The USC Trojans topped Washington State by 10 on Thursday night, but they lost Joshua Morgan in the process and went into Saturday’s game already down one key player.
Then, Reese Dixon-Waters didn’t suit up for the Trojans on Saturday against the Washington Huskies, providing another tough injury blow to Andy Enfield’s team.
It was a little surprising to see Dixon-Waters not suit up, but he was seen on the bench in sweats prior to tipoff, and the Trojans’ already-thin bench got even thinner with the news.
The absence of Dixon-Waters forced other guys to step up, including Kobe Johnson and Tre White, who led USC in scoring on the night.
As it turns out, Enfield mentioned that Johnson was battling a sprained ankle, and he might not have played much if Dixon-Waters and Morgan were available.
The Trojans’ next few games figure to be challenging; the unpredictable Pac-12 always causes surprises.
When Enfield was asked about the status of both players after the game, he didn’t give a clear timetable for Morgan, although the update is positive for Dixon-Waters.
The Trojans next play on Thursday night against Oregon, and hopefully Dixon-Waters will be ready to go for that contest.
#USC guard Reese Dixon-Waters is in sweats on the sideline, no sign of a uniform yet. Looks like he might not play tonight.
— Adam Jasper (@adammjasper) February 5, 2023
#USC HC Andy Enfield said he hasn't seen a performance like Kobe Johnson's in a long time…and said Johnson did it on a sprained ankle.
Enfield said Johnson may not have played if Joshua Morgan and Reese Dixon-Waters were available.
— Shotgun Spratling (@ShotgunSpr) February 5, 2023
#USC injury updates from head coach Andy Enfield:
Joshua Morgan: "no timetable,"
Reese Dixon-Waters: "day-to-day"
"We're hoping my Thursday and Saturday next week, at least one of them will be available."
— Adam Jasper (@adammjasper) February 5, 2023
[mm-video type=video id=01gphsx31sxc4tg63912 playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gphsx31sxc4tg63912/01gphsx31sxc4tg63912-60c009444554ba9e9f2729bb91bde462.jpg]
Mapping out USC’s path to the NCAA Tournament: must-win games, overall targets, and more