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What we should know, marching forward, about a college basketball season with a post-season celebration right in our line of vision:

== When last week of February blew in, ESPN bracket guy Joe Lunardi came up with the nine teams he considered having “worrisome resumes” for the final spots in the NCAA Tournament, which will be announced on Sunday, March 15.
Three of them were in the Pac-12. Two of them were in Southern California.
Then USC and UCLA went out and swept home series against Arizona and Arizona State.
What, them worry?
After the Bruins’ buzzer-beating win over ASU that ESPN carried last Thursday, which came about and hour after the Trojans’ win over Arizona, Lunardi surmized it was somewhat of a wash.  His belief was the Pac-12 could only push in five bids – Arizona, ASU, Colorado and Oregon, plus … USC, UCLA or even Stanford. And USC’s win just then kept it in the “last four in” grouping, preventing UCLA (and Stanford) from busting out of the “last four out” status.

Now, it looks like it might be seven Pac-12 teams in, Lunardi is guessing.
He’s got USC as a No. 11 in the Midwest, with UCLA a No. 12 in the East, and then Stanford in a play-in game for No. 11 in the West. That’s after seeding Oregon (4 in the South), Colorado (5 in the Midwest), Arizona (6 in the South) and ASU (10 in the West).

That brings us to new Pac-12 leader UCLA (19-11, 12-5) facing USC (21-9, 10-7, tied for fourth) for the final regular season game – Saturday at Galen Center, 12:15 p.m., Channel 2 – with perhaps one more meeting in the conference tournament that will run  March 11-14 in Las Vegas.

The Trojans squashed the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 11, their seventh win over the rivals in the last eight meetings. Senior Nick Rakocevic had 17 points and 14 rebounds, while senior Jonah Mathews had 16. Freshman Ethan Anderson had 14 while fellow freshman Onyka Okongwu, the 6-foot-9 star out of Chino who currently leads the Trojans with 16.4 points and 8.9 rebounds a game, was held to four points against the Bruins because of foul trouble. UCLA was led by Chris Smith (16 points) and Jalen Hill (14 point) before the sellout crowd of 13,659.
In the latest AP Top 25, Oregon went up a notch to No. 13 and is now the only ranked Pac-12 team. UCLA gained the second-most Pac-12 votes and would be at No. 27 if it went that far, with Colorado (32nd, falling out of the Top 25), Arizona (34th), Stanford (36th), ASU (38th) and USC (tied for 45th) following.

The rest of the Pac 12 maneuvering for the conference tournament:
Thursday:
= Stanford (20-9, 9-7, tied for sixth) at Oregon State (15-13, 5-11, 11th place), 6 p.m., Pac 12 Net
= Washington (13-16, 3-13, 12th place) at Arizona State (19-10, 10-6, third place), 6 p.m., ESPN2
= Washington State (15-14, 6-10, ninth place) at Arizona (19-10, 9-7, tied for sixth), 7:30 p.m., FS1
= Cal (13-16, 7-9, eighth place) at Oregon (22-7, 11-5, second place), 8 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday:
= Colorado (21-9, 10-7, tied for fourth) at Utah (15-14, 6-11, 10th place) , 11:30 a.m., Pac 12 Net
= Cal at Oregon State, 1:30 p.m., Pac 12 Net
= Washington State at Arizona State, 3:30 p.m., Pac 12 Net
= Washington at Arizona, 7 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
= Stanford at Oregon, 8 p.m., FS1

== The West Coast Conference seems to have three bids in the NCAA Tournament — Gonzaga (29-2), BYU (24-7) and Saint Mary’s (24-7) — and starts its own elimination process at Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena starting Thursday and wrapping up on Tuesday, March 10.
No. 1 seed Gonzaga, which moved up a spot to No. 2 in the latest AP Top 25 behind unanimous No. 1 Kansas, has a bye all the way to the semifinals on Monday, as does No. 2 seed BYU. No. 3 seeded Saint Mary’s joins in on Saturday, and those three are expected to be in decent shape.
Locally, Loyola Marymount (10-20, 4-12) drew the No. 8 seed in the 10-team league and faces No. 9 San Diego (9-22, 2-14) on Thursday at 6 p.m. (Spectrum Sports). The Lions could win and advance against No. 5 San Francisco on Friday, and then winner there goes up against No. 4 Pacific on Saturday.
Pepperdine (15-15, 8-8) has the No. 6 seed and opens Friday at 8 p.m. against the winner of Thursday’s Santa Clara-Portland contest. A win there, and the Waves go up against No. 3 Saint Mary’s at 9:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2

