March Madness is almost here, and the Trojans are ready.
With the dominance of the women’s basketball team and the anticipation surrounding the men’s squad, it’s time for Trojans to rally behind their teams like never before.
Fresh off winning the regular season title in its first year in the Big Ten, the USC women’s basketball team is set to participate in the Big Ten Tournament starting this week, with games scheduled between March 5-9 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
As the top seed, USC will begin play in the quarterfinals on March 7. The selection show for the NCAA tournament is set for March 16, with the first round beginning on March 21.
The USC Trojans men’s basketball team is set to participate in the Big Ten Tournament from March 12-16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as well. Both men’s and women’s conference tournament winners automatically qualify for March Madness.
USC students said that USC women’s basketball has been nothing short of electric this season. The biggest name in college basketball, sophomore JuJu Watkins, lived up to every ounce of the hype, earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors and leading her team to two victories over top-ranked UCLA in sold-out arenas.
Robert Lopez, a sophomore studying economics with a minor in business, said he can’t get enough of USC women’s basketball.
“USC owns basketball. JuJu Watkins is my favorite player,” Lopez said. “I saw her last week and the week before, and she is amazing. She has dominance of the game, in all the plays, everything.”
The USC women’s team is likely to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament, and fans are gearing up for what could be a historic postseason.
Jacob Lutostanski, a senior studying real estate development, said he is fired up for the tournament and to watch Watkins dominate the competition.
“March Madness is always fun to watch. It’s exciting every year,” Lutostanski said. “I only support the USC team, so I guess my player to watch is JuJu Watkins,”
As for the men’s side, Lutostanski says he has “no idea” which players are worth watching.
While the spotlight shines bright on the women’s squad, the men’s team is looking to make history of their own. If there’s one thing March Madness guarantees, it’s surprises. After an up-and-down season, the men’s team’s fate is up in the air. Right now, it appears they will have to win their conference tournament to make it to the Big Dance.
For many USC students, this year’s tournament carries extra significance. Phoebe Carver, a sophomore studying communications, believes the women’s team has what it takes to go all the way.
“I’m most excited to see women’s basketball win a national championship,” Carver said. “Seeing women’s sports do well at a university like USC, as well as a team that’s worked so hard to get to where they are in winning the Big Ten is so special.”