Thanks
Jon

THIS WEEK'S BEST BET

Golf: PGA Northern Trust Open, Riviera Country Club, Thursday through Sunday, Golf Channel and Channel 2:

So, who do you trust these days?

Fred Couples (top) has earned our trust. The two-time champ at Riviera (1990, 1992) and three-time runner-up ('93, '94 and '96) led this annual L.A. PGA Tour stop in Pacific Palisades a year ago after three rounds at 8-under, then fired three birdies to start the final round. Then things broke badly. Toward Aaron Baddeley, more specifically.

Couples' double bogey at No. 7 left the door open for Baddeley (left), who, on that same hole made a 20-foot birdie. He finished with a 69 to win the tournament over Vijay Singh.The 52-year-old Couples, trying to be the oldest PGA Tour winner in the last 35 years, dropped into a tie for seventh, willing his way through the course with his recurring back problems. We're not surprised he'll be back for his 30th appearance in this event, tying him with Gene Littler, with a shot at joining Ben Hogan (3), Arnold Palmer (3), Lloyd Mangrum (4) and MacDonald Smith (4) as the only players to win this three or more times.

You've got to trust the abilities of world No. 1-ranked Luke Donald. The 2011 PGA Tour player of the year has three top-10 finishes in his last 10 starts at Riviera, and was runner-up in 2010. He's back in the field.

So is two-time event winner Phil Mickelson. We trust he's cleared a runway or two at Santa Monica Airport to make this thing work again in his favor. Although after his performance this weekend at Pebble Beach, he may be flying without the aid of a private plane.

On the other end of the age spectrum, we've come to trust Patrick Cantlay, the junior at UCLA and top-ranked amateur in the world who got a sponsor's exemption to be here. This will be his Northern Trust Open debut.

Keegan Bradley missed the cut last year at Riviera. Then he went on to win the PGA Championship and was the first rookie to win twice on the PGA Tour since 2004. We trust he'll make it to the final weekend this time.

Surely, we trust Jason Gore (right), another sponsor's exemption after a Twitter campaign got him in. We trust his former Pepperdine teammate, Andy Walker, a 36-year-old who got in by writing a letter about how hard he's been trying to promote diversity in golf, and now he'll get to make his first PGA field.

Tiger Woods? We've got some trust issues with him now. Because he doesn't trust himself here anymore. He decided to pass again on what used to be his backyard event -- but then, he's done that every year now since 2006. Probably because he's failed to win this thing in eight tries as a pro (after getting two exemptions to play when he was 16 and 17 back in the early '90s). "I'm shocked that he doesn't play here, but I guess he doesn't play well here," Couples said during last year's event about Woods. "If I can play well here, any human being in the world can play well here." Trust us, if Tiger keeps turning down Jerry West's invites, they'll eventually stop coming.

MONDAY

NBA: Clippers at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., Prime:

With a chance to win five of six on their Grammy road trip, the Clippers (17-8) have kept their cushion ahead of the rest in the Pacific Division with their best start since 1974. Dallas (17-10) has won three in a row, but lost to the Clippers, 91-89, back on Jan. 18 when Chauncey Billips hit a 3-pointer with one second left. The storyline in Dallas is how Dirk Nowitzki was picked for his 11th straight All-Star game, as the coaches picking the reserves overlooked the fact that last year's NBA Finals MVP is averaging just 17.6 points a game, his worst production since his second season in the league.

TUESDAY

NBA: Lakers vs. Atlanta, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:

Kiss-Cam alert: On Valentine's Day, it's important you're seated next to someone you don't want your better half to see you with somewhere else in the building. Or on TV. Or on YouTube. The Lakers hope that home is where the heart is after a break-even roadie. The Hawks have been making noise behind Joe Johnson (18.4 points a game) and Josh Smith (15.9), plus a bench that includes Tracy McGrady and former Laker Vlad Radmanovic and Jannero Pargo.

WEDNESDAY

College basketball: USC vs. UCLA, L.A. Sports Arena, 7:30 p.m., Prime:

No one on the current Trojans' roster remembers the bad old days of when they played at the musty old Sports Arena - it's just that Trojan boosters thought they'd never have to go back to the place once the Galen Center opened in 2006. When UCLA has the place as its temporary home court, they're 7-4. Back on Jan. 15, the Bruins had no trouble collecting a 66-47 win at Galen Center, having raced out to an 18-point halftime lead. The Bruins' 19-point win marked the program's largest margin of victory at USC's home arena since an 82-52 win in 1974. At the Sports Arena, of course.

