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Los Angeles Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Sports Report: Future of USC-Notre Dame football rivalry is at risk
From Ryan Kartje: With the contract between USC and Notre Dame set to expire and one of college football's most storied rivalries in serious danger of ending, officials at USC extended an offer to Notre Dame earlier this month in hopes of continuing the historic series for at least one more season — through the fall of 2026 — a person familiar with the negotiations not authorized to discuss them publicly told The Times. The future of the rivalry beyond that, in the eyes of USC's leaders, hinges in large part on what happens with the format of the College Football Playoff — namely, the number of automatic qualifiers guaranteed to the Big Ten in future playoff fields. And until those questions are answered, USC leaders agree the best course forward for its century-old rivalry with Notre Dame would be to continue their arrangement one season at a time. Anything else would be 'a strategically bad decision,' a USC source said. That timeline is where the two rivals find themselves at an impasse. Notre Dame is seeking a long-term extension of the series, and in an interview with Sports Illustrated earlier this week, Irish athletic director Pete Bevacqua not so subtly suggested that it was USC putting the rivalry at risk. Continue reading here The case for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was simple. He's the best player on an Oklahoma City Thunder team that had the best record this season and set a league mark for margin of victory. As if that weren't enough, he also won the scoring title. That's an MVP season. Gilgeous-Alexander was announced Wednesday as the NBA's Most Valuable Player, his first time winning the award. It's now seven consecutive years that a player born outside the U.S. won MVP, extending the longest such streak in league history. It ultimately was a two-person race. Gilgeous-Alexander received 71 first-place votes and 29 second-place votes; Denver's Nikola Jokic got the other 29 first-place votes and the other 71 second-place votes. Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo was third, getting 88 of the 100 possible third-place votes. LeBron James of the Lakers came in sixth, James Harden of the Clippers was 11th. Continue reading here All Times Pacific Conference finals Western Conference No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 6 Minnesotaat Oklahoma City 114, Minnesota 88 (box score)Thursday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ESPNSaturday at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ABCMonday at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ESPNWednesday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ESPN*Friday, May 30 at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ESPN*Sunday, June 1 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ESPN* Eastern Conference No. 3 New York vs. No. 4 IndianaIndiana 138, at New York 135 (OT) (box score)Friday at New York, 5 p.m., TNTSunday at Indiana, 5 p.m., TNTTuesday at Indiana, 5 p.m., TNTThursday, May 29 at New York, 5 p.m., TNT*Saturday, May 31 at Indiana, 5 p.m., TNT*Monday, June 2 at New York, 5 p.m., TNT* *if necessary From Jack Harris: On Tuesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made a decision. A day after Teoscar Hernández returned to the Dodgers' lineup, activated from the injured list Monday following a two-week absence because of an adductor strain, Roberts decided to sit the veteran slugger for the second of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was a surprise choice, but with a simple reason. Knowing Hernández would play only twice this week coming off his injury, Roberts wanted to ensure he would be available Wednesday to face former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes. 'I just felt like having him in there tomorrow,' Roberts said Tuesday, 'I feel good with.' Twenty-four hours later, the result was even greater than he expected. In the Dodgers' 3-1 rubber-match victory over the Diamondbacks, Hernández delivered the night's biggest swing in the bottom of the sixth, taking a wrecking ball to what had been a flawless outing from Burnes with a three-run home run that turned the game upside down. Continue reading here Dodgers box score MLB scores MLB standings Logan O'Hoppe hit two home runs and drove in three runs, Jo Adell and Zach Neto also homered and the Angels beat the Athletics 10-5 on Wednesday night for their season-high sixth straight victory. O'Hoppe led off the fourth with his second homer of the game, third in two nights and 13th of the season, just before Adell hit his sixth. Neto's two-run homer in the third, his eighth, gave the Angels the lead for good at 4-3. The Angels had five two-run innings. Taylor Ward had three hits, including a triple and double. Jorge Soler had three hits, with two doubles and two RBIs. Continue reading here Angels box score MLB scores MLB standings Satou Sabally scored 25 points, Alyssa Thomas added 19 and the Phoenix Mercury held off the Sparks 89-86 on Wednesday night. Two free throws from Kelsey Plum had the Sparks, who trailed by 14 early in the fourth quarter, within one at 78-77 with 2 1/2 minutes to play in a game of long runs but Thomas scored the next six Phoenix points. Plum kept pace, scoring the last 11 points of the game for the Sparks. That included the 500th 3-pointer of her career and then a shot with four seconds left. On that tightly contested desperation shot from the left wing, her foot was on the line so the Mercury led 87-86. A second later Sabally made two free throws and Plum's half-court heave wasn't close. Continue reading here Sparks box score WNBA standings From Chuck