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Jazzy Davidson Leads USC Past Injured JuJu Watkins
18 Mar
Summary
- USC, seeded ninth, faces eighth-seeded Clemson in the NCAA Tournament.
- Freshman Jazzy Davidson leads USC in JuJu Watkins' absence.
- Watkins' ACL injury impacts USC's title hopes for 2025 and 2026.
The USC Trojans, holding the No. 9 seed, are preparing to compete in the 2026 NCAA Tournament against the No. 8 seed Clemson Tigers. This marks USC's fourth consecutive tournament appearance. The team will be heading to Columbia, South Carolina, for their first-round game.
USC's championship aspirations have been significantly impacted by a season-ending ACL tear suffered by star guard JuJu Watkins. This injury not only ended their 2025 title hopes but also affects their prospects for 2026, as Watkins is not expected to return until after the 2025-26 season concludes. She has been sidelined for the entire current season.
Stepping into the spotlight, freshman guard Jazzy Davidson has become USC's leading scorer and playmaker. Davidson averages 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game. Her outstanding performance earned her Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team, and First-team All-Big Ten selection.
Clemson, led by senior guard Mia Moore, enters the tournament with a 21-11 overall record, compared to USC's 17-13. Moore is the Tigers' leading scorer with 13.5 points per game, also contributing 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists. The winner of the USC-Clemson game is expected to face the No. 1 overall seed, South Carolina Gamecocks, in the second round.
