Hackett isn’t happy with his performance

Daniel Hackett gave himself two giant thumbs down following a two-hour film session Monday in which USC reviewed its lackluster 70-57 victory Saturday over UC Riverside, with the sophomore guard saying he wasn’t sure if he should remain in the starting lineup.

“Really, I don’t think I should start the way I played lately, but that will be Coach [Tim Floyd’s] decision,” said Hackett, who had 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and three turnovers against the Highlanders. “I think I need to take a couple of days just to rest my mind and really think about what I’m doing out there because it’s not really good.”

What doesn’t he like?

“Just my approach to the game has been sloppy,” Hackett said. “My awareness on helping my teammates and keeping my man in front of me has been really poor. I didn’t do it on purpose, but I wasn’t really focused out there. I think I need a couple of days to really reflect on what I’m doing and come back ready.”

Hackett may be being more than a bit hard on himself. Although he has not maintained the astonishing pace he set in his first two games this season, when he followed a career-high 21-point performance against the Citadel by scoring 22 points against South Carolina and becoming the first Trojan in at least 30 years to record a triple-double, he is still one of his team’s most valuable players.

He has started all 11 games and is averaging 11.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals, the latter stat ranking him fourth in the Pacific 10 Conference.

Marcus Simmons attended the film session following an extended holiday break in which Floyd allowed the freshman guard to stay home in Alexandria, La., for four extra days so that he could rest a sprained left ankle and fight an extended bout of homesickness.

“It was good to be home, but when I went home it made me realize there’s nothing down there for me, so I’m back where I need to be right now,” said Simmons, who savored a rice-and-gravy dish made by his mother.

Simmons said he re-aggravated his ankle injury in practice Dec. 21 and played only eight minutes against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo the following day. He said his ankle feels better and he expected to be able to play Thursday against California.

Sophomore forward Kyle Austin, who last month announced his decision to transfer, said he has picked UC Riverside because he wanted to be part of the Highlanders’ turnaround under first-year Coach Jim Wooldridge.

“I wanted to go to a program with a coaching staff that would push me the way Coach Floyd did and be able to be one of the main contributors this time around,” said Austin, who played only two minutes this season before suffering a back injury that will require a medical redshirt.

The Trojans climbed to No. 22 in the Associated Press poll but remained unranked in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll.

ben.bolch@latimes.com