Senior forward James Keefe will undergo season ending shoulder surgery, effectively closing out his career at UCLA. This is the same shoulder he had surgery on, and dislocated three times.

A former McDonald’s All American, Keefe seemingly battled injury after injury during his Bruin career, never quite getting on track. A sad way for a hard working local kid to see his playing days come to an end.

Freshman Brendan Lane is expected to get the start tonight against Washington State.

Additional info via LAtimes.com

**UPDATE** Deonte Burton committed to Nevada.

Compton Centennial high school took out the #1 state ranked Hoover Cardinals, 80-68. In what could be a particularly sweet treat for Bruin fans, Compton’s Deonte Burton (#24) and Hoover’s Angelo Chol (#3) squared off, perhaps giving a glimpse of what may be down the road.

Burton dropped 20 pts in the win, while Chol notched 21 pts.

For a full game recap, check out SanDiegoReader.com

McDonald’s All American Terrence Jones is in no rush to make a decision. Partly because he remains undecided,  but also to give his teammates some exposure and hopefully land a scholarship.

“It’s only right. Coaches may like what they see while they’re coming to look at me. We all help each other out like that.”

Jones has a list of five schools he’s considering, Oregon, Kentucky, UCLA, Washington, and Oklahoma. He’s made official visits to all five campuses. There’s  been no indication on his part as to who may be the leader, however whispers among recruiting circles have said Kentucky is the front runner.

Jones explains:

Well, with Kentucky they’re a powerhouse right now. They win and they put guys in the NBA. Oregon is my home state, and I have a great relationship with the players. At UCLA, Coach Ben Howland is trying to put big things together down there for next year. It’s a great city and they’ve got good players. Washington’s coach, Lorenzo Romar, is an excellent coach on and off the court. I’ve got a great relationship with Abdul Gaddy (UW) too. With Oklahoma, I’ve gotten to know Coach Jeff Capel really well. I got a feel for how it’s a family environment down there. Then I know Tiny Gallon (UO) really well too, so that’s a plus.

For the full interview, check out HighSchoolHoop.com

In what has been a never ending season of disappointment, the Bruins were swept by the Trojans, losing at the Galen Center 68-64.

Not much to say about this one, as it went about expected. USC’s athleticism and experience played a heavy factor against UCLA, forcing the Bruins to give up unwarranted turnovers.

A one-two scoring punch for the Trojans helped secure a victory. Senior guard Dwight Lewis led all scorers with 23 pts, while Junior reserve guard Donte Smith scored a career high 12 pts. UCLA was held to 39% FG, and surprisingly out-rebounded USC by a wide margin, 36 to 23. That was the only factor keeping them in the game.

The one positive Bruin fans can take from this was Coach Howland inserting Brendan Lane who logged 16 minutes of playing time. Fellow freshman Mike Moser saw limited action, notching four minutes. Could Howland finally be waiving the white flag, prepping his young guys for next season?

The answer is yes, and no.

Winning the Pac-10 outright is highly unlikely at this point, however winning the Pac-10 tournament still holds a flicker of hope. Now is the perfect opportunity to give some of the younger guys much needed game experience for next season. I expect to see Moser, J’Mison Morgan, and Lane continue to see minutes the rest of the way, especially with James Keefe out another game or two due to injury.

Official Boxscore

No recaps from around the net, as this was simply another tough one for Bruin fans to stomach. Let’s simply move on…

Random fact – This is the first time USC has beaten UCLA three times in a row (two during the regular season, and once in last season’s Pac-10 tournament) since the Wooden era. Yikes.

Bruin fans got an early glimpse at their future when Kentwood high school’s Josh Smith took on Jefferson high’s Terrence Jones last night on ESPN 2. Smith is a 6′9 center, ranked #11 in ESPN’s top 100, with Jones coming in at #13.

To put it lightly, this was an ugly game. If you’ve become accustomed to the grace and beauty of the NBA, the determination and effort of NCAA hoops, then you might have forgotten how unrefined high school sports are. Granted they’re kids in every sense of the word, but it doesn’t deter you from cringing every now and again.

The silver lining was the play of UCLA commit Josh Smith, and 6′7 stud Terrence Jones. Smith is a wide bodied center, with soft hands who can eat up space. He’s light on his feet, and clearly knows his place is on the block with his back to the basket. Don’t let his frame fool you (tipping the scales at about 270lbs), Smith finished the game with 11 rebounds and nine blocked shots. His offense wasn’t a factor only notching nine points, however this was only his third game back from a partially torn patellar tendon. He certainly made his presence felt down low, though. Something the Bruins can definitely combo with undersized center Reeves Nelson next season.

With that said, the real star of the game was Terrence Jones.

The silky smooth lefty dominated at every end of the floor, with Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel watching in the stands. Jones dazzled the crowd with effortless dribble-drives, tipjams, and no look passes. He lead all scorers with 20 points, and filled up the stat sheet with a four steals, four rebounds, and four assists. An early comparison would be a raw Lamar Odom, as Jones looks very comfortable running the point forward. As a freshman, he was a 6′3 PG, who sprouted to the 6′7 he now stands at. His ability to handle the ball remains a weapon in his arsenal.

Jones has yet to choose a school, with UCLA, Washington, West Virgina, Oklahoma, and Kentucky competing for his services. To my knowledge, the Bruins are aggressively recruiting Jones, but I’m sure his stock rose after playing on ESPN 2 national television. Howland recently visited Jones while up in Eugene, Oregon to battle the Ducks.

Additional game notes at Seattletimes.com

P.S. – Sorry for no post game wrap up’s for UCLA vs. Oregon and Oregon State. A busy schedule and a wife did not allow me to write anything up.

Let’s just say the Bruins remain in the thick of the Pac-10 race, but going 2-0 on the road would have marked a turned corner in the season, which they did not accomplish. Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson continue to impress. Malcolm Lee, where have you gone?