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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.
american painter exhibit commented on Pruitt on Ervin
viagra without prescription commented on Preparing for Floyd
viagra without prescription commented on Young has a decision to make
viagra without prescription commented on Key to the game
viagra without prescription commented on Alex Stepheson
viagra without prescription commented on Heroes for a day
allman brohters tshirts commented on Supporting the Pac
albuquerque maps commented on Pruitt injury update
tramadol without prescription commented on Reggie Bush and Carroll spoke to team ...
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Adam and Ryan Goldston, the twin brothers from Montclair Prep in Van Nuys who were walk-ons for basketball as freshmen in 2005-06, made the football teams as walk-ons for the spring. Adam is listed as a fullback and receiver while Ryan is listed as a receiver.
Fresh off a trip to the Sweet 16, USC added another player to a 2007 recruiting class already ranked No. 2 in the nation by rivals.com. Mamadou Diarra, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound forward from Stoneridge Prep of Simi Valley gave USC an oral commitment Wednesday after a three-day visit to the school, according to Stoneridge managing director Mike Mahoney.
The No. 65-ranked prospect by rivals.com joins a class that already includes prized guard O.J. Mayo, power forward Davon Jefferson and small forwards Leonard Washington and Marcus Simmons. Diarra, originally from Bamako, Mali, in Africa, averaged 8.1 points and 6.4 rebounds as a senior. He chose USC over offers from Oklahoma State, Fresno State, Auburn and Baylor.
If USC made it to the Elite Eight and won -- which I had started thinking was a real possibility early in the second half against North Carolina -- I was holding out on the great angle that the team would have to push its awards banquet back. I wonder if it will be scheduled after the Final Four next year. Anyway, here, in advance, are the winners from tonight's banquet.
MVP: Nick Young
Top FT Percentage: Gabe Pruitt
Top GPA: Reed Doucette (3.978)
110% effort: Abdoulaye N'diaye
Sixth man: Dwight Lewis
Most Inspirational: Daniel Hackett
Coaches' Award: Lodrick Stewart
Top Rebounder: Taj Gibson
This USC team was a pleasure to cover for my first full season on a college beat. The main players really are good guys to deal with, not at all jaded like some standout athletes become. It will be interesting to see how the team dynamic changes next season with Mayo, Jefferson and the other newcomers. You could see how much veterans Nick Young, Gabe Pruitt and Lodrick Stewart enjoyed this season after the struggles they went through early in their college years, and that made the Sweet 16 run fun to follow. Thanks to all the readers for helping to make this blog a success. The offseason will have some interesting plot lines with Young and Pruitt, whether they turn professional or return for their senior years. Check back every so often and I'll have offseason notes when anything comes up.
North Carolina forward Brandan Wright had this to say about USC: "That program looks bright. They have a lot of talent. They're a team I see in the Final Four in the near future."
Wright, a freshman, scored a game-high 21 points with nine rebounds against the Trojans.
Now that the season is over, junior Nick Young must decide whether to return for his senior season or declare for the NBA draft. The Cleveland High of Reseda product, projected as a first-round pick in many mock drafts, said there is a big chance he returns.
``Oh yeah, there's a big chance,'' Young said. ``I love this Trojan family. We had a lot of success and, with the recruits coming in, it should be even better for us.''
Young is riding the high of USC's NCAA Tournament run, and the key will be how he feels in a couple weeks after talking to coach Tim Floyd, NBA personnel and his family.
The senior guard finished with 15 points and four rebounds on 6-of-15 shooting in his final game.
``Just knowing this will be my last time putting on this uniform with these great players around me, it is hard,’’ Stewart said. ``I wish coach Floyd could be my coach for the rest of my life.’’
Stewart finished his USC career with 1,466 points, ranking ninth on the school's all-time scoring list. He hit three 3-pointers Friday, extending his school record to 232.
Gabe Pruitt curled up on the bench, his jersey pulled over his head to hide the tears.
Even for a team that exceeded all expectations by making the Sweet 16, the end of a season hurts.
Seemingly on the way to another remarkable victory in this NCAA Tournament, USC fell apart in the second half Friday, blowing a 16-point lead in a 74-64 loss to top-seeded North Carolina at Continental Arena.
``We had the game,’’ Pruitt said. ``We had a big lead and we let it go. ... It’s tough to swallow that, knowing we had the game and we gave it up so easily.’’
The Trojans started the second half on a 7-0 run to take a 49-33 lead on the reeling Tar Heels.
Then, still half an hour before midnight Eastern Time, everything went awry.
North Carolina finally started taking advantage of its edge in size, pounding the offensive glass for tip-ins and second-chance opportunities to claw back in the game.
Any resistance USC had inside took a big hit when forward Taj Gibson picked up his fourth foul with 12:25 remaining and the Trojans ahead 57-45.
As soon as he took the bench, the Tar Heels began an 11-2 run. Six of the points came inside from Brandan Wright.
With 8:23 remaining and the lead down to 59-56, USC coach Tim Floyd took a chance and put back in Gibson.
The boost didn’t help as North Carolina scored the next 11 points after Gibson returned, extending is run to 22-2. All 22 points either came inside or from the free-throw line.
``There was nothing we could really do,’’ said Nick Young, who scored 15 points in what could be his final game as a Trojan. ``They’re a great team. They were knocking down their shots and we weren’t. We were making turnovers and misses. ... They just played great down the stretch. That’s what you should expect from a No. 1 team.’’
The Tar Heels took their first lead of the second half 60-59 on a tip-in by Danny Green following a missed layup. A few minutes later, on a reverse layup from Wayne Ellington around Gibson, North Carolina was up by eight points.
Despite the loss, USC players had little to be disappointed about after setting a school record with 25 victories.
Expectations will be higher next season, especially if Young returns. USC is expected to add the top recruit in the nation in Huntington, W.Va., guard O.J. Mayo.
``I think as long as Tim Floyd is coach, this is going to be a national powerhouse,’’ Lodrick Stewart said. ``This is going to be one of the elite teams in the country and only going to get better.’’
Leaves game 12:25 left USC up 57-45.
When Brandan Wright started dominating inside, USC moved Taj Gibson onto him, put Wilkinson on Hansbrough and, when Wright got the ball, doubled him with Hackett. Gibson has 12 points and nine rebounds at the break.
10:52 left in first half. USC up 18-12. Terry in for Hansbrough, but Hansbrough back in game at 9:02 mark with score 22-18 Trojans.
Taj Gibson is guarding Tyler Hansbrough. Nick Young is on Brandan Wright.
Hackett starting for USC. Terry not starting for North Carolina. Marcus Ginyard starting in Terry's place.
and online, after paying $30 to the NCAA for one day of wireless use. The same wireless that is already in place and given for free at Nets and Devils games. That's the blood-sucking NCAA for you.
If the rise of Trojans basketball started a year earlier, Alex Stepheson might be starting for USC tonight in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament instead of coming off the bench for the Tar Heels. The freshman could have helped the Trojans lessen North Carolina’s advantage inside.
``They really made a big turnaround this year,’’ Stepheson said of USC. ``I still think my decision would have been the same, but who knows. I’m happy to see them succeed.’’
