Desmond Claude's world came crashing down in an instant. As his body hit the floor, his hands instinctively reached for his right knee. A wince spread across his face, a mixture of pain and disbelief. With help from his teammates, he staggered to his feet, but the weight of his leg betrayed him. He hobbled off, making a beeline for the tunnel, and just like that, USC's dreams of toppling Michigan State — along with any hopes of a Cinderella NCAA Tournament run — seemed to limp away with him.
Claude, USC’s driving force, had been the engine that powered the team. But as the first half wore on, the offense faltered, struggling to hold off Michigan State’s superior athleticism and depth. But just when it seemed all was lost, Claude surprised everyone. He was back on the sidelines just minutes later, casually pedaling away on an exercise bike, trying to shake off the pain. His head coach, Eric Musselman, gave him a signal, urging him to get ready to re-enter the game. A team doctor hesitated but soon nodded. The clock was ticking. The game couldn’t wait for him to get better.
“What he told me was simple,” Claude recalled after the game, referencing Musselman’s words. “If you’re hurt — you’re out. But if you can play, then play.”
And that’s exactly what Claude did.
Despite a bum knee, Claude’s determination didn’t waver. For the next 34 minutes, he poured his heart into the game, hobbling on one leg yet playing like a warrior. He finished with 19 points, leading his team to a thrilling 70-64 upset victory over the No. 7 ranked Michigan State Spartans. It wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. A statement that USC, despite being outmatched in several areas, was not to be underestimated.
“This is a huge win,” Musselman said after the game, his voice heavy with pride. “I don’t know how else to say it. We’re talking about a veteran team, a team that’s been in the Big Ten for years. They’re so well-coached. This win means everything to us.”
Despite the setback in the UCLA game earlier in the week, which left them deflated, USC came out swinging against Michigan State. Their student section, though sparse, was loud, as USC fans had to endure endless chants of “Go Green, Go White!” from the Michigan State faithful. The Trojans didn’t have the luxury of a raucous home crowd to back them up. They didn’t have Michigan State’s depth or roster cohesion. But they had heart — and a squad of transfer players who were hungry to prove themselves.
From Claude to Wesley Yates III to Saint Thomas, these players embodied a gritty, all-out, do-or-die mentality. They fought tooth and nail, showing up at the game ready for war. In fact, after the tough loss to UCLA, Musselman took drastic steps to get his team back on track. He took them through brutal mid-week practices, even making them carry five- and ten-pound weights during drills to remind them of the game’s physical nature.
“It was about setting the standard,” Chibuzo Agbo Jr. reflected after the win. “Coach made sure we knew that if we didn’t step up, if we didn’t play harder, this is what would happen. It really fired us up.”
And fired up they were. From the get-go, USC put the pressure on Michigan State with a game plan that Musselman described as "paintball-slash-goalie rules." The Trojans used a defense that gave Michigan State’s starting center Szymon Zapala and athletic forward Coen Carr a generous five-foot perimeter cushion. The idea? To clog the paint, forcing Michigan State’s big men to shoot from outside while USC packed the lane. The tactic worked beautifully, as USC stormed to an early 22-7 lead.
As the first half came to a close, though, USC’s offense began to stall. Claude returned to the game but didn’t force the issue. But that second half? That’s where the magic happened. Claude took over, hitting a step-back three-pointer to beat the shot clock, followed by a tough, looping layup off the glass. As Michigan State tried to claw their way back, Claude repeatedly delivered, initiating plays with pick-and-rolls and taking shots when needed. He was playing on one leg, but he didn’t care.
“I wasn’t going to sit out,” Claude said after the game. “This was too big of a game for us, and I knew I had to step up.”
The game wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. USC shot only 42% from the floor and committed 11 turnovers, but they made up for it in hustle, grit, and defense. Musselman’s teams are known for wearing down opponents, and this was no exception. In the final minutes, USC made a parade to the free-throw line, forcing Michigan State into tough situations. With 39 seconds left, Rashaun Agee found himself switching onto a guard, shutting down a crucial play and forcing Michigan State into a shot-clock violation.
While Claude was the undeniable leader, the win was a team effort. Agbo Jr. struggled in the second half but had carried the Trojans in the first, finishing with 12 points in the opening frame. Freshman Wesley Yates III also played a key role, adding 15 points and draining all three of his three-point attempts, providing the offense with some much-needed space.
As the buzzer sounded and the final score settled, the court erupted in celebration. The hostile Michigan State crowd, having traveled from across the country, began to file out in disbelief. But Thomas, with a calm smile, stood near the baseline, waving to the departing Spartan fans as the Trojan faithful celebrated the victory.
After the game, Agbo Jr. was reflective. “Games where we don’t come out physical, we lose,” he said. “But when we play big-boy ball, when we’re tough, we win.”
And on this day, they played big-boy ball — gritty, tough, and unrelenting. A massive win over Michigan State, not just for the record books but for the heart of this USC team.
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