With just six games remaining on the Pac-10 schedule for the UCLA basketball team, Darren Collison knows how much the team needs him. But with the sophomore point guard’s left shoulder still hurting, the decision on whether he not he will play on Thursday against Arizona State might not be made until game time.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that by Thursday game time, he’ll be able to start for us,” UCLA coach Ben Howland said.
Collison was feeling well enough to shoot 186 shots in a 20-minute span on Monday, but did not practice on Tuesday.
“I can’t really extend my left arm all the way, but for the most part, they said I shot the ball pretty well,” Collison said. “I understand this is the most critical time of the season. I’m going to have to be out there on the floor with my teammates.”
If Collison is unable to go on Thursday, freshman guard Russell Westbrook will get the start at point guard for the second consecutive game.
Westbrook struggled mightily on Saturday in his first start at West Virginia.
In a rough atmosphere, Westbrook made mistakes on both ends of the floor, and finished the game shooting 1-11.
“He had six shots that were either blocked or air-balled or air-banked,” Howland said. “So he had three turnovers. Those six air-balls, air-banks, or blocked shots are like turnovers ““ so really he had like nine turnovers.”
Westbrook watched the West Virginia game on Monday with assistant coach Kerry Keating while Howland was out on a recruiting trip. While the West Virginia experience was not a pleasant one for him, it did provide a good learning experience.
“I like watching games like that because I can learn from it and next time I’ll know what to do,” Westbrook said.
During and after Saturday’s game, one of Westbrook’s biggest supporters was Collison.
After seeing his backup struggle in the starting role, Collison offered Westbrook words of encouragement.
“I just told him to keep his head up,” Collison said. “I have faith in Russell that if he does get this opportunity, he’s going to be successful.
“Everybody’s been in that position one way or the other. When you’re a freshman, you have bad games. That’s part of this whole experience. I have faith that he will do good the next opportunity he has.”
MATA EXPECTED TO PLAY: Junior center Lorenzo Mata sat out the second half against West Virginia after injuring his hip, but expects to play on Thursday.
“(The hip) feels much better,” Mata said. “I’m going to keep doing treatment and everything possible to make the trip. I’m confident I’ll be ready to go.”
Mata’s presence is particularly important against an Arizona State team whose best player is center/forward Jeff Pendergraph.
Pendergraph leads the Pac-10 in rebounding in conference games.