Arizona guard Josh Green won’t play at USC or UCLA due to back injury

Arizona Wildcats wing Josh Green will not play against the USC Trojans or UCLA Bruins this weekend due to a lower back injury, the program announced Thursday night.

The freshman is out with a sacroiliac joint sprain, likely related to the hard fall he took at the end of the Oregon game last Saturday.

Green is averaging 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game this season. He is the Wildcats’ best perimeter defender and their best finished in transition.

Max Hazzard is also out for personal reasons.

Los Angeles native Ira Lee is starting in Green’s place, meaning the Wildcats are going with three forwards and two guards against the Trojans, who feature one of the best frontcourts in the Pac-12.