USC Basketball

Five-year Arkansas men's basketball coach Eric Musselman is taking the head coaching job at USC, the team announced Thursday.

The news comes amid rumors that Bronny James, son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, is considering transferring from USC.

Musselman will replace Andy Enfield, who led USC for 11 seasons before leaving for SMU on April 1.

The Razorbacks made two trips to the Elite Eight and a Sweet Sixteen bid in five seasons under Musselman.

Musselman served as the head coach at Nevada from 2015 to 2019. He previously spent two seasons (2002-03 and 2003-04) as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors and held NBA assistant coaching jobs with the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies

The 2023-24 season marked a disappointing campaign for the Razorbacks, which finished with a 16-17 record.

Despite the 2024 NCAA Tournament miss, Arkansas Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek seemed to confirm Musselman's return after the season's end with a March 28 video on X.

That plan might have changed after Enfield's surprising departure for SMU.

His absence gave Musselman the opportunity to join USC as the school makes the transition to the Big Ten in 2024.

The Trojans followed up three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament with a 15-18 record last season, and it's unclear which USC players will be staying in Los Angeles next season to help Musselman engineer a turnaround.

All-American prospect Trent Perry decommitted from USC following Enfield's departure, per ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Other questions surround James and Isaiah Collier, who are both eligible to enter the 2024 NBA draft.

Collier, previously ranked the No. 1 high school prospect in the country for 247Sports, averaged 16.3 points and 4.3 assists per game in 26 starts for USC before he was sidelined by a hand injury.

Although rumors of James' entrance to the transfer portal have not yet been confirmed, LeBron James said Tuesday that his son had "some tough decisions to make" regarding his future, according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha.

James' college debut was delayed after he suffered cardiac arrest during July offseason training. He ended his freshman USC season having averaged 4.8 points and fewer than 20 minutes per game.

The USC men's basketball team has reportedly turned toward the SEC as it looks for its next head coach.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported Wednesday that "Arkansas' Eric Musselman has emerged as the primary candidate in USC's search."

The Trojans need a new coach after Andy Enfield left to lead SMU in a move that created some future uncertainty inside the program. One of those questions is whether Bronny James will end up transferring, and his father, LeBron James, said there are some "tough decisions to make."

The Enfield move may have caught some off guard, as he was USC's head coach for the past 11 seasons and led the Trojans to the NCAA tournament on five different occasions. SMU also hasn't won a tournament game since the 1987-88 campaign.

However, the Mustangs are headed to the basketball-rich ACC—a league that features programs such as Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse, among others.

Enfield himself even told reporters he wouldn't have joined the Mustangs if they weren't moving to the ACC, adding, "We were extremely happy at USC, and I had an incredible staff, players, great support from the administration, and we lived at the beach. So not bad at all."

Perhaps that means James—who was a 5-star prospect in the class of 2023, per 247Sports' composite rankings—will end up elsewhere.

Perhaps it also means Musselman will be the one to lead the Trojans into the Big Ten.

Musselman coached four seasons at Nevada from 2015 to 2019 and won three Mountain West regular-season titles. He also led the Wolf Pack to the NCAA tournament three times, including when they reached the Sweet 16 in 2018.

That landed him the Arkansas job, and he is 111-59 with three NCAA tournament appearances in five years. The Razorbacks reached two consecutive Elite Eights in 2021 and 2022 and made the Sweet 16 last year.

USC hasn't made it past the first round of the Big Dance since it was also in that 2021 Elite Eight, so Musselman could look to reestablish some of the tournament success at that program if he does leave to take the job.

Bronny James' high-profile tenure at USC could be coming to an end after one season.

Amid rumblings that Bronny is considering entering the transfer portal, LeBron James told reporters after the Los Angeles Lakers' victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday that his son has some "tough decisions to make."

USC will have a new head coach next season after Andy Enfield, who has been with the program since 2013, was hired as SMU's head coach on April 1 after the Mustangs fired Rob Lanier. He went 220-147 with five NCAA tournament appearances during his Trojans tenure.

Expectations were absurdly high for James when he committed to USC in May 2023. He arrived on campus as a top recruit and a member of what was thought to be an elite freshman class.

Bronny was rated as a 4-star prospect and No. 28 overall player in the 2023 class, per 247Sports. USC had the nation's third-ranked class, led by James and Isaiah Collier.

As USC was preparing for the season, James suffered cardiac arrest during a practice on July 25. It was later revealed that he suffered from a congenital heart defect that could be fully treated and allow him to return to the court.

After sitting out the first eight games of the regular season, James made his college debut on Dec. 10. He played 16 minutes off the bench, finishing with four points, three rebounds and two assists in a win over Long Beach State.