Schilken: NFL owners have decided to keep the 'Tush Push,' the signature short-yardage play of the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, after a vote Wednesday at their spring meeting in Eagan, Minnesota. Multiple media outlets are reporting that the vote was 22-10 in favor of the ban, falling short of the 24 votes it needed to go into effect. The teams that are said to have joined the Eagles in voting against the proposal were the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans. The 'Tush Push' is a version of a quarterback sneak in which two or three players line up behind the signal caller and help drive him forward in short-yardage situations. Continue reading here Colts owner Jim Irsay, a music lover and philanthropist, dies at 65 From Benjamin Royer: Mike Gillespie had a premonition about Ben Orloff. The USC and UC Irvine coaching legend guided Orloff for two years as an Anteater, watching Orloff become the baseball program's all-time hits leader with his peak bat-to-ball abilities. But it wasn't Orloff's eye-popping swing or swift speed on the basepaths that captivated Gillespie the most. It was the future he imagined for his star infielder, the then-Big West Conference player of the year. 'I don't know how else to say it: His instincts, his clue, his feel for the game, his baseball IQ, is like nothing else,' Gillespie said as Orloff's collegiate career wrapped up in 2009. 'He should be a major league manager. He might be wasted as a major league manager, because they can do so little, in terms of all these little things.' The American Baseball Coaches Assn. Hall of Famer, who died in 2020, continued: 'He probably should be a college coach, a college head coach.' It's mid-May and Orloff sits in the office Gillespie once occupied. Orloff is bald with a bright smile. He's just 38, and yet this is his 12th season on the UC Irvine coaching staff — and his seventh as the Anteaters' head coach. Orloff settles down at a table, crosses his legs and is ready to reminisce, talk shop — and praise the mish-mosh ballclub that's set the Big West aflame for the second consecutive season in which it won its second regular-season conference championship under the coach. Continue reading here From Kevin Baxter: A bipartisan group of Congressional representatives are calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to streamline the government's visa processing system to ensure visitors from abroad will be able to attend next year's FIFA World Cup as well as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The World Cup, which kicks off in less than 400 days, is expected to generate $3.75 billion in economic activity in the U.S. With SoFi Stadium in Inglewood hosting eight games, the economic impact on Southern California is estimated at nearly $600 million. But cost-cutting measures proposed by Rubio could threaten that by reducing staff and closing some embassies and consulates, increasing visa wait times and making an already cumbersome system more complicated and costly. That could keep tens of thousands of fans at home. Continue reading here All times Pacific Conference finals Western Conference Central 2 Dallas vs. Pacific 3 Edmontonat Dallas 6, Edmonton 3 (summary)Friday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPNSunday at Edmonton, noon, ABCTuesday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., ESPNThursday, May 29 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN*Saturday, May 31 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., ABC*Monday, June 2 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN* Eastern Conference Metro 2 Carolina vs. Atlantic 3 FloridaFlorida 5, at Carolina 2 (summary)Thursday at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNTSaturday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNTMonday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNTWednesday at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT*Friday, May 30 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT*Sunday, June 1 at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT* * If necessary 1877 — Baden-Baden, ridden by C. Holloway, catches Leonard just before turning into the stretch and wins the Kentucky Derby by two lengths. 1885 — Tecumseh, ridden by Jimmy McLaughlin, wins the Preakness Stakes by two lengths over Wickham. 1902 — Mastermam, ridden by John Bullman, wins the Belmont Stakes by two lengths over Renald. 1906 — Whimsical, the favorite ridden by Walter Miller, wins the Preakness Stakes by four lengths over Content. 1954 — Hasty Road, ridden by Johnny Adams, edges favored Correlation by a neck to win the Preakness Stakes. 1963 — European Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London: José Altafini scores twice as AC Milan edge Benfica, 2-1 for first title to an Italian club. 1975 — Artis Gilmore scores 28 points and grabs 31 rebounds to lead the Kentucky Colonels to a 110-105 victory over the Indiana Pacers for the ABA championship. 1988 — Atlanta's Dominique Wilkins trades bucket for bucket with Boston's Larry Bird in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals until the Celtics escape with a 118-116 victory. Wilkins finishes with 47 points and Bird has 34 — with 20 of his points scored in the fourth quarter. The teams shoot a combined 58.8% from the field, the second highest mark in playoff history. 1988 — LPGA Championship Women's Golf, Jack Nicklaus GC: Sherri Turner birdies final 2 holes to win her only major title, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Amy Alcott. 1991 — NFL Owners agree to add 2 teams in 1994. 1993 — Riddick Bowe successfully defends his IBF and WBA heavyweight titles with a second-round knockout of Jesse Ferguson at RFK Stadium in Washington. 