Pac-10 report

SportsLine.com Report
April 4, 2000

On the first weekend in December, Southern California lost to St. Bonaventure and the tone for the season was set. The Trojans would go 2-10 against teams selected to the NCAA Tournament, including the Bonnies, and such would be the year.

Angered when it was ignored by the NIT selection committee, USC has no one to blame but itself for an unfulfilling 16-14 season, sixth place in the Pac-10.

The Trojans simply couldn't beat the good teams on their schedule, a problem compounded by the 10-game absence of power forward Sam Clancy, out with a broken foot. USC lost to Utah State, St. Bonaventure, Duke and North Carolina -- all NCAA-bound teams -- and then further eroded its strength-of-schedule factor by losing at Long Beach State in mid-December.

USC went a combined 2-6 against the league's top three teams, Oregon, Arizona and Stanford.

"We can't blame the NIT committee," coach Henry Bibby said. "We could be upset, but if we had done what we needed to do it wouldn't have been a problem getting in."

USC went 3-7 without Clancy, and 4-8 down the stretch, blowing a 6-1 start that got them into the Pac-10 lead in late January. As much as Bibby tried to deny a lack of depth hurt the Trojans, it is precisely the lack of a bench that cost them a postseason berth.

After Clancy and senior Jarvis Turner were injured against Arizona State on Jan. 20, the Trojans were reduced to a six-man rotation. The fifth and sixth men -- freshman guard Nate Hair, and 7-foot European import Konstantin Charissis -- weren't ready for prime-time action and it cost USC dearly.

Opposing defenses were able to concentrate on taking one of the four standouts -- point guard Brandon Granville, forwards David Bluthenthal and Brian Scalabrine and off guard Jeff Trepagnier -- out of the game.

USC expected much more than a 16-14 record, especially coming off a 15-13 season, but there were too many player defections, cutting into depth. Greg Lackey, Shannon Swillis and Quincy Wilder transferred, unhappy with Bibby's program. And when Clancy and Turner were injured, there was no fall-back plan on the roster.

"If we had a conference tournament it would've been great," said Trepagnier. "We became a complete team again with Clancy back."

USC was unable to win close games, falling five times by five points or less in the Pac-10. There was no backup point guard to spell Granville, and no one to give Scalabrine a rest inside.

As a result, the Trojans have to point to next season instead of making their desired impact this season.

A Glance at 2001

No one will be eager to play the Trojans next year. They could have the best starting group in the Pac-10: a workhorse under the basket like Clancy, the much-improved Bluthenthal, a potential All-American in Scalabrine, the athletic Trepagnier, and one of the league's top point Guards in Granville.

But Bibby must build a reliable bench. Hair should be better as a sophomore, and Charissis showed signs of being a factor with his size. If one or two of the new players Bibby brings to campus can play effectively off the bench, the Trojans could be a Top 25 team, bound for the NCAA Tournament.

The Coach

The combative Bibby is 58-64 in four-plus seasons at USC, but his Pac-10 finishes the past three years -- eighth, seventh and sixth -- leave much to be desired.

His reputation is as a capable game-day coach, but his overall program management has been ineffective. Too many able players have left the program after clashing with the strong-willed coach.

Next year should be a strong indication of what direction the Trojans are headed. If they can't take advantage of their most talented starting lineup in the past decade, threatening UCLA for area superiority, Bibby may be asked to move on.

Who'll Be Back

Scalabrine upped his scoring average from 14 to 18, and is perhaps the league's best player. Granville will rival Arizona's Jason Gardner as the league's top point guard. Clancy, a power forward, seems to have an upside that will put him next to Arizona's Michael Wright as the league's top at that position.

Trepagnier needs to improve his outside shooting, but he's terrific in transition and on defense. Bluthenthal, who averaged 9.9 rebounds, has all-conference potential.

Who's Gone

Only injured forward Jarvis Turner, who missed the last 13 league games, is gone. Everybody else returns.

Key Newcomers

• PG, Robert Hutchinson: A JC transfer from Niceville, Fla., is a Top 25 junior-college recruit who will be expected to give Granville some rest.
• SG, Desmon Farmer: A high school senior from Flint, Mich., is the backup for Trepagnier at off guard, a Top 50-level prep recruit.
• C, Luke Minor: A 7-3, 320-pound redshirt freshman from Dyke, Va., could be an imposing big man, but he'll break in slowly, behind Scalabrine and Clancy.