James appeared in each of the Trojans' final 25 games and he made six starts. The 19-year-old struggled throughout his freshman campaign, averaging 4.8 points on 36.6 percent shooting, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest.

USC finished the season with a disappointing 15-18 record, lost to Arizona in the second round of the Pac-12 tournament and missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in four years.

There will be no shortage of potential suitors for James if he decides to continue his college career elsewhere. He's just one year removed from being regarded as a top recruit. The health issues that plagued him leading up to the start of his freshman season will likely be fully behind him now that he knows how to treat it.

The USC Trojans are Elite Eight bound.

Baylor put up quite the fight, but the No. 1 seeded Trojans were able to secure a crucial 74-70 victory in order to advance.

Freshman star JuJu Watkins played a large role in securing the victory and discussed the moment after game:

"This is a moment I have dreamed of," Watkins said. "It happened so fast, honestly, but I'm just so glad to be able to be a part of this team. It's so special and it's a testament to what can happen when you follow your dreams."

Watkins contributed 30 points, six rebounds and four assists. This came after she was picking USC in the bracket a year ago, so the ability to put a personal stamp on the program is something she cherished.

It is the first time the program has reached the Elite Eight since 1994. The Trojans haven't advanced past the round since 1986 and haven't reached the National Championship since 1984.

USC will look to continue its run in the Elite Eight against the winner of UConn and Duke.

USC men's basketball head coach Andy Enfield is expected to leave the Trojans for the same position at SMU, per Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68, who provided more information:

Rumors had been circulating connecting Enfield to the SMU gig. Of note, ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello reported Tuesday that Enfield was a "person of interest" for the Mustangs, who are leaving the AAC for the ACC next season.

That appears to be coming to fruition now, ending Enfield's 11-year run with USC.

Enfield is perhaps best known for piloting the 2012-13 Florida Gulf Coast team, a.k.a. "Dunk City." The Eagles, a No. 15 seed, were the story of the tournament's first weekend after upsetting No. 2 Georgetown and No. 7 San Diego State en route to the Sweet Sixteen.

Enfield parlayed that FGCU run into acquiring the USC gig. The Trojans went 219-146 under Enfield, making the NCAA tournament on five occasions. USC's best postseason result occurred in 2021, when the No. 6 seed rolled to the Elite Eight before losing to Gonzaga.

Seven of Enfield's 11 teams won 21 or more games, including each of his squads from 2019-20 through 2022-23.

Last year's team did not fare as well, going 15-18 and finishing tied for ninth in the Pac-12 despite having a class of 2023 that ranked third in the nation, per 247Sports. That class included potential lottery pick and 5-star Isaiah Collier and 4-star Bronny James.

In 2022, Enfield signed a contract extension connecting him with the team through 2027-28. However, it appears Enfield is going in a different direction in joining SMU, which is joining a conference that has four teams in the Sweet Sixteen.

It'll be a tough challenge for SMU and Enfield, although the school's move to the ACC should presumably help the new coach attract recruits to help rebuild a program that's made the NCAA tournament just twice since 1993.

Former NBA star Metta World Peace remains bullish on Bronny James' potential at the next level despite his disappointing freshman season at USC.

World Peace told TMZ Sports that James "has a shot to be a really good point guard" and perhaps even an All-Star in the NBA. The 2010 champion isn't reading much into the 6'4" guard's struggles early into his Trojans tenure.

James never seemed to find his footing this year after suffering cardiac arrest during the offseason, which delayed his college debut until mid-December. He appeared in 25 games and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

In the earliest versions of 2024 NBA mock drafts, well before the 2023-24 season tipped off, some wondered whether James might be a first-round or perhaps even a lottery pick. Now, staying at USC and delaying his pro dreams looks like it could be his best path forward.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman omitted James from his most recent mock draft and provided a wider evaluation of his game and draft outlook. He said a team might be tempted by James' potential as a three-and-D guard along with the chance of landing Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James as a package deal.

"However, his scoring inefficiency has raised questions about his ability to create, finish in the half court and hit jumpers consistently," Wasserman wrote. "He hasn't demonstrated any single, convincing skill for scoring at the next level. And teams might not believe James' defense and passing IQ are enough to justify NBA minutes."

Maybe James' NBA ceiling is still very high, much higher than he has shown so far at USC. Returning to the Trojans would allow him to prove just that.

Anonymous NBA executives believe that a return to college would be helpful for USC guard Bronny James, who just completed his first collegiate season.

"If he goes back, I think he'll have a better year, because hopefully his health is fully stabilized and he can have a full year of training and focus, and maybe the expectations are lowered so he can just play," one exec said in part to ESPN's Jeremy Woo, who spoke with three anonymous NBA front office members about James' pro future. "I think that could be really helpful."

