USC legend raves about the early Trojan career of JuJu Watkins

USC legend Lisa Leslie accomplished a few things in her basketball career. With the Trojans from 1990-1994, she averaged 20.1 points in 120 games and set Pac-12 conference records for scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. She was named All-Pac-12 all four years, won the Naismith College Player of the Year Award and was a three-time All-American. She is a three-time WNBA MVP, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and has both her No. 33 jersey retired by USC and her No. 9 jersey retired by the Los Angeles Sparks. She knows basketball. And she knows a basketball star when she sees one.

Leslie joined The Draymond Green Show on Thursday and was asked about star USC freshman JuJu Watkins by Green. Leslie said she first began hearing about Watkins when she was being recruited by some big-time colleges in high school. She asked some coaches about her and was told, “JuJu’s for real.”

Leslie said the concern was whether Watkins would be able to keep that level of consistency at the next level. Watkins is still not even through her first college regular season, but it’s safe to say there are no more questions or concerns about her ability here. She’s second in the country in scoring and has set or tied numerous USC single-season and single-game records.

“A lot of people go to LA, but a lot of people are not from LA,” Leslie said. “But those or us who are from LA, there’s a certain kind of dog in us…She’s really from LA.”

Watkins scored 51 points in a huge road win against No. 4 Stanford. She now holds the record among USC players for points scored in a single game at Galen Center. And she might set a fairly unbreakable record school for 30-point games in one season by a true freshman.

“I’m amazed at JuJu and what she’s been able to do,” Leslie said. “And the talent’s continuing to get better. So, Fight On.”

The USC legend also praised Watkins for doing what she did and “staying home” rather than chasing championships with loaded rosters.

“I wanted to do something different,” Leslie said of committing to USC out of high school. “I didn’t just want to go to Tennessee where everybody was winning championships. I wanted to start something new. And I feel like JuJu had that same mindset of like, ‘I want to bring it back here to LA.'”

By now, the entire country has taken notice of Watkins and the Trojans, who have spent much of the year in the top 20 of the national rankings and look like a potential No. 2 or 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

ESPN released an updated look at their top 25 players in the country and it included high praise for Watkins.

ESPN’s Michael Voepel on Watkins at No. 2:

“Watkins, who ranks second in Division I scoring behind Clark, is the front-runner for national freshman of the year. Watkins’ 12 games of 30 or more points are tied with Clark for the most such games for a freshman over the last 25 seasons. It’s also a USC single-season record for any class. Watkins has scored 20 or more points eight times against ranked opponents. Her recent 18-of-18 free throw performance was the most makes without a miss, ever in a Pac-12 game.”

Watkins is only behind Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark and ahead of marquee names like Stanford’s Cameron Brink and UConn’s Paige Bueckers.