This season’s USC men’s basketball team isn’t quite what head coach Eric Musselman envisioned. He and his staff were confident in the roster they had built, but injuries have changed the look of the team.
The confidence is still there.
“There’s a camaraderie that’s like past teams that we’ve had that have won at a high level,” Musselman told reporters on a Thursday Zoom call. “They get along. And then there’s a pride in your role. A lot of guys are taking pride in the role that they’re developing and still creating.”
The Trojans (8-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) have charged out to an unbeaten start after taking down Oregon 68-60 in their Big Ten opener and will face a quality Washington (5-3, 0-1) team on Saturday.
Their strong start has been without budding college basketball star Alijah Arenas and, for the most part, without 6-foot-5 guard Rodney Rice.
Arenas has yet to play a game due to a torn meniscus and Rice has been in and out of games because of a shoulder injury. Amarion Dickerson could also be limited in the near future after suffering an undisclosed injury against Oregon.
“Last year, we were one of the most injured teams in all college basketball and right now we’re right on pace to be one of the most injured teams in college basketball as well,” Musselman said.
“It’s a matter of one player out – how do you plug the hole? And then every player’s got strengths and weaknesses.”
Musselman said Rice is day-to-day and Dickerson has yet to be examined. The coach was optimistic about Arenas, though.
The freshman, who was the 13th-ranked recruit in the 2025 class out of Chatsworth High, could be back playing in about a month.
“Alijah’s rehab is going phenomenal,” Musselman said. “I’m hesitant to say ahead of schedule, but the plan right now is to see Alijah in mid-January and that was reaffirmed yesterday with two different doctors. We gotta continue to play as well as we can with the limited roster and hope we get healthy at some point.”
USC will be tested against a sizable Washington team Saturday. The Huskies are coming off an 82-80 loss to UCLA.
Huskies freshman Hannes Steinbach is already projected to be a high first-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft. The German 6-foot-11 forward is scoring a team-best 17.4 points per game and averages 12.2 rebounds per game.
He’s effective on the glass on both sides of the court with 25 offensive rebounds and 36 defensive boards.
Center Frank Kepnang, who is also 6-foot-11, is in his sixth year of college basketball and is averaging 2.3 blocks per game. Lathan Sommerville, at 6-foot-10, also rotates in at center and is shooting 43.3% from the field.
“We’re going to face a three-man front line that’s as big as anyone,” Musselman said.
USC’s own center, 7-foot-5 Gabe Dynes, is still waiting on a breakout game. The Trojans may need the Youngstown State junior transfer, who is playing 8.6 minutes per game with averages of 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds, on Saturday.
“We’ve got to get Gabe’s confidence back up,” Musselman said. “Gabe Dynes is still going to be a factor for us at some point very, very soon. I feel that and believe that.”
Washington (5-3, 0-1) at No. 24 USC (8-0, 1-0)
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Galen Center
TV/radio: Big Ten Network/710 AM