USC Trojans:

Marist Import

By Jordan Moore on May 31, 2011 3:08 PM | No Comments

The men's basketball program has had plenty of recent success in the transfer market and now Women of Troy head coach Michael Cooper is set to welcome Australian product Kate OIiver after two seasons at Marist.

At 6'4", Oliver fills an immediate need inside plus she can stretch the defense with her perimeter shooting ability.

"Kate provides another big body for us. With her height and good shooting ability, she can really spread the floor for us as well," Cooper said. "She is a great kid with a high basketball IQ and is also very strong academically. She's really hit it off with the team already."

Heavy Hitter

By Jordan Moore on May 31, 2011 12:46 PM | No Comments

USC 1B Ricky Oropesa was named to the All-Pac-10 first team today by the conference coaches.

The Trojans slugger carried the offense at times this season with a .322 batting average, seven home runs and 44 RBI. Oropesa is now a two-time All-Pac-10 honoree.

His teammates Joe De Pinto, Kevin Roundtree and Alex Sherrod received honorable mention.

And the winner is...

By Jordan Moore on May 31, 2011 12:19 PM | No Comments

The Pac-12 provided the fans the opportunity to select the new logo for the conference championship football game.

Here's what you picked...

Unstoppable

By Jordan Moore on May 31, 2011 10:04 AM | 6 Comments

Novak Djokovic is the greatest tennis player in the world right now. He has won 41-straight matches to start the year.

USC #1 Steve Johnson rode a 35-match win streak through 2011 to help the Trojans claim the national team title and assert his supremacy as the best collegiate in the nation.

Next up: The two steaks could actually collide as Johnson's NCAA singles crown comes with a ticket into the main draw at the U.S. Open in August, where he could possibly face Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or any of the game's greats.

Johnson could use a step up in class as his fellow collegiates have been no match for him lately. He did need three sets to polish off Tennessee's Rhyne Williams in the title match yesterday, but after dropping the first 4-6, he dusted the Vol 6-2, 6-1 to seize the trophy.

Click here for the full story!

Here is Johnson winning championship point than discussing being the first Trojan tennis singles king since 1996 and the future of his facial hair:

Wise Move

By Jordan Moore on May 27, 2011 4:59 PM | 1 Comment

USC men's basketball head coach Kevin O'Neill announced the addition of another quality veteran in UC-Irvine transfer forward Eric Wise to the growing surplus of Trojan hoops talent.

Wise dominated the Big West as an Anteater averaging 16.3 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game as an All-Conference performer last season. After sitting out next season, he will have one year of eligibility remaining in 2012-13.

"We are very excited to have a proven veteran player like Eric join our program," said O'Neill. "His sit-out year will give him an opportunity to acclimate to our system and prepare him to have a good senior season. He is a good student who did well at UC Irvine and will be in position to graduate from USC."

While the Trojans expect to have a quality team this upcoming season, the foundation is being built for what could be a special 2012-13 campaign with the additions of Wise and Wake Forest transfer Ari Stewart to a team that should only lose senior Jio Fontan from the 2011-12 team.

Click here for more on Eric Wise.

FSN Scholars

By Jordan Moore on May 27, 2011 4:55 PM | No Comments

Our friends at Fox Sports West wrapped up the great school year at USC by featuring the student-athlete graduation in this vignette.

Here it is...

Tour Hits Beach and Desert

By Jordan Moore on May 27, 2011 12:30 PM | No Comments

The 2011 USC Coaches' Tour finishes up next week with stops in Manhattan Beach on Wednesday at the Marriott and Indian Wells on Friday at the Renaissance.

Click here to RSVP!

Along with head coaches Lane Kiffin and Kevin O'Neill, the Manhattan Beach crowd will get to interact with football stars QB Matt Barkley and DB T.J. McDonald plus hoops big man Garrett Jackson. The desert guests can question PG Jio Fontan and a football player to be determined (maybe WR Robert Woods) about the upcoming seasons.

Earlier this week, the Bay Area Trojan Club gave out the annual Mike Garrett Award to the football player who performed the best on the NorCal road trip. True freshman Robert Woods stole the show up at Stanford last year with 12 catches for 224 receiving yards and 3 TDs.

Here's a video tribute to his award-winning performance:

Tee Time

By Jordan Moore on May 27, 2011 12:05 PM | No Comments

After a strong showing at regionals, USC men's golf is headed off to nationals starting Tuesday, May 31, in Stillwater, OK, as the #16 seed.

The Trojans will compete as a team in the 54-hole 30-team tournament to pair the field down to eight and then match play will determine the national champion. The best individual over the 54 holes will be crowned the nation's best collegiate player.

Click here for the full preview!

USC streaks into NCAA's after winning both the team and individual (Martin Trainer, pictured) Pac-10 championships. While this is the fifth consecutive tournament berth, the men's golf program has never won a national championship.

The Masters

By Jordan Moore on May 27, 2011 12:00 PM | No Comments

Written by Dave Dulberg, USC blog contributor

In the wake of Thursday's announcement from athletic director Pat Haden, you'd have been hard-pressed to find any member of the USC football team overjoyed by news that the NCAA denied the school's appeals case regarding last summer's imposed sanctions.

For some Trojans, this upcoming season would have represented their final time to get to a bowl game or play in the newly-introduced Pac-12 Conference Championship Game. Nonetheless, if there is a silver lining in the dark clouds hovering over Troy, it comes from the work being done in the classroom by redshirt seniors TE Rhett Ellision and DT Christian Tupou.

Both Ellison (21 catches, 239 yards and three touchdowns in 2010) and Tupou (a 2009 All-Pac 10 Honorable Mention) graduated earlier this month with bachelor's degrees in international relations and political science respectively. However, with one year of scholarship eligibility remaining for two of the team's elder statesmen, they made the choice to go back to the classroom for master's degrees.

The teammates recently began their one-year Communications Management program through USC's Annenberg School of Communications - a move both agree made sense for several reasons.

"This could be my last year of ever playing football and I need to prepare for the professional world," Ellison said regarding what the degree means for his future. "For me, that preparation starts with getting my master's right now. If you're going to be here for a fifth year anyways, you might as well get that extra degree."

For Tupou, who missed the entire 2010 season due to a torn ligament in his left knee, a year away from the game helped him realize there is more to his USC experience than football. It's a lesson he hopes to pass down to other Polynesian children.

"There are a lot of great football examples for Polynesian kids to look at out there," Tupou said. "When I was growing up, it was Junior Seau, Vai Sikahema, Troy Polamalu and Lofa Tatupu. But, there aren't a lot of Polynesians getting their master's. Why not take the first step an be an example?"

Ellison, however, learned at a very young age growing up in Portolo Valley, CA, the importance of balancing academic and athletic activities from his father, former USC and NFL linebacker Riki (Gray) Ellison. Riki, a lobbyist and founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), made sure to impress upon his son the value of having other passions besides football.

And while USC's starting tight end doesn't know yet where his master's degree will take him, he's thrilled to have an opportunity to narrow his choices.

"I like having the balance of academics and sports, it keeps you organized and it keeps you in a routine," said Ellison. "But I felt undergraduate studies were so broad. With a master's, I can focus in and figure out what I want to do."

While Ellison plans to use his degree to narrow his sights outside of football, Tupou is interested in working for the CIA, FBI or somewhere where he can find some semblance of normalcy, which he admits is hard to come by as a member of the USC football team. And if that somehow doesn't pan out for the jovial defensive tackle, he believes getting the chance to go back to school can serve as a reminder to those that look up to him that you don't need to box yourself into a future based solely on sports.

"Polynesian kids out there aren't exposed to a lot of things I'm learning," said Tupou. "I can tell them that there is a whole set of other ideas and things you can learn about that can push you forward instead of putting all your eggs into one basket just for football."

Other former Trojans who took part or were accepted into the one-year Communications Management master's program include fullback Brandon Hancock and quarterback Mark Sanchez (who left school early after being selected 5th overall by the Jets in the 2009 NFL Draft).

Logo Love

By Jordan Moore on May 27, 2011 11:36 AM | No Comments

The Pac-12 is inviting fans to select the logo for the conference championship game via a poll on their website.

Click here to vote!

I voted for #2, but I am cool with #1 and #3.

Closing Time

By Jordan Moore on May 27, 2011 10:50 AM | No Comments

While USC baseball will not make it to the postseason this year, they are closing the conference season like a contender for the crown. The Trojans have won six out of their last nine, including grabbing two wins on Tuesday against Pepperdine, heading into the season finale against Washington State.

The Cougars are in town for a three-game set at Dedeaux Field with first pitch times of 6 p.m. tonight, 2 p.m. Saturday and Noon on Sunday.

Against ninth place Wazzu, the fifth place Trojans can continue to surge up the conference standings. USC, Arizona and Stanford are all 12-12 in Pac-10 play with Cal at 13-11.

Come salute the seniors and departing juniors in their final series this weekend!

Junior Andrew Triggs is on the bump tonight.

Morning Papers (5/27/11)

By Jordan Moore on May 27, 2011 10:16 AM | No Comments

Here is a recap of the national and regional appeal coverage...

SI's Andy Staples acknowledges the lack of precedent in the USC ruling and wonders if it will set a new standard going forward.
Ted Miller believes Trojan fans should move on now.
Pedro Moura took a look at the decision from the players' perspective.
Arash Markazi wonders what will become of the 2004 BCS title.
CBS columnist Dennis Dodd thinks USC needs to get over the appeal and start focusing on the future.
Bryan Fischer feels the Trojans never had a fair shot to reverse the decision.
Gary Klein breaks down the aftermath of the sanctions.
Michael Lev questions the legitimacy of the current NCAA legislative structure.
The USA Today laid out the timetable for the BCS stripping USC of the 2004 trophy.
Here are Pat Haden's quotes from his session with the writers.
Stephanie Graves recapped the case as a whole.
Pete Fiutak of FoxSports.com writes that USC is paying for the NCAA's inconsistency.
Chris Dufresne believes the decision was not necessarily wrong and that Trojans had false hope.
In a totally unrelated note, all signs point to Nikola Vucevic being selected in the first round.
The OC Register profiled Matt Leinart's great work in the community.
As for this year's team, Phil Steele projects WR Robert Woods, DE Nick Perry, CB Nickell Robey and DB T.J. McDonald to be first team All-Pac-12.

McDonald will be at the center of an improved secondary.

(Photo by Jon SooHoo)

Banner Year

By Jordan Moore on May 26, 2011 4:10 PM | No Comments

On a day like today, it's a good time to acknowledge how successful a 2010-11 USC athletics season it has been. Of the 14 Trojan teams that have completed their seasons, eight have finished in the top seven in NCAAs.

The Pat Haden era has already boasted two national championships for men's water polo and men's tennis.

Women's volleyball, women's swimming and diving and men's volleyball finished third in the nation. #4 women's water polo, #5 women's golf and #7 men's swimming and diving all had strong campaigns.

Plus, the women's basketball team finished as WNIT runners-up, while men's hoops closed strong to earn an NCAA bid. Women's soccer and women's tennis reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Still to come, men's golf, women's rowing, men's and women's track and field are expecting big postseason performances.

