Men's Hoops To Host Hawai'i
December 07, 1999 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 7, 1999
LOS ANGELES - The USC men's basketball team (3-4), under fourth-year head coach Henry Bibby and coming off an 80-67 loss at St. Bonaventure, returns from its second long road trip of the season to begin five consecutive games in Southern California. The first of the five comes against Hawai'i at the Sports Arena on Wednesday (Dec. 8) at 7 p.m. The Trojans will follow that with road games against Loyola Marymount (Dec. 11), Long Beach State (Dec. 16) and San Diego State (Dec. 20) before finishing their non-conference schedule against Northwestern at the Sports Arena on Dec. 29. USC, which made its sixth postseason appearance of the 1990s when it faced Wyoming in the first round of the 1999 NIT, finished 15-13 overall and 7-11 (tied for seventh) in the Pac-10 last season and returns four starters and six lettermen.
GAME #8
USC (3-4) vs. Hawai'i (5-1) on Wednesday (Dec. 8). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the radio by KCTD-1540 AM. Though only four letterwinners return from Hawai'i's 1998-99 team (which went 6-20), the Rainbows have started 1999-2000 at 5-1, but have yet to play a game away from the islands. Under 13th-year head coach Riley Wallace, the Rainbows are led by senior forward/center Marquette Alexander, who is averaging team highs in points (14.0) and rebounds (8.2). Senior point guard Johnny White is averaging 9.0 points, as is junior forward Troy Ostler. The Rainbows are shooting .499 as a team and are outscoring opponents, 74.8 to 57.7.
GAME #9
USC at Loyola Marymount (1-4) on Saturday (Dec. 11). Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. The game will be televised live on FOX Sports Net 2 and will also be broadcast live on XTRA-AM (690). LMU Coach Charles Bradley is in his third season with the Lions, who have lost four straight after winning their season opener. LMU is led by senior guard Rupert McClendon, who is averaging a team-high 10.6 points, and junior forward Elton Mashack, who is averaging 9.8 points per game. Junior center Pablo Machado leads the team in rebounds (8.4) and is third in scoring (9.4). The Lions are struggling from the field (.360) and have been outrebounded by their opponents, 40.8 to 34.0. They are being outscored by an average of 74.6 to 60.8.
LAST GAME
Playing without two of its top six players, USC fell at St. Bonaventure, 80-67, on Saturday (Dec. 4). Junior forward/center Brian Scalabrine led USC with 19 points and sophomore forward Sam Clancy posted his second consecutive double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward David Bluthenthal added 17 points and made 4-of-7 three-pointers. USC was without top reserve Jarvis Turner because of a foot injury and without starting guard Jeff Trepagnier because he was attending his grandmother's funeral. USC, which saw freshman Malachi Thurston make his first career start in Trepagnier's place, led early and held a 14-9 lead eight minutes into the game and eventually went into halftime up 37-36. The Bonnies, led by guard Tim Winn's 22 points, got off to a fast start after the break, and, combined with the Trojans' poor second-half shooting, led for most of the second frame. USC's last look at the game came at 54-48 with 11:12 to go, but the Bonnies built the lead to 62-51 with 8:42 remaining and never led by less than 11 the rest of the way. The Trojans shot only .314 in the second half and missed 11-of-14 three-pointers.
USC AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS
* USC guards Brandon Granville and Jeff Trepagnier are both among the nation's leaders in their respective specialties, assists and steals. Granville (9.9 apg) is third in the country. Trepagnier (5.2 spg) is tied for second. His 31 overall steals, however, leads the nation (as of Dec. 6).
INJURY UPDATE
* USC will be without senior forward Jarvis Turner, the Trojans' top reserve, for four to six weeks because of a stress fracture in his foot. The injury originally occurred in USC's first exhibition game on Nov. 5.
RECORD-BREAKING NEWS
* Guard Jeff Trepagnier set a USC (and Maui Invitational) single-game steals record with 10 against Utah State in the final game of the tournament on Nov. 24. He broke his own record of eight set against Loyola Marymount last season on Dec. 9. Sophomore guard Brandon Granville also posted a USC and Maui Invitational single-game record. His came with 15 assists against Memphis on the second day of the tournament on Nov. 23. The record was previously shared by Larry Friend (1986) and Stais Boseman (1996), who both had 14.
CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS
* Jeff Trepagnier, standing only 6-foot-4 but possessing fantastic leaping ability, is now No. 9 on the Trojans' all-time Top 10 in blocked shots with 53 (Derrick Dowell is eighth with 60). Forward Sam Clancy, only a sophomore, isn't far behind. After blocking 39 shots in his first year at Troy, he now has 48, tied for 10th. The USC record is 128 by Lorenzo Orr (1992-95). Trepagnier is also in the USC Top 10 in steals with 109, good for a tie for fourth place. He only needs seven more to move into third place. Dowell is second with 179 and Stais Boseman (1994-97) owns the record with 208.
STARTERS - AND FINISHERS
* USC is relying heavily on its five starters. Entering the St. Bonaventure game (which guard Jeff Trepagnier missed while attending his grandmother's funeral), the group of guards Trepagnier and Brandon Granville, forwards Sam Clancy and David Bluthenthal and forward/center Brian Scalabrine had accounted for 84.4% of the minutes played. As it stands, four of the five regular starters are averaging at least 34.4 minutes a game with Bluthenthal playing 29.9 minutes per game. Even accounting for Trepagnier's missed game, the quintet has scored 475 of the team's 509 points (93.3%) and has 204 of 244 rebounds (not counting 17 team rebounds).
FINDING THE RANGE, HOPEFULLY
* The Trojans, who lost two of their top three-point shooters of all-time to graduation last year in Elias Ayuso and Adam Spanich, have had trouble finding the basket from long range this year. The team is shooting only .266 (33-of-124) from beyond the arc, compared to its opponents' combined mark of .426 (58-of-136). Last year, USC shot a respectable .344 from three-point land (182-of-529). Oddly enough, USC's top three-point shooter so far has been forward/center Brian Scalabrine, who has made 9-of-17 (.529) after making 1-of-6 all of last year.
SEASON STANDARDS
* It's never too early to take a peek at the school season records. The way USC guards Brandon Granville and Jeff Trepagnier are playing, why not? Trepagnier is already halfway to the steals record after six games with 31 steals. The season record is 62, set by Derrick Dowell in 1987. Granville already has 69 assists. The season record is 176, set by Larry Friend in 1985.
THOU SHALL STEAL
* Thanks mainly to guards Jeff Trepagnier (31 steals) and Brandon Granville (17), USC has 80 steals as a team, compared to its opponents' 56. As a team, the Trojans are averaging 11.4 steals a game. Last year, the Trojans averaged 9.4.
SHAQ IMPRESSIONS
* After opening the season making 29-of-36 free throws (80.6%), the Trojans have made only 49-of-87 (56.3%) in their last six games combined. Overall, USC is 78-of-123 (63.4%).
IT'S THE SEASON OF GIVING
* After never having had more than nine assists in a game as a freshman, guard Brandon Granville has had at least 10 assists four times as a sophomore, including in all three games of the Maui Invitational. He also had nine assists against Duke. No Trojan since Burt Harris in the 1992-93 season has even posted double digits in assists in two games in a row. Granville also has posted two double-doubles this season. In fact, his per game average of 9.9 assists is more than the entire team assist average of USC's Saturday opponent, Loyola Marymount (9.0).
RANDOM NOTES
* Guard Jeff Trepagnier has had at least three steals in every game he has played in this year and has a team-high 31 thefts (5.2 per game). He also is averaging a team-best 8.3 rebounds (tied with Sam Clancy) and has two double-doubles. * Brandon Granville's four treys against Memphis marks the third time in his career he has had at least four in a game. His five steals in the game was the fifth time he has had at least that many in a game in his career.
* Sam Clancy posted his third career 20-point plus outing (all this season) with 22 points against UC Santa Barbara. He is USC's leading scorer, averaging 17.9 points per game.
* USC received its only AP vote of the 1999-2000 season in the Nov. 15 rankings.
* Sam Clancy entered the 1999-2000 season as the Pac-10's leading returning shot blocker and Granville entered it as the Pac-10's top returning assist-maker. Both have started off well in their respective categories. Clancy has nine blocks and Granville leads the team with 69 assists.
