Nikola Dragovic

Appearing at a downtown courtroom Monday morning, UCLA forward Nikola Dragovic pleaded not guilty to a felony charge stemming from an altercation at a recent concert. Dragovic is expected to claim he was acting in self-defense when he pushed the alleged victim into a glass case, causing injury. "Now it's all up to my lawyer," he said. "So I don't have to worry about it." The player's roommate, Aleksandar Stanisic , was also charged and entered the same plea.

It's never too early to start looking ahead — unless, of course, you're Ben Howland. UCLA's regular-season basketball finale is today at Arizona State, and concerns about whether the Bruins have the depth to pull off three victories in three days to win the Pacific 10 Conference tournament next week — their only way into the NCAA tournament — are surely on the mind of UCLA's coach. But he's not saying. "I'm not going to answer the what-ifs," Howland said after Thursday's 78-73 loss to Arizona.

Another day in court still awaits Nikola Dragovic, about a month or so down the line. The UCLA forward still must answer to a felony charge stemming from a recent fight at a Hollywood concert. But the mere act of standing in front of a judge this week, pleading not guilty, seems to have done wonders for Dragovic on another type of court. "Just by not having to deal with lawyers, not going to meetings, just even think about it, I'm able to put more time into basketball," Dragovic said.

There was a different look to UCLA guard Malcolm Lee's game Saturday. Freed mostly from the chore of being the Bruins' point guard, Lee had a flow to his game. It was reflected in his 18-point performance in a 70-68 loss to Oregon. "I think he scores better from that position because he does not have to worry so much about running the team," Coach Ben Howland said. Lee made eight of 14 shots. He scored 10 of the Bruins' last 12 points of the first half to keep a bad situation from becoming worse.

A preliminary hearing for UCLA forward Nikola Dragovic and his roommate, Aleksandar Stanisic, was postponed Monday until March 15. Both are facing assault charges stemming from an altercation after an Oct. 24 concert at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood. Prosecutors have said the incident began when Stanisic argued with a man and his girlfriend during the show. Later, a confrontation occurred outside the theater in which prosecutors allege Dragovic rushed the man and pushed him into a glass case, which shattered, lacerating the man's Achilles' tendon.

Most people around the UCLA basketball program know Nikola Dragovic as soft-spoken, not the type to lose his temper on-court. Outside that circle, he's known as a college athlete who got into a fight at a Hollywood concert last month and has been charged with felony assault. An athlete who missed the start of last season after being arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery. Which left UCLA with a tough call this week. The team ended Dragovic's suspension Wednesday, clearing him to return for tonight's opening-round game against Portland in the 76 Classic at the Anaheim Convention Center.

UCLA today VS. OREGON Time: 2. Site: Pauley Pavilion. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 570. Records: UCLA 13-14 overall, 8-7 Pacific 10 Conference; Oregon 13-14, 5-10. Update: The Bruins may have to do without Nikola Dragovic, who injured his left shoulder against Oregon State on Thursday and will be a game-time decision. They are already without Reeves Nelson, who has a slight tear of the retina in his left eye, James Keefe, who will undergo shoulder surgery Wednesday, and Brendan Lane, who sat out Thursday because of a sprained ankle.

The other UCLA players knew that Nikola Dragovic was truly sick when he begged off playing in the usual card game at the back of the team bus. The junior forward came down with flu after shoot-around Friday and was looking doubtful to play in Saturday's key game against California. "I felt really bad," he said. "I felt like throwing up the whole night."

Halfway through practice, it looked as if the UCLA basketball team had lost another player, forward Nikola Dragovic heading for the locker room with a trainer in tow. But this wasn't another sprained ankle or sore back. Instead, Dragovic was sick to his stomach, apparently from eating pasta that had been left out too long. That's how bad it has been for injury-riddled UCLA the last few weeks -- gastric distress starts to look pretty good. "Food poisoning, he'll get over," Coach Ben Howland said.

An already tough season got a little tougher for the UCLA basketball team on Friday night. The Bruins woke up from a first-half daze to scramble back and defeat Cal State Bakersfield, 75-64, earning their first victory of the new season. But they had already suffered a significant loss earlier in the day when the Los Angeles County district attorney's office decided to file a felony assault charge against senior forward Nikola Dragovic. The charge stemmed from an unspecified incident at a Hollywood concert last month.

