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Trojans Collapse: March Madness Dreams Go Up in Smoke
12 Mar
Summary
- USC men's basketball team lost eight consecutive games to end their season.
- Leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara missed crucial games due to injury.
- Coach Eric Musselman's tenure has a lower winning percentage than his predecessor.
The USC Trojans men's basketball team suffered a devastating collapse, losing eight consecutive games and missing the NCAA tournament.
What began with a promising 18-6 record on February 11, with March Madness aspirations and a projected No. 10 seed, unraveled rapidly. The team's defense proved to be a major weakness, allowing opponents to score frequently. A significant blow was the absence of leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara due to a knee injury, which coincided with several key losses.
The Trojans' struggles were highlighted by a late-season losing streak, including two losses to Washington and a collapse against Oregon where they failed to score in the final minute. Coach Eric Musselman, hired before the 2025 season, now faces a challenging start with a 35-31 record, a lower winning percentage than his predecessor, Andy Enfield.
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, USC has recruited twins Adonis and Darius Ratliff. However, other key players like Ezra Ausar are out of eligibility, necessitating significant transfer portal activity for the team to improve.
