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Los Angeles Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Times of Troy: Lincoln Riley shouldn't take all the blame if the USC-Notre Dame rivalry ends
Surprise! The Times of Troy is back by popular demand in your inbox, here to help ease you back into your week after what we hope was a relaxing holiday weekend. I was honored and humbled to hear your thoughts — most of them very kind — about the newsletter's debut season. So much so that we've decided to bring it back before our scheduled return in July. We've got some new ideas in the works for Season 2. But between now and July, when we turn our full attention to previewing the upcoming Trojans football season, we'll land in your inbox periodically as the moment calls for it. Now feels like one of those moments. One of college football's most storied rivalries is at a crossroads. A century after it was played for the first time, the historic series between USC and Notre Dame is at serious risk of ending. A lot of fans, former players and college football purists are upset about it. Most of them are pointing fingers at USC — and at Lincoln Riley especially. I think there's a little more to the situation than that. But the reason USC's coach finds himself at the center of that frustration stems from comments he first made last summer during Big Ten media day, comments that explain quite transparently where USC stands right now, almost a year later. USC and Mississippi had just canceled a home-and-home series, and rumors were swirling that Riley had pushed administrators to pull out of last September's matchup with Louisiana State too. When he was asked what led to those changes, Riley didn't hide his feelings about how scheduling should be handled. Why would any power conference school schedule marquee nonconference games in the future, he wondered aloud, unless there were 'more guaranteed [College Football Playoff] spots in some of these conferences.' Otherwise, he predicted, those games would happen 'less and less.' 'Our schedules are already going to be so good,' Riley said. 'At some point, you're like, alright, is the juice worth the squeeze in terms of playing these games?' Before we address how that logic applies to Notre Dame — and before you start screaming 'COWARD!' at your phone/computer screen — let's acknowledge the fact that Riley has a point. (Ducks.) He is paid — more than all but a few coaches in the sport — to get USC to the College Football Playoff. Period. And as the playoff is currently constructed, there is no real incentive, on paper, for a coach such as Riley to want an extra marquee nonconference game on the schedule. Remove 95 years of context with the Irish and, to his point, the juice probably isn't worth the squeeze. This issue runs far deeper than just Notre Dame and USC, but let's address the golden-domed elephant in the room, since Notre Dame's athletic director has the college football world worked into a lather. This is what Riley said about the rivalry last summer: 'If you get in a position where you've got to make a decision on what's best for SC to help us win a national championship versus keeping that, shoot, then you gotta look at it. I mean, listen, we're not the first example of that. Look all across the country — there's been a lot of other teams [that] sacrifice rivalry games. I'm not saying that's what's going to happen, but you know, as we get into this playoff structure, and if it changes or not, we're in this new conference, we're going to learn something about this as we go.' And boy did USC learn something on the road in its Big Ten debut. The Trojans unraveled on all four of their conference road trips. They realized how hard it would be to mix in an October trip to South Bend during that annual gantlet. No other Big Ten teams have that challenge on the Trojans' particular timeline. Not to mention there's a possible Southeastern Conference-Big Ten crossover matchup to consider in the future. Automatic qualifiers to the College Football Playoff are the quickest way to solve this problem, as far as USC is concerned. It would give teams such as USC comfort that a loss to a nonconference opponent in September wouldn't keep them out of the playoff. However, it would also mean rendering games such as USC-Notre Dame mostly meaningless as far as playoff resumes go. USC is choosing to take the cold, calculated route when it comes to this quandary. And I understand why. Why should the Trojans be expected to carry the water for the soul of college football at the cost of their own playoff odds, while the rest of the sport's leaders, USC's own included, have made clear just how much tradition actually means to them? Don't get me wrong. USC isn't being brave with its stance. It's openly acknowledging that it is choosing the route of least resistance, no