Tag: Juju Watkins

JuJu Watkins scores 35 points in easy USC win, helps Trojans for the long haul

USC got its backups a lot of work, thanks to JuJu.

One aspect of building a complete team and a deeper program in college sports is easy to overlook. When a team is playing dramatically inferior opponents, no one is worried about the actual outcome. Winning is a foregone conclusion. What really matters in these games is not winning — since that is never in doubt — but giving the bench and the backups a lot of work.

Coaches need to be able to throw their backups into live-action situations so that they can evaluate those players and thereby coach them better as the season goes along. Those backup players need the reps so that they learn how to play and face various situations. The starters don’t need the extra time. The backups do. When the backups develop, a team creates a better and deeper roster in the current season. When the backups develop, they become more prepared not only for the current season, but for next year. Younger players fit into the system and grow. When they improve, they give a coach more options for the future.

JuJu Watkins is the star of this USC team. More precisely, she is the superstar on this team, with Rayah Marshall being the star who helps her out.

On Monday against Le Moyne College, Watkins didn’t just score 35 points on 13 of 20 shooting. She helped USC gain a 26-point halftime lead so that coach Lindsay Gottlieb could clear the bench and give her backups a lot of work in the second half. USC cruised to a 93-42 win and handed Le Moyne (based in New York state) a large check for its cross-country flight to Los Angeles. The game was less about building a resume or giving Watkins a good test.

This game was for the backups. USC achieved its main goal of giving the backups ample action.

In a 40-minute game with five players on the floor, a college basketball team and coach have to manage 200 game minutes. In this win over Le Moyne, Gottlieb and assistant Beth Burns were able to give extended minutes to their backups. Of the 200 minutes played on Monday, 104 went to the starters and 96 to the backups, almost a 50-50 split. Five USC backups played at least 15 minutes, six played at least 12.

The importance of the game was much less about actual numbers and statistical output, much more about getting backups some work. USC did that. It will be exciting to see how much depth Gottlieb and Burns can develop around Watkins, Marshall, and the rest of the starting five.

Watkins, by scoring 35 points and putting this game away early, was a good teammate. She made sure the backups got an extended opportunity. She helped set the table for the rest of the season, or at least for the coming weeks of practice and player development at USC.

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JuJu Watkins, Caleb Williams and Isaiah Collier could all be No. 1 draft picks for USC

WNBA, NFL, NBA. #USC has a real chance to create No. 1 draft picks in three sports leagues.

It was a magical 50-hour period for USC athletics from Saturday night through Monday night. USC football did not beat Washington, but Caleb Williams played a brilliant game for the Trojans on the gridiron, doing everything he could to lift the Men of Troy to victory. He played a vintage game worthy of his 2022 Heisman Trophy.

Caleb Williams was questioned as an NFL draft prospect heading into the Washington game. Some analysts were saying North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye had surpassed him on the draft board. Caleb shut down that talk with his display against Washington. He stamped himself as the No. 1 pick and put his skeptics in their place.

Two days later in Las Vegas, USC basketball delivered a dynamic duo of fabulous freshmen who dominated in their first college games.

JuJu Watkins scored 32 points in a spectacular debut for USC women’s basketball. The Women of Troy defeated No. 6 Ohio State, with Watkins easily establishing herself as the best player on the floor.

Isaiah Collier was the best player on the floor for the USC men’s basketball team. His strength and power were on full display in a 13-point win over a good Kansas State team which made the Elite Eight last season and is expected to be an NCAA Tournament team this season.

Do we realize what is happening here? Caleb Williams, JuJu Watkins, and Isaiah Collier could all be No. 1 draft picks in their future professional sports leagues (the NFL, WNBA, and NBA).

Let’s look at how fans and experts are assessing these three USC superstars in their respective sports:

National reaction to JuJu Watkins’ dominant women’s basketball debut at USC

JuJu Watkins owned the stage in her #USC debut. Reactions poured in from across the country.

Well, now! That was quite a way to make an entrance for JuJu Watkins.

The USC freshman played her very first regular-season game as a Trojan on Monday. She did so in Las Vegas, a city of dreams and aspirations. She faced the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes, a team with big dreams of its own. The Buckeyes are expected to battle Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes for the Big Ten championship this season. USC, ranked in the top 25 in the preseason polls but just outside the top 20, faced a very big challenge.

JuJu Watkins was going to need to do something special in her first game in order to beat the Buckeyes and give USC women’s basketball a great start to its season.

Does 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting sound good enough for you? What about six rebounds and five assists as well?

Watkins dominated a top-10 opponent in her first USC game. She didn’t need a warm-up game against Long Beach State or Cal-State Bakersfield. She was thrown into the fire against Ohio State and immediately played like a No. 1 recruit.

