Conquest Chronicles

Your Daily Trojan Fix (3/18)

2010-03-18T17:09:29Z

Welcome to the dead period. Basketball season is over and football is preparing for the spring. Still, there are many articles out there regarding the Trojans. Check out some of these to get you caught up in the newsworld.

Michael Lev of the OC Register tells you which 15 Trojans to watch this spring. (Highly recommend)
Lev also breaks down the QB situation and presents his QB Spring preview and answer key questions regarding the position.
Ted Miller weighs in on his thoughts on the Seantrel Henderson madness.
Joey posted this yesterday, but now-transferred Aaron Corp begins his new quest at Richmond.
Lane Kiffin is among the field of 64 for Esquire magazine's Sexiest women alive bracket. His first challenge? LPGA golfer Natalie Gulbis. Not surprisingly, Kiffin is currently in the lead. (Kidding about not being surprised!)
Kiffin is continuing the Mater Dei QB pipeline to USC by offering Max Wittek a scholarship.
Paul "Oldtimer" Hoffman of SCplaybook.com reminsces the 1967 football season.
Dan Weber tells which Trojan football players are tweeting and who they are following. By the way, you can follow Conquest Chronicles on twitter here (Paragon's account).

Another Seantrel Henderson delay...

2010-03-17T23:12:16Z

Another Seantrel Henderson delay...

Ha!

Not surprised one bit.

waiting....still waiting...

Rumor Mill: Leonard Washington To Transfer

2010-03-17T05:07:00Z

More photos » Lori Shepler - AP

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It would be more than fair to say that Kevin O'Neill has never been known as a "player's coach." After all, O'Neill has had relatively short stays at nearly every college program he's been at, and during his last stint before ending up at USC, Arizona, O'Neill alienated just about everyone involved with the program before his departure, notably future pros Jerryd Bayless and Chase Budinger. One such former player, who spoke anonymously, once said:

"He's a great guy off the court, but he's bipolar or something. On the court, he's a madman."

Suffice to say, O'Neill has always been a little nutty. His relationships with players and university administrations have always been a little shaky. He's certainly a bit brash, and more than rough around the edges. It's his coaching demeanor and aggressive personality that have always seemed to get him in trouble.

So with that being said, the recent rumors surrounding the possibility of current Trojan forward Leonard Washington transferring away from USC make perfect sense. According to Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com, Washington is leaving 'SC because he didn't "mesh well" with O'Neill. And based on O'Neill's past relationships with players, this shouldn't come as a big surprise.

As per Pedro Moura of ESPNLosAngeles.com, a spat between Washington and O'Neill took place on March 7, nearly a month after the Louisiana native reportedly cussed out the coach during the UCLA game played at Galen Center on Valentine's Day. Moura also added that the two had a meeting on March 12, yet USC's SID has not confirmed whether a decision has been made on Washington's future.

Nonetheless, this latest incident is a disturbing sign regarding the future of O'Neill's tenure at USC. I'm not sure any Trojan fan, myself included, was ever 100% sold on K.O. turning this program around or even achieving the same success that Tim Floyd enjoyed during his four years at the helm. So the idea that he's already having issues relating to players is not an encouraging event. By most accounts, Washington is a hard-nosed, gritty player who plays hard on both ends on the floor and has not had issues with coaches in the past. Suddenly, he chews out the coach? Something doesn't make sense. I'm hesitant to start pointing fingers when the whole story hasn't come out yet, but based on O'Neill's past history, it's hard not to take a long hard look at him.

Cooper Strangely Turns Down WNIT Invitation

2010-03-17T03:09:58Z

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After a year in which the USC women's basketball team finished with a 19-12 overall record and a 12-6 mark in Pac-10 play, it seemed like a safe bet that the Women of Troy, under first year head coach Michael Cooper, would be extended an invitation to play in the NCAA Tournament later this month. Even women's college basketball prognosticator Charlie Creme had USC pegged as a No. 10 seed opening up against Wisconsin in the Kansas City Regional.

