Jaylen Clark will miss the Pac-12 Tournament with a lower leg injury, according to head coach Mick Cronin.

Cronin made that announcement on Tuesday morning during his weekly press conference. Clark initially suffered the injury against Arizona in the regular season finale.

Clark’s absence is a big problem for the Bruins. He’s averaging 13 points per game this season and is a veteran presence in UCLA’s back court. He’s also an excellent rebounder from the guard position, averaging 6 per game.

It’s otherwise been a good day for UCLA’s basketball program, as Jaime Jaquez was named a 2nd team All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year.

UCLA’s 1st game of the Pac-12 Tournament will be on Thursday.

What this means for UCLA

The Bruins will be without one of their top scorers for at least the Pac-12 Tournament, if not for the entire postseason. Clark left the game against Arizona on crutches.

UCLA will need another guard to step up in Clark’s place. Jaime Jaquez and Tyga Campbell could take on a larger scoring role, but Clark played over 30 minutes per game.

Dylan Andrews and David Singleton are the only guards on UCLA’s bench who have played more than 10 minutes per game this season. Singleton has made 10 starts this year and could slot back into the starting lineup. Clark’s absence could also mean a greater role for freshman Amari Bailey.