NBA: Clippers vs. Washington, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:

Gee, Wiz. Welcome home.

THURSDAY

NBA: Clippers at Portland, 7:30 p.m., TNT:

Gerald Wallace scored 20 points, making a key 3-pointer with two minutes left, in the Blazers' 105-97 win at Portland over the Clippers in on Jan. 10. Compare that to the fact he went scoreless in their previous meeting on New Year's Day. Wallace may be averaging 13.5 a game this season, but he rarely hits that number -- often going off for 23 one night and four the next.

NHL: Kings vs. Phoenix, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:

If it turns out that the Kings aren't adept at catching San Jose for the top spot in the Pacific Division, then it's clear that they'll be fighting it out with the Coyotes (and Stars) for the seventh and/or eight spot in the conference standings. And going into this week, they're about as even as you can get. The Kings have had three days off at home since their six-game Grammy trip ended. Jonathan Quick registered his league-leading sixth shutout last time the Coyotes were in L.A., a 1-0 overtime win on Drew Doughty's goal. But that shouldn't be a surprise. The Kings lead the NHL in one-goal games, and 10 of their last 12 losses have been by a single goal (going into Sunday's game in Dallas).
The Kings' 9-3-4 record against Pacific Division foes is by far the best record any team in the division has against each other.

FRIDAY

NBA: Lakers vs. Phoenix, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW, ESPN:

Steve Nash was named to the Western Conference All-Star team? Over Ricky Rubio?
Well, the 38-year-old, two-time league MVP and now eight-time All-Star is the only one in the league averaging double-digit assists.

College basketball: Loyola Marymount vs. Valpariaso, Gersten Pavilion, 6 p.m., ESPNU:

Here's one of the ESPN BracketBuster games, giving teams on the bubble as the NCAA tournament nears another shot at improving things like their RPI rating. Valpo (18-9), coached by former star player Bryce Drew, is No. 86 and shooting up according to RealTimeRPI.com. The Lions (16-10) are at 107.

SATURDAY

College basketball: UCLA at St. John's, 10 a.m., Channel 2:

What about the rumor floating around that Steve Lavin would leave St. John's at the end of this season, move back to L.A. and apply for the USC job if it opened up? Lavin said the other day he'll be back on the bench -- somewhere -- next season, even if the 47-year-old hasn't been able to guide the Red Storm since November when he had a setback in his prostate cancer recovery. The former UCLA coach was with St. John's when they came to play at Pauley Pavilion against the Bruins a year ago, winning 66-59. Mike Dunlop, the former guard from Loyola Marymount, has guided St. John's to a 10-15 record this season in Lavin's absence.

College basketball: Long Beach State at Creighton, 7 p.m., ESPN2:

Another BracketBuster: The Big West's 49ers (19-6), on a 12-game win streak, haven't faced a Top 25 team since a win over Xavier in late December. The 15th-ranked Bluejays (21-5) lost their last home game to Wichita State by 21 points. RealTimeRPI.com has Long Beach State at No. 34 and moving up, with Creighton at No. 25 but dropping.

NBA: Clippers vs. San Antonio, Staples Center, 12:30 p.m., Prime:

Blake Griffin had 28 points, but Chris Paul was just 3-of-10 shooting in the Clippers' 115-90 loss at San Antonio in their previous meeting on Dec. 28.

NHL: Kings vs. Calgary, Staples Center, 7 p.m., FSW:

Since the Flames got Miikka Kiprusoff in a trade with San Jose in 2003, he's played more games than any other NHL goaltender, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He recently passed Mike Vernon as the franchise leader in games played by a goalie as well. Kiprusoff was in the nets to endure a 4-1 loss to the Kings on Jan. 14, but he beat them five days later, 2-1, in a shootout at Staples Center. That's nothing to spit at.

SUNDAY

NBA: Lakers at Phoenix, 5 p.m., Channel 9:

Two days after their last encounter, they meet again.

Women's college basketball: UCLA at USC, Galen Center, noon, FSW:

Ashley Corral, who passed up Cheryl Miller in career assists for the Trojans, had eight of them (with 10 points and eight rebounds) in a 47-43 win at Westwood in the previous matchup on Jan. 14.

