Bibby to Attend Dedication at Pauley

A USC coach joining his former UCLA brethren at Pauley Pavilion will not make for strange or mixed company on Saturday. At least not for Trojan Coach Henry Bibby, who will be among the expected 100 former Bruin players to attend the dedication of Nell and John Wooden Court.

“I don’t have a problem going to Pauley; that’s my roots, that’s where I went to school,” said Bibby, who played at UCLA from 1970-72, winning three national championships. “I have a lot of respect for UCLA. I’m not there anymore, but Coach Wooden is my guy. He’s a guy that I respect, that I love, that I’d go anywhere for, doesn’t matter.”

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The 3-3 Trojans are being outscored by an average of 83.7-77.3, rankling a defensive-conscious Bibby.

“Defense is the easiest thing to play,” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting out, getting in a stance and not letting your guy go by you. We seem to have some problems with that.”

And it’s not just up close. USC opponents, making 48.6% of their shots, are going bombs-away on the Trojans as well, shooting 38.9% (58 of 149) from three-point territory.

“It’s the same thing,” Bibby said. “You have to make more of an effort to get out to guard people and take some pride in that and go out and stop some people. I wish I could find some defensive people and they would play, the whole game.

“But you take out one guy and the next guy going in is just as bad as he is, so it’s just like musical chairs with our defense.”

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Senior guard Roy Smiley, who has not played since breaking his leg in last season’s Pacific 10 Conference tournament title game, will not travel to Fresno State. He will see a doctor today in an attempt to determine the source of new pain in his ankle and knee.

Smiley has expressed a desire to take a medical redshirt and come back next season. But 12 of the Trojans’ 13 scholarships for next season are already spoken for with eight returners, three early signees and an oral commitment.