Toolson doing well in Turkey

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Former Utah Valley University basketball standout Ryan Toolson is off to a good start in his professional debut in Turkey. Toolson is averaging 19.3 points through the first six games for Pinar Karsiyaka (4-2) of the Turkish Basketball League.

In last Thursday's game on the road against Fenerbahce Ulker, Toolson poured in 29 points, with five 3-pointers, to lead his club to an 88-76 upset win.

Fenerbahce is considered to be one of the top teams in Europe. In an earlier game against Oyak Renault on Oct. 24, Toolson went 8-for-10 from beyond the arc on his way to 32 points.

For the year, Toolson is shooting 48.5 percent from the field, 51.4 percent from 3-point range, and 96.4 percent from the free throw line.

Toolson is playing alongside fellow American David Holston, who was formerly with Chicago State of the Great West Conference. Holston is averaging 12.8 points for Karisyaka.

Toolson and Holston waged a number of battles against each other in the collegiate ranks.

The most memorable of those was in their Jan. 30, 2009, meeting in Chicago when Toolson fired in a school-record 63 points to lead UVU to a 123-121 quadruple-overtime victory. Holston had 41 points for Chicago State in the loss.

• UCLA's Dragovic reinstated after 2-game suspension: At Los Angeles, UCLA reinstated Nikola Dragovic on Wednesday after the Serbian forward's two-game suspension for his arrest in an assault case.

Coach Ben Howland cleared the 21-year-old senior to practice with the Bruins on Wednesday, and said he'll play in Thursday's 76 Classic opener in Anaheim against Portland.

"Based on the information we have right now and what we know about the situation, I sat down with (athletic director) Dan (Guerrero) and we've been discussing this," Howland said. "We just felt like he's been suspended for the two games, and based on what we know right now, it would be the right decision to let him play."

Dragovic hasn't been practicing with the Bruins since he was suspended last Friday. He missed games against Cal State Bakersfield and Pepperdine.

Howland said Dragovic won't yet reclaim his spot from James Keefe in the Bruins' starting lineup. Dragovic is the Bruins' only returning starter this fall.

Dragovic's lawyer, Jon Artz, said his client will plead not guilty after being arrested last week on a felony warrant which alleges Dragovic knocked a man into a glass case during a concert in Hollywood.

Artz says the other man was the aggressor, was drinking heavily and had slapped Dragovic's roommate. He claims Dragovic attempted to leave, but was followed from the third floor of the theater by the man, who said he had a knife and threatened to kill Dragovic.

"We're pretty confident that once we show what happened upstairs, the spin in this case that Nikola was the bad guy will take a different spin," Artz said.

Dragovic voluntarily filed a report with campus police a week after the incident, and believed the incident had been written off as a minor scuffle. He was "unpleasantly surprised" to be arrested the following month, Artz said.

Dragovic also was suspended for one game last season on suspicion of pushing his former live-in girlfriend to the ground during a dispute. He was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery, and though prosecutors decided not to file charges, Howland said the incident would be taken into account in determining Dragovic's punishment.

Artz said Dragovic's arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 21.

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