Muhammad, Wear likely to play against USC

UCLA’s leading scorer Shabazz Muhammad fell ill with flu-like symptoms Monday night, keeping him out of practice Tuesday. Head coach Ben Howland said the freshman’s fever topped 101 degrees, but most of his teammates haven’t even considered the possibility of him sitting.

“He’s a competitor,” David Wear said. “We’re all pretty sure he’ll end up playing. Anytime you’re playing USC, anybody’s gonna want to — even if you’re feeling sick — anyone’s gonna want to tough it out.”

Howland didn’t want to commit to his return, but hinted that Muhammad would find a way to suit up after fighting off nausea and vomiting.

“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Howland said Tuesday. “I think it’s too early to say, whether or not he’ll play or how he’ll do. But he’s a tough kid. …

“You see players raise their level sometimes when they feel a little under the weather.”

Forward Travis Wear, who sat out UCLA’s loss to Arizona State on Saturday with a concussion, participated in non-contact drills in practice. Howland expects him to be ready against USC, but is still waiting on medical clearance.