Series: "Eastbound & Down," season three premiere, 10 p.m., HBO:

Baseball's top relief pitcher of 2002 hasn't given up on his comeback 10 years later. Back from Mexico, Kenny Powers is now with the Myrtle Beach Mermen. At least, for the moment. This is supposed to be the final season of the series, so you better freakin' enjoy it for what it's worth. That's eight episodes, with Jason Sudeikis, Will Ferrell and Matthew McConaughey joining the cast. You can prep yourself for this year's episodes by buying a Mermen powder-blue T-shirt (linked here). With Powers' No. 55 on the back, of course. The Mermen also have their own Facebook page (linked here).

Exhibition: Harlem Globetrotters, Staples Center, noon and 5 p.m.:

They're based in Phoenix. They're owned by Burbank-based Shamrock Capital Grown Fund, which is the Roy Disney family fund that is run by Stanley Gold -- one of the groups bidding on ownership of the Dodgers. They've actually got a couple of squads, one of which is on the East Coast right now. And their current 29-person roster includes 7-foot-4, 270-pound rookie center Jermaine "Stretch" Middleton (left), who calls L.A. his home, and 6-foot-5 forward Wun "The Shot" Versher, a Compton native out of Dominguez High who played at Arizona State nine years ago. They're also playing at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday (1 and 7 p.m.) at in Ontario on Monday (2 p.m.).

Running: Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, Rose Bowl, 7:30 a.m.:

Miles 2 and 3 hit the Rose Parade route on Orange Grove and Colorado Blvd. Miles 11, 12 and 13 are a tour around the north end of the Brookside Golf Course. Otherwise, you're on your own.

A: Here's an early, early offensive line depth chart before freshmen get a chance to win spots:

OT: Aundrey Walker, Zach Banner
OG: Marcus Martin, Jordan Simmons
C: Khaled Holmes, Cyrus Hobbi
OG: John Martinez, Max Tuerk
OT: Kevin Graf, Jordan Simmons

Q: TROJANS32 said:

Someone above said we signed 18 guys-- I think we did too, but can only think of the 15 plus SHAW and WILSON. Wonder who I'm missing. Anyway, my question is: I think Bailey and Robey are great, but Bailey will get killed trying to play LB, and, if Robey wants to play pro ball, it's going to have to be as a WR. Why not move Bailey to Robeys' spot,let one of our new guys play in place of Dion, and use Nickell as a third wideout, especially in view of the fact that we are so thin at TB,and maybe should get away from the 50/50 run-pass ratio, and make it like 70/30 or more to take advantage of Woods, Lee, Barkley, our tight ends and other receivers like our new guy from Florida, Robey, maybe Farmer etc. What do you think of my idea yourself, Scott, and will you pass it on to Kiff? Thank you..

A: Dion Bailey is a safety/linebacker, not a cornerback. Robey is a good cornerback. His size is an issue but corners are much more valuable in the NFL than receivers, so I would keep him there. I expect USC to pass more than run anyways because Lane Kiffin likes to pass and Matt Barkley is back. Plus there is not a lot of tailback depth. So I think you will see that even without moving Robey.

Q: MRSAM said:

Do you think replacing linebacker and defensive back coaches will hurt USC on the field and in recruiting?

A: It all depends on who they hire. Position coaches don't need to be superstars but incompetent ones really hurt a program.

Obama moved further from the danger line by stepping up his campaign to make the corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share. This is an easy call. In polls and surveys, a majority of the public, and that includes a significant number of conservatives, say that the wealthy should be taxed more. Corporate tax rates are obscenely low, and corporate evasions of them are obscenely high. Obama has held firm that the Bush tax cuts that amounted to a budget killing giveaway to the super rich must go. The tax hikes on the rich will not eliminate the still high federal deficit, but it will dent it. This would bring the deficit under $1 trillion and more importantly, reduce the need for the more draconian cuts in other health and education, and infrastructure maintenance programs.

There will be cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. But they will be stretched out over a decade, and there will be no major structural reforms in the program which is what the GOP demands and which is wildly at odds with the majority of Americans, especially those who are dependent for their health coverage on the programs, want.
A year ago, the GOP gave Obama little room to maneuver. Much of the public bought into the GOP's bogus line that Obama's alleged reckless spending was hopelessly drowning the government in a sea of red ink. Nervous foreign investors as well as a slew of financial experts and economists endlessly claimed that the budget deficit--projected to soar to nearly $1.6 trillion in the last fiscal year, a post-World War II record-- would saddle the nation, with higher taxes; deeper cuts in education, health and social services; staggering permanent debt; and possibly even bankruptcy.
That doomsday scenario was part political hyperbole, part financial panic. Even then many economists noted that the claim of financial Armageddon was way overblown. The projected deficit was about 10 percent of gross domestic product. This would be great enough to threaten economic growth if it were sustained for decades. Yet even that supposedly doomsday estimate was proportionally far smaller than the deficits that the United States ran during and immediately after World War II.

