so his game and personality were -- wilson, his game and personality were electric, a future star in the nba until one morning when everything changed. get an inside glimpse at the man the nfl mayors have chosen to lead them in -- players have chosen to lead them in the fighnewtive rgaient. 'll uce emar ith. >> t our stin >> and a truy th abou inws tvie'

hello and welcome to this edition of net impact. we've seen nfl commissioner roger goodell and nfl players association executive director demaris smith exchanging pleasantries through the media and have even been in front of congress as the two sides attempt a collective bargaining agreement and as they do so the atmosphere will get more tense. we know goodell he's within on the job three years now but who is this man that the players have chosen to be their voice in this turbulent time? here's comcast sportsnet's mid- atlantic's jill sorenson. >> for our last practice we could play head coach. >> yea! >> we do head coach. >> reporter: this is fun for

demaris smith the executive director of the nfl players association by day and a coach for his 10-year-old son allen and his baseball team in silver vince, maryland, by night. >> tag -- in silver springs, maryland, by night. >> tag him! >> reporter: the intensity and passion you see here is smith's day job as union smith named the successor to the late and edge legendary gene upshaw in march, the man everyone calls dean has not slowed down. >> i've been on the job six months. i've probably been on the road three and a half, four months solid. >> reporter: he was seen as an outsider to get the job with former players as the front runners. his background as a trial lawyer was far from the experience of an nfl player. >> i definitely think that's a positive that he was an outsider, you know, guy coming in, he doesn't have all the connections or, you know, any preconceived notions of what

was happening before and, you know, can he come in and kind of look at things clearly. >> i'm very confident. i'm confident, that you know, he can get things done, whatever that may be. he's presented himself in such a way and i think he's broken it down to the players in such a way that we can understand it. >> reporter: as much as he's an outsider d. is a d.c. insider having grown up a stone's throw from fedex field. >> you come out of the room in d.c. and get smacked and then you're injected with burgundy and gold. >> reporter: on his resume counsel to then deputy attorney general eric holder and he also served on president obama's transition team. >> business worldwide in some way, shape or form always touches washington. it's one heck of a sports town. so yeah, those are things that are inextricably tied to who i am. does it affect what i do? probably. but hopefully affects it for the better. >> reporter: with the possible lockout on the horizon demorris smith has made it a priority to

visit each team to help them understand the process. >> this was in one of the file drawers in our office and it slowly but surely i'm going through every drawer, every cabinet. >> reporter: why? >> a great deal of our history on what we have done internally to be a stronger union is there. the one thing i'm blessed about is gene was an incredible note taker. here on the back he'd clearly written out in longhand a speech that i don't know whether he gave or was going to give, but the most interesting part at the bottom is you see it in quotes, the nfl has always been willing to take a short loss for a long term gain. >> reporter: in the midst of negotiations or perhaps because of them d. and the union have made national headlines on a regular basis. >> as executive director, my no. 1 priority is to protect those who play and have played this game. to me it is probably a little bit of a combination of half

negotiation, half trial lawyer. i mean both of those things are things that are in my dna for some way, shape or form. i think about my grandfather in the pulpit. there's probably a little bit of that, too. as a result, i'm really not afraid of my question. i want guys to be actively involved. truth be told, i probably lean on them in a very hard way, but this is their union. it's not my union. it's their union. >> reporter: always in the line of fire demorris smith is used to the heat. >> i thought that was a -- 17-year-old ben benji wilson was a rising star, a young basketball phenom with a definite nba future. in fact, in 1984 wilson was the no. 1 ranked high school basketball player in the nation. he'd been described as a magic johnson with a jump shot and kevin garnett with a better handle of the ball and a better

perimeter game. luke stuckmeyer of comcast sportsnet chicago shows us wilson's wizardry on the court. >> reporter: chicago may be a football town and baseball crazy in summertime, but at its core in the city basketball is a way of life. we're not just talking about the m.j. glory days. we're talking about the kids who built their games here like isiah thomas on the west side and more recently dwayne wade and derrick rose on the south side, but 25 years ago somebody else owned these courts in chicago, a skinny silky kid with a smile named benji. >> and center for the wolverines a junior, 6' 7, no. 25 ben wilson. >> if you haven't seen him, you're in for a treat, 20 a game. >> i would go and i want to be successful and i do what it takes to be successful and that is when i go home i study and do my work and go to class.

>> kind of corny stuff. >> well, it works. >> reporter: everything seemed to work for benjamin wilson, but especially basketball. >> wilson two. >> reporter: born and raised on the city's south side, he was the middle of five brothers and it wasn't long before that orange rock was the fiber of his life. >> looked like bruce lee with two basketballs. he approached the basketball hoops. just unbelievable what he could do with that ball three fingers pawning the ball like this. >> reporter: and with ben and his ball around the wilson's neighbors were always up early. >> the neighbors used to be furious about being woke up in the morning because he was always dribbling the basketball and one of the next-door neighbors mr. robertson said benji was the alarm clock to get him up and go to work in

the morning. >> reporter: by 16 wilson could still play like a point guard but now he soared like an eagle with his new 7' 3 wingspan. >> bankston drops it down to wilson for a turnaround. >> we used to imitate ben when he shoots his jump shot. it was like he'll shoot it and then put his wrist back like this and run down the court but everybody used to emulate him in high school. that's how big he was in high school. >> reporter: and everybody wanted to be around him. benji's game and personality drew in friends and admirers from all over including the nba. >> ben wilson steps in, scores. >> 6' 8, 8 1/2, can do it all. i mean when i say do it all and do it gracefully. i mean with the greatest of ease. i mean and it looks so pretty when he was doing it.

i mean it was smooth. it was silky. it was just you had to -- he had that camera that captured that moment. i mean he was that type of player. >> wilson slide down the lane. >> reporter: as a junior he was a starter on a lineup full of seniors. benji was third team all state and the wolverines went 30-1 for the 2a state title. that put simeon on the map. >> i think he helped push simeon into a more global nationwide type school, basketball power. i remember our senior year, you know, we thought we were world beaters, we could go anywhere and play anybody any time. >> reporter: after winning the state championship in the spring of 1984 ben kept improving stunning scouts at the nike all american camp. he left as the first kid from

illinois to ever be ranked as a no. 1 player in the entire country. >> he was clearly, clearly benjamin wilson was the no. 1 player in the country. no one came close. >> reporter: ahead how benji wilson's life changed in less than a second. >> ben's thumb was rising and then at midday. >> reporter: a horrific crime on these streets in chicago is

benji wilson's future seemed secure. just a few years in college before fame and wealth would schuler follow in the nba -- would surely follow in the nba, but it wasn't meant to be. instead there was a tragic turn of events and now 25 years

later benji wilson has never been forgotten. let's get back to his story. >> reporter: ben wilson had it all, sizzling basketball skills and an electric personality, but on november 20th, 1984, it was a gray cold fall day a on the like this one and on vinsenz avenue right in front of simeon high school the day was about to get even darker. >> the old guys, they've served their times and lived their lives, when the sun is eclipsed or the sun is rising it's so different. ben's sun was rising moving towards midday and then it became midnight at midday. >> reporter: at 12:37 on november 20th ben wilson was walking with his girl friend and mother of his 10-week-old son brandon. they were a block from the school.

he liked to gather at a small store around lunchtime but benji bumped into two freshmen from calumet high school on the sidewalk. they pulled out a .22 caliber handgun and shot him twice, one bullet piercing his aorta and the other tearing a hole in his liver. >> to this day i still don't know the story. i've never tried to seek out the story because the only person that could tell is and while the chaos continued at simeon benji's brothers were miles away with a sibling connection that still haunts them. >> i was in library class and i heard somebody say i got shot. i got shot.

