USC -ov Juju Watkins is a female player AP -A year

Juju WatkinsThe sensational second student who led the southern California to his best season in almost 40 years, was awarded on Thursday as a basketball player of the year Associated Press.

Watkins, whose Trojans beat Big Ten The title in the regular season for its first conference crown in 31 years, received 29 votes from the 31-member national media that voted on the AP Top 25 each week. Hannah Hidalgo Notre Dame received the other two. They were both first-team AP ALL-AMERICANS.

“I think what was so significant in this award that it was a year that had no absence of talent and stars, and Juja found a way to raise himself and his team” USC Said coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

Watkins became only the fourth player who won the award in his second year, joined by Oklahomi’s Courtney Paris (2007) and Uconn Stars May Moore (2009) and Breanna Stewart (2014). AP first started awarded the 1995 award, and Watkins is the first player of the Trojanc to win it.

“She does a lot of things that are not easy to look easy,” Gottlieb said. “One thing is to say that it is a generational talent, but the other actually do it and put yourself with names like Stewie, Maya and Courtney Paris.”

Watkins is already in the top 10 on the USC list for the whole time, which is in sixth place in just two years. She an average of 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists before her season was interrupted in the NCAA tournament with an ACL injury suffered in the second round against Mississippi.

Watkins raised her game against the best opponents. In six games against teams in AP Top 10, she scored 26.2 points on average, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 35.4% behind a 3 -point line.

“She made the best in the biggest moments,” Gottlieb said. “I thought she really learned throughout the year how to dominate and strengthen the others.”

Watkins is already one of the best draws in sports with approval contracts and visiting personally became a warmer ticket.

The average attendance of the Trojan House has increased to 5,932 this season from last year’s 4,421. Famous figures like Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, Jason Sudeikis, Michael B. Jordan and Sanaa Lathan, who starred in “Love & Basketball”, one of the favorite Watkins films, appeared. A year before she arrived, she attended an average of 1,037.

“It’s hard to miss a snoop dogg in your custom jacket,” Gottlieb said. “It happened organic and authentic. She decided to stay home and take care of her city and has magnetism to attract people. This is the way she is worn. She is convinced, but very humble and faithful to her community. It is unbelievable to see her influence.”

Associated press reporting.

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