UCLA and Washington Can’t Even Hold Full Practices. But for different reasons. At UCLA, five players (Malcolm Lee, Jerime Anderson, James Keefe, Brendan Lane and Mike Moser) all have had minor injuries that are holding them out of practice. None are serious enough to worry about, but is this a sign of bad luck or Howland toughening up his troops in Westwood? At UW, seven players, including Quincy Pondexter and Venoy Overton, have been out sick with the flu so far this very young season.
Breakable in the Big East. St. John’s star Anthony Mason, Jr., has re-aggravated a hamstring injury that he originally suffered while on a Labor Day trip to Canada, and will miss the next 4-6 weeks, possibly missing their first 3-4 games. The wing player sat all but three games last season after tearing a tendon in his foot, and is expected to play a big role in the Red Storm’s plans for this season. UConn guard Jerome Dyson suffered a less-serious contusion on his left knee over the weekend, the same knee that he tore the ACL in last February. He should be fine, according to Jim Calhoun.
Let’s play hard but be careful out there, huh?