UCLA basketball: Malcolm Lee has successful surgery on left knee

UCLA junior guard Malcolm Lee underwent successful surgery Tuesday morning to remove cartilage and repair a tear in the meniscus of his left knee, Coach Ben Howland said.

During an hourlong procedure at the UCLA Medical Plaza, orthopaedic surgeon David McAllister removed a two-millimeter piece of cartilage that was floating in Lee's knee, Howland said, and repaired a tear that accounted for about 2% of the meniscal cartilage in his knee.

"His prognosis should be very good," Howland said of Lee, who injured the knee during the Bruins' regular-season finale against Washington State on March 5.

Howland said Lee's recovery should take between one and two months. The coach said he expected to sit down with Lee in the next 10 days to discuss whether the Bruins' second-leading scorer should declare for the NBA draft or return for his senior season.

-- Ben Bolch

ALSO:

2011 NCAA tournament interactive bracket

Arizona star Derrick Williams worked after hours at La Mirada to become prime-time player

Photo: Malcolm Lee. Credit: Derick E. Hingle / US Presswire