From Pac-10.org:
USC forward Taj Gibson has been named the U.S. Bank Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for Mar. 3 - Mar. 9, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced today.
Gibson, a sophomore from Brooklyn, N.Y., helped lead USC to a home sweep of California and Stanford and achieve a third-place tie in the Conference standings. Against the Golden Bears, Gibson scored 21 points in the 93-89 overtime win. He tied the score at 80 with two free throws and USC then took the lead for good from that point on. Against No. 7 Stanford, Gibson posted his fifth double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, while also notching five blocks against the Cardinal.
Congrats to Taj, no doubt he deserved the honor. The guy has been a rebounding and blocking machine for us and has worked hard game-in and game-out. Taj was also named to the All-Pac-10 Third Team and All-Defensive Team. O.J. Mayo represented SC well, being named to the All-Pac-10 First Team as well as the All-Freshman Team:
FIRST TEAM
Ryan Anderson CAL F So. 6-10 240 El Dorado Hills, Calif. (Oak Ridge HS)
James Harden ASU G Fr. 6-4 218 Los Angeles, Calif. (Artesia HS)
Brook Lopez STAN F So. 7-0 260 Fresno, Calif. (San Joaquin Memorial HS)
Kevin Love UCLA C Fr. 6-10 271 Lake Oswego, Ore. (Lake Oswego HS)
O.J. Mayo USC G Fr. 6-5 200 Huntington, W.V. (Huntington HS)PAC-10 ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Jerryd Bayless ARIZ G 6-3 199 Phoenix, Ariz. (St. Mary's HS)
James Harden ASU G 6-4 218 Los Angeles, Calif. (Artesia HS)
Davon Jefferson USC F 6-8 215 Lynwood, Calif. (Lynwood HS)
Kevin Love UCLA C 6-10 271 Lake Oswego, Ore. (Lake Oswego HS)
O.J. Mayo USC G 6-5 200 Huntington, W.V. (Huntington HS)
You know your conference is good when your All-Freshman team can contend for a National Championship. Congrats to both O.J. and Taj.