In the past year, the Occupy Wall Street protests awakened the nation to the outrageous feed at the taxpayer trough by the rich, the financial industry and corporations. There's been a greater recognition of the crucial role Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and other government funded programs play in bolstering the economy, and American's living standards. There are tenuous signs of an economic recovery, and a modest upswing in the number of Americans who approve of his handling of the economy. This has strengthened the president's budget hand. The budget is far from perfect. There are still proposed cuts in Community Development Block Grants and spending freezes in other areas that hurt the poor. But the 2013 budget that Obama proposes does not slam the poorest and neediest and it preserves programs that have been lifelines for millions for decades. This is a budget that hits the mark despite the GOP.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on American Urban Radio Network. He is the author of How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge. He is an associate editor of New America Media. He is host of the weekly Hutchinson Report Newsmaker Hour heard weekly on the nationally network broadcast Hutchinson Newsmaker Network.
Follow Earl Ofari Hutchinson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/earlhutchinson

"By the time they reach kindergarten, they have a very strong grasp of school readiness," said Sheila Hardy, the principal at the Pacoima Early Education Center, one of the 107 such facilities in Los Angeles Unified.

"They can read, they can use a pencil, the social skills are there. And these are skills that would be affected without the preschool experience."

Not much of a game, to say the least. Paul was brilliant with 18 points, five rebounds, 14 assists and two steals.

Blake Griffin has 21 points and 10 rebounds while handing the Bobcats their 14th straight loss.

The Clips are back in action Monday in Dallas.

Here are some quotes from after the game:

Clippers forward Blake Griffin

(On playing with Chris Paul)
"He's a great player. You see the way he passes the ball and how he manages the ball, manages the time, manages the whole game, and at any given point he can score if he needs to. Having a point guard be that kind of player is huge."

(On whether the alley-oops are set plays or 'eye contact' in the flow of the game plays)
"Any time we draw up an alley-oop play it seems to not work, and any time we're just out there and there's eye contact that's normally when it works. I think that's the way we like to play, freely and everybody moving around the screens, and that's what worked for us tonight."

Clippers guard Chris Paul

(On tonight's game)
"We knew how important this game was. It has been a long road trip. We gave one away in Cleveland - they played well but we felt like we gave one away - and this was one of those games where we knew that if we came in and made a difference early that we could put them away. There's no reason to let a team like that stick around and then in the fourth quarter let them find a way to beat you."

(On the mindset playing against a struggling team)
"It's one of those things where it's about us, and I think it's like that for us every night. Right now we feel like as the second place team in the West we have a target on our back coming into every game so we have to approach it with the right mindset."

Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro

(On tonight's game)
"There were three things I felt were good: the field goal percentage was good, our rebounding was pretty good and our assist to turnover ratio was good. We controlled the tempo even though we put them on the line too much with 40-plus free throws. We got into the penalty early in the fourth quarter, but overall we controlled the tempo."

(On the second unit)
"I wanted the bench guys to get more minutes, but when they (the Bobcats) went on a run the way they did, I had to control the game by bringing back in Chris (Paul) and Blake (Griffin). After a few minutes I brought back in the second unit to finish it off."

(On Eric Bledsoe)
"I didn't want to play him, but we had a good enough lead. He has been out for a while, so it is going to be a process. When we have a lead like we had tonight I want to put him in and get his confidence level up and see how he feels condition-wise. He has great athleticism. He fought a lot. He is still a very young player and he is trying to get back to the level he was last year."

A: He was included in USC's official list of early enrollees. He is still recovering from knee surgery so I do not expect much from him next season.

Q: marvgoux said:
Scott,do you think Lane Kiffin make a huge mistake by not formulating a backup plan to settle for some of the decent 3 star recruits that were available this year after he whiffed on five stars Peat, Murphy and Shittu? He said he would save the scholies for next year but what will we do if there are no quality offensive and defensive linemen available as EEs next year?

