For a while, USC’s JuJu Watkins has been penciled in not only as one of the new faces of college basketball but also as one of the future faces of the game as a whole.
She was in the midst of an amazing season with the Trojans, and they looked poised for a deep postseason run because of her. Unfortunately, that all changed when she sustained a gruesome season-ending knee injury.
That’s why, in a recent sitdown with Hoops HQ, Trojans head coach Lindsey Gottlieb revealed that he still didn’t have the words to talk about what happened to Watkins.
USC coach couldn’t find words to talk about JuJu Watkins’ injury
“Anytime a player goes down with a significant injury, it is brutal,” she said. “But I don’t remember anything like that. What we all experienced in that arena when she got hurt was just indescribable. But especially, you know, for someone you know, like Juju, it was so heartbreaking, not just for us but for basketball.”
JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans
ACL injuries are no joke. They take a long time to heal, and Watkins might not even be able to suit up next season at all, which obviously takes a big toll on the Trojans’ aspirations.
Even so, as big a blow as that is, Gottlieb won’t even think about that right now. For now, getting her back to full strength will be the most important thing, even if that means keeping her out of the court for a little longer.
