It seemed as though USC men’s basketball coach Eric Musselman had finally perfected his starting lineup.

Point guard Kam Woods could nearly read Musselman’s mind, accurately predicting how he wants plays run. Ezra Ausar and Jacob Cofie are physically formidable, while Chad Baker-Mazara and Alijah Arenas are wings who can create shots and – most of the time – sink them.

“It’s been a good, solid mix together,” Musselman said.

The group will be disrupted, at least for the time being, now that Baker-Mazara is day-to-day with a Grade 1 knee strain. USC (17-6 overall, 6-6 Big Ten) will once again test its depth when it hits the road to play Penn State (10-13, 1-11) on Sunday and Ohio State (15-7, 7-5) on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-7 senior left the Trojans’ most recent game against Indiana with 19 minutes remaining in the second half due to the injury, but 6-6 freshman Alijah Arenas stepped up to finish with a team-high 29 points.

On top of that, Ausar and Cofie fouled out late in the game.

“To think that Chad wouldn’t play the second half and those other two guys fall out, and then we still found a way to win – this was a huge game,” Musselman said. “I mean, I told the team, this game’s not worth one game.”

Baker-Mazara has played in all 23 games this season and has started in all but three of them. He’s the Big Ten’s best free-throw shooter, making 90.5% of his shots, and the team’s active leading scorer, contributing 18.3 points per game.

USC will be on the West Coast for the rest of the regular season after this road trip, which will likely ease Baker-Mazara’s recovery process.

Sunday’s game against a struggling Penn State team could serve as a warm-up for Ohio State on Wednesday. The Buckeyes are No. 39 in the NET rankings, and a win could boost the Trojans’ status significantly from their current spot at No. 48.

Ohio State has four players who are averaging double figures in scoring, including three-point expert John “Juni” Mobley. The 6-1 sophomore guard has hit five or more 3-pointers in seven games this season, which is second-most in the Big Ten.

“He’s been so consumed with winning and doing whatever is required to win,” head coach Jake Diebler told reporters. “The poise and maturity that he’s playing with the ball in his hands right now has been really impressive for a sophomore.”

USC faced a high-volume perimeter shooting team in Indiana, which hit 10 of 35 shots from the arc on Tuesday. Not only will the Trojans’ perimeter defense be tested – they’ll also have to fend off a big man who’s capable of scoring major points.

Christoph Tilly, a 7-foot center from Germany, had one of his best games of the season in the Buckeyes’ 82-62 victory over Maryland on Thursday by putting up 19 points on 70% shooting from the field. He went 0 for 8 in the game prior to that.

When: Sunday, 9 a.m. PT

Where: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pennsylvania

TV/Radio: Big Ten Network/710 AM

When: Wednesday, 3:30 p.m. PT

Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio

TV/Radio: Big Ten Network/USCTrojans.com/Listen