Without JuJu Watkins, USC basketball holds on to NCAA title hopes

When Lindsay Gottlieb looks back on this past basketball season, it’s impossible not to think about the pressure. The spotlight on USC shone from the first day last fall, with the entire hoops world seemingly waiting for JuJu Watkins to lift the Trojans to a national title. Everyone within the program felt that weight. Even the USC coach.

“Everyone felt like we were national championship contenders,” Gottlieb said.

Lessons were learned from that crucible, she now admits, and many things she could do differently. Although no one could have predicted that Watkins’ knee would buckle awkwardly beneath her in the second round of the NCAA Tournament — or that the injury would rob her of her entire next season at USC, throwing a huge wrench in the Trojans’ trajectory.

Now, as USC prepares for a season without its superstar, such pressure no longer exists. As the Trojans’ season begins Tuesday against New Mexico State, the spotlight will be on elsewhere. Because when it comes to the world of college hoops, with Watkins sidelined, there is no outside expectation for the Trojans to start this season.

USC guard JuJu Watkins gives head coach Lindsay Gottlieb a high-five. Watkins’ star status raised national title expectations last season.

(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

A year ago, Gottlieb had to face that hype head on. “It would have been foolish to ignore the [expectations]“, she said.

But this year? “I think it would be foolish to do anything other than ignore them.”

After reaching the Elite Eight last March — in part, without Watkins — USC was voted No. 18 in the first Associated Press top 25 poll. Gottlieb dismissed the preseason polls as “educated guesses” when asked last month about the Trojans’ rankings. Some fans, however, considered it disrespectful after a season in which USC lost only four games and won the Big Ten regular season title.

But the truth is the Trojans open the season with far more questions than answers. USC lost not only Watkins, but six of its top seven scorers from the Elite Eight team to injury, the WNBA or the transfer portal. There are no confirmed players in the first zone, with a committee of four big players expected to open the season. Not to mention one of the toughest schedules in the country awaits them, with four games against the preseason top three: UCLA, South Carolina and Connecticut.

“There’s still a lot of unknown information compared to this time last year,” said Gottlieb, who is entering her fifth season as coach. “And so it’s me, I have my work cut out for me.”

That job starts with Watkins — or rather, the gaping void his absence leaves on both ends of the floor.

Gottlieb has no illusions about anyone taking the superstar’s place. Although it’s tempting to connect the dots to freshman Jazzy Davidson, the nation’s top 2025 prospect.

“No one is filling JuJu’s shoes. They are very unique shoes,” Gottlieb said. “But the fact that Jazzy can come into our program and already make a really unique and incredible impression on everyone is pretty crazy.

“She’s really, really good. I’ll start with that. She’s next level good.”

How quickly this talent manifests itself on the field could very well determine the direction of USC’s season. But Davidson has no interest in being compared to the Trojans’ latest top prospect, who became an instant sensation as a freshman.

Freshman Jazzy Davidson practices during a USC women’s basketball practice at the Galen Center.

(USC Athletics/Associated Press)

“She’s JuJu, she’s a generational player,” Davidson said. “I think we both do different things. She’s been very helpful in my transition. But I’m really coming to help the team win, in any way I can.”

No one doubts that she will. Already, the freshman’s defensive prowess has made an impression in practice.

“His length is unbelievable,” sophomore guard Kennedy Smith said. “Its scale is SO long. She blocks shots all the time.

Her offense should undoubtedly follow suit, considering Davidson is the all-time leading scorer in Oregon Class 6A girls basketball history.

But it remains to be seen how much the Trojans have to lean on their star freshman early in the season, especially with tough non-conference matchups against Connecticut and South Carolina.

No matter who takes the lead on offense, USC will need Smith to take a big step forward in that regard if the Trojans hope to keep pace in a competitive Big Ten race.

USC guard Kennedy Smith holds the ball away from UConn guard Paige Bueckers during an Elite Eight NCAA tournament game March 31 in Spokane, Washington.

(Young Kwak / Associated Press)

Already a dominant defender in her freshman season, Smith shot inconsistently from the perimeter as a freshman. Now that she’s coming off a gold medal with Team USA at the FIBA ​​AmeriCup, Smith said she’s “really putting myself out there” as a sophomore.

“I feel like in my role I need to be more consistent,” she said. “But I feel like everyone on this team has value and everyone can have a bucket if they want to.”

USC will need all hands on deck if it has any hope of defending its Big Ten title. Georgia Tech transfer Kara Dunn will be vital to the Trojans’ backcourt as the most consistent three-point threat. USC also needs someone to emerge from a big four that includes Yakiya Milton, Laura Williams, Vivian Iwuchukwu and Lithuanian import Gerda Raulusaityte, none of whom averaged more than two points per game in college basketball.

These questions will have to be answered soon enough. But as far as anyone participating in the program is concerned, expectations won’t change one way or another.

“The goal remains the same, which is the national championship,” Smith said. “It’s just about navigating with what we have.

“And our situation is not bad at all.”