* Jeff Trepagnier, USC's second-leading returning scorer and rebounder, entered 2000 on a hot streak. He averaged a double-double in the Trojans' final five games of the 1999 season (16.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg) and led the team in rebounding in each game during that span. His 24-point, 17-rebound performance against Wyoming in the first round of the NIT left him three rebounds short of becoming only the seventh Trojan ever to record a 20-point, 20-rebound game. The 17 rebounds were the most by a Trojan since Jaha Wilson had 17 against California on Jan. 11, 1996. He is averaging 16.3 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds to start this season.
* Brian Scalabrine's .532 field goal percentage in 1999 was good enough to put him fourth all-time on USC's career field goal percentage chart. He has continued his fine shooting in 1999-2000 and is at a .548 clip (46-of-84).
* For seasons that have spanned the change of a decade (like 1989-90 or 1999-2000), USC has had seven winning seasons and only two losing ones.
* USC's 25 assists against Memphis was its most since the 1997-98 season.
* USC opens its home portion of the Pac-10 schedule against UCLA on Jan. 12, the first time the Trojans face the Bruins in their home conference opener since the 1989-90 season.
TOYS FOR TOTS
USC and the U.S. Marine Corps are working together to host a Toys For Tots dropoff at the Dec. 8 USC-Hawai'i game at the Sports Arena. Any person bringing a new toy valued at $5 or more can exchange it for a ticket to the game.
PACIFIC-10 PRESEASON POLL
USC was picked to finish seventh in the 1999-2000 Pac-10 media poll. Arizona (356 points), with 32 of a possible 36 first-place votes, was tabbed as the favorite to win the title this season. UCLA (307) finished second and had three first-place votes and Stanford (296) was picked for third with one first-place vote. Oregon (246) was fourth, followed by Oregon State (174), California (152), USC (151), Arizona State (129), Washington (117) and Washington State (44).
SEASON/HOME OPENERS
Since its first season in 1907, USC is now 65-29 in its season openers after defeating Cal State Northridge, 73-59. Last year, USC opened with a 101-54 win over San Diego State at the Sports Arena, its largest win ever in a season opener. Incomplete records exist in home openers, but USC has now won five consecutive such games, 10 of its last 12 and 19 of 23.
TOURNEY TEAMS ON THE SCHEDULE
The Trojans will face six teams this season that reached the 1998-99 NCAA Tournament (North Carolina, Duke, Washington, UCLA, Arizona and Stanford) and another three that played in the 1999 NIT (Northwestern, Oregon and California) for a combined 15 games against teams that reached the postseason a year ago.
RANKED TEAMS ON THE SCHEDULE
USC is slated to play eight games against five teams ranked in the Associated Press' Preseason Top 25. They are No. 6 North Carolina, No. 9 Arizona, No. 10 Duke, No. 12 UCLA and No. 13 Stanford (all rankings preseason).
USC AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
The Trojans were 1-6 against ranked teams in 1998-99, are 0-2 against such teams this year and are 4-21 versus ranked teams since December of 1996. USC's lone win over a ranked team last year was at then-No. 6 Stanford, 86-82, in overtime. In USC's other three wins in the above stretch (all at home), USC shocked then-No. 6 (and eventual NCAA champion) Arizona, 75-62, on Jan. 16, 1997, defeated then-No. 16 Stanford, 84-81, on Feb. 6, 1997, and toppled then-No. 2 Arizona, 91-90 (OT), on March 5, 1998.
USC AT HOME
Dating back to 1996-97, the Trojans are 29-13 in their last 42 games at the Sports Arena and USC is 87-37 (.702) at the Sports Arena since the beginning of the 1991 season, including a 16-game winning streak over a span of the 1992 and 1993 seasons and a nine-game winning streak spanning the end of 1997-98 and the beginning of 1998-99.
TROJANS ON TELEVISION
USC will be quite visible throughout the year. Currently, USC has 16 games that will be televised live in Los Angeles. Two of those games (against North Carolina and at Long Beach State) will be broadcast nationally on ESPN and five other games will be aired nationally on FOX Sports Net (FOX Sports Net West locally). Nine other games will be televised by FOX Sports Net West 2 and the Duke game aired on KCAL (Channel 9).
