USC basketball: Trojans defensive end James Boyd plans to walk on to basketball team

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James Boyd is a 6-foot-4, 245-pound redshirt freshman backup defensive end for the USC football team.

But Monday, Boyd was at men’s basketball practice, where he said he’ll be more often when football season ends as he plans to walk on to the Trojans hoops team.

Boyd said he might be able to practice with the basketball team as soon as this week -– he said he’s just waiting for football Coach Lane Kiffin to give him the all clear -– but that he should definitely be with the team after the football team’s season ends against UCLA on Dec. 4.

Boyd, who was a four-sport star at L.A. Jordan High, was named to the All-L.A. City team as a senior when he averaged 23.8 points and 22.4 rebounds for the basketball team.

If and when Boyd joins the basketball team, he should be able to bolster a thin front-line.

“I know my role,” he said. “I know what I can do.”

Boyd redshirted as a freshman last season with torn cartilage in his left knee, and said he would have tried to walk on to the basketball team then had it not been for his injury.

Currently, Boyd, who played in USC’s football game against Washington State, is suspended from the football team for academic issues.

-- Baxter Holmes