Bibby Makes His Point

Having been coach at USC since 1996, you’d think that Henry Bibby would be used to the annual questions about the irony of a former UCLA All-American point guard coaching the Trojans.

But with the Trojans hitting Westwood for Wednesday’s Pacific 10 Conference game, Bibby first seemed perturbed with the line of questioning Monday ... before lightening up.

“Why would I follow what’s going on over there?” huffed Bibby, who helped the Bruins to three NCAA titles from 1970-72. “I don’t care what goes on over there at all.”

When asked whether he talks with first-year UCLA Coach Ben Howland, Bibby howled.

“Is there any reason for me to talk to him? I have no reason to talk to him other than exchange pleasantries,” Bibby said. “He’s coaching his team; he’s worried about his concerns. I’m coaching my team.

“It’s not like we hang out, he comes over to the crib or I go over to his crib.”

After the laughter faded, a relaxed Bibby said he did “sympathize” with Howland when his father passed away last summer.

“I think about him in those situations,” said Bibby, who lost his mother in the fall, “but other than that .... “

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Errick Craven, having served his one-game suspension from starting, had a closed-door meeting Monday with senior associate athletic director Daryl Gross as the final part of his punishment for kicking a downed Richard Midgley in the Trojans’ 63-62 loss at California last Thursday.

“He’s assured everyone that it will never happen again,” Gross said.

“It was really out of character for Errick to do that,” he said. “There was a real sincere feeling of regret from him.”

Craven could not comment because Bibby has a gag order on both sets of USC twins -- freshmen Lodrick and Rodrick Stewart and Errick and his brother Derrick.

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Gross is waiting for video coordinator Erik Perea to break down a tape of the final seconds of USC’s loss at Cal -- when a driving Derrick Craven was dragged down in the lane by Cal’s A.J. Diggs as he elevated for a possible game-winning shot. He said he would send it to the Pac-10 office.

His intentions?

“Awareness and [to show] that Henry’s not complaining just to complain,” Gross said. “Obviously he sees some things that he thinks aren’t accurate, and they should be brought to the attention of [Pac-10 coordinator of men’s basketball officiating] Lou Campanelli. That’s the proper procedure.

“So we’re just trying to do the appropriate thing and go through the appropriate channels to have someone evaluate and review this.”

Bibby is not expecting much of a response.

“The game is over,” he said. “It’s a loss.”