Jaylen Clark Out For UCLA-Arizona Showdown Due to Concussion-Like Symptoms
The Bruins will be without one of their top defensive players for Tuesday's nationally-televised contest versus the Wildcats.
Guard Jaylen Clark will not be available for the highly-anticipated matchup between No. 7 UCLA men's basketball (13-2, 5-1 Pac-12) and No. 3 Arizona (16-1, 6-0 Pac-12) due to concussion-like symptoms, a source told All Bruins before a team spokesperson confirmed the news later Tuesday night. The sophomore was hit in the face and sustained the injury at practice Monday.
Clark had previously missed Thursday's victory versus Utah with a non-COVID-19 related illness, but played in Saturday's matchup against Colorado where he tallied four points in 11 minutes.
Before the season, Clark suffered a concussion which kept him out of practice and the preseason exhibition against Chico State on Nov. 4 before returning for the season opener against Cal State Bakersfield on Nov. 9.
Clark has put up career-high numbers so far in the 2021-2022 campaign with 6.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.8 steals per game, while also being the de facto sixth man. Sometimes being forced to play the five when forward Cody Riley was out, Clark is averaging the sixth-most minutes on the team with 17.9 a night.
Clark has become one of coach Mick Cronin's most trusted defenders since his entrance into the program in 2020. His defensive prowess was on display just four games ago, when the 6-foot-5 guard forced overtime against Oregon with two steals and a quick layup in the final 30 seconds of regulation.
The offensive nature of Clark's game has also improved statistically as of late. The sophomore seemingly added a 3-point shot to his repertoire, hitting a few against Long Beach State on Jan. 6 and using it to his advantage in the Bruins' win over Oregon State on Jan. 15.
Scoring a career-high 11 points and playing a career-high of 32 minutes the Beavers that night, Clark has played himself into a larger role when he is on the hardwood. Often facing off against forwards and longer opponents, Clark has been known to play bigger than his 6-foot-5, 195 pounds frame would suggest.
Guard/forward Peyton Watson will likely replace Clark in the rotation as a lengthy defender to match up against the Wildcats' high-scoring guards, but also their forwards and bigs in Christian Koloko and Azuolas Tubelis, should the latter be cleared for Tuesday night's contest.
Tubelis suffered an ankle injury versus Stanford and did not feature in Arizona's 25-point victory over Cal on Sunday. The Lithuanian big man is a game-time decision for Tuesday's game, but was seen practicing earlier Tuesday at Pauley Pavilion with his ankle wrapped.
Cronin will have to re-adjust the game plan for Arizona as UCLA takes on coach Tommy Lloyd for the first time since he joined the Wildcats in April 2021.
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