On Saturday Night, it became extremely apparent that USC basketball is a small team. Athletic bigs will look dominant playing them. The B1G is a conference known for its physicality, and with USC’s biggest player, Josh Cohen, being 6 ‘6, Coach Eric Musselman has to get creative with his game plan on offense and defense.
” Our small ball line-up gave us a spark in the second half that kept us in the game and at times had us in the lead, but we can’t completely run that type of line-up because it would put too much pressure on my players,” Musselman said as he spoke about the adjustments he made during the game to create a mismatch.
While the change in the line-up consisting of guards Desmond Claude, Wesley Yates, Kevin Patton Jr., and Saint Thomas stopped Michigan from shooting threes ( 10 in the first half), it gave way for center Danny Wolf to explode for 31 points.
“We tried as best we could, putting the tallest guys we had in their position,” Yates said as he spoke about the preparation leading up to the game. “We took our two biggest players( and assistants) to give us a look and try to simulate a gameplan to stop bigs, but it’s always different when you’re in the game.”
USC fought all game, clawing their way back down 15, but with a few minutes left, the rails fell off as Michigan attacked the paint and received several fouls, putting the game out of reach. ” We were hanging in there and trying our best not to foul, but some calls didn’t go our way, and we were back done again,” Musselman said about the fouls that gave Michigan a seven-point lead. Claude also fouled out late in the game, highlighting another weak spot for the Trojans as they’re limited with point guard options.
” Claude fouling out did put us in a bind, but moving forward, Claude and Yates will be on two on-the-ball guards, so we can relieve some pressure off Desmond( Claude) and allow him to play free,” Musselman said.
The young guards Yates and Patton Jr. shined during the game, showing their playmaking ability and athleticism. ” We need both of them to step up moving forward for us to have a chance. Tonight, they showed us versatility and maturity. They will be on the court.” Musselman said. Yates played 36 minutes, finishing with 19 points, and Patton Jr. played 28 minutes, finishing with 14 points, three rebounds, and a few blocks.
