USC’s Basketball Team Opens at Home

After opening on the road during his first two seasons at USC, Coach George Raveling scheduled four home basketball games at the start of the 1988-89 season, beginning with today’s season-opener against the Delaware Blue Hens at 2 p.m. at the Sports Arena.

Raveling admits, however, that the Trojans probably should have started this season on the road because most USC fans are focused upon the Trojan football team’s quest for the national championship.

Following the USC-Notre Dame football game Saturday at the Coliseum, the Trojans will play Howard University at 6 p.m. at the Sports Arena. While the football game is expected to attract a sellout crowd of 92,000 and a national TV audience, the basketball game will probably draw poorly and someone jokingly suggested that USC’s athletic department give free tickets to anyone named Howard as a promotional gimmick.

Raveling said that his team will not be allowed to watch the football game live. “I know that they’re all interested in seeing the football team win the national championship, but basketball is important, too,” Raveling said. “We’ll tape it and watch it together as a team Sunday.”

The Trojans, coming off a 7-21 season, play four home games in 5 days.

After taking Sunday off, USC faces Portland Monday at 7:30 at the Sports Arena and U.S. International Tuesday at 7:30 at the Sports Arena.

Trojan Notes

USC Coach George Raveling plans to start Ronnie Coleman and Chris Moore at forward, Chris Munk at center and Duane Cooper and Anthony Pendleton at guard. . . . Delaware set a school record with 19 wins last season, but the Blue Hens lost 3 starters from that team. Delaware’s returning starters are: Elsworth Bowers, a 6-6 senior forward, and Erek Perry, a 6-4 sophomore guard.