Hackett may be out for season

For the second time in three years, USC is headed into the final five weeks of Pacific 10 Conference play without one of its top guards.

Coach Tim Floyd said Tuesday that sophomore Daniel Hackett would “definitely” miss USC’s game against UCLA on Sunday because of a stress fracture in his lower back and a partially torn oblique muscle. Hackett probably will miss games next week against the Oregon schools, Floyd said, and might be out for the rest of the season.

“The way it was laid out to me, there is a scenario where he won’t play this year,” Floyd said. “We’re going to approach things like he won’t be out here and be hopeful that he returns at some point. I don’t know when that will be.”

Floyd faced a similar predicament in February 2006 when sophomore guard Gabe Pruitt broke a bone in his knee. USC had a 6-5 record in the Pac-10, just as it does now, with five weeks left until the conference tournament.

Pruitt returned after a five-game absence, but the Trojans lost six of their last eight games and did not receive a postseason invitation.

USC now must hope for a better outcome at a time when it has less depth at guard than it did when it lost Pruitt.

Hackett’s absence leaves the Trojans with only three available scholarship guards in sophomore Dwight Lewis and freshmen O.J. Mayo and Angelo Johnson, with Johnson probably being thrust into the starting lineup as Hackett’s replacement.

USC’s only perimeter subs will be seldom-used walk-ons Ryan Wetherell and Terence Green. Freshman guard Marcus Simmons tried to practice on a sprained ankle Tuesday but found it too painful.

Trainer Bobby Walls said it was impossible to pinpoint exactly when Hackett suffered the stress fracture and torn muscle. Hackett was diagnosed with a bruised right pelvis after he fell less than two minutes into the Trojans’ game against Arizona on Jan. 31.

Hackett returned two days after his fall but was severely limited during the 18 minutes he played against Arizona State. He compounded his injury woes last week when he sprained his right ankle against Washington and then played only 24 minutes during a blowout loss against Washington State.

“He’s upset that he’s hurt, but I think he needs to get well,” Mayo said. “There’s no need to aggravate it any more and lose him for the whole season. Maybe we should have even sat him for the last two games and have him here this game.

“But he has a lot of heart and wanted to play and felt he could help us.”

After playing two of his best games of the season last month during victories over UCLA and Oregon, Hackett’s production dropped dramatically after the injury. He averaged 2.3 points over his last three games.

Hackett is averaging 9.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and a team-high 3.6 assists on the season for USC, which is 15-8 overall and tied with Washington State for third in the Pac-10. Hackett ranks in the top 10 in the conference in steals, free-throw percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio.

If there was an upside to the situation two years ago, it was that the Trojans pulled together to upset UCLA at home with big contributions from guards Ryan Francis and Dwayne Shackleford. They will seek similar step-up performances Sunday.

“We just have to try to get better without him,” Mayo said of Hackett.

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ben.bolch@latimes.com