UCLA basketball: Malcolm Lee's status uncertain for VillanovaBy Ben Bolch | November 19, 2010 | 2:53 pm
"The Fabulous Forum
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The Los Angeles Times
UCLA junior guard Malcolm Lee could resume basketball activities Monday if his sprained left ankle continues to improve, possibly putting him on track to play against Villanova on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in an NIT Season Tip-Off semifinal.
Lee said Friday the swelling in his ankle had already substantially subsided, though he continues to wear a protective walking boot. The Bruins are scheduled to hold a light workout Monday before departing for New York, and Coach Ben Howland said Lee would need to participate in a practice before playing again.
"I want to try to get back as soon as possible," said Lee, who has been sidelined since the first half of UCLA's victory over Pepperdine on Monday, "but I don't want to get back too early where I hurt it more."
Lee said he has been getting treatment twice a day, including light strengthening exercises and massage designed to relieve the swelling.
The injury occurred when Lee was pushed from behind and then rolled his ankle at the same time a Pepperdine player fell on it.
"It was kind of like a freak accident," Lee said. "I heard the joints crack and then when they took the tape off I was swollen, and I usually never swell" after ankle injuries.
Howland jokingly blamed junior guard Lazeric Jones, saying if Jones had properly boxed out his man and not allowed him to secure a rebound that allowed play to continue on Pepperdine's end of the floor, Lee never would have sustained the injury.
"You can question Zeke on it," Howland said, referring to Jones by his nickname. "He's responsible."
Howland also said that freshman guard Matt Carlino, who has been sidelined since Nov. 8 by a concussion, continued to experience symptoms related to his injury.
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Malcolm Lee's availability when UCLA plays Villanova on Wednesday is uncertain
The junior guard's sprained left ankle will have to improve enough for him to practice on Tuesday.
UCLA BASKETBALL FYI
November 19, 2010 | By Ben Bolch | The Los Angeles Times
UCLA should have a better idea Monday whether Malcolm Lee will be in the game plan for Villanova.
The junior guard said that was the day trainers told him he could resume basketball activities if his sprained left ankle continued to improve.
"I want to try to get back as soon as possible," said Lee, who has been sidelined since the first half of the Bruins' victory over Pepperdine on Monday, "but I don't want to get back too early where I hurt it more."
Coach Ben Howland said that for Lee to play against Villanova on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in an NIT Season Tip-Off semifinal, the guard would first have to participate in a practice. The Bruins are scheduled to hold only a light workout Monday before departing for New York, meaning that Lee would have to practice Tuesday to play against the sixth-ranked Wildcats.
Lee said the swelling in his ankle had already substantially subsided, though he continued to wear a protective walking boot. He has received treatment twice a day, including massage designed to relieve the swelling.
The injury occurred when Lee was pushed from behind and then rolled his ankle at the same time a Pepperdine player fell on it.
"It was kind of like a freak accident," Lee said. "I heard the joints crack, and then when they took the tape off I was swollen, and I usually never swell" after ankle injuries.
Lockdown mode
Guard Tyler Lamb atoned for shaky shooting with superlative defense in his first three college games, prompting Howland to call him "the best freshman defender we've had since Arron Afflalo."
"Wow, that's a great honor for him to say that," Lamb said. "Having him put me on the other team's best player, it really shows that he has trust in me and makes me want to play that much harder."
Lamb is also working to fix his shot. He has made five of 20 shots, including only one of 10 from three-point range.
After reviewing game tape, Lamb said he noticed a mechanical flaw in which he repeatedly leaned back instead of holding his follow-through.
Etc.
Howland said freshman guard Matt Carlino, sidelined since Nov. 8 by a concussion, was "starting to feel better and better," though Carlino continued to experience some symptoms related to his injury. His status for the Villanova game remained uncertain. … Power forward Reeves Nelson has made two of three three-pointers. By comparison, guards Lee, Lamb and Jerime Anderson are a combined one of 17 shots.
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UCLA's Malcolm Lee still questionable
Updated: November 19, 2010, 6:49 PM ET
By Ramona Shelburne
ESPNLosAngeles.com
UCLA junior guard Malcolm Lee's status is still uncertain for the Bruin's game against Villanova (ESPN/USA No. 7, AP No. 6) on Wednesday in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Lee, the Bruins' leading scorer last season, sprained his left ankle in the first half of UCLA's win over Pepperdine on Monday night. He sat out of the Bruins' win over Pacific on Tuesday and has been in a walking boot since.
UCLA coach Ben Howland said that Lee won't practice until Monday at the earliest.
"He's improving but to what level, I don't know yet," said Howland, who added that Lee would need to practice at least once before he played in a game.
"We wouldn't just throw him out there," Howland said. "He'd have to be able to shoot on it and have a practice where he can take some contact.
"It's hard to say still. It'll be unlikely he'll be 100 percent if he does play."
Lee said he's been receiving treatment twice a day and has noticed a reduction in pain and swelling.
He sounded more optimistic about his chances of playing than his coach.
"In my mind, I'll be practicing by New York," Lee said. "I just have to hope the swelling keeps going down.
"It's a big stage, we're playing Villanova. Our team is short on scholarship players, so I just want to get out there and help my team."
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