Injured Mata Plans to Play

It was probably unrealistic to think that the UCLA Bruins, who have suffered through injuries to all 12 scholarship players this season, could make it through to the end without at least one more.

Lorenzo Mata, already the most battered and bruised Bruin of them all, broke his nose for the second time this season in practice Wednesday night.

The sophomore center is, nevertheless, expected to play Saturday night against Louisiana State in the semifinals of the NCAA championship at the RCA Dome, wearing a mask for protection.

Mata, the primary backup to Ryan Hollins, already had suffered a concussion this season, had two teeth knocked out and broke a leg in addition to the previous nose fracture.

The latest injury occurred when Mata collided with freshman forward Alfred Aboya.

Mata was seen by an ear, nose and throat specialist Thursday morning.

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The Bruins were scheduled to attend the Indiana Pacer-Phoenix Sun game Thursday night at Conseco Fieldhouse, where former Bruin and Pacer Reggie Miller was to have his number retired.

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Coach Ben Howland said he would like to see the uniforms of three UCLA players retired: Miller, Jamaal Wilkes and Don MacLean, the school’s all-time leading scorer and currently a member of the team’s broadcast crew.

Former Bruins whose numbers have already been retired are Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Gale Goodrich, Walt Hazzard, Marques Johnson, Sidney Wicks and Ed O’Bannon.

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UCLA was picked to finish third in the Pacific 10 Conference in a preseason poll. And the Bruins were seeded second in their bracket of the NCAA tournament.

But suddenly, they are the top remaining seeded team heading into the Final Four. Does that make them the favorite?

Howland, who relishes the role of underdog, vehemently rejects such thinking.

“No one is seeded anymore,” Howland said. “Once the tournament starts, you can throw all that out. Do you think [11th-seeded] George Mason was concerned about their seeding? Anybody can win at this point.”

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was known as Alcindor before he went to the NBA and became the league’s career scoring leader, missed his alma mater’s Sweet 16 comeback victory against Gonzaga.

“I turned it off,” he said. “I went out, got something to eat, came out of the restaurant, found out they won the game.”

But he won’t miss another comeback this season, if the Bruins have any left in them. A special assistant coach with the Lakers, he was given permission by the team to attend the Final Four in Indianapolis.

Abdul-Jabbar had kind words when speaking of Howland.

“He’s done a great job,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “They know how to play the game. They’re not a high-scoring team, but they have the mental toughness you have to have to be a good basketball team.”

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Times staff writer Mike Bresnahan contributed to this report.