== Before Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge get to the Big West tournament in Anaheim from March 10-14, they’ve got to clean up the regular season. Long Beach State could fall between a tie for fifth or last, and ninth, in the conference. Northridge should be somewhere between second and fifth.
How the week plays out for Cal State Northridge (13-17, 8-6)
= At UC Irvine (21-10, 13-2), Wednesday at 7 p.m., ESPN3
= Vs. Hawaii, the Matadome, Saturday at 7 p.m.
How the week plays out for Long Beach State (10-20, 5-9)
= Vs. Cal Poly, Walter Pyramid, Thursday at 7 p.m., ESPN3
= At Cal State Fullerton, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., ESPN3

Games of national interest this week (without knowing how some teams may or may not advance in their conference tournaments):
Monday
North Carolina State at Duke, 4 p.m., ESPN
Texas Tech at Baylor, 6 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday
Maryland at Rutgers, 4 p.m., Big Ten Network
Michigan State at Penn State, 4 p.m., ESPN
Tennessee at Kentucky, 6 p.m., ESPN
Purdue at Iowa, 6 p.m., Big Ten Network
West Virginia at Iowa State, 6 p.m., ESPNU
Texas at Oklahoma, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Wednesday
Texas A&M at Auburn, 4 p.m., ESPN2
TCU at Kansas, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Villanova at Seton Hall, 5:30 p.m., FS1
Dayton at Rhode Island, 6 p.m., CBSSN
Florida State at Notre Dame, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Thursday
San Diego State vs. Mountain West Conference tournament opponent at UNLV, 11:30 a.m., CBSSN
Nebraska at Michigan, 3:30 p.m., FS1
Illinois at Ohio State, 4 p.m., ESPN
Saturday
Villanova at Georgetown, 9 a.m., Channel 11
Auburn at Tennessee, 9 a.m.
Baylor at West Virginia, 10 a.m., ESPN+
Kentucky at Florida, 10 a.m., Channel 2
Kansas at Texas Tech, 11 a.m., ESPN
Seton Hall at Creighton, 11:30 a.m., Channel 11
Louisville at Virginia, 1 p.m., ESPN
North Carolina at Duke, 3 p.m., ESPN
George Washington at Dayton, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Sunday
Michigan at Maryland, 9 a.m.,. Channel 11
Memphis at Houston, 9 a.m., Channel 2
Ohio State at Michigan State, 1:30 p.m., Channel 2

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On today, the 58^th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game in Hershey, Pennsylvania – there are highlights to be seen on NBA TV at 9:30 a.m. — what we know about this stage of the NBA schedule upcoming:

== The Lakers may face their most challenging week of the regular season — Eastern Conference leading Milwaukee rumbles into town, and displays its wares between visits by Philadelphia and the Clippers.
The Bucks, on pace for a 70-win season, handled the Lakers in Milwaukee, 111-104, on Dec. 19, behind 34 points, seven assists and 11 rebounds by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also hit a career-best five 3-pointers. This, despite 36 points and 10 rebounds from Anthony Davis and LeBron James’ 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. The backstory: The Bucks’ bench outscored the Lakers’ bench 34-4, led by George Hill’s 21. The Lakers were also ending a five-game road trip. This was the first meeting of two teams that were 20 games over .500 since 1980. It was also the first time all three Antetokounmp brothers could share a moment on their NBA teams – Giannis and teammate (and older brother) Thanasis, lus younger brother Kostas, on the Lakers’ roster.

== In the latest odds to win the 2020 NBA championship have been posted by BetOnline.ag, Milwaukee has improved from 3/1 to 9/4, while the Lakers are going in the other direction, at 11/4 versus 2/1 on Feb. 4. The Clippers have also improve to 7/2 over 15/4.

