LAS VEGAS — No matter how quiet UCLA has been over Jaylen Clark’s absence this week, it is likely to make plenty of noise at the Pac-12 Tournament.
UCLA has said only that the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year is out this week with a lower leg injury, but a Stadium report Tuesday said he’s out the rest of the season.
Since Clark suffered the injury against Arizona last Saturday at Pauley Pavilion, there has been plenty of speculation about the nature and severity of the injury he suffered, since Clark’s absence could affect the Bruins’ NCAA Tournament seeding.
The injury initially looked like a significant one. It was not forced via contact, Clark notably hopped off the court, and after the game, broadcasters on the Pauley Pavilion loudspeakers referred to it as an Achilles’ injury — even though the school did not confirm that.
Whatever the case, it is certain that Clark won’t be playing in the Pac-12 Tournament, meaning the Bruins could have a tougher time winning it and grabbing an NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 seed.
“It affects them a lot,” Pac-12 analyst and former Bruin standout Don MacLean said between broadcasts of Wednesday afternoon’s games here. “He’s Defensive Player of the Year in the conference, he can guard multiple guys, different positions, and I think it gives Mick (Cronin, UCLA coach) a lot more flexibility when he’s in there on the defensive end.
“You can’t replace that. But their team’s gonna have to step up and try and replace him. It’s gonna be hard to do.”
The Bruins’ bid for a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed could be on the line. NCAA seeding guidelines state that “if there is sufficient data to evaluate how a team performed without a key player or coach versus how they performed with him/them, that is considered.”
The Bruins are expected to turn first to fifth-year senior wing David Singleton to help; Singleton started in place of Amari Bailey earlier this season. The Los Angeles Times also reported that reserves Dylan Andrews, Will McClendon and Abramo Canka could play more.
“I was telling Abramo and Dylan and Will, the guys like (them) before the Jaylen incident happened, to just be ready,” UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez told the Times. “You never know, this is the craziest time of year, we need you guys to be ready, you’re here for a reason, you’re here to help us win games.”
Hear what Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said about the Wildcats ahead of the Pac-12 Tournament.
Lloyd’s guys
While supporting Kerr Kriisa even though the UA point guard was not named to any of the Pac-12’s all-league teams, UA coach Tommy Lloyd did the same for guards Courtney Ramey and Kylan Boswell.
Ramey was named honorable-mention All-Pac-12, meaning he picked up at least three votes from the conference’s 12 coaches, but did not make the league’s All-Defensive Team. Boswell was not named to the All-Freshman Team but was an honorable-mention all-freshman pick.
“I’ve never been a guy that’s caught up in individual awards,” Lloyd said. “I wouldn’t trade either of those two guys for any of the other guys. They’re my guys, and I’m just gonna leave it at that.”
No pause for Buffs
Even though he is sitting out the week with a case of mononucleosis, Colorado point guard KJ Simpson did not have to isolate COVID-style and actually made the trip with the Buffaloes to Las Vegas.
“As long as he’s not kissing our guys, we’re good,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said.
Thanks to Julian Hammond, Simpson’s absence has actually worked out pretty well for the Buffs so far. While starting in Simpson’s place last Saturday, Hammond had 15 points, five assists and five steals in Colorado’s 69-60 win over Utah.
On Wednesday, Hammond wound up leading the Buffaloes to a 74-68 first-round win over Washington with 21 points, two assists, and three rebounds while playing 35 minutes.
“He’s stayed ready, and I’m proud as heck of him,” Boyle said.
Hammond indicated he’s also staying level-headed.
“I’m just prepared every day and ready to go when I get the opportunity,” Hammond said. “It’s a bigger role, so I know I’m gonna have to do more than what I usually do. But I don’t feel like it’s any extra pressure or anything. I’m just going out there, playing, having fun and doing what I can do.”
Washington coach Mike Hopkins yells on the court during the first half of the Arizona-Washington game at McKale Center Jan. 3, 2022.
Hop-scotching
After Washington’s season ended at 16-16 with its loss to Colorado, Huskies coach Mike Hopkins began his postgame press conference with an apology.
“I take full responsibility for this season,” Hopkins said. “I felt like we had a chance to make something special with our new guys and just couldn’t get them where we needed to be.
“Really disappointed for our fans, our alumni, our ex players, the community in Seattle. It’s not our standard. There’s no one more disappointed than me.”
Hopkins could return all of his players, except fifth-year senior Jamal Bey, next season. But standout forward Keion Brooks declined to say if he will return or not — and it’s also not clear if Hopkins will return.
Washington would owe Hopkins about $6 million if it did not retain him, since Hopkins has two more seasons of a fully guaranteed contract that pays $3 million per season.
Balancing acts
With timeout and halftime acts that are toned down from the over-the-top Larry Scott era, the Pac-12 Tournament still offers fans some entertainment when the ball isn’t bouncing.
At halftime of Wednesday’s first game, the Rodriguez Brothers hit center court with a reclining chair, which one of them would sit on, with feet up in the air — and the other brother twirling around on top of those feet.
At halftime of the second game, Paul Fonce bounced soccer balls off his body in various areas and twirled a rope under the ball as it bounced off his head.
Then there was a brief appearance by the Cal band, which went out with the Bears in the first round. During one timeout, fans were asked to “vote” for the song the band would play, and cheers dictated the band go with Abbas’s “Dancing Queen.”
That gave Cal’s famously cardiganed mascot, Oski, a chance to forget about the Bears’ dreary performance on the court by dancing in front of the band.
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