When guard Ryan Wetherell left practice Monday with a gash over his right eye (requiring stitches) after colliding with Taj Gibson, the injury bug afflicting the Trojan basektball team had reached a critical mass, causing coach Tim Floyd to cut practice short. This was the fifth practice (or pickup game related) injury to a USC hoops player in the last few weeks, the others affecting Daniel Hackett (broken jaw), Dwight Lewis (bruised quadsd), Marcus Simmons (sprained ankle), and Davon Jefferson (sprained knee). Only Lewis and Wetherell are likely to return in the next few days.

Injuries force Floyd to curtail practice (LA Times)

Scott Wolf is reporting that Floyd, who had been out of town for several weeks, met for the first time with Daniel Hackett and O.J. Mayo to probe the circumstances leading to Hackett’s broken jaw. The two players involved insist it was an accidental elbow following a rebound, but Wolf is citing an unnamed player who (like several other unnamed sources) disputes the account: “He punched him…They changed the story for the media.” Hackett reportedly scuffled with teammates during practices and pickup games last season, which provides some context for these allegations.

USC men’s basketball coach Floyd told Mayo didn’t punch Hackett (LA Daily News)