The Andy Enfield era is now over for the USC basketball team as Enfield is now the head coach at SMU. Trojans fans likely would've been pretty surprised if they heard at the beginning of this basketball season that they would have a coaching change at the end of the year. Enfield was a successful coach at USC, and he did a great job landing one of the best USC recruiting classes ever in 2023, and that set up some massive expectations for this season. Those expectations were not met, and now, Enfield is gone. USC just hired their next head coach as Eric Musselman is coming over from Arkansas.
Coming into this season, most people thought that the USC basketball team was going to compete for a Pac-12 title. First of all, the Pac-12 has not been the strongest conference in recent years, and second of all, the Trojans did bring in a special 2023 recruiting class. That recruiting class included the number one player in the class of 2023, Isaiah Collier, and also five-star Bronny James, the son of LeBron James. The talent was certainly there for the Trojans, but unfortunately, they couldn't put it all together as they dealt with some obstacles along the way, and the season didn't go the way that they had planned.
In USC's defense, injury/health issues played a big role in why this past season was a disappointment. First, Bronny James suffered a scary cardiac arrest incident before the season started and he had to miss a lot of time because of it. He missed out on valuable time in the offseason as a true freshman, and he had to miss the first month or so of the season.
Isaiah Collier had to miss around a month of the season as well. He battled an injury during conference play that kept him off the court, and the Trojans struggled when they weren't at full strength. It was unfortunate because at the end of the season when the team was healthy, they looked like a solid team and they were finding success. This season could've had a different story had everyone stayed healthy for the whole year.
That didn't happen, however, and the season did not go very well. USC basketball finished the year with a 15-18 overall record and an 8-12 mark in Pac-12 conference play. The thing is, that record was a lot worse earlier in the season. The Trojans actually finished the year strong and looked like they had potential for a deep run in the Pac-12 tournament. They went 6-3 in their final nine games and had knocked off #5 Arizona at the end of the regular season. The Wildcats got their revenge in the Pac-12 tournament, however.
Now, a new era is beginning for the USC basketball team. Enfield started coaching the Trojans back in 2013 and finished with a 220-146 record. He took the team to five NCAA Tournaments and they made it as far as the Elite 8. USC finished as high as second place in the Pac-12 under Enfield, but they never won it. That era is over, and now it's Eric Musselman's turn.
Eric Musselman is the new head coach at USC
Now, it is time for the Eric Musselman era at USC. Musselman is coming over to the Trojans from Arkansas basketball, and he had an interesting tenure that did see a lot of success. However, that success was in the earlier stages of his time with the Razorbacks, and after year two, the team was on the decline.
Musselman has a lot of coaching experience from before his time at Arkansas as well. He started his coaching career in the 1980s with the Rapid City Thrillers, and he has coached for now 15 different teams. Musselman has also been a head coach in the NBA as he was the head coach of the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings in the early 2000s.
During his most recent stop at Arkansas, Musselman finished his time there with a 111-59 record. Year one was a rebuilding year and it wasn't great, but Musselman took the Razorbacks to the Elite 8 in his second season and also his third season. Arkansas took a step back in the SEC standings after year two, and then they took a significant step back in the standings after year three, but they still made it to the Sweet 16. This season wasn't great, however, and Arkansas finished in 11th place in the SEC and did not make the NCAA Tournament.
Now, Musselman is with USC, and him and the Trojans are looking for a bounce back season next year.
Bold predictions for USC under Eric Musselman
USC will miss the NCAA Tournament again next season
Not that crazy of a prediction here, but one that won't please USC basketball fans. Musselman has a long track record of coaching success, but this past season hurt the Trojans. With the talent they had on the team, this could've been the start of a special run for the program that led to consistent success. Unfortunately, it didn't work, and a lot of talent from the team will be gone next season. After seeing what happened, it could hurt recruiting for USC, and year one for a new head coach is already difficult. Next year is going to be another tough one for the Trojans.
USC will make the Sweet 16 within three years
It will take a little bit of time, but Eric Musselman will get the Trojans back into the NCAA Tournament, and once he gets into the tournament, he has had success. In the three tournaments that Arkansas played in the tournament under Musselman, they were able to get past the first weekend every time. When USC does get back to the big dance, they will go on a run to the Sweet 16.
USC will not make a Final Four under Eric Musselman
National titles and Final Fours are the goal, but it's going to be hard for the Trojans to get there. There are a lot of programs in the Big Ten already ahead of USC, and it's going to be difficult for Musselman to get this program to a point where they can make it all the way to the Final Four. This program has only been to two Final Fours ever. Enfield was there for 10 years and it didn't happen. Obviously, anything is possible, but don't get your hopes up too high, Trojans fans.
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