Malcolm Lee

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.

One Southland college basketball team won a game in the Sports Arena this month, but it wasn't UCLA or USC. One Southland player was the subject of a complimentary tweet from LeBron James, but he wasn't a Trojan or a Bruin. One Southland coach took his team into the Arizona desert and beat a Pac-12 Conference opponent, but his name wasn't Ben Howland or Kevin O'Neill. The best basketball in Southern California so far this season has been played by mid-majors such as Loyola Marymount, Long Beach State and Pepperdine, who hope their success against brand-name opponents amounts to more than a few early surprises.

Malcolm Lee should stay, and Tyler Honeycutt should go. That was the opinion of one NBA team executive asked to assess whether the two UCLA players generating the most draft buzz should return for another year of college. Honeycutt should declare for what the executive called "probably the worst draft in 10 years" because he envisioned the sophomore as a lottery pick who would be selected between Nos. 10 and 17. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not allowed to discuss college players publicly.

They are going to class, taking out loans and renting instead of buying. Is this the NBA lifestyle? "It's like I'm still a college student," said Malcolm Lee, the former UCLA guard and now-in-limbo Minnesota Timberwolves rookie. "It's the same life. No income checks are coming in, none of that good stuff that comes with being in the NBA. " Lee is living in a Los Angeles apartment, working out in Westwood and driving what he called "my little car from college. " It's almost as if he's still a Bruin, except for the lack of eligibility after being selected in the second round of the NBA draft four months ago. Andrew Goudelock remains a Cougar, at least in the classroom.

Malcolm Lee , UCLA's lockdown defender who often holds opponents scoreless for long stretches, had the Bruins breathless Monday. And players and coaches were unable to exhale after the results of a second MRI exam on the junior guard's left knee were not immediately available. Lee hurt the knee during UCLA's 58-54 overtime victory against Washington State on Saturday when he fell hard underneath the basket on the Bruins' final offensive play of regulation. He made two free throws with 8.9 seconds left to send the game into the extra period and then four more in the final 6.9 seconds of overtime to secure the victory.

Malcolm Lee caused a stir Monday afternoon when the UCLA guard tweeted, in not so delicate terms, that his life wasn't going the way he wanted. The three-letter tweet went viral on fan message boards, with many assuming the worst regarding an MRI exam taken that day on Lee's injured left knee. Turns out there was no reason to get all atwitter. Lee was diagnosed with a small cartilage tear but is expected to be in the starting lineup Thursday evening at Staples Center when the Bruins play Oregon or Arizona State in a Pacific Life Pac-10 tournament quarterfinal.

UCLA tonight VS. COLORADO STATE When: 7:30. Where: Pauley Pavilion. On the air: Radio: 570 Records: UCLA 3-7, Colorado State 8-3. Record vs. opponent: 3-3. Update: Sophomore guard Malcolm Lee is the Bruins' leading scorer, averaging 24.5 points over the last two games. "I feel that my comfort is starting to rise," Lee said. Colorado State features perimeter scoring from guard Dorian Green but also gets an inside punch from forwards Travis Franklin, averaging 12.1 points and 6.2 rebounds, and Andy Ogide, averaging 11.6 and 5.6. The game can be viewed at uclabruins.

Reporting from Tampa, Fla. The ball, and the game, was his for the taking. Malcolm Lee watched the inbounds pass from Florida's Scottie Wilbekin sail into the air with UCLA trailing its postseason nemesis by one point and 1 minute 17 seconds left. Lee judged the flight of the ball, the Bruins guard figuring it might fall short of intended target Erving Walker but wanting to avoid a collision with his Gators counterpart. "I didn't want to foul him going for it just to put him on the line," Lee said, "so I kind of played it soft, which I think kind of ended up biting me in the butt because I hesitated a little bit to go for it. It was just a bad decision.

UCLA tonight VS. CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO When: 5. Where: Pauley Pavilion. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket. Radio: 570. Records: UCLA 3-4, Cal Poly 3-4. Record vs. Mustangs : UCLA leads, 4-0, all time. Update: Bruins Coach Ben Howland said sophomore shooting guard Malcolm Lee should be able to play against the Mustangs even though Lee tweaked his previously sprained ankle in practice Thursday and is suffering from patellar tendinitis after hurting his right knee against Montana.

UCLA Coach Ben Howland said the potential of an NBA lockout would influence his advice to Bruins players deciding whether to declare for the draft, intimating that it might lead him to encourage them to return to college. "I can tell you in the NBA, in my opinion, this is going to be a serious lockout," Howland said Tuesday. "They will not be playing, in my opinion, next December and maybe even January. ? You're not even going to get paid next year for half the year. " Howland said he expected to meet with junior Malcolm Lee and sophomores Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson as soon as Monday to discuss their futures.

