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In JuJu Watkins’ freshman season of 2023-24, USC advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006, also making the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight for the first time since 1994. They, of course, advanced to the Elite Eight again last year, and were denied a legitimate shot at the Final Four with Watkins missing the team’s loss to UConn with a torn ACL.
It’s been quite the re-awakening for the program that won back-to-back championships in 1983 and 1984, the second and third seasons of the NCAA Tournament era, and still maintains a good position in the all-time national title standings at tied for sixth. (Only nine NCAA Division I programs have multiple titles.) But USC’s return to relevance is not surprising, given the generational-talent hype that surrounded Watkins coming out of Sierra Canyon High School.
But with Watkins declared out for the 2025-26 season, the Trojans began the season with two big questions: What will the team make of this season without Watkins? Can they complete their quest for a national championship when she returns next year?
Enter another No. 1 high school recruit in Jazzy Davidson out of Clackamas, OR. She will provide the answer to both questions.
Davidson has not received as much fanfare as Watkins; at times this year, she’s even been overshadowed by Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez, the No. 3 recruit. Part of the reason for that has been the Sooners’ success (currently No. 11 in the nation) and the Trojans’ struggles (currently not receiving votes after starting at No. 18).
But the numbers tell a compelling story of a player who will make the Trojans feared this March and give them an incredible ceiling in 2026-27.
Davidson leads her team in all five of the main statistical categories with averages 17.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.2 blocks (No. 2 in the Big Ten) and two steals.
Watkins set a high bar, as she fell just 2.8 points per game shy of Tina Hutchinson’s national record for freshman points per game (29.9), which she set at San Diego State in the 1983-84 season. But Davidson’s scoring average of 17.4 points per game is really good, and adequate in terms of living up to No. 1-recruit expectations. Combining that with over six boards and over four helpers per game is phenomenal, and, with single-game season highs of 16 rebounds and eight assists, respectively, she’s a triple-double threat. Meanwhile, an average of around two blocks and steals is considered very good, and Davidson is at that level in both categories thanks to her incredible length.
She really is the basketball version of a five-tool player.
Yes, the efficiency has been shaky. But not to the point where you want her to stop taking shots. She has a good-looking 3-point shot and will likely continue to improve upon her 26.1 percent clip. She definitely has the potential to improve from the field overall, as she shot 53.3 percent as a high school senior, compared to her 40.2 mark so far as a collegian.
As she continues to try to up her efficiency, her team is currently on a six-game win streak that has them solidly back in the projected tournament field. Before that, the Trojans were at risk of missing the Big Dance.
USC has won six-straight games thanks to Davidson’s improved play
Davidson made the game-winning layup to beat then-No. 9 NC State in just the second game of the season.
The Trojans would go on to a 10-3 start, with two of the losses coming to national championship contenders in UConn and South Carolina, and the third coming to then-No. 24 Notre Dame. (Neither the Wolfpack nor the Fighting Irish are currently receiving votes.)
Then came the 1-6 stretch.
It started with a loss to another national championship contender in crosstown rival UCLA, a 34-point dismantling that head coach Lindsay Gottlieb called “embarrassing.” The Trojans then lost close games to Oregon, Minnesota and Maryland before beating Purdue by 26. Two more close losses—to Michigan State and Michigan—followed.
It was a brutal stretch considering the six losses came to No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 seeds in ESPN’s current Bracketology.
Gottlieb, Davidson and company have been determined to right the ship, and it appears they have.
The turning point was a huge win over then-No. 8 and now–No. 13 Iowa on Jan. 29. The victory came by an impressive 12-point margin, with the core four of Kara Dunn (25 points, 12 rebounds, five assists), Davidson (21 points, eight helpers, two steals), Kennedy Smith (12 points, five boards, three dimes) and Londynn Jones (17 points) leading the way. Jones was 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, while Dunn was 3-for-7 and Davidson was 3-for-8.
USC then picked up blowout wins over Rutgers and Northwestern before beating Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin by more modest margins. The win over the Badgers came on Thursday and saw Davidson exit the contest with an apparent injury, only to reveal later that she was just cramping up.
Over the winning streak, Davidson has averaged 22.2 points (up 4.8 from her season average), six assists (up 1.6), 2.5 steals (up 0.5), 5.8 boards and 1.5 swats (including 2.5 over the last two). She’s shot 46.7 percent from the field (up 6.5) and 82.4 percent from the stripe (up 5.7). She’s been the main reason the Trojans have gotten back on track.
Jazzy and this season’s Trojans are honoring the legacy of USC’s greats
If they are to make noise in March, the Trojans will need all of their core four playing their best. As a projected No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they could face some tough competition, even in the first round. They really have to dig deep if they want to prevent this from being a lost season.
They will try to improve their projected seeding line on Sunday when they travel to No. 10 Ohio State (2 p.m. ET, FS1).
The Buckeyes suffered a maddening loss last Sunday, when Maryland came back from down 19 points and Jaloni Cambridge still had a chance to win it for OSU at the buzzer but missed a 3. Things got worse when they fell to No. 23 Minnesota by 13 points on Wednesday. USC is definitely catching them at a bad time considering how desperate they will be for a win.
After the Buckeyes, the Trojans wrap up the regular season with a tilt at Penn State next Wednesday (6 p.m. ET, B1G+) and a rematch with the Bruins, this time at Galen Center, next Sunday (6 p.m. ET, FS1).
They likely won’t threaten to make it to their first Final Four since 1986 until Watkins is back, but Davidson’s impressive season has grown louder and louder as the team has worked its way off the bubble.
USC is the proud program of Cheryl Miller, Pam and Paula McGee, Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson. Watkins appreciates that history and, as a Los Angeles native, chose to be a part of bringing back the glory. Now, the Trojans have three No. 1 recruits in four years (Watkins in 2023, Davidson in 2025 and Saniyah Hall coming next year from the class of 2026).
The future is looking good no matter what, but Jazzy is focused on the present as she does everything in her power to maintain a tradition that JuJu resurrected.
