Rivalry Losses Get Old for Young

Nick Young’s three games against UCLA could be described using a similar arrangement of letters: UGLY.

In his first taste of the cross-town rivalry, the USC swingman scored 22 points but missed a late three-point attempt that could have tied a game the Trojans let slip away after building an 18-point halftime lead.

Young’s first visit to Pauley Pavilion as a collegian resulted in a two-point effort in which he made one of eight shots during a 21-point Bruin victory. And just last month, the sophomore scored a season-low eight points on three-for-12 shooting during UCLA’s 66-45 triumph.

To review, that’s an 0-3 record with two substandard performances.

Young said it is simply a matter of him being overhyped.

“That’s what’s kind of been getting in the way of me performing well,” Young said Thursday. “I’ve been letting the game become more than any other game, more than just playing regular basketball and having fun.

“I’ve just got to go out there and have fun this week and look at it like I’m playing against Jordan [Farmar] or Arron Afflalo at the park.”

USC, which has lost three consecutive games for the first time this season, will need Young at his best to have a chance against No. 15 UCLA on Sunday at the Sports Arena. The 6-foot-6 standout is averaging a team-high 17.3 points but was held to 10 last Saturday against Washington State while facing an assortment of double teams.

Young vowed to be ready for whatever defense the Bruins used after being shut down last month.

“I watched the old film against them and saw things I could do differently,” he said. “They just came out hungry and ready to play, and we didn’t come out ready to play. I let the game get to me too. I just have to go out like it’s another team.”

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The Trojans slipped three spots to No. 105 in the latest Ratings Percentage Index figures released by the NCAA. USC was No. 102 in the first official RPI figures released two weeks ago and had remained there last week after splitting games against Arizona and Arizona State.

With games left against No. 11 UCLA, No. 54 California and No. 76 Stanford, the Trojans still could significantly improve their figure.

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Coach Tim Floyd had to decline an invitation to attend a White House dinner Wednesday in honor of the 1966 Texas Western team featured in the film “Glory Road” because the Trojans play Oregon the next day.

Floyd, an assistant under Coach Don Haskins at Texas El Paso (formerly Texas Western) from 1977 to ‘86, was a consultant on several of the coaching scenes in the movie. Floyd’s wife, Beverly, is scheduled to attend in his absence.