And of course, USC dominated UCLA in record fashion to win the Gauntlet. You already knew this, but it's still a great day to be a Trojan!

Appeal: Larry Scott

By Jordan Moore on May 26, 2011 1:42 PM | 2 Comments

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott released this statement about the NCAA's ruling on USC's appeal:

"We join the fans, alumni, staff and leadership of USC in being extremely disappointed with today's decision. I want to state emphatically that our conference is committed to adhering to the highest ethical standards and compliance with NCAA rules. USC's new leadership has certainly demonstrated this with its handling of the sanctions and by establishing a new culture of compliance for its athletic programs with its win-by-the-rules approach.

"I respect USC's decision to take the high ground and not pursue any further recourse to the NCAA ruling. At the same time, I fully expect that every NCAA member institution be held to the same high standards. These sanctions, notably the postseason ban, have a devastating effect on current student-athletes, most of whom were in elementary and junior high school at the time of the alleged violations.

"To me, that is a source of great frustration and disappointment. Going forward, we can and need to do better in terms of the enforcement process."

Appeal: Pat Haden

By Jordan Moore on May 26, 2011 10:54 AM | 2 Comments

USC athletic director Pat Haden expanded on his initial comments in a USCTrojans.com interview this morning.

He addressed questions about a potential lawsuit, the lack of precedent in this ruling and the expectations for the football program going forward.

Appeal: Matt Barkley

By Jordan Moore on May 26, 2011 10:44 AM | 2 Comments

USC QB Matt Barkley responded to the news of the denied appeal with the perspective that has become typical of the Trojan leader.

"Our team will embrace the challenge as one and be stronger for it," Barkley said through his Twitter account. "Times of adversity are special opportunities to Fight On!"

He spoke with USCTrojans.com this morning about how this ruling will effect the program and potentially his decision to declare or not to declare for the NFL Draft after this season.

Appeal Response

By Jordan Moore on May 26, 2011 7:00 AM | 3 Comments

Here is USC's official response to the NCAA appeal decision:

We respectfully, but vehemently, disagree with the findings of the NCAA's Infractions Appeals Committee. Our position was that the Committee on Infractions abused its discretion and imposed penalties last June that were excessive and inconsistent with established case precedent.

Pat Haden, USC's athletic director, said: "I was part of the USC team that met with the Infractions Appeals Committee on January 22nd. Although I am gravely disappointed, I can assure our student-athletes, coaches and fans that we made every possible argument -- forcefully and vigorously -- for modifying unjust penalties."

USC President C. L. Max Nikias added: "We are extremely disappointed in this result. We are very concerned that the historical value of case precedent and the right to fair process in the NCAA adjudicative process, both in terms of the ability of an institution to defend itself or prove an abuse of discretion on appeal, have been substantially eroded. Further, the decisions of the COI and IAC have set a standard that leaves little, if any, room to discipline more egregious violations that will be addressed by the NCAA in the future without irreparably damaging athletic programs across the country. Notwithstanding this troubling concern and our grave disappointment, we will look forward to the future."

USC head football coach Lane Kiffin remarked:

"I respect the NCAA's decision to uphold the sanctions against USC. That being said, I am disappointed for our players, our fans and our staff that another bowl game and now a possible Pac-12 championship game has been taken away from them.

"I have been and always will be committed to making sure we are following all NCAA guidelines and bylaws to ensure that we are winning the right way.

"We have been operating with these sanctions for a year now and have felt their effects on multiple fronts. We will continue to execute the plan we have in place to make the most of the hand with which we have been dealt. I am proud of how our players have performed on the field and represented us off the field under very difficult and trying circumstances. I look forward to them continuing to do so as we move on to make the best of our situation. I also have been impressed with the reception we have received from recruits. They understand the value of a USC degree and the opportunities afforded them by playing football here."

USC's original appeal:
USC Appeal-Redacted_v11.pdf

Supplement to appeal:
USC Supplement to Appeal-Redacted_v11.pdf

Rebuttal brief:
USC Rebuttal Brief-Redacted_v11.pdf

Appeal News

By Jordan Moore on May 25, 2011 3:35 PM | 3 Comments

Here is the official word from the USC athletic department regarding the appeal to the NCAA:

USC has received a response from the NCAA regarding our appeal of NCAA sanctions. However, under NCAA rules, we cannot comment on this response until the NCAA releases the decision to the public tomorrow morning (May 26).

Rowing for #400

By Jordan Moore on May 25, 2011 3:28 PM | No Comments

USC women's rowing is the latest Trojan team making the final push for a national championship as they head off to NCAA's in Sacramento this weekend.

If the #5 Trojans can pull off the upset, they will record the 400th national title in Pac-10 history. With the USC men's tennis victory, the conference sits at 399 national crowns, which virtually laps the field (Big Ten has the second most with 231).

Click here for the complete rowing preview!

Of the 399 Pac-10 national titles, USC has contributed 92 trophies to the case.

(Photo by Jonathan Moore)

All now One

By Jordan Moore on May 25, 2011 2:18 PM | No Comments

USC tennis does not have any time to enjoy the spoils of team success with NCAA singles competition beginning today in Palo Alto.

Men's #1 Steve Johnson (pictured) is the favorite to win an individual national championship, while teammates Daniel Nguyen and Ray Sarmiento are in the draw. Johnson is looking to become USC's first singles champion since 1996.

On the women's side, Maria Sanchez is seeded second and sophomore Danielle Lao will join the 64-team field. Sanchez could face Cal rival #1 Jana Juricova in the final.

Both squads will send doubles teams into the NCAA brackets. Sanchez will join forces with Kaitlyn Christian, while Valeria Pulido and Alison Ramos are in the draw.

Despite pairing with different teammates in yesterday's team final, Johnson and Sarmiento will battle together for a national doubles' title.

Vucevic Surging

By Jordan Moore on May 25, 2011 11:38 AM | No Comments

Outgoing USC big man Nikola Vucevic was projected as a second rounder when he put his name into the NBA Draft, but the latest buzz is that the Montenegrin is pushing into first round discussion.

He had a monster pre-draft camp in Chicago showing off his skills and measuring out as the tallest player in attendance.

Click here for the full story.

DraftExpress.com projects Vucevic at #21 overall to the Portland Trailblazers in their latest mock.

Vucevic made the front page of NBA.com.

(Photo courtesy of reader Mike Jones)

Championship Point

By Jordan Moore on May 25, 2011 10:13 AM | No Comments

If you are curious why Daniel Nguyen balked on his shirt pulling celebration, he explained that he was thinking about mirroring Prakash Amritraj's 2002 USC title clinching move, but head coach Peter Smith joked, "He realized, 'I don't have as good of muscles as Prakash!'"

Our man Rich Rodriguez was on the court for D. Nguyen's national championship winning point, so you can enjoy the raw emotion of the moment.

Three-Peat!

By Jordan Moore on May 24, 2011 9:25 PM | 3 Comments

USC men's tennis won a third straight national championship today in a tense thriller over tournament favorite Virginia.

Click here for the complete recap!

Check out the boys celebrating their hard earned three-peat...

Nguyen for the Win!

By Jordan Moore on May 24, 2011 3:52 PM | No Comments

USC junior Daniel Nguyen closed out a men's tennis three-peat in dramatic fashion as the Trojans trumped the previously undefeated Virginia Cavaliers in the national championship.

Despite taking a 3-0 lead after Steve Johnson and Emilio Gomez tacked singles wins on to the doubles' point, #1 UVA came all the way back to force a 3-3 tie and put all the pressure on court #3.

Nguyen, who clinched the title last season, missed out on his first two championship points, but fittingly, the third time was the charm for the now three-time defending national champs.

We'll have more photos and coverage to come, but here's a look at the celebration with Nguyen sealing the victory with a kiss.

(Photo by Rich Rodriguez)

House Retires

By Jordan Moore on May 24, 2011 3:39 PM | No Comments

USC baseball pitching guru Tom House announced his retirement from coaching today, which will take effect at the end of this week as the season comes to a close.

"This was the most rewarding coaching experience of my career," said House. "I was trying in a small way to do for these kids what Rod Dedeaux did for me here. It was extremely fulfilling."

Click here for the full story!

House pitched for Rod Dedeaux and the Trojans in 1967 before a major league career. He would go on to earn acclaim as the pitching coach for the Astros, Rangers and Padres.

House returned to Troy four seasons ago. Now, he will focus his attention on the Rod Dedeaux Research for Baseball Institute and advise the program from a life skills perspective.

Update: Tennis Takes Doubles

By Jordan Moore on May 24, 2011 1:30 PM | No Comments

USC men's tennis dominated Virginia to take the doubles point at the national championship in Palo Alto.

Daniel Nguyen and Ray Sarmiento clinched the point. (Photo by Dan Avila)

APR Progress

By Jordan Moore on May 24, 2011 12:07 PM | 4 Comments

The NCAA released the annual Academic Progress Rates (APR) today and 18 of USC's 19 sports passed the 925 minimum score.

Three USC programs received APR recognition honors from the NCAA!

Men's basketball came in at 912, but the Trojan hoopsters are not subject to penalty because no student-athlete was ineligible upon leaving the program. The men's hoops multi-year APR is expected to push above 950 next year with seven of eight seniors graduating the last two springs.

Women's golf, women's soccer and men's indoor track posted perfect (1,000) four-year APR scores, while men's golf, men's tennis, men's volleyball (pictured), men's water polo, women's swimming, women's tennis, women's volleyball and women's water polo were also perfect last year.

Sixteen of USC's 19 athletic programs finished above the average multi-year mark in their respective sport for all of Division-1, which included football posting a 952.

The APR is now seven years old. Here's how the NCAA explains the academic rating system:

The Academic Progress Rate is a real-time measure of eligibility and retention of student-athletes competing on every Division I sports team. The most recent APR scores are based on a multi-year rate that averages scores from the 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years.

The Division I Board of Directors set cut scores of 925 and 900 (out of 1,000) as a threshold for teams to meet or face possible immediate and historical sanctions. An APR of 925 currently predicts an approximately 50 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and an APR of 900 currently predicts an approximately 40 percent GSR.The goal of the NCAA's academic performance program is improvement, not punishment. Not only does the program ensure accountability for student-athletes, teams and institutions, but also it provides fairness by considering individual circumstances per team and school.

Game On!

By Jordan Moore on May 24, 2011 11:04 AM | No Comments

#2 USC men's tennis versus #1 undefeated Virginia will get started at Noon pacific time on ESPNU and NCAA.com as the Trojans seek a third straight national championship.

Here they are making final preparations last night:

Michael Tang strings, while junior Daniel Nguyen prints the logo on his racquet and freshman Emilio Gomez prepares his weapons. (Photos by Rich Rodriguez)

Munday Builds Staff

By Jordan Moore on May 24, 2011 10:10 AM | 1 Comment

USC women's lacrosse head coach Lindsey Munday will have some company now as she hired her first two assistants, Devon Willis from the University of Denver and Hilary Bowen from Mount St. Mary's University.

Like Munday, Willis (pictured) and Bowen are part of the U.S. national team program and excelled at the collegiate level. Munday played with and coached Bowen at Northwestern. Willis was a 4-time All-Ivy League goalie at Dartmouth.

