WATSON FINE AFTER SURGERY.

Byline: Jon Wilner Staff Writer

UCLA point guard Earl Watson had laser surgery Monday to repair a mildly detached retina in his left eye. The incision-free procedure took 15 minutes and is not expected to impair Watson's vision for Thursday's Sweet 16 game against Iowa State.

``There is a great spectrum of retinal detachments, and this was mild,'' said Dr. Steven D. Schwartz, an eye specialist who performed the surgery at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute.

``It will not affect his vision. He'll be just fine.''

Watson will not wear goggles.

Schwartz believes the detachment existed before Watson was elbowed in the eye during the Bruins' 105-70 victory over Maryland on Saturday.

``It was scary because it was dealing with my eye,'' said Watson, whose eye was swollen and purple - like he'd been hit by Oscar De La Hoya. ``It was throbbing during the game, but now it feels a lot better.''

It's the most celebrated eye injury to a UCLA basketball player since Lew Alcindor suffered a scratched cornea before the historic game against Houston at the Astrodome in 1968.

``People don't know this, but (Alcindor) had one eye dilated, and that's why he had a bad night,'' Schwartz said. ``He had a corneal abrasion. Earl's injury is a lot different.''

It turned out to be the most important injury of Watson's career.

Watson was elbowed in the left eye by Maryland guard Steve Blake three minutes into the game - just before the celebrated sequence in which Watson blocked Blake's layup at one end, then tossed an alley-oop pass to Jerome Moiso for a dunk at the other.

Watson left the game for three minutes as UCLA's trainers stopped the bleeding. He played the game of his life (17 points, a school-record 16 assists and no turnovers) and then received four stitches in his eyelid.

When Watson awoke Monday, his eye was throbbing and almost swollen shut. Coach Steve Lavin sent him to the Stein Institute for a checkup, and that's when a small amount of retinal fluid - signaling a detachment - was discovered.

During the procedure, called a laser retinopexy, Schwartz sent a laser beam through Watson's pupil to the back of the eye. The laser ``tacks the retina down,'' Schwartz said, which seals the detachment.

``I think he had (the detachment) for quite a long time, and it just happened to be discovered today,'' Schwartz said. ``For that reason, we were lucky to catch it.''

If Watson hadn't gone for the checkup, the detached retina wouldn't have been discovered until preseason medical exams next fall, Schwartz said. By then, the detachment could have become serious.

Watson did not practice Monday.

--Notes: The Bruins will depart Los Angeles this morning for Detroit. They'll practice Wednesday afternoon at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Thursday's game will start at approximately 6:55 p.m.

The Pac-10 placed Cal center Nick Vander Laan on probation for elbowing UCLA center Dan Gadzuric in the mouth during the Bruins' March 2 victory in Berkeley. Conference commissioner Tom Hansen ruled Vander Laan's swinging elbow did not come in the normal course of protecting the ball. He is on probation for the pre-conference portion of next year's schedule, meaning a repeat offense could result in a suspension.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo: EARL WATSON

The hero of Saturday's UCLA win over Maryland had a mildly detached retina in his left eye.