Bad news for the Bruins, Collison injures knee

[Lefty]

Doesn't look good.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/colle...headlines-sports-coll-ucla&ctrack=1&cset=true

 

[Russ Smith]

Doesn't look good.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/colle...headlines-sports-coll-ucla&ctrack=1&cset=true

Yeah it's a bit scary he did play 26 minutes with the injury but they're doing an MRI and Howland sounds concerned so obviously I am.

50 point win over Azusa Pacific in an exhibition is meaningless if you lose your starting PG for any length of time.

Got my fingers and toes crossed on this one.

 

[Russ Smith]

howland said at the postgame that he thinks the worst case scenario would be a torn meniscus out a few weeks but he doesn't really know and they're expecting an MRI to be done today.

Love had 15 points 12 boards 3 assists and a block in 21 minutes. Shipp led UCLA with 20 in 22 minutes. Westbrook had 14 and would replace Collison as the pg if there is anything to the knee injury.

 

[Lefty]

howland said at the postgame that he thinks the worst case scenario would be a torn meniscus out a few weeks but he doesn't really know and they're expecting an MRI to be done today.

Love had 15 points 12 boards 3 assists and a block in 21 minutes. Shipp led UCLA with 20 in 22 minutes. Westbrook had 14 and would replace Collison as the pg if there is anything to the knee injury.

If Collison is out for a long period of time, UCLA will be hurting. No spinning on this one, he is one of the best point guards in the league and it will be tough to replace his experience. Best news would be him missing only a few weeks.

 

[Russ Smith]

If Collison is out for a long period of time, UCLA will be hurting. No spinning on this one, he is one of the best point guards in the league and it will be tough to replace his experience. Best news would be him missing only a few weeks.

oh no question. With Collison UCLA is as good as anybody in the country, without him they're still good but no longer a Final 4 contender (if he were to miss the season). UCLA knew all along backup PG was the weakness, Westbrook is fine as a backup but if he's starting there really is no true backup so then you're using Shipp and Roll in some modified deal and that just won't work.

Where UCLA really would miss Collison is on defense. Right now it sounds like they don't think the injury is serious, Howland said there was no swelling which would you expect if it was a tear, but they want to be careful since Collison said it bothered him in the 2nd half and he only played 9 minutes.

got my fingers crossed, not much else you can do at this point but hope he's ok.

 

[Russ Smith]

Good news bad news update.

Collison mild knee sprain out 1-2 weeks.

But Shipp hurt the thumb on his shooting hand might miss the next exhibition and Roll ruptured plantar fasci in his foot and they're saying 4-6 weeks out maybe longer. He'd apparently had a cortisone shot in the foot a few weeks earlier due to plantar fascitis and now ruptured the ligament.

UCLA is suddenly very thin at guard with Collison and Roll out and Shipp's thumb.

Collison should be ready to start the opener against portland state but will miss the Chico State exhibition. Roll could miss like 8 games or more depending on how fast he heals(no pun intended).

I'd look for frosh Chace Stanback and soph Nikola Dragovic to pick up some of his minutes Dragovic is a really good shooter but not the greatest defensively.

 

[SO91]

What is the deal with UCLA Russ? It seems every year they have an injury to a key guy. I was actually going to ask you if there were any major injuries to their squad 2 days ago.

 

[Russ Smith]

What is the deal with UCLA Russ? It seems every year they have an injury to a key guy. I was actually going to ask you if there were any major injuries to their squad 2 days ago.

Roll has had the foot problem all summer it just tore now. UCLA has very physical practices so yeah they seem to have lots of injuries. Collison and Shipp aren't thought to be serious but they will start the season with both Roll out and Keefe(coming off shoulder surgery).

Lots of conference injuries Appleby broke his thumb at UW, USC lost Hackett, Jefferson and Lewis are hurt and now Diarra needs hernia surgery, Cal has injuries. BUt UCLA is going to be short of guards for a bit it was already the short spot on the roster and Roll was a key guy off the bench and occasional starter.

 

[Russ Smith]

One thing I didn't point out on this game. Azusa Pacific's starting C is a lot better player than you'd expect given where he plays, David Burgess, younger brother of ex Duke and Utah player Chris Burgess. David was a pretty heavily recruited player out of HS top 250 or so, I'm not exactly sure how he ended up transfering to AP but actually a pretty good test for Love in his debut he was going against someone basically his own size and several years older and still thoroughly outplayed Burgess.

Love said after that he needs to work on his conditioning, because he's had some sore leg and back issues from practice he hasn't been running enough and he said he got winded during the exhibition.

Sounds like Roll, Shipp and Collison are all out for tonight's game although Shipp and Collison could play if they really felt they needed them. Chico State won 7 games last year no sense risking further injury in a exhibition.

 

[Russ Smith]

Update from Brian Dohn of the Daily News Collison will not play in Friday's opener should play the 11-12 game. He's off crutches, has no swelling but a little pain so they're being extra cautious, Westbrook is the PG for the opener
and Shipp will play too against Portland State.