WHITE PLAINS − A good time was clearly had by all.
Josh Rivera quickly reconnected with former Archbishop Stepinac teammates Adonis and Darius Ratliff during his official visit to the University of Southern California last week. They sold the 6-foot-7 senior guard on the campus, the program and the lifestyle.
And on Wednesday, Rivera shared a decision that seemed easier upon returning home, committing to play next season for head coach Eric Musselman at USC.
"It was definitely a lot of fun," Rivera said of the visit. "It was great seeing those guys again, they're some of my best friends. The visit convinced me to commit there, just hearing what the coaches had to say and feeling like it was a really good environment for me to be in."
A stream of
text messages from the Ratliffs preceded the visit. Both of the 7-foot freshmen have been part of the Trojans' preseason rotation.
"When I got there, it was just mind-blowing," Rivera added. "Like that really sold me on the school. It was my first time ever in California. It's fire. It's different."
The 17-year-old Yonkers resident averaged 8.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 26 games for the Crusaders last season. Stepinac had five Division I signees on the roster in 2025-26 so Rivera played a complimentary role.
He will be a focal point this season.
"Josh has waited for his turn," Crusaders head coach Pat Massaroni said. "I think everyone knows him as a high-level, 3-point shooter but he's really done a good job of expanding his game on all three levels. ... I think he's got a chance to be in contention for CHSAA Player of the Year and New York State Player of the Year. His game has gotten so much better, and now, going from sixth-man to main option he's going to take on that spotlight."
Rivera is a fluid shooter who made 53% of his attempts from beyond the arc last season. According to ESPN SC Next rankings, he’s the No. 2 prospect in New York state.
St. John’s, Fordham, Mississippi State, Illinois, Rhode Island, Boston College, UTEP, Fairfield, Hofstra, Loyola, UMass, Florida International and USC have all extended offers. Official visits were made to Loyola, UMass, FIU and Hofstra ahead of last week’s stop at USC.
"He's a tremendous leader both on the court and off," Massaroni said. "He does have a large social media following, which is part of today's landscape, and does things I can't even imagine on TikTok. Josh has got that personality."
Mike Dougherty covers high school football and basketball for The Journal News/lohud. Follow along on Instagram @hoopsmbdlohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Josh Rivera commits to rejoining Stepinac basketball teammates at USC
