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Felixchev_tiny by TheViewFromFigueroa on Mar 15, 2012 4:14 PM PDT

Today, the #7 USC Women's Swim & Dive team will compete in the 2012 NCAA national championships in Auburn. Leading the team of 13 women is senior Katinka Hosszu, a three-time NCAA individual champion; World Championship gold medalist; and member of the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Hungarian Olympic Swim Team. In 2011, she received the Honda Award, given out to the best female athlete in each college sport. This year, she hopes to join fellow swimmer Kristine Quance (1996,1997) and women's basketball star Cheryl Miller (1984, 1985) as the third USC athlete to win the award twice. She will have her chance to make her case this weekend, as she competes in the 200yd IM, 400 yd IM, and 200yd fly. All three of Hosszu's individual titles came from these events at last year's National Championships.

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Another swimmer of note is junior Haley Anderson, who will be competing in the 500yd and 1650yd freestyle as well as the 400 IM. Anderson has three school records as a freestyle swimmer and holds five conference titles, including three-consecutive in the 1650yd free. On Saturday, Anderson will attempt to become the first USC swimmer to win an NCAA title in that event, but to do it, she will have to take down Georgia senior Wendy Trott, who is trying to win her fourth straight national title at 1650 yds.

On the diving side is senior Victoria Ishimatsu. She is a seven-time conference champion and the first woman in Pac-12 swimming history to win the same an event four years in a row, dominating the 3-meter springboard in all four years of her eligibility. She has yet to compete in this event at the National Championships, as she injured her foot last year and was unable to compete in the springboard comps.

USC enters the National Championships with a 6-2 record and a 3rd place finish at the Pac-12 championships and seven individual conference titles (three from Hosszu and two from Ishimatsu and Anderson). 12 of the 13 swimmers have competed in previous NCAA championships, and eight of them have earned All-American honors. USC is one of only 8 women's swim teams to win a team national championship, with their sole title coming in 1997.

All the events will be streamed on Auburn's website and, beginning on Friday, on ESPN3.com. All finals will begin at 5 PM PT.

UCLA Basketball: Mired in TOTAL Irrelevance, Expectations & Warning Signs For 2012-13

Uclabear1_tiny by Nestor on Mar 18, 2012 8:26 AM PDT in Basketball

Our community here has just started the discussion about expectations for next year's UCLA basketball season. We are starting with the premise that we think Ben Howland no longer deserves to the caretaker of Coach John Wooden's program in Westwood. Why we believe that doesn't require an extended explanation at this point given the exhaustive discussions on this topic here on BN. Even though we think Howland no longer deserves to be UCLA's coach, the hands of this community has been tied by an out of touch Chancellor, who simply seems to have no interest in getting rid of an incompetent athletic director.

As much as think Howland shouldn't come back next season, the more immediate short term need to resuscitate UCLA's dead hoops program is to bring in a new athletic director, who can lead a competent search for the next coach of UCLA basketball. In the meantime, discussions are going on over here and elsewhere with regards to what to expect from next year's program which will include Shabazz Muhammad in the lineup. It appears that Howland and Kory McCray will lay an egg wrt recruiting of Tony Parker, which is going to be another big FAIL and waste of recruiting resources like number of other pursuit of national recruits in recent years (See Ray McCallum, Quinn Cook).

Anyway, with Shabazz in the lineup we are going to expect a national championship run from Howland. Along with a legitimate national championship run we are going to have the following top-line expectations:

Line up a top-10 class for 2013 before the start of 2012 season that will feature commitments from a pg, sf and a post player
DOMINATE and win the Pathetic-12
Finish the regular season with a top-10 ranking
Win the Pathetic-12 tournament and/or secure AT LEAST a 3 seed or higher in the Western Region in the Dance
AT LEAST get to the Final-4 and no blowout/uninspiring losses to end the Tourney will be acceptable
Finish with a top-10 recruiting class and follow it up with another Pac-12 title and at least a Sweet-16 run in 2013-14

We will hash out those parameters in the coming weeks and months. In general we are not going to be in the mood to any excuses. That said while those are our expectations, there are serious concerns about actual results of next season. Let's get into that a bit after the season.

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Tracy Pierson from BruinReportOnline.com recently posted a piece entitled ,"What Will it Take To Turn Around UCLA Hoops?" in which he expressed some serious reservations about next season. The reservations stem from Howland's abdication from a defense-first mindset that made him successful in his early years at UCLA. From Pierson (piece not behind subscription firewall):

[T]he dilemma and central problem of UCLA in the last four years: What exactly is the level of defense that Howland demands now? It definitely isn't the same as it was during those Final Four years. We've said it before and it bears repeating again: UCLA has lost its identity under Howland because he just doesn't emphasize defense like he did during those Final Four seasons, and isn't recruiting the types of players who can play it. If you had to narrow down all of the issues plaguing UCLA in the last four years to the biggest determining factor of why UCLA has slipped under Howland, it's that: The program simply doesn't play the type of defense it used to.

