Rodney Rice Puts High Expectations on USC for Upcoming Season

USC Trojans guard Rodney Rice is entering is second season in Los Angeles. The 23-year old has high hopes for this season’s Trojans squad.

Rodney Rice on USC: "I Think We Can Be Great"

usc trojans eric musselman rodney rice transfer portal kj lewis big ten conference ncaa tournament eric reibe alijah arenas — 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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rodney Rice transferred the USC Trojans in 2025 after previously playing for the Maryland Terrapins in 2024-25. Right away, Rice became USC’s go-to scorer. He led the Trojans in points per game with 20.3 in his first six games of the season to lead USC to a 6-0 start, including winning the 2025 Maui Invitational Tournament.

Unfortunately, that would be the end of the season for Rice, who suffered a season ending shoulder injury after those six games. USC ended the season with a record of 18-14, missing the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year. However, Rice thinks USC will be a force to be reckoned with this season.

“I think we can be great. I want to make the Final Four,” Rice said in a video posted by USC’s official X account. “I love it here. I love the team we have as well as Coach Muss and the coaching staff…Win the Big Ten, I think we got the guys to do that…We got what it takes. I think we can be real special.”

From the DMV to DTLA, @rodneyrice__ has found a home at USC ✌️ pic.twitter.com/4hIjOPWshf
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) July 17, 2026

On paper, USC has had a great offseason. In addition to bringing back key members of their backcourt from last season in Rice and guard Alijah Arenas, the Trojans did well in the portal.

USC landed two four-star transfers in the portal this offseason in guard KJ Lewis and center Eric Reibe.

Lewis previously played for the Arizona Wildcats and Georgetown Hoyas from 2023-2026. At Georgetown last season, the 6-4 Lewis averaged 14.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He was named First-team All-Big East in 2026. Lewis will bring instant offense to the table for USC.

Eric Reibe is a 7-1 center out of Germany who played his freshman season in college with the UConn Huskies in 2025-26. The Huskies were a veteran-led team last season and made a run all the way to the national title game. Reibe didn’t see much playing time, averaging 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.8 minutes played per game.

CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein has USC ranked as the No. 4 team in the Big Ten conference heading into next season, behind only the Illinois Fighting Illini, Michigan State Spartans, and Michigan Wolverines. That would be a big step up from where USC finished in the Big Ten conference standings in their first two seasons as a member of the league.

In 2024-25, USC had a record of 7-13 in Big Ten play and finished tied for 12th with four other teams. In 2025-26, USC went 7-13 in league play and once against tied for 12th place in the Big Ten.

Will year three under coach Eric Musselman be different?

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