matter how its fans may feel about it. That's not exactly valiant. And by calling them out for holding up negotiations, Notre Dame's athletic director has already won the PR battle. If the rivalry ends after this season, the narrative will forever be that USC killed it with cowardice. I do think that narrative would ignore some key points. Notably that USC hasn't said it wants to end the game. Only that it doesn't want a long-term contract before it understands the parameters of the playoff. Nor was Notre Dame interested at all in having a conversation about any concessions to USC's situation, such as an early season date for the game, to help get a deal over the finish line. If these negotiations were simply about maintaining the rivalry, Notre Dame would have agreed to play next season already. This isn't a one-sided stalemate. I know that USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen would prefer to continue the rivalry with Notre Dame. I know she understands how much equity she could lose if it doesn't continue. I also have no doubt that she will take the heat, if necessary, for its demise, if it means putting USC on a better path to the College Football Playoff. Is that hope of a playoff worth losing a storied rivalry? I'd understand if you said no. But USC leaders have made abundantly clear how they feel about that question. Let's hope they never have to answer it. Let's hear from you. Could a smoother path to the College Football Playoff be worth losing the Notre Dame-USC rivalry? Vote here and let us know. Results announced in the next Times of Troy. —USC basketball still has two roster spots available for the 2025-26 season. One is currently being held for Saint Thomas. But it's not clear how much longer Eric Musselman and his staff are willing to wait on Thomas' appeal to the NCAA. The sentiment within the program was that Thomas had a compelling case for a mental health waiver, but the gears of justice grind slowly with the NCAA, and Thomas is running out of time. Summer practice kicks off on June 9. If he isn't granted an extra year, expect USC to fill that spot with a low-major, all-conference-type point guard who could initiate the offense when called upon. —Six-foot-10 sophomore forward Jacob Cofie is one to watch this summer. USC's staff is very bullish on the young big man. One person with close knowledge of the program told The Times that they expect Cofie to be on draft boards by the start of Big Ten season. Along with Utah transfer Ezra Ausar — who stands 6-8, 242 pounds — Cofie should give USC much more of a physical presence in the paint, something it sorely lacked last season. —Leaders from the Power Four conferences are floating a binding document that would force schools to fall in line with the new NIL enforcement entity … or else. It won't work. I, for one, would love to see the Big Ten try to kick USC or Michigan or Ohio State out of the conference for not bending the knee to the new College Sports Commission. But more critically here, there's no way that such an agreement would pass legal muster. College sports can't supersede state law, no matter what some galaxy-brained commissioners might think. —The College Football Playoff field will no longer give the four highest-rated conference champions an automatic first-round bye. That change to 'straight seeding' was unanimously approved last week by CFP leaders, after the initial format last season was received poorly pretty much everywhere outside of Tempe, Ariz. In the new format, the committee's top-four rated teams will be ranked one through four and get that coveted bye, no matter if they won their conference or not. That might sound like a tedious change. But this is better for everybody. —Former USC point guard Kayleigh Heckel finally has a transfer destination. Heckel is joining Connecticut months after losing to the Huskies in the Elite Eight in her last game at USC. No one would've anticipated that turn in the immediate aftermath of that loss in Spokane. But hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I guess. Rancho Cucamonga cornerback RJ Sermons to join USC a year early College Football Playoff shifts to straight seeding for upcoming season USC baseball program looks to continue breakthrough season USC pushes for one-year renewal of Notre Dame series until CFP bids are clarified Lincoln Riley made more than twice what USC's president did in 2023 When I was a kid, still just dreaming up the possibility of writing about sports, I would flip on ESPN every afternoon after school to try and catch Bill Plaschke or Woody Paige or Jackie MacMullan on 'Around the Horn.' It was the show that taught me, in my ways, how to talk about sports. That feels more and more like a lost art these days. And maybe that's why ESPN unfortunately saw it fit to end 'Around the Horn's' run after nearly 5,000 shows. But I will always hold the show near and dear and forever respect its host, Tony Reali, for reminding the world all these years that sports talk can still have a soul. That concludes today's newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email me at and follow me on Twitter at @Ryan_Kartje. 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
