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USC Sunday Buzz: Some Hard Truths With Basketball

Eric Musselman is now 0-4 against UCLA.

I think he has done an admirable job to try to inject energy and interest in the program.

But it’s clear he needs to rethink how he has run the program. He can’t keep brining in an army of transfers every season and there needs to be higher standards about the character of players.

I’m well aware the Ratliff twins have committed and Christian Collins is supposed to commit but Musselman is going to need a select group of transfers to complement these freshmen. You need both transfers and freshmen to win these days.

Here’s the thing: Has Musselman developed a single player this season? Who improved?

Musselman has not made the NCAA Tournament in his past three years as a head coach. If injuries the past 2 seasons are a valid reason than he needs to look at the program and examine why there have been so many injuries.

The bottom line is he needs to produce next season . . . and beat UCLA.

  • Quite a choice to say “Trojans for life” for the USC seniors who are one-and-dones.

27 thoughts on “USC Sunday Buzz: Some Hard Truths With Basketball”

      1. Did you see the LA Marathon yesterday? They gave completion medals to people who wanted to quit after only 18 miles!

        They said it was too hot and they didn’t want to encourage people to push themselves too hard. Waaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!!

        Liked by 1 person

  3. “there needs to be higher standards about the character of players.” Amen. Recruiting Chad Baker Mazara was a huge mistake and his problems were predictable. He was the basketball version of Bear Alexander.

    Don’t think Muscleman is the problem. No coach could have fielded a good team with the injuries he suffered and the lack of fan support doesn’t help.

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    1. just a reminder, Sparky, #1Bruins have already smoked half a dozen ranked teams, they did not rack up wins vs Cow Poly etc. weak scheduling again gives a trOXan team a false sense of accomplishment!!

      #BruinDominationContinues

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  5. hey wolfman, so what did you think of the job the “Angry Gnome” did getting his team prepped to come into Gayylen and take Muscle-Man’s manhood?? he sure got somewhat skittish Donovan Dent fired up!! he drove thru the middle of the trOXan defense to get lay-ups 7-8 times in the second half!!! the “Angry Gnome’s” record proves his teams almost always improve considerably and the end of the season!!

    from now on, either speak about Scrappy Mick with RESPECT, or keep his name out your mouth!! you’ve had the Classy Cadre in your corner for decades, don’t blow it now!!

    #YouWouldn’tLikeUsWhenWe’reAngry

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    2. KAM: We already know what it is like when

      brain dead vile antisemitic and racist Board Pest Board Cancer Cowardly Gabby aka Sparrow Calypso aka TebowObama aka Charlie Bucket the UCLA Fan aka The Guy who posts as Buddhakarma & So Cal’s Wife & Michael Guarino & Trojan RJJ & LawyerJohn & Pudly & Plow Horse and TrojanFan 1-3 & steveg49 & DOJ & Scott Wolf and Frank Young and KATHY and Foreskin Thoughts and SCOTTLOVESTHEROOOOOTTÞ and Manureman and eric  and Smacky and The Moderator and ambitious26ec8fb1b4 are angry:

      Gabby

      February 24, 20206 at 11:11pm

      YOU WOULD S U C K YOUR OWN C 0 C K IF IT REACHED

      JUST A SAD AND LONELY OLD MAN

      DON: Stay in your Charlie Bucket persona.

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  6. Scott:

    I agree with your hard truths about USC Basketball except 1 thing only winning creates enthusiasm and excitement for the basketball program. We don’t need a 5’7 basketball coach wearing a football uniform like he is still a kid, or flooding the roster with “no name” transfers. USC basketball fans like to identify with program stars like Harold Minor, Cliff Robinson, Evan Mobley, Paul Westphal, and they will attend games to see them play. You just can’t build a program with one and done or transfer players the fans also like to see players they identify with, know their name, and who have developed within the program.

    USC has been through a ton of basketball coaches. The two coaches in recent times who generated very high energy for the program were the ones we least liked as people- Henry Bibby, Andy Enfield, and to some extent Tim Floyd. Bibby, nearly took one of his teams to the Final 4, and the never been seen before energy in Los Angeles was outstanding during that run. Bob Boyd, had an outstanding program but in those days it was all UCLA in this town, and of course USC Football. I really liked George Raveling, but it took him a long time to turn around the program until Harold Minor and Duane Cooper became Trojans. Unfortunately, after Minor left for the pros it never recovered under Raveling.

    Let’s face it Musselman is not a proven coach he has never won anything although he has coached in alot of places including the NBA D-League. One more year with this guy, and the program will be at an all time low similar to when Kevin O’Neil was here.

