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Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2025-26 season.
Previously: Rutgers, Penn State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, Maryland, Iowa, Wisconsin
Today: USC (17-18 overall in 2024-25, 7-13 in Big Ten play)
The Muss Bus was hardly in motion in year one of Eric Musselman’s tenure in Los Angeles. With a roster that featured one returnee, two freshmen and 11 transfers, the Trojans trudged their way to a losing record and squeaked into the Big Ten tournament. USC lost in the second round of the inaugural College Basketball Crown to end its season.
USC’s roster movement
Players returning with eligibility: Terrance Williams II
Players departing due to exhausted eligibility: Saint Thomas, Bryce Pope, Chibuzo Agbo, Matt Knowling, Harrison Hornery, Josh Cohen, Clark Slajchert
Players departing via transfer portal: Wesley Yates (to Washington), Kevin Patton Jr. (to New Mexico), Isaiah Elohim (to Florida Atlantic), Jalen Shelley (to Loyola Marymount), Rashaun Agee (to Texas A&M), Desmond Claude (to Washington)
Players arriving via transfer portal: Chad Baker-Mazara (from Auburn), Rodney Rice (from Maryland), Jacob Cofie (from Virginia), Ezra Ausar (from Utah), Gabe Dynes (from Youngstown State), Amarion Dickerson (from Robert Morris), Jaden Brownell (from Samford), Jordan Marsh (from UNC-Asheville), Ryan Cornish (from Dartmouth)
Players arriving from high school: Alijah Arenas (247sports Composite top 10), Jerry Easter (247sports Composite top 50)
Despite Musselman failing to find success with transfer-heavy rosters the past couple of years, the 60-year-old coach stuck to his roots and hauled in an impressive class. Chad Baker-Mazara and Rodney Rice headline a portal class ranked ninth nationally by ESPN.com. The Trojans boast a strong two-man high school class inside the top-30 as well – Alijah Arenas, son of former All-NBA guard Gilbert Arenas, is a top-10 recruit and Jerry Easter falls inside the top-50. Terrance Williams II, USC’s sole returnee, was granted a sixth year of eligibility after just seven games before injury derailed his first season in LA. The Trojans currently have 12 scholarship players.
What to like about USC
The Trojans are extremely well-balanced. Currently projected inside Bart Torvik’s top-25 in offensive and defensive adjusted efficiency, USC will get a lot of scoring, especially from its backcourt and should protect the rim well. Gabe Dynes, the slender 7-foot-3 big from Youngstown State, was second in the nation in blocks per game and fourth in block percentage in just 21.8 minutes per game.
Depth became a problem for USC last season, but this Trojan squad will have plenty of it. The backcourt will have plenty of talent to rotate through between the established incomers like Baker-Mazara, Rice and Ryan Cornish plus the highly-heralded Arenas and Easter. Down low, guys like Dynes, Cofie and Ausar can get significant minutes and Williams II has significant experience on the wing.
There’s a lot of experience on this roster, both in terms of age and high-major familiarity. Especially on the West Coast, it takes a lot to navigate a season in the Big Ten with all of the travel, but this team should be prepared for it.
What to question with USC
Last year’s team wasn’t ranked as highly in the preseason, but it was the same story that turned sour. Musselman has struggled to find his earlier success with the portal from his past and with nine current transfer commits – with the potential for that number to reach 10 – another poor season could put into question whether his formula can work in LA.
It goes along with point one, but chemistry is always a question with an incoming class this large. A lot of the newcomers come from very different play styles and systems and it isn’t always easy to acclimate everyone.
USC’s outlook for the 2025-26 season
Home: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers
Away: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Oregon, UCLA, Washington
Bart Torvik currently projects USC to finish seventh in the Big Ten and inside the top-25 nationally. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi forecasts the Trojans as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament.
This team has no shortage of talent. USC should have one of the best backcourts in the conference, top-to-bottom. The Trojans can compete in the top third of the conference, at least.
Category: Commentary
Filed to: 2025-26 Big Ten preview, USC Trojans