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Times of Troy: USC women's basketball team deals with transfer portal losses
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter. I'm Ryan Kartje, your USC beat writer with The Times, here to assure you that I will not be entering the transfer portal. Though, the Times of Troy will be taking a summer break starting in May. Which means next Monday will be our last newsletter for a while. But never fear! We'll be back every Monday starting in late July, to get you ready for football season. Hey, maybe by then college sports will have figured out its portal problem! Or maybe pigs will have learned to fly! I'm not sure which is more likely at this point. Fortunately, the portal is closing for basketball (April 22) and football (April 28) within the next week. And for coaches across the country, all of whom agree this model is unsustainable, that day can't come soon enough. But today, I want to focus on one particular coach's experience in the portal. Because after largely avoiding its chaos the last three years, the last 30 days have been a perfect storm in the portal for Lindsay Gottlieb and USC's women's basketball program. It was just three weeks ago that we got a glimpse of how the Women of Troy might weather a world without JuJu Watkins next season. That night, in Spokane, Wash., hope had seemingly arrived in the form of three Trojan freshmen — Kennedy Smith, Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel — each of whom rose to the occasion on the biggest stage of their basketball lives, announcing themselves in a Sweet 16 win as fixtures in the future of USC women's hoops. 'What can I say about our freshman class?' Gottlieb said, beaming at Howell and Smith from the postgame podium. 'They're winners above everything else.' But the future, as we envisioned that night, lasted less than a week. Howell was in the transfer portal just three days after USC lost to Connecticut in the Elite Eight. Heckel followed the next day. Neither Howell nor Heckel, as I understand it, left for monetary reasons. Rather, both chose to leave USC for a new role and new opportunity somewhere they felt they better fit, somewhere they might one day take on a true leading role. That wasn't going to happen at USC. Not with a ball-dominant superstar at the center of plans through 2027. And another young star, Jazzy Davidson, inbound this summer. The irony is that both would have played major roles as sophomores, with Watkins sure to miss at least most of the regular season recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. But once she returns, hopefully in time for the tournament, both would have presumably slipped back into supporting roles. That wasn't enough for Howell, who transferred to Washington, or Heckel, who still hasn't settled on her new home. (Never mind the fact that USC's No. 2 weapon behind Watkins this season, Kiki Iriafen, was just drafted No. 4 overall.) Gottlieb did what she could to get both involved as freshmen, weathering their growing pains along the way. Her staff spent valuable time developing them. But there were never quite enough minutes to go around, and they both still left anyway. Now another school will reap the benefits. It leaves coaches such as Gottlieb with a frustrating dilemma: Why spend time investing in freshmen who aren't necessarily top prospects when you could just find plug-and-play veterans in the portal? The sad reality, in college basketball's current state, is that a program simply can't have too many players who want to play, but it also can't have too few so as to struggle when losing a player or two to injury. This isn't just a USC problem. At Notre Dame, four players have entered the portal. At UCLA, every freshman from last year's class has entered the portal. No one at USC is feeling sorry for themselves, even if the timing of it all proved particularly maddening. Playing with Watkins had been an obvious selling point to bigs in the portal such as Wisconsin's Serah Williams, arguably the top forward available, and Arizona's Breya Cunningham, who has since committed to Texas. Her injury, which happened the same day the portal opened, threw a wrench in those plans. Similarly, had Heckel or Howell indicated they were leaving earlier, maybe USC could've been contenders for top transfer guard Olivia Miles, who left Notre Dame for Texas Christian. But that's simply not how it worked. These are, of course, champagne problems. Gottlieb has built a program capable