== This third Lakers-Clippers meeting was originally scheduled to be their last, but the postponed game from Jan. 28 has been reassigned to April 9.
In the previous two meetings, neither Anthony Davis nor LeBron James were the highest-scoring Laker. Maybe that’s why the Clippers have won the first two meetings? Going back:
= 112-102 on opening night Oct. 22, with Kawhi Leonard scoring 30 points and Paul George sidelined vs. Anthony Davis’ 25 and LeBron James’ 18, plus a team-best 28 by Danny Green, the highest-scoring debut by a Laker in franchise history.
= 111-106 on Christmas Day, when the Lakers blew a 15-point lead in the third quarter and seven in the fourth. Leonard had 11 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter. George added 17. The Lakers got 25 from Kyle Kuzman, while James had 23 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to go with Davis’ 24 points. It was the Lakers’ fourth loss in a row at the time.

How the week unfolds for the Lakers (46-13, still No. 1 in Week 20 of the ESPN NBA Power Rankings):
= Vs. Philadelphia, Staples Center, Tuesday at 7 p.m., TNT
= Vs. Milwaukee, Staples Center, Friday at 7:30 p.m., ESPN, Spectrum SportsNet
= At Clippers, Staples Center, Sunday at 12:30 p.m., Channel 7

How the week unfolds for the Clippers (41-19, who jump from No. 6 to No. 3 in the ESPN NBA Power Rankings):
= At Oklahoma City, Tuesday at 5 p.m., Prime Ticket
= At Houston, Thursday at 5 p.m., TNT, Prime Ticket
= Vs. Lakers, Staples Center, Sunday at 12:30 p.m., Channel 7

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The timing of Sunday’s Dodger Stadium-to-Santa Monica Los Angeles Marathon (6 a.m. to 11 a.m., Channel 5) may seem a bit off. The 35^th annual race comes a week after the U.S. Olympic trials happen in Atlanta, which kind of takes a lot of the potential high-profile runners out of the loop. That leaves 24,000 spots to fill. It begin again at Dodger Stadium – 6:30 a.m. for wheelchairs, 6:42 a.m. for handcycles, 6:45 a.m. for the elite women and 6:55 for the elite men and the rest of the field. Kenya’s Elisha Barno won the men’s division last year in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 45 seconds, passing John Korir Kipsang with 200 meters to go and won by seven seconds – the closest ever L.A. men’s marathon finish. Ethiopia’s Askale Merachi won the women’s division in 2:24:11, a course record. Utah native and former Weber State standout Lindsey Anderson, at 34,  was the highest women’s finisher at 2:34.44, for sixth place.
More info: www.lamarathon.com

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Carlos Vega wonders again what the opinion around L.A. may be after MLS opening week about the arrival of  Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez?
All is a soft opening.
The Galaxy, after a season-opening draw against Houston, go to the home pitch for the first time – Galaxy vs. Vancouver, at Dignity Health Sports Park, Saturday at 7 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet.
Meanwhile, Vega’s LAFC plays host to  Philadelphia, Banc of California Stadium, Sunday at 7:30 p.m., FS1. It’s the second of three in a row to open the season at home for the 1-0 LAFC.

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This week in college baseball also gives UCLA (11-0) and USC (7-3) a chance to feel each other out in the Southern California College Baseball Classic, which isn’t at Dodger Stadium because of construction.

How the week plays out for UCLA (11-0 after a 4-0 week against Pepperdine and three wins in the Frisco College Classic in Texas)
= At UC Santa Barbara, Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
SoCal College Baseball Classic:
= Vs. Vanderbilt, at Jackie Robinson Stadium, Friday at 6 p.m.
= Vs. TCU, at Jackie Robinson Stadium, Saturday at 2 p.m.
= Vs. USC, at Dedeaux Field, Sunday at 3 p.m., Pac-12 Network

How the week plays out for USC (7-3 after winning two of three against visiting Seton Hall)
= Vs. UC Irvine, Dedeaux Field, Tuesday at 6 p.m.
SoCal College Baseball Classic:
= Vs. TCU, at Dedeaux Field, Friday at 6 p.m.
= Vs. Vanderbilt, at Dedeaux Field, Saturday at 2 p.m.
= Vs. UCLA, at Dedeaux Field, Sunday at 3 p.m., Pac-12 Net
(Also: Vanderbilt vs. TCU, Dedeaux Field, Sunday at 10 a.m.)