1994 — Toronto NBA franchise unveils name 'Raptors' & logo. 1996 — 4th UEFA Champions League Final: Juventus beats Ajax (1-1, 4-2 on penalties) at Rome. 1997 — The Chicago Bulls win the lowest-scoring playoff game in NBA history, a 75-68 victory over the Miami Heat. The 143 combined points were two fewer than the previous postseason low set by Syracuse and Fort Wayne in 1955. 2003 — Annika Sorenstam becomes the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event in 58 years when she shoots a 71 in the first round of the Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas. Sorenstam misses the cut the next day by four shots. 2004 — English FA Cup Final, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff (71,350): Manchester United beats Millwall, 3-0; Ruud van Nistelrooy scores 2 and Cristiano Ronaldo 1 in Red Devils' 11th title win. 2005 — Paula Creamer, 18, makes a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the Sybase Classic by one stroke and become the second-youngest first-time winner on the LPGA Tour. 2006 — Pat Summitt becomes the newest millionaire coach — and the first in women's basketball. Tennessee raises Summitt's salary to $1.125 million for next season and extends her contract six years. 2009 — Dara Torres sets an American record in the 50-meter butterfly at the Texas Senior Circuit No. 2 meet at Texas A&M. The 42-year-old, breezes to victory in the 50 fly, touching the wall in 25.72 seconds to beat her record time of 25.84 seconds from the morning preliminaries. Both her times beat Jenny Thompson's American record of 26.00 seconds, set in Barcelona in 2003. 2010 — UEFA Champions League Final, Madrid: Internazionale beats Bayern Munich, 2-0; Inter's 3rd title and first treble (Italian Serie A & Cup). 2016 — The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, Greystone G&CC: Germany's Berhard Langer wins sixth of 13 Champions Tour majors by 6 strokes from Olin Browne. 2021 — 30 year old Scottish light-welterweight boxer Josh Taylor becomes Britain's first undisputed world champion in the four-belt era by beating Jose Ramirez by unanimous decision in Las Vegas. 2022 — PGA Championship Men's Golf, Southern Hills CC: 2017 champion Justin Thomas beats Will Zalatoris by 1 stroke in a 3-hole playoff after 54-hole leader Mito Pereira double bogeys the 72nd hole. 1933 — Joe Sewell of the New York Yankees struck out for the first time this season, during a 3-0 win over Cleveland. Sewell would strike out only three more times in 524 at-bats. 1942 — Ted Williams is sworn into the U.S. Navy, but will remain with the Red Sox until he is called for active duty. 1957 — The Boston Red Sox hit four home runs in the sixth inning of an 11-0 win over Cleveland. Gene Mauch, Ted Williams, Dick Gernert and Frank Malzone connected. All the homers came on the first 16 pitches from Cal McLish. 1958 — Ted Williams hits his 16th career grand slam to provide the Red Sox with the margin in an 8-5 win over the A's. Ted's 4th-inning blast, off Jack Urban, ties him with Babe Ruth for second place on the career slam list. 1959 — Baltimore's Hoyt Wilhelm pitched a one-hitter against the New York Yankees for a 5-0 win. Jerry Lumpe's single in the eighth spoiled the no-hit bid. 1963 — Mickey Mantle hit a pitch from Kansas City's Bill Fischer off the right-field facade at Yankee Stadium in an 8-7 victory over the A's. 1968 — Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit three home runs, a double and a single in a 13-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Stargell's double just missed going out, as it bounced off the railing of the left-field bleachers. 1976 — St. Louis' Reggie Smith hit three home runs — two right-handed and one left-handed — and drove in five runs in a 7-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Smith's third homer came with two out in the ninth and broke a 6-6 tie. 1977 — Boston and Milwaukee hit a combined 11 home runs in a 14-10 Red Sox victory at Fenway Park, tying a major league record. The Red Sox connected for six and the Brewers hit five in the first game of a doubleheader. 1983 — Cliff Johnson of the Toronto Blue Jays hit his 18th career pinch homer. The homer, off Baltimore's Tippy Martinez, tied Johnson with Jerry Lynch on the career pinch home run list. 1990 — Andre Dawson sets a major-league record when he is intentionally walked five times during a 16-inning, 2-1 Cubs win over the Reds. 1998 — The Mets acquire catcher Mike Piazza from the Marlins in exchange for OF Preston Wilson, P Ed Yarnall and a player to be named. Piazza has barely spent a week with Florida, following a trade from the Dodgers. 1998 — Brian Cox went 6-for-6, including a grand slam in a 10-run third inning, as Florida State rolled past Delaware 27-6 in the NCAA Atlantic II Regional. Freshman Matt Diaz hit three home runs for the Seminoles. 2000 — Milwaukee beat Houston in the first game of a doubleheader, 10-9, coming back from a 9-2 deficit to tie the score with seven runs in the bottom half of the ninth inning. The Brewers won the game in the 10th on a home run by Jose Hernandez. 2001 — The Twins score 8 runs in the 3rd inning to give Brad Radke an 8-0 lead, then hold on to edge the Mariners, 12-11. The M's will use the momentum to win their next 15 and set a franchise record. 2008 — Ken Griffey Jr. hits his 200th home run as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. He becomes the fourth player in major league history to hit 300 for one team and 200 with another. Preceding him are Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and Jimmie Foxx. 2008 — Boston's J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell hit grand slams to help Daisuke Matsuzaka remain unbeaten as the Red Sox posted an 11-8 win over the Kansas City Royals. 2009 — Michael Cuddyer hit for the cycle and matched his career high with five RBIs as Minnesota defeated Milwaukee 11-3. Cuddyer hit a three-run homer in the first inning, doubled in the third and singled in the fourth before completing the cycle by tripling on a broken-bat liner into the left-field corner in the sixth. 2012 — C.J. Wilson and Ernesto Frieri combined on a one-hitter to give the Angels a 4-0 win over Oakland. Cliff Pennington had the only hit — a one-out single in the fifth — for Oakland. Compiled by the Associated Press That concludes today's newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email me at To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Los Angeles Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Times of Troy: A position-by-position look at the USC football team
