Breaking Down the Impact of Rodney Rice's Decision to Return to USC Trojans

The USC Trojans received a major announcement on Friday afternoon as star guard Rodney Rice is set to return for the 2026-27 season.

Nov 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Rodney Rice (1) shoots a free throw during the first half of the Hall of Fame Series game against the Illinois State Redbirds at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

USC Trojans men's basketball announced on Friday afternoon that guard Rodney Rice will return for the 2026-27 college basketball season. Rice's return to USC provides a massive boost to coach Eric Musselman’s backcourt as they look to bounce back from a disappointing end to the 2025-26 season. 

Rice returns to the Trojans after his first season with the Trojans was cut short after six games. Following the Trojans' 83-81 Maui Invitational semifinal win over the Seton Hall Pirates, Rice underwent season-ending surgery on his right shoulder. 

Nov 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Rodney Rice (1) dribbles the ball during the first half of the Hall of Fame Series game against the Illinois State Redbirds at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The loss proved brutal for the Trojans backcourt depth throughout the season. USC failed to reach the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season, finishing with an 18-14 overall record and going 7-13 in Big Ten play. 

After starting the season at a promising 12-1, USC looked to be one of the most underrated teams in the Big Ten. However, the Trojans won just six more games the rest of the way, including ending the season on an eight-game losing streak. 

Rodney Rice's Return Strenghtens Trojans Backcourt

Nov 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Rodney Rice (1) dribbles the ball against Illinois State Redbirds forward Cameron Barnes (23) during the first half of the Hall of Fame Series game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Rice’s return following the departure of USC guard Chad Baker-Mazara gives Musselman a returning top scorer he can rely on this time, hopefully, during the entire season. Before his season-ending right shoulder injury, Rice was the Trojans' leading scorer in the games he played, averaging 20.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. 

Rice scored 20-plus points in four of the six games he appeared in last season for the Trojans, which included a season-high 27 points, three assists, and one rebound in USC’s 70-67 win over the Boise State Broncos in the first round of the Maui Invitational. 

Before transferring to USC for the 2025-26 season, Rice spent one year each with the Virginia Tech Hokies (2022-23) and the Maryland Terrapins (2024-25).

Will Alijah Arenas Return to USC?

Jan 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Alijah Arenas (0) enters the court before the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With Rice's return, Trojan fans now await the decision of another talented guard on their team, freshman star Alijah Arenas. The son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, Alijah made his debut for the Trojans in mid-January after recovering from a brutal car accident and a torn meniscus. 

In the 14 games that he appeared in for the Trojans, Arenas averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Arenas ' potential decision to return to USC and forego the NBA Draft will further strengthen the Trojans' backcourt heading into the 2026-27 season. 

After bringing in a top transfer class last offseason, Musselman may pursue several guards in the portal to strengthen USC’s backcourt depth. The Trojans brought in 11 total commits in the transfer portal. The class was ranked No. 7 overall, per 247Sports.

While Trojan fans shouldn’t expect an aggressive approach in the transfer portal compared to the one last offseason, Musselman will still push to bring in several additions as he looks to get USC back to the tournament for the first time since the 2022-23 college basketball season.      

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.