A loss to Washington on Thursday would have no impact on USC's bid for second place in the Pacific-10 Conference. The Trojans will get second if Washington State loses to UCLA on Thursday and USC beats the Cougars on Saturday. Then, even with a Washington loss, the teams would be tied at 12-6 in conference play and would have split their series. The tiebreaker would be better record against the conference's top teams, and USC would win based on being 2-0 against Oregon.

However, a loss to the Huskies likely would impact USC's NCAA Tournament seeding, so the Trojans do have reason to play their hardest.

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Following an emotional farewell in his final game at Galen Center, senior Lodrick Stewart will get another sendoff this week in Washington.

Stewart went to high school at Rainier Beach in Seattle. His father, son, girlfriend Sherrill Simmons and many other family members still live in the area. He expects to have around fifty friends and family members at the Huskies game Thursday.

``Going home brings a different player out of me,'' Stewart said. ``I want to get a win in front of my hometown crowd, especially being my last time playing there.''

Stewart is 1-2 in Seattle with the Trojans. USC won there his freshman year but lost by 14 last season and 30 the year before.

It will be the first game this season for his son Jaylin, who turned two earlier this month.

``He watches all my games on TV,'' Stewart said. ``It's funny, when he recognizes me on TV he runs and tries to grab the TV.''

Also at the game will be his younger twin brothers, Hadeem and Kadeem. They are basketball players just like Lodrick and his twin brother Rodrick, who started at USC before transferring to Kansas. Stewart said his younger brothers, who are nearly 14 and plan to start at Rainier Beach High next year, are more advanced at their age than he and Rodrick.

``If coach Floyd is still here, they'll play for coach Floyd,'' Stewart said. ``That's what my dad says, too.''

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Against Stanford, RouSean Cromwell looked like the aggressive and tireless defender with quick reflexes who made an impact at USC as a freshman. He had just two points, three rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes, but Cromwell's defense on the 7-foot-tall Lopez twins was key in the Trojans' 69-65 victory.

The 6-foot-11 sophomore forward finally is getting back to the way he was playing before two serious injuries set him back. Cromwell fractured his foot in the middle of last season and had to miss 15 games when he stepped on a loose ball during warm-ups. He came back for the final five games, but then needed to have offseason knee surgery to clean out debris.

``Sitting out as long as I did, I was a little reluctant to move that hard,'' Cromwell said. ``Compare the Stanford game to the beginning of the season, I'm putting a lot more pressure on my legs and my movements are a lot quicker.''

Cromwell still has a screw in his right foot that sometimes hurts during cold temperatures.

``I would love to go back in time and not had these injuries but they are a part of me now,'' Cromwell said. ``So instead of seeing this as a barrier in front of me, I can go out there and work just as hard as anyone else and not cry for my feet or my knees.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Gabe Pruitt was forced to walk up and down steps in the Galen Center stands during practice Tuesday because he missed two tutoring sessions. Pruitt was academically ineligible for the first 11 games of this season. Coach Tim Floyd said that would be the extent of the punishment, and Pruitt would be allowed back in practice Wednesday.

``I had a problem in the past earlier so I should be the last one to do that,'' said Pruitt, who added that he overslept. ``I take responsibility for it happening.''

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Dwight Lewis said his right wrist has bothered him throughout Pac-10 play and was the reason he sat out practice Friday.

The freshman guard said he doesn't remember the exact nonconference game that he sprained the wrist on a fall.

``I landed on the wrist and it's never been right since,'' Lewis said.

After only playing three minutes Thursday against Stanford because the Trojans went big to match up with the Cardinal's 7-foot-tall Lopez twins and then skipping practice Friday, he came off the bench to score a career-high 14 points Saturday against Cal.

``It's more my wrist feels better,'' Lewis said. ``It's been bothering me for a while, but it's getting better and better every day now.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Floyd said he didn't know about the possible first-week NCAA Tournament sites until told by the media Monday. New Orleans stood out as a place he'd like to go. Floyd coached in college at New Orleans from 1988 to 1994 and in the NBA for the New Orleans Hornets for the 2003-04 season.

``I'd love to go get a shrimp po' boy,'' Floyd said. ``But, outside of that, there's going to be quality teams and the same worries anywhere.''

New Orleans also would make it easier for Ryan Francis' mom Paulette to attend the game. Floyd said they hadn't yet talked about bringing Paulette to whatever site they play at, though he said it was a good thought.

The possible first-week NCAA Tournament sites are Sacramento, Buffalo, Winston Salem (NC), Lexington, Chicago, Colombus (OH), Spokane and New Orleans

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Washington, Thursday's opponent, is 15-2 at home and 1-10 on the road this season.

``What we're looking at is the 15-2 because that's where were heading,'' Floyd said. ``It's a team that's been very poised at home, very aggressive at home, very purposeful at home getting the ball inside, the break has been outstanding and they've been a hard team to beat.''

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The team worked out and watched film Monday but did not practice. A couple players shot around after the film session. One of them was Kasey Cunningham, a freshman who is redshirting because of a knee injury. Floyd came out and worked one-on-one with Cunningham for about half an hour.

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Tim Floyd turned 53 on Sunday.

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Venoy Overton, a point guard who orally committed to USC but did not sign a letter of intent in September, has decided to stay closer to home and said he will sign with Washington in April, according to this article in the Seattle Times.

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Gabe Pruitt could join Lodrick Stewart and Nick Young as the third Trojan to reach 1,000 career points this season in Thursday's game at Washington. Pruitt, a junior who missed the first 11 games of the season because of academic ineligibility, has scored 987 points.

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Sweeping the Bay Area schools in L.A. put USC back in the national polls Monday, No. 23 in the AP and No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches. It's the third time this year USC has been ranked. Let's see if they have some staying power this time. Pac-10 teams ranked in the AP: No. 2 UCLA, No. 13 Washington State, No. 17 Oregon, No. 23 USC.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Gabe Pruitt, who said Friday that he planned to return for his senior season, said after the game that he still may attend the NBA pre-draft camp June 4-8 in Orlando, Fla., to see where he stands.