of withstanding two freshmen leaving in the transfer portal. Smith will be more of a factor on offense. Davidson, the No. 1 recruit in the country, according to ESPN, will make an immediate impact on both ends. Together, USC feels like it has two of the best wings in the nation in that pair. The addition of Kara Dunn, an All-Atlantic Coast Conference guard from Georgia Tech, will give the Trojans a veteran presence in the backcourt, while another veteran guard should be on the way soon. Not to mention the fact that USC retained rising junior Malia Samuels, who proved valuable in her role last season. USC will look different next season. It may not win 30 games again. But after what we've seen these past two years, through back-to-back Elite Eight trips, there's no reason to believe that what Gottlieb has built can't withstand some portal-related strife. This is just how it goes in this new era, where future plans are meant to be broken and coaches are left to pick up the pieces and, somehow, put them back together again. —USC's offensive line isn't set in stone. But it seems pretty close at this point. Elijah Paige, at left tackle, and Alani Noa, at right guard, were always locks to remain in their starting spots. J'Onre Reed, a veteran center, came to USC with the intention of stepping in as a starter. The only two question marks came at left guard and right tackle. But at left guard, transfer DJ Wingfield has, according to Lincoln Riley, been even better than anticipated. 'It looks like he's been with us forever,' Riley said of Wingfield. As for right tackle, Riley said earlier this spring that Tobias Raymond had established himself as one of the best lineman on the team. Unless redshirt freshman tackle Justin Tauanuu makes a major leap in the fall or a touted transfer comes in to compete, you can probably count on the current five keeping their jobs. —USC football secured its first transfer of the portal season. And even better: He's leaving Notre Dame for L.A.. Kennedy Urlacher, the son of Chicago Bears' Hall of Fame linebacker Brian, isn't likely to be a game-changing addition, at least not right away, but the Trojans were terribly thin at safety, and Urlacher gives them a young rotational player to develop behind Kamari Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald. USC seems destined to use a lot of three-safety looks this season, and the lion's share of Urlacher's looks as a freshman came in the box. Don't be surprised if he carves out a nice role in that rotation, alongside Christian Pierce, another ascending young safety. —Eric Musselman has added six transfers so far. But are any of them difference-makers? In his second foray into the portal, Musselman has prioritized adding size, as all six of his additions stand 6-foot-6 or taller. Utah's Ezra Ausar is the most proven of the bunch, having played starter minutes for three seasons in Salt Lake City. Virginia's Jacob Cofie, a former top-100 recruit, has a lot of potential as a presence in the paint, and Keonte Jones, Jaden Brownell and Amarion Dickerson were each all-conference players, albeit in the Big West, Southern Conference and Horizon League, respectively. But this transfer class still needs more, particularly at the guard position. That help could come in the form of Maryland combo guard Rodney Rice, who has USC in his top three, or perhaps even Blake Harper, the fast-rising Howard guard who visited last week. Could either put USC over the top? Hard to say for sure. But a backcourt with one of them, plus Desmond Claude and freshman Alijah Arenas wouldn't be too shabby. —The five-year eligibility rule in college athletics could soon be called into question. A litany of legal cases continue to chip away at whether the NCAA can actually enforce it. In a case that seeks to go further than the case involving Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia, a federal judge in New Jersey is considering a preliminary injunction for Rutgers safety Jett Elad, who the NCAA ruled had exhausted his eligibility because of a one-year stint at Garden City Community College. The Pavia ruling didn't waive the rule that eligibility must be completed within a five-year period. That could soon change. USC coach Lincoln Riley is content with his roster as the spring transfer portal opens Lake McRee headlines deepest USC tight ends group of Lincoln Riley's tenure If you ask me, 'Rogue One' is the most underrated movie in the 'Star Wars' catalog. It's a perfect standalone prequel. So it stands to reason that the prequel to the prequel would be great too. 'Andor,' on Disney+, was extraordinary in its first season. (The prison break episode, in particular, is incredible.) But we've been waiting more than two years since for a follow-up. That day finally arrives this week. Whether you're a Star Wars fan or not, trust me, it's worth your time.
