Bruins Lose Another Player, Then Lose To Huskies

By Bruin Basketball Report

Box Score

Another game, another injured player, but this time the Bruins could not overcome the loss as they were defeated by the Washington Huskies, 69-65 before a sellout crowd at Pauley Pavilion.

The Bruin injury procession continued in this game when freshman forward Alfred Aboya left the game with 7 minutes in the first half due to a right knee sprain. Aboya was standing alone at the top of the key when he turned to his right and tweaked his knee. Aboya had surgery on both his knees prior to the start of the season.

Despite the injury to Aboya, the Bruins still were able to take a 40-28 lead into halftime.

But in the second half, the Huskies began to chip away at the Bruin lead, and with 7:00 left in the game they went on a 10-0 run to take a 61-60 lead with 3:11 seconds left in the game.

UCLA (14-3, 4-2) had an opportunity to pull out the game with just 11 seconds left and still down only one point, the Huskies’ Mike Jensen, a 61% free throw shooter, missed the front end of a one and one, but Huskies’ freshman Jon Brockman muscled his way in and kept the ball alive until Bobby Jones grabbed the loose ball and was fouled on his shot.

Jones made one of two of the free throws for a two point lead, but then on the ensuing Bruin possession, Farmar passed the ball to a cutting Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, but Mbah a Moute received the ball out-of- control and was called for traveling and the Bruin’s last threat in the game was over.

The game was a tale of two halves for both teams.

In the first half, the Bruins executed well in their half court offensive sets, similar to the first half against Washington St. The team shot 54% from the field and were paced by the 3-point shooting of Michael Roll who scored 14 first half points.

Defensively, the Bruins rotated and challenged every shot while holding the Huskies to only 36% FG shooting in the first half; moreover, the Bruins clamped down on the Huskies’ leading scorer Brandon Roy who scored only 7 points in the half. Roy came into the game as the Pac-10 scoring leader averaging 19.4 points per game.

But the second half was a different story – a Huskies story. Washington (14-2, 3-2) shot 64% and out-rebounded the Bruins by six in the half. In addition , the Huskies stepped up their defensive pressure and limited the Bruins to 43% shooting.

For the game, the Huskies out-rebounded the Bruins 32-26 - 14 of those rebounds were on the offensive end. Bobby Jones led the Huskies with 12 rebounds.

The Bruins only went to the free throw line 5 times while the Huskies shot 13 times from the line.

“It’s hard to win when you get out-rebounded and let the other team shoot 60%”, coach Ben Howland said. “They grabbed 14 offensive rebounds which means they got 14 extra chances for scores”.

For the first time this season, Arron Afflalo did not lead the Bruins in scoring. Instead Michael Roll had scoring team-high honors with 17 points, but he only had 3 points in the second half after the Huskies designated a defender to stay close with him after his hot first-half shooting. Roll played a team-high 34 minutes in the game.

Jordan Farmar finished with a career-high 12 assists but scored only 3 points on 1-7 shooting. After it was suggested to Howland that Farmar’s ankle was hampering his offensive production. “We need Jordan to shoot more”, Howland said, especially considering all the injuries the team has sustained this season.

Arron Afflalo contributed 16 points but on 6-16 shooting. As always, Afflalo was doing triple duty - guarding the opposing team's best player and creating his own shot - all while still recovering from a hip pointer and bruises from a nasty fall last week at Arizona St.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was a bright spot for the team. He recorded another double-double scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

Freshman Ryan Wright, who started the game in place of the injured Lorezno Mata, scored 8 points but for the second game in a row did not record a single rebound - a statistic the coaching staff can not be pleased with.

In Pac-10 play so far, Wright has averaged only 1 rebound per game.

Both senior centers Michael Fey and Ryan Hollins played in the game. Fey played only 1 minutes while Ryan Hollins played 17 minutes grabbing 4 rebounds and scoring 3.

It was the Washington Huskies first win over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion since January 29, 1987.

