[Online exclusive] M. basketball: Notebook

Bruins will have to wait longer for Morrison’s
return

SPOKANE, Wash. – UCLA shooting guard Brian Morrison will now be
sidelined up until at least the Cal game on Jan. 22 after tweaking
his injured left hamstring during a walkthrough on Thursday in
Spokane Arena before the Washington State game.

"He was told to go no faster than half speed, but in his words,
‘I only know one speed,’" coach Ben Howland said Friday. "It’s a
step backward."

Morrison, who had not been expected back until the Jan. 15 game
against Arizona State, had his foot give out after planting on it
hard. He was only on the trip so he could continue receiving
treatment on the strained hamstring from team trainers.

The team’s best 3-point shooting threat, Morrison has missed the
past four games after originally sustaining the injury while going
around a screen against Michigan State on Dec. 20, 2003.

TRAVELLING NIGHTMARE: The Bruins again had
their Alaska Airlines flight cancelled – this time on their Friday
afternoon flight out of Spokane andvinto Seattle, where they play
Washington tonight. They ended up having to endure a five-hour bus
ride into Seattle.

UCLA also had its Alaska Airlines flight through Seattle into
Spokane cancelled Wednesday, causing the team to scramble to book a
flight on another airline.

Howland watched film in preparation for the Washington game
during the bus ride, and that was time well spent considering this
is his first-ever two-game Pac-10 road trip, featuring games on
Thursday and Saturday. When he coached at Pittsburgh in the Big
East conference, road games are traditionally further apart.

FREE THROW WOES: UCLA spent its Friday
afternoon walkthrough in Washington’s Bank of America Arena
shooting free throws after yet a 3-for-9 performance against
Washington State the previous night. Even without crowd noise and
pressure, the Bruins only made 72 of their first 100 free
throws.

Asked if an assistant coach had been assigned to cure the team’s
struggles at the line, Howland joked, "It’s more prayer than
anything."

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