The former Harvard-Westlake High of Studio City standout grew up in a USC household. His mother Diane and sister Erin graduated from the university.
Once his recruitment started, Stepheson’s first unofficial visit was to USC when Henry Bibby was still coach. He’d work out at the school with Trojans players when visiting his sister.
Tim Floyd took over as coach, and Stepheson took another visit to give him a chance. The Trojans had a desperate need for a post player.
But Stepheson wanted a school with rich basketball tradition, one with a proven winner as coach and the possibility of being national champion every year. For that, he went to Chapel Hill.
``I was trying to get him to come to SC last year but he had already made his mind up about going to North Carolina,’’ said USC forward Nick Young, the former Cleveland High of Reseda player who was teammates with Stepheson in AAU travel ball. ``We had no big men. We didn’t know Taj (Gibson) was coming in. It would have been good to have him and Taj out there.’’
Stepheson is averaging 2.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 6.5 minutes per game in his first season at North Carolina. He’s played 11 minutes in the Tar Heels’ first two tournament games.
For now, he’s stuck behind three forwards considered future NBA players in Tyler Hansbrough, Brandan Wright and Reyshawn Terry.
``He would have gotten a lot more playing time here,’’ Young said. ``With his height, he would have come in and made a good impact, especially with his rebounding.’’
While he has to wait his turn in North Carolina, Stepheson is getting invaluable experience -- especially going against those guys in practice.
``I feel I’ve improved a whole lot playing against them every day,’’ Stepheson said. ``You can’t help but improve against them. It’s great competition.’’
Stepheson remembers watching his mom and sister coming home from USC football games decked in Trojans colors.
``They’re always cheering for SC, pulling for them,’’ Stepheson said. ``Now that were here, they were joking like, `Oh, we want USC.’ They’re torn a little bit, but not really. But if SC wasn’t playing against us, they’d be cheering for them.’’
Stepheson was sitting in the Sports Arena stands with his mother last year when USC upset North Carolina, the team to which he had already given his commitment.
``Last year, I was really kind of impartial,’’ Diane Stepheson said. ``Sometimes, it’s kind of relaxing to be able to watch a basketball game and it doesn’t really matter who wins. Now, of course, I support my son.’’
Building up to the Texas game, everyone was talking about how USC would defend Kevin Durant. But the key to the game ended up being Gabe Pruitt's defense on point guard D.J. Augustin.
This game could be a similar situation.
North Carolina has a small, speedy guard similar to Augustin in the 5-foot-11 freshman Ty Lawson. If Pruitt can shut him down the way he did holding Augustin to six points and six turnovers, it would go a long way toward a USC victory.
``Lawson handles the offense and runs everything,’’ Pruitt said. ``I feel if I can shut him down, and take them out of their offense, that is the key.’’
Pruitt is a taller point guard at 6-4, but he has shown the ability to stay in front of the smaller guys in getting the best of Augustin, Oregon’s Aaron Brooks and Arizona’s Mustafa Shakur this season.
``I’ve got a lot of confidence in Gabe,’’ Nick Young said. ``He goes out there and plays defense like Ryan (Francis) last year. He really gets the team going.’’
It wasn't lost on North Carolina coach Roy Williams how USC used a surprising strategy of putting 6-foot-5 guard Daniel Hackett on 6-9 player of the year favorite Kevin Durant in the Trojans' win over Texas.
``We have tried to prepare for things that we have seen Tim’s teams in the past do,’’ Williams said. ``Try to prepare them for unusual things.’’
There’s no risk for USC in this Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, only reward.
The Trojans, predicted by the media to finish sixth in the Pacific-10 Conference and perhaps make the NIT, have already gone further than anyone expected.
The season is a success no matter what happens tonight against top-seeded North Carolina.
``We’re going to go out and take the attitude we did last year against them, that we don’t have anything to lose,’’ USC guard Lodrick Stewart said. ``We’ve accomplished all the goals we set for ourselves.’’
Though the Trojans are loose, they still have a purpose.
``There’s no pressure, but I’m still expecting more things,’’ guard Gabe Pruitt said. ``I’m still expecting to win a national championship. There’s no pressure, but I’m not ready to stop playing. I think our team is talented enough to win this game.’’
``I think it's slowly becoming that type of rivalry,'' Gabe Pruitt said. ``Given what we have done this year and what UCLA has been doing last year and this year. With the guys coming in for both programs, I think eventually it will live up to that type of rivarly.''
Tim Floyd is scheduled to be on the ESPN show Pardon the Interruption on Friday at 2:30 p.m.
``The facility changed us,'' Tim Floyd said. ``This staff has not had to go into home visits and start by apologizing or explaining because of what other recruiters had put in kids' heads.
``We are the beneficiaries of walking in with great timing, unlike my days of walking into the Chicago Bulls. My timing wasn't very good there.''
``Pete's a basketball guy,'' Tim Floyd said. ``He plays noon ball every day. He watches practice on occasion, he comes to games and I've had him speak to the team before a couple of key games this year. Every recruit we have on campus sits down and visits with him. He pulls like heck for us.''
Most of this is known already. The most interesting part is that every basketball recruit that visits USC meets with Carroll.
Lodrick Stewart practiced Wednesday after taking a day off when he got a root canal done on a wisdom tooth Tuesday.
After leading USC in scoring over the first two NCAA Tournament games, Nick Young's NBA stock is on the rise.
Previously thought of as a borderline first-round selection, Young now projects as going ninth overall to Minnesota on the Web site nbadraft.net.
``I haven't seen that, I've just been concentrating on practice,'' Young said. ``But hopefully I can improve on that. The more national attention we get, the more everyone is in the spotlight.''
While that prediction may be high, there is no doubt that Young has helped himself in March. With plenty of NBA personnel in attendance Sunday to watch Texas forward Kevin Durant, Young scored 22 points.
Though he went up high for a slam dunk that put an exclamation point on the game during USC's 19-3 second-half run, his most impressive play for scouts likely was when he came up to grab a rebound over Durant in the lane and made a quick turnaround jumper.
North Carolina is another team with top draft prospects in forwards Brandan Wright, Reyshawn Terry and Tyler Hansbrough, meaning Young will be in the spotlight again Friday.
But after going through tough times at USC, including a last-place finish in the Pacific-10 Conference two years ago as a freshman, Young is too ecstatic to be in the Sweet 16 to be thinking about draft status right now.
``Me and Gabe (Pruitt) have been talking about this all day, that it hasn't hit us yet that we're really in the Sweet 16,'' Young said. ``The Trojans are in the Sweet 16.''
Young, who played high school ball at Cleveland High of Reseda, didn't have any family make it to Spokane, Wash., last weekend. However, his father Charles, mother Mae and brother Terrell have made their plans to be in East Rutherford, N.J., for Friday's game.
It seems Paulette has changed her mind and decided to attend Friday's game in East Rutherford. Paulette, who hates to fly, said Thursday that she wouldn't go to New Jersey.
``She's going,'' Tim Floyd said. ``She doesn't have a choice. She told me she might lose her job. I told her we could get her a new job. She's coming.''
