University Southern California Trojans
No. 23 Men's Hoops At Oregon, Oregon State
January 25, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2000
LOS ANGELES - The first-place and No. 23 USC men's basketball team (12-5 overall, 5-0 in the Pacific-10 Conference), under fourth-year head coach Henry Bibby and a winner of a season-high seven consecutive games and nine of its last 10, hits the road for the first time in the Pac-10 when it takes on third-place Oregon (13-3, 4-1) on Thursday (Jan. 27) at 7:30 p.m. in Eugene and Oregon State (10-6, 2-3) on Saturday (Jan. 29) at 7:30 p.m. in Corvallis. One of the hottest teams in the country, the Trojans are off to their best start ever in the Pac-10 and their seven-game win streak is their longest since a nine-game streak in 1991-92. Ranked for the first time since the end of the 1992 season, they are coming off a sweep of the Arizona schools, a 95-92 overtime win over Arizona State on Jan. 20 and an 80-72 victory over then-No. 2 Arizona on Jan. 22. All this despite losing both sophomore forward Sam Clancy (USC's leading scorer) and senior forward Jarvis Turner (USC's top reserve) to injuries during the Arizona State game. 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 #18
USC (12-5, 5-0) at Oregon (13-3, 4-1) at McArthur Court in Eugene, Ore., on Thursday (Jan. 27). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised live nationally on FOX Sports Net and will be broadcast live on XTRA-AM (690). The Ducks, under third-year coach Ernie Kent, are shooting a Pac-10 best .501 as a team from the field. They are led by senior forward A.D. Smith (15.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and senior guard Alex Scales (15.2, 4.1). Senior guard Darius Wright averages 11.0 points and a team-best 5.2 assists. They have outscored opponents by an average of 78.3 to 67.0 and have outrebounded teams, 35.2 to 30.3.
GAME #19
USC at Oregon State (10-6, 2-3) at Gill Coliseum on Saturday (Jan. 29). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised in the Northwest only on FOX Sports Net and will be broadcast live on XTRA-AM (690). The Beavers, under fifth-year coach Eddie Payne, have won two straight (over the Washington schools on the road) after losing their first three Pac-10 games (all at home). Junior guard Deaundra Tanner leads the team in scoring (15.0 ppg) and assists (4.8 apg). Freshman forward Brian Jackson is averaging 14.4 points per game and 6.3 rebounds and senior forward Clifton Jones averages 9.1 points and 6.3 rebounds.
LAST TWO GAMES
It was an exciting and emotional weekend for USC basketball as the Trojans swept Arizona State and then-No. 2 Arizona at the Sports Arena, but lost sophomore forward Sam Clancy and senior forward Jarvis Turner to injuries in the process. USC, named USA Today's Team of the Week for its efforts, defeated Arizona State in overtime, 95-92, on Jan. 20 and then stunned Arizona, 80-72, on Saturday. Turner and Clancy sustained fractures of their left ankle and right foot, respectively, on Thursday (they will be out 6 to 8 weeks), but the Trojans not only held on against the Sun Devils, but rallied as a team to knock off the Wildcats. Against Arizona, junior forward/center Brian Scalabrine scored a career-high 27 points and sophomore forward David Bluthenthal had a career-high 26 points to lead USC to victory. Sophomore guard Brandon Granville posted his fourth consecutive double-double with 12 points and 10 assists and junior guard Jeff Trepagnier added 12 points for the Trojans. Without Clancy and Turner, USC Coach Henry Bibby inserted freshman center Konstantinos Charissis into the starting lineup and also utilized freshmen guards Nate Hair and Malachi Thurston to help make up on the slack. Though the Trojans' reserves didn't score much (three points), they more than earned their keep on the defensive end against the explosive Wildcats. Arizona, led by freshman guard Jason Gardner's 25 points, got off to a 14-7 lead, but USC responded with a 9-0 run to get back into the game. Ahead 27-26 with 7:30 to go in the first half, USC used a 10-3 run to take a 37-29 lead with 3:08 to go, but the Wildcats came back to within 37-36 at the half. Gardner hit a three-pointer at the start of the second half to give Arizona a 39-37 edge, but it was its last lead of the game. The game was tied at 41-41 when USC went on an 8-0 run to take a 49-41 lead with 14:54 left to play. Arizona got to within two points on four occasions after, the last at 69-67 with 1:38 remaining, but could not get closer. The Trojans made 11-of-12 free throws in the final 98 seconds to secure the win.