i was in library class and i was like i'm going crazy, but then i thought about cain and abel when cain slew his brother and the most high said where's your brother? i heard his blood cry from the earth. right there something let me know that he got shot. >> and as a matter of fact, i had a dream two nights in a row before he died, somebody or something tried to tell me, had a dream that night benji was dead. next day i had a dream benji was dead. at that moment i heard my brother's voice say i got shoot just like i said to you there, came to me like. so this was something there and i was like what the hell's going on here? my mama always say you want the most high to talk to you, you got to be in a quiet place and i was in the library class at the time my brother was shot

and i heard him. when i found out, i went be serk. >> fo ery as a

we seen ben on the floor by himself. that's what brothers do. >> they weren't supposed to. i don't like to talk about that but they had to see him. >> they was telling us that he's in stable condition and kenny allen pulled the sheet back and we saw him. we had to see him and we knew he was gone. >> reporter: early the next morning the day his senior season was supposed to start ben wilson was pronounced dead at the age of just 17. even president ronald reagan called the family to offer h

is dead. >> involved in extraordinary young man. >> he was gunned down. >> it's not how long you live. but how well you live. >> then i seen my brother in that casket. oh, tried to wake him up like man, you ain't dead. get up, man. get up. get up. you ain't dead. get up. then seeing those two guys who did it. >> did you know ben wilson? did you know him? >> reporter: after the shooting cousins billy moore and omar dixon were taken into custody charged with murder and attempted robbery. moore was later sentenced to 40 years for pulling the trigger

and dixon 30 years as his accomplice. on the day that benji died his simeon teammates decided to play their first game of the season without no. 25. earlier in the day students sobbed at simeon simply overwhelmed with grief, but benji's mother stood tall in the gymnasium. >> so today i speak in love of all of you who keep benji's memory and dignity and be strength v and strength and love alive -- strength and love alive. >> reporter: the wake was held on the gymnasium floor and 8,000 people came to see benji lying in his no. 25 jersey. the line stretched blocks

outside of the school, mourners waited seven hours. >> i still have dreams about him like, you know, he came back and he was able to play again, but just dreams. >> sometimes i sit down and, you know, when i'm going through things, you know, i speak, you know, just like i would to my grandparents, you know. hey, benji, how you doing, that type of thing. i just can't forget about him.

this is very emotional. >> reporter: still an emotional story 25 years later. there are some updates to this story. at the time of his murder benji wilson left behind a 10-week- old son named brandon. well, brandon would go on to become a talented high school prep basketball player himself. even played some college basketball at the university of maryland eastern shore but he would leave after his sophomore season according to a school official and as for the two young men convicted of this horrific crime, william moore is still in federal prison for wilson's murder and omar dixon would tack on additional charms when he was arrested for aggravate -- charges when he was arrested for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in a separate attempted murder case. let's move on. next summer south africa will play host to the 2010fifa world cup but it was back in 1995 when they hosted another world

cup that changed the country, a game of rugby that united 42 million south africans. now clint eastwood's new movie in vic us brings this amazing true -- invictus brings this amazing true story to life and sat down with matt damon is yuntr rep on ma ond sporth r tochan wor >> l s ouiny. rep onat inciple that the movie invictus was born. obviously you're a big sports fan yourself. what did sports do you think has the ability to unite people like the way we saw in this movie? >> weah, spare iqued ted o ite and ela was

actually quoted as saying that. i guess there's something about getting, you know, 60,000 people in a space together g fotly sa thople ss tcoun caion peooss the . s cawas thiste >> b me paect faces the daunting task of a vide h afogetin the wake of apartheid. what struck you about this story that made you so interested in wanting to do it? >> that it was true. i couldn't believe it when i read it and i called clint and i said i can't believe this stor ther

fog. as hand th wad thint make no e. leas pre, it kes teso me repomandout th of e taint rugby team. francois is a pretty big guy. how did you get ady ay >>gr world obly t th beey so >> sou i am

i am gs d, spiroem. epor lm'stitle us rto aem t mandela used as a sou inspn anngthg near i because the country didn't fall into civil waby l e tionhould have and it's a decision that every single person in that country made. still to come he's a big and bad offensive lineman in the nfl but what are his keys to success off the field?

take a look at san francisco 49er eric heitmann and you'd never know that off the field he's a pianoman. here's comcast sportsnet's bay area's brody brazil to show us. >> reporter: this is the side of eric heitmann people know, an offensive lineman for the 49ers since 2002. and this is the side most would never expect, at 6' 3 315 pounds he's got the frame of a football behemoth with the hands of a beethoven. >> my mom made me take lessons about 10, 11 years growing up as a kid. right around when i started playing football, football became more of a focus for me and piano you put on the back

burner a little bit. it was always secondary for me, always a hobby but something that i always kept up. >> reporter: inside his home today heitmann employs both a piano and keyboard setup inner it connected with the apple program garage band. it is here where the stanford graduate composes his best work in the form of cinematic sound scapes. >> my style is more of a movie classical theme sounding stuff i guess i would characterize it. >> so dramatic it plays well essentially. it's dynamic. >> yeah. i'd like to think that. you guys can be the judge. >> reporter: while football is the profession and composition is the passion, it's the music that gives eric an escape from life when he needs it. >> i'll be home sunday night or after a big game and maybe there's something you need to crank out on the piano to kind of relieve some emotions or something. i use it as an escape. it's a good way to kind of release frustration or whatever emotions you're feeling at the

time. it's something i've done for so long, you know, i've played for so long i don't ever really want to let it go at this point. i enjoy playing and i'm going to keep doing it as long as i can. >> reporter: it's only natural to expect eric's musical endeavors will outlast his football career, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's planning for a future behind the keyboard. >> you never know. we'll see at some point maybe if there's something you can put out there. i'd love to get in a recording studio at some point, maybe not for profit, just something i could show my kids at some point. i'll continue to do this for as long as i can. >> reporter: brody brazil, comcast sportsnet. >> he's pretty good. his team's not doing bad either. that's going to do it for this edition of net impact. i'm your host and for all of us thanks for watching, see you again next month.

the sun devil fans are ready in tempe. zoarizona state is knocking on e march madness door. it's the final week of the pac 10 regular season. and while cal clinch eed at lea a share of the conference title, the usc trojans get a chance to become spoilers as arizona state looks to win its final two games in tempe to have a chance add tying the bears if they lose this weekend at stanford. sun devils junior ty abbott has been heating up while garrett laser remains the conference leader in assists.

there's a score to settle. the usc defense held arizona state to just 37 points in their last meeting. usc at arizona state. things could get a little rough around the edges. pac 10 college hoops sizzles right now. >> welcome by oberto beef jerky. as the trojans meet the sun devils and still have a chance to tie cal for the conference championship, and afterwards, we'll send you down interstate 10 to tucson as the wildcats play host to the ucla bruins. let's take a look at the pac-10

standings entering tonight's play. cal has clinched at least a tie for the title and will be the number one seed in next week's pac-10 title tournament. arizona has to win out to share that title. hi, everybody. i'm steve physioc. this is p.j. carlesimo. he's a guy who has coached in this situation before. he's led his team to the final four. huge game for arizona state. they're trying to get to the big show. they're trying to get the number two seed, and this is the time of year where herb sendic wants rbi to be rebound, basket, and attempts. >> p.j.: seeding is important. but i think most importantly, final chance to enhance that ncaa resume, just in case you don't get the automatic bid. >> steve: we will see two of the best defenses in the nation.

absolutely, in every defensive category, but more importantly, usc number three scoring defense. arizona state, number seven. the trojans also in the top ten field goal percentage. one team does it with man to man. the other team with zone. the two both excellent defensive teams. >> steve: this is the time of year where leadership and toughness wins all year, and arizona has a senior point guard. and he leads. >> p.j.: he leads. he's not only a point guard, but he can score from outside. he's an excellent three-point shooter. herb sendic makes mow bones about it, arizona state goes as he goes. very impressive career, and closing in on 1,000 points. >> steve: usc comes in cllosing three straight games. offensively, they have been down.

