For Lindsey Gottlieb, March has come early this year.
As the head coach of the USC women’s basketball team, she understands the pressing need for her squad to hit their stride.
This season is proving challenging, especially with standout player JuJu Watkins sidelined due to a torn knee ligament. Last year’s impressive 31-4 record now feels distant, given that they’ve struggled to keep above .500.
The recent narrow win against No. 8 Iowa was significant for the Trojans (who are now 12-9 overall and 4-6 in the Big Ten). They’ve had their share of close contests lately, including tough losses to Michigan State, which has added to the mounting pressure.
Overcoming a skilled Iowa team highlighted their potential.
“We really needed this right now,” Gottlieb remarked after the 81-69 victory that felt more decisive than the score suggested.
The team’s improvement is clear, especially with one of the nation’s tougher schedules. With their win over Iowa, USC moved up to No. 22 in the NET rankings and secured third in the important Quad 1 category. They’ve also gone 4-7 against ranked teams.
Upcoming matches against ranked Ohio State and UCLA present more chances to boost their standings in preparation for the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Gottlieb hopes for a rematch against the Bruins, especially after a significant loss to them earlier in his tenure.
“I expect us to be at the top of the standings. This team has big goals,” Gottlieb stated, acknowledging some setbacks but also expressing confidence in their potential moving forward. “I believe our best basketball is still ahead of us.”
Here’s where the Trojans currently stand and what lies ahead for finishing the season strong.
NCAA tournament status
USC has a chance to stack up wins as they approach a somewhat lighter schedule.
They’ll face unranked teams like Rutgers, Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin next. Their primary focus is to even things out in the Big Ten, but they’ll likely need to exceed that mark to feel assured on Selection Sunday.
The last thing Gottlieb desires is to be reliant on winning the Big Ten Tournament for a shot at the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year.
biggest revelation
Carla Dunn hasn’t stepped onto the court since playing a full 40 minutes against Oregon earlier this month.
This Georgia Tech transfer has been stellar, averaging 24.4 points and 6.9 rebounds in her last seven games, shooting remarkably well from the field and beyond the arc.
biggest disappointment
Unfortunately, the Trojans have faced too many narrow losses.
They fell short against Notre Dame by just two points, lost to Oregon by five, and had similarly close encounters with Minnesota, Maryland, and both games against Michigan State and Michigan.
With just a few more wins in those close matchups, the team’s narrative would be very different this season.
biggest concern
A significant worry emerged with sophomore forward Vivian Iwchukwu suffering a potentially severe leg injury late in the Iowa game.
Her absence would be especially felt given the team’s lack of depth in the frontcourt.
season ceiling
There’s definitely enough talent to advance to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, but it will require this team to be at their absolute best.
With a streak of not winning back-to-back games since late December, achieving success in March appears tenuous unless they can start racking up wins against tougher opponents.
