USC basketball: Trojans prepare to face 11-1 St. Mary’s in Honolulu

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Point guard Mike Gerrity led USC to its fourth straight win Tuesday, beating Western Michigan, 55-51, to advance the Trojans to the second round of the inaugural Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. But today, the Trojans (6-4) face arguably their best team in the eight-team tournament, St. Mary’s (11-1). “St. Mary’s, they’re a great team,” Gerrity said by phone from Hawaii. “We’ve seen their record. I’ve watched them on TV. Basically, we’ve got to come out and play the way we did the second half’ against Western Michigan. Here are a few nuggets to snack on while we wait for the Trojans, who have won four straight, and the Gaels, who have won eight straight, to tipoff (2 p.m. PST – televised on ESPNU, radio broadcast on 710): USC Player to Watch: Gerrity I’m going with Gerrity because he has led USC to two straight wins since he became eligible Friday after sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules. Against Tennessee, he had 12 points and 10 assists. Against Western Michigan, he scored 15 of his team-high 17 points in the second half. In two games, he is averaging 14.5 points, 6.5 assists and four rebounds. And with 13 assists and seven turnovers, he is the only Trojan with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. If Gerrity controls the tempo against the high-scoring Gaels, USC will have a chance. St. Mary’s Player to Watch: Senior Center Omar Samhan Anyone from the Gaels’ starting lineup could go here, but Samhan, a San Ramon native, will be an interesting matchup against USC forwards Alex Stepheson and Nikola Vucevic, the top two rebounders in the Pac-10. Samhan averages 21.5 points and 11.6 rebounds, but if Stepheson and Vucevic can get him in foul trouble, they might be able to neutralize him. But the opposite could happen, and USC might send him to the foul line early and often. St. Mary’s may be considered the redheaded stepchild to Gonzagain the West Coast Conference, but the Gaels aren’t far behind the Bulldogs. This is a team that won 28 games last year, but was snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. This season, the team already has a win against the Pac-10, topping Oregon, 81-76, in Eugene on Dec. 12. “I think they’re a bona fide top-25 team. They’re very good and we’re going to have to play a great game to win,” said USC Coach Kevin O’Neill by phone from Hawaii. Today’s showdown will test the old adage: Offense puts fans in the stands, but defense wins championships (except this is a semifinal matchup, not a championship). Going into Tuesday’s games, St. Mary’s ranked No. 8 nationally in scoring offense (85 points) while USC ranked No. 12 in scoring defense (57.8 points). Conversely, St. Mary’s lowest point total this season is 68 and USC’s highest point total this year is 77. Something has to give, but expect USC to try to control the pace. St. Mary’s also ranks in the top 20 nationally in field goal percentage (50.7), three-point field goals per game (nine), three-point percentage (41.5), assists per game (17.5), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4). O’Neill said his team “doesn’t match up well with them at all” because they have five players who shoot 38% or better from three-point range but also have a strong inside game. The Trojans’ strength is their inside game with Stepheson and Vucevic. The Gaels will likely start three Aussies that combine for 32.4 points per game: guard Matthew Dellavedova (Victoria) and forwards Clint Steindl (Queensland) and Ben Allen (Melbourne). he winner of today’s game will play the winner of the UNLV/Hawaii game Friday at 6:30 p.m. PST while the losers will play at 4:30 p.m. UNLV is 11-1 and defeated SMU 65-73 in the first round. Host Hawaii is 6-4 and defeated College of Charleston 84-71 in its first-round game. And lastly… If you’re like me, you have no idea what a Gael is. According to Webster’s Online Dictionary, it’s a Gaelic-speaking Celt in Ireland, Scotland or the Isle of Man. Since I’m Irish and Scottish, they’re all right by me. -- Baxter Holmes