The Bruins will try to re-group when they take on their cross-town rival, the USC Trojans, in a big game on Wednesday.


(BruinBasketballReport.com)

(photo credit: Collin Erie/US Presswire)

UCLA vs. Washington - Game Preview

The No.11/No.12 UCLA Bruin team plays host to the visiting No.13 Washington Huskies at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, Jan. 14.

UCLA (14-2, 3-1) received more bad news yesterday on the injury front when an MRI on Lorenzo Mata’s right knee revealed a nondisplaced tibial plateau fracture. The athletic department reported he is expected to be out at least 6-8 weeks.

Mata had started the Bruin's last six games and appeared to be settling into his role on the team. On the season he was averaging 4.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game, but most importantly he was providing the Bruins with an interior defensive presence.

Ben Howland’s team is already without Josh Shipp (hip/out for season), Cedric Bozeman (shoulder), and Michael Fey (ankle).

Senior center Ryan Hollins (groin) is set to return for tomorrow’s game but will be limited to 15 minutes of play.

Freshman Ryan Wright, who has started two games this season, will likely get the start against the Huskies. Wright who sparked the Bruins in earlier preseason games has struggled as of late.

In the Stanford game Wright sprained his ankle but did not miss any action; however, he has since only averaged 3.2 points and 1.0 rebound per game since the injury. With Mata and Fey injured, and Hollins playing limited minutes, the Bruins will need better rebounding production from Wright.

Alfred Aboya has played some minutes at the center position this year but has averaged only 10 minutes per game and is needed to back-up Luc Richard Mbah a Moute at the power forward position.

After scoring 10 points in 32 minutes against Washington St., freshman Michael Roll looks to continue to contribute. Coach Ben Howland has been very pleased with Roll’s development on defense. Matched against the Cougars’ 6’10 forward Robbie Cowgill, Roll held him to only 6 points in the game.

The Washington Huskies (13-2, 2-2) come into Pauley Pavilion after defeating the USC Trojans 86-77 on Thursday. In that game, Huskies senior Brandon Roy scored 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and senior Bobby Jones scored 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. The Huskies outrebounded the Trojans by an astounding 45-19 margin.

Coach Lorenzo Romar’s Huskies team started strong with a 10-0 record with an average victory margin of +25 in those games, but some questioned the quality of their opponents and the fact all the games were in Seattle.

Since Pac-10 play began the Huskies are 2-2 in conference play with losses at home against Arizona and Washington St.

The Huskies lead the Pac-10 in points (85.7), offensive rebounds (15.7), and total rebounds (40) per game. The Huskies have six players who average more than 4 rebounds per game, including their 5’11 point guard.

The Huskies play an up-tempo game preferring to run at most opportunities, yet they don’t tend to make many turnovers. They lead the league with an assist-turnover ratio of 1.27. In comparison, the Bruins are near the bottom of the league with a ratio of 0.72.

Preseason Wooden Award nominee guard Brandon Roy (Sr, 6’6, 210) is the overall leader of the team. He is averaging 19.4 points , FG 52%, and 5.6 rebounds per game. Roy was primarily known as a slasher-type player last year but he has dramatically improved his outside shot by hitting on 51% of his 3-point shots this year.

Senior forward Bobby Jones (6’7, 215) is averaging 11.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He has struggled from the 3-point line this year hitting on 28%. Jones does score well under the basket and from mid-range and is the Huskies best defender. Coach Romar will no doubt assign Jones to guard UCLA’s Arron Afflalo.

Power forward Jamaal Williams (Sr, 6’6, 235) is undersized for his position, but he scores well on the blocks and draws a lot of fouls on his defender which will be significant considering the Bruin’s thin frontline at this point. Williams is averaging 14.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

The Huskies have depended on two freshmen this year to fill out the point guard and center/forward positions: Justin Dentmon and Jon Brockman.

Justin Dentmon (Fr, 5'11, 185) is averaging 9.0 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. He has been a steady contributor for the Huskies although he committed 7 turnovers against the Trojans.

