Madness Starts Early for UCLA, USC

Two months isn’t quite an eternity, but to Nick Curtis, USC’s loss at Washington on Jan. 4 “feels like a long time ago,” he said.

And it should.

Curtis had established himself as a surprising force for the Trojans at power forward before suffering the foot ailments that hobble him now.

The sophomore had already surpassed his freshman totals in points (21), rebounds (18) and minutes (113) by the Trojans’ fourth game of the season, and he torched the Huskies for 17 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

Comparisons to Sam Clancy, last season’s Pacific 10 Conference player of the year, began to emerge as Curtis led the league in rebounding. He also had three double-doubles in the Trojans’ first 10 games.

But Curtis’ bumpy road to the finish seems to mimic the path taken by the Trojans, who blew a 21-point lead in Seattle and lost, 76-72.

Yet even with USC riding a six-game losing streak, it has a chance to right itself against Washington, the first Pac-10 team to expose the Trojans’ inability to close out games.

“We remember what happened at the end of the game,” Curtis said. “We have something to prove.”

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The Trojans, who can finish anywhere from sixth place to ninth, will qualify for the eight-team Pac-10 tournament with a home win over either Washington tonight or Washington State on Saturday. The Washington schools are a combined 1-19 on the road.

Two USC losses, and a UCLA victory over Washington, would leave the Trojans out of the Pac-10 tournament.

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After the final buzzer of the Huskies’ comeback Washington guard Will Conroy cornered Errick Craven and pulled back his jersey to show the USC guard his tattooed chest, artwork that read, “Confident Not Cocky.”

“I thought he wanted to get busy [and fight],” Craven said.

So will the Trojans flash any body art Conroy’s way tonight?

“Whatever he wants to see,” Curtis said with a grin, “he can see it.”

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Robert Hutchinson’s return after taking last week off for personal reasons gives Coach Henry Bibby another competent point guard, something the Trojans missed at Oregon and Oregon State when starter Derrick Craven fouled out of both losses.

“It’s good ... in case we need to give Derrick a breather,” Bibby said.

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Desmon Farmer (19.9 points) needs a combined 42 points to become the fourth Trojan since 1976 to average at least 20 points in conference play.

The others: Clancy (21.1 points last season), Harold Miner (three times, 26.9 in 1992, 23.6 in 1991 and 20.5 in 1990) and Derrick Dowell (20.4 in 1987).

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TONIGHT

vs. Washington, 7:30

Site -- Sports Arena.

Radio -- KMPC (1540), KPLS (830).

Records -- USC 10-15 overall, 5-11 in Pacific 10; Washington 9-16, 4-12.

Update -- Hoping to save the Trojans’ legs for the regular season’s final two games, and a potential Pac-10 tournament run, Bibby gave his team Wednesday off, substituting a low-key “team function” for practice.