Social media reaction was swift and clear: USC has something very, very special on its hands.

Let’s see how people responded to this electric collegiate debut for JuJu Watkins:

JuJu Watkins delivers spectacular USC debut as Trojans beat No. 6 Ohio State in Vegas

WOW!

The first collegiate game for the top recruit in the United States is a big occasion for any college sports program. In basketball, football, baseball, and any other sport, the status of a No. 1 recruit draws instant attention. Will that player pan out? Will that prospect be as good as advertised? Will that recruit have a significant impact on the program? USC women’s basketball point guard JuJu Watkins answered those kinds of questions quite emphatically in her USC women’s basketball debut on Monday in Las Vegas.

Watkins, the No. 1 recruit in America for the 2023 class, stepped onto a court in a live regular-season game for the first time as a USC Trojan in Vegas against No. 6 Ohio State, a legitimate Final Four contender.

Watkins was the best player on the floor in her freshman debut. How about that for a first impression?

Watkins dominated Ohio State, scoring 32 points while accumulating six rebounds and five steals. Watkins’ 32 points came on a very efficient 11-of-18 shooting performance from the field.

Watkins definitely had a lot of help from her USC teammates, especially Rayah Marshall, the returning forward who gives the Trojans frontcourt defense and rebounding. Marshall was also outstanding, delivering 18 points, 17 rebounds, and six steals.

Yet, USC won this game primarily because of Watkins.

It was Watkins who built a 46-28 halftime lead for the Trojans. When she got into foul trouble in the third quarter, Ohio State promptly outscored USC 19-2 in the several minutes after she left. The Buckeyes took the lead by the end of the third quarter, which was a disaster for the Trojans.

Watkins entered the fourth quarter with four fouls and had to find a way to be effective while staying on the floor.

She did.

She didn’t foul out. She played the fourth quarter and scored several quick points to restore USC’s lead. The Trojans won 83-74 and already have a statement win one day into their new season.

Not bad for a freshman making her collegiate debut.

The JuJu Watkins era at USC is off to a flying start.

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JuJu Watkins named USA TODAY HSSA National Girls Basketball Player of the Year

JuJu Watkins was honored by @HSSportsAwards. She’ll try to lift #USC to a higher tier in women’s college hoops. #USATODAYHSSA

The USC men’s basketball team has gained national attention due to the arrival of Bronny James and the presence of Isaiah Collier, who was named the USA TODAY HSSA National Boys Basketball Player of the Year for 2023.

The Trojans’ women’s basketball team is not to be ignored. USC has the No. 1 recruit in the country in the women’s game, with JuJu Watkins of Sierra Canyon High School staying home in Southern California to play for coach Lindsey Gottlieb and the Women of Troy.

Watkins has been named the USA TODAY HSSA National Girls Basketball Player of the Year, giving USC a sweep of the awards in high school hoops for 2023.

Last season, USC women’s basketball played elite defense but lacked the scorers and shooters who could provide instant and reliable offense on a consistent basis. Watkins will try to become that meal-ticket scorer, which could be transformative for the Trojans as they try to make a deeper run in the Women’s NCAA Tournament.

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USC athletics: where the stars want to play

National media interest in #USC — not just football, but basketball — will create a remarkable atmosphere the next 10 months.

USC athletics has enjoyed significant growth and improvement in football since Lincoln Riley arrived, but an upward trajectory has spread to men’s and women’s basketball.

Of course this is still a football school, and of course football matters most to every USC fan, as it should, but the Trojans are entering rare territory within the larger history of their athletic department.

When was the last time USC entered a new college sports cycle in late August with this much excitement and publicity surrounding all three revenue sports: football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball? Let’s put this exciting time for USC athletics into perspective, savoring the relevance USC has attained and is continuing to build in prominent sports thanks to the arrival of Bronny James, joining Juju Watkins, Caleb Williams, Lincoln Riley, Isaiah Collier, and other bright lights in Los Angeles?

National media figures are more interested in USC. Media podcasts, such as the Last Word On Sports podcast, have talked to us at Trojans Wire. It’s such a new and exciting time.

Let’s give you a taste of the newer, bigger appetite for USC sports across the country:

USC’s run of elite recruiting has one superstar left to go: Bronny James

Isaiah Collier, No. 1 MBB recruit. Juju Watkins, No. 1 WBB recruit. Bear Alexander, No. 1 portal prospect. Can #USC land Bronny now?

It has been a remarkable college sports cycle for USC athletics in its revenue sports. The Trojans put both basketball teams in the NCAA Tournament and reached a New Year’s Six bowl in football, something done by only two other schools in this cycle: Alabama and Tennessee.

