Opening day takeaways: How USC, JuJu Watkins survived Ole Miss to open the season

Ladies’s faculty basketball is formally again — and we have got you lined by means of a full day of video games.

The primary matchup of the day set a excessive normal for the remaining, as No. 3 USC narrowly escaped an upset in its 2024-25 season opener. The Trojans, who led by as many as 15 factors within the third quarter, held off No. 20 Ole Miss 68-66 on Monday within the opening recreation of the Oui-Play occasion in Paris.

The Trojans had barely trailed till the 5:22 mark, when the Rebels rallied to take their first lead of the second half. Ole Miss led 64-60 with 2:23 remaining, however USC hit its closing eight free throws to seal the win.

USC sophomore JuJu Watkins, one of many front-runners for nationwide participant of the 12 months, had 27 factors, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks but additionally dedicated 9 turnovers.

USC’s Kiki Iriafen, who transferred from Stanford within the offseason, hit the successful foul pictures with 9 seconds to play. She completed with 22 factors and 13 rebounds. KK Deans led Ole Miss with 19 factors, together with 4 3-pointers.

Monday’s schedule contains 16 video games that includes AP High 25 groups. Defending champion and No. 1-ranked South Carolina opens its title protection using a 38-game successful streak into Monday’s matchup towards Michigan in Las Vegas.

ESPN is breaking down all the outcomes — examine again for updates as we proceed so as to add evaluation all through opening day.

Did USC appear like the nation’s No. 3 group?

Creme: Within the second quarter, when the Trojans outscored Ole Miss 22-10, sure. However that wasn’t the case for the opposite half-hour. Ole Miss received three of the 4 quarters and got here again from a 15-point third-quarter deficit as a result of USC’s offense bought stagnant and relied too closely on Watkins, Iriafen and the free throw line (23-of-29 for the sport). Watkins and Iriafen scored 25 of the Trojans’ 31 second-half factors, and 17 got here on the stripe.

The pinnacle-scratcher was Talia von Oelhoffen, who sat for lengthy stretches with foul bother and took 5 pictures. USC will not be an elite group with out its two stars getting extra assist from von Oelhoffen.

Coach Lindsay Gottlieb has two video games towards inferior opponents developing (Cal Poly on Saturday and Cal State Northridge on Nov. 12) to iron out some offensive illnesses, however 68 factors and 40.0% capturing from the sphere (together with 1-for-11 on 3-pointers) will not be sufficient towards Notre Dame on Nov. 23.

Philippou: USC regarded like a group with 9 newcomers, together with three new starters (Iriafen, von Oelhoffen and freshman Kennedy Smith). The joy over the Trojans’ incoming gamers — their two big-name transfers plus a stacked freshman class — comes with the truth that there is some studying curve because the gamers get used to at least one one other, which was exacerbated towards Ole Miss’ strain protection and with USC’s bench skewing younger. Final 12 months’s group leaned on veteran Ivy League transfers surrounding Watkins and Rayah Marshall; this season, there’s not numerous basketball expertise, individually and collectively.

Postgame, Watkins mentioned the Trojans are nonetheless studying from one another, and Gottlieb argued that chemistry types faster underneath duress than in a blowout. The Trojans have lower than three weeks to kick-start that course of earlier than dealing with No. 6 Notre Dame; that’ll be a giant checkpoint in assessing whether or not USC is on its approach to changing into the group it believes it may be.

How did Ole Miss practically knock off the Trojans? What assertion did the Rebels make?

Creme: Nice protection has been an indicator underneath coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, and the protection was excellent towards USC. Ole Miss’ size, significantly from gamers similar to Madison Scott and Kennedy Todd-Williams, was disruptive. USC will be criticized for 26 turnovers, however Ole Miss had lots to do with it.

We additionally bought to see how necessary Deans would have been to the Rebels final season. In her debut since struggling a season-ending knee damage in late November 2023, Deans made 4 of 8 3-pointers within the second half to guide a capturing flourish not typical of Ole Miss, which hit 26.5% of its 3-point makes an attempt final season. After going 1-for-11 from deep, the Rebels made 5 of their subsequent eight from past the arc to get again into the sport. Ole Miss might need scored the upset if not for a pair of turnovers within the closing minute.

Philippou: Ole Miss got here in fifth within the SEC preseason ballot, behind South Carolina, Texas, LSU and Oklahoma — all of that are preseason top-10 groups. Practically upsetting a supposed nationwide title contender in USC — and seeing Deans return to basketball in robust kind, as Charlie talked about — will elevate expectations that McPhee-McCuin’s group can keep its standing as a ranked group, maybe host NCAA match video games and return to the Candy 16 (the Rebels upset 1-seed Stanford to achieve the regional semifinals in 2023).

What stood out about Watkins’ efficiency?

Creme: At the least early, Watkins appeared extra affected person than she was on the finish of final season. Iriafen is a teammate she trusts; it was clear Watkins was OK deferring among the offensive load. Watkins’ 19 subject objective makes an attempt have been three fewer than she averaged a 12 months in the past, and he or she as soon as once more impressively drew fouls, capturing 10-of-12 from the free throw line. However 9 turnovers is clearly an issue. It is particularly regarding as a result of Watkins wasn’t dealing with the ball as a lot as she usually did in later phases of final season. That mentioned, her total line was nonetheless an impressive approach to start the brand new season.

Philippou: The imaginative and prescient for this USC group is for Watkins to have extra assist round her so she does not should do as a lot as she did final season. That did not come into fruition Monday with Watkins, Iriafen and Smith combining for all however seven of the Trojans’ factors and the offense sputtering. As others round Watkins get extra comfy, that ought to reduce the load on the star sophomore, permitting her to exert herself extra on the defensive finish and shine as a passer. We noticed nice flashes of that towards Ole Miss along with her 5 blocks (tying a profession excessive), 3 steals and 4 assists.

What’s the largest concern for USC transferring ahead?

Philippou: Gottlieb mentioned USC wasn’t in a position to play in move and with freedom offensively, as a substitute permitting Ole Miss’ strain to dictate the sport. The turnovers (26, 4 greater than the Trojans’ made subject objectives) have been the most important pink flag, as was the abysmal 3-point capturing (Gottlieb insisted USC is best than that from deep). It is a small miracle the Trojans received contemplating they shot 1-for-9 from the sphere within the fourth and Watkins managed two factors within the closing seven minutes.

Ole Miss-esque defenses aren’t one thing USC ought to have to fret about within the Huge Ten, however the Trojans nonetheless should guarantee they’ll cope with that form of strain come March.

Creme: The Trojans want higher level guard play to alleviate the burden for Watkins. They want her coming off screens, not initiating offense. Which means Von Oelhoffen should be higher — she wants to remain out of foul bother (4 fouls Monday), be extra concerned and be extra aggressive. Scoring her first (and solely) factors with 21 seconds left cannot be the norm.

Gottlieb used sophomore Malia Samuels for seven minutes on the level to attempt to generate a spark. And Kayleigh Heckel bought a while there as nicely. Neither appears able to contribute in large video games simply but. However maybe a much bigger fear is that Marshall, probably the most tenured participant as a Trojan, did not rating and took one shot in 34 minutes. The 6-foot-4 senior is a profession 11.4 points-per-game scorer.