This much is clear -- USC is financially committed to its men's basketball program.

After last week landing Maryland guard transfer Rodney Rice, who was reportedly seeking a substantial NIL package, the Trojans added one of the biggest names this entire transfer portal cycle in Chad Baker-Mazara from Auburn.

Baker-Mazara averaged 12.3 points per game on a balanced and deep Auburn team that reached the Final Four this season. He shot 38.1 percent from 3-point range and 88.8 percent from the foul line.

The 6-foot-7 guard had high-scoring games of 22 points each against Mississippi and Kentucky, 20 against Mississippi State and 18 in the Final Four loss to Florida. He has one year of eligiblity remaining.

Baker-Mazara and Rice, who averaged 13.8 points on a similarly deep and balanced Maryland team that reached the Sweet 16, now form a productive veteran backcourt for the Trojans.

USC has just one player returning from last season in wing Terrance Williams II, but the Trojans have loaded up in the transfer portal.

That includes another established scorer in forward Ezra Ausar (12.5 PPG at Utah last season) along with 6-foot-10 transfer forward Jacob Cofie (from Virginia), 6-foot-7 guard/forward Amarion Dickerson (Robert Morris), 6-foot-9 forward Jaden Brownell (Samford) and 7-foot-3 center Gabe Dynes (Youngstown State).

It's been a two-way turnstile for the Trojans, though, with key cogs from last season in Desmond Claude, Rashaun Agee, Saint Thomas, Wesley Yates III and others leaving to the transfer portal. Transfer commit Keonte Jones, from CSUN, announced his decommitment from the program Monday, meanwhile.

USC also brings in five-star freshman guard Alijah Arenas and four-star guard Jerry Easter, though Arenas was involved in a serious car accident last week.