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On a night Galen Center had a its highest attendance at 10,027, the arena culminated its first season with its loudest cheer ever. And it was for a little-used walk-on.

Senior Chris Penrose entered the game with 2:23 remaining, after the crowd had been chanting for him. Each time he touched the ball, fans yelled for him to shoot.

His 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down in the final minute didn't draw iron. But he got one more chance at his ``Rudy'' moment and swished a shot from the right corner with 5.3 seconds to go.

`` I turned around and looked at the student section and couldn’t really hear anything because the place was so loud,’’ said Penrose, who brought his career total to 16 points. ``My heart was going a mile a minute, and I was just so happy and excited. It’s kind of a storybook ending to a little walk-on's career.’’

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

Nick Young watched the pregame ceremony honoring USC’s seniors with envy, knowing he may never get the same treatment.

The junior has said he will explore his NBA options after the season, and will turn professional if he receives feedback that he will be a first-round selection.

``That was very emotional coming out there because it could be my last game at Galen,’’ Young said. ``I try not to think about it, but it kind of got to me because I want my jersey hung up like that too.’’

Seniors Lodrick Stewart, Abdoulaye N’diaye and Chris Penrose came away with framed jerseys to commemorate their time at USC.

Long after the game ended, as Young walked off Galen Center court for perhaps the last time, the crowd chanted ``One more year!’’

``It’s good having them thinking about me at the end of the game and showing me support that they want me to come back,’’ Young said. ``I feel like part of the Trojan family.’’

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

Chris Penrose, who is scheduled to graduate in the spring with a degree in Economics, said he hoped to return to the USC basketball team as a graduate assistant.

``Basketball is a love of mine and I’d really like to start my way into coaching,’’ Penrose said. ``But we’ll see what happens.’’

Floyd praised Penrose as the ultimate team player, a guy who urged on his teammates at practice and hosted nearly every recruit USC has brought in over the past two years.

``When I first got here, it was a little dysfunctional at times, and Penny was the one guy I could always count on,’’ Floyd said. ``He’s a big USC guy and will be his whole life. The kid’s going to be a great success at whatever he does.’’

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Family members joined Chris Penrose and Lodrick Stewart for the pregame festivities. Abdoulaye N’diaye, who comes from Senegal in western Africa, said his parents hoped to come out for their first USC game but could not get a travel visa.

``I’m thinking about sending the framed jersey to my parents back in Africa so they can see what I accomplished,’’ N’diaye said. ``I know they wish they were here tonight, and they’re with me in spirit.’’

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 8:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (34)

Having cemented at least a fourth-place finish in the Pac-10 and having a shot at second, the players feel they guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament with this victory.

``We're playing for seeding now,'' Lodrick Stewart said. ``There's not a doubt we're going to the tournament. I think we're going now, and the coaches feel the same way.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (29)

``I think it's the most exciting thing that's happened this season, building a fanbase with the students,'' Floyd said. ``Those kids are acting like they're having a great time and creating an atmosphere in our building.''

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notes following

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just when USC needed a big shot as Cal had pulled within five points with a little over 13 minutes remaining.

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Boyd has introduced most of the halftime honorees at USC games this season. With Boyd being honored, athletic director Mike Garrett gave the introduction. Of the venerable former USC coach and player, Garrett said: ``If you want one reason why we play basketball, this is it -- Bob Boyd.''

Boyd, who has been at nearly every home game this season and was out on the Arizona trip, told the story of how he met his wife Betty 60 years ago on the steps of Alhambra High School. He then went on to talk of the current state of USC basketball.

``I got to tell you, our basketball program has never been in such good hands as it is now with Tim Floyd,'' Boyd said. ``Tim recently said USC will win a national title in his lifetime. I'd like to see if he can speed that up a little bit and get one before it's time for me and Betty to go.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 5:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (43)

The Trojans dominated after falling behind 9-2 to start the game. Lodrick Stewart gave USC its first lead at 12-10 on the shot that tied Brandon Granville's school record of 218 career 3-pointers. The most spectacular play of the half was when Dwight Lewis tapped the ball away for a steal, Gabe Pruitt picked up the loose ball and got it back to a streaking Lewis for a slam dunk. Lewis hit a long jumper in the final seconds to give the Trojans their biggest lead at 39-27 entering the break.

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Paulette, the mother of slain former USC guard Ryan Francis, was at the game as a guest of USC and was on the court for the ceremony honoring the seniors prior to the game.

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in his final home game, and scores USC's first four points.

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Lodrick Stewart, Abdoulaye N'diaye and walk-on Chris Penrose were honored before their final home game at USC. Each was given a large, framed jersey to keep as a reminder of their time at USC. According to the announcement, Stewart will graduate in the spring with a degree in Sociology and Penrose in Economics.

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Photographers for SLAM Magazine were at Galen Center today taking pictures of Nick Young for an upcoming story.

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Lodrick Stewart spoke about meeting actor Denzel Washington in the locker room after the game. Stewart's father took a picture of him with Washington.

``He said he really liked my game, how I showed emotion, playing defense, going hard on both ends,'' Stewart said. ``I never thought I'd ever say I talked to Denzel Washington in person. You know, some stuff you never think would happen.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Senior Lodrick Stewart will play his final game at Galen Center tomorrow against Cal.

``I know it's going to be emotional just knowing I'll never play here in a college game again,'' Stewart said. ``It's going to be sad. But everybody's time comes where you have to walk away from one program or whatever level you're playing at and move on.''

With three regular-season games remaining, Stewart sits at 11th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,356 points, sixth in steals at 143 and second in 3-point field goals made at 216. He could break Brandon Granville's 3-point record of 218 tomorrow.

It could also be the final home game for juniors Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt, who could make themselves eligible for the NBA draft. Pruitt said he didn't think it would be his final home game.

Young said: ``I haven't really thought about it. It's been a long season, and I just want it to keep going. I want to keep winning.''

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Floyd went to football coach Pete Carroll yesterday and asked him to speak to the team before the game against Stanford. Special Teams coach Sam Anno came with Carroll. Floyd tried to act like he was surprised when Carroll came knocking on the locker room door.

``He was awesome,'' Floyd said of Carroll. ``The kids loved it. ... Late in the season, it's great to have something different, something fresh. There's nobody better than him.''

