UCLA BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK: LOVE ON THE RECEIVING END.

Byline: JILL PAINTER

Staff Writer

Kevin Love must have an idea of what it's like to be Shaquille O'Neal. The only difference is that the hacking Love has endured is coming from his teammates.

Love sat out the last five minutes of Friday's practice so he could ice his left calf, where he was kneed three times over the past couple of days and sustained a bruise.

The freshman is expected to practice today. Love also had two nasty scratches on his back.

"He's pretty tough," coach Ben Howland said. "When you're playing in the post, in general, it's so physical in there. Somebody scratched the heck out of him (Thursday). So, I checked everybodytoday to make sure everybody had nice, short fingernails.

"I saw it when it happened. It was a pretty significant scratch."

Love was accidentally kneed by Luc Richard Mbah a Moute one day and Alfred Aboya another.

Mata-Real update: Lorenzo Mata-Real (sprained foot) isn't 100 percent healthy, but he practiced the last two days. Howland said he was a little swollen and sore but doing a good job.

Recruiting weekend: Four recruits -- Campbell Hall of North Hollywood guard Jrue Holiday, Archbishop Mitty of San Jose power forward Drew Gordon, North High of Riverside guard Malcolm Lee and Canyon High of Anaheim point guard Jerime Anderson -- were on campus Friday. They talked to athletic director Dan Guerrero, took a campus tour, ate dorm food and discussed academics.

Howland was scheduled to host a catered meal for recruits and players at his house Friday. The recruits will watch today's morning basketball practice, followed by the UCLA-Cal game at the Rose Bowl.

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