if they come up, dwight has to be your guy. >> p.j.: no question. if they're going to score points against this great defense, dwight has to show the way. >> steve: back on january 2nd, usc beat arizona state by two points. lewis was very good in that game. the sun devils, though, want the payback, and to move a little closer to the ncaa bid that they want so badly. it's all part of pac-10 hoops presented by oberto beef jerky. how do we e educate in a rapidly changing world? how can we create a sustainable way of life? how can we ♪

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>> steve: welcome back to tempe, arizona, and wells fargo arena for usc and arizona state. the sun devils after their 21st win of the year. usc comes in at 16-12. 8-8. the trojans starting five. kosovich, johnson, and gerrity. their coach, kevin o'neill, has done a terrific job despite sanctions, lost recruits, and a limited offense. he's led the team to 16 tough wins. the zo zone state starting lineup that kevin will see tonight, vucevic has been cold. he's been averaging 17 in conference play. mcmillin is the lead dog on defense and glasser is the

point. herb sendic is in tempe. he's averaged 22 wins in the last three years and does a terrific job particularly, p.j., on the defensive side of the ball. >> p.j.: their matchup zone is a problem for everybody who plays against them. again, these two teams you said scored 47 and 37, and they struggled to get to those numbers. points to going to be difficult to come by. somehow the teams have to manufacture the easy points. but they're not going to score against each other in the half court. >> steve: sun devil faithful out. sparky is right there leading them. and there is mike gerrity, the point guard who has led the team so well since being eligible in the second semester. the trojans have won 14 of the last 20 meetings. usc is in the cardinal and goal. arizona state in the white and

the maroon and gold. there's a look at the zone defense. this is the matchup. what's the key to breaking down the zone? >> p.j.: you need ball movement and man movement. it's very difficult. it's unusual. you don't play against it a lot. it's unique and it gives you a huge advantage. that's why herb sendic is so successful at scoring. >> steve: usc will go with a man defense. gerrity guarding glasser. the shot clocks are broken. nice cut by mcmillin. this is johnson. he's seen as the captain of the team. >> p.j.: if there's a shot that you need available to the players, it's tonight. >> steve: the steal on the bad

pass. abbott has been really strong since losing at usc when the team switched to motion. he's missed the shot. he's only had four point in the last two games after 17 in their impressive win at arizona. >> p.j.: one of the best returning three-point shooters in the country and he's been in and out all year. >> steve: vucevic even when someone completely left him alone. who is the guilty party? >> p.j.: two people are looking at each other. he couldn't believe how open he was. where's the white jersey? >> steve: and abbott was being held by dwight lewis. first on dwight. >> p.jms

>> steve: good defense early, and it's time for our flashback. march 14th 2009. staples center in los angeles and the pacific life pac-10 tournament championship between sixth seeded trojans and fourth seeded sun devils. demar derozan had a spectacular game, scoring 25 points, but the sun devils' dynamic duo of jeff harden and pendergraph had the sun devils up with two remaining in the game. that's when dwight lewis hit a clutch three-pointer to put the trojans ahead for good. usc captured their first ever pac-10 championship 66-63, and

herb sendek remembers it because they had a 15-point lead at halftime. >> p.j.: they did. that to me is why these two coaches have done such a great job. all those players. pendergraph, derozan, harden, hackett, ncaa teams last year, they could be back in it, usc could be back in it. these coaches have done a great job rebuilding. >> steve: mike montgomery has done a great job getting them their first pac-10 conference title in ten years. >> p.j.: i would split my vote three ways. the three have done a great job. what is impressive, these two teams, they're basically the main guy. >> steve: blocked by usc. you see marcus simmons in the game. he's an excellent defender. on the right side.

it's a turnover against usc. and we talk about coach of the year candidates. herb sendek had a 25-win team, but he lost pendergraph, harden, now in the nba. mike montgomery has done an excellent job even though he lost theo robinson back in november and december. >> p.j.: i think kevin o'neill is a deserving candidate, not going to the pac-10 tournament and not eligible for the ncaa don't give that merit. >> steve: abwit the three. when he's ought, he gets brilliant. we saw him score 28 at arizona and he was absolutely on fire. >> p.j.: you see kevin o'neill looking across. he's telling marcus, you have to get into his air space. you can't give him open looks. make him get into the ball. >> steve: leonard washington now into the game. missing, no good. lockett and boateng there to

pull it down. da jerren shipp played very well despite losing last week in california. >> p.j.: disappointing first half last week. >> steve: you're exactly right. they shot 52% in the first half. then, in the second half, they saw cal really tighten screws defensively. sun devils only shot 27% after the break. lockett, the freshman, on marcus johnson, the senior. shot clock down to nine. he swings it left. not a great shooter, misses. boateng has been averaging close to seven rebounds a game. >> p.j.: talk about swinging. a lot of skip passers want to move to ball to one side of the court or the other.

>> steve: simmons on glasser. he did an excellent job on derek when they played at usc. johnson rebounds the miss. >> p.j.: both these coaches would love to run and get something in transition, but they're both so good at getting it back on defense. if it's not going to be a turnover, it's not going to be too many fastbreaks either. >> steve: washington coming out on lockett very quick. excellent three-point shooting team. 44% of the shots from three-point range. >> p.j.: they're going to get 22 or 23 threes off every night. but are they going to be good ones like that one? >> steve: they miss with a second left. they get it back.

for three. >> p.j.: offense rebound is one of the best ways to get three-point attempts, particularly open ones. arizona state will get much better three-point shots off offensive rebounds than they will off their half-court offense. >> steve: all nine points on thr three-point shots by abbott. gerrity. this is a limited offense with lewis on the sideline. they don't have much outside shooting. he scores from three-point range. mike gerrity, just a 32% shooter from that range, knocks it down. here is lockett. >> p.j.: what a difference gerrity made when he became eligible. 12-8 while gerrity has been playing. >> steve: is that a charge? it's a block, and it will go against usc's big man, alex stephenson. we have a time-out on the floor. there's your leader, the senior,

derek glasser from marina del rey, california, grabbing the rebound and knocking down a three.

we americans are always at our best when we hear and heed the cries of others. when confronted with massive human suffering, americans have always stepped up and answered the call to help. but there's never been anything on the scale of human tragedy in our own hemisphere like what we're now witnessing in haiti. y president clinton and i are joining together to appeal to you with real urgency. give now, and lives will be saved. thank you. thank you. >> steve: usc with a 10-9 lead over arizona state. on saturday, get ready, there light are on and the house is rocking for a pac-ten doubleheader. number two stanford tunes up for the madness against bitter rival cal.

then the regular season comes to a close as cal takes on landry fields and stanford. the action tips off at 3:30 eastern. here in tempe, arizona, the sun devils lead the pac-10 in three-point shooting percentage. >> p.j.: three already and they're 3 for 7 from the three-point line. glasser, three for 12 overall. arizona shooting, but more importantly, 3 for 7 from the three-point line. >> steve: and you see what they did january 2nd. 5 for 23. and what made life even more difficult was the fact that they only shot 24%, a season low for the game. and glasser was 1 for 14. >> p.j.: last weekend, 3 for 22. and in berkeley, the big three went 0 for 15.

>> steve: shots from three-point range, you have to make 30%, 35%. >> p.j.: no question. this is a team that doesn't have an inside presence. they're not going to get a lot inside. they're not a dominant team. they already have two offensive rebounds tonight. they're not going to have a shot at the perimeter. >> steve: this is jerren shipp playing his last two games at wells fargo arena. has a couple free throws here. now out on the point in that amoeba-like defense. love to watch mcmillan's eyes. >> p.j.: he's focused defensively. father nate one of the best defensive players in nba history. >> steve: vucevic trying to back in and score.

they're scoring in the ha half-court against these two teams. >> p.j.: particularly when you hold the ball on the dribble, you're not going to score. you can shoot it from side to side. you need an open look. i am really surprised at the quality of the looks arizona state has gotten from the perimeter already. >> steve: kevin o'neill concerned about that as mcmillan knocks one down. washington knocks it down with a beautiful inside move between two defenders. >> p.j.: good interior passing. and again, it's important for the usc big men to realize they're not shot blockers. they just need to space more and move. you don't do business inside. the university of california can hurt arizona state in the paint. the question is are they going to bow able to get the pass?

