The USC women's basketball team, spearheaded by the remarkable freshman JuJu Watkins, has achieved its highest position in the AP Top 25 in nearly three decades.
The Trojans, currently ranked sixth after the AP released the Week Four polls on Monday, have reached this milestone for the first time since the 1994 season, when they were ranked fourth. Watkins' extraordinary contributions include three games this season where she scored over 30 points, tying the school's freshman record held by Trojan greats Lisa Leslie and Paula McGee.
Lindsay Gottlieb, the USC coach, praised the team's performance and Watkins' rapid adaptation to college-level basketball.
“We had a challenging schedule early and we met those challenges,” Gottlieb said, as reported by Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. “Obviously JuJu is so phenomenal, to see her adapt to the college game and adapt as quickly is so impressive.”
The AP poll, a staple in women's college basketball rankings, is determined by a national media panel of 36 members. South Carolina remains at the top, unanimously chosen as No. 1. The team maintained its dominance with two decisive wins over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The top five and notable shifts
UCLA, Stanford, Iowa and NC State complete the top five in the AP poll. UCLA's recent victory over UConn in the Cayman Islands Classic marked a significant achievement for the program. NC State, initially unranked in the preseason poll, has impressively climbed to fifth.
- Colorado, after its early-season successes, now shares the seventh position with LSU.
- Virginia Tech and Texas are ninth and 10th, respectively, highlighting their steady performances.
- Texas will to host UConn in the upcoming Jimmy V Classic, a notable game given UConn's recent drop out of the top 10.
- JuJu Watkins and the Trogans are set to play unranked Cal Poly on Tuesday.
Emerging teams and upcoming challenges
The AP women's college basketball Top 25 has witnessed several new entrants and re-entrants this season. No. 25 Princeton, for example, has marked its presence for the third consecutive year. Marquette, now ranked 23rd, has returned to the Top 25 nearly a year after their last appearance.
The upcoming ACC/SEC Challenge promises more thrilling matchups, including games like No. 18 Notre Dame versus No. 20 Tennessee and No. 9 Virginia Tech against No. 7 LSU. The games showcase the new landscape of women's college basketball, where stars like JuJu Watkins continue to make an impact. Watkins' stellar performance not only highlights her skills but also showcases the potential of the USC women's basketball team as a formidable contender this season.