UCLA point guard David Singleton suffered what appeared to be a gruesome injury late in the Bruins’ 68-63 Round of 32 victory on Saturday over Northwestern, colliding with the Wildcats’ Ty Berry and appearing to roll over his right ankle.
As the TNT cameras showed Singleton writhing on the ground, broadcaster and former NBA player Brendan Haywood urged TNT not to replay the injury.
“Please don’t show that again,” Haywood said. “For our crew, please do not show that again if that [injury] is what I think it is. Don’t show it.”
TNT did exactly that, showing a slow-motion replay of the ankle turn.
Luckily for UCLA, Singleton avoided a serious injury on the play, with head coach Mick Cronin telling reporters after the game that it was a sprain and not a tear or break.
Singleton himself reassured fans and media in a press conference after the team advanced to the Sweet 16.
“I knew it wasn’t that bad,” he said, per Fox News. “I broke my foot before. I didn’t feel it pop or anything. It was just hurting at the moment. I’m fine. I’m just going to get with my trainer.”
Singleton played 28 minutes in the game, scoring five points on 2-for-6 shooting and also pulling down six rebounds.
It remains to be seen if he will be available for UCLA’s Sweet 16 game against Gonzaga on Thursday, but luckily he avoided the worst-case scenario – and has four full days to heal up.
UCLA’s game against the Zags will be a rematch of their legendary Final Four game two years ago, when Jalen Suggs’ half-court 3-pointer sent Gonzaga to the NCAA Championship game.
