Young’s Thumb a Question as Bruins Win Easily

The UCLA basketball team is facing the possibility of being without swingman Ray Young, a potential starter, for several weeks because of the injured right thumb that kept him out of Wednesday night’s 90-66 victory over a Lithuanian club team in the exhibition opener before 5,099 at Pauley Pavilion.

Young is hopeful that he will be sidelined only another few days because of what is now being called a sprain, but that absence could grow to five to eight weeks if surgery is necessary. An updated diagnosis is expected at the end of this week or early next for what could be an early major blow to the Bruins.

Young was one of several players who sat out Wednesday against Kraitene Marijompole. Ryan Bailey, Dan Gadzuric and Todd Ramasar were also out because of injuries, while Matt Barnes was serving the first part of his suspension for academic difficulties and JaRon Rush was disciplined for missing the pregame meal.

That left the Bruins with only six players: starters Earl Watson, Rico Hines, Jerome Moiso, Billy Knight and freshman Jason Kapono and lone reserve Sean Farnham. Three played at least 36 of the 40 minutes and everyone went at least 25, with Moiso getting 31 points and 11 rebounds and Kapono 18 points in his debut.

Also Wednesday, UCLA announced that T.J. Cummings, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward from Illinois, signed a letter of intent. The son of Terry Cummings is regarded as a top-50 recruit and chose the Bruins over Duke.