Jon Brockman (Fr, 6’7, 245) is a wide body underneath and was picked by many in the preseason to be the favorite for Pac-10 Freshman of the year. He leads the Huskies in rebounding with 7.4 rebounds and averages 10.1 points per game with 57%.FG shooting.

Brockman dominated play in preseason games but he has struggled since Pac-10 play began. In four games against Pac-10 competition he is averaging only 5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game Although Brockman has struggled thus far in Pac-10 play, he is talented enough to give the Bruins Ryan Wright problems underneath.

The Huskies have Ryan Appleby Mike Jensen, and Joel Smith off the bench.

Appleby (So,6'2,170) is a 3-point specialist, who besides Roy, gives the Huskies their only consistent long-range threat – hitting on 42% of his 3-point shots.

Jensen (Sr,6'8,250) gives the Huskies a bigger presence inside (4.2 rebounds per game) although he is more comfortable shooting from the perimeter.

Smith (So, 6'4, 205) is an energy-type player and gives the Huskies more athleticism on the perimeter. He is averaging 5.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in 16 minutes.

Although the Huskies are leading the Pac-10 in scoring, they are last in points allowed 80.3 points per game.

Last year, the Huskies gave teams difficulty with a suffocating pressure defense, but with the loss of key players to graduation, this year’s Huskies’ team has struggled to maintain the same consistent defensive intensity throughout the whole game. Ben Howland’s Bruins will look to exploit the defensive lapses the Huskies have experienced during games this year.

In the first half against Washington St. the Bruins played perhaps their best half-court offense of the year prompting Cougar’s head coach Dick Bennett to say “UCLA's execution in the first half was a thing of beauty. Their screens, their cuts, their timing was perfect.”

With the Bruins suiting up only eight scholarship players for this game, the Bruins will need to execute their offense just as well against Washington but sustain it for the entire 40 minutes.

The Huskies run their offense through Brandon Roy. UCLA’s all-purpose player Arron Afflalo will be responsible for checking Roy and prevent him from having a game similar to his double-double performance against the Trojans. The Huskies, not surprisingly, tend to play well when Roy is on his game.

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

Lorenzo Mata's Injury: Diagnosis

The Daily Bruin reported earlier today that sophomore Lorenzo Mata suffered a fractured right tibia.

The Tibia or shin bone, in human anatomy, is the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee.

However, a UCLA press release states the MRI revealed a "nondisplaced right tibial plateau fracture" which actually involves the tibia and cartilage surface of the knee. See additional information on this of type of injury.

Mata will be out at least six-to-eight weeks, but once the fracture fully heals he is expected to resume full activity, according to the release.

Mata, only a sophomore, was averaging 4.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game, but more importantly he was providing the Bruins a toughness in the post it had been lacking the past few seasons.

In a key game against Arizona last week, Mata had 9 points and 7 rebounds after which coach Ben Howland said "I think it was Lorenzo's best game as a Bruin."

In just this season, Mata has suffered a concussion while practicing, lost two teeth in the Michigan game, and fractured his nose against Arizona St.

Not surprisingly to anyone, Mata's leg injury from the Washington St. game was the result of him hustling after a loose ball when he accidentally collided with teammate Jordan Farmar.

Mata is a Bruin fan favorite and has developed a cult-like following primarily due to his all-out hustle and toughness on the floor.

BBR wishes Lorenzo Mata a full and healthy recovery. We look forward to having him back in the Blue and Gold soon!

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

(photo credit: AP)

Mata Out For 8 Weeks With Fractured Leg

Sophomore center Lorenzo Mata suffered a fractured right tibia Thursday night in a collision with teammate Jordan Farmar late in the second half of UCLA's victory over Washington State.

An MRI taken late Thursday night following the game confirmed the latest bad news to stike an injury-decimated Bruin team, who at this rate might be challenging the convention that it takes five healthy players to win basketball games.

