2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Odds: USC Is Underrated

March Madness is nearly upon us, with conference tournaments starting up tomorrow and Selection Sunday now under two weeks away!

With the NCAA Tournament just around the corner, who are some teams that have gone underrated with respect to Championship or Final 4 appeal?

Enter the Southern California Trojans, stage left.

Headed into the Pac-12 Tournament, the Trojans sit at 23-5 with the 6th hardest strength of schedule in the country. Only 5 teams have more Quad 1 wins than Southern Cal; South Carolina, Stanford, Iowa, UCLA, and Ohio State.

Quad 1 games are defined as:

• Home games vs. the Top 30 of the NET rankings
• Neutral site games against the Top 50 of the NET
• Away games against the Top 75 of the NET

Essentially, the more Quad 1 games, the stronger the schedule. The more Quad 1 wins, the stronger the resume for the Tournament. 

According to the selection committee's latest Top 16 reveal, the Trojans are currently slated as a No. 2 seed, although there's still room for them to win up on the top line with a strong Pac-12 Tourney showing. Making that all the more fun; the Trojans have wins over 3 of the projected Top 4.

I find this team very underrated by both the AP and selection committee with respect to top level ability and resume.

The Trojans are 21st in the country in adjusted defensive rating according to CBB Analytics, accounting for opposition and strength of schedule. They're a stifling and versatile group, capable of making life difficult for any opponent, as they've shown consistently this season.

Freshman sensation, JuJu Watkins, currently 2nd in the country in scoring average, is a legitimate candidate for National Player of the Year. She's a dominant wing, capable of creating for herself efficiently at all three levels while creating for her teammates as well. With her feel for the game and how adaptable she is, the Trojans enter every game with a fighting chance and the best player on the court in red and gold. 

As the year's gone on, USC's veteran talent has chipped in more and more on the offensive end, providing a cushion when teams throw the kitchen sink at Watkins.

Are they a surefire bet to win the National Title? Not at all, but in a season that's been defined by how wide open the top is outside of South Carolina, the Trojans deserve your attention.

They have the guard play. They have the spacing and shooting. They have the defensive versatility. They sure as heck have the star power in Watkins.

This group has what it takes to be a National Title contender along with the top level wins to back up that claim.

With the 16th longest odds at DraftKings, this feels like a value that way underrates what the Trojans have shown and what they are capable of.

The Pac-12 Tournament tips off on March 6th and Selection Sunday takes place on Sunday, March 17th.