USC FACES RUSTY WYOMING.

Byline: Scott Wolf Daily News Staff Writer

It took the better part of Tuesday for the USC basketball team to fly to Denver, then drive 2-1/2 hours to Laramie, Wyo., for tonight's first-round game against Wyoming in the National Invitation Tournament.

And that doesn't take into account the sub-30-degree temperatures.

But none of it could dampen the Trojans' enthusiasm over playing the Cowboys in their first postseason appearance in two years.

``It's pretty special,'' forward David Bluthenthal said. ``We're happy we're in the NIT. It's good for us. We're heading in the right direction.''

Even usually reluctant USC coach Henry Bibby has become almost sugary in his assessment of playing in the NIT.

``To get into an NIT has been a dream for me, just to get into a tournament with this basketball team,'' Bibby said.

Now the question is how far the Trojans (15-12) can go, considering they probably will be relegated to the road as long as they continue playing.

Before worrying about advancing to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden, however, the Trojans must play a rusty Cowboys squad that hasn't played since Feb. 27, when they defeated Nevada Las Vegas 79-76.

The Cowboys (17-9) play a run-and-gun style, with no starter taller than 6-foot-8 forward Ugo Udezue, who is a member of the Nigerian junior national team. Udezue scored just 98 points in 28 games last year, but is averaging 20.5 points per game this season.

``They're very athletic. Not big. Similar to our team,'' Bibby said.

Wyoming coach Steve McClain is in his first season after spending three years as an assistant at Texas Christian under coach Billy Tubbs. He also coached at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, where he won the National Junior College Championship in 1994.

One of the interesting sidelights to the game will be how Wyoming point guard Chris McMillian plays against the Trojans. McMillian is from Brea, where former USC point guard Kevin Augustine grew up. The Trojans did not recruit McMillian because they believed Augustine was their point guard of the future, but he quit the team in December.

Today they would love to have McMillian. He's averaging 9.5 points and 4.9 assists.

USC vs. WYOMING

Time: 6 p.m., at Arena Auditorium.

TV/Radio: No TV; XTRA-AM (690).

USC (15-12) update: The Trojans seem to be peaking as the season ends, winning four of their past six games. They also are coming off a victory over Arizona State that saw senior shooting guards Elias Ayuso and Adam Spanich go 12 for 19 from the field in one of their best combined performances of the season.

Wyoming (17-9) update: The Cowboys have had a more than respectable year, considering they are still smarting over the loss of coach Larry Shyatt, who spent one season in Laramie before bolting for Clemson.

- Scott Wolf

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BOX: USC vs. WYOMING (see text)