According to UCLA coach Ben Howland, Mata will be out for approximately eight weeks, which would pit the sophomore's return around mid-March during the NCAA Tournament. Daily Bruin

Bruins Have Just Enough To Beat Cougars, 63-61

Box Score

The UCLA Bruins (14-2, 4-1) withstood a late Washington State rally to win 63-61 in front of 9,550 at Pauley Pavilion.

Ironically, after winning their last game with three seconds remaining on a left-handed layup by Jordan Farmar, the Bruins won this game on a missed layup by WSU’s Kyle Weaver with three seconds left in the game.

With the Bruins leading 63-61, WSU’s Robbie Cowgill rebounded a missed Arron Afflalo free throw and found guard Kyle Weaver who drove hard to the basket for a wide open layup but the shot came up short, Darren Collison rebounded the ball as time expired.

Dick Bennett’s Cougars entered the game with a reputation for a patient, precise offense, but it was the Bruins who were executing their half court offense magnificently in the first half - UCLA shot 54% in the half.

UCLA's execution in the first half was a thing of beauty," Bennett said. "Their screens, their cuts, their timing was perfect.

The Bruins lead by as much as 17 points in the second half after posting a 31-17 at halftime, but the Cougars rallied behind the hot-shooting of 5’10 sophomore Josh Akognon.

Akogon who was recently voted Pac-10 player of the week for a 27-point performance in leading his team to a victory over Washington last week – almost repeated the same feat against the Bruins.

After being held scoreless in the first half, Akogon scored 25 points on 6-8 shooting from 3PT in the second half alone, and brought the Cougars back to within one point with just 13 seconds left in the game. But then Arron Afflalo was fouled on the next play and hit one of two free throws which was followed by the game-ending missed layup by Weaver.

UCLA had held WSU to 32% FG% shooting in the first half, but then the Cougars shot 58% in the second half behind Akogon.

“I thought we played the best defense we’ve played all year during the first 30 minutes of this game”, UCLA coach Ben Howland said ”But then Akogon started hitting and we had problems picking him up in transition and left him wide-open for shots”.

Arron Afflalo lead the Bruins with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists - yet after the game he was his own toughest critic. “I missed some open shots at the end of the game”, Afflalo grumbled afterwards “I need to work and get better, our team can get better”

Perhaps Afflalo may have been somewhat fatigued at the end of the game since he played a team high 38 minutes after suffering a hip pointer and bruises in a hard fall against Arizona State just last weekend.

I played Arron too many minutes," Howland said. "He got really tired down the stretch and it showed."

Point guard Jordan Farmar, still playing on a sore right ankle, scored 12 points and handed out 7 assists in a steady 28 minutes performance.

Freshman Michael Roll got the starting assignment at small forward, replacing the injured Josh Shipp, and he responded. Roll scored 10 points on 4-8 shooting, although interestingly, it was his solid defense which earned him the start with coach Howland

He has really improved his defense, Howland said of Roll. “He works really hard on his defense at practices and it’s so great for a coach to see a player develop and improve like he has”.

Roll played a career high 32 minutes in this game and may see these many minutes for the remainder of the season. Although he shot the ball well, Roll will need to improve his rebounding effort since he recorded no rebounds in the game.

Freshman forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds and blocked two shots. He has given this team an athletic defensive presence inside they did not have last year. Mbah a Moute also scored 9 points on 3-4 shooting.

Darren Collison had 7 points and 4 rebounds including the rebound to end the game. In the first half, Collison tried to do too much offensively - perhaps to help the team compensate for the loss of Josh Shipp.

Collison made two ill-advised drives into the paint which resulted in either a blocked shot or missed off-balance shot, however, he did settle down in the second half to make a strong contribution at the end. Collison made a huge layup after breaking the Cougar full court press to extend the Bruin lead to three points with 27 seconds left in the game.

The Bruins may have suffered another devastating injury to a player. With three minutes left in the game, Lorenzo Mata and Jordan Farmar’s knees collided with both players falling to the ground and Mata getting the worst of it. Mata laid on the court grasping his knee in agony but then he finally got up and limped back to the bench on his own.

