Freshmen power USC to Elite Eight without JuJu Watkins

When the unthinkable happened against Mississippi State in the round of 32, a season-ending injury to JuJu Watkins, a few of those freshmen were elevated into bigger roles. They responded in a big way — leading USC to the Elite Eight after a 67-61 win against Kansas State.

It was Kennedy Smith, the all-around versatile threat for USC, who was tasked with shouldering more of the offensive load. She answered the call with a team-high 19 points, with several of her baskets coming off the dribble. It was Avery Howell, stepping into the starting lineup in place of Watkins, and giving the Trojans a 3-point threat going 4-for-8 from behind the arc. And it was Kayleigh Heckel, the first sub off the bench, with her fearless aggression into the the paint and ability to finish through contact.

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Thinking back to the beginning of the season when these freshmen were brand new to the program, Gottlieb always had the belief that they could be immediate impact players. That’s why she recruited them.

“We recruited this group to play. And I remember getting on a Zoom with the families, seven players and their families … and I said, ‘Look, we went to the Elite Eight. Now the bar’s been raised,'” Gottlieb said during her postgame press conference after defeating Kansas State. “The bar’s been raised for the expectations of the people coming in … we’ve never shied away from these being the goals.”

“Obviously some of the freshmen have played more than the others in game minutes, but we’ve had a belief in what the team can do. And I just think above all else we recruited winners,” Gottlieb continued. “I do think these guys came because they were attracted to this idea of a competitive mindset and playing with other really good players, with the ultimate goal of being in big-time games … with championships on the line.”

And in the biggest game of the season so far for USC, with their best player sidelined and back home in Los Angeles, those freshmen certainly looked like the winners Gottlieb believed they were. Following Saturday’s win against Kansas State, Smith reflected back to when she first committed to the program and how this was what she envisioned.

“They made it to the Elite Eight … the competitive spirit and energy were there. So I knew coming in we were going to have some tough games,” Smith said. “I think we just stayed level-headed and grounded, so I’m ready for the moment. Even in high school, just the balance with that, I think I was prepared to be in the position I am right now.”

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Howell was USC’s second-leading scorer against Kansas State with 18 points, right behind Smith. She took advantage of the open 3-point shots she got, but also crashed the glass and picked up some of Watkins’ defensive responsibilities.

“I think there’s a level of excellence that’s needed at this program, starting from our coaching staff’s expectations to the greatness that’s been here in the past,” Howell said after the win. “I think coming here we knew that there was going to be that level that we had to get to. And our coaches have let us grow into those roles and we’ve had a lot of people help us with the upperclassmen and the coaching staff just helping us.”

USC will face UConn in a rematch of last season’s Elite Eight, although both rosters are much different. If the Trojans want to continue to advance in the NCAA Tournament, it’s going to take similar big performances from the freshmen class.