USC recruited the top-ranked prospects in men’s and women’s basketball, landing Isaiah Collier and JuJu Watkins. It retained Boogie Ellis for one more season. It just landed the top-ranked (spring) transfer portal prospect, Bear Alexander. We’re waiting to see if the Trojans can close the door and land Bronny James, who — though not the No. 1 prospect on the board — would carry value beyond recruiting rankings. Bronny choosing USC would make Trojan basketball much more of a destination program for other recruits. USC becoming “the place to be” for basketball, not just football, is exactly how Andy Enfield can build the Trojans into a Final Four-level program, a team which can expect to contend for college basketball’s biggest prizes. Let’s say more about this below:

USC commit Juju Watkins opens up on Nike Hoop Summit, Trojans decision

#USC WBB commit Juju Watkins (ankle) didn’t play at the Nike Hoop Summit, but the selection meant a lot to her.

The USC Trojans women’s basketball team returned to the NCAA Tournament but suffered a first-round loss to South Dakota State. Nonetheless, there is a ton of excitement for this program moving forward, and USC signee Juju Watkins is one of the main reasons why.

Watkins is a part of the first USA women’s team at the Nike Hoop Summit, and her arrival there brought a humbling reaction (h/t Marc Spears of Andscape). Watkins didn’t play in the summit due to concerns about an ankle injury, but the selection to the team meant a lot to her.

“It always means something to wear USA on your chest,” Watkins said. Whenever you’re wearing it, you’re representing ladies, all the Olympians and junior USA players. So, to be a part of that bigger legacy is very empowering.”

Watkins is largely considered the No. 1 recruit in the entire class. She was named the 2023 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Girls Player of the Year.

Trojan head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who has turned the program around, couldn’t stop raving about Watkins’ talent:

“Juju is a transcendent talent,” Gottlieb said. “With her size and skill level, she does things on the court that are exceptional. But she makes them look seamless.”

The Sierra Canyon High School star also opened up on her decision to play at USC. It’s a local decision:

“I’m big on repping from where I come from. So, to be able to wear USC across my chest and represent my community and where I come from, it’s important.”

The men’s team landed Isaiah Collier and the women’s team brought in Juju Watkins. Both players have very high ceilings, the best possible news for USC hoops’ two rising programs.

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Juju Watkins receives recognition from Los Angeles Daily News

Watkins is more than just the player of the year in L.A. hoops; she is historically great, a sign of how much talent she brings to #USC

USC Trojans women’s hoops signee Juju Watkins is bringing a ton of talent to the program next season. Watkins is widely considered the top prospect in the Class of 2023 and was a part of the first USA women’s Nike Hoop Summit team (though an ankle injury prevented her from playing this past weekend).

Now, Watkins has received another award, being named the 2023 Player of the Year by the Los Angeles Daily News, per Tarek Fattal.

The Sierra Canyon star is being discussed as one of the best players of all time in the area, and it’s hard to argue that. In her final season in high school, Watkins finished with eye-popping averages of 27.3 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists and was named the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Player of the Year.

What Watkins is bringing to USC is unquestioned, and Lindsay Gottlieb should have no problem inserting her right into the starting lineup. The USC women’s team is also coming off of a return to the NCAA Tournament, so there are high hopes in Southern California.

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USC women’s basketball is in perfect position to benefit from new exposure

More people are watching women’s college basketball. #USC appears to be catching the wave at just the right time.

You might have noticed that Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes are breaking TV ratings records at the Women’s Final Four. Our friends at Hawkeyes Wire have been spreading the word about this development.

It is becoming more apparent that the powers that be at the NCAA are aware of what this means. They know they need to create a new television deal which sets the Women’s NCAA Tournament apart from other NCAA sports championships and capitalizes on the surging market value in women’s basketball.

In the midst of these changing winds and emerging forces, USC women’s basketball is on the rise. The Trojans made the Women’s NCAA Tournament this year, marking the first time the Women of Troy cracked the NCAA tourney field since 2014.

USC and coach Lindsay Gottlieb are bringing in Juju Watkins, the nation’s top-ranked recruit. If Watkins lives up to the hype, USC will have its own megawatt star to promote, someone who could become the successor to Caitlin Clark as a TV ratings magnet. Moreover, Watkins could do this in Los Angeles, a major media market.

USC’s rise would be welcome in any era at any point in time, but the Women of Troy are improving precisely when a new NCAA Tournament TV deal might be arranged, and precisely one year before the Trojans leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten.

The timing could not be better for USC, which is poised to make a lot more money on women’s basketball in the next several years.

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