>> steve: this is leonard washington, probably an und undersized post player, but i wamped him last year and he had ten points and seven rebounds. so he had a big game for them. >> p.j.: a lot of experience, a lot of big-game experience. last year, they were complementary players. a lot are calling on him to step up asand be the main man. >> steve: simmons being very physical with glasser. another good look, then vucevic covers him up. >> p.j.: and that's a tough cover for vucevic. he's a perimeter player. >> steve: sucucksics calls down. the pump shot working for asu early. the steal by glasser. but simmons gets it back. and derek is down.

looks like he bumped his right elbow. boateng has done a nice job on the defensive boards. >> p.j.: in transition, you struggle so much, sometimes you wonder why they shoot it so quick. because it's a better quality shot than they can get 20 seconds into the shot clock. >> steve: glasser is in some kind of pain. >> p.j.: looks like the thumb got bent back and he rammed into something. >> steve: glasser. not this time, a little short. whips it inside vucevic. >> p.j.: uncharacteristic roll for arizona state. that's the third offensive rebound. you would expect southern california to be the scorer, getting the offensive rebound. got the first shot. sometimes it's the quality of

the second shot. good look right there, and the finish. >> steve: now time to trach salook at the pac-10 headlines. right now, the sun devils have 20 wins and 10 in conference play and the league try to get three in the show. the cal bears secured the number one seed, asu can claim a share of the title by winning the remaining two games and cal must lose at stanford. top ten player of the week, cal's jamal boykin. great victories over arizona and arizona state. and how about landry field? he may play on a seventh place team and win the player of the year? >> p.j.: he's been so consistent game in and game out. doesn't matter if he's at home or on the road. he's performed consistently. >> steve: i have seen the pac-10 conference all year long and i

still think the national forecasters are judging it on what they did in november and december. the much better league now. >> p.j.: no question about it. in talking to herb sendek yesterday at practice -- vucevic, transition. they got the ball up the floor quickly and got an open look. herb was talking about starting. so many good players last year, six in the first round of the draft. he didn't get off to a good start in nonconference. that's how you set the tone they have been talking about all year. >> steve: shipp misses. usc rebounds. time-out, kevin o'neill. he does not like the path this game is going. >> p.j.: the quality of their defense is not there. a, they're giving up defensive rebounds. b, they're giving up open looks. he repeatedly talks about occupying air space. that means if you're a good

shooter, i'm right into you. i make you put the ball on the floor. i make you beat me on the dribble. you're not going to get an open three-point shot. arizona state is getting good looks. the last guy you get an open look in transition is rick kukzic. >> doesn't he look like gary williams did last night when they beat duke? >> p.j.: yes, but he doesn't mind if he gets the same result maryland got last night. >> steve: the academic stars as we take a look at catherine ellis of usc, an electrical engineering, a 3.91 gpa, and eric potaboateng, a senior cent. he said he wants to either be a diplomat or ambassador when he leaves basketball. i love that. >> p.j.: i hope he plays a little bit. he can play, if not here, he can certain play in europe. and a delightful guy to chat with. an impressive young man. much improved.

11 for 11. he's a much better offensive player than he was earlier in his career. a transfer from duke. >> steve: we'll take a break as they clean that up. 7:30 to play. arizona state putting it to usc early. is aptaakin arein lr ta oks t's inte. ftta cle! movebelt watyour. sevears pill ana fte t! ♪ e trs arinde ann ] trak rewembe ta rous nor reg get ee. deta amtm.

>> steve: arizona state with a five-point lead on usc. if the season were to end today, the pacific life pac-10 tournament bracket would look like this, p.j. i think all four games to start, and even though they're playing a game on wednesday, it could be an overtime situation. last-second shot. >> p.j.: it's going to be an unbelievable tournament. the bottom half of the league trying to avoid that wednesday night game. you don't want to play 8:00 wednesday night and come back the next day at 2:30 and have the cal golden bears waiting for you. try to win four in a row starting off that way. >> steve: p.j. is a longtime coach, so he understands that. nice job against usc, made just 6 of their 15 shots. >> p.j.: he looks fine. hopefully that was just a stinger. >> steve: got him off on the side with mcmillan now running

the point. >> p.j.: that's one of those, the two of them were railing on each other. just a question of when you're going to call the whistle. there were four fouls in there, whether you're going to call it on the offensive man or defensive man. five team fouls for southern cal. >> steve: getting there early. and arizona state is a very good foul shooting team. there's a push-off. it's against marcus johnson. that's their sixth team foul with 6:53 to play. one more and they'll be shooting one plus in the penalty. >> p.j.: kevin o'neill is very upset, not just with the officiating but with the players, as well. >> steve: second foul on johnson. ty abbott with the leaner. left hand, no.

rebound, open. he has the slapped away. had made 14 straight shots. johnson, wraps it around. misses, and boateng gets it back. >> p.j.: nothing easy at the rim for either team. much better job that time. marcus got out and closed it. didn't allow the shot in transition. >> steve: boateng already with seven rebounds. another whistle away from the basketball. it will go against arizona state. looked like an illegal screen. 6:08. last year at the three-minute mark of the ball game, arizona state holding at 28 points. we're more than halfway there. abbott reached in.

this is a personal. our officials tonight, mike breen, ramos, and michael irv g irving. >> p.j.: a good crew, but you've got 2 aggressive, very, very good teams. you don't need to call every foul. >> steve: usc needs more breakouts because gerrity is so important. usc runs the defense through him, and they get the ball to him so fast. they haven't had many opportunities to do that. >> p.j.: they need offensive rebounds. they're a much better offensive rebounding team than arizona state. they're still looking for their first offensive rebound. >> steve: lewis back in there. pushes it around. this is johnson. and an air ball. count the basket. wow. >> p.j.: an offensive rebound or a pass? >> steve: o.r.

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he beginning of the year, usc was down near the bottom, and arizonatawa edinhseth eyht re ing down cifornia's back although they l in berkeley last week. is hasen a leth ar i still believe if arizona stat, california, and washington do what they should do this weekend, all three teams should get in. >> p.j.: i agree with you, steve, but it's a big if. i doeblt want to say that they have to win, that washington has to win both games, that arizona

has to win two games, california obviously sitting the best. i think they have accomplished more. the bodywork is better. i can assure you that none of the coaches feel secure. they would like to get at least one, maybe two in. >> steve: if the cal bears beat stanford on saturday, there's no way you can't welcome the regular season champion in. >> p.j.: i agree with you. i think you're right, but i assure you that mike montgomery is going to worry about the 8:30 game against the winner. he's going to say, guys, we have to get this. >> steve: and those five seniors better be focused on saturday as well. >> p.j.: i think they will be. >> steve: the separation in game and shot clock of 20 seconds. 30 seconds on the game clock. ten on the shot clock.

glasser with the pullup, no. washington rebounds, and now usc can go for the final shot and make it a one-point game with a three. >> p.j.: again, kevin o'neill is not going to be happy, but he's going to feel good about the fact that they should be down more than four points. >> steve: trying to take kuksiks, and he bumped him with the right knee. >> p.j.: tough call. good job by gerrity. he had a bigger man on him and he knew it so he wanted to attack on dribble. a decent job moving his feet. again, if you're not in the mode, it's not a big deal. it's fouled away. >> steve: second personal. gerrity, one of the better foul

shooters at 74%. as a team, usc is ninth in the conference at under 65%. arizona state, not much better at 71%. gerrity makes them both. 4.4 left. they get it to glasser. he's guarded by simmons. no, how about this? just 44 total points, and arizona state, even though they had the tempo, only lead by two. our score at the break, arizona state, 23. usc, 21. when we return, we'll have hoops highlights and then derek glasser playing the sun devils' high pick and roll. you're watching the pac-10 hoops halftime show. younts b 17 areiallurag to g h1nvaccine. moreu.go to, well t th

welcome to the halftime show. the sun devils lead the trojans. while most teams are trying to just make the ncaa tournament, others are trying to umprove their seed. one of those teams is michigan state. if they win out, they win tie for the national championship. the spartans hosting penn state. two minutes to go, spartans down two. ties it up at 62. michigan with two. lucas misses the free throw. penn state, a chance. but battle doesn't get a shot off before the clock expires.

