USC Trojans Transfer Jalen Cox Pulls Back the Curtain on New Role

The USC Trojans men’s basketball team has retooled for the 2026-27 season. After a season where the Trojans went 8-14 overall and 7-13 in Big Ten play, coach Eric Musselman has accumulated a roster stacked with potential and proven talent to help USC return to the NCAA Tournament.

One of the most crucial additions to USC’s roster is former Colgate guard Jalen Cox. Cox’s move to USC serves as a homecoming for the senior from Los Angeles.

Nov 12, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Colgate Raiders guard Jalen Cox (3) dribbles up the court against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The 6-foot-3 guard arrives at USC fresh off a stellar junior season at Colgate, where he averaged 17.9 points and joined the program’s elite 1,000-point club.

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Cox is a true scoring threat. However, that might actually be the least interesting part of his resume. His most vital quality to the Trojans is his ability to effectively orchestrate offenses and create shots not only for himself, but the scorers around him as well.

“I like to pass the ball, and there’s a ton of talent on this team, a lot of dudes that want the ball, so [Musselman] was talking about that could be a big point for me, just being a true point guard, running the show, getting teammates open, finding my opportunities when I can, playing defense and helping the team win,” said Cox.

On a roster loaded with proven scorers, that unselfish mentality could be exactly what USC needs.

A Pass-First Mindset

The Trojans return one of the conference’s most explosive backcourts, with Rodney Rice and Alijah Arenas expected to carry much of the scoring load. Rather than competing to become another primary scorer, Cox’s ability to organize the offense and consistently create open looks could make him one of the most important additions of Musselman’s offseason.

Mar 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/usc-trojans-transfer-jalen-cox-223001237.html

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Publish date : 2026-07-02 22:30:00

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