In his first season as USC's head coach, the Trojans went 17-18. They have made big additions to the portal in hopes of propelling into an over .500 team and making the tournament after not making it this past season. Here are the seven new players that are making their way to Los Angeles and what they bring to the team.
Rodney Rice
Rice is transferring in from Maryland, which isn't surprising since he was in the portal since Kevin Willard left for Villanova mid-tournament. The 6'4 guard was third in scoring for the Terrapins, averaging 13.8 PPG, and dished out 2.1 APG. He will most likely be a primary ball handler this season since both leading scoring USC guards from last season have already left. Rice brings experience from not only a top 10 team in the nation but also a Sweet 16 team, and looks to help lead USC to next year's tournament.
Jaden Brownell
Jaden Brownell is coming in from Samford, where he averaged 14 PPG in just under 20 MPG. The 6'9 senior also shot 39.7% from three, which is huge for USC since they are losing their leading three-point scorer from last year, Wesley Yates III. After helping lead the Bulldogs to a 22-11 record, Brownell brings good range and size as a forward, playing inside and out. He will be able to stretch defenses, shoot from deep, and have the frame to play down low against other bigs in the Big Ten conference.
Keonte Jones
Transferring in from Cal State Northridge, Keonte Jones is a grad senior who will bring great leadership and physicality to the Trojans. At 6'6, 192lbs, he is a stat sheet stuffer averaging 13.1 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.8 SPG, and 1.3 BPG. He not only led the team in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, but he was also top 5 in the conference. If Jones can play this coming year as well as he did last year, Trojans fans will be very excited that they have a bruiser who will do damage on both sides of the ball.
Amarion Dickerson
After almost beating Alabama in the first round, where he scored 25 points, Dickerson decided to come to USC for his senior year after only one year with the Colonials. He averaged 13.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 2.3 BPG in his one year there and was the Horizon League's Defensive Player of the Year. He, along with Jones, will be a force around the rim and on the defensive end as a whole. The one thing he can improve on is his three-point shooting. He shot 27.6% from beyond the arc this past season, if he can get that percentage into the 30's then it will only expand the court for USC's offence and have team defenses running around which will open up multiple looks for everyone.
Jacob Cofie
Coming to Los Angeles for his sophomore year, the 6'10 forward brings tons of room to develop around a very mature and talented team. Cofie started 16 games this season for Virginia but was more effective off the bench, bringing a big offensive spark, averaging 8.1PPG. Most likely, he will come off the bench for the Trojans this season, which can provide them a huge spark with his height and ability to score. He is also young and can develop in Musselman's scheme for the following seasons if he chooses to stay.
Ezra Ausar
Ausar is a 6"8, 240 forward coming from Utah for his senior season. At Utah, he started 29 games and was their second leading scorer, averaging 12.5 PPG, shooting over 50% from the field. The only slope in his game is playing at home versus playing away. At home, he shoots almost 60% while shooting almost no 3's, away, he barely shoots 40%. If he can become as effective on the road as he is at home, then he will give USC a big spark in road games.
Gabe Dynes
After 2 seasons with Youngstown State, the 7'3 sophomore is heading to USC. Dynes averaged 21.8 MPG this season but was very effective in that time, blocking an average of 3 shots per game. He will be very intimidating in the post, causing opponents to change their shot patterns and be off balance. The area Dynes needs to improve in is his rebounding. He had a good season last year with 5.8 RPG, which is two rebounds more than last season. If he keeps improving, he will be a key factor in USC's ability to clean up the glass, depending on his minutes.