Main Street: Weekend matchup showcases important Pac-10 finale

Talk about being riddled with bad luck. USC is a program on the rise, but four redshitrs have hampered Mark Trakh's Women of Troy from excelling this season and now they lay on the bubble. Stanford hasn't exactly been lucky either after losing JJ Hones to an ACL and now All-American Candace Wiggins is recovering from a hamstring injury. This game is important for both teams for very different reasons.

The Summary: Stanford was a preseason pick for the final four, but they started out rough. Besides a flub up at Cal, the Cardinal are once again dominating the Pac-10. Without Candace Wiggins in the lineup, though, the Cardinal are vulnerable and USC has been playing well of late. Coach Mark Trakh is building a program at the once powerful USC campus. Three years on the job and the last two have ended with NCAA appearances. Anyone remember in just his first year that he nearly upset eventual national runner-up, Michigan State, in the second round? Injuries have plagued him this year, but once again, USC can increase their NCAA chances with a big road win over the Cardinal.

The Stakes: Stanford holds a one-game lead over Arizona State in the league and will win the conference outright by defeating USC on Sunday. They are 23-4 overall. USC is 16-10 overall, but they have gone 10-4 in their last 14 games and nearly upset Cal in OT at Berkeley last night. They are well-coached and can be dangerous. USC is obviously trying for their third consecutive NCAA appearance, but they will definitely need this one over Stanford for any chance. Stanford is obviously in, but they don't want to share the Pac-10 title.

The Series: The last game saw Stanford defeat USC by 16 points. Trakh has yet to get his first win against the Cardinal.

The Say: Next season USC will be a thorn in Stanford's side for years to come as Coach Trakh will hopefully be healthy with Jackie Gemelos and other star players plus a top 20 recruiting class. I think USC will give Stanford a run on Sunday, but in the end Stanford gets the last word and another Pac-10 title. Final word: Stanford, minus Wiggins, still has enough to oust USC and send the Women of Troy to the WNIT.