Howland said the team’s physician examined Mata’s knee and did not find any serious structural damage in his exam, however, Mata will have an MRI done later on Thursday evening.

In recent games, Mata had been establishing himself on both ends of the court. Against WSU although he only scored 3 points and had 4 rebounds, his defensive presence and awareness was key to the Bruins interior defense. Mata also had 2 blocked shots.

It won’t be known until tomorrow, or even perhaps game-time on Saturday, the extent of the injury Mata suffered in the game. If he’s unable to play, then freshman Ryan Wright will need to step up and play more minutes, we may even see Alfred Aboya sliding over to the 5 spot as well.

Senior Michael Fey is still doubtful for the Washington’s game, however, the other senior seven-footer, Ryan Hollins may play in the game on Saturday against the Huskies.

Any healthy player would be greatly welcomed by this injury-plagued Bruin team. The Bruins take on the No.13 Washington Huskies on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. The Huskies defeated the Trojans, 81-72 at the Sports Arena.

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

(photo credit: AP)

UCLA Men's Basketball Injury Update (1/11)

Injury Update for Tomorrow's Game

1. Arron Afflalo (hip pointer) practiced on Monday and underwent precautionary x-rays on Tuesday but is expected to play.
2. Jordan Farmar (right ankle) was limited to non-contact practices this week and is expected to play.
3. Lorenzo Mata (broken nose) will wear a protective plastic face mask for the next few games and is expected to play.
4. Cedric Bozeman (torn cartilage in left shoulder) has been undergoing rehabilitation and strengthening of his shoulder. Bozeman will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks to determine if his shoulder has improved enough to play, otherwise, Bozeman may be facing season-ending surgery.
5. Michael Fey (right ankle) has missed the last five games and is doubtful for both games this week.
6. Ryan Hollins (groin) has missed the last five games but was cleared to do straight-forward running and non-contact drills; however, Hollins is doubtful for both games this week.
7. Josh Shipp (hip) announced he would miss the remainder of the season due to his injury.
   

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

UCLA vs. Washington St. - Game Preview

By Bruin Basketball Report

The UCLA Bruins (13-2, 3-1) play host to the Washington St. (WSU) Cougars (9-3, 2-1) at Pauley Pavilion on Thursday, Jan.12.

The Cougars are coming off a huge upset 78-71 win over the previously No.10 ranked Washington Huskies in Seattle. The Cougars earned four points in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll, and if you’re counting, it would make them unofficially ranked No.41 in the nation.

The Bruins will try to overcome the loss of sophomore forward Josh Shipp. Shipp stunned Bruin fans yesterday when it was announced he would miss the remainder of the season after deciding the pain in his hip was unmanageable.

"It's been something that's been lingering in my mind for a while," Shipp said in a statement issued by the school Tuesday. "For the Stanford and Cal games, I really didn't feel comfortable, but I wanted to go out there and try and help the team get a win.

UCLA will file for a medical hardship petition on behalf of Shipp. To gain medical hardship, a player must typically play in less the 20 percent of the team's games that season, and he can't appear in a game past midway through the season.

If Shipp were to play Thursday against Washington State, he would no longer be eligible for the medical hardship waiver

In addition to the loss of Shipp, Cedric Bozeman will be out at least 2-3 more weeks with a shoulder injury. Ironically, Bozeman’s shoulder was injured in a collision with Shipp during a practice.

Howland said Tuesday he had not decided who would start against Washington State, but he has several options.

Without Shipp and Bozeman, the Bruins may play more of a three guard line-up with Darren Collison, Michael Roll, and Janou Rubin logging more minutes.

Another option would be Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (he was recruited as a wing player) sliding down to the three spot at times with Alfred Aboya playing more minutes at the power forward position.