The game against Arizona State was possibly the most physical game of the year and came on a record-setting night. Bluthenthal tied USC's school record for rebounds with 28 to go with 18 points while Scalabrine poured in 26 points as the Trojans outlasted the Sun Devils. The Trojans won, but didn't escape unscathed as Turner and Clancy were both forced from the game with foot injuries, Turner in the first half and Clancy in the second. But Bluthenthal was there to pick up the slack with his tireless performance, tying Cliff Robinson's Jan. 20, 1978, mark set against Portland State exactly 22 years earlier. Trepagnier, who played most of the second half and overtime with four fouls, came through with 16 points and eight rebounds and Granville played the entire game, scoring 22 points and dishing out 11 assists. Arizona State came in riding the red-hot Eddie House, the Pac-10's leading scorer. But thanks to efforts from Granville, Trepagnier, junior guard Rashad Jones and Hair, USC kept House in check and limited the senior guard to 13 points, 11 below his average. The Trojans led by as many as 11 points twice in the first half but went into halftime up only 50-43. The Sun Devils, who got 24 points from Tanner Shell and 23 from Awvee Storey, slowly came back, eventually tying the game at 66-66. They took the lead for the first time since the first half at 74-72 with 4:03 to go. USC tied the score at 77-77, but Arizona State went back up 82-77 with 1:24 to go. Trepagnier, however, countered with a three-pointer with 57 seconds left and, after making a game-saving block on Arizona State's ensuing possession, sent the game into overtime with a runner in the lane with nine seconds to go. USC went up 86-82 a minute into overtime, but Arizona State used a 7-0 run to take an 89-86 edge. Scalabrine then made 1-of-2 free throws and back-to-back jumpers to give USC a 91-89 lead with 1:00 left. USC led 94-92 with 10 ticks left when Granville made 1-of-2 foul shots to give the Trojans a three-point lead. The Sun Devils had a chance to tie at the end, but House missed on a three-point attempt, which was rebounded at the buzzer by Bluthenthal, fittingly enough.
LAST GAME NOTES
USC's win over Arizona gives the Trojans back-to-back wins over ranked teams for the first time since the 1993-94 season. That year, USC downed No. 18 California, 86-78, and No. 15 UCLA, 85-79. The last time USC defeated ranked teams more than twice in a row was in 1991-92, when the Trojans did it four straight times. They beat No. 24 Stanford, 82-72, No. 2 UCLA, 86-82, No. 4 UCLA, 83-79, and No. 2 Arizona, 70-69. Counting wins over No. 5 Arizona and No. 12 UCLA at the end of the 1990-91 season, the Trojans defeated six straight ranked teams ... The margin of victory was USC's largest over Arizona since a 71-61 win in 1984 ... Brandon Granville recorded his fourth straight double-double and his sixth overall ... USC has now made at least 47% of its field goals in seven consecutive games ... The last time USC defeated a team ranked as high as No. 2 Arizona also came against the Wildcats, a 91-90 overtime win at the end of the 1997-98 season.
INJURY UPDATE
Both senior forward Jarvis Turner and sophomore forward Sam Clancy will miss 6-to-8 weeks while recovering from injuries suffered against Arizona State on Jan. 20. Turner, who missed seven games with a stress fracture earlier in the season, suffered a fracture in his left ankle in the first half. Clancy sustained a fracture in his right foot in the second half. Both injuries occurred while the players were attempting layups on fastbreaks.
FAST STARTS
USC is 5-0 in the Pac-10 for the first time ever. The last time the Trojans won their first five conference games was in the 1960-61 season. The league was known then as the Athletic Association of Western Universities. That season, USC won the conference title (9-3) and finished 21-8, eventually reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. USC's last 6-0 leaguestart came in the 1942-43 season in the Southern Division of the Pacific Coast Conference. In 1932-33, USC started the PCC 9-0.
PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK - DAVID BLUTHENTHAL
Sophomore forward David Bluthenthal was named Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 17-23. Bluthenthal averaged 22.0 points and 17.5 rebounds in the Trojans' sweep of the Arizona schools. He had 18 points and a USC-record-tying 28 rebounds against Arizona State and a career-high 26 points and seven rebounds vs. Arizona. It is Bluthenthal's first such honor, the second for USC this season and the 19th all-time for the Trojans. Earlier in the season, junior forward/center Brian Scalabrine was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week for Dec. 6-12. Scalabrine averaged 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in blowout wins against Hawai'i and Loyola Marymount. In the latter game, he recorded his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds and added a career-high seven assists. It was the first time he's been honored with the Pac-10's weekly award.
