Aztecs land commitment from USC transfer Reese Dixon-Waters

Three San Diego State assistant coaches have left for USC over the past 20 years, but no players or coaches had gone in the opposite direction.

Now it’s a two-way street.

USC transfer guard Reese Dixon-Waters, the Pac-12’s Sixth Man of the Year who had drawn attention from some of the nation’s highest profile programs, committed to SDSU on Tuesday afternoon.

UCLA wanted him and worked hard behind the scenes to get him. Texas coach Rodney Terry flew out to Los Angeles for a home visit last week. Louisville called. Arkansas called. Alabama and more than a dozen other programs called.

He picked the team that just played in the national championship game.

“I think this past season said it all,” said Tony Bland, the former SDSU player and assistant coach who has mentored Dixon-Waters for years. “They have the ability to do that. They have the ability to stand out not only in their league, the Mountain West, but against any other league they run into. They have a lot to offer with the facilities, with the morale on campus, with the fans, with the support of the administration, with the coaching staff.

“I think if you line them up, you can’t tell me there’s any difference (with high-major programs). Not only do guys like Reese know it, but I think the whole country is starting to recognize it.”

Dixon-Waters and SDSU make sense for several reasons. He’s a defensive-minded, versatile player, committed to that end of the floor and able to guard multiple positions. He’s a self-professed “team guy,” another pillar of the Aztecs program. And the Aztecs have a void at his position with the departure of senior guard Matt Bradley, himself a Pac-12 transfer (from Cal).

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound guard was rated a top 50 recruit coming out of St. Bernard High. He skipped his senior season to enroll at USC early during the semester break, playing the back half of the 2020-21 season abbreviated by the pandemic. That qualifies him for an extra year of eligibility, meaning he has two left. Because he is a first-time transfer, he can play immediately.

Last season, he was USC’s third-leading scorer at 9.8 points despite coming off the bench for the final three months of the season. His mid-range shooting was good but his 3-point stroke slipped, a function of a slow start after rushing back from an injury. As a sophomore, he shot 46 percent behind the arc.

USC guard Reese Dixon-Waters, left, screams as his leg gets stuck under Washington State forward Carlos Rosario during the second half of their Feb. 2 game.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

“The sky is the limit for Reese,” Bland said. “He’s very versatile. He can shoot the ball, he can handle it, he can play multiple positions on the court. He fits right in with (SDSU’s) defensive scheme. And he’s the ultimate competitor.

“He was the sixth man of the year in the Pac-12 coming off the bench on a really talented team. In his words, he’s just ready to…