Nevertheless, when the selection committee announced the participants on Monday, Creme's predictions did not come to fruition for 'SC was not among the 64 teams selected to partake in the Big Dance. From ESPNLosAngeles.com:

"Boy, it hurts," USC coach Michael Cooper said after speaking with his team following the announcement. "I thought that we had done enough this year to definitely put us in the tournament.

"But, again, the committee says they saw something different."

While there is no question that they are bummed on missing the tournament, the larger question is why Cooper then turned down an invitation play in the WNIT, which was just extended to the program this afternoon. For a young team that could benefit from the experience, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Even Scott Wolf of all people raises some rather interesting points.

For several years now, USC's declined to participate in the women's basketball NIT. This seems odd year-after-year and even more so this season because with a young team that could use experience, a post-season tournament makes sense.

Not to mention that one of the reasons for building that nice, new arena on Figueroa is to actually stage events. But hey, what do I know?

Granted, the Women of Troy do lose some seniors to graduation, but they will return four of their top five scorers for next season, two of which are All-Pac-10 sophomores Ashley Corral and Briana Gilbreath. Because of that, wouldn't Cooper want to help these young players get some more game experience going into next season. At the very least, participating would give the four seniors on the roster a few more games to participate in before they careers come to a close.

Yes, there is always the financial argument, which suggests that maybe the program couldn't afford to participate in the tournament because of travel costs. But are we to believe that an airplane ride east or hosting a few games at Galen Center is going to break the basketball budget? I'm not buying it. That's too easy of a cop out for this program. In the end, Cooper's decision to turn down the invitation is plain and simply a puzzling decision that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Top Prospect Signs With USC (via ESPN)

2010-03-15T22:12:08Z

Top Prospect Signs With USC (via ESPN)

I know Tim pretty well because he was in the NBA before he came to USC. He's a very good coach. Ron...

2010-03-15T21:33:33Z

I know Tim pretty well because he was in the NBA before he came to USC. He's a very good coach. Ron Artest told me that Tim was the one who taught him how to play defense. It's kind of a shame because, having talked to Tim about it, I know he personally had nothing to do with athletes allegedly receiving money.

These spectacular athletes are hounded by agents and the money just flows in some form to them. People think it's the university, but I don't think that is the case at all. I think it's overzealous alumni, and, in some cases, just well-wishers.

Lakers owner and USC alumnus Jerry Buss on Tim Floyd

Seantrel Henderson will be signing with USC this week

2010-03-15T15:06:23Z

Seantrel Henderson will be signing with USC this week

From ESPN's Recruiting page...

Selection Sunday Open Thread

2010-03-14T19:37:03Z

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

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Today, Selection Sunday, is arguably one of the most exciting, yet somewhat predictable day in college athletics, as the NCAA Men's Basketball Selection Committee fields a bracket of 65 teams to compete in "March Madness" over the next two-three weeks. In turn, today is filled with eons of sports writer predicting which bubble teams are either in the field of 65 or NIT-bound. Well, thanks to our friends over in Heritage Hall, it's clear that the Trojans will not be partaking in any postseason activities. Yet, the bids of California and Arizona State are still somewhat at stake, after Washington earned the Pac-10's automatic bid yesterday afternoon with a close win over the Golden Bears. So, with today's national importance, here are a few topics to discuss.