The WSU Cougars also recently suffered a major loss in their roster when starting point guard Derrick Low broke his right foot in practice last week. Low was the Cougars leading scorer at 10.5 ppg and was shooting 47% from 3PT, averaging 3.8 apg and 1.4 spg. He was tops on the team in minutes played with 33.2 minutes per game.

But in the Cougar's upset victory over Washington, Low's teammates stepped up in his place.

Josh Akognon (So, 5’10, 198), who had scored in double-figures only 3 times in the previous 12 games, shot 6 -10 from 3PT - including a tie-breaking 3PT with 16 seconds left, finished with a game-high 27 points. Akognon was named Pac-10 player of the week for his performance.

WSU guard Kyle Weaver also scored a career-high 19 points and center Robbie Cowgill chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds against the Huskies as the Cougars won at Washington for the first time since 1994.

WSU head coach Dick Bennett is aware that his team might slide backward after shocking Washington. "There is the danger of the letdown," Bennett said. "History has proven time and again that it's quite difficult to follow up a special performance or victory with another really good performance."

The Cougars have a patient offense which takes smart shots, and a relentless, suffocating defense that gets under the skin of opponents, wearing them down.

Although the Cougars are last in the Pac-10 in scoring at 64.6 ppg, they own a plus 9.1 scoring margin over opponents due to one of the stingiest defenses in the nation.

WSU leads the Pac-10 in scoring defense (55.5 ppg), field goal percentage defense (36.8%), 3-point field goal percentage defense (29.1%), and blocked shots (4.92 bpg).

The Cougars offense doesn’t score many points but it’s efficient. WSU shoots very well from the outside, they lead the Pac-10 in 3PT FG% (40.5%) and are third in total FG% (47..3%).

Aside from the injured Low, no other Cougar player averages more than 10 points per game.

Sophomore center Robbie Cowgill (6’10, 208) is a cagey slim jim who is averaging 9.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 1.3 bpg.

Guard Kyle Weaver (So, 6’5, 185) is averaging 9.4 ppg and leads the team in rebounds with 4.8 rpg and assists 4.1 apg.

In their first 12 games, the WSU bench was averaging over 25 ppg or over 40% of the total team points. The bench is lead by a tough forward, Ivory Clark (Jr, 6'5, 212) who averages 7.1 ppg and 4.3 rpg.

Against WSU it will be difficult for the Bruins to set an up-tempo game in their favor due to the patient and disciplined Cougar offense coached by Bennett.

The Bruins will need to minimize turnovers. They have the second most turnovers in the conference. With Jordan Farmar’s minutes limited and the pressure applied by the WSU defense, turnovers will be a major factor in this game.

WSU uses almost the entire shot clock before shooting and they like to shoot from long distance resulting in long rebounds opportunities. The Bruins must rebound well and limit any second chance points and opportunities since the scores will probably be in the 50s to low 60s.

WSU is patient on offense looking for defensive breakdowns, they make an opponent play defense for the entire shot clock - the entire game. The Bruins must remain disciplined and sustain a strong defensive effort throughout the game.

UCLA’s Arron Afflalo will get the starting defensive assignment against WSU's Weaver. Despite a scary fall in the ASU game in which he suffered a hip pointer, Afflalo will be ready to play against WSU - he practiced on Monday. Afflalo is the Bruin's leading scorer at 19.0 ppg.

Bruin Lorenzo Mata will start at center and play despite suffering a broken nose against ASU. Mata will wear a protective plastic mask in the game. Mata had one of his best games as a Bruin against ASU, he scored 7 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots in the win.

UCLA Men's Basketball Injury update report to follow later today.

(BruinBasketBallReport.com)

UCLA's Shipp Sidelined for the Season

"It's been something that's been lingering in my mind for a while," Shipp said in a statement issued by the school Tuesday. "For the Stanford and Cal games, I really didn't feel comfortable, but I wanted to go out there and try and help the team get a win.

"It was just real sore and painful in those two games. I tried to go again last weekend and I just decided I couldn't do it the whole year, there was just too much pain."

