The USC Trojans got a huge boost this offseason with the return of guard Rodney Rice. Rice averaged a team-high 20.3 points per game with the Trojans last season, but was only able to suit up for six games due to a shoulder injury.
He’s ranked as one of the top retentions in college basketball for the 2026-27 season.
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Rodney RiceRanked As Top 25 Returner
Nov 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Rodney Rice (1) dribbles the ball against Illinois State Redbirds guard Johnny Kinziger (11) during the first half of the Hall of Fame Series game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Rodney Rice is a 6-4, 195 guard that will be entering his fifth collegiate season and second with USC. Rice began his collegiate career with the Virginia Tech Hokies in 2022-23. He took a redshirt season in 2023-24 before retuning to the court in 2024-25 with Maryland. Now, he’s heading into his second year at USC.
Cameron Salerno of CBS Sports ranked his top 25 retentions for the 2026-27 college basketball season. Rice is ranked No. 23 on this list. No. 1 is Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh. Haugh has been with the Gators since 2022 and was a key part of their 2025 national championship winning team in 2025. He averaged 17.1 points per game for Florida in 2025-26.
In Rice’s first year at USC, he averaged 20.3 points, 6.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. These were all career high numbers for Rice. That shoulder being injured and ending his season was extremely disappointing. USC missed his presence on the court.
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With Rice in the lineup, the Trojans began the season 6-0, winning the 2025 Maui Invitational. They looked destined to make it to the 2026 NCAA Tournament after coming up short the two previous years.
Even without Rice, USC was still able to finish non-conference play without a loss. Then came Big Ten conference play. The Trojans struggled, going 7-13 in league play and finished the regular season with a record of 18-13 overall.
Mar 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the UCLA Bruins at the Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
USC then lost their first game of the Big Ten conference tournament to fall to 18-14 on the season. That was their eighth loss in a row. It took them out of real consideration for an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. USC has not made it to the big dance for three straight years, with their last appearance coming in 2023. They’ll look to change that in 2026-27.
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USC coach Eric Musselman is going into year three as coach in Los Angeles. Musselman, like USC, is on his own three-year NCAA Tournament drought. Prior to USC, he was the coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. After leading Arkansas to the second weekend of March Madness in three straight seasons from 2021-2023, they missed the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Musselman left for USC that offseason.
The Trojans should have a good chance to get to the tournament in 2027 with Rice and also guard Alijah Arenas returning. Furthermore, the NCAA Tournament is expanding from 68 team to 76 this season, so there’s an eight additional at-large bids USC could wind up getting.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as USC’s Rodney Rice Listed Among Best Retentions in College Basketball.
