USC’s Rodney Rice Listed Among Best Retentions in College Basketball

The USC Trojans got a huge boost this offseason with the return of guard Rodney Rice. Rice averaged a team-high 20.3 points per game with the Trojans last season, but was only able to suit up for six games due to a shoulder injury.

He’s ranked as one of the top retentions in college basketball for the 2026-27 season.

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Rodney RiceRanked As Top 25 Returner

Nov 14, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Rodney Rice (1) dribbles the ball against Illinois State Redbirds guard Johnny Kinziger (11) during the first half of the Hall of Fame Series game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Rodney Rice is a 6-4, 195 guard that will be entering his fifth collegiate season and second with USC. Rice began his collegiate career with the Virginia Tech Hokies in 2022-23. He took a redshirt season in 2023-24 before retuning to the court in 2024-25 with Maryland. Now, he’s heading into his second year at USC.

Cameron Salerno of CBS Sports ranked his top 25 retentions for the 2026-27 college basketball season. Rice is ranked No. 23 on this list. No. 1 is Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh. Haugh has been with the Gators since 2022 and was a key part of their 2025 national championship winning team in 2025. He averaged 17.1 points per game for Florida in 2025-26.

Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators forward Thomas Haugh (10) dribbles the ball against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second half during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

In Rice’s first year at USC, he averaged 20.3 points, 6.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. These were all career high numbers for Rice. That shoulder being injured and ending his season was extremely disappointing. USC missed his presence on the court.

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With Rice in the lineup, the Trojans began the season 6-0, winning the 2025 Maui…

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Publish date : 2026-06-13 00:00:00

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