Lodrick Stewart did not practice today because he had a root canal done on a wisdom tooth earlier in the day. Coach Tim Floyd wasn't sure if Stewart would be available for Wednesday's morning practice.
I'll have updates from practice between 6 and 7 p.m.
The team will watch a little film today but not practice.
``He's been winning all these games for us,'' Nick Young said of Ryan Francis. ``He's like our guardian angel up there just keeping an eye on us.''
USC improved to 25-11, the most wins in the program's 101-year history.
``I just heard that we broke the school record, but we're not done yet,'' Gabe Pruitt said. ``There's still many games left to be played and we can win all of them.''
Taj Gibson took an elbow from Damion James early in the second half that left him in immense pain, constantly grabbing the right seed of his jaw. Gibson said he lost hearing in his right ear until about five minutes left in the game. He thought the elbow pinched a nerve. X-rays following the game were negative.
``I wasn't intimidated. I knew I was going to handle him right from the start. It was fun. It was like a dream trying to go against a player like him. He's probably one of the best players college basketball has ever seen. I knew he was going to get his points. He still got his 30, but it was a good job.''
Durant finished with 30 points on 11-of-24 shooting with nine rebounds. But with Hackett and Lewis on Durant, it allowed Taj Gibson to stay out of foul trouble and deny penetration to the basket.
``I think the real key was the job Gabe Pruitt did on (D.J.) Augustin,'' Tim Floyd said.
``That was my main focus coming into the game, to shut him down,'' Pruitt said. ``I wasn't even thinking about scoring. I knew if I could take him out, they'd struggle offensively.''
Augustin had as many turnovers, six, as points. He made one of eight shots. He entered the game third on the team averaging 14.6 points per game.
USC's masterful plan to guard 6-foot-9 forward Kevin Durant with freshmen guards Daniel Hackett and Dwight Lewis was devised by assistant coach Phil Johnson.
``Phil Johnson wanted to do it so I did it,'' coach Tim Floyd said. ``... Phil's been doing 16, 18 hours of film work on every team that we have prepared for all year long, and 95 percent of every plan is his.''
``It's hard to guard him with a bigger guy because, in the end, he wants to go off the dribble,'' Johnson said.
Hackett got the start and spent most of the time guarding Durant, projected as one of the top two picks in the next NBA draft. When Durant got inside, USC double-teamed with forward Taj Gibson.
``We knew Daniel was going to give a great effort,'' Johnson said. ``... We wanted to start him on Durant because we didn't want Durant to have 20 points in the first eight minutes. We thought Daniel would try to keep him from catching the ball as much as possible, and he did.''
I don't think stopping Durant is the key. I think it's the small Texas guards. USC needs to keep them from using their advantage in quickness to penetrate and get open shots. On the other end, USC's guards should use their size advantage. However, none of USC's guards have shown the ability to post up.
``He's a great player,'' Kevin Durant said of Taj Gibson. ``He's an inside/outside type of player. He's a very long player, athletic, and it's going to be a tough matchup for us.''
On how USC will try to defend him: ``From what coach has said, they might double when I get in the post, and they might face guard. But I've been through so much this year, I don't think it will be anything I haven't seen before.''
``He's going to score, we understand that,'' Taj Gibson said. ``We just have to contain the guards and try to contain him as much as possible. He's one of the top big guys I've faced so far. He's more versatile than most.''
``We see Texas all the time on ESPN,'' Gabe Pruitt said. ``You hear Kevin Durant's name whenever you talk about college basketball, and we have an opportunity to play against him. ... We are getting another opportunity to show how good we are, and I think this is a perfect opportunity for us to do that.''
``We can't put too much emphasis on Durant,'' Pruitt added. ``Obviously, he's a great player, but there's other guys around him that can also play. We can't put too much attention on him and allow the other guys to go off.''
``Teams have talked about playing him physical, teams have talked about playing him soft,'' Tim Floyd said. ``I know that I'd probably would rather see him shoot threes than get to the foul line all night long, because he's shot 92 percent from the foul line over the past four games.''
USC players gathered around a locker-room television cheering on Washington State. The Trojans erupted when Cougars forward Ivory Clark blocked a shot with 25 seconds left in regulation and a tie game. USC had to leave midway through the first overtime to begin practice. Washington State ended up falling 78-74 to Vanderbilt in double overtime.
Gabe Pruitt tweaked a hamstring late in Friday's game against Arkansas but didn't think it would affect him heading into today's practice.
``Just a little tweak.'' Pruitt said. ``I did a lot of stretching today with the trainers, and I'm fine.''
RIP
I'll have updates from USC starting around 5 p.m.
Coming off its worst defensive performance of the season in an 81-57 loss to Oregon in the Pac-10 final Sunday, USC held Arkansas to 36.8 percent from the field. Instead of using their size advantage, the Razorbacks were forced to jack up 3-pointers that rarely connected, making 3 of 20 attempts from long range.
``It was as good of defense as we’ve played this year,’’ Tim Floyd said.
Taj Gibson, the freshman forward who struggled midseason after a hot start, had one of his better games with 18 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Gibson made sure the Razorbacks’ perceived advantage inside never materialized. After rarely outrebounding teams in Pac-10 play, USC held a shocking 39-26 edge on the boards.
``Coach said if we wanted to win this game, we needed to play defense and get as many rebounds as we can,'' Gibson said.
Down 14-6 to start the game, Gibson scored eight points during a 12-0 USC run.
Early in the second half, he came up behind Arkansas guard Gary Ervin to block consecutive shots.
With his mother in the crowd, Ryan Francis was on the minds of USC players during their first NCAA Tournament victory in six years. Francis, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in his hometown of Baton Rouge, La., last May, would have turned 20 on Saturday.
``He's been on our minds all year,'' Nick Young said. ``It's great to be able to do this for him. We went out there and used him as our sixth man.''
USC fans gathered in the lobby of the Doubletree Hotel, organizing two lines with a walkway in the middle for the Trojans.
Then the team bus arrived, and all the pre-planning gave way to unbridled excitement as people decked in cardinal and gold rushed out the sliding doors and onto the sidewalk to mob the players.
The fifth-seeded Trojans got a heroes' welcome Friday night after dominating No. 12 Arkansas 77-60 in a first-round NCAA Tournament game at Spokane Arena.
USC’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in five years produced its first post-season victory in six seasons, a long wait for Trojans fans and players alike.
``There was a lot of hunger out there,’’ junior guard Gabe Pruitt said. ``We’ve been through so much, we didn’t want it to end now.’’
It won’t. USC advances to face Texas in the second round Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The fourth-seeded Longhorns, led by national Player of the Year candidate Kevin Durant, were 79-67 winners over New Mexico State.
USC (24-11) tied the school record for wins, equaling the total from 2001, 1992, 1974 and 1971.
Cromwell is starting for USC. Michael Washington is starting at forward for Arkansas in place of Charles Thomas.
USC-Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, a long-awaited game for many of USC's veterans. What's your score prediction and who do you think is the key player of the game for USC? I've always thought that if Lod was hot, USC could beat anyone. But after the way Gabe played against Stanford and WSU in the Pac-10 Tournament, I tend to lean to him as the key guy. He's also USC's best defender, and will have an important assignment going against Beverley and Ervin.