"I am extremely excited to hire Devon Wills and Hilary Bowen," said Munday, who this past January was hired to lead the Trojan team that will begin play in the 2012-13 season. "This is a huge step for the USC program. Both Devon and Hilary are energetic and passionate about the game of lacrosse and I am thrilled to have them join the Trojan Family."

Click here for the full story!

One for Three

By Jordan Moore on May 23, 2011 4:31 PM | No Comments

The #2 USC men's tennis team is one win away from a third straight national championship after sweeping Georgia today in the Final Four at Stanford.

After taking the doubles' point, the Trojans lost just one set before posting the 4-0 win.

#1 Steve Johnson made a quick statement by bageling UGA's best 6-0, 6-0. Freshman Ray Sarmiento cruised to a straight-set victory to secure the third point and then junior Daniel Nguyen closed it out.

The road to a three-peat is never easy though as the Trojans will take on undefeated #1 Virginia in Tuesday's national championship.

The match will air LIVE on ESPNU and NCAA.com at Noon pacific time.

They know the feeling...

Sam I Am

By Jordan Moore on May 23, 2011 4:13 PM | No Comments

Move over Matt! There's a new Barkley coming to campus this fall.

Matt's younger brother Sam has distinguished himself on the track oval at Mater Dei, including grabbing CIF championships this past weekend in the 110 (14.08) and 300 (37.51) hurdles.

He will walk-on to Ron Allice's squad at Troy.

Golf Honors

By Jordan Moore on May 23, 2011 2:58 PM | No Comments

USC women's golf finished fifth at NCAA's last week, but they collected National Golf Coaches Association individual honors for Andrea Gaston (national coach of the year) and Sophia Popov (national freshman of the year).

Senior Lizette Salas also became the first four-time All-American in USC history. Popov joined Salas on the NGCA first team, while junior Lisa McCloskey, who was out injured for nationals, made the second team.

Click here for the full story!

Gaston and freshman sensation Popov

(Photo by Pierson Clair)

Instant Response

By Jordan Moore on May 23, 2011 1:33 PM | 3 Comments

Last week, Frank Cruz was named the undisputed leader of the USC baseball program. Upon receiving the news in a team meeting, the players saluted their full-time head coach with a standing ovation.

The gesture proved to be more than ceremonial.

Coming off a home series win over then #6 Arizona State, the Trojans were huge underdogs in Corvallis against the Pac-10 leaders #2 Oregon State. On the strength of their surging rotation, USC battled the Beavers all weekend and took two out of three to win back-to-back series against top 10 foes.

The Trojans are now 12-12 in conference (tied for fifth) with a season-closing series due up against Washington St. at Dedeaux Field. Remember, they finished last in the Pac-10 last year at 7-20.

The Trojans are fired up to play for Frank Cruz.

Stevie and the Kids

By Jordan Moore on May 23, 2011 10:21 AM | 2 Comments

#2 USC men's tennis is riding an 18-match winning streak into their Final Four battle with Georgia today thanks to the formula of Steve Johnson + the freshmen = Ws.

Watch the Trojans national semifinal LIVE on the web at Noon pacific!

A team tennis match is a race to four points. After they battle for one doubles' point, each of the six singles matches are valued equally. So while #1 Steve Johnson is the star of stars, he counts the same as USC's #6 Peter Lucassen.

In search of a third straight national championship, head coach Peter Smith has leaned on Johnson to lead the charge and then freshmen #4 Ray Sarmiento (pictured below) and #5 Emilio Gomez (pictured right) to bring home the victory.

Johnson has won 27-straight matches overall and he usually banks his point quickly. He has not dropped a set in over a month (April 19 vs. UC-Irvine).

While the neophytes sometimes make it more interesting, they are nearly as dependable. Sarmiento has won 10-straight matches in team competition since returning from an early season wrist injury.

Gomez has filled the role of closer. In the Pac-10 decider at UCLA, he rallied from a set down to win 6-4 in the third and secure the conference crown.

The trio has not lost a singles match in the last 10 team tests. If they can keep that streak alive, the threesome will likely be celebrating a three-peat.

(Photos courtesy of Pac-10 and Daily Trojan)

On to the Final Four...

By Jordan Moore on May 22, 2011 9:59 AM | 2 Comments

Behind the perseverance of J.T. Sundling to secure the crucial doubles' point, #2 USC men's tennis knocked off Kentucky 4-1 in the NCAA quarterfinals to reach the Final Four in pursuit of a third straight national championship.

Click here for the full story!

The Trojans will next face another SEC foe in #6 Georgia for the right to play for the title. The boys will serve it up Monday at Noon.

Here is Pac-10 Coach of the Year Peter Smith talking about Sundling's guts and the freshmen singles sensations...

Football 101

By Jordan Moore on May 20, 2011 4:08 PM | 1 Comment

"Football 101" is a fun new event on June 14 for Trojan women to better learn the ins and outs of football and enjoy a luncheon to benefit women's athletic scholarships.

The day starts with team and position meetings to go over the lingo, rules and signals. Then, you'll tram over to the Coliseum to take part in the Trojan Walk, enjoy lunch with the coaches and their wives and then go inside the locker room to dress a player.

Click the link to see the invitation and RSVP!
FB101 Invite RSVP.pdf

Samba Kings

By Jordan Moore on May 20, 2011 3:27 PM | No Comments

USC men's basketball is headed to Brazil this August for a 10-day trip to play professional teams, see the sights and bond as a team.

Click here for the complete itinerary via the LA Times.

Incoming freshmen Byron Wesley and Alexis Moore plus eligible transfers Aaron Fuller, DeWayne Dedmon, James Blasczyk and Greg Allen will be able to join the team on the trip and earn valuable experience playing together as a unit with the returning players.

Mo Jones plays with the flair of a Brazilian soccer star.

(Photo by Pierson Clair)

TLC Survey

By Jordan Moore on May 20, 2011 3:00 PM | No Comments

Here's an opportunity for you to participate in a survey and win a gift card:

Ph.D. candidate Shawn C. Sorenson is the director of Trojan Lifetime Champions, a joint program between USC Athletics and the Division of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy. He is conducting a research project this spring, and would like the help of Trojan alumni to participate in a health and wellness survey. The survey is open to USC undergraduate alumni, consists of two 15-minute questionnaires, and is completely anonymous.

The first 150 eligible participants who respond to this ad will receive a coffee-house gift card as a small token of appreciation. Most importantly, this information will be used in educational programs that improve the health and well-being of current and former USC students. If you are interested in assisting with this research project, contact Shawn via e-mail.

Please provide the following information in your message:

- Graduation year
- Whether or not you participated in a varsity sport at USC
- A postal address to mail the surveys

CR to the CIF HOF

By Jordan Moore on May 20, 2011 12:16 PM | 2 Comments

Legendary USC fullback C.R. Roberts is set to be inducted into the CIF-San Diego Section Hall of Fame.

Click the link for the full story:
CIF_50 HOF Induc_Web.pdf

The Oceanside product was a social pioneer at USC as one of the first high-profile black athletes to compete against white athletes in the state of Texas during the Trojans 44-20 win in 1956 over the Longhorns in Austin. Roberts rushed for a then school record 251 yards in just 12 minutes of action.

As the story goes, Roberts and his teammates refused to stay in a segregated team hotel in Austin, so they switched to integrated living quarters. They also threatened to boycott the game if black spectators were not allowed into the previously segregated University of Texas Stadium.

The vocal stances and outstanding play by the USC fullback helped spur change in the Southwestern Conference.

His athletic and social achievements extended past the football field.

Roberts was active in student government and helped pass an initiative to allow women to join the previously all male USC cheer squad. And on the track, he bested Bruin legend Rafer Johnson in the long jump at the 1953 USC/UCLA dual meet in the Coliseum.

Roberts played football professionally with the San Francisco 49ers (pictured below).

Morning Papers (5/20/11)

By Jordan Moore on May 20, 2011 10:43 AM | No Comments

As we close another week...

JK McKay is the one and only general manager to claim an XFL title.
Two-time USC football All-American Tim McDonald finished up his degree this spring and spoke at the student-athlete graduation.
As the men's tennis team pursues their third straight national championship weekend, Jaak Poldma has already taken care of business in the classroom.
KSPN 051911 60 USC SCHOLAR ATHLETE-JAAK POLDMA.mp3
Senior hurdler Nia Ali (picture below) has been added to the Bowerman Watch List as one of the top 10 collegiate female track and field athletes in the nation.
The LA Times discusses the value of the one-and-done basketball player using USC and UCLA as case studies.
Scott Wolf had a great note yesterday that the baseball team gave Frank Cruz a standing ovation in the meeting room when they announced that he was taking over the program.
Pedro Moura talked to USC men's golfer Martin Trainer about his epic playoff to win the Pac-10 championship.
He also posted a Q&A with Frank Cruz about his hiring yesterday.
Michael Lev looks at how Brice Butler could help the USC receiving corps.
In breaking down the Trojans, Ted Miller finds hope in the Matt Barkley to Robert Woods connection, but questions the offensive line.

Sneak Peek

By Jordan Moore on May 19, 2011 5:11 PM | No Comments

Bill Ferguson signed up another banner recruiting class for the men's volleyball program today featuring prep stars Tyler Cundiff, Ben Lam, Robbie McKnight and Austin Rysyk.

Click here for all the information on the freshman class of 2011!

If you want to take a look at McKnight, he led Laguna Beach to the Division-II title game, which will stream live on FoxSportsWest.com.

They Might Be Giants

By Jordan Moore on May 19, 2011 2:48 PM | No Comments

The Coaches Tour surfed through San Diego last night with the Trojan crowd peppering Lane Kiffin and Kevin O'Neill with questions plus student-athlete guest appearances from LB Chris Galippo and PF DeWayne Dedmon (pictured below).

Next stop: San Francisco

Date: Monday, May 23

Student-Athletes: DB T.J. McDonald and PF Aaron Fuller

Click here to make a reservation for one of the four remaining tour stops!

Next Week: Pasadena

Date: Wednesday, May 25

Student-Athletes: QB Matt Barkley and C Curtis Washington

Tennis Trophies

By Jordan Moore on May 19, 2011 2:09 PM | No Comments

USC tennis stars Maria Sanchez and Steve Johnson swept the Pac-10 Player of the Year awards, while men's head coach Peter Smith took Coach of the Year honors.

Led by Smith and Johnson, the men's team is battling Georgia Tech today in the Sweet 16. The women's squad was knocked out of NCAA's by Cal, but Sanchez will still have a chance to compete for the individual title.

Johnson has been utterly dominant this season carrying a 26-match winning streak into Thursday's contest. He's grabbed the baton from Robert Farah who won the top award the last two years.

Smith has coached USC to back-to-back national championships with a shot at a three-peat this year. He grabbed his second straight conference Coach of the Year award and the fourth of his Trojan career.

Click here for the complete story including All-Conference honors for Johnson and Sanchez's teammates!

Cruz Gets the Nod

By Jordan Moore on May 19, 2011 9:12 AM | 1 Comment

USC baseball interim head coach Frank Cruz was officially given the keys to the program today on a fulltime basis.

