Somehow, He’ll Try to Make It All Fit

Henry Bibby is sitting in a soft chair in a conference room at USC, looking at ease in a cardinal sweatsuit, but seemingly uncomfortable with a turn in the conversation from his players to his methods.

“It is not a control issue,” he says, referring to his decision to close practice to outsiders. “I just want the young people to focus on what they need to focus on. We’re trying to see where everybody fits in and need to talk about that without everybody listening to how we are putting our house in order.”

Bibby speaks softly, as if all this should be understood. And, perhaps it should. With 10 players who have never worn a Trojan uniform and a schedule that includes seven of the final 11 games on the road, Bibby’s first full season will include much housekeeping.

After going 0-9 last season as interim coach after the firing of Charlie Parker, Bibby was given the wheel and asked to right a ship that finished 11-19 and 4-14 in the Pacific 10 Conference.

He is also being asked to bring harmony to a program with its third coach since 1994, a program that had players criticizing coaches and one another last season as they lined up to transfer or graduate.

“I never had any problems with those guys last year when Charlie left,” Bibby said. “The attitude problems I think left. I feel that I have the discipline I need. I am respectful of the players, and I think they respect me.

“Their attitude has been great, they want to learn, and we have been doing a lot of teaching.”

There are a few players Bibby won’t need to teach much before opening the season Saturday at the Sports Arena against Long Beach State, beginning with senior guard Stais Boseman. The team’s leading scorer last season (15.2 points a game) has shown an improved outside shot in two exhibitions and is one of the Pac-10’s best defenders.

After shooting only 30% from three-point range in 1995-96, Boseman spent much of the off-season shooting at least 19 feet 9 inches from the basket, and it seems to have paid off. He made 50% during the exhibitions.

“He is shooting 100% better than last season,” Bibby said. “It is something he worked very hard on in the off-season.”

Boseman and swingman Rodrick Rhodes are the players most counted on, even though Rhodes, 6 feet 6, has not played a game since the end of the 1994-95 season. The Kentucky transfer sat out last season because of NCAA rules.

“We are counting on [Rhodes] to do a lot. I want to utilize Rod’s skills as much as I can,” Bibby said. “He is very athletic, can score on one-on-one situations. And, if we break down [offensively], we want the ball in his hands because he can make some things happen.”

Although Rhodes’ presence may be most visible on the offensive end, he might best help the Trojans on defense. Last season, players like Washington’s Mark Sanford, who scored 35 and 25 points in two Husky victories, burned the Trojans.

At the very least, Rhodes should offer sound advice to freshmen Danny Walker, Shannon Swillis and Jarvis Turner, who were in eighth grade when Rhodes, 23, played his first college game.

“You know he’s got a lot of experience,” Walker said. “I run with him, and he tells me things like the workout [Clipper guard] Terry Dehere used to do. He knows what you have to do to make it.”

David Crouse, 6-11, returns at center and will need to pick up from last season, when he averaged 10 points and 6.2 rebounds in the nine games after Bibby took over. Forward Jaha Wilson also returns with a 10.7 scoring average and a team-leading 7.8 rebounds, but Wilson is learning to play small forward as Bibby looks at Gary Williams and Turner at power forward.

“If we want to get bigger, then Jaha has to learn to play the ‘3,’ ” Bibby said of Wilson, who two years ago led the conference in rebounding. “We’ve got to look to get bigger because of some of the people we will be facing in the Pac-10. Hopefully, we can put a potential Pac-10 leading rebounder at the ‘3’ and improve in that area because it was a problem last season.”

Walker and junior-college transfer Ken Sims earned most of the exhibition minutes backing up Boseman.

“Danny’s got confidence with the ball and in his shot and that is something you don’t see from a freshman,” Boseman said.

Bibby has used Boseman at the point in a big lineup with Rhodes at the shooting guard, but also has put Walker at the point, moving Boseman to off-guard. Boseman seems more suited to the latter lineup, but Bibby is waiting to see how Walker performs before committing.

He is also holding his breath with Turner.

“I like Jarvis Turner. I think he is going to be a big-time player,” Bibby said. “But you have to realize he is just 18, and up north he was not playing against the greatest competition.

