Have No Fear, New Day Is Here

The fear is gone.

The one hurdle that five years of USC basketball teams could not overcome against UCLA is gone, dragged angrily away Wednesday night by kids whose timing was as strong as their tenor.

The fear was rattled like a Jeff Trepagnier dunk, dumped like a Brandon Granville pass, clutched like a Brian Scalabrine rebound.

And then . . . gone, disappeared, lying today in pieces out in some corner of the Sports Arena parking lot with other freshly discarded notions.

Such as the one that says Los Angeles’ best college basketball is played in Westwood.

Not today it’s not.

“We sent a big message here,” Sam Clancy said, and it is this:

Today, and perhaps for the foreseeable future, control of the city game has been returned to the city, to the team with the most local kids, the best local feel.

That would be USC, 91-79 winners over UCLA, breaking a 10-game losing streak to its rivals, off to their best Pacific 10 start in seven years (3-0) after winning both games in Washington for the first time in 15 years.

Those are the numbers.

The story Wednesday was in the faces.

Clancy’s amazed smile as he dunked over motionless Bruins after a missed free throw . . . versus Dan Gadzuric’s confused frown when caught in a baseline double-team.

Granville’s little grin when dribbling around, over and through the perimeter . . . versus Earl Watson’s grimace as he was dribbled around, over and through.

Scalabrine’s red-faced scream . . . versus Rico Hines’ pained cry of frustration.

Then there were the 10,001 fans, somewhat more than the 6,000 predicted by UCLA’s Jason Kapono, cheering louder for USC against UCLA than in recent memory.

Many arrived late and angry after being caught in massive traffic jam. Few knew that about the same time, there was a recently scheduled soccer match involving Mexico occurring at the same time at the Coliseum.

It was soon forgotten when USC played hard and smart enough to put them into another standing, stomping, aisle-crowding traffic jam.

At the end of the first half, after watching the Trojans calmly dismantle yet another flustered Bruin effort, one fan said to another, “The only thing that would make this half complete is a Jeff Trepagnier dunk.

Moments later, Trepagnier knocked the ball loose from Watson, who fell to the floor around midcourt. Watson momentarily regained control until he was abruptly joined on the floor by Rashad Jones, who grabbed it from him and tossed it to Trepagnier.

Who ended the half with a dunk.

The play did more than give USC a 47-34 lead, it provided a metaphor for the sudden shift in the relationship between these two unfriendly neighbors.

It is USC that now has all the hops, all the hustle, all the smarts. It had 10 more rebounds, five more assists, and made 15 more free throws.

It is USC that now has the hot coach. Henry Bibby’s team was as orderly his suits while Steve Lavin’s team was, well, Steve Lavin’s team.

It is USC that has the improving players. Granville and Clancy and David Bluthenthal are like, six years better than last year, while UCLA’s big men--Jerome Moiso and Gadzuric--continue to flat-line.

And it is USC that is simply getting better.

“Coach told us before the game that UCLA is no different than we are,” Clancy said. “Just because it says ‘UCLA’ on their jerseys doesn’t mean they are any better than we are.”

Not anymore, it doesn’t.

In recent years, UCLA could always say that it had yet to be beaten by noted alumnus Bibby. Not anymore.

“This does feel good,” a careful Bibby allowed. “Knowing the tradition they have over there, that’s something we’re trying to get over here, and hopefully we’re moving toward that.”

In recent years, UCLA could always say that no matter how disjointed its attack, it could win with talent. Not anymore.

“We have a team that can play with anyone,” Clancy said. “Right now, we feel like we can beat anybody.”

In recent years, UCLA could always say that if all else fails, it would at least look more like a college basketball team.

Not anymore.

Check out a sequence that began with 11:46 left in the first half. You need to see no more.

There was a TV timeout. Both teams gathered around their coaches. The referees blew the whistle and both teams took the court.

UCLA threw the ball in and was immediately confronted, for the first time in the game, with a zone defense.

UCLA had not a clue how to handle it. Sixteen seconds after the TV timeout, UCLA needed another timeout.

“We have so many defenses, we can really keep offenses on their toes, and that’s what happened tonight,” said Trepagnier, who has become more than a dunking exhibition with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

Bibby smiled. “We only use 12% of our brains,” he said. “We haven’t even begun to tap into these guys’ heads.”

From one battle to another, the question now becomes: Are the Trojans a tournament team? They should be.

Their first six players can be exceptional. But Bibby really only plays six, and, on Wednesday, four of them played at least 36 minutes.

If they stay out of foul and injury trouble, they will be fine. And, at least on this night, what USC fan would want to believe anything else?

“Just like football,” chanted the fans late into Wednesday night, hurdles disappearing everywhere.

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Bill Plaschke can be reached at his e-mail address: bill.plaschke@latimes.com.