Not even more sickness could stop the No. 12 Nebraska men’s basketball team.

With a nasty flu strain ripping through the Huskers and the UNL campus as a whole, Nebraska needed a little more time to take care of Maryland, but freshman star Braden Frager and his team-high 21 points and eight rebounds led a late NU surge for a 74-61 victory over the Terrapins. Forward Pryce Sandfort added to the effort with 16 points and eight rebounds while both Rienk Mast (13) and Sam Hoiberg (12) also reached double figures.

Now with just three games remaining in the regular season, the Huskers venture west for a two-game road trip to L.A., where they start off against a USC team in the middle of a long losing skid. Here’s all you need to know for Saturday’s mid-afternoon showdown between the Huskers and Trojans.

How to Follow Along 

• Matchup: Nebraska (24-4, 13-4 B1G) at USC (18-10, 7-10 B1G)
• When: Saturday, February 28
• Where: Galen Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Time: 3 p.m. CST 
• Watch: Big Ten Network
• Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

USC Scout

Head Coach

• Eric Musselman | 2nd season at USC; 11th as HC
• 35-28 (.556) at USC; 256-121 (.679) College Career Record
• 6x NCAA Tournament Apps., 2x Elite Eight, 2x Sweet 16, 1x CBI Championship
• 3x MWC regular season, 1x MWC tournament
• 1x MWC Coach OTY (2018), 1x NBA D-League Coach OTY (2012)
• Previous head coach at Arkansas, Nevada, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors
• Previous assistant at LSU, Arizona State, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves

2024-2025 Record & Awards

• Record: 17-18 (7-13 B1G, T-12th)
• Finish: L, 60-59 to Villanova in CBC Quarterfinals
• All-B1G: 1x Honorable Mention

All-Time Series

• USC leads 6-5
• Jan. 22, 2025, last matchup, 78-73 USC

Key Returners

• Terrance Williams II | F | Gr. | Was off to a great start with 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last year before getting knocked out for the season just seven games in; has not been the same with just 2.5 PPG in 27 contests this season.

Key Departures

• Desmond Claude | G | Transfer | Named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention last season for the Trojans after leading the team with 15.8 points per game, but transferred to Washington over the offseason.
• Wesley Yates III | G | Transfer | Another player that transferred to Washington, the Texas native was second on the team last season in scoring (14.1) and steals (40) as a redshirt freshman.
• Chibuzo Agbo | G | Graduated | Veteran guard that scored 11.8 points per contest while leading the team with 76 made three-pointers as part of his final college season.
• Saint Thomas | F | Graduated | The Omaha native and Millard North graduate scored 9.5 points and grabbed 5.9 rebounds per game in his final college season.
• Rashaun Agee | F | Graduated | A 6-foot-8 veteran forward who proved to be USC’s most dangerous threat off the bench by scoring over nine points per game.
• Josh Cohen | F | Graduated | A 6-foot-10 post that started in 25 of his 33 appearances while adding 5.9 points per game for the Trojans.
• Clark Slajchert | G | Graduated | Another key reserve for the Trojans who put up four points per game in 11 minutes across 27 games.
• Kevin Patton Jr. | F | Transfer | After scoring 9.8 PPG at San Diego, the California native saw limited action for USC off the bench to prompt his transfer to New Mexico over the offseason.
• Matt Knowling | F | Graduated | Played in 27 contests with an average of over 18 minutes, but added little production with three points and 2.6 rebounds.

