USC forced to regroup after solid start suffers first setback

Over the course of USC’s undefeated start, with its star freshman still out, its point guard nursing an ailing shoulder and one of its best defenders down because of an injured hip, coach Eric Musselman still managed to make the best of his ravaged roster

- By Ryan KarTJE

USC'S Chad Baker-Mazara blocks Washington's Hannes Steinbach in the second half Saturday.

(ETHAN SWOPE Associated Press)

No. 24 USC had won eight straight, sweeping its non-conference slate, including the Maui Invitational. It then won its Big Ten opener at Oregon. In spite of all they'd lost, the Trojans hadn’t just remained intact — they looked as strong, through the season's first month, as they had to date under Musselman. It felt like the sort of start capable of rewriting expectations.

Then came the second half of USC’s Big Ten home opener Saturday at Galen Center, when it all unraveled in a stunning 84-76 collapse to Washington.

“We have to play a lot better,” Musselman said. “When you're down three people as talented as our three guys, you've gotta step up and play. That’s what we have to do.”

That the defeat came at the hands of former Trojans point guard Desmond Claude only made it tougher to swallow. It was more than seven months ago that Claude, the Trojans’ leading scorer last season, left USC scrambling by leaving on the final day of the transfer portal window. Now he was wearing purple, reminding Musselman and Co. of what might have been.