HENRY BIBBY
Henry Bibby, a coach with 17 years of college and professional experience and the only player to ever play for an NCAA, NBA and CBA championship team, is in his fourth full season as the head coach of the USC men's basketball program. Last season, he directed the Trojans to a 15-13 overall mark (7-11 in the Pac-10, tied for seventh) and a first-round appearance in the NIT. USC went 9-19 the previous season, but closed out the year with a stunning 91-90 overtime victory over then-No. 2 Arizona and a 117-71 rout of Arizona State. In his first full season at the helm of the Trojan program, Bibby did not waste any time in moving Troy in the right direction. The 1996-97 campaign saw the Trojans finish second in the Pacific-10 Conference and make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1992. The previous year, the Trojans went 11-19 and finished ninth in the conference. The seven-game improvement is the third-biggest turnaround in USC history and the seven spot increase in the standings matches a school best. In addition, Bibby's 17-11 mark in 1996-97 is the best by a Trojan coach in his first full year since Forrest Twogood went 21-6 in his debut season in 1951. Bibby was named USC's head coach on March 15, 1996. Bibby joined the Trojan program in May of 1995 as an assistant coach. He was named USC's interim head coach on Feb. 7, 1996, replacing Charlie Parker. Bibby came to USC after coaching a club team in Venezuela in 1995. He was a head coach for eight seasons in the Continental Basketball Association. His teams made it into the CBA playoffs six times and posted a 223-213 regular season record, making him only the fourth CBA coach to post 200 wins.
BRIAN SCALABRINE
Junior o forward/center o 6-foot-9 o 250 pounds
* Averaging 16.4 points (second on the team), 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals (third best on the team in the latter two categories). * 1999-2000 Top-50 Wooden Award and All-American candidate. * 1998-99 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year and also received All-Pac-10 honorable mention honors. * Scored season-high 21 points and had three steals against UC Santa Barbara. He had 19 points at St. Bonaventure, 18 points vs. Cal State Northridge and had 17 points against both Memphis and then-No. 15 Duke. * Led USC in scoring (14.6), rebounding (6.4) and field goal percentage (.531, 152-of-286) last year. Was second in assists (68) and third in blocks (25). * Had career-high 26 points, seven rebounds and two blocks against American last year. * "The most impressive newcomer (in the Pac-10), by far, is USC forward Brian Scalabrine. Scalabrine is skilled, athletic and plays with limitless energy." - Jon Wilner, Los Angeles Daily News * "(Scalabrine) is an all-leaguer. He's the closest thing I've seen to Detlef Schrempf since Detlef Schrempf. He can bring it on the break. He can pass it and he can shoot it. He's a pro, no question." - Arizona Coach Lute Olson * "(USC) is well-rounded with a great inside guy (Scalabrine) who will be a professional player. He's as good as it gets." - Arkansas State Coach Dickey Nutt * "Scalabrine is a great Division I player. I think he's terrific." - Long Beach State Coach Wayne Morgan
JEFF TREPAGNIER
Junior o guard o 6-foot-4 o 195 pounds
* One of the top athletes and best leapers in the nation whose dunks and athleticism often land him on Plays of the Week highlight reels around the country. * Leads the team in rebounding (8.3, tied), steals (5.2, first in the Pac-10) and blocks (1.5) and is third in scoring (16.3). * Missed the St. Bonaventure game while attending a funeral for his grandmother in Southern California. * Had a spectacular game against Utah State in defeat at the Maui Invitational. Had 19 points, broke his own USC single-game steals record with 10 steals (the old mark was eight), blocked four shots and had seven rebounds. Overall in Maui, Trepagnier averaged 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.3 steals, 2.7 assists and 1.7 blocks in 39.0 minutes per game. * Had second consecutive double-double vs. then-No. 15 Duke with 15 points and season-high 12 rebounds. * Had season-high 23 points vs. UC Santa Barbara to go with five steals. Posted 19 points, six steals and four assists against Memphis. * Was the only Pac-10 player to finish in the Top 10 in steals, blocks and field goal percentage (.492, 125-of-154) last year and he averaged a double-double in his last five games (16.