Jazzy Davidson’s first season at USC was far from comfortable. The freshman was entrusted with guiding the team as it navigated the season without its best player, JuJu Watkins. Now, Watkins herself has revealed the advice she gave Davidson during that challenging freshman season.

“When we first started recruiting her, it was when I first kind of learned about her,” Watkins said, as per CBS Sports reporter Isabel Gonzalez. “And then she came on our visit like that’s when I was locked in, kept up with everything she had going on. She’s been a great player for a long time, and I think she just really made such an improvement in her freshman year. Can’t wait to share the floor with her next season.”

Davidson came to USC after being a consensus No. 1 player of the 2025 high school class. During her stint at Clackamas High School, she won the Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year award four times. So, quite naturally, the expectations were already high on Davidson’s shoulders.

And Watkins was generous enough to help the freshman manage these expectations and subsequent mental battles.

“I was kind of in her ear the whole season about managing the expectations and just having fun,” Watkins said. “It’s so easy to kind of lose yourself in all the expectations that you forget why you’re playing in the first place. So, always reminding her to have fun.”

To be honest, there couldn’t have been a better mentor for Jazzy Davidson at the USC Trojans than JuJu Watkins. Being a top prospect herself, Watkins perfectly knows what it takes to mute the outside noise and just focus on her performance on the court. Furthermore, both are backcourt players, which makes it easier for them to connect.

Watkins spent long sessions with Davidson in training sessions and even on the sidelines during games. USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb had also clearly pinpointed the close equation between the two in an interview last year.

“She and JuJu, to me, from my vantage point, having a unique relationship with each of them, there are a lot of similarities between the two of them,” she had said as per CBS Sports. “Natural introverts who live and die by the game of basketball. I do think JuJu was instrumental in Jazzy’s recruitment, and I think Jazzy wanted to play with JuJu.”

Making the transition from high school to college is never easy. After all, the enormity of the occasion rises immensely, and so do the standards of the game. Watkins’ consistent support for Davidson gave that shift a bit of cushion and convenience.

Davidson’s numbers in the 2025-26 season mirror those as well. The freshman navigated one of the most clutch seasons in recent memory. As per ESPN, she averaged 17.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.0 steals, and blocks in a season in which she literally had to carry the team after Watkins remained on the sidelines with a torn ACL.

Against that situation, the equations will be strikingly different this season, where both JuJu Watkins and Jazzy Davidson will suit up for the USC Trojans.

USC Trojans Look Daunting Next Season With Jazzy Davison and JuJu Watkins

Despite JuJu Watkins’ injury last season, the USC Trojans did earn a respectable position in March Madness. Riding on Jazzy Davidson’s shoulders, the Trojans qualified for the tournament. Although they faced a crushing 40-point defeat against South Carolina in the second round, flashes of the team’s high ceiling were clearly visible.

The 2026-27 season is where the program can truly explode on the national stage. With JuJu Watkins coming back, the roster will have a natural leader who can anchor the team’s tempo. Watkins is a beast of a points-scorer who can drop 20 points with ease against any opponent on a given day. In fact, she has averaged 20+ points in both of her two seasons for USC so far.

On top of that, the Trojans already have Davidson, who is coming off a freshman season that saw her win the WBCA NCAA Division I Freshman of the Year. Both of them are elite two-way players who contribute equally on defense. While Watkins is a formidable perimeter defender, Davidson thrives on making the crucial defensive stops.

Given the array of skill sets they bring to the table, it’s quite certain the USC Trojans will largely center around them next season. Around them, the Trojans will have some incoming transfers and recruits to boost the team’s depth.

The program has landed the No. 1 recruit in the class, Saniyah Hall, while also bringing in Sitaya Fagan and Sara Okeke. On top of that, the Trojans also signed Pania Davis from Florida State to boost their frontcourt. The team has all the bases covered on paper.

And now it will be up to the execution on the hardwood. What are your expectations for the USC Trojans next season? Do let us know in the comments.