USC Men's Basketball Concludes Preseason Play with Charity Exhibition Versus Gonzaga

SATURDAY'S GAME
The new look USC Trojans continue the preseason with an exhibition game against the No. 6 ranked Gonzaga Zags on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Acrisure Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT.

HOW TO WATCH
- Exclusively on B1G+ on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 5 p.m. PT
- Follow this link www.bigtenplus.com/gonzagavsusc to sign up for the one-time PPV and select the USC vs. Gonzaga Charity Exhibition PPV option for $6.99
- Redeemable on web only
- Those that sign up through the Pay-Per-View option will help the Eisenhower Health's growing Cardiovascular Institute, supporting their lifesaving work in the Coachella Valley.

NEW LOOK TROJANS
The new look USC 2024-25 squad consists of 16 new faces and two returning members of last year's team - including 11 recruited from the transfer portal.

A CHARITY EXHIBITION
- In this high-octane preseason matchup, fans will witness elite competition while contributing to a great cause, as proceeds will help support Eisenhower Health's growing Cardiovascular Institute in Rancho Mirage, Calif., supporting their lifesaving work in the Coachella Valley.
- Eisenhower Health is honored to be chosen as the charity beneficiary for this exciting exhibition game between USC and Gonzaga," says Martin Massiello, President and Chief Executive Officer, Eisenhower Health. "The support from Acrisure Arena, the universities, and the community, will make a significant impact on fundraising efforts for our Cardiovascular Institute campaign, helping us to expand and enhance the cardiovascular services we provide. With heart disease continuing to be a leading health concern, these funds will allow us to better serve the needs of our patients and their families. We are grateful for this incredible opportunity to partner with such esteemed institutions and for the chance to raise awareness for cardiovascular health."

MUSSELMAN AT THE HELM
Eric Musselman was named the USC Men's Basketball Head Coach, Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics Jennifer Cohen announced on April 4, 2024.

Eric Musselman, 59, is a proven winner who has excelled at both the collegiate and professional levels, most recently at Arkansas where he led the Razorbacks to a 111-59 record in five seasons as the leader of the program. The 111 wins in that stretch were the 13th-most among all Power 6 conference teams. In eight of his nine seasons as a collegiate head coach at Nevada (2016-19) and Arkansas (2020-24), his teams won 20 or more games and he has compiled a 221-93 record for a 70.4 winning percentage. Musselman has the 10th-best winning percentage of all active Division I coaches who have coached at least nine seasons. Musselman has over 30 years of coaching experience, including 22 years as a professional and collegiate head coach.

A HISTORY OF WINNING
USC has compiled a record of 1,712-1,262* in its 118 years of intercollegiate basketball competition. USC has had a .500 or better record in 83 of its first 118 seasons. * 21 wins and one loss in 2007-08 vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record: 1,733-1,260.

TRANSFER TROJANS
The Trojans are the most experienced Power 5 team in college basketball based on minutes played per game last season (327.6). The Trojan transfer class combined to average almost 150 points per game last season - the most incoming points of any transfer class in the nation.

USC added transfer talent from Michigan, Xavier, Yale, Northern Colorado/Illinois Chicago, UC San Diego, Texas Tech/Boise State, Washington, Bowling Green/Casper College/New Mexico State and Penn.

KATZ PRESEASON
NCAA analyst Andy Katz named transfer Desmond Claude to his Preseason All-Big Ten Third-Team for 2024-25. Katz also named Eric Musselman one of his top-ten new men's college basketball coaches for the 2024-25 season.

EXHIBITION TAKES
The new-look USC men's basketball team opened the 2024-25 preseason on Tuesday, Oct. 15 as the Trojans downed UTSA 84-63 in an exhibition game at the Galen Center.

USC's Saint Thomas led the team in scoring, recording 21 points and two assists. Trojans Desmond Claude and Josh Cohen also hit double digits on Tuesday, with Claude scoring 14 points and Cohen contributing 10.

In exhibition action, the Trojan defense kept UTSA to just 38.7 percent shooting from the floor, while USC knocked out a 54.9 percent effort on the day. As a squad, Troy also tallied four blocks, six steals and outrebounded the Roadrunners 40-26.

GONZAGA SCOUTING REPORT
- The Zags are ranked No. 6 in the preseason Associated Press poll. GU received 1,157 points in the preseason ranking, along with a first-place vote.
- This marks the 24th straight season Gonzaga has been ranked in the AP poll. It's the 15th consecutive year the Bulldogs have appeared in the preseason poll, starting in the top-20 for the 12th straight season.
- Last season, the Bulldogs advanced to their ninth straight Sweet 16, the longest active streak in the nation, and finished with a 27-8 record. Gonzaga finished No. 15 in the final AP Poll.
- The Zags extended its NCAA Div. 1 record to 17 straight seasons of at least 25 wins. GU's 27-straight 20-win seasons ranks second behind for the longest active run in the country.
- Of the 12 possible players that could come back from last season, 10 return for the 2024-25 campaign, including all four starters. The Bulldogs welcome back 81 percent of last season's scoring, along with 71 percent of their rebounding.
- The Zags are bringing back six of its top seven scorers, along with 81.4 percent of the minutes played, which is the highest retention rate for GU in almost 20 years. Only four other programs in the country bring back a higher percentage of minutes played.
- For the 22nd time in the last 24 seasons, the Gonzaga men's basketball team was selected as favorites in the West Coast Conference preseason coaches' poll.
- Michael Ajayi, Nolan Hickman, Graham Ike, and Ryan Nembhard were all named to the conference's preseason team. Ike and Nembhard earned the recognition for the second straight season. Ajayi, Ike, and Nembhard were all named First Team All-Conference last season, while Hickman was second team.
- The Bulldogs welcome back 81 percent of last season's scoring, along with 71 percent of their rebounding.
- The Zags are bringing back six of its top seven scorers, along with 81.4 percent of the minutes played, which is the highest retention rate for GU in almost 20 years. Only four other programs in the country bring back a higher percentage of minutes played.

