"When Eric Musselman and his staff carefully pieced together this USC team through the transfer portal last spring, the lineup announced Tuesday night ahead of the Trojans' 88-71 win over Maryland was probably not what they had in mind. Ryan Cornish, the Dartmouth transfer starting at one guard spot, didn't scratch the rotation until December. Kam Woods, the other starting guard, wasn't even enrolled at USC until late last month."
"The onslaught of injuries made the past two months, in the words of USC's coach, both "draining" and "the most challenging ever." But aside from two blowouts in the state of Michigan and a blown fourth-quarter lead to Washington, the Trojans haven't looked all that much worse for the wear on paper, having stacked up 14 wins, and trending toward an NCAA tournament invite for the first time since 2023."
USC assembled a roster largely through the transfer portal but entered recent games with unexpected starters and role changes. Several newcomers and reserves moved into starting roles after earlier non-rotation or late enrollment. Multiple injuries sidelined key players, producing descriptions of the stretch as both "draining" and "the most challenging ever." Despite the setbacks, the team has collected 14 wins and is trending toward an NCAA tournament invitation for the first time since 2023. The squad has adapted by changing identities game to game, using widely varying lineups; no single lineup has been used more than 6.9% over the past five games.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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