Clancy’s Return Eagerly Anticipated by Trojans

There is little question the Trojans have dearly missed Sam Clancy, who has been sidelined 10 games with a broken right foot.

Clancy, who was the team’s leading scorer when he suffered the injury against Arizona State on Jan. 20, may be cleared to play this week against Stanford and California.

Clancy participated briefly in the team’s warmup drills before the Oregon game on Saturday, but the Trojans are trying to not get caught up in the thought that he will be back.

“I don’t know when he’s coming back,” Brian Scalabrine said. “I don’t want to allow the thought in my head yet because I don’t want to be disappointed if he can’t play.

“We knew he wouldn’t play Saturday. But maybe it will be easier the next time he comes out to get his feet under him.

David Bluthenthal said it was “interesting” to see Clancy in uniform. “I was talking with him before the game and he was saying how good it felt to put the uniform back on. But I’m not holding my breath on his return. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Clancy, who has worked out on exercise bikes and done aerobic training in swimming pools to try and maintain conditioning, faces a big test today when he tries sprinting and doing lateral movements.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Clancy said. “I know it gives me a mental boost to know I’m pretty much recovered. I just have to get back into the mind frame of playing basketball.”

Brandon Granville saw Clancy’s appearance Saturday “as another sign of progress. I’ve seen him practice, trying to get up and down the court. He says [the foot] feels all right but they’re bringing him along slowly.”