USC Trojans Lose Three Players To Transfer Portal: Only One Returning Player

The USC Trojans had quite the day on Tuesday. USC coach Eric Musselman was able to land one of the top uncommitted prospects in the transfer portal in Maryland guard Rodney Rice, but just as the portal gives, it also takes.

USC saw three notable pieces from this past season's roster enter the portal before it closed on Tuesday, April 22.

Late Tuesday night, USC guard Desmond Claude and forwards Rashaun Agee and Saint Thomas all entered their names into the transfer portal. It's a big loss for the Trojans as Claude was the team's leading scorer from this past season and Thomas was the team's leading rebounder.

Coming into the offseason, the Trojans were expecting to have a large bulk of their production returning with guards Wesley Yates III and Claude set to come back for another season. Along with the Trojans' starting back court set to return, Musselman and USC were expecting forwards Thomas and Agee to also come back pending their eligibility waiver being approved.

Now with the transfer portal officially closed, the Trojans have only one player on the roster that has not decided to enter the portal, forward Terrance Williams. The transfer from Michigan played sparingly last season after dealing with injuries for the better part of the year, but has made the choice to return to Los Angeles for another season.

Musselman will need to scavenge through the portal to find a replacement for the team's leading scorer Claude, as well as the leading rebounder, Thomas. Similarly to last season, Musselman will basically be working with a completely new roster in year two of his tenure.

It's a big risk for USC to undergo such a drastic roster renovation, but if the Trojans want to get back into the NCAA Tournament, they will have to do what is necesaary in order to get back to the postseason.

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Interestingly enough, Connor Morrissette of 247Sports reported that Claude is leaving the option open to return back to USC.

USC has gotten off to a hot start recruiting the portal, bringing in new pieces that fit perfectly into Musselman's system. The Trojans have reeled in seven players from the transfer portal so far, but will have to do more searching after the late entries.

Currently ranked as the No. 11 transfer portal class in the country, the Trojans have built a solid roster foundation through the portal and high school recruiting for next season, but will need to supplement it with productive pickups to round out the roster.

Five out of USC's seven transfer portal pickups have been ranked as a four-star recruit by 247Sports with forward Jaden Brownell, a Samford transfer, and guard Amarion Dickerson, a Robert Morris transfer, being the two left out.

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