USC NOTEBOOK: STEWART MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUGHT CHEATING.

Byline: Scott Wolf  Staff Writer

USC has already announced that sophomore guard Rodrick Stewart is academically ineligible for the first six games of the season, but that doesn't quite fully describe the situation.

According to sources, Stewart got caught last May cheating on a final exam with another student. It's not the first time he has experienced a problem with finals.

Last fall, he and has twin brother, Lodrick, skipped a final exam, but they later made it up. USC coach Henry Bibby made the Stewarts run laps at midnight last season for not attending class.

Bibby said Tuesday he was unaware of the situation with Rodrick Stewart and the final exam in May.

--What me worry? Bibby said he doesn't feel any sense of urgency to win this season after failing in back-to-back seasons to reach postseason play and mounting speculation about his job security.

``Do I feel it? For what reason?'' he said. ``This is the most fun since I've been here. We're going to have a fun year.''

--No football: Forward Gregg Guenther (Taft High of Woodland Hills) said he has felt a lot of heat since leaving the football team to concentrate on basketball.

``I know I've taken a lot of criticism for this,'' Guenther said. ``People didn't know me or my situation. They just saw my football side.''

Guenther said he still might attempt to play pro football after he graduates.

``I still get letters and calls from NFL teams,'' he said.

--All is well: Although nearly everyone is back from last season, Bibby said the atmosphere is much better, especially between twins Errick and Derrick Craven and the Stewarts.

``It's a different basketball team,'' Bibby said. ``We had a lot of guys fighting to be the man. The Cravens and Stewarts were going at each other. I think that's settled.''

--Stewart tested: Lodrick Stewart underwent an MRI for a lingering ankle problem, but the results were negative. Forward Jeff McMillan has recovered from offseason surgery for congenital toe defects.

--New faces: Per custom, Bibby praised the freshmen, especially point guard Gabe Pruitt.

``Gabe Pruitt has been everything we thought at point guard,'' Bibby said. ``He's a kid you can count on to do a lot of things.''

Emanuel Willis will play small and power forward, and Nick Young (Cleveland High of Reseda) is a wing player.

``Nick Young could be a special player,'' Bibby said. ``Willis is as athletic as Jeff Trepagnier.''

A new walk-on is Daniel Garrett, the son of athletic director Mike Garrett.

--Shackleford update: Bibby said point guard Dwayne Shackleford should return by the second or third game of the season. Shackleford underwent surgery Monday for a torn meniscus in his knee.

``It was a small tear,'' Bibby said. ``Not anything drastic.''

--Possible addition: Bibby said he is talking to Clay McKnight, the son of Mater Dei High of Santa Ana coach Gary McKnight, about joining the staff in an operations capacity. McKnight would help fill a vacancy created by the departure of Tim Farmer, the older brother of former guard Desmon Farmer.

Former assistant coach Mike Johnson also is working as an operations director. Johnson no longer is coaching because of health problems. He had kidney stones during the summer.

--Schedule ahead: USC's two exhibitions will be Nov. 5 against Occidental College and Nov. 12 against The Master's College.

USC plays Indiana State in the first round of the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu on Dec. 21 and either Clemson or Alabama-Birmingham the following day.