It's a new year for the USC Trojans. After a quick start in 2025-26 that included a Maui Invitational title, the Trojans stumbled to an 18-14 season, with a 7-13 Big Ten record.
Injuries, including to star freshman Alijah Arenas , and the mid-season dismissal of Chad Baker-Mazura certainly didn't help the team's cause last season. Now, with a healthy Arenas , plus a massive incoming class of talent from both the transfer portal and the high school ranks. USC and Coach Eric Musselman are thinking Big Ten Championship.
Time to see if the hype is real as we take a look at the 2026-27 Season Preview for the USC Trojans.
Dec 21, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard Alijah Arenas (0) warms up before the game against the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Arenas was limited to just 14 games last season, but in those games, he made an impact, starting 13 of them. Arenas showcased his natural scoring ability, averaging 14.1 points per game. It included a three-game stretch where he scored 24 or more points.
Arenas will have plenty of help in 2026-27, as the Trojans added the twin sons of former NBA player Theo Ratliff to the roster this offseason. Adonis Ratliff is a 6-foot-11 forward, while Darius Ratliff is a true seven-footer. The pair of McDonald's All-Americans were great additions from the high school ranks.
The Ratliff twins will blend in well with other key returning players. Jacob Cofie is back for a second year with the Trojans after transferring in last season.
Rodney Rice is also healthy this season and will be Arenas' backcourt mate. Transfers KJ Lewis and Eric Reibe will also make a difference on this team, as will another huge freshman, Christian Collins . USC got younger and better this season, and it should pay off well for the Trojans.
Returners:Arenas, Cofie, and Rice.
Newcomers:Ratliff, Isaac Bruns , Ratliff, Jalen Cox , Lewis, Jadis Jones , Reibe, Joshua Hughes , Collins, Aaron Hunkin-Claytor , and Onyeka Joe Agu .
The USC Trojans are bound to have some exciting games in 2026-27. The Trojans have already been tested against the North Carolina Tar Heels in a tough exhibition game in Greensboro. The Trojans defeated UC Davis last night, 80-74, in their final tune-up, as Rice and Arenas combined for 48 points. Those games certainly prepare them for what's ahead.
Particularly when they partake in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic in Nevada during opening week, where their foe will be the Wichita State Shockers, the Trojans then have a true road game at former PAC-12 foe the California Golden Bears, who are no strangers to knocking off a heavily favored Big Ten in-state rival, as they did to UCLA last season.
During Thanksgiving, the Trojans will participate in the Acrisure Series in Palm Springs, with games against South Carolina and Utah State. The Trojans open Big Ten action with a home contest against Washington, before visiting the new-look Oregon Ducks . The last major non-conference tilt for USC comes on December 13th, when they play the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
To find out if USC is a real Big Ten contender, a lot will be revealed in their road trips to Purdue and Indiana to begin the new year. In reality, it's a four-game road trip from December 30th to January 8th. Then they get Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Michigan for three straight home games. It's too bad the favorite to win the conference, Illinois, is a road game for USC, as the Trojans will have a rough trip to Champaign at the end of January.
Other than that, USC has quite a favorable schedule, especially with the best teams in the league early in the schedule.
It's said best that expectations are high when you bring in a highly talented group of freshmen. Rightfully so, the Trojans look well set for the 2026-27 season after adding three high school All-Americans. That alone won't put them atop the Big Ten, but having guys like Arenas, Cofie, and Rice back, along with adding talented pieces across the board from the transfer portal,
Musselman certainly has something to work with this season. Illinois and Michigan State look like more complete teams, but there is no reason the Trojans can't have a say in the Big Ten, and even nationally in 2026-27.
Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
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