BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This story continues a series that will run for much of October. Is Indiana better than each of its Big Ten opponents?
Nine categories were chosen so there can be no ambiguity on which team is better. There will be no ties in individual categories. Think of it like you would the Supreme Court.
The categories: Point guard play, free throw shooting, inside scoring, perimeter shooting, rebounding, perimeter defense, rim protection, how much proven Power Five talent is on the roster, and intangibles.
The daily series will cover both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and it will alternate between the teams.
Southern California’s men’s basketball is next in the spotlight. The Trojans are not familiar to established Big Ten fan bases. Given a coaching change and mass roster churn, this mystery dynamic is even more pronounced.
Eric Musselman took the USC job after he compiled an 111-59 record in five seasons at Arkansas. The Razorbacks made the NCAA Tournament in three of Musselman’s seasons, advancing to at least the Sweet 16 in each of those appearances.
None of the Trojans’ major contributors who could’ve come back this season were retained by Musselman. It’s truly a fresh start for the Men Of Troy.
Here’s how the battle between the Hoosiers and Trojans shakes out.
• Point guard play – Musselman’s most established option at point guard is Xavier transfer Desmond Claude (16.6 ppg, 3.2 apg). He was the Big East Most Improved Player in 2024.
Another option is Penn transfer Clark Slajchert (18 ppg, 2.9 apg), who is also a 42.2% 3-point shooter.
Indiana has Myles Rice, Trey Galloway and Gabe Cupps as primary ball-handlers. USC has potential; Indiana is a bit more proven. Edge: Indiana.
• Free throw shooting – Foul the Trojans at your own risk.
Saint Thomas (86.8% at Northern Colorado), Slajchert (82.4% at Penn), Bryce Pope (81.7% at UC San Diego), Claude (79.4 at Xavier), Terrance Williams II (76.1% at Michigan) and Chibuzo Agbo (72.2% at Boise State) all clear the 70% bar. Indiana can’t top that. Edge: USC.
• Inside scoring – Musselman didn’t prioritize inside scoring in the transfer portal. The expected starting center is 6-foot-10 Massachusetts transfer Josh Cohen. At UMass, Cohen (15.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg) could stretch the floor as he converted 34.4% from 3-point range. Effective, but in terms of inside scoring, Indiana’s Malik Reneau (15.4 ppg) and Oumar Ballo (12.9 ppg) are more formidable. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter shooting – The Trojans will count on plenty of production from beyond the arc.
Slajchert (42.2%), Agbo (40.9%), Williams (39.7%), Cohen (34.4%), Pope (33.2%) and Thomas (33%) were all effective from long range at their previous schools. That’s a considerable advantage over Indiana, which doesn’t have as many proven poppers. Edge: USC.
• Rebounding – This is a major area of strength for Indiana and a considerable weakness for the Trojans. Ballo’s rebounding at Arizona and Reneau’s for Indiana accounts for 16.1 rpg between the two of them. Thomas (9.8 rpg), Cohen (6.8 rpg), Agbo (5.1 rpg) and Yale transfer Matt Knowling (4.9 rpg) are the Trojans’ most accomplished rebounders, but none of those players produced against Power Five competition. Only Cohen is a traditional post player.
USC will get its rebounding by committee and from its guards and forwards, but it will be challenged by a frontcourt with the brawn Ballo and Reneau bring to the table. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter defense – Of the guards that Musselman has, only Claude (1.3) and Agbo (1.2) have a defensive box plus-minus above 1. Rice (2.4 at Washington State), Cupps (2.3) and Luke Goode (1.6 at Illinois) top those marks. Advanced stats can be wonky, but it’s hard to judge the Trojans in this area since they haven’t taken the floor under Musselman yet. Edge: USC.
• Defense at the rim – The Trojans don’t have any players who averaged at least a block per game in 2024 on the roster. Indiana has Ballo, who swatted 1.2 shots at Arizona. Edge: Indiana.
• Proven Power 5 ability on roster – The standard here is to have played 25 minutes per game at a Power Five school. Claude is the only player on the USC roster with significant Power Five experience. Indiana has five players (Ballo, Kanaan Carlyle, Mackenzie Mgbako, Reneau and Rice) who make the cut. Edge: Indiana.
• Intangibles – Musselman has worked magic before. He coached Nevada to a 24-14 record in his first season in Reno, a 15-win improvement. At Arkansas, he went 20-12 in his first season in Fayetteville, a two-win improvement from the previous year.
It could happen again, especially with the shooting Musselman has amassed, but a lot has to fall together. All but Claude were brought in from mid-major programs, and while individual mid-major players have proven they can play at the Power Five level, the sheer number of mid-major players on USC’s roster mean there’s little margin for error or for peaks and valleys if they can’t play at this level.
USC also confronts the same issue the rest of the Big Ten’s new West Coast members do – travel. It’s a lot to overcome, a bit more than the Hoosiers have to contend with. Edge: Indiana.
• Verdict – A 6-3 edge for Indiana over the Trojans. It’s fair to say that Musselman is respected and that most expect USC to improve under his watch. It’s also fair to say that the jury will remain out until the pieces the Trojans have put together prove that they can play together.
