Arizona on USC


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After defeating California on Thursday, 70-56, the Trojans will face Arizona on Friday at 6:10 p.m. in the semifinals of the Pac-10 tournament at Staples Center.

The top-seeded Wildcats (26-6) are led by sophomore forward Derrick Williams, the Pac-10 Player of the Year, who averages 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
USC (19-13) and Arizona split the season series, with each team winning on its home court. In the Wildcats’ win, Williams had 20 points, while in the Trojan’s win, he only had eight points.

Coach Sean Miller on the match-up against USC:
“[After] our last loss against USC, a lot of people started to shoot at us like, ‘Arizona’s not that good,’ or ‘what’s wrong with Arizona?’ To me, it’s that USC is a very good team. I look at them as one of the top 35 teams in the country.

Arizona forward Derrick Williams on the match-up against USC:
“It is like a home game for [USC]. They play right down the street, so we have to match their intensity and hopefully we can win.”

Williams on scoring eight points in the loss to USC on February 24:
“I am bound to have one bad game in a season, and I think that was my bad game. Not everybody’s going to play perfectly. That was that game, and I’m over that game.”

Miller on USC’s big men:
“Vucevic and Stepheson are very unique. Very seldom do you have two players that play that much together and have that size physically. They seem to have really gotten into a rhythm on offense where they find each other.
“Defensively, they are so big that the game is difficult around the basket. Their coach does an excellent job of putting them in position defensively to really change the game. They are one of the best defensive teams that plays college basketball.”

Miller on USC coach Kevin O’Neill’s comments about Williams being protected by the officials:
“Tomorrow’s game is about USC and Arizona. Nobody her is going to answer to the question about the officials or something that was said. I think that period of time is over.”