Eric Musselman gives a scathing recap of the Trojans’ loss to Illinois

The USC Trojans were outscored 101-65 by the No. 10 Illinois Fighting Illini on Wednesday night at the Galen Center. USC fell to 18-8 overall and 7-8 in Big Ten play, hurting their NCAA Tournament appearance.

“I don’t think USC played well on either side of the ball,” the Trojans coach Eric Musselman he said in his opening remarks to the media in the post-match.

“I don’t think USC played well on either side of the ball,” Trojans head coach Eric Musselman said in his opening remarks after USC fell to Illinois 101-65.

That’s about as clear as you can put it. pic.twitter.com/vZBNkAVR4T

— Adrian Medina (@AdrianMedina_16) February 19, 2026

USC entered the matchup without second-leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazzara, who is averaging 18.3 points per game and missed his third straight contest with a strained knee. Freshman Alijah Arenas also played through an illness in limited minutes. Baker-Mazzara’s absence was yet another blemish on a roster already affected by injuries throughout the season.

Illinois (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) took control immediately, going on an 8-0 run to build a 54-32 halftime advantage. According to statistician Ken Pomeroy, the Illini’s first half offensive output ranked as the most efficient half in Division I men’s basketball in 30 years. Illinois shot 51.6% from the field, made 13 3-pointers and made 24 of 26 free throws. At one point in the second half, the Illini were shooting 46% from both three-point range and overall.

Seven Illinois players scored in double figures. Andrej Stojakovic led all scorers with 22 points on 6-of-7 shooting and a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line. David Mirkovic added 14 points, while Kaylan Boswell and Jake Davis scored 12 each. Ben Hamrishaus added 11, and Tomislav Ivisic and Keaton Wagler each had 10. The Illini outscored the Trojans 21-10 to open the second half, increasing the margin to 75-42.

USC shot 37.1% from the field and had seven blocked shots. The Trojans committed 14 turnovers, which Illinois turned into 22 points. Ezra Ausar had 15 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season, although 12 of his points came after halftime. Jacob Coffey added 14 points. The loss was USC’s biggest loss of the season and dropped the Trojans to 0-4 against ranked opponents.

Next, the Trojans stay local in the Pacific Time Zone for their final five conference games, starting with Oregon on Saturday.