USC guard Rodney Rice will undergo surgery on his right shoulder and miss the rest of the season, the school announced Wednesday.
Rice has been sidelined with the injury since the Maui Invitational, missing the past five games.
"Rodney is an instrumental part of our team," USC coach Eric Musselman said. "He is a leader for us and has been the offensive spark that guided us through crucial games earlier this season. We will miss his energy on the court but know his leadership will still be crucial to our team's success. We look forward to watching him attack his rehab and come back even stronger."
A 6-foot-5 guard, Rice was one of the best transfers in the country through the first month of the season, averaging 20.3 points and 6.0 assists in six games. He enjoyed a breakout campaign at Maryland in 2024-25, putting up 13.8 points.
Rice is the second USC player to suffer a season-ending injury in recent weeks, with Amarion Dickerson expected to miss the next three to four months with a hip injury.
There's growing optimism, however, that Alijah Arenas, the son of Gilbert Arenas and a five-star recruit in the 2025 class, could return to play in January. Arenas suffered a knee injury in July, weeks after making his practice debut following an April car crash that left him hospitalized for nearly a week.
USC improved to 11-1 after defeating UTSA 97-70 on Wednesday night.