Swillis Measures Up as Shot-Blocker
When it comes to blocking shots, 6-foot-6 freshman forward Shannon Swillis is holding his own with much taller shot blockers in the Pac-10.
Swillis has 25 blocks in 14 games, second in the conference, and is ahead of Stanford’s 7-1 Tim Young and Washington’s 7-0 Todd MacCulloch, fourth and fifth, respectively.
Swillis will go head to head with Young when USC plays at Stanford on Thursday.
“I have no doubts that Shannon Swillis can hold his own against 7-foot guys,” said USC Coach Henry Bibby, adding that Swillis has surpassed expectations. “We did not know how putting a guy that size into the [middle] like that would react, but he’s done a good job.”
Posting up against Long Beach State center Andrew Betts, Swillis rejected three shots by the 7-0 center and had eight rebounds.
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