UCLA basketball: Illnesses strike Bruins before Pacific 10 Conference tournament
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UCLA received good injury news Tuesday regarding Malcolm Lee, who is expected to play despite a small cartilage tear in his left knee, but it has some new concerns regarding guards Jerime Anderson and Tyler Lamb.
Anderson has been feeling sick since Sunday, Coach Ben Howland said, and was not expected to practice Tuesday. Lamb has been diagnosed with strep throat but might practice if doctors determine he is not contagious, Howland said.
Howland said Lee would not wear a brace when the Bruins open the Pacific Life Pacific 10 Conference tournament Thursday against Arizona State or Oregon. The coach also said he might play Lee a few minutes less than he normally does, with Lamb and Anderson making up the difference. Lee has averaged 35.5 minutes in Pac-10 play.
Howland said Lee was not risking aggravating his knee injury by playing, though surgery after the season remained a possibility.
‘The key to it is that we’ve been assured he’s not in any danger of injuring it worse,’ Howland said. ‘This kind of thing has happened multiple times to players in different sports.’
--Ben Bolch