UCLA Loses Madkins to Injury

The UCLA basketball team will be without its captain through the holidays.

Senior guard Gerald Madkins will be sidelined for at least two weeks after sustaining a broken left hand during Saturday night’s 84-64 victory over San Diego State, UCLA said Monday.

A team leader and defensive stopper, Madkins might not be able to play until after the third-ranked Bruins play second-ranked Arizona on Jan. 11 at Tucson.

“That’s a wait-and-see proposition,” assistant coach Brad Holland said. “They’re going to keep (the hand) immobilized for at least two or three weeks.

“There’s been discussion about . . . taping and padding it in such a way that he could play after the two- or three-week period.

“So, can he make the Arizona-Arizona State trip? We’re just not sure at this point.”

Madkins hasn’t ruled it out.

“It’s still a possibility,” he said. “I’m keeping my hopes high.”

Even after reviewing videotape of Saturday night’s game, Madkins and his doctors couldn’t figure out how he was injured.

“I don’t even remember having contact with my hand,” Madkins said. “I didn’t hit anyone’s head. . . .

“I caught all passes cleanly, and all rebounds, I pulled down cleanly. It’s a mystery to me how I did it.

“I don’t remember diving on the floor or doing anything rambunctious. It just started hurting with five minutes to play in the game. I’m sure I did it earlier. My hand was real swollen by then.”

Madkins continued to play and ended the game with a season-high nine points, a career-high seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in 31 minutes.

He didn’t complain about the pain until afterward. X-rays revealed the break, and he was fitted with a cast Sunday.

Sidelined for the 1988-89 season because of hip and pelvis injures suffered in a traffic accident, Madkins has started every game for UCLA since, 69 in all.

He will be replaced by senior Darrick Martin, a starter for 2 1/2 seasons before losing his place in the lineup last month to sophomore Shon Tarver.

“We’re certainly going to miss all the little things (Madkins) does out there to help us win,” Holland said. “But fortunately we’ve got Darrick to step right in. And then we’ve got Tyus (Edney) coming off the bench, and certainly Mitchell Butler will help us at guard.”

Bruin Notes

Coach Jim Harrick was en route Monday to Charleston, W.Va., where on Wednesday he will attend the funeral of his father-in-law, Frank Marple. . . . Don MacLean, who sat out the San Diego State game because of flu, returned to practice and is expected to play against Loyola Marymount Friday night at Pauley Pavilion. . . . Ed O’Bannon, recovering from his third knee operation in a little more than a year, is not expected to participate in drills for at least two more weeks and probably won’t play in a game before the middle of next month.