USC lands top prospect Juju Watkins
Juju Watkins, the No. 1 recruit in ESPNW's 2023 rankings, has committed to Southern California.
There’s no place like home #fighton #committed pic.twitter.com/MWzIvONg58
— Judea (Juju) Watkins (@Jujubballin) November 15, 2022
Watkins picked USC over other finalists Stanford and South Carolina, according to ESPN's Charlotte Gibson. The 17-year-old is a two-time gold medalist with USA Basketball, the current Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year in California, and a member of the defending state champions at Sierra Canyon High School.
The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 24.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.8 steals, and two blocks last season for Sierra Canyon.
"I didn't want to rush this process," Watkins said, per Gibson. "A lot of people in my class had already committed before me, and I definitely was taking my time. But I want to make sure it was 1,000% where I wanted to go."
The Trojans also secured a commitment from 2023 No. 49 prospect Malia Samuels, a 5-foot-6 guard from Seattle.
Watkins joins Jordan Adams and Aaliyah Gayles as the third top-10 recruit to sign with USC since 2012.