Read Their Lips: This Practice Is a Real Pain

Losing two exhibitions hurt UCLA’s pride. And judging from the scars, the Bruins are giving the notion of playing with intensity something more tangible than lip service.

Center Ryan Hollins has a fat lip and forward Jason Kapono is wearing a bandage below his bottom lip, the result of a collision in practice. Guard Jon Crispin returned to practice after suffering a concussion last week.

“It’s obvious we are not where we need to be, so we’ve really brought it at practice,” Kapono said.

The players are anxious about tonight’s opener against San Diego. Anxious about how they will perform. Anxious about the mood of the Pauley Pavilion crowd.

“We’ve got a lot of [national championship] banners hanging in here, and the fans are getting salty,” center T.J. Cummings said.

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Kapono practiced without a bandage on this right thumb for the first time since spraining it more than a week ago. He is expected to play tonight. “The bandage affects my shot, so I have to get rid of it,” he said. “I’ve got to fight through the pain and play.”

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The Bruins will be without reserve point guard Ryan Walcott tonight and Saturday against Duke. Walcott must serve a two-game suspension because he played in two exhibitions before redshirting during the 2000-01 season.

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Word that former Bruin center Dan Gadzuric has changed the pronunciation of his name from Gad-ZUR-ick to Gad-zur-EECH amused Kapono. Gadzuric, the rookie center of the Milwaukee Bucks, announced the change last week.

“That’s Dan, he’s a funny guy,” Kapono said. “For some reason he just wanted to change his name. He’s spontaneous like that.”

TONIGHT

vs. San Diego, 7:30

Fox Sports Net 2

Site -- Pauley Pavilion.

Radio -- XTRA (690).

Records -- UCLA 0-0, San Diego 1-0.

Update -- The Bruin season begins with glaring questions about rebounding, defense and effort. They lost their first exhibition by 25 points, their worst loss at Pauley Pavilion, and their second by six. The play of senior guard Ray Young, who scored 41 points, was one of the few positives in the exhibitions. San Diego, coached by former UCLA player and assistant Brad Holland, defeated Nevada, 77-75, in its opener. Center Jason Keep, a 6-foot-10 transfer from Oklahoma State, scored 19 points for the Toreros, who were 16-13 last season.

Tickets -- (310) 825-2946.