The USC Trojans men’s basketball team will be looking to make a return to the NCAA Tournament after a three-year absence this upcoming season.
USC assistant coach Michael Musselman claims that this is the most talented team in his three years at USC under coach Eric Musselman.
Advertisement
Michael Musselman on USC’s 2026-27 Roster
Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“It’s probably the most talented team we’ve had since we’ve been here,” Michael Musselman was quoted as saying in a post by the official USC men’s basketball X account.
Michael Musselman followed his dad Eric Musselman from the Arkansas Razorbacks to USC following the 2023-24 college basketball season. They have now spent two seasons with USC, accumulating an overall record of 35-32. This has not been enough to get the Trojans to the big dance.
However, the future does look bright as USC heads into 2026-27.
USC’s 2026 recruiting class was ranked No. 8 in the country per 247Sports, led by forward Christian Collins, forward Adonis Ratliff, and center Darius Ratliff. Michael Musselman spoke highly of all three of these incoming freshman. Calling Collins “explosive” and saying the Ratliff twins posses the rare talent of being 7-footers with the ability to knock down threes and “fly around on defense.”
Additionally, USC will be getting back two big pieces in their backcourt: guards Alijah Arenas and Rodney Rice.
Advertisement
Arenas and Rice both showed promise when they were on the floor last season. What held them back was injury.
Arenas was USC’s highest rated 2025 recruit, a five-star guard that has all the tools to succeed at the college level and eventually the NBA. Arenas began the year sitting out due to a meniscus tear he suffered during the offseason. He was only able to play in USC’s final 14 games, averaging 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
Rice on the other hand was one of USC’s highest rated transfers in the portal coming into the 2025-26 season. He showed why in the first six games. Rice led the Trojans in scoring with 20.3 points per game, helping get USC off to a 6-0 start. He did not play another game after that due to a shoulder injury.
Advertisement
The Trojans now will hope to get Arenas and Rice both healthy by opening night and hit the ground running in 2026-27.
USC got upgrades in the transfer portal as well. Per 247Sports, two of USC’s six incoming transfers from the portal this offseason are rated four stars. Those two players would be center Eric Reibe and guard KJ Lewis.
Reibe signed with the UConn Huskies as a member of their 2025 recruiting class. He was a four-star recruit, but didn’t play much on a UConn team full of veterans that made it all the way to the National Championship game last season.
Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UConn Huskies center Eric Reibe (12) dunks the ball against the UCLA Bruins in the first half during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The 7-1 big man out of Germany entered the portal after his freshman year and transferred to USC. Reibe averaged 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds for UConn and looks poised to take a step forward with the Trojans this season.
Advertisement
Lewis is entering his fourth season in college. He has a track record at the power conference level of being able to put the ball in the bucket. Lewis spent his first two seasons in college with the Arizona Wildcats before transferring to the Georgetown Hoyas. In his one season at Georgetown in 2025-26, Lewis averaged 14.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
He entered the portal and transferred to USC. He will be another backcourt scoring option for the Trojans.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as USC’s Michael Musselman Makes Bold Claim About Trojans Roster .
