In a Snap, Trojans Are in Trouble

By MIKE TERRY

Jan. 22, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

On the eve of their biggest basketball game in the last several seasons, the USC Trojans were dealt their biggest setback of the season.

USC goes into today’s Pacific 10 Conference showdown with second-ranked Arizona minus two important players. Starting forward Sam Clancy and sixth man Jarvis Turner each suffered a broken foot in Thursday’s win against Arizona State and each underwent surgery at USC Medical Center on Friday.

Both are expected to be out six to eight weeks.

“Losing both Jarvis Turner and Sam Clancy are serious blows,” Coach Henry Bibby said in a statement. “We will have to rally as a team to pick up the slack.

“We’ll miss a guy like Sam because of his dominance and Jarvis because of his leadership on the floor. Sam has been a monster on the boards [as well as] our leading scorer. Jarvis has been instrumental in two of our last four wins because he refused to let us lose. But this is not something we can dwell on.”

Clancy, a 6-foot-7 sophomore who is the team’s leading scorer and the second-leading scorer in the Pac-10 with a 17.2-point average, landed awkwardly on his right foot after a layup during the second half. It was his 12th and final point in USC’s 95-92 overtime victory.

“I’m disappointed, but there’s nothing I can do but stay positive,” Clancy said, also in a statement. “These types of things happen and I’ll just have to deal with it. Now I have to rehab and support the team in other ways.”

The 6-8 Turner, the Trojans’ only senior, has had a career marred by injuries. This season he sat out eight games because of a stress fracture in the left foot suffered in November.

He was hurt in the first half Thursday, trying to score on a breakaway when he was fouled by the Sun Devils’ Tommy Smith. The foul itself did not appear rough or flagrant, but Turner landed awkwardly on his left foot, fell to the floor and was unable to attempt his free throws.

The new injury is in the area of the stress fracture, but it’s a different bone, according to USC spokesman Paul Goldberg.

“This is frustrating, especially since I was already out earlier this year,” Turner said, also in a statement.

The news could not come at a worse time for the Trojans (11-5, 4-0), who are riding a six-game winning streak and are second in the Pac-10. USC and Arizona (16-2, 5-0) are the only undefeated conference teams. USC has never started conference play 5-0 since the Pac-10 was formed when the Arizona schools were added to the Pac-8 in the 1978-79 season.

The reaction by the USC players, many of whom first heard the news at Friday’s afternoon practice, was one of disbelief.

David Bluthenthal, one of Clancy’s close friends, said it “was like being punched in the stomach.” Brian Scalabrine called it “a big blow to us.” Jeff Trepagnier said, “We have to stay focused on the game. We know the bench now has to come in and do a great job.”

Scalabrine said teams have to deal with adversity during a season. “That’s the way basketball is. But [Clancy] is our go-to guy. It’s gonna hurt our inside game a lot.”

It will be up to the four remaining starters, Scalabrine said, to keep the Trojans from playing in a fog against the Wildcats and the rest of the Pac-10.

“Sam gets us going with his rebounds, dunks and blocked shots, but we’ve got a lot of warriors on this team. I know I have to pick up the slack a little bit. We figure if the guys on the floor give up 10-20% extra, that takes care of the 100% we got from Sam.”

Bibby had built this season around his five starters and Turner. The eight remaining reserves have played a combined average 6.7 minutes a game.

In place of Clancy, Bibby said he expects to use 6-11 freshman Kostas Charissis, who has started once and appeared in 12 games overall. He has averaged 1.1 points in 5.8 minutes a game.

Turner’s time will probably be spread out among freshman guards Nate Hair and Malachi Thurston and junior guard Rashad Jones.

Beating the talented Wildcats--who have won seven in a row despite being down to seven scholarship players as a result of their own injury bug--would have been a big enough challenge for USC at full strength.

And now?

“We’ll approach this game like we do for the others,” Bibby said. “It’s our most important game because it’s our next game. Yes, it’s tougher because of the injuries, but our younger players will have to step up and be ready for the challenge.”

Arizona Coach Lute Olson, speaking before the injuries were announced, said: “The thing I’ve been impressed with is how well they have played together as a team. They obviously have great team chemistry.”

Said Bibby: “For the younger guys, we’ve brought them along slowly, showing them the water before they really got a chance to test it. Now they’re going to have to swim.”

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Double Whammy

The USC basketball team (11-5) will have to make do without starter Sam Clancy and sixth man Jarvis Turner for six to eight weeks. Turner already was out eight games. Their per-game numbers:

SAM CLANCY

Minutes: 33.8

Points: 17.2

Rebounds: 7.7

Assists: 1.8

Field-goal percentage: .500

Free-throw percentage: .607

JARVIS TURNER

Minutes: 14.1

Points: 1.7

Rebounds: 1.6

Assists: 0.4