Trepagnier Is Looking for a Sign

The release Jeff Trepagnier needs from the NCAA to play his senior basketball season at USC remains, frustratingly, out of reach.

Trepagnier, who has been suspended since Dec. 1 while being investigated by the NCAA, has satisfied all requirements for reinstatement except one.

Still to be resolved is a loan Trepagnier arranged to buy a car. According to sources close to the investigation, Trepagnier needs a different co-signer.

As of Tuesday, Trepagnier has been unable to get another qualified co-signer who would satisfy the NCAA.

USC officials thought Trepagnier would return for last Saturday’s game against Long Beach State, but his alternate co-signing applicant did not qualify.

Meanwhile, Coach Henry Bibby has not allowed Trepagnier to comment on the investigation.

USC, which opens Pacific 10 Conference play Thursday against Washington State, is off to a 10-2 start and ranked 20th in the country while their second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder from last season continues to watch from the stands. Trepagnier may practice with the team, but he may not play in games or travel with Trojans.

USC officials still hope that Trepagnier will be cleared for Thursday’s game. He can get that clearance right up to the 7:30 tip-off.

While not downplaying Trepagnier’s absence, Bibby has tried to keep the team’s focus off Trepagnier’s situation.

“We haven’t spent two minutes [on his situation] in practice,” Bibby said. “We don’t know when he’s coming back. When and if he does, he’ll be welcomed back.”

Trepagnier is not far from his teammate’s thoughts, however.

“It would mean a lot defensively and just a lot of energy,” David Bluthenthal said of Trepagnier’s return. “He brings a spark to the crowd and the players. Every time I watch film of our games I think we’d be so much better if we had Jeff.”

Added Brandon Granville: “He brings a whole other dimension to the team with his athleticism. Jeff allows other players to gamble on defense, and he makes up for it with blocked shots and steals. He also brings the fastbreak game that we’ve been missing back to life.”

For now, Trepagnier must sit and wait.

He is third on the Trojans’ all-time list for steals (178) and fourth in blocked shots (84), and he needs 61 points to become the 24th USC player to score 1,000 points.

NBA scouts know of Trepagnier’s speed and jumping ability. What they’ve been waiting to see is whether he can consistently make the 15- to 18-foot outside shot, which will make him difficult to guard.

Trepagnier sat out the first three games while recovering from a stress fracture in the left foot.

But one day before the Trojans played in the Wooden Classic, Bibby suspended Trepagnier on Dec. 1 as a preemptive move to the NCAA investigation.

Before discovering the irregular loan documents, investigators looked into a September trip to Las Vegas that Trepagnier took with friend and former high school teammate Tito Maddox, who plays at Fresno State. Maddox served an eight-game suspension and has resumed playing.