Young Maintains Courtly Behavior as He Stands Behind USC

While USC tries to clinch its first undisputed Pacific-10 basketball championship in 24 years today with a victory over Oregon State, Ron Young will be shouting encouragement from his customary spot behind the Trojans’ bench. He started the season on the bench, but the change in seating arrangements hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm.

His exuberance almost got him into trouble last month at the Sports Arena during the first of USC’s two overtime victories this season against UCLA.

“Some guy behind me came up and said, ‘Hey, do you have to get up after every play?’ And I said, ‘Sorry about that, but I can’t help it.’ ”

The former Hoover High center, who played a grand total of 91 minutes in 17 games for the Trojans in 1983-84, decided to redshirt this season after sitting on the bench for every minute of the first six games. He went to coach Stan Morrison and asked to be declared ineligible for the rest of the schedule.

“It was just a relief,” Young said. “A lot of pressure was taken off me. I don’t have to suit up anymore, so I don’t have to worry about competing every day and I can concentrate on classes. Playing so poorly on the basketball court kind of reflected on my grades and vice-versa.”

Young, who has yet to declare a major, doesn’t feel that he is wasting a year of his adult life by commiting himself to a five-year college career. He wants to enjoy big-time college life while he can.

“I’m not in a real hurry to go out and get a job,” he said. “It’s just another year to have fun and go to school. It’ll also lighten up the load with my units. I don’t have to take as many classes as I would if I was going to graduate after four years.”

Morrison, who said he has seen statistics that indicate only 23% of all college freshmen graduate in four years, agreed that sitting out the season will help Young academically.

“There are very few kids who are able to graduate in four years,” said this season’s Pac-10 Coach of the Year, who listed Maurice Williams (‘82), Barry Brooks (‘81), George Ratkovich (‘81) and senior Wayne Carlander among his four-year USC graduates.

“For a person to graduate in four years is remarkable,” Morrison added. “Ronnie’s a guy who will graduate in five years. This allows him to have a little more relaxed approach to his academics, not feel too much pressure in terms of carrying 18 units at a time, and also continue to grow as a player.”

The 6-6 sophomore forward found himself on the bench for a number of reasons, but it was primarily because the Trojans have outstanding depth at the forward position.

Young has to wait behind Carlander, the Trojans’ all-time leading scorer, seniors Ron Holmes and Glenn Smith, junior Kevin Steward and sophomore Derrick Dowell. In addition, he has been plagued with Morton’s Neuroma, a foot ailment that has created pain under his toes. A third reason, according to Morrison, was the sophomore’s physique in training camp.

“He didn’t come back to school as tight (muscularly) as he needs to be to compete, given his athletic ability,” the coach said. “I don’t think he went as strongly this summer as he could have.

“Part of it could be that he thinks, ‘Well, these guys are seniors, they’re good players, they’ve already been producing in the program, and Morrison’s going to go with those guys.’ I don’t want a kid to think that way. I want a kid to come in here on Oct. 15 and compete for the position, because nothing is locked up.”

Although Young doesn’t suit up for the games now, he practices with the other players, eats dinner with them and also takes part in the pregame shoot-arounds. He doesn’t accompany the team on trips to Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Northern California--but doesn’t feel like an outsider, either.

“We want to turn USC into a respected school as far as basketball is concerned,” he said the other day. “Hopefully, there are going to be a couple more championships in the next three years I am here. I know I’m a part of this team right now, even though I’m redshirting, so it really doesn’t bother me.”

He has apparently adjusted to the inactivity quite well.

“I’m sure it’s tough, but Ron’s the type of guy who can handle it,” said Kirt Kohlmeier, who coached Young, a two-time all-Southern Section selection, at Hoover.

Morrison added: “He’s doing it very maturely. I see him the first day we come back (from a road game) and I know his ear’s glued to the radio or he’s watching us on television. He’s a Trojan. He bleeds cardinal and gold. Why, heck, he has no choice. His dad would kill him if he didn’t.”

Young’s father is Allen Young--team captain on USC’s 1965 team, a two-time all Pac-10 forward and the Trojans’ eighth all-time leading scorer. He was seventh before Holmes passed him with a 20-point game last Sunday against Texas.

“Allen Young was a great athlete here,” Morrison noted, “and his son is going to be an equally outstanding basketball player at USC.”

The senior Young, who works in commercial real estate for Coldwell Banker in Sherman Oaks, agreed with his son’s decision to sit out the season since it was becoming obvious he was not going to play.

“It might drive him up the wall more than me,” Ron said of his non-playing status, “He just wants to see me in there and playing, to do my best and show everyone what I can do.”

Young played 79 games for Hoover and totalled 1,270 points for a 16.4 average--both school records for three-year players. He also was named to The Times’ all-area team in 1982 and 1983. His teammates named him co-MVP with Joe Hillman in 1982 when Hoover went 10-0 in the Foothill League, 27-2 overall and lost to St. Bernard the Southern Section 3-A championship game.

The former prep basketball star, who selected USC over Fresno State and Arizona, has majored in humility since joining the Trojans.

Morrison taught him to play differently from the finesse style to which he was accustomed. Young, an outstanding shooter and passer, played the post at Hoover and was responsible for most of the rebounding and the inside defense. Now he is learning to play away from the basket, play perimeter defense and make the outlet pass.

“We changed his game,” Morrison said. “This is an entirely different world for him. But his maturity has allowed him to be very realistic about the success he had in high school and what it takes to compete at this level.”

Watching from the stands has allowed Young to concentrate on the game, instead of sitting in uniform at the end of the bench and waiting--often in vain--for his name to be called.

“He’s really a dedicated student of the game,” Morrison observed. “His on-court instinct is very good.”

Young expects to be on the court next season. By training camp he thinks he will be ready to compete for the small forward position against Dowell and Steward, despite their head start.

“I think he can definitely help them out and I hope he gets the opportunity,” Kohlmeier said. “Ron’s got something inside that will blossom. He’s a small, shooting forward, kind of Jamaal Wilkes-type, and sometimes you’ve got to make a spot for a guy like that.”

Young admits he was a little soft on defense when he arrived at USC. To correct the deficiency, he has followed a weight-training program that may help him get more physical around the basket.

“His commitment right now and through this summer will be the strongest that he’s ever had in his life,” Morrison said.