Now that it has everyone’s attention, USC wants more

USC christened a new season and a $130-million arena with an intrasquad scrimmage in October, and few seemed to care.

About 50 people showed up at the Galen Center to watch the Trojans play their Cardinal & Gold game, and those who didn’t attend were hard-pressed to find any details, since pretty much the only media coverage consisted of an Internet blurb.

But when USC plays North Carolina tonight in an NCAA East Regional semifinal, a sellout crowd of 20,029 is expected at Continental Airlines Arena, and those in Southern California who miss the game will have their choice of television channels and newspapers to check for the highlights.

“It’s a great feeling going out there and winning and knowing that we have more national exposure,” said junior swingman Nick Young, who has averaged 21 points during USC’s NCAA tournament victories over Arkansas and Texas. “The more national attention we get, the more everybody’s in the spotlight.”

By advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001, fifth-seeded USC (25-11) has already won in some respects -- regardless of the outcome of its game against the top-seeded Tar Heels (30-6). The Trojans have revived interest in a long-suffering program and figure to be an even bigger draw next season with the arrival of a heralded recruiting class led by point guard O.J. Mayo.

Of course, the Trojans also would like to extend this unexpected joyride one more stop.

“We have to realize that we’re two wins away from going to Atlanta for the Final Four,” junior guard Gabe Pruitt said.

Said freshman guard Daniel Hackett: “It’s the NCAA tournament, so anything can happen.”

USC has already defeated fourth-seeded Texas, a team many prognosticators had picked to be playing North Carolina tonight instead of the Trojans. That’s fine with the USC players, who have become impervious to doubters

“For me, that’s the best thing, knowing that you’re the underdog and you can come in and really open eyes and make a difference,” Pruitt said. “Guys are kind of going against you, and the best thing for me is proving them wrong and getting a win and making them say, ‘This team is for real.’ ”

In North Carolina, the Trojans will face a challenge unlike any other this season. The Tar Heels have a big front line, go 10 deep and rotate their players so that they can apply constant defensive pressure while playing an up-and-down style that produces an average of 86.1 points a game.

“It will be a different type of pressure than what we’ve seen against Arkansas and against Texas,” said USC Coach Tim Floyd, who earlier this week lamented the NBA’s age-restriction rules that prevented North Carolina freshmen Ty Lawson, Brandan Wright and Wayne Ellington from jumping directly to the professional level instead of making a college cameo to badger the Trojans.

Asked whether it had sunk in that USC was only two wins from the Final Four, Floyd said it hadn’t, “because you’re also one loss from being out.”

But if the Trojans can somehow get past the Tar Heels, Floyd said, he would “certainly be thinking that way. I’ll certainly be talking it.”

An upset in itself, considering that five months ago the Trojans weren’t a part of anybody’s conversation.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

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USC matchups

A look at the Trojans’ NCAA regional semifinal against North Carolina:

*--* STARTERS USC Ht. Wt. Stats Pos NORTH Ht. Wt. Stats CAROLINA Nick Young 6-6 200 17.6 ppg F/F Reyshawn 6-8 232 9.8 ppg Terry Taj Gibson 6-9 210 8.6 rpg F/F Brandan 6-9 205 14.6 ppg Wright Gabe Pruitt 6-4 170 12.4 ppg G/G Ty Lawson 5-11 193 5.6 apg Lodrick 6-4 210 13.8 ppg G/G Wayne 6-4 195 11.9 ppg Stewart Ellington Abdoulaye 6-11 220 2.9 rpg C/F Tyler 6-9 245 18.6 ppg N’diaye Hansbroug h RESERVES RouSean 6-11 217 2.4 ppg F/F Deon 6-8 245 4.5 ppg Cromwell Thompson Daniel 6-5 205 5.3 ppg G/G Danny 6-5 210 5.2 ppg Hackett Green Dwight 6-5 200 6.0 ppg G/G Marcus 6-5 218 3.0 rpg Lewis Ginyard

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HOW THEY MATCH UP

* INSIDE -- North Carolina’s front line might be a little less imposing if Terry is unable to play because of strep throat. Tar Heels Coach Roy Williams said Thursday that Terry was able to participate only sparingly in practice and that his fifth-leading scorer could play, but he was “not real, real encouraged.” Terry’s absence would increase the burden on Hansbrough and Wright, who average a combined 33.2 points and 14 rebounds. The Trojans will need contributions from more than Gibson to combat the Tar Heels’ inside depth. N’diaye and Cromwell should draw confidence from playing reasonably well against Hansbrough last season during USC’s 74-59 victory over North Carolina at the Sports Arena.

* OUTSIDE -- USC’s Pruitt has been locking down opposing point guards, but North Carolina has one of the best in the country in freshman Lawson. Nevertheless, the Trojans should have an advantage in the backcourt because of their veterans’ experience. Young has averaged 21 points in two NCAA tournament games and Stewart is due for a big game after two subpar showings while being bothered by an infected wisdom tooth. Ellington is the Tar Heels’ top three-point threat, though he is shooting only 38.2% from behind the arc.

* COACHING -- USC’s Tim Floyd is 4-9 all-time against North Carolina counterpart Williams, with most of the games coming while Floyd coached Iowa State and Williams was at Kansas. But Floyd has had his moments, including a victory in the last Big Eight Conference tournament championship game in 1996. Floyd’s Trojans also defeated Williams’ Tar Heels last season. Williams guided North Carolina to a national title in 2005; Floyd has never taken a team to a regional final.

* KEYS -- USC advanced this far by winning the rebounding battle and making more free throws (50) than its opponents attempted (36). Those will be tall orders to repeat against North Carolina’s front line, but the Trojans’ renewed emphasis on defense should keep them in the hunt.

* PREDICTION -- North Carolina 82, USC 79.

-- BEN BOLCH

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Online poll

There were 2,404 responses to our online poll: Who will win the East Regional?

*--* USC 43.4% North Carolina 27.9% Georgetown 26.5% Vanderbilt 2.2%

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You can vote for who you think will win Saturday’s West and South regional finals at latimes.com/sports.