University Southern California Trojans
Players Mentioned
Q&A with Assistant Coach Brad Davidson
June 10, 2026 | Men's Basketball
The former 13-year NBL veteran brings 18 years of coaching experience to USC this season.
LOS ANGELES — The USC men's basketball team has several newcomers for the 2026-27 season — both on the roster and on the coaching staff. New assistant coach Brad Davidson sat down to provide his thoughts about USC, his prior coaching experience and the state of Australian basketball.
How did you get into coaching?
COACH DAVIDSON: I played professionally in Australia and basketball is just something that I love doing. I'm not tall, but I love basketball, so I wanted to stay involved. Basketball is something that I know a lot about from my time playing is, so I wanted to keep imparting that knowledge onto the future generations.
Specifically, how did you get into college coaching here in the United States?
COACH DAVIDSON: I was coaching in Australia and a guy I played with, Brian Jones, was the head coach at the University of North Dakota. He came out on a recruiting visit, had a spot open on his staff and he asked if I wanted to take it. My wife said yes, so we moved to North Dakota. [Manhattan head coach] John Gallagher was the first one who brought up collegiate coaching and said I should have a look at doing it. Our kids were young, my wife and I thought it would be an adventure, and it's been 10 years of adventure ever since.
How have you seen Australian basketball change from when you were a player up until now?
COACH DAVIDSON: We have a really good infrastructure for the junior pathway. There's a place called the Center of Excellence where players like Andrew Bogut, Joe Ingles and Patty Mills came through, and most recently Dyson Daniels, Josh Giddey and Jock Landale. Over time, they've had ex-players' kids come through and they've turned out to be really good players.
Who are your biggest coaching influences and what are some of the biggest and most important lessons you've learned from them?
COACH DAVIDSON: I had a great array of coaches back in Australia. I played for five different teams and I had hall-of-fame-level coaches at each spot. Brian Gordon, who was the head of the Australian national team, was a big influence on me as I learned to run a program. I've learned from every coach I've had here in the States: Eran Ganot, who I was with at Hawaii for five years, Todd Lee, who I was with for three years at South Dakota, and then Brian Jones had imparted to me so much knowledge for the college game.
You're coming off making the NCAA Tournament with Hawaii and you've made the tournament twice as a coach. What did you learn about what it takes to make the NCAA Tournament during last season?
COACH DAVIDSON: Last year we had so many challenges during the year. We had a really bad loss in our last regular-season game; we could have won the conference or been tied at the top of the standings. After that loss, we as a staff had to understand that it wasn't the time to beat the guys up, but it was an opportunity to learn from every mistake. Our guys really brought it together right at the end. We had an Australian kid who was our captain who had his two best games in college, during the last two games, so we were just making sure those guys were peaking at the right time.
What have you seen from USC's roster during the summer workouts so far and what stands out about this team?
COACH DAVIDSON: The size and athleticism. I've been at good mid-major programs, but you come here and we've got three seven-footers and a couple of 6'10" and 6'9" guys. The amount of space these guys take up with their length and wingspan is really impressive. Also, the guys are hungry to come in and work, which is one thing that I've noticed already. Everyone's trying to come in and get better. Shooting is going to be a big part of what we need to get better at this year from last year, so the guys are really dedicated to trying to improve.
What has it been like getting to know Rodney Rice, Alijah Arenas and Jacob Cofie as the returners from last year's team? What traits of theirs stand out to you so far?
COACH DAVIDSON: Everyone gets better after a year in the program and you can see it with these guys. They know the expectations of practice and they know the expectations of getting shots up during the week. And they can reiterate what Coach Musselman is saying and hold the line there on all the fundamentals and DNA of what we do. I'm really impressed with those three. I feel like after not making the tournament last year, they have a lot of motivation to do the best they can this year.
The Ratliff twins and Christian Collins are some of the most talented freshmen you've ever worked with. What stands out to you about them and what expectations do you have for them this year?
COACH DAVIDSON: All of them are eager to listen. I spoke to Adonis Ratliff before practice about something and he just picked it up right away. They're very invested in their own development and their talent is apparent when they're doing all the skill work. It'll be really cool to watch their progression during the year.
What would a successful season look like for you and what are some of the goals that you're setting with this group?
COACH DAVIDSON: One of the things that keeps coming up in our discussions is winning in March. First of all, we have to get to the tournament after the five-month slog of the season. Once you get there, you set yourself up now by making sure that you're on top of everything fundamentally, so when push comes to shove at the end of the season, you're ready to put your best foot forward.
