USC star JuJu Watkins spotted courtside with $37,746,650 NFL star during Cal March Madness game
JuJu Watkins led the USC Trojans to a dominant win against UNC Greensboro in their first-round matchup in March Madness. While the clash had plenty of highlights, USC had a special guest in the crowd supporting them. That guest was none other than the NFL Rookie of the Year and Washington Commanders quarterback, Jayden Daniels, who came to support Watkins and the Trojans.
The Trojans registered a whopping 71-25 win with JuJu Watkins dropping a game-high 22 points. While she almost singlehandedly outscored her opponents, it was not an easy outing for the young guard. She suffered a wrist and ankle injury but managed to play through the fourth quarter until the game was all but decided.
After the win, Watkins joined Jayden Daniels, who is on a four-year, $37.746 million deal (via Spotrac), in the stands at the Galen Center. The two watched Mississippi State's 59-46 triumph over the California Golden Bears in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
JuJu Watkins delivers another masterclass as USC Trojans reach the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament
JuJu Watkins is one of the top talents in college basketball and she lived up to the hype once again. Watkins dropped a superb performance against UNC Greensboro in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
She racked up 22 points along with eight boards, two dimes and three steals during her 28 minutes on the court. The star guard went 8-for-17 from the floor, including a solitary three-pointer.
Watkins was also reliable from the free-throw line, converting five from her six attempts. She has recorded at least 20-plus points in her last seven games and overall, is averaging 24.6 points per game this season, behind only Florida State''s Ta'Niya Latson (24.9 ppg).
JuJu Watkins was banged up with knocks to her wrist and ankle. Despite that, she continued through the fourth quarter and was later pulled out by coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
Gottlieb highlighted how Watkins has regularly played 30-plus minutes but wanted to keep her starters fresh for upcoming games:
"We're fortunate that we were able to sit everybody ― all the starters down with about 6:30 to go," Lindsay Gottlieb said after the win. “JuJu [Watkins] probably hasn't played under 30 minutes in about a month and a half, or whatever, because the Big Ten season is hard. So, I think we earned the right to be in a game where we can rest some people somewhat."
The USC Trojans will face the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday. USC will look for another stellar performance from JuJu Watkins to lead them onwards.