Eric Musselman: Game vs. Penn State was ‘must win’ for USC

Losers of two straight, USC got back on the right track on Tuesday against Penn State. It’s one head coach Eric Musselman called a “must-win” for his program. Unusual to hear in the month of February but the Trojans appeared to have an off-schedule week, leading all the way up until tip-off.

“This was a must-win for us,” Musselman said postgame. “We talked about it, it was a discombobulated week. Went into today’s shoot around and basically canceled it. Turned it into a walk through. Completely scrapped the entire practice plan.”

Thankfully for Musselman, the response from disorganization was a good one. A strong second half is what got the job done, scoring 52 points while holding Penn State to just 36. Four of the five USC starters were in double figures but Chibuzo Agbo led the way with 22 points.

USC’s record improved to 14-10 and are now just one game under .500 in the Big Ten. As of now, a trip to the NCAA Tournament looks unlikely unless a serious run can be made. But the schedule does not lighten up. Not due to the difficulty level but Musselman pointed out a few oddities with their upcoming opponents — something he claims to have never seen at the college level.

“We get ready for Minnesota on Thursday and Friday,” Musselman said after beating Penn State. “They’ve been off a week. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that before but we also go on a road trip, come back, and Ohio State‘s been sitting in LA while we’re playing two games. So, never seen a schedule like this in college but it is what it is and on to the next one.”

The road trip Musselman references is a big one. It’s on the complete other side of the country to the East Coast. USC will play Maryland on a Thursday and then Rutgers on Sunday. These trips were highly discussed when the Trojans joined the Big Ten but now, they are finally coming to fruition.

Ohio State waits on the following Wednesday but as Musselman mentions, they will be settled into the Los Angeles area already. The Buckeyes will play UCLA before USC, having two full days of recovery.

So finding a way to beat Penn State at home was big in Musselman’s opinion. Keeping stability in what will be a vital stretch of the season was important.