FOOTBALL

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

Six players drafted last night were five-star prospects in high school according to the 247 rankings. And 12 were four-star prospects while 14 were three-star recruits.

It’s important to remember that only about 1 percent of high school prospects are five-stars, so there should be fewer drafted each year.

  • Lynn Swann was highly visible at the draft in Pittsburgh (naturally), where he remains popular. But did he sign any autographs?
  • USC should meet UCLA tomorrow at 6 p.m. in a semifinal of the women’s water polo Final Four at UC San Diego.
  • How did 14 college basketball coaches lead their team this season to the NCAA Tournament in Year 1 but Eric Musselman still hasn’t as he enters Year 3?

And now for some history:

THIS DEFINITELY WOULD NOT HAPPEN TODAY

Here is something that would not happen today. In 1975, USC president John Hubbard went to have dinner at the Birnkrant Dining Hall, because he wanted to eat with the students (can you imagine Max Nikias or Carol Folt doing that?) and answer their questions.

Some students quietly sang “Hail the the Chief” as he strolled into the dorm. Hubbard skipped the roast beef and ate a beef burrito.

“If there’s any consistency in my administration, it’s the fact tuition has gone up every year,” Hubbard joked.

“We don’t try to make a fresh start academically or physically until we have the money in hand,” he added.

That policy has been tossed aside in recent years as USC will now construct buildings (or athletic facilities) without having all the money raised beforehand.

While he answered questions, Hubbard lit up a cigarette for dessert. A female student reached across the table with a sense of urgency, and said, “President Hubbard, I have just one question. May I please have a cigarette?”

Hubbard laughed and reached into his plaid jacket and pulled out a cigarette. That definitely would not happen today.

And when Hubbard left the dining hall, he bused his own tray. The good old days.

  • Here is a fairly rare photo of USC linebacker Rod Martin (52) against Oregon State in 1976. Among the starting linebackers were Martin, Clay Matthews and David Lewis. Martin and Lewis were JC transfers, which used to be an important part of building the program.
  • USC defensive back Nate Shaw tackles UCLA quarterback Norman Dow in the 1966 Crosstown Rivalry. Shaw later became an assistant coach at USC and is the uncle of former Stanford coach, David Shaw.

PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Ruth Burnett

Bipasha Bapu

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Time to bring back some music. Here’s the Irish singer Hozier performing the Beatles classic, “With a Little Help from My Friends” with the band Lake Street Dive.

27 thoughts on “If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column”

  1. Scott, thanks for the walk down memory lane, iit is something that you do best. My only caution is not to live in the past. Change is inevitable, and you need to find the current joys in your life. Dr. Hubbard was an excellent president and definitely student centered. This coming year will be a litmus test year for Coaches Riley, Musselman and even Gottlieb. Didn’t AD Cohen greet fans at the Family Fun Day last week? What are your observations from that day? Great to have spring teams in NCAA and conference finals even if they don’t win all of the championship games. Being a top school in so many sports every year is a credit to the coaching and support. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

    P.S. You are so right about the JC pipeline of years past, but now we have freshmen playing varsity and the portal.

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    1. Love ya, Ambitious —but I like the past.

      Lots [most, almost all] of beat writers do the present [they are as common as rats, actually]. Only Scott does the trips down memory lane…and they ARE instructive.

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      2. Of course not. But with a money salary possibiity at the college level, a high schooler might be more motivated to excel

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Ruth Burnett was a Playboy bunny at the London club as well as a ” friend ” of Prince Andrew.

    And I think it’s Bipasha Basu not Bapu, Scott.

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    1. She doesn’t deserve to be on Scott’s Hit Parade —- is it too late to replace her with more Bridget Bardot?

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  6. Scooter,

    Last night was an embarrasement for SC. Only one first rounder? Sc should have had two to three. Also, when Lemon spoke, He sounded horrible. He sounded like he was a gang banger and the lady cut him off. Not good. Blame Riley for not producing more 1st rounders. He is soft, just like SC is now a days.

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    1. I would agree with you except that each & every day I hear six & seven figure news anchors who don’t know how to use reflexive pronouns correctly, don’t realize that “alumni” is plural (or they actually think that “alum” is the correct singular form, when it’s merely accepted vernacular) or insist on saying “back in” any time they refer to a past event.

      Merely saying “in 2019” or “in January” would suffice. We know that’s in the past. I think it became the norm 25 years ago or so, when people were saying “back in the day”. Insisting on saying “back in” all the time is right up there with the brothers saying “Know what I’m saying?” LOL

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      2. Wrong. I’m merely saying that we shouldn’t be shocked if our athletes aren’t the most well spoken people around.

        When they come out of high school as a 3 star athlete or higher, they’re not going to college for the education. We’ve made that even worse with NIL.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Things will look better for USC football soon, P.T. …as in a few months from today. Expect a tougher, meaner defense under Patterson.

      [Lemon, btw, will get better at public appearances too].

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  7. Enough of the Lynn Swann obsession. What I want to know is where is Mike Bohn and, in this environment of corruption, how much of a kickback did he get from Riley Coyote on that contract?

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  8. D0NNY JUST SAID MILITARY 40IK PLANS ARE GOING REALLY WELL, THANKS TO HIM.

    …….JUST ONE PROBLEM, THE MILITARY DOESN’T OFFER 401K PLANS

    BlDEEN IS LAUGHING HIS A$$$$$$—–OFF……ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    1. When he calls out into the audience for dead people, forgets where his own son died, calls his VP “President” on more than one occasion and says that he’ll get into trouble if he takes questions from the press, you be sure to let us know. Until then, no one who supported Joe should be laughing.

      Well, unless they’re complete idiots.

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      2. YOU THROW SHADE FOR DONNY’S LIES……BUT WANT TO CALL OUT BlDEN FOR COGNATIVE LAPES….

        CONFIRMATION BIAS CONTINUES TO CONSUME YOU

        SEEK HELP!

        WAIT FOR…..HIS NARCISSISM CAN’T TOLERATE GETTING SLAPPED AROUND…….ANOTHER LAME RESPONSE WILL FOLLOW……TYPICAL

        PS…….TELL US AGAIN FOR THE 20,546 TIME THAT BlDEN HAS DEMENTIA

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    2. [On the other hand, the list you provided could be the result of a childhood stutter]…

      #Yeah…Right….Thanks for The B.S. explanation J. Tapper

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  9. Intolerant UCLA Law School just embarrassed themselves again by allowing a DHS guest lecturer to be shouted down by paid loons.

    [They were carrying signs with big, capital letters and lots of exclamation marks —looking not unlike our own resident loon’s posts]….

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  10. The Reason 14 college basketball coaches made it to the NCAA tournament in Year 1 is because they are good solid basketball coaches who teach fundamentals, and get all players to play as a team.

    The sad part is USC is paying Eric Musselman 5 million dollars a year, and close to 10 million for players every year, and still can’t make the playoffs Could you imagine former USC Coach Forrest “Twoogy’ Twogood making that kind of money. Musselman, has never won anything, never built a solid program, and is a poor teacher of the game of basketball. Year 3 might be the worst season.

    Prediction- Randy Bennett will be a huge success at Arizona State, and take his team to the NCAA playoffs in year 1. Big mistake for USC NOT HIRING RANDY BENNETT.

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  11. I know most people did not like Henry Bibby including Scott Wolf, but he was the most successful USC basketball coach ever because he nearly took a team to the Final 4 in a short period of time.

    Bibby was a very good basketball coach, and knew how to build a team. Great person, Great Interview, Great Personality NONE OF THE ABOVE…..but he did build a good program.

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