USC Trojans Basketball's Early Ranking Should Excite Fans

Teams from the Big Ten ranked ahead of the Trojans include the Purdue Boilermakers (No. 14), Illinois Fighting Illini (No. 8), Michigan State Spartans (No. 6), and Michigan Wolverines (No. 1). Given how the Trojans finished this past season, many college basketball fans will be surprised that USC has such a high ranking. 

Why USC Trojans Are Deserving Of Early Top 25 Ranking

Despite losing leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara, USC brings back several top returning players and adds a few talented recruits. USC has the potential to be among the group of underrated teams in the Big Ten next season.

Guards Rodney Rice and Alijah Arenas, who struggled with injuries last season, are among the top players that USC returns. Before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the Maui Invitational Semifinal win over the Seton Hall Pirates, Rice was one of the top leaders for the Trojans, averaging 20.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game in the six games he played. 

Arenas, who didn’t make his debut until the middle of January, showed his talent as a former five-star recruit in his freshman season. Arenas averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Entering his sophomore season, expect Arenas to take his game to the next level.

Jacob Cofie also returns as a crucial piece of the Trojans' rim protection; in his first season with USC, he averaged 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists for the Trojans. 

Top Recruits Arrive At USC

In addition to their returning pieces, USC brings in three McDonald’s All-Americans, which could be what it takes for the Trojans to get back to the tournament for the first time in three seasons. Five-star forward Christan Collins, along with four-star forward Adonis Ratliff and center Darius Ratliff, are the three commits in USC’s No. 8-ranked 2026 recruiting class, per 247Sports.

After bringing in one of the top transfer portal classes in the country last season, Musselman may go all in this offseason as well to further improve the Trojans' roster. USC’s transfer portal class was ranked No. 7 in the country, per 247Sports. 

The only Big Ten team ranked ahead of the Trojans was Michigan at No. 2, which earned the rewards of going all-in on the transfer portal, as it helped the Wolverines win the national championship.

USC having another productive offseason in the transfer portal and remaining healthy throughout next season could result in a memorable season for Musselman’s Trojans.

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