At USC, both the team and the coach have something to prove this season. A young, inexperienced group a year ago, the Trojans have to demonstrate they've gained the poise and maturity they lacked on the way to a 13-17 record in 2002-03. Controversial Henry Bibby, meanwhile, has to settle on his best seven- or eight-player rotation and then show some confidence in it, something he never seemed to do last season.

Desmon Farmer is USC's signature player, a terrific shooter who can score points in bunches when he isn't busy looking over his shoulder at the bench. In the team's final game last year in the Pac-10 Tournament championship game against Oregon, Farmer lit it up for 19 points in the first half, then suddenly was pulled for much of the second half for behavior the coach apparently didn't appreciate. The Trojans, with a comfortable early lead, never regained their offensive flow and wound up losing, 74-66, forcing some to wonder if, by punishing Farmer, Bibby penalized the rest of the team.

"Desmon Farmer is our returning MVP and a senior, and we expect a lot of leadership from him," Bibby says.

What Farmer and the rest of the players might expect is a coach who will exude a bit more patience with a team that has enough talent to challenge for an NCAA Tournament berth.

These Trojans, with their top six scorers returning, are capable of moving up dramatically in the Pac-10, but only if they can find the chemistry and cohesiveness that was lacking for much of the 2002-03 season.

Bibby, a stern disciplinarian, might have to loosen the reins a bit for that to happen.

FRONTCOURT:

Rory O'Neil is a junior who should be ready to blossom into a solid offensive post player. He averaged 10.1 points and 1.3 blocks a year ago and has the body and the skills to keep improving. "Rory had a strong finish to the season, and hopefully he can build on that," Bibby says. "Everyone knows he can knock down an outside shot, but it was his improvement in the paint near the end of the season that makes us excited."

Nick Curtis, who sprinted out to a fast start only to be slowed by nagging foot injuries, should be a rebounding force, provided he can stay healthy.

With spring-legged Jerry Dupree dismissed for academic reasons, Jeff McMillan, who redshirted a year ago, is probably the early favorite to step in and play some valuable minutes. He was one of the Atlantic-10's top rebounders in his two seasons at Fordham.

BACKCOURT:

If you want quickness and athleticism, this group has it. You begin with Farmer, who averaged 20.4 points in conference play, only the second Trojan to average 20-plus since 1992. He'll play both a guard and wing position and should be joined in the starting lineup by Errick Craven, the team's best all-around player, who averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.

"Errick does a lot of things well," Bibby says, "including rebounding and disrupting the passing lanes on defense." What Craven needs to improve is his outside shooting.

Errick's twin brother Derrick, a feisty point guard, will be pushing for playing time, along with Roydell Smiley, who played well a year ago despite battling knee problems.

A highly regarded recruiting class is highlighted by three guards, Rodrick and Lodrick Stewart, from Seattle, and Quinton Day, out of Kansas City, Mo. All were rated among the top 80 players in most high school evaluations.

"Lodrick and Rodrick love to play basketball and can play the 1, 2 or 3 positions," Bibby says. "Day is a legitimate point guard option for us."

FINAL ANALYSIS:

If Farmer and O'Neil can stabilize their games and become leaders, this could be a gifted, exciting team. Bibby is a coach who loves to throw different defenses at opponents, and with both the Craven and Stewart twins, he'll certainly have enough quick athletes to execute the way he likes.

Farmer needs to mature enough to become the go-to guy on offense, and O'Neil should be ready to develop into the steady player this team has been seeking in the paint.

The key, again, will be deciding on the best rotation and sticking with it. This has been a problem for Bibby in the past. Two years ago, he benched his best 3-point shooter, David Bluthenthal, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and it cost him that game, too.

If the coach and his players can stay more consistent this season, the Trojans have a chance to make some real noise in the Pac-10.

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