JuJu Watkins is wasting no time reminding everyone why her name keeps landing on national honor rolls.
USC’s senior guard picked up her eighth career USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week award on Tuesday, Nov. 10, after powering the Women of Troy through their first two games of the season. The U.S. Basketball Writers Association made the announcement the same day Watkins also landed her eighth career Big Ten Player of the Week honor.
Across those two outings, Watkins put up 26.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.0 block per game. She was one of five players recognized this week, alongside Michigan’s Te’Yala Delfosse, BYU’s Delaney Gibb, Kentucky’s Ajsa Sivka and Rutgers’ Mia Pauldo.
Her return to a regular-season game came in a big way. In USC’s 100-68 win over UNLV at the Hall of Fame Series on Nov. 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Watkins played her first regular-season game in 588 days and delivered 21 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.
She followed that up with an even bigger showing in the home opener against Utah State on Nov. 8.
Watkins posted 32 points, a career-high 16 rebounds, six assists, five steals and one block in USC’s 118-40 victory. She shot 10-for-19 from the field, 4-for-7 from three-point range and 8-for-9 at the free-throw line, and finished with a game-best +61 plus-minus in 27 minutes.
Watkins led both teams in points, rebounds and steals, while also sharing the game lead in assists. Her six assists helped create 12 more points, meaning she was directly responsible for 44 points in the win.
The night also gave her another pair of milestones: her 18th career double-double and her 22nd career 30-point game. That moved her within three of Cheryl Miller’s program record of 25. USC’s scoring output matched the third-highest total in program history, and the 78-point margin was the second-largest in school history.
The Women of Troy are back in action tonight, Tuesday, Nov. 10, when they host College of Charleston at 7:30 p.m. PT at the Galen Center.
In Other News...
Indiana Faces One Offensive Concern Fans Cant Ignore Vs USC
ESPN analyst Greg McElroys preview of No. 9 Indiana against No. 18 USC centered on a familiar sort of late-season tension: one team bringing a sturdy defense, the other trying to sort out its offense while the quarterback picture remains unsettled. McElroy sounded confident in Indiana on that side of the ball, even as he weighed the recent form of both programs and the key players who could end up deciding the matchup.
For USC, the bigger concern is less about the name on the jersey than the rhythm of the offense itself, especially with the uncertainty under center and the struggles that have shown up in recent games. Indiana has its own offensive issues to clean up after a recent slide in the rankings, but this game still feels like one where the Trojans ability to get organized on offense may determine whether they can keep pace with a Hoosiers team that has earned respect for how it defends. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Landed A Recruit Who Could Boost Womens Golf Fast
USC womens golf added an important piece to its future with the signing of Eliana Saga, one of the nations top junior players and a member of the U.S. Junior National Team. She arrives with a rsum that already includes international experience and multiple top finishes, and she becomes the Trojans first signee in the class of 2027.
For Justin Silversteins program, the timing matters as much as the talent. Landing a player with Sagas profile gives USC an early foundation for the next recruiting cycle, and it signals the kind of ceiling the Trojans are aiming for as they keep building toward the seasons ahead. [Read more 🡒]
USC Is Bringing Real Swagger Into Its Biggest Test Yet
USCs week of preparation for Indiana has come with a little extra edge, and not just because of whats at stake. Defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart and running back Waymond Jordan both talked about the Trojans trash-talking culture as part of the way the team gets ready, a sign that this group is leaning into the kind of swagger that can travel well when the pressure rises.
The timing matters because this is one of those games with real College Football Playoff implications, and USC is walking into it as the underdog. The availability picture adds another layer, with tight end Walter Matthews questionable for the Trojans while Indiana is dealing with its own issues, including the absence of starting running back Turbo Richard and an uncertain quarterback situation because of injury. [Read more 🡒]