Rodney Rice injury update: Eric Musselman addresses latest on status of USC guard

USC’s Rodney Rice has missed the past four games over the last two weeks since before the team left Maui. The Trojans then have no idea yet when he’ll be able to return to the court.

Following a 94-81 win over San Diego on Tuesday, Eric Musselman was asked about the latest status of Rice. He had no real update at this point, though, with a lingering shoulder injury having sidelined him for multiple games now, and it could keep him out for multiple more for ‘SC

“No timetable,” Musselman said. “I don’t know exactly what it is, but the shoulder obviously popped out twice,” Musselman added. “So, I don’t know what you’d call it now.”

Rice, the transfer from Maryland, is having a career-best season over his six games played for USC. He was averaging 20.3 points (41.1% FG, 38.5% 3PT), 6.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game for the Trojans. All but one or two of those are career-highs over three seasons spent at three programs, while he leads the team in assists and steals, and is second in scoring to only Chad Baker-Mazara, for Southern Cal.

However, due to this re-injured shoulder, Rice has been out over the last four games, with one being a win in the championship game of the Maui Invitational against Arizona State. It was the Trojans’ first two conference games, which they split, with a win at Oregon and a loss to Washington, and then the road win back in their non-conference against San Diego. USC is still 9-1 on the season, though, despite falling out of the AP Poll on Monday.

USC only has three more games for the remainder of this month amidst the holidays, currently sitting at 12-1 before the New Year. But, once league play starts in the Big Ten on January 2, with a three-game road trip to start as well as three of their first five being against teams currently ranked in the Top 10 with games at Michigan, at Michigan State, and against Purdue, the Trojans will want to have a better idea by then where things stand with the availability of Rice.

USC seeded well in projections for 2026 NCAA Tournament

Again, USC is off to a great start to this season, in what is year two for the program under Musselman, at 9-1. It is the Trojans’ best since ’21-’22. That’s now reflecting more and more in projections by bracketologists as they look towards the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

As released by On3’s James Fletcher on Thursday, USC is set as a No. 7 seed in his preview of March Madness. That had the Trojans set in the South Region, with their run to begin in Portland, Oregon.

Before that, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi then had them a line higher as a No. 6 seed in his update to Bracketology on Tuesday. That had the Trojans being set in the East Region.