!2 Arkansas 5 Southern Cal
Region: East
Coach: Stan Heath
Record: 21-13
Top scorer: Guard Patrick Beverley, 13.8
Top rebounder: Forward Charles Thomas, 5.9
Keys to victory:
1. Must take advantage of superior height – the Razorbacks start a 7-footer, and three 6-10 players split time – to dominate the boards against the smaller Trojans.
2. Stay patient on offense. Beverley and point guard Gary Ervin are both small but quick. They must take care of the ball and not hurry themselves or their shots as they did in the SEC tournament final last Sunday against defending national champ Florida.
3. If Ervin, who averages 10.1 points, scores 12 or more, the Hogs usually win. Arkansas is 11-2 when he scores at least 12 and 10-11 when he scores less.
4. The 6-8 Thomas must play. He sprained an ankle against Florida after scoring 18 points and grabbing 18 rebounds the night before. His versatility is critical against USC’s guard-laden team.
Region: East
Coach: Tim Floyd
Record: 23-11
Top scorer: Swingman Nick Young, 17.5
Top rebounder: Forward Taj Gibson, 8.3
Keys to victory:
1. Play effective defense. That’s something Floyd instilled immediately when he arrived last year, and it’s something USC didn’t do in its 81-57 loss to Oregon in the Pacific-10 tournament final last Saturday.
2. Bounce back. The Pac-10 tourney final may have been the Trojans’ worst game of the season. USC can take solace in the fact that it is 9-1 after a defeat, losing back-to-back games just once.
3. Shoot well from the perimeter. The Trojans count on balance from Young, who can create 1-on-1, and guards Gabe Pruitt and Lodrick Stewart, both of whom are capable of scoring in bunches.
4. Be alert in defensive transition situations. Floyd said Oregon exposed some problems and it’s an area Arkansas can exploit if USC isn’t careful.