the road to RIVALRY

Wednesday, February 19, 1997

Bruin Positions

Point Guard

Cameron Dollaradvantage

Although he got off to a slow start this season, Cameron Dollar
has improved lately. He is third in the conference with 2.5 steals
and 10th in the conference in assists. He’s also been shooting more
­ an added bonus.

Shooting Guard

Toby Bailey

disadvantage

Toby Bailey has been off-and-on for the Bruins. When hot, he is
one of the most dangerous weapons in the Pac-10, as he showed with
his 9-of-11 torching of Arizona St. Sunday.

Forward

Charles O’Bannondraw

Charles O’Bannon has taken over the senior leadership and is now
playing his best ball of the season. As the leading scorer on the
team, he has averaged over 19 points per game over the past four
weeks.

Power Forward

J.R. Hendersonadvantage

J.R. Henderson can be unstoppable in the paint ­ when he
puts his mind to it. When the junior is focused, UCLA is tough to
beat. UCLA is 10-0 when Henderson has scored 14 points or more.

Center

Jelani McCoyadvantage

Jelani McCoy is not only one of the most athletic big men in the
conference, but in the nation. His 2.1 blocked shots per game is
second in the Pac-10 and his 78.9 percent field goal percentage
leads the nation.

Bench

disadvantage

Despite possessing one of the best sixth-men in the nation with
Kris Johnson, the Bruin bench is tremendously shallow. Brandon Loyd
and Bob Myers have made contributions, but nobody else has given
the Bruins solid performances.

Coaching

Steve Lavin

draw

This will be Lavin’s first home game as UCLA’s permanent head
coach. Although the team’s record could be considered
disappointing, Lavin has kept his poise and held the team together
under extremely tough circumstances.

Trojan Positions

Point Guard

Elias Ayuso

disadvantage

Elias Ayuso may be listed as the point guard for the Trojans,
but he does not run the show. Ayuso’s primary contribution is his
ability to shoot three-pointers. The sophomore is currently
averaging 11.2 points in conference play.

Shooting Guard

Stais Bosemanadvantage

Stais Boseman is an outstanding player on both sides of the
court. Boseman scored 23 points in USC’s win against Stanford,
while recording four steals in the process. He scored 21 points
against UCLA four weeks ago.

Forward

Rodrick Rhodesdraw

Since transferring from Kentucky two years ago, Rodrick Rhodes
has resurrected his basketball career at USC. The senior handles
the ball for the Trojans as a point guard, and leads the team in
scoring with 14.1 per game.

Power Forward

Jaha Wilson

disadvantage

Despite his 6-foot-5-inch frame, Jaha Wilson garnered the Pac-10
rebounding title two years ago with an average of 10.1 per game.
This year, with diminished playing time, Wilson is averaging 6.2
rebounds per game.

Center

David Crouse

disadvantage

After three years of development, David Crouse has emerged as a
solid contributor for USC. However, against quick, athletic centers
like McCoy, Crouse has had problems.

Benchadvantage

The Trojans have an older, more experienced bench, despite the
fact that most of those players are newcomers. Junior college
transfers, including Gary Williams and Ken Sims, contribute to one
of the most solid benches in all of the Pac-10.

Coaching

Henry Bibby

draw

Bibby’s performance as head coach has been nothing short of
remarkable. Last year with the "interim" tag he went 0-9 as head
coach. This year, he has the Trojans in contention for a conference
championship and NCAA Tournament berth.

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