SAN DIEGO – Reese Waters, the reigning Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year, has signed a Grant-In-Aid officially making him the newest member of the San Diego State men's basketball program, head coach Brian Dutcher announced on Monday. The 6-5, 210-pound guard has spent the last two and a half seasons at Southern California and is immediately eligible to compete for the Aztecs in the 2023-24 season.
In 2022-23, Waters, the team's third leading scorer, averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 25.3 minutes per game. A starter in eight of 29 appearances, the native of Long Beach, Calif., shot 43.8 percent (102-of-233) from the field, 29.6 percent (24-of-81) from beyond the arc and 77.5 percent (55-of-71) from the line. In addition, he set career-bests in rebounds (93), steals (21), and blocks (12) in a career-high 734 minutes on the floor. He reached double figure scoring in 13 contests, including a career-best 20 points vs. Long Beach State on December 14.
Among players who came off the bench at least 20 times last season, his 10.3 points per game in those contests ranked No. 17 in the nation and would have ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West. In addition, among players on that list who stand at least 6-5, his points per game coming off the bench was the sixth highest in the nation.
In 72 games over two-plus seasons competing for the Trojans, he joined the program in December of 2020 after graduating from Los Angeles' St. Bernard High School early, Reese-Dixon averaged 6.2 points on 43.5 percent shooting (102-of-233) from the field, including 35.0 percent (48-of-137) from the bonus distance, and 80.9 percent (93-of-155) from the line. He made eight starts, all last season.
Waters has scored in double figures 16 times, with 13 of those games coming in 2022-23, including in 10-seed Southern California's 2023 NCAA Tournament 72-62 first round loss to Michigan State. Waters, who finished with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists, was one of four Trojans in double figures and the only player in the game who came off the bench to do it.
In 2021-22, in 33 appearances all as a reserve, he averaged 4.8 points on 44.1 percent shooting (49-of-111) from the floor, including 46.0 percent (23-of-50) from distance and 86.4 percent (38-of-44) from the line, 1.8 rebounds. In the team's NCAA Tournament first-round loss against Miami, he totaled a then career-high 16 points, with 14 coming in the second half. For the season, among Trojans with at least 20 three-point field goals, his 46.0 percent (23-of-50) shooting led the squad.
As a freshman, he played in 10 contests, for a total of 33 minutes for the season, including three of USC's four NCAA Tournament games on its run to the Elite Eight.
Coming out of high school, he was ranked the No. 4 player in the state and No. 17 at his position and No. 18 in the region according to ESPN. He did not compete in his senior season, but as a junior he averaged 17.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game in leading the team to a 22-7 record. In his sophomore campaign, Dixon Waters averaged 18.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game for Los Angeles' Dorsey High School.
Waters selected San Diego State over UCLA and Texas.