Eric Musselman on JuJu Watkins: ‘She can do everything’

There is no doubt in Eric Musselman‘s mind that JuJu Watkins is the top star on the USC campus right now. Watkins just wrapped up her freshman season with the Trojans, helping guide them to the Elite Eight.

The electrifying guard could even have a case to be the best player in women’s college basketball this season with Caitlin Clark gone to the WNBA. Watkins ranked second behind Clark this past season with 27.1 points per game on her way to earning All-American honors.

She should only get better with a year under her belt, and Musselman had high praise for her game during a recent appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd.

“She’s the biggest star on campus, I can tell you that,” the first-year Trojans men’s basketball coach said. “That’s super cool when you think about women’s athletics that JuJu is a national brand right now. She can do everything. She can draw free throws attempted. She can make 3s. You talk about a player on a big stage as a freshman that can take her team as far as she did. She’s got unbelievable body control. She can finish through contact. She can seek contact for free throws attempted and stretch the defense out with 3-point shooting. Just had a phenomenal freshman year.”

Watkins shot 40.9% from the field and 31.9% from 3-point range, but she did much more than just score the ball. She contributed in nearly every category to add 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.

A five-star recruit in the 2023 cycle, Watkins attended Sierra Canyon High School and was classmates with Bronny James. She certainly lived up to that high billing in her first season and will enter next year with the No. 7 NIL valuation ($417,000) among women’s college basketball players according to On3.

Even in his short time on campus, Musselman has seen that effect as well.

“The shirt I got on, this is actually a JuJu Watkins shirt from the bookstore,” Musselman said. “I went in and I’m like, ‘man, that’s a great logo.’ I looked at the price tag and I’m like, ‘this is a $100 t-shirt.’ Then I looked and saw, ‘hey, it’s a JuJu Watkins shirt. Let’s get this thing.'”

USC women’s basketball is coming off of a 29-6 record in its first season under coach Lindsay Gottlieb. With Watkins back for three more years (she won’t be draft eligible until 2027), the Trojans should be regular title contenders for a while.