USC men's basketball endures coaching staff change with transfer portal open
USC men's basketball endures coaching staff change with transfer portal open Quincy Pondexter reportedly left USC on his own, not tied to Wesley Yates, but we will see what happens in the coming weeks.
Last week, USC men's basketball's 2024-2025 season came to an end with a loss to Villanova in the second round of the College Basketball Crown. Now, the Trojans have already gotten started on next season, dealing with a notable change to their coaching staff. On Monday, it was reported that assistant coach Quincy Pondexter will not return to USC's coaching staff in 2025-2026.
There is plenty of speculation surrounding this move. It might have been forced internally, but the more likely outcome is that Pondexter was making his own decision to leave. It is worth noting that Wesley Yates, who recently entered the transfer portal with an intent to leave USC, is Pondexter's cousin. Kentucky has been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Yates. One wonders if Pondexter would follow him to Lexington should UK coach Mark Pope close a deal to bring Yates to Rupp Arena.
USC basketball is in a precarious place, with Wesley Yates being a significant portal loss. Yates was a proven scorer who, had he stayed, would have enabled Eric Musselman to be able to recruit more on defense and rebounding in the paint. Now the Trojans probably need another high-end offensive piece. The offseason is not hitting its target, and Musselman has to find a way to make up for these developments. He also has to hire an assistant coach who is able to add appreciable value to the USC program.
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