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After a year in which the USC women's basketball team finished with a 19-12 overall record and a 12-6 mark in Pac-10 play, it seemed like a safe bet that the Women of Troy, under first year head coach Michael Cooper, would be extended an invitation to play in the NCAA Tournament later this month. Even women's college basketball prognosticator Charlie Creme had USC pegged as a No. 10 seed opening up against Wisconsin in the Kansas City Regional.

Nevertheless, when the selection committee announced the participants on Monday, Creme's predictions did not come to fruition for 'SC was not among the 64 teams selected to partake in the Big Dance. From ESPNLosAngeles.com:

"Boy, it hurts," USC coach Michael Cooper said after speaking with his team following the announcement. "I thought that we had done enough this year to definitely put us in the tournament.

"But, again, the committee says they saw something different."

While there is no question that they are bummed on missing the tournament, the larger question is why Cooper then turned down an invitation play in the WNIT, which was just extended to the program this afternoon. For a young team that could benefit from the experience, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Even Scott Wolf of all people raises some rather interesting points.

For several years now, USC's declined to participate in the women's basketball NIT. This seems odd year-after-year and even more so this season because with a young team that could use experience, a post-season tournament makes sense.

Not to mention that one of the reasons for building that nice, new arena on Figueroa is to actually stage events. But hey, what do I know?

Granted, the Women of Troy do lose some seniors to graduation, but they will return four of their top five scorers for next season, two of which are All-Pac-10 sophomores Ashley Corral and Briana Gilbreath. Because of that, wouldn't Cooper want to help these young players get some more game experience going into next season. At the very least, participating would give the four seniors on the roster a few more games to participate in before they careers come to a close.

Yes, there is always the financial argument, which suggests that maybe the program couldn't afford to participate in the tournament because of travel costs. But are we to believe that an airplane ride east or hosting a few games at Galen Center is going to break the basketball budget? I'm not buying it. That's too easy of a cop out for this program. In the end, Cooper's decision to turn down the invitation is plain and simply a puzzling decision that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

More photos » Jeff Lewis - AP

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The Pac-10 conference announced their All Pac-10 teams and postseason awards this morning. USC's Nikola Vucevic was named Most Improved Player of the Year and also landed on the 2nd team.

A complete list of the teams can be found here.     

This is a nice honor for Vucevic, as the sophomore was a relatively unknown player from last year's NCAA Tournament team. With a talented starting five and a coach in Tim Floyd who wasn't too found of substituting, he didn't get a whole lot of playing time in 2009. Luckily, finally receiving significant minutes as a starter under first year head coach Kevin O'Neill, the Serbian-Montenegro native excelled on both ends of the court. From the official USC website:

Vucevic led the Pac-10 in rebounding at 9.4 per game and became USC's first conference rebounding champion since Jaha Wilson led the league with a 10.1 average in the 1994-95 season. Vucevic posted 10 double-doubles this season and averaged 10.7 points per game, after averaging 2.6 points and 2.7 rebounds as a freshman. The native of Bar, Montenegro led USC in rebounding in 22 of 30 games and registered seven or more rebounds in all but four games. Vucevic also finished second on the team with 39 blocks for an average of 1.3 per game, sixth-best in the Pac-10.

However, Kid Euro, as the message board geeks collectively call the sophomore forward, wasn't the only Trojan to be recognized after a strong 2009-2010 campaign. Senior guard and captain Dwight Lewis, who led the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game, was named All-Pac-10 honorable mention for the first time in his four year career. A fitting end for a guy, who leaves USC as its all-time leader in games played with 133 and 10th all-time in scoring with 1,460. 

Furthermore, fellow senior Marcus Johnson was recognized for his defensive abilities, as the UConn transfer was named a honorable mention to the Pac-10 All-Defefensive team after leading USC with 42 steals (a 1.5 steal per game average good for sixth in the conference). Johnson was arguably the best one-on-one defender for a team that led the conference in fewest points per game allowed (57.2) and opponent's shooting percentage (38.4). His performance was so impressive in 2010 that he even got O'Neill, who is notoriously tough on players, to sing his praises on multiple occasions when speaking with the media.  