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

• Rodney Rice | G | Jr. | The third leading scorer from a Sweet 16 Maryland squad last season, the transfer scored over 20 points per game for the Trojans before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in December.
• Chad Baker-Mazara | G/F | Gr. | A veteran transfer that aided Auburn’s run to the Final Four last season, the Dominican Republic native leads all active Trojans with 18.6 points per game and 71 total assists.
• Ezra Ausar | F | Sr. | The 6-foot-9 forward transfer from Utah scores over 15 points per game and grabs over six rebounds per contest in an elevated role after the injury to Rice.
• Alijah Arenas | G | Fr. | The son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, the true freshman missed the first 18 games of the season, but he’s been highly productive with a 13.9 points per game average in his first 10 college games.
• Jacob Cofie | F | Soph. | A massive 6-foot-10 forward from Seattle, the Virginia transfer gives USC a weapon inside with 9.8 points and seven rebounds per game as a full-time starter.
• Kam Woods | G | Gr. | A mid-season transfer from Robert Morris, where he led the program to its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance, the Alabama native has added over eight points and four rebounds in 16 contests this year.
• Jordan Marsh | G | Jr. | The 2025 Big South Conference Newcomer of the Year last season at UNC-Ashville, Marsh acts as the sixth man for the Trojans with 6.7 PPG to lead all reserves.
• Jaden Brownell | F | Gr. | A 6-foot-10 bench forward, the USC big man was a 14-point scorer at Samford last season before making his way to L.A.
• Jerry Easter II | G | Fr. | An Ohio native who went to the heralded Link Academy in Missouri, Easter II has earned six starts in his 26 appearances by scoring 4.4 points per game.
• Gabe Dynes | C | Jr. | The 7-foot-5 center led the country in blocks (104) last season at Youngstown State before transferring to USC, where he’s putting up three points per game, but has collected 30 blocks while only averaging 12 minutes per appearance.

Outlook

A veteran head coach at both the college and NBA levels, Eric Musselman was at the center of one of college basketball’s wildest coaching carousel moves following the 2023–24 season, leaving Arkansas for USC and paving the way for the legendary John Calipari to take over the Razorbacks program.

While Calipari marched his team to a Sweet 16 appearance in his first season, Musselman’s debut season in L.A. ended with a quarterfinal loss in the CBC for an underwhelming year. What followed was an exodus from the program, with top-two scorers Desmond Claude (15.8) and Wesley Yates III (14.1) both transferring to Washington despite standout seasons. Six others graduated, including Omaha native Saint Thomas (9.5) as well as Chibuzo Agbo, a veteran guard who scored 11.8 points per game in his final college season.

That resulted in a whole new crop of transfers to join the team, including the crown jewel of the haul in Rodney Rice, who played a big part in helping Maryland reach the Sweet 16 last season. The junior started out hot for the Trojans, logging over 20 points per game, but a devastating shoulder injury ended his season just seven games in, which immediately lowered the ceiling for a USC team with decent talent. Chad Baker-Mazara has stepped up in the place of Rice with 18.6 points per game and a team-high 71 assists after transferring from Auburn, where he helped the Tigers reach the Final Four.

Utah transfer Ezra Ausar has produced at a high level with over 15 points and six rebounds per contest. Despite missing the first 18 games of the season, true freshman Alijah Arenas has averaged 13.9 points per game as a starter. Sophomore and Virginia transfer Jacob Cofie is the muscle in the post, scoring 9.8 points per game and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds per contest. Similar to Arenas, Robert Morris transfer Kam Woods has been a big mid-season addition with over eight points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Plus, Jordan Marsh (6.7), Jaden Brownell (5.3), and 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes give Musselman the opportunity to mix-and-match his lineup off the bench depending on the matchup.

The Rice injury is massive, and could end up being one of the primary reasons for the Trojans missing the NCAA Tournament, for which they are a bubble team in the latest projections. It’s crunch time for USC, which is in the midst of a four-game losing streak after dropping contests to Ohio State, No. 10 Illinois, Oregon, and UCLA. Three of those four were winnable for the Trojans and games that could really haunt them as they search for key wins down the stretch to lock up a spot in March Madness.

Against a Trojan team that doesn’t defend well, but ranks as one of the top rebounding teams in the conference, USC is an interesting matchup for Nebraska. Being on the road and dealing with more sickness isn’t helpful, but I’m riding the Huskers for this one to reach 25 wins on the year.