USC Basketball Opens Season at No. 21

USC men’s basketball enters the 2026-27 season ranked No. 21 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, a leap from the 12th place finish in the Big Ten conference last year. The Trojans open their schedule against Milwaukee at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Galen Center. The program seeks to build on a foundation set by three returning players while integrating three new McDonald’s All-Americans.

Head coach Eric Musselman credited the returning group for establishing the team's culture. “It starts with our three returners,” Musselman said. “I think that between Rodney and Alijah and Jacob, they’ve really set the tone and the foundation.” The core includes 6-foot-5 guard Rodney Rice, 6-foot-7 guard Alijah Arenas, and 6-foot-10 forward Jacob Cofie. These three players are expected to start for the majority of the season.

Arenas faces questions about his performance following a difficult freshman year. He missed roughly the first half of last season due to a torn meniscus. When he returned, he shot 34.1% from the field and 21.3% from beyond the arc. The son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas also dealt with a serious car accident in April 2025 that resulted in six days of hospitalization for smoke inhalation. Arenas said Rice and Musselman helped him regain confidence during the offseason.

The Trojans added depth with the arrival of Christian Collins and twins Adonis and Darius Ratliff. The Ratliff brothers, sons of former NBA All-Star Theo Ratliff, are 6-foot-11 and 7-foot respectively. They have already earned starting roles in all three exhibition games. Darius recorded 27 points and 16 rebounds across those starts, while Adonis contributed eight points and six rebounds in two games.

Injury concerns affect the depth chart. 7-foot-1 center Eric Reibe is recovering from foot surgery and is expected to return in January. Freshman forward Collins, who stands 6-foot-9, also suffers from a foot injury with no set timeline for his return. The coaching staff has rotated lineups in exhibitions, often pairing Rice, Arenas, Cofie, and the Ratliff twins.

The team's physical identity may shift as six players on the roster stand at least 6-foot-10 tall. Last season, USC scored 18.8 points per game from the free-throw line, aided by aggressive players like Ezra Ausar. Ausar, a 6-foot-9 forward, signed with the Miami Heat on Oct. 15. Musselman noted that the current top seven rotation is young and still developing its physical approach.

The roster combines veteran experience with raw athletic talent. The Ratliff twins bring size and energy to the paint, a factor Arenas identified as unique. The Trojans will test this mix immediately against the Milwaukee Panthers in their season opener.