Are USC the National Championship Favorites?

Lindsay Gottlieb is bringing in a stacked roster for the 2024-2025 season. The reigning PAC-12 Player of the Year Juju Watkins is joined by transfers Kiki Iriafen, Talia Von Oelhoffen and the number one recruiting class in the country. Kennedy Smith, the number six ranked recruit, figures to have a legitimate chance at bringing back-to-back National Freshman of the Year trophies to Southern California.

They bring in five recruits in the top 55, and six in the top 100: the aforementioned Smith, Kayleigh Heckel, Avery Howell, Vivian Iwuchukwu, Rian Forestier and Laura Williams. On paper, this is one of the deepest rosters we’ve seen in some time. 

Juju Watkins

Juju took the world by storm and brought even more shine to Hollywood in her freshman season, breaking records and leading her team to an Elite Eight appearance. She set the NCAA Division 1 freshman scoring record with 920 points and set the USC record for men or women with 14 30-point performances in one season. Watkins was the second leading scorer in the country with 27.1 PPG.

She made first team All-American for every possible publication, as well as PAC-12 Player of the Year and National Freshman of the Year. All of those accolades and all Juju has talked about is wanting to win a National Championship. She was just two games away in her first season, which many felt was ahead of schedule given the freshmen class they had coming in.

Watkins proved she was ready for the collegiate stage immediately, dropping 32 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists against Ohio State. All season long she made it look effortless, her signature bun was never phased, and neither was she. The poise, patience and understanding of what her team needed and when was impressive. She knew where she wanted to get her looks and that was never more evident than in her 51-point performance AT Stanford. 

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She can score at every possible level on the court and is one of the best shot creators we’ve ever witnessed. She is deadly in the mid-range, 43% on two-point shots, and has phenomenal footwork inside the three-point line. Though her three-point percentage was 32%, I would attest that to the difficulty of the shots more than her ability.

She was the best in the country at getting to the free throw line, which just goes to show how arduous of a task it is to try to contain Watkins. Juju is an underrated defender, averaging 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. She should be even more impactful this season with seemingly less pressure on the offensive end. 

Talia Von Oelhoffen and Kiki Iriafen

USC brought in some reinforcements with Von Oelhoffen and Iriafen transferring from Oregon State and Stanford respectively. Iriafen, who averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds, brings elite post scoring and rebounding to a Trojan offense that needed versatility offensively.

She’s extremely skilled and patient with the ball in her hands; she excels in the face up game from 15-16 ft and in, while also having tremendous footwork and deceptive quickness in the low post. Iriafen and Rayah Marshall on the defensive end is one of the best tandems in the country. Marshall averaged two blocks per game last season and has 234 total in 3 seasons. 

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Von Oelhoffen will be able to be a playmaker, a reliable shooter, and someone else Coach Gottlieb can trust in the clutch. As seen below in an instant classic game against UCLA last season. She will take pressure off of Juju in the backcourt with her experience and ability to create for herself and others.

Her efficiency wasn’t great last season, but I think with this team she’ll have more opportunities to have shots created for her, and more space to create for herself with the gravity Watkins and Iriafen will draw. Most of the Trojans scoring last season came from Juju and McKenzie Forbes, 41 of the team’s 74 points, so this adds a much-needed boost. I believe TVO can play a role similar to what Te-Hina Paopao has done with South Carolina.

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#1 Recruiting Class

Kennedy Smith is unlikely to match the scoring Juju did in her freshman season, but don’t be surprised if she has the same kind of impact for the Trojans. She can do everything on the court; she can shoot the three, create off the dribble, is a really good passer and rebounder for her age and size, and a very capable defender. She’s willing to do whatever it takes for her team to win. Kayleigh Heckel is a dynamic scorer and facilitator, who may be small in stature but not in heart or in her mind.

She’s fearless going to the rim and can make tough shots all over the floor. Smith and Heckel are high IQ players and are able to see things on the court that you can’t teach. Howell is a good shooter and crafty finisher around the rim, Iwuchukwu is excellent at knowing where to be for rebounds and timing her cuts and rolls to the rim. Forestier is great at playing at her own pace and shooting the ball and Laura Williams is a monster on the glass. They all have the talent to contribute immediately, but time will tell on whether they will or not.

Identity, Lindsay Gottlieb

Coach Gottlieb and the teams of the past few seasons have made it clear what their identity is, DEFENSE. They were 3rd in blocks and held teams to less than 40% shooting last season. They allowed more points per game last season but with the more up-tempo offense due to Juju’s ability that opened the door for more defensive possessions. Plus, the PAC-12 was absolutely loaded. In the Big Ten they’ll likely be one of, if not the, best defense in the conference. With the offensive firepower, it should give them ample opportunity to get back and set up defensively. 

Are they the Favorites?

Many believe USC are the favorites, and who can really blame them? They were a few possessions away from a Final Four and added a boatload of talent next to Juju. It also goes to show how much faith people have in her, again, can’t really blame them. Two years ago, LSU added in the transfer portal and won the Natty, they did the same last offseason and fell short so it’s not a given that this works. On paper, USC may have the best roster from top to bottom, but there’s still a ton of teams to go through. SC, UConn, UCLA, Texas, Notre Dame and many more are all looking to hold up that trophy in April. We’ll check back in March and ask this question again, maybe by then we have a definitive answer. I’m just glad we all get to sit back and watch it unfold.