Galen Center buzzed with anticipation Wednesday night as five-star freshman guard Alijah Arenas made his long-awaited collegiate debut for USC. In attendance was his father, former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, Lakers head coach JJ Redick and future Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer Chris Paul.
But what should have been a celebratory evening turned into another nightmare at the free-throw line as the Trojans fell 74-68 to Northwestern, a team that entered the contest winless in Big Ten play.
The loss marked USC’s second straight home defeat and dropped the Trojans to 14-5 overall and 3-5 in conference play. For Northwestern (9-10, 1-7 Big Ten), it was a desperately needed breakthrough after eight conference games without a victory.
“Super disappointing loss,” USC head coach Eric Musselman said afterward. “I’ve coached a long time, and I can’t remember one quite like this.”
The numbers tell a grim story. USC attempted 43 free throws and converted just 26, a dismal 60% clip that proved fatal down the stretch. Combined with their previous home loss to Purdue, the Trojans have now endured back-to-back games marred by poor shooting from both the charity stripe and beyond the arc.
“We now played two home games, shot the ball horrific from three and shot the ball horrific from the foul line,” Musselman said, his frustration evident.
The contrast was stark: Northwestern went 15-for-18 from the line while USC’s 17-missed free throws left points scattered across the floor like breadcrumbs they couldn’t gather.
Despite the loss, Arenas received the start in his first college game, a bold move by Musselman. The 18-year-old finished with eight points on 3-of-15 shooting in 29 minutes. His first points came on a corner two-pointer four minutes into the contest, with teammates actively trying to feed him early touches.
When asked about Arenas’ debut, Musselman took a measured approach, noting the unique circumstances surrounding his prized recruit. Arenas reclassified from high school, missed the entire summer due to injury and found himself thrust into Big Ten competition without any prior college experience.
“When you do this long enough and inject a super talented player, the results are not shocking to me,” Musselman explained. “We threw him in the middle of Big Ten play — that’s a difficult thing for any talented player to go through.”
Junior guard Jordan Marsh emerged as USC’s offensive lifeline, scoring all 19 of his points in the second half on 5-of-10 shooting and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line.
When USC couldn’t get anything going and the Wildcats capitalized on Trojan missed shots, Marsh took it upon himself to be the spark plug and use his size to drive into the paint.
“This team knows how to get fouled and have a lot of guys who are crafty,” Northwestern head coach Chris Collins said. “We couldn’t stop Marsh.”
His ability to attack the teeth of the defense provided a stark contrast to his 0-for-4 performance against Purdue.
Senior forward Ezra Ausar added 17 points, including dunks in clutch moments, while Chad Baker-Mazara contributed 14 points before fouling out with just 13 minutes played. His early exit with 9:26 remaining exemplified USC’s discipline issues and heavily impacted the Trojans’ game plan.
“We need to teach guys to defend without fouling,” Musselman said. “We’re super undisciplined. I’ve never seen players gamble with such little time left on the clock.”
USC’s game plan centered on containing Wildcat senior forward Nick Martinelli, the NCAA’s leading scorer entering the night. The strategy worked in the first half as he was limited to just five points. But Martinelli exploded after intermission, finishing with a team-high 22 points, five rebounds and five assists — his 13th consecutive game with at least 20 points.
“We had Martinelli under control till the end of the first half, until we didn’t,” Musselman admitted.
Collins praised his young squad’s resilience, particularly after starting three true freshmen.
“We started three true freshmen in a world of guys that are 25, 26,” Collins said. “I’m so proud of those guys. We played with force and physicality and got big buckets when we needed it.”
The game’s turning point came late, with Northwestern maintaining their lead throughout the second half despite USC’s desperate push. A visibly upset Musselman paced the sideline as his team missed critical free throws and blew defensive coverages at crucial moments.
“I cannot remember blowing two coverages like I saw tonight at the end of the half and with 1.2 seconds on the clock,” he said. “I’m in shock.”
In the press room afterward, frustration boiled over. Ausar didn’t mince words about the team’s struggles.
“Losing sucks,” he said. “I don’t know how to express not winning. Who wants to lose, honestly?”
He attributed the defeats to poor habits and called for greater accountability from both players and coaches, emphasizing the need for improved practice intensity and work ethic.
Marsh echoed the sentiment: “We need to be more connected, knock down free throws, and play desperate.”
Now 0-2 on its homestand, USC faces critical road tests at Wisconsin on Sunday before traveling to Iowa next Wednesday. The question looming over the program is whether this talented roster can find the five-man combinations and mental toughness needed to compete for the remainder of the season.
“We’re struggling right now to find five guys with the way we’re shooting and blowing coverages,” Musselman said, capturing the essence of USC’s current crisis.
For a team with championship aspirations, time is running short to find answers.