the spartans hold on. >> number 17 pitt looking to enhance their seed, hosting providence. first half, jermaine dickens comes up with the steal. he's going to find acton gibbs who hits a three. but pitt is trailing early on in the first half, 15-11. bragging rights in the garden state, seton hall/rutgers, and greg schiano downloading the latest app, watch the game. it was a good u.one. seton hall would pull it out. ole miss going to get their 20th win of the season hosting lsu. chris warren hits from long range. mississippi leading 19-13 in the first half. for all the day's highlights, tune in to the "final score" presented by burger king. tonight, ucla at arizona on most of the regional sports networks. we have another half in tempe as

the sun devils lead the trojans. we'll send it back to wells fargo arena after the break. expectant moms are especially encouraged to get both the h1n1 and seasonal flu va. geth can fight the flu.

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welcome back to pac-10 college hoops halftime show. we're in tempe. let's take you inside the game as they're calling. we had a chance to demonstrate the sun devil high pick and roll. >> you guys run a lot of high screen and roll here at arizona state. you need to get offense out of it. you need to score out of it because you're the second-leading scorer. let's get you set up and you walk and talk us through what you're trying to get out of this. >> the first thing i like to do is read my man, whether he's coming over the screen or going under the screen. that determines where your man is going to play, whether he hard hedges or soft hedges. and as you roll or pop, i read the help defense. >> you need to score. how difficult has it been with you getting your own out of this in. >> this year, it seems like i've been able to find guys more open because we don't have james. it's important for me to try to get to the basket.

>> let's get bobby sullivan out here. bobby is going to guard you, derek. let's see how he reads this pick or how you read him. >> as he's coming over the top, your man is sitting in the lane. you're going to pop and i'm going to hit you. you're going to knock him down. >> derek glasser and the pick and roll. and in the first half, glasser had four points. arizona state with a slim lead on usc, and the sun devils need a big win to make it to show í

welcome back to the pac-10 college hoops halftime show. arizona state with a two-point lead on u ssc. back in wells fargo arena. steve physioc with p.j. carlesimo. herb sendek has to be concerned. 7 for 23 in the first half, and only two of the field goals inside three-point range. >> p.j.: they're knocking down the three-point shot. that's the difference in the game. if you're shooting 30% and still leading, you have to feel good about that. four different players have knocked down three-pointers for the done sevals. ty abbott on top. even jamelle mcmillan chips in. so the three-point shot has been the difference. 5 for 11 from the three-point line for arizona state. that's why they're leading. you look at the other numbers,

free throws, not much to choose from. or rebounds, total rebounds. offensive rebounds, a big difference in the game. disparities, points in the paint, you would expect southern cal to be doing a better job getting inside, tare scoring inside. >> steve: these two teams met in the pac-10 tournament last year. arizona let by 14 and lost the game. >> danielle orsillo has been one of the standout leaders for the sun devils. her play has been clutch, including hitting the game-winner at california with half a second on the clock. she's also clutch in the class . e' our

>> steve: a lot of good eating spots on the asu campus. and the sun devils with a two-point lead over usc, 23-21. something that might be troubling for the sun devils,

dwight lewis, the stop scoring for usc, has not scored, and they're within two. glasser with boateng, mcmillan, abbott, and kuksiks. abbott can't get it to fall. here is gerrity trying to tie the game. >> p.j.: three-point line to three-point line. the limit for gerrity. stop him at the three-point line. no penetration. >> steve: looks like they're trying to set up a play. stepheson trying to bowl his way in. gerrity has to shoot. throws up an air ball. we take a look at the scoring lead leaders. gerrity led usc with seven point. stepheson with five. then kuksiks with eight. boateng shut out. he has seven rebounds, though.

marcus johnson. >> p.j.: three personal fouls. kevin o'neill wants to make sure he has him until the end of the game. >> steve: these are two grind-it-out teams. a asu, here is dwight lewis. his first points of the game. and now he's tied it at 23. >> p.j.: dwight overheard you talked about him and figured he would answer right away, early second half. >> steve: note how quickly the defenders get to the shooter. his third three of the night. earlier this year, that man hit eight in one game in a victory over usf. >> p.j.: you talked about it, steve. usc did a good job running the

first two three-point shooter off the line. not this one. >> steve: marcus simmons, this is lewis on the drive. out of bounds. still usc basketball. usc is beating the good pac-10 teams this year. they're 7-1 versus the conference in top ten teams yet 1-7 versus the conference's final four teams. >> p.j.: if you go back two weeks ago to washington state or at home against oregon, they were beaten up in the second half. they're taking care of the teams that they perceive are capable of being beaten. >> steve: they're 0-4 against the two teams that run zone. >> p.j.: attacking zone is not their forte, no question.

>> steve: boateng with the foul. and eric, not a very good foul shooter at just 55% this year. the vowel is against vucevic. >> p.j.: front line is very, very difficult to attack inside. stepheson and vucevic. >> steve: and vucevic does not have a rebound in the game. >> p.j.: talking about the number one rebounder in the pacific conference. >> steve: the first. one more to try to get arizona state the lead. >> p.j.: he's an unusual rebounder, too. good offensively and defensively. some guys are stronger at one end or the other. he's very good defensively. but also good offensive rebounder. so far, hasn't made a play today. >> steve: he's going to have a great future. he's 19. he turns 20 next october and he's a sophomore. >> p.j.: still a long way to go. >> steve: 2007, he was the best

young player. dad was a great basketball player. as you see marcus simmons drop one in. father played 24 years for the yugoslavian national teams. this is the tenth time for arizona state. they need games desperately this weekend, first against usc, and they lost to the trojans at the galen center back in early january by ten points. stepheson just picked up his third personal foul. >> p.j.: this is a very difficult time for a lot of times. mike gerrity with a good contest to take away the layup. >> steve: a tremendous shot. usc has a three-point lead. >> p.j.: usually you don't see

degree of difficulty as a category in layups, but it's very difficult to finish inside. >> steve: abbott, his second shot of the game he's made. and both have come from three-point range. this ties the contest at 30. >> steve: washington working his way in, throws it away. save by gerrity. good rebound by vucevic. his first board of the game. gerrity. leonard washington. >> p.j.: offensive rebounds lead to easy points. >> steve: it almost seems like

this shot is really slow tonight. like he's aiming. >> p.j.: this isn't aziny team to play against. you take away his penetration, you take away the pick and roll, the screen and roll, it's hard to generation offense. >> steve: he was 1 for 8 in their loss at the galen center and strugging tonight úúúúúúúúúú

