NCAA Tournament since 2022-23, two years before Musselman was hired. In year one under Musselman in 2024-25, USC went 17-18 overall and 7-13 in Big Ten conference play.

In year two under Musselman, USC got off to a great start in non-conference play. USC won the 2025 Maui Invitational and looked poised to make the big dance. They faltered down the stretch in conference play and quickly went from the right side of the bubble to not even being considered come Selection Sunday with their overall 18-14 record and 7-13 Big Ten record. Musselman has a history of making the tournament and getting the second weekend with the Nevada Wolfpack and Arkansas.

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