Eric Musselman blames his personality despite 4-1 start, hints at rotation shakeup to fix defensive struggles
While the USC Trojans hold a 4-1 record this season, head coach Eric Musselman remains somewhat unsatisfied with his team’s performance. Following their 82-68 victory over the San Jose State Spartans on Wednesday, Musselman shared his concerns in a postgame interview, admitting that some of his dissatisfaction stems from his personality as a coach.
"Well, one, it’s my personality," Musselman said.
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The Trojans needed a balanced effort to recover from their 71-66 home loss to California on Sunday. However, Musselman is still not convinced his team is executing effectively on every possession, both offensively and defensively.
"It's our job to try to win every possession," Musselman said. "Defensively, you want perfection. Offensively, you want perfection. I’m still trying to figure this out."
Musselman also pointed to ongoing experimentation with the starting lineup, having already rotated nine different players in five games. Regular starters Chibuzo Agbo and Terrance Williams II came off the bench and contributed by scoring 20 points each to secure the 14-point victory.
"Obviously, we changed the starting lineup again. We've had three different people jump center. I mean, that’s, you know, probably the only team in five games that has had three different guys jump center. But I’m trying to figure it out. I don’t have all the answers," Musselman said.
He also highlighted the need for defensive improvements and hinted at potential changes in the rotation.
"You know, a couple of guys defensively have got to improve or I can’t keep playing them the minutes that I have. You know, some of it might be a surprise down the road. But we need some guys to guard better too," he added.
The 1-5 Spartans, ranked last in the Mountain West Conference, took advantage of USC’s slow start to remain competitive for much of the first half. San Jose State’s Will McClendon, a transfer from UCLA, stood out with 13 first-half points.
"We didn’t do a very good job on their star," Musselman said regarding McClendon’s performance.
"I'm disappointed that the stars keep torching us because these guys are having career nights. It's got to stop, certainly, before we get to Big Ten play and before we get to Palm Springs," he added.
USC’s win adds to previous victories over Chattanooga, Idaho State and UT Arlington. Their 4-1 record ties them with No. 6 Purdue in the competitive Big Ten Conference, which also features No. 19 Wisconsin (6-0), No. 16 Indiana (4-0), No. 24 Rutgers (4-0) and No. 25 Illinois (3-1).
USC delivers strong performance in win over San Jose State
USC showcased an impressive all-around effort at Galen Center on Wednesday night, defeating the San Jose State Spartans 82-68 in a dominant shooting display.
Terrence Williams II and Chibuzo Agbo led the Trojans with 20 points each, while Wesley Yates III contributed 14 points. Matt Knowling added a well-rounded performance with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, eight rebounds and five assists.
The Trojans excelled offensively, shooting 62% (16-of-26) in the second half and finishing the game at 57% (32-of-56) from the field. They also connected on 10-of-22 3-point attempts for a 45% success rate.
USC has one more game in its current homestand, facing Grambling State on Sunday. The Trojans will then head to Acrisure Classic in Palm Desert, California, where they’ll take on Saint Mary’s on Thursday, followed by either Arizona State or New Mexico on Friday.
December begins with matchups against former Pac-12 rivals now in the Big Ten— Oregon on Dec. 4 and Washington on Dec. 7.