UCLA's Ben Howland: Reeves Nelson won't start 'any time soon'

UCLA’s Ben Howland: Reeves Nelson won’t start ‘any time soon’

Staff Writer

Nov. 27, 2011 4:56 PM PT

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Just because Reeves Nelson is back playing for UCLA doesn’t mean he has left Coach Ben Howland’s doghouse.

Howland said Sunday that Nelson, his only returning all-conference player, would not start ‘any time soon’ in the wake of his early-season suspensions that sidelined him 1 1/2 games before he returned during the Maui Invitational.

‘He’s got to have a good attitude, be accountable for a while here before that’s going to happen,’ Howland said.

Howland said he was pleased with Nelson’s behavior during the second half of the Chaminade game, which was his first time back on the court since the Bruins’ opener, and the Kansas game, ‘but sometimes he slips back to his old practice habits and he’s just got to get better.’

Nelson was suspended indefinitely after UCLA’s season-opening loss to Loyola Marymount in part because he was late to a team meeting, then sat out the first half of the Chaminade game after missing the team bus to the airport and the team flight to Hawaii.

For UCLA (1-4) to rebound from a lousy start, Nelson must revert to the player who averaged 13.9 points last season and played hard-nosed defense during a home victory against Arizona, not the one prone to sulking and disappearing for stretches. Nelson has made one start this season and is averaging 8.0 points and 5.5 rebounds.

In injury news, Howland said sophomore forward Travis Wear practiced Sunday and was expected to play against Pepperdine after needing five stitches to close a wound he suffered while snorkeling in Hawaii. Sophomore center Anthony Stover tweaked his shoulder injury but is expected to play. But junior forward De’End Parker will remain out because of a knee injury.

Howland said guard Larry Drew II, who must sit out this season after transferring from North Carolina, injured his groin before the team left for Hawaii and remains sidelined.

ALSO:

Syracuse fires associate coach Bernie Fine

UNLV takes down top-ranked North Carolina

New Mexico’s Drew Gordon glad to be a former Bruin

--Ben Bolch

Sports Now

Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.