Cruz inherited a last place ball club and turned them into a fundamentally sound unit that has fought to the last out consistently this season. Coming off a 7-20 conference campaign, the Trojans sit at 10-11 with six Pac-10 games to play.

"I believe Frank is the right fit to lead our baseball program," said athletic director Pat Haden. "He has the character and integrity that we seek, he knows USC and the landscape of college baseball and he has shown that he can put together winning teams. I have seen marked progress with our team throughout this season and I like how competitive it has been."

The former Mike Gillespie assistant has embraced the proud USC baseball tradition, which includes 12 College World Series titles, twice as many as any other school.

"USC is the most successful college baseball program in the country and we need to get back to that championship level," Haden continued. "Having been a part of our success in the past, Frank has a vision on how to return USC to national prominence and to do so by winning in the right way. He knows he has his work cut out for him next year because we lose the nucleus of this team, but I have been impressed with his ability as a coach, teacher, leader and recruiter."

Click here for more!

Cruz has helped restore the pride to the program.

(Photo by Pierson Clair)

Evolutionary Football

By Jordan Moore on May 18, 2011 3:30 PM | 7 Comments

Matt Barkley has never thrown a spear at a moving animal (as far as we know), but the mechanics he uses to target Robert Woods on a skinny post are quite similar to the hunters and gatherers of the earliest human existence.

To that point, the USC QB will be part of a History Channel special, which will air sometime during football season, breaking down the evolution of man's ability to precisely throw projectiles.

Barkley was filmed this afternoon aiming at plates 10, 20, 30 and 40 yards away and then he spoke with an anthropologist from the University of Milwaukee.

Dedeaux for Sparky

By Jordan Moore on May 18, 2011 3:21 PM | No Comments

Former USC batboy and major league Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson will be presented with the second annual Dedeaux Award at a May 15 banquet at the Jonathan Club in LA.

Click here for tickets!

Ross Porter will emcee the event and Joe Morgan and George Foster will accept the award on behalf of their late skipper.

Anderson was the first manager ever to win the World Series in both leagues.

As a boy, he lived on the current USC campus and was offered to assist the team by head coach Rod Dedeaux when Anderson returned a foul ball to then Bovard Field.

Locks of Love

By Jordan Moore on May 18, 2011 11:30 AM | 3 Comments

Senior men's volleyball player Ian Wright intended to get his haircut before the season to keep with head coach Bill Ferguson's short hair policy, but it was not long enough.

Motivated by nothing but doing good for others, Wright grew his hair out in the offseason, so he could chop it off for "Locks of Love," a charitable organization that provides hairpieces for children suffering from baldness caused by a medical diagnosis.

In this case, Ferguson made an exception for an exceptional cause.

Wright needed to get to the required length of 10 inches. By the time the men's volleyball season hit the MPSF tournament, the 6'7" middle blocker had reached his goal.

The neuroscience graduate (3.34 gpa) popped by Heritage Hall yesterday sporting a well-shorn look (picture to the right).

Here's what he looked like before the trimming...

Leaders in the Clubhouse

By Jordan Moore on May 18, 2011 10:15 AM | No Comments

The USC women's golf team is the embodiment of everything Pat Haden would like to see from a Trojan athletics' program.

They are dominant.

The #1 team in the nation begins NCAAs at Texas A&M today as the favorite coming off regional and Pac-10 titles. The squad boasts three of the best six players in the nation.

They are scholarly.

Women's golf has posted a perfect score in the NCAA's academic progress report in each of the last six years.

They are inspirational.

Senior Lizette Salas delivered a powerful speech at the student-athlete graduation about overcoming adversity and not listening to the doubters.

Track Champions

By Jordan Moore on May 17, 2011 4:40 PM | 2 Comments

At the Pac-10 Track and Field Championships held last weekend in Tuscon, AZ, the USC men's team tied for third and the women placed fourth. On the individual side, the Trojans had six winners and two relay champions.

Here's the list:

Nia Ali, Senior - Women's 100m high hurdles

Brendan Ames, Senior - Men's Long Jump

Jessica Davis, Freshman - Women's 200m (Photo)

Trey Henderson, Senior - Men's Hammer Throw

Marissa Minderler, Junior - Women's Hammer Throw

Cooper Thompson, Junior - Men's Javelin Throw

Women's 4 x 100m Relay

Men's 4 x 400m Relay

USC's men's and women's teams finished first in the conference with four individual event wins each.

As part of our graduation Trojan Voices campaign, we sat down with former USC track star Raphael Asafo-Agyei. He has incredible story to tell about how self-motivation lifted him from the streets of Ghana to the precipice of the Olympic games.

APR Recognition

By Jordan Moore on May 17, 2011 2:32 PM | No Comments

The NCAA honored USC women's soccer, women's golf and men's indoor track and field for finishing in the top 10% in the most recent multi-year academic progress reports for their respective sports.

Click here for the full story!

USC women's golf has posted a perfect academic score and been recognized each of the six years the APR has been in existence.

Stars in and out of the classroom.

Grad Stats

By Jordan Moore on May 17, 2011 12:10 PM | No Comments

Here are two great numbers from last week's student-athlete graduation:

-- 8 of the 19 sports have already graduated 100% of this year's senior class. Plus, 18 of the 19 sports expect 100% of this year's senior class to graduate by next spring.

-- 109 of the 111 participating senior student-athletes are on pace to graduate by next spring. 83 of the 111 have already earned their degrees.

"Our expectation is that every student-athlete who stays four years will earn a degree," said Magdi El Shahawy, associate athletic director in charge of Student-Athlete Academic Services. "We are pleased to see that virtually every student from this year's senior class will graduate."

The men's hoops team graduated 4-out-of-4.

Kiff and the QB

By Jordan Moore on May 17, 2011 11:44 AM | No Comments

Despite internet rumors, we have no new information regarding the NCAA appeal.

However, we do have a Fox national interview with Lane Kiffin and Matt Barkley.

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=7ac976b8-6e31-4238-8a50-f13de8bdb304" target="_new" title="">Kiffin and his QB</a>

First Stop...Irvine

By Jordan Moore on May 17, 2011 11:15 AM | 2 Comments

The USC Coaches' Tour featuring Lane Kiffin and Kevin O'Neill started their six-city romp in Orange County last night.

Along with Kiffin and O'Neill, the gathered crowd enjoyed guest speakers John Robinson and Pat Haden, men's basketball forward Evan Smith and a pair of Orange County prep football legends.

Matt Barkley and Chris Galippo look happy to be home.

(Photo by Rich Rodriguez)

Morning Papers (5/17/11)

By Jordan Moore on May 17, 2011 10:36 AM | No Comments

Graduation, Taj and Survivor....

USC women's volleyball libero Natalie Hagglund has been selected to the U.S. Junior National Team for the U-20 World Championships in Peru this summer. Photo...
Speaking of Team USA, Alan Abrahamson featured the student-athlete graduation for their website as an example of college athletics "getting it right."
On the track, Pedro Moura profiled the incredible comeback story of Bryshon Nellum.
Former Trojan wideout Grant Mattos was voted off Survivor and now waits on "Redemption Island." I have no idea what that means but you can find out if you want.
The entire hoops world recognized Taj Gibson's impact with his two highlight dunks, but here's a detailed breakdown of the effect that he could have on the Eastern Conference Finals courtesy of Sports Illustrated.
The West LA Trojan Alumni Club is hosting a sports panel speaking event featuring Petros Papadakis on Thursday, May 19.
The Stadium Journey blog took a trip to Galen Center to rate USC's basketball and volleyball home.
This week's KSPN scholar-athlete is women's hoops star Briana Gilbreath.
KSPN 051311 60 USC SCHOLAR ATHLETE.mp3
SI.com ran a photo gallery of famous athletes at their college graduations. Here's a great shot of Keyshawn Johnson getting his degree at USC...

"Water Cooler Talk"

By Jordan Moore on May 16, 2011 5:16 PM | No Comments

Individual USC football game tickets are ON SALE right now at GetTrojanTix.com!

Here's our latest commercial with QB Matt Barkley getting a visit from Pat Haden and J.K. McKay around the water cooler...

Triple Vision

By Jordan Moore on May 16, 2011 4:22 PM | No Comments

The #2 USC men's tennis team made short work of their first two NCAA opponents with 4-0 sweeps over Sacramento State and San Diego at Marks Stadium this past weekend.

The march for a third straight national championship will take them to Stanford for the remainder of the NCAA's with Georgia Tech as the next foe on Thursday, May 19.

Here are some final thoughts from head coach Peter Smith and #1 Steve Johnson after Saturday's win...

Uniform Buzz

By Jordan Moore on May 16, 2011 2:05 PM | No Comments

We have noticed a lot of internet chatter about a potential football uniform change for next season, but USC head coach Lane Kiffin dismissed those rumors today.

Click here for the story.

"We are not changing our uniforms," Kiffin told Michael Lev of the OC Register. "We're wearing our same uniforms as normal."

Posterized

By Jordan Moore on May 16, 2011 2:01 PM | No Comments

The NBA released this photo today. Taj Gibson will be signing this poster for the rest of his life.

Season Enders

By Jordan Moore on May 16, 2011 1:33 PM | No Comments

The good news is the Pac-10 conference continues to assert its dominance across the college sports landscape. The bad news is that two USC teams went down to familiar foes this past weekend.

The women's water polo team's bid for a third straight national title ended in Ann Arbor, MI, with losses to #1 Stanford (8-4 in the national semifinals) and #3 UCLA (6-5 in the third place game).

The fourth place finish is still a tremendous accomplishment for a young squad with a bright future.

The #18 women's tennis team saw their 2011 campaign come to an end at #9 Cal in the second round of the NCAA tournament. However, they still have five players who can earn individual titles led by #2 Maria Sanchez.

Taj the Magnificent

By Jordan Moore on May 15, 2011 7:33 PM | 1 Comment

Taj Gibson had been playing solid, under-the-radar basketball all postseason, but the NBA nation is noticing him now after a showstopping display Sunday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference

Finals.

In the first half, he served up a facial dunk on the head of none other than Dwyane Wade.

Then, LeBron James tried to take him one-on-one and he swatted his shot away, which prompted TNT analyst Steve Kerr to say, "When Taj Gibson becomes a starter, he will be a perennial 1st-team All-Defensive performer."

And for his finale, Trojan Taj lifted the roof off the United Center with a ridiculous one-handed putback slam.

Which dunk was more impressive?? You decide.

Adewale's World

By Jordan Moore on May 15, 2011 1:16 PM | 6 Comments

As another class of graduates heads out into the world, we sat down with a pair of accomplished student-athletes with amazing tales of triumph to tell.

Up first, former fullback Jody Adewale shares his story about rising out of the Boyle Heights projects by focusing on school and football.

Hear him tell it...

The Historian

By Jordan Moore on May 13, 2011 2:19 PM | 2 Comments

Congratulations to all the 2011 graduates!! From the businesswoman to the congressman to the Super Bowl champion...

NFL Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu walked with his fellow Trojans today at the Shrine Auditorium as he earned his degree in History.

