Jordan McLaughlin Injury: Updates on USC Guard's Recovery from Shoulder Surgery

USC guard Jordan McLaughlin has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2014-15 regular season after tests revealed he will need surgery on his injured left shoulder.

McLaughlin was injured during the second half of the Trojans' 80-75 loss to Oregon on Feb. 11. He has missed the team's last four games, including its 70-66 loss to Washington State on Wednesday. The Trojans have dropped three straight and 11 of their last 12 games, falling well out of contention for a postseason berth.

A highly touted point guard out of Rancho Cucamonga, McLaughlin averaged 12.1 points, 4.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game as a freshman. A bit of a hot-and-cold shooter, he was held to a 35.2 percent success rate from the field.

Sophomore Julian Jacobs has taken over the primary distributing duties, while fellow freshman Malik Marquetti has moved into the starting lineup.

From a short-term perspective, losing McLaughlin won't be a problem. This has already turned into a lost season for the Trojans. Getting some other players reps may actually be helpful down the road.

As for McLaughlin, though, worries have to start creeping in about a potentially chronic injury. This is the second time he's needed surgery to repair an injury on his left shoulder, the first being caused by a torn labrum in high school.

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