UCLA’s Moses Brown won’t play against Utah because of conduct violation

UCLA freshman center Moses Brown will not play against Utah on Saturday at the Huntsman Center because of an unspecified violation of the school’s student-athlete code of conduct.

The violation happened before the Bruins’ trip to play Colorado on Thursday and Utah but was not known by the coaching staff until after the game against the Buffaloes, according to an athletic department spokesman.

Brown’s status for the Pac-12 Conference tournament next week was undetermined, the spokesman said.

The violation was unrelated to a walking boot Brown has been wearing recently to help protect nagging Achilles’ tendon soreness.

Brown sat on the Bruins’ bench clutching a basketball an hour before tipoff against the Utes, wearing black pants and a blue UCLA sweatshirt with the hood pulled over the back of his head.

Brown is the Bruins’ leading rebounder and shot-blocker, averaging 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks along with 10.2 points.

He was held out of all but the final five seconds of UCLA’s game against Utah in February at Pauley Pavilion for being late to a morning shoot-around.

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Brown has had an up-and-down season, appearing dominant in some games and a nonfactor in others. He had only three points to go with three rebounds and four blocks in 15 minutes on Thursday during the Bruins’ 93-68 loss to Colorado.

UCLA also will be without junior shooting guard Prince Ali, who remains sidelined by plantar fasciitis in his left foot. It will be the fifth consecutive game Ali has missed.