Judea “JuJu” Watkins, the No. 1 women’s basketball recruit in the Class of 2023 according to ESPN, announced her commitment to USC on Tuesday. Here’s what we know:
- Watkins selected the Trojans over Stanford and South Carolina.
- The guard averaged 24.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.0 blocks last season for Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles. LeBron James’ son, Bronny James, stars for the men’s team.
- She is a two-time gold medalist with USA Basketball and is California’s reigning Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
How unexpected is this?
South Carolina and Stanford don’t lose a lot, not on the court and not in recruiting, so it comes as quite a shock that Watkins chose to commit to USC, a team that has made the NCAA Tournament once in the last 16 seasons. This might provide some real momentum towards a Los Angeles basketball rivalry after Kiki Rice (the 2022 Gatorade national player of the year) joined UCLA this year. Watkins could have been a star anywhere. Choosing to do so in her hometown could put L.A. back on the college basketball map even if it demands a bigger lift from Watkins during her college career. — Merchant
Watkins’ impact as a player
Watkins has showcased her versatile skillset as…
