Pac 12 Preview: Southern Cal

 

Pac 12 Preview:  Southern Cal

Last Season: 21-10 overall and 11-7 in Pac 12 play.  

The Coaches: 

Lindsay Gottlieb is in her 3^nd, after two years in the NBA and 8 years as the Head Coach at Cal

Coach Gottlieb

where she won 67% of her games.

Beth Burns is in her 2nd year at USC after coaching at Louisville.   Beth was once at Stanford.  Beth is the Associate Head Coach.

Wendale Farrow is in his 3nd year after 5 years at Cal, three with Gottlieb.

Courtney Jaco is in her first year after being Director of player Development.   She was a great player at USC and once an intern at Stanford.

Willnett Crockett is in her first year at USC.   Willnett is a UConn grad, 2006 and played for UConn and the LA Sparks.  She coached at Temple for 13 years.   

Losses:

Nneka Enemkpali Assistant after 3 years. 

Destiny Littleton  averaged 14 ppg and graduated.

Okako Adika averaged 7 points and 5 rebounds and graduated.

Kadi Sissoko averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds and graduated.

Rokia Doumbia averaged 3 points, and graduated.

Alyson Miura 3 points and graduated.. 

Madison Campbell  was injured last season and graduated. 

Bella Perkins averaged 4 points and transferred to Pitt.

Additions:

Juju Watkins, 6-2 Frosh Guard from LA ranked # 1

Juju Watkins

Malia Samuels, 5-6 Frosh Guard from Seattle Ranked # 49

Dominique Onu, 5-10 Redshirt Soph Guard transfer from UCLA.  Onu averaged 4 points per game as a Frosh at UCLA.

Kaitlyn Davis 6-2 Wing Grad transfer from Columbia where she averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds last season.

McKenzie Forbes, 6-0 Grad Transfer Guard from Folsom who transferred from Harvard after playing first at Cal.   Forbes averaged 14 ppg last season at Harvard. 

Roxane Makolo 5-10 Guard Grad transfer from TCU.  Last season she averaged 6 ppg.

Kayla Padilla 5-9 Guard Grad transfer from Penn where she lead the league in scoring at 18 ppg plus made 81 threes.  

The Schedule: 

The Trojans play Ohio State, Florida Gulf Coast and Penn State non conference.   Interesting their last 5 non conference games are all in the LA area against LA area teams.   The Trojans play at Stanford and Cal only and host only Washington and Washington State.  

The Returning Team:   

India Otto is a 5-9 Grad student Guard who played just 15 minutes.

Clarice Akunwafo, 6-6 Jr Post who averaged 2 points and 3 rebounds.

Rayah Marshall, 6-4 Jr Forward who averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds.   

Aaliyah Gayles, 5-9 Redshirt Frosh Point Guard, NV who Ranked # 8   Badly injured and redshirted  last season.

Taylor Rigby 6-1 Redshirt Soph  Guard transferred from Oregon after averaged 4 points.

Kayla Williams 5-7 Sr Guard who averaged 5 points.

Predictions:    

Mostly a new team although new players Forbes, Padilla and of course Watkins are solid.    Strong Post in Marshall But Rigby and Gayles need big comebacks.   Picked 6^th in the Pac 12 Poll.  

2024 Recruiting Commits:  

Rian Forestier 5-11 CG from TX,  ranked # 51.   Avery Howell, 6-0 Wing from ID, Ranked # 23.  Laura Williams 6-2 Forward from VA ranked # 88.