UCLA featuring plenty of new faces

Oct 15, 2009 - 1:26 AM LOS ANGELES(AP) -- UCLA fans will need to check their programs this season. With four starters gone from last season's team that finished 26-9, the Bruins have plenty of new faces.

Freshman forward Tyler Honeycutt has been cleared to participate when the team holds its first official practice on Friday night.

He was diagnosed with a lower back stress fracture in July. After eight weeks of rest, he spent the rest of the summer rehabbing.

"Tyler being healthy and able to play is important because we're counting on him," coach Ben Howland said Wednesday at the team's media day.

The 6-foot-9 Honeycutt is part of the Bruins' heralded freshman class that features five players 6-8 or taller.

Howland said senior forward James Keefe has progressed rapidly since injuring his left shoulder last week. Keefe's MRI was negative, but he was initially expected to be restricted from full contact for 4 to 6 weeks.

"Yesterday we were doing one-on-one shooting and he was able to go through it, follow missed shots, dunk it," Howland said. "I think he's a lot better off than maybe was first feared."

With so many new players, it was a slimmed down one who garnered the most attention.

Sophomore center J'mison Morgan shed about 25 pounds and re-sculpted his body during the offseason.

"Nobody had to tell me, I could definitely feel that I needed to work on my body to play college basketball," said Morgan, who averaged 2.3 points and 1.0 rebounds last season. "Not only was I out of shape, I wasn't as strong as I needed to be."

Howland estimates that Morgan, who is listed at 6-10, 248 pounds, had about 17 percent body fat last season and quipped that he was jealous Morgan is now down to 7 percent.

"(I expect him) just to be able to change ends of the floor better," Howland said. "That was an issue for him last year in terms of getting fatigued quickly when the game was going up and down. He can provide a low-post threat because of his length and he has a nice jump hook that we want to take advantage of so we're expecting him to have a good campaign for us."