His Day Ends With a Twist

While coming down from a layup attempt at the end of practice Tuesday, Desmon Farmer twisted his left ankle on Errick Craven’s foot and the already-gimpy Farmer had to have an X-ray taken.

The results were negative for Farmer, USC’s leading scorer with a 20.4 average, and he was prescribed anti-inflammatory medication. Still, he was unsure of how it would affect him in Thursday’s game at No. 16 Arizona. Farmer had a career-high 40 points in the Trojans’ 99-90 victory over the Wildcats on Jan. 17.

“When it happened I just ran off the court and down the stairs,” said Farmer, who also is nursing a sore left [shooting] hand and left heel. “My reaction was crazy.

“I just wonder how, when I cut or slash to the basket, it’s going to react. I wear an ankle brace and tape it so I think that’s what saved my ankle. I just hope to get through [the season] with no major injuries.”

Earlier, Coach Henry Bibby began a campaign, of sorts, for his senior guard.

“If we could win some more games, I think Desmon Farmer can be Pac-10 player of the year,” Bibby said. “I don’t think there’s anyone that’s playing any better than Desmon Farmer [is in] carrying their team right now.”

Bibby said California’s Leon Powe, Oregon’s Luke Jackson and Arizona’s Channing Frye and Salim Stoudamire, among others, are candidates and that unbeaten and No. 2-ranked Stanford was such a “machine” that no one on the Cardinal truly stood out. But Bibby stayed with his guy.

“There’s nobody more important to his basketball team than Desmon Farmer and what he’s done for us,” Bibby said.

Farmer has been accused of being out of control with his shot selection in the past but junior point guard Derrick Craven said Farmer is far from being selfish.

“We have a lot of scorers on the team but the fact that Desmon’s been playing so well, he’s been there for us,” Craven said. “Give him the ball, he’s going to make it. When he’s hot, he’s hot.”

What about when he’s not hot and still shooting?

“It’s like, ‘No, no, no, good shot [when he makes it],’ ” Craven said. “And then it’s like, ‘No, no, no,’ and he misses, ‘Darn, Des.’ ”

*

On the eve of their Arizona trip, it would seem easy to write off the Trojans, especially after they lost at home to the Washington schools.

Not so fast, according to Derrick Craven.

“I’m confident we can get on a run,” he said. “I think we can beat anybody on any given day.”

USC has also proven it can lose to anybody on any given day.

“Yeah, it’s kind of hard,” he said. “I don’t know why we’re flat for Washington and Washington State and get up for Arizona and Stanford. It’s all a mental thing.”