Here's a look at the USC grad with the most famous hairdo celebrating with his son and uncle Kennedy Pola courtesy of Paul Goldberg...

Photo Gallery: Student-Athlete Graduation

By Jordan Moore on May 13, 2011 6:01 AM | No Comments

All the graduates will convene on campus today to flip their tassels, toss their hats and take their first steps into the "real world."

On Thursday, the student-athletes celebrated their unique accomplishments together at the second annual student-athlete graduation.

Here is what it looked like courtesy of Pierson Clair...

Renaissance Scholar: Cara Bickers

By Jordan Moore on May 13, 2011 6:00 AM | No Comments

Written by Dave Dulberg, USC blog contributor

The label "student-athlete" doesn't even begin to describe Cara Bickers' four-year college experience.

Along with fellow track member Zara Lukens, Bickers was named a Renaissance Scholar last month and awarded $10,000 for her academic pursuits in the field of biological science (major) and classical literature (minor).

From track practice on Cromwell Field to researching the cell cycle in fission yeast inside Ray Irani Hall to performing for the USC Chamber Ballet Company, the daughter of USC professor and vice provost Gene Bickers has made the most of her time at Troy, even if it meant losing some sleep along the way.

"I like to be busy," Bickers said. "When I am busier I actually am more effective in whatever I am working on. So I like days when I get up, go to class, go to track, go to work and go to ballet. I guess you could say I like structure."

While devoting herself to a variety of activities has allowed Bickers to form bonds with a unique, cross-section of people, it hasn't stretched her too thin when it comes to being successful.

In the classroom, the senior maintained a 3.901 GPA, was endorsed by the university as a candidate for the Rhodes Scholarship and received the 2011 USC Biology Department's Scynergy Award for her lab research.

On the field, Bickers went from being a walk-on her freshman year to a very important asset for the nationally ranked women's track and field team, competing in both the long jump and triple jump. As a sophomore, she recorded a personal best 37-8 in the triple jump.

Even on stage the senior thrived, participating in five ballet performances this past spring as both a soloist and choreographer.

"I like it because it exposes to a very diverse group of people," said Bickers on her jam-packed schedule. "It brings out different sides of me at times of the week. I never felt kiddy-cornered into one type of personality."

The Los Angeles native may be done competitively dancing and running track after graduation, but Bickers remains committed to staying active as she enters the next chapter of her life.

The 22-year-old will be headed to UCSD this fall to begin post-graduate research in the biological sciences.

Mickey Anderson Passes

By Jordan Moore on May 13, 2011 5:54 AM | No Comments

William C. "Mickey" Anderson, who won national titles at USC in football and track, died on April 26 in

Orange County.

Anderson earned letters on the gridiron at quarterback and fullback, plus he was part of a world-record setting relay team on the track oval.

Click here for the full story.

Photo Gallery: Marks Luncheon

By Jordan Moore on May 13, 2011 5:48 AM | No Comments

Pierson Clair attended the annual Marks Foundation luncheon yesterday to celebrated the top scholar-athletes.

Take a look...

Proud of '11

By Jordan Moore on May 12, 2011 5:40 PM | No Comments

Congratulations to the student-athlete class of 2011! The Trojan Family is proud of all your accomplishments.

(Photo by Pierson Clair)

Kiffin on Douglas

By Jordan Moore on May 12, 2011 5:12 PM | No Comments

Former Tennessee offensive lineman Aaron Douglas was found dead Thursday morning in Florida.

Douglas was recruited by and played for Lane Kiffin during his time with the Vols. Here are Kiffin's thoughts on the tragedy and the young man...

"I heard the horrible news about Aaron this morning. It's so tragic and sad. Aaron had a huge heart and was such a fabulous young man. He will be dearly missed. My thoughts and sympathies go out to his parents, David and Karla, and all his family and friends."

Click here for the full story.

Director of Athletics' Chair Endowed

By Jordan Moore on May 12, 2011 5:01 PM | 1 Comment

On this graduation week, USC athletics is excited to announce that the Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics' Chair has been endowed.

Here are all the details...

The Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics' Chair at USC has been endowed in perpetuity by Chuck and Jessie Cale, USC Senior Vice President for University Advancement Albert R. Checcio announced today (May 12).

The gift, the amount of which will remain private, is the largest endowment gift ever received by the USC athletic department.

"We are deeply grateful to Chuck and Jessie Cale for endowing this important position, which is at the very heart of our athletic program," said Checcio. "Their visionary support will ensure that USC Athletics continues to succeed at the highest levels in the world of intercollegiate athletics."

"All of us in the USC athletic department sincerely thank Chuck and Jessie Cale for their generosity," said USC Athletic Director Pat Haden, who will be the first holder of the Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics' Chair. "This landmark gift will not only positively impact all USC athletic directors in the years to come, but it will enable us to re-allocate resources and funds to much-needed areas such as student-athlete scholarships and recruiting.

"As we embark on a new era in USC Athletics, Chuck and Jessie's gift also is a significant step toward our goal of endowing every athletic scholarship, as well as every coaching and administrative position in the athletic department."

Said Cale: "My wife, Jessie, and I are thrilled to make this gift to endow the athletic director position at USC. We believe that there could be no better first chairholder than Pat Haden, who embodies all that is outstanding in the concept of a student-athlete and of USC.

"USC Athletics has provided thousands of opportunities for young student-athletes to excel in the classroom and on their field of competition. With financial pressure on athletic departments nationally, it is imperative to endow athletic scholarships and programs so as to provide an on-going commitment to the future of USC Athletics."

Chuck Cale, an attorney who received a Masters of Law degree from the USC School of Law following a degree from the Stanford Law School, has held many prominent positions in the sports world. He was the Group Vice President/Sports for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, the Assistant Chef de Mission for the United States Olympic team at the 1988 Seoul Games, the Director of the Delegation for the U.S. Olympic team at the 1992 Barcelona Games, the Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of World Cup USA 1994 and a Special Assistant and member of the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic Committee. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of NIKE, Inc. He received the Gold Medal of Youth and Sports from the Republic of France in 1984.

Jessie Cale received her bachelor's degree from USC's School of Journalism.

Silver Star

By Jordan Moore on May 12, 2011 4:51 PM | No Comments

USC athletics signed a new licensing agreement with Silver Star Merchandising based out of North Texas and run by the Dallas Cowboys' braintrust.

Here are the details of the deal...

The USC athletic department has signed a 10-year license agreement with Silver Star Merchandising (SSM), a North Texas-based apparel manufacturer and distributor, Trojan athletic director Pat Haden announced today (May 12).

Financial terms of the agreement, which goes into effect with the upcoming 2011-12 season, were not disclosed.

With the agreement, SSM will have the exclusive license to manufacture and distribute USC branded apparel and headwear in the mass, mid-tier, sporting goods, specialty and online retail channels. SSM's USC apparel and headwear lines will be available at major retail outlets throughout the Southern California region and through USCTrojans.com, as well as on a national basis.

The agreement is in addition to USC's existing contract with Nike, which is the official outfitter of the 21 varsity Trojan sports.

USC will continue to operate its licensing program in-house, with most of its licensed apparel now being produced by SSM and Nike.

"It is a perfect marriage," said Haden. "When we were presented with the opportunity to partner with Silver Star Merchandising, it became clear to us that their expertise in the apparel business with a top brand like the Dallas Cowboys meant that they would represent and shepherd our USC brand in the same manner throughout Southern California and the United States.

"SSM has demonstrated that they feel as strongly about their brand as we do ours, so they will be a great brand ambassador for us. Further, with this agreement, the breadth and availability of USC apparel offerings will be much greater than it has been in the past."

"We are excited about the opportunity to partner with a historic program like that at USC," said Jerry Jones Jr. (pictured above), President of Silver Star Merchandising. "We take very seriously the responsibility of managing a brand like the Trojans, and understand completely the hard work and dedication made by the coaches and student-athletes at USC to create that legacy. Knowing that, we will apply all our marketing and distribution resources into growing the brand and product lines for the benefit of everyone who follows USC."

Renaissance Scholar: Zara Lukens

By Jordan Moore on May 12, 2011 9:05 AM | No Comments

Written by Dave Dulberg, USC blog contributor

As commencement approaches for track and field athlete Zara Lukens, one thing is clear about her time at USC: she was a scholar first and an athlete second.

Lukens, who was one of two Trojan athletes to be awarded $10,000 for the Renaissance Scholar award last month for her pursuit of two majors in vastly different fields of study, hopes that if she is remembered for anything at USC it's for the dedication and passion she put in to any task- whether it be on the playing field or in the classroom.

"I definitely was never the fastest girl in track, but I really gave it my all and dedicated myself to it," Lukens said. "That's the same approach I took in the classroom. I was really passionate about both things, so I really wanted to commit myself to them."

While balancing the course load that comes with being an International Relations and Neuroscience major, Lukens moved up the ranks on the cross country team- going from a freshman walk-on to team captain her senior season.

"I think it's important for athletes to have the conception that you can succeed at playing a sport and having a meaningful academic career," said Lukens. "Every athlete at USC is an extremely hard worker. People may see the talent, but not necessarily the dedication."

Along with her role as the cross country team captain, Lukens competed in the 10000m event for the track and field team. In one of her final races as a Trojan on April 14th, the senior ran a personal best time of 37:11:02 at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, CA. Her time ranks sixth all-time amongst USC females in the event.

"If you really want to play a sport, play a sport," said Lukens on her advice for incoming freshmen. "If you're doing what you love, you will do it well."

Graduating with a GPA slightly above a 3.9, Lukens says her greatest achievement in the classroom came during this past semester when her 70-page senior thesis on water policy in Uruguay and Argentina got published in both a book and a journal.

While the sky really is the limit for Lukens, the senior hopes to go to law school in the near future and ultimately practice human rights law.

Student-Athlete Graduation

By Jordan Moore on May 11, 2011 4:32 PM | No Comments

USC athletics will host the second annual student-athlete graduation ceremony Thursday at Galen Center and a webcast will air LIVE right here on the blog at 2 p.m. pacific time.

Of the approximately 150 graduating student-athletes expected to participate in the ceremony, women's golfer Lizette Salas (photo), men's water polo star J.W. Krumpholz and former football All-American Tim McDonald will deliver commencement speeches.

Salas has an amazing story to tell about learning the game from her father who was a machinist on a golf course and then growing into a 4-time All-American. Krumpholz exhausted his water polo eligibility but decided to finish his degree in lieu of signing a professional contract.

As we detailed earlier this spring, Tim McDonald returned to USC after a successful NFL career to get his degree alongside his son T.J..

Plus, former student-athletes Gordon Marshall, the namesake of the Marshall School of Business, and Louis Zamperini (photo), whose tales of World War II heroism are detailed in the best-selling book Unbroken, will receive the inaugural "Legend of Troy" awards.

A Pioneer

By Jordan Moore on May 11, 2011 1:59 PM | 3 Comments

The USC women's tennis team will head up north this weekend to begin their 20th consecutive NCAA tournament.

Thanks to Title IX, women competing for national titles has become commonplace but it was not always the case. In 1975, USC had zero female student-athletes on full athletic scholarships.

Barbara Hallquist received the first full ride in 1976.