How the week plays out for Long Beach State (8-3 after winning two of three against No. 6 Mississippi State)
= At San Diego State, Tuesday at 6 p.m.
= Vs. Xavier, Blair Field, Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m.
How the week plays out for Cal State Northridge (8-3, losing three of four at No. 17 Central Florida last weekend)
= At Gonzaga, Friday at 3 p.m.; Saturday doubleheader at 1 and 4:30 p.m., Sunday at noon
How the week plays out for Cal State Fullerton (4-7, losing three of four last week, including 7-1 vs. USC)
= Vs. Arizona State, Goodwin Field, Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Wednesday at 6 p.m.
= At Texas, Friday at 4:30 p.m., Saturday at noon, Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

How the week plays out for Loyola Marymount (4-7 after losing twice last week, including a 4-3, 24-inning decision at UC Davis)
= Vs. UC Riverside, Page Stadium, Tuesday at 6 p.m.
= At San Jose State, Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., Sunday at noon
How the week plays out for Pepperdine (9-1, including the Waves’ first loss of the season last week against UCLA)
= At Florida Gulf Coast, Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
= Vs. Michigan, at Eddy D. Field Stadium, Friday at 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.

** What we can still gather about the NHL this deep into the regular season:
== Kyle Clifford and Jack Campbell come back to Staples Center with Toronto to meet up with their former Kings’ teammates – what’s left of them – for the first time since they were traded away.
== The Ducks don’t face Ottawa at Honda Center until March 10. Might want to get tickets now if you care to give a rousing cheer to the Senators’ Bobby Ryan.
== Also this week for the Kings (25-35-6 for 56 points, on a three-game win streak, 6-3-1 in their last 10, but still last in the Western Conference, starting a stretch of nine home games in a row and continuing a run of 14 home games out of 15):
= Vs. Toronto, Staples Center, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Fox Sports West
= Vs. Minnesota, Staples Center, Saturday at 1 p.m., Fox Sports West
Also this week for the Ducks (26-31-8 for 60 points, tied with San Jose for next-to-last in the West):
= At Chicago, Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., Fox Sports West
= At Colorado, Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., NBCSN
= Vs. Toronto, Honda Center, Friday at 7 p.m., Prime Ticket
= Vs. Minnesota, Honda Center, Sunday at 6 p.m., Prime Ticket

**The XFL Week 5 has your L.A. Wildcats (1-3) playing host to Tampa Bay (1-3) in an odd night game – Sunday, 6 p.m., ESPN, Dignity Sports Health Park.
The rest of the schedule:
Seattle at Houston, Saturday at 11 a.m., Channel 7
New York at Dallas, Saturday at 2 p.m., Channel 11
St. Louis at D.C., Sunday at noon, FS1

**The PGA Champions Tour comes to Newport Beach Country Club for the Hoag Classic, Friday through Sunday, Golf Channel (3-5 p.m. Friday, 2:30-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday).
Kirk Triplett is the defending champion. The field includes Fred Couples, John Daly, John Cook, Ernie Els, Hale Irwin, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Tom Kite, Bernhard Langer,  Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Rocco Mediate, Jose Maria Olazabal, Corey Pavin, Vijay Singh and Duffy Waldorf.

Before we get into the numbers, we start, and end, a week where the basketball world is trying to celebrate a person instead of grieve a loss:

== The Kobe Bryant public memorial from Staples Center — Monday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – will be produced by Spectrum News 1 and Lakers cable TV partner Spectrum SportsNet and air on both services (with repeats through the day).
We have heard it will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel with performances by Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera.
Others who have committed to airing the coverage (with how it is listed on their programming menu):
= KCBS-Channel 2: “Celebration of Life for Kobe and Giana Bryant” (with coverage starting at 9 a.m.)
= KNBC-Channel 4
= KTLA-Channel 5: “KTLA 5 News Special Edition: Kobe & Gianna Bryant Memorial” (with news coverage starting at 4 a.m.)
= KABC-Channel 7: “Eyewitness News Special Report: Kobe and Gianna Bryant Memorial)
= KCAL-Channel 9: “Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant”
(with coverage starting at 9 a.m.)
= KTTV-Channel 11: “Kobe Memorial Service” (with “GoodDay LA starting at 4 a.m.)
= KEVA-Channel 52 Spanish: “Kobe Bryant Memorial Service”
= ESPN: “A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant”
= NBA TV: “Kobe Bryant Memorial Service”
= CNN: “Kobe Bryant Memorial Service)
= E!: “E! News: Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant
= BET: “BET Remembers: Kobe Bryant”
= ESPN Deportes: “SportsCenter Especial”
Streaming will also be on LATimes.com, NBCNewsNOW.com, ETLive.com, Yahoo Sports and Facebook Watch. Radio coverage will be on the Lakers’ KSPN-AM (710) flagship station.

