Bibby Expects Results After Big Loss

The 6-1 Trojans have a full week before playing their next nonconference game against American at the Sports Arena next Monday. That leaves time to reflect on Saturday’s loss at Kansas.

“You win five or six games in a row, you think you’re invincible and that you’re going to win every game that you play,” Coach Henry Bibby said. “Now we know there are better teams out there and we have to meet the challenge.”

When he played guard for UCLA in the early 1970s, Bibby suspected that Coach John Wooden liked his team to be challenged in December.

“I always thought that he wanted to have a close game going into conference play, three or four games before,” Bibby said. “When we did, that got our attention and we went on to win more games after that.”

But it’s doubtful that Wooden was thinking about anything along the lines of USC’s 107-78 loss to the Jayhawks.

“You didn’t hear me say ‘Lose a game,’ ” Bibby said. “I said ‘close’ games.”

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Despite the loss, USC received 17 votes in the latest Associated Press poll on Monday. Bibby’s view of his team and how it needs to play to be successful this season has not changed.

“Our goal is to score 78-80 points a game,” Bibby said. “Defensively, we have to limit people to 69 and 70 points. Defense is the key.”