USC’s JuJu Watkins is the AP Girls’s Participant of the Yr

JuJu Watkins, the sensational sophomore who led Southern California to its greatest season in almost 40 years, was honored Thursday as The Related Press girls’s school basketball Participant of the Yr.

Watkins, whose Trojans gained the Huge Ten regular-season title for its first convention crown in 31 years, obtained 29 votes from the 31-member nationwide media panel that votes on the AP Prime 25 every week. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo obtained the opposite two. Each have been first-team AP All-Individuals.

“I believe what’s so important about this award is that this was a yr that did not have an absence of expertise and stars, and JuJu discovered a solution to elevate herself and her crew,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb mentioned.

Watkins grew to become simply the fourth participant to win the award in her sophomore yr, becoming a member of Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (2007) and UConn stars Maya Moore (2009) and Breanna Stewart (2014). The AP first began giving out the award in 1995, and Watkins is the primary Trojans participant to win it.

“She makes lots of issues that aren’t straightforward look straightforward,” Gottlieb mentioned. “It is one factor to say she’s a generational expertise, however one other to truly do it and put your self up with names like Stewie, Maya and Courtney Paris.”

Watkins is already within the high 10 on USC’s all-time scoring checklist, rating sixth in simply two years. She was averaging 23.9 factors, 6.8 rebounds and three.4 assists earlier than her season was lower brief within the NCAA Match with an ACL harm suffered within the second spherical towards Mississippi State.

Watkins raised her recreation towards the most effective opponents. Within the six video games towards groups in AP high 10, she averaged 26.2 factors, 7.3 rebounds and a pair of.4 blocks whereas taking pictures 35.4% from behind the 3-point line.

“She carried out her greatest on the largest moments,” Gottlieb mentioned. “I assumed she actually all through the course of the yr realized find out how to dominate and empower the others.”

Watkins is already one of many high attracts within the sport with endorsement offers to match and seeing her in particular person has change into a warmer ticket.

The Trojans’ common house attendance rose to five,932 this season from final yr’s 4,421. Celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, Jason Sudeikis, Michael B. Jordan and Sanaa Lathan, who starred in “Love & Basketball,” considered one of Watkins’ favourite motion pictures, have proven up. The yr earlier than she arrived attendance averaged 1,037.

“It is arduous to overlook Snoop Dogg in his customized JuJu jacket,” Gottlieb mentioned. “This occurred organically and authentically. She determined to remain house and cares about her metropolis and has the magnetism to draw folks. It is the best way she carries herself. She’s assured, however very humble and true to her group. It is superb to see her influence.”

Reporting by The Related Press.