JuJu Watkins returns from an ACL tear as USC eyes its first title since 1984

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The bun is back. Along with the smile and that silky jump shot. JuJu Watkins is returning to college basketball after missing last season while rehabbing an ACL tear .

The star guard who averaged 25.6 points in her first two seasons for Southern California is surrounded by a talent-laden supporting cast as the third-ranked Trojans bid for their first national championship since 1984.

“It's on my mind every day,” Watkins said. “So much anticipation has gone into this year. I want it really badly, but also in a healthy way. I just want to have fun and really enjoy this year.”

Watkins has already envisioned seeing her first basket go in.

“I've had dreams about that every night. I might shed a tear, honestly, I can’t lie,” she said. “That’ll be a really amazing feeling for me.”

Watkins scored 18 points while playing 22 minutes in USC's exhibition win over California recently.

She joins Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson , who averaged 17.9 points last season, in the backcourt for the first time. The duo began developing their chemistry while Watkins was sidelined from the injury she sustained in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. She could be spotted encouraging Davidson on the sideline during games.

“She saw me being hard on myself and I think she saw a little bit of her in me,” Davidson said, "and so she kind of knew what it was like going through that. Being able to build the friendship that we were able to build, it’s a huge blessing.”

Davidson led the Trojans in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game last season, when they finished 18-14 overall, 9-9 in the Big Ten and lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

USC's stockpile of talent includes guard Saniyah Hall, who had 23 points, six rebounds and five steals in the Trojans' exhibition, as well as forward Sara Okeke, one of three five-star recruits to join the roster.

"They have proven that they’re going to be really impactful players at a high level,” coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.

The expectations on Watson are huge, as always. She was named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.

“I’m just trying to be myself and peak at the right time,” she said. “I'm definitely a smarter player coming back. I know more about the different reads and was able to study a lot and assert myself in different situations when I wasn't playing.”

Last season, Watkins would set up chairs in the locker room for the team talk on the road. It was one of the small ways she found to be useful without being on the court.

“I was able to take on a leadership role for sure and I can’t say I really owned that role prior to that,” she said. “Being able to do that and also see the game from a different perspective and seeing how can I help my team really helped grow my IQ and leadership skills.”

The Trojans open the season on Monday in Las Vegas against UNLV in the Hall of Fame Series. Their early games include a visit to top-ranked South Carolina on Nov. 15, and facing No. 13 Notre Dame and No. 4 Duke in the Players Era Showcase in Las Vegas in mid-December.

“We’re going to get hit in the mouth,” associate head coach Beth Burns said. “The good thing is when you get hit in the mouth you either cower or you bite back, and we got a lot of people who want to bite.”

That includes Watkins.

“Everybody wants to know the secret, why is JuJu JuJu? The secret is there ain’t no secret, it’s work and focus,” Burns said. “Her choice is to be elite in every facet in her life.”

Last year, Watkins' favorite class was Pete Carroll's “The Game is Life” offered through USC's Marshall School of Business. The former Trojans football coach emphasized his mindset of always competing and it made an impression on her.

"Coming back, I haven’t lost my confidence, I haven’t lost my attention to detail,” Watkins said. “Everything is the same. It’s just I’ve been out for a minute.”

And now she's back, with a will to win that's as strong as ever.

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