Maryland guard Rodney Rice (1) is transferring to USC, bolstering Trojans coach Eric Musselman’s transfer haul. (Michael Conroy / Associated Press)
One of the most coveted transfer guards in college basketball has committed to USC, giving Eric Musselman the difference-maker he desperately needed in his second portal class.
Rodney Rice chose USC over more established basketball powers Villanova, Tennessee and Gonzaga, all of whom were reportedly willing to shell out major money to reel in the 6-foot-4 junior combo guard.
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Exactly what it cost for the Trojans to win the bidding war for Rice, their top transfer target, was not immediately clear. As name, image and likeness paydays have skyrocketed for basketball transfers ahead of a House vs.NCAA settlement set to change athlete compensation rules, multiple reports suggested Tuesday that USC had paid upwards of $3 million for the former Maryland standout’s services.
A former four-star recruit, Rice started his college career at Virginia Tech, where he only played in eight games due to injury. He sat out the 2023-24 season, before breaking out as a redshirt sophomore at Maryland last season. Rice started 32 games for the Terrapins, averaging 13.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 37.3% from 3-point range.
Read more: Inside life on the Muss Buss: Eric Musselman’s drive to transform USC basketball
At USC, the expectation is Rice will play more point guard than he has in the past, handling the ball and facilitating the offense alongside Desmond Claude, who served as the Trojans primary floor general last season.
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Claude still hasn’t made his plans clear for next season. He was expected to evaluate his NBA draft standing before returning to USC for one more season, a person familiar with the Trojans’ expectations not authorized to discuss it publicly. But with Rice in the fold handling more of the point guard duties, it wasn’t entirely clear as of Tuesday afternoon whether Claude will remain in L.A. The portal will close on Tuesday night.
If he does return, Claude and Rice would give the Trojans a potent one-two punch in the backcourt next season. The arrival of five-star freshman Alijah Arenas should only raise that ceiling.
USC likely could still use more depth at guard, considering Claude is the team’s only returning player at the position. Freshman guard Jerry Easter and Northridge transfer Keonte Jones are the only other ball handlers currently on the roster.
Read more: Promising USC guard Wesley Yates III enters the transfer portal
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Musselman has already managed to remake the Trojans’ now-supersized front court with six new transfer wings and forwards, all of whom are 6-foot-6 or taller. He brought in a high-potential, 6-foot-10 sophomore big from Virginia in Jacob Cofie, along with a starting-caliber power forward from Utah in Ezra Ausar. Musselman mined the mid-major ranks for rising stars, reeling in the likes of Amarion Dickerson, the Horizon League’s Defensive Player of the Year, from Robert Morris; Keonte Jones, an All-Big West first-team selection from Northridge; and Jaden Brownell, a stretch forward from Samford. To solve USC’s rim-protection issues, he added the NCAA’s leader in blocks last season, 7-foot-3 center Gabe Dynes from Youngstown State.
Adding Rice is Musselman’s biggest move yet, one that should help soften the blow of losing sophomore star Wesley Yates III, who surprisingly entered the transfer portal earlier this month. He has since committed to Washington, returning to the school he attended prior to USC.
As of Tuesday, the final day for college basketball players to enter the transfer portal, the Trojans had the No. 11 transfer class in college basketball according to 247 Sports, while Rice was the 25th-ranked transfer overall, one spot behind Yates.
USC still has room to add to its transfer haul. Pending the NCAA’s decision on the eligibility of senior forward Saint Thomas, the Trojans will have either two or three available slots on the roster.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
