N’diaye Is Making a Big Difference

Labeled a “prospect” before the season by USC Coach Tim Floyd, Abdoulaye N’diaye is starting to display more than just potential.

The big man was a big reason the Trojans defeated Oregon, 84-78, Saturday at McArthur Court to complete their first road sweep of the Oregon schools since the 1996-97 season.

N’diaye’s numbers weren’t flashy in either game. He had 10 points and eight rebounds against the Ducks and 12 points and eight rebounds against the Beavers. But his defensive presence loomed as large as his 6-foot-11 frame. On Saturday, he held Oregon center Adam Zahn to two points.

“His presence in the court is really amazing me,” junior guard Lodrick Stewart said. “You can tell he’s improving every game.”

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Stewart and Keith Wilkinson were the only Trojans who played off the bench Saturday, marking the first time this season that Floyd had used a seven-man rotation.

Floyd said he didn’t insert freshman forward Jeremy Barr or senior guard Dwayne Shackleford, who are averaging 13.4 minutes and 11.3 minutes, because the players on the floor were doing a capable job.

“Nothing against those guys; it’s just that things were going well,” Floyd said. “Sometimes you throw a guy in there in the second half who hadn’t been involved in the first half ... any key turnover, any poor shot selection, any missed defensive assignment could have put us behind the eight ball.”

Stewart’s streak of 14 starts ended against Oregon State on Thursday because he had missed several days of practice with an ear infection.

“Nobody likes coming off the bench, but that’s just the coach’s call,” said Stewart, who scored 14 points in 24 minutes Saturday. “We got two wins. You can’t complain when you got two wins.”