Eric Musselman Added 11 Transfers to USC Basketball Via “Portal House”

Eric Musselman Added 11 Transfers to USC Basketball Via “Portal House”

In college basketball’s transfer portal era, unrestricted player movement means coaches must sometimes turn to desperate measures when it comes to building a roster. That’s especially true when 1) you have a brand new head coach, 2) you have one scholarship player returning, and 3) your program is set to join a better conference ahead of next season. As first told by Luca Evans of The Orange County Register, USC Basketball head coach Eric Musselman cleared all these hurdles with what he affectionately called the “Portal House.”

When Andy Enfield departed USC for the SMU job, the Trojan roster dissolved as well. Such is life in college hoops these days. After the dust settled, USC Basketball had just one scholarship player returning in rising senior forward Harrison Hornery. Eric Musselman’s staff had limited time to build a roster that could compete in the Big Ten, which USC is officially set to join on July 1.

The solution? Get the USC Basketball staff under one roof in Manhattan Beach for a month until the roster was filled. A 30-day whirlwind where Musselman and company were constantly on the phone with recruits. It worked, and made for some hilarity along the way.

“Musselman would hand-dry his USC T-shirts on the front porch. Michael Musselman and [Anthony] Ruta slept in a bunk bed. They would all stroll down The Strand for dinner together every night, hitting one pizza joint so often [Will] Conroy joked to the owner he should put an Eric Musselman special on his menu. Within a month, they had filled the roster.”

“‘It wasn’t a frat house,” Musselman grinned Thursday morning. ‘It was a Portal House.'”

Success of the Portal House

A peek over at USC Basketball’s 2024 Commitments page on 247Sports shows the success of the Portal House. The Trojans have 11 transfers on the way, including some recognizable names: Wesley Yates from Washington, Desmond Claude from Xavier, Josh Cohen from UMass, Terrance Williams from Michigan, and Saint Thomas from Northern Colorado.

Will USC be successful in the Big Ten? It’s too early to say for certain, but if the dedication Eric Musselman displayed in building this roster is any indicator, the Trojans might be alright.

***

SUBSCRIBE to the Vendetta YouTube Channel!

SHOP for Vendetta Merch!

SUPPORT Vendetta on Patreon!