Bruins Still Try to Get Well

His basketball team has won seven of its first eight games to rank 14th in the nation. It is coming off an impressive victory over 17th-ranked Nevada. It is facing a game Saturday against unbeaten Michigan at Ann Arbor.

And yet UCLA Coach Ben Howland began his weekly news conference Tuesday as he has begun every news conference since the start of the season: running down the injury list.

Despite its early success, the fortunes of this UCLA team continue to hang on medical reports, X-rays and MRIs.

The latest news is a mixed bag.

Lorenzo Mata is expected back, Michael Fey is not. Jordan Farmar is nearly at full speed, but Alfred Aboya has taken an alarming step backward. And in the distance, Josh Shipp is finally on the radar screen and perhaps on schedule to get back on the court.

Mata and Fey, both centers, continue to recover from injuries suffered in practice two weeks ago. Howland expects Mata (concussion) to play Saturday, but listed Fey (sprained ankle) as doubtful.

Farmar, the sophomore guard and leader of the team, seems to have finally recovered from the nagging ankle sprain that has hampered him over the last few weeks. But Aboya, a freshman forward counted on to start and lend much-needed bulk to the frontcourt, has suffered a setback in his attempt to return from off-season arthroscopic surgery on both knees.

Aboya, who had the right knee operated on in July, the left in October, has swelling in the right knee that has limited his mobility and playing time in his first two games back. Aboya played 16 minutes against Coppin State, but only five against Nevada, and was largely ineffective in both games.

“I didn’t expect his knee to balloon up the way it has,” Howland said.

Aboya banged knees with center Ryan Hollins in practice last week, but Howland said the UCLA medical staff cannot say for certain whether that or the lingering effects of the surgery is responsible for the swelling.

The news about Shipp is more hopeful. Expected to be a starter on the wing after an exceptional freshman season, Shipp has not taken part in a full practice after undergoing an arthroscopic hip procedure in September.

But Howland said that might soon change. Shipp, who has been taking part in one-on-one and two-on-two drills, is expected to participate fully in practice for at least an hour a day starting Monday.

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The Bruins will travel to Ann Arbor on Thursday to get acclimated to the time change. Tipoff Saturday will be at noon, 9 a.m. Pacific time.

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UP NEXT FOR UCLA

vs. Michigan (7-0)

Saturday at Ann Arbor, Mich.

9 a.m. PST, ESPN