USC Women’s Basketball: ESPN Ranks Trojans Among Preseason Top 20 For First Time In A Decade

Can the Trojans shock everyone this season?

The USC Trojans are feeling good about themselves entering this season, and they are ranked in the preseason poll for the first time in over ten years. That in itself is a remarkable accomplishment, and USC can't wait to get the season started.

They come in at number 18 on the year and plan to make some noise in the Pac-12 this season. They may not be the favorites by any means, but the women of USC are ready to show that they mean business.

"The last time the Trojans were ranked in the preseason poll was preceding 2011-12 season. That 11-year absence should end thanks to Lindsay Gottlieb's efforts to elevate the program in just two seasons. It helps that she convinced one of the most the most highly regarded recruits in recent memory in 6-0 guard JuJu Watkins to stay home to play in Los Angeles. Most scouts see Watkins as a future WNBA star. Gottlieb, a Brown graduate, also pulled from her Ivy League roots for three grad transfers: Kayla Padilla (Penn), Kaitlyn Davis (Columbia) and Mackenzie Forbes (Harvard). Padilla was a three-time all-Ivy league guard and averaged 17.5 points per game a season ago. USC's top returning scorer, Rayah Marshall (12.7 PPG), is also one of the country's best defenders, with 3.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. Previous rank: 18"

Per Charlie Creme of ESPN.com

Teams like LSU, Iowa, and even the cross-town rival UCLA will have eyes on them all season long, but USC wants to surprise people. They want everyone to doubt them, and then they can shock the world.

It should be an enjoyable season for USC, and fans can take solace in the fact that they are getting this hype in the preseason. Now, they need to go out and execute their game plans to show that they deserve this ranking.

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