Men's Basketball Hosts Long Beach State on Tuesday

November 23, 1998

LOS ANGELES -The USC men's basketball team (2-0), under the direction of third-year head coach Henry Bibby and coming off of wins in its home and road openers, looks to improve to 3-0 for the first time since the 1988-89 season when it hosts local rival Long Beach State (1-2) on Tuesday (Nov. 24) at 7:36 p.m. USC opened the season with a 101-54 victory over San Diego State at the Sports Arena on Nov. 17 before downing Nevada-Las Vegas, 71-68, on the road on Nov. 20. The win in Las Vegas snapped an 11-game road losing streak for the Trojans. Long Beach State is coming off of a 52-48 loss to Pepperdine on Nov. 21. The Trojans follow up their bout with the 49ers by hosting St. Bonaventure on Nov. 30 at 5 p.m.

Game #3 USC (2-0) vs. Long Beach State (1-2) on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Tip-off is set for 7:36 p.m. The game will be televised live by FOX Sports West 2. The contest will also be broadcast live on XTRA-AM Sports (690). Long Beach State finished 10-19 overall and 5-11 in the Western Division of the Big West Conference last season. Junior center Mate Milisa and sophomore guard Ramel Lloyd, both first-year 49ers, are both averaging 16.0 points per game and junior forward Richie Smalls, another first-year player, is averaging 13.7 points. Milisa and Smalls are also grabbing 9.7 and 8.7 rebounds a game, respectively. Long Beach State has struggled from the field in the early going, making only 78-of-180 attempts (.430).

LAST GAME USC remained perfect in the early going when it cooled off a hot Nevada-Las Vegas team on its home court on Nov. 20, 71-68, in front of 16,348 at the Thomas and Mack Center. Senior guard Elias Ayuso led all scorers with 16 points while freshman guard Brandon Granville and sophomore forward/center transfer Brian Scalabrine each scored 15 points in the Trojan win. USC led wire-to-wire, building a large lead in the first half before withstanding numerous UNLV charges in the second half. The Trojans led 5-2 at the 17:15 mark in the first half but used a 12-0 run over two minutes to build a 15-point lead. USC's first-half bulge grew to as big as 18 points at 24-6 as the Trojans held the previously unbeaten Runnin' Rebels to only .235 shooting in the first 20 minutes. Trailing 36-26 at the half, UNLV, ranked No. 25 in Sports Illustrated's preseason poll, pulled to within two points at 42-40 on a pair of free throws from senior guard Brian Keefe, who led the Rebels with 15 points. USC got some breathing room with a quick 7-0 run on a Scalabrine jumper, a three- pointer from senior forward Adam Spanich and a bucket from Ayuso and didn't lead by less than four points the rest of the game until the final buzzer. USC sealed the victory by making its free throws down the stretch, sinking nine of 10 foul shots in the last 92 seconds. The Trojans actually led by 10 points with 13 seconds to go before the Rebels made three baskets in the game's waning seconds, including one at the buzzer.

EARLY INDICATIONS

In 28 games in 1997-98, USC topped 50 percent from the field only three times. The 1998-99 Trojans, however, have done it twice already, shooting .515 against San Diego State and .510 vs. UNLV. USC's opponents shot 50 percent or better 11 times last year, but the Aztecs and Rebels made only 29.5 and 32.4 percent of their field goal attempts, respectively.

One of USC's biggest weaknesses in 1997-98 was its free throw shooting, finishing the year at a paltry .640. A point of emphasis in the offseason, the extra work is beginning to pay off. USC has made 43-of-58 (.741) foul shots in its first two games, including a 29-of-35 showing in its opener and 11-of-14 in the second half at Las Vegas.

As expected, USC coach Henry Bibby has used his roster liberally in the Trojans first two games. He played 13 players against San Diego State and 11 against Nevada-Las Vegas. Eleven players are averaging at least 10 minutes a game in the first two outings.

TROJAN NOTES

USC's win over UNLV may be a good omen. Only four teams beat the Rebels on their home court last year (Syracuse, Utah, New Mexico and UCLA) and all four went to the NCAA Tournament.

USC snapped an 11-game road losing streak with its win at UNLV. Its previous road win was last November at San Diego State.

Troy, which finished last season as the Pac-10's top shot-blocking team (4.36 bpg), is averaging 4.50 in its first two games in 1998-99.

Sophomore guard Kevin Augustine, who did not play in either of USC's exhibition games after being away from the team for more than a week for personal reasons, played briefly against both San Diego State and UNLV. He saw three minutes of action against the Aztecs and played five minutes at Nevada-Las Vegas.

