Trojans Await a Twin Peak

For the first time in their lives, the gregarious Stewart twins, Lodrick and Rodrick, were speechless.

And it had nothing to do with the gag order USC Coach Henry Bibby had imposed on them before lifting it this week.

What was supposed to be just a guys’ night out -- senior Desmon Farmer taking the freshmen out to dinner at a deli in Marina del Rey as a way of showing the youngsters the sights and sounds of Los Angeles on their first weekend in town -- included a man flashing a knife at them as they walked and then following them inside the eatery.

“The dude sat down at the table across from us and was just sitting there, staring at us,” Rodrick said. “I was scared, man, I didn’t know what to do or say.

“The police came in and escorted us out. That’s why we don’t go anywhere no more.”

The Stewarts, from Seattle, were no longer in their Pacific Northwest comfort zone.

In Seattle, the Stewarts said, they knew everybody and didn’t run the risk of being in harm’s way. But because nobody knew them in L.A., things were different.

“We’ve got to earn respect,” Lodrick said.

Of late, it has been easier to get their credibility on the court than on the streets -- even though the 6-foot-4 twins’ inconsistent play has mirrored that of the 6-5 Trojans.

Rodrick, the 3A Washington state player of the year last season at Rainier Beach High, is USC’s starting point guard; Lodrick is counted on for scoring punch as a backup.

But while Rodrick set a goal before the season of leading the Pacific 10 Conference in assists -- “I’m the tallest point guard in the Pac-10,” he said -- he has more turnovers (28) than assists (26) and is averaging only 5.8 points and shooting 11.8% from three-point range.

“There’s a lot of pressure on Rod and Lod to perform for us,” Bibby said. “We’re looking at those guys to step in and be seasoned veterans and they’re not that yet.”

Oregon freshman guard Aaron Brooks, last year’s Washington 4A player of the year, said he saw a difference in the Stewarts during the Ducks’ win over the Trojans on Friday.

“They’re smarter than they [were] in high school, they’re better players,” Brooks said. “They’ve got to get their jump shots going, that’s about it.

“In high school, they could hit jump shots, but I don’t know what’s going on now. When they get that, they’re going to be nice.”

Lodrick has had to get used to not starting for the first time in his life.

“I can’t get mad sitting on the bench,” he said. “I’ve got to share with the guys. The first two games, I would get mad and sit there like, ‘ ... I’m ready to go in.’ I’d sit there talking to myself, getting frustrated. I can’t do that.”

He has accepted his role and is averaging 14.5 points in two Pac-10 games. Overall, he has scored in double figures in five consecutive games and is shooting 42.2% from the field.

The Stewarts broke hearts from Puget Sound to the Palouse after leading Rainier Beach to consecutive state titles and deliberately deceiving a Seattle newspaper by telling a reporter they would attend Washington the night before announcing on television they would become Trojans.

“A lot of people said, ‘Why USC?’ ” said the twins’ outspoken father, Bull Stewart, a power-lifting champion and fitness trainer. “I said, ‘Why not USC?’ A lot of people scrutinize Coach Bibby but Coach Bibby is a good guy.

“[Seattle] is all about what the city wants for the kids. Being from the South, I didn’t feel an obligation for my kids to stay home. Bibby has that Southern mentality too.”

Bull Stewart said Bibby’s tough-love style, structure and gruff exterior appealed to him and the twins.

Some in Seattle sneered, saying it would only be a matter of time before the whole thing imploded in Bibby’s face, what with the Stewarts’ egos seemingly as large as the Space Needle.

Skeptics delighted when word surfaced that the twins had to run laps at midnight after skipping class and were being held out of the starting lineup because of tardiness.

Some of those critics figure to jeer the Stewarts tonight in their much-anticipated homecoming.

Not that the Stewarts would admit they care.

“There are going to be people that boo ... but that’s typical,” Rodrick said. “You leave home, they’re going to do that. But there’s going to be a lot of people that cheer. I know there’s going to be a lot more people that cheer than boo because we know everybody in Seattle.”

Said Lodrick: “People [in Seattle] look up to us. We never got caught up in stealing stuff or drugs.... We were looked at as role models, like NBA players.”

And with their first semester of college behind them, the Stewarts are adjusting to L.A.

“Ever since that thing happened on the street, I’ve told them to be aware of their surroundings,” Bull Stewart said. “For them now it’s school, basketball and sleep. That’s it.”