USC, Bibby eye winning tradition

Steve Carp

Monday, Dec. 1, 1997 | 10:43 a.m.

LOS ANGELES -- The task appeared to be hopeless. Or at best, an exercise in futility.

Resurrecting Southern Cal's basketball program for the long haul has been an uphill climb for anyone who has tried.

The Trojans have their moments of brilliance when the likes of a Harold Miner graces the program. But you don't see any John Wooden Awards in Heritage Hall next to all those Heisman Trophies.

Still, Henry Bibby has never been afraid to try. He is not afraid to fail, be it as a player, coach -- or father. And because he's not afraid, USC just might get over the hump one day and not be a one-hit hoop wonder in the Pacific 10 Conference.

So while there is excitement over USC's turnaround of a year ago when it went 17-11 after going 13-17 the year before, Bibby knows that fame can be fleeting. He's not going to get swept up in the hoopla of one NCAA Tournament trick.

The trick, Bibby says, is to not accept short-term success, but to strive for stability. And the Trojans may be finding some. They are 4-1 heading into Tuesday's game with 2-1 UNLV at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena despite lacking height and experience.

"We've implemented hard work and discipline and we told our guys that there is a reward for that," Bibby said. "It's tough to replace seniors with young players. There's a big difference between an 18-year-old kid and a 23-year-old man."

Certainly, what Bibby did last year merits much airplay. He had taken over in midstream during the 1995-96 season for Charlie Parker and proceeded to drop the final nine games of the season.

But last year produced a different tune. The Trojans, bolstered by talented Rodrick Rhodes and Stais Boseman and workmanlike Jaha Wilson and David Crouse, went 17-11, finished second in the Pac-10 and made their first trip to the NCAAs since 1992.

It was a great turnaround and Bibby was glad to see his team be rewarded.

"I was very confident we'd get in," he said of the Trojans, who despite losing to UNLV 80-75 last December and the Rebels having a better overall record (20-9) at the time the bids were announced, got into the NCAAs ahead of Bill Bayno's team. "We played the eighth-toughest schedule in the country."

That the Trojans got into the postseason at all indicates the job Bibby and assistants Dave Miller and Silvey Dominguez did. Following back-to-back losing seasons of 9-19 and 13-17, the few fans who care about USC basketball never figured things could get turned around so quickly.

But the staff has worked hard on the recruiting trail, landing one of the best point guards in the West in Mater Dei's Kevin Augustine. JC transfer forward Adam Spanich came from Iowa and has made an immediate impact, including scoring 27 points in Saturday's 76-72 win over San Diego State.

Meanwhile, the holdovers have figured out what Bibby wants and they understand what it takes to win. Senior forward Gary Williams and junior guard Larry Ayuso have picked up their games since Bibby took over.

"We've got guys who want to be successful and want to win," Bibby said. "I tried to implement discipline in the program when I got here and to have them stay focused on their education.

"We've mixed the discipline with the style of play we use and it was satisfying to know the guys never gave up."

USC tries to pressure its opponents into mistakes and play transition basketball. Because the Trojans aren't very tall, they have little choice but to try to win with athleticism.

"We're trying to get kids who can play," Bibby said.

For Bibby, it's not easy to get those kids. USC doesn't have a great basketball tradition like Bibby's alma mater, UCLA. It doesn't have a modern facility. The support pales in comparison to football.

But that doesn't deter Bibby.

"We need to make the Sports Arena work to our advantage," he said. "But I think interest is picking up and there's talk again about shooting for an on-campus arena.

"It's not easy recruiting (to USC). But last year's success helped a lot. We have a lot to sell."

And maybe he can sell the fact he's Mike Bibby's father, and that the Arizona sophomore's All-American talents can be traced to dad's genes and coaching.

There has been a large rift between father and son as Henry's pursuit of coaching kept him apart from Mike. But when Arizona won the national championship last year, the gap closed a little, although the two do not enjoy a "Leave it to Beaver" style relationship.

"I'm very proud of him and what he did," Bibby said of his son's accomplishments. "Mike has always been a special kid with a lot of natural talent. As a father, you always want the best for your son so it gave me a good feeling to see him succeed."

It's the same feeling he hopes his USC basketball family will some day experience.

"I'm not thinking that far," he said. "We have so much left to do. For us, every game is going to be a challenge."