Hi, everyone! I'm Ryan Kartje, your USC beat writer at The Times, here with one last dispatch from the Times of Troy newsletter before our summer break. The transfer portal is officially closed. Spring football at USC is officially behind us. The college sports calendar is finally slowing to a crawl. Which means it's the end of the line for this debut season of the Times of Troy. Writing this newsletter has been one of the more enjoyable parts of the job over the last seven months, and I want to thank you sincerely for reading and subscribing to The Times of Troy this season. It's been a difficult year for me personally, navigating being a new dad while dealing with my own dad's passing. So many of you responded with kind words and compassion. It genuinely blew me away. I hope you've enjoyed this first foray into a USC newsletter from The Times. But as we set our sights on Year 2, I want to hear from you, if you have thoughts or suggestions on where to take this space when we return. Feel free to send them my way at Or if you just want to rant about USC not holding a spring game, well … I'm here for that too. Though, as our summer break awaits, the vibes at USC are as good as I can remember in recent memory. The 2026 recruiting class sits atop the national rankings, and momentum is still rising. The Kool-Aid, courtesy of Chad Bowden, runneth over. Of course all that could look different the next time you read the Times of Troy. But for now, before we go, let's dive in deep one last time and take full stock, position by position, of where USC football stands heading into summer. Quarterback Projected starter: Jayden Maiava Reserves: Sam Huard, Husan Longstreet Lincoln Riley didn't mince words when he said Maiava was 'clearly' the No. 1 quarterback. There's no reason to doubt that will be the case in the fall. The bigger question is who will be the backup? My belief is Huard's experience puts him ahead of the five-star freshman at the start of the season. Running back Projected starter(s): Waymond Jordan (1a); Eli Sanders (1b) Reserves: Bryan Jackson; Riley Wormley; King Miller; Harry Dalton III How carries will be divided between them is anyone's guess at this point, but expect Jordan, the junior college transfer, and Sanders, the big-play transfer from New Mexico, to have major roles in USC's backfield. Jackson is the wild card here, given the power that he brings to the role. It's a good problem to have. Riley said earlier in spring that this could be the best backfield of his tenure at USC. Wide receiver Projected starters: Ja'Kobi Lane; Makai Lemon; Prince Strachan Reserves: Xavier Jordan; Jay Fair; Corey Simms; Jaden Richardson; Tanook Hines; Romero Ison At the top, this is potentially one of the best receiver rooms in the country. Beyond that, there's not much in the way of proven depth. Lane and Lemon will be relied upon as much as any wideouts in college football, but don't sleep on Strachan, who, at 6-foot-5, gives USC size on the perimeter. This could be a spot to watch in the portal this spring. But Jordan, a former four-star recruit, is the one to watch in fall camp to see if he can carve out a role as the No. 4 receiver. Tight end Projected starter: Lake McRee Reserves: Walker Lyons; Walter Matthews; Joey Olsen This is a deep well of talent, to the point that I'm surprised all four are staying put. McRee begins the year as the clear No. 1, but Lyons looks poised to have a bigger role than other No. 2 tight ends have at USC in recent years. He's the future at the position. Matthews looked massive this spring and seems to have made progress as a receiver too. Offensive line Projected starters: Elijah Paige (LT); DJ Wingfield (LG); J'Onre Reed (C); Alani Noa (RG); Tobias Raymond (RT) Reserve tackles: Justin Tauanuu; Alex Payne; Aaron Dunn; Elijah Valkona; Hayden Treter Reserve interior: Kilian O'Connor; Micah Banuelos; Kaylon Miller; Willi Wascher The biggest question mark on this roster, in my opinion, is the offensive line. But the five starters don't really seem in doubt. Tauanuu could definitely challenge Raymond for the right tackle spot in the fall. Otherwise, the shuffling is mostly in the lower rungs of the depth chart, where very little is certain. The interior is dangerously thin on experience. I'd expect an injury up front would prompt Raymond to shift to wherever he's needed, with Tauanuu slotting in at right tackle in his stead. The progress of Payne and Dunn will be critical over the course of this season. Defensive line Projected starters: Anthony Lucas (DE); Keeshawn Silver (NT); Jamaal Jarrett (DT); Kameryn Fountain (DE) Reserves: Devan Thompkins (DT); Braylan Shelby (DE) Jahkeem Stewart (DT/DE); Jide Abasiri (DT); Kobe Pepe (NT); Elijah Newby (DE); Floyd Boucard (DT); Cash Jacobsen (DT); Carlon Jones (NT) Suddenly, the defensive line feels like one of the strengths of this roster. Silver is sure to start at nose tackle, but the interior is so deep now that we don't have much idea where things stand after that. Thompkins could very well start over Jarrett at defensive