Los Angeles Times
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Times of Troy: The questions you should be asking as spring USC football begins
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter. I'm Ryan Kartje, the USC beat writer at The Times, and while March Madness rolls on for the Women of Troy tonight, I wanted to take a brief step away from basketball this week to talk about something far less consequential, and yet still front of mind for many of you … spring football. USC opens its spring football practice Tuesday, determined apparently to test the endurance of those also covering the Trojans' tournament run. The school won't hold a spring game in April, meaning any observations from the media will be limited to only the 15 minutes of stretching and drills at the start of practice. So we aren't likely to get many definitive answers this spring. But here are the questions I'll be asking over the next several weeks, as we get our first few glimpses of USC football in 2025. Lincoln Riley expressed confidence in Jayden Maiava after the sophomore started the final four games — and won three — last season. But he gave plenty of reasons over that stretch to question whether he's the answer long term, and we haven't heard much yet about Maiava's approach this offseason. He'll get the chance to make a statement this spring as the QB1 in camp. But all eyes be on five-star freshman Husan Longstreet, who has been with the team since bowl practices. If Maiava is still just as raw this spring, it's not impossible to think that Longstreet could get a look sometime this season. Don't discount Utah transfer Sam Huard, either. He has the recruiting pedigree, at the very least. Not to mention a family member at offensive coordinator who probably knows how best to take advantage of his talent. He'll battle with Longstreet to be the backup. Woody Marks is off to the NFL, and Quinten Joyner left in the transfer portal, leaving USC with a brand new backfield to break in this spring and no sense yet of a pecking order at the position. The Trojans added the top junior college back on the market in Waymond Jordan, who's coming off a sophomore season in which he led the nation in yards (1,674), yards per game (134.5) and touchdowns (20 in 12 games). He feels like the likely 1A to start the spring, while New Mexico transfer Eli Sanders should step in as a strong 1B after averaging over 7 yards per carry with the Lobos last season. What that means for sophomore Bryan Jackson is still to be seen. Jackson played a lead role in the Vegas Bowl, but may have to settle for third fiddle in the Trojans' offense this season. The early glimpses of Stewart in USC's social content have been enough to work some fans into a lather, and, well … I don't blame them. At 6-6, 290 pounds, Stewart looks nothing like a freshman, let alone a 17-year old who reclassified, skipped a year of school and only played in 12 varsity football games. We have no idea how quickly he'll be able to pick up D'Anton Lynn's defense, but from a physical standpoint, Stewart probably was ready to improve USC's front by age 14. He'll have to work his way up the depth chart first, with Kameryn Fountain, Anthony Lucas and Braylan Shelby all returning with significant experience. But something tells me it won't be long. As for the other freshmen in camp, I'll be curious to see how quickly cornerback Alex Graham stands out among a crowded group of corners. He's earned rave reviews since signing with USC in December. Up front, four-star tackles Aaron Dunn and Alex Payne should also get a shot to prove whether they can push Tobias Raymond at right tackle. No position group has more question marks for USC, which must replace all three of its starting corners, while also filling one starting safety spot. The return of Kamari Ramsey is a major lift at the other safety spot, but that's about where the certainties end. San Jose State transfer DJ Harvey will presumably take one of the three starting corner spots, but the other two are up for grabs between the likes of Braylon Conley, DeCarlos Nicholson, Marcelles Williams and Prophet Brown, as well as freshmen Graham and Trestin Castro. Could USC add another corner in the transfer portal this spring? It's possible. But for now, USC is likely to cycle through all its options, in hopes of finding something that fits. —The USC-Connecticut rematch in the Elite Eight feels inevitable. There's a reason why Lindsay Gottlieb wasn't particularly happy about USC's seeding, and a lot of that has to do with what likely awaits the Trojans in two more rounds. The Huskies are currently the betting favorite to win the whole tournament as a No. 2 seed and are one of the few teams with the necessary firepower to keep up with the Trojans. Assuming USC beats Mississippi State on Monday night, it will first face Kansas State in the Sweet 16 after the Wildcats upended Kentucky in overtime. But all the signs are pointing toward an epic Elite Eight rematch after that. Get your popcorn ready. —Sony is suing USC for copyright infringement for using songs from its label in USC athletics videos on social media. The lawsuit claims USC allowed the use of 170 unlicensed recordings in 283 videos on social media, including hits by Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Usher, Harry Styles and Celine Dion. Among the videos flagged for using unlicensed recordings of Sony's songs was 'Arrival of the Trojan,' the slick hype video that USC football played all over social media and at every home game last season. Sony says it warned USC on numerous occasions about using unlicensed songs. Now it's asking for $42 million — or $150,000 per song. —USC has raised $174 million of its $225-million goal for its Athletic West capital project. That's a lot of moolah and includes two new donations of $5 million (!!) or more. USC was doing so well raising funds for the project that it upped its fundraising goal from $200 million to $225 million. A source told The Times that the budget of the project hasn't changed from the original $200 million, but rather USC is just looking to raise more money. Rayah Marshall at the forefront of USC's smothering, 'Mad Dog' pressure defense USC shakes off slow start and JuJu Watkins injury scare to rout UNC Greensboro With teams focusing on JuJu Watkins, Kennedy Smith is USC's March Madness X factor Folks, we've got an early entrant in the show of the year race. 'Adolescence' begins with a 13-year-old boy accused of murder and walks the viewer through every step of the anguish that comes from his arrest. Each of the four episodes of this Netflix limited series is shot entirely in a single tracking shot, in real-time, which makes for a unique viewing experience. I don't use this word lightly, but this show is a masterpiece. It gets my highest recommendation.
