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Posted: Tuesday November 05, 2002 6:09 PM Updated: Wednesday November 06, 2002 1:08 PM Southern Cal Trojans
The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518. Team Preview | Blue Ribbon Analysis
More than half the points and half the offense from last year's NCAA tournament team has moved on, but you won't catch USC coach Henry Bibby pouting. "It's exciting having all the new guys in and kind of starting all over," the seventh-year coach said. "You do a little more when you have new guys. I'm looking forward to the challenge." Gone are point guard Brandon Granville, small forward David Blumenthal and power forward Sam Clancy, who combined for 310 starts in 353 career games, with 4,400 points and 1,889 rebounds. They helped lead Southern Cal to consecutive 20-win seasons for only the second time in the program's history, including an Elite Eight run in 2001. "It will be different not having those guys here," Bibby said, "but this is college and you have to move on." Leading the transition are a pair of talented guards. Sophomore Errick Craven (11.8 ppg) and junior Desmon Farmer (9.5) are the Trojans' top two returning scorers. The 6-foot-2 Craven, a 2002-03 Basketball Times Preseason All-America honorable mention, started 28-of-32 games as a freshman and earned All-Pac-10 freshman first-team honors as USC's fourth-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder (4.4). Craven is a relentless defender who became the first freshman to lead the Pac-10 in steals (2.1 spg) since Cal's Jason Kidd in 1993. He also scored in double figures 20 times. "Errick is a scorer in so many ways," Bibby said. "He can score offensively and off his defense. He shoots the ball well. "One of his criticisms coming in last year was he couldn't shoot, but he proved he could knock down a shot. Once he works on driving and changing hands, he could become very hard to guard."
Farmer started 16 games as a freshman and five as a sophomore. He was USC's leading 3-point shooter last year (.386) and ended the season with five consecutive double-digit scoring efforts off the bench, averaging 17.6 points. "He really turned it on at the end of last year," Bibby said. "He was playing as well as anyone we've had in the last stages of the season. When he's focused, he's as good as anyone I've coached here." Bibby is hoping for increased production from Robert Hutchinson, a 6-2 senior point guard, and Kostas Charissis, a 6-11, 260-pound center. Hutchinson was USC's captain as a junior. He played in 30 games and started one as the understudy to Granville. The Albany, Ga., native averaged just two points in 11.7 minutes, but he recorded 48 assists and only 21 turnovers. His greatest game, however, came in the second round of the 2001 NCAA tournament against Boston College, when he sank 5-of-6 free throws in the final 77 seconds to seal the win. "He's a steady player and brings a lot of stability to the team," Bibby said. "He's a winner, and it rubs off on the other guys." Charissis is a native of Greece who has developed into an imposing player in the paint. He started 18-of-20 games last year but averaged only 10.4 minutes. He missed the final eight games of the season with a fractured left ankle and had to sit out the Trojans' first three games because of a violation of NCAA amateur rules. Charissis averaged 2.3 points and 2.9 rebounds and played with the Greek National Team last summer. "Hopefully his time with them will afford him the chance to get some good quality minutes," Bibby said. "He gives us another big body. He knows the ropes around here and should be able to step in and give us some good production this year." Sophomore Derrick Craven is the identical twin of Errick Craven. Derrick is an athletic, aggressive guard who sat out the non-conference schedule last season with a stress fracture in his right leg. He eventually found a niche in the rotation by season's end and averaged 6.5 minutes in 13 games. "His physicalness is a strength," Bibby said. "He can probably get to the basket as well as anyone I've seen." Jerry Dupree, a 6-7 junior forward, started seven games last season and averaged 3.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 11.7 minutes. His 19 blocks were third best on the team, and he came on really strong in the Pac-10 Tournament, averaging 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and two blocks, making 14-of-19 field goals in three games. "Jerry's strength is his athleticism," Bibby said, "but there are other things he needs to work on to become more of a factor. He's been working on his ball handling and improving his shooting. "Whenever Jerry is on the court, it's like having another 7-footer on the floor because of his shot-blocking abilities." Nick Curtis, a 6-8, 220-pound sophomore forward, started four games as a freshman and went 9-for-23 from the field, with three blocks. "We've thought about using Nick at small forward because he's so agile," Bibby said, "but we'll probably use him at both small forward and power forward. I think he can give us some quality minutes and be a great shot blocker and defensive presence." Sophomore center Rory O'Neil also hopes to make his mark after averaging 4.3 points and 2.3 rebounds while earning three starts last year. O'Neil has worked hard to add muscle to his 6-11 frame and enters the season at 240 pounds. "Rory is still getting better and is getting bigger and stronger as well," Bibby said. "He's like a sponge. He soaks up everything you tell him and does everything you ask him to do." Also returning is 6-8, 245-pound forward Gregg Guenther Jr., a tight end on the football team who will join Bibby's squad late. He averaged 3.8 minutes last year. Completing the Trojans' roster are three junior-college transfers who figure to make an immediate impact. Brandon Brooks is a 6-1 sophomore who was the top-rated JUCO sophomore point guard by Lindy's Basketball and a Street & Smith's Preaseason All-America fourth-team selection entering the 2001-02 season. But Brooks did not play last year at Indian Hills (Iowa) College and transferred to Compton (Calif.) College in January 2002. He completed the academic year there while redshirting. In 2001, the talented Brooks averaged 14.7 points and 7.6 assists at Indians Hills, earning NJCAA Region XI first-team honors. "Brandon Brooks is kid of an extension of Brandon Granville," Bibby said. "He's a heady point guard and a winner. He plays the open game and distributes the ball as well as anyone we've had here." Jonathan Oliver is a 7-foot, 230-pound junior who averaged 17.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.2 blocks last season at Ventura (Calif.) College. His 173 blocks broke Ventura's single-season and career records. "He's a true shot blocker, but he's also someone who hasn't reached his potential yet," Bibby said. "As he puts on a little weight, and becomes more aggressive, he can be a dominating factor in this league." The third JUCO transfer is Roy Smiley, a 6-4 junior guard who averaged 14.7 points and 3.6 at Southeastern Iowa College. "Roy is a competitive player who plays hard and brings a lot of toughness," Bibby said. "He's more of a shooting guard or a small forward, but he can play the point, too. He's a scorer. He can shoot outside and drive." Replacing 56 percent of your team's offense isn't easy, but Bibby plans to let his players fight for playing time. "All of our starting positions are up in the air," he said, "but if I gave a nod to anybody it would be to our returning players who know our system." The coach hopes the Trojans can become a defensive-minded team that uses athleticism and aggressiveness. USC will have to hit the boards hard, with only six players on the roster taller than 6-4. "We won't know exactly what we have until we suit up in October," Bibby said.
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