Here’s how to watch USC at UConn: JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers take center stage

Time: Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

The nation saw the duel between these two in April. The Huskies defeated the Trojans in the Elite Eight, with Bueckers’ intergalactic performance (28 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks and 0 seconds on the bench).

This iteration of UConn is 10-1 despite the losses of Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muehl from last year’s starting lineup. In the fight for its first national title since 2016, Geno Auriemma’s team is scoring 81 points per game and leads the nation in field goal percentage. Bueckers shines once again with four shots of 25 or more points and the best effective shooting percentage in the Big East. But the breakout star is freshman Sarah Strong, who is averaging 17.3 points and 8.3 rebounds.

Azzi Fudd’s status for Saturday remains uncertain. She sprained her knee earlier this month after tearing her ACL last year. Even without them, this is an all-around impressive Huskies team. All 10 wins were by double digits and the only stumble was against No. 3 Notre Dame.

USC is also 10-1, and its only loss also came against Notre Dame (note to self: buy all Hannah Hidalgo stocks). The Trojans’ average margin of victory in their six-game winning streak is an absurd 38.2 points. Lindsay Gottlieb’s group has the third-best defensive rating in the country. And Watkins is – well, she’s JuJu Watkins. Last month, the rising Angeleno became the fastest Trojan to 1,000 career points since Cheryl Miller. As a sophomore, she increased both her offensive and defensive percentages by a whopping 50 percent per 40 wins, according to Her Hoop Stats.

At her side is an elite defender in Rayah Marshall and a first-class inside goalscorer in Kiki Iriafen. Iriafen is averaging nearly 19 points per game and averaging 9.2 rebounds per game despite the lowest usage percentage of her four NCAA seasons.

These two teams are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in the latest power rankings.

Sabreena Merchant on Rayah Marshall: As Kiki Iriafen adjusts to her offensive role at USC, her frontcourt partner Rayah Marshall is expanding her skills. Marshall has always been a dominant defensive player, and that hasn’t changed as a senior. Her block rate is in the 99th percentile nationally and she deters even more shots. With Marshall as the primary defender, opponents are scoring an incredible 23.9 percent as she can defend the post and cover ground on the perimeter. With Marshall on the court, USC’s defense is 16.7 points per 100 possessions better.

Memorable Matchup: December 9, 2003 – Top-seeded UConn maintained its 72-game winning streak (!) despite a 72-69 scare at the hands of the Trojans. Ebony Hoffman had 15 points for USC. Diana Taurasi hit two 3-pointers to seal a close call.

USC to UConn odds

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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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