COLLEGE BASKETBALL 1995-96 : Changing USC : That’s Parker’s Mission as He Sheds Interim Label Amid Tough Years

It may be hard to believe, but not even four years ago, USC was ranked among the nation’s best in basketball and had the top college team in Los Angeles.

The year was 1992. Bill Clinton was only a Democratic presidential candidate, Jimmy Johnson was still seeking his first Super Bowl title with the Dallas Cowboys and the Trojans were ranked seventh nationally after having swept UCLA in two regular-season meetings.

For fifth-year senior Tremayne Anchrum, the last remaining player from that 24-6 NCAA tournament team, those glory days are in the dim, distant past.

“It seems like that was so many years ago,” said Anchrum, who as a freshman scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds in leading USC to a first-round NCAA tournament victory over Northeast Louisiana in 1992.

“Just look around. All the players like Harold [Miner] and Lorenzo [Orr] are gone. No one’s left.”

The only other person still associated with that team is Coach Charlie Parker, then an assistant to George Raveling.

In his first season as head coach, after spending last season in an interim role after Raveling’s sudden retirement, it is Parker’s job to turn USC’s program around. The Trojans lost their final 14 games last season and finished at the bottom of the Pacific 10 Conference with a 2-16 mark, 7-21 overall.

“When I was a freshman, the team was much more dedicated to winning,” said Anchrum, who sat out last season because of a knee injury and is expected to rejoin the team Dec. 7. “I’ve always thought that we’ve had the talent, but we lacked the leadership to get the little things done to win. We have to change that this season.”

Parker mentions change whenever he talks about USC’s program. Since losing his interim tag in March, Parker has changed everything from uniform colors to practice time in an effort to get different results out of the Trojans.

“I believe that is something that we had to do in order to get rid of the negative feeling we had around our program when last season ended,” said Parker, who had a 120-56 record in six seasons as coach at Wayne State in Detroit before spending six years as an assistant at USC.

“We needed to create a positive attitude and give the program the personal touch and the trademark of Charlie Parker. I wanted the team to see me as the head coach and no longer as an assistant. Without question, I think that was a problem last season because everyone still looked at me as an assistant coach, including myself.”

If the Trojans really want to shake their image, though, they are going to have to win some games. With the return of Avondre Jones, a 6-foot-11 junior who returned to USC after a season at Chaffey College, and the addition of 6-8 freshman Maurice Strong, Parker will have more size to work with.

With the departure of Orr, the team’s leading scorer the last two seasons, the Trojans will also feature a more balanced scoring attack. Parker is hoping that an up-tempo, aggressive style will open more scoring opportunities for junior leaders Jaha Wilson and Stais Boseman.

Wilson, a 6-foot-5 forward, led the Pacific 10 in rebounding last season with 10.1 a game. With the addition of Jones and Strong, Wilson will have some help against opposing power forwards and centers, which should allow him to get involved in the Trojans’ running game.

“Basketball is fun again for everyone on the team,” said Wilson, who 14 times finished in double digits in both scoring and rebounding last season while averaging 14.2 points. “Everyone will have a chance to contribute because of our style of play. As a team, we’re all still learning and we like the fact that we’re all in this together now.”

David Crouse, a 6-11 junior, has lost 16 pounds since last season and will add depth inside with Jones, Strong and Wilson. Rodrick Rhodes, a 6-6 transfer from Kentucky, will not play this season because of the NCAA’s Division I transfer rule, which requires that he sit out a season.

Boseman, a 6-4 defensive specialist, was looking to improve his game when he decided not to play football for USC. Last season he led the the Trojans with 50 steals and averaged 12 points and 4.1 rebounds. This season, he will be expected to provide more offense and leadership for the Trojans.

“Stais is going to surprise people with his offensive play,” Parker said. “His shooting has improved dramatically and he is still one of the top defensive players in the country. We’ll also use him as a backup point guard and the more time he gets there, the better he will be. We’re looking for great things from him this season.”

Keeping Boseman on the floor will be important because the Trojan backcourt, with senior shooting specialists Brandon Martin and Ty Reuter, lacks versatility and depth. Martin, however, did some impressive shooting in USC’s two exhibition victories.

Senior Burt Harris will sit out the first month of the season after suffering a knee injury in fall practice, which leaves the starting point guard job to Cameron Murray, with freshman Damion Dawson his backup.

Murray, a 6-1 sophomore who started 24 games last season, will have to play well if USC’s running game is to work. Murray, whose brother Tracy played at UCLA and now is with the Toronto Raptors, is a streak shooter who struggled to make only 30% of his shots from the field in Pacific 10 play.

“I don’t think that shooting was really the problem,” said Murray, who averaged 8.5 points and 4.1 assists. “The problem was shot selection. Rushing to shoot three-pointers once we got down. When you start doing that, you’re bound to shoot bad in the process.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

USC Facts and Figures

ROSTER

No.: 42

Player Tremayne Anchrum

Pos: F

Ht.:6-5

Wt.: 235

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: Top rebounder (7.4) in 1992-93

*

No.: 35

Player: Stais Boseman

Pos.: G-F

Ht.: 6-4

Wt.: 200

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: No. 2 scorer (12.0), leader in steals (50)

*

No.: 41

Player: David Crouse

Pos.: F-C

Ht.: 6-11

Wt.: 245

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: Shot 53.3% from the field

*

No.: 5

Player: Seymour Daffeh

Pos.: F

Ht.: 6-6

Wt.: 200

Yr.: Fr.

*

No.: 11

Player: Damion Dawson

Pos.: G

Ht.: 6-2

Wt.: 185

Yr.: Fr.

Comment: All-Southern Section first team as prep

*

No.: 32

Player: Burt Harris

Pos.: G

Ht.: 5-10

Wt.: 175

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: Averaged 8.9 points, 3-point leader (43)

*

No.: 00

Player: Avondre Jones

Pos.: C

Ht.: 6-11

Wt.: 225

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: Started as freshman for the Trojans

*

No.: 3

Player: Brandon Martin

Pos.: G

Ht.: 6-4

Wt.: 205

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: Improved field goal percentage each year

*

No.: 30

Player: Cameron Murray

Pos.: G

Ht.: 6-1

Wt.: 180

Yr.: So.

Comment: Averaged 8.5 points and 4.0 assists

*

No.: 22

Player: Ty Reuter

Pos.: G

Ht.: 6-3

Wt.: 180

Yr.: Sr.

Comment: Made 14 of 15 free throws

*

No.: 25

Player: Craig Slaughter

Pos.: G

Ht.: 6-0

Wt.: 157

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: Played six minutes

*

No.: 31

Player: Behzad Souferian

Pos.: G

Ht.: 6-2

Wt.: 170

Yr.: So.

Comment: Non-scholarship player

*

No.: 33

Player: Maurice Strong

Pos.: F

Ht.: 6-8

Wt.: 255

Yr.: Fr.

Comment: All-State as Tennessee prep

*

No.: 24

Player: Jaha Wilson

Pos.: F

Ht.: 6-5

Wt.: 210

Yr.: Jr.

Comment: Averaged 14.2 points and 10.1 rebounds

* Coach: Charlie Parker, 2nd season at USC (7-21 at USC and 127-77 overall.)

* 1994-95 Team Records: 2-16 Pac-10 (10th),7-21.