The urgency of March has arrived early for Lindsay Gottlieb.
The USC women’s basketball coach knows, perhaps better than anyone else, that her team needs to start rolling.
It was always going to be something of a slog for the Trojans this season with superstar JuJu Watkins sidelined by a torn knee ligament. But a record slightly above .500 has been startling for a team that finished 31-4 a year ago.
That’s why a walloping of No. 8 Iowa on Thursday night at the Galen Center was so monumental. The Trojans (12-9 overall, 4-6 Big Ten) had been close so many times recently, nearly pulling out road victories over Michigan State and Michigan before falling short.
Beating a team the caliber of Iowa displayed the evidence of their potential.
“This, right now,” Gottlieb said after an 81-69 victory that wasn’t nearly that close, “was really, really needed.”
No one needs to sell Gottlieb on her team’s upside. One of the nation’s toughest schedules helped USC reach No. 22 in the NET rankings before the victory over the Hawkeyes, their third in the coveted Quad 1 category. USC is also 4-7 against ranked teams.
They’ll have more opportunities to boost their resume with games remaining against nationally ranked Ohio State and UCLA before the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis. Their rematch with the Bruins will come at home, providing a chance to make up for a 34-point loss at Pauley Pavilion that was the worst of Gottlieb’s five seasons with the team.
“My expectation is that we’re at the top [of the standings] in the second half” of conference play, Gottlieb said. “This team has big goals, still. Some learning and adversity [are] behind us, but I think our best basketball is still in front of us.”
Here’s a look at where the Trojans stand and what they need to do to finish the season on the upswing:
NCAA tournament status
USC might be able to pile up wins heading into a soft pocket of the schedule.
Up next are games against unranked Rutgers (9-12), Northwestern (8-13), Illinois (15-6), Indiana (11-11) and Wisconsin (13-9). The first goal for the Trojans needs to be getting back to .500 in the Big Ten. They’ll probably need to be well above that to feel good about their standing on Selection Sunday.
The last thing Gottlieb wants is needing to win the Big Ten tournament to earn a fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.
Biggest revelation
Kara Dunn has been locked in since playing all 40 minutes against Oregon earlier this month.
Over her last seven games, the transfer guard from Georgia Tech has averaged 24.4 points and 6.9 rebounds while making 55.3% of her shots and 41.4% of her three-pointers.
Biggest disappointment
The Trojans have been dropping too many close games.
There was a two-point loss to Notre Dame. A five-point loss to Oregon. A one-point loss to Minnesota. A seven-point loss to Maryland. A six-point loss to Michigan State. Another six-point loss to Michigan.
Flip just a couple of those games and the Trojans are feeling very differently about their season.
Biggest concern
Sophomore forward Vivian Iwuchukwu went down with what appeared to be a serious leg injury in the fourth quarter against Iowa.
The loss of the Trojans’ top post player for an extended stretch would be a serious problem for a team lacking depth in the front court.
Season ceiling
There’s enough talent to make the second weekend of the NCAA tournament, though it would require the best version of this team to show up.
The Trojans haven’t won back-to-back games since late December, making a sustained run in March seem unlikely unless the team shows it can string together victories against high-level competition.