3 players who need to step up with Juju Watkins out for the Tournament

The injury to the best USC women's basketball player came as something of a shock for college basketball. JuJu Watkins' absence for the rest of March Madness doesn't feel right, and it would have been exciting to watch how far this Trojans team would go with her leading the charge.

As seen, however, by the massive victory over Mississippi State, coach Lindsay Gottlieb has done an excellent job recruiting talent for the Women of Troy. Many have already adjusted their pre-March Madness champion picks to either Notre Dame, South Carolina, or UConn. Those who are now, so to speak, off the bandwagon are unaware of just how deep this Trojans' roster is.

Between some of the remaining upperclassmen leadership and bright young talent, USC is still a strong contender, and beating them will take an incredible effort. Part of a sign of a good team is how a group will collectively respond after losing a significant piece of the rotation to injury.

Coach Gottlieb has her program as well suited as any to withstand the loss of a first-team All-American. Adjusting on the fly and facing more top-tier quality opponents in the tournament will be difficult. This, however, would have been the case anyway. Without Watkins, the path becomes steeper on paper, but there is still a lot of great athletic and high-IQ talent for USC to lean on.

1. Kiki Ifriafen 

A list of players who will see an increased role without Watkins would simply be incomplete without the senior. This is her first and will be her only year with the Trojans, but the four-year student-athlete already gave NCAAW onlookers a glimpse of what she is capable of as the primary option.

As someone who can operate in the paint, her damage is more taxing and can even lead opposing frontcourt players into foul trouble. Ifriafen can take over a game at any point and prove to be the single most effective force on the offensive end.

2. Avery Howell 

The six-foot guard is good at shooting from the outside. She does a good job positioning herself for catch-and-shoot opportunities. In six out of the past eight games, Howell has knocked down at least two attempts from the perimeter.

Against Mississippi State, the guard saw a lot of looks in the Second Round game and went 4-of-9 from range in her 18-point effort. Her skill set will allow her to continue to have a high impact and be a lethal scorer.

3. Kayleigh Heckel

Similar to fellow freshman Howell, Heckel also saw an uptick in opportunities against the Bulldogs. Her efforts came more within the arc, and she grabbed six assists in the win. This shows how well the guard fits in the half-court setting.

She'll now be expected to handle increased responsibilities. Her all-around abilities will allow her to continue to be a solid contributing part of the rotation.

Depth of USC women's basketball will be tested

Players such as Kennedy Smith as well are also more than capable of leading this team to its ultimate goal. Fans have already seen what this team can look like without Watkins. Safe to say, the offense is still firing on all cylinders with the currently available players showing what they are capable of.

At the end of the day, the veterans will need to lead more, and the underclassmen will need to grow up faster than they would have necessarily needed to. Coach Gottlieb believes in this group and knows that USC women's basketball can accomplish great things during this postseason.