The women's tennis star blazed the trail at Troy on and off the court. She won four team national championships and two NCAA singles titles all while graduating with honors.

After USC, Hallquist enjoyed a successful pro career, including a U.S. Open quarterfinal appearance, before landing in the ITA Women's Tennis Hall of Fame last fall.

Now Barbara Hallquist-DeGroot, she was honored at Marks Stadium earlier this season before watching the exemplary female student-athletes thrive on the current women's tennis team.

She also spent some time with SC TV to talk about the changes in women's athletics over the last 36 years and her love for this university.

Mr. Efficiency

By Jordan Moore on May 11, 2011 12:03 PM | No Comments

In the second to last game of his USC career, Taj Gibson made 10-out-of-10 shots to lead the Trojans past Boston College in the first round of the 2009 NCAA tournament. Despite shooting over 60% from the field as a junior, he was not a highly touted prospect because he was already 24 years old by draft night.

The Chicago Bulls selected the young veteran anyway with the 26th pick in the first round and they have reaped immediate dividends from Gibson's experience and efficiency.

He was a starter for most of his rookie season, but high-priced free agent Carlos Boozer displaced him from that role this year. But now, the former Trojan is pushing the All-Star out of crunch time minutes in the Bulls tight series with the Hawks.

In the last three games, Gibson has made 13 of 17 shots to boost Chicago to a 3-2 series lead. And in the last two wins, he's closed the game on the floor with Boozer mostly watching from the sidelines.

As any Trojan hoops fan knows, Gibson's energy and defensive presence are tough to resist when the game is on the line.

Track-10's

By Jordan Moore on May 11, 2011 11:03 AM | No Comments

The USC track and field squads are off to Tuscon, AZ, this weekend for the Pac-10 Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where they'll push themselves for personal best times and distances.

Joey Hughes leads the men's squad into competition as the returning conference champion in the 400 meters and 4x400 relay. The Trojan speedster finished second in the 200 meters and 4x100 at the 2010 Pac-10 meet.

Former USC football player Trey Henderson (photo) is the defending champ at hammer. The Vancouver native's defensive end career was derailed by a knee injury, but he has developed into an All-American thrower.

The Women of Troy's strength is in numbers as shown by their demolition of UCLA at the dual meet. They won the Pac-10 team title in 1996 and have not placed out of the top four since.

While the competition will take place this weekend, you can watch a tape-delayed broadcast on Fox Sports May 20-21.

Dancing with DeMar

By Jordan Moore on May 10, 2011 4:38 PM | 1 Comment

Former USC basketball star DeMar DeRozan was back at Galen Center this week to hoop it up in the offseason.

The Compton native is loving life in Toronto after a breakout second season with the Raptors.

He spent some time with us to talk about his game, getting robbed in the dunk contest and his former USC teammate Romeo Miller on "Dancing with the Stars."

ESPN/ABC Game Times

By Jordan Moore on May 10, 2011 3:32 PM | 4 Comments

The Pac-12 released the game times and TV schedule for 20 ESPN/ABC games that will be televised next season.

Click here for the full ESPN/ABC schedule!

Here are the USC kickoff times and TV network for the released schedule:

9/3 - Minnesota at USC on ABC at 12:30 pt

9/24 - USC at Arizona State on ESPN/ESPN2 at 7:15 pt

10/13 - USC at Cal on ESPN at 6 pt

10/29 - Stanford at USC on ABC at 5 pt

11/4 - USC at Colorado on ESPN2 at 6 pt

11/19 - USC at Oregon on ABC at 5 pt

Celebrity Guest Stars

By Jordan Moore on May 10, 2011 2:17 PM | No Comments

The annual Coaches Tour begins next week and the Trojan fans showing up in San Diego and Orange County will be greeted by some special guests to go along with Lane Kiffin and Kevin O'Neill.

On Monday, May 16, the show hits Irvine where the head coaches will be joined by athletic director Pat Haden, QB Matt Barkley, LB Chris Galippo and small forward Evan Smith.

On Wednesday, May 18, Kiffin and O'Neill will be aided by Haden, Galippo and power forward DeWayne Dedmon.

Click here for tickets!!

Here is the complete brochure with all the information:
2011 Coaches Tour Invite(1).pdf

Join us!

Sparky's Corner

By Jordan Moore on May 10, 2011 11:58 AM | No Comments

USC baseball will honor Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson before Friday's game against Arizona State by dedicating the right field corner in his name.

Anderson grew up in a house located near the current right field foul pole at Dedeaux Field when Bovard Field was the home for Trojan hardball. His connection to the program started when he returned a foul ball to Rod Dedeaux who asked the teenager if he wanted to be a bat boy.

The rest, as they say, is history. Anderson went on to skipper the Reds (1975 and 1976) and Tigers (1984) to World Series titles. He passed away at the end of last year.

Sparky is the hard-nosed kid in the white tee-shirt sitting front row. (1948 photo)

Morning Papers (5/10/11)

By Jordan Moore on May 10, 2011 10:34 AM | No Comments

A courageous story leads the day...

Nine-year-old Trojan fan Jackson Reece (pictured) is in a fight for his life against cancer. Read his story! He's living the "Fight on!" mantra every day.
DB Tony Burnett has battled from walk-on to projected starter.
ESPN Radio's latest scholar athlete is women's soccer player Brittany Kerridge.
KSPN 050611 60 USC SCHOLAR ATHLETE.mp3
Scott Wolf noted that former USC basketball big man Mamadou Diarra is a potential NBA Draft prospect after a successful stint at Chaminade.
Michael Lev is convinced that Ed Orgeron's defensive line will live up to the hype this fall.
Pedro Moura checks up on former USC hoops star Taj Gibson who is playing valuable minutes for the Chicago Bulls in the NBA playoffs.
WR Brandon Carswell may be the most unheralded member of USC's pass catching corps, but he is ready to make some plays says Whitney Blaine.
Stephanie Graves profiled "Renaissance Woman" Cara Bickers ahead of graduation.
Here's an interesting look at the past and present of "Tailback U" courtesy of WeAreSC.com.
Incoming defensive tackle J.R. Tavai is USC's most intriguing 2011 prospect according to USCFootball.com.
Most publications have not put USC in their preseason top 25 rankings, but Athlon Sports has the Trojans at #20.

Butler's Back

By Jordan Moore on May 9, 2011 3:40 PM | 9 Comments

Here's some good depth news from the USC football office...

Wide receiver Brice Butler, who announced after the 2010 season that he planned to transfer, has had a change of heart and will remain a member of the USC football team.

"We are pleased with Brice's decision to continue his development as a student-athlete at USC," said Trojan head coach Lane Kiffin.

Butler, who will be a junior this fall, has 29 career receptions with 3 touchdowns. The native of Norcross, Ga., caught 9 passes with a TD in 2010 after grabbing 20 passes with 2 scores in his 2009 redshirt freshman year.

He did not participate in 2011 spring practice, but remained in school at USC.

He will rejoin a Trojan receiving corps that includes the likes of Robert Woods, Brandon Carswell, Kyle Prater, De'Von Flournoy, Markeith Ambles and a number of talented incoming players.

(Photo by Jon SooHoo)

The X Factor

By Jordan Moore on May 9, 2011 3:21 PM | No Comments

The USC basketball and volleyball coaches won't be the toughest critics in the building this week as Galen Center welcomes Simon Cowell and his new singing contest The X Factor.

The X Factor has rented out USC's shiny arena for the audition phase in Los Angeles. The four-judge panel will consist of Cowell, Paula Abdul, producer L.A. Reid and British pop star Cheryl Cole.

Cowell and Abdul outside Galen.

World Cupper

By Jordan Moore on May 9, 2011 2:39 PM | No Comments

Former USC soccer star Amy Rodriguez was named to the 21-person team to represent the United States in the 2011 World Cup in Germany this summer.

The Americans are ranked as the #1 team in the world, but they are third favorites to win the Cup behind Germany and Brazil.

Rodriguez scored the lone goal in a two-leg playoff against Italy to qualify the U.S. for this tournament. She also led the Trojans to the 2007 national championship, the first in USC women's soccer history.

Comings and Goings

By Jordan Moore on May 9, 2011 12:31 PM | No Comments

As the Pac-10 transitions to the Pac-12 on the hardwood, the conference will see a major reshuffling with eight of the top 10 players entering the NBA Draft as of Sunday's deadline.

Plus, Colorado and Utah join the fray next season. The Buffaloes are coming off an uncharacteristically strong hoops year, but they lose likely lottery pick sophomore Alec Burks.

Here is the first team All-Conference list from the past season:

Matthew Bryan-Amaning, UW - Graduated

Jeremy Green, Stan - Entered draft after junior season (Projected 2nd round)

Jorge Gutierrez, Cal - Returning for senior season

Tyler Honeycutt, UCLA - Entered draft after sophomore season (Projected 1st round)

Malcolm Lee, UCLA - Entered draft after junior season (Projected 2nd round)

Reeves Nelson, UCLA - Returning for junior season

Isaiah Thomas, UW - Entered draft after junior season (Projected 2nd round)

Klay Thompson, WSU - Entered draft after junior season (Projected 1st round)

Nikola Vucevic, USC - Entered draft after junior season (Projected late 1st, early 2nd round)

Derrick Williams, UA - Entered draft after sophomore season (Projected lottery pick)

(Photo by Pierson Clair)

Rich Get Richer

By Jordan Moore on May 9, 2011 10:24 AM | 3 Comments

The USC golf programs have been on a tear lately with both the men's and women's teams sweeping Pac-10's.

Led by Lizette Salas, the women's squad took down their second straight regional this past weekend and now will head to nationals. The men will find out their regional fate today.

Going forward, both programs feature young stars in Pac-10 individual champions' freshman Sophia Popov and sophomore Martin Trainer.

Head coaches Andrea Gaston and Chris Zambri are doing their best to insure that this reign of Trojan dominance continues as they signed the number one recruits in the nation Kristen Park and Anthony Paolucci.

Here is a look at Park and Paolucci from a recent Southland Golf Magazine photo shoot...

The State of Troy: Graduation

By Jordan Moore on May 8, 2011 1:50 PM | No Comments

Each month, we interview USC athletic director Pat Haden to keep you updated on all the happenings around Heritage Hall.

Q.) What are your thoughts on the new Pac-12 media rights deal?

It was a signal to the collegiate world that our conference was meritorious of this kind of contract. This is recognition of the kind of world class student-athletes that we have in the Pac-12. And second, there is going to be access for fans, friends and family across the country to watch every sport. Larry Scott did a remarkable job of putting this together with two very capable partners in ESPN and Fox.

Q.) How will the increased revenue aid your fundraising efforts?

We are still going to lose money in 19 of our 21 sports. Does that mean we should not do them? Of course not. We want to give every student-athlete the opportunity to get a USC education and compete at the highest level. That is what USC is about! This money will help, but it does not solve everything. We are always going to need people that are passionate about this university and are willing to make donations, small or large, to the athletic department. Over the next 10 years, my focus is on endowing all of our scholarships and we cannot do that without the generous support of the Trojan Family.

Q.) What are your thoughts on weeknight football games?

