The No. 18 USC Trojans are playing this season without star JuJu Watkins, who tore her ACL in the NCAA Tournament last spring, but their first big test resulted in a blowout 69-68 win over No. 9 NC State on Sunday. The game wasn't perfect by any means, but it showed the potential of Lindsey Gottlieb's team and could be a confidence boost when USC plays South Carolina next weekend.
The Wolfpack is a very young group with no senior players on its roster, but came into the 2025 Allie Tipoff game against USC after an 80-77 win over No. 8 Tennessee in the season opener on Tuesday.
Gottlieb knows the Trojans are still adjusting to the absence of Watkins and other key players last season. However, the coach likes what she sees from her players so far.
“Everyone is kind of in a new role,” Gottlieb said Sunday. “We just think this is a great opportunity for others. This is how we want to play. We want to play fast and smooth. We're trying to play a more open, professional offense where there's a lot of reads and options and putting people in different spots. “We’re always going to play tough and hard defensively, we want to play fast and all that.”
“And I think that’s what the players bought into. But there are also different people in new roles and opportunities, and that's a lot to take on. From someone playing in their first college game to someone playing in a USC uniform for the first time and being asked to take on so much more, it's a great, amazing opportunity. I love coaching us, but I think we still have room to grow and that’s exciting.”
After an 87-48 win over New Mexico State in the season opener and an AP top-10 win over NC State, the Trojans are 2-0. This team may not be ready to compete for a national championship yet, but we've already seen some good things from the Trojans.
Jazzy Davidson is as good as advertised
Davidson, 3rd player in the 2025 class.came to Los Angeles with high expectations due to her high basketball IQ, quickness and versatility. She has the skill set as a defender, and her 6-foot-1 frame helps her defend on the perimeter.
Over the first three innings, she walked from the field just 5 of 26 times as a Trojan. However, she continued to help in other ways until her shots fell. She got her college basketball look right in the second half against NC State when she started 4-of-4 from the field while maintaining her defensive intensity.
Freshman, who is mentored by Watkinsdid a little bit of everything in the Trojans' victory over the Wolfpack. She scored a team-high 21 points to go along with four rebounds, four assists, three steals and five blocked shots.
“I’ve just been blessed with great coaches and teammates,” Davidson said Sunday. “They really help me stay balanced in situations where my shots aren't as effective as I'd like, and I really appreciate them.”
Londoninn Jones could be the X factor
X-factor, spark, whatever you want to call it. The fact is, UCLA transfer Londonin Jones has made a big impact in her first two games as a Trojan. Against NMSU, Jones shot 0 of 3 from behind the arc but still shot over 54% from the field and scored 16 points. She scored 19 points Sunday, the spark that kept USC competitive in the first half when almost no one else could buy a shot.
Jones was a starter for the Bruins but has yet to come off the bench for the Trojans. In the 2023-24 season, Jones set the UCLA record for most three-pointers made with 87. She hasn't been the most efficient shooter of her collegiate career—she hasn't had a season in which she shot over 37% from the field or averaged more than 12 points per game—but the potential to make a significant impact on this roster is certainly there.
“I think practice is never enough,” the senior said Sunday. “I think what you do in practice, you kind of see what you can work on, what you need to get better at. I think just shoot, we have a lot of shoots, so just understand that it works. When you put it in, get reps, it comes naturally and you don’t have to think about it.”
Kennedy Smith is still effective
Smith appeared in 28 games for the Trojans last season and was expected to be a key player for the team in this rebuilding year. As a freshman, she shot over 41% from the field, averaging 9.5 points per game and leading the team in steals.
She didn't have a great shooting season as a sophomore, shooting 7 of 26 in her first two games. Despite those struggles, she was still one of the best players on Sunday, finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds. She made back-to-back breaks midway through the fourth quarter as USC rallied from a double-digit deficit. She also provided an assist for Davidson's game-winner.
“I think what makes Kennedy such an elite player is that she can impact the game without scoring,” Gottlieb said. “We know she can score, and I think she had some really big moments in that stretch. But she is unique in that she makes other elite players better. She could have the ball in her hands, feel the defense and spray it.”
“She can score inside and outside, and we know she can make shots and those shots will fall. But it's not until her sophomore year that she takes on a lot more, trying to get the ball to be a playmaker, shot distributor and scorer. But she's elite defensively, she's on all the boards. end”.
