"Hadn't been done since Cheryl Miller or Cynthia Cooper": USC HC unravels unique JuJu Watkins recruitment strategy
USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb recruited JuJu Watkins, a five-star guard who played at Sierra Canyon High School, last season. However, the Trojans weren't an obvious choice for Watkins, who had offers from many top programs, including South Carolina and Stanford.
Speaking with host Sarah Spain on the Good Game podcast, Gottlieb explained that the USC coaching staff had to build a compelling vision for the 6-foot-2 guard to convince her to join the Trojans.
"In women's basketball, there's just been a handful of teams that are kind of the ones, and you can almost guarantee you're going to get to a Final Four," Lindsay said. "So I think that for JuJu to believe in herself and bet on herself and in on us is pretty significant.
"So for us in the recruiting process, what I remember was we had to create this vision that no one had seen yet. We had to sort of say there could be this, there could be that, you could do this, but it hadn't been done since, you know, Cheryl Miller and Cynthia Cooper. So I remember just trying to create that vision while also getting to know her as a young person."
Cheryl Miller and Cynthia Cooper are two of the most legendary players in USC women's basketball history. The duo led the Trojans to national championships in 1983 and 1984.
JuJu Watkins' 920 points last season broke Miller's school record of 814 points set in 1985-86.
Celebration erupts in locker room as JuJu Watkins and USC beat UConn
After securing a win against a top opponent, No. 4 UConn on Saturday, the Trojans' locker room broke out in cheers and celebrations as the players relished the victory alongside coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
USC shared a video on social media showcasing the joy and energy in the locker room following the 72-70 win. The players were all waiting for Gottlieb to arrive and surprised her with a water gun ambush, drenching the coach as she walked in.
They then turned their attention to star player JuJu Watkins, who led the way with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists, encircling her and firing the water guns at her as well. She tried to escape the onslaught but was soon surrounded and soaked by her teammates.
JuJu Watkins is leading the Big Ten in scoring and ranks third in the nation with 24.8 points per game. Her performance has been a driving force behind USC's 11-1 start this campaign.