This season certainly did not go according to plan for USC men’s basketball. Despite excitement after the Trojans brought in Chad Baker-Mazara, Rodney Rice, and Alijah Arenas last offseason, USC struggled with injuries and fell apart down the stretch. As a results, the Trojans missed the NCAA Tournament for the third season in a row.
Despite the rough season, however, USC is continuing to recruit at a high level. On Wednesday, the Trojans picked up a commitment from five-star 2026 recruit Christian Collins.
Collins is a local product, coming to USC from St. John Bosco High School in Southern California. Rivals ranks him as the No. 5 overall player in the class of 2026. Collins chose the Trojans over Kentucky and Louisville.
Collins is the third five-star to join USC the 2026 cycle, joining twins Adonis and Darius Ratliff. If the Trojans are also able to bring back some of the top players from this past year’s team—most notably Rice and/or Arenas—they could be in line for major improvement in 2026-2027.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Five-star Christian Collins commits to USC men’s basketball
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
