Bluthenthal Is Frustrated

David Bluthenthal, enduring an up-and-down season, acknowledged Monday that his senior year as a Trojan has been his most exasperating campaign.

“My freshman year was frustrating, but I was a freshman. I accepted it and I learned a lot,” said the small forward, who left USC’s 73-69 loss at Oregon Saturday without speaking to reporters after going two for 11 from the field and missing a potential game-winning three-point shot with four seconds to play. “But this year is definitely the most frustrating.

“I think it’s all mental. I’ve worked just as hard all year. I’ve worked a little bit harder as of late. What I’ve learned this year is how much of the game is mental. I never realized that until this year.”

Bluthenthal is averaging 11 points, his lowest since he was a freshman, and shooting 39.4% (worst of his career) from the field, including 39.5% from beyond the three-point stripe. He averaged 13.5 points last season while shooting 47.2% from the field and 40.9% on three-point attempts.

“It’s tougher this year because I don’t get the looks that I had last year,” Bluthenthal said. “I’m not averaging a lot of points, but I still think that teams are keying on me a little because they know that I can shoot it well.

“I think I just need to get more movement, and I think offensively it’s tough to get a lot of movement when we do run certain offenses that are geared toward just filling certain areas. It’s not like I can just roam about. I just need to continue to stay positive.”

USC’s bench will have two more players available Wednesday as the Trojans go for their first season sweep of UCLA since 1992.

Freshman guard Derrick Craven (personal reasons) and sophomore forward Jerry Dupree (paternal grandfather’s funeral) missed the Oregon State and Oregon games, but each is ready if needed. “It made me get back on focus,” Dupree said of missing the trip. “I had time to think what I need to do to get in the game and play more, what the coaches expect.”

Dupree said he had been willing to fly to Oregon to join the team for Saturday’s game. “They just wanted me to stay home and get my mind right,” he said.

Craven doesn’t expect to play against UCLA.

USC fell four places, to No. 24, in the coaches’ poll, and from No. 23 to 25 in the Associated Press rankings. Among the five ranked Pacific 10 Conference teams, the Trojans are the lowest rated in either poll.