PLATINUM RECORDS
* Sophomore forward David Bluthenthal tied a 22-year-old USC record with 28 rebounds vs. Arizona State on Jan. 20 at the Sports Arena. He tied Cliff Robinson, who had 28 boards vs. Portland State on the same date in 1978. It was the most in the conference since Robinson's effort and is tied for fifth-best ever in the Pac-10. Bluthenthal's 28 rebounds is the third-most ever in a Pac-10 game (tied with Washington's Steve Hawes in 1972) and the most in a conference game since Hawes' effort. The Pac-10 record in any game is 36, set by Swede Halbrook of Oregon State (Feb. 15, 1955). The 28 boards are also the most in Division I since 1996 (Marcus Mann, Mississippi Valley State). For perspective, no one in the Big Ten or the ACC has had at least 28 rebounds in the last 30 years. * Junior 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. It is the most in the nation this year and it's one off the Pac-10 record (Tyus Edney, UCLA, 11, 1994). * Sophomore guard Brandon Granville posted a USC and Maui Invitational single-game record 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. It is the most in the Pac-10 in two seasons and ties for sixth all-time in the conference. The Pac-10 record is 19 by Arizona's Russell Brown in 1979.
ALL THINGS STEALS
* USC junior guard Jeff Trepagnier, who earlier this year set a USC school record with 10 steals in one game against Utah State, has tied Derrick Dowell's USC season record of 62 steals set in 1987. Trepagnier did it in 15 games compared to Dowell's 28. The Pac-10 season record is 110 set by Jason Kidd (California) in 1993. Trepagnier needs 16 to tie Brevin Knight for 10th place on the Pac-10 chart at 78. * Trepagnier is averaging 3.9 steals per game, second in the nation. The Pac-10 record for steals average in a season is 3.8 (Jason Kidd, California, 1993). * Trepagnier has had at least three steals in all but three games he has played in this year and has had at least five steals six times. * Trepagnier is working his way up the USC career Top 10 in steals with 140, good for third place. Derrick Dowell is second with 179 and Stais Boseman (1994-97) owns the record with 208. Brandon Granville is 10th on the career chart with 97. * Led by Trepagnier (62 steals) and Granville (41), USC has 186 steals as a team, compared to its opponents' 124. As a team, the Trojans are averaging 10.9 steals a game. Last year, the Trojans averaged 9.4. In fact, as a pair, they average 6.4 steals per game, the top tandem in the nation through Jan. 22.
ALL THINGS ASSISTS
* USC sophomore guard Brandon Granville, who set a school record earlier this year with 15 assists against Memphis, is closing in on the school season record. Granville's 144 assists are the sixth most ever by a Trojan and leaves him in striking distance of the record of 176, set by Larry Friend in 1985. The Pac-10 season record is 294 (Ahlon Lewis, ASU, 1998). Granville's total for all of last year was 140. * In only a season-and-a-half, Granville already has 284 career assists, good for 10th place on USC's career chart. The career record is 409 by Larry Friend (1983-86). Granville needs only 36 more assists to crack the top five. The Pac-10 record is 938 (Gary Payton, Oregon State, 1987-90). Tenth place on the list is 554 (Reggie Geary, Arizona, 1993-96). * After never having had more than nine assists in a game as a freshman, Granville has had at least 10 assists eight times as a sophomore, including in each of the last four games and in all three games of the Maui Invitational. 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 six double-doubles this season. * Granville is averaging 8.5 assists per game, third in the nation. The Pac-10 record for assists average in a season is 9.19 (Ahlon Lewis, ASU, 1998). * As a team, USC is averaging 18.1 assists per game, compared to its opponents' 12.8. Last year, the Trojans averaged 15.6.
TRENDS
During USC's current seven-game winning streak, the Trojans have held opponents to a combined .410 field goal percentage (.294 from three-point range). In contrast, USC is shooting .503 from the field. Brian Scalabrine is USC's leading scorer in that span (19.7) while David Bluthenthal leads in rebounds (10.9) and three-point percentage (.409, 9-of-22). Jeff Trepagnier is tops in field goal percentage (.590, 49-of-83) ... USC has held opponents to 23 points or less in the first half five times, has held opponents to 61 points or less seven times and has held opponents to less then 40.0% shooting seven times ... In the Trojans' 12 wins, they have outscored their foes by an average of 21.0 points (86.8 to 65.8) ... All five regular USC starters have at least two double-doubles.
TURN THIS OVER
USC is turning the ball over the second-least in the Pac-10 (15.1) and is forcing the second-most turnovers (20.2). That translates into a 5.2 turnover margin, tops in the league.
ROSTER MOVE
Sandy Fletcher, a freshman football player who played four games with the basketball team as a guard this season, has left the squad to concentrate on academics. Fletcher joined the team in mid-December and saw 11 combined minutes of action in games against Long Beach State, San Diego State, Washington State and Washington. He scored a total of four points.
