USC Basketball: Transfer Guard Has Trojans Among Favorites

Will Eric Musselman land this talented guard?

Guard Clark Slajchert / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

The NCAA transfer portal is a wild and woolly place.

Virtually every program in America is dipping into these treacherous waters in search of talent that can help their programs' prospects the following year.

One talented guard drawing considerable interest is Penn transfer Clark Slajchert. The 6'1" guard was one of the Ivy League's best guards this past year. A bona fide scorer, he's proven the ability to put the ball in the bucket versus a number of high major programs (Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, West Virginia) throughout his career.

Penn transfer Clark Slajchert tells me that he has cut his list to the following eight schools.

Cal
USC
UCLA
Davidson
Stanford
San Francisco
Utah State
Michigan

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 7, 2024

Now in the portal, the Southern California native is reportedly down to eight schools: UCLA, Cal, Stanford, San Francisco, Utah State, Michigan, Davidson, and USC.

Among the interested parties, it would make sense that USC would pursue the talented guard. New head coach Eric Musselman is a master of sorts when building teams via multiple members of the portal. Slajchert, hailing from the Los Angeles suburb of Oak Park, went to high school less than an hour north of USC's campus.

While not a plus athlete, he knows how to score the basketball. Smart and crafty, he can beat you by getting into the paint with a myriad of floaters and hesitations. Slajchert can spot up from three and also score off the bounce.

With USC essentially losing its entire roster, there's a chance for Slajchert to come in right away and play heavy minutes. He'd be able to come back close to home and play for a coach who appreciates uptempo basketball.

In the process, USC would be getting a mature athlete with a high basketball I.Q. -- and someone who could theoretically help ease the transition into a new era of basketball.