At 2-0, Trojans basketball team is already ahead of the game
It’s only a 2-0 start, but considering the USC Trojans were 6-26 last year, being two games over .500 is an eye-opener.
“It’s OK,” Coach Kevin O’Neill said. “But I’ve told our team from the beginning to let our play do the talking. We have depth this year, we have a great leader in Jio Fontan and a lot of guys who have to prove themselves.
“But through two scrimmages and two games I like how we’re playing.”
The Trojans play their third game Monday against Illinois in the Maui Invitational (9 p.m. PST, ESPN2). Also in the tournament is 11th-ranked North Carolina. If you’re into comparative scores, the Tar Heels beat Long Beach State, 78-63, on Friday and USC beat the 49ers three days earlier, 62-44.
Illinois is also rebuilding under new Coach John Groce and if the Trojans were to win, it would be their first 3-0 start since 2001.
Butler plays Marquette in the first game at Maui, followed by North Carolina against Mississippi State, Chaminade versus Texas, and USC-Illinois. The Trojans will play either Texas or Chaminade in their second game.
O’Neill is particularly pleased with the play of 7-foot-2 junior transfer Omar Oraby, who came to USC from Rice. Oraby is one of nine transfers on the roster, a necessity, O’Neill says, to make up for the small number of players left in the program after Tim Floyd resigned as coach following the 2008-09 season.
Oraby arrived at USC only in September and he has 21 points and 12 rebounds in two games off the bench for the Trojans.
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