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 (through Jan. 22). Trepagnier (3.9 spg) is second in the country and Granville (8.5 apg) is third. Trepagnier's school-record 10 steals against Utah State on Nov. 24 are the most in the nation this year.
SO FAR IN PAC-10 PLAY
Brian Scalabrine is the Pac-10's third-leading scorer (17.2) and is second in field goal percentage (.548) and three-point percentage (.475) and 15th in rebounds (6.3). Jeff Trepagnier is sixth in scoring (16.2), first in steals (3.9) and ninth in rebounds (6.9) and blocks (1.0). Brandon Granville is first in assists (8.5), third in steals (2.5), 10th in free throw percentage (.769) and 18th in scoring (13.4). David Bluthenthal is tied for third in rebounding (7.9). In Pac-10 play, Scalabrine has been USC's leading scorer (21.6) and Bluthenthal has been USC's top rebounder (12.6). The Trojans are shooting .489 in conference play and are holding their opponents to a combined .425. USC has outrebounded its foes, 39.2 to 37.0 and outscored them, 86.0 to 76.6. The Trojans are also shooting .730 from the foul line.
CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS CHART
Sophomore forward Sam Clancy has surpassed junior guard Jeff Trepagnier on the USC career blocked shot chart. Clancy is now sixth with 64 while Trepagnier, standing only 6-foot-4 but possessing fantastic leaping ability, is tied for eighth with 60. The USC record is 128 by Lorenzo Orr (1992-95).
STARTERS - AND FINISHERS
Prior to the injury to Sam Clancy against Arizona State, USC was relying heavily on its five chief starters. The group of guards Jeff Trepagnier and Brandon Granville, forwards Sam Clancy and David Bluthenthal and forward/center Brian Scalabrine had combined to start all but two times and accounted for 83.0% of the minutes played. The quintet had also scored 1,174 of the team's 1,278 points (93.4%). Including the Arizona game, USC reserves have scored just 87 points.
40/45-MINUTE CLUB
Each regular starter has played at least a full game once this season (including overtime). Guard Brandon Granville has played a complete game five times, Jeff Trepagnier and Brian Scalabrine have each done it twice and Sam Clancy and David Bluthenthal have each done it once. Granville and Scalabrine both played 45 minutes in an overtime game at Washington and Granville did the same vs. Arizona State. Additionally, Bluthenthal played all but 15 seconds of the Arizona State game.
20-POINT PERFORMANCES
Each regular starter has scored at least 20 points once this season. Brian Scalabrine has done it five times, Sam Clancy, Jeff Trepagnier and Brandon Granville have each done it four times and David Bluthenthal has done it twice.
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).
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 North Carolina (No. 6 ), Arizona (No. 9 ), Duke (No. 10 ), UCLA (No. 12 ) and Stanford (No. 13). All rankings preseason.
USC AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
The Trojans are 2-2 against ranked teams in 1999-2000 with wins coming over then-No. 25 UCLA and then-No. 2 Arizona. Losses are to then-No. 5 North Carolina and then-No. 15 Duke. USC went 1-6 against ranked teams in 1998-99 and is 6-21 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
USC has currently won nine straight at the Sports Arena. Dating back to 1996-97, the Trojans are 34-13 (.723) in their last 47 games at the Sports Arena and USC is 92-37 (.713) 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) were broadcast nationally on ESPN and five other games will be aired nationally on FOX Sports Net (FOX Sports Net locally). Nine other games will be televised by FOX Sports Net 2 and the Duke game aired on KCAL (Channel 9).
