Posted on January 3rd, 2023.

Judea “JuJu” Watkins, the No. 1 women’s basketball recruit in the Class of 2023 according to ESPN, announced her commitment to USC on Tuesday. Here’s what we know:

Watkins selected the Trojans over Stanford and South Carolina.

The guard averaged 24.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.0 blocks last season for Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles. LeBron James’ son, Bronny James, stars for the men’s team.

She is a two-time gold medalist with USA Basketball and is California’s reigning Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

How unexpected is this?

South Carolina and Stanford don’t lose a lot, not on the court and not in recruiting, so it comes as quite a shock that Watkins chose to commit to USC, a team that has made the NCAA Tournament once in the last 16 seasons. This might provide some real momentum towards a Los Angeles basketball rivalry after Kiki Rice (the 2022 Gatorade national player of the year) joined UCLA this year. Watkins could have been a star anywhere. Choosing to do so in her hometown could put L.A. back on the college basketball map even if it demands a bigger lift from Watkins during her college career. — Merchant 

Watkins’ impact as a player

Watkins has showcased her versatile skillset as she’s climbed up the youth ranks. During her junior season at Sierra Canyon (Calif.), she flashed her abilities on both the wing and around the rim. Thus far, she has starred both domestically—helping the Trail Blazers go 30–2 in 201-22—and on the international stage, taking home MVP honors at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup and 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.

With the Trojans, expect her impact to be immense. USC has not made the women’s NCAA Tournament since 2013–14, but it is off to a 2-0 start to open this season. Their current roster is comprised mostly of upperclassmen, meaning some turnover is expected before Watkins arrives on campus, but her arrival alone could be the kind of draw for potential high-level transfers (or other commitments) down the road.

Source: The Athletic