Kevin O’Neill stresses patience in taking care of the basketball

‘Tis the season for giving, and the USC basketball team has been most charitable, giving opponents a hefty bounty of extra possessions this month -- 61 turnovers in three games.

Two of those were losses against ranked teams from Texas and Georgia Tech, the third a win over Sacramento State on Tuesday when the Trojans had a season-high 25 turnovers.

It’s a problem, but one Coach Kevin O’Neill said won’t be fixed quickly; the team is short-handed and waiting for two players to become eligible.

“It becomes an individual responsibility,” he said. “When it gets right down to it, you can’t turn the ball over.”

USC’s turnovers-per-game average (16.9) trails only Oregon State (17.6) for worst in the Pacific 10 Conference, and the Trojans rank last in turnover margin and assist-to-turnover ratio.

Against Sacramento State, the Trojans had a span of seven consecutive turnovers committed by six players. During practice Thursday, O’Neill stressed patience as a factor in taking better care of the ball, especially for forwards Alex Stepheson and Nikola Vucevic, who combined for 13 turnovers on Tuesday.

“If we just take our time and let the play develop, and just be patient down there in the post especially, we’ll limit a whole lot of turnovers,” Stepheson said.

Patience is also a lesson for O’Neill, who said he can become frustrated when players don’t improve quickly.

“It would be unfair to be impatient with these guys,” he said. “You can be demanding, but you can’t be unfairly impatient. . . . We have fragile confidence anyway, but if you’re unfairly impatient it could be a real problem.”

Using different approaches, Vucevic and Stepheson have at times been a potent inside duo for the Trojans, each averaging near double figures in points and rebounds.

Vucevic, who leads the team with 14.4 points and 11 rebounds per game, is more finesse -- a strong passer and a solid decision-maker with a soft touch around the rim and range to the three-point line.

Stepheson, who averages 11.8 points and 9.2 rebounds, is more of a bull in a china shop -- an aggressive forward who uses all of his 6-foot-9, 235-pound frame to overpower opposing big men.

Both say their differing styles have helped.

“It’s definitely helpful for me because I’m still coming together with the team,” said Stepheson, who sat out last year after transferring from North Carolina.

Said Vucevic: “It’s a lot easier to play with Alex. He’s a big body and can dominate the paint.”

And it’s those different styles that please O’Neill most.

“You never want to duplicate your players, to be honest with you, at any position,” he said. “Those guys do play off each other, and they complement each other really well.”

Sick and injured

Freshman forward Evan Smith missed Tuesday’s game because of bronchitis and spent much of Thursday’s practice with his head over a trash can, fighting off nausea.

But Smith, who hasn’t scored in 43 minutes in his last three games, said he’ll be good to go against Idaho State tonight.

Marcus Simmons, who has struggled with a left shoulder injury, got dinged up in practice Thursday, and O’Neill said he wasn’t sure whether he’d play.

baxter.holmes@latimes.com