The No. 24 USC men’s basketball team has been handed just one loss in the first portion of this season despite dealing with injuries to Alijah Arenas, Rodney Rice and Amarion Dickerson.
The Trojans went undefeated in nonconference play for the first time since the 2021-22 season while developing depth and bringing in a new point guard — and they could soon have a healthy Arenas.
They’ll resume Big Ten Conference play, which will start with a three-game road gauntlet against No. 2 Michigan, No. 9 Michigan State and Minnesota. Here are four questions about USC (12-1 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) to consider for the rest of conference play:
What will USC look like with Alijah Arenas healthy?
Arenas was spotted running sprints before games multiple times, and now he’s officially back at practice after recovering from a torn meniscus. Although he’s a true freshman, Arenas could provide an immediate impact with his length and scoring ability as a 6-foot-6 guard.
“Great passer,” head coach Eric Musselman said of Arenas after the Trojans’ victory over UC Santa Cruz on Dec. 21. “Willing passer, one-on-one player, can go get a shot whenever he wants. He’ll add 3-point shooting.”
Video posted to the USC Athletics YouTube channel shows Arenas moving laterally and making directional changes without any difficulty. He’s seen making passes to teammates as well as hitting baskets from long range.
Arenas, who was the No. 13 recruit in the 2025 class, scored 3,002 points in his three seasons at Chatsworth High. He’s untested at the college level, but playing alongside experienced, offensive-minded 6-foot-7 guard Chad Baker-Mazara could be beneficial for the Trojans.
“We’re really long with him and Chad out there at the guard spot,” Musselman told reporters. “Like, we are long. Which is what we envisioned when we took this job. We wanted to have great length at the 1-2.”
Arenas’ return will come after the Trojans have lost Rice for the season due to shoulder surgery and Dickerson for about the next three months with a hip injury.
Can Kam Woods shake off the rust to become a major contributor?
USC added Robert Morris transfer Kam Woods to its roster at the end of the fall break, and he was able to get one game in with his new team. He didn’t score any points, but he made other valuable contributions.
The 6-foot-2 point guard has the potential to move the ball at a fast pace for the Trojans while collecting rebounds. He had six rebounds, six assists and three steals in 22 minutes against UC Santa Cruz.
“Kam and Alijah changed the intensity, the talking, the communication,” Musselman said. “The sense of urgency changed immediately upon those two stepping on the floor. All of a sudden, guys were a little comfortable, a little cool.”
Woods’ appearance against Santa Cruz marked his first time playing in a game since March 21, when Robert Morris faced Alabama in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. With a few more games to get him in playing shape, Woods can make a difference.
How can the Trojans be competitive in the post?
Musselman has deployed 6-foot-10 Jacob Cofie and 6-foot-9 Ezra Ausar at power forward to battle in the post this season.
And 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes isn’t out of the picture, either. He had a breakout game against UC Santa Cruz, scoring a season-high 16 points and recording four blocks in the win.
Big Ten teams have plenty of size and Dynes could match up well with opposing players.
“A lot of things to think about over the break,” Musselman said after the UC Santa Cruz win. “I thought he stepped up and played really well. I thought he rolled below the defenders and led us in scoring, and it’s a huge step in the right direction.”
Who will be USC’s biggest scoring threat?
Baker-Mazara leads the team in scoring with 21 points per game and has made 83 of 92 (90.2%) free throws. He’s a fearless shooter who’s unafraid to take shots as the clock winds down or when he’s out of position.
Ausar, however, has emerged to become one of the Trojans’ most efficient players on offense. The 6-foot-9 senior forward is shooting 64.0% from the field while averaging 17.1 points per game. He’s also getting to the free-throw line more than any other players in the country with 115 free-throw attempts for an average of 8.8 tries per game.
“It’s just about being aggressive,” said Ausar, who is hitting free throws at a 66.1% clipo. “The goal is to get at least 15 (attempts). I’m not perfect, but I’m never going to have a breakdown about it. There’s more days to stack.”
Arenas also has time to become the Trojans’ leading scorer and Cofie has also been at the top of the stat sheet in some games. Freshman Jerry Easter II, Dartmouth transfer Ryan Cornish and point guard Jordan Marsh have had hot hands and will continue to develop with more playing time.