Ryan Francis' mother hates to fly. But with Tim Floyd calling to tell her she's part of the Trojans family and they needed her at the team's first NCAA Tournament game in five years, it was hard for her to say no.
``It's special to me that they remember him by keeping in contact,'' Paulette said. ``Most teams, if a tragedy happens, they'll pay respect for a short time but that's it.''
Francis, USC's starting point guard last season, always talked about making the NCAA Tournament. He was killed in a drive-by shooting when he returned home to Baton Rouge, La., for Mothers' Day last May.
``I can see him up there watching and yelling at them,'' Paulette said. `` ` Get your man!' `Hit the floor!' `Play defense!' ''
Paulette said it is difficult for her to watch USC games because she's always looking for Ryan on the floor. She made the trip to Spokane but said she won't go to New Jersey if USC advances to the Sweet 16.
The players feel Ryan remains with them, if only in spirit.
``I got his shirt on right now,'' Lodrick Stewart said Thursday of his undershirt. ``I wore it to warm-ups just so everyone knows that he is here with us and is going to help us get however far is meant to be.
``He's here with us always, so he made it. We still all made it together.''
USC players responded to Arkansas guard Patrick Beverley saying he thought the Razorbacks would ``make it to the Sweet 16 easy.''
``I heard about it,'' Nick Young said. ``It's just mind games. He's trying to start a feud. We're just going to go out there and play.''
Beverley leads Arkansas in scoring at 13.8 points per game.
Gabe Pruitt downplayed Beverley's comments but said, ``It's going to be lingering around'' during the game.
Arkansas forward Charles Thomas, who sprained his left ankle Sunday in the SEC Tournament final against Florida, practiced partially today and is expected to play Friday but likely won’t start, according to coach Stan Heath.
``He won’t be 100 percent,’’ Heath said. ``I don’t think he’ll be more than a 20-minute guy, somewhere between 10 and 20.’’
If Thomas doesn’t start, freshman Michael Washington would get the call. Washington scored 17 points off the bench against Florida after Thomas went down early in the game. Heath said he would make a final game-time decision on Thomas.
Adding the field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage of all players in the East Regional (min 10 pts, 30 3-pt attempts), Nick Young came in fourth (45.5+54.9+76.4=176.7).
Late note today because I had to rush to make my plane to Spokane. Here now. Crisp but clear night. Team has a view of the Spokane River outside their window, with the arena and their tournament hopes lying just on the other side.
A strong NCAA Tournament by Nick Young could go a long way toward getting the junior the guarantee of a first-round selection in the NBA draft that he desires.
But USC’s leading scorer is cautious not to put too much pressure on himself. He believes trying to impress NBA scouts is what led to struggles early in the season.
Young averaged 15 points over the first eight games. After taking a step back and deciding he was trying too hard, he averaged 18.1 over the last 26 games.
``They’re going to be looking for me to do something, but I can’t put that pressure on myself,’’ Young said. ``All I can do is try to win games. If we keep winning then everyone’s stock will go up, not just mine.’’
The Trojans play their first-round game Friday against Arkansas in Spokane, Wash.
Young said a recent talk with USC coach Tim Floyd has him thinking about returning for his senior year even if he is considered a first-round pick.
``Coach was talking about how the team could be top-5 next year,’’ Young said. ``That would bring a lot of national attention to boost me up even higher. So I don’t really know yet.’’
USC is expected to add top recruits O.J. Mayo and Davon Jefferson next season to a team that could only lose senior Lodrick Stewart, among major contributors, if Young decides to stay.
Young said he went to Floyd and asked if his role would change with the addition of Mayo.
``At first, I wasn't sure there would be a spot on the team for me.''Young said. ``But coach has a lot of confidence in me and he put to rest those concerns.''
Young has been referring agents to Andre Chevalier, his former high school coach at Cleveland of Reseda.
``I’ve been trying to meet with individuals and ask any questions I think Nick and his family would have,’’ Chevalier said. ``I’m down to three-to-four candidates for the family to talk to after the season.’’
How does your bracket look? I'll try to post my picks late tonight after I get to Spokane.
OK, this is how I see it.I don't count out USC against Texas. I think the Trojans have a 30-percent chance to win that game, but I have to go with the 70.
Midwest
64: Fla, Pur, OD, Mary, Win, Ore, GT, Wisc
32: Fla, Mary, Ore, Wisc
16: Fla, Ore
8: Fla
West
64: Kan, Vil, VT, S Ill, Duke, Pitt, Ind, UCLA
32: Kan, S Ill, Duke, UCLA
16: Kan, Duke
8: Kan
East
64: UNC, MSU, USC, Tex, Vandy, WSU, TT, G'Town
32: UNC, Tex, Vandy, TT
16: UNC, Vandy
8: UNC
South
64: OSU, Xav, Ten, Vir, Stan, A&M, Cre, Mem
32: OSU, Ten, A&M, Mem
16: OSU, A&M
8: A&M
Final Four
Florida over Kansas
North Carolina over Texas A&M
Champion -- Florida
Arkansas has two small guards in 6-foot Gary Ervin and 6-1 Patrick Beverley. Beverly leads the Razorbacks with 13.8 points per game and has been their best player. Gabe Pruitt is USC's top defender and has done well in holding down small guards like Oregon's Aaron Brooks.
So it would seem logical for Pruitt to be on Beverley, but he said that he was preparing Tuesday for Ervin.
``Ervin is the guy I'll be on,'' Pruitt said. ``I might have Beverley for stretches at a time, but I think I'll start out on Ervin.''
This might not be smokescreen. Floyd crunched the numbers and noticed something on Ervin.
``When he scores over 11 points in a game, their record is much better than when he doesn't,'' Floyd said.
Checking out the statistics, Arkansas is 11-2 when Ervin scores 12 or more points and 10-11 when he scores less.
Arkansas coach Stan Heath said Tuesday that forward Charles Thomas, who left the SEC Championship game against Florida in the first minute with a left ankle injury, is day-to-day.
``We need him to be available,'' Heath said. ``... But he needs to make some recovery. We need to see him on the floor by Thursday.''
Floyd said he talked to Paulette Francis last week, when he knew USC would be in the NCAA Tournament, and invited her to attend on the university's dime.
``I told her I wanted her to come,'' Floyd said. ``She said she'd be there if it's not Buffalo. I'm going to try to hold her to it. I heard she was crawfishin' on me yesterday, saying that it's a long way and this and that, but we'll talk to her and find out.''
``They remind me a lot of Stanford. They have the ability to score. They make it difficult for you to get second-chance points off offensive boards because they are a great defensive rebounding team. It's difficult to keep them off the offensive glass. They are tremendous in that area.''
Floyd said he had two coaches and two NBA scouts tell him that Arkansas was the second-most talented team in the SEC behind Florida.
``I had one NBA scout tell us they're as talented as Kansas. They got enough talent to make a long run in this tournament.''
