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.
Pac-10 does well
``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.