>> steve: coming up after our game, we'll take you to join barry and marcus in tucson as freshman sensation derrick williams and the arizona wildcats play host to another hot shot freshman in tyler honeycutt and the ucla bruins. pac-10 hoops presented by oberto beef jerky. thursday night in the pac-10 conference. herb sendek, what does he have going? >> p.j.: he wants to live by the three-point shot. kevin o'neill is talking about getting them off the line. look at this, three-point shot. get them off the line. runs them off the line. three-point shot, runs them off the line, but they don't run kuksiks off the line. there's space right there for him. you can't give him that space. that's the problem. southern cal when they have done a good job running the shooters

off the line, no three-point shots. when they don't, open looks. that's what gave arizona the lead in the first half, and in the game right now. >> steve: arizona state with the basketball coming out of the break. abbott, he hit just two field goals inside of three-point range. 7 of their 9 field goals have been three-pointers. abbott. vucevic is hit by shipp, and a foul will be called. >> p.j.: herb sendek is hit, and he's upset, but again, kevin o'neill was screaming about getting into their air space. >> steve: ooh, and herb is mad. he's done a marvelous job. losing a couple big players last year in james pendergraph and james harden. the bears lift a share of the

conference title for the first time in 50 years. cal will be at stanford this saturday, and a big game where cal can basically wrap it up. they already are the number one seed in the pacific life pac-10 tournament. boateng coming back in. >> p.j.: marcus simmons has done a nice job responding in the second half, giving usc a lift. >> steve: lewis with two field goals early in the half. leonard washington off the block throws it up. to ty abbott, and stolen by gerrity. what a play by mike gerrity. instead, he throws it away. lewis knocks it out of bounds. it will be arizona state

basketball. >> p.j.: all you have to do is watch the last 20 seconds to see the defense. gerrity sees the outlet pass, gets over and makes the hustle play. unable to finish inside. usc, a turnover. look at the hustle. there's gerrity with the play. there, saves it in. >> steve: open look. his fourth three-pointer of the game. >> p.j.: comes off an inbound play. we saw usc work on that this morning. >> steve: he's 2 01 for threes in his career. dwight lewis has all three of his in the second half. and usc with a one-point lead. derek glasser walked on at usc after his sophomore year at california. then when a scholarship

opportunity opened up at arizona state, he came here and stayed here ever since. >> p.j.: he came here not so much with really much expected for him. but he's got a three-point shot from the perimeter, gives them leadership. he leads in assists, games played, and free-throw percent. >> steve: he's eight points shy of becoming the first arizona player with 1,000 points and assists. he has just one point. and that came from the free-throw line early in game. >> p.j.: you can see the look on derek glasser's face. finally, they made a call. marcus simmons did a good job staying in front of him, and then he came out of the defensive crouch. >> steve: and i beg your pardon.

glasser does have a three-point shot to go with his free throws. he has four. beg your pardon. boateng picking it up after throwing it down. sun devils by one. >> p.j.: a bit of a lucky bounce, but another offensive rebound. got into the game at their own volition. herb didn't have to ask them this time. >> steve: johnson, defensive foul on glasser. >> p.j.: if you work hard, good things happen. the ball is bouncing around. right place at the right time. eric boateng with an uncontested look. marcus jackson can't believe he went for the ball and it bounced over his head to boateng. >> steve: he's one of the most improved players in the conference.

arizona state has two of them, ty abbott and eric boateng, much improved from a year ago. boateng only had 14 field goals all last year. he went 11 for 11 in stanford in a victory by arizona state last week. >> p.j.: the theme this year, so many young players pressed into contributing roles. >> steve: 32 of the 50 top starters are sophomores this year. that's an offensive foul on ty abbott. >> p.j.: on donte smith in the first half for his decision. he returns the favor right here. he rotates over and gets position. ty abbott doesn't recognize. you can bank on if you put the ball on the floor, you're not going to be able to get to the rim. >> steve: he's not had a good

game since the game against ucla. smith. rebounded. mcmillan. >> p.j.: smith, nice perimeter shot. >> steve: for three. >> steve: defense by arizona state. the offense has been led by kuksiks.

the images from haiti are heart-breaking-- homes, hospitals, and schools destroyed; families searching for loved ones;

parents trying to feed their children. but we can all do something. we can help the american red cross as it delivers the food, water, and medicine that can save lives. donate $10 by texting "haiti" to 9-0-9-9-9. visit redcross.org or call 1-800-red-cross. thanks for your help. >> steve: welcome back. arizona state on top of usc by three, and rick kuksiks has been the difrbs difference. you can't allow him that shot. moving without the ball. too many times are they challenged. 6 for 10 from the field. 5 for 7 from the three-point line. after a 1 for 12 loss last

weekend in the bay area last weekend for rihards cook sicks. >> he has really been rock solid. kid out of latvia who played at an academy in the summer for the latvian team. this is lewis. he's scored all of his points in the second half. he's 4 of 6 from the floor. >> p.j.: he really needed to respond. >> steve: arizona state. leonard washington is fouled. >> p.j.: good job pushing the ball by donte. good hustle. he does a good job, stops at the line looks li

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five-point lead over stngritan fie. twiis wnd ha2 wan12cre ks f aa meantime, arizona state seems like they have to hit the threes to be in a ball game. >> p.j.: they're doing it with good offensive execution. boateng is going to come in the picture and set a screen. behind it, thrasher comes off the pick and roll. they're going to set a screen to get kuksiks open. here is the screen. now boateng screens on johnson. that gets kuksiks the open look. that's good offensive execution by the sun devils. >> steve: arizona state is 11 of 19 from three-point range. inside the arc, they're 3 of 16.

incredible with 20 points. 6 of 8 from three-point range. >> p.j.: they need to respond right now. >> steve: rohde in the game defending stepheson. six rebounds, and immediately gets the ball to his point guard, derek glasser. pick and roll, but rohde doesn't roll. setting screens out top for everybody, throw. >> p.j.: sendek calls that action. >> steve: finally misses. he tries to take the much smaller man. no, good defense. partially blocked.

stepheson gets it back and scores. >> p.j.: that's your conventional offensive rebound. you had a blocked shot out of the corner. alex came right to him. and he converted inside. huge basket. >> steve: every single basket is a grind now, even the three-point shots come within 30 seconds. shot prevented by gerrity. >> p.j.: they gave them good production in minutes in the first half. >> steve: clock down to eight. need to set a screen for glasser. derek lays it up and misses the rim. it will be usc basketball after marvelous defense. i thought he was going to draw and kick to ty abbott, but he did not. >> p.j.: the help didn't come to c$gñgñgñgñgñgñgñgñgñgñgñgñgñgñgñ

>> steve: arizona state, trying to fight their way in. they have a three-point lead on usc. join us saturday at 6:00 eastern for a final regular season pac-10 telecast of the season as they host stanford. the bears and cardinals on pac-10 hoops presented by kfc saturday at 6:00 eastern, 3

pacific. jerome randall has been outstanding. scoring 19 points a game. quincy pondexter, they have doubled down defensively on him, and landry fields is averaging 22. >> p.j.: he's put the cardinal on his back all year. jerome randall has an edge because he led his team to the regular season, at least a share of the championship. pondexter has been consistent, solid, and it's a different role for him. >> steve: if cal wins over stanford on saturday, they'll be 13-5 in conference play and 1-9 overall. and they would be the pac-10's regular season champs. reminder, that's coming up next. arizona will be hosting ucla. johnson missing. another tough rebound that goes out of bounds. last touched by usc's marcus

simmons. slow in getting up and rubbing his left shoulder. >> p.j.: rugby scrub for that rebound right there. goes out of bounds to the sun devils. >> steve: derris glasser has been tied up on the side of the three-pointer shot that put them up by five. now they lead by three. abbott to donte smith on him. >> p.j.: they've been waiting for the double team. it's not coming. big possession right there. and an impressive finish for eric boateng. >> steve: inside of six to play. gerrity.

he kept that dribble low. >> p.j.: he kept it low, and that's great ball control, great control of his lower body. keeping his balance to finish on that side. >> steve: every possession of this game has been so important. drilling defensively. nice job defensive ly on him th last three minutes. how about that shot? inside the arc! >> p.j.: well defended, better offense by kuksiks, under a lot of pressure with the finish inside. kuksiks' career high is 27. did that twice in san francisco and washington. he has 22 tonight on 8 of 13 from the floor and 6 of 9 from three-point range.

simmons, oh, tough shot. >> p.j.: gerrity and simmons with back-to-back field goals. usc hanging on by their fingernails right now. twice they have come back when they had to. >> steve: you have to admire the guts of usc. they're playing for absolutely nothing. misses the three. here is donte smith with a chance to tie for three. >> p.j.: usc played all the possessions for 40 minutes. you're going to get your money's worth watching them every night. >> steve: if you don't, kevin o'neill will find somebody who will. good defense. gerrity lets it fly. and he is fouled. he'll have three free throw shots. >> p.j.: hard, hard to score right here.

