Hello, everybody! Welcome again to the Occasions of Troy e-newsletter. I’m Ryan Kartje, your USC beat author, right here to want a hearty and completely satisfied March Insanity to all of those that have fun. Probably the most magical week of the school sports activities calendar is formally upon us, and for the USC ladies, , it’s shaping as much as be an particularly memorable March.
The Trojans are coming off a uncommon , simply their third of the season. However after each of the group’s earlier two losses, USC surged again trying higher than earlier than. It received 15 in a row after falling to Notre Dame. After that streak was damaged on the highway at Iowa, USC received 9 in a row, with 5 victories towards ranked groups.
“And now,” says, “I believe we’re in an entire completely different place than we had been after Iowa. There’s confidence now in who we’re and what we’re able to and who we’ve change into.”
Gottlieb graciously took my name on Friday, earlier than the Trojans knew their first-round opponent, to speak about bouncing again from their most up-to-date loss and the place her group stands main into the match. Our dialog was edited for size and readability.
How did the way in which the group bounced this time after the UCLA loss differ from how they responded after your earlier two losses?
Gottlieb: I actually do suppose this time that we’re at our strongest place. I don’t know that there was as a lot soul-searching [this time]. It was extra, ‘Really feel the crappy emotions that include not successful.’ As a result of any time you have got an opportunity to win a championship and see the confetti fall and get a trophy, properly, you need to do it.
However the feeling is now we all know precisely who we’re, precisely what we’re at our greatest, easy methods to combat via adversity. That is it. That is what we’ve equipped for. We’ve earned a No. 1 seed. We should always have an edge as a result of we misplaced our final sport, however we must always have a confidence as a result of we additionally know what we’re able to. I believe that’s the place this sport feels completely different from Iowa, which feels progressively completely different from Notre Dame.
JuJu [Watkins] was a freshman within the final match, experiencing it for the primary time. How do you see her mindset differ this March? Or what provides you confidence that she’s in a position to construct on that have?
Gottlieb: I believed she carried out fairly nice final 12 months. Clearly we received to an Elite Eight and had been proper there. Final 12 months, although, in a really kind of genuine method, she didn’t know what was coming. She didn’t know all of the issues about seedings and the bracket and the way we get two residence video games. She was simply type of joyfully a little bit naive. She hadn’t been via it earlier than, and clearly she’s a competitor and understands it’s a nationwide match, and let’s go. However this 12 months, like with the whole lot, she’s actually grown in her management. Her voice is stronger. Because the stakes have gotten increased this 12 months, she’s locked in and actually galvanized individuals round her, and I don’t count on that to alter with respect to the NCAA match.
You’re relying this season on lots of youthful gamers with out match expertise. What have you ever seen from Avery [Howell], Kayleigh [Heckel] and Kennedy [Smith] that tells you they’re prepared for that highlight?
Gottlieb: For those who take a look at us from afar, individuals would say, properly, we’ve received star energy. We’ve received scorers. We’ve received All-American sorts. However we even have depth and protection and all these completely different items, and we’ve actually needed to earn that. Our youth has performed their method into being actually vital elements on a group that’s vying for a nationwide championship. That’s atypical.
I believe Kennedy Smith performs extra minutes than any freshman on a top-10 group. I believe she’s proper there neck and neck with [Connecticut’s] Sarah Sturdy. She’s by no means been a typical freshman, however you need her to lean into the experiences she’s had. Avery has all the time been a pure chief and a tricky child, and Kayleigh, and also you’ve seen Malia actually develop as a sophomore, simply actually understanding her position. That’s what you’re actually on the lookout for this time of 12 months — everybody actually shopping for into what their position is and what we’re asking them to do for his or her group. However then the group as an entire being stronger due to all these various elements — that mindset that everybody issues, that each group type of has their very own stuff. No matter your stuff is, the No. 1 factor now could be to be all-in on what the mission is and consider in what now we have. I do consider what now we have is sufficient after we’re all locked in and taking part in properly.
You’ve talked rather a lot this season about how teaching this group was a lot completely different than final 12 months. Does the identical sentiment apply to making ready this group for this match? Is it completely different as a coach?