In terms of next year's team, this is why we believe, even given the influx of talent like Muhammad and Anderson, that there's a decent chance it could under-achieve. We don't see it having the make-up of a great defensive team, if you go by the projected playing time we laid out above. Smith, if he's in decent shape, will be better defensively, but we can't see him really making the complete turnaround from extreme defensive liability to strength. The only way Smith can be a decent defender is if UCLA plays a zone, and we are pretty certain that just isn't going to happen. So, you have a below-average defender as you're starting center. The Wears aren't great defenders. They're better defending the four, and not having to defend the five or the three, but they're still limited by their athleticism and lack of overall strength. Strong power forwards will always have a chance to over-power them, and quicker ones will always be able to out-quick them. You can probably project they'll be better defenders with another off-season of development and you know they'll put in the work, but the defensive upside is limited. The days of having a defensive four man like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute are long gone.

There is going to be a question of who Anderson guards. He almost certainly won't have the strength to match up against college power forwards, so we think he more than likely will be the choice to defend the opposing three. It very well could be similar to David Wear trying to guard the three spot this season, however, since Anderson isn't exactly quick (his nickname is "Slow-Mo.").

Read through the e

Howland to remain as UCLA basketball coach

Jon Gold on the NCAA Tournament: The creation of one giant middle class

More March Madness! Sunday Second Round Open Thread

377011_2642084725867_1068030137_32302525_1166539782_n_tiny by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 18, 2012 9:15 AM PDT in Basketball

Who wants a spot in the Sweet 16? Anyone? Anyone? Well, UCLA apparently didn't want a spot in the tournament, but eight teams have already booked their spot in the Sweet 16 and 16 more will take to the court today with the hope of filling out one of the eight remaining spots. More madness!

In case you missed it, Friday was the crazy day of the tournament and that is why just one of today's eight second round games is a chalk match-up. The rest are fulled with at least one team that pulled off an upset, and in some case, there are two upset pullers. Games like Florida vs. Norfolk St., South Florida vs. Ohio and Xavier vs. Lehigh guarantee to give us some big number seeds in the Sweet 16.

A couole names to keep an eye on: Michigan St.'s Draymond Green, who had a triple-double in Sparty's first round game and Norfolk St.'s Kyle O'Quinn, who not only led the other Spartans to a major upset, but also became a fan favorite for saying that their winning busted his own bracket and singing One Shining Moment on TV.

Today's schedule is below. All of the games are being televised, on one of four networks (CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV) and streamed online via MMOD ($3.99 for the remainder of the tournament).

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9:15 am PT: Georgetown (3) vs. NC State (11) - CBS
11:45 am PT: Michigan St. (1) vs. St. Louis (9) - CBS
2:15 pm PT: North Carolina (1) vs. Creighton (8) - CBS
3:10 pm PT: Florida (7) vs. Norfolk St. (15) - TNT
4:10 pm PT: South Florida (12) vs. Ohio (13) - TBS
4:45 pm PT: Xavier (10) vs. Lehigh (15) - TruTV
5:40 pm PT: Kansas (2) vs. Purdue (10) - TNT
6:40 pm PT: Florida St. (3) vs. Cincinnati - TBS

D.J. Morgan looks back on track for USC

The sophomore tailback shows off his sprinter's speed with a 70-yard plus run during the Trojans' second spring workout. He says he's finally past thinking about the knee injury he suffered in high school.

USC running back D.J. Morgan appears to be running at full speed again for the first time since high school. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / 3)

