The USC Trojans men's basketball team enters year three under coach Eric Musselman, and the program is still searching for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since hiring Musselman before the 2024-25 season. Thanks to USC's recruiting as well as roster retention, the expectations surrounding the Trojans basketball team is to make the NCAA Tournament in 2026, at the least. Feb 18, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman and guard Alijah Arenas (0) react against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the first half at Galen Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Key returning pieces like USC guards Alijah Arenas and Rodney Rice, as well as Trojans forward Jacob Cofie, give Musselman and experienced core to work with, and the rest of the roster has been supplemented by key transfer portal pickups as well as multiple five-star recruits. According to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, he ranked the USC Trojans No.…