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg). * Was also a two-sport athlete in 1999, competing in the high jump for the track and field team in a dual meet with UCLA and at the Pac-10 Championships. New to the sport, he won the event against the Bruins (6-9 3/4) and finished second at the Pac-10s (7-0 1/2). * Posted fifth double-double of season with career-high 24 points and career-high 17 rebounds at Wyoming in the first round of the NIT. * "Jeff Trepagnier is as good of an athlete as we've played against and he's got courage, too." - Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Head Coach * "Trepagnier is a sensational athlete who has improved his fundamentals and gives the Trojans' backcourt some much-needed size." - Jon Wilner, Los Angeles Daily News
BRANDON GRANVILLE
Sophomore o guard o 5-foot-9 o 175 pounds
* Posted USC single-game record 15 assists against Memphis in the Maui Invitational, also setting a tournament record. He also had 19 points and five steals in the game. * He is averaging 9.9 assists per game (third in the country, first in the Pac-10, as of 12/6/99) and has four double-digit assist efforts and two double-doubles. He is also second on the team in steals (2.4). * Scored 15 points and had 11 assists against then-No. 5 North Carolina and had 12 assists and five steals vs. UC Santa Barbara. * Earned 1998-99 Pac-10 All-Freshman honorable mention honors. * Made 5-of-9 three pointers en route to season-high 22 points at UC Santa Barbara last year, adding eight assists and three steals.
SAM CLANCY
Sophomore o forward o 6-foot-7 o 240 pounds
* USC's and the Pac-10's leading scorer (17.9) and tied as USC's leading rebounder (8.3). * Scored career-high 24 points on 8-of-9 field goals and 8-of-9 free throws and also had eight rebounds in USC's 1999-2000 season opener. * Had 23 points (including career-high 11 field goals) and three steals against then-No. 5 North Carolina and had 15 points and seven boards against Memphis. * Posted first double-double of season (he has six in his career) with 22 points and 11 rebounds vs. UC Santa Barbara and had second double-double of season with 15 points and 11 boards at St. Bonaventure. * Had 19 points, eight rebounds, two blocks vs. then-No. 15 Duke.
DAVID BLUTHENTHAL
Sophomore o forward o 6-foot-7 o 220 pounds
* After coming off the bench last year, has earned a starting role in 1999-2000 at small forward. * Posted career highs in points (18) and rebounds (11) against Memphis in the Maui Invitational for first career double-double. He shot 9-of-12 in the game. * Scored 17 points (including 4-of-7 on three-pointers) at St. Bonaventure. * Fourth in scoring (11.0) and rebounding (5.3). * Scored 14 points and had nine rebounds against Utah State in the final game of the Maui Invitational. He averaged a team-high 8.7 rebounds in the tournament and also averaged 12.7 points. * Played in 20 games and averaged 7.6 minutes, 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game as a freshman.
JARVIS TURNER
Senior o forward o 6-foot-8 o 240 pounds
* USC's lone senior, he was fourth on team in scoring (5.6) and rebounding (3.5) in 1998-99 in only 13.1 minutes per game. * Will miss 4 to 6 weeks recovering from a stress fracture in his foot. * Played in only three games this season while nursing the foot injury that will keep him out 4 to 6 weeks. He suffered the injury in the preseason but initially tried to play on it. * Started three times last season but has 23 career starts to his credit. * Scored season-high 16 points and had six rebounds against St. Bonaventure last year.
KONSTANTINOS CHARISSIS
Freshman o center o 6-foot-11 o 250 pounds
* A talented big man with a traditional European game, he will challenge for time as a reserve center. * Played season-high nine minutes against UC Santa Barbara. * Has played 21 minutes overall and is 3-of-6 from the field with four rebounds. * Also goes by the first name Kostas. * Was a reserve center on the mid-level Greek club team Papagou-Athens in 1999 and averaged 3.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in limited action.