"At this point, his pain levels are just unacceptable, just way too much to handle," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "He has constant throbbing during every practice and every game, he's very sore every day, and the next morning he's obviously very stiff. And it's not getting better.

"That's the main thing, that's the concern. He has made this decision, through consultation with the physician that did the surgery, his mother and his family, our staff and our trainer. The bottom line is his long-term health." L.A. Times

Josh Shipp Out For Season

By Bruin Basketball Report

Josh Shipp will miss the remainder of the 2005-06 season after deciding the pain in his hip was unmanageable and will apply for a medical red-shirt this year. It was announced today at UCLA's weekly press conference.

The sophomore forward injured himself in a summer game and had arthroscopic surgery on his right hip to repair a torn labrum (cartilage) and remove a bone spur on September 28.

He returned to the Bruin line-up on December 29 scoring 11 points in a Pac-10 opener victory over Stanford.

In four games this year, Shipp was averaging 11.3 ppg and 4.8 rpg but more importantly he provided the Bruins with an effective third offensive option.

The season-ending injury to Shipp compounds the Bruin's roster problems since the team already lost senior Cedric Bozeman to a shoulder injury two weeks ago.

It is uncertain at this time whether Bozeman will even return this year - a decision on his return will be made within the next 2-3 weeks based upon his rehabilatation progress.

Without Shipp and Bozeman, the Bruins may play more of a three guard line-up with Darren Collison, Michael Roll, and Janou Rubin logging more minutes.

Another option would be Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (he was recruited as a wing player) sliding down to the three spot at times with Alfred Aboya playing more minutes at the power forward position.

Nonetheless, this is a huge blow to a nice young man and player. Best wishes to Josh Shipp on a complete healthy recovery!

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

(photo credit: uclabruins.collegesports.com)

Life and Times of Tyus Edney

Tyus Edney will forever be fondly remembered in UCLA history for his 4.8 second coast to coast dash to beat Missouri in the 1995 NCAA tournament. Below is an article link, orginally posted in Bruin Hoop Scoop, on Tyus' pro career and life's adjustments since that memorable time in 1995.

A great read. Has it really been 10 years?

Ten years have passed since Edney helped guide his UCLA Bruins to an NCAA title, and the cheerful point guard has only a gray hair or two to show for it. This season, after a successful year in Rome, he’ll play in Athens, his third city in three years. But the switch is unlikely to change the way he is, or what he represents.

Watching him playing host in Rome — pouring wine for guests, manning the grill, effortlessly switching from English to Italian as he greets his friends — it’s easy to call Edney a renaissance man, a man for all cities, a stylish wanderer. It doesn’t hurt that he’s decked out in a designer polo shirt and jeans — a nice blend of la dolce vita and Dolce & Gabbana.

In a country — a continent even — in which soccer is king, Edney walks the bustling streets of Rome in anonymity. Meanwhile, foreign players like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, both of the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs are becoming household names in America. And here’s Edney, giving directions to the Lottomatica stadium to his landlord. “That’s OK,” says Edney. “If I was a soccer player, everybody would recognize me.”

In 1995, everybody did recognize Edney. Every March, the memory is refreshed, thanks mostly to those annual greatest-moments-of-the-NCAA-Tournament highlight shows. There, usually wedged somewhere between greatest-moment No. 4 and greatest-moment No. 8, Edney is a legend. The American Online

Bruins Climb To No.11 in AP, No.12 in ESPN/USA Today

By Bruin Basketball Report

After sweeping both Arizona schools on the road last week, the UCLA Bruins (13-2, 3-1) moved up to No.11 in the AP and No. 12 in the ESPN/USA Today polls.

For the first time this season, the Bruins are the highest ranked Pac-10 team in the polls. The Washington Huskies (12-2, 1-2) dropped below the Bruins in both polls to No.13 after their home loss to Washington St. on Saturday.

While the Arizona Wildcats (10-4, 3-1) moved down to No. 24/AP and No.25/ESPN USA Today polls after their split with the two southern California schools at home last week.

