Farmer Is Selected All-Pac-10

Desmon Farmer finally got what he expected -- a place on the All-Pacific 10 Conference basketball team.

Of course, he thought he was deserving last year, too, yet was left off the 10-player first team.

“I take it as a makeup from last year,” said Farmer, who this season averaged 20 points -- 20.8 points in Pac-10 play -- despite an injured left (shooting) wrist. “I’m more deserving this year, though.

“I’ve had back-to-back averaging 20 [in conference play]. I feel like I put in the work, again.”

Stanford junior guard-forward Josh Childress was chosen Pac-10 player of the year. Childress attended Lakewood Mayfair High.

“It’s good to be on there, it’s a good honor,” Farmer said. “But I’m focused more on trying to finish the season strong.”

USC opens the Pac-10 tournament Thursday against No. 21 Arizona at Staples Center.

“He’s totally deserving,” USC Coach Henry Bibby said. “He carried us this year and last year. Not too many people have had back-to-back seasons like that in the history of this school.”

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Trojan guard Lodrick Stewart was selected to the Pac-10 all-freshman team, as was UCLA forward Trevor Ariza.

“It’s a good accomplishment but we haven’t done anything yet,” said Stewart, who averaged 7.6 points in 18.6 minutes in league games. “I’d rather do something in the Pac-10 tournament.”

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The Stewart twins’ father, Bull Stewart, attended the Oregon and Oregon State games over the weekend and acknowledged that Lodrick and Rodrick have had a hard adjustment going from high school stars to faceless college freshmen and have been frustrated with their roles in Bibby’s system.

“If, at the end of the year, they tell me they’re learning, then I’ll be happy,” Bull Stewart said. “They’ll definitely be here [next season], unless USC decides to send them elsewhere.

“They’ll be bigger, faster, stronger and ready to play.”

Addressing rumors that he and his brother were so disillusioned they were contemplating a transfer, Rodrick said last week they would “talk to my dad and see what’s best for us” after the season.