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4 bold predictions for women's college basketball conference tournaments

From contenders bowing out early to surprising upstarts making a statement, here are four predictions for conference tournament results that could get March off to a Mad start.

By Samara Elster

Colorado v Southern California - Women's Basketball
Colorado v Southern California - Women's Basketball / Kirby Lee/GettyImages
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3. USC will win the Pac-12 Title

Juju Watkins and the Trojans have been rolling as they entered this weekend two games behind No. 4 Stanford in the Pac-12 race. Although they did lose Sunday to No. 18 Utah, Stanford is also down as they recently lost to a weak Arizona team.

For USC to win the Pac-12 regular season, Stanford has to lose one game. The Cardinals must beat Oregon State on Feb. 29 to stay ahead of the Trojans and Beavers for the Pac-12 race.

Depending on how the regular season plays out, USC could get the No. 2 seed, or it could fall all the way out of the top four and lose a first-round bye if they lose a game this week. But this season USC is 5-4 against ranked opponents and has been led by Watkins in scoring in 24 of the 25 games she's played as a Trojan. We can't forget about her historic 51-point performance over Stanford to give USC the statement win they needed earlier in the season.

Watkins has recorded 11 games this season with 30 or more points scored and is setting records for the Trojans. Watkins isn't the only one making an impact on the team. McKenzie Forbes has hit at least one 3-pointer in 24 straight games. This Trojans team loves to shoot the ball and is really good at it. USC hit the second-most 3s in a game in program history on Sunday, going 13-of-19, hitting 68.4 percent, and had the second-best 3-point percentage in a game with at least 10 3s made.

The Cardinals are on a skid, and the Trojans are a force of nature that will take over the Pac-12, especially in the tournament. Although No. 8 UCLA has been threatening, and the Pac-12 has six teams ranked in the top 18, anything can happen when March comes, and Watkins, along with Rayah Marshall, is in the paint. The easy choice is to assume Stanford will win the tournament, but USC is creeping in and making a statement to show the Women of Troy are back.

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