USC basketball: Jio Fontan injures knee in loss to Brazilian team

USC lost, 81-70, to Mogi das Cruzes in Sau Paulo on Tuesday, but its biggest loss by far was the left knee injury that senior guard Jio Fontan suffered in the first half.

Fontan, who scored 57 points in USC's first two games on its five-game, 10-day exhibition trip in Brazil to play professional Brazilian teams, took a hit and landed awkardly 4 minutes, 24 seconds before halftime.

USC is calling it a left knee sprain for now. X-rays were negative and he's expected to have an MRI on Wednesday after the team flies to Rio de Janeiro.

If it's a major injury, it would be a major blow.

Fontan makes up half of the team's returning starters and is the team's leading returning scorer (10.5 points per game).The Trojans return eight players in all.