Top Reserve Turner Out After Surgery

USC has lost top reserve Jarvis Turner for two to four weeks, after he underwent arthroscopic surgery at USC Medical Center on Wednesday for torn cartilage in his left knee.

The soreness in the knee had bothered Turner for a couple of weeks, and he sat out Saturday’s game against UC Santa Barbara to rest it. Turner had undergone an MRI exam, but the results were inconclusive.

“Where we’ll miss Jarvis most is he gave us another big body in the front court for nine to 10 minutes,” Coach Henry Bibby said.

The 13th-ranked Trojans will be without two of their top six players for tonight’s game against Pepperdine.

Besides Turner, USC is missing starting guard Jeff Trepagnier, who has not played this season. Trepagnier sat out the first three games because of a stress fracture in his left foot. Then he was suspended during an NCAA investigation. He continues to practice with the team on campus.

Sources close to the investigation had believed NCAA officials were going to make a decision on Trepagnier this week. So far, no decision has been rendered. Barring any clearance today, Trepagnier will not be available for the Pepperdine game.

Turner, a 6-foot-8 fifth-year senior who is averaging four points and 3.2 rebounds, has been hampered by injuries most of his Trojan career.

He was given a medical redshirt last season after a stress fracture in his broken foot limited him to seven games. In his sophomore season, he sat out eight games because of a broken hand. And Turner missed the first six games of his freshman season because of a stress fracture in his back.

Turner’s injury could open up some more playing time for sophomore Kostas Charissis. Bibby has wanted Charissis to establish himself as the third forward behind Sam Clancy and David Bluthenthal.

Bibby added that freshman guard Desmon Farmer, who has averaged 9.2 points in place of Trepagnier, was ill Wednesday and did not practice, but is expected to play tonight.

TONIGHT

vs. Pepperdine, 7:30

Fox Sports Net 2

* Site--Sports Arena.

* Radio--KMPC (1540).

* Records--USC 6-0, Pepperdine 5-2.

* Update--The 13th-ranked Trojans have started wearing shirts in practice with a bull’s-eye on the chest to remind them they are targets, especially for local unranked teams. Pepperdine gets the next shot. The Waves have won five of six, and both of their losses have come on the road, their opener at Indiana and Dec. 3 at Georgia. Junior guard Brandon Armstrong leads the Waves in scoring (17.6); senior forward Kelvin Gibbs (9.9) is their best rebounder. David Bluthenthal has been the hottest Trojan, with 54 points and 23 rebounds his last two games.

* Tickets--Through USC at (213) 740-4672, https://www.usctrojans.com, or the arena box office.