Small Trojans Looking for a Big Gun

Was USC’s 1996-97 basketball season a cruel tease for Trojan fans, a drop of success dabbed on the long-struggling program’s tongue?

Conventional wisdom says yes, that without a true star, anyone taller than 6 feet 8 and few experienced players, USC should finish near the bottom of the Pacific 10 Conference.

But coming off consecutive losing seasons, the Trojans tied for second in the Pac-10 last season and earned an NCAA tournament invitation after no one had given them a chance to finish better than fourth.

“Henry should be national coach of the year,” UCLA Coach Steve Lavin said last season of USC Coach Henry Bibby. “He deserves it. USC has made the greatest turnaround in Pac-10 history.”

But a winning season is a long way from a winning tradition. Bibby has lost four key players, including the team’s two top scorers, Stais Boseman and Rodrick Rhodes. And so far, nobody has emerged to replace them in USC’s first two games--a loss to 11th-ranked New Mexico, 98-76, and a 31-point victory over Sacramento State.

First, Bibby needs to find someone who can carry the Trojans with the game on the line.

“Last year I had two or three of those guys,” Bibby said. “This year I’ll be happy to have one.”

The Trojans have brought in heralded Southland freshmen Kevin Augustine of Santa Ana Mater Dei, Greg Lakey of Lynwood High and Jeff Trepagnier of Compton High. And two players, junior guard Elias Ayuso and senior forward Gary Williams, each of whom started 21 games last season, have returned.

Bibby used 14 starting lineups last season and probably will continue shuttling players in and out as he seeks a core group. He has said he probably will use a seven-man rotation.

Evaluating talent and then fusing players into a unit is Bibby’s strong point.

He learned his coaching in the Continental Basketball Assn., where players move from team to team and working under tumultuous conditions is part of the game.

The Trojans are quicker this season and more athletic, Bibby said, and he will try to use that speed against some of the bigger Pac-10 teams, such as Stanford and Washington. He will also depend on his better shooters to score from the perimeter.

Adam Spanich, a 6-7, 212-pound junior forward from Marshalltown Community College in Iowa, has shown he can lift the Trojans with his three-point shooting.

In the first two games, Spanich made six of 10 three-point shots and scored 28 points.

Bibby has two other sharpshooters in Ayuso and senior Ken Sims. Sims, who spends his summers playing professional baseball in the Baltimore Oriole minor league system, is the most consistent player so far, Bibby says.

The ballhandlers are senior Gary Johnson and Augustine.

Johnson, who started eight games and averaged 3.6 points last season has good ball-handling skills while the 6-0, 185-pound Augustine, one of the most heralded high school players from Southern California, had eight assists in 16 minutes of play against Sacramento State.

Jarvis Turner, a 6-8, 230-pound forward, will be the closest thing the Trojans have to a center with the loss of USC’s two best post players, 6-11 David Crouse and 6-5 Jaha Wilson. Turner had 18 points and five rebounds against a much bigger New Mexico frontline.

The Trojans also lost Philip Von Backstrom, a 7-2, 245-pound center from Western Nebraska, who transferred in but transferred out again after three weeks.

Bibby appears unfazed by his team’s lack of size.

“John Wooden told me years ago, you don’t need big guys to win,” Bibby said. “You need the athletic guys. The teams with 6-8 and 6-9 players that have a lot of athleticism, that can run and shoot and jump well, those are the kinds of teams I always wanted.”

Bibby was impressed with the play of redshirt freshman Shannon Swillis against Sacramento State. The 6-6, 225-pound Swillis pulled down nine rebounds and blocked four shots

Others in the frontcourt will be Spanich, Turner, Trepagnier, Lakey and Williams, the team leader.

On defense, Bibby said, the Trojans will try to force teams away from the basket and into outside shooting.

“In order for this team to be successful, we have to cause turnovers and block shots,” Bibby said. “I’ll play the same way as last year but I’ll probably trap more and play a little more zone.”

To implement all these changes, Bibby will rely mostly on his seniors.

“Experience means everything,” he said. “I remember from my days in the NBA, I would salivate when I saw a rookie coming in and I was in my eighth year.”

Should they falter, Bibby is not reluctant to bench players. Last season, he suspended several for violating team rules and already this season, he has kept Williams and Trepagnier out of an exhibition game for being late for a team meeting.

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USC Facts

* 1996-97 season: 17-11 overall and 12-6 in the Pac-10.

* Finish: Second in the Pac-10. Lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Illinois, 90-77.

* Who’s new: Junior college transfer Adam Spanich, and freshmen Kevin Augustine, Greg Lakey, Jeff Trepagnier and Shannon Swillis.

* Who’s gone: Stais Boseman, Rodrick Rhodes, Jaha Wilson and David Crouse graduated. Danny Walker transferred.

