USC Trojans Basketball
Encyclopedia
The University of Southern California Trojans men's basketball program is the college basketball
team that competes in the Pacific-12 Conference (Pac-12) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I and represents the University of Southern California
on the court.
The program began playing in the newly constructed Galen Center
on the USC Campus in Los Angeles
, California
in November 2006. Previously they played for many years in the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
The program was formerly coached by Tim Floyd
, until his resignation on June 9, 2009. Other staff members include Phil Johnson
, Bob Cantu, Gib Arnold, Rob Brooks, Rudy Hackett
, and Eric Perea.
Kevin O'Neill
, who last coached in the NCAA at Arizona
, was named the head coach by Mike Garrett
on June 20, 2009.
coached the men's team from 1930
-1950
, interrupted by World War II
service. His teams won the conference title three times.
. This had not been accomplished since 2001 (second time since 1979).
from Huntington High School. He had been ranked by several major sports publications as the top prospect of the 2007 recruiting class. During the 2007–2008 season, the Trojans played the Kansas Jayhawks and the Oklahoma Sooners
at home. They also played in the Anaheim Classic
from November 22–25, 2007. Each night, USC played a team from the Big Ten
, Big East
, SEC
, and Big 12
. Additionally, they had a return game against the South Carolina Gamecocks
in Columbia, South Carolina
. After the regular season and Pac-10 Tournament had ended, USC earned a #6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans were seeded against the #11 seed Kansas State
. This first round game gained heavy media attention because of the matchup between college phenoms O. J. Mayo
and Michael Beasley
. Although the game was relatively close throughout the first half and early second half, the Wildcats came away with the victory by a score of 80–67. As expected by many, Mayo entered the NBA Draft at the end of the 2007–08 season. He was selected as the 3rd overall lottery pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves
. The Trojans finished the 2007–08 season with a record of 21–12. However, on January 3, 2010, the University concluded its internal investigation over allegations that Mayo received improper benefits during his stay at USC in 2007-2008. The University concluded that Mayo did receive improper benefits and that Head Coach Tim Floyd was an active participant in ensuring that Mayo continued to receive money and gifts on behalf of a sports agent, in violation of NCAA rules. Therefore, USC declared Mayo ineligible to play in 2007-2008, and USC Basketball has voluntarily vacated all regular season wins from the 2007-2008 season. The USC record for 2007-2008 thus is 0-12, a result of the peculiar scoring rules for marking vacated wins as no contests.
, All-American forward Demar DeRozan. USC also received a commitment from point guard Percy Romeo Miller, Jr
aka Lil Romeo, the son of Master P
. The team opted not to have an October 17, 2008 Midnight Madness
celebration.
Building upon the success of previous years, the Trojans defeated Arizona State in the Pac-10 Championship Game
and clinched their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. They defeated Boston College to reach the second round, where they lost 74–69 to eventual runner-up Michigan St.
(baseball) and Elmer "Gloomy Gus" Henderson
(football).
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
team that competes in the Pacific-12 Conference (Pac-12) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I and represents the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
on the court.
The program began playing in the newly constructed Galen Center
Galen Center
The Galen Center is a multipurpose indoor arena and athletic facility owned and operated by the University of Southern California. Located at the southeast corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles, it is right across the street from the campus and...
on the USC Campus in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in November 2006. Previously they played for many years in the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
The program was formerly coached by Tim Floyd
Tim Floyd
Tim Floyd is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the University of Texas at El Paso Miners men's basketball team. He is also a former head coach of several teams in both the NCAA and the NBA, most recently the University of Southern California men's college...
, until his resignation on June 9, 2009. Other staff members include Phil Johnson
Phil L. Johnson
Phil Johnson is an American college basketball coach. He is currently an assistant men's basketball coach at the University of Southern California. He previously served as the head coach at San Jose State on two separate occasions.-References:...
, Bob Cantu, Gib Arnold, Rob Brooks, Rudy Hackett
Rudy Hackett
Rudolph Hackett is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'9" and 210 lb forward and played collegiately at Syracuse University....
, and Eric Perea.
Kevin O'Neill
Kevin O'Neill (basketball)
Kevin O'Neill is an American head coach of the USC Trojans basketball team. His personal webpage is www.coachkohoops.com O'Neill was born in Malone, New York and attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada...
