USC surviving injury-riddled season by ‘constantly reinventing’

When Eric Musselman and his staff carefully pieced together this USC team through the transfer portal last spring, the lineup announced Tuesday night before the Trojans’ 88-71 win over Maryland probably wasn’t what they had in mind.

Ryan Cornish, the Dartmouth transfer starting at guard, didn’t clear the rotation until December. Kam Woods, the other starting guard, wasn’t even enrolled at USC until late last month. And in the middle, 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes was playing just seven minutes a night a few games ago.

It was a far cry from the group Musselman thought he would have at this point in his sophomore season at USC, with most of the Big Ten schedule still to come. But Alijah Arenas, the five-star freshman guard, was reduced to icing his knee on the bench, with his return delayed at least another week. Chad Baker-Mazara, USC’s leading scorer in December, spent most of Tuesday night craning his sore neck, unable to go, and Rodney Rice, the Trojans’ leading scorer in November, was stranded at home recovering from shoulder surgery he underwent the same day.

The onslaught of injuries has made the last two months, in the USC coach’s words, both “exhausting” and “the toughest ever.” But aside from two blowouts at Michigan State and a blown fourth-quarter lead against Washington, the Trojans haven’t looked much worse for wear on paper, having racked up 14 wins and moving toward an NCAA Tournament invitation for the first time since 2023.

They did it by becoming a different team, almost night after night.

“We’re constantly reinventing ourselves,” Musselman said. “Each game has a different identity.”

Over the Trojans’ last five games, Musselman hasn’t used any formation more than 6.9 percent of the time, according to analytics site KenPom.com. Jordan Marsh, who led USC with 20 goals Tuesday night, had played a total of seven minutes in the previous two games. Terrance Williams, meanwhile, went from starting against Michigan State to just seven minutes against Minnesota and Maryland.

In Tuesday night’s win, 36 of the Trojans’ 46 second-half points came from Dynes, Marsh, freshman guard Jerry Easter and forward Jaden Brownell, none of whom were expected at the start of the season to rank among USC’s top five scorers. The previous game, in Minneapolis, USC had just one point off its bench after halftime — and a total of 43 from Baker-Mazara and Ezra Ausar.

The only thing that has remained consistent about USC’s approach is how often it has changed. Musselman has tried just about everything, starting each of 10 members of USC’s rotation at some point.

“A good team has players who step up,” Musselman said.

Cornish is one. He played a total of eight minutes throughout November, but quickly earned the trust of the USC staff for his effort on defense and willingness to do the little things, like dropping back and taking charges.

“I just wanted to produce somehow so I could help the team,” Cornish said.

He started at guard on December 9 at San Diego, which was only his third game in the rotation. Since then, he has been part of the starting lineup.

Dynes also suddenly became a key part of the Trojans’ rotation, living up to the hype that accompanied him in the preseason. The 7-foot-5 center has averaged more than 23 minutes per game over USC’s last five games as Musselman has trusted him for longer stretches, relying on his rim protection and improved offense.

“He’s becoming a real factor for us,” Musselman said.

With Dynes in the lineup, 6-9 forward Jacob Cofie is regularly pushed out to the wing, where he is asked to knock down 3-pointers and defend on the perimeter. It’s been a boon to his confidence, Cofie said, because USC’s big three lineups have been a staple since the Big Ten roster began.

“Every game has a different lag,” Musselman said Tuesday. “It’s up to our staff to try to figure out who and when they can help us.”

Just a week ago, this seemed like an increasingly impossible task. The Trojans were coming off two blowout losses to Michigan and Michigan State, their season suddenly going in the wrong direction. Plus, they were worn out. “We needed a rejuvenation,” Musselman said. So they spent four nights together, resting, eating meals as a team, alleviating any pressure that might have built up.

“We went through some adversity the first two games on the road,” Marsh said. “But as a group, we became more connected, more cohesive.”

We don’t know exactly what this group will look like in a few weeks. The first Arenas is expected to return next Wednesday against Northwestern — although his actual return date could come down to when Arenas’ inner circle signs off that he’s ready.

Baker-Mazara, meanwhile, is dealing with a neck issue, but Musselman seemed a little frustrated with the sixth-year senior’s situation when asked about it Tuesday. He said Baker-Mazara had not practiced the previous two days.

“We will choose those who train hard,” he said. “It’s that time of the season where everyone is a little banged up. We have a group that trains so hard – Ezra [Ausar]Jacob [Cofie]Gabe [Dynes].”

It will take everything they have to keep up with No. 5 Purdue. The Boilermakers have a team that has spent years together learning their roles and integrating into a system.

USC, in many ways, will bring the opposite to the table. It’s unclear who might start Saturday at the Galen Center.

“But it could also be the ace up our sleeve,” Cornish said. “We can give them so many different looks. They don’t know what they’re preparing for.”