USC's Promising Ranking Amid Transfer Portal Chaos

The 2025-26 college basketball season has come to a close with the Michigan Wolverines coming out on top as they defeated the UConn Huskies in the national championship game.

As the page gets turned to 2026-27, what is the outlook for the USC Trojans as they head into year three with coach Eric Musselman?

USC Trojans Ranked No. 17 Heading into 2026

USC Trojans Eric Musselman Rankings Big Ten NCAA Tournament Recruiting Transfer portal alijah arenas rodney rice galen center — Mar 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman gestures to his team against the Washington Huskies during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

College basketball reporter Gary Parrish of CBS Sports released his most recent Top 25 and One rankings for the 2026-27 season after the early movement in the transfer portal. Parrish has the Trojans ranked as the No. 17 team in the country, citing the return of guard Rodney Rice, guard Alijah Arenas, and forward Jacob Cofie.

Unlike many programs around the country, USC has not fallen victim to losing their top players.

The team ranked No. 1 in Parrish's rankings are the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines.

“The ranking is based on the Trojans returning three of the top five scorers—specifically Rodney Rice, Alijah Arenas, and Jacob Cofie—from a team that finished 18-14,” Parrish said.

Last season, Rice averaged 20.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game before suffering a season ending shoulder injury injury in late November. Arenas missed the first half of his freshman year recovering from a torn meniscus. In his 14 games on the court, he averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Cofie averaged 9.9 points and 6.8 rebonds.

In addition to having these three players return, the Trojans have the No. 3 ranked 2026 recruiting class according to On3. This class is headlined by forward Christian Collins, center Adonis Ratliff, and center Darius Ratliff.

“That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by five-star prospect Christian Collins and four-star prospects Adonis Ratliff and Darius Ratliff,” Parrish said.

No. 17 is a healthy ranking for USC considering the fact that they have not been ranked higher than No. 24 in the Musselman era.

Year Three For Eric Musselman

USC coach Eric Musselman will enter this third season with the Trojans with his sights still set on getting them to their first NCAA Tournament in his tenure. USC has not made an NCAA Tournament since the 2022-23 season.

USC looked to be well on their way to making the big dance this past season. The Trojans went undefeated in non-conference play. In the process, they won the 2025 Maui Invitational. The winner of the Maui Invitational had made that season’s NCAA Tournament in every season dating back to the 2017-18 season.

USC got a rude awakening when they entered Big Ten conference play. The Big Ten was loaded and tied for 12th in the league. The Trojans went 7-13 in conference play. USC was on the bubble entering the final month of their season, but faltered down the stretch. They lost their final eight games of the season.

The Trojans will now aim to snap this three year drought without a tournament appearance next season.

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