After starting 14-3 and despite enduring injuries to four key players, head coach Eric Musselman and his squad couldn’t be happier in the spot they currently find themselves. With a real chance of making the NCAA tournament, close to 50% according to Kalshi, it looks to be only up from here.
Musselman said that this is the “funnest team he’s been around.”
Although the Trojans initially hoped to get freshman guard Alijah Arenas back earlier this week against Maryland, it is now expected it could be at least another week. Combined with the recent development of graduate forward and leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara having soreness in his neck, USC could potentially be putting out its weakest lineup of the season this Saturday.
Musselman is now tasked with trying to fight through the injury bug against the No. 5 ranked team in the country, Purdue. The Boilermakers are 16-1 on the season, with their lone loss falling nine games ago against No. 2 Iowa State. In conference play they have been flawless, sitting with a perfect 6-0 record and tied for first with Nebraska.
The team is led by head coach Matt Painter who is in his 21st season. Musselman gave high praise when talking about the players for the Boilermakers, highlighting little to no weaknesses.
He spent the most time talking about senior guard Braden Smith, who is a consensus top five player in college hoops. While Smith is a prolific scorer coming off three straight games of at least 15 points, his game shines most when it comes to his passing capabilities. He leads all of Division I with a whopping 9.6 assists per game.
“Braden Smith is a great pocket passer,” Musselman said. “It’s like playing against Peyton Manning on a basketball court, he just finds people.”
Musselman’s praise for Smith wasn’t limited to his offensive skills, highlighting how challenging he is to face on defense.
“On defense he roams like a defensive back,” he said. “He doesn’t really guard a particular man. He kind of swarms around and gets steals.”
Other talent around Smith includes senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn who has the ability to single handedly change games with his efficient shooting and elite rebounding.
Musselman even went as far as saying Kaufman-Renn has “the best push shot in college basketball.”
Without Arenas and possibly Baker-Mazara, the question remains, how are the Trojans supposed to come home with the win? There are two keys to this one for USC.
First, they have to disrupt Braden Smith and limit his playmaking. Purdue runs through Smith like a quarterback calling an audible every possession. If the Trojans can pressure him full-court, force him into tough passes, and keep him from roaming freely for those Peyton Manning-style finds, they can slow the entire Boilermakers offense.
Second and arguably even more important, they must win the physical battle inside and on the boards. Purdue thrives when they control the paint and grab second chance points. USC has to match that toughness with forwards Jacob Cofie and Ezra Ausar denying easy post feeds and contesting Kaufman-Renn’s push shot without fouling.
Musselman said it himself, “They’re ranked where they are because that’s where they belong. They’re a team that could win a national championship.”
Tip-off is tomorrow at 3 p.m. in the Galen Center, where the Trojans will look for a season-defining home victory.