Dupree’s Time Is Coming

As he made his way to the USC bench for the second half of the Trojans’ victory over Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday night, Coach Henry Bibby spied Jerry Dupree standing near the baseline and pulled the suspended junior forward close to him.

For a few tense seconds, Bibby spoke at Dupree, not with him, before the one-sided conversation ended with exchanged smiles and handshakes.

“He was just telling me that the team was waiting on me, to hurry up and get back” said Dupree, who, with his six-game suspension coming to an end, joined the Trojans in the locker room afterward for the first time this season.

Dupree was expected to be a major contributor after a breakout performance last spring in the Pacific 10 Conference tournament. But he had academic trouble over the summer. When he was put on academic probation for the fall semester, in danger of being ineligible for the spring, Bibby suspended Dupree to help him concentrate on his studies.

“Out of three classes, I need above a C [average] to get back to where I need to be and not worry about this probation thing,” said Dupree, who took classes in journalism and dance and has a geography final on Monday. He’s also waiting for the end of final exams before beginning practice with the team, should his grade-point average allow it.

Hobbled by a sore right heel since practice began in mid-October, Dupree was cleared this week to begin light workouts.

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With only one game left until the start of the Pac-10 season Jan. 2, the respite couldn’t have come at a better time for two injured Trojans.

Junior center Jonathan Oliver was diagnosed Thursday with a high left ankle sprain and will undergo more tests. Senior point guard Robert Hutchinson aggravated his sprained right ankle against Fullerton.

USC plays host to La Salle on Dec. 21.