Hutchinson Extends Leave

The sobering comprehension of his college career ending and the looming real-world responsibilities that accompany graduation became too much for Robert Hutchinson and led to the senior point guard’s taking a three-day leave of absence from USC.

And after meeting with Coach Henry Bibby on Tuesday morning, Hutchinson decided to take the rest of the week off, and miss the Trojans’ two-game trip to Oregon, to clear his mind.

“I’m not going to be 100% [mentally] with the team so it’s not fair for me to travel with ... the team right now,” he said.

Hutchinson, the team captain as a junior, discounted theories that he was only disgruntled with a lack of playing time.

“You could say it’s kind of frustrating too because we’re losing,” he said. “That adds to the stress. But mainly, it’s personal reasons at home and my career is coming to an end, so I’ve got a lot of big decisions to make and right now [playing] basketball is not one of them.”

Among his decisions: whether or not to commit to a high school coaching job back home in Albany, Ga., though he will still be four units shy of graduating at the end of the spring semester and will need the summer session to finish his degree.

Bibby said he was not disappointed in Hutchinson’s timing, although it leaves USC with one fewer healthy body and only one point guard.

“Basketball is secondary; we’re talking about life here,” Bibby said.

Hutchinson plans on returning for USC’s final two regular-season games.

With Hutchinson out, USC will take two walk-ons to Oregon, probably guards Peter McCaslin and Michael Mehanna.... Neither forward Nick Curtis (sore feet) nor guard Roy Smiley (right knee) practiced Tuesday.

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Oregon junior guard Andre Joseph has been suspended for Thursday’s game against USC because of conduct detrimental to the team. Joseph got into an argument with assistant John Cooper during Saturday’s loss at Washington.

Associated Press contributed to this report.