USC Men's Basketball Making Summer Strides

For many collegiate basketball programs, summer promises the opportunity to evolve, to learn from the past season, to get stronger, and to prepare for the future.

For the USC men's basketball team, this summer is a whole transformation with new players, new coaches, and new support staff, all captained by head coach Eric Musselman, also in his first season at Troy.

With the exception of returning senior forward Harrison Hornery, the newly minted Trojans streamed in from a fusion of schools and states.

A few of the players emphasized their pride in the team's current accountability, attitude, and coaching. Yet, they look confidently to the future.

While junior Desmond Claude and grad students Clark Slajchert and Josh Cohen are donning cardinal and gold for the first time, all three have years of college basketball experience under their belts.

Claude, who was named the Big East's Most Improved Player of the Year and was the second-leading scorer at Xavier, experienced a near-complete turnaround in the rosters between his freshman and sophomore years.

Claude is the only current USC player hailing from the stiff Big East conference, and one of the few Trojans who saw NCAA Tournament action in his career.

"A lot of stuff will take time to lock in," the 6-foot-6 guard acknowledged. Claude underwent arthroscopic debridement surgeries to both elbows, the last in mid-June, but those haven't prevented him from being on the sideline every morning, whether he's conditioning with a trainer or echoing a coach's call.

Claude pointed out his trust in Musselman: "First and foremost, he believes in me as a point guard. Not just as a wing that can play point, but as a versatile point guard."

He praised the assistant coaches, whose résumés include NBA experience: "Their terminology prepares us for the next level. They've been there and seen it all. We're the sponge, taking it in and getting adjusted."

On the court, the coaches could be easily mistaken for players. Involved, sweaty, and sustaining a steady flow of instruction, the coaches are establishing a system that prioritizes meaningful action. They enforce the intentionality of every little detail in practice, from how those on the sidelines practice ball handling to how players should pick themselves back up after a mistake.

The coaches show up as bodies, mentors, and competitors. They exude an urgent energy, a key characteristic that graduate guard Clark Slajchert admires.

Slajchert, who averaged 18.0 points as the starting point guard at Penn, noted, "I want to be pushed, not only as a player but also by being around a staff that cares, holds people accountable, and is locked in on the details."

At summer practices, Slajchert runs the point position with a knowing and even-keeled confidence, achieved through four years of collegiate experience.

As he enters his final year of college eligibility, he's not alone. Slajchert is one of eight graduate students, many of which qualify for only one more season of basketball.

Slajchert named Musselman's "Three E's: effort, energy, and enthusiasm" as tenets that resonate the most with him. "That energy and enthusiasm allows him to always hold people accountable," Slajchert commented, "He's always calling people out. He holds himself accountable too. Everyone is held to the same standard."

Whether it's a lazy pass or defensive slack, Musselman urges the team to hold themselves to a higher standard. He reminds the team of the difficult Big Ten matchups ahead of them and the discipline required to win those games. He constantly nudges the coaches to be more assertive when practices start to quiet down.

And, more often than not, he is the last one to leave the weight room after the team's workout.

For some, Musselman's "Three E's" are still a muscle needing to be exercised, and they are starting to buy in. But graduate forward Josh Cohen long knew that Musselman embodied what he wanted in a coach.

"I like to be challenged," Cohen said, echoing a similar sentiment as Slajchert of wanting to be pushed. "Coach Musselman loves big, tall athletes. I'm big and tall," the 6-foot-10 forward playfully said, "He challenges dudes and gets them better within a year."

A couple years out from earning his undergraduate degree, Cohen commends the underclassmen's work ethic and ability. "They're super, super intelligent. They are super receptive," he said. "Our young guys have a chance to be really good. In my experience, these young guys are as determined as any guys I've seen."

In practice, Cohen anchors the team with his giant physical and spirited presence. His energy is so infectious that it has reciprocal effects, with players and coaches alike shouting, "Just dunk it, Josh!" on a fastbreak play during scrimmaging.

"I'm excited about this team's potential," Cohen said with a smile. "When that first game happens, you'll know what we're about."

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Players Mentioned

Desmond Claude

Josh Cohen

Harrison Hornery

Clark Slajchert