Lost Weekend Brings Tough Questions

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it has been the longest stretch of the Trojans’ season.

It’s not only that USC is 2-3 this month. It also appears the Trojans have a hit a wall, imagined or otherwise, and it’s threatening to unravel what has been a good season.

The last two defeats (both at home) have been the most difficult. Losing to UCLA, which USC had called its pivotal game, hurt the Trojans’ confidence. Getting routed by 44 points by Arizona on Saturday cannot be totally explained away by saying USC had an off day.

Something is missing. Or has gotten lost. And it’s not simply because the Pacific 10 Conference schedule is more difficult than the nonconference schedule.

If USC is going to get its first NCAA tournament berth since 1997, it can’t keep having games like Saturday, when Brian Scalabrine was the only starter on the floor midway through a first half in which the Trojans would trail 46-23. Coach Henry Bibby thought the others weren’t playing very well.

“That’s not what we’re used to doing,” said Brandon Granville, who sat on the bench with Jeff Trepagnier, Sam Clancy and David Bluthenthal. “But we weren’t effective, so coach wanted to go to [other] guys that had played well in practice.”