Seemingly every prognosticator out there seems to know with absolute certainty which teams will end up making the final 65. To spare you every opinion, we'll keep in simple and just check out who ESPN's Joe Lunardi has making the field, and by the look of things, it appears as if the Pac-10 is going to get two teams in with California and Washington. As of right now, Lunardi has Cal as a 7th seed, while Washington a 10th seed. Arizona State, despite getting over the 20-wins mark, looks to be NIT-bound.
After a disappointing year for the Pac-10, ESPN's Arash Markazi takes a look at yesterday's thrilling conference title game, where the Huskies earned the conference's autmoatic bid and put on a positive face for the league.
With Washington, not Cal, earning the automatic bid, there are some out there in the national media, notably Jay Bilas and Jerry Palm, that are somewhat skeptical of the Bears earning an at-large birth. According to Palm, they are no longer a "lock" for the field of 65. In turn, the folks over at SB Nation's California Golden Blogs explain why the Bears should still be dancing this March. And for once, I seem to be in agreement with the NorCal hippies.Don't worry, I'll refrain from saying "hella" though.
While a lot of talk seems to be centered on the men's side of things, the Women of Troy faced UCLA in the semi-finals of the Pac-10 Tournament yesterday. However, 'SC, despite holding a six-game winning streak, wasn't able to topple No. 23 UCLA, as they fell 59-53 in heartbreaking fashion. With a 19-13 record, the Women of Troy are hoping to earn an at-large birth to the NCAA Tournament next week. But for now, they'll have to wait anxiously until Monday, when the brackets are released.
Yet, basketball isn't the only thing making headlines in the Pac-10, as Friday brought a lot of news stories coming out of Eugene, where Oregon head coach Chip Kelly suspended Jeremiah Masoli for the entire 2010 season, and running back and freshman all-American LaMichael James for the season opener against New Mexico. In response to Kelly's decision, SI.com's Andy Staples certainly has a few thoughts on Kelly's decision.
I couldn't possibly make an open thread without discussing the upcoming football season in at least some form. So, here is a story from WeAreSC.com that takes a look at the impact the running game needs to make in 2010.

As always, feel free to leave any relevant links or comments below, as the day progresses.

Fight On!

Follow ParagonSC and Joey Kaufman on Twitter.

Pac-10 Tournament Title Game Open Thread

2010-03-13T22:15:16Z

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

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Well, after an up-and-down season in the Pac-10, it looks as if the conference will likely be sending two teams in Cal and Washington to the NCAA Tournament next week. As a result, it shouldn't come as a major surprise that both the Golden Bears and Huskies will also be appearing in the Pac-10 Tournament Championship Game this afternoon at Staples Center. While Mike Montgomery's Cal team has been in the driver's seat for an at-large bid for some time now, it is the sudden rise of Washington that has suddenly gotten people's attention. From ESPN.com:

Since its Jan. 23 loss to USC, Washington (23-9) has won 11 of its last 13 games and six games in a row heading into today's Pac-10 Tournament championship game against Cal (23-9). After being left for dead as late as last week, the Huskies can now claim the conference's automatic bid or at least make a case for an at-large berth with a strong showing on national television.

"The landmark moment for us was after the USC game," said Pondexter. "At the end of the game guys knew it couldn't get any worse. And we started playing the right way. ... I think we've bought into everything offensively and defensively since then and we've been playing much better basketball."

With a surging Washington team taking on a Cal bunch that has been incredibly consistent over the past weeks, today's contest promises to be an exciting, high-scoring affair.

The game will feature five of the top ten scorers in the league (Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas for Washington and Randle, Christopher and Robertson for Cal) and California and Washington are ranked in the top two in the conference in scoring offense and scoring margin. Judging from their first two games the Pac-10 final could easily turn into a rout for whichever team feels more at home. Cal has certainly made it a point to run teams off court as of late, winning nine of its last 10 games by double digits.

It's hard to predict what will happen in this year in the Pac-10 so who knows what will transpire this afternoon at Staples. There could be a Cal route or a Washington blowout. Or possibly an overtime thriller. Based on the way this season has played out, I might way to stray away from any bold prognostications. But nonetheless, I'm hopeful that this afternoon's matchup will be an exciting affair for all Pac-10 hoops fans to enjoy, even for us Trojan fans.

More open threads...

California Golden Blogs

UW Dawg Pound

Cal Ends UCLA's Season

2010-03-13T08:13:59Z

Cal Ends UCLA's Season

Cal defeated UCLA by thirteen points, and with Washington's win over Stanford, the two conference powerhouses will face off in the Pac-10 championship game tomorrow afternoon at Staples Center.

LaMichael James Gets Some Jail Time; Kelly Hands Out Punishments

2010-03-12T20:31:18Z

More photos » Chris Pietsch - AP

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On February 17, Oregon running back LaMichael James was arrested on charges of domestic violence, yet the all-American tailback immediately proclaimed his innocence, prompting head coach Chip Kelly to postpone any serious punishment until all of the "facts were presented." However, as of this afternoon, it remains evident that some form of reprehension will be in store for James, as the freshman running back was sentenced to ten days in jail after pleading guilty misdemeanor harassment. Whether he actually spends any time in jail is one thing, but his plea further embarrasses himself and the university, which will likely prompt Kelly to take further action. From ESPNLosAngeles.com:

James, who appeared in Lane County Circuit Court on Friday morning, will then spend 24 months on probation as part of the plea agreement with prosecutors.

He must report to jail on Friday afternoon, but it was unclear whether he would serve any time.

Deputy District Attorney Alex Gardner said jail time was up to the Lane County Sheriff's Department, which would likely place James in a diversion program instead because of overcrowding.

James, who set a Pac-10 freshman record with more than 1,500 yards rushing last season, originally faced five misdemeanor charges, including menacing, strangulation and assault. All but the harassment charge were dropped.

James was in court with his attorney for the hearing before Judge Maurice K. Merten, which lasted just a little more than five minutes. The running back left the courtroom without comment.

In a statement that was included in court documents related to the case, James apologized to the victim, a former girlfriend. She claimed he grabbed her neck and pushed her to the ground during an argument on Feb. 15.

"I hope to put this matter behind me now and learn from it. I have made a mistake and accept the consequences," the statement said. "I look forward to demonstrating to my university, to my team and to the community that I am a better man than recent events suggest."

Kelly has received a lot of flack this offseason for the way he has handled all the arrests and police run-ins by his players, but in reality, what is he supposed to do? It's impossible for a college coach, in this day and age, to constantly monitor an entire roster of 18-22 year-old athletes. It's just not going to happen. However, it is essential for a coach such as Kelly to react swiftly and appropriately when such a misfortune event does occur.

Has Kelly done that in this instance? I'm not so sure. James has yet to be fully punished, and nothing has been done with starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who is actually set to appear in court later today on an unrelated felony burglary charge. If Kelly eventually takes action against the Ducks' two most high-profiled players, then he will certainly deserve some credit. However, if he lets Masoli and James off free, while booting others off the roster, a lot more questioned will be raised than answers will be provided.

More Updates after the jump:

Update #1:

SB Nation's very own Addicted To Quack has some new information on Masoli:

Jeremiah Masoli was also in court, and plead guilt to misdemeanor second degree burglary. The plea bargain kept the conviction as a misdemeanor, and Masoli will face 12 months probation and 140 hours of community service, and will need to pay over $5,000 in restitution within 10 days.

Unfortunately, Masoli's outlook as part of the Oregon football team is much more unclear. If he lied previously to Coach Kelly regarding these events, you can be sure that he will feel the full repercussions.

Update #2

At his press conference this afternoon, Chip Kelly announced that he would suspend James for the season opener against New Mexico, a team that went 1-11 a year ago, while further suspending Masoli, who still has a redshirt available, for the entire 2010 season.

ATQ recently addressed Kelly's decision:

With all the speculation that has been happening over the past few weeks, I think that these punishments are fair. James and Beard made mistakes, and when presented with poor situations, made the wrong decisions.

Jeremiah Masoli's crime was much more premeditated, and he reportedly broke Chip Kelly's number one rule: he lied to the coach. I'm honestly surprised he wasn't entirely kicked off the team, though I support the University standing by the student-athletes and helping them compete their education.

All three players will have unspecified goals they will need to meet to earn full reinstatement. I don't imagine that James or Beard will have problems with that, but Masoli will have a long road ahead.

For now, this seems to bring for a close a fairly hectic time for Oregon football, though I'm happy with the response of the University. I'm confident that the players know their will be consequences for their actions, and hope that will affect their behavior. Here's hoping they can keep a low profile over the next few months.

Off the bat, I don't have any major objections regarding the severity of Kelly's punishments. As of right now, it appears as if Masoli was more than fairly reprimanded, as there is still no guarantee that he even suits up for the Ducks in 2011. However, it does appear as the suspension for James may be a little "light," especially in lieu of his recent guilty plea. Anyway, that's my take. What are your thoughts?

Medical Redshirts Granted to Jones and Fangupo!

2010-03-12T18:59:03Z

Medical Redshirts Granted to Jones and Fangupo!

Great news! This means Jones and Fangupo now have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Stanford, UCLA Upsets Cap First Day of Tournament

2010-03-12T14:30:17Z

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

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Depending on your perspective and university allegiance, the second day of the Pac-10 Tournament was either an incredibly exciting affair or a major letdown. Heading into the postseason affair, only Cal, led by Pac-10 player-of-the-year Jerome Randle, was guaranteed a birth in the field of 64 if it failed to earn the conference's automatic bid. For that reason, a lot was at stake on Thursday, as four games took place at Staples Center with the NCAA Tournament hopes of several teams hanging in the balance. Here's a recap of what went down:

UCLA 75 Arizona 69

For twenty-five consecutive seasons, the Arizona Wildcats had earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament, but on Thursday afternoon, UCLA, despite a roller coaster season of its own, ended the 'Cats hope of earning yet another bid to the Big Dance. With the return of freshman forward/center Reeves Nelson, who finished with game highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds, the Bruins played one of their best games of the season with the start of a "new season." But nonetheless, even with their strong effort, the only way Howland's bunch will be able to punch their ticket to the tournament is if they're able to win their next two games, bringing home the conference title. It's a rather unlikely scenario, but there is no question that the Bruins had one of their better outings against Arizona. They not only shot over fifty percent, but were a little tougher on the defensive end, holding the Wildcats to just 40% shooting and 21% from behind the arc. They're not incredibly talented or even a legitimate contender, but they certainly looked much better on Thursday.

California 90 Oregon 74

Looking to extend his coaching tenure at Oregon for at least one more game, Ernie Kent was hoping his Ducks could surprise the top seeded California Golden Bears, but in total honesty, UO isn't a particularly good team at the moment and was clearly no match for Mike Montgomery's bunch. Over the past few weeks, it is clear that Cal has been peaking at the right time, potentially playing themselves into a 6th seed in the tournament, and as a result, it was a disappointing end to Kent's time in Eugene. The Ducks were just no contest to the top-seeded Golden Bears, who were led by senior guard Jerome Randle who finished with 22 points on the evening. But as seen by the team's 90 total points, there was plenty of scoring to go around. Patrick Christopher finished with 21, along with Jamal Boykin, who had 15 of his own. A high-octane offense made it tough on an Oregon bunch that can certainly score points in its own right, as evident by Tajuan Porter's 26 points.

Stanford 70 Arizona State 61

With 22 victories on the season and second place finished in the Pac-10, there have been many bracketologists nationwide that have called Arizona State a series candidate to earn an at-large bid to the Big Dance next week. Nonetheless, there have been others who have been arguing that the Sun Devils need another win or two to solidify their tournament hopes. If you subscribe to the latter theory, then Stanford's upset over Herb Sendek's bunch may likely crush ASU's chances at earning a postseason birth. And at the end of the day, it is the Sun Devils who only have themselves to blame as they fell behind early, making a comeback all the more difficult. Granted they did make a push early in the second half, but they had already spent so much energy that they ended up watching the Cardinal go on a big run led by Landry Fields, who finished with 17 points, later in the half. The end result served as just another unpredictable night of Pac-10 basketball, and most importantly, it likely means ASU will be squaring off in the NIT when the postseason kicks off next week.

Washington 59 Oregon State 52

Much like Arizona State, Washington needed another victory or two in the conference tournament to solidify their place in the field of 65, but unlike the Sun Devils, the Huskies held up their end of the bargain. Despite trailing by 9 points at halftime, Washington scored 37-second half points to earn a big win over the pesky Beavers, thus strengthening its chances for an at-large birth. It wasn't easy though, as the Huskies' offense proved to be rather sporadic at times. Through the first 25 minutes of the contest, UW had just 23 points, but looked nearly unstoppable for the remainder of the game with point guard Isaiah Thomas leading the way with a team high 15 points. While it wasn't their best game possible, the victory puts Washington in a good position heading into the semi-finals, as they avoid playing second seeded Arizona State after the Sun Devils were upset by Stanford. Provided, they can edge the Cardinal and punch their ticket to the finals, than the Huskies have an excellent chance at earning a trip to the Big Dance.

