Gophers reunion: USC’s Eric Musselman faces his dad’s former program for the first time

Eric Musselman can’t predict what type of emotions his family will have seeing the Gophers on the same floor Saturday as his USC men’s basketball team at Galen Center.

For the first time in his 35 years on the sidelines, Musselman will coach against the University of Minnesota, the same school his father, Bill, led to the 1972 Big Ten title, building a lasting legacy in the Twin Cities.

“It will be special,” said the first-year Trojans coach. “I know my mom is driving up from San Diego because of the significance of what it means for her. My sister’s thinking of flying in from Dallas for the game.”

Gophers basketball is deeply rooted in Musselman’s fondest early memories.

“I remember my mom dropping me off at Williams Arena after school and hanging out with my dad,” Musselman said. “Flip Saunders, I always looked up to him and tried to emulate his shooting form with his knees coming together — and I wore No. 14 in high school after Flip.”

After leaving Arkansas for USC before this season, Musselman knew joining the Big Ten meant he would eventually play the Gophers (12-12, 4-9 Big Ten), who are on their first Los Angeles trip in the Big Ten — a trip that includes Tuesday’s game at UCLA.

The Trojans (14-10, 6-7) have been inconsistent but also displayed their potential this season with victories against Michigan State and Illinois.

“Respect the name and respect the family,” Gophers coach Ben Johnson said. “He’s obviously a very successful coach. I think you’re seeing that play out with the way his team is playing in league play.”

Bill Musselman, who died in 2000 at 59, has the top winning percentage (68.3%) in Gophers history that he put together in just four years in Dinkytown, including the ’72 Big Ten championship team led by Dave Winfield, Clyde Turner and Jim Brewer.

Bill was also the first coach of the Timberwolves in 1989.

“They thought they could win a national championship,” said Eric Musselman of that era’s Gophers.

He recalled when they started recruiting Kevin McHale and Ray Williams before his dad left for the ABA’s San Diego Sails with star freshman Mark Olberding in 1975. “That team in the next few years would’ve been incredible,” Eric said.

Following a similar path as his father with experience coaching at the pro level, Eric eventually made his mark in college. He reached three NCAA tournaments at Nevada, including a Sweet 16 in 2018. He then enjoyed his most successful stretch with back-to-back Elite Eights and another Sweet 16 from 2021 to 2023 at Arkansas.

Musselman had players at Nevada and Arkansas learn his dad’s old trick-filled Gophers pregame routine — a favorite of fans who watched games at the Barn in the 1970s — but he’s not ready to do that yet at USC.

“It’s got to be the right time frame to do it,” said Musselman, who wants to establish his program first as a national power much like the USC women’s team led by All-American JuJu Watkins.

Entering Saturday, the Trojans are on the outside of the NCAA tournament bubble and looking to build momentum to finish the regular season. Musselman says Johnson’s Gophers look like a confident and dangerous team that is better than its record shows.

“They have a distinct style and tempo they play with,” Musselman said. “They have a star player in Dawson [Garcia].

“For us, every game is a big game. Where we are — probably out of the [NCAA] tournament by two games now — it’s important for us to play well down the stretch and give ourselves an opportunity to still be in the discussion the last week of the season.”

After the 21-point home loss against Illinois last weekend, Gophers players understood they can’t wait much longer to turn their season around.

Whatever the response looks like in L.A., Johnson hopes the Gophers still feel they’re playing for something in the last seven games.

“We talked a lot about the opportunity this time of year,” Johnson said. “I think it’s pretty simple: The teams that are still driven, that are connected and still have the fight and compete are going to take off and play really well.”

3 p.m. Saturday at Galen Center

TV; radio: BTN; 100.3-FM

The Gophers have a four-game win streak against the Trojans, including sweeping a home-and-home series in 2011 and 2012, the last time they met. Xavier transfer Desmond Claude leads USC with 16.2 points and 4.4 assists per game this season. The 6-6 junior was being recruited while Gophers coach Ben Johnson was on Xavier’s staff in 2021. Claude had 16 points and eight assists but also committed eight turnovers in a 92-67 win Tuesday vs. Penn State.