tackle, while Abasiri and Stewart, the freshman phenom, will each get snaps. On the edge, Fountain is primed for a breakout season, while Lucas was still recovering from an injury through spring. Shelby will have plenty of chances too. There's a ton of talent to go around in this room. Linebacker Projected starters: Eric Gentry (MLB); Desman Stephens (WLB) Reserves: Anthony Beavers; Jadyn Walker; Ta'Mere Robinson; Matai Tagoa'i; Garrison Madden; AJ Tuitele Gentry has All-Big Ten potential, and Stephens is a rising star, but beyond those two starters, USC's linebacker room is as unproven as any position on the team. Adding Robinson in the portal helps, but he was a rotational option at Penn State last season. Riley guaranteed that Walker will play a role, but we have little idea what to expect from him at that spot. Expect the top two guys to be on the field a lot, while Beavers offers versatility as a former safety. Cornerback Projected starters: DJ Harvey; DeCarlos Nicholson Reserves: Marcelles Williams; Prophet Brown; Braylon Conley; Alex Graham; James Johnson; Trestin Castro; Isaiah Rubin Riley said recently that cornerback remains the closest position battle on the roster, so there's plenty of competition still to come. Harvey's starting role feels assured, but the No. 2 spot is still up in the air. I give the nod to Nicholson, who has the length and speed to be an NFL-caliber corner. But Williams could very well be the starter in September. There's no nickel listed here because I expect USC to use a lot of three-safety looks, with Kamari Ramsey playing in the slot. But Brown, Graham and Johnson, who turned a lot of heads in spring, are all intriguing options for that spot too. Safety Projected starters: Kamari Ramsey; Bishop Fitzgerald; Christian Pierce Reserves: Kennedy Urlacher; Marquis Gallegos; Steve Miller The top three seem assured of their spots at the moment. Ramsey could be the top safety in college football this season. Fitzgerald has stepped in seamlessly next to him. Pierce has been on an upward trajectory for a while and appears poised to step into a significant role this season. We don't know how Urlacher will fit into that equation, but considering he transferred from Notre Dame, I expect he'll have a role. Specialists Kicker: Caden Chittenden Punter: Sam Johnson Long snapper: Hank Pepper Filling the shoes of 'Punt God' Eddie Czaplicki is no easy task. But in Chittenden, USC may have found an answer at the placekicker position. He was the highest-scoring kicker in the country last season as a freshman at Nevada Las Vegas. —USC didn't have a first- or second-round pick in the NFL draft for just the second time since 2002. Jaylin Smith was the first Trojan off the board at pick No. 97, which is the longest USC has had to wait for a selection since before Pete Carroll was coach. USC had three players drafted, as Woody Marks joined Smith in Houston at No. 116 in the fourth round and Jonah Monheim was taken in the seventh round by Jacksonville. But next year, USC should have several players near the top of draft boards. Ja'Kobi Lane has all the tools to be a first-round NFL receiver. Kamari Ramsey should be among the top-rated safeties. And if Eric Gentry can stay healthy and build on his fast start last season, he could very well be a first-round pick. Makai Lemon and Keeshawn Silver could also have scouts watching them closely this fall. —Lindsay Gottlieb found a big in the transfer portal. So for those of you still holding your breath, it's OK to exhale now. I promise. Washington State transfer Dayana Mendes committed to USC on Thursday, giving Gottlieb her third portal addition of the offseason. Mendes isn't exactly Serah Williams, who remains the top uncommitted big in the portal, but Mendes was a West Coast Conference all-freshman selection after 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. USC can use all the help it can get at forward. —USC baseball, winners of six straight, should reach the 30-win mark this week. That's the third year in a row and a testament to how Andy Stankiewicz has rebuilt the program. USC hadn't strung together three 30-win seasons since 2000 to 2002. But in spite of not playing at their own home stadium, these Trojans are in position to make some noise in the postseason. They're currently among the last teams in the NCAA tournament field, per D1Baseball's projections. A huge series with UCLA awaits next weekend. —Sending positive vibes to the Arenas family after five-star USC signee Alijah Arenas was involved in a serious car accident last week. Arenas' life was saved by people who were miraculously on the scene and pulled him from his burning Tesla Cybertruck. There are still many details left to be filled in with this story. But what we do know, via the Arenas family, is that good Samaritans saved a young man's life. Alijah Arenas out of coma, shows 'significant signs of progress' after Cybertruck crash USC's Saint Thomas and others left in limbo by uncertainty over NCAA eligibility rules USC lands highly coveted Rodney Rice but loses Desmond Claude to transfer portal I struggle to find the words to adequately explain 'The Rehearsal' on Max and why I find it so brilliant, but believe me when I tell you that it is like nothing you've ever seen before. Season 1 of the show, which aired in 2022, saw comedian Nathan Fielder create elaborate sets and stage extremely detailed recreations meant to help ordinary people practice real-life situations before we watch them confront their fears. In Season 2, Fielder turns his attention to — and bear with me here — pilot error in fatal airline crashes. The tone of 'The Rehearsal' is, well … not for everyone. But if you're looking for some slightly uncomfortable humor in your life — I know I always am — Fielder and this show are for you.
