Improving USC Tries to Get Out of Rut Against Stanford Today

USC’s basketball team is in a rut. It is lodged in eighth place in the Pacific 10 with a 3-8 record and the prospect is dim of moving up in the standings.

The immediate stumbling block is Stanford, which is one rung ahead of USC with a 5-7 record in conference.

The Trojans will play the Cardinal today at Maples Pavilion in a game that will be televised by Channel 2 at 3 p.m.

Even though Stanford has lost five of its last six games, the Cardinal plays well against the Trojans.

Stanford has won six straight from USC. Moreover, the Trojans haven’t beaten the Cardinal in the Bay Area since the 1981-82 season.

Even USC’s co-Pac-10 championship team of 1984-85 was swept by Stanford.

USC, which lost to California, 56-53, Thursday night in Berkeley, has been competitive lately, but that hasn’t been enough. The Trojans, 8-12 overall, have lost seven games by six or fewer points.

George Raveling’s team has controlled the tempo in recent games, restricting their last six opponents to less than 60 points. But USC has only a 2-4 record in those games.

USC is deliberately taking time off the 45-second clock before shooting--and that is always an adventure.

For example, USC shot only 25% in the first half against California while falling behind, 28-16. The Trojans, getting a boost on four three-point baskets by guard Brad Winslow, shot 72.7% in the second half--falling just short of winning again.