Eric Musselman has been around a long time, 30+ years to be exact. In the last decade he has put his hands on two programs and turn them around. Make no mistake Arkansas doesn’t get Calipari without the success of Musselman at the program.
Musselman is a recruiting genius weather it be the transfer portal or incoming classes. At Arkansas in his first season he was ranked 5th in recruiting class. The following year he was ranked third in transfer recruits.
Proven Success
The Razorbacks were 111-59 in his five seasons as head coach reaching two Elite 8’s and a Sweet 16. After doing that three years in a row, the program went 16-17 in a season that didn’t feel real to Arkansas fans.
Before his tenure there, Musselman proved he was an elite recruiter and coach in this league by turning around the Nevada Wolfpack program.
In four seasons with the Wolfpack, he held a record of 110-34 leading them to become the CBI Champions in his first season after winning 9 more games than the previous year before him.
Musselman then went on an insane three year run winning the Mount West Conference and reaching the NCAA Tournament three seasons in a row. Losing in the first round two of those years and having a magical Sweet 16 run.
Eric Musselman First Year Coaching USC Basketball
Now Musselman is looking to bring USC basketball back to it’s glory days. There are 16 players who are either freshman or transfers this season. We have seen other teams in the last few years bring in a talented class of transfers and it just didn’t work.
For some reason I think this situation is different. We have seen Musselman find success in the portal before at high rates and these transfers can all do one thing, put the ball in goal.
We all know what wins in March, experience and guard play, two things Musselman sought after heavily in the transfer portal.
Their will be 7 graduate transfers on this team, two players transferring for their senior season, and then a few guys looking to make that sophomore jump. Also a decent freshman class as well.
Eric Musselman Went for Size, Scoring, and Experience
Terrence Williams, 6’7 forward, averaged 12.4 points and 4.5 rebounds at Michigan last season. Rashaun Agee transferring from Bowling Green where the 6’8 senior averaged 13.3 points and 9.9 rebounds. Josh Cohen, the 6’10 big man averaged 15.9 points and 6.8 rebounds a game for UMass last season.
Musselman went for size, scoring, and experience in the portal this season and that is what he got!
Saint Thomas, 6’7 senior forward averaged 19.7 points last season with 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assist for Northern Colorado while shooting 47/2%. Matt Knowling, 6’6 transfer from Yale averaged 11.6 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 56.7 %. Chibuzo Agbo, 6’7 guard, transfer from Boise State averaged 13.7 points and 5.1 rebounds.
The new and improved backcourt is stacked as well. Desmond Claude, the 6’6 transfer from Xavier averaged 16.6 points while grabbing 4 boards and dishing 3 assist. He will be joined by Clark Slajchert and Bryce Pope. Slajchert averaged 18 points for Penn last season and is returning home to the city of LA. While Pope averaged 18.3 points for UC San Diego last season.
Then you have Kevin Patton Jr, who is looking to make that sophomore jump and learn from all of the seniors listed above. Patton Jr averaged 9.8 points at San Diego last season.
USC Basketball, Get Ready for an Exciting Season
Eric Musselman has proved three things to me over my life time. He will give it his all, he is great coach in March, and he is amazing at recruiting and getting in that transfer portal.
In the old days it would take a first year head coach 5 seasons to put together a team ready to compete. With the portal, now it takes less than a month.
USC will be a tough out every single game this season, especially come March.
Rowan Donaghey, Sports Reporter and Betting Analyst for Stare Down Sports.You can follow him onthe X via @RowanDonaghey
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