USC hit the transfer portal hard this offseason, and there was considerable turnover on this roster. The Trojans did not meet expectations in their first season in the Big Ten. Eric Musselman tried to change that this offseason, acquiring guys who better fit his scheme. One was in-conference transfer Rodney Rice from Maryland.
Rice played all 36 games last season for Maryland and started 32 games for the Terps. Rice averaged 13.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest last season. He also shot an impressive 43.4 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from three. Rice will provide a much-needed scoring punch to the Trojans and help this team be better behind the arc.
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In a recent ranking of the top 100 players in men’s college basketball by writers Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf of ESPN, two USC Trojans were featured. Transfer Rodney Rice cracked the rankings at 57. Here are Borzello’s thoughts on Rice:
“Rice could establish himself as the early go-to guy for coach Eric Musselman. The Maryland transfer is a high-level scorer and cemented himself as one of the elite offensive players in the Big Ten during the second half of 2024-25. He averaged 13.8 points for the season, but that increased to 18.8 points over an eight-game span down the stretch of conference play, during which he shot 45.1% from 3.”
Rice last season showed great promise in some big games for the Terrapins. One being his 26-point game against Illinois in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. For a big majority of last season he scored in double figures. For the Trojans this season, he could be the top dog, and it is clear head coach Eric Musselman has a great deal of confidence in him.
In his debut game last night for the Trojans, Rice played the most minutes on the squad with 34, and he put up the second most points in Game 1 with 21. He also managed to chip in a team-leading 8 assists, displaying his full playmaking skill set. Although it was not a particularly efficient shooting night, he displayed his multi-talented identity. Notably, Rice’s 8 assists were combined with only 1 turnover. An 8-1 assist-turnover ratio is elite. If this is any indication of what Rice will bring to the table, USC’s odds of making the NCAA Tournament will rise.
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Rodney Rice, with a bigger role on the Trojans, could overachieve this season and propel himself into a higher tier of players as the season gets underway. It is early, but Rice has already given the Trojans reason to be excited for this season.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Rodney Rice played excellent offensive game for USC in Trojan debut
