USC makes a statement with upset of No. 7 Michigan State
USC guard Wesley Yates III (6), shoots over MICH ST center Szymon Zapala during the first half Saturday at Galen Center. (Mark J. Terrill / AP)
Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — Desmond Claude came crashing to the hardwood, his right knee caught awkwardly in the collision and the whole of Galen Center holding its breath. His lips tightened, a mix of grimace and incredulity.
For USC, desperately needing to start winning at home, there were few more troubling sights than this one: their leading scorer and floor general crumpled in a heap on the baseline, clutching a knee. And USC’s hopes of knocking off Michigan State — and any hopes at a miraculous NCAA Tournament run — seemed to limp right out with him.
Somehow, Claude missed only five minutes, reemerging from the locker room with only a light limp, still intact, determined to fight through the pain at whatever the cost.
“I wasn’t going to sit out this game,” Claude said, postgame. “It just, was a big game that we needed. And I had to step up.”
The image of Claude limping was fitting for what happened the rest of the way Saturday, as USC, with its group of hungry transfers, fought through an afternoon gauntlet with physical play to take down No. 7 Michigan State, 70-64 in what was unquestionably the biggest victory yet for new coach Eric Musselman.
Not only does it mark USC’s second win over a top-25 team in the last month, but it’s the Trojans’ second Big Ten win at home, where they’ve struggled since the start of conference play.
It took a courageous performance from Claude, who shook off an aching knee to score 19 points, and gutsy efforts from USC’s other two starting guards, Chibuzo Agbo and Wesley Yates (6), who combined for 29.
USC led from start to finish. But at every turn, Michigan State threatened to climb back, several times cutting the lead to one score.
Just a few days earlier, after USC’s fourth Big Ten loss at home in five tries, forward Rashaun Agee suggested that the Trojans had been “a little too relaxed” starting games inside the friendly confines of Galen Center.
Meanwhile, on the road, USC was 3-1 in its new conference, with a marquee win over a top-25 team (Illinois) on its résumé.
But there were no such concerns Saturday, as USC was stifling from the start, successfully fronting the post and clamping down on the interior. Within seven minutes, USC had soared to a 15-point lead, while Michigan State struggled to find any semblance of rhythm.
MICH ST guard Jeremy Fears Jr. steals the ball from USC guard Desmond Claude as forward Josh Cohen watches during the first half. (Mark J. Terrill / AP)
Claude was the catalyst for that scorching start, days after Musselman made clear that his leading scorer needed to be more aggressive with the ball.
Claude took that advice to heart, knifing through the lane and attacking the rim early and often. He scored 11 of USC’s first 22 points, looking well on his way to a career day.
Then, midway through the first half, Claude chased down a fast break, lifted up to block the lay-in and fell awkwardly on his right knee.
Wincing with pain, he left for the locker room, unable to put any weight on his right leg.
Michigan State climbed back in short order, cutting what was once a 15-point lead to just a single possession.
Claude returned eventually, and so did the stifling defense.
The Spartans tried to scratch and claw their way back from there. But it was the Trojans (13-8, 5-5) still standing as the final seconds ticked away, with another critical win in hand.
“This is a huge win,” Musselman said postgame. “I mean, I don’t know how else to say it. Because, they’re a veteran team, they’ve been in the Big Ten a long time, they’re so well-coached. So this is a huge game for us.”
latimes.com
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Musselman’s energetic and highly informative post-game presser (15 mins):
“We’ve had two humongous wins and there’s still a lot of basketball to be played. They have probably one of the deepest teams I’ve ever seen. We were able to outreact guys. The only way for us to win is to be ultra-focused…”
What this victory over MICH ST at Galen means — “USC has had up-and-down performances this season, but beating a ranked opponent always stands out, especially when they haven’t lost in more than two months. This win pushes USC up from 11th to a tie for eighth place in the Big Ten standings and is a big boost for its NCAA tournament resume. The Trojans, obviously, still have a lot of work to do at 13-8 overall, but they remain two games out of fourth place in the Big Ten, meaning they’re still in the mix in the conference. If they… Read more »
MICH ST’s Tom Izzo’s take on USC’s big win:
“I had an assistant that said ‘what starts bad, ends bad,’ and this start was atrocious. We wanted to go inside right off the bat. We turned the ball over twice. We took a couple of bad shots. … We got punched in the mouth, and that doesn’t happen to us very often.”