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line. when he's open, he's been money. what has impressed me is when they have done a good job and pressured them, the ability to put the ball on the floor and finish inside and opened up for five rebounds. very good game. to this point, derek glasser comes out with a chance to tie the game with three free throws. >> steve: it will be mike gerrity at the line, the 74% free-throw shooter. he had a great coach in gary mcknight, and he's producing another few great players. tyler lamb will be going to ucla, pac-10 school next year. >> p.j.: gary is not going to appreciate me talking about his coaching. he's been doing it for years. >> steve: garalerrity trying to

it. he only has a chance to bring his team to within one. >> p.j.: he's a pretty good free-throw shooter. makes three in a row, difficult. >> steve: 48-47. inside four to play. pressure from usc. now they leave glasser alone and let simmons take him one-on-one. shipp on the drive, pulls it back. trying to post up. he does on leonard washington, and then gets tied up on the floor and finally gets it to ty abbott. inside to shipp. a three-point asu lead. >> p.j.: exactly the way it was diagrammed, steve. >> steve: fumbling it around to somebody, fellows.

>> p.j.: how many guys from usc can respond? >> steve: incredible defense. two of the best defenses in america here tonight. >> p.j.: ty abbott, real good job with penetration. >> steve: gerrity. missing. boateng, rebounds. >> steve: very, very difficult to power the ball and beat arizona state with dribble penetration. >> steve: gerrity holding. eight seconds on the shot clock. here is abbott. and he'll have three shots.

three seconds left on the shot clock, and donte smith ran by him and hit his arm. >> p.j.: keveniin o'neill u when they called the foul on ty abbott. a careless foul. >> steve: he's 26 feet out of the door. >> p.j.: that was a tired offensive possession for arizona state. much as usc's last possession appeared to be a tired possession. >> steve: now, arizona state has gone to their sideline. they're talking with herb sendek. this is a huge game for the devils.

it's

again. they just need a solid defensive possession and a defensive rebound. >> steve: because of the sanctions, usc's season will be over on saturday. for arizona state, they want to move on. they have 20 wins. they know how important tonight and saturday against ucla are. california, they have already clinched a share of the pac-10 title. marvelous victory last week over

arizona state. the sun devils are just a half-game back. >> p.j.: both have done a great job no question to this point. you don't want to go into the tournament thinking you need to win the tournament. you want to feel comfortable. that's hard for coaches to feel comfortable. you need both of these wins for arizona state. >> steve: and sendek had a message when he talks to the athletes. he said, we're not talking about the weekend. we're only talking about usc, and that's it. >> p.j.: uusc, you weren't sure after the way they played last week, they have shown up clearly. 42 seconds, usc does not have to foul. >> steve: separation of shot clock and game clock, 7.8

seconds. >> p.j.: both teams in the bonus if there's a foul. >> steve: knocked out of bounds by marcus johnson. >> p.j.: it will be an adventure to get it in, to get it up the floor. then it's 30 seconds. >> steve: outside of boateng, they have their best foul shooters on the floor. he is the guy they would most like to foul. >> p.j.: before this, because it came after a basket, he had the ability to run the entire baseline. right now, ty abbott is locked in. he can't move. that makes it more difficult to inbound the ball. >> steve: the way they're setting up, they'll probably change that. and herb sendek has done such a great job this year, and arizona state has only had one pac-10 coach of the year in 30 years. that was in 1980. the last four years, this guy has really built a diamond here in tempe. eight wins the first year when

they had no talent. 21-25-20 this year after losing harden and pendergraph. >> p.j.: the difference now is we're talking about a program. it's not a team, it's a good basketball program herb sendek is building, has built at arizona state. when you can sustain it, when you can lose players like harden or pendergraph and still be in a hunt for an ncaa bid. >> steve: see if they have glasser to cut to them. they pick him up quickly. trying to inbound, thel calls another time-out. what a great defensive set by usc. >> p.j.: it's not easy to inbound the ball. full court when you can't run the baseline. bott locked into the corner right now. you see ty just out of our e right there. he cannot move. they're not pressuring the ball. usc is usi

done. everybody is doing a good thing. they're not putting pressure on the inbounder. he's got his back to the ball.

he's the most logical receiver. whoever comes into the play, that's who they're going to play. no one guarding ty abbott. so you have five defenders guarding four defensive players. not easy. no time-outs left for arizona state. >> steve: what if they had glasser run right at lewis like a wide receiver break off into a post? >> p.j.: what hufrts you is you have the courage to throw the long pass. you can't throw that long pass unless it's been drilled. you can't say we're going to throw a 70-foot basketball pass in the game. if it's in your quiver, fine. if it's not, you have to move over and get over it. >> steve: particularly when the guy is boateng, a 55% foul shooter. >> p.j.: that the thing that is limiting arizona state a little bit. they don't want to inbound the ball to just anybody. they want it in glasser's hands. they want to put the best

free-throw shooter on the line if usc chooses to foul. again, we're forgetting it's been so long. there's still 42 seconds left in the game. usc does not have to foul. >> steve: has the main guy been dwight lewis since the opportunity? >> p.j.: i think it's giet and simmons. giet right now with his back to abbott. he's going to take the most logical receiver. >> steve: foul will be called on simmons because he did not allow glasser to work the baseline. >> p.j.: it's a tough call, but there's something there. kevin o'neill can't believe it. you canis lips, let th decide it. here comes g in. he reached the cross. right there, he reached across the neck and shoulder. now, asu has just the man they want at the free-throw line. >> steve: stay with us. ucla and arizona next. here is the senior, glasser, an 89% foul shooter.

>> p.j.: a career still far from over, but as we speak, the career free-throw leader. >> steve: if he makes this, he'll have 1,000 points. first man in asu history to have 1,000 points and 500 assists. and he would have been a walk-on at usc. >> p.j.: good position for usc. you have to score quickly. it does not have to be a three. >> steve: johnson. oh, leonard washington with the offensive goaltending call! oh, my goodness! what was he thinking about? >> p.j.: not thinking. he's playing hard, hustling. it's a great hustle play and a terrible mental mistake. marcus jackson we get the ball, was going down. absolutely didn't have to do it. that ball was going to be in. no choice but to foul now. unless you and come up with the steal and the inbounds pass.

>> steve: and the whistle away from where abbott was, and it looks like simmons got a little physical with derek glasser again. what an incredible defensive game. >> p.j.: kevin o'neill can't believe what he's looking at right now. they do a great job, get to the rim and finish. get whiiped out. now it's the second straight time they have committed a

happen, it's still a one-possession game. >> steve: and if you have enjoyed this, next week's pacific life pac-10 tournament is going to be incredible. every single game should be close, so get your tickets now and get out to staples center. it's a wonderful time to watch terrific college basketball. >> p.j.: no time-outs. both teams will be in the bonus.

ty abbott can run the baseline. that's a great opportunity. >> steve: try to get it in to glasser. it's going to go to kuksiks. he's finally fouled. an intentional because he was grabbed by johnson. i think they'll just make it a bonus opportunity and still a one-point to

well defended by arizona state. again, taking the ball to the

basked, boateng with a great bob. kuksiks, good help. >> steve: two shots for derek glasser. that should be the icing on the cake. >> p.j.: and set and match. >> steve: arizona state looking for their 21st win. they're knocking on the march madness door. and now trying to knock down the door as they have won and beaten usc on their biggest weekend of the year. the final score, arizona state, 59. usc, 54. so asu with their 11th conference win, now 21 overall. pac-10 conference trying to get three into the ncaa tournament. washington has a big game

tonight against oregon. up next, our pac-10 hoops doubleheader continues as the ucla bruins meet arizona. this is steve physioc with p.j. carlesimo saying so long from tempe. tempe. you have been watching

hi hi ♪ling ("dorry py") and now to wise. want to welcome all of you who watched the usc, arizona state game. a reverse by williams. he is the king of the and one's. >> marcus: getting to the free-throw line, his ability to move without the basketball. finding the openings in the zone. starting out on the left box. ready to receive the pass inside. he has tremendous footwork and skills in terms of finishing off plays inside.

