Flow Goes With Dupree

As USC made its way to a Thomas & Mack Center dressing room following its 98-73 rout of Nevada Las Vegas, Trojan guard Errick Craven tugged at oft-troubled Jerry Dupree.

“You’re our X-factor,” Craven told the junior forward.

When Dupree comes to play, he alters the flow of the game, as he did when he checked in against the Rebels.

The Trojans were down, 15-6, when Dupree replaced Gregg Guenther with 15:11 remaining in the first half.

Dupree would play 19 minutes, score 13 points on six-for-seven shooting, take five rebounds and block a shot.

“I knew I could do that,” Dupree said. “Coach [Henry Bibby] knows I can do that. That’s why he’s so hard on me.

“But I had my head on right today.”

Dupree, who has served a semester-long suspension, battled recurring health problems and was given two days off last week by Bibby, said that he’s getting warm for the second half of Pacific 10 Conference play.

“That’s my thing now, to relax and let the game come to me,” Dupree said.

“I can’t make stuff happen, I’m not that kind of player. But I can [take advantage] of what comes my way.”

*

With six steals against the Rebels, sophomore guard Errick Craven moved into eighth place on the USC career list with 112.

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Thursday at Arizona State,

5:30 p.m. (PST)

The Trojans beat the Sun Devils, 76-74, at the Sports Arena on Jan. 18 when Guenther made two free throws with 3.9 seconds to play. USC has won nine of its last 10 against Arizona State.

-- Paul Gutierrez