Byron Wesley

Foul or shot-clock violation? Two free throws for USC's Eric Wise or possession to Arizona State? It felt like "forever," Wise said, while officials huddled around a television screen and tried to make a decision. In a basketball season during which so much has gone wrong for the Trojans, this time something went right. The call made by the referee closest to Wise, the one who had called a foul on Arizona State's Jordan Bachynski just as the 35-second shot clock ran out of time, is the call that stood.

Count USC basketball players among those excited by the school's hiring of Andy Enfield and the uptempo Dunk City style he will bring to the Galen Center. Trojans guard Byron Wesley said Tuesday that he became a fan of Enfield's Florida Gulf Coast University team during its run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. "After the first game, I saw it wasn't a fluke -- they were legit," Wesley said. "I really like they're style of play. He really let them play, throw lobs and just play exciting.

This is always a moment lurking when UCLA and USC play. With the Bruins comfortably ahead and the Trojans uncomfortably frustrated Sunday, UCLA's Norman Powell and USC's Omar Oraby got tangled up, both clutching the basketball. The moment extended beyond the whistle. Oraby made an alpha-dog play, trying to use his 7-foot-2 body to intimidate Powell. And Powell replied with a newspaper-on-the-nose shove. Referees gave each a technical foul. The situation cooled, but it did not seem to be forgiven or forgotten.

USC's 2 1/2-month search for a basketball coach ended Monday when the school hired Florida Gulf Coast Coach Andy Enfield, who took the 15th-seeded Eagles to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament last month. USC spokesman Tim Tessalone confirmed the hiring of Enfield, 43, who has had an eclectic career in both business and basketball. His 2012-13 team became known as “Dunk City” for its high-powered offense, willingness to run the floor and proclivity for dunking on opponents. Enfield's team captured the imagination of basketball fans across the country with its fearless play, particularly in a South Regional upset of second-seeded Georgetown in its tournament opener, before losing to Florida in the Sweet 16. His wife Amanda, a former Victoria's Secret model, also got plenty of camera time during the Eagles' NCAA run. This year's tournament appearance was the first for FGCU, when has been competing in NCAA Division I only since 2011.

VS. LONG BEACH STATE Where: Galen Center. When: 6:30. On the air: TV: Pac-12 Networks; Radio: 830. Records: USC 1-0, Long Beach State 1-0. Update: Led by 19 points from senior forward James Ennis, the 49ers opened their season with a 75-65 win over North Alabama on Saturday. Long Beach State finished 25-9 last season and advanced to the NCAA tournament, but lost to New Mexico in its first game. USC won its opener against Coppin State on Friday, 87-73, with a balanced scoring effort, led by 17 points from guard Byron Wesley.

USC AT WASHINGTON When: 8:30 p.m. Where: Alaska Airlines Arena, Seattle. On the air: TV: Pac-12 Networks; Radio: 710. Records: USC 14-15 overall, 9-7 in Pac-12; Washington 16-13, 8-8. Update: USC, winner of six of its last eight games, heads to the Pacific Northwest for its final regular-season games and a chance to keep momentum heading into the Pac-12 tournament next week in Las Vegas. The Trojans, 7-5 under interim Coach Bob Cantu, are tied with Colorado for fifth place in the conference standings.

USC will open its men's basketball season Nov. 9 at the Galen Center against Coppin State - but the going gets considerably tougher from there. The Trojans, coming off an injury-plagued 6-26 season, play 18 games against teams that won 20 or more games last season. USC's home schedule includes nonconference games against Long Beach State (Nov. 13), San Diego State (Nov. 25), Minnesota (Dec. 8), UC Riverside (Dec. 15), UC Irvine (Dec. 20) and Dayton (Dec. 30). The Trojans will participate in the Maui Invitational and also have nonconference games at Nebraska (Dec.

Count USC basketball players among those excited by the school's hiring of Andy Enfield and the uptempo Dunk City style he will bring to the Galen Center. Trojans guard Byron Wesley said Tuesday that he became a fan of Enfield's Florida Gulf Coast University team during its run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. "After the first game, I saw it wasn't a fluke -- they were legit," Wesley said. "I really like they're style of play. He really let them play, throw lobs and just play exciting.

USC was behind very early and very late and all the places in between Saturday at the Galen Center on its way to a 71-57 loss to 14th-ranked Minnesota. It was the fifth straight loss for the Trojans (3-6). The most noise came when the fans voted to hear a Justin Bieber song during a second-half timeout. "The bad start doomed us," USC Coach Kevin O'Neill said. "It just did. " A glance at the box score gave all the evidence for why the Trojans lost. They had 17 turnovers.