, who last coached in the NCAA at Arizona
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
, was named the head coach by Mike Garrett
Mike Garrett
Michael Lockett Garrett is a former American collegiate and professional football player who won the 1965 Heisman Trophy as a tailback for the University of Southern California Trojans. Garrett also played professional football for eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers...
on June 20, 2009.
History
Sam BarrySam Barry
Justin McCarthy "Sam" Barry was an American collegiate athletic coach who achieved significant accomplishments in three major sports. He remains one of only three coaches to lead teams to both the Final Four and the College World Series.-Early career:Barry was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota...
coached the men's team from 1930
1930 in sports
-American football:NFL championship* Green Bay Packers win the National Football League title with a record of 10–3–1College championship* College football national championship – Alabama Crimson Tide and Notre Dame Fighting Irish...
-1950
1950 in sports
-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 30–28 over the Los Angeles Rams* Oklahoma Sooners – college football champions.* Coaches Poll established to rank top 20 American college football teams-Association football:...
, interrupted by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service. His teams won the conference title three times.
Recent success
USC advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
. This had not been accomplished since 2001 (second time since 1979).
2007–08
In the 2007–08 season, USC featured guard O. J. MayoO. J. Mayo
Ovinton J'Anthony "O. J." Mayo , is an American basketball player currently playing with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He signed with the team on July 8, 2008. He played college basketball for the University of Southern California...
from Huntington High School. He had been ranked by several major sports publications as the top prospect of the 2007 recruiting class. During the 2007–2008 season, the Trojans played the Kansas Jayhawks and the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball
-1908-1980:The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen , and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980...
at home. They also played in the Anaheim Classic
Anaheim Classic
The 76 Classic is an 8 team college basketball tournament held during Thanksgiving week. The inaugural tournament was held November 22, 23 and 25, 2007, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California...
from November 22–25, 2007. Each night, USC played a team from the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
, Big East
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
, SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
, and Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
. Additionally, they had a return game against the South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball
The South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the Southeastern Conference. The program attained national prominence under hall of fame coach Frank McGuire, posting a 205-65 record and three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances from 1967-1976...
in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
. After the regular season and Pac-10 Tournament had ended, USC earned a #6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans were seeded against the #11 seed Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball
The Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team represents Kansas State University in college basketball competition. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and is a member of the Big 12 Conference. The current head coach is Frank Martin....
. This first round game gained heavy media attention because of the matchup between college phenoms O. J. Mayo
O. J. Mayo
Ovinton J'Anthony "O. J." Mayo , is an American basketball player currently playing with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He signed with the team on July 8, 2008. He played college basketball for the University of Southern California...
and Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley
Michael Paul Beasley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . He plays both forward positions, and shoots his jump shot left-handed, though he is also ambidextrous...
. Although the game was relatively close throughout the first half and early second half, the Wildcats came away with the victory by a score of 80–67. As expected by many, Mayo entered the NBA Draft at the end of the 2007–08 season. He was selected as the 3rd overall lottery pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
. The Trojans finished the 2007–08 season with a record of 21–12. However, on January 3, 2010, the University concluded its internal investigation over allegations that Mayo received improper benefits during his stay at USC in 2007-2008. The University concluded that Mayo did receive improper benefits and that Head Coach Tim Floyd was an active participant in ensuring that Mayo continued to receive money and gifts on behalf of a sports agent, in violation of NCAA rules. Therefore, USC declared Mayo ineligible to play in 2007-2008, and USC Basketball has voluntarily vacated all regular season wins from the 2007-2008 season. The USC record for 2007-2008 thus is 0-12, a result of the peculiar scoring rules for marking vacated wins as no contests.
2008–09
The 2008–09 Trojans team features the 3rd-ranked recruit in the nation according to Rivals.comRivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, All-American forward Demar DeRozan. USC also received a commitment from point guard Percy Romeo Miller, Jr
Romeo Miller
Percy Romeo Miller, Jr. , better known by his stage name Romeo , is an American rapper, actor, basketball player, entrepreneur, and model. He is the son of rapper and entrepreneur Master P and former rapper Sonya C. He is the nephew of rappers C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker and the brother of...
aka Lil Romeo, the son of Master P
Master P
Percy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch...
