Overview
- USC announced that Rodney Rice will undergo right-shoulder surgery and miss the remainder of the 2025–26 season after being sidelined since the Nov. 25 Seton Hall game.
- Before the injury, the Maryland transfer averaged 20.3 points and 6.0 assists across six games, emerging as one of USC’s most productive players.
- USC added Kam Woods on Thursday and cleared him to play immediately; the former Robert Morris guard averaged 14.9 points, 5.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds last season.
- Woods’ midseason eligibility is permissible because he graduated, remained in the transfer portal, received a pandemic year, and benefits from the Diego Pavia ruling that excludes his junior college season from the five-year clock.
- USC still lacks depth with Amarion Dickerson out long term and cautious optimism that freshman Alijah Arenas could return in January, as some fans question the fairness of such in-season additions.