The Bruin's upcoming opponent on Thursday, the Washington St. Cougars (9-3, 2-1), earned 4 votes from ESPN/USA Today voters but none from the AP.

Also noteworthy was West Virginia, whom the Bruins face on Jan. 21 at Pauley Pavilion, moved up to No. 16/AP and No.23/ESPN USA Today after their big win over No.3 ranked Villanova. The Mountaineers (10-3) have won eight straight games and will be a severe test for the Bruins in two weeks.

The Bruins are also No. 10 ranked in College RPI and No. 22 in Strength of Schedule (SOS).

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (1/9)

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday during the season.

Commits

no news last week

Prospects

Russell Westbrook carried his team in the first quarter. Then, he really took over. The senior guard for Leuzinger had a career night and set a school record with 51 points in an 81-69 nonleague victory at Carson on Friday night. Westbrook, a 6-foot-3, 170-pounder, scored all nine first-quarter points for Leuzinger (14-2) and he never stopped going at the Colts. Daily Breeze (1/7)

Prior to the start of Lake Oswego's third quarter against Reserve Christian, Portland Trail Blazers rookie Martell Webster walked over to the Lakers' bench and offered a few pointers to Kevin Love. It turns out Webster, who jumped straight to the NBA last year after an exceptional high school career in Seattle, is very familiar with Love and the Lake Oswego program. The Oregonian (1/5)

Kyle Singler says he has "lost track of the number of (scholarship) offers" he has acquired but has trimmed his list of favorites to "Duke, UCLA, Arizona, Kansas, North Carolina and either Washington or Oregon." The Oregonian (1/3)

At 6-8, Kyle Singler is South’s tallest player and its most complete. The heavily recruited junior is averaging 19.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game despite being constantly targeted by opposing defenses. Mail Tribune (1/6)

Mitty held off visiting Serra 54-50 despite missing 6-foot-9 post player Drew Gordon because of disciplinary reasons. Gordon, a sophomore, was called for two technical fouls in Mitty's WCAL opener, which earned him a one-game league suspension. It is the second such occurrence this season for Gordon, and Coach Brian Eagleson will sit him for an additional game, against Valley Christian on Tuesday. Mercury News (1/7)

Four Oxnard players scored in double figures. Kevin Quilantang had a game-high 24 points. Omondi Amoke had 18 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. Ventura County Star (1/7)

“That guy is good,” said the La Marque boys basketball coach of 6-foot-8 sophomore Luke Babbitt, who scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Grizzlies pulled out a 62-58 overtime win over the Cougars. Galveston County Daily News

Larry Drew was just getting warmed up. The 6-foot sophomore found a wide open Javael Boykins underneath for a basket to make it a 23-8 game with 1:45 left in the first. As Dorsey attempted to bring the ball upcourt, Drew stepped into the passing lane for a steal, leading to another easy transition layup for Boykins and a 15-point lead. L.A. Daily News (1/8)

Andy Poling scored 34 points, including the game-winning free throws in overtime, to lead the Wildcats over the host Beavers. The Oregonian (1/7)

Afflalo Injures Hip, Mata's Nose Bloodied

Afflalo injured his left hip and a portion of his right side below the hip when he crashed to the floor after making a layup in the final two minutes of Saturday's game against Arizona State at Wells Fargo Arena.Although

Afflalo drew a foul on the play, he was unable to shoot the free throw because of the injury.As the game clock wound down, Afflalo tried to stretch and jog behind the basket in order to persuade trainer Tony Spino to let him play. But Spino wouldn't, especially after Afflalo had trouble bending down at the scorer's table while trying to make his case to return.

Mata wasn't sure how his nose got cracked in the first half, but it was severe enough to cause so much blood to run on his jersey that he had to switch from his usual No. 14 to No. 44.

Returning with cotton balls up both nostrils, Mata said he was advised that he might have a slight fracture and should consider wearing a mask to protect his nose when he returns to the court. He was expected to undergo a further examination today. L.A. Times