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USC superstar guard JuJu Watkins recently led the Trojans to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1994 by registering 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a 73-55 blowout win over the Kansas Jayhawks.
On the "It is what it is" podcast, college hoops analyst Jeremiah McClendon took the women's basketball team as his USC team of choice over the Trojans football team and compared Watkins to Iowa's Caitlin Clark.
"JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans team 'cause they looking spectacular," McClendon said. "I like the USC Trojans women's team more than the football team this year. I f*ck with them. They're in the Sweet 16; JuJu Watkins acting crazy. She could possibly, before it's all said and done, be everything that Caitlin Clark has done."
The 2023 USC football team that included Caleb Williams underwhelmed from being considered Pac-12 favorites with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner to going 7-5 and ultimately beating the Louisville Cardinals 42-28 in the Holiday Bowl.
JuJu Watkins changing the culture at USC
Before JuJu Watkins rocked up to USC, the program was listless and had not been considered one of the elites for a long time.
The crowds at the Galen Center averaged 1,037 fans last year. This year, they are three times that number (3,856), and 8,941 fans watched the second-round clash against Kansas.
The celebrities have flocked back to the arena to watch coach Lindsay Gottlieb's team play, and they have repaid that support with a swashbuckling style of play and a winning season.
To watch the team's blowout win against the Kansas Jayhawks, the stars inside the Galen Center included NBA player John Wall and former Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Caleb Williams.
During her postgame news conference, Watkins outlined her vision for the basketball program once she leaves, showing the cultural revolution that she has been involved in that's turned USC into a winning program.
“When I’m done playing, when (McKenzie Forbes is) done playing, we want it to still be a winning culture,” Watkins said. “When we come back like how Cheryl (Miller) has done and Tina (Thompson), just some legends that have come back just to cheer us on, we hope to do that in the future as well.”
Leading the Trojans back to the Sweet 16 after 30 years is already considered a monumental achievement for JuJu Watkins and the USC crew. If she can lead them into the Elite Eight or Final Four, she will boost her reputation even more.