SIDE NOTES Senior guard Elias Ayuso needs one more three-pointer to become only the ninth Trojan with at least 100 three-pointers in his career . . . USC's 47-point margin of victory against San Diego State was its biggest since beating UC Irvine by 62, 107-45, in the 1996-97 season . . . USC's 22 steals against San Diego State tied a school record (Seattle, 1989). Nine of 13 Trojans had at least one pick.

ON THE AIR Twenty of USC's 27 games will be broadcast on XTRA-AM Sports 690. Rory Markas handles the play-by-play duties for the Trojans and ex-USC assistant coach Jim Hefner is the analyst. XTRA will broadcast all 18 Pacific-10 Conference games as well as games against non-conference foes Long Beach State and Kansas. The remaining seven games will be broadcast by KCTD-AM 1540.

SCHEDULE/TELEVISION CHANGES USC's game against St. Bonaventure on Nov. 30, originally scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, will now tip off at 5 p.m. In addition, USC's game at California on Feb. 11, originally scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start, will begin at 5 p.m. to accommodate a FOX Sports West 2 television broadcast. The Trojans' game against Arizona on Jan. 4 at 1 p.m. at the Sports Arena, originally scheduled to be broadcast on FOX Sports West 2, will not be aired on television.

TALENTED NEWCOMERS For the second consecutive season, USC has a talented cast of newcomers that are contributing right away. In 1997-98, the Trojans featured four freshmen, all of whom saw considerable playing time. This year, true freshmen Brandon Granville, Sam Clancy and David Bluthenthal as well as sophomore transfer Brian Scalabrine and junior transfer Quincy Wilder are all pushing hard for meaningful minutes. In USC's first two games, they are averaging 42.5 points and 25.0 rebounds.

TOUGH SCHEDULE As usual, USC plays a demanding slate of games, scheduled to play five of the top 18 teams in the preseason AP Top 25 poll (No. 3 Stanford, No. 8 Kansas, No. 12 UCLA, No. 14 Washington and No. 18 Arizona). The Trojans also face two other teams which received votes in the AP poll: California and UNLV. Eight teams on the USC schedule played in the postseason in 1998 (Kansas, Stanford, UCLA, UNLV, Washington and Arizona in the NCAA Tournament and Arizona State and St. Bonaventure in the NIT). USC opens with eight of its first 11 games at the Sports Arena, including six of nine non-conference games. The Trojans will enjoy a four-game homestand in that span, with its last two non-conference games against American (Dec. 21) and Arkansas State (Dec. 29) followed by the first weekend of Pac-10 play vs. Arizona State (Jan. 2) and Arizona (Jan. 4).

PAC-10 PRESEASON POLL USC was picked to finish eighth in the Pac-10 preseason media poll. Stanford was picked first with 369 points and 36 first-place votes. The Cardinal was followed by Arizona (298), Washington (277), UCLA (271), California (253, one first- place vote), Arizona State and Oregon (150 each), USC (144), Washington State (65) and Oregon State (56).

HENRY BIBBY Henry Bibby, a coach with 16 years of college and professional experience and the only player to ever play for an NCAA, NBA and CBA championship team, is in his third full season as the head coach of the USC men's basketball program. Last season USC went 9-19 overall, but closed out the season 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.

Adam Spanich Senior : forward : 6-foot-7 : 212 pounds

One of USC's all-time top three-point shooters.

Scored key eight points at UNLV, all in the second half, making three of four shots.

One of three seniors on team.

Currently ranks No. 11 on USC career three-point chart (75).

Averaged 12.0 points in 1997-98.

Made 73-of-174 treys last season, leading the Pac-10 in both categories.

Made two dramatic three-pointers in USC's upset of No. 2 Arizona last season. The first sent the game into overtime and the second won it with no time on the clock.

Was named to the Pac-10 All-Newcomer first team.

Elias Ayuso Senior : guard : 6-foot-2 : 195 pounds

Another strong three-point threat.

Scored game-high 16 points at UNLV and made three-of-five three-pointers.

Had 11 points and three steals against San Diego State in USC's opener.

Currently ranks No. 9 on USC's career three-point chart (99).

One of only three seniors on team.

Averaged 8.8 points per game in 1997-98 and made 46 three-pointers.

Scored a career-high 25 points in last season's final game against Arizona State.

Jarvis Turner Junior : forward : 6-foot-8 : 230 pounds

Had nine points, two steals and a block in the season opener against San Diego State.

One of two returning starters from 1997-98 and the second-leading returning scorer (10.6) and rebounder (5.3).

In the season finale against Arizona State last season, he recorded his second consecutive double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Against No. 2 Arizona last year, Turner had a career-high tying 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.

Shannon Swillis Sophomore : forward : 6-foot-6 : 225 pounds

USC's leading returning rebounder (5.9) from 1997-98 and a part-time starter.

Can play as a swingman or a power forward.