Floyd joked that Carroll now thinks he's a basketball coach.

``I think I created a monster,'' Floyd said. ``I talked to Pete today and he wanted me to put in three new inbounds plays.''

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Freshman forward Taj Gibson sat out practice Friday because of a bruised right elbow. Also missing practice on the orders of the trainer were Abdoulaye N'diaye (bruised foot) and Dwight Lewis.

``The trainer said to leave them out so we left them out,'' coach Tim Floyd said. ``They'll be ready to go tomorrow.''

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USC's 14-3 record at home is its best since 1992.

Taj Gibson's eight rebounds gave him 234 for the season, establishing a new USC freshman record. The old mark was 231 by Cliff Robinson in 1978.

Lodrick Stewart hit three 3-pointers, giving him 216 for his career. That leaves the senior two short of Brandon Granville's school record.

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Tim Floyd said he thought this victory gets USC into the NCAA Tournament.

``I think so, especially when you look at the Oregon and Arizona sweeps,'' Floyd said. ``And we have four road wins in the league. ... We won't approach it that way, though. We'll approach it that we've got to go out and get another one and then another one.''

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USC had plenty of support Thursday just when it needed it most.

Pete Carroll banged on the locker room door before the game, giving the players a pep talk that had them jumping up and down. It sparked the Trojans to a 15-8 lead early in the game.

``Pete Carroll came in, got us pumped up and we fed off that energy,'' Nick Young said. ``We went out there and tried to play like the football team.''

After the game, Denzel Washington, who had courtside seats in his first appearance at Galen Center, was in the locker room celebrating with the players.

``You know we have a lot of support if Denzel is here,'' said Lodrick Stewart, who got his picture taken with Denzel.

With the victory, USC (20-8, 10-5) moved out of a third-place tie with the Cardinal. The Trojans reached 20 victories for the 16th time in the team's 100-year history and first time since the 2001-02 season -- the last time the Trojans made the NCAA Tournament.

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Brook and Robin Lopez were born in the San Fernando Valley and lived in Granada Hills for the first six years of their lives. Their oldest brother, Alex Lopez, who is 6-foot-10 and played college ball at Washington and Santa Clara, graduated from high school at Campbell Hall of North Hollywood. The twins were regulars at his high school games. Alex now coaches varsity basketball at El Camino Real of Woodland Hills.

Check out my story in today's Daily News for more.

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The March 1 game at Washington (7 p.m.) will be televised tape-delayed at 9:30 p.m. on FSN Prime Ticket.

The March 3 game at Washington State has been changed from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to accomadate Fox Sports.

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Monday was 16 years to the day that Nick Young's oldest brother, Charles Jr., was shot and killed. It used to be a sad day in the Young household, though with the help of the hope provided by Nick's basketball future it has transformed into a time to celebrate Junior's memory.

Nick, his father Charles Sr., mother Mae and brothers Terrell and John, had a family dinner Monday night. Charles Sr. cooked up some soul food with chicken, greens and mashed potatoes. Then they watched the movie ``Four Brothers'' with Mark Wahlberg.

``This week I'm going to try to do something special for him,'' Young said of Junior. ``I'm trying to make the (NCAA) Tournament for him.''

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The Cardinal will be without guard Anthony Goods, the team's second-leading scorer at 13.0 points per game, who is still recovering from a sprained ankle suffered Feb. 11 against Washington. Goods scored 10 in Stanford's victory over USC in Palo Alto.

However, the Trojans don't think his absence will be much of an advantage. Mitch Johnson started in his place last week and had 12 points in Stanford's victory over Oregon.

``(He's) just as good and can shoot it just as well,'' Pruitt said of Johnson. ``They're a tough team, even without Goods.''

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USC commit O.J. Mayo returned to the court Monday after a three-game suspension, coincidentally facing the same Capital High team against which the incident that led to his suspension took place. This one was less controversial, with Mayo scoring 23 points as Huntington (W.Va.) High won 79-64. See USA Today article here.

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In Palo Alto last month, Stanford set a school record with 19 blocked shots in thoroughly dominating USC. The Cardinal have two 7-footers underneath in twins Brook and Robin Lopez. Brook had 12 of the blocks, also breaking the school mark.

After watching film of that game, the Trojans believe they know what went wrong and are confident that it won't happen again.

``I just think we were impatient,'' Gabe Pruitt said. ``Those guys are really good and we just made it easier for them by playing into what they wanted us to do. ... We should have made more extra passes. When we watched the tape, we saw too much one-on-one.''

Pruitt said USC wanted to crash the boards because it is key for the Trojans to get up the court quick and create some fastbreak opportunities.

``We notice that as players,'' Pruitt said. ``(The Lopez twins) are 7-footers, so we can outrun those guys.''

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Taj Gibson, who scored two points on the Arizona trip, admitted to tiring toward the end of his first college season. He said he had a long talk with Floyd today and felt somewhat rejuvenated after taking a day and a half off.

``He's going to play well this weekend,'' Floyd said. ``I believe that.''

Gibson said he is still bothered by tendonitis in his left knee that first flared up Dec. 28 against Washington.

``Coach told me to suck it up,'' Gibson said. ``There are players in worse situations throughout the country. I've played through it all year long, so I can play through it.''

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Losing to the conference's previously winless team could have lingering effects, but USC players and coaches were focused on Thursday's game against Stanford at practice.

``We have to move on,'' coach Tim Floyd said. ``It's not any different than getting beaten by UCLA or Stanford at Stanford. You got to go play the next game, go get ready, and I thought our guys practiced well today."

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As a result of losing to the conference's last-place team, USC slipped out of both rankings despite Thursday's win over previously ranked Arizona. The Trojans are first among "Others receiving votes" in the AP poll and third in the coaches' poll. The Pac-10, which once had six teams ranked, is down to three: No. 4 UCLA, No. 9 Washington State and No. 23 Oregon.

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The Huskies finally announced the time for the March 1 game at 7 p.m. with no television.

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With a chance to reach 20 victories Sunday and all but lock up a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the Trojans instead suffered the dishonor of being the first team to lose to the Sun Devils in Pacific 10 Conference play.

