Saia Is Looking for Leader on Court

No matter how many ways Jim Saia reviewed the film of USC’s weekend games against Oregon and Oregon State, the results were always the same. And they didn’t make him feel any better about the outcomes.

“We’re beating ourselves,” the USC interim coach said Monday. “It’s not about the opponent, it’s about us.

“Yes, it’s tough to win on the road. But there were three things. Offensive rebounds; we got kicked around on the boards by Oregon State. And when the other team gets going, we melt down all over the place. We turn the ball over. And we also had defensive lapses.”

Saia said fundamental things, like not getting back quickly on defense, were hurting the Trojans, 7-6 overall and 0-2 in the Pacific 10 Conference.

“Basketball is a game of mistakes. And you’re going to make mistakes,” Saia said. “The team that makes the most mistakes usually loses.

“My job as coach is to get us better in what we’re doing. I still think we have a good team; we do a lot of nice things offensively. But if they get frustrated and down ... there’s been a mental shutdown. And that’s something we have to eliminate.”

Saia added that he needed “a leader on the floor to emerge for us.” Normally that comes from the guards, but the Trojans are playing two freshmen and a sophomore at those positions. And it will take more time for Gabriel Pruitt, Nick Young or Lodrick Stewart to be comfortable in that role.

“It’s a growing process,” Saia said. “The positive thing is, these are correctable mistakes. And guys have to be accountable for those mistakes. I am positive with them, but everyone has to own up to what they do -- including me.”

This week, USC is back home, but doesn’t have as much time to prepare for No. 13 Washington as it usually does.

The Huskies will be here on Thursday night, leaving the Trojans with only two practice days.

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Washington (12-1, 2-0) boasts six players in double figures, led by guard Nate Robinson at 17.2. The Huskies come into the Sports Arena with an eight-game winning streak. Their only loss was to Gonzaga.

Robinson ranks second among Pac-10 scorers. He’s also second in assists at 5.31, fourth in steals at 2.0, and tied for fifth in three-point field-goal percentage, 45.9%.

There are some Trojans among the conference leaders. Stewart ranks ninth among scorers at 15.2, Gregg Guenther is sixth in rebounding at 6.8, and Pruitt is tied for sixth in assists at 4.0.