The USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins are coming off relatively disappointing seasons, with all eyes now on the college basketball transfer portal for reinforcements for next season. While the Trojans aren’t in the mix for the top players in the transfer portal, they have their eyes on underrated targets.
Under first-year head coach Eric Musselman, USC only delivered marginal on-court improvements. The team won two more games than it did the previous season under Andy Enfield, but it finished with a worse conference record. Even more alarming, the Trojans missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year.
Read: USC Trojans land top 2026 recruit to add to strong class
- USC Trojans basketball record: 17-18, 7-13 in Big Ten Conference last season
USC is already dealing with the potential losses of two guards – Kevin Patton Jr. and Isaiah Elohim – to the transfer portal. Fortunately, Musselman might have a leading target to replace Elohim as the next Trojans’ combo guard.
According to Jamie Shaw of On3.com, USC is heavily involved in the pursuit of former Louisville point guard Koren Johnson. The Trojans were specifically mentioned as a team to “pay attention” to in the recruiting battle for Johnson.
Related: Highest-paid college basketball coaches
- Koren Johnson stats (ESPN): 3.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG in 19.5 MPG
The 6-foot-2 guard transferred to Louisville last offseason after a two-year stint with the Washington Huskies. However, he appeared in just 2 games this past season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery. In his last full season with the Huskies, he averaged 11.1 points and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 37.3 percent from the perimeter.
Johnson is rated by 247 Sports as the 12th-best combo guard in the transfer portal. While he isn’t viewed as a future NBA-caliber talent, he is a strong defender who could play a significant role in the Trojans’ rotation next season.