Comfortable Pack Leads USC Against Chicago State

After transferring to USC last season from Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Tex., guard Robert Pack had problems adjusting.

The Trojans’ starting point guard, Pack was inconsistent, averaging 11.8 points. But when he scored 15 or more points, USC was 8-1.

Pack, who along with shooting guard Harold Miner will lead the Trojans into today’s season opener against Chicago State at 1:30 p.m. at the Sports Arena, hopes to increase his scoring average this season.

“I think I’ll score more this year,” Pack said. “I feel more comfortable with Coach (George) Raveling’s offense. . . . I got adjusted to what he expects me to do. I think that will be the big difference.”

Raveling hopes so.

“Pack is the key to our whole season,” he said. “(Forward Ronnie) Coleman is Coleman and Miner is Miner, but Pack must step up and give us leadership and scoring. It’s obvious to see the kind of positive influence he can have on this team.”

USC last season was led by Miner, the Pacific 10 Conference freshman of the year who averaged 20.6 points. Although Miner started slowly last season, averaging 10.75 points in his first four games, he finished strongly, leading USC in scoring in 16 of its final 22 games.

“The (guard) combination of Miner and Pack is as good as any in the league,” Raveling said. “There are some other great tandems in the league, and I don’t mean to imply that we’re the only one to have a good pair, but I wouldn’t trade mine for any other one in the league.”

Trojan Notes

Chicago State has one returning starter from last season’s team, which lost 16 of 22 games. Rod Parker, a 6-2 guard, averaged 11.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. . . . The Cougars lost 16 of their 17 road games, and Coach Tommy Suitts was fired at the end of the season. He was replaced by Rick Pryor, a former Chicago State player who spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Illinois Chicago.