A: I suspect he will find some JC players to sign but recent history suggests they will not be impact players. It probably would be better if he had signed a couple more high school players. I say this because last year Kiffin took recruits like Charles Burks because he wanted underrated prospects that would end up going to other Pac-12 schools and hurting USC. So I think it would pay off to do the same thing after losing on the five stars.

A: This is subject to change obviously the d-line usually goes through changes during the season.

DE: Devon Kennard, Leonard Williams, Greg Townsend
DT: George Uko, Christian Heyward
DT: J.R. Tavai, Antwaun Woods
DE: Wes Horton, MorganBreslin, Kevin Greene

Q: Trojan Conquest said:
So what happens to a kid's education if after June he learns he's lost his scholarship? Say he's a redshirt senior with a semester left. Is he out at SC, or is he told to pony up over $25K ($50K + if 2 semesters left) to finish up his degree? Can he send the bill to Reggie Bush?

A: USC often allows athletes who used up their eligitbility to return to school and finish their degree. That would probably be what happens to athletes in the above scenario.

Q:Elite SC said:
Scott why does John Gold keep his blog more active despite having an inferior, lower tier team in Ucla?

A: Because.

The basket capped off a brilliant start for Cal to start the second half and the Bears snapped UCLA's 12-game conference home winning streak with a 73-64 win in front of 9,001 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

When the two teams met on New Year's Eve, Cal sprinted away from the Bruins with a 24-6 run to open the second half and eventually whisked UCLA away with a 16-point victory.

Call this Deja Blue.

After Bruins point guard Jerime Anderson hit a 3-pointer just before halftime to cut the Bears' lead to 32-26, UCLA was feeling pretty good heading into the locker room. Two quick Cal baskets, and the Bruins started to reel. The Bears eventually got off to a 23-13 run to start the second half and kept UCLA at a comfortable distance for much of the duration.

"They just went on that run and it was tough," sophomore forward David Wear said. "At halftime we'd talked about coming out strong and not letting them jump out on us like they did last time."

The only thing time this time around, the Bruins showed a little moxie in clawing their way back. After falling behind by as much as 17 midway through the half, UCLA went on a run to make it a seven-point game with 3:15 left.

But just as the Bruins had to hurry to catch up, it was that speed that cut their comeback short. Anderson had two crucial turnovers down the stretch and Cal responded to every one of UCLA's late charges.

"We had some turnovers at the end and they capitalized on them," senior guard Lazeric Jones said. "That was pretty much it. We got it real close but we have to keep our composure."

The last time the Bears swept the season series with UCLA, Jason Kidd ran the point to near-perfection. Flash forward 18 years, and Jorge Gutierrez and Justin Cobbs are handling the position with efficiency. The two combined for 31 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, with Cobbs leading both teams with 18 points.

Working well off of screens, Cal guards typically found themselves with a little extra cushion, and they made the Bruins pay.

"They were really running the pick-and-roll really well," Jones said. "It seemed like the play they were trying to go to. When you're on a roll like that, momentum is on their side."

While the Bears were dishing and dancing and diving, UCLA failed to register even one assist in the first half. The Bruins shot 34.5 percent in the first half, missing a number of chip shots, and shot 1-for-7 from 3-point range.

"What really hurt us, the first half we had a lot of open jump shots we missed," UCLA head coach Ben Howland said. "Easy shots, layups we missed. Both of their big guys were in foul trouble and they were playing with two backups and we couldn't exploit that well enough. We had some open looks on some passes we just missed."

The next owner of the Dodgers slid some of the caprese salad appetizer next to the spicy fried calamari, careful not to interfere with the integrity of Sisley Italian Kitchen's famous Italian quesadilla that was already in front him.

Age: 36
Resident: Studio City
Family: Married to wife Anna for 13 years. "She doesn't get $1,000 haircuts," Josh confirmed. The couple has twin 6-year-old boys and an 11-year-old daughter.
Business background: He is the CEO of Reno-based Armital Entertainment LLC and co-chairman of Armital LLC.
His Dodger ownership plan: Macciello's new company, Armital Sports, Inc., would own 51 percent of the team. The other 49 percent would go to Eagle Crest LLC, comprised of two key investors. One is Myung-Ho Lee, is a South Korean-born former manager of Michael Jackson's estate and current CEO of Union Finance & Investment, whose clients include Hyundai, Samsung and Daewoo. He once sat on the board of Sony/ ATV Music and is on the board of the Korean Stock Exchange. The other, who requested his name not be publicized, is a Fresno-based businessman who owns a major renewable fuel company.

