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USC receives update on two key reserves ahead of Friday's NCAA Tournament matchup vs. Miami

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•03/18/22•

Jonathan Wagner

The USC Trojans have received a big update on the status of two injured guards ahead of Friday’s NCAA Tournament matchup with Miami. According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Isaiah White and Reese Dixon-Waters are going to be game-time decisions against Miami.

“USC’s Isaiah White (wrist) and Reese Dixon-Waters (groin) are both game-time decisions for today’s NCAA Tournament game against Miami, per Andy Enfield,” Rothstein tweeted.

Dixon-Waters is in his first collegiate season, and he has come off the bench in all 32 games this season. He is averaging 4.5 points and 1.8 rebounds while playing in 13.3 minutes per game. Dixon-Waters is also shooting 41.9% overall and 43.8% from beyond three-point range.

White spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Utah Valley, playing a big role. He then transferred to USC ahead of the 2020-2021 season. Last year, White started 28 games and averaged 7.6 points with 3.4 rebounds in 20 minutes per game for the Trojans. This year, he has mainly come off the bench, averaging 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in just 11 minutes per game.

Tip-off for Friday’s game between USC and Miami is set for 3:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcasted on TruTV. The statuses of White and Dixon-Waters won’t be known until a little bit closer to tip.

USC enters Friday’s Miami matchup on a bit of a skid

While USC is the seventh seed in the Midwest region, the Trojans have not played well down the stretch. After a six-game winning streak to reach 25-4 overall, USC stumbled to the finish line. The Trojans lost their final two games in the regular season against Arizona and UCLA. USC then defeated Washington in its first Pac-12 Tournament game before losing to UCLA again on the following day.

Miami, on the other hand, has won three out of its past four games. The Hurricanes beat Boston College and Syracuse to end the regular season, and then defeated Boston College again in overtime to open the ACC Tournament. Miami played Duke well in the next round, but ultimately fell 80-76.

Whether or not Dixon-Waters or White play remains to be seen. But regardless, Friday will serve as an important first step in the NCAA Tournament for both teams. With a ton of upsets on the opening day of the tournament, both teams certainly know that anything can happen once the game begins.