USC Tries to Break Up Logjam in Arizona

It was generally conceded at the outset of the Pacific 10 basketball season that Oregon State and Washington were a cut above the rest of the teams. Two weeks into the season, nothing has radically altered that notion. Oregon State is off to a fast start with a 3-0 record, and Washington is one of five teams tied for second at 2-1. The logjam, which also involves USC, UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State, should be broken up this week when the Trojans and Bruins play the Arizona schools in Arizona. The Trojans (8-4 overall) will open their trip against the Wildcats (11-4) tonight at McKale Arena in Tucson. “One thing you can’t afford to do is dig a hole for yourself at home because you’re going to lose some on the road,” Arizona Coach Lute Olson said Wednesday. “When you look at the teams who can control their home court, it’s not just how good they are, but what kind of support they are getting at home. “We’re anxious to see what happens this week against USC and UCLA, because I think our place could be as tough a place for teams to play as anywhere in the Pac-10.” Olson rates Oregon State as the most challenging home court for a visiting team, followed by Oregon and, perhaps, his own facility. He said that crowds of close to 12,000 will support Arizona for its games with USC and UCLA tonight and Saturday afternoon. Olson was a successful coach at Iowa before he took the Arizona job last season. He was faced with a major rebuilding job, inheriting a team with a 4-24 overall record, including a sorry 1-17 in the Pac-10. He immediately brought in two junior college transfers, Center Pete Williams and forward Eddie Smith, who, along with some holdovers and other recruits, made the Wildcats respectable again. Arizona’s 11-17 overall record in 1983-84 wasn’t that impressive, but the Wildcats won six of their last eight conference games to finish at 8-10, tied for fifth place. Olson said he recruited five excellent players this season, and one, 6-6 Craig McMillan from Cloverdale, Calif., is a starting guard. But McMillan is starting only because Olson has some problems in his backcourt. Senior Brock Brunkhorst, the point guard, has been sidelined since Dec. 29 with a partial ligament tear in his right knee. Michael Tait, a starting guard last season, quit the team and transferred to Clemson. So, Steve Kerr, who is normally an off guard, is now the point guard, and there isn’t much depth behind him and McMillan. Olson said he originally planned to redshirt guard Bruce Fraser, who played for Long Beach City College last season, but he is now forced to use him. Arizona would likely be tied for the league lead if Brunkhorst had been available. The Wildcats lost to Stanford, 57-53, Saturday at Palo Alto, making only 5 of 20 shots in the second half. Olson doesn’t have a starter taller than 6-7, but he has a quick team, and Williams and Smith are two of the best players in the league. Williams led the Pac-10 in rebounding last year with a 9.9 average. Smith has made remarkable improvement as a shooter, averaging 17 points a game and shooting 57%, contrasted with 47% last year. “He has made more improvement in one season than any player I have ever coached,” Olson said. “He’s a complete player now.” USC was overmatched in size when it lost to Washington last Thursday night. The Trojans match up better against the Wildcats’ front line, with 6-10 Clayton Olivier, 6-8 Wayne Carlander and 6-6 Derrick Dowell going against Williams and Smith, both 6-7, and 6-5 David Haskin. “I’ve been impressed with the way USC is playing,” Olson said. “They are creating more problems on the open court than they did a year ago. I think (point guard) Larry Friend is creating more opportunities for them in their running game. “Ron Holmes and Dowell can get out and go, and I’m amazed by the improved play of Olivier. He is working so hard to provide some of the things they didn’t have last year in the middle. And Carlander has always been Mr. Consistency. I think they’ve got as good a shot as anyone.” Olson could be talking about his own team. He came ever so close to becoming USC’s coach when Bob Boyd resigned at the end of the 1978-79 season. USC had even prepared a press release to announce Olson’s appointment, but at the last minute, he decided to stay at Iowa because of added inducements. “It was very close,” Olson said, “but it worked out well at both ends (USC hired Stan Morrison). I know I’m enjoying where I am now, and we have great potential of becoming one of the premier programs in the league in a year or so.” Trojan Notes USC will meet Arizona State at Tempe, Ariz., Saturday at 2 p.m . . . Although Arizona’s Steve Kerr is not a pure point guard, he has been averaging 11.5 points and 6.8 assists while making only four turnovers in the last four games. Kerr is the son of the late Malcolm Kerr, the former president of American University in Beirut, who was assassinated there last year . . . USC point guard Larry Friend leads the Pac-10 in assists with a 6.9 average. Although he handles the ball most of the time, he has committed only 23 turnovers in 12 games.