USC guard Rodney Rice has already put his name in a pretty exclusive preseason conversation.
The senior from Clinton, Md. was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team Monday, becoming the first player under head coach Eric Musselman to land preseason recognition. The conference’s 18 head coaches voted on the 11-player list, and Rice was among the group after a strong start to the 2025-26 season before shoulder surgery ended his year early.
In six games, Rice averaged 20.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and a team-best 6.0 assists. He hit double figures every time he took the floor and topped 20 points in four of those six outings. His biggest statistical moment came against Illinois State, when he posted the second triple-double in program history with 21 points, a career-high 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Rice also entered the season on the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watch List, another sign of the buzz surrounding his game.
USC will try to build on last season’s 18-14 mark with a roster that includes three returners, seven transfers and ESPN’s No. 5 recruiting class. That class is USC’s second-best since ESPN began tracking the rankings in 2007.
The full Preseason All-Big Ten team also included Jeremy Fears Jr. of Michigan State, who was named Player of the Year and was a unanimous selection. The rest of the list: David Mirkovic and Andrej Stojakovic of Illinois, Pharrell Payne of Maryland, Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney of Michigan, Pryce Sandfort of Nebraska, John Mobley Jr. of Ohio State, Trent Perry of UCLA and Nolan Winter of Wisconsin.
In Other News...
USC Kept Its Playoff Hopes Alive But Pressure Just Spiked
The No. 19 Trojans are still in the conversation after rallying past Washington 25-21 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but the margin for error has nearly disappeared. USC moved to 5-1 with the comeback win, a result that kept the season pointed in the right direction even as the broader picture remains complicated.
ESPNs projections still have USC lined up for the Las Vegas Bowl rather than the College Football Playoff, which is the kind of reality check that can follow even a big October victory. The next stretch will go a long way toward sorting that out, because several ranked opponents are still ahead and each one will carry real postseason weight for the Trojans. [Read more 🡒]
Minnesota Just Gave Fans A Reason To Believe Again
Minnesotas place in the Big Ten picture looks a little sturdier after a week that shook up the league from top to bottom. With Penn State and Michigan both taking surprising losses, the conference suddenly feels more open than it did a week ago, and the Gophers were among the teams that helped turn the conversation toward teams outside the usual powers. USCs win over Washington kept the Trojans moving in the right direction too, but the ripple effects around the league were impossible to miss.
The latest power rankings reflect just how much one weekend can change the mood around the conference, with Minnesota earning a bump from a result that gave its fan base something tangible to hang onto. There were also strong showings from Northwestern, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Nebraska, adding to a Big Ten slate that felt as volatile as it has all season. For USC, the broader takeaway is simple: the path through league play may be less predictable than expected, and every week now carries a little more weight. [Read more 🡒]
USC Tennis Showed Early Lineup Promise With One Clear Thing To Fix
USCs womens tennis team got an encouraging early look at its lineup depth at the Battle in the Bay tournament, where four players represented the Trojans and the group came away with nine wins over the weekend. The biggest bright spots came in singles, where Lexi Wolf and Kiara Zabkova each earned their first NCAA singles victories, a solid sign for a roster trying to sort out roles and build some momentum early in the season.
There was plenty for USC to take from the event beyond the results themselves, especially with the detailed singles and doubles rounds offering a clearer view of who is settling in fastest. The one area that still stands out, though, is the part of the lineup that needs to tighten up if the Trojans want the weekends promise to turn into something more durable once team play ramps up. [Read more 🡒]