What will USC’s roster look like under coach Eric Musselman?

USC forward Harrison Hornery looks up at the scoreboard during a win over Pacific in February 2022.

(Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)

Musselman didn’t need to get on the phone to make a pitch to his biggest recruit. Freshman point guard Isaiah Collier, who has yet to announce his decision for next season, attended Friday’s news conference and chatted with the coach afterward.

Collier, the No. 1 recruit in the country last season, was projected to go as high as first overall in the NBA draft before sitting out four weeks of the season because of a broken hand. Still, the dynamic 6-foot-5 point guard, who averaged 16.3 points and 4.3 assists, is a likely first-round pick this June if he declares for the draft. The deadline is April 27, although college players who maintain eligibility by not hiring an agent still could withdraw their names by May 29.

Freshman guard Bronny James kept all options open by entering the transfer portal and declaring for the draft while retaining his college eligibility. Musselman said he texted the remaining players and those in the transfer portal, although he hadn’t made contact with James yet.

“Certainly he’s got a lot of options and we respect those options,” Musselman said, “and we just want him to know that hey, this opportunity there, if you want to play at USC, we’d love to have him. Such a talented young man.”

Forwards Arrinten Page and Vincent Iwuchukwu joined James and sophomores Oziyah Sellers and Kijani Wright in the portal. With leading scorer Boogie Ellis and forwards DJ Rodman and Joshua Morgan out of eligibility, the Trojans could lose their top nine players if Collier leaves.

One person Musselman can count on to return is junior Harrison Hornery. The 6-10 forward from Mater Dei averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds on a career-low 28.3% shooting from three-point range.

Gardner, a super-athletic forward who dunked over former USC quarterback Caleb Williams at the team’s preseason rally, has yet to announce his decision. He sat out all but one game because of a foot injury.