When you look out at the floor and see USC going through practice, you notice that Lindsay Gottlieb has plenty of options. The Trojans again have the type of roster that is talented enough to play deep into the NCAA Tournament.

The sting of missing out on the Final Four is still there for USC, but a revamped roster that features high-level transfers and a wave of talented freshmen has given Gottlieb plenty to work with this summer and fall as she prepares the group for the rigors of a college season.

The third-ranked Trojans will open up their schedule overseas as the first game of the season on Nov. 4 when they face No. 20 Ole Miss in Paris. There is plenty of excitement about that trip, but Gottlieb made it clear after the team's practice on Tuesday that there is still much work to be done.

The combinations still need to be figured out, learning to be done and plays needing to be nailed down ahead of that matchup in France.

"It's been fun, it's been really exciting," Gottlieb said. "We're sort of halfway through this extended training camp, and I think the players are getting a little antsy to get going. We scrimmaged Texas in a closed scrimmage this weekend, so it was good to face somebody else, but we still have a lot of work to do.

"I really love the group. I think we have a high ceiling. We have a number of pieces. I think versatility will be a thing for us, a positive thing for us. We're younger than people think, playing a couple of freshmen in significant roles, but at the same time we have some really good veterans. The identity is still coming together, but I think we're trying to play really fast in transition. We run a lot of pro-style, open-set offenses allowing them to make decisions, and it's gotta come together but I like where we are."

In the age of the transfer portal, coaches are now faced with integrating oftentimes accomplished and experienced newcomers with returning players and freshmen just getting their feet wet in the college game.

Gottlieb is trying to do all of that, but there is no shortage of talent on the USC roster.

Sophomore guard JuJu Watkins will always have plenty of attention, but her new running mate down low in the post will garner plenty of headlines as well. Los Angeles native and 6-foot-3 forward Kiki Iriafen is back home to finish out her career with the Trojans after previously playing at Stanford, where she had a stellar junior season and earned the Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year award.

Both Watkins and Iriafen were named Associated Press preseason All-Americans on Tuesday and are the first teammates to earn that honor since 2017-18.

About halfway through preseason practice, the USC duo is still getting a feel for one another but the potential of that tandem and the chemistry they are building on the floor has them excited.

"Oh my god, she amazes me everyday," Watkins said of her new veteran teammate. "I just throw the ball up, literally, and she catches it. A lot of easy assists from her. I'm just learning so much from her, learning where she likes the ball and what not. So, we're building that camaraderie, and it'll continue to get better throughout the year."

Iriafen has spent the entirety of her college career learning under legendary Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer, so getting the opportunity to play for Gottlieb in a different system alongside a player like Watkins has helped refresh the graduate transfer's outlook ahead of her eventual move to the next level.

"It's been a big change," she said Tuesday. "Two different coaching trees, coaching dynamics, but it's been great. I've loved USC so far. I think it's great playing under a very pro-style offense as I'm getting ready to play in the W[NBA] in a few months.

"Then, playing with JuJu's been great. She's very unselfish, so she kind of brings in excellence around her and just wants the best for everybody. So, it's been great. I think we're all very hard-working and excited to play in a few weeks."

The Trojans will feature seven freshmen, including three players ranked inside the top 20 of the ESPN HoopGurlz rankings last year, alongside three members of the team who began their careers at other colleges.

It is a lot to try and bring together in a relatively short amount of time, but making it all work with that much talent on the roster is a good problem to have for Gottlieb and company.

"The stage has been elevated for all of us," she said. "We haven't shied away from any expectations. We understand that comes with a lot of responsibility. We've talked about that from off the court, the way we handle ourselves and our social media, to on the court being I think probably the most televised team in the country this year.

"Everything is a big stage, and we gotta be ready. There's definitely a target on our back, so we're looking forward to it."