``I think they're tired of hearing from Syracuse, Kansas State and Drexel that they should be in and Arkansas shouldn't be in. They're going to come to play because of that. I guarantee you, we're going to get a team that not only belongs in the tournament but, if they have any pride at all, they're going to lay it all out there.''
After the Pac-10 Tournament final, Tim Floyd said the Trojans wouldn't watch film on game. However, the coach did show the team three minutes of lowlights Tuesday.
``Three minutes of quick shots, long shots, long rebounds, run outs and no commitment to defensive transition,'' Floyd said. ``That's what it was about. But you have to understand those plays took about six minutes each, so it was a lot of them.''
in the locker room before the Pac-10 Tournament championship game. It didn't have the same result as Carroll's speech prior to USC's regular-season win against Stanford.
A misdemeanor charge of drug possession against top recruit O.J. Mayo was dropped Monday, according to this news report from his hometown of Huntington, W.Va.
Mayo and three others were cited Friday when marijuana was found in a vehicle they were riding in. Two of the others took responsibility for the drugs, according to court testimony.
Wilkinson thinks that this being the first time in the NCAA Tournament for every USC player is a positive as well as a negative.
``It will definitely be a little nerve-wracking for a lot of people because no one's been in it,'' Wilkinson said. ``But I think that also brings a lot of fire and passion to the game because guys like Nick and Gabe and Lod, especially Lod being his senior year, want to prove that they can step up and lead this team. If you want to go to the next level, what more perfect opportunity than to lead our team to the Final Four.''
Wilkinson thinks that Tim Floyd, having coached in the NCAA Tournament, will help balance out the players' lack of experience.
``He knows how to prepare and get ready for big games such as this,'' Wilkinson said. ``I think that's really going to help us, especially not having any (tournament experience) on the team.''
Tim Floyd opted not to have the team practice Monday, giving the players two days rest after playing Thursday, Friday and Saturday in their run to the Pac-10 Tournament final.
The players did report to Galen Center to watch a tape of Arkansas' Jan. 27 victory at then-No. 12 Alabama in preparation for Friday's first-round NCAA Tournament game.
After watching the film, Keith Wilkinson compared Arkansas' 7-foot center Steven Hill to the Lopez twins at Stanford and point guard Patrick Beverley to Aaron Brooks at Oregon.
``They usually have two big guys in there at all times and they're a good defensive rebounding team, so we'll have to find a way to combat that,'' Wilkinson said.
USC will play the last game in the second session Friday. Texas plays New Mexico St. starting at 4:25 p.m. The Trojans will face Arkansas 30 minutes after the conclusion of that game, so count on around 7 p.m.
Floyd said he called O.J. Mayo and that Mayo attempted to return the call but that he had yet to speak to USC's top recruit about his run-in with the law Friday in Huntington, W. Va.
Mayo and three others were cited for misdemeanor drug possession when marijuana was found in a car he was riding in.
Last month, Mayo received a three-game suspension after being ejected from a game and making contact with a referee.
Asked if he was concerned that this was a pattern, Floyd said, ``I'm not concerned. I think part of the reason O.J. picked our university is because of the support and system we have, the family we have, the fact that we've had a lot of high-profile athletes over the years. He knew he'd have a family base here to help him in his year of transition as he tries to prepare himself for the NBA.''
Floyd said that Mayo plans to enroll at USC to take a class this summer. At this point, Mayo can't get to USC fast enough. Floyd can't protect the program's future from across the country.
Floyd said he talked to Don Haskins, the former Texas-El Paso (formerly Texas Western) coach immortalized in the movie ``Glory Road'' for starting an all-black team and winning the 1966 NCAA Championship over an all-white Kentucky team, this morning and invited Haskins to come to USC's first-round game. Floyd started his coaching career as an assistent under Haskins at UTEP.
Floyd said he wasn't sure if Haskins would be able to make it because of health issues. He's had multiple heart surgeries and needed to have part of his foot amputated due to complications from diabetes, according to Floyd.
``He's been through a lot,'' Floyd said. ``But we still talk four to five times a week, so I'd love for him to be there.''
Tim Floyd last coached in the NCAA Tournament in 1997, helping Iowa State reach the Sweet 16. Iowa State missed the tournament the next season, then Floyd left to the NBA to coach the Chicago Bulls.
``It seems unbelievable it's been 10 years but it has,'' Floyd said. ``... It's always an exciting time, a time I missed when I was in the NBA. I always paid close attention to the games and how my friends were doing around the country.''
The fifth seed has been one of the most prone to upsets in NCAA history, a fact of which Tim Floyd is well aware.
In the 22 years since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, the 12th seed has upset the fifth seed 29 times in 88 games. Only in 1988 and 2000 was there not a 12-5 upset.
``We'll make sure our players are aware of that,'' Floyd said. ``... We want them to hear that type of thing. We want them to be on edge. We want them to understand that when you get to this level, anyone can beat you. There's too many quality teams.''
``We're certainly happy with our seed,'' Tim Floyd said. ``We think we were treated fairly, and we hope we can play to where to committee put us at.''
After playing Thursday, Friday and Saturday in reaching the conference finals, Floyd was ecstatic to have a Friday game.
Floyd also was pleased that the Pac-10 got six teams in the tournament. Stanford's announcement as the No. 11 seed in the San Antonio bracket brought the biggest reaction at Galen Center next to USC. The Cardinal likely were one of the last at-large teams chosen.
The other Pac-10 teams: UCLA No. 2 in San Jose bracket, Washington State No. 3 in East Rutherford, Oregon No. 3 in St. Louis and Arizona No. 8 in St. Louis. USC is in the East Rutherford bracket, meaning the Trojans would play in New Jersey if they go to the Sweet 16.
Big things are expected from USC next season when top recruit O.J. Mayo is expected to arrive. For the Trojans, two years removed from last place in the Pac-10, to make the NCAA Tournament this season was a surprise.
``It's absolutely ahead of schedule,'' athletic director Mike Garrett said. ``If you told me, with the team we had coming back and losing Ryan Francis, that we would make the NCAA Tournament, I would have said that was a `Ripley's Believe It or Not.' ''
USC has a difficult draw, having to face Texas in the second round if it gets past Arkansas. Texas was ranked No. 15 in the nation in last week's Associated Press poll and made it to the Big 12 title game before falling to Kansas. Longhorn freshman forward Kevin Durant could be the first player taken in this year's NBA draft.
``I think that would be good for us to play against Kevin Durant, one of the top guys in college,'' Gabe Pruitt said. ``Obviously, he's a major NBA prospect. Hopefully we can take care of business against Arkansas and see those guys in the second round.''
USC players and coaches sat in the stands at Galen Center watching the selection show on CBS over the scoreboard screen. When USC's seeding was announced, the players jumped up and celebrated. There was a delay of a few seconds before the scene was shown on CBS, allowing the players to see what had just happened and laugh about it.
``It was unbelievable,'' Nick Young said. ``I've never been in a situation like that, where we see ourselves on the screen and everbody was yelling, then seeing the No. 5 pop up. That was great.''
