USC Trojans Triumph Over Kansas State Wildcats Despite JuJu Watkins’ Absence
In the world of college basketball, the unexpected is always lurking around the corner, ready to shake things up. This was precisely the case for the USC Trojans as they faced the Kansas State Wildcats in a high-stakes NCAA tournament game. The Trojans were playing their first game since learning that their superstar, JuJu Watkins, would miss the remainder of the tournament due to an ACL tear. Despite this setback, USC’s top-ranked freshman class stepped up to the challenge, leading the team to a 67-61 victory and securing their spot in the Elite Eight against the formidable UConn Huskies.
Even though Watkins was unable to travel with the team and remained in Los Angeles, she stayed connected with her teammates, FaceTiming them to join in the postgame celebration. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb shared, “She hit me and just said how proud she was, before this game even, of the coaching staff, of the players, of everything that we are.” The emotional connection was palpable, as Gottlieb’s daughter even joined in, blowing kisses to Watkins and asking, “JuJu’s not hurt?” Gottlieb reassured her, “No, she’s still hurt, but she’s happy today and with us.”
In the previous game against Mississippi State, where Watkins suffered her injury, the Trojans leaned heavily on senior Kiki Iriafen, who scored an impressive 36 points. However, Iriafen struggled offensively against Kansas State, missing 10 of her 13 shots and finishing with just seven points. This opened the door for USC’s freshmen to shine.
“They played remarkably,” Iriafen praised her younger teammates. “We would not be in this game on Monday without them. I don’t want that to be lost at all. Avery (Howell), Kennedy (Smith), (Kayleigh) Heckel, they all stepped up and did not play like freshmen. They had so much confidence. They were so electrifying and for me, having an off night, they really helped me stay in the game and be there mentally.”
Leading the charge was Kennedy Smith, who outscored Kansas State 11-9 by herself in the opening period and finished with a team-high 19 points. “I’m ready for the moment,” Smith declared. “Even in high school, just the balance with that, I think I was prepared to be in the position I am right now.”
Smith, ranked No. 6 overall by ESPN HoopGurlz, has been a starter all season. She was joined in the lineup by Avery Howell, who made just her second career start in place of Watkins. Howell tied her career high with 18 points, including a team-high seven in the fourth quarter, and added a career-high four steals. According to ESPN Research, Howell and Smith became the first pair of freshmen to score at least 18 points in an NCAA tournament game since Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards did it three times for UConn in 2021 en route to the Final Four.
- USC’s freshmen accounted for more than two-thirds of the team’s 67 points.
- Smith and Howell’s performance was reminiscent of UConn’s Bueckers and Edwards in 2021.
- USC’s victory sets up a rematch with UConn in the Elite Eight.
Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie acknowledged the impressive performance of USC’s freshmen, stating, “Credit to their freshmen because this is a big stage and they’re the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for a reason, and I thought they stepped up.”
Another freshman, guard Kayleigh Heckel, finished the game at point guard in place of fifth-year senior Talia von Oelhoffen, contributing eight points. Coach Gottlieb couldn’t help but express her pride, “What can I say about our freshman class? They’re winners above everything else. … They’re incredibly tough, and they are winners. And that’s what I told them before the game, and they earned every bit of it, and I’m just proud to be playing in the Elite Eight and proud of our group that they get to experience this.”
Despite the emotional blow of losing Watkins, Gottlieb emphasized the importance of staying focused on the team’s goals. “Achieving our goals even though the path looks a little different than it did just a few days ago,” she said on Friday. The Trojans’ freshmen have ensured that the dream of advancing further than last season remains alive as they prepare for a rematch with UConn, a year after the teams met in the same round with a spot in the Final Four on the line.
Smith summed up the team’s resolve, “We still have the common goal of obviously winning a national championship. With Ju going down, obviously it was a bit of adversity that we had to face, but just having her in our presence. We talked to her before the game. She was still rooting us on, things of that nature, so just keeping her in our hearts and minds and playing for her as well as for each other.”
Originally Written by: Kevin Pelton
