For Now, Trojans Keeping Their Eye on the Ball

Another day, another supposed coach for the USC basketball team.

The Trojans are accustomed to hearing any name except that of interim Coach Jim Saia linked to the permanent position, and Tim Floyd is due next.

USC officials Thursday moved to complete a multiyear contract with the former college and NBA coach to succeed Rick Majerus, who resigned after five days after succeeding Henry Bibby, ousted four games into his ninth season.

Got that?

Players stopped trying to figure it out after Majerus’ brief stint on campus, figuring the situation would only change again once they did. However, the wild ride apparently hasn’t deterred them on the court.

In the Rainbow Classic, the Trojans finished 2-1, losing in the championship game to Hawaii, 72-68, on Thursday night.

USC (6-4) was making its fourth appearance in the tournament, which it won in 1975.

It’s clear the Trojans have banded together, blocking out the dizzying twists in this month’s coaching carousel. They’ve played better than even they thought they could under the circumstances, and a Hawaiian getaway was just what they needed.

“It’s good to get away,” said senior forward Jeff McMillan, who returned to the lineup in the tournament after sitting out four games because of a broken left hand.

“It was good to be away from the school. It was good for us to try to keep our heads on basketball, as opposed to our coaching situation.”

The Trojans focused on the court in first- and second-round victories over Indiana State and Alabama Birmingham.

They built a 20-point halftime lead against Indiana State, struggled late and held on for a 68-64 victory in the teams’ opener. Center Rory O’Neil’s three-point basket with 5.3 seconds left broke a 78-78 tie as USC defeated Alabama Birmingham, 81-78, in the semifinals.

Freshman point guard Gabe Pruitt, whose career is off to a great start, led USC in scoring with 16 and 15 points, respectively, and made the pass that led to O’Neil’s clutch shot against Alabama Birmingham.

“Just a real big performance from a freshman,” Saia said. “You can’t say enough about that performance. He really gave us what we needed against two good teams.”

USC returns to the Sports Arena on Tuesday to play Southern in its final nonconference game. The Trojans open Pacific 10 Conference play at Oregon on Dec. 31, by which time Floyd could be assembling his staff and recruiting for next season.

Although Saia is expected to finish the season, nothing is for sure with the Trojans.

“All I know is that I’ve been told to coach the team,” Saia said. “That’s what [Athletic Director] Mike Garrett wants me to do, and that’s what I’m going to do until I’m told anything different.”