BIG TEN TEAM PREVIEW #16 USC TROJANS

USC did not have a very successful season in its first year as a member of the Big Ten conference. They finished with a 17-18 record with a 7-13 record in conference play. Last season was also Eric Musselman's first season as the program's head coach. He left Arkansas to take the USC job after five seasons there. Musselman had to build his team entirely of transfers last season, which didn't really work out. Musselman will test his luck again with that strategy this season, as USC will have an entirely new roster again that includes nine transfers.

Projected lineup:

G Jordan Marsh (UNC Asheville transfer)

G Rodney Rice (Maryland transfer)

G Chad Baker-Mazara (Auburn transfer)

F Ezra Ausar (Utah transfer)

F Jacob Cofie (Virginia transfer)

USC's new backcourt is headlined by Maryland transfer Rodney Rice. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard was a key player on a Maryland team that won 27 games and reached the Sweet Sixteen last year. Rice started in 32 of his 36 games for the Terps last year and averaged 13.8 points and 2.1 assists on 43.4 percent shooting. 5-foot-10 UNC Asheville transfer Jordan Marsh will run the point for the Trojans next year. Marsh had an outstanding season at the mid-major level last year, averaging 18.8 points and 3.7 assists. Marsh was also a first-team all-conference selection in the Big South. USC was expecting incoming five-star point guard recruit Alijah Arenas to be a starter in their backcourt this season. Arenas, unfortunately, suffered a torn meniscus in July, which could cause him to miss the entire season. Arenas was the #10 player in the class by 247 Sports. Incoming 6-foot-3 freshman shooting guard Jerry Easter is USC's other big incoming freshman. Easter is the #51 player in the 2025 class and the #9 shooting guard. 6-foot-7 combo guard Amarion Dickerson is one of USC's incoming transfers that could be overlooked at first. Dickerson comes from Robert Morris, who plays in the Horizon League. He averaged 13.3 points and 5.9 rebounds on the season. Dickerson's defense is what makes him stand out; it's also the reason why he's projected to go in the early second round on NBA mock drafts. Last season, Dickerson averaged 2.3 blocks per game at just 6-foot-7 while winning defensive player of the year in the Horizon League.

USC landed one of the bigger names in college basketball in Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara. The sixth-year senior will be 25 at the beginning of next season. Baker-Mazara had a very nice season at Auburn last year, earning SEC all-conference honors while averaging 12.3 points and 3 rebounds and knocking down 38.1% of his three-point attempts. He should start at the small forward position next year for the Trojans. 6-foot-9 Utah transfer Ezra Ausar should start at the four for USC. Ausar started in 29 of his 31 games for Utah last season, averaging 12.5 points and 5 rebounds per game. 6-foot-10 Virginia transfer Jacob Cofie should be the team's starting center next season. In his freshman season last year, he averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 boards. 7-foot-3 Youngstown State transfer Gabe Dynes is guy who could also play a lot at the five for USC next year. Dynes is an excellent shot-blocker that's made the all-defensive team in the Horizon League in each of the last two seasons. He averaged 3.1 blocks per game in just 21.8 minutes per contest last season.

I think USC should be a better team this season than they were last year. I think the transfers they have on this team are just better. Defense was definitely the focus for Eric Musselman this offseason, as they added Amarion Dickerson, Jacob Cofie, Gabe Dynes, and Chad Baker-Mazara, who are all known mainly for their defense. Offensively, they probably won't be that great, especially with the loss of Alijah Arenas. I still expect this USC team to win some games, though, as they added a lot of great players via the portal.

Prediction: 12th in Big Ten