Three weeks after losing to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament, USC men’s basketball was back in action against Tulane in the inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas. The Trojans routed the Green Wave 89-60 in an offensive showcase.
The College Basketball Crown (CBC) is a 16-team men’s postseason tournament that features schools from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Big East, in addition to some at-large participants. Earlier in the day, Cincinnati, UCF and Villanova all punched their tickets to the quarterfinals.
The first half of the game opened with USC and Tulane trading baskets for the first few minutes until USC began to take control. Great ball movement and crisp passes allowed the Trojans to penetrate the Green Wave’s zone defense early.
Graduate student Clark Slajchert started in place of the injured redshirt freshman Wesley Yates III, who was seen wearing a walking boot on the bench. Slajchert played aggressive in the beginning, knocking down a 3-pointer within the first three minutes and slashing through Tulane’s defense.
Throughout the first half, the Trojans cut well against Tulane’s zone scheme and their guards found good dribble-penetration lanes, making for easy baskets in the post. USC dominated inside the paint, scoring 18 of their 39 first-half points from inside. The Trojans also shot 50% from the field in the first half.
However, the first half was not all sunshine and rainbows for the Trojans. Both teams were sloppy with the ball and turned it over frequently towards the middle of the first half — it was definitely not a clinic in ball security.
While Tulane averaged around 11 turnovers per game during the regular season, the Green Wave committed 13 turnovers in the first half alone. They also faced foul trouble early on with redshirt freshman forward Tyler Ringgold picking up four fouls early on and sitting the rest of the first half.
Graduate forward Rashaun Agee was dialed in, racking up 12 points and six rebounds in the first 20 minutes of regulation. At the end of the first half, Agee commented on the keys to the Trojans’ offensive and defensive success.
“Great communication. We had a great two weeks of prep — understanding what they [Tulane] do, how they play defense and offense, and just understanding how we needed to guard them,” said Agee.
The Trojans ended the half on a high note with junior guard Desmond Claude sinking a buzzer-beater fadeaway jumper for two.
Agee continued to stay hot after halftime, knocking down shots from beyond the arc and blocking shots at the rim. The Trojans’ guards continued to easily penetrate the defense and get to the basket, making layup after layup.
Foul trouble plagued sixth-year Tulane head coach Ron Hunter and the Green Wave all night, as they had three players on four fouls with 11:21 left in the game. With the Green Wave playing more cautiously on the defensive end, the Trojans poured it down on Tulane.
Graduate forward Matt Knowling, freshman forward Jalen Shelley and Agee all brought the hammer down with dunks of their own. The Trojans turned up the heat in the last five minutes, going on a 15-0 scoring run.
As the clock ticked to zero, Tulane’s Ringgold missed a two-point shot before USC freshman guard Jonah Goorin snagged the rebound to end the game. On a highly efficient shooting night, the Trojans beat the Green Wave 89-60. USC is now 15-2 when scoring 77-plus points in a game.
After the game, Fox Sports named Agee a “Crown 1st Round Standout” along with Georgetown sophomore guard Malik Mack and Nebraska senior guard Brice Williams. Agee led the Trojans in scoring this game with 27 points and racked up nine rebounds in total. Agee spoke about why he was able to thrive both in the paint and from beyond the arc.
“Believing that my team is going to hit me when I’m open, and having confidence in my game,” Agee said. “Coach believes in me, and through the last couple of games, he’s believed in me and allowed me to play my game.
The Trojans now move onto the quarterfinals, where they will face Villanova interim head coach Mike Nardi and the Wildcats on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
“It’s another level when we get ready to play Villanova,” said USC’s first-year head coach Eric Musselman. “They have great size [and] they have great 3-point shooting. We’re going to have to move on to that real quickly with the quick, 48-hour turnaround.”