A program on the rise goes through a similar scenario before reaching the mountaintop. There is the moment when a team goes from being the hunter to the hunted. Third-ranked USC has reached that point under fourth-year head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

The Trojans boast two Associated Press preseason All-Americans in star sophomore JuJu Watkins and Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen and four players, including the two All-Americans, are part of the preseason watch list for the Naismith Trophy.

USC is headed into the season expected to be a top contender for a national championship after winning 29 games en route to an Elite Eight appearance in the spring.

The Trojans have not entered a season ranked as high as they are this year since 1984 when the program was coming off back-to-back titles.

You don' t have to remind Gottlieb that the stakes are different this year. She's well aware of the challenge on her plate this season as the Trojans retooled the roster this offseason to again raise the talent level around their centerpiece Watkins.

"We're definitely a different team," Gottlieb said. "We're different personnel-wise, some of our schemes are different, but the culture piece remains the same. When you lose in the Elite Eight, as much gratitude as we all had for all the things we did last year, the bar was raised the second that game ended.

"And, that's a credit to the people who came before. Not just last year, but before that. The bar is now higher, and we want to be one of the best teams in the country. So, we're trying to build off those habits, and shape our own identity but having that competitive excellence every day."

It will not take long for USC to be tested as it opens the college basketball season Monday at 9 a.m. PT with a matchup across the Atlantic in Paris as the Trojans square off with No. 20 Ole Miss as part of the Aflac Oui-Play event that will also feature a matchup for No. 5 UCLA and No. 17 Louisville.

Monday's matchup at Adidas Arena, which will be televised by ESPN, will shine an international spotlight on the Trojans giving USC an opportunity to continue building its brand as the game climbs in popularity.

"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."

On the floor, the Trojans are out to prove that they are deserving of their ranking and make an even deeper run in the NCAA Tournament even after earning a No. 1 seed last season.

"I think there's just a sense of urgency to go further than we went last year," Watkins said. "I'm doing as much as I can to help lead the freshmen. Whatever they need help on, I'm here. Just offer myself and my knowledge to them as much as possible, and continue to come in here and be the best version of myself every day."

The Trojans are expected to win many games this season, but the first one is always the most important. The spectacle that will come with playing a game overseas and the attention that will be on the sophomore guard will all come secondary to the main goal of the trip.

"I'm super excited to build that chemistry with the team off the court," Watkins said. "We'll have a lot of great experiences out there. And, it's just exciting to open and be the first game on TV, but the main thing is to win. That's always been the main thing, so I'm excited to get that first dub with the team."

Despite a wave of new talent that will be on display Monday and this year for the Trojans, Watkins remains the face of the program and will be among the faces of the game entering her sophomore season at USC. The Los Angeles native established herself as one of the top players in college basketball in Year 1 and ultimately earned the National Freshman of the Year award in addition to being named a finalist for the Naismith Trophy as the No. 2 scorer in women's college basketball behind only Caitlin Clark.

It's difficult to imagine a player needing to prove anything else, but Watkins has put the onus on herself to help the Trojans build on their 2023-24 campaign with another opportunity to win a championship on the table.

"I think for me, I always believe that I can go a step further every time I'm out," Watkins said. "And, I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I just love the game so much, and expect the best for myself and my team and now that it's gonna take a lot of work to get there. To get to a championship, but everybody's bought in here."

After last season Watkins saw places for improvement within her game, so this offseason the USC guard has focused on being able to add to her overall repertoire including improving her left hand.

She has been seeing her assists numbers go up with the amount of weapons around her this fall, and Watkins certainly could see her game and stardom go to a new level as a sophomore.

"JuJu makes it easy because she puts this team, she puts basketball, she puts me, she puts USC above anything individual for her. She really does," Gottlieb said. "I see it on a day-to-day basis. But, I also believe that when she came here I entered into a partnership with her that this is what I wanted. I wanted her to, number one, be happy and healthy and successful, but I believed that if she could be great here it would open doors for her.

"And, that's what I want for her. ... I want her to own something one day. Not just play in the WNBA, own a team. So, to see her kind of build this with her ability on the court and off the court, like, she deserves all of it. At the same time, she's a 19 year old who's just focused on winning and focused on helping me and this team build towards excellence. I just try to do right by her and let her have her space to be great."

Watkins will garner plenty of attention as one of the perennial superstars in college basketball, but the cast alongside the sophomore has plenty of acclaim as well. Iriafen is expected to be a top draft pick after the season as one of the breakout players last season now back home in Los Angeles.

Plus, the Trojans have added other newcomers to an already established group with Oregon State transfer Talia von Oelhoffen being another proven addition to the roster this season.

The senior from Washington is just one of the new expected contributors working to build chemistry with the existing core at USC that includes Watkins and returning center/forward and fellow Naismith Trophy watch list member Rayah Marshall.

"They were critical grad transfers for us, because they both had a lot of experience" Gottlieb said of Iriafen and von Oelhoffen. "And, they've had a lot of of experience winning, which I think is very unique in college basketball to get transfers who have won as much as they have. They're really dynamic players, high-level players, but they have been unafraid to lead, which is what we want them to do.

"They mesh really well with JuJu, obviously really growing into her leadership voice as well and Rayah, so they bring a veteran presence that mixes well with our youthful, freshman exuberance."

The Trojans have spent the fall working to figure out how all the pieces compliment one another on the floor, and that will be a big part of the early portion of the season.

"I think you can expect anybody to go out there and get a bucket," Iriafen said. "You're not just relying on two people or three people, and just a lot of fun. We really do love each other, we hang out with each other off the court. We have a lot of chemistry on the court. We always like joking, but we know when to lock in and get the job done."

Adding players like Iriafen and von Oelhoffen to the roster was necessary for the Trojans because of how much youth is present on the roster. USC has seven freshmen on this year's team, but the group is plenty talented itself and will be expected to contribute to the efforts alongside the veteran players this season.

The freshman group for the Trojans includes three McDonald's All-Americans led by local star Kennedy Smith along with guards Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel. While USC should receive plenty of scoring from its returning players, the defense is where Gottlieb believes her young players can make their mark early.

"She's a hugely important piece for us," Gottlieb said of Smith. "She's gonna play a ton of minutes. She plays a number of positions. I don't know that I've seen a freshman as advanced defensively as she is, so we're gonna rely on her on that end, but obviously what I think makes her special is that she's an elite offensive talent but she's just as comfortable to make the hockey assist, the one-more pass, the simple plays. But, we expect her to be a real offensive threat as well."

Finding a way to get all the younger players to jell with the veterans is at the forefront of what has Gottlieb excited about her group this year.

"I definitely feel like we're a neat mix of youthful energy, I mean seven freshmen," the USC head coach said. "They bring a joy every day. But, also with veteran presence and a lot of expectations, I just think the culture in the gym is different. We've got a lot of people who care about winning. A lot of people who want to be in the gym extra and put the USC on their chest in front of everything else."