Players had to wait long after the show started at 3 p.m. to hear the school's name called, an excruciating wait for a team that hadn't made the tournament since the 2001-02 season. CBS announced the West bracket first. Put on the East side, USC didn't come up until the second half of the hour-long show.
``My palms were sweaty,'' Lodrick Stewart said. ``I was nervous. You never know. A lot of teams that think they're going don't get their name called.''
Lodrick Stewart is pleased to be headed to Spokane because much of his family lives in Seattle.
``I'm going to have a lot of family and friends there,'' Stewart said. ``Probably triple the number that came to the Washington game.''
The senior has been through a lot at USC. He watched his twin brother, Rodrick, transfer after his freshman year. He suffered through a last-place season as a sophomore and had transfer papers signed and ready to be submitted before the hiring of Tim Floyd convinced him to stay.
``It's been a long ride for me,'' Stewart said. ``Four years, through ups and downs, good and bad, and now I get to celebrate this with my team and coaches.''
The Trojans are going back to Spokane to face Arkansas (21-13), runner-up in the SEC Tournament, on Friday. USC has a potential second-round matchup with fourth-seeded Texas (24-9). Team thoughts to come.
USC's seed and destination for the NCAA Tournament will be known in the next two hours. I'll be at Galen Center to get the team's reaction.
I believe the Trojans will be a seventh seed, plus or minus one. If the committee focuses on wins over top-25 opponents, USC could move up to sixth. If it concentrates more on RPI, the Trojans could fall to eight. Us beat writers are hoping for Chicago or New Orleans, for obvious reasons. New Orleans is the sentimental choice for USC, with Ryan Francis having grown up nearby and Tim Floyd having connections to the city.
Floyd said yesterday: ``I hope they would treat our conference with great respect. I would hope that we have a similar seed to whoever else is a third seed in any other league in the country, but hopefully a little better.''
Floyd added that he thinks the committee should factor in that the Pac-10 has 18 conference games rather than 16, and that Gabe Pruitt missed 11 games to begin the season. The Trojans lost two of those games, then lost to Kansas State in his first game back when he wasn't anywhere near peak form.
USC wanted it a little too much.
The Trojans came out flat and played their worst game of the season Saturday, losing 81-57 to No. 16 Oregon in the Pac-10 Tournament final at Staples Center.
``We were too hyped,’’ Nick Young said. ``We were too serious before the game. It’s not something we usually do. We are always joking around. But everybody took this game a little too seriously. That kind of got to us. It got in our heads.’’
The Trojans are expected to make the NCAA Tournament, and will watch the selection show on television today at Galen Center.
They won’t go in with the momentum or seeding a victory and tournament title would have brought.
``If they watched today, we might be a 16,’’ coach Tim Floyd said of seeding.
The Trojans accomplished what they set out to do this week, strengthening their position for the NCAA Tournament by winning two games.
But getting so close to a title -- and their first Pac-10 banner -- only to get blown out erased the positives.
``It would have been better if we lost to Washington State and saved ourselves this embarrassment,’’ Young said. ``It was just one of those days.’’
USC’s previous 10 losses came by an average of seven points, with none by more than 15.
The good news heading into the NCAA Tournament is that the Trojans have lost consecutive games only once this season, and that was in double overtime at Washington State.
``We’re going to treat it as an aberration,’’ Floyd said of Saturday’s game. ``I got a lot of belief in these young men.’’
at the Pac-10 Tournament final. He must not be too upset about the Rose Bowl snub. We spoke to him briefly at halftime. He said he was there because he lives in Los Angeles and is a USC fan.
is the news that top recruit O.J. Mayo was cited for misdemeanor drug possession of marijuana according to this Huntington, W.Va., television report.
``Once he gets going, he's pretty hard to stop,'' Kyle Weaver said of Gabe Pruitt. ``You just can't let him get going like we did. He hit a lot of big shots and a lot of deep shots. We didn't do a good job of defending the perimeter.''
Nick Young wore a skeleton costume while doing interviews in the locker room after the game.
``I'm just trying to have fun and keep us from being nervous going into tomorrow's game,'' Young said. ``My mom gave this to me at Christmas, and I thought it would be a good thing to bring out to keep us loose.''
No player currently on the USC basketball team had ever won a Pac-10 Tournament game before this week. Now they're headed to the conference final.
``We’re trying to get our first banner inside Galen Center,’’ Young said. ``We came from last place (in 2005) to third place, and now we’re fighting for our first conference championship.’’
This victory gives USC its seventh win over a top-25 team this season. The Trojans are 7-4 against ranked opponents, a statistic that should impress the NCAA selection committee Sunday.
USC (23-10) is one victory away from equaling the highest total in its 101-year history. The Trojans had 24 wins in 2001, 1992, 1974 and 1971.
Some top teams don’t mind getting knocked out early so they can have a few days off before getting ready for the NCAA Tournament.
But as players who weren’t even invited to the Pac-10 Tournament in 2005, USC’s big three value this experience.
``We’re not even thinking about seeding,’’ Young said. ``Whoever they place us against doesn’t matter. I’m trying to focus on the now and get ready to get the first ring on my hand.’’
Gabe Pruitt scored a season-high 26 points to lead the Trojans, making six of seven 3-point attempts.
``During warm-ups, I was kind of feeling it and knew if I got open looks I would knock them down,’’ Pruitt said.
That brought Floyd to interject, ``I hope you’re feeling it tomorrow, too.’’
RouSean Cromwell got the start.
The Pac-10 announced today that it has extended its deal to keep the conference tournament at Staples Center another five years.
All week, USC players and coaches had scoffed at doubts that they needed a victory to ensure a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
But, with the game slipping away Thursday, their actions and expressions said otherwise.
``For the first time, I can relax and know we’re in the tournament,’’ said Nick Young. ``Last season, we were fighting for the NIT and lost some big games down the stretch. Now we feel comfortable that we’re in the NCAAs.’’
Young, who scored a game-high 26 points, thought of his NBA idol when called upon by Floyd to take USC’s biggest shot of the season.
``When we came to the front of Staples Center, I saw (Kobe Bryant’s) picture and was thinking about all the big plays he’s made, like his shot against the Phoenix Suns in last year’s playoffs,’’ Young said. ``That was an inspiration to me.’’
Young’s basket with 10 seconds remaining tied the score at 69-69, leaving enough time for Stanford to get one last shot.
Anthony Goods got by Gabe Pruitt and thought he had a good look at the basket but Taj Gibson came out to help and swatted the ball away. It went out to Lawrence Hill, who missed a desperation shot at the buzzer.
``I knew to watch Goods coming down because he’s their best shooter,’’ Gibson said. ``When Gabe gave me that look saying help, I just jumped up and got a big block.’’
USC trailed 54-44 before going on a 19-5 run led by Pruitt, who hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Young to tie the game at 59-59.
Young said that he had never seen Pruitt so serious as he was in the second half.
``It clicked in my head,’’ Pruitt said. ``This could be it. I didn’t want this to be my last game. You never know with Selection Sunday.’’
After Fred Washington blew by Dwight Lewis for his fourth layup of the second half, coach Tim Floyd called a timeout and was livid in front of the USC bench with 12:37 remaining. He slammed his hand down on the court three times and shouted at Lewis, his face turning bright red. Lewis yelled something back and Floyd pulled Daniel Hackett up off the bench and told him to go in for Lewis.