Taft finsiehd the regular season with 14 wins in a row, 11 by 10 points or more.

Taft has won three City titles since 2004, and the Toreadors, led by forwards Anthony January and Brandon Perry and guard Kris Yanku, have made a smooth transition under new coach Jason Hart, who replaced longtime coach Derek Taylor (now at St. John Bosco).

"We're really playing well right now. I think we're starting to come together as a team," Perry said. "Coming into the playoffs, we're excited about making a run for the City title again - and the state playoffs."

Hart, a former NBA player with City Section roots after graduating from Westchester High, has stressed defense and fundamentals.

"The playoffs are going to be exciting," Hart said. "We have to play our best every night. We'll be ready for the challenge."

West Adams Prep at Taft
Sylmar at Crenshaw
Cleveland at Dorsey
Poly at Westchester

Div. II

Van Nuys at El Camino Real
Gardena at Granada Hills
South Gate at Kennedy
Reseda at Venice
Verdugo Hills at Carson

Div. III

Bravo at Grant
Chatsworth at Panorama

Smith entered the game less than two minutes in and scored two quick baskets as the Bruins controlled the tempo early.

The Bears, though, took hold of the pace and the game and went into halftime up 32-26.

Jorge Gutierrez was Cal's every-man, scoring 10 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing four assists as Cal went on a late 9-4 run before Joshua Smith delivered a massive screen to free Jerime Anderson for a half-ending 3-pointer.

Taft, El Camino Real and Grant were awarded the top-seed in Div. I, Div. II and Div. III, respectively.

And, all are favored to win City championships.

The playoffs begin Friday ans continue with quarterfinal games Feb. 22.

"I think the San Fernando Valley is really starting to get some resepct," ECR coach David Rebibo said. "It is more spread out now. There really aren't just a few good teams anymore. There are good players everywhere. I would love the opportunity to play in Div. I."

Taft will have the toughest road because of the depth of its division.

Fairfax, Westchester and Palisades took the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 spots. Undefeated Coliseum League champion Crenshaw was seeded No. 5 and Marine League champion Washington, which owns an impressive victory against Crespi took No. 6

The Toreadors open Friday with No. 16 West Adams Prep and could face West Valley League rival No. 8 Birmingham, which really helped itself with a 70-67 victory Friday against Cleveland to claim third place in League.

Birmingham hosts No. 9 University in the first round Friday.

No. 10 Cleveland opens at No. 7 Dorsey. The Cavaliers hosted the Dons in last years first round and won a thriller after erasing a 19-point lead.

If Cleveland can pull off the upset things won't get easier with a potential quarterfinal matchup against Fairfax.

"I am going back to my home," Cleveland coach Damon Charlot said. "That's where i came from."

No. 14 Poly opens at No. 3 Westchester. The Parrots are not expected to shock the world.

ECR will host outmanned No. 16 Van Nuys in the first round.

An interesting game could happen in the semifinals when ECR could host No. 4 Kennedy in a matchup of two up-and-coming programs in the area.

The Conquistadores feature sophomores Julian Richardson, Maleke Haynes and Evan Wardlow.

Kennedy clinched a share of the Valley Mission League championship Friday and features juniors Dom Vargas, Jordan Taylor and Danny Jiron.

Granada Hills was seeded No. 3 and could face No. 2 Garfield in the semifinals before a possible all-valley championship game with ECR or Kennedy.

Grant easily took the top spot in Div. III, and should hardly be challenged.

The Lancers finished 23-5 and 12-0 in East Valley League play.

Grant features 6-foot7 forward Gor Palvchyan, Tullio Parry and Gurgen Harutyunyan.

Grant hosts No. 16 Bravo Medical Magnet in the first round.

The Lancers will play the winner of No. 9 Chatsworth at No. 8 Panorama in the quarterfinals.

Chatsworth finished the regular season 9-22 but could surprise because they have played a tough schedule.