I would love to be able to play every game at 12:30 on Saturdays. It is not the athletic director's call. Ultimately, the television networks need to drive eyeballs to these games and their research will tell you that you have to play sometimes on Friday nights or Saturday nights. I have made it known to all the broadcast networks that anything we can do to not play at 7:30 is important to our fan base.

Q.) How is women's sand volleyball progressing?

Everybody seems to be taking a go slow approach to sand volleyball. There is really not going to be a championship game until 2014. We are going to ease into it with scholarships. We are developing plans to build courts, but there is not quite as much urgency as we originally thought.

Q.) Are you excited for next week's student-athlete graduation?

The student-athlete graduation ceremony is a wonderful touch. We need to see our student-athletes through that prism as well. This year, we have two scholar-athletes in Zara Lukens and Cara Bickers who are two of the top 10 Renaissance Scholars. Of all the students, they are in the top ten! That is truly remarkable. And the other exciting thing is the great athletes who came back to finish their degrees like Keith Rivers and Tim McDonald who will be speaking at the student-athlete graduation. Our women's golfer Lizette Salas will also tell her remarkable story and she is one of the 25% of our student-athletes who are first generation college students.

Q.) What is the new Legend of Troy award?

We are honoring former student-athletes who have really had an impact on the USC athletic community. Our first two recipients are Lou Zamperini (photo) and Gordon Marshall. They are both incredible World War II veterans who have an amazing story to tell about overcoming adversity.

Measuring Experience

By Jordan Moore on May 6, 2011 2:58 PM | No Comments

As the USC quarterback, Matt Barkley is the centerpiece of most Trojan football discussions. He is covered in adulation at every success and thrown into the critics' cauldron for every misstep.

"I don't think there are any higher expectations than being the quarterback at USC," said QB coach Clay Helton.

Barkley's bar was set at Olympic heights. He was handed the torch as a true freshman and expected to step directly in line behind Mark Sanchez, John David Booty, Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer.

That foursome combined to win six BCS bowl games and two Heismans. Barkley's resume reads 17-7 as a starter with an Emerald Bowl victory.

While the comparisons are impossible to avoid, they are not on equal footing.

Barkley is preparing to enter his third season in the program. At this same stage, Sanchez, Booty and Leinart combined for zero career starts.

Palmer is the more accurate comparison. While he grew into a Heisman winner by his fifth season, Barkley's stats outshone the former #1 overall draft pick in his first two years.

Palmer completed 59% of his passes for 10 TDs to 9 INTs as a true freshman and sophomore and he broke his collarbone. Barkley is a 61% passer with 41 TDs to 26 INTs at this point.

So, how do you measure experience? Should Barkley be held to the standard of a USC quarterback with just two years in the system or a Trojan leader with 24 starts under his belt?

"It's a little bit of both," said Helton. "When you are two years in a system going into a third, obviously that helps whether you have had mental reps or actual game experience.

"By actually playing in the game, you get a feel for the speed, so you can make those anticipation throws. To come in as a true freshman quarterback and be thrown into the fire is a tremendous challenge and he will be better off in the latter part of his career because of it."

Of course, football is a team game. In his final season, Palmer came of age under Norm Chow as a decision-maker, but it helped that Mike Williams joined the party alongside Keary Colbert, Kareem Kelly and a stable of running backs.

Lane Kiffin identified USC's current offensive line as the biggest question mark on the team. Barkley's success may be dependent upon solidifying that unit.

If he does have time to throw, a veteran Barkley could finally leap over that expectations' bar and lead the Trojans back to glory.

Sudden End

By Jordan Moore on May 6, 2011 10:29 AM | 2 Comments

At times this season, #1 USC men's volleyball looked like an unstoppable force driving towards an inevitable national title.

Bill Ferguson's squad dropped just two matches in the entire regular season, but they avenged both losses by sweeping the opponent in the rematch. While they were narrowly defeated in the MPSF final by UCSB, the general consensus was that the Trojans would make the Gauchos pay in the Final Four.

In sports sometimes, the team of the moment can steak past a more accomplished foe. Last night, UCSB was too hot for USC and rewrote the Trojans' destiny.

Click here to watch the stunned and saddened post-game reaction by USC's players and coach.

Coach Ferguson addresses a shaken locker room.

(Photo by Rich Rodriguez)

All in the Family

By Jordan Moore on May 5, 2011 4:42 PM | 2 Comments

As the NFL Draft experts start combing over the 2012 prospects, USC LT Matt Kalil is surging to the top of boards, including a top five projection from ESPN.com.

At 6'7" and 295 pounds, he has the frame that makes scouts salivate, but he also has the pedigree with his brother Ryan Kalil to show a family history of success.

Ryan was a two-time All-Pac-10 center before the Carolina Panthers selected him in the 2nd round in 2007. He's had a stellar start to his career including being named to the Pro Bowl this past season.

Big bro was back to watch ~~little~~ younger bro this spring and spent some time with me talking about leadership, his time at USC and brotherly wrestling matches.

Season Ticket Winners

By Jordan Moore on May 5, 2011 1:16 PM | 2 Comments

Last month, we ran a season ticket contest on our Facebook page to find the biggest Trojan fans and reward them with VIP football seats.

If you don't remember, the task was to name the featured Trojans in the montage below.

In all, we counted 58 featured Trojans. Of the nearly 200 entrants, two diehards spotted 56 of the 58. Since it was a tie, we awarded both USC fanatics VIP season tickets.

If you are curious, they both missed Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews, while one contestant forgot Rod Sherman and the other could not find Pat Cashman. In either case, we were blown away by how well you did.

Congratulations to the winners Tipa Alailima and Thomas Haire!! Don't forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter (@USC_Athletics) as we're constantly giving away tickets and prizes.

Volley Coverage

By Jordan Moore on May 5, 2011 11:28 AM | No Comments

As we said below, the #1 USC men's volleyball team is in Happy Valley preparing for tonight's Final Four duel with UCSB.

You can watch the game on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. pacific time. The Trojans and Gauchos will be followed by host Penn State versus Ohio State.

You can also listen to the match on USCTrojans.com for FREE.

If the Trojans advance, they will play in the national championship game on Saturday also at 4 p.m. pacific time on ESPN2.

(Photo by Jonathan Moore)

Troy Named National POY

By Jordan Moore on May 5, 2011 10:12 AM | No Comments

As the #1 men's volleyball team prepared for their Final Four battle with UCSB, they took time to collect some hardware from the AVCA last night.

Senior Murphy Troy was named national player of the year in addition to his first team All-American status. He is the fifth Trojan to win the nation's top honor (Bryan Ivie won it twice in 1990 and 1991).

Click here to read a feature about Troy in his hometown newspaper the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Joining Troy in accepting national honors, Riley McKibbin earned All-American first team and Tony Ciarelli was placed on the second team.

The star-studded Trojans are two wins away from a national championship as they take on UCSB tonight at 4 p.m. pacific time on ESPN2.

The New Deal

By Jordan Moore on May 4, 2011 2:41 PM | No Comments

As you may have heard, the Pac-12 signed a landmark media rights deal with ESPN and Fox Sports to push the conference past the competition in terms of exposure and innovation, plus they announced the future formation of Pac-12 broadcast and digital media networks.

Click the PDF to read the full release yourself! Pac-12 Media Rights Release.pdf

"We are very happy with our new TV deals and partners," said USC athletic director Pat Haden. "It is not just about increased rights fees, but the great opportunity for our men's and women's basketball teams to gain more exposure both nationally and regionally.

"Plus, it will be great for the incredible athletes in our Olympic sports. In the not too distant future, all our world class athletes, women and men, will be able to be watched and enjoyed on one or more of our media platforms. Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott did a remarkably good job of positioning our conference for the future."

Here's what you need to know in terms of football coverage...

The deal does not begin until the fall of 2012.
ABC and Fox networks will combine to broadcast 10 national football games per year.
Fox cable networks and the various ESPN channels will cover 34 football games per season combined.
The Pac-12 broadcast network will host the remaining games, which will average three per week.
The Pac-12 title game will switch off between Fox and ESPN starting in 2012 on a Friday night broadcast.

The deal is even greater news for conference basketball as Larry Scott fulfilled his promise to have every men's basketball game available to the fans.

"It's much more exposure than we've had before," said Trojan men's hoops coach Kevin O'Neill. "It gives us an opportunity to get our brand into the Midwest and East, which we have not had before, and show off our league nationally. The more coverage the better!"

Here are some basketball and Olympic sports particulars...

68 men's basketball games will be divided between the ESPN and Fox affiliates.
The balance of the games will be featured on the Pac-12's broadcast and digital networks.
The men's conference tournament will be shown on either ESPN/ESPN2 or Fox Sports/FX.
ESPN will deliver five women's basketball games plus the conference tournament final and 10 more Olympic sports events.
In addition, the Pac-12 network will air another 200 Olympic sports events from 30 different men's and women's sports.
The Pac-12 digital network will also be a home for extensive Olympic sports coverage.

Again, click on the press release at the top to read all the details.

Fancy Feet

By Jordan Moore on May 4, 2011 1:29 PM | No Comments

USC football's connection with dance drew the most attention during Matt Leinart's ballroom era, but the truth is that student-athletes have taken classes to improve their footwork and flexibility (and maybe self-expression) well before the Heisman winner.

Last week, football stars LT Matt Kalil, LB Chris Galippo and CB Tony "Red Dread" Burnett plus sprinter Jahmar Rashad passed their final in Advanced Modern Dance with this crowd-pleasing performance below.

Gauntlet Record

By Jordan Moore on May 4, 2011 11:33 AM | No Comments

USC and UCLA are done tussling for the school year, unless they meet up in the women's water polo NCAA tournament, and it was not much of a fight this go around.

In record-setting fashion, the Trojans dusted the Bruins in 2010-11 by a final Gauntlet score of 75-35.

On the final weekend, the crosstown foes split the dual meet with the Women of Troy posting their fourth consecutive victory in the rivalry.

The USC men's golf team won the Pac-10 championships which secured the Gauntlet points on the links, while the women's rowing team raced past UCLA 5-2.

(Photo by Dan Avila)

Kiffin Camps

By Jordan Moore on May 4, 2011 11:13 AM | 1 Comment

USC will host six football camps this June for high school and elementary school kids conducted by head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff.

Click here to register!

Here's the list of camps (all ages/grades as of the fall 2011 season):

The Mario Danelo Kicking Academy, established in the honor of the late Trojan placekicker, welcomes kickers, punters and snappers from 7th grade to high school seniors. Mario's father Joe Danelo, an ex-NFL kicker, will lead the camp on June 10.

The Offensive and Defensive Line Camp open to freshmen through seniors will take place June 11.

The USC Skill Positions Camp will be held on June 12 for freshmen through seniors that play quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, linebacker or defensive back.

The USC 7 on 7 Passing Camp is aimed at high school teams looking to improve their offensive and defensive passing game skills. High school coaches should call the football office at (213) 740-4204 or email Scott Thompson at sathomps@usc.edu to enroll their team for the June 18 camp.

The USC Rising Stars Camp is reserved for sophomores, juniors and seniors who plan on playing at the collegiate level. Overnight and day campers are eligible for the June 22 and 23 camp.

