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When previewing Sunday afternoon’s top-25 showdown between No. 9 NC State and No. 18 USC, I suggested, albeit somewhat skeptically, that “it would be encouraging if freshman Jazzy Davidson had a star-making afternoon.”
Well, the Trojans shouldn’t just be encouraged. They should be ecstatic.
Davidson delivered—and then some. The freshman sparked the upset victory for the USC, shaking off understandable early struggles to show off why she was the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025.
After a 1-for-10 first half, Davidson did not simply score USC’s first eight second-half points, but demonstrated the depth of her scoring bag while doing so. The 6-foot-1 freshman dipped into her drive game, getting to the hoop by rejecting a screen, using a screen and without a screen. Then, she started stroking her jumper, hitting a midranger and 3-pointer. Add in a pair of free throws and Davidson finished with 13 third-quarter points.
And yet, it appeared that her poised and precocious play would be a bright spot from what ultimately would end up as a loss for the Trojans, as NC State led USC 58-50 after three quarters. Early in the fourth, the Wolfpack would extend their advantage to 11 points, seeming on their way to a comfortable win.
Another 3-pointer from Davidson, however, kickstarted the Trojan comeback, as the gals from Southern Cal steadily chipped away at the margin until, with 10 seconds remaining, USC was down by a single point with the possession of the ball.
On a well-executed out-of-bounds action, Davidson cut to the basket and converted the bucket, finishing off her fantastic afternoon with what would become the game-winner. Missed free throws from both sides, followed by a key strip from Malia Samuels on the final possession, secured the upset for the Trojans, 69-68.
Playing 34 minutes, Davidson totaled 21 points, four assists, four rebounds, five blocks and three steals. As her stat line indicates, the freshman’s imprint was all over the win. Watch out Tonya Harding! Your time as the best female athlete from Clackamas, OR is ticking.
While Davidson’s star turn was the most significant development from a weekend of women’s college basketball, here are a few other intriguing observations:
She succeeded Paige Bueckers at Hopkins High School in Minnesota, and now she’s succeeding as college star.
Putting Paige-level expectations on Liv McGil is unfair, but the Florida sophomore guard might not agree with that. While it’s only been two games, McGil has been a monster for the Gators. She leads the nation in total points and total assists, putting up 64 points and tossing 19 dimes as Florida has earned a 96-62 win over North Florida and a 94-52 win against Chattanooga.
McGil is assuming a heavy offensive load and, at least so far, managing it with improved efficiency, shooting better than 53 percent on 2-pointers and 47.1 percent on 3s. If those numbers don’t slip too much, McGil will be stamped as certified offensive star, and Florida, projected to finish 11th in the SEC, might cause a lot of trouble for more touted opponents.
Last season, Ole Miss attempted less than 17 3-pointers per game, making just five. Those number put in them in the bottom 275 in NCAA Division I for attempts and makes from behind the arc. The 3, in short, was not part of the Rebels’ offensive arsenal.
Have they added it as a weapon for 2025-26?
Small sample size caveats apply, but through two games, Ole Miss has upped their 3s to 27 per game, which ranks 61st nationally. Even more encouraging, they’re converting 37 percent of them. Going from five to 10 made 3s per game would give the Rebels an extra 15 points a contest!
It’s the Rebels’ newcomers who have injected them with this new juice. Transfers Debreasha Powe, Cotie McMahon and Tianna Thompson have all attempted at least 3.5 3s per game, while making at least one third of them. Powe, a senior wing who arrived in Oxford from in-state rival Mississippi State, leads with six attempts at 33.3 percent. McMahon’s 5.5 3s per game is a significant jump from the 3.1 she took as a junior at Ohio State, which already was an increase from the less than two per game she attempted as a sophomore. It would be surprising if McMahon maintained that volume, much less her 54.5 percentage, yet improving her volume and efficiency as a 3-point shooter would not only be a boon for the Rebels, but also for her WNBA Draft stock.
Thompson, a sophomore guard who transferred from Georgia Tech, has been even more aggressive and accurate from behind the arc, taking 3.5 3s in 12.5 minutes per game, and hitting over 57 percent of them.
These numbers might be early outliers, but they’re certainly worth monitoring, especially if they (somewhat) sustain when Ole Miss begins to play tougher opponents. With the exception of a matchup against No. 15 Notre Dame on Dec. 4, the Rebels shouldn’t be tested until their SEC schedule begins after the calendar turns to 2026.
Ignore the frigid shooting percentages and frightfully-low final scores. Instead, celebrate the buzzer-beating game-winner from freshman guard Gina Garcia, as Kansas State snuck out the two-point win over SMU.
That’s the beauty of college basketball. Ugliness can become excitement in the blink of an eye.
