By Make5Media Staff | October 21, 2026
Josh Rivera is heading across the country. Davon Maloney is staying in New England. The two Class of 2027 wings made their college choices Wednesday, with Rivera committing to USC and Maloney choosing Vermont. Both programs added perimeter size, but the appeal of each prospect starts in a different place.
Josh Rivera (USC)
Archbishop Stepinac (NY) | 6’7” Wing | Class of 2027
USC didn’t need long to decide it wanted Josh Rivera. After offering him earlier this month, the Trojans brought him to Los Angeles for a visit and secured his commitment Wednesday. Rivera becomes Eric Musselman’s first pledge in the 2027 class. He also extends a familiar connection: former Stepinac teammates Adonis and Darius Ratliff are freshmen at USC.
The basketball fit begins with Rivera’s shooting. At 6-foot-7, he has the size to get clean looks over smaller perimeter defenders and the touch to punish teams that leave him open. For an offense looking to create space for its ball handlers, a wing who commands attention away from the ball has clear value.
Rivera has experience playing alongside talented teammates at Stepinac, where he contributed to three consecutive New York City Catholic League championship teams. He knows how to find opportunities within an offense without needing every possession built around him. That should help as he enters a college roster with several players capable of creating shots.
There is development ahead. Rivera needs strength to absorb contact, hold his position defensively and finish against bigger opponents. Becoming a dependable rebounder and defender will also determine how much he can contribute when his jumper isn’t falling.
Davon Maloney (Vermont)
Newman School (MA) | 6’7” Wing | Class of 2027
Vermont landed a wing whose athleticism could give the Catamounts another way to pressure defenses. Davon Maloney, a New York native playing at the Newman School in Boston, brings the ability to finish above the rim, score in the lane and contribute on the glass. He has also shown shooting touch that could make him more difficult to contain as his perimeter game develops.
Maloney’s path has required some patience. A broken wrist interrupted his first season at Newman, costing him valuable time before he returned to the rotation. His work with City Rocks on the Nike EYBL circuit gave him another setting to compete against strong opposition and expand his role.
The attraction for Vermont is how those pieces might come together. Maloney has enough size to play on the wing, the athletic ability to attack openings and the body control to finish once he gets into the paint. If his shooting becomes consistent, defenders will have a harder time backing away and taking away his drives.
His adjustment will involve decisions as much as skill. Recognizing when to attack, when to move the ball and where to be defensively will determine whether his tools will immediately translate into steady role early. His willingness to rebound and work without the ball gives him ways to earn a role while that happens.
Vermont has added a prospect with room to grow and several ways to help. Maloney’s senior season at Newman should offer a clearer picture of how much offensive responsibility he is ready to handle before arriving in Burlington.