University Southern California Trojans
Q&A with Eric Reibe
July 29, 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 transfers, sophomore center Eric Reibe, sat down to talk about why he chose USC, his NCAA tournament experience as a true freshman and what he hopes to bring to this Trojans team.
What led you to transfer to USC and continue your basketball career with the Trojans?
I mean definitely the relationship that I built with the coaching staff over time, and for sure just having the opportunity to put my full game on display. And hopefully my team and I are going to bring a championship to USC. The USC coaching staff told me they could help develop my body and do everything to get me NBA ready.
What do you take away from being on a UConn team that made it to the championship last season?
I definitely learned a lot from that experience. Not only just from it being my first year in college basketball, but handling coaching — and like the hardest coaching ever — and also learning a lot about myself. Like learning, how I can really go through a lot of adversity.
What's something now as a sophomore that you wish you would have known as a freshman coming into playing college basketball?
Definitely, how long a season actually is. When you first get to college, you're like, 'Okay, I got summer, I got preseason and then I got the season. Then I have after the season, all tournaments.' And also just not to overthink stuff or stress out about it. And just tell myself that I have time and there's time to figure everything out.
USC has three 7-footers, including yourself, but what's the competition been like between all of the front-court players this summer?
It's definitely very competitive. Everybody's battling tremendously but just also trying to understand your role and seeing which positions somebody is good for — the four and five or maybe even the three for some guys. And really just seeing how we all fit together as a team while still trying to push each other.
What sort of growth have you seen from the group starting from day one to now, despite it being such a short time?
Definitely seeing guys learn the system better and knowing their plays and what positions they have to take on the court. Overall, I've seen a better understanding of how to play with each other since the first day of summer.
There are a few guys, including yourself, who have experience in the NCAA tournament. How important do you think is that experience to make sure that this group can make a postseason run this year?
It's definitely really important. We kind of know what to expect now, and how to best prepare for it and keep a cool head. For me, the first time walking into a 60,000 to 70,000 person arena was definitely like a mind blowing experience. And I want to get back to the Final Four and to get to a Final Four is really motivating for everyone.
What do you think is the biggest difference from playing regular season basketball and playing in the tournament?
I mean, it's basically the end of your season. Either you go home after the weekend or you get one more week of being with your team, with the seniors, with the coaching staff. Because once the season is done you don't know who might leave for a better job or not, and it's literally like the end of the season — for all the marbles. All the work led up to it, and it's definitely a huge moment. And that's why I say it's like the biggest show. And that it's a pretty big deal.
What do you think is the most consistent part of your game?
No matter what, I always come into the gym playing harder and with the same mindset. No matter how practice went, whether good or bad, that doesn't affect my next play.
As the upcoming season approaches in a few months here, what do you hope to accomplish individually?
First off, the team is always first — that's like my main priority. But I'm trying to be in a bigger role and become a better leader. For me personally, I am just trying to be someone on the team where I can help all my teammates go to their spots and other spots. Individually, I want to improve all my percentages — especially my free-throw and three point percentages. Obviously I have confidence in myself that I can improve them and also hopefully earn Big Ten Honors, first or second team. And then, hopefully be a first-round draft pick.
What led you to transfer to USC and continue your basketball career with the Trojans?
I mean definitely the relationship that I built with the coaching staff over time, and for sure just having the opportunity to put my full game on display. And hopefully my team and I are going to bring a championship to USC. The USC coaching staff told me they could help develop my body and do everything to get me NBA ready.
What do you take away from being on a UConn team that made it to the championship last season?
I definitely learned a lot from that experience. Not only just from it being my first year in college basketball, but handling coaching — and like the hardest coaching ever — and also learning a lot about myself. Like learning, how I can really go through a lot of adversity.
What's something now as a sophomore that you wish you would have known as a freshman coming into playing college basketball?
Definitely, how long a season actually is. When you first get to college, you're like, 'Okay, I got summer, I got preseason and then I got the season. Then I have after the season, all tournaments.' And also just not to overthink stuff or stress out about it. And just tell myself that I have time and there's time to figure everything out.
USC has three 7-footers, including yourself, but what's the competition been like between all of the front-court players this summer?
It's definitely very competitive. Everybody's battling tremendously but just also trying to understand your role and seeing which positions somebody is good for — the four and five or maybe even the three for some guys. And really just seeing how we all fit together as a team while still trying to push each other.
What sort of growth have you seen from the group starting from day one to now, despite it being such a short time?
Definitely seeing guys learn the system better and knowing their plays and what positions they have to take on the court. Overall, I've seen a better understanding of how to play with each other since the first day of summer.
There are a few guys, including yourself, who have experience in the NCAA tournament. How important do you think is that experience to make sure that this group can make a postseason run this year?
It's definitely really important. We kind of know what to expect now, and how to best prepare for it and keep a cool head. For me, the first time walking into a 60,000 to 70,000 person arena was definitely like a mind blowing experience. And I want to get back to the Final Four and to get to a Final Four is really motivating for everyone.
What do you think is the biggest difference from playing regular season basketball and playing in the tournament?
I mean, it's basically the end of your season. Either you go home after the weekend or you get one more week of being with your team, with the seniors, with the coaching staff. Because once the season is done you don't know who might leave for a better job or not, and it's literally like the end of the season — for all the marbles. All the work led up to it, and it's definitely a huge moment. And that's why I say it's like the biggest show. And that it's a pretty big deal.
What do you think is the most consistent part of your game?
No matter what, I always come into the gym playing harder and with the same mindset. No matter how practice went, whether good or bad, that doesn't affect my next play.
As the upcoming season approaches in a few months here, what do you hope to accomplish individually?
First off, the team is always first — that's like my main priority. But I'm trying to be in a bigger role and become a better leader. For me personally, I am just trying to be someone on the team where I can help all my teammates go to their spots and other spots. Individually, I want to improve all my percentages — especially my free-throw and three point percentages. Obviously I have confidence in myself that I can improve them and also hopefully earn Big Ten Honors, first or second team. And then, hopefully be a first-round draft pick.
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