Gottlieb: Final 12 months the important thing was we had this type of underdog story type of going the entire time. Like, don’t choose us. You didn’t choose us earlier than. To me, after we’d received the Pac-12 match and we had been a No. 1 seed, the query was how can we hold that underdog edge and nonetheless play with that pleasure. This 12 months, this group has been the other. It’s been like, ‘Hey, deliver on the expectations.’ We’ve by no means shied away from them. However then we actually needed to earn what we’ve change into.
Now going into the match, now we have new targets. We’ve got new issues we need to receive. What we’ve performed within the common season doesn’t add any factors on the board, however it ought to give us the boldness to know that we’re able to it.
— USC is on a tear on the recruiting path. Is that this the Chad Bowden impact? It’s definitely laborious to disclaim the surge of recruiting success USC has seen since hiring its new common supervisor. Seems the followers aren’t the one ones on a excessive in the mean time. Six 2026 prospects have dedicated to USC in the course of the previous month, with 4 of them four-star recruits. The Trojans now have 4 commits among the many state’s prime 18 gamers, and it’s not tough to think about them signing three or 4 extra, if all goes properly. That’s a big shift from earlier courses below Lincoln Riley, and it’s honest, I believe, to attribute that to Bowden who has made it clear that his focus for this class is in Southern California. The looming query is whether or not he can hold these commits for an additional six months. USC had comparable recruiting momentum final spring, solely to look at it unravel within the fall.
—Anticipate the USC males’s group to be safely within the NCAA match subsequent season. That progress begins with the arrival of five-star recruit Alijah Arenas, who has the makings — and the pedigree — of a one-and-done lottery choose. However a ton of expertise ought to return, beginning with guards Wesley Yates and Desmond Claude. Terrance Williams, who sat out many of the season with a damaged wrist, can be again. Rashaun Agee intends to return, he advised me Thursday, assuming the NCAA retains up with its current steering about junior school eligibility. USC will lose a starter in Chibuzo Agbo, and it’s unclear what would possibly occur with Saint Thomas. However with just a few spots to fill within the switch portal this offseason, the Trojans shouldn’t have any bother replenishing depth. It’s completely crucial for USC to select up a beginning massive man, in addition to a rotational level guard within the portal, however Eric Musselman has identified these holes wanted to be crammed since final summer season. I belief USC received’t have bother discovering a match.
—The Huge Ten’s West Coast groups actually struggled touring to the Jap time zone this basketball season. And that was no completely different in Indianapolis for the convention match. Not one of the 4 West Coast groups superior previous the quarterfinals, as UCLA, USC and Oregon completed a mixed 2-3. Throughout the season, together with the convention match, the Huge Ten’s Western contingent completed 12-21 within the Jap time zone. Oregon accounted for almost half of these wins, as the one one of many 4 to complete with a successful document (5-4). USC and UCLA had been every 2-5 on these journeys, whereas the remainder of the Huge Ten had far much less bother touring to the West Coast. They completed 14-14 of their first season towards USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington.
—A tip of the cap to John Feinstein, the fearless Corridor of Fame sportswriter who died this week at age 69. Feinstein penned one of many seminal sportswriting texts of our time, “Season on the Brink,” an all-access take a look at Bob Knight and 1985-96 Indiana basketball group. It was required studying earlier than I joined the Hoosiers beat straight out of faculty, and as time has gone on, I’ve grown to understand its fearless portrayal of Knight much more. Knight hated the ebook, which ought to offer you an thought of how good it was.
Prime 5 … favourite males’s NCAA match first-round bracket busters
5. No. 10 Arkansas over No. 7 Kansas
4. No. 13 Yale over Texas A&M
3. No. 11 VCU over BYU
2. No. 11 Drake over Missouri
1. No. 13 Excessive Level over Purdue
In case you missed it
What I’m Watching This Week
The most effective competitors actuality present of all time, in my ebook, is lastly again. Bravo’s “Prime Chef” returned this previous week for its twenty second season, this time in Canada. This present has taught me extra about cooking and meals than anybody or something, and there’s no higher actuality TV decide than Tom Colicchio. Prime Chef by no means fails to ship, and I do know this season will as soon as once more.