Jeff Lewis - AP

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Editor's Note: The comments are now closed. Please feel free to move over to the Post-Game Thread.

So here we go...the final drive.

SC has an early start today in Tucson as they face the Wildcats. This is the game I really want to see but when I checked late last night it is not scheduled to be on here in the NYC area.

There really isn't much to offer up here. The team looks fatigued and they really have nothing to play for. What went from a promising season turned into a nightmare once the self-imposed sanctions were announced. The teams inability to play against the zone that just about every team threw our way made for some bad games. Sloppy play and the inability to hang onto big leads frustrated many of us too.

You have to hand it to these kids, they didn't quit...they just ran out of gas.

I am still not sold on Kevin O'Neill.

I realize he got thrown a bad hand with Garrett cutting loose of our recruiting class but just I don't think he is the guy for this job. I am not thrilled by his ambiguous statements about the staff. If they choose to go on their own then fine but they have done Gods work this season and if any of them want to stay then they should be allowed to do so.

Anyway, there will be plenty of time for analyze this once the season is over.

You can find the game online....HERE. Guess not..they pulled it.

Leave your comments and rants here.

FIGHT ON!

More photos » Reed Saxon - AP

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This might be nothing, but it could be something. That this is even being brought up is intriguing to me...

With USC's season ending Saturday because of self-imposed sanctions, USC coach Kevin O'Neill was non-committal when asked if his coaching staff would return next season.

"I'm going to evaluate everything after the year," O'Neill said. "I told everyone when I got here I'd evaluate it then."

USC's three assistant coaches, Gib Arnold, Bob Cantu and Phil Johnson, are holdovers from previous coach Tim Floyd.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if O'Neill wanted to bring his own guys in. He really didn't have a choice but to keep Arnold, Cantu and Johnson on when he was hired on at such a late date. Keeping Floyd's coaches offered some stability and consistency with program as they navigated through all the turmoil when Tim Floyd resigned.

With SC's season ending Sunday O'Neill can step back take a breath and reevaluate what direction he wants to go. I would not be surprised if he lets all three go but I think he makes a mistake in regards to recruiting if he does let them go...Just my opinion.

Another interesting angle on this is whether or not Cantu and Johnson's testimony at the NCAA hearings last month has anything to do with O'Neill's public comments on this. You know they were going to support Tim Floyd no matter what. The AD may have sent orders down that they need to go if their testimony didn't fall in line with the school's position.

Purely speculation on my part but I would not be surprised it went down that way.

Again, it may be nothing, but I am more inclined to believe that there is something there.

I am still not sold on O'Neill. I am not saying he was the wrong person for the job. I understand that the self-imposed post season ban probably had something to do with the teams up and down play this season (depth was an issue too) but the body of work he put out there for us is incomplete to make a solid judgment on how O'Neill will succeed at SC.

Should be a fun off-season....

More photos » Alex Gallardo - AP

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I realize this team has been through a lot this season.

After all the turmoil in the off-season, losing a whole recruiting class, being picked to finish 9th in the Pac-10 and then having Mike Garrett essentially pull the plug on any shot at the post season you have to give these kids credit for hanging in there as long as they did this season. They stared down the barrel of a gun and came up with some great performances.

With that being said...

After 27 this games this season how can this team still not have any answers for the zone defense?

USC was throwing the ball around like it was spring throwing drills on Howard Jones Field. I love these kids for standing up to all they have been through and making a season of it but they have no confidence to drive the lane against the zone. There were waaaaay too many 3-point attempts in this game. There way too many turnovers...again. Free throw shooting was atrocious and a ton of terrible fouls.

I realize this team is not deep but Kevin O'Neill has to make the most out what he has but can we please throw the ball up when they are the 1-3-1 zone? Put Kid Euro or Alex back there and let them bang!

