Matthew Kredell broke into the Daily News in 1998, working part time
at the paper while going to USC. The basketball team’s Elite Eight
run in 2000-01 was USC’s athletic highlight in his time at the
school, when the football team was stuck in the Paul Hackett-era.
After graduating in 2001, he started writing for the Daily News full
time. He’s in his second year covering USC, which coincides with the
rise of the program. He’ll take credit for the success, though Tim
Floyd may have more to do with it. A third-generation Los Angelean,
he grew up reading the Daily News while at El Camino Real High School
in Woodland Hills.
Gibson incident
Taj Gibson said Taylor Harrison was a former teammate of his back on an AAU team, and that he would never throw a punch at him. He was trying to back him up after Harrison had given him a bit of an elbow. He threw out his hand without looking and accidentally connected with Harrison's face.
``I was extremely happy when they didn't kick me from the game because I had no intention to hit him in the face,'' Gibson said. ``I was worried because I was shocked when (Cal players/coaches) were saying I tried to hit him.''