SACRAMENTO “”mdash; UCLA got quite a scare when Darren Collison went down in practice on Tuesday with a sprained ankle.
Fortunately for the Bruins, the injury doesn’t appear to be too serious.
“It’s just a minor sprain and its something I have to play over,” Collison said. “I’m all right, ready to go and ready to play.
Collison practiced with an ankle brace on Wednesday and is expected to play in tonight’s NCAA Tournament opening round game against Weber State.
“I did some cutting, some shooting, but it felt fine,” Collison said. “It’s not that severe. I understand it’s a concern. It’s before a big game.”
While the sophomore point guard has struggled a bit lately, Collison’s presence on the court for the Bruins has proven to be absolutely critical this season.
The only game that Collison missed this year was at West Virginia, when he was suffering from a left shoulder sprain. In that game, freshman backup point guard Russell Westbrook struggled mightily in a starting role and the Bruins fell to the Mountaineers 70-65.
UCLA coach Ben Howland is confident Collison will perform up to his capabilities tonight.
“He’s tough,” Howland said. “He has the heart of a lion.”
LOVE HONORED: While UCLA’s focus is solely on the NCAA Tournament right now, a key piece of the near future received a major award on Wednesday.
Kevin Love, UCLA’s highly touted recruit for the 2007-2008 season, won the 2007 Naismith Trophy, presented to the male high school player of the year. The award was voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, a panel composed of journalists, coaches and administrators from around the nation.
Love, a 6-foot-10-inch forward, led Lake Oswego High School (Lake Oswego, Ore.) to the state final. He averaged an impressive line of 33 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks per game in games that are only 32 minutes long.
“Kevin has been a consistent performer throughout his entire career, culminating with a tremendous run through the playoffs as a senior and a state record for points scored,” said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Tipoff Club president. “That underscores the kind of leadership he provides to his team.”
In his career at Lake Oswego High, Love, the son of former NBA player Stan Love, averaged 26.8 points and 14.5 rebounds per game. He finished his high school career with three Oregon Player of the Year awards and was a first-team Parade All-America selection in 2006.
His 2,628 points broke a 50-year record in the state of Oregon.
“The entire Lake Oswego community is extremely excited and proud of Kevin Love for winning the prestigious Naismith Award,” said Mark Shoff, basketball coach at Lake Oswego High School. “This validates him being named the top high school player in the country and clearly he has been rewarded for his hard work and commitment to excellence.”
The Naismith Award is not to be taken lightly. Other recent recipients include LeBron James (2003), Dwight Howard (2004), and Greg Oden (2006).
DRIBBLERS: The trophy case continues to pile up for junior guard Arron Afflalo, who is looking to recover tonight against Weber State after playing his worst game of the season last Thursday against California. Already the recipient of the Pac-10 Player of the Year and a first-team All-America nod by both ESPN and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, Afflalo was named first-team All-American by Sporting News on Monday. … An EA Sports simulation of the NCAA Tournament has Gonzaga upsetting UCLA in the Round of 32.