Darius and Adonis Ratliff Commit to USC, Father Theo Ratliff Played 16 NBA Seasons

The USC men's basketball team landed commitments from a pair of 2026 prospects with a famous basketball lineage.

On Wednesday, class of 2026 4-star twin brothers Darius and Adonis Ratliff, the sons of 16-year NBA veteran Theo Ratliff, announced their commitment to the Trojans:

The Ratliff brothers star for Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York, so their commitment to USC will be a cross-country move. Both youngsters are ranked as 4-star prospects in 247Sports' composite, with Darius considered the No. 5 center in the nation and Adonis pegged as the No. 11 power forward.

In his scouting report of Adonis, 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote that he's "the more skilled of the two brothers," but "also the less physical." Finkelstein explained that while "they both need to get stronger," Adonis "doesn't have the same appetite for physicality that his brother does." Still, he's shown offensive potential that could make him a future star.

"His soft touch already extends out to the arc, where he's a legitimate shooting threat," Finkelstein wrote. "He's even shown flashes of being able to elevate into pull-ups off the dribble or from the mid-post, but has a relatively low release point that gives away some of his length."

Finkelstein described Darius as "a budding modern-day big man with a very rare overlap of tools with his size, athleticism, mobility, and developing skill." While he's dealt with some injuries over the years, his physical presence could take him over the top as a future NBA draft prospect.

"He has the tools to be an ultra-versatile two-way force who can both protect the rim as a shot-blocker and also get out and move his feet defending on the perimeter, providing versatility in ball-screen coverages and maybe even some switch-ability down the road," Finkelstein stated. "Similarly, offensively, he's a bouncy finisher and lob threat with soft hands and touch that is gradually extending out to the perimeter."

USC head coach Eric Musselman is about to begin his second year with the program after a 17-18 finish in 2024-25, so landing commitments from the Ratliff brothers will surely have Trojans fans excited for the future.