Injuries may affect scrimmage efficiency

It will be a getting-to-know-you session nearly as much for Coach Tim Floyd as it will be for USC basketball fans this afternoon when the Trojans play an intrasquad scrimmage at the Galen Center.

A wave of injuries has severely curtailed the participation of potential starters Daniel Hackett (broken jaw), Dwight Lewis (bruised quadriceps), Davon Jefferson (sprained knee) and Marcus Simmons (sprained ankle) since USC started practice two weeks ago.

Freshman guard O.J. Mayo was sporting a heavily wrapped left shin Saturday afternoon, the result of a practice injury earlier in the week.

Nonetheless, every Trojans player except Hackett is expected to participate in the scrimmage; the sophomore guard will be sidelined until late next month.

“We’ve had bumps and bruises, but sometimes you have to play through injuries,” Mayo said. “I think we should be ready to go.”

Floyd said he did not know how he would divvy up the teams and wasn’t sure his players were ready for the scrimmage with so much teaching left to do.

“We’re not anywhere near executing in a full-court setting yet. No way,” he said. “But it will be good for our guys. They need to do it.”

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USC has received a commitment from 6-foot point guard Donte Smith of Mt. San Antonio College.

Though Floyd does not pursue junior college players, the Trojans made an exception with Smith over the summer because of their unsettled point guard situation; Gabe Pruitt had departed early for the NBA and freshman Angelo Johnson had yet to be certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Smith will have three years of eligibility once he arrives at USC.

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ben.bolch@latimes.com