Los Angeles Times
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Times of Troy: Here is what USC needs to do to upset UConn, reach the Final Four
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to another week of the Times of Troy newsletter. I'm Ryan Kartje, your USC beat writer at The Times, coming to you from sunny Spokane, Wash., where USC will face Connecticut Monday night with a chance to earn its first Final Four bid in almost 40 years. Of course, the basketball world is pretty convinced that won't happen. Not without JuJu Watkins at least. The Trojans opened as 13-point underdogs to UConn, a number that would've seemed unthinkable just nine days ago. But that was before Watkins suffered a season-ending ACL tear and before UConn star Paige Bueckers went absolutely berserk, scoring 40 in the Sweet 16. Connecticut probably would have been favored with Watkins. Now you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who gives USC a puncher's chance. Even though, just four months earlier, they beat the Huskies on their home court. But for a moment, let's entertain the idea that the Trojans aren't just forfeiting this Elite Eight matchup before it begins. This is March, after all. Anything can happen. So what exactly would need to happen for USC to defy the odds and move onto the Final Four? A year ago, when he first took the reins of USC's men's basketball team, Eric Musselman had an entire roster to rebuild. The job is much more manageable this time around. So where will USC train its focus this portal season? It starts down low, where the Trojans are in dire need of big men. Only Rashaun Agee is slated to return, and that's assuming the NCAA grants his waiver for an extra year. USC has already been in hot pursuit of Florida State sophomore Taylor Bol Bowen, who visited campus last week, while Indiana forward Malik Reneau, another visitor, is a prime possibility to fit in as a four. Expect Musselman to add multiple players in that mold, especially if they offer any sort of rim protection. The rest of USC's portal plan hinges, in part, on what happens in the coming weeks. Desmond Claude could still test the draft waters, but considering where his stock currently stands, I'd expect him to return for another season. Kevin Patton and Isaiah Elohim have already entered their names in the portal, while the only other player whose future seems at all uncertain is Jalen Shelley. USC would certainly prefer to keep him in the fold. A new point guard will be needed no matter what, with exactly zero options right now behind Claude. But USC is already bringing in three freshman guards, including five-star Alijah Arenas. With Claude, Yates and Arenas, there's not a lot of room left for a ball-dominant scorer in the backcourt. The frontcourt is another story. Don't be surprised if every player 6-foot-8 or taller in the transfer portal gets a good long look. —Kamari Ramsey's decision to stay at USC 'wasn't really that hard.' Even still, the Trojans safety surprised me when he chose to forego the draft, where I expect he could have been a Day 2 pick. But Ramsey called it 'a business decision.' The prospect of revenue sharing, plus what I'm sure was a strong NIL package, probably helped ease any concern about forgoing an NFL paycheck. However it happened, his return is a major lift to a secondary that was pretty much starting from scratch otherwise. —Lincoln Riley was asked why USC canceled its spring game. And his answer was in close alignment with what we wrote in this space a month ago. No team wants to actually show anything schematically that they're going to use during the season. So it's just not worth the time spent on preparing for the spring game, just to put on a totally unremarkable exhibition. 'We felt like we could just continue to progress and not have to maybe worry about that,' Riley said. Makes sense to me. —Ethan Hedges continues to rake as a two-way star for USC baseball. Hedges hit his ninth and tenth home runs of the season on Saturday against Indiana, continuing his scorching start to the season. His homer in the eighth inning energized a wild, 10-run comeback, as USC won 13-12. The comeback was USC's biggest since 2003. Hedges is still batting over .400 while also serving as USC's closer this season, allowing six hits over nine innings. The Trojans are off to a 16-11 start and need just 10 more wins to best their top record of the past decade. It looks like they'll reach that mark with ease. Duke over Houston Florida over Auburn Duke over Florida USC's defense against UConn star Paige Bueckers begins with Kennedy Smith Freshman duo of Kennedy Smith and Avery Howell lift USC into Elite Eight rematch with UConn USC women prevail over Kansas State to return to Elite Eight of NCAA tournament What will USC look like without JuJu? Trojans are ready to find out What can JuJu Watkins expect after ACL tear? Paige Bueckers and others offer insight Rob Ryan's enthusiasm is winning over the USC defense Jayden Maiava shows improvement as he fights to retain USC starting quarterback job Plaschke: JuJu Watkins' knee injury cuts deep into the USC star and Trojans' title hopes JuJu Watkins' season-ending injury casts shadow over USC advancing to Sweet 16 No show in recent memory has made me laugh out loud like 'Righteous Gemstones.' The HBO comedy follows a not-so righteous family of evangelicals behind a mega church. The three siblings — played by Danny McBride, Adam Devine and Edi Patterson — are hilarious and perfect, and Walton Goggins as their uncle Baby Billy is one of my favorite supporting performances I can remember. The show is in its last season, but trust me, the four seasons fly by.
