The depth of UCLA’s basketball team is getting a definite early-season test.
Bruins’ Coach Ben Howland said Thursday morning that preseason All-American point guard Darren Collison will remain on the sidelines when UCLA is in Kansas City next week for its College Basketball Experience game Monday night against Maryland, and then the next evening against Michigan State or Missouri.
Collison suffered a strained ligament in his left knee during an exhibition on Nov. 2 and missed the team’s opening three games against Portland State, Youngstown State and Cal State San Bernardino.
The decision to keep Collison in civilians was made after Howland watched Collison work out in Pauley Pavilion Wednesday evening.
“Unfortunately, his knee isn’t as healthy as we would like it to be,” Howland said Thursday morning.
“He was moving pretty good (Wednesday night) but he was wearing a brace on the knee and he is not as explosive yet as you would want him to be yet. We want him to be as effective as possible so it was my feeling to err on the side of caution. He saw the doctor (after the workout) and the doctor concurred that he should be out at least 10 more days. So, probably, the earliest he could be back would be the 28th (of this month), for George Washington.”
Added Howland: “I walked out of the gym (Pauley Pavilion) last night thinking that we are not going to rush him back. We have a long season in front of him and we need him to come back healthy and to stay healthy. It’s really too early to try to push him, especially in those high level games (next week) we’re going to play.”
Sophomore Russell Westbrook, normally Collison’s backup, has averaged 11.0 points, 6.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds in Collison’s absence.
Leave a comment