University Southern California Trojans
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/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Katie Chin
USC’s Lindsay Gottlieb and JuJu Watkins Selected Naismith Semifinalists
March 14, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Gottlieb is in the mix for National Coach of the Year, Watkins for Player of the Year.
As the No. 3 USC women's basketball team awaits the reveal of the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket, head coach Lindsay Gottlieb and freshman guard JuJu Watkins have both been selected as semifinalists for Naismith top honors. Today (March 14), Gottlieb is listed among 10 other semifinalists for the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year award, and Watkins is also tabbed as one of 10 semifinalists for the Jersey Mike's Naismith Player of the Year.
In her third season at USC, Gottlieb has guided her Women of Troy to their highest national ranking since 1986, coming off USC's run to the Pac-12 Tournament Championship. That run included wins over two top-10 opponents — No. 7 UCLA and No. 2 Stanford — to give USC its most wins over top-10 opponents since 1985-86 with five such victories. Also this season, the Trojans have captured the most wins (26) in a season since 1993-94.
Watkins has been instrumental in USC's outstanding season to date, leading the No. 3 Trojans in scoring in 26 of the 30 games in which she's played while adding to her USC record (male or female) with 13 games with 30 or more points scored — a mark that beats out Iowa's Caitlin Clark previous national record of 12 for the most such games for a freshman over the last 25 seasons. The No. 2 scorer in the nation with her 27.0 points per game, Watkins set another USC record with a 51-point outing in a USC road upset of Stanford, and that mark still stands as the most points scored by any player in the nation this season. Additionally, Watkins' 42 points vs. Colorado on Feb. 23 is the most points ever scored by a USC basketball player (male or female) at Galen Center. Watkins currently ranks No. 4 all-time in single-season scoring by a true freshman in the nation with 810 points to date.
But Watkins provides more than just scoring for these No. 3-ranked Trojans. She's the team's second leading rebounder with 7.2 per game, and she's averaging 2.4 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. In fact, she is now one of just five Pac-12 players ever to tally at least 750 points, 150 rebounds and 50 steals in a season. Watkins recently was named to The Athletic and ESPN All-America teams, and she was selected National Player of the Year Runner-Up by ESPN. She's also been honored as the National Freshman of the Year by The Athletic and ESPN, and is the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
The Women of Troy are now awaiting the reveal of the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket, with the Selection Show set for 5 p.m. on Sunday (March 17). USC is likely to receive a high seed and serve as host for the first and second rounds.
In her third season at USC, Gottlieb has guided her Women of Troy to their highest national ranking since 1986, coming off USC's run to the Pac-12 Tournament Championship. That run included wins over two top-10 opponents — No. 7 UCLA and No. 2 Stanford — to give USC its most wins over top-10 opponents since 1985-86 with five such victories. Also this season, the Trojans have captured the most wins (26) in a season since 1993-94.
Watkins has been instrumental in USC's outstanding season to date, leading the No. 3 Trojans in scoring in 26 of the 30 games in which she's played while adding to her USC record (male or female) with 13 games with 30 or more points scored — a mark that beats out Iowa's Caitlin Clark previous national record of 12 for the most such games for a freshman over the last 25 seasons. The No. 2 scorer in the nation with her 27.0 points per game, Watkins set another USC record with a 51-point outing in a USC road upset of Stanford, and that mark still stands as the most points scored by any player in the nation this season. Additionally, Watkins' 42 points vs. Colorado on Feb. 23 is the most points ever scored by a USC basketball player (male or female) at Galen Center. Watkins currently ranks No. 4 all-time in single-season scoring by a true freshman in the nation with 810 points to date.
But Watkins provides more than just scoring for these No. 3-ranked Trojans. She's the team's second leading rebounder with 7.2 per game, and she's averaging 2.4 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. In fact, she is now one of just five Pac-12 players ever to tally at least 750 points, 150 rebounds and 50 steals in a season. Watkins recently was named to The Athletic and ESPN All-America teams, and she was selected National Player of the Year Runner-Up by ESPN. She's also been honored as the National Freshman of the Year by The Athletic and ESPN, and is the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
The Women of Troy are now awaiting the reveal of the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket, with the Selection Show set for 5 p.m. on Sunday (March 17). USC is likely to receive a high seed and serve as host for the first and second rounds.
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