== A statue for Hank Gathers, the Loyola Marymount University star who died in 1990 during a conference playoff game at the age of 23, will be dedicated outside Gersten Pavilion on Saturday at 4 p.m. prior to the Lions’ final regular-season home game against San Francisco. It’s the 30^th anniversary of LMU’s run to the Elite Eight in the weeks after Gathers’ death, collapsing on the court during the West Coast Conference tournament. Gersten Pavilion became known as “Hank’s House.” Former LMU coach Paul Westhead and members of the 1989-90 team will be on campus for the ceremony and game. The team will be recognized at center court at halftime.
The statue was created by the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany, which designed notable sports pieces including statues at the Staples Center and the Michael Jordan statue in Chicago.
The Gathers family was invited to preview the statue in progress, and LMU captured his mother, Lucille, with her first impressions in this touching video:

Donations are being accepted to help fund the statue, including the opportunity for donor’s names to be etched on the statue’s base.
For more information visit www.Hank44.lmu.edu

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What we know about the NBA coming up:
== In case you weren’t aware of how it works, a New York Times sportswriter is explaining to us – well, we doubt L.A. is the main audience for this – what the Lakers and Clippers rivalry means these days.
OK, we’re good. Continue reading “02.24.20: Five things for the week ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance” →

What we think we know about the NBA going into the final couple months of the regular season, now that All-Star Weekend has wrapped up and no one has to play a game again until Thursday at the earliest:
== The Lakers have 29 games left, the Clippers have 27, and the teams have to play each other twice more, once on Sunday March 8, and then figure out how to rescheduled the postponed game from Jan. 28.
How the rest of the week unfolds for the Lakers (41-21, still at No. 2 in the ESPN NBA Power Rankings)
= Vs. Memphis, Staples Center, Friday at 7:30 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet
= Vs. Boston, Staples Center, Sunday at 12:30 p.m., Channel 7
How the rest of the week unfolds for the Clippers (37-18, still at No. 6 in the ESPN NBA Power Rankings)
= Vs. Sacramento, Staples Center, Saturday at 12:30 p.m., Prime Ticket

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What we get a better sense about with the college basketball season two weeks away from March:
== Do we have to be aware of 23-2 Dayton? Obi Toppin’s team is one spot below 26-0 San Diego State in the latest AP Top 25, still trailing Baylor (23-1), Gonzaga (26-1) and Kansas (22-3). The Pac 12 is represented by Oregon (20-6), up three spots to No. 14; Colorado (20-6), down two spots to No. 18, and Arizona (18-7), up two spots to No. 24.
How the week plays out for USC (19-7, 8-5 in the Pac-12, and the No. 10 seed in the Midwest in the latest ESPN Bracketology)
= At Colorado, Thursday at 6 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
= At Utah, Sunday at 3 p.m., ESPNU
How the week plays out for UCLA (15-11, 8-5, and not one of the six Pac-12 schools in the ESPN Bracketology)
= At Utah, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., FS1
= At Colorado, Saturday at 1 p.m., Channel 2

How the week plays out for Cal State Northridge (11-16, 6-5 and tied for second in the Big West)
= Vs. UC Irvine, Matadome, Saturday at 7 p.m.
How the week plays out for Long Beach State (9-17, 4-6 in the Big West)
= At UC Irvine, Wednesday at 7 p.m., ESPN3
= Vs. Hawaii, Walter Pyramid, Saturday at 4 p.m., ESPN3

How the week plays out for Loyola Marymount (9-17, 3-9 in the West Coast Conference)
= At Saint Mary’s, Thursday at 8 p.m., CBSSN
= At Portland, Satrday at 7 p.m.
How the week plays out for Pepperdine (14-13, 7-6 in the West Coast Conference)
= At Portland, Thursday at 6 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet
= At San Francisco, Saturday at 3 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet Continue reading “02.17.20: Five things for the week ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance” →

