To a Man, Trojans Defend

When Jerry Dupree wasn’t pacing around USC’s locker room before the game, the sophomore forward was hopping around it in eager anticipation.

The junior college transfer with the old-school look of headband, high socks and wristbands up both arms hadn’t played in a college game in almost two years, since last suiting up for the College of Southern Idaho, and he was getting a start in his Trojan debut.

“The thing with him is he brings a lot of energy and excitement,” Trojan senior point guard Brandon Granville said of Dupree.

“But he’s calm about it. He’s not out of control and that’s the key.”

The rust that was expected of Dupree was nowhere to be found Tuesday night at the Sports Arena. Dupree played the role of emotional sparkplug in No. 20 USC’s 68-55 victory over Wyoming in a preseason National Invitation Tournament first-round game in front of 3,136 and a national television audience.

The Trojans next travel to Fresno State, a 92-70 winner over Montana State on Tuesday night, to face the Bulldogs on Thursday at 7 p.m.

A win sends USC to New York for Thanksgiving and the NIT’s final two rounds.

Against Wyoming, Dupree, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound high-flying swingman, finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots in 37 minutes.

His defense and ability to create helped USC come back from a seven-point deficit in the first half, when the Trojans clamped down on the Cowboys with a stifling man-to-man pressure defense.

“Oh, man, I was just loving it,” said Dupree, a native of Moreno Valley who spent the past year at San Bernardino Valley College shoring up his academics.

“My main objective tonight was to block shots and get rebounds. This is like a dream come true finally getting here and playing here at USC.”

The Trojans looked anything but dreamy midway through the first half, though, as Wyoming’s Nigerian nightmare of a front line--6-9, 245-pound power forward Ugo Udezue and 6-10, 260-pound center Uche Nsonwu-Amadi--denied the Trojans good looks down low.

At the other end of the court, however, the Cowboys were getting easy shots and led by seven, 32-25, with five minutes to play in the first half.

“I think we were a little bit nervous with all their big guys,” said Trojan senior power forward Sam Clancy, who started at center and finished with a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds in 39 minutes.

“They were getting easy buckets on us and we just picked it up defensively, started playing man and eventually, they started missing shots.”

USC closed out the first half with an 11-0 run and, after scoring the first six points of the second half, the Trojans led by 10, 42-32, with more than 18 minutes remaining.

USC stayed in its suffocating man defense and its lead never fell below four points the rest of the game.

“We picked up the defense,” USC Coach Henry Bibby said. “We got out there and played a tough man-to-man and started contesting their outside shots.”

USC limited Wyoming to 17.2% shooting (five of 29) from the field in the second half, 9.1% (one of 11) from beyond the three-point arc.

For the game, Wyoming shot 28.6%.

USC, meanwhile, shot 41.3%, though the Trojans made only one of nine three-point attempts.

“I was scared of [Wyoming] a little bit because of their big guys up front,” Bibby said.

“Basically, their big guys were non-factors in the game.”

Udezue had more fouls (three) than points (two) and Nsonwu-Amadi’s only points came from a pair of free throws.

Granville said that the added presence of Dupree as a shot blocker, along with Clancy, allowed USC’s guards to play tighter defense up top and take more chances.

Granville had three of the Trojans’ six steals.

“We were playing a couple of zones there in the first half, trapping,” Granville said.

“But we didn’t rotate well. In the second half, we went to the man-to-man and that worked.”

The game in hand, Bibby went 10 deep in his bench.

“Coach always says that offense isn’t always going to be there, but you can play defense every night,” Granville said. “We’re a good defensive team.”