* Projected starters: Forwards--Jarvis Turner (5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds) and Gary Williams (7.9 points, 4.0 rebounds); guards--Gary Johnson (3.6 points, 1.5 assists), Elias Ayuso (8.9 points, .50 assists) and Ken Sims (4.4 points, 1.9 rebounds)

* Key to the season: The younger players must mature quickly. The Trojans need to push the ball upcourt on offense, taking advantage of their quickness and athleticism. Their long-range shooters must be accurate from behind the three-point line. On defense, the Trojans must secure their vulnerable middle by causing turnovers, put pressure on the ball and close the passing lanes.

* Outlook: If Bibby is able to mask his team’s lack of size and if the newcomers are able to produce early, the Trojans could prevent teams with bigger but slower centers from dominating them and USC could earn a second consecutive postseason birth.

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USC AT A GLANCE / ROSTER

KEVIN AUGUSTINE (GUARD)

* No. 10. 6-0, 185. Freshman

A talented newcomer, Augustine is expected to help fill the void Stais Boseman left and will have to learn the Trojan offense quickly. He’s a true point guard with quickness and vision.

ELIAS AYUSO (GUARD)

* No. 20. 6-2, 195. Junior

He averaged 8.9 points and shot 41.9% from the field last season and he gives the Trojans good long-range shooting, having made 39.8% of his three-point shots. A good defender, Ayuso needs to work on taking the ball to the basket more.

SEYMOUR DAFFEH (FORWARD)

* No. 11. 6-6, 210. Junior

A walk-on who earned a scholarship this season, Daffeh has bulked up from last season and Bibby says he may get some playing time.

GARY JOHNSON (GUARD)

* No. 25. 6-0, 175. Senior

The only returning point guard, Johnson will be the Trojans’ floor leader in the early going. A speedster, he is known for stealing the ball in critical situations. Last season, Johnson got his first start in USC’s 75-62 victory over Arizona and scored nine points.

GREG LAKEY (FORWARD)

* No. 44. 6-8, 200. Freshman

Lakey can play both forward positions, run the floor and play tough defense.

KEN SIMS (GUARD)

* No. 24. 6-5, 200. Senior

Sims can play forward but is really a shooting guard and most valuable when he’s shooting three-pointers. He made 25 of 77 three-point shots (32.5%) last season and scored a season-high 17 points in the USC’s win over Ohio State.

BEHZAD SOUFERIAN (GUARD)

* No. 31. 6-2, 170. Senior

Another walk-on who played himself into a scholarship, Souferian adds depth to USC’s bench.

ADAM SPANICH (FORWARD)

* No. 13. 6-7, 212. Junior

A junior college transfer, Spanich contributes instant offense off the bench. An outstanding three-point shooter, he was voted Mr. Basketball in Iowa as a prep player.

SHANNON SWILLIS (FORWARD)

* No. 22. 6-6, 225. (Freshman)

A broken bone in his right foot kept Swillis out last season but the year off has done him good. He has added bulk and should be a bruiser under the basket. Coach Henry Bibby is looking for Swillis, who also runs the floor well, to be one of the team’s leading rebounders.

JEFF TREPAGNIER (GUARD)

* No. 12. 6-4, 185. Freshman

Trepagnier excels at several positions and Bibby considers him the steal of the recruiting class. Trepagnier had six rebounds against Sacramento State and scored nine points against New Mexico.

JARVIS TURNER (FORWARD)

* No. 21. 6-8, 230. Sophomore

A back injury slowed him last season, but this year Turner might be the “go-to guy” Bibby is looking for. He can score in the post but also can step outside and shoot. He averaged only five points and three rebounds last season but still earned honorable mention on the Pac-10 all-freshman team.

ANTHONY WHITE (FORWARD)

* No. 4. 6-8, 215. Senior

White broke his foot Oct. 13 and is not expected back until sometime in January. When he returns, he should give the Trojans more depth up front.

GARY WILLIAMS (FORWARD)

* No. 3. 6-7, 235. Senior

Williams is the Trojans’ leader. A strong inside player, he plays with a lot of emotion. If he can help instill some of that dedication in the younger Trojans, USC might again be the surprise of the Pac-10.

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USC AT A GLANCE / SCHEDULE

Date: Opponent, Time

Nov. 21: at Loyola Marymount, 7 p.m.

Nov. 25: UC Santa Barbara, 8 p.m.

Nov. 29: at San Diego State, 7 p.m.

Dec. 2: Nevada Las Vegas, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 20: at Ohio State, 11 a.m.

Dec. 23: Kansas, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 27: at Long Beach State, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 30: Tennessee, 7 p.m.

Jan. 3: at Arizona State, 3 p.m.

Jan. 5: at Arizona, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 8: Oregon, 7 p.m.

Jan. 10: Oregon State, 1 p.m.

Jan. 15: at Stanford, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 17: at California, 1 p.m.

Jan. 21: at UCLA, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 29: Washington, 7 p.m.

Jan. 31: Washington State, 5 p.m.

Feb. 5: at Oregon State, 7 p.m.

Feb. 7: at Oregon, 3 p.m.

Feb. 12: California, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 14: Stanford, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 18: UCLA, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 26: at Washington, 7 p.m.

Feb. 28: at Washington State, 2 p.m.

March 5: Arizona, 7:30 p.m.

March 7: Arizona State, 5 p.m.