UCLA will be without injured Shipp vs. USC
UCLA will be without its second-leading scorer, Josh Shipp, when it plays USC on Saturday.
UCLA (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 2 AP) coach Ben Howland said Tuesday that an ultrasound test revealed Shipp has a slight tear in his right hamstring. Shipp said he felt the muscle tighten up during UCLA's loss at Oregon on Saturday, but played through the pain.
"He wants to play, of course," Howland was quoted as saying in the Los Angeles Times, "but I'm very worried about this becoming something that can get worse. Hamstrings are very, very tough injuries because you always run the risk of tearing it worse. ... I don't want to see this turn into a thing where he's going to be out for three weeks, a month, two months."
Shipp, a sophomore, is averaging 14.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Howland said that Michael Roll would start in place of Shipp on Saturday and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Russell Westbrook will see more playing time.
"It's definitely tough. I mean, this is our rival game. I really wanted to give it my all and try to go out there and play, but I just can't do it," Shipp said according to the Times.
Source: ESPN.com