Dragovic Reinstated To Join Team

By Bruin Basketball Report

UCLA Head Coach Ben Howland said forward Nikola Dragovic has been been reinstated after serving a two-game suspension for his arrest in an assault case.

Dragovic practiced with the team on Wednesday and will play in Thursday's 76 Classic opener in Anaheim against Portland. 

"Based on the information we have right now and what we know about the situation, I sat down with Dan Guerrero and we've been discussing this," Howland said. "We just felt like he's been suspended for the two games, and based on what we know right now, it would be the right decision to let him play." 

Dragovic hasn't practiced with the Bruins since he was suspended last Friday. He missed games against Cal State Bakersfield and Pepperdine. 

Howland said Dragovic will come off the bench and that senior James Keefe will remain in the starting line-up at power forward. 

On Monday Dragovic's lawyer, Jon Artz, said his client would plead not guilty after being arrested last week on a felony warrant which alleges Dragovic knocked a man into a glass case during a concert in Hollywood.
Artz said the other man was the aggressor, was drinking heavily and had slapped Dragovic's roommate. He claims Dragovic attempted to leave, but was followed by the man, who said he had a knife and threatened to kill Dragovic. 

Dragovic voluntarily filed a report with campus police a week after the incident, and believed the incident had been written off as a minor scuffle. HIs arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 21 at the criminal courts building  in Los Angeles.