>> marcus: finishing off the plays on the inside. >> barry: at the camp us, two long-time rivalries. brendan lane has played well of late. >> barry: a shot, snatching it out of the air. here comes the bruins. knock it away for hill. >> marcus: trying to force the issue. nowhere to go. travis between two defenders. >> barry: roll, in the passing lane. malcolm lee worked on by the smaller wise. honeycutt. chasing him. a block. and a pop. >> marcus: you can see ben

howland, what his game plan s take advantage of the lack of shot blockers. especially with notice horne at the scorer's table out of the game. >> barry: sean miller will go to his bench quickly. and fogg leave, hill leaves and jones and that is a freshman you will hear for a long time. getting better by the game of the. >> marcus: lamont jones. the famous oak hill academy. he and nic wise, two exceptional ball handlers on the floor at the same time. he is a scorer off the dribble. >> barry: to the corner for three.

>> marcus: on 46%, horne, a good job working on his skill set, improving his range. >> barry: drop it down for dragovic. scores. >> marcus: overloading the left side of the zone. they are finding the gap in the zone underneath. go out and defend the corners. nice job. >> barry: nic wise can't get it. roll with another rebound. >> marcus: short corner passes. cutters. >> barry: playing with a painful left shoulder. i would think he will go right most of the way. trouble shooting with the left hand in practice. roll. quick release. it won't go. williams the rebound. >> marcus: trailing defensively.

>> barry: roll with another rebound. he has five rebounds early in this game. >> marcus: whatever you need for him to do on the floor, knocking down open shots, distributing the basketball. tonight, rebounding the ball. nothing flashy, just consistent. >> barry: off the window. i think this guy has to have a game of 20 points. he scores like that the bruins win basketball games. >> barry: six in the first 4:30. >> marcus: starting him off inside first, then, after his confidence is up, knock down the jump shot. >> barry: lane with a rebound. ben howland wants them to spread out a bit. this is lee, roll. the block.

honeycutt leads the lane. 10 on the shot clock. plebty of time. honeycutt, and williams. not in here! >> marcus: ouch! >> barry: and the slam at the other end, williams from jones. >> marcus: don't punctuate like that at the other end. blocked a tip of stanford, to allow jones to knock down the winner. felt what it felt like. >> barry: gets the crowd involved immediately. roll, cut off, but a nice pull-up. >> marcus: michael, it has been an inconsistent season, been that way for most in the conference. the pac 10 tournament will give us an opportunity to get into the ncaas, we still have

something to play for. that is how he is approaching this game. >> dave: the bruins will walk t a time-out. honeycutt took the extra step. >> marcus: williams, on top of lane. then, nic wise, a nice job finding the runner.

>> barry: the block from williams a moment ago, took you back to a week ago, last saturday at stanford, jack trotter, a wide open shot. there is williams, blocks the shot. look at the players on the floor. all the youngsters. fogg, a sophomore. jones, just a freshman. alongside him, lavender, getting a start tonight, williams, made the block. first year player and hill, the first-year player. those were the guys at the end of the game when arizona had to have a basket to win and they got it.

>> marcus: a lot of credit to sean miller. playing with those who are playing well. many coaches would have put nic wise on the floor just because. getting effort out of the freshmen. >> barry: saw the breakdown. one senior, one jeern, everybody else is a sophomore or freshman. a bit of bump, and there is a guy who can step out and shoot it. jones, leaves it for fogg for three. >> marcus: a good decision by jones, who earlier in the season would more than like lly put up the move. he gets the bucket and the assist. >> barry: they have come to a meeting of the minds. jones, playing much better. anderson.

the rebound down. lee for three. it won't go. >> marcus: jones, the issue, you can play the are you ttake the out of the there -- a pleasure to coach since that point. >> marcus: outside to hill. baseline on roll. stepped on the baseline.

>> marcus: i think arizona too deliberate. zone defense by ucla. packing things in. they are limp on the back line. able to get to it, open shooters in the corner. >> barry: anderson runs the point for ucla bruins. jones steps in front of a pass. >> marcus: usually means that lee will become more aggressive as an offensive player. >> barry: numbers, three on one. and on the wing to anderson. forces anderson out of bounds. something ben howland will not like. unable to convert t

>> barry: 11:47 to play in the first half. how about the cal bears? they did something last week, you were there, they haven't been able to do for 50 long years. >> marcus: senior night, randall all choked up. made crucial plays down the stretch. and confetti was flying. sweet to be part of it. great moment for those kids. you and i were chatting, it is one thing to be picked to win the conference, and another to go out and do it. the bear ds that. >> marcus: been awhile.

that is why they brought mike montgomery in. the seniors coming back in. and christopher and randall. >> barry: it was interesting to talk to ben howland about the cal players. robertson, he said, he has my vote as all-conference player. he loves him. >> marcus: doing the game as a freshman, predicted he would be an all-conference player. because of the injuries, i thought, he will never reach that level. ben howland thinks he deserves to be named to the first or second team. >> barry: lane can't finish t here comes the cats. >> marcus: arizona, trying to keep the face cooking, pushing the ball up the floor.

trying to get to them before they set up in the zone. >> barry: a second chance for his team. jones, again. this time, puts it on the floor. kicks it out for horne. >> marcus: play zone, primarily, since early january. >> barry: nice lead by fogg. we will get a tied up ball. and the possession arrow will belong to arizona. the first time the two teams met, ucla shot only 21%, trailed by 15 at the half. >> marcus: that was coming off a victory for a lot of people over arizona state. first conference game, indicative of the inconsistencies this season. >> barry: very quick first step. >> marcus: so good at that spin

move, baseline. he is a guy who just -- does not shy away from contact t speaking the language of the body of his defenders to get to the foul line. >> barry: you could see, he goes to the line eight times a game. he is in select company. 0 for 2 at the line tonight. >> marcus: been doing a better job recently of knocking down the free throws. right around 73%. >> barry: moser into the ucla lineup, a guy without a lot of minutes. >> marcus: out of portland, oregon. successful program there. 6'7", very active, very athletic. not able to find a grove.

>> barry: reached in. and a ways to the basket. he will reach. >> marcus: racing like a pony down on the inside to pick up the foul. the freshman out of fairfax high school, good job, aggressive ensively. with his wide body and athleticism, you are better. >> barry: another guy came in as a highly recruited freshman. taking a while to adjust, getting better. >> marcus: to commit to usc, with williams. played well early on, things got confusing, more teams menlgz his name in the scouting report. >> barry: can't get it. williams, the rebound. just 1 of 4.

see it it hurts. rise up for three, in and out. he is not having any luck at all. williams gets it back. fouled on the way to the basket. the coaching staff wanted to know if it is a foul. the ability to draw fouls and contact. a lot of guys think that -- he goes after your body. defensively. with the idea of trying to get to the free-throw line. >> barry: he averages eight trips to the line a game. >> marcus: he had been in conference play, derrick williams, up around 80%, on the

first half, down in the low 70s, having to struggle. that was a conversation, from sean miller to his team. they have to make free throws. >> marcus: obviously, not pleased with the ball handling of wilson. >> barry: a hook shot by driver, it will be out of bounds to ucla. horne will come back into the arizona lineup. hill will leave. >> marcus: arizona covered this out of bounds situation. mike roll the primarily shooter. did not execute it at all. recovered that play.

time and time again, mike roll will get to the corner, get him out, contesting the shot. ucla hasn't scored in five minutes. and sean miller wants a time-out. 30-second time-out. we want to remind you, saturday a pac 10 double header. first, women's hoops, stanford in the battle against california. and the regular accept comes to a close. jerome randall, tied for first place, fun to do that rivalry game. >> marcus: randall shot himself into the conversation for pac 10 player of the year.