USC: “That bun is outta pocket”: College hoops fans react as JuJu Watkins gets adorable tribute from a little girl

JuJu Watkins is feeling the love from fans amidst recovery from her ACL surgery. The USC star shared a portrait that a seven-year-old fan drew of her. B/R W Sports posted about the adorable drawing on Instagram Thursday.

The portrait featured Watkins in her USC jersey with her signature bun hairstyle. She is holding a basketball and is surrounded by cardinal and gold confetti. The young fan's mom expressed excitement that Watkins had seen the drawing.

"Omg my baby girl drew you that photo! 😭🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾She's so excited you really saw it!" @rnlneek said.

The Instagram post also included a photo of the seven-year-old fan wearing a Watkins hoodie and proudly holding up a letter she wrote for the Trojans guard.

"Dear JuJu, My name is Cayler Thornton. I am seven years old. I want to be just like you when I grow up. You are the best baller in the whole world. I love you!" the letter read.

College hoops fans reacted to Cayler's sweet tribute in the comments. Many commented on how Watkins' bun was portrayed in the portrait.

"That bun is outta pocket😂😂😂"

An IG user laughs at how the young fan drew Watkins' bun

"The signature bun is🔥 lol ❤️super cute"

A fan says Watkins' bun in the drawing is fire

"The bun is bunning in the photo too"

A comment hypes up how Watkins' bun is drawn

Others highlighted Watkins' impact on young fans.

"This is 🥰🥰JuJu changing our youth✌️✌️"

A fan discusses Watkins' influence on our youth

"Impact🙌"

Some pointed out how cute the tribute is:

"That is so adorable"

A comment calls the fan's drawing and letter adorable

"Awww"

JuJu Watkins named AP Player of the Year

After a dominant sophomore campaign at USC, Watkins was named AP Player of the Year. She became just the fourth sophomore to ever receive the award.

There were high expectations for the guard in her sophomore season as she came off being named USBWA National Freshman of the Year. Watkins didn't disappoint, thriving on the court once again and leading the Trojans in points, with 23.9 ppg, and assists, with 3.4 apg.

NCAA Womens Basketball: NCAA Tournament Second Round USC-Mississippi State - Source: Imagn

Watkins served as a solid two-way force this season, averaging 2.2 steals, 1.8 blocks and 5.5 defensive rebounds per game. With her expertise on both sides of the ball, she helped guide USC to a No. 1 seed in March Madness.

The star guard's sophomore season was cut short when she tore her ACL in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Despite being unable to fully highlight her skill set in the postseason, Watkins was awarded AP Player of the Year.

"I'm just so honored to be recognized in this fashion," Watkins said. "I want to thank my teammates, my amazing coaches, my family and friends. They made all this possible. I feel so blessed to be able to do what I love."

Watkins received one of the highest honors in college basketball and now has fans' support by her side as she heals from her injury and looks to return to the Trojans soon.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Akshay Saraswat