Trojans need to find a way without Hackett

USC has not won a game this season in which Daniel Hackett sat out or barely played. In fact, the Trojans haven’t even come within single digits of a victory without the sophomore guard.

The Trojans suffered a 15-point loss to Mercer in their opener when a broken jaw sidelined Hackett. They lost by 11 to Arizona last month when Hackett fell and injured his pelvis less than two minutes into the game. And they sustained a 10-point defeat against UCLA on Sunday in the first game after Hackett was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his lower back.

Tonight at the Galen Center, USC faces an Oregon team that it edged, 95-86, in overtime last month thanks in large part to Hackett’s career-high 26 points, six rebounds and six assists.

With Hackett sidelined indefinitely by the stress fracture and a torn oblique muscle, now would be a good time for the Trojans to figure out a way to manage without one of their best players.

“Our mind-set is, the rest of the year let’s prepare the men that we’ve got, try to get them as good as we possibly can, and not worry about something that we can’t control,” Coach Tim Floyd said.

Floyd didn’t use many of the players at his disposal Sunday against UCLA, opting instead to go with four of his starters for 40 minutes. Only junior forward Keith Wilkinson came off the bench, and he played eight minutes.

Though Floyd said a repeat scenario was “absolutely an option” tonight against the Ducks, it might be difficult to use only six players against an up-tempo team that averages 77.8 points and extends defenses with multiple long-range shooters. In its last two victories, over California and Washington, Oregon made 18 and 14 three-point shots, respectively, with the former total representing a school record.

The speedy, guard-oriented Ducks, who typically go at least eight deep, could really test USC’s stamina by employing a full-court press. Freshman guard O.J. Mayo said the Trojans would be ready.

“We have an offense to handle a full-court press,” he said, “and I feel like we’re well-prepared.”

Mayo, who played all 40 minutes against the Bruins and is averaging a Pacific 10 Conference-high 36.5 minutes a game, said he’s equipped for whatever endurance challenge awaits.

“We’re pretty late in the season,” Mayo said. “If you can’t go 40 minutes right now, you have a problem with conditioning.”

Mayo said the Trojans, in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Pac-10 after two consecutive losses, need a victory regardless of who’s on the court.

“We’ve got to win, period, with or without Daniel,” Mayo said. “We’d love to have him, but unfortunately right now he won’t be with us for [tonight’s] game.

“We’ve got a great game plan and as long as we execute it and give ourselves the best chance of winning, we’ll do so.”

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TONIGHT

vs. Oregon, 8, FSN Prime Ticket

Site -- Galen Center.

Radio -- 710.

Records -- USC 15-9 overall, 6-6 Pac-10; Oregon 15-10, 6-7.

Update -- Though Marcus Simmons said his sprained left ankle continued to progress, Floyd said there was “no improvement” in the freshman guard, meaning he might sit out a seventh consecutive game.

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ben.bolch@latimes.com