Teammates Will Try to Buoy Farmer

If the lineup switch of Jeff Trepagnier for Desmon Farmer is going to last for several more games--or the rest of the season--it would seem to behoove the No. 25 Trojans to keep their freshman guard’s morale high.

Farmer, who averaged 8.5 points and 2.9 rebounds while Trepagnier overcame a foot injury and a suspension during an NCAA investigation, is USC’s most emotional player. He has said if a change was made he would do whatever Coach Henry Bibby and his staff wanted but appeared to take the decision hard Saturday at the Arizona State game.

Brandon Granville said that it was good to have Trepagnier back but that the other Trojans will rally around Farmer.

“I went through this as a freshman, wondering if you’re in the right situation,” Granville said. “We’ll keep talking to him because we still need him. We know he can score a lot of points in a hurry.”

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Oregon forward Bryan Bracey leads the Pacific 10 Conference in scoring, as he has all season, but USC’s Sam Clancy is catching up fast. Bracey is averaging 19.3 points, Clancy 19.