NATE HAIR
Freshman o guard o 6-foot-3 o 195 pounds
* An athletic guard, Hair could add a strong presence to USC's perimeter game. * Scored first six points of his career at St. Bonaventure, going 2-of-3 on three-pointers. He played a career-high 28 minutes and had a career-high three rebounds. * Made collegiate debut in final minute of game against then-No. 5 North Carolina. He also played two minutes against Memphis, four minutes against Duke and six minutes against UC Santa Barbara. * Missed most of the preseason and both exhibition games recovering from a stress fracture in his knee. * Was a 1999 Street & Smith's All-American honorable mention, an All-Stater Sports 1999 West Regional Dream Team fourth teamer and a 1999 Best in the West and 1999 Orange County Register Fab 15 second team pick as a senior at Capistrano Valley (Calif.) High. * Averaged 15 points and five rebounds his senior year.
RASHAD JONES
Junior o guard o 6-foot-2 o 195 pounds
* A hard-working point guard, he will back up Brandon Granville in the backcourt in his first year as a Trojan. * Played 24 minutes off the bench in USC's 1999-2000 season opener against Cal State Northridge, scoring six points (all on free throws) and grabbing six rebounds to go with two steals. He also played 21 minutes against Memphis and had three rebounds and two points. * Averaging 11.3 minutes and 2.1 rebounds as a reserve guard. * Averaged 15.7 points, 6.0 assists and 3.1 steals per game in leading the Jaguars to a 19-10 mark as a 1999 sophomore at San Jose (Calif.) City College. He made 50.4 percent of his field goal attempts (120-of-238) and shot 80.1 percent from the foul line (125-of-156).
MALACHI THURSTON
Freshman o guard o 6-foot-4 o 200 pounds
* An athletic swingman, he will compete for minutes as a reserve in the backcourt. * Made first career start at St. Bonaventure, scoring three points and getting four rebounds. * Played 26 minutes against UC Santa Barbara, grabbing a career-high five rebounds and scoring a career-high four points. He has three steals in 31 minutes of total playing time. * Made his Trojan debut playing two minutes and scoring one point in USC's 1999-2000 opener against Cal State Northridge. * He averaged 24 points, nine rebounds and three assists last year at the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn., and earned the William Duryee Award as the top player in the Tri-State League.
LUKE MINOR
Freshman o center o 7-foot-3 o 320 pounds
* USC's tallest player ever, he may redshirt as a true freshman. * Minor averaged 7.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks as 1999 senior at Blue Ride Academy in Dyke, Va., leading his team to a 19-6 mark and an appearance in the state semifinals of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. * He broke the school's season block record with 67 and the career block record with 124. Minor was named Virginia's 10th best prospect by the Roanoke Times.
Game 8
Hawai'i
December 8, 1999
Los Angeles Sports Arena (15,509)
Los Angeles, CA - 7 p.m.
On the Air
The USC-Hawai'i game will be carried on KCTD-AM 1540. Rory Markas handles the radio play-by-play, while ex-USC assistant coach Jim Hefner adds the color commentary. All of USC's radio broadcasts feature short pre- and post-game shows immediately before and after the game.
Series
USC holds a 25-4 lead over Hawai'i but hasn't played the Rainbows since a 68-63 win in the 1975-76 season. The Trojans and Rainbows first played in the 1951-52 season, a USC loss (67-56). USC is 14-0 at home against Hawai'i. The Rainbows haven't beaten the Trojans since a 73-67 win at Hawai'i in the 1956-57 season.
Last Game
USC came back from a 12-point halftime deficit to defeat the Rainbows, 68-63, on Dec. 29, 1975, in the Rainbow Classic semifinals. The Trojans were led by 24 points from Marv Safford and got 18 points from Bob Trowbridge. The Rainbows, who led 41-29 at halftime, were led by Henry Hollingsworth's 18 points. USC outscored Hawai'i, 39-22, in the second half, holding the Rainbows to .310 shooting, to secure the comeback win.
Coach
Riley Wallace is in his 13th season as the Hawai'i head coach. The two-time Western Athletic Coach of the Year (1987 and 1997) has guided the Rainbows to four appearances in the NIT (1989, 1990, 1997 and 1998) and one showing in the NCAA Tournament (1994). That same year, he led Hawai'i to its first-ever WAC Tournament title. His 187-173 (.519) record places him first all-time among Rainbow basketball coaches in wins against four-year colleges and in total victories.
