Usc Coach George Raveling

Where does USC Coach George Raveling (Dec. 5) get off blaming last year's 85-66 loss to Long Beach at the Sports Arena as a case of the 49ers treating it as "the game, their Super Bowl, their Rose Bowl," while for the Trojans it was just "another game." In fact, USC played very hard last year but simply got crunched by a superior, better coached Long Beach team. And I hope Raveling won't be upset to learn that Long Beach valued its win over UNLV and its NIT bid much, much more than the early season victory against USC. I am sorry Raveling got the flu and wasn't present to see this season's younger, less experienced Long Beach team once again defeat the Trojans, 82-81.

Pepperdine basketball Coach Tom Asbury looked emotionally drained after the Waves' season-ending 71-59 loss to USC in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament Monday night at the Sports Arena. "I'm a little disappointed with how we played," Asbury said. "We are a lot better than we showed." Pepperdine (23-8) played one of its worst games of the season. The Waves shot only 35.7% from the field and turned the ball over 16 times. "I think that we were emotionally ready to play, but somehow we lost control," Pepperdine forward Dana Jones said.

So, after handily defeating Chicago State in his basketball opener, USC Coach George Raveling admits he's not sure what his team gains with games like that. Based on some of the other teams the Trojans face this year, it's clear to me what he gains. With almost certain victories over upcoming opponents such as Brooklyn College, Augusta, Harvard and, of course, traditional rival Cal State Northridge, the coach is trying to finally achieve a winning season in the last year of his contract.

UCLA and USC staged their own Super Bowl on Thursday night. The beleaguered Bruins got 17 points in the first half from much-maligned Richard Petruska and nine points in a row in the second half from Shon Tarver and beat USC, 90-80, before a crowd of 10,141. It ended UCLA's three-game losing streak to its cross-town rival and ended the Trojans' 16-game winning streak at the Sports Arena. Both teams are 4-3 in the Pacific 10 Conference. The Bruins are 13-5 overall, and USC is 11-5.

Still searching for its first win in the Pacific 10 Conference, USC's basketball team plays Arizona tonight at Tucson. After ascending to the No. 1 spot in the polls last week, Arizona lost at Oklahoma, 82-80, Sunday, and fell to No. 2. "If I were voting this week, I'd still put them as the No. 1 team in the country," USC Coach George Raveling said. "And I'm not just saying that because we're playing them. I don't think they'll lose another game for the rest of the season.

There's an adage in basketball that a team should try to split on the road and win at home. Well, USC got a 2-2 split on its opening road swing but lost its home opener to San Jose State, 57-56, Tuesday night when Spartan forward George Puou made one of two free throws after time had expired. It won't get any easier for the the Trojans tonight at 6 at the Sports Arena, where they meet Niagara, which has impressive wins over St. Bonaventure and Pennsylvania while compiling a 3-0 record.

As an assistant basketball coach at USC for the past three seasons, Michael Dunlap was known for his rapport with players. In addition to coaching basketball, Dunlap counseled players on academics. "He was one of several assistant coaches who was in charge of helping players with their academics," USC Coach George Raveling said. Based on Dunlap's impressive academic background and Division I coaching experience, Cal Lutheran hired him to coach its men's basketball team. Dunlap succeeds Larry Lopez, who had a 37-49 record in three seasons.

Coaches and players prosper and fail in dramatic situations with the three-point shot in college basketball. And it was a three-point try by USC guard Brad Winslow that could have been the difference between victory and defeat against Tulsa Saturday at the Sports Arena. As it was, Winslow missed with 11 seconds remaining. Tulsa's 6-foot 11-inch forward, Brian Rahilly, got the rebound and sent a pass downcourt to his brother, Jeff Rahilly, who scored on an uncontested slam.

Ohio State Coach Gary Williams today was named head basketball coach at the University of Maryland, a once-prominent program riddled with turmoil for most of the past three years. Williams, 43, takes over the Terrapin program after three seasons at Ohio State, where he had a 59-41 record. He replaces Bob Wade, who resigned under pressure May 12 after completing three years of a five-year contract. This will be Williams' fourth head coaching position in an 11-year career in which he has amassed a 217-128 record.

