USC Basketball Rebuilds With 11 New Faces and Three Key Veterans

The USC men’s basketball program enters the 2026-27 season with a roster that has been completely reshuffled.

The Trojans lost five players from last year’s lineup, including three who were central to the team’s structure. Ezra Ausar, Chad Baker-Mazara, and Jerry Easter II are no longer with the program, along with Jordan Marsh and Kam Woods.

Despite the departures, head coach Eric Musselman kept his three most impactful returning players. Guards Rodney Rice and Alijah Arenas, along with forward Jacob Cofie, all chose to stay for another year.

The roster now features 11 new players, a group that includes five high-profile freshmen and six transfers from various levels of college basketball. This influx of talent aims to replace the production lost to the NBA and other schools.

Ezra Ausar, a 6-foot-9 forward, signed a contract with the Miami Heat on Oct. 15. He had averaged 14.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season and led the nation in free-throw attempts with 233.

Chad Baker-Mazara, a 6-foot-7 forward, was dismissed from the team on March 1. According to reports, he is currently suing USC and Musselman, claiming the move was intended to avoid paying the remainder of his NIL contract.

Jerry Easter II transferred to Oregon, while Jordan Marsh went to Temple. Kam Woods, who started 17 of his last 20 games, moved on after a season where he averaged 8.8 points and 4.1 assists.

The new class includes Isaac Bruns, a 6-foot-5 guard from South Dakota who was third in the NCAA in total points before a foot injury ended his season. Christian Collins, the No. 5 recruit from St. John Bosco, is also joining the team, though he faces a delayed start due to a foot injury.

Other notable additions include Adonis Ratliff and his twin brother Darius Ratliff, both McDonald’s All-Americans from Archbishop Stepinac High School. Adonis, a 6-foot-11 forward, was ranked the No. 22 recruit, while Darius, a 7-foot center, was the No. 31 recruit.

The Trojans also added Eric Reibe, a 7-foot-1 center who played in every game for UConn as they finished as the NCAA runner-up last season. Reibe is currently out with a foot injury but is expected to return in January.

Musselman, in his third year as head coach, noted that the team is inching closer to full health. He highlighted the willingness of the freshmen to learn and the evolution of Alijah Arenas, who averaged 14.1 points per game last year after missing the first 18 games with a torn meniscus.