Collison has a sprain; Roll, Shipp hurt too

UCLA’s injury box score from its first basketball exhibition game and the next day’s practice: two sprains, one rupture and three of the second-ranked Bruins’ top six players suddenly on the sidelines.

Point guard Darren Collison, who had heard a pop in his left knee on the very first play of UCLA’s 111-61 win over Azusa Pacific on Friday night, has a mild sprain instead of a more serious ligament tear Coach Ben Howland had feared.

Howland said Collison could be out anywhere from four days to two weeks but that it was possible the junior would be in the lineup Friday when the Bruins open the regular season against Portland State.

Howland’s second medical report wasn’t so bright.

Junior Michael Roll, one of UCLA’s most reliable offensive players during these weeks of preseason practice, ruptured a ligament in his left foot and will be sidelined from three to five weeks, according to Howland.

Roll suffered the rupture during practice Saturday, though Howland said the injury had been bothering Roll since last summer and that the swingman had taken a pain-relieving injection two months ago.

Josh Shipp, who scored 20 points Friday, sprained his right thumb during the game and missed most of Saturday’s practice. Howland said he would “err on the side of caution” and probably not play Shipp in Monday’s final exhibition game against Chico State.

“It’s great news about Darren,” Howland said. “Last night we were thinking it could have been torn cartilage. It’s something that shouldn’t be a long-term issue.

“He went for a steal in the middle of the floor in front of our bench, reached out with his right hand and as it happens, you can see it on the film, his left leg plants and makes a funny movement as he’s trying to twist. No contact, nothing else happened. Now it’s mostly going to be a pain-tolerance issue.”

Howland was more downcast about Roll.

“He’s playing great,” Howland said. “It’s terrible timing because he’s playing so well. Mike clearly is the fifth guy that makes the team the best offensive team it can be. Our best offensive team will be Kevin Love, Collison, Shipp, Roll and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute because of the skill and passing. It seems unbelievable in our first exhibition, boom.”

Shipp spoke hypothetically last week about his interest in sometimes practicing at the point guard spot. The redshirt junior, who has stoically rehabbed from two hip surgeries the past two years, says he is in the best shape of his life.

“I’ve played point guard in my life,” Shipp said. “I’ve played on my traveling teams and sometimes in high school. I think I could do it.”

Shipp might have had that chance if he could have practiced Saturday.

Instead, sophomore Russell Westbrook will start at point guard Monday night, Howland said. Unless Shipp’s thumb heals faster than Howland expects, either sophomore Nikola Dragovic or freshman Chace Stanback would join the starting lineup along with Love, Mbah a Moute and Alfred Aboya.

Howland was not in the mood Saturday to look at this cluster of injuries as a positive in that it forces him to more quickly develop Stanback and Dragovic.

“There is no silver lining. This reminds me of two years ago,” Howland said, referring to when several starters missed large parts of the season. “We were blessed with no serious injuries last year.”

Roll’s injury is not corrected by surgery, Howland said, only by rest. He will wear a walking boot at first.

Collison probably will play in a knee brace at least for a while. Though Collison hurt himself in the first 10 seconds of Friday’s game, he ended up playing a team-high 26 minutes.

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diane.pucin@latimes.com