``It’s very, very, very disappointing,’’ USC forward Nick Young said. ``This could have been one of those games that put us in the tournament.’’

After ending a 21-game losing streak against Arizona in Tucson on Thursday, USC players were talking about not wanting to be the team to lose to the Sun Devils.

That pressure might have gotten to the Trojans down the stretch.

``You have so much going on in your head, like you don’t want to get this loss,’’ Young said. ``... We didn’t settle down.’’

Though USC remains in good position to make the NCAA Tournament, its seeding will almost certainly take a hit.

``It’s a black eye for us but we know there’s a couple of more games ahead of us so we have to keep fighting,’’ Taj Gibson said. ``We can’t dwell on this one loss. This is the big win for their season but we have bigger things ahead and more important things to worry about.’’

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Floyd says the coaching staff has been warning the players about this game all week, even looking past Arizona to focus on the Sun Devils.

``It's been the only time all year we've talked outside our next game,'' Floyd said. ``We've talked more about Arizona State this week than we have Arizona because we knew the effort would be there for Arizona.''

Floyd sees similarities between the Sun Devils and this season's biggest surprise team in the conference.

``I expect them to be where Washington State is in two years because they're just so tough to play against,'' Floyd said. ``They play smart, play so well defensively and take such great shots. As their talent continues to improve, they are going to be right in the thick of (the Pac-10).''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Nick Young heard a lot of chatter about his scoring being being down early in the season. With his 26-point performance Thursday against Arizona, he went up over his scoring average from last season for the first time.

Young is averaging 17.4 points per game, compared to 17.2 at the end of last season. He is at 19.8 points over the past eight games.

``I knew if I kept being patient and didn't worry about it, the scoring would come,'' Young said.

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Gabe Pruitt is getting back to his pocket-picking days of yesteryear. The junior guard had a season-high four steals to lead USC's defensive effort in Thursday's 80-75 victory over Arizona, giving him eight steals in the past three games.

``It's just anticipation,'' Pruitt said. ``I saw a couple opportunities that I was able to get out in the passing lanes and get them. I kind of got away from it a little bit, but we're at a real critical point of the season now.''

Pruitt, who is seventh on USC's all-time list in the category with 132, averaged 2.2 steals per game last season but had made just 13 through his first 12 games played this season.

Part of the decline is that Floyd doesn’t stress steals.

``I don’t think it’s a critical stat,’’ Floyd said. ``If it happens within our defense, that’s great. But steal attempts can put you out of position and allow teams to play five against four. We emphasize containment.’’

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Big moments like yesterday's victory over Arizona, USC's first at McKale Center in 22 years, make Nick Young think of Ryan Francis. Young roomed on road trips with Francis, the point guard who was killed back in Louisiana last summer following his freshman season.

``Last night, we would have been celebrating that win, just having fun,'' said Young, musing on what it would be like if Francis was around. ``We used to always have pillow fights every other day. He was a fun guy. (Thursday's win) is something he would have been proud of. ... This would have been a great year for him to be part of.''

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USC entered the season with the goal of reaching 20 victories and 10 conference wins, numbers the coaches and players thought would get them into the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans could reach both marks by beating Arizona State on Sunday, though they won't be celebrating a spot in the tournament quite yet.

``The coaches talk, and they say two more wins probably seals it,'' Gabe Pruitt said. ``I think our record right now should be good enough to make the tournament, but just to be on the safe side we've got to get a couple more wins.''

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Arizona State has to be the most fearsome last-place team in any conference in the country. The Sun Devils (6-19, 0-14) have lost by six points or less in each of the past five games, three of which came against ranked opponents. They led No. 5 UCLA by 10 points with about 10 minutes left before losing 67-61 yesterday.

``They're going to get that one game,'' Nick Young said. ``We just don't want it to be against us.''

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``USC's whole emphasis is on defense,'' Chase Budinger said. ``They tried to be physical with us from the start and played a lot of man-to-man. They're just a better defensive team.''

``USC did a great job pressuring the ball,'' Lute Olson said. ``Obviously, the difference in the game was the turnovers (nine for USC, 16 for Arizona). Some of those turnovers were because of their defense, but some were just obviously our fault. There were times when it seemed that we could not get a handle on it. There is not much I can say other than that you cannot turn the ball over 16 times and beat a good team like USC.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

USC beat Arizona 80-75, ending the program's 21-game losing streak at McKale Center.

Tim Floyd said he thought this was the best that Lodrick Stewart (26 pts), Nick Young (26 pts) and Gabe Pruitt (17 pts, 4 stls) had played in the same game since he began coaching the team.

There wasn't much of a celebration by the Trojans on the court following the final buzzer. Young was the only one that showed real emotion. He hugged Daniel Hackett at midcourt, heaved the ball high in the air and pumped his fist while heading toward the bench.

``It mean a lot,'' Young said. ``I wasn't born the last time they won here. I was born a few months later. It's something I've been dreaming about all week, to come in and get this win.''

The other players may have followed Floyd's lead in not making much of ending the losing streak at Arizona because they weren't around for most of it.

But getting the season sweep on the Wildcats wasn't lost on Floyd, who called Arizona the barometer in the Pac-10 during his first press conference after being hired.

``It's (bigger) to win against Arizona, who I consider the measuring stick in the league,'' Floyd said. ``No one has sustained a better program in the country than Lute Olson. I feel proud of the team win.''

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was Jan. 17, 1985, when the Trojans beat Arizona 64-63.

Abdoulaye N'diaye was the only current player born at the time. Tim Floyd was an assistant at UTEP, still searching for his first head-coaching job.

``Obviously, that's a big challenge for us,'' Gabe Pruitt said. ``I want to be a part of that, to make that history of being the USC team to go on the road and beat Arizona.''

The game starts at 8:30 tonight Arizona time, televised live in Los Angeles on FSN Prime Ticket at 7:30.

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Traveling back to Mississippi for the first time in six years brought back old memories of what it was like growing up on the 10-mile plantation where most of his family lives.

``It’s not like here where blacks and whites live next to each other and are friends,’’ Lodrick Stewart said. ``It’s different in the south. There’s still slave houses out there.’’

