USC leans on the freshmen to overcome the Kansas State, advance to the elite revenge with Uconn

Spokane, Wash. – Of all the teams left in the Sweet 16 this weekend, no team had more questions about it than the number 1 USC. The Trojans had lost their star Juju Watkins at a ACL ACL ACL seasonal injury in the second round And then she gathered to beat the state of Mississippi at home. But how would they respond in an atmosphere of eight elites on the street?

Of all the other teams with the largest number of questions, it was supposed to be the state of Kansas, the opponent of the Trojans in the Sweet 16. The Wildcats, a veteran team, had played most of their season without the center of 6 feet-6 Ayoka Lee, and the committee had judged the team’s work body that had been carried out without Lee. So, before the post -station, Lee announced that he was 100 % and ready to leave.

Watkins’ absence and Lee’s presence made this n. 1-no. 5 Matchup one of the largest tox-ups of the third round (even if the UTC team has held a pop watkins funko on the sidelines during the entire game).

USC has a Juju watkins funko pop on their bench 🥹 pic.twitter.com/i5kw52z8cy

– The Athletic (@Theathletic) March 30, 2025

With a rotation of Trojan that was heavily based on three freshmen who had never been in a post-installation experience like this first, Usca resisted the Kansas State 67-61 and advanced to Eight Elite to face Uconn, creating a revenge of the Eight elite last season. Although the absence of Watkins was the prevalent plot of this team that entered the Sweet 16, which came out of the game, the brightest star is that the Lindsay Gottlieb matriculum trio intensified the most important moment to give a hand to the Trojan ticket to their second consecutive and eighth in the history of the program.

Kennedy Smith comes forward while the top scorer of Trojans

It was assumed that he headed towards Saturday that the striker of the star Kiki Iriafen should have brought the load in the absence of Watkins. Iriafen entered the weekend on average 18.6 points per game and certainly became the focal point of the scouting report of the Kansas state.

But it was the guard of the serial number of Stella Kennedy Smith, a five -star perspective in the 2024 class, who moved forward to take the part of the lion’s touches and lead the Trojans with 19 points, which linked a maximum of career. Smith, who marked 29 points combined in his last two outings, shot 50 % from the field and gave Usca a large spark soon with a first quarter of 11 points. Considering that Iriafen spent a slower night for his standards-signing only seven points than his usual 18-più was Smith who undoubtedly contributed to passing the Trojans on the hump.

Avery Howell gets up to the occasion

Howell, the real serial number, entered on Saturday with probably the greatest task of anyone who has remained in the tournament: replace Watkins in the initial formation of the Uss. Howell, perspective n. 16 of the nation and a five star in the 2024 class from Espn, entered on Saturday with an average of 7.1 points in 19.9 minutes of action per game. On Saturday he scored only the second beginning of his career.

But give the native of the Aido his flowers. In a performance that his teammates will not forget soon, Howell marked 18 points in 37 minutes, as well as transporting eight rebounds. Both career maximums tied. This, in the wake of paying 18 points against the state of Mississippi in the aftermath of Watkins’ accident.

Watkins cannot be replaced for the Trojans, who will have to compensate for his absence by committee. But on a day when Usc needed everything he could get from everyone on the floor, Howell got on the plate could not have come in a better moment. He struck two free crucial shots with 32 remaining seconds to increase USC for four points and was fundamental in keeping his teammates composed in the stretch.

That it is only a real serial number should be all the more encouraging for Gottlieb, who has already sung the praises of his beginners at the beginning of this week. The Trojans will need everything that can get out of Howell again on Monday, when Uconn awaits with a final berth of four on the line.

The head -tested duo contains Ayoka Lee

Without Lee for most of the season, the Wildcats have still found success during their heavy crime on guard as a shooting team in 3 points of the elite (breaking down 39 % of their attempts), sharing the ball well (guiding the nation as a percentage of assistance) and not giving possessions.

Although Lee presented obvious issues for the offense of the Trojan because of how talented as a protector of the circle and Shot Blocker, a great question was how he would have altered the offense of the state of Kansas and what the USC could have to neutralize its effect while the perimeter defenders continued to try to run shooting.

The Trojan strategy was not a great surprise considering that he had faced a talented center of 6 feet-7 to Lauren Betts three times during the regular season, beating the Bruins twice. Against the state of the Kansas, USC did this – employing Rayah Marshall (6 feet 4) and Clarice Akunwafo (6 feet 6) to make the heavy lifting on Lee’s defensive task.

Lee has still scored 12 points, but it was not an efficient night for her as it took 13 attempts to Field Goal to get there, and the Marshall-Akunwafo combination was able to contain her impact in advance, keeping her only two points of the first half.

Lee also scored 10 rebounds, but kept it in just two offensive tables, limiting the second cancellation points of the Wildcats, where in the end the Trojans maintained the advantage (10-6).

(Photo by Kennedy Smith and Jaelyn Glenn: Alika Jenner / Getty Images)