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Jazzy Davidson, Kennedy Smith give USC a glimpse of what's possible
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- Jazzy Davidson, Kennedy Smith give USC a glimpse of what's possible
Jazzy Davidson is playing her freshman season of college basketball without JuJu Watkins as an on-court teammate. She's getting coaching from JuJu on the bench, and that helps, but there's no substitute for having a top teammate on the court. Kennedy Smith has had to carry an enormous workload as the one main returning player from last season's team, and she hasn't had the benefit of JuJu on the floor. USC women's basketball has had to fight these and other limitations, but you're finally seeing the stars play like stars. It's why the Trojans are on a roll.
Jazzy Davidson shooting
Jazzy Davidson really labored earlier in the season. She shot under 30 percent in a number of games. Notably, she attempted 18-24 shots in a number of those low-percentage games. The low percentage was noticeable, but a low shooting percentage is more costly when it comes at the expense of more field goal attempts and more misses. Jazzy needed to find a way to be a more efficient shooter, and she has done that.
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Jazzy Davidson has shot 46 percent or better from the field in three of her last four games and four of her last six. Sunday against Illinois, she did shoot a lot but made a lot, hitting 11 of 24 attempts. It's less about the number of shots and more about finding a way to hit more regularly. Jazzy is doing that, and it explains USC's recent surge.
Jazzy's work ethic
Jazzy Davidson has brought a full and robust effort in every game, always hitting the boards, sharing the ball, and blocking shots as a guard. Her defense and toughness have never been in question. Now that she's learning how to play at the offensive end, she really has become a star -- not by reputation, but by earned results.
Kennedy Smith
Kennedy Smith, much like Jazzy, is always superb as a defender and in doing off-ball things to help her team win. Her offense has also suffered at times this season, but against Illinois, she scored 10 points in the first quarter and finished 7 of 14 from the field for 20 points, quite possibly her best offensive game of the season. Kennedy being elite on offense makes her a superstar-level player. Again, it's not hard to explain why USC is rolling right now.
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Kara Dunn
Kara Dunn has been a flamethrower and rock star for USC this season, scoring 20 points with great regularity and falling short of 20 points only because of playing fewer minutes in a blowout win. She has become so reliable that defenses are changing their scouting reports and game plans to counter her. This is one reason Jazzy and Kennedy are doing better at the offensive end of the court. Dunn has been absolutely magnificent, and her unselfishness is why USC continues to roar even though her point totals have slightly declined the past week.
Laura Williams
USC's frontcourt has struggled this season. There's no getting around that reality. However, Laura Williams is emerging as the effective defend-and-rebound player USC really needs. She grabbed 10 boards in a strong performance at Illinois on Sunday. Williams' evolution and USC's evolution have flowed together.
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The missing piece
USC is getting improvements across the board, with the exception of the inconsistent Londynn Jones. Very simply, if Jones can join the parade in the home stretch, USC becomes an even better team. This is a key goal for the coaching staff: to get the most out of Londynn Jones, who -- when on -- will make the Trojans that much tougher in March Madness.
March Madness
Speaking of March, this four-game win streak with victories over Iowa and Illinois has solidly moved USC into the NCAA Tournament field. The Trojans aren't yet a lock, but they have moved several spots away from the bubble and should be in very good shape as long as they win the games they are supposed to win. USC has two such games coming up versus Indiana and Wisconsin. Win those, and USC should look solid for a tournament bid.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Jazzy Davidson, Kennedy Smith take it to another level for USC WBB
