Floyd Tries to Keep Upset in Perspective

USC still has a way to go to get to March Madness. For now, December Disorder will have to do.

That would be one way to characterize the scene in the usually sedate Sports Arena on Wednesday night after the Trojans had put the finishing touches on their stunning upset of North Carolina.

While swingman Nick Young jumped on to the scorer’s table to slap hands with appreciative fans, someone hoisted diminutive guard Dwayne Shackleford onto his shoulders for a celebratory ride.

“That was a small little dream I had since watching [former Duke star] Christian Laettner hitting that shot against Kentucky a long time ago,” Shackleford said. “I always wanted to be a part of it when [fans] stormed the court, and I got my chance [Wednesday] night.”

The celebration continued well into Thursday, with friends and relatives from across the country calling to congratulate the Trojans on their 74-59 victory over the 17th-ranked Tar Heels.

Junior guard Lodrick Stewart talked to twin brother Rodrick, who transferred from USC to Kansas last January. Assistant coach Bob Cantu heard from several suddenly attentive recruits. And Coach Tim Floyd received a call from former boss Don Haskins, ever the mentor, who expressed disappointment in the way the Trojans had played the final five minutes.

To hear the Trojans tell it, the first signature victory of the Floyd era changed everything -- and nothing.

“Some wins can help your program’s growth more than others,” Floyd said. “This one, because it was on national TV and because we had a lot of USC people there for the first time, it helps. The thing is, it becomes insignificant if you don’t go out and build from it.

“We still want to emphasize that we have a long way to go. We don’t have enough interior scoring right now and we still have to develop some depth. We’ve got to get better in a lot of areas.”

Listening seems to be one subject the Trojans (8-2) have mastered under their first-year coach, who has gotten his team to play tenacious defense and avoid the me-first approach on offense that plagued USC last season during its last-place finish in the Pacific 10 Conference.

“Tim has gotten these young people to grow and do what they haven’t been able to do these last couple of years,” Athletic Director Mike Garrett said. “To beat North Carolina the way we did

Nonetheless, Floyd said he did not consider his efforts to build the program ahead of schedule.

“We still view it that we really hadn’t beaten anybody until [Wednesday] night of any national stature,” he said. “We still know that we have a lot of holes to fill and we still have a long way to go.”

The Trojans’ first victory over a ranked team since beating then-No. 23 California, 79-62, on March 14, 2003, was a result of aggressive defense and torrid second-half shooting. USC held an opponent under 40% shooting for the seventh time in its last eight games and made 57.1% of its shots after halftime, including seven of 10 three-pointers.

Floyd realizes that a winning formula won’t always materialize easily for a team with 10 newcomers and three big men with raw post moves.

“We’re very young, and there are going to be nights when we show our youth this year. It’s just going to happen,” Floyd said. “But it does give us confidence and I think all players have to have that.”

Next up for the Trojans, who have won eight consecutive games and are off to their best start since going 13-2 to open the 2001-02 season, is a more palatable opponent from the Tar Heel state, North Carolina A&T.;

The Aggies (0-7), who visit the Sports Arena tonight, should be nothing more than a speed bump for a Trojan team rolling toward its Pac-10 opener Thursday against California at Staples Center. A victory tonight might even propel USC to its first national ranking since March 2002, but Stewart said the Trojans would have to prove themselves anew in conference play.

“We could easily lose nine in a row,” Stewart said. “The Pac-10 is not easy. I’ve got a lot of respect for the Pac-10 teams. We just have to go out there and keep playing hard.”

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USC TONIGHT

vs. North Carolina A&T;, 7:30

Site -- Sports Arena.

Radio -- 1540.

Records -- USC 8-2, North Carolina A&T; 0-7.

Update -- The Trojans will be on full letdown alert against the Aggies, who had lost to the likes of South Carolina State and Campbell before suffering a 50-point thrashing at Nebraska on Monday. “We just have to go in and respect every team and just play our game,” senior guard Dwayne Shackleford said. “Our defense, that’s what’s been winning it for us, so I think we should keep that same model.”

Tickets -- (213) 740-4672.