TODAY’S GAMES

No. 2 Auburn (2-0) vs. No. 9 Stanford (4-0)

Noon, Channel 9

* Auburn: The Tigers have played in California only three times previously, losing to USC in 1972-73 and defeating Long Beach State and Arizona in the 1986 NCAA tournament. Auburn has the entire package: size, strength and experience. This is the kind of showcase game Chris Porter needs in his college player-of-the-year campaign.

* Stanford: If the Cardinal knocks off the Tigers, it probably will move ahead of Arizona as the favorite in the Pacific 10 Conference. Stanford has done particularly well in neutral-site games, going 14-4 the past three seasons.

* Keys to the game: The winner will be the team that controls the rebounding and tempo. Stanford has not yet played a team that rebounds as well as Auburn does, but the Cardinal frontcourt equals the Tigers’ in height and muscle, if not experience.

*

No. 16 Duke (2-2) vs. USC (2-2)

2:30 p.m., Ch. 9, KXTA (1150)

* Duke: A win over USC won’t push the Blue Devils into the top 10. But it will keep restoring the confidence of a team that lost to Stanford and Connecticut. Duke normally feasts on nonconference competition, going 235-32 the last 15 seasons. Chris Carrawell is 47 points shy of 1,000 for his career.

* USC: The Trojans looked to make a statement against North Carolina in Hawaii but fell short. Here they get another chance in front of a national television audience. A two-day layoff should rejuvenate the starting five, which logged heavy minutes in three Maui Invitational games.

* Keys to the game: USC probably won’t mind running with Duke, but it can’t let the Blue Devils get off to a big start. The Trojans also will have to make some outside shots, or they will see a zone defense similar to the one that Utah State played in its victory over USC on Wednesday.