Los Angeles Times
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The Times of Troy: JuJu Watkins was the star of an epic movie, but it was real life
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter. I'm Ryan Kartje, the Times' USC beat writer, and I've been buzzing ever since Thursday's crosstown showdown, one of the best basketball games I've seen since joining the beat. Thinking back, it plays in my mind like an epic sports movie. Slow motion, triumphant score and all. A pouring rain was still falling when I first arrived, but a sea of fans clad in cardinal and gold nonetheless flooded the sidewalks outside of the arena. The parking structure next to Galen Center was already full an hour before game time. The traffic on Figueroa and any surrounding streets slowed to a painstaking crawl. This was an event. Somehow, I managed to find a parking spot on 30th Street, a half-mile away, tucking my tiny Chevy Volt miraculously between two giant trucks, with barely any time left to spare before tip. It was chaos. And so quintessentially L.A. Center stage in the city, for those few hours at least, belonged to women's basketball. And in its brightest spotlight was JuJu Watkins, the Trojans star whose brilliance had never been on such vivid and stunning display. Inside, over 10,000 fans packed the arena to the rafters, humming with anticipation, many of them wearing their own No. 12 jerseys or Watkins regalia. Celebrities mingled courtside, as if this were Staples in its heyday or the Coliseum in the Carroll era. Here was Kevin Hart. Issa Rae. Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Jayden Daniels, the NFL's rookie of the year. Kelsey Plum, the Sparks' new star. Vanessa and Natalia Bryant. 'It was just a few years ago that people said women's basketball in L.A. can't be big, can't be covered, can't be sold out,' coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. Now there were no such doubters, as the jumbotron struggled just to keep up with Galen's special guests, all of whom had braved the rain and the gridlock in hopes of seeing something truly singular, something they'd never seen before. Somehow, Watkins managed not only to meet those expectations Thursday, but transcend them, rising to the moment in a way that usually only makes sense in the movies. This was a true-to-life breakthrough on the biggest of stages, a 38-point, 11-rebound, eight-block, five-assist explosion that would stand alone statistically from any performance in the last two decades of basketball, men or women, college or pro. That it came in the midst of Watkins' worst slump as a Trojan only made it all the sweeter. She came out on fire from the field, ready to cast aside that slump in a matter of minutes. But her most impressive stretch, in my opinion, started in the third quarter, when UCLA had mounted a 10-0 run out of halftime to take a lead. Watkins' shooting had cooled a bit. Her teammates wouldn't make a bucket in the second or third quarters. It was clear right then that Watkins couldn't just shoot USC past UCLA, no matter how much starpower she packed. So USC called a timeout, refocused its efforts on UCLA's Lauren Betts, and Watkins came alive on the defensive end, doubling Betts in the paint with such ferocity that the 6-7 center had no response. Watkins would block Betts five times from then on, giving her eight blocks for the game, a number that couldn't really communicate what her effort on that end meant. As a freshman, it was clear that Watkins relied a lot on her otherworldly talent. But this was another level, one we hadn't yet seen before. This was a superstar talent unlocking a deeper understanding of who she is and the talent she has, then unleashing it right when her team needed it most. 'That's what we needed to win,' Watkins said. 