Stewarts Expect Family Affair
The Stewart twins, Lodrick and Rodrick, expect 300 to 400 of their closest friends and family members from Seattle to attend tonight’s game against Washington, and it’s hoped that their presence should overcome any negativity from a riled-up crowd.
“As long as I got my dad there and my family and little brothers are there smiling, I’m cool,” said Lodrick, who along with his brother attended Seattle’s Rainier Beach High. “I’ve got everything else. I don’t get caught up in the crowds, talking to the crowds and stuff. If they boo me, I’ll just keep a smile on my face.
“I’m just trying to go in, get a win and leave. That’s all I want.”
The Stewarts, though, say their respect for the locals runs as deep as their Washington roots, even if they did spend the first half of their lives in Mississippi.
“Your fans make you,” Lodrick said. “You’ve got to be a people person.... That’s how you sell tickets.”
Also: Lodrick had been dating the sister of Husky guard Tre Simmons for almost four years; Rodrick on Monday spoke with Husky guard Nate Robinson, a former high school teammate, about the upcoming game and bragging rights; and the Stewarts and Trojan guard Roy Smiley, from Seattle’s Garfield High, traveled south on Dec. 27 to watch Washington’s victory at San Diego State.
*
A week after ripping his upperclassmen for the umpteenth time this season, Trojan Coach Henry Bibby softened and praised three juniors.
“I think [Rory] O’Neil, Errick and Derrick [Craven] have gotten better the last week and we expect them to keep getting better,” Bibby said.
*
Bad weather in the Pacific Northwest played havoc with USC’s travel plans. The Trojans’ scheduled 3 p.m. departure from LAX was canceled. They made a later flight and were not expected to reach Seattle until 11:30 p.m.
TONIGHT
at Washington, 7
Site -- Bank of America Arena, Seattle.
Radio -- KMPC (1540), KSPA (1510), XEMM (800).
Records -- USC 6-5 overall, 1-1 in Pacific 10; Washington 5-5, 0-2.
Update -- The Huskies swept the Trojans last season for the first time since 1998, beating them in Seattle, 76-72, after USC held a 21-point first-half lead. Washington lost at California and Stanford last weekend.