Kapono’s Wrist Improving

Jason Kapono practiced without a wrist wrap Monday and is gradually recovering from the effects of a hard spill under the basket Thursday against Oregon State. His right wrist and hand were swollen and tender over the weekend, but X-rays revealed no damage.

After struggling to get a feel for the ball and his shot in the first half against Oregon on Saturday, he removed the protective wrap on his hand and scored 16 of his 18 points in the final 20 minutes.

Kapono is one of the best long-range shooters in the Pacific 10 Conference, and the Bruins try to take advantage of that whenever possible. Saturday, they used an interesting play designed to get him an open shot from the top of the key. Point guard Earl Watson pushed the ball upcourt with Kapono trailing, then fed the sophomore forward with a no-look backward bounce pass between his legs. The play is designed so that Watson momentarily can screen two defenders and give Kapono an open jumper.

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UCLA is 13th in this week’s Rating Percentage Index, three spots behind Arizona. Stanford, which hosts the Bruins on Saturday, is No. 1. USC is 27th.