Had a team-high 41 blocks (1.52 pg second in the Pac-10) last year and blocked three or more shots in eight games.

Earned 1997-98 Pac-10 All-Freshman honorable mention honors.

Against Tennessee last year, he finished with a career-high 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Greg Lakey Sophomore : forward : 6-foot-8 : 200 pounds

Scored 10 points and had eight rebounds against the Aztecs to open the season.

USC's third-leading returning rebounder from 1997-98. Averaged 5.3 points and 3.7 rebounds last season while starting 19 games as a true freshman (second most on the team).

Had a career-high 14 points and eight rebounds against Washington State last year.

Jeff Trepagnier Sophomore : guard : 6-foot-4 : 185 pounds

Scored 12 points and had two blocks and three steals in USC's season opener and followed it up with seven points at UNLV.

Averaged 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds as a true freshman in 1997-98 while starting six games.

Was second on the team in steals (28) and third in offensive rebounds (42) last year.

Scored career-high 18 points to go along with four steals at UCLA last year.

One of the top athletes in the Pac-10.

Kevin Augustine Sophomore : guard : 6-foot : 185 pounds

Played three minutes in the Trojans' opener and five minutes at UNLV.

Started 10 times at point guard in 1997-98 as a true freshman.

Averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 assists last season despite being hampered all season by tendinitis in the rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

He averaged 7.9 points in Pac-10 games.

Earned Pac-10 All-Freshman honorable mention honors.

David Bluthenthal Freshman : forward : 6-foot-7 : 215 pounds

Scored four points and had three rebounds in his first game as a Trojan against San Diego State.

Averaged 21.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game at Westchester (Calif.) High in 1997-98.

Teamed with current Trojan teammate Brandon Granville in leading the Comets to a 30-3 record and their first-ever City Section 4-A title and Division I state championship.

Was the City 4-A Player of the Year.

Can play both forward positions.

Sam Clancy Freshman : forward : 6-foot-7 : 240 pounds

USC's second-leading rebounder (8.5) and tied for first in blocked shots (1.0).

Posted a double-double in his first game at USC, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against San Diego State.

Averaged 17.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in 1997-98 at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio.

Led the Eagles to the Ohio "Big School" state championship and earned Parade Magazine All-America fourth team honors.

Was a Street & Smith's 1997 College Basketball fourth team All-American and an All-Metro (Cleveland) pick.

Brandon Granville Freshman : guard : 5-foot-9 : 175 pounds

USC's third-leading scorer (12.5) and is first in steals (4.0).

Scored 15 points (including eight-of-nine from the foul line) and had seven assists at UNLV.

Scored 10 points and had five assists and six steals vs. San Diego State in becoming the first true freshman to start a game at USC since Burt Harris in 1992-93.

Averaged 12.0 points, 10.0 assists and 3.0 steals in 1997-98 at Westchester (Calif.) High, playing with current Trojan teammate David Bluthenthal.

Led the Comets to a 30-3 record and the Coastal Conference Western League championship, City Section 4-A title and Division I state championship.

Was a USA Today All-USA honorable mention, Los Angeles Times South Bay/Westside All-Star Team and South Bay Daily Breeze All-Area first team selection.

Brian Scalabrine Sophomore : forward : 6-foot-9 : 240 pounds

USC's leading scorer (14.5) and rebounder (9.0) has made .667 of his field goals (10-of-15) in the early going.

Scored 15 points and had nine rebounds at UNLV.

Scored 14 points (including six-of-six from the line) and had nine rebounds and two blocks in Trojan debut against San Diego State.

Can play both power forward and center.

Averaged 16.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game as a freshman in 1996-97, helping lead Highline C.C. in Des Moines, Wash., to a 31-1 overall record and the state junior college championship.

He led the Thunderbirds in rebounding, blocks and free throw percentage (75 percent) and also shot 59 percent from the field.

Recorded double-doubles in 17 games.

Redshirted last season.

Quincy Wilder Junior : guard : 6-foot-3 : 200 pounds

Scored 10 points and had three assists off the bench against San Diego State.

A versatile player, he can play either guard spot or small forward.

As a sophomore at Highline C.C. in Des Moines, Wash., Wilder averaged 23.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.2 steals per game.

He led the Thunderbirds to consecutive Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championship. Scored in double figures in all 33 games he played in and scored 20 or more in 23 of those games.

Seymour Daffeh, Shelby Jordan, Rob Eres

Rounding out the Trojan roster are walk-ons Seymour Daffeh, Shelby Jordan and Rob Eres. Daffeh, a senior, is in his fourth year with USC and has played in eight games in his Trojan career. Jordan, a sophomore, played in two games as a freshman last season and Eres, a freshman, is in his first year with the team.

Daffeh played two minutes in USC's season opener. He didn't see any action last year.

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