Michigan Turns Top-25 Clash Into a Highlight Reel, Makes History Against USC
If you tuned into Friday night’s showdown at the Crisler Center expecting a nail-biter between two ranked heavyweights, you probably changed the channel by halftime. The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines didn’t just beat the No. 24 USC Trojans; they ran them out of the gym, down the street, and arguably all the way back to the airport.
The final score was 96-66, but even that 30-point margin feels like it’s doing a kindness to how lopsided this affair actually was.
For USC Head Coach Eric Musselman, this wasn’t just a loss; it was a wake-up call delivered via sledgehammer. The Trojans walked into Ann Arbor hoping to prove they belonged in the elite tier of the Big Ten. Instead, they ran into a buzzsaw in Maize and Blue that looks terrifyingly ready for March.
A Historical Beatdown By Dusty May’s Squad
Let’s be honest: blowouts happen. But what Dusty May has this Michigan team doing is bordering on ridiculous. With this win, the Wolverines became the first team since the 1996-97 season to beat three ranked opponents by 30 or more points in a single campaign. Read that again. We aren’t talking about beating up on directional schools in November; they are doing this to Gonzaga, Auburn, and now USC.
Michigan came into this game as a 21.5-point favorite. Turns out, Vegas was actually being generous. The Wolverines covered that spread with their eyes closed, emptying the bench late and still nearly hanging a hundred-burger on the scoreboard.
This wasn’t just a victory; it was a flex. Michigan is playing with a level of pace and efficiency that makes opposing defenses look like they’re running in quicksand. They logged 26 fast-break points compared to USC’s… well, let’s just say USC wasn’t running much of anything.
The Trojans’ Nightmare Start
You know that feeling when you have a nightmare where you try to run but your legs won’t move? That was the USC offense in the first half.
The Trojans didn’t manage to put a ball through the hoop until there was 13:19 left in the first half. You can’t survive a drought like that on the road against the No. 2 team in the country. It was painful to watch. USC looked shell-shocked by Michigan’s length and defensive intensity, treating the basketball like a hot potato.
Turnovers were the story of the night. USC coughed it up 12 times in the first half alone and finished with 21 turnovers for the game. Michigan, being the polite hosts they are, happily turned those mistakes into 24 points. It’s hard to establish any kind of rhythm when you’re constantly handing the ball over and jogging back on defense while the Wolverines are already dunking on the other end.
Bright Spots Were Hard To Find For Musselman
If you’re a USC fan looking for a silver lining, you might need a microscope. However, Jaden Brownell deserves a nod. The Samford transfer came off the bench to drop 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. He looked like the only guy in a USC jersey who wasn’t rattled by the atmosphere or the moment.
On the flip side, it was a rough night for Chad Baker-Mazara. The guard has been a spark plug for the Trojans this season, but he picked up fouls at a rate that would impress a reckless driver. He spent most of the first half glued to the bench and never really got into a flow, finishing with five turnovers. When your leader is in foul trouble and out of sync, the rest of the team tends to crumble, and that’s exactly what happened here.
Morez Johnson Jr. Has a Career Night
While USC was struggling to find the rim, Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. was having the time of his life. The sophomore forward was an absolute monster in the paint, finishing with a career-high 29 points on 10-of-12 shooting. He added six rebounds and basically did whatever he wanted inside.
The scary part for the rest of the country? Michigan didn’t even shoot that well from deep. They went a frosty 6-of-30 (20%) from three-point land and still won by 30. That is the definition of a complete team. They don’t need to rain threes to bury you; they can beat you with transition speed, interior dominance, and suffocating defense. Ten different Wolverines scored, showing off the kind of depth that wins championships.
No Rest For the Weary
There is no time for USC to feel sorry for itself. In the brutal landscape of the Big Ten, the hits keep coming. They have to shake off this embarrassment immediately because they have to travel just 65 miles up the road to face No. 9 Michigan State on Monday.
Going from the frying pan into the fire is an understatement. If the Trojans don’t fix their ball security and find a way to start games with a pulse, this three-game road trip could turn into a disaster very quickly.
As for Michigan? They look like the best team in the country, and frankly, it’s not even close right now.
