JuJu Watkins took the college basketball world by storm last season, as in “you-can’t-stop-me” levels of domination. The USC guard had defenders on roller skates while she racked up an insane 920 points, which—fun fact—obliterated the previous freshman scoring record. No big deal, just another day at the office for Watkins.
But as if dropping buckets wasn’t enough, Watkins now claims she’s leveling up her basketball IQ. In an interview with Andy Katz on October 22, she dropped some knowledge bombs about the work she’s been putting in over the summer.
“I think the biggest thing is just becoming a smarter player all around,” Watkins said, while probably thinking, As if I wasn’t already a brainiac on the court. “I’m lucky that I had that experience my first year, so now I kind of know what to expect. Got my feet wet a little bit, so just in terms of IQ, I’ve definitely grown.”
Translation: If you thought I was scary before, you’re about to see a whole new nightmare.
What Watkins conveniently left out, though, was that she spent her first year pushing Iowa’s Caitlin Clark for the NCAA scoring crown. Clark averaged a ridiculous 31.6 points per game, while Watkins wasn’t far behind at 27.1. Sure, Clark won, but let’s not forget, this was JuJu’s rookie year.
But here’s where it gets really good. Not only is Watkins boosting her mental game, she’s making sure everyone knows that she’s now a maestro at knowing her teammates better. You know, little things like where they like the ball. No big deal, just casually setting herself up to “control the floor.” So basically, she’s saying, “I’m about to turn into LeBron out here, orchestrating things and putting everyone in position.”
Efficiency, too, has apparently been on her summer to-do list. If there was a minor knock on her game (and by minor, we mean the kind of nitpicking done by perfectionists), it was her shooting percentage. Watkins was great, but great isn’t good enough for her. “I’m definitely excited to see how this year turns out,” she said.
And so are we. Just imagine a version of Watkins that not only scores like a video game character but also does it while barely breaking a sweat.
USC fans, brace yourselves, because Watkins isn’t just looking to break records again—she’s trying to turn Trojan games into basketball clinics.
Oh, and let’s not forget the December 21 rematch against Paige Bueckers and UConn. Yeah, Watkins is probably thinking about that, too. Last season, Bueckers’ squad ended USC’s Cinderella run in the Elite Eight. Watkins had 29 points in that game, but the Trojans still fell 80-73. Paige Bueckers? She dropped 28 points and threw in 10 rebounds and six assists, just because she can.
Watkins will no doubt be looking for revenge, but let’s be real, it won’t be easy. UConn’s Bueckers is a machine, and her squad is still terrifying. But Watkins with an upgraded basketball IQ? Let’s just say we’re all here for the fireworks.
The countdown to December 21 is officially on, folks.
