March Madness is just around the corner for Juju Watkins and the USC Trojans.
After winning the Pac-12 Conference last season and advancing through the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the Trojans fell to the UConn Huskies in disappointing fashion in the Elite Eight. This year, they'll have the chance to avenge their early exit and make a push for a national championship.
This season has been even more dominant for USC, as they currently cling to a 25-2 record before their season finale against No. 2 UCLA on Saturday. In their previous matchup, the Trojans hosted the Bruins and won by 11 points, so UCLA will be out for revenge on their home court.
Saturday's result between two of the country's top teams should not impact their projected March Madness seedings unless a blowout occurs. As it stands now, USC is sitting pretty for the Big Dance.
USC projected to be No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament
As it stands now, ESPN Bracketology expert Charlie Creme has the USC Trojans slotted as a No. 1 seed along with UCLA, Texas and South Carolina.
USC would face Farleigh Dickinson, the projected Northeast Conference automatic qualifier, in the first round before taking on the winner of Vanderbilt and South Dakota State. Vanderbilt could be a tough draw in the second round as the SEC has been the best conference in the country this season and has no easy outs.
Joining the Trojans in Region 3 would be UConn, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Maryland, West Virginia and Oklahoma State, all of whom are nationally ranked. A rematch against UConn would be a must-see-TV event, but it will be difficult to even get there considering the loaded region that they are in.
The Trojans are an impressive 8-0 against nationally ranked teams this season, including wins against UCLA, UConn and Maryland. However, their two losses are against unranked teams, which could make them upset-prone come March.
Luckily, the Trojans have a heavily-experienced star in Juju Watkins to lean on in the biggest games of the year. When the lights shine brightest, as they will in the NCAA Tournament, Watkins and the USC Trojans play their best.