Seven months since Eric Musselman’s hire as coach in April, the Muss Bus officially started its engines at USC, surprisingly knocking off national power Gonzaga, 96-93, in an exhibition last weekend.

Musselman’s first men’s basketball roster at USC is unproven, with a surplus of mid-major transfers, but offers plenty of intrigue and upside. Here’s a breakdown of a new-look USC program as the Trojans prepare for their home opener tonight against Chattanooga.

Guards

Xavier transfer Desmond Claude was the highest-profile get of Musselman-and-company’s mad scramble down at the Portal House this spring, a combo guard and aggressive contact-hunter who averaged 16.6 points a game last season. USC, in many ways, will go as he does, entrusting Claude with primary point-guard responsibilities.

Beyond him, USC doesn’t have many traditional ball-handlers on its roster. Penn transfer Clark Slajchert offers shooting (42% from three last year) and another hand at point. Keep an eye on freshman Jalen Shelley, a 6-foot-8 string bean with springboards for sneakers who has worked some at point guard and looked like the best player on the floor for long stretches of a team scrimmage in October.

Wings

Musselman’s inaugural roster at USC is intentionally designed around length and versatility, leading to a wealth of 6-7 types with a range of complementary and overlapping skillsets.

Northern Colorado transfer Saint Thomas has as good a chance as any to be USC’s standout this season, averaging 19.7 points a game and 9.8 rebounds last year and looking every bit the part of USC’s alpha dog in an exhibition win over UTSA.

“I knew that role, I was going to have to take on that role,” Thomas said after scoring 21 points “and I think I was ready for it.”

Senior Terrance Williams II, from Michigan, is a natural three-and-D player who started against UTSA. Chibuzo Agbo, from Boise State, offers a bit more offensive upside when his shot is falling. Yale transfer Matt Knowling could be Musselman’s glue-guy in a lot of lineups, a 6-6 forward who plays bigger than his size and is a sneaky-good passer and cutter.

Bigs

When asked how he viewed the center spot on his team’s roster in early October, Musselman offered a little more than a shrug.

“I don’t even know,” he candidly said then.

Josh Cohen, a 6-10 transfer from UMass, is the team’s tallest player — USC is severely lacking in shot-blocking. In an ideal world, this group would make up for that with defensive switch-ability, gang-rebounding and a center who can capably facilitate as a hub from the elbow. Cohen is the most natural candidate there, a solid passer and strong on-floor communicator.

Bowling Green transfer Rashaun Agee was USC’s center for weeks, as Musselman affirmed, before Cohen outplayed him in an October scrimmage open to media. Agee offers a little more glass-crashing energy. USC also returns Harrison Hornery, a 6-10, 230-pound senior and the lone holdover from last season’s roster.