His ancestors were brought from Nigeria as slaves. The slave owner left the plantation to the Stewarts when he died.

The trip home made the senior guard more determined than ever to have a future in basketball. He hopes to move his family out to the West Coast some day.

``I don't care about driving big cars or none of that,'' Stewart said. ``All my money is going to help them get out of there. It's about family first, that's how I was brought up. I just want to make it, it don't matter if it's the NBA or overseas, so that I can help them.''

Lodrick and his twin brother Rodrick moved to Seattle for high school with their father Andrew ``Bull’’ Stewart. Rodrick and Lodrick came to USC together, but Rodrick left after his freshman season and transferred to Kansas.

``I have nobody to turn to here, no family,'' Stewart said. ``I hang out with teammates, and they're like my family. But it's still hard because it's not like blood family.''

Stewart will see more blood relations at upcoming games. Beginning tomorrow at Arizona, his father plans to attend the remaining USC games. Bull Stewart, who runs a gym in Seattle, had been to a handful of games this season. Lodrick always seems motivated by his presence.

``I just play better when he’s out there,’’ Stewart said. ``I look up in the stands and see him and know it’s time to pick it up.’’

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)

Part of the addition of Galen Center was adjoining practice courts for the team, ones they wouldn't have to share with the women's basketball or volleyball teams. But Tim Floyd's club rarely uses those, as he prefers to have the players practice on the main Galen Center court to become familiar with where they play -- something they could not do in past years.

When USC played at the Sports Arena, home games were played at a foreign place. Sometimes, USC players wouldn't even see the inside of the arena except on game days. The team practiced on campus in the North Gym, which is basically a high school gym.

``I think it's got to help when we can,'' Floyd said of practicing on the main court. ``At the Sports Arena, it was inconvenient getting into vans and going over there. We were lucky if we got in the day before the game. I think Galen Center does feel like a homecourt at this point. We're shooting at the same baskets, with the same backgrounds and settings every day.''

USC is 13-3 at Galen Center.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 3:28 PM | Permalink

Tim Floyd said the emergence of freshman forward Jordan Hill for Arizona, Thursday's opponent, is a key reason for the Wildcats' better play of late. With Arizona coming off losses in four of its previous five games, Hill played 32 minutes Jan. 24 in a win over Arizona State and has started the past five. The Wildcats have won four of six with Hill getting more playing time, and he's averaged 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks during that period.

``I think Jordan Hill has helped them,'' Floyd said. ``He's given them some easy baskets off the offensive board, given them some length, and I think he's helped them defensively. They're playing much better defense than they were earlier.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

Lodrick Stewart practiced today after skipping yesterday's workout with a sore throat.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 3:18 PM | Permalink

Floyd said the eight days between games has allowed the coaching staff to look at some aspects the team had gotten away from that it is difficult to review during a normal week, particularly related to the man-to-man defense.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:49 PM | Permalink

``I think 20 is probably the number that will get us in the tournament,'' Lodrick Stewart said of a victory total to lock up an NCAA bid. ``That's what we've been hearing. But if we get 20, we want to go for 22.''

USC (18-7) can reach 20 victories for the 16th time in its 100 year history and first since the 2001-02 season on this Arizona road trip.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Floyd was adament at the end of practice that he didn't want the players to miss any scheduled academic activities the rest of the season. It's unclear what brought about such an outburst. He said that no player is in particular trouble academically.

``I just give reminders from time to time,'' Floyd said.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:19 PM | Permalink

Lodrick Stewart didn't practice because of illness. He said he had strep throat. He missed practice Saturday while attending the funeral of his great grandfather in Mississippi.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:11 PM | Permalink

The Trojans used a zone defense for most of the UCLA game, the first time this season that USC has used a zone extensively. But Floyd said the team wasn't going to stick with the defense.

``We're a man team,'' Floyd said. ``That's what we've been all year.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 7:55 PM | Permalink

Floyd said he was more frustrated with the five free throws USC shot against UCLA than the 31 free throws the Bruins shot.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 7:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

USC has lost 21 consecutive games at Arizona's McKale Center as a program, though second-year coach Tim Floyd doesn't pay attention to that futility.

``We weren't part of those,'' Floyd said. ``We've lost one to them.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 7:43 PM | Permalink

Lodrick Stewart returned to practice after spending the weekend in Mississippi visiting his family for his great grandfather's funeral. Stewart said the trip was on his mind during the UCLA game Wednesday. He got called for a costly technical foul late in the game as the Trojans lost 70-65.

``It was actually kind of making me nervous to go home again,'' said Stewart, who hadn't seen much of his family in more than six years after moving with his father to attend high school in Seattle. ``I was nervous to see my family after (so long).''

Stewart was disappointed that he wasn't able to see his mother as planned. Lisa Stewart was hospitalized recently after having a nervous breakdown, and Lodrick said the institution wouldn't allow him to see or talk to her.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 7:23 PM | Permalink

Practice today was pushed back to 4-7 so expect a late report.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 2:07 PM | Permalink

Despite losing to the Bruins, USC only dropped from No. 19 to No. 22 in the Associated Press poll and No. 21 to No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. It's the first time the Trojans have been ranked for consecutive weeks in five years.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 2:04 PM | Permalink

Daily News blogs will be down tomorrow until about 5 p.m. for maintenance. USC's practice has been moved from the morning to 3 p.m. because of the women's basketball game against UCLA at 11 a.m.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 7:09 PM | Permalink

USC commit O.J. Mayo was suspended three games for his ejection and contact with a referee at a Jan. 26 game, according to this USA Today article.

He'll be able to return for the Feb. 19 game against St. Patrick (N.J.), the No. 1-ranked team by USA Today.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 3:10 PM | Permalink

Early word is that USC is taking today off, will lift tomorrow and practice Saturday morning.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 3:23 PM | Permalink

USC hit three 3-pointers and a long jumper in the final 20 seconds, but the Bruins made all their free throws down the stretch to stay ahead. It left the Trojans wondering what would have happened if they had another couple minutes.