By Gary Klein

USC won't practice in pads until Saturday, so getting an accurate read on how players operate under full-contact conditions will have to wait.
Still, the Trojans' second spring workout came to a momentary standstill Thursday after sophomore tailback D.J. Morgan took a handoff and blazed untouched more than 70 yards to the end zone.
The burst and acceleration that were trademarks before a major knee injury in high school seemed to have suddenly reappeared.
Well, not so suddenly.
The 5-foot-10, 186-pound Morgan has been training with USC's track team and ran a 400-meter relay event with football teammates Nickell Robey, Marqise Lee and Tony Burnett two weeks ago at the Claremont Relays. The focus on running mechanics and core strength, along with finally overcoming the mental aspect of recovery from knee surgery, has restored Morgan's speed and confidence.
"I'm so many years [away from] my surgery," said Morgan, the 2009 California state 110-meter high hurdles champion. "I don't even have to think about it anymore."
That's a positive development for the Trojans.
Morgan, returning starter Curtis McNeal and redshirt freshman Javorious Allen are the only scholarship tailbacks on the roster, a lack of depth that Coach Lane Kiffin has described as "scary."
"We just have to make sure we stay healthy," Morgan said, "because if one guy goes down that's a big burden on the other two backs."
Morgan is looking forward to playing without the burden of inexperience.
Last season as a redshirt freshman, he started the first two games but fell out of the rotation because of fumbling issues.
Morgan said he was affected by the pressure of "trying to do everything right," while executing plays in a packed stadium with his mind still not completely clear of doubts about his knee.
"My mind was just going so fast," he said, "I didn't have time to slow things down."
Now, his legs appear to be moving at full speed.
"He looked different to me," said running backs Coach Kennedy Polamalu, assessing the breakaway run. "Not indecisive."
The time on the track has helped.
"I'm in my track form and my track shape," he said. "I'm able to translate it onto the field."
Quick hits Sophomore receiver Marqise Lee made the play of the day when he leaped and extended his body to catch a pass from quarterback Matt Barkley that appeared destined to sail incomplete. "He's still putting in work like he has to earn something," Barkley said. ... Receiver George Farmer was sidelined because of a hamstring strain, defensive tackle Greg Townsend because of a back issue, Kiffin said.
gary.klein@latimes.com
twitter.com/latimesklein

pac 12 champions Fight On SC WeAreSC SCPlaybook Scott Wolf Colin Cowherd usc football

UCLA vs. Arizona St. Sunday Baseball Open Thread: Let's Play Two!

by on Mar 18, 2012 12:42 PM PDT

The rain has gone away and we're playing baseball! Not just baseball, but a baseball twin bil. Yup, two games at Jackie Robinson Stadium today as #9 UCLA and #11 Arizona St. finish up their Pac-12 series. The three-game set got underway on Friday when the Bruins came from 5-0 down to even things up and then win it on Kevin Williams' walk-off homer in the ninth inning. It was the Bruins' 12th straight win and has them all the way up to number two in the RPI.

The first game today will see Nick Vander Tuig take to the mound for the Bruins. The key for him in throwing strikes so we'll see if he can find the plate. Even if he's not walking guys, if he gets behind in counts, the Sun Devils will rope him. Trevor Williams will be on the mound for Arizona St. in the first game and he's been nothing short of brilliant this season so Vander Tuig will have to be on his game. Freshman Adam McCreery will take the ball for ASU in the second game, while UCLA has not announced a starter.

For those of you not at Jackie Robinson Stadium, John Ramey and Tim Wilhelm have the call online so you can still listen to the games. You can also get all the game updates, notes, observations and whatever else from my UCLA baseball twitter as the Bruins look to make it 13 and 14 wins in a row. This is your doubleheader open thread so share updates as well as your thoughts and reactions here.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

Comments

Sunday, March 18, 2012

USC defense impressive in spring practices

The Trojans defense intercepts a pass by Matt Barkley, causes running back D.J. Morgan to fumble and breaks up several passes with intimidating hits in a full-pads workout Saturday.

USC safety T.J. McDonald celebrates a fumble recovery against Utah last season. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / 10)

By Gary Klein

USC safety T.J. McDonald offered up the name without prompting.

The Trojans had just concluded their first full-pads workout Saturday and McDonald, a returning team captain, was eager to describe a defense that showed off speed and aggressiveness during the scrimmage portion of practice.

"The Dark Side," McDonald said. "That's what we call ourselves."

The defense intercepted a pass by Matt Barkley, caused running back D.J. Morgan to fumble and broke up several pass plays with intimidating hits.

It was an encouraging sign for a team that features a star-studded offense and is expected to open the season ranked among the top 10.

"We're playing faster now," said Monte Kiffin, the Trojans' assistant head coach for defense.

USC's defense was a question mark last spring and was under fire the first half of the 2011 season after giving up 43 points in a loss to Arizona State and 41 the next week in a victory over Arizona.

The Trojans, however, finished strong. They held off Oregon for a 38-35 victory at Autzen Stadium and then dominated UCLA in a 50-0 season-ending victory.

USC ranked 45th among 120 major-college teams in scoring defense, 54th in total defense and 102nd against the pass.

"Obviously unacceptable," Coach Lane Kiffin said of the pass defense.

