RETURN TO THE RANKINGS USC MEN'S BASKETBALL IN AP TOP 25 FOR FIRST TIME IN FIVE YEARS.

Byline: MATTHEW KREDELL Staff Writer

Lodrick Stewart was watching television at his apartment during a break between classes Monday when he heard the Associated Press Top 25 men's basketball poll mentioned.

Usually, that wouldn't even draw his attention. This time, he was tense with anticipation.

The schools flashed on the screen five at a time until it got to the end: No. 25 USC.

``I just jumped up and started screaming,'' Stewart said.

A little much for a midseason ranking, perhaps, but Stewart has waited a long time for such recognition.

The last time USC was ranked was in March of 2002, before any current Trojan was on the team.

Stewart, the only senior scholarship player, remembers when he was embarrassed to wear his USC basketball shirt around campus.

He came to USC along with his twin brother, Rodrick, as a highly recruited player out of Rainier Beach High in Seattle, Wash., who had lost one game in his senior year and five games in all of high school career.

``It was frustrating going from losing five games in four years to losing consistently,'' Stewart said. ``I didn't know what I could do differently.''

As a sophomore, Stewart said the team hit rock bottom when it went to Philadelphia and gave 0-7 LaSalle its firstvictory of the season.

``I looked out on the court and everyone had given up,'' Stewart said. ``The coaching staff gave up. The players gave up. As a younger guy on the team, you take on the attitude of the juniors and seniors, so I kind of gave up. I was like, `Man, this is not what I want to be a part of.'''

Stewart nearly transferred from USC after that season, in which the Trojans finished last in the Pacific-10 Conference. His brother, unable to get along with then-head coach Henry Bibby, had transfered to Kansas, a perennial basketball powerhouse, the previous year.

Lodrick, too, had his release papers signed. Then USC brought in Tim Floyd as coach. He did some research on Floyd, who had collegiate success at Iowa State and NewOrleans, as well as experience in the NBA, and liked what he saw.

``I knew he was a no-nonsense guy, and that's the kind of coach I always wanted,'' Stewart said. ``Nobody cuts corners this year. We all give our all, we play as a team and a family, and that's what is different this year.''

Stewart, Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt were three of just four scholarship players with whom Floyd started out. In his first season as coach, USC finished 17-13 but was seventh in the conference and out of postseason play.

Now the Trojans are nationally ranked with a 15-5 record and a 5-2 start in conference play.

In its past eight games, USC has beaten (rankings at the time): No. 8 Wichita State, No. 14 Washington, No.16Oregon and No.11Arizona.

Oregon is now ranked No.7, although Wichita State and Washington have since fallen out of the top 25.

``It's a step in the journey, but we want continued success,'' Floyd said. ``We want to be able to do it year in and year out, and we know we still have a long way to go in terms of getting this program where we want to get it.''

Floyd has had teams ranked in the top 25 before, reaching as high as No. 4 when he coached Iowa State.

For USC players who never had been ranked and experienced so much losing earlier in their careers, the recognition means more.

``It's a great feeling to be in a position like this,'' Young said. ``We're all excited. We've all got smiles on our faces.''

Last week, USC was 33rd in AP poll with 15 votes. After upsetting Arizona on Thursday and beating Arizona State on Saturday, the Trojans received 149votes this week.

``We got to see how we can handle it,'' Young said of the ranking. ``Now we got the targets on our back.''

While the Trojans were in a celebratory mood Monday, they didn't want to lose sight of the season's ultimate goal of making the NCAA Tournament and being ranked at season's end.

``It doesn't mean anything if we go out and lose twogames this week,'' Stewart said of the trip to Stanford and Cal. ``But we're enjoying this. We're winning over a lot of fans. I feel I can wear my USC stuff and be proud that it says `USC basketball.'''

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Wins over Oregon and Arizona helped boost Trojans into the AP Top 25.

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

(2 -- color) LODRICK STEWART

(3 -- color) GABE PRUITT