The sting of sun on skin could be felt within seconds of the San Bernardino heat claiming its first casualty.
UCLA offensive guard Michael Alves, his hair soaked in sweat, walked off the practice field after about 75 minutes of drills Monday morning, eventually making his way under a medical tent where one trainer held an ice bag to the back of his neck and another took his blood pressure. Wet towels were draped over Alves’ head and shoulders as he clutched a water bottle.
The second half of the Bruins’ training camp had officially begun.
The team practiced roughly 75 miles from campus and a world away from the comforts it had enjoyed the previous week in Westwood, where the accommodations were plush and temperatures held in the 70s and 80s.