More Time Isn’t on Craven’s Side in Trojan Loss

Errick Craven was held scoreless by Stanford in the Cardinal’s 78-70 victory over USC on Saturday, the fifth time in his last eight games that the senior shooting guard had been shut out.

This was different, though. In previous goose-egg performances against Indiana State, Hawaii, Southern and Arizona, Craven had been an afterthought, playing 10 minutes against the Sycamores, none against the Rainbows and Jaguars and nine minutes against the Wildcats.

Against Stanford, Craven played 18 minutes and was 0 for 3 from the field.

“I don’t remember the last time that happened,” he said of being shut out while playing meaningful minutes.

The only other time Craven, USC’s 19th all-time leading scorer with 1,129 points, has been held scoreless was in his first college game, against Wyoming in 2001 when he was 0 for 1 from the field in seven minutes.

“My ankle’s kind of sore,” he said, referring to the right ankle he sprained in practice Dec. 27. “I’m just trying to play through it. I’m limited. My mind is telling me I can, but my ankle’s telling me no.”

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With incoming Coach Tim Floyd being recertified last week and hitting the road for recruiting in two weeks, USC is keeping tabs on two African big men who could play for the Trojans next season.

Samba Gueye, a 6-foot-11, 215-pound forward from Senegal, has orally committed to playing for the Trojans. He is playing in high school in Paris. USC is monitoring another player from Senegal, Abdoulaye Ndiaye, a 6-11, 230-pound sophomore center at Southern Idaho.

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UP NEXT

Saturday vs. UCLA, 1 p.m., FSNW, Sports Arena -- The Trojans, who have won five of the last six meetings with their cross-town rivals, including four straight, are enjoying their greatest success against the Bruins since the early 1940s.