USC Women's Basketball: Lindsay Gottlieb Comments On Importance Of Trojan Stars

This is one of the best Trojans clubs in decades.

Your 12-1 USC Trojans are off to one of their hottest season starts in a while, and are currently ranked as the ninth-best club in the nation by The Associated Press.

Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb spoke extensively last month about how the incredible recent work of freshman wing JuJu Watkins and junior center Rayah Marshall could inspire the next generation of Southern California hoopers, writes Luca Evans of The Los Angeles Daily News.

“This is their chance to come to USC and see what is possible,” Gottlieb said in December of the young people attending Galen Center for a win over UC Riverside. “Are they going to be the next Rayah, or JuJu? I hope so – maybe then I’ll recruit ’em. But if not, maybe they just believe, ‘I can go to college’ … it’s so much bigger than me, and it’s bigger than even this particular crowd.”

Watkins, a 6'2" guard/forward out of Sierra Canyon School, is the second-most prolific scorer in the game, Iowa senior behind Caitlin Clark of course. Watkins is averaging 26.1 points on .445/.424/.793 shooting splits, along with 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks. Marshall is averaging 13 points on 51.3% shooting from the field, 10.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals.