Trojans send wake up call to media with Kentucky upset (ONLINE EXTRA)

  KEITH ENRIQUEZ/Daily Bruin Senior Staff USC shooting
guard Jeff Trepagnier gets ready to swat Wildcat
center Jason Parker in the Trojan’s stunning upset
the over number two seed Wildcats.

By Chris Umpierre
Daily Bruin Staff

PHILADELPHIA “”mdash; All week the media ignored the USC Trojan
basketball team.

In the pre-game hoopla surrounding the NCAA tournament’s East
regional semifinal teams, the media chose to focus on the other
three teams: national powerhouses Kentucky, UCLA and Duke. The
aforementioned programs combine for 20 national championships.

They routinely slighted the Trojans, not giving much attention
to a program that has never won a title and has just 11 tournament
appearances under its belt.

After the No. 6 seeded Trojans (24-9) stunned No. 2 seed
Kentucky (24-10) 80-76 Thursday night in First Union Center in
front of 20,270 spectators, USC’s senior forward Brian Scalabrine
delivered a message to the media.

Slight this.

"Everyone in the media has something against us," he said. "We
belong here, no matter what people say. USC is a great institution,
and we are proving to the basketball world that we can
compete."

The upset victory gives USC, a school known more for football,
its first Elite Eight appearance since 1954, and its third ever
such appearance. They will play No. 1 seed Duke on Saturday for a
spot in the Final Four. In addition, the team’s three victories in
this season’s tournament are the most in school history.

The Trojans’ hero on Thursday was forward David Bluthenthal. The
junior finished with a game-high 27 points on 7-of-13 shooting and
swished a career-high six three-pointers. More importantly his 5 of
6 free throws in the final 32 seconds sealed the victory.

"The last three games I have been speechless," USC Head Coach
Henry Bibby said. "I like being speechless in these
situations."

His team’s scintillating start to the game must have certainly
caught Bibby off guard. Against one of college basketball’s hottest
teams (Kentucky had won 14 of their last 16 games, including the
tough Southeastern Conference), the Trojans started the game with a
31-10 run.

It was the first time all season the Wildcats trailed by more
than 15 points.

Although Bluthenthal’s unconscious shooting played a role in the
strong start, it was the Trojans’ defense that had a more
significant impact.

Bibby decided to use a number of zones against the Wildcats.
Switching from a 1-3-1 zone to a 2-3 zone to a man-to-man defense
confounded Kentucky in the early going.

The Wildcats, who feature 6-foot-9 Tayshaun Prince and 6-8 Jason
Parker, were unable to get the ball through the zone to their big
players. Bibby’s zone defense forced Kentucky to become solely an
outside shooting team and the Wildcats weren’t up to the task as
they shot a paltry 36 percent from the field.

The Trojans’ did a spectacular job on Prine, Kentucky’s leading
scorer and the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, who was
averaging 17 points a game. He was held to just six points,
breaking a string of 29 consecutive double figure performances.

"We looked at film, an unbelievable amount of film, probably
every game he has played this season," Scalabrine said. "We wanted
to make him put the ball on the floor and after that its just heart
and hard work."

Kentucky point guard Saul Smith felt his teammates should take
some blame for Prince’s off night.

"We kind of expect Tayshaun to be out there, hitting big
buckets," Smith said. "But some nights its not going to be there.
Some nights defenses are going to run two or three players at him
and it is our job as teammates to pick him up."

Even with Prince slumping, the Wildcats roared back with fury in
the second half. After trailing by 21 points (45-24) early in the
second, Kentucky went on a 22-3 run over the next six minutes to
amazingly close the Trojans’ lead to two points (48-46).

The difference was USC’s ability to finally work the ball down
low to their big men. Parker finished the game with 22 points and
13 rebounds.

But the Wildcats weren’t able to get over the hump. Whenever
Kentucky seemed poised to take the lead, here came Bluthenthal and
the Trojans.

"We were in a similar situation when we were playing Arkansas in
the SEC tournament," Wildcat sophomore guard Keith Bogans said. "We
were down 15 points, and we made a run and got back in the game.
But I think today we were just too far down. They are a great team
and they just kept making big shots every time we got back in the
game."

After Kentucky cut the lead to 61-60 with seven minutes to go,
USC went on a 12-6 run to grab a lead they would not
relinquish.

The Trojans, who underachieved all year, didn’t rush the court
at the game’s conclusion. They reacted as if they were the
favorite.

"We felt we were going to win this game so we didn’t need to
celebrate," Bluthenthal said.

USC will now play No. 1 seed Duke for the right to play in the
Final Four.

UCLA point guard Earl Watson likes their chances.

"USC man-for-man is probably the most talented team in the
country," said Watson, whose team beat the Trojans twice this
season. "They are rolling right now so it wouldn’t surprise me at
all if USC beats Duke by 10 or 15 points."