After being up 12-5, USC trials 42-31 at the break. A 3-pointer by Dwight Lewis gave the Trojans a 20-16 lead, then it was all Stanford. The Cardinal went on a 12-2 run to take the lead. Anthony Goods, in his first game back after missing six with a sprained ankle, is showing what a difference he can make. He leads Stanford with 12 points. Landry Fields has come off the bench to make all four shots and score 10 for the Cardinal.
The Trojans seemed lackadaisical as the lead slipped away, perhaps taking after the lethargic crowd. Taj Gibson leads USC with 12 points. Nick Young has 11. They aren't getting much help. Gabe Pruitt has three points and Lodrick Stewart is scoreless.
USC up 12-5 six minutes in. RouSean Cromwell started to match up with Stanford's size like two weeks ago at Galen Center. Cromwell has already made an impact on defense, blocking a shot and diving on the floor for a steal that led to a Taj Gibson layup.
At least early on, the fan energy from Galen Center hasn't translated to Staples Center. The arena is half empty and there are as many people in the crowd wearing neutral colors as cardinal and gold.
When Tim Floyd was hired to coach USC, he said it would be his last coaching job. He repeated that sentiment Wednesday. Even if USC basketball rises to another level in the next few years and Floyd becomes a hot coaching candidate, it doesn't appear there would be the constant question of him giving the NBA another try like there is with Pete Carroll and the NFL.
``I said at my press conference that this would be my last coaching job and I reiterate that now,'' Floyd said. ``I'm too intrigued with what we're building here, with these facilities and the talent in Southern California. I certainly enjoy it and don't aspire to go back to the NBA because I'm having so much fun with this.''
Read more in today's feature on Floyd here.
Floyd cut the scheduled three-hour practice down to about an hour and 45 minutes today, a day before USC opens the Pac-10 Tournament against Stanford.
``We were in and out,'' Floyd said. ``We want these guys to play with fresh legs tomorrow. This time of year, we should have an idea of what we're going to do.''
The extra rest was welcome to Gabe Pruitt.
``We have a big game tomorrow and guys are tired,'' Pruitt said. ``Myself, I was kind of tired. I had a feeling he was going to give us a little rest. It's our third time seeing these guys, so we have a good feel about what to expect.''
Pete Carroll is a regular at basketball games and always creates a stir when he walks into Galen Center, often getting the loudest ovation of the night.
Tim Floyd doesn't yet inspire quite the same ruckus at football games, though he said he did attend most games at the Coliseum last season and wants to go to the road games as well in the fall.
``There's often a conflict between our recruiting calendar and his games,'' Floyd said. ``But I think at this point, because of our early commitments for the next couple years, I will be able to go to some of their games on the road.''
Gabe Pruitt said he could see, in a few years, 90,000 fans cheering for Floyd at the Coliseum when his face goes up on the big screen.
``We're on the rise, especially with the guys coming in,'' Pruitt said. ``It's only a matter of time before (Floyd) brings this team to that type of level. He's on the way to getting that sort of attention and appreciation around campus and at games outside of basketball.''
Tim Floyd said he switched his main emphasis in practice from defense to offense in the middle of the season, which could be a reason why the defense has faltered at times lately after having the best field-goal percentage allowed at one point. The emphasis is now back on defense.
``Defense is something we spent the majority of the preseason working on and, as a result, I think our defense was way ahead of our offense early in the season,'' Floyd said. ``I think now our offense is where we'd like it to be, and our defense we'd like to get better.''
In the teleconference this morning, Arizona coach Lute Olson, the most senior coach in the conference, said he thought the Pac-10 Tournament should start moving to other cities and not remain at Staples Center every year.
One victory would dispell any lingering doubts on USC's place in the NCAA Tournament. Two wins would go far to help avoid the dreaded No. 8-9 seeds. But the Trojans aren't thinking about the Pac-10 Tournament in steps.
``We don't want to play for fifth or sixth in the Pac-10,'' Lodrick Stewart said. ``We're going for No. 1.''
``They've beaten a team that's a No. 1 seed in UCLA. They go to Virginia and beat a Virginia team that was leading the ACC. People say the ACC is getting seven teams in, though I can't believe they have a seventh-place team that is better than Stanford.''
Stanford coach Trent Johnson said that Anthony Goods participated in a limited role at practice Monday and, barring a setback, is expected to play against USC on Thursday.
Goods, the team's second-leading scorer at 13.0 points per game, missed the last six with an ankle injury. He couldn't play in Stanford's loss at USC but scored 10 points in the Cardinal's win over the Trojans in Palo Alto.
``He gives them another weapon, a guy who can shoot it and stretch your defense,'' Tim Floyd said. ``It would be like us losing a Gabe or Nick or Lod, one of those kids who can score it. He's an outstanding player and I think he would have come up with all-league recognition if he stayed healthy.''
Staples Center is just down Figueroa Street from USC but did not seem anything like a home court at last year's Pac-10 Tournament. The USC fan presence in the stands was barely more than other teams and paled in comparison to UCLA.
It will be interesting to see how much of the excitement and support in the final games at Galen Center carries over to Staples this week.
``I think this kind of feels like a home game,'' Gabe Pruitt said.
While USC is likely in the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens Thursday, Stanford (18-11, 10-8) is a bubble team that might need a victory to get in.
``Stanford is a tremendous team that's got a lot to play for this time of year,'' Tim Floyd said. ``We feel like we do as well, but I think they're probably certainly feeling that and we know we're going to get their best shot.''
Though UCLA has to be the favorite, Floyd thinks the Pac-10 Tournament title is up for grabs.
``I think a minimum of seven teams could win it,'' Floyd said. ``I really believe that. I just think it's a great league, the best league in the country.''
``I believe we're in the tournament,'' Tim Floyd said.
But that's not a guarantee. There's some debate on whether USC is a lock for the NCAA Tournament even if it loses its first Pac-10 Tournament game to Stanford on Thursday.
Though USC (21-10, 11-7) took third place in the Pac-10 in a tiebreaker over Oregon and Arizona, the Ducks and Wildcats appear to be in better situations for NCAA Tournament purposes. Arizona ranks 13th in the nation in RPI and Oregon 28th. USC ranks 54th.
If USC loses to Stanford, the Trojans will go into Selection Sunday having lost three in a row and split its final 10 games, a factor the committee takes into consideration.
``We kind of feel like we're in and playing for seeding, but anything can happen,'' Gabe Pruitt said. ``It's not set. We're looking to do our best and win some games, and if we do go to the tournament try to go with momentum.''
Nick Young made the All-Pac-10 team. Gabe Pruitt and Lodrick Stewart received honorable mention. Taj Gibson made the All-Freshman team. Selections are made by the coaches. See the full listings here.
The Cardinal appeared to be perhaps the toughest matchup in the Pac-10 for USC when it spanked the Trojans 65-50 in Palo Alto. However, USC likes the game after winning 69-65 at Galen Center on Feb. 22.
``We’re very confident,’’ Young said. ``We’ve seen them two times already. We know each other’s game, and we just got to go out there like we did the other night.’’
WIth just over a minute left in double overtime, a heated Washington State coach Tony Bennett pointed over toward the USC bench and called Tim Floyd over to meet with him and an official at midcourt. Police briefly took the court, though their presence seemed unneccesary. Floyd declined to talk about the incident and the coaches appeared friendly in shaking hands after the game.
``They were face to face like they were about to go into a boxing match,'' Nick Young said of the coaches. ``It was very intense, that's all I know.''
Nick Young's charging foul in the final minute of regulation was similar to the end of USC's first game against Washington State. This time, he was stopped around the free-throw line trailing by two and trying to make moves to get Kyle Weaver off the ground. Instead, he lowered his shoulder into the Washington State defender, who flopped to the ground. Young passed out behind him but an offensive foul was called with 18 seconds remaining.
Young said he might have jinxed himself Friday night by watching the movie Deja Vu with Denzel Washington. In the first meeting, USC was down by a point in the final seconds when Young was called by charging.
Saturday, USC had to play the two overtimes without their leading scorer because he fouled out on the play.
``It was very hard,'' Young said. ``Especially when it went into double overtime and how intense the game was. It was hard to see my teammates out there and not be able to do anything to be a part of it except cheer for them.''
USC almost pulled out the victory without Young.
``That was one of the things I was proud of,'' Tim Floyd said. ``I think the guys played well without him. Dwight (Lewis) held his own, Gabe (Pruitt) and Lod (Stewart) stepped up a little bit. Obviously, we'd prefer to have him but that wasn't the case.''
With a 88-86 loss to Washington State in double overtime, the Trojans finish regular-season play behind the Cougars.
It's tough for USC players to be pleased losing two consecutive games for the first time this year, but the third-place finish is better than what was expected from the team entering the season. USC was picked by the media to finish sixth in the conference. It is USC's best finish since placing second in the 2001-02 season. The Trojans were last place in the conference just two years ago.
``We can be happy because we reached a lot of our goals from early in the year that probably no one really believed but us,'' said Lodrick Stewart, who tied the game with a 3-pointer at the end of regulation and a free throw to finish the first overtime. ``The coaching staff taught us a lot and brought us beyond what we thought we could do this year.''
The Trojans, about to tip off with WSU in a battle for second place in the Pac-10, found out before the game that they are guaranteed at least third after Stanford lost to Arizona.
Is how Nick Young described Washington State. The teams play similar slow-down styles and strong defense.
``They're just patient,'' Gabe Pruitt said. ``They make teams guard them, they rarely makes mistakes, they don't turn the ball over a lot, they defend and they move the ball around until guys break down.''
Keith Wilkinson scored a career-high nine points in Thursday's loss to Washington. The sophomore, who got a rare start, put up shots when left open as defenders double teamed Taj Gibson.They were shots Wilkinson has passed up at times.
``I'd say earlier in the season I was trying to get others involved and move the ball around because we have other scorers,'' Wilkinson said. ``But in a game like that, if they're sticking with our perimeter guys, Taj is doubled and I'm wide open, I got to hit down the shot.''
``What you saw yesterday is what we see every day in practice,'' Tim Floyd said. ``He just wears it out. Every time he shoots it, I think it's going in. He's just getting more confidence in a game situation.''
On his layup with 4:12 remaining Thursday, Gabe Pruitt became the third Trojan to reach 1,000 career points this season, joining Lodrick Stewart and Nick Young.
USC's loss to Washington State earlier this year at Galen Center was one of the team's most frustrating of the season. The Trojans missed free throws and had defensive lapses down the stretch in blowing an 11-point second-half lead.
``That was a hard loss for me because of the way it ended and the charging foul on me,’’ said Nick Young, who was called for an offensive foul when USC had a chance to win the game in the final seconds. ``... We all feel it’s payback for losing at home and the way we lost. We have to come out and play with more fire tomorrow.’’
Finishing in second place would be a special accomplishment for a USC team that was last in the Pac-10 two years ago and was picked to finish sixth in the conference this season.
``It would be a great start for where we want this program to go,’’ said Tim Floyd, in his second year as coach.
Washington State can relate. The Cougars finished in the conference cellar last year.
A victory Saturday would tie USC with Washington State for second, and the Trojans would win the tiebreaker based on having a better record against the conference's higher teams. Each team lost twice to first-place UCLA. The final placement of Stanford, Arizona and Oregon is still up in the air, but both Washington State and USC swept Arizona and split with Stanford. So it comes down to USC's two wins versus Oregon to put the Trojans ahead.
If USC loses, it could finish in fourth place if Stanford beats Arizona. Stanford holds the tiebreaker on USC with its victory over UCLA.
Losing to Washington may be the best thing to happen for the Trojans.
USC (21-9, 11-6) hasn't lost consecutive games all season.
Falling to the Huskies had little impact on the Pacific-10 Conference race. The No. 23 Trojans can take second place by beating No. 13 Washington State today.
``Everybody is down after a loss and we get motivated,’’ Nick Young said. ``We get our energies up heading into the next game.’’
Though it won’t impress the NCAA seeding committee, if USC had to lose a game then this was a good choice.
The Trojans can still finish second in the Pac-10 by beating Washington State on Saturday. USC got a little help from its cross-town rivals today. UCLA's victory over the Cougars gave USC the tiebreaker edge over Washington State if the Trojans can win in Pullman.
The loss could drop USC a seed in the NCAA Tournament, though. The Trojans now have two bad losses in their past four games, to last-place Arizona State and now Washington. USC has lost three of its past four on the road.
``We're playing for seeding, coach said, and we never know how the tournament (selection) might go,'' Nick Young said. ``We might be shipped out to the East Coast to play against Florida.''
USC seemed lethargic on defense early, allowing the Huskies to come around screens and get open 3-point attempts. Washington made 9 of 13 3-pointers in the first half as the Huskies raced out to an 11-point lead.
``We put ourselves in a hole early by not defending,'' Tim Floyd said. ``It wasn't one of our better defensive efforts. ... I thought we didn't get back defensively with our perimiter players, and we made some real mistakes in terms of location.''
Washington shot 52 percent, highest percentage by a team against USC this season. The 15-point loss equals USC's worst of the season.
Though the game didn't mean much to the Trojans, it did to Lodrick Stewart.
Stewart, a senior, was returning home to the city where he went to high school for the last time as a Trojan. He finished 1-3 in Seattle.
Stewart's father Andrew, brothers Kadeem and Hadeem and so Jaylin were sitting behind the USC bench. Stewart, who usually does well in front of family members, scored nine points and had two key turnovers late in the game.
``It just didn't go my way tonight,'' Stewart said. ``This was one I wanted to look back on and say I beat UDUB my last game playing in front of my hometown fans. It's frustrating to lose this game.''
Lodrick Stewart's father Bull, brothers Hadeem and Kadeem and son Jaylin are sitting right behind the USC bench for tonight's game at Washington. Stewart played high school basketball at Rainier Beach High in Seattle, and much of his family still lives here.
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