We talked to The Auburn Wire about Sunday’s game between the Tigers and the USC Trojans.
Obviously, USC would love to get great performances from Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson, but if that doesn’t happen, the Trojans need a Plan B and a Plan C on offense.
We explained in our discussion with Auburn Wire:
Given that Vince Iwuchukwu is unable to play, USC is thin in the frontcourt and doesn’t have that imposing low-post presence the program normally has (Okongwu, the Mobley brothers). Therefore, if Auburn contains Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson, the Tigers have a very good chance of winning. USC has to get significant role-player contributions if it is going to win, so the two players you need to look for are Reese Dixon-Waters and Kobe Johnson.
Dixon-Waters played well in USC’s NCAA Tournament loss to Miami. He improved a lot in the latter stages of last season and needs to be a regular contributor to this team, especially against Auburn. He has size and strength and can finish against contact near the basket. He is probably the most important Trojan in this game. Johnson needs to be a 10-point-per-game scorer for USC this season. He wasn’t hitting the mark in November but has improved in December. He led a big rally from an 11-point deficit to beat Oregon State a few weeks ago. If he and Dixon-Waters can step up, the Trojans have a fighting chance.
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