Eric Musselman has a long history with twin brothers, dating back to Caleb and Cody Martin torching the Mountain West and helping Musselman’s Nevada club advance to the Sweet 16 in 2018.
Musselman is going right back to the well, this time in Southern California. Four-star twin towers Darius and Adonis Ratliff committed to USC on Wednesday on the CBS Sports YouTube channel.
The Ratliff big men, both just a shade under 7-feet tall, picked USC over Alabama, Arkansas and Texas. They are USC’s first pledges in the Class of 2026. Darius is the No. 43-ranked player in the Class of 2026. Adonis is not far behind at No. 52.
“I want to win a national championship and show people that I wasn’t overrated in high school or made the wrong decision,” Darius Ratliff told 247Sports’ Dushawn London. “I picked this school for a reason. God led me in this direction. A championship is only right, and I want to get ready to go pro, whether that’s one or two years. Taking that next step.”
USC’s frontcourt picture could look vastly different in 2025-26, due to the departures of Ezra Ausar, Terrance Williams and Jaden Brownell. As of now, 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes and emerging sophomore Jacob Cofie are the lone frontcourt pieces slated to return to USC next season.
That opens the door for the Ratliff twins to crack this rotation as soon as day one. Darius is closer to a two-way physical 5-man, who can protect the rim and play multiple coverages defensively. Adonis is closer to a jumbo forward, who has shown a real development with his jumper.
Playing together at the same time is feasible due to the complementary skillsets.
“They like Adonis’ shot a lot and think I can do everything, like make decisions, be the main focal point in a ghost-type offense, play through me where I can make reads and make plays for my teammates and myself,” Darius Ratliff said. “Coach Muss has a track record, and he’s gotten players to the league,” Darius said. “He runs an NBA-style offense that can really help me produce at the next level. Three coaches on the staff played or coached in the NBA, which was a big thing for me. Being around people who’ve been there and know what it takes to get there means a lot.”
The twins’ dad, Theo Ratliff, had a 16-year NBA career, suiting up for Philadelphia, Detroit, Portland, Atlanta and five more NBA franchises.
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