"We've only begun to see what she's capable of": USC HC thinks JuJu Watkins' teammate Kennedy Smith also deserves national attention

Kennedy Smith and JuJu Watkins combined for 30 points to help the No. 7 USC Trojans secure an 84-63 victory over the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes at Galen Center on Saturday night. They were part of four players who scored in double figures for the Trojans, who bolstered their record to 21-2.

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb praised Smith in the postgame press conference after she delivered an outstanding performance against the Buckeyes. She scored 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting. She was excellent from beyond the arc, knocking down all three of her 3-point attempts. Smith also grabbed 13 rebounds to record her first career double-double.

"I’ve said before, I think coming in as a freshman, I don’t know that I’ve ever had a better, just instinctive smart defender," Gottlieb said. "We know she’s a versatile mismatch nightmare. She can post up, she can shoot the three. She’s really good [at] moving that ball."

Gottlieb added that it's only a matter of time before Kennedy Smith gets the national attention that she deserves.

“I think we’ve only just begun to see what she’s capable of," Gottlieb said. "I don’t know that it’s a surprise to people in our locker room, but I think nationally it’s just going to continue to get more and more known because she's just a winner, a winning player.”

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Kennedy Smith gets offensive help from Kiki Iriafen and JuJu Watkins in USC's win over Ohio State

It wasn't just Kennedy Smith who thrived against the Ohio State defense. Kiki Iriafen wreaked havoc against the Buckeyes, scoring a game-high 24 points. She shot 8-for-18 from the floor and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. It was the eighth time this season that Iriafen has scored at least 20 points in a game.

USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (#12) celebrates with head coach Lindsay Gottlieb in the fourth quarter of their NCAA basketball game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Galen Center. Photo: Imagn

Iriafen also amassed 13 rebounds to match Smith's double-double feat. JuJu Watkins also recorded a double-double against Ohio State, scoring 17 points and nabbing 10 boards. Watkins overcame a poor start, missing her first 11 field-goal attempts. She shot 5-for-21 from the field, including 1-for-6 from beyond the arc.

The Trojans as a team also had a horrible start, missing their first seven field-goal attempts. USC recorded 23 turnovers in total against Ohio State, five of which the Trojans committed in the opening five minutes.