Stewart Notes His Preferences

Former USC point guard Rodrick Stewart, whose release from the school was announced last Friday, has made known a wish list of schools to which he’d consider transferring.

Among the sophomore’s choices: Kansas, Gonzaga, North Carolina, Nevada Las Vegas, Washington and Arizona.

Schools that have expressed interest in Stewart, however, are from the mid-major Mid-American Conference.

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USC announced a two-player early signing period class Thursday of Sead Odzic, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound shooting guard from Niles West High in Skokie, Ill., who averaged 19 points as a junior and shot 48% from three-point territory, and Michael Freeman, a 6-8, 210-pound power forward from Hayfield High in Alexandria, Va., who averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three blocks as a junior.

The Trojans also have received oral commitments from Julius Lamptey, a 7-foot center from Garden City (Kan.) Community College, and Theo White, a 6-6 forward from Tyler (Texas) Junior College, though they are expected to sign in the spring.

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The Trojans play host tonight to The Master’s College at 7 in the Lyon Center in their final exhibition.

Senior forward Gregg Guenther missed a practice this week with a sore back but should be ready to play. Injured junior guard Dwayne Shackleford (knee) will be the lone Trojan to not suit up.

-- Paul Gutierrez

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The UCLA Bruins were sloppy and sluggish but did win their second -- and final -- exhibition game, 80-48, over Monterrey Tech of Mexico in front of 5,114 at Pauley Pavilion.

Bruin Coach Ben Howland had stressed getting the ball inside, but center 7-foot center Michael Fey and 7-foot forward Ryan Hollins struggled. Fey scored nine points and missed six of his eight shots from the field and four of his nine free throws. Hollins didn’t take a shot in 14 minutes, made one of two free throws and had six rebounds.

“Ryan has a long way to go,” Howland said of the junior who had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last July. “Fey was a little under the weather, was taking cold medication. But seven rebounds in 19 minutes, fouled out again, he’s hurrying too much sometimes.”

Still, there was the highlight dunk by 17-year-old freshman Jordan Farmar to cheer as well as the increasingly confident shooting and ball handling of the other freshman guard, Arron Afflalo, to feel good about. And the quick release and sharp shooting of Brian Morrison.

Farmar also had 10 points and four assists. Afflalo had a game-high 17 points on six-for-10 shooting, and Morrison had 16 points and made two of his three three-point attempts.

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UCLA is still awaiting the signed letters of intent from two high school recruits from Cameroon -- forwards Alfred Aboya and Luc Richard Mbah A Moute.

-- Diane Pucin

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In other exhibitions: Jeff Bonds scored 25 points and David Sybesma had 16 to lead visiting Cal Poly Pomona to a 73-66 victory over San Diego.... Ross Schraeder scored 16 points to lead UC Irvine to a 67-41 victory over visiting Cal State Los Angeles.... Anthony Coleman had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead Long Beach State to a 91-63 victory over Alaska Anchorage.

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In Coaches vs. Cancer tournament games: At Berkeley, reserve David Paris had 16 points to lead California to a 78-61 victory over UC Riverside. Earlier, Jonathan Sanders scored 17 points and Saint Mary’s defeated Belmont, 67-58.... At Syracuse, N.Y., Hakim Warrick had 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to lead No. 6 Syracuse to a 104-54 victory over Northern Colorado.... At Memphis, Tenn., Rodney Carney scored 21 points to lead No. 24 Memphis to a 102-40 victory over Savannah State.... At Birmingham, Ala., Ontario Harper scored a career-high 17 points and No. 12 Mississippi State held on for a 53-49 victory over Fairfield.

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In a women’s top 25 game: Seimone Augustus scored 17 points and No. 3 Louisiana State opened the season with an 81-50 victory over Maine in the Women’s Sports Foundation Classic at Baton Rouge, La.

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Former Ohio State basketball coach Jim O’Brien sued the school, claiming he is owed at least $3.4 million because his firing violated his contract.

O’Brien was fired in June after Athletic Director Andy Geiger said the coach admitted paying $6,000 to a former recruit. O’Brien claims in the lawsuit that the school owes him money because the NCAA didn’t find he broke the association’s rules.

From Associated Press