USC Trojans' Eric Musselman Reveals What He Learned In Year One At USC

USC Trojans men's basketball coach Eric Musselman revealed what he learned about his team in his first season at the helm of the program. The Trojans sit with a 16-17 record and will participate in the College Basketball Crown tournament.

Gabriel Duarte | Mar 23, 2025

Jan 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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The USC Trojans endured through an up-and-down season in the first year of the Eric Musselman experience. After pulling off multiple ranked wins in the season, the Trojans faltered down the stretch and saw their hopes of an NCAA Tournament bid wash away after they got knocked out of their conference tournament.

Their season is not yet over, however, as the Trojans head into the postseason after posting a 16-17 record. USC will participate in the College Basketball Crown tournament, taking on Tulane on April 1 in the first round.

USC Trojans head coach Eric Musselman talks to an official Thursday, March 13, 2025, during the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Purdue Boilermakers won 76-71. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Musselman made an appearance on SportsCentralLA to talk about how the season went for the Trojans. Despite having one more guaranteed game left in their season, the veteran coach opened up about what he learned in his first season at the helm.

"I learned travel is pretty tough in the Big Ten," Musselman said jokingly. "We learned a lot. The first year on any job is to set a culture and a foundation. I think we did that."

The Trojans' schedule sent them all over the country in their first season in the Big Ten conference. USC spent days at a time on their roadtrips to the East Coast and Midwest. The team traveled to Maryland, Illinois, and even Rutgers during conference play.

"Now, it's a whole new year. The portal is such a big part of recruiting. Obviously high school recruiting is super important, but right now, we're getting ready for Monday, [March 24] that's when the portal opens up. So that be a busy two to three week period as we try to refuel our roster," Musselman said.

USC will be able to actively work the portal as they only have five scholarship players set to return with four guards in Desmond Claude, Wesley Yates, Isaiah Elohim, and Kevin Patton and one forward in Jalen Shelley.

The amount of scholarships Musselman will have to work with in the transfer portal is also to be determined with guard Saint Thomas and forward Rashuan Agee exploring options to gain one more season of eligibility via the blanket waiver covering junior college players.

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Mar 13, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; USC Trojans guard Wesley Yates III (6) and USC Trojans forward Josh Cohen (33) celebrate after a play during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The Trojans and Musselman learned a lot in year one, but next season will be pivotal for both parties as USC looks to get back to March Madness following back-to-back seasons of falling short.

Historically, Musselman's teams always take a big jump from the first year to the second. While at Nevada, Musselman directed the Wolfpack to a NCAA Tournament appearnece in his second season after failing to gain a bid in his first season. He did the same thing at Arkansas and made a run to the Elite Eight after not making it to March Madness.

If he is able to do anything remotely similar next season, it will bode well for the future of the program.

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