Looking for success on road

Tim Floyd repeatedly made a point of saying early in his USC coaching career that teams needed to learn how to win at home before they could achieve success on the road.

He hopes the adage no longer holds true.

Floyd’s Trojans face their first road test of the season tonight against the Citadel after stumbling at home in their opener, 96-81, to Mercer.

After tonight, USC will play four more road games before returning to the Galen Center.

“It takes boys to win at home and it takes men to win on the road, so let’s see if we’ve got enough men on this team to go win on the road,” said sophomore guard Daniel Hackett, who is expected to make his season debut tonight after sitting out the Trojans’ opener because of a broken jaw.

The fiery Hackett should bring the passion that his teammates lacked against Mercer but have vowed to recapture tonight. Freshman guard Angelo Johnson said the Trojans ratcheted up the intensity in practice this week after showing little commitment to defense and trailing the Bears by as many as 21 points.

“We’ve picked it up,” Johnson said. “I think we were at like 60% and we picked it up to 100%.

“Way more spirited, way more emotional. Now we feel it.”

Another boost could come from the first appearance of freshmen Davon Jefferson and Marcus Simmons, who sat out the Trojans’ opener because they had yet to master team concepts after missing significant practice time because of injuries.

The addition of Hackett probably will provide a much-needed breather for Johnson and fellow freshman guard O.J. Mayo, who played all 40 minutes against Mercer.

The crowd at McAlister Field House is expected to include a contingent of Mayo’s friends and family members who are making the drive from his hometown of Huntington, W.Va.

The Trojans do not expect to announce the signing of recruits until next week, though they have commitments from four players: Compton High guard DeMar DeRozan, Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy guard Malik Story, Mt. San Antonio College guard Donte Smith and Beverly Hills High guard Romeo Miller.

Several of the recruits wanted to hold off announcing their college decision until they could hold news conferences at their respective schools.

USC’s recruiting class is ranked No. 12 in the nation by Rivals.com.

TONIGHT

at the Citadel, 4 PST

Site -- McAlister Field House, Charleston, S.C.

Radio -- 710.

Records -- USC 0-1, the Citadel 1-1.

Update -- The Citadel experienced a 113-point swing in its first two games, losing to South Carolina, 103-42, after defeating Daniel Webster, an NCAA Division III team, 131-79. The Bulldogs return two starters from a team that finished 7-23 last season and lost to USC, 74-58, at the Galen Center.

ben.bolch@latimes.com