``I think we hit our run a little late and ran out of time,'' Gabe Pruitt said.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 3:13 PM | Permalink

In the past, the Pauley Pavilion baskets seemed to get smaller whenever the Trojans stepped on the court. Nick Young had 10 points in two previous games in the arena, Gabe Pruitt 14 points, and Lodrick Stewart 11 points in three games. They all exceeded those totals Wednesday, with Young scoring 20, Pruitt 16 and Stewart 13.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 3:09 PM | Permalink

After the one-point loss to UCLA at Galen Center, USC players were frustrated but oddly not down. They seemed to have gained confidence in knowing they outplayed the Bruins most of the game and were already talking about getting UCLA back at Pauley Pavilion.

After again leading most of the game against UCLA before losing 70-65 tonight, the mood in the locker room was much more dour. The players seemed defeated. The game only added to their thinking that they can beat the Bruins, but they don't know if they will get another chance.

``We all feel we can win,'' Nick Young said. ``I want to see them in the Pac-10 tournament now, on a neutral court.''

Lodrick Stewart and Floyd declined to talk about the key technical foul Stewart drew with 4:25 remaining for slamming the ball down after UCLA forward Josh Shipp twice rebounded his own miss before scoring and being fouled. Stewart's technical made it a five-point possession, putting UCLA ahead 55-52.

``Lod, he'd been going through a lot this week and it kind of showed at that point,'' Young said.

Stewart found out Monday that his great-grandfather back in Mississippi had died, and that his mother had been hospitalized for a mental breakdown. He is leaving for Mississippi on Friday to go to his great-grandfather's funeral and visit his mother.

USC shot just five free throws in the game compared to 31 for UCLA. Floyd was obviously seething about the officiating, but refused to discuss it.

``They got tradition,'' Young said. ``People are just starting to recognize us, so we don't get the type of calls they get at home.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 10:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Check out Jill Painter's blog on the game.

Come back here after the game for a report from the USC locker room.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 7:51 PM | Permalink

Mata vs. Taj, UCLA controls.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 7:35 PM | Permalink

for fourth game in a row

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 7:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Gabe Pruitt came out late for pre-game warm-ups at Pauley Pavilion after receiving treatment for his sprained right ankle in the locker room. He said the ankle was stiff when he woke up today but that it was feeling better after treatment and that he didn't think it would affect his play. USC-UCLA game for first place in the Pac-10 in one hour ...

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:28 PM | Permalink

Former USC player and coach Bob Boyd has attended most USC basketball games at Galen Center this season. He's gone on the court at halftime of the conference games to introduce honored Trojans players of the past. He was coach of USC in 1971, the last time a USC-UCLA game had this level of importance. However, the biggest game between the rivals in 35 years isn't enough to get him to go back to Pauley Pavilion.

``I've had my fill of that place,'' Boyd said. ``It's not a good environment. It's a very nasty-type crowd. It's too bad because it isn't what coach Wooden would want represented, but they're way out of line too much.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 5:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (38)

Terence Green, a first-year walk-on tied for fewest minutes played on the team at five, wore a gold jersey during practice Tuesday. Tim Floyd hinted the jersey may have been to signify that he was simulating a UCLA player but was coy in indicating who that player would be. The only ones who would make sense are Arron Afflalo or perhaps Darren Collison. At 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds, Green is more of a physical match to the 6-foot-1 and 165-pound Collison. However, the 6-foot-5 Afflalo is the player with whom USC needs to be most concerned.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (32)

Gabe Pruitt said he suffered a mild sprain to his right ankle while making an awkward stop late in practice but expected to play against UCLA on Wednesday. After having the ankle iced and wrapped by the team trainer, Pruitt was walking without a noticeable limp. He's determined not to miss the UCLA game after having to sit out USC's victory over the Bruins at the Sports Arena last year because of a knee injury. Pruitt, a junior, has never beaten UCLA.

``I expect it to be sore but, once the adrenaline starts going, I should be able to play through it,'' Pruitt said. ``I had to sit out the second game against UCLA last year and there's no way I'm letting that happen again. Broken foot or whatever, I'm not going to let it keep me out of this game.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 7:03 PM | Permalink

Not only did Lodrick Stewart find out yesterday that his great-grandfather back in Mississippi, Pompie Randle, had died at age 98, but also that his mother, Lisa Stewart, had been hospitalized for a nervous breakdown.

``We're not down there so she's got five kids she don't get to see and it's kind of lonely for her,'' Lodrick Stewart said of his mother. ``I know it's hard for her.''

Stewart plans to leave for Mississippi on Friday to attend his great-grandfather's funeral, at which time he will also see his mother for the first time in six years.

``I'm going to get a lot of stuff off my chest when I go down there,'' Stewart said.

Stewart said the difficult period and participating in just one day of practice won't affect him for Wednesday's game at UCLA.

``I just have to keep playing,'' Stewart said. ``I look at it like this is the only way out for my family, me playing basketball. As long as I'm doing good and keeping my grades up, it will keep a smile on her face and my family members' faces.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:34 PM | Permalink

Pruitt twisted his ankle late in practice. He went right to the training room after practice. Update to come ...

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UCLA forward Lorenzo Mata is one of the few players to get the best of USC freshman Taj Gibson this year. Mata made some key putbacks down the stretch and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds in UCLA's 65-64 victory. Gibson was held to nine points after entering the game scoring in double figures in 10 of his previous 11 games.

``He didn't give me a tough time,'' Gibson said. ``He just got a couple of easy baskets. He got a couple of layups on me doing dumb plays trying to block shots. He's one of the top defenders I've faced this year, though. He's one of the only defenders who is tall and agile.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 5:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Lodrick Stewart is practicing after sitting out yesterday's practice because of the death of his great-grandfather. More to come after practice ...

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)

Nick Young doesn't think USC got UCLA's respect by coming within a last-second shot of beating the Bruins at Galen Center.

``They're a cocky program,'' Young said. ``They think they can beat everybody. We like to be underestimated.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (60)

The Trojans hoped to get back into the top 25 after beating No. 9 Oregon for the second time but weren't expecting such a big jump to No. 19. When USC moved into the rankings after beating Arizona two weeks ago, it was at No. 25.