BRIAN SCALABRINE
Junior o forward/center o 6-foot-9 o 250 pounds
* Averaging team-best 17.2 points (tied for tops on team), 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals. His .475 three-point percentage (19-of-40) and .548 field goal percentage are tops on the team (and second in the Pac-10) and his 3.3 assists per game are second on the team. * 1999-2000 Top-50 Wooden Award and All-American candidate. * Named Pac-10 Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 6-12, the first such honor of his career. During games against Hawai'i and Loyola Marymount, Scalabrine averaged 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. * Posted career-high 27 points and six rebounds in upset of then-No. 2 Arizona. * Had 26 points vs. Arizona State, including seven points in overtime. * Had 24 points and nine rebounds at Washington, playing all 45 minutes of overtime game. His 10-of-18 field goals made and attempted both tied career highs. * Posted second and third career double-doubles with 21 points and career-high 11 rebounds at San Diego State and 16 points and 10 rebounds at Loyola Marymount. * Scored 21 points and had three steals against UC Santa Barbara. Had 19 points at St. Bonaventure and against Hawai'i, 18 points vs. Cal State Northridge and 17 points against both Memphis and then-No. 15 Duke. * 1998-99 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year and also received All-Pac-10 honorable mention honors. * 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). * "(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 (he has a 40-inch vertical leap) often land him on Plays of the Week highlight reels around the country. * Leads the team in steals (3.9, second in the nation, first in the Pac-10) and minutes (35.9) and is second in scoring (16.2, sixth in the Pac-10) and third in rebounding (7.3, ninth in the Pac-10). * He has made at least three steals in 13 of his 16 games and has had at least five steals six times. His 62 steals ties him with Derrick Dowell for USC's season record. * Scored a career-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting to go with 10 rebounds for third double-double in win over then-No. 25 UCLA. * 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. * Scored five of his 16 points vs. ASU in the final 90 seconds of regulation to erase an 82-77 USC deficit and force overtime in an eventual Trojan win. * Had second double-double of season 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 20 points vs. both Northwestern and Hawai'i and had 19 points, six steals and four assists against Memphis and 18 points and four steals at Washington State. * Missed the St. Bonaventure game while attending a funeral for his grandmother in Southern California. * 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 last season with a then-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 * "(Jeff Trepagnier) is the conference's top defender." - Richard Obert, Arizona Republic. * "Trepagnier has been the missing link for the Trojans ... He has given the Trojans the scoring pop on the wing that they lacked a year ago." - Andy Katz, ESPN.com
BRANDON GRANVILLE
Sophomore o guard o 5-foot-9 o 175 pounds
* Averaging 8.5 assists per game (first in the Pac-10, third in the nation) and has eight double-digit assist efforts and six double-doubles (tied for second in the Pac-10). He is second on the team in steals (2.5, third in the Pac-10) and fourth in scoring (13.4). * Had 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. * Has reached double digits in assists in four straight games and did it three straight times earlier this year. * Had sixth double-double with 12 points and 10 assists in win over then-No. 2 Arizona. * Posted career highs in points (24) and field goals (eight) at San Diego State and made a career-high tying 5-of-7 three-pointers. * Had second-best scoring outing of season vs. Arizona State, scoring 22 points and dishing out 11 assists. * Scored 20 points, dished out seven assists and had five steals, without a turnover, against Northwestern. * Had 20 points in only 22 minutes at Loyola Marymount and made 3-of-4 three-pointers and had a career-high two blocks. * Had 17 points and 10 assists against then-No. 25 UCLA. * Posted 10 assists and 14 points at Washington. * 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.
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. * USC's leading rebounder (7.9) and fifth-leading scorer (12.8). * Named Pac-10 Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 17-23, the first such honor of his career. During games against Arizona State and Arizona, Bluthenthal averaged 22.0 points and 17.5 rebounds and made 14-of-23 field goals and 14-of-17 free throws. It is USC's 19th such honor. * Had a monster performance vs. Arizona State, recording 28 rebounds and scoring 18 points. The 28 boards tied USC's school record (Cliff Robinson, 1978, Portland State) and was the most rebounds in the Pac-10 since that same game. His previous career high in rebounds was 12 (vs. UCLA this year). * Had career-high 26 points (on 9-of-12 shooting) and had seven rebounds in win over then-No. 2 Arizona. * Scored 20 points vs. Northwestern on 9-of-10 shooting. * Had 19 points (17 in the first half) and nine rebounds at Long Beach State and played all 40 minutes for the first time. * Posted 18 points and 11 rebounds against Memphis in the Maui Invitational for first career double-double. He shot 9-of-12 in the game. * Had 12 rebounds and 12 points against UCLA* Missed the St. Bonaventure game while attending a funeral for his grandmother in Southern California. * 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 last season with a then-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 * "(Jeff Trepagnier) is the conference's top defender." - Richard Obert, Arizona Republic. * "Trepagnier has been the missing link for the Trojans ... He has given the Trojans the scoring pop on the wing that they lacked a year ago." - Andy Katz, ESPN.com
BRANDON GRANVILLE
Sophomore o guard o 5-foot-9 o 175 pounds
* Averaging 8.5 assists per game (first in the Pac-10, third in the nation) and has eight double-digit assist efforts and six double-doubles (tied for second in the Pac-10). He is second on the team in steals (2.5, third in the Pac-10) and fourth in scoring (13.4). * Had 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. * Has reached double digits in assists in four straight games and did it three straight times earlier this year. * Had sixth double-double with 12 points and 10 assists in win over then-No. 2 Arizona. * Posted career highs in points (24) and field goals (ei
