Clancy Is Expected Back on Saturday

Sam Clancy, sidelined since Jan. 20 because of a broken right foot, is expected to resume playing Saturday when USC plays California.

Coach Henry Bibby said team physicians will declare the 6-foot-7 sophomore forward “100%” recovered by Saturday. Clancy could possibly play Thursday against top-ranked Stanford, but Bibby does not want him to.

“Will he play against Stanford? Probably not,” Bibby said Tuesday. “Maybe, but probably not. He’ll be maybe 90% on Thursday, depending how he feels. It’s kind of Sam’s call.

“I think right now his return is more mental than anything. His foot is ready to go.”

Bibby said Clancy ran sprints and practiced some offensive moves Monday with no one guarding him. That is Clancy’s practice plan the rest of the week.

“We didn’t get him into any competition,” Bibby said. “We just wanted to get him acclimated to being back out there with the guys.”

Bibby said Clancy would have an X-ray Tuesday “to be sure.”

Jarvis Turner, who suffered a broken left foot the same night, is “still two weeks away,” Bibby said. “It looks tough for him to return in the regular season.”

*

Kostas Charissis will remain in the starting lineup for now and Nate Hair will continue coming off the bench.

“I like what he’s doing,” Bibby said of Charissis. “He’s improving every day. He’s settling into his role of a starter. He knows what we want him to do. He’s playing now without looking over his shoulder. And he’s helped our team.”

Charissis said he had “no problem” with the coach’s decision.

“I would like to see Sam playing there because I think he can give us more right now,” Charissis said. “But I think I can help. Not as much as Sam, but I can help.”

Charissis said he feels more comfortable on defense. “But every game I’m still trying to take two or three shots to keep people honest,” he said.

UP NEXT

Thursday

at Stanford

7:30 p.m.

No TV