Los Angeles Times
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
LA Times Today: USC and UCLA women's basketball teams reach Sweet 16
USC's sophomore sensation suffered a torn ACL earlier this week in a win over Mississippi State. The Trojans will be back in action on Saturday as they face Kansas UCLA continues to roll through the tourney. The bruins will face Ole Miss Friday. For a preview, Kelvin Washington joined USC writer Ryan Kartje and UCLA writer Thuc Nhi Nguyen.
Los Angeles Times
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Times of Troy: USC women sure they can rebound from Big Ten tournament heartbreak
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter. I'm Ryan Kartje, your USC beat writer, here to wish a hearty and happy March Madness to all of those who celebrate. The most magical week of the college sports calendar is officially upon us, and for the USC women, whose tournament journey begins Saturday against UNC Greensboro, it's shaping up to be an especially memorable March. The Trojans are coming off a rare loss in the Big Ten tournament final to UCLA, just their third of the season. But after both of the team's previous two losses, USC surged back looking better than before. It won 15 in a row after falling to Notre Dame. After that streak was broken on the road at Iowa, USC won nine in a row, with five victories against ranked teams. 'And now,' USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb says, 'I think we're in a whole different place than we were after Iowa. There's confidence now in who we are and what we're capable of and who we've become.' Gottlieb graciously took my call on Friday, before the Trojans knew their first-round opponent, to talk about bouncing back from their most recent loss and where her team stands leading into the tournament. Our conversation was edited for length and clarity. How did the way the team bounced this time after the UCLA loss differ from how they responded after your previous two losses? Gottlieb: I really do think this time that we're at our strongest place. I don't know that there was as much soul-searching [this time]. It was more, 'Feel the crappy feelings that come with not winning.' Because any time you have a chance to win a championship and see the confetti fall and get a trophy, well, you want to do it. But the feeling is now we know exactly who we are, exactly what we are at our best, how to fight through adversity. This is it. This is what we've geared up for. We've earned a No. 1 seed. We should have an edge because we lost our last game, but we should have a confidence because we also know what we're capable of. I think that's where this game feels different from Iowa, which feels progressively different from Notre Dame. JuJu [Watkins] was a freshman in the last tournament, experiencing it for the first time. How do you see her mindset differ this March? Or what gives you confidence that she's able to build on that experience? Gottlieb: I thought she performed pretty great last year. Obviously we got to an Elite Eight and were right there. Last year, though, in a very sort of authentic way, she didn't know what was coming. She didn't know all the things about seedings and the bracket and how we get two home games. She was just kind of joyfully a little naive. She hadn't been through it before, and obviously she's a competitor and understands it's a national tournament, and let's go. But this year, like with everything, she's really grown in her leadership. Her voice is stronger. As the stakes have gotten higher this year, she's locked in and really galvanized people around her, and I don't expect that to change with respect to the NCAA tournament. You're relying this season on a lot of younger players without tournament experience. What have you seen from Avery [Howell], Kayleigh [Heckel] and Kennedy [Smith] that tells you they're ready for that spotlight? Gottlieb: If you look at us from afar, people would say, well, we've got star power. We've got scorers. We've got All-American types. But we also have depth and defense and all those different pieces, and we've really had to earn that. Our youth has played their way into being really significant factors on a team that's vying for a national championship. That's atypical. I think Kennedy Smith plays more minutes than any freshman on a top-10 team. I think she's right there neck and neck with [Connecticut's] Sarah Strong. She's never been a typical freshman, but you want her to lean into the experiences she's had. Avery has always been a natural leader and a tough kid, and Kayleigh, and you've seen Malia really grow as a sophomore, just really understanding her role. That's what you're really looking for this time of year — everyone really buying into what their role is and what we're asking them to do for their team. But then the team as a whole being stronger because of all those varying parts — that mindset that everyone matters, that every team kind of has their own stuff. Whatever your stuff is, the No. 1 thing now is to be all-in on what the mission