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/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: John McGillen / USC Athletics
USC’s JuJu Watkins Selected To Ann Meyers Drysdale USBWA National Player of the Year Watch List
February 27, 2024 | Women's Basketball
She’s one of 40 players in line for high honors in collegiate women’s basketball.
USC freshman guard JuJu Watkins' list of accolades this season stretches another line longer today with her selection to the Ann Meyers Drysdale USBWA National Player of the Year Watch List. She is one of 40 women's basketball players from around the nation on the list vying for honors as the national player of the year.
Just last week, Watkins pinned up 42 points and then 30 points in back-to-back games to break and add to the single-season record for 30-plus efforts by a Trojan — set by three-time Naismith Award winner Cheryl Miller in 1984-85 — as the USC freshman has now posted a total of 12 games with 30 or more points scored. Already this season, Watkins matched Miller's record of consecutive 30-plus games (three) and she pinned up a 32-point performance in her first game as a Trojan, bettering Naismith winner Lisa Leslie's freshman debut effort back in 1990. Watkins also put forth a USC record-setting performance with a 51-point outing in a USC win at Stanford, which also stands as the most points scored by any DI player this season.
Watkins stands as the No. 2 scorer in the nation with 28.2 points per game. She has led the No. 7 Women of Troy in 24 games this season and she leads USC in scoring, assists (3.4 per game) and steals (2.6 per game) and is second on the team in 3-pointers made (54). She's also second on the team in rebounding (7.0 per game) and blocks (1.6 per game). A 13-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week and three-time Pac-12 Player of the Week, Watkins has accumulated a number of national honors as well. A Sullivan Award semifinalist, she's also on the Naismith Player of the Year Midseason Watch List, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Top 10 List, Wade Watch List and Wooden Award Late Season Top-20 Watch List. She's also been selected the Naismith Trophy Player of the Week (2/5), ESPN Player of the Week (2/5) and AP National Player of the Week (12/16) and is a three-time USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week.
The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is presented annually to the women's national player of the year by the USBWA. Named for the legendary UCLA guard, the award was first presented in the 1987-88 season and formally named in Meyers Drysdale's honor in the 2011-12 season. Ann Meyers Drysdale played at UCLA from 1974-78, which pre-dates the USBWA All-America selections. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected a women's All-America team since the 1996-97 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
Watkins and the Trojans are setting off this week for their final regular-season competition of the season, heading to Arizona (16-12, 8-8) for a Leap Day visit with the Wildcats on Thursday (Feb. 29) at 5 p.m. in Tucson. The Trojans will then head to Tempe to take on Arizona State (11-17, 3-13) at 11 a.m. on Saturday (March 2).
Just last week, Watkins pinned up 42 points and then 30 points in back-to-back games to break and add to the single-season record for 30-plus efforts by a Trojan — set by three-time Naismith Award winner Cheryl Miller in 1984-85 — as the USC freshman has now posted a total of 12 games with 30 or more points scored. Already this season, Watkins matched Miller's record of consecutive 30-plus games (three) and she pinned up a 32-point performance in her first game as a Trojan, bettering Naismith winner Lisa Leslie's freshman debut effort back in 1990. Watkins also put forth a USC record-setting performance with a 51-point outing in a USC win at Stanford, which also stands as the most points scored by any DI player this season.
Watkins stands as the No. 2 scorer in the nation with 28.2 points per game. She has led the No. 7 Women of Troy in 24 games this season and she leads USC in scoring, assists (3.4 per game) and steals (2.6 per game) and is second on the team in 3-pointers made (54). She's also second on the team in rebounding (7.0 per game) and blocks (1.6 per game). A 13-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week and three-time Pac-12 Player of the Week, Watkins has accumulated a number of national honors as well. A Sullivan Award semifinalist, she's also on the Naismith Player of the Year Midseason Watch List, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Top 10 List, Wade Watch List and Wooden Award Late Season Top-20 Watch List. She's also been selected the Naismith Trophy Player of the Week (2/5), ESPN Player of the Week (2/5) and AP National Player of the Week (12/16) and is a three-time USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week.
The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is presented annually to the women's national player of the year by the USBWA. Named for the legendary UCLA guard, the award was first presented in the 1987-88 season and formally named in Meyers Drysdale's honor in the 2011-12 season. Ann Meyers Drysdale played at UCLA from 1974-78, which pre-dates the USBWA All-America selections. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected a women's All-America team since the 1996-97 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
Watkins and the Trojans are setting off this week for their final regular-season competition of the season, heading to Arizona (16-12, 8-8) for a Leap Day visit with the Wildcats on Thursday (Feb. 29) at 5 p.m. in Tucson. The Trojans will then head to Tempe to take on Arizona State (11-17, 3-13) at 11 a.m. on Saturday (March 2).
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