UCLA today VS. OREGON Time: 2. Site: Pauley Pavilion. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 570. Records: UCLA 13-14 overall, 8-7 Pacific 10 Conference; Oregon 13-14, 5-10. Update: The Bruins may have to do without Nikola Dragovic, who injured his left shoulder against Oregon State on Thursday and will be a game-time decision. They are already without Reeves Nelson, who has a slight tear of the retina in his left eye, James Keefe, who will undergo shoulder surgery Wednesday, and Brendan Lane, who sat out Thursday because of a sprained ankle.

Malcolm Lee never heard the pitter-patter of big feet from behind. This was UCLA's first possession Sunday. Lee pushed up through the Trojans' pressure. The next moment, USC forward Marcus Johnson was going the other way with the ball. It was just another step on a tough learning curve for Lee. After last season, Jrue Holiday bolted early for the NBA. Jerime Anderson has been slowed by injury and inconsistency. That has left Lee, a shooting guard by trade, as the team's learn-as-I-go point guard.

The hard part for UCLA's players wasn't that they lost to USC, though that was bad enough. Their consternation came from the fact they felt they improved . . . and still lost. The 68-64 loss to USC on Sunday was a big step forward from the 67-46 beating the Trojans gave the Bruins last month. But UCLA players, and fans, are not used to judging things in A-for-effort terms. "It's frustrating because that first game, they just came and just took it," Bruins guard Malcolm Lee said.

Nikola Dragovic was too much to handle. He was older, and already competing with the best Serbia and Montenegro had to offer. So Nikola Vucevic, 12 years old and three years younger than his "godbrother," battled as best he could. His uncle's Belgium professional team was practicing for a Euro League game in Serbia, but the real competition was on the side court. This was the first time the two had met, even though their families were bound by basketball and friendship, and the outcome was predictable.

After two weeks, four games, and a lot of wheel spinning, UCLA's basketball team is facing the exact same situation as before. The Bruins play five of their last seven games before the Pacific 10 tournament on the road while trying to remain relevant in the conference race. So reclaiming the conference championship will need to be done away from Pauley Pavilion. That makes the spin easy heading into Sunday's game at USC. "At home, you want to get going, you want to make a shot, you want to hear the roar of the crowd," UCLA Coach Ben Howland said.

A preliminary hearing for UCLA forward Nikola Dragovic and his roommate, Aleksandar Stanisic, was postponed Monday until March 15. Both are facing assault charges stemming from an altercation after an Oct. 24 concert at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood. Prosecutors have said the incident began when Stanisic argued with a man and his girlfriend during the show. Later, a confrontation occurred outside the theater in which prosecutors allege Dragovic rushed the man and pushed him into a glass case, which shattered, lacerating the man's Achilles' tendon.

So O.J. Mayo avoids a six-game suspension because his coach, Tim Floyd, said it was OK for him to accept them? What's next? When will we find out that Reggie Bush gets off scot-free because Pete Carroll told him that it would be OK to accept the free house, car and cash from would-be agents? Juxtapose these scenarios with Nikola Dragovic's 10-game suspension for merely playing on a team that featured a paid player and you wonder what really motivate$ the NCAA's compliance office. Andrew P. Oshrin Long Beach

The guy brought to UCLA to play point guard this season is doing fine. Jrue Holiday has started the last four games for the Philadelphia 76ers. The guy who is actually playing point guard for UCLA has had his struggles. Malcolm Lee , considered an off guard coming from Riverside North High, was one for nine shooting in a 71-66 overtime loss to Oregon on Thursday. With Jerime Anderson injured, Lee has had to handle most of the point guard duties, logging 37 minutes against Oregon's press.

UCLA Coach Ben Howland said he wasn't even sure who his team was going to play next. "Oregon State, Oregon?" Howland said. Bruins forward Nikola Dragovic had the answers and the significance at his fingertips. "We need to win on the road," Dragovic said. "We have five of the next seven on the road. It's going to be tough. But I believe we'll know what kind of season we'll have once these games are over." The Bruins will toddle down the Oregon trail this week, toting along Saturday's 74-62 victory over Washington State.