Difficult Loss Has an Upside

The loss to Stanford Thursday was one of the toughest defeats USC has absorbed this season. But Coach Henry Bibby said there was plenty for the 21st-ranked Trojans to feel good about.

Starting with how bad it felt to lose a close game to the top-ranked team in the country.

“[Thursday] was the first time I saw guys with tears in their eyes,” Bibby said. “The guys played their hearts out. I felt it was a win for them. I patted them on the back for a change.

“It was the first loss I felt good about because we did a lot of good things on the floor. We competed, and that’s all I ask. We felt Stanford was beatable. We knew how we wanted to play, and the kids played nearly a flawless game for me.”

Now it remains to be seen if USC can have the same energy against California. The Bears have owned the Trojans lately, winning the last six meetings.

“I think we’ll be ready,” Bibby said. “The kids know what’s at stake.”

*

Brandon Granville was praised for his defense of Stanford sophomore star Casey Jacobsen. Even though Jacobsen wound up with 22 points, he had only four at halftime and didn’t explode on USC despite an eight-inch height advantage over the Trojan guard.

“Granville meets the challenge when there is a challenge for him,” Bibby said. “He’s one of the best we have at that.”

Bibby had originally planned for Jeff Trepagnier to guard Jacobsen, but changed his mind Thursday.

“Usually things like that I’ll decide within four to five hours of the game,” Bibby said. “I vacillate over it for a time, talk it over with people and out of the blue it comes to me--’This is the way we’re going to play.’ ”

Granville appreciated Bibby’s faith in him to play Jacobsen tough. “If Coach feels I can guard the better players,” Granville said, “that’s a tribute to me and my defense.”

*

The decision whether Nate Hair rejoins the Trojans for the UCLA game Thursday at the Sports Arena belongs to him.

Bibby said again Friday that Hair left the team for personal reasons.

“[Coming back] is totally up to Nate,” Bibby said. “He’s welcomed back whenever he wants to come back. He’s a good kid, he had to do some soul searching.”

Hair played in eight games this season, averaging 3.1 points. He last played against Oregon State, scoring six points and grabbing two rebounds in 11 minutes.

When asked if Hair planned to meet with him Monday or Tuesday, Bibby said, “He’ll get in touch with me when he’s ready.”

Granville said few players spoke with Hair before they left Los Angeles for the Bay Area trip. “They told us right before we were leaving that he wanted to take some time off,” Granville said. “And we haven’t talked that much about it up here. Trying to win these games is the main focus.”

TONIGHT

at Cal, 5

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Haas Pavilion, Berkeley.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--No. 21 USC 15-5, 5-3; Cal 15-5, 6-2.

* Update--If USC thought Stanford was tough at home, Cal is even tougher. The Bears are 11-0 this season at Haas Pavilion, and their 92-63 demolition of the Bruins Thursday moved them into a three-way tie for second in the Pacific 10 Conference with Arizona and UCLA. Bibby hopes the Bears won’t shoot 59% (13 of 22) from the three-point line again. “We had a game like that last year against Oregon State,” Bibby said, “and we haven’t shot like that since.”