One Key to Championship Success for the USC Trojans, Eric Musselman

Following an 18-14 season from the USC Trojans, coach Eric Musselman made significant changes to the frontcourt in hopes of finding better success in 2026.

During the 2025 season, the Big Ten began to emerge as one of the better conferences in college basketball, which showed one specific trend that, if repeated, may lead to success for USC.

USC Trojans Frontcourt Size Success 2026 College Basketball Season Eric Reibe Darius Ratliff Adonis Ratliff Christian Collins — Jan 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the Maryland Terrapins in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Big Ten Size

Throughout the course of last season, one of the more interesting things to watch was the number of teams in the Big Ten that found great success deep into the NCAA Tournament.

This included Illinois and Michigan, which both made the Final Four, and ultimately ended in the Wolverines winning the National Championship with dominant performances throughout the tournament.

One of the main reasons for Michigan’s dominant run was the pure size that they had in the frontcourt, which made it very difficult for opposing teams to score in the paint, as well as stop them on the other end of the floor.

After watching this unfold during 2025, Musselman decided to take action and add a significant amount of size to the Trojans’ roster, which he hopes will create positive momentum moving forward.

Eric Reibe

One of the biggest additions that USC made was recruiting former UConn center Eric Reibe from the transfer portal to bring some solid size to the frontcourt.

After playing for UConn coach Dan Hurley, Reibe comes to the Trojans with a decent amount of experience in big games during the NCAA Tournament. That experience gives Reibe a major advantage for USC to help the rest of the roster handle the pressure in a better way than many other young teams.

During his 2025 campaign with the Huskies, Reibe recorded 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game after playing in all 40 games and starting in five of those games. Standing at 7-1 and 260 pounds, Reibe brings a significant amount of size that should be able to help the Trojans on both ends of the floor.

On the defensive end, Reibe brings great length and a presence that can alter shots near the rim and limit the amount of offensive rebounds that USC allows to its opponents. On offense, Reibe could be a great screen setter for USC to get the guards more space on the perimeter. On the interior, Reibe could also develop into a great finisher at the rim and grab offensive rebounds to generate more possessions for the Trojans.

Darius Ratliff and Adonis Ratliff

In addition to Reibe, the Trojans also signed brothers Darius Ratliff and Adonis Ratliff as major parts of the 2026 recruiting class, who could both give USC more size in the frontcourt at the center position.

Standing at 7-0, both brothers can provide depth for Reibe to be great rim protectors on the defensive side of the floor, and have great talent on the offensive end of the floor as well.

Darius functions as a player who can be a versatile weapon for USC on offense, with great athleticism to be a pick-and-roll threat, and continues to develop his shot on the perimeter, which could help him to significantly stretch the floor. Darius also has solid vision, which could allow him to create great opportunities for others as a playmaker for the Trojans.

Adonis also brings great talent on offense with his ability to score at all three levels with a very well-developed jump shot that has a chance to translate very well to the collegiate level. With his already developed perimeter shot, Adonis could really help to stretch the floor for the Trojans, which could open up the paint and generate easier shots for others.

Christian Collins

Coach Musselman was also able to bring forward Christian Collins, who was one of the top recruits in the 2026 class as well.

Collins stands at 6-8 and is a longer player who uses that length to cause havoc on the defensive end in passing lanes and can block near the rim. On offense, Collins excels in transition and finishing on the interior, which could benefit USC if they can play at a fast pace.

As one of the top recruits in the country, Collins has the potential and ability to impact the Trojans right away, which should help USC to stay relevant in what has become a very competitive Big Ten conference.

However, Collins’ versatility on the defensive end of the floor could turn out to be his most valuable quality, with the creativity it could give Musselman on the defensive end. With Collins set to begin his collegiate career, the tools he has, in addition to what he will develop, could put him in a position to be one of the best players on this roster very soon.

The Impact of USC’s Size

One of the biggest things Musselman and the Trojans aim to accomplish next season is qualifying for the NCAA Tournmanet next season, which is a major reason why Musselman felt the frontcourt needed some significant additions. Having the size to compete with the top teams in the country is essential, which is exactly what Musselman did in the transfer portal and through high school recruiting.

The versatility, length, and offensive potential that Reibe, the Ratliff brothers, and Collins present could become very dangerous for opposing teams and become a key reason why the Trojans could compete for a Big Ten title as soon as next season and qualify for the NCAA Tournament once again.

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