Fri. Feb. 17

No. 16 Bravo at No. 1 Grant
No. 9 Chatsworth at No. 8 Panorama
No. 12 Roosevelt at No. 5 Franklin
No. 13 Jefferson at No. 4 Banning

No. 14 Wilson at No. 3 Locke
No. 11 Marshall at No. 6 Hamilton
No. 10 Los Angeles at No. 7 Huntington Park
No. 15 Lincoln at No. 2 Bell

1. El Camino Real
2. Garfield
3. Granada Hills
4. Kennedy
5. Narbonne
6. Venice
7. Carson
8. San Pedro
9. L.A. Jordan
10. Verdugo Hills
11. Reseda
12. Torres
13. South Gate
14. Gardena
15. Belmont
16. Van Nuys

Fri. Feb. 17

No. 16 Van Nuys at No. 1 El Camino Real
No. 9 L.A. Jordan at No. 8 San Pedro
No. 12 Torres at No. 5 Narbonne
No. 13 South Gate at No. 4 Kennedy

No. 14 Gardena at No. 3 Granada Hills
No. 11 Reseda at No. 6 Venice
No. 10 Verdugo Hills at No. 7 Carson
No. 15 Belmont at No. 2 Garfield

There it is.

Friday Feb. 17

No. 16 West Adams Prep at No. 1Taft
No. 9 University at No. 8Birmingham
No. 12 Sylmar at No. 5 Crenshaw
No. 13 Manual Arts at No. 4 Palisades

No. 14 Poly at No. 3 Westchester
No. 11 Fremont at No. 6 Washington
No. 10 Cleveland at No. 7 Dorsey
No. 15 Roybal at No. 2 Fairfax

In our complex and heterodox society, could Quakers refuse to pay taxes because some money will go to war and killing? Can I, on a religious basis, demand that none of my tax dollars go to pay for bombs or biochemical weapons? Why, after all, should only Catholics get to opt out of selected medical services? The existence of a religious exemption creates a slippery slope indeed.
©2012 Jonathan Dobrer
www.Dobrer.com

Coach Mike Brown revealed the Lakers considered signing Jeremy Lin during the lockout. Brown recalled general manager Mitch Kupchak mentioned his name, and quite a few others, as a player the team could sign to bolster its backcourt.

He had heard the name. Most NBA coaches know most of the players around the league, even if they might have trouble assessing strengths and weaknesses of some of the younger ones like Lin, who ended up signing with the New York Knicks.

"When he was floating out there, Mitch had some interest in him and brought him up to me," Brown said. "We brought up a million names. This was before we had our team. Mitch liked him, but I didn't know anything about him."

Canyon's Clay Kasdorf scored 34 points and Coley Apsay added 28 points, including five 3-pointers.

Hart closed to within six points in the fourth quarter. But over the final two minutes, Canyon (23-3, 8-2) made the key plays, as Apsay scored on an inside basket and two free throws, and Kasdorf hit a jump shot and two free throws.

"This is the biggest win so far because it locked everything up," Kasdorf said. "We had a lot of momentum, and the team really came through tonight. I've never felt better in my life."

Kasdorf has scored 110 points in the past three games, including a school-record 48 on Feb. 3 at West Ranch. The 6-foot-3 senior went right to work at Hart, scoring 20 points in the first 11 minutes, as it was clear Kasdorf had the green light every time he touched the basketball.

"I do have the green light. It's great to have that kind of freedom," Kasdorf said. "I don't have to refrain from anything. I can just play my game."

Canyon has yet to lose a road game this season, so the Cowboys, expected to be seeded No. 1 in the Southern Section Div. II-AA playoffs beginning next week, could be tough to beat in the postseason.

"This was a tough, gutsy win, to come on this court and win like this, and Clay and Coley are remarkable basketball players," Canyon coach Chad Phillips said. "Don't quote me for the playoffs, but we're good on the road. We haven't lost one, winning the Burbank tournament and the Ventura tournament and all the nonleague road games."

Canyon is 22-3 and Hart is 17-9, 6-3. If Hart wins and Valencia upsets West Ranch (13-10, 7-2), there could be a three-way tie

2) Do you think Angus McClure remains as the DL coach for this season? What experience does he have there? I thought the new DC, Lou Spanos, would want to bring in his own DL coach, rather than one of Neuheisel's holdovers. - UCLAFan 11
First off, McClure was invaluable during the recruiting process. I also think Mora is going to be very hands-on with the defense in terms of coaching, so the experience of a coach at a particular position might be overblown.

3) Now that Signing Day is over with football, when's basketball's Signing Day? What's the word on Shabazz and the other recruits? Howland started off strong with Anderson and Adams, can he finish off strong, too? - bruin pride
Signing day for hoops is April 11, and UCLA is feeling pretty good about its chances for Muhammad and Tony Parker. But I'm sure other schools are feeling pretty good too. It's going to be an interesting finish.

