Fresh Faces Add Spark to Rivalry

Ever since Nick Young made the decision last summer to stick with USC rather than entertain late offers to play at UCLA or any other school, the good-natured trash talking between first-year players at the schools has been going strong.

And the ribbing between freshman point guards Jordan Farmar of UCLA and Gabe Pruitt of USC has been particularly lively.

“[Farmar] asks if we’re ready for him,� Young said. “He tells me, ‘Y’all better tell Gabe to be ready. I’m going to be on fire.’ Gabe’s my teammate, I’ve got to back him up. I tell [Farmar] that he’s got to be ready for Gabe.�

Pruitt was a high school teammate with UCLA freshman Arron Afflalo at Compton Centennial before transferring to Westchester, where he had to sit out his junior year because of transfer irregularities, and has played on summer league teams with Farmar and Bruin freshman Josh Shipp.

USC and UCLA meet for the first time this season Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Sports Arena.

Young, who attended Reseda Cleveland High, and Farmar, who played at Woodland Hills Taft, had worked the same camp together before enrolling at the rival schools.

“He was saying we could be Valley guys on the same team, make history,� Young said of Farmar, “be the Fab Five, something like that,� meaning Young would join fellow L.A.-area freshmen Farmar, Afflalo, Shipp and Lorenzo Mata at UCLA.

Pruitt’s analysis? “I think our freshmen are better than their freshmen,� he said with a smile.

“UCLA has had a long road of success. People don’t really give us a look. Me and Nick have to work for our recognition. It’s a great school, but people look down on our program.

“The guys at UCLA, they’ve kind of had it handed to them,� Pruitt said of the Bruins’ reputation. “We have to work for ours.