| | By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
|
 |
|
|
Friday, Oct. 13
The Trojans did not make postseason play in 2000, but it was not because USC wasn't a good team. Injuries to Sam Clancy and Jarvis Turner during the Pac-10 season, and a bench too thin to absorb the loss, doomed the Trojans' chances after a 6-1 conference start.
USC was so close to realizing its potential in 2000, and with all five starters returning, Henry Bibby's 2001 Trojans may be the best USC offering since the mid-1980s.
|
|
|
Frontcourt
Senior Brian Scalabrine is one of the hardest working big men in the country, and is very skilled and mobile. At 6-foot-9 and 250
pounds, the Washington native was second in Pac-10 scoring behind Arizona
State's Eddie House.
Scalabrine has the ability to step away from the basket and face up, or play with his back to the basket in the post. He has very good hands, handles the ball well, has a soft shooting touch and is an excellent passer. Scalabrine (17.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.8 apg) shot 53 percent from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc.
Simply put, he makes things happen when he has the ball in his hands, and has been compared favorably to former Washington star Detlef Schrempf. Because of his versatility and smarts, Scalabrine opens things up for others, especially junior Sam Clancy.
Clancy missed 10 games last season after breaking his left foot, interrupting a banner season. Clancy (15.5
ppg, 6.9 rpg) has long arms, good timing and he gives consistent effort, including second effort. Only 6-7, Clancy plays inside and excels with his explosion skills around the basket, which make him a solid finisher
and shot-blocker.
He shot 60 percent from the field last year, and scored 23 points against the big frontline of North
Carolina, and 19 against the quickness and speed of Duke -- showing he
could compete favorably against any style. At the time of his injury,
Clancy was averaging 17.6 points and 7.8 rebounds, but was not the same
after returning from his injury.
The Trojans also boast the best athlete in college basketball -- 6-4 small forward Jeff Trepagnier, who has a 41-inch
vertical leap that he flashes with regularity. Trepagnier averaged 15.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 steals and more than a block a game last year. He's an absolute skywalker, who is most dangerous in transition when his quickness and explosiveness to the basket often result in dunks over bigger defenders.
But Trepagnier is also a good rebounder, who can get out and defend on the perimeter or in the post. Trepagnier is working
on becoming a complete player, but in the meantime, there is no more
spectacular player in the nation.
|  | | Jeff Trepagnier's high-flying act should be fun to watch this season at USC. |
Junior forward David Bluthenthal has the potential to be a load-carrier in the Pac-10, and could blossom into an all-conference player if brings a high level of consistency. Bluthenthal (13.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg, .480 FGs) has a complete game, but nearly half of his shots
come from 3-point territory.
But don't be fooled by his outside shots, Bluthenthal is an extraordinary rebounder who grabbed 28 rebounds against Arizona State, and his shooting translates into a good percentage from the free throw line. Bluthenthal is not overly quick, but
has a good feel for where to be on the floor. With an improved handle and a
better shot selection, Bluthenthal can be a gem.
USC caught a good break when the NCAA granted senior Jarvis Turner a fifth year of eligibility due
to his injury-filled 2000 season. Turner will provide experience and
another body to bring in off the bench, and he has had good seasons for the
Trojans in the past.
Kostas Charissis and Luke Minor both provide size and space-eating capabilities, but may be a year away from being major contributors up front.
Backcourt
Junior point guard Brandon Granville had a solid sophomore year in which he led the Pac-10 in assists and was fourth overall in the nation. He ran the team with both maturity and flair, averaging 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. He shot just 38 percent from the field, however.
Nevertheless, Granville dished out more assists in 2000 than any Trojan ever has, and garnered
the third-highest single-season total in Pac-10 history. Although only 5-9, Granville is quick, strong and has exceptional court vision and delivery skills. Granville has creativity and courage, and only needs to
cut down on his turnovers to be a truly great point guard.
Likely to join Granville in the backcourt will be 6-4 guard Desmond Farmer, a freshman from Flint, Mich. Farmer is a great talent and a real recruiting coup for coach Henry Bibby. He is a very good athlete, who can shoot the ball. If Farmer develops as quickly as his talent suggests he should, he could be a great early addition.
Sophomore Nate Hair is a good shooter who fared best from behind the arc last season, but he needs to improve his defense. Redshirt
sophomore Robert Hutchinson is a good ball-handler and will be able to give spot minutes at both guard positions.
Bottom Line
The Trojans have the talent to challenge Arizona and Stanford for the Pac-10 title, but the question is: Do they have the chops? I think they do.
USC does not have the experience of performing with the lights on night after night, but as long as they avoid injury, this will be Henry Bibby's best team in one of the nation's top leagues. | |
|