4) What do you make of a guy like Jeff Ulbrich...just saw a video of him at UCLA's recruiting presentation...seems like the right attitude at linebacker. Do you believe someone like his kind of energy is crucial on defense? has UCLA had this recently? - lbcbruin
I actually thought Clark Lea brought great energy and attitude to his job, but his playing time rotation was poor last year. I think the whole world knew that Eric Kendricks had a ton of potential and should've seen the field more. He will not come off the field next year.

5) Shouldn't a guy named Angus McClure have red hair? - localbruin
Yes, and little green boots and a rainbow and gold. Lots of gold. A pot of it, maybe.

2) So, what happened to Justin Moore, QB at Westlake High? Story in the Acorn is that he quit football. He's only a junior and has been on 2 CIF championship teams. I've seen him play and he's good. Why did he quit football? - Anonymous
From what I gather - and I haven't interviewed anyone from Westlake about this, just talked to some other writers - he just was kind of over it. I've heard everything from religious conflicts to issues with the offseason program. Ultimately, though, give the kid kudos if it makes him happier.

3) I have speculated with friends that Jerry Neuhiesel was a gray shirt because of his father's tenuous position as coach. Now that CRN is gone, can we assume the same for Jerry? - Anonymous
No, I don't think so. He loves UCLA, his family loves UCLA, and he was very active in the recruiting process.

4) Who will step up at the WR spots, especially the big target guy, next year with Rosario gone? - BruinRogue
Good question. Shaq Evans will havea good season, and I expect Noel Mazzone to know where to put him in traffic. Devin Lucien is hungry and ready to contribute, and we could see a freshman emerge pretty quickly.

5) What's goin on with Owa? Word was that he was a physical specimen coming in but a little bit raw... Fast forward to next year when he is a junior. You'd think if he was ever going to breakout now would be the time. Has he progressed? Is he a hard worker? What's up? I am desperately hoping not to label him with the B word but... - Anonymous
It hasn't "clicked" yet. Once it does, watch out.

The 60-year-old Trutanich was in private practice and recruited by Cooley to run for city attorney.

The Planning Commission voted 5-0, with four members absent, to forward the L.A. River Improvement Overlay to the City Council.

"I'm a champion of this," Commission President Bill Roschen said, after an extensive public hearing. "I think as people review this it will get more and more support. To create a park of this size is unbelievable."

2) Powell switched from us to Colorado today. Was this also due to lack of scolie or did Colorado snag him up.My nephew plays with him at Upland and he said he is all ULCA. Im thinking maybe the scholie is an issue? Im shocked because i know this kid LOVED UCLA. He is such a great kid too. - BRUINBEATCH
Had more to do with the lack of a fullback in Noel Mazzone's offense than anything else.

3) How much influence did Ishmael Adams have on recruits and who was it did he help bring in? - Bob
Adams worked pretty hard on Ellis McCarthy and Jordan Payton, and several other former Cal commits and high-profile guys down the stretch. He was very vocal in his support of UCLA and Mora.

4) Of all the new head coach hires in the Pac-12, which has performed the best so far? - Spencer
Little early to really form an opinion like that, but given UCLA's recruiting, I don't know how you can't say Mora at this point.

5) Jon, in your breakdown of our roster going forward, you said we have 68 scholarships accounted for, but listed 69 players. 67 I know are scholarship players. The other two are David Allen and Jerry Rice Jr. I didn't think either of them had a scholarship. Does one of them have a scholarship, and if not, is the number actually 67 rather than 68? - Todd
Yes, correct.

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Jacobs' "Thin for Life" series is a four-part package -- at a special half-price rate -- featuring valuable strategies based on his successful "Weight Loss for Golfers" program. You can get further information at his website, Weightlossforgolfers.com. To quote the man himself: "I can show any golfer how to go from a Fat Storer to a Fat Burner in two weeks or less without dieting, counting calories or starving, guaranteed!"

Sierra Canyon 78
Campbell Hall 35 (8th grade championship game)

Seventh-grader Cody Riley (6'7) scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Sierra Canyon.

Devearl Ramsey scored 16 points and had 12 assists.

Trevor Stanback grabbed 18 rebounds. Stanback is the younger brother of former Fairfax and current UNLV standout Chase Stanback.

Adam Seiko, whose future may lie more in football had a good all-around game