Johnson Is Due Back by Mid-December

Kris Johnson, who has been partially reinstated, could have joined the team on the bench in street clothes during last week’s exhibition game against NBC-Thunder, Coach Steve Lavin said.

“I don’t think he wants to be back until he’s back playing, until he’s contributing,” Lavin said. “I understand that.”

Johnson, reinstated to practice last week after a seven-week suspension, is expected to be playing by mid-December.

UCLA will leave today for Anchorage, Alaska, where it will open Thursday against North Carolina in the Great Alaska Shootout.