Rodney Rice Tells the Truth About Returning to USC

USC Trojans guard Rodney Rice spoke to the media on Monday. He could have departed USC after last season but opted to return for a second year in Los Angeles.

Rodney Rice on USC: “I Love It Here”

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 transferred from the Maryland Terrapins to USC following the 2024-25 college basketball season. Rice got off to a great start with the Trojans in 2025-26. In their first six games, USC was 6-0 and Rice was averaging a team high 20.3 points per game.

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Unfortunately, that sixth game would be Rice’s final one of the season. He suffered a season ending shoulder injury, leaving his future with USC in doubt. However, he ended up deciding to run it back for coach Eric Musselman’s team.

Feb 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the Oregon Ducks in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“I love it here. I like what’s going on here. I love Coach Muss as a coach and off the court as well. And the rest of the coaching staff,” Rice said to reporters. “I love it here, so it was easy to come back.”

USC is the third stop on Rice’s collegiate basketball journey. As a four-star recruit in the high school recruiting class of 2022, he signed with the Virginia Tech Hokies. In eight games as a freshman for the Hokies in 2022-23, he averaged 7.4 points per game. The following season with Virginia Tech, he redshirted and entered the transfer portal.

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Rice spent the 2024-25 season with Maryland, where he had a breakout season. Rice averaged 13.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He entered the portal and was one of USC’s big additions for…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/rodney-rice-tells-truth-returning-000002503.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-24 00:00:00

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