Did you know that 17 years ago DeMar DeRozan tallied 485 points for USC, ranking third overall in USC freshman history? This year, JuJu Watkins bumped him off the podium by becoming the all-time scoring leader among USC freshmen. Nonetheless, DeRozan has nothing but love for his fellow Californian.
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In late August, the Kings forward was back at his old stomping grounds to workout with Watkins. Footage from their session became viral as fans of the Trojans were excited to see their alumnus step in as a mentor. During his appearance on Podcast P with Paul George, DeMar touched on his practice with Watkins and how he views the current USC roster.
“I don’t think a lot of people understood what I was trying to show. It was just more so understanding defensive players’ tendencies.”
He explained how, despite proving her mettle as a scorer, Watkins would have to expect more defensive pressure coming off her historic freshman season. With teams zoning in on her as the team’s primary offensive threat, he wanted the teenager to learn how to read and counter defenses. DeRozan used Paul George’s style as an example of playing “at a certain pace and rhythm.” He added,
“That keeps the defender, like, off-balance. So, my thing is when you get a guy off-balance and their hand in there, you pull up, shoot your regular shot. That’s a foul. You know, little things like that to make your defender change the way they guard.”
It’s a solid example because both PG and DeMar are multiple-time All-Stars who the defense gives extra attention to. Despite this, they have both remained effective scorers well into their 30s because of their ability to turn defensive attention into advantages and free throws.
DeRozan added that it will be important for Watkins to learn this skill “because she killed everybody last year. So, now everybody gonna be prepared on how to guard her.”
Juju Watkins learning from DeMar DeRozan 🔥
(h/t @ClutchPoints) pic.twitter.com/exk7i73JAN
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 22, 2024
DeMar was highly appreciative of the teenager, calling her “One of them ones…She’s special. I can’t wait to see what she do in college. I can’t wait to see how she changes women basketball,” the six-time All-Star added. With high praise, comes high expectations.
The 35-year-old forward wants to see his alma mater win and he thinks Watkins’ growth, along with USC’s offseason moves, have put them in place to contend. He isn’t the only one who thinks so. The Trojans’ second leading scorer, McKenzie Forbes, graduated and left a vacuum in the team, which they were quick to fill.
They landed Stanford’s Kiki Iriafen, the 2nd ranked prospect in this year’s transfer portal. Iriafen averaged 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game last season, and will significantly bolster the team’s frontcourt next season.
In addition, they also landed Talia von Oelhoffen and five-star recruit, Kennedy Smith to pair alongside JuJu Watkins. Both guards can dominate on and off the ball and on both sides of the court, providing perfect support in the backcourt to the WBCA’s Freshman of the Year. These moves have DeMar DeRozan excited. “I got them winning it all,” the USC alumnus proclaimed.