Open Thread: Pac-10 Tournament Quarterfinals

2010-03-11T20:00:31Z

More photos » Lori Shepler - AP

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Four games going on at Staples Center this afternoon, with the first matchup taking place between Arizona and UCLA. Even though 'SC's season is in the books, it should still be fun to catch some of these games. Feel free to fire away in the comments below.

BREAKING NEWS: USC names Sample's replacement

2010-03-11T08:54:08Z

BREAKING NEWS: USC names Sample's replacement

USC has named C. L. Max Nikias, presently serving as Executive Vice President and Provost, as the school's 11th president. Nikias also received a unanimous vote and his presidency will become effective in August of this year.

Fight On!

Kill the BCS!!

2010-03-11T00:29:32Z

Kill the BCS!!

I know they have better things to do...but you have to love his moxy.

Follow Coach O on Twitter

2010-03-10T23:46:38Z

Follow Coach O on Twitter

Ed Orgeron is now on twitter! He even emphasized what the team is currently focused on:

"Tuffness and discipline are 2 major areas for us this spring. Coach kiffin is doing a great job teaching those things"

Afternoon Thread: Pac-10 Tournament Kicks Off, More Trouble in Eugene

2010-03-10T23:06:36Z

More photos » Reed Saxon - AP

The only way the recently fired Ernie Kent will be smiling is if Oregon somehow makes a miraculous run in this weekend's Pac-10 Tournament . (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

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It's a rather slow news day here at USC with most Trojan fans continuously glancing at their calendars to check the dates for spring football (note: the first practice is March 30th). Nonetheless, tonight marks the start of the Pac-10 tournament at Staples Center with bottom feeders Oregon and Washington State facing each other in the play-in-game with the winner looking to advance to faced top seeded Cal in the quarterfinals (I know, it's terribly exciting). But still, here's some stuff to keep tabs on this afternoon:

Jeff Nusser of CougCenter breaks down one of the least intriguing Pac-10 tournaments in recent memory. Actually, with the postseason contest being just instituted back in 2002, this might be the least compelling event in history. It's not a stretch. Even still, a strong performance from either bubble team Arizona State or Washington could propel either of them into the field of 65. Or could a team like Arizona surprise and earn the conference's automatic birth?
It's a tough time to be Ernie Kent right now, as the Oregon coach, who once led the Ducks to two Elite Eight finishes, was fired earlier this yet. Yet, Kent and senior point Tajuan Porter will look to cap off their careers in Eugene with a solid performance in the conference tournament.
It hasn't been an easy season for the UCLA basketball team as evident by their sub-.500 record. Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles examines some of the problems that have been plaguing Ben Brat's as they head into the final stretch.
Things haven't gotten any easier for Chip Kelly and the Oregon Ducks, as accused running back LaMichael James will change his plea to guilty according to various sources, including The Oregonian. Not exactly a pleasing turn of events for Kelly, who has yet to suspend James for a determined amount of time.
After losing 2-out-of-3 to New Mexico over the weekend, the USC baseball team rebounded nicely with a 5-0 shutout victory on the road against Pepperdine. Starter Kevin Couture was particularly impressive, as the senior rebounded from a poor outing on Sunday to throw seven scoreless innings. The Trojans will face an up-and-coming Connecticut team tonight at Dedeaux Field before heading to Hawaii for a mid-season tournament.
While most of the talk surrounding the USC basketball program has centered around the men's ban from the postseason, it's important to remember that the Women of Troy remain in the hunt for a birth in the NCAA Tournament this spring, especially with the return of redshirt junior and former five-start recruit Jackie Gamelos.

Additionally, feel free to leave any relevant links or comments below, as we head into the night.

Fight On!

More Coaching Staff Additions

2010-03-10T01:28:41Z

More Coaching Staff Additions

While Lane Kiffin isn't hiring an offensive coordinator, he is bringing former USC wideout Keary Colbert aboard as a graduate assistant to coach the tight ends according to Scott Wolf.

USC's Nikola Vucevic's "foul" against UA's Kyle Fogg...

2010-03-09T15:09:15Z

USC's Nikola Vucevic's "foul" against UA's Kyle Fogg...