The Three Players Who Will Decide USC's March Madness Tournament Run

The USC Trojans are back in the NCAA Tournament after earning the No. 9 seed in Regional 4. USC will be taking on the No. 8 seeded Clemson Tigers.

If the Trojans want to go on a deep tournament run, these players will have to be at their best.

Jazzy Davidson, Guard

USC Trojans Lindsay Gottlieb NCAA Tournament March Madness Final Four Jazzy Davidson Freshman South Carolina Clemson Tigers — Jan 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard Jazzy Davidson (9) shoots a basket as she is defended by Iowa Hawkeyes guard Teagan Mallegni (55) and guard Ava Heiden (5) in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

This one might be obvious but freshman guard Jazzy Davidson is the engine for this Trojans team. Davison leads the team in just about every category with averages of 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game.

The 6-1 Davidson was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was also selected to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and First-team All-Big Ten.

If Davidson struggles in the tournament, it’s hard to see a world where USC can make it to the second weekend.

Kara Dunn, Guard

Someone that can help take the pressure off of Davidson in the backcourt is senior guard Kara Dunn. Dunn is in her first season with USC after being with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 2022-2025.

Dunn has tournament experience and was in an 8-9 game last season with the No. 9 seeded Yellow Jackets when they fell to the No. 8 seeded Richmond Spiders. Dunn played 37 minutes in that contest.

Dunn has averaged the second most points on USC this season, behind only Davidson. She is averaging 15.3 points per game on an efficient 47.5 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point land. She is also averaging 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

If teams show more pressure to stop Davidson in the backcourt, it could leave opportunity for Dunn with less attention being shown her way.

Laura Williams, Forward

There’s no doubt that USC is a team led by guards, but just guard-play won’t be enough for USC to go on a deep run in March.

As the season has progressed, freshman forward Laura Williams has began to take on a big role. After not playing to much through the first few months of the season, Williams now consistently finds herself in the starting lineup and playing around 20-30 minutes per game.

Since Feb. 1, she is averaging 4.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.

It’s a lot to ask of two freshmen like Davidson and Williams to save their best for their first ever NCAA Tournament, but that’s what this year’s team is going to have to rely on.

South Carolina Looming

If USC is able to take down Clemson, the team likely standing between them and the Sweet 16 is the No. 1 seeded South Carolina Gamecocks. South Carolina is 31-3 this season and is coming off back to five-straight appearances in the Final Four, including winning the 2022 and 2024 national championships.

The Gamecocks will be seeking their sixth straight trip to the Final Four in 2026. South Carolina is led by forward Joyce Edwards, who averages 19.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

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