Eric Musselman opens USC tenure with rout of Chattanooga

Nov 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman interacts with fans after the game against the Chattanooga Mocs at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC opened up its season with a dominant 77-51 victory over Chattanooga on Monday, beginning the Eric Musselman era with a bang. The Trojans looked like a well-oiled machine and did not play like a team which had just one returning player from Andy Enfield’s last team. This group, comprised almost entirely of transfers, looked sharp and connected at both ends of the floor. Guard Chibuzo Agbo scored a team-high 14 points on 4-of-9 from 3 while forward Matt Knowling added 13 off the bench. It was an all-around successful night for the Trojans, who had seven players score 8 or more points in the win. The Trojans held the Mocs to just 27.8% shooting from the floor including 17.6% beyond the arc.

The win is reflective of this team’s identity that was showcased in its exhibition win over Gonzaga in late October.

Kevin Sweeney, a college basketball writer for Sports Illustrated, put it this way:

“USC didn’t treat this (Gonzaga) like an exhibition, really pushed its starters to the brink and did everything it could to win the game. Probably a decent move by Muss – try to build some buy-in and confidence inside the locker room while getting a big-name win to build excitement with the fans. Was impressed with how Claude looked as essentially a full-time point guard (a new role for him) and the positional size and shooting they have from 1-4 is impressive.”

In his first year with the program, head coach Eric Musselman seems to be putting an emphasis on culture and making his players buy into his plan. While Chattanooga is one of the easier opponents this team will face this season, a big win, with no roadblocks, will make any Trojan fan happy. This was a very strong and positive opening game. Keep in mind that Terrance Williams, the Michigan transfer who is expected to be one…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/eric-musselman-opens-usc-tenure-152059055.html

Author : Trojans Wire

Publish date : 2024-11-05 15:20:00

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