Finally, the USC "Trojans in Training" Camp is set for June 25 and welcomes campers from third through eighth grade.

Notes:

All camps will be held on campus at Brian Kennedy and Howard Jones Fields.

All campers will receive a free meal and tee-shirt.

Pac-12 Media Rights Deal

By Jordan Moore on May 3, 2011 4:32 PM | No Comments

As you may have heard reported by various media outlets, the Pac-12 has some exciting news to report tomorrow in regards to a new media rights deal.

Commissioner Larry Scott, Fox Sports executive Randy Freer and ESPN executive Burke Magnus will hold a press conference to officially announce the new deal Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. pacific time from the conference meetings in Phoenix.

Click here to watch a LIVE webcast of the press conference!

Thanks to our friends at FoxSportsWest.com for streaming the announcement.

#2 Going for Three

By Jordan Moore on May 3, 2011 4:12 PM | No Comments

The back-to-back national champion USC men's tennis team begins their bid for three-in-a-row this Friday and Saturday at Marks Stadium as they host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.

Led by the #1 player in the nation Steve Johnson, the #2 seeded Trojans welcome Sacramento St. as their first round opponents and then will play the BYU/San Diego winner if they advance.

Click here for the full bracket!

The Trojans lost back-to-back matches to Duke and Stanford at the ITA Indoors on February 18 and 19, but they have not lost since and enter the tournament as one of the favorites.

Click here for the full story!

Tennis Tourney

By Jordan Moore on May 3, 2011 3:30 PM | No Comments

The #18 USC women's tennis team was selected to the NCAA tournament for the 20th consecutive year today and will face off against St. Mary's in the opening round.

Click here for the complete bracket!

Led by Maria Sanchez, the Trojans will need to beat the Gaels in Berkeley Saturday and then win at Cal to make it to the Sweet 16. The Bears defeated USC earlier this season at Marks Stadium.

Click here for the complete story!

The Trojans have lost in the second round the last two years.

Sanchez and Kaitlyn Christian (Courtesy of the Pac-10)

Case of the Mundays

By Jordan Moore on May 3, 2011 3:05 PM | No Comments

USC women's lacrosse head coach Lindsey Munday will write a weekly blog for womenslax.com that will feature a new entry every...(you guessed it)...Monday!

Click here to read her first entry!

She breaks down the epic staff lacrosse game (see below) in her first post. I have not read every word yet, but just assume if she refers to someone as a lacrosse "phenom" or "prodigy," she is definitely talking about me.

LAX Lesson

By Jordan Moore on May 3, 2011 2:16 PM | 3 Comments

In conjunction with AD Pat Haden and associate AD Mark Jackson, our new women's lacrosse head coach Lindsey Munday led a staff scrimmage at the program's future home McAlister Field a couple weeks back.

Munday started the scrimmage with a demonstration on catching, cradling and a glance at the rule book. We promptly ignored all her lessons and turned it into a rugby scrum with lacrosse sticks.

For the most part, the video "highlights" are self-explanatory. I am the tall dude in blue shorts trying not to catch a stick in the face.

We promise when coach Munday gets a fully loaded program that the product will look absolutely nothing like this.

Enjoy...or not.

Dalai Lama Visit

By Jordan Moore on May 3, 2011 12:32 PM | No Comments

USC has earned the reputation as a cultural epicenter in the past year which included visits from President Barack Obama and the LA Times Festival of Books among many other great events.

Today, the 14th Dalai Lama spoke to a packed house at Galen Center while rocking a Trojan lid.

Here are a couple of photos from Pierson Clair...

"Dream Come True"

By Jordan Moore on May 3, 2011 11:55 AM | No Comments

Our old friend Ben Weiss was on hand at Shareece Wright's draft party to see the realization of a lifelong dream come true in the matter of a phone call.

It was awfully dark, so the video is washed out, but hang around long enough to see Wright's reaction when he finds out that he is a San Diego Charger.

TFAC Golf Classic

By Jordan Moore on May 3, 2011 11:38 AM | No Comments

The 43rd annual Trojan Football Alumni golf classic is coming up on Monday, June 6, at Brookside golf club in Pasadena.

Click here to register!

Athletic director and former QB Pat Haden, his go-to guy J.K. McKay and former QB Rodney Peete will headline the list of guest speakers.

Click the PDF to learn more!
Golf Brochure 06 06 2011.pdf

Peete will tee it up!

Morning Papers (5/3/11)

By Jordan Moore on May 3, 2011 10:33 AM | No Comments

With graduation week coming up, we have some great scholar-athlete stories.

Do you want to see what it's like to watch the USC assistant coaches at work? Fox Sports West has extended footage from their spring show that goes inside the meeting rooms.
"Swim with Mike" has expanded to our friends at Berkeley.
Click the link to learn more about ESPN Radio's latest scholar athlete water polo phenom Joel Dennerley.
KSPN 042911 60 USC SCHOLAR ATHLETE.mp3
As we look towards graduation, USC women's swimmer Dina Hegazy will give the undergraduate commencement speech for the Roski School of Fine Arts. Graduation is Friday, May 13.
Three Trojan scholar-athletes were recognized in this graduation piece done by USC.edu.
USC men's tennis star Daniel Nguyen is another standout in the classroom. He recently received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award.
Director of Trojan Lifetime Champions Shawn Sorenson is conducting a survey open to all USC undergraduate alumni about health and wellness. The first 150 respondents receive a prize. You can e-mail him to sign up.
ESPN rated Troy Polamalu as the #1 safety in the NFL.
Gary Klein details draft day for a confident Tyron Smith.
Bryshon Nellum's remarkable comeback story on the track took another heartwarming turn Sunday as he won the 400 meters on his birthday reports Michael Lev.
Scott Wolf features the rise of Jordan Cameron as an NFL prospect and now Cleveland Brown.
Finally on a totally unrelated note, blog photographer Pierson Clair was in Washington D.C. on Sunday night when the celebration broke out in the wake of Osama Bin Laden's death. Here's a photo documenting the emotion of the night in front of the White House...

Defending the Crown

By Jordan Moore on May 2, 2011 4:56 PM | No Comments

The USC women's water polo team will enter the NCAA tournament as the #4 seed in their bid for three straight national championships.

The Trojans were selected for the eighth straight season to the national playoffs, which has been won exclusively by USC and UCLA over that same time period.

The 2011 tournament will be held from May 13-15 in Ann Arbor, MI. Click here for the complete bracket!

The Trojans will take on UC-Irvine in the first round. They hammered the Anteaters 14-4 earlier this season at McDonald's Swim Stadium.

Final Four Bound

By Jordan Moore on May 2, 2011 3:44 PM | No Comments

#1 USC men's volleyball suffered a tough loss to Santa Barbara in the MPSF championship game Saturday night at Galen, but they pulled their at-large parachute and took the top spot in the NCAA Final Four.

The Trojans will recognize their national semifinal opponents Thursday evening (4 p.m. pacific) as they are set for a rematch with UCSB. USC beat the Gauchos in the two previous meetings this year before last Saturday.

In the other Final Four game, host Penn State will take on Ohio State for the right to play in Saturday's national championship (4 p.m. pacific). All three matches will be LIVE on ESPN2.

(Photo by Jonathan Moore)

Power of the 'Stache

By Jordan Moore on May 2, 2011 3:27 PM | No Comments

USC junior Steve Johnson was an unstoppable force this past weekend in Ojai as he rode his now 25-match winning streak to an individual Pac-10 title and then powered past the competition alongside freshman teammate Ray Sarmiento to take the doubles' crown.

Johnson is the third Trojan in the last four years to sweep Pac-10's joining Robert Farah (2010) and Kaes Van't Hof (2008) as the latest names penned in the history books.

Click here for the full story!

Johnson made it look easy in Ojai as he took the singles title without dropping a set. In the final, he avenged his 2009 Pac-10 championship loss to Stanford's Bradley Klahn by beating his Cardinal rival 7-6 (5), 6-3.

(Courtesy of Pac-10)

Friday Night Lights

By Jordan Moore on May 2, 2011 1:51 PM | 3 Comments

USC at Colorado football has been moved from Saturday, November 5, to Friday, November 4, and the game will be televised from Boulder on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. pacific.

This will be the first Pac-12 match-up between the Trojans and Buffaloes.

USC will play two weeknight games in 2011. Along with the Colorado game, the Trojans will visit Cal on Thursday, October 13, at their temporary home AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Ralphie will be there

Dual Meet Split

By Jordan Moore on May 2, 2011 11:10 AM | No Comments

The USC women's track and field team dominated the Bruins 95-68 to take the dual meet crown for the fourth consecutive year, while the men's squad dropped a tight match-up to UCLA Sunday at Loker Stadium.

Click here to watch a replay of the entire meet!

(Click the highlighted names for video interviews below!)

Nia Ali, Alitta Boyd, Christine Cortez, Jessica Davis, Marissa Minderler, Jenny Orozai and Aareon Payne all had a double hand in the day's victory, while Viktor Fajoyomi, Bryshon Nellum, Oscar Spurlock, Blake Shaw and Reggie Wyatt carried the men's team in a losing effort.

Click here for the full story!

Here's a look at some of the action and some more post-meet sound...

Trainer, Trojans Sweep Pac-10 Men's Golf

By Jordan Moore on May 2, 2011 10:20 AM | No Comments

USC men's golf followed the women's lead by sweeping both the team and individual titles at the weekend's Pac-10 Championships at Stanford behind a clutch performance from sophomore Martin Trainer.

While it took extra holes in both competitions, the men's team took home the 19th conference crown in program history in a one hole playoff over Oregon. Trainer needed seven additional holes to outlast Oregon State's Alex Moore to become the 21st Trojan to win the individual title.

Click here for the complete story!

"We are over the moon right now," USC head coach Chris Zambri said after winning his second conference title. "Everyone is pretty stoked. It's just nice to have guys playing well and have a season that wasn't going great and to have everyone step up their game and all of the sudden become a really good team."

Champion Trainer hits into the San Francisco skyline.

(Photo by Pac-10)

Picture of the Day

By Jordan Moore on May 1, 2011 11:01 PM | 2 Comments

Photo by New York Times

Trojans Set NFL Draft Record

By Jordan Moore on May 1, 2011 5:16 PM | 4 Comments

With nine players selected in the 2011 NFL Draft, USC surpassed Notre Dame as the school with the most all-time drafted players (472 and counting!).

While OT Tyron Smith set the pace becoming the 75th first rounder in USC history (also an all-time collegiate mark), his teammates followed behind with DT Jurrell Casey (Titans) and CB Shareece Wright (Chargers) going in the third round.

"It was dream to play for San Diego," said a beaming Wright. "I couldn't ask for a better place to start my NFL career."

The final day of the New York event heard six more Trojans called. TE Jordan Cameron (Browns) went in the 4th round. Ronald Johnson (49ers) and Allen Bradford (Bucs) were called in the 6th round.

Finally, Stanley Havili (Eagles), David Ausberry (Raiders) and Malcolm Smith (Seahawks) were selected in consecutive order in the 7th round.

May 2011 Archives