Battered UCLA Bruins Prepare For Basketball Season

October 25, 2009 6:45 a.m. EST

Los Angeles, CA (AHN) - As the college basketball season draws closer, the UCLA Bruins are getting thinner and thinner. Several players are walking wounded with injuries.

Center J'mison Morgan is waiting for MRI results on his left knee.

Guard Jerime Anderson is out with a groin injury. He's expected to miss another week.

Head Coach Ben Howland is struggling to make it through practice with players sitting out.

"Everybody should be worried," Howland said. "I am, most of all."

Howland said they'll bring Anderson along slowly so the injury doesn't linger.

"We cannot afford for this to be a chronic thing, which means he's going to get off to a slower start."

Guard Malcolm Lee is out with a concussion, Mike Moser is nurssing a lower back injury, Brendan Lane could miss the next two weeks with a sprained ankle.

Despite the injury bug, forward James Keefe is set to return to action.

The senior has been cleared to practice after re-injuring his shoulder.

The practices have focused on fundamentals because the team can't do too much of anything else right now.

Six scholarship players are limiting in practice. 

The Bruins open the season November 4 against Concordia.