Love wastes no time getting into the mix

Kevin Love is enthusiastic after two days of UCLA basketball practice. He wasn’t shy about saying that junior forward Alfred Aboya knocked him down four times. “And that doesn’t happen very often,� Love said.

Speaking after Love on a conference call Saturday, Coach Ben Howland wondered if Love had mentioned how many players he had knocked down. And the answer was no. “It was a few,� Howland said.

While Love said it was fun watching televised snippets of other teams cavorting through “Midnight Madness� practices, many of them filled with more singing, dancing and goofing around than actual basketball, UCLA’s prized freshman post player said what he went through -- “practices lots longer and higher intensity than what I’m used to� -- was more useful than getting some TV time at midnight. “We’re trying to get an edge on everybody else,� Love said.

With only nine scholarship players healthy enough to do every drill he orders, Howland said the team worked shorter hours but with more purpose. Lorenzo Mata-Real (sprained right foot) was held out of all but the first half-hour of drills Friday and Saturday and Howland said he didn’t expect the senior center on the court full time until Thursday.

And sophomore forward James Keefe is allowed only to work with the trainers on the sidelines while he rehabilitates a surgically repaired shoulder.

Junior swingman Josh Shipp, who was supposed to join the post-practice conference call, instead chose to get extra treatment on his hips, both of which have been operated on in the last 18 months. But Love said Shipp looked ready for the season.

“Josh looked great,� Love said. “He was coming out here jumping well, dunking well.� But no dunks on Love. “That’s not happening,� the freshman said. “I’ll foul him before that happens.�

Howland was particularly pleased with the play of junior Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Mbah a Moute, who had been the Pacific 10 Conference freshman of the year two seasons ago, struggled all last season because of sore knees.

“Luc is really shooting the ball well,� said Howland, who hopes to use Mbah a Moute mostly at small forward this season. “Luc may have been the best player on our team the first two practices.�

Love, who is expected to play both center and power forward this season, spent most of the first two practices playing center because of Mata-Real’s injury. As for whether he expects to be in the starting lineup when UCLA plays its first exhibition game Nov. 2 against Azusa Pacific, Love said, “It’s not my decision. Everybody here has a level head. I won’t be disappointed at all if I don’t. We’re ranked in the top three, four teams in the country. But I’m a competitive guy and I’ll try to work for that spot the best I can.�

Tickets are on sale for the 14th John R. Wooden Classic at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Dec. 8. UCLA will play Davidson at 2:30 p.m., and San Diego State will play St. Mary’s at noon.

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