LOS ANGELES — For nearly the entire season, the USC men’s basketball team has alternated between juniors Max Agbonkpolo and Ethan Anderson as the fifth starter. Head coach Andy Enfield felt like both deserved starter status, so they both got the nod every other game.

But at the end of the season, Enfield switched strategies. Agbonkpolo started five of the last six games, including both in the Pac-12 Tournament. And he is expected to stay in the starting lineup for Friday’s NCAA Tournament first-round game against Miami.

“It’s our biggest lineup with a lot of length and size,” Enfield said of keeping the 6-foot-9 Agbonkpolo in the starting five. “Defensively, it should be our best lineup because we have the length and size at the wing.”

USC will need Agbonkpolo’s size against the Hurricanes. Miami’s four leading scorers are all guards who play fast. Agbonkpolo is uniquely suited among the Trojans to guard the 6-foot-5 Kameron McGusty and 6-foot-7 Jordan Miller. He’ll also be asked to defend the smaller, quicker Isaiah Wong and Charlie Moore.

Though the Pac-12 hasn’t offered much experience against that type of backcourt, Agbonkpolo feels like his time defending Washington’s Terrell Brown Jr. in last week’s conference tournament quarterfinal will serve as valuable practice for Friday’s game.

“Second half, I was able to really sit down and just make him go to the rim and then don’t jump and just stay solid,” Agbonkpolo said after Monday’s practice, clutching a box of shoes that rapper YG gifted to USC’s players. “I like guarding smaller guards because if they do get to the rim I can stay up top and block them up high.”

Agbonkpolo did not have this type of role during last spring’s Elite Eight run. He never played more than 20 minutes in those games and frequently his playing time came as the result of the game no longer being in doubt.

But being a part of that experience helps as he prepares for a larger part to play against Miami.

“Last year I was definitely nervous coming into March Madness, first time,” Agbonkpolo said. “This year, I’m like calm. I know what it is now. I know we have to win. I have to take it seriously.”

A poster commemorating last year’s NCAA Tournament success – USC’s first trip to the Elite Eight in 20 years – went up on the wall of the Trojans’ practice gym on Monday. It features Enfield and eight players from the run, with Agbonkpolo pictured gearing up to shoot.

Some new interior decorating on the USC practice court pic.twitter.com/Y9HWPZWku1

— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) March 14, 2022

It took a year for the poster to go up, but in a way, the timing couldn’t have been better.

“Just looking at that today was like, ‘I want to go there again, even farther, Final Four, championship,’” Agbonkpolo said. “We had a good practice today.”

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INJURY REPORT

Guards Reese Dixon-Waters (groin) and Isaiah White (wrist) did not participate in Monday’s practice. Both are day-to-day and considered questionable for Friday’s game, Enfield said. Dixon-Waters, who has been a valuable reserve for USC as a redshirt freshman, missed Friday’s game against UCLA. White was a key contributor to last season’s NCAA Tournament run, but he has missed five of the last six games.