'It's not really a calculated thing. It's just like a feel for the game. I kinda let my mind take over.' Her talent has carried USC this far. But it's those instincts that will make the most difference in March. Have a question for me about USC? I want to hear from you! With football firmly in the offseason and basketball ramping up toward March, I'll be putting together a Times of Troy mailbag in the coming weeks. Send your questions directly to me at or on X @Ryan_Kartje. I'll answer as many as I can in an upcoming newsletter. (The others, I'll answer via email anyway!) —USC's new general manager will report to Lincoln Riley — and to USC's AD Jennifer Cohen. That's a notable departure from how USC, or most other schools, used to handle the role and a sign of the times in college football. It's also a reflection of how Cohen views the GM position at USC — and by extension the front office: separate of Riley and the on-field football staff. Think of it as more akin to an NFL front office, with the GM evaluated both alongside and separate of the head coach. Of course, Cohen wouldn't hire Chad Bowden if he didn't believe in Riley and his vision for USC football. She has a ton of belief in Bowden, too. 'He really blew us away,' she said. —The future of House of Victory, USC's NIL collective, is uncertain with the House settlement on the horizon. I have a hard time believing that an enforcement entity, independent of the NCAA and formed by the power conferences, will be able to police NIL any more successfully than the NCAA did. But the House settlement aims to put an end to collectives and any NIL payments that aren't true NIL deals. The courts will surely have something to say about that. Still, we don't know what this means for House of Victory, USC's primary collective. Could it be folded into the university in some different form? Could it continue to operate independently as a third-party marketing arm, still aiming to connect athletes with brands? Too much is still uncertain in college sports to know for sure. —USC men's basketball is now on the wrong side of the bubble. The Trojans were just barely hanging onto their hopes of an NCAA tournament bid when Minnesota came to town and dealt them a crushing blow. That it came in a game in which they led at one point by 13 only made it worse. Eric Musselman, USC's coach, called the loss 'monumental.' And while it doesn't completely eliminate USC from the Dance, it does make the path to get there especially difficult. The Trojans still have five Q1 games on the schedule, but the margin for error in those games is razor thin. They're also just one game ahead of the cut line for the Big Ten tournament, which only takes the conference's top 15 teams. Something tells me Musselman will look back on this loss and the narrow loss at Northwestern with more than a tinge of regret. —Jaylin Smith, Jonah Monheim and Woody Marks were invited to the NFL scouting combine. And I think all three could see their stocks rise over the course of the coming months. Smith impressed last season with his seamless transition to outside corner and will kill it in interviews. Monheim has experience at every spot on the line and the football IQ to stick around for a decade. And Marks may be the most underrated of the trio — I believe he's capable of stepping as a three-down back in the NFL right away. I'd expect all three to go somewhere in the middle rounds of the draft. USC powerless against late Minnesota surge as its NCAA tourney hopes take a hit Lisa Leslie says Angel Reese is the 2.0 version of her, but 'we're gonna fix that' layup shot Q&A: USC AD Jennifer Cohen confident investments in football will help Lincoln Riley win JuJu Watkins erases slump in sensational fashion as No. 6 USC defeats No. 1 UCLA With JuJu Watkins slumping, other Trojans find their fit ahead of USC-UCLA showdown Illness hits USC men, but Desmond Claude's return helps them defeat Penn State One of TV's best shows returned to Max on Sunday, and if you haven't devoured the first two seasons of 'The White Lotus' already, well … I don't know what to tell you. The luxury hotel anthology series takes place in Thailand this season, with a murderer's row of acting talent at the ready. I personally will watch any piece of content that involves Walton Goggins. The fact that he's now starring in a show that was already outstanding before him gives me sky high hopes for this season.