James, the son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, valiantly overcame significant hardship just to play this season after he suffered cardiac arrest during a July 24 workout at USC. A congenital heart defect caused the cardiac arrest.

James made his season debut on Dec. 10, one month into the 2023-24 campaign. He ended up posting 4.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game over 19.3 minutes of action on average.

Those aren't notable numbers for draft prospects, but he spent much of his offseason recovering from a potentially life-threatening health issue. He didn't get the benefit of a full offseason of workouts and a preseason with his teammates. In other words, it's easy to take his stats with a large grain of salt.

James entered USC as a 5-star prospect ranked No. 22 on 247Sports Composite's ranking of class of 2023 boys basketball players. The potential is clearly there for better play, which is perhaps why execs believe another year in school would do him good before he goes pro.

"We'd recommend he go back, just because this season didn't get off on the right foot," another exec told Woo.

"He was behind due to the cardiac episode, being away from the team, the rehab, etc. So I think going back and continuing to fine-tune these skills [would help], because the offseason is when you really develop stuff."

A third exec agreed on the point that a full offseason would significantly benefit James, and that person also noted the potential of a big jump between his first and second collegiate seasons.

"If he goes back, he gets an entire offseason. That's the biggest thing to me. You can see a big jump with kids from year one to year two, and I'd expect him to come back knowing a role and where he is in the pecking order.

"I don't think he knew and I don't think USC ever knew this year. In some games I felt he's very important to them and in other games they've kind of force-fed him minutes. And if he came back another year I think he'd pretty firmly know where he stands, and it wouldn't be a very iso-centric team next year because [USC guard and potential lottery pick Isaiah Collier] is going to leave."

We'll see what James decides to do soon enough. If he does declare for the draft, then he'll have to do so by April 27. James would then have the option to withdraw by June 16 or go forth with the pro process. If the latter occurs, the draft is set for June 26-27. If he is not drafted, then James has the option to return to school.

After USC's 2023-24 season came to an end on Thursday with a loss to Arizona in the Pac-12 tournament, many are wondering about the future of Bronny James.

While it's not yet clear if James will enter the 2024 NBA draft, an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN's Jeremy Woo that teams will undoubtedly be interested in selecting him for the prospect of pairing him with his legendary father, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, no matter how slim the chances of adding him to their roster.

"I think everyone is preparing for him to go in the draft, and I'm dead serious -- I think a lot of teams will take the stance that they'll draft him if there's a 1% chance LeBron will join them," the exec said. "So, I'll be surprised if he doesn't enter. Will he stay in, I don't know."

The elder James has a $51.4 million player option on his contract for the 2024-25 season, and he has until June 29 to decide whether he will exercise it or opt out and test free agency. ESPN's Brian Windhorst said last month that there are indications that the 39-year-old is "angling to sign a multi-year deal in the offseason with the Lakers that will be nine figures."

Bronny appeared in 25 games for the Trojans and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He made his season debut in December after suffering cardiac arrest during a July workout that led to the discovery of a congenital heart defect.

Despite his nondescript freshman season, Bronny is still regarded as a gifted athlete and skilled defender who can develop into a productive player. While it would likely benefit him to remain in college for another year, the chance of sharing the court with his father could be too enticing to pass up.

It's no secret that LeBron is nearing the end of his career, so perhaps drafting Bronny will give teams a larger chance than expected to sign the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

"A team would have to have room or have assets the Lakers would want, and I don't see that as likely, but I think there will be teams that will take that approach," the exec said.

USC might not be making an NCAA tournament appearance this season, but the Trojans appear ready to play the spoiler.

DJ Rodman and Kobe Johnson each scored 19 points to lead USC to a 78-65 win over No. 5 Arizona on Saturday. Isaiah Collier finished with 16 points and Bronny James had five points and six rebounds off the bench as the Trojans won their third straight game.

USC has looked like a vastly improved team of late, going 4-2 over its final six regular-season games. The Trojans' two losses came by a combined six points. If this version of the team showed up earlier in the 2023-24 campaign, it's likely the Trojans would enter the Pac-12 tournament with a good chance of playing deep into March.

Instead, this talented-but-flawed group finished the regular season at 14-17 and will need to win the conference tourney to make the tournament.

Oumar Ballo and Keshad Johnson led the way for Arizona with 17 points, but no other Wildcats player scored more than seven points as they struggled to find an offensive rhythm. Leading scorer Caleb Love had by far his worst performance of the season, finishing with two points on 1-of-10 shooting. Love had scored in double figures in each of his previous 27 games.

Pelle Larsson finished with as many turnovers and fouls as points (five).

Despite the loss, Arizona will go into the Pac-12 tournament with a chance to re-enter the No. 1 seed conversation with a deep run. At the very least, the Wildcats should be a lock for a No. 2 seed.