“But he is going to get better. He does a lot of things well. But he is not doing things as hard as he should. He is having to adjust like a lot of the guys are having to do.”

They will have to adjust quickly. The Trojans’ third game is a nonconference date against North Carolina in the Harris Teeter Challenge in Charlotte, N.C., on Dec. 6.

“Hopefully we will get out of the gate and get a little taste of honey, so to speak,” Bibby said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

USC Facts and Figures

ROSTER

No: 3

Player: Gary Williams

Pos: F

Ht: 6-7

Wt: 230

Yr: Jr

Comment: JC transfer might start at power forward

*

No: 4

Player: Anthony White

Pos: F

Ht: 6-7

Wt: 215

Yr: Jr

Comment: Transfer ineligible until Game 6

*

No: 5

Player: Gary Johnson

Pos: G

Ht: 6-0

Wt: 170

Yr: Jr

Comment: Brown Mackie College transfer

*

No: 10

Player: Ken Sims

Pos: G

Ht: 6-5

Wt: 200

Yr: Jr

Comment: Transfer from New Mexico JC

*

No: 12

Player: Rodrick Rhodes

Pos: F

Ht: 6-6

Wt: 220

Yr: Sr

Comment: Kentucky transfer sat out last season

*

No: 20

Player: Elias “Larry” Ayuso

Pos: G

Ht: 6-2

Wt: 195

Yr: So

Comment: Teammate of Sims at New Mexico JC

*

No: 21

Player: Jarvis Turner

Pos: F

Ht: 6-8

Wt: 215

Yr: Fr

Comment: 24.1 points a game at South Bakersfield High

*

No: 24

Player: Jaha Wilson

Pos: F

Ht: 6-5

Wt: 210

Yr: Sr

Comment: 10.7 points, 7.8 rebounds a game in 1995-96

*

No: 25

Player: Shannon Swillis

Pos: F

Ht: 6-6

Wt: 215

Yr: Fr

Comment: 17.0 points a game at Bullard High (Fresno)

*

No: 33

Player: Danny Walker

Pos: G

Ht: 6-1

Wt: 190

Yr: Fr

Comment: All-City 4-A at Fremont in 1995-96

*

No: 35

Player: Stais Boseman

Pos: G

Ht: 6-4

Wt: 200

Yr: Sr

Comment: Leading scorer last season at 15.2 points a game

*

No: 41

Player: David Crouse

Pos: C

Ht: 6-11

Wt: 245

Yr: Sr

Comment: 7.5 points, 4.7 rebounds a game in 1995-96

*

No: 44

Player: Ramy Shoukry

Pos: F

Ht: 6-7

Wt: 215

Yr: Jr

Comment: Transfer from Collin County (Texas) College

*

Coach: Henry Bibby, first full season 0-9 (no NCAA tournament appearances)

1995-96 Record: 11-19 overall, 4-14 in Pac-10 (9th place)

Tournament: Did not qualify for postseason play.

Returning Starters (2): Wilson, Boseman

SCHEDULE

*--*

Date Opponent Time Sat. Long Beach State 1:00 Dec. 2 Loyola Marymount 7:00 Dec. 6 North Carolina ** 4:00 Dec. 7 Third-place game or finals ** 4 or 6 Dec. 15 at UC Irvine 2:00 Dec. 18 at Tennessee 4:00 Dec. 21 Ohio State 4:00 Dec. 28 at UNLV 7:30 Jan. 2 Washington 7:00 Jan. 4 Washington State 5:00 Jan. 9 at California 7:30 Jan. 11 at Stanford 3:00 Jan. 16 Arizona 7:00 Jan. 18 Arizona State 1:00 Jan. 23 UCLA 7:30 Jan. 26 Cincinnati 1:00 Jan. 30 at Oregon State 7:30 Feb. 1 at Oregon 7:00 Feb. 6 Stanford 7:00 Feb. 8 California Noon Feb. 13 at Arizona State 6:00 Feb. 15 at Arizona 3:30 Feb. 19 at UCLA 7:30 Feb. 27 Oregon 7:30 March 1 Oregon State 7:00 Mar. 6 at Washington State 7:00 Mar. 8 at Washington 3:00

*--*

* All times Pacific and p.m. unless noted.

** Harris Teeter tournament at Charlotte, N.C.