For the Trojans, It’s All About Fun and Games

USC is playing basketball in the NCAA women’s tournament for the first time since 1997 and has much to celebrate. With a record of 19-10, the Trojans have their most wins in eight years.

And the the main reason for the Trojans’ resurgence can be found in the faces and body language of the players.

Basketball is fun again.

In one season, Coach Mark Trakh, who was brought in after 11 seasons at Pepperdine, breathed life back into what had been a stagnant USC program. His young team -- which includes 10 freshmen and sophomores -- didn’t always play sterling basketball but managed to scrap and hustle to an eighth seed in the tournament’s Kansas City Regional.

The Trojans open against ninth-seeded Louisville (22-8) in Minneapolis on Saturday in a game that will be televised on ESPN at 9 a.m.

“The chemistry is really great,” USC sophomore forward Jamie Funn said. “Sometimes we’ve had attitudes, but for the most part there have been great vibes from the coaches.”

Sophomore point guard Jamie Hagiya said the Trojans were happy last year under Chris Gobrecht.

But, “from the second the new coaches walked in you could feel the whole atmosphere changing,” Hagiya said. “They were always positive, telling us we were going to do well.”

While it can take a year or more to fully grasp the motion offense that Trakh installed -- “sometimes it was more the commotion offense,” the coach said, laughing -- he helped accelerate the learning curve by spreading around playing minutes. Seven players are averaging at least seven points and 20 minutes a game. Trakh also used nine different starting lineups; no one lineup played more than five games together.

“We got great leadership from our two seniors Kim [Gipson] and Rachel [Woodward],” Trakh said. “And as a team we grew up a lot during the season.

“We are playing well right now. We felt we played our way into the tournament. But, for one thing, the kids are used to having spring break off. They’re usually some place like Hawaii right now.

“The culture has to change, that things like going to the tournament should be expected.”

His players say they got the message.

“We were happy to see our [team] name on TV Sunday,” Funn said. “But we also have high expectations.”

It’s not easy to pinpoint when the Trojans jelled. Woodward points to a December game at Texas Christian in which the Trojans trailed until Funn made a basket in the final seconds.

Hagiya recalls a weekend in mid-January when the Trojans swept Arizona and Arizona State at home. “During the second half of the ASU game I was resting on the bench,” Hagiya said, “when Jamie [Funn] turned to me and said, ‘We are good.’ And that weekend we were playing the best basketball we could play.”

Trakh is as curious as anyone to see how much the Trojans have left.

“I don’t think in the beginning we really believed we could do anything,” Trakh said. “We’re practically all underclassmen with a new coaching staff. Then we got to the point where I told them, ‘Hey, you’re a game away from the tournament.’ And we’re here.

“Now we have to understand it’s not about just getting to the tournament. We want to win a game or two.”

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USC (19-10) VS. LOUISVILLE (22-8) at Williams Arena, Minneapolis Saturday, 9 a.m. PST, ESPN

What to watch for: USC has a depth advantage, with five good players on the bench. Louisville’s starters average nearly 35 minutes a game. The Cardinals want a close contest; Louisville is 6-3 in games decided by five points or fewer.

Keys to the game: The Trojans must contain forward Jazz Covington, a sophomore who leads Louisville in scoring and rebounding. The Cardinals can’t let USC get too many offensive rebounds.

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Women’s NCAA Division I Schedule

First round; all times Pacific

SATURDAY

AT DALLAS

* Texas (21-8) vs. Oral Roberts (22-8) ... 9 a.m.

* Georgia (22-9) vs. Rice (24-8) ... 11:30 a.m.

* N.C. State (21-7) vs. Middle Tennessee State (23-8) ... 4 p.m.

* Texas Tech (22-7) vs. Texas Arlington (21-9) ... 6:30 p.m.

AT MINNEAPOLIS

* USC (19-10) vs. Louisville (22-8) ... 9 a.m.

* Michigan State (28-3) vs. Alcorn State (21-8) ... 11:30 a.m.

* Virginia (20-10) vs. Old Dominion (22-8) ... 4 p.m.

* Minnesota (24-7) vs. St. Francis, Pa. (21-9) ... 6:30 p.m.

AT FRESNO

* Arizona State (22-9) vs. Eastern Kentucky (23-7) ... 11 a.m.

* Notre Dame (26-5) vs. UC Santa Barbara (21-8) ... 1:30 p.m.

* Iowa State (23-6) vs. Utah (25-7) ... 5 p.m

* Stanford (29-2) vs. Santa Clara (17-13) ... 7:30 p.m.

AT SEATTLE

* Baylor (27-3) vs. Illinois State (13-17) ... 11 a.m.

* Texas Christian (23-9) vs. Oregon (20-9) ... 1:30 p.m.

* Kansas State (23-7) vs. Bowling Green (23-7) ... 5 p.m.

* Vanderbilt (22-7) vs. Montana (22-7) ... 7:30 p.m.

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SUNDAY

AT KNOXVILLE, TENN.

* Oklahoma (17-12) vs. Arizona (19-11) ... 9 a.m.

* LSU (29-2) vs. Stetson (17-13) ... 11:30 a.m

* New Mexico (26-4) vs. Purdue (16-12) ... 4 p.m.

* Tennessee (26-4) vs. Western Carolina (18-13) ... 6:30 p.m.

AT STORRS, CONN.

* Temple (27-3) vs. Louisiana Tech (20-9) ... 9 a.m.

* Rutgers (25-6) vs. Hartford (22-8) ... 11:30 a.m.

* Connecticut (23-7) vs. Dartmouth (17-10) ... 4 p.m.

* Florida State (23-7) vs. Richmond (23-7) ... 6:30 p.m.

AT COLLEGE PARK, MD.

* Ohio State (28-4) vs. Holy Cross (20-10) ... 9 a.m.

* Maryland (21-9) vs. Wisconsin Green Bay (27-3) ... 11:30 a.m.

* DePaul (25-4) vs. Virginia Tech (17-11) ... 4 p.m.

* Penn State (19-10) vs. Liberty (24-6) ... 6:30 p.m.

AT CHAPEL HILL, N.C.

* Duke (28-4) vs. Canisius (21-9) ... 9 a.m.

* Boston College (19-9) vs. Houston (21-8) ... 11:30 a.m.

* North Carolina (27-3) vs. Coppin State (23-7) ... 4 p.m.

* Mississippi (19-10) vs. George Washington (22-8) ... 6:30 p.m.