USC's 2 1/2-month search for a basketball coach ended Monday when the school hired Florida Gulf Coast Coach Andy Enfield, who took the 15th-seeded Eagles to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament last month. USC spokesman Tim Tessalone confirmed the hiring of Enfield, 43, who has had an eclectic career in both business and basketball. His 2012-13 team became known as “Dunk City” for its high-powered offense, willingness to run the floor and proclivity for dunking on opponents. Enfield's team captured the imagination of basketball fans across the country with its fearless play, particularly in a South Regional upset of second-seeded Georgetown in its tournament opener, before losing to Florida in the Sweet 16. His wife Amanda, a former Victoria's Secret model, also got plenty of camera time during the Eagles' NCAA run. This year's tournament appearance was the first for FGCU, when has been competing in NCAA Division I only since 2011.

LAS VEGAS - What better way for USC to end its men's basketball season. With a mad and crazy scramble in the final eight seconds that included an Eric Wise rebound, a dribbled pass off the hands of Byron Wesley and a basketball that was pounced on, rolled on, and left on the ground. The Trojans couldn't give themselves a chance. Utah, seeded 10th in the Pac-12 Conference tournament, beat seventh-seeded USC, 69-66, in a first-round game Wednesday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. BOX SCORE: Utah 69, USC 66 The Utes (14-17)

USC AT WASHINGTON When: 8:30 p.m. Where: Alaska Airlines Arena, Seattle. On the air: TV: Pac-12 Networks; Radio: 710. Records: USC 14-15 overall, 9-7 in Pac-12; Washington 16-13, 8-8. Update: USC, winner of six of its last eight games, heads to the Pacific Northwest for its final regular-season games and a chance to keep momentum heading into the Pac-12 tournament next week in Las Vegas. The Trojans, 7-5 under interim Coach Bob Cantu, are tied with Colorado for fifth place in the conference standings.

USC improved to 9-7 in Pac-12 Conference play and moved to within one game of .500 with a 57-56 victory over Arizona State on Saturday afternoon at the Galen Center. The Trojans (14-15) built a 17-point lead in the first half and led by as many as 14 points with 7:34 left in the second half before fending off a late Sun Devils rally. Each team had only three players in double figures and neither team shot well -- Arizona State made 42.9% (24 of 56) of its shots from the field while USC connected on only 39.2% (20 of 51)

This is always a moment lurking when UCLA and USC play. With the Bruins comfortably ahead and the Trojans uncomfortably frustrated Sunday, UCLA's Norman Powell and USC's Omar Oraby got tangled up, both clutching the basketball. The moment extended beyond the whistle. Oraby made an alpha-dog play, trying to use his 7-foot-2 body to intimidate Powell. And Powell replied with a newspaper-on-the-nose shove. Referees gave each a technical foul. The situation cooled, but it did not seem to be forgiven or forgotten.

A week and a day after getting its signature win of the year with an upset of UCLA, USC almost earned its signature loss of this basketball season. The Trojans played with little passion Thursday night but used some second-half quick-strike ability from guard J.T. Terrell to escape Galen Center with a 72-68 Pac-12 Conference win over Washington State. Byron Wesley led the Trojans with 20 points and eight rebounds. Terrell finished with 12 points before he fouled out and center DeWayne Dedmon had a team-high 10 rebounds.

USC put a roadblock in UCLA's Pac-12 Conference title hopes by upsetting the Bruins, 75-71, in overtime, on Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion. Jio Fontan, who had a key three-pointer in overtime, iced the game by making one of two free throws with four seconds left for the margin of victory. Ari Stewart had made two free throws with 11 seconds left to give USC a 74-71 lead. Byron Wesley had two layups in overtime for the Trojans. Fontan and reserve Aaron Fuller led USC (9-13, 4-5 in Pac-12 play)

Down by double digits several times, Los Angeles Loyola stubbornly refused to let unbeaten Etiwanda pull away. And when the fourth quarter came Saturday night, the Cubs hung around long enough to overtake the Eagles and end their 21-game winning streak, 70-64, in the Fairfax State Preview Classic. "This is a huge win for us," said Loyola's Julian Harrell, who scored 18 points and contributed several clutch free throws in the fourth quarter. "We lost to Harvard-Westlake a couple weeks ago. We made it a goal to try to finish off the season undefeated, and we knew Etiwanda was a big step.

About an hour before tipoff against Oregon State on Saturday, Bob Cantu stood outside USC's locker room at the Galen Center attempting to recall the keypad sequence to gain entry. Cantu eventually got inside — and then the Trojans' interim coach came up with the right combination for his first victory. It wasn't exactly how Cantu drew it up — the Trojans blowing a 15-point lead in the second half — but USC executed when it counted and won, 69-68. "It feels great," Cantu, a USC assistant for 12 seasons, said of earning his first victory.