University Southern California Trojans
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/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: John McGillen
Q&A with Adonis Ratliff
July 23, 2026 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES — With a talented mix of returners, transfers and blue-chip freshman recruits, the USC men's basketball team is looking to make the NCAA Tournament in Head Coach Eric Musselman's third year.
One of the incoming freshmen, center Adonis Ratliff, sat down to talk about why he chose USC, his father's NBA wisdom and his goals for the upcoming season.
Why did you choose to come and play at USC?
USC made me feel like this was the right option for the next step in my basketball career. Head Coach Eric Musselman coached my dad, Adonis Ratliff, in the NBA, and the staff showed me all the love.
How much has your dad, Theo Ratliff, played a role in during your recruitment process and what kind of wisdom did he impart to you?
He just preached to me to pay attention to the schools that only love you when you're up, but not when you're down. And I felt USC was just always in my ear. Even when I got hurt, USC made sure I was good.
How much was the recruiting process done together with your twin brother, Darius Ratliff?
It was pretty much done separately. Darius and I spoke with coaches separately because we obviously didn't know if we were going to commit to the same school until October 2025. But we knew that we could play better together.
How helpful has it been having your brother around as you play at the next level at USC?
We like getting better and off the court, I don't have to really do much by myself. We probably spend more time together since we got to USC. Even as a team, we all just hang out a lot. Being around the team and going bowling creates a good bond.
What's something you've noticed playing at this level compared to playing in high school?
You can't take any plays off. You have to do everything 100%. The speed of the game is different too. Offensively, we ran a whole bunch of plays, and in high school we probably ran four plays. It wasn't as detailed and they weren't NBA-level plays.
How have you enjoyed LA and have you explored the city yet?
I have explored the city a little bit. It's definitely nice. It's a nice place to live. It's a whole bunch of different things to do, which I like. I've been downtown, went to the movies and I've been to the beach. I plan to do more stuff soon.
What are you looking forward to most this upcoming season?
I look forward to playing successful basketball. And to see myself be successful and help the team in any way that I can.
What are some individual goals that you have for yourself this upcoming season?
I want to shoot at least 40% from three. That's a personal goal and I feel like I have the shooting capability to do it. I know shooting is something that comes and goes, but I feel like I can make my shooting more consistent.
Who is your NBA comparison?
I would say Brooklyn Nets small forward Michael Porter Jr., but with more passing.
One of the incoming freshmen, center Adonis Ratliff, sat down to talk about why he chose USC, his father's NBA wisdom and his goals for the upcoming season.
Why did you choose to come and play at USC?
USC made me feel like this was the right option for the next step in my basketball career. Head Coach Eric Musselman coached my dad, Adonis Ratliff, in the NBA, and the staff showed me all the love.
How much has your dad, Theo Ratliff, played a role in during your recruitment process and what kind of wisdom did he impart to you?
He just preached to me to pay attention to the schools that only love you when you're up, but not when you're down. And I felt USC was just always in my ear. Even when I got hurt, USC made sure I was good.
How much was the recruiting process done together with your twin brother, Darius Ratliff?
It was pretty much done separately. Darius and I spoke with coaches separately because we obviously didn't know if we were going to commit to the same school until October 2025. But we knew that we could play better together.
How helpful has it been having your brother around as you play at the next level at USC?
We like getting better and off the court, I don't have to really do much by myself. We probably spend more time together since we got to USC. Even as a team, we all just hang out a lot. Being around the team and going bowling creates a good bond.
What's something you've noticed playing at this level compared to playing in high school?
You can't take any plays off. You have to do everything 100%. The speed of the game is different too. Offensively, we ran a whole bunch of plays, and in high school we probably ran four plays. It wasn't as detailed and they weren't NBA-level plays.
How have you enjoyed LA and have you explored the city yet?
I have explored the city a little bit. It's definitely nice. It's a nice place to live. It's a whole bunch of different things to do, which I like. I've been downtown, went to the movies and I've been to the beach. I plan to do more stuff soon.
What are you looking forward to most this upcoming season?
I look forward to playing successful basketball. And to see myself be successful and help the team in any way that I can.
What are some individual goals that you have for yourself this upcoming season?
I want to shoot at least 40% from three. That's a personal goal and I feel like I have the shooting capability to do it. I know shooting is something that comes and goes, but I feel like I can make my shooting more consistent.
Who is your NBA comparison?
I would say Brooklyn Nets small forward Michael Porter Jr., but with more passing.
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