29% shooting?

Really?

I guess I can't really be all that upset...this team did overachieve this season when you consider the mountain they had to climb but that doesn't mean I am happy with the results on the floor. Nobody was consistent tonight. Kid Euro and MJ were non factors tonight. Stepheson had some spark early but nothing really in the second half. Gerrity was like 4-12 and he looked rattled trying to work the zone. Lewis had a tough night as well.

O'Neill needs to figure out the zone...he has the players to do it so why isn't he coaching it?

It doesn't get any easier as the last 2 games of the season on the road.

Leave your comments and rants here.

This is our post-game thread...

FIGHT ON!

Lori Shepler - AP

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The Trojans face Oregon State in what is to be the final home of the season for USC. As a result, tonight will be Senior Night, as the team will pay tribute to its three seniors Mike Gerrity, Marcus Johnson, and Dwight Lewis, as well as redshirt junior Kasey Cunningham, who will not return to the team and instead graduate this summer. While Kevin O'Neill's bunch will no longer be able to earn a share of the Pac-10 regular season title thanks to Thursday's loss to Oregon and Cal's win over Arizona State earlier today, they are still looking to end the season on a positive note. Per ESPN Los Angeles: 

2. The Trojans are coming off two straight losses. What can coach Kevin O'Neill's team do to prevent extending its losing streak? 

The last time USC lost more than two games in a row was early December, but that was before the zone epidemic reached Los Angeles. Every Pac-10 team has been defending USC with a 2-3 zone since January, and the Trojans re going to see much of the same from Oregon State. Craig Robinson's team will be in that zone all game long, and O'Neill's team isn't well-equipped to handle that. 

"We'll be playing all our games against the zone," O'Neill said at the start of his press conference following Thursday's loss. "And it'll be the goal of our weekend to try to bounce back from this loss and try to play a better game on Saturday." 

3. Oregon State's a grudge match for the Trojans. They led by five at the half last time in Corvallis before collapsing in the final 20 minutes to lose, 51-45, shooting 39 percent and turning the ball over 19 times. What can they do different this time around? 

"We had leads in the first half, leads in the second half," O'Neill said. "That was a case of just turning the ball over, which is uncharacteristic of us. We're going to have make sure

Championships and postseason bids aside, it'd be nice to see this team end the season on a high note, especially after all the stuff they've been put through thanks to Mike Garrett and the rest of the athletic department. So if you get the chance, tune into today's game which will be televised on Fox Sports Prime Ticket and also stop by our gameday thread here as well.

Fight On! Beat the Beavers! 

Tim Floyd

With all the drama, angst and anticipation with the start of today's hearing with the NCAA one interesting item came up yesterday...

Former USC basketball coach Tim Floyd will attend the hearing.

As noted in numerous articles over the past couple of days former coaches are welcome and encouraged to attend in order to tell their side of the story...it is also an opportunity for the coach to clear their name of any wrong doing.

I think this is pointless.

The proverbial horse has left the barn. No matter what Floyd has to say at the hearings the fact remains that Mayo should have never been allowed on campus once it was known that Mayo was being "handled" by Rodney Guillory. The same Rodney Guillory that damaged the eligibility of USC's Jeff Trepangier in 2000.

As I have said numerous times that falls on Mike Garrett.

Garrett was fully aware of who Guillory was and his misdeeds from the past yet he still allowed the recruitment of OJ Mayo to go forward. That USC has already self punished the basketball team because of Mayo has signaled to everyone that regardless of all the claims of Mayo being cleared by both USC and the NCAA (because of suspicions that he might have received improper benefits along the way), Mayo should have never been recruited in the first place.

Floyd's appearance does nothing to help to USC as I see it. It is a lose/lose situation for USC.

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George Nikitin - AP

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Sorry I am late...

Lets see how the guys do at Pauley.

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FIGHT ON!