``I was pretty surprised to see us ranked that high,'' Gabe Pruitt said. ``I wasn't expecting to go right into the top 20. We can do what we did against Stanford and lay down and lose, or continue to build off of that. I think we realize what's at stake and will be ready to play.''

With preparing for UCLA on his mind, Floyd wasn't too concerned about the ranking.

``It certainly doesn't change anything in the way we prepare,'' Floyd said. ``I'd certainly rather be ranked than not ranked. It means we're playing good basketball. I'm glad people recognize that.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 8:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (51)

It's looking like USC will bring the O.J. Mayo show to Madison Square Garden next year, and Memphis, which also has a highly regarded guard recruit coming in named Derrick Rose, could be the opponent.

``We plan to play at the Jimmy V Classic and Memphis has been discussed as an opponent,'' Floyd said.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Josh Shipp, UCLA's second-leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, sat at the game at Galen Center because of an injury. Floyd talked about the difference in having Shipp play for the Bruins:

``He gives them more depth, more flexibility and more talent they can put on the floor. We know he's a very good player. he's a better poster than probably anybody they have on the floor. I'm sure they'll try to take advantage of that, and we'll try to prepare for that.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 8:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)

Lodrick Stewart showed up at practice teary eyed, told coach Tim Floyd that his grandfather back in Seattle had died and was given the day off. Floyd said Stewart was staying in Los Angeles and was expected back at practice Tuesday. It's a tough time for the Trojans to be without their second-leading scorer because the team only has two days to practice in preparation for Wednesday's showdown against UCLA with first place in the Pac-10 on the line, but Floyd doesn't think Stewart's absence will pose a problem.

``We'll be fine,'' Floyd said. ``I think he has a good idea about what we're trying to do, and he'll be ready to go.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 7:47 PM | Permalink

USC is practicing from 5 to 8 today, so expect a late report.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 3:52 PM | Permalink

The showdown between USC and UCLA will be the No. 19 Trojans vs. the No. 2 Bruins, based on the Associated Press poll that came out today. USC was ranked as high as No. 11 by Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News and Scott Cacciola of The Commercial Appeal (Tenn.). L.A. Daily News voter Brian Dohn placed USC at No. 22. Dan Weber of the Riverside Press-Enterprise put the Trojans at No. 18.

Not everyone's on board. Those who did not have USC ranked: Phil Chardis of the Journal Inquirer of Manchester, Brian Koonz of The News-Times of Danbury, Dave Curtis of the Orlando Sentinel, Nick Jezierny of The Idaho Statesman, Lindsey Willhite, Pete DiPrimo of The Fort Wayne News Sentinel, Terry Hutchens of The Indianapolis Star, John Bohnenkamp of The Hawk Eye, Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader, Randy Rosetta (who had Oregon No. 14) of The Advocate, Patrick Stevens of The Washington Times, Michael Vega of The Boston Globe, Soren Petro of Sports Radio 810 WHB, Mike Harrington (who had Oregon No. 10) of The Buffalo News, Vinny Pezzimenti of The Olean Times-Herald, Chad Sokol of WNCN-TV, Dustin Dow (Oregon No. 11) of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal, Kent Babb (Oregon No. 10) of The State, Will Vandervort of The Seneca Daily-Journal and Jay Hinton of the Deseret Morning News.

USC broke into the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll for the first time this season at No. 21. The Bruins also are No. 2 in that one. There are six Pac-10 teams ranked in the AP poll: No. 2 UCLA, No. 13 Oregon, No. 14 Washington State, No. 19 USC, No. 24 Arizona and No. 25 Stanford.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

In case you missed it, here's Gabe Pruitt and the goofy Nick Young on Jim Rome is Burning:

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 4:26 PM | Permalink

For basketball junkies on this football day, check out this video of former Grant High and UofA star Gilbert Arenas making 73 out of 100 college 3-pointers with one hand in a contest with Washington Wizards teammate DeShawn Stevenson to win a $20,000 bet.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 4:14 PM | Permalink

In this USA Today article on Huntington's loss Friday, the paper slips in the final paragraphs that Mayo could be suspended four games for his ejection and incident with a referee on Jan. 26.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (575)

At No. 9 in the Associated Press poll, Oregon is the highest-ranked team that USC has beaten at Galen Center. However, the students did not storm the court after the game the way they did last month against No. 11 Arizona.

``I thought they were going to storm the court, but I guess they're getting used to it,'' Nick Young said.

The win is USC's fifth over a ranked team this season.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Taj Gibson's block of Malik Hairston's dunk attempt with just under four minutes remaining was the most spectacular play of the game. It set up a fastbreak layup for Daniel Hackett at the other end to give USC a 65-60 lead. Gibson finished with four blocks, moving him up to third on the school's single-season list with 49.

``It was one of those plays where I got my teammates' back no matter what,'' Gibson said. ``Either he's going to finish the play and dunk or I'm going to get a shot block. I just told myself I'm not going to let him get no easy baskets.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 5:49 PM | Permalink

``When he caught the ball, he came off a screen that Leunen set for me, and Taj switched out. He pump faked and kind of shot a leaner. I thought it was 50-50 (when the ball was in the air). He's a great shooter. I've seen him make a lot of big shots. So I was just hoping that it wouldn't fall. It's fortunate he missed it.''

Pruitt held Brooks to 16 points, 2.9 under his season average, on 5-of-14 shooting.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 5:45 PM | Permalink

With a record of 18-6, 8-3, the Trojans eclipsed last year's win total with seven games left in the regular season.

``It's nice because if you have less than the year before they tend to review your contract,'' Floyd said with a chuckle.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 5:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After USC's 71-68 victory over No. 9 Oregon, Taj Gibson, Daniel Hackett, Dwight Lewis and Abdoulaye N'diaye ran over to the student section to show their appreciation. N'diaye actually leaped into the first few rows. Floyd later talked about the importance of the atmosphere and excitement building around the program at Galen Center.

