It’s Time to Do Some Zone Busting

Given USC’s problems against Arizona’s zone defenses last week, Trojan Coach Henry Bibby played it close to the vest when asked if he would zone the Trojans if he were coaching against them.

“I have no comment on that one,” Bibby said with a sly grin.

The Wildcats employed a 3-2 zone with the 6-foot-8 Luke Walton disrupting things at the top of the key. USC’s point guards struggled mightily and the Trojans made only two of their first 22 shots while getting easily beaten.

“I have no problem with the zone; I think we’re a good zone team,” Bibby said. “We have several zone offenses that we can run. It’s a matter of getting behind the zone, driving the gaps of the zone, ball-faking the zone.

“It’s probably something that we haven’t done enough of and I blame the coaches and myself for not talking more about the fundamentals of the zone, ball-fakes and driving the gaps.”

USC senior forward Sam Clancy has an idea on how to beat a zone.

“Make some shots,” he said. “That would help a lot of things, solve a lot of problems.”

Bibby isn’t sure what kind of defensive packages California will use tonight against the Trojans. But he knows they will be tough.

The Golden Bears boast four players at least 6 feet 10 and lead the Pacific 10 Conference in five defensive categories--scoring defense (60.8 points per game allowed), field-goal percentage defense (38.3%), three-point percentage defense (31.1%), steals (9.19 steals per game), and turnover margin (+5.88).

USC leads the Pac-10 in one category, averaging 15.06 offensive rebounds.

“We’re not concerned with their height. They do a lot of switching,” Bibby said. “They really pack it inside, they try not to let you get anything in the area under the basket and they put pressure on you to shoot the basketball.”

At 14-3 overall, No. 23 USC is off to its best start since the 1991-92 team also began 14-3. Those Harold Miner-led Trojans started the season 17-3 before finishing 24-6.

The Golden Bears, who have been picking up votes in both the coaches’ and writers’ polls but not enough to crack either top 25, are off to their best start since the 1959-60 season, when Cal opened 15-1 under Pete Newell en route to a 28-2 finish. Cal was the national runner-up that season.

TONIGHT

vs. California, 7:30

Fox Sports Net 2 (delayed, 9:30)

Site--Sports Arena.

Radio--KMPC (1540).

Records--No. 23 USC 14-3, 6-1 in Pacific 10; California 13-3, 4-2.

Update--One of USC’s losses this season came at Fresno State in the preseason National Invitation Tournament, 65-58, on Nov. 15. Cal thumped Fresno State, 97-75, on Dec. 11, though Bulldog center Melvin Ely sat out that game. Cal is led in scoring by junior forward Joe Shipp (14.8) and in rebounding by freshman center Jamal Sampson (7.8).

Paul Gutierrez