What we surmised about the NBA grinds toward its All Star weekend — not the mid-season point, please — with more Kobe Bryant tributes with its new complicated reformat:
== TNT (Sunday, 6 p.m., in Chicago) again has Team LeBron facing Team Giannis again, which last year had the LeBrons posting a 178-164 win in Charlotte, N.C., and Kevin Durant was the MVP. This, after Team Giannis took at 53-37 lead in the first quarter.
This is the third time the league has diverted from an East-vs.-West format, yet Team James has a starting lineup of all West guys – including Lakers’ pal Anthony Davis, who he also picked first last year off the Pelicans roster, and Team Antetokounmpo is all East.
Why bother having a draft?
Team LeBron will all wear the No. 2 in honor of Gianna Bryant; Team Giannis will all wear No. 24 in honor of Kobe Bryant.
But seriously, this would be a more compelling watch if we had a Team USA against a World squad, especially in an Olympic year. It’s what they’re doing in the Friday Rising Stars Challenge.
Also: NBA Dunk Contest (Dwight Howard, Derrick Jones, Aaron Gordon and Pat Connaughton) and 3-point Shot Contest, Saturday, TNT, 5 p.m.; Rising Stars Challenge, Friday at 6 p.m., TNT

How the rest of the week unfolds for the Lakers (39-12, still No. 2 in Week 17 of the ESPN NBA Power Rankings)
= Vs. Phoenix, Staples Center, Monday at 7:30 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet
= At Denver, Wednesday at 7 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet, ESPN
How the rest of the week unfolds for the Clippers (37-16, revived with Marcus Morris, but temporarily dropping to a new low of No. 6 in the ESPN NBA Power Rankings)
= At Philadelphia, Tuesday at 4 p.m., TNT, Prime Ticket
= At Boston, Thursday at 5 p.m., TNT, Prime Ticket

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What we read about he PGA Tour’s one last loop of SoCal after checking in on Torrey Pines and Palm Desert:
== The new Tiger Woods-hosted event called the Genesis Invitational with a $9.3 million purse remains a tournament the host has never won.
It’s been suggested it would be appropriate if he did, for career Tour win No. 83, breaking the all-time record he shares currently with Sam Snead.
== J.B. Holmes won it last year at 14-under, one stroke better than Justin Thomas, with Rory McIlroy tied for fourth, Adam Scott dropping to a tie for seventh, Dustin Johnson tied for ninth and Tiger Woods falling to a tie for 15^th after shooting 70-71-65-72.
== If form holds, Bubba Watson will win. He has captured this title in 2014 (269), 2016 (269) and 2018 (272). Continue reading “02.10.20: Five things for the week ahead based on unscientific evidence of guaranteed importance” →

The ways we still struggle to move forward with the NBA, about 50 games done, some 30 more to go and the All Star Game weekend still in the distance:

== The trade deadline is noon Thursday.
If could trade everything that happened last week in the NBA for something different, we’d take it.
Now the reality is: The Lakers may have some holes they’d like to fill and some have been rumored to be offered as bait – Kyle Kuzman anyone? — but do they dare mess with roster chemistry in the way it has bonded since the death of Kobe Bryant? What are the Clippers searching for?
Which players are most likely to be dealt? Hard to say really. Many are trying hard to read between the lines.

== The latest odds by BetOnline.ag for the NBA champions has Milwaukee (3/1) a clear favorite over the No. 2 and 3 teams – the Lakers, at 7/2 and Clippers at 4/1. The defending champion Toronto Raptors – remember? – are 20/1. The defending Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors are 500/1. The New York Knicks (with Atlanta and Cleveland) are 1000/1.

== According to projections at FiveThirtyEight.com, seven teams have greater than a 99 percent chance or better to make the playoffs in the Western Conference: Lakers, Clippers, Utah, Dallas, Denver, Houston and Oklahoma City. The Lakers and Clippers are co-favorites to win the NBA title at 21 percent each (with Milwaukee at 19 percent).
In the West, only the No. 8 spot is open — the team that will go up against the Lakers or Clippers in the first round. Best percentages are on New Orleans (46 percent) over Portland (39 percent), two teams the Lakers would not be all that happy to see. So what does Memphis, San Antonio, Phoenix, Sacramento, Minnesota and Golden State have to look forward to?
In the East, six teams are better than 99 percent, with Orlando (94 percent) and New Jersey (86 percent) filling out the last two slots behind Milwaukee, Boston, Toronto, Miami, Philadelphia and Indiana. Chicago and Washington have a far outside