In a battle of two undermanned squads, USC’s depth won out in the first round of the inaugural College Basketball Crown Tournament in Las Vegas Tuesday night. The Trojans used all nine of their available scholarship players to crush Tulane, 89-60.
USC led 39-24 at halftime and went into cruise control in the second half. The Trojans really separated with a 15-0 run to go up 75-49.
USC big man Rashaun Agee was the best player on the floor, scoring a game-high 27 points to go along with a game-high nine rebounds. Saint Thomas put up numbers across the stat sheet adding 14 points, nine assists, five boards, three steals, two blocks and five turnovers.
The Trojans had only nine scholarship players because forwards Isaiah Elohim and Kevin Patton Jr. entered the transfer portal. Wesley Yates and Chibuzo Agbo, USC’s second and third leading scorers respectively, were both unavailable. Yates was on the bench with a walking boot on his left foot.
But some of the reserves stepped up. Clark Slajchert started and scored 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting. Matt Knowling also was inserted into the starting lineup and had seven points on 3-of-4 shooting with six rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal. Even previously seldom-used seniors Bryce Pope and Harrison Hornery had an impact. Both outside shooters, who entered having made three triples on the season, hit a pair of three-pointers as the Trojans shot 9 of 18 from deep on the night. Freshman walk-on Brit Burden even got in on the action, scoring USC’s final basket in his first career appearance.
Three of Tulane’s top six scorers entered the transfer portal and didn’t play for the Green Wave.
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Player of the Game: Rashaun Agee
Agee was playing his best basketball of the season in March, and it continued into April Tuesday night. Agee made 10-of-12 field goals to score 27 points to go along with his nine rebounds. He also controlled the paint on the other end, swatting four shots.
The big man will return to USC next season with the recent junior college court ruling giving him an extra year of eligibility. Agee has improved mightily this season and will be a big part of the 2025-26 team.
Key Stat: 33.9 percent
USC didn’t look like an undermanned team, but Tulane certainly did. The Green Wave shot 33.9 percent from the field. It was all out of sorts on offense, especially in the first half, when the team committed 13 turnovers.
What it means: A chance for a pay day
USC still has a chance to get paid. The CBC championship winning team will receive a $300,000 NIL package with the runner-up receiving a $100,000 prize. Even the semifinalists get paid with a $50,000 package. If USC wins on Thursday against Villanova, the team will clinch a $50,000 prize at a minimum.
Injury updates: Terrance Williams (wrist) is still out. Yates being in a walking boot isn’t a good sign for his availability going forward, but Eric Musselman described the injuries on his team as “day to day” in a pregame interview with FS1. Agbo’s situation isn’t as clear. We’ll provide an update when we get it.
What’s Next: Quarterfinal game against Villanova
USC will take on Villanova Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. PDT. The game will be broadcast on FS1. The Wildcats took down Colorado 85-64 in the first round of the College Basketball Crown behind 24 points from Wooga Poplar and 22 poitns from Eric Dixon, who became the all-time leading scoring in Villanova school history.
Villanova is currently being coached by interim head coach Mike Nardi after the school fired Kevin Neptune last month. The Wildcats are 20-14 on the season.
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