Jerime Anderson, a reserve point guard on the UCLA basketball team, was suspended for at least the Bruins' season opener after being arrested Tuesday evening by campus police on suspicion of grand theft for allegedly stealing a laptop computer. Anderson, who averaged 5.1 points and 2.6 assists last season, has been barred from all team activities and could sit out additional games as a result of his arrest, according to a statement released by UCLA. He will miss the Bruins' game against Loyola Marymount on Nov. 11 at the Sports Arena, and his status with the team will be reevaluated as the legal process unfolds.

UCLA and USC each announced the signing of one player Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA regular signing period for men's basketball. At UCLA, the signing marked De'End of an era. After going 23 years between noteworthy junior college transfers, the Bruins on Wednesday signed De'End Parker, a 6-foot-6 guard from City College of San Francisco who will become the second junior college player on their roster. Junior guard Lazeric Jones, a transfer from John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill., averaged 9.1 points for UCLA last season and was the only player to start every game.

Having not learned a thing from Ben Howland, at least Malcolm Lee won't have any preconceived ideas on how to run a half-court offense. Do you make more money in the NBA Development League or as a scrub in Europe? Maybe Lee and Tyler Honeycutt should package themselves together and share an apartment to cut expenses. Ron De Temple Costa Mesa :: Tyler Honeycutt made the right decision in leaving UCLA. How often is the recruiting class so weak that a mediocre player can still be drafted in the first round?

UCLA's defensive stopper is a go for the NBA draft, though there are scenarios that would give Malcolm Lee pause before giving up his final year of college eligibility. As expected, the 6-foot-5 junior guard announced Tuesday that he would declare for the NBA draft but not hire an agent, preserving his option to return for his senior season. Lee said the biggest factor in his decision was the improvement he made from his sophomore season to this season, when he became the Bruins' top defender and second-leading scorer, averaging 13.1 points while helping them reach the third round of the NCAA tournament.

One high-profile basketball player was coming and two were possibly going at UCLA on Monday, though the net result could leave the Bruins two men down for next season. Shortly after sophomore forward Tyler Honeycutt said he would hire an agent and declare for the NBA draft, UCLA announced that North Carolina transfer Larry Drew II had started attending classes and joined the program. Then, in an impromptu nightcap, a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to comment publicly until an announcement is made confirmed that junior guard Malcolm Lee would also declare for the draft, though he would not hire an agent, leaving open the possibility of returning for his senior season.

UCLA Coach Ben Howland said the potential of an NBA lockout would influence his advice to Bruins players deciding whether to declare for the draft, intimating that it might lead him to encourage them to return to college. "I can tell you in the NBA, in my opinion, this is going to be a serious lockout," Howland said Tuesday. "They will not be playing, in my opinion, next December and maybe even January. ? You're not even going to get paid next year for half the year. " Howland said he expected to meet with junior Malcolm Lee and sophomores Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson as soon as Monday to discuss their futures.

UCLA got the first big bounce, Malcolm Lee's desperation three-point shot at the end of regulation hitting the front of the rim, springing into the air and falling through the basket. The Bruins weren't so fortunate a few minutes later. California got the carom that mattered most, securing a missed free throw late in overtime to help take a 76-72 victory on Sunday night at Haas Pavilion. After Cal's Jorge Gutierrez made one free throw to give Cal a 69-68 lead with 1 minute 19 seconds left in the extra period, he missed the second.

Ben Howland likes to tout UCLA's history of producing 106 NBA draft picks, more than any other school. The Bruins coach probably would not mind if that figure didn't grow this summer. If junior guard Malcolm Lee and sophomore forwards Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson decide to return for one more year of college basketball, UCLA would likely be considered a top-10 team nationally going into next season. The trio of first-team All-Pacific 10 Conference selections would comprise the kind of deep and dynamic core the Bruins have lacked since their run of three consecutive Final Fours ended in 2008.

Ben Howland likes to tout UCLA's history of producing 106 NBA draft picks, more than any other school. The Bruins coach probably would not mind if that figure didn't grow this summer. If junior guard Malcolm Lee and sophomore forwards Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson decide to return for one more year of college basketball, UCLA would likely be considered a top-10 team nationally going into next season. The trio of first-team All-Pacific 10 Conference selections would comprise the kind of deep and dynamic core the Bruins have lacked since their run of three consecutive Final Fours ended in 2008.

A look at UCLA's third-round NCAA tournament game against Florida on Saturday: Florida; Ht; Wt ;Stats; P; UCLA; Ht; Wt; Stats Vernon Macklin; 6-10; 240; 11.3 ppg; C; Joshua Smith; 6-10; 305; 6.3 rpg Alex Tyus; 6-8; 220; 5.5 rpg; F; Reeves Nelson; 6-8; 235; 13.9 ppg Chandler Parsons; 6-9; 215; 7.8 rpg; F; Tyler Honeycutt; 6-8; 188; 12.8 ppg Kenny Boynton; 6-2; 183; 14.1 ppg; G; Malcolm Lee; 6-5 ; 200; 13.1 ppg Erving...