USC Coach George Raveling couldn't find fault with the way his team hustled against Tennessee Saturday at the Sports Arena. So that's a positive factor, but there are no asterisks in a box score for individual effort. The cold fact is that USC lost another game, 74-61, and has the dubious distinction of equaling the worst start in the school's history. USC's 1-6 record is matched only by the 1931-32 team, and the Trojans have been playing basketball since 1907.

Michael Jordan was guarded tightly Sunday. . . . Six security people, clearing a path for him through a crowd of autograph seekers, escorted Jordan from the hotel lobby to the Chicago Bulls' team bus in the morning. . . . Then the Lakers shadowed him at the Forum. Maybe the switch from the quickness of Byron Scott to the size of James Worthy during the fourth quarter was a mistake. But when Jordan is on a roll, nobody can stop him. . . .

So, after handily defeating Chicago State in his basketball opener, USC Coach George Raveling admits he's not sure what his team gains with games like that. Based on some of the other teams the Trojans face this year, it's clear to me what he gains. With almost certain victories over upcoming opponents such as Brooklyn College, Augusta, Harvard and, of course, traditional rival Cal State Northridge, the coach is trying to finally achieve a winning season in the last year of his contract.

USC's basketball team should devote part of its workouts next week to practicing how to call time out. This is how it's done: You extend one hand and put the other hand on top to form a "T." Got that, guys? The Trojans' inability to call a timeout after Oregon guard Terrell Brandon made an eight-foot jumper with four seconds left cost them a 66-65 loss to the Ducks Saturday at the Sports Arena. USC didn't have a clue on the final play of the game.

Ohio State Coach Gary Williams today was named head basketball coach at the University of Maryland, a once-prominent program riddled with turmoil for most of the past three years. Williams, 43, takes over the Terrapin program after three seasons at Ohio State, where he had a 59-41 record. He replaces Bob Wade, who resigned under pressure May 12 after completing three years of a five-year contract. This will be Williams' fourth head coaching position in an 11-year career in which he has amassed a 217-128 record.

As an assistant basketball coach at USC for the past three seasons, Michael Dunlap was known for his rapport with players. In addition to coaching basketball, Dunlap counseled players on academics. "He was one of several assistant coaches who was in charge of helping players with their academics," USC Coach George Raveling said. Based on Dunlap's impressive academic background and Division I coaching experience, Cal Lutheran hired him to coach its men's basketball team. Dunlap succeeds Larry Lopez, who had a 37-49 record in three seasons.

Still searching for its first win in the Pacific 10 Conference, USC's basketball team plays Arizona tonight at Tucson. After ascending to the No. 1 spot in the polls last week, Arizona lost at Oklahoma, 82-80, Sunday, and fell to No. 2. "If I were voting this week, I'd still put them as the No. 1 team in the country," USC Coach George Raveling said. "And I'm not just saying that because we're playing them. I don't think they'll lose another game for the rest of the season.

USC Coach George Raveling has been an outspoken critic of the three-point shot since it became part of the entire college basketball structure this season. And it was the three-point basket that enabled Niagara to make a run at USC in the second half Thursday night after trailing, 34-18, at halftime.

USC Coach George Raveling has said that he shudders to think what kind of a record his team would have if senior forward Derrick Dowell hadn't become eligible this season. The record is bad enough with Dowell, and Raveling got an opportunity to find out how his team would fare without Dowell Tuesday night at the Sports Arena where USC lost to Arizona, 73-61.

When USC's Calvin Banks found his head in the right arm of UCLA's Trevor Wilson Wednesday night, Banks' teammates probably knew how he felt. The Trojans have been in a headlock all season. Not even a flagrant technical foul against Wilson, giving USC two free throws and possession of the ball with three seconds left, could keep the Trojans from their 11th consecutive Pacific 10 Conference loss.

Where does USC Coach George Raveling (Dec. 5) get off blaming last year's 85-66 loss to Long Beach at the Sports Arena as a case of the 49ers treating it as "the game, their Super Bowl, their Rose Bowl," while for the Trojans it was just "another game." In fact, USC played very hard last year but simply got crunched by a superior, better coached Long Beach team. And I hope Raveling won't be upset to learn that Long Beach valued its win over UNLV and its NIT bid much, much more than the early season victory against USC. I am sorry Raveling got the flu and wasn't present to see this season's younger, less experienced Long Beach team once again defeat the Trojans, 82-81.