USC Morning Briefing: Walk-Ons Katrib, Dillard Earn Scholarships and Other Bullets

Nov 9, 2013; Berkeley, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver George Katrib (83) attempts to catch a pass against the California Golden Bears at Memorial Stadium. USC defeated California 62-28. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Three & Out:

1. Mixed Results For NBA Pro-jans: As the first round of the NBA playoffs roll on, USC’s representatives in the action saw mixed results Tuesday night in the Eastern Conference.Taj Gibson‘s Chicago Bulls blew a ten-point fourth quarter lead as the Washington Wizards forced overtime and stole a second game at the United Center, 101-99. They now own a commanding 2-0 edge in the series, which moves to Washington Friday. Gibson was second among Bulls’ scorers with 22 points and ten rebounds.
2. Mixed Results For NBA Pro-jans 2.0: On the other end of the spectrum, Demar DeRozan led his Toronto Raptors to a key Game 2 away victory over the Brooklyn Nets, 100-95. In an about face after Saturday’s disappointing playoff debut, DeRozan topped all scorers with 30 points and put the Raptors on even footing with the Nets with the Canadian leg of the series still to come.
3. Scholarships for Katrib and Dillard: Two key walk-ons earned well-deserved scholarships yesterday. Wide receiver George Katrib and cornerback Ryan Dillard both played important roles in 2013 providing depth for USC’s injury-plagued squad. Through the spring they have done the same, earning praise for their play. Katrib finished the spring as the starter in the slot, while Dillard sits behind Chris Hawkins on the two-deep.

They said it:

“If you win, everyone loves you. If you lose, everyone hates you. But that’s how it is. I heard someone say…besides the president of the United States, a quarterback is the most scrutinized position in the world. He was making a joke about it, but it’s true. You get all the blame and all the fame.”

— Cody Kessler, on the pressures of being a USC quarterback.

Tweets of the Day:

Morning Links:

• USC Football: Five Things We Learned From the Spring Game (Reign Of Troy)
• USC to lead the pack with defense (Daily Trojan)
• USC Football: Steve Sarkisian’s Biggest Concerns Post-Spring Practice (Bleacher Report)
• USC Football: How Many More Offensive Linemen Will USC Sign After Edoga Pledge? (Bleacher Report)
• NFL Draft 2014: Marqise Lee Draft Academy Breakdown (Conquest Chronicles)