    It will be very interesting to do an analysis on our basketball coaches since the 1960’s to see which USC coach had the highest fan attendance numbers in a specific year both at the Sports Arena, and Galen Center. Most of our coaches have failed bringing in fans because they did not build a consistent winning program in the case of Musselman all we have to look forward is 10 new transfers every year which to me is an insult to our University, and to our fans. Los Angeles is a basketball town, and the fans will come out to see “stars”both in the pros and college. However, they will not pay to see so..so players playing “one on one” street ball at SC after all they can go down to Venice Beach and watch there for free.

    We don’t need a clown for a basketball coach. We want someone like Randy Bennett at St. Mary’s who will win year and year out, and attendance will grow. Yes, he takes “no name” European transfers year and year out, but they stay for more than a year, and often develop into NBA Draft picks in the 2nd or 3rd round. SC, needs to put more money into the NIL for basketball players, and stop overpaying for basketball coaches. Musselman, is among the 12 highest paid coaches in college basketball, and it unbelievable our AD would pay him such a salary when there are many other better coaches in the game.

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  7. Women’s B-Ball update: Take a knee, wolfman, i GOT this!! you recall the lady trOXans meekly bowed out of the first round of the Big 10 tourney, wolfman, although i don;t recall you mentioning it!!

    No te preocupes, wolfman, the mighty Lady Bruins sh!t-canned the Lady Hawkeyes by 51 pts to win their second straight Big-10 champeeenship!! as your readers know, we have a whole cadre of gals headed for the first round of the WNBA draft, wolfman, so accordingly i have offerred Jazzy and Juju sweetheart deals to come over to a real program next season, but we don’t like waiting and we don’t like to be disappointed, wolfman!! talk to ’em wolfman, get their minds right.

    #PizzaInAckermanUnionRocks

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  8. Muss better figure out and articulate the identity of the team. Is it run and gun, half court offense with good defense, inside or outside game…..what is he selling to recruits. One and done should not mean one on one offemse and no rebounding or defense. BB is supposed to be a team game but you would never know it by watching the Lakers which unfortunately is what college players are doing. Cronin is a real jerk when it comes to his coaching style, but he does emphasize team over individual. Also, it would help to recruit some big men who can defend and rebound. Thank you coaches Nygaard, Watts, Andy and whoever is coaching women’s water polo, men’s and women’s tennis and golf, and beach volleyball and lacrosse for giving us competitive teams on the national stage. I am very disappointed in men’s and women’s swimming. We used to recruit Olympic caliber swimmers like Maury Rose, John Naber, Lance Larson, etc who won NCAA championships under Peter Daland. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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  9. Eric Musselman is receiving 4.5 million in salary. He is the President/CEO of USC Basketball. Please explain the return on Investment USC is receiving on the investment in him to build a solid basketball program. He is now 0-4 vs. UCLA, and has recruited a bunch of 1 year “last hurrah” players who were picked by Musselman and his staff to represent USC the wrong way.

    The program is going downhill at a very fast pace. Musselman, has no clue how to build a college basketball program, and develop players. The type of players he recruits come to USC as finished products from other inferior programs this is not the way you build a consistent winner.

    Time to move on……….from Musselman before it is too late. Anyone remember Kevin O’Neil he destroyed the program, and Musselman is headed in the same direction. Two years at 4.5 million, and I see zero progress in the program. I just don’t see a good future with Musselman leading our basketball program we are not a NBA D- League franchise.

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  10. No SC basketball coach has ever “destroyed” the basketball program because SC has never had a sustained program. There were periods of greatness along the way with Miner, Clancy and Evans, but nothing that lasted more than a couple of years.

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    1. The early 70s teams with Westphal, Ron Riley, et. al. were special. But because the tourney had not been expanded, they never made it, even with a 24-2 record in their best year.

      Mike Westra did his best against Walton, but it wasn’t enough.

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      1. Only 16 teams during the majority of Wooden’s tournament runs. He went 36-0 during tournament play when only conference champs made the tournament. Nobody will ever come close to duplicating that record. It helps when you have Goodrich/Erickson/Hazard, followed by three years of Alcindor and Walton.

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  11. Anybody could have coached Alcindor or Walton– “Here is the ball, Lew, go out and do your thing”

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    1. Westphal was asked why he chose USC over UCLA. He said “UCLA already had so many great players. It seemed unfair. I went to USC because it challenged me to see if I could beat them.”

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  12. Who would win in a fight- Cone Head Midget Mick Cronin, or Lack of Muscle Musselman. both are midgets…at 5 ft. 7″ or smaller… I’d pick Cronin. Musselman is too much of a frat boy from his USD days. Cronin should audition as a midget for the next Wizard of Oz movie in Lolypop land.

    Perhaps fans would show up for this match up…

    Anyone remember the days of the Olympic Auditorium, and wrestling with Dick Lane- Gorilla Monsoon, Mr. Moto, Crazy Luke Graham, The Assassins Tag Team, Mark Lewin, Haystack Calhoun, Manager Wild Red Berry, Freddie Blassie. Those were the days great entertainment.

    Oh Nellie–Dick Lane use to say. One of a kind!

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