Matthew Kredell broke into the Daily News in 1998, working part time
at the paper while going to USC. The basketball team’s Elite Eight
run in 2000-01 was USC’s athletic highlight in his time at the
school, when the football team was stuck in the Paul Hackett-era.
After graduating in 2001, he started writing for the Daily News full
time. He’s in his second year covering USC, which coincides with the
rise of the program. He’ll take credit for the success, though Tim
Floyd may have more to do with it. A third-generation Los Angelean,
he grew up reading the Daily News while at El Camino Real High School
in Woodland Hills.
Future in coaching?
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.’’