Indiana will welcome its second Los Angeles based, top five team to Assembly Hall when the No. 4 USC Trojans make the trip over to Bloomington, following No. 1 UCLA who visited IU earlier this month.
That one didn't go as planned for the Hoosiers as they lost 73-72, though this is another golden opportunity for a big time win, this time against one of the biggest superstars in the country in JuJu Watkins.
Watkins has made nationwide headlines in both her freshman and sophomore seasons and will now take her talents to IU and face off against the Hoosiers coming off a 35 point performance against Penn State,
Stopping Watkins will surely be key, but USC as a whole is an incredibly talented team, so here's a complete preview of the Trojans here:
HEAD COACH PROFILE
Head Coach: Lindsay Gottlieb
Record: 62-32 in her 4th season at USC, 297-160 in her 14th season overall
Gottlieb got her start in coaching at Brown University where she played from 1995-99, assuming a player-coach role in her senior season. After this, she got her first post-graduate coaching job with Syracuse, working there for two seasons as an assistant before similar assistant stops at New Hampshire and RIchmond.
Gottlieb decided to move out west in 2005, taking an assistant coaching job with California, where she coached for three years before taking her first head coaching job with UC Santa Barbara.
She was in charge of the Gauchos from 2008-11, winning two Big West titles and a Big West coach of the year award. This success at UCSB led her former team, Cal to re-hire Gottlieb, this time as their head coach.
Her second stint the Bears lasted seven seasons from 2011-19, winning the Pac-12 in 2013, while also securing a Final Four berth.
After her second go with Cal, the NBA came calling, Gottlieb taking an assistant coaching and becoming the first NCAA women's head coach to be hired by an NBA team.
After coaching with the Cavs from 2019-21, Gottlieb returned to college hoops, accepting the position at USC where she has been ever since, taking her Trojans to their first Elite Eight since 1994 last season, also winning the Pac-12 Tournament.
THIS SEASON
After a very successful 2023-24 campaign, the Trojans have gotten out to an outstanding start, currently sitting at 6-0 in Big Ten play and 16-1 overall.
USC opened up the season with a nail-biting win over No. 20 Ole Miss, a game that was played in Paris in front of a national TV audience.
The Trojans then rattled off wins against Cal Poly, CSU Northridge and Santa Clara, before losing their first and only game of the season so far, falling to No. 6 Notre Dame at home 74-61.
After this one though, USC has won 12 in a row, starting this streak off by beating Seaton Hall, Cal Baptist and St. Louis before its conference opener against Oregon.
It defeated the Ducks in both teams first ever Big Ten game and then followed it up with wins over Fresno State and Elon before a marquee matchup at No. 4 UConn.
USC got a hard-fought road win against the Huskies, this one ending 72-70 with some clutch play down the stretch.
That was the final non-conference game of the season for USC, starting a stretch of 17 straight conference games that the Trojans are five games in to, winning all five.
They beat Michigan, Nebraska and Rutgers handily before a date with No. 8 battle with Maryland, the Trojans pulling that one out 79-74. After this, USC beat Penn State in the Trojans final game before their clash with Indiana.
This gives USC a 16-1 record with a 6-0 mark in Big Ten play, proving that this team is one of the elite groups in this year's women's college basketball season and what should be a very tough out for the Hoosiers.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Guard JuJu Watkins: A 6-foot-2 sophomore, Watkins is one of the biggest stars in all of college basketball. She averaged over 27 points per game last year as a freshman, good for second in the country behind only Caitlin Clark. This year, Watkins averages 25.5 PPG, leading the Trojans and slotting her third in the nation overall. She has emerged as one of the faces of the sport, and will be the biggest point of emphasis for Indiana's defense.
- Forward Kiki Iriafen: A 6-foot-3 transfer from Stanford entered her first season with the Trojans as a senior this season, making the most of it as USC's second leading scorer so far. She averages 18.6 points on the season, which would easily be the best on most teams, but for USC she is an incredible second option behind Watkins.
- Center Rayah Marshall: A 6-foot-4 senior who as spent all four years at USC, Marshall is the leading rebounder for USC. She'll be the one matched up with Lilly Meister or Karoline Striplin down low and has proven she can hold her own in the post. Per game, she gets 7.8 points and 8.8 boards, being a meaningful contributor behind Watkins and Iriafen in front of her.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
Can the Hoosiers bounce back after loss to Illinois...
After a very solid win at Iowa last Sunday, Indiana wasn't at its best against Illinois, resulting in a 68-54 loss to the Illini. This makes the matchup with USC even more critical, as the Hoosiers have a chance not only to pick up a huge upset win, but get back on track after a surprising loss. IU wasn't nearly as physical as Illinois, while the Hoosiers got out to an incredibly slow start, both being things that can't happen if they want to get the best of the Trojans and prove that the game versus Illinois was a fluke and not indicative of what is to come with this team.
Will Indiana be able to limit JuJu Watkins...
Watkins has been one of college basketball's best for the past few seasons, developing a following only rivaled by the Clark's and Reese's of the world. This isn't just talk though, as Watkins is seriously good, scoring at an elite clip while also making her teammates better along the way. In Watkins' last time out, she scored 35 against Penn State, giving her all the momentum as her team attempts to pick up another Big Ten win against the Hoosiers. For Indiana though, limiting Watkins will be the key to pulling off the upset, as she will be able to score no matter what, its just all about limiting the good looks she gets and forcing her to score under 15-20 points for the game.
Will the "White Out" Assembly Hall crowd affect USC...
Assembly Hall is notorious for incredible atmospheres, especially in big games, and this matchup with USC should be no different. It's a white out, meaning all Hoosier fans are encouraged to wear white inside of the Hall, similar to the game against Iowa last year. In that contest, Indiana defeated Clark and the Hawkeyes with the help of one of the best crowds IU has ever seen. If the Hoosiers want to stun the Trojans, a similar crowd will need to be present, possibly giving USC trouble. It's sure to be a loud and raucous crowd, meaning that if Watkins and USC are affected like Clark and Iowa was, things could be dicey for the visiting team.
QUICK HITTERS
Who: No. 4 USC (16-1, 6-0) at Indiana (12-5, 4-2)
Series History: USC leads all-time series 1-0. (Last and Only Meeting: USC won 99-53 on Dec. 5, 1985 in Los Angeles, CA)
When: Jan. 19, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Simion Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN
TV: NBC: Zora Stephenson, LaChina Robinson, Kayla Burton
Radio: IU Radio Network: Austin Render
–––––
Like this content? Join the conversation on TheHoosier.com's premium message boards and subscribe today!
– Follow TheHoosier on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
– Subscribe to TheHoosier on YouTube for more content
– Interact with fellow fans on TheHoosier's Premium Football Board and Premium Hoops Board