is and believe in what we have. I do believe what we have is enough when we're all locked in and playing well. You've talked a lot this season about how coaching this team was much different than last year. Does the same sentiment apply to preparing this team for this tournament? Is it different as a coach? Gottlieb: Last year the key was we had this kind of underdog story kind of going the whole time. Like, don't pick us. You didn't pick us before. To me, when we'd won the Pac-12 tournament and we were a No. 1 seed, the question was how do we keep that underdog edge and still play with that joy. This year, this team has been the opposite. It's been like, 'Hey, bring on the expectations.' We've never shied away from them. But then we really had to earn what we've become. Now going into the tournament, we have new goals. We have new things we want to obtain. What we've done in the regular season doesn't add any points on the board, but it should give us the confidence to know that we're capable of it. — USC is on a tear on the recruiting trail. Is this the Chad Bowden effect? It's certainly hard to deny the surge of recruiting success USC has seen since hiring its new general manager. Turns out the fans aren't the only ones on a high at the moment. Six 2026 prospects have committed to USC during the past month, with four of them four-star recruits. The Trojans now have four commits among the state's top 18 players, and it's not difficult to imagine them signing three or four more, if all goes well. That's a significant shift from previous classes under Lincoln Riley, and it's fair, I think, to attribute that to Bowden who has made it clear that his focus for this class is in Southern California. The looming question is whether he can keep these commits for another six months. USC had similar recruiting momentum last spring, only to watch it unravel in the fall. —Expect the USC men's team to be safely in the NCAA tournament next season. That progress starts with the arrival of five-star recruit Alijah Arenas, who has the makings — and the pedigree — of a one-and-done lottery pick. But a ton of talent should return, starting with guards Wesley Yates and Desmond Claude. Terrance Williams, who sat out most of the season with a broken wrist, will be back. Rashaun Agee intends to return, he told me Thursday, assuming the NCAA keeps up with its recent guidance about junior college eligibility. USC will lose a starter in Chibuzo Agbo, and it's unclear what might happen with Saint Thomas. But with only a few spots to fill in the transfer portal this offseason, the Trojans shouldn't have any trouble replenishing depth. It's absolutely critical for USC to pick up a starting big man, as well as a rotational point guard in the portal, but Eric Musselman has known those holes needed to be filled since last summer. I trust USC won't have trouble finding a fit. —The Big Ten's West Coast teams really struggled traveling to the Eastern time zone this basketball season. And that was no different in Indianapolis for the conference tournament. None of the four West Coast teams advanced past the quarterfinals, as UCLA, USC and Oregon finished a combined 2-3. During the season, including the conference tournament, the Big Ten's Western contingent finished 12-21 in the Eastern time zone. Oregon accounted for nearly half of those wins, as the only one of the four to finish with a winning record (5-4). USC and UCLA were each 2-5 on those trips, while the rest of the Big Ten had far less trouble traveling to the West Coast. They finished 14-14 in their first season against USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington. —A tip of the cap to John Feinstein, the fearless Hall of Fame sportswriter who died this week at age 69. Feinstein penned one of the seminal sportswriting texts of our time, 'Season on the Brink,' an all-access look at Bob Knight and 1985-96 Indiana basketball team. It was required reading before I joined the Hoosiers beat straight out of college, and as time has gone on, I've grown to appreciate its fearless portrayal of Knight even more. Knight hated the book, which should give you an idea of how good it was. 5. No. 10 Arkansas over No. 7 Kansas 4. No. 13 Yale over Texas A&M 3. No. 11 VCU over BYU 2. No. 11 Drake over Missouri 1. No. 13 High Point over Purdue Fired up No. 1 seed USC feels disrespected by spot in women's NCAA tournament bracket USC wins its first NCAA men's indoor track and field title in 53 years USC left frustrated in season-ending loss to Purdue: 'We got robbed' USC men win thriller in double overtime to advance in Big Ten tournament How USC's Wesley Yates III discovered a family bond that could lead to stardom The best competition reality show of all time, in my book, is finally back. Bravo's 'Top Chef' returned this past week for its 22nd season, this time in Canada. This show has taught me more about cooking and food than anyone or anything, and there is no better reality TV judge than Tom Colicchio. Top Chef never fails to deliver, and I know this season will once again.