Probable Starters pts. reb.
F 24 Troy Ostler (6-10, Jr.) 9.0 6.8
F 22 Nerijus Puida (6-5, Jr.) 8.0 *6.0
C 44 Marquette Alexander (6-9, Sr.) 14.0 8.2
G 11 Johnny White (6-1, Sr.) 9.0 2.3
G 1 Predrag Savovic (6-6, So.) 7.5 2.5
*assists
Game 9 Loyola Marymount
December 11, 1999
Gersten Pavilion (4,156)
Los Angeles, CA - 7:05 p.m. (EST)
On the Air
The USC-Loyola Marymount game will be televised live by FOX Sports Net 2 with Tom Kelly and Kurt Rambis calling the action. The game will also be carried on XTRA-AM (690). Rory Markas handles the radio play-by-play, while ex-USC assistant coach Jim Hefner adds the color commentary. All of USC's radio broadcasts feature short pre- and post-game shows immediately before and after the game.
Series
USC leads 36-5 and has won four of the five contests played this decade. The Trojans have won three in a row overall in the series, including a 79-43 victory over the Lions last year at the Sports Arena. In the last game played between the two teams at Gersten Pavilion, the Trojans prevailed, 92-88, in 1997-98. USC last lost to the Lions on the road in the 1995-96 season when LMU outscored USC, 13-0, in the final 2:08 to come from way back to win, 86-83.
Last Game
Jeff Trepagnier had his first career double-double (18 points, 11 boards) to lead USC to a 79-43 rout of Loyola Marymount at the Sports Arena on Dec. 9, 1998. Trepagnier also had a then-USC-record eight steals, leading USC to a school-record 23 steals. USC held LMU to a shooting percentage of .224 (15-of-67). Despite all of that, the Lions led at halftime, 30-29. The Trojans came out firing in the second half and used a 16-0 run to turn a four-point edge with 14:40 to go into a 54-34 lead five minutes later. USC led by as many as 37 points in the second half.
Coach
Charles Bradley is in his third season as head coach at Loyola Marymount. He coached for three seasons at Metro State before that, posting a record of 37-43. He is a former All-American from Wyoming, where he played four seasons. Bradley was an NBA first-round pick (Boston Celtics) in 1981 and played in the NBA for three years.
Probable Starters pts. reb.
F 4 J.J. Sola (6-7, Fr.) 6.0 2.4
F 3 Elton Mashack (6-5, Jr.) 9.8 4.6
C 31 Pablo Machado (6-10, Jr.) 9.4 8.4
G 33 Curtis Slaughter (6-7, So.) 9.0 4.2
G 25 Rupert McClendon (6-5, Sr.) 10.6 3.6
The 1999-2000 Trojans When . . .
At the Sports Arena 2-0
On the Road 0-1
At a Neutral Site 1-3
Scoring First 3-2
Leading at Halftime 3-2
Trailing at Halftime 0-2
Tied at Halftime 0-0
Leading or Tied with 5:00 Left 3-0
Trailing with 5:00 Left 0-4
In Overtime 0-0
In Double Overtime 0-0
Scoring Less Than 70 Points 0-4
Scoring Between 70-80 Points 1-0
Scoring Between 81-90 Points 0-0
Scoring Between 91-100 Points 2-0
Scoring More Than 100 Points 0-0
7 Trojans in Double Figures 0-0
6 Trojans in Double Figures 0-0
5 Trojans in Double Figures 1-0
4 Trojans in Double Figures 1-0
3 Trojans or less in Double Figures 1-4
USC 50% or Better from Field 2-0
USC Under 50% from Field 1-4
USC Outrebounds Opponent 2-1
Opponent Outrebounds USC 1-3
USC Has More Turnovers 0-1
Opponent Has More Turnovers 3-2
USC Has More Assists 3-1
Opponent Has More Assists 0-2
The Last Time
A Trojan . . .
Scored 40 or More Points
Harold Miner (43), 11/25/91
Scored 30 or More Points
Gary Johnson (32), 3/7/98
Got 15 or More Rebounds
