By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
January 9, 2025
As the calendar turns to the new year, we turn our attention to the hardwood.
The new look Big Ten has made it through the holidays and has gotten into full conference swing with the holidays behind us.
All 18 squads have played at least three conference games with only one team winless as Minnesota is 0-4.
On the other end of the spectrum, only two teams are unbeaten with Michigan State at 3-0 and Michigan picking up a road win over UCLA to improve to 4-0 in conference play.
The conference is shaping up to be a wide-open race this season and highly competitive with 17 member schools ranked in the top 60 in the NET Rankings through games on January 6th.
Getting a win in Pauley Pavilion is never an easy task and especially difficult with the cross-country nature of that trip for Michigan.
The two-timezone trips were something we watched during the football season and they’re probably worth keeping an eye on during basketball season as well.
Early indications show it may not have that big of an effect as the road teams are now 4-4 when traveling that distance.
Michigan has been joined by Illinois in sweeping their first West Coast swings. Dusty May has the Wolverines playing well in his first season in Ann Arbor.
Each week in this column, I dive into teams and situations that can impact the conference race, with a special emphasis on Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington.
This week, I take a closer look at a pair of programs that are experiencing transformations after coaching changes in the offseason: the Huskies and Trojans.
Danny Sprinkle Brings New Faces and New Hope to Washington
The Huskies turned things over to Danny Sprinkle in the offseason after his success at Montana State and a season at Utah State.
Washington is off to a 10-5 start (1-3 in Big Ten play) with a pair of tough ones on the slate this week, traveling to the two unbeaten Michigan schools.
It will mark games two and three of what should amount to five if not six in a row against ranked opponents. Last time out, the Huskies hosted 22nd-ranked Illinois, celebrating Dubs’ birthday, and very nearly made it a special one.
It came just three days after the Illini went scorched earth on the Ducks in Eugene, and the Huskies gave the visitors all they could handle, taking it to the wire in a four-point win for Illinois.
The Huskies were led by DJ Davis, who recorded a season-high 31 points with seven three-pointers. The transfer from Butler is at his third school after starting at UC-Irvine.
UW is led this season by another player in the third stop in his college career, Great Osobor.
Osobor, a senior who followed his head coach from Montana State to Utah State before coming to the Pacific Northwest, is helping lay the foundation and culture for Sprinkle’s Washington program.
Having an experienced leader familiar with the program to help set the tone is invaluable, as we saw with the key football players who followed Curt Cignetti to Indiana from James Madison.
If Washington can duplicate the Hoosiers’ gridiron success on the hardwood, folks in Seattle could be in for a pleasant surprise this winter.
Eric Musselman Battling Injuries in USC Rebuild
USC’s Eric Musselman, who comes to L.A. after successful stints at Nevada and Arkansas, is the other newcomer among the four West Coast Big Ten programs.
None of Musselman’s players followed him from Arkansas, and the entire roster has been rebuilt since last season.
Harrison Honery is the only returning scholarship player from last season, and JD Plough is the only other returner who saw the floor for the Trojans last season.
Musselman has proven talent in Desmond Claude and Chibuzo Agbo, but the early part of the season has seen some ups and downs with the roster growing together.
Injuries to Terrance Williams (out for the season) and Matt Nolan have forced other players to step up. Musselman is putting his stamp on the program by developing young talent in his first season.
The USC coaching staff has placed a big emphasis on integrating the team into the student population academically, and that goal has already been reached. The program’s GPA in the fall semester ranked among the highest in the nation.
On-the-court struggles are inevitable in Year One, but Musselman is laying a foundation for success in his first season in L.A.
Player of the Week: Oumar Ballo, Indiana
The former Gonzaga and Arizona baller had his best week with his new team.
After missing the final nonconference game, the center was a double-double machine in wins over Rutgers and USC at home and a road win at Penn State.
He’s averaging 32 minutes, 21.7 points, and 11 rebounds per game in the three outings.
Freshman of the Week: Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
The newcomer from Lithuania is making sure the Big Ten knows his name.
In leading the Illini to road wins over Oregon and Washington he averaged 17 points, six assists, and 5.5 rebounds.
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