USC VS. GONZAGA HISTORY
Saturday's matchup will be the fifth all-time meeting between USC and Gonzaga. The Trojans and Bulldog's are 2-2 all-time and first faced off in 1992 when USC won 77-60. Last December, the Zags beat the Trojans 89-76 at the Las Vegas Invitational.

BIG TEN PREDICTIONS
USC was picked to finish 14th in the 2024-25 Pac-12 preseason poll by league media. The rest of the predictions went as follows: 1.) Purdue (572), 2.) Indiana (549), 3.) UCLA (510), 4.) Illinois (458), 5.) Michigan State (448), 6.) Oregon (412), 7.) Rutgers (391), 8.) Ohio State (369), 9.) Michigan (342), 10.) Maryland (263), 11.) Iowa (249), T-12.) Wisconsin (212), T-12.) Nebraska (212), 14.) USC (196), 15.) Washington (158), 16.) Northwestern (153), 17.) Penn State (87) and 18.) Minnesota (62).

BROTHERLY LOVE
USC is home to Trojans Kevin Patton Jr. and Kallai Patton, brothers from Murrieta, Calif. Both attended Rancho Christian High School. Kevin graduated in 2023, while Kallai was a 2024 graduate. In 2023, the two teamed up to capture the DII CIF Southern Section title for Rancho Christian.

FAMILY TIES
The Trojan family is more than a figure of speech on the USC men's basketball squad as head coach Eric Musselman is the father of USC assistant coach Michael Musselman and graduate assistant Matthew Musselman.

USC assistant coach Quncy Pondexter and Trojan Wesley Yates III are cousins and both joined the squad after time spent at Washington.

Trojans Kevin Patton Jr. and Kallai Patton are siblings from Murrieta, Calif.

SLAJCHERT LOVES MAYO
#32 Clark Slajchert is representing a Trojan legend every time he puts on the USC Jersey as the LA native grew up idolizing O.J. Mayo. Slajchert grew up watching Mayo and knew when he commited to USC that he wanted to wear number 32 on the court.

A top recruit in the class of 2007, Mayo joined the Trojans for one season of college basketball. He average 20.7 points per game and made the All-Pac 10 First Team alongside then-fellow freshmen Kevin Love and James Harden. Mayo's season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and then, inevitably, was off to the draft. Minnesota chose Mayo third overall in June of 2008.

Slajchert, born in 2000, was just 7 years old when Mayo became a Trojan. Now, 16 years later, Slajchert looks to carry on the history of number 32, while also leaving behind his own legacy.

OUT IN THE COMMUNITY
The USC men's basketball team tries to be a conscientious member of the community and has routinely had youth groups or schools visit practice or ventured out into the community for an event over the last several years. The Trojans recently handed out backpacks in partnership with World Vision at the Barack Obama Charter School to kick off the new year back in August.

THE GALEN ADVANTAGE
USC is 211-84 in 19 seasons at the Galen Center since it opened on Nov. 16, 2006. USC is also 104-25 in nonconference games at the Galen Center.

MAGICAL BOTH WAYS
Since the 2019 season, USC owns a 81-18 record when it scores 70 or more points.

USC TO THE NBA
USC had 11 former players that began the 2024-25 season on NBA rosters, which ranked in the top 5 among all schools. Opening night of the 2024-25 season saw Trojan Drew Peterson receive his 2024 NBA Championship ring with the Boston Celtics and Onyeka Okongwu record a career high 28 points. Recent Trojan Bronny James also made history with his father and 22-year NBA veteran Lebron James on opening night, as the pair became the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game.

Player -- Team
Isaiah Collier -- Utah Jazz
DeMar DeRozan -- Sacramento Kings
Taj Gibson -- Charlotte Hornets
Bronny James -- Los Angeles Lakers
Jordan McLaughlin -- Sacramento Kings
De'Anthony Melton -- Golden State Warriors
Evan Mobley -- Cleveland Cavaliers
Onyeka Okongwu -- Atlanta Hawks
Drew Peterson -- Boston Celtics
Kevin Porter Jr. -- Los Angeles Clippers
Nikola Vucevic -- Chicago Bulls

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Players Mentioned

Desmond Claude

Josh Cohen

Isaiah Collier

Bronny James

Kallai Patton

Kevin Patton Jr.

Clark Slajchert

Saint Thomas

Wesley Yates III