USC Coach Eric Musselman Doesn't Hold Back After Purdue Loss

The USC Trojans suffered a gut-wrenching 69-64 loss to the No. 5 Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday at the Galen Center in a matchup where free throws were a struggle. USC coach Eric Musselman spoke about the Trojans struggles at the free-throw line.

/vhcJan 9, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans fell in a 69-64 heartbreaker to the No. 5 Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday at the Galen Center. With the loss, the Trojans fall to 14-4 on the season and 3-4 in Big Ten play. In a game where USC came out of the gates strong, jumping out to a 22-8 lead, but Purdue proved why they are considered one of the best teams in the country as they rallied to take a 38-32 lead into halftime. The Boilermakers were able to fend off the Trojans in a back-and-forth game in the second half.

Purdue guard Braden Smith led the Boilermakers in the win with 22 points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Smith's steal and layup down the stretch against USC sealed the win for Purdue.

Jan 10, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) dribbles the ball down court during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

That, however, didn’t stop USC coach Eric Musselman from expressing his disgust with how Purdue wasn’t called for as many fouls in the game compared to USC. The Boilermakers were called for 15 fouls compared to the 22 committed by USC. The Trojans struggled at the free-throw line, going 5-of-14. Here’s what Musselman had to say following the Trojans loss to Purdue. 

What Eric Musselman Said

Jan 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the Maryland Terrapins in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Lack of Foul Calls On Purdue:

“We’re not going to get a call against them, we found that out in the conference tournament [last season], and we found out again tonight,” Musselman said. “I don’t know how you inbound the ball, and then they get a timeout.” 

MORE: USC Defense Takes a Hit at Linebacker with Late Transfer Portal Exit

MORE: NIL Impact Of Terrell Anderson's Transfer To USC

MORE: USC’s Quarterback Room Following Transfer Portal Shakeup

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE!  

Poor Free Throw Shooting:

“We’ve got to make foul shots,” Musselman said. “We’re 5-of-14 from the foul line playing the No. 5 team in the country. We out-rebound them; we couldn’t have a better defensive scheme. We held them to 41 percent from the field. That’s one of the efficient offensive teams in the league.”

Why USC Fell Short Against Purdue

Jan 9, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Chad Baker-Mazara (4) looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

While Musselman has the right to be upset about the lack of fouls that were called on the Boilermakers, USC’s inability to convert at the free-throw line in a game that went down to the wire is one of the key reasons why the Trojans came up short in their upset bid against Purdue.

Entering Saturday’s game, USC was undefeated at 5-0 in games decided by five points or fewer; however, that streak came to an end following the loss to the Boilermakers. In the loss, USC guard Chad Baker-Mazara led the Trojans, scoring 15 points, grabbing five rebounds, dishing out three assists, blocking three shots, and stealing the ball once on 7-of-17 shooting from the field. 

USC looks to rebound from the gut-wrenching loss to Purdue when they face off against the Northwestern Wildcats on Wednesday before heading back to the midwest for a two-game road trip against the Wisconsin Badgers and the Iowa Hawkeyes. The tip-off between the Trojans and the Wildcats is scheduled for 8 p.m. PT at the Galen Center, with the game broadcast on the Big Ten Network.