But Kiffin has been impressed with the defense through the first week of workouts, noting that it was playing harder and had "a good confidence."

McDonald, senior defensive ends Wes Horton and Devon Kennard and junior cornerback Nickell Robey are the most experienced players for a unit that will feature three sophomore linebackers and several young defensive linemen.

Backup plan

Redshirt freshman quarterbacks Max Wittek and Cody Kessler both have impressed at times in the competition to win the spot as Barkley's backup.

Meantime, third-year sophomore Jesse Scroggins cannot seem to get started.

Scroggins sat out much of training camp and part of last season because of a thumb injury that required surgery. He was sidelined for the first two spring workouts because of a hip injury, and he spent Saturday's workout rolling across the turf as punishment for missing a weight-training session, Lane Kiffin said.

This is the second spring practice for Wittek and Kessler, who completed high school in December 2010 so they could get a head start on their college careers.

"It feels a lot better compared to a year ago," Wittek said. "I'm so much more confident and comfortable in the system.

"It was definitely the right choice, coming here early, because without that first spring I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today."

Kessler echoed the sentiment.

"There's no comparison," he said. "You come back here and you have a whole season under your belt."

Quick hits

The Trojans are off this week and will not work out again until March 20. McDonald said the scheduling would serve the Trojans well because they were "able to play football, kind of get a feel of what we're doing, have a little break and come back knowing what we're getting into." Kiffin noted that the break would allow players to rest and return from minor injuries. His message about off-the-field behavior going into the break: "Just remind them, people have screwed up around the country; let's not be the ones that do it."

gary.klein@latimes.com

twitter.com/latimesklein

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More March Madness! Sunday Second Round Open Thread

377011_2642084725867_1068030137_32302525_1166539782_n_tiny by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 18, 2012 9:15 AM PDT in Basketball

Today's schedule is below. All of the games are being televised, on one of four networks (CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV) and streamed online via MMOD ($3.99 for the remainder of the tournament).

Star-divide

9:15 am PT: Georgetown (3) vs. NC State (11) - CBS
11:45 am PT: Michigan St. (1) vs. St. Louis (9) - CBS
2:15 pm PT: North Carolina (1) vs. Creighton (8) - CBS
3:10 pm PT: Florida (7) vs. Norfolk St. (15) - TNT
4:10 pm PT: South Florida (12) vs. Ohio (13) - TBS
4:45 pm PT: Xavier (10) vs. Lehigh (15) - TruTV
5:40 pm PT: Kansas (2) vs. Purdue (10) - TNT
6:40 pm PT: Florida St. (3) vs. Cincinnati - TBS

D.J. Morgan looks back on track for USC

The sophomore tailback shows off his sprinter's speed with a 70-yard plus run during the Trojans' second spring workout. He says he's finally past thinking about the knee injury he suffered in high school.

USC running back D.J. Morgan appears to be running at full speed again for the first time since high school. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / 3)

By Gary Klein

datone jones Jesse Scroggins max wittek cody kessler markeith ambles kyle prater george farmer

latest news

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

USC football: Receiver Lee off to flying start

PAC-12 TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK: Washington coach Romar makes his case to NCAA Tournament committee

Bruin Bites: No March Madness for UCLA Edition

PAC-12 TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK: Washington coach Romar makes his case to NCAA Tournament committee

Monday, March 19, 2012

Katinka Hosszu and Women's S&D compete in Natl. Championships.

UCLA Basketball: Mired in TOTAL Irrelevance, Expectations & Warning Signs For 2012-13

Howland to remain as UCLA basketball coach

Jon Gold on the NCAA Tournament: The creation of one giant middle class

More March Madness! Sunday Second Round Open Thread

D.J. Morgan looks back on track for USC

The sophomore tailback shows off his sprinter's speed with a 70-yard plus run during the Trojans' second spring workout. He says he's finally past thinking about the knee injury he suffered in high school.

UCLA vs. Arizona St. Sunday Baseball Open Thread: Let's Play Two!

Comments

Sunday, March 18, 2012

USC defense impressive in spring practices

The Trojans defense intercepts a pass by Matt Barkley, causes running back D.J. Morgan to fumble and breaks up several passes with intimidating hits in a full-pads workout Saturday.

More March Madness! Sunday Second Round Open Thread

D.J. Morgan looks back on track for USC

The sophomore tailback shows off his sprinter's speed with a 70-yard plus run during the Trojans' second spring workout. He says he's finally past thinking about the knee injury he suffered in high school.

College Football Bowls 2012-13

Jon Gruden has some pretty snappy campers