. The team opted not to have an October 17, 2008 Midnight Madness
Midnight Madness (basketball)
Midnight Madness is an annual event on college campuses that celebrates the first day in mid-October that the National Collegiate Athletic Association permits formal basketball practices each college basketball season. In some cases, the name has literal meaning since an event is scheduled...
celebration.
Building upon the success of previous years, the Trojans defeated Arizona State in the Pac-10 Championship Game
2009 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2009 Pacific Life Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament began with the first round on March 11, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, with quarterfinals on March 12, semifinals on March 13, and the finals on March 14...
and clinched their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. They defeated Boston College to reach the second round, where they lost 74–69 to eventual runner-up Michigan St.
Sanctions
On January 3, 2010, USC announced that it had implemented self-imposed sanctions for violations of NCAA rules related to Mayo. The sanctions include a one-year ban on postseason competition following the 2009-2010 regular season, a reduction of one scholarship for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years, and reductions in the numbers of recruiting days and coaches participating in off-campus recruiting through 2011. The school also vacated all wins earned during the 2007-2008 season, due to Mayo's ineligibility at that time.Coaches
The following are the USC men's head basketball coaches who have led the Trojans against conference competition. Prior to fielding conference teams, USC men's basketball was also coached by notable USC coaches such as Dean CromwellDean Cromwell
Dean Bartlett Cromwell , nicknamed "Maker of Champions", was an American athletic coach in multiple sports, principally at the University of Southern California...
(baseball) and Elmer "Gloomy Gus" Henderson
Gus Henderson
Elmer Clinton "Gloomy Gus" Henderson was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Southern California , the University of Tulsa , and Occidental College , compiling a career college football record of 126–42–7...
(football).
- Bill Hunter (1922)
- Les Turner (1923–27)
- Leo CallandLeo CallandLeo B. Calland was an American football and basketball player and coach who later became a San Diego city parks administrator...
(1928–29) - Sam BarrySam BarryJustin McCarthy "Sam" Barry was an American collegiate athletic coach who achieved significant accomplishments in three major sports. He remains one of only three coaches to lead teams to both the Final Four and the College World Series.-Early career:Barry was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota...
(1930–41, 1946–50) - Julie Bescos (1942)
- Ernie Holbrook (1943–44)
- Bobby Muth (1944–45)
- Forrest Twogood (1951–66)
- Bob Boyd (1967–79)
- Stan MorrisonStan MorrisonStan Morrison is a retired college basketball coach and athletic director. He was head coach of the USC Trojans team from 1979 to 1986, as well as San Jose State Spartans from 1989 to 1998 and Pacific Tigers from 1972 to 1979. He is currently the athletic director at UC Riverside...
(1980–86) - George RavelingGeorge RavelingGeorge Raveling is a former college men's basketball coach and FOX Sports Net color commentator. He was the head coach at Washington State University , the University of Iowa , and the University of Southern California . The Washington, D.C. native attended St...
(1987–94) - Charlie ParkerCharlie Parker (basketball coach)-Coaching career:Parker was an assistant coach for the New Orleans Hornets in 2006–2007. His previous coaching position was at the Dallas Mavericks, where he was an assistant coach for ten seasons . Prior to that, he coached the USC Trojans. Parker was head coach at Wayne State from 1982-88...
(1994–1996) - Henry BibbyHenry BibbyCharles Henry Bibby is a former professional basketball player who became a coach after his playing days were over.- Playing career :...
(1996–2004) - Jim SaiaJim SaiaJim Saia is a men's head basketball coach at Fresno Pacific University.-Coaching career:Prior to his appointment as head basketball coach at Fresno Pacific University on April 5, 2007, Saia was an assistant coach at Citrus College in the 2006-07 season and the interim head coach at the USC between...
(2004–05, interim head coach) - Tim FloydTim FloydTim Floyd is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the University of Texas at El Paso Miners men's basketball team. He is also a former head coach of several teams in both the NCAA and the NBA, most recently the University of Southern California men's college...
(2005–09) - Kevin O'NeillKevin O'Neill (basketball)Kevin O'Neill is an American head coach of the USC Trojans basketball team. His personal webpage is www.coachkohoops.com O'Neill was born in Malone, New York and attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada...
(2009–present)