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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Today in Sports - Manchester City completes Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup victories
June 10 1890 — The Preakness Stakes is run outside Baltimore, at Morris Park in New York. The race is then suspended for three years, and resumes at the Brooklyn Jockey Club's Gravesend Course from 1894-1908. 1932 — Gene Sarazen leads wire-to-wire to win the British Open by five strokes ahead of Macdonald Smith at Prince's Golf Club in Sandwich, England. Sarazen finishes with a tournament record of 283. 1933 — Johnny Goodman wins the U.S. Open golf title, making him the last amateur to win this event. 1934 — Italy beats Czechoslovakia 2-1 in extra time to win the second FIFA World Cup at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome. Italy trailing 1-0, ties the game at the 80th minute. Angelo Schiavio scores the winning goal in extra time. 1944 — A rare triple dead heat occurs in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct with Bossuet, Brownie and Wait a Bit crossing the finish line together. 1950 — Sixteen months after near-fatal car accident, Ben Hogan wins the U.S. Open. Hogan beats Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio in an 18-hole playoff at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. 1968 — UEFA European Championship Final, Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy: Italy beats Yugoslavia, 2-0 in a replay (first game, 1-1). 1973 — Mary Mills shoots a 63 in the final round of the LPGA Championship to beat Betty Burfeindt by one stroke. 1977 — Al Geiberger sets a PGA Championship 18-hole record when he shoots a 59 in the Danny Thomas Classic. 1978 — Affirmed, ridden by Steve Cauthen, wins the Belmont Stakes to capture the Triple Crown in one of the greatest battles in racing history. Affirmed edges Alydar for the third time. 1981 — Pete Rose ties Stan Musial's NL record of 3,630 hits. 1989 — Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings is named the NHL's MVP, winning the Hart Trophy for a record ninth time. 1995 — Trainer D. Wayne Lukas wins a record five straight Triple Crown races as Thunder Gulch takes the Belmont Stakes. Lukas is the first trainer to win the Triple Crown races with two different horses. Lukas' Timber Country won the Preakness. 1996 — Colorado's Patrick Roy makes 63 saves before Uwe Krupp scores 4:31 into the third overtime to give the Avalanche a 1-0 victory against the Florida Panthers at Miami Arena and complete a four-game sweep of the Stanley Cup Final. 2000 — Stanley Cup Final, Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX: New Jersey Devils defeat Dallas Stars, 2-1 in double OT for a 4-2 series victory. 2006 — In Atlantic City, N.J., Bernard Hopkins wins a unanimous decision over light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, capping an 18-year career with an upset for the ages. 2010 — Southern California is placed on four years probation, receives a two-year bowl ban and a sharp loss of football scholarships. The NCAA cites USC for a lack of institutional control. The NCAA found that Reggie Bush, identified as a 'former football student-athlete,' was ineligible beginning at least by December 2004. The NCAA also orders USC to vacate every victory in which Bush participated while ineligible. USC loses 30 scholarships over a three-year period, 10 annually from 2011-13. 2012 — Shanshan Feng wins the LPGA Championship to become the first Chinese player to win an LPGA Tour title and a major event. 2018 — Rafael Nadal won a record-extending 11th championship at Roland Garros by beating Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Nadal became the second player in tennis history to win 11 singles titles at any Grand Slam tournament after Margaret Court, who claimed 11 Australian Open titles. 2018 — Kristen Gillman led a U.S. singles sweep in the biggest blowout in Curtis Cup history. Gillman, a 20-year-old University of Alabama star, beat 16-year-old Annabell Fuller 5 and 4 to cap a perfect weekend at Quaker Ridge in Scarsdale, N.Y. The Americans won 17-3, breaking the record for margin of victory of 11 set in a 14 1/2-3 1/2 victory at Denver Country Club in 1982. 2023 — UEFA Champions League Final, Ataturk Stadium, Istanbul: Manchester City beats Inter Milan, 1-0 to complete historic Champions League, Premier League & FA Cup trifecta.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Former USC guard Desmond Claude commits to Washington
Former USC guard Desmond Claude commits to Washington Back in April, USC men's basketball star guard Desmond Claude made headlines when he surprisingly entered the transfer portal. On Sunday, Claude found a new home: He is headed to the Pacific Northwest to join Big Ten foe Washington. Claude is not the first Trojan transfer to depart for the Huskies this offseason. In May, Washington hired away USC assistant coach Quincy Pondexter. Shortly following that move, another high-profile Trojan transfer, Wesley Yates III, also announced his commitment to the Huskies. Here is what Huskies Wire had to say about the addition of Claude: 'As the Huskies scoured the country for a seasoned, high-impact wing to round out the rotation, the 6-foot-6 senior, who was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention for the 2024-25 season, is the perfect fit. Although he shot just 30.7 percent from long range last season, which has been one of Sprinkle's biggest points of emphasis throughout the offseason, Claude led the Trojans with an average of 15.8 points and 4.2 assists per game, adding 3.5 rebounds per contest while bringing several much-needed aspects to the roster.' With Claude and Yates both departing Southern California for Seattle, next season's matchups between USC and Washington should certainly be interesting. The Trojans and Huskies are slated to face off twice next season—once at Galen Center, and once in the Pacific Northwest.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
USC football countdown to kickoff continues—Fred Davis in in focus
USC football countdown to kickoff continues—Fred Davis in in focus The countdown to USC's 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 83 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. Today, we take a look at USC All-American tight end Fred Davis. Position: Tight end Years played at USC: 2004-2007 Career highlights: Davis spent his first two years at USC in a reserve role, behind starting tight ends Dominque Byrd and Alex Holmes, before becoming a starter as a junior in 2006. As a senior in 2007, he had a breakout season, catching 62 passes for 881 yards and eight touchdowns. For his performance that season, he was named an All-American and won the John Mackey Award as the top tight end in the country. After USC: Davis was selected in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He would go on to play six seasons in the league, all with Washington. His most career receiving yards in a season were 796 in 2011, and his most touchdowns were six in 2009. In 2014, Davis was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He was reinstated a year later, but would never play another game in the league.
