Evaluating USC men’s basketball’s 2024-2025 season
On Thursday night, USC men’s basketball’s season came to an end with a 76-71 loss to Purdue in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. With a final record of 16-17, the Trojans will certainly not qualify for postseason play this year.
With USC’s season now over, it’s time to take a step back and evaluate the year. Here is a postmortem of sorts on the Trojans’ first campaign in the Big Ten.
Rebuilding year
Year one of the Eric Musselman era was always going to be a major rebuild. The Trojans returned just one scholarship player from last season. It was always going to be an uphill battle for USC to be able to compete in the Big Ten right away.
Transfer-heavy roster
Because Musselman was hired so late (his introductory press conference was not until April 5 of last year) and he inherited so little, he was forced to put together a roster on the fly. As a result, USC’s team was made up almost entirely of transfers. While the Trojans had some good players on their team, they clearly lacked the team chemistry and cohesion of many of their opponents, whose players had been together for several years.
Signs of optimism
Although the record wasn’t great, USC did show signs of a foundation for the program’s future in 2024-2025. They went on the road and beat an Illinois team that was ranked in the top ten at the time. They upset a Michigan State team that would go on to win the regular season conference title. And at the Big Ten Tournament, they fought until the very end, taking down Rutgers and pushing UCLA to the brink.
Collapse down the stretch
However, there was also a lot that went wrong for the Trojans this year. After the Michigan State upset in February 1, USC won just two games for the rest of the regular season. Those two games were home contests against Penn State and Washington, the two worst teams in the Big Ten. And as the cherry on top, they ended the regular season by suffering a 90-63 splattering at the hands of crosstown rival UCLA.
Moving forward
Given that he had to put together a roster on the fly, it is hard to judge Musselman too much for this season. Moving forward, however, it is now fully Musselman’s program. It will be his responsibility to put together a significantly stronger roster next season and ensure that the Trojans are more competitive moving forward.
Musselman and USC landed a big commitment from five-star guard Alijah Arenas. The next steps are to ensure that this year’s breakout players Desmond Claude and Wesley Yates III stick around and attack the transfer portal for another potential starter or two.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: What's next for USC men’s basketball after 2025 season ends
Topics
-
USC men's basketball fights to the end but falls to Purdue in Big Ten Tournament
With the loss, the Trojans' season is now over.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
2025 BIg Ten Tournament: Purdue 76, USC 71: Postgame Video
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) steals the ball from USC Trojans guard Wesley Yates III (6) Thursday, March 13, 2025, during the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament game at Gainbridge ...Yahoo Sports - 3d -
USC vs. UCLA odds, women's college basketball picks: Bruins cover in 2025 Big Ten Tournament championship
SportsLine's Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai revealed their picks for UCLA Bruins vs. USC Trojans in the 2025 Big Ten Women's Tournament final on CBS and Paramount+CBS Sports - Mar. 9 -
How to watch 2025 Big Ten Men’s Basketball tournament: Schedule, bracket, streaming info, results
The 2025 Big Ten Men's Basketball tournament runs from Wednesday, March 12, through Sunday, March 16. Stream the first round on Peacock.Yahoo Sports - 5d -
Five takeaways from Michigan basketball's Big Ten Tournament win over Purdue
What happened and what we took away from Michigan basketball's surprising win over Purdue.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
NL East season preview: Can the Braves bounce back? What should we expect from Juan Soto’s first year with the Mets?
With Opening Day 2025 just around the corner, we begin our MLB division previews with a look at the National League East.Yahoo Sports - 6d -
USC's upset bid falls frustratingly short in season-ending loss to Purdue
After leading for a good portion of the game, USC men's basketball can't hold on in the final minute, losing 76-71 to Purdue in the Big Ten tournament.Yahoo Sports - 3d -
USC vs. UCLA, Act 3: Where to watch Big Ten women's basketball tournament championship
The Trojans are 2-0 against the Bruins this season, and CBS will carry the gameCBS Sports - Mar. 9 -
Women's college basketball rankings: UCLA returns to No. 1 after gutsy win over USC in Big Ten championship
After falling to JuJu Watkins and the Trojans twice this season, UCLA won when it mattered mostCBS Sports - 6d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Report: Newcastle eye versatile attacker for transfer, Isak plans laid bare
Newcastle are keeping a close eye on Randal Kolo Muani as a possible replacement for Alexander Isak, according to reports from Italy.The club recently claimed victory in the Carabao Cup – their ...Yahoo Sports - 7m -
Report: Newcastle eye versatile attacker for transfer, Isak plans laid bare
Newcastle are keeping a close eye on Randal Kolo Muani as a possible replacement for Alexander Isak, according to reports from Italy.The club recently claimed victory in the Carabao Cup – their ...Yahoo Sports - 7m -
Fight over planned redevelopment of White Stadium by Boston NWSL continues with trial
Boston’s NWSL club, which recently announced it is changing its name after a negative response to its first attempt, is now hoping for a different type of win in court this week. On Tuesday, the ...Yahoo Sports - 15m -
Fight over planned redevelopment of White Stadium by Boston NWSL continues with trial
Boston’s NWSL club, which recently announced it is changing its name after a negative response to its first attempt, is now hoping for a different type of win in court this week. On Tuesday, the ...Yahoo Sports - 15m -
How Louisville and Kentucky basketball experience compare to recent NCAA Tournament teams
Louisville and Kentucky basketball are top-10 in KenPom's experience rankings. How do they compare to successful NCAA Tournament teams of years past?Yahoo Sports - 15m
More in Sports
-
Report: Newcastle eye versatile attacker for transfer, Isak plans laid bare
Newcastle are keeping a close eye on Randal Kolo Muani as a possible replacement for Alexander Isak, according to reports from Italy.The club recently claimed victory in the Carabao Cup – their ...Yahoo Sports - 7m -
Report: Newcastle eye versatile attacker for transfer, Isak plans laid bare
Newcastle are keeping a close eye on Randal Kolo Muani as a possible replacement for Alexander Isak, according to reports from Italy.The club recently claimed victory in the Carabao Cup – their ...Yahoo Sports - 7m -
Fight over planned redevelopment of White Stadium by Boston NWSL continues with trial
Boston’s NWSL club, which recently announced it is changing its name after a negative response to its first attempt, is now hoping for a different type of win in court this week. On Tuesday, the ...Yahoo Sports - 15m -
Fight over planned redevelopment of White Stadium by Boston NWSL continues with trial
Boston’s NWSL club, which recently announced it is changing its name after a negative response to its first attempt, is now hoping for a different type of win in court this week. On Tuesday, the ...Yahoo Sports - 15m -
How Louisville and Kentucky basketball experience compare to recent NCAA Tournament teams
Louisville and Kentucky basketball are top-10 in KenPom's experience rankings. How do they compare to successful NCAA Tournament teams of years past?Yahoo Sports - 15m