"Announcement: Former Maryland Guard Rodney Rice to Transfer to USC"
Former Maryland guard Rodney Rice is transferring to Southern California, as reported by multiple sources on Tuesday.
Rice has chosen to join the Trojans instead of Tennessee.
USC has not yet made an official announcement about Rice's transfer, but they did announce on Tuesday that graduate transfer forward Keonte Jones from Cal State Northridge has signed with the team.
In his one season at Maryland, Rice averaged 13.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 36 games (32 starts). He played a key role in helping the Terrapins reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
After the season, Maryland's head coach Kevin Willard left to take the head coaching position at Villanova. However, Rice did not seriously consider joining him and reports say that new Maryland coach Buzz Williams did not try to convince Rice to stay.
Rice began his college career at Virginia Tech, but only played in eight games during the 2022-23 season due to injuries. He left the Hokies early in the 2023-24 season before transferring to Maryland in March 2024.
Meanwhile, Jones had an impressive season at Cal State Northridge, averaging 13.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He was also named to the first-team All-Big West.
In his two seasons with the Matadors, Jones had averages of 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds in 67 games (64 starts).
\"Keonte is a versatile player on both ends of the floor that plays with a tremendous competitive spirit,\" said USC coach Eric Musselman in the team's release. \"He plays with incredible passion and will be a great asset to our program.\"