``We would have lost this game at the Sports Arena a year ago because we wouldn't have had that homecourt advantage late,'' Floyd said.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

USC commit O.J. Mayo lost the first game of his senior year Friday night. Mayo's game-high 26 points wasn't enough in Huntington (W.Va.) High's 72-68 loss to Scott County, the top-ranked team in Kentucky. Huntington (16-1) likely will drop out of the No. 1 spot in most national prep boys' basketball polls. Here's a story from the local paper.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 2:11 PM | Permalink

Dwight Lewis took a pass from Gabe Pruitt in the right corner and drained a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to give USC a 39-28 lead. Aaron Brooks had about the quietest 10-point half you'll ever see, going scoreless in the first 12 minutes against tough defense from Pruitt. Pruitt leads the Trojans with 10 points. Despite being outrebounded 21-8, USC is leading because it is shooting 63.6 percent and has just five turnovers to 12 for Oregon.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 1:30 PM | Permalink

Crowd looking a little spotty early on. We'll see how it fills out.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 12:36 PM | Permalink

USC finally took my advice from before the UCLA game, leaving the curtains open to show off the beautiful downtown skyline view up until game time and then closing them to take away the day-time glare. Too bad USC didn't do this for the Bruins game, failing to show off one of the arena's best features to the cross-town rivals.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 12:19 PM | Permalink

Tim Floyd rushed out of Galen Center after practice Friday. Word has it he was on his way to Mater Dei High to watch 2008 oral commitment Brandon Jennings. Jennings and his Oak Hill Academy of Virginia team are in town for the Nike Extravaganza tournament. Oak Hill faces Orange Lutheran tonight.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:52 PM | Permalink

Nick Young said making it back into the top-25 was not motivation for beating No. 9 Oregon.

``We've been there once and it didn't go so good for us up in Stanford,'' Young said. ``So we're just trying to stay under the radar.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:44 PM | Permalink

Daniel Hackett said that he had no valid excuse for missing a study hall earlier in the week, and that he was just a bit distracted. The freshman was forced to sit out Wednesday's practice as punishment.

``It was my fault not making it to the study hall,'' Hackett said. ``I totally understood (Floyd's) message. It's great to have a coach that cares about what you do off the court.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:39 PM | Permalink

Lod was angry at a Daily Trojan article that described him as complaining when he pointed out that there were a group of reporters around Nick Young after the Oregon State game and just one around him. I was the one with Lod, and he was obviously joking when he made the comment.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:34 PM | Permalink

When USC beat Oregon 84-82 in Eugene, the Ducks were without Malik Hairston. The starting forward is back from a heel injury, averaging 12.6 points and 5.8 rebounds.

``They look a lot more athletic because of Hairston,'' said Nick Young, who figures to match up him a lot in a battle of 6-foot-6 juniors.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:25 PM | Permalink

Gabe Pruitt said he will be guarding Aaron Brooks for most of the game tomorrow, and that USC will stick to pretty much the same game plan in covering the Pac-10's leading scorer. Brooks scored 31 points against the Trojans last month. Being a shorter and quicker guard, he's a difficult assignment for the 6-foot-4 Pruitt.

``He's so short to the ground and has a lot of quickness with the ball,'' Pruitt said. ``Being a taller guard, it's tough for me to guard smaller guards like that, but I've been doing it for a while. I try to use my length. I don't want to get too close where he can get by me or too far back where he can shoot, so I try to use my length and play in between.''

Pruitt said there was one time in practice Friday that his stomach started aching and he sat out for a bit, but that overall he felt much better than the past few days.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:07 PM | Permalink

When Oregon State tied USC at 29-29 early in the second half, Floyd threatened to sub out all five starters if they didn't turn it around in the next couple of minutes. The Trojans answered with an 11-0 run to blow the game open.

``We saw the look on coach's face when they tied it up and we we're like, `Man, we've got to bear down and play,' '' Lodrick Stewart said.

Oregon State coach Jay John pointed to Dwight Lewis as a difference-maker. Lewis, making his second start in a row, connected on all three 3-point attempts. His 11 points tied for his second-most as a Trojan.

USC (17-6, 7-3) is in a three-way tie for second place in the Pac-10. The 17 wins tie last season's total with eight games remaining in regular-season play.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 10:26 PM | Permalink

Come back for a locker-room report.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 9:27 PM | Permalink

This must have been what Tim Floyd feared when he said USC wasn't as good as it looked in a 45-point victory at Oregon State last month. The Trojans are shooting 33.3 percent from the field (barely half of the 65-percent they shot in Corvallis) but lead 29-23 at halftime. Nick Young is carrying the offense with 14 points. He's been aggressive driving to the basket and getting to the line, converting 8 of 9 free throws.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 8:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pruitt is in the starting lineup. Dwight Lewis is starting for the second game in a row. Oregon State controlled the tip. Unless something major happens, my next update will be at halftime. Check back after the game and I'll have the latest from the locker room.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 7:28 PM | Permalink

This story from Yahoo by Adrian Wojnarowski brings up an interesting point on how the techonology-age of hand-held cameras, video phones, the Internet, message boards and youtube affected the Mayo incident. In the past, Mayo would have been made out a thug just for his connection to bumping a referee after an ejection. That reputation probably would have followed him into USC. Because videos can be put on the Internet and circle the country so quickly, people were able to see Mayo get a second technical and ejection without saying a word, then watch the ref dubiously fly to the ground after small, incidental contact. People made up their own minds about the incident. Sometimes too much technology can be a bad thing, but this case showed its benefits.

Mayo speaks out about the incident in his local paper.

After his two-game suspension was put on hold by a court injunction, Mayo scored 19 points with six rebounds and four assists Tuesday in a 73-66 victory over Artesia of Lakewood. Malik Story, who has given USC an oral commitment for 2008, had 21 points in a losing effort.

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In today's newspaper, I wrote about Taj Gibson's numbers being down over the past 5-6 games. He had his worst game of the year against Cal on Saturday. Getting into foul trouble, he had nine points and a season-low two rebounds in 24 minutes.

However, Cal coach Ben Braun still pointed to Gibson as the difference-maker on this year's team.

``He's a guy who can stretch the defense a little bit,'' Braun said. ``Now you have got to send some guys down (low) against them. Before, they didn't have that inside threat. That gives them the balance they have now.''

Posted by Matthew Kredell at 6:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (25)