When USC rose final March to the highest line of the NCAA match, after nearly 4 a long time in relative obscurity, it felt on the time just like the fruits of a once-proud program’s stirring return to relevance.
However a 12 months later, standing atop the match area for a second straight season, nobody is wanting on the top-seeded Trojans as a captivating upstart any longer.
USC as soon as once more earned a No. 1 seed, this time within the Spokane regional, and can host No. 16 seed UNC Greensboro (25-6) within the first spherical of the NCAA match on Saturday. If the Trojans win, they’ll face the winner of No. 8 Cal (25-8) vs. No. 9 Mississippi State (21-11) on Monday.
The place USC entered March final season as a program on the rise, simply hoping to crash the occasion that includes the game’s extra established powerhouses, the Trojans now enter this match with not simply Last 4 aspirations, however expectations.
USC hasn’t made a Last 4 since 1986, when Cheryl Miller and Co. misplaced to Texas within the nationwide title sport.
The Trojans have had little hassle delivering on towering expectations up to now this season, led by sophomore celebrity and Massive Ten Participant of the 12 months JuJu Watkins. They misplaced simply two video games within the common season — as soon as in November, the opposite in February — to groups now seeded among the many high two of their respective areas.
USC enters this match coming off a loss after falling to UCLA within the Massive Ten match last final weekend. However the Trojans had already crushed their crosstown rivals twice earlier than that to safe a Massive Ten common season title, the primary of their new convention.
USC star JuJu Watkins reacts to getting a slap on the behind from former USC star Cheryl Miller after scoring towards rival UCLA on March 1.
(Mark J. Terrill / Related Press)
Final March, as a No. 1 seed for the primary time since that 1985-86 season, USC rolled into the Elite Eight, solely to run right into a buzzsaw in Connecticut, a program that had been to the Last 4 in 14 of the earlier 15 years.
However USC has much more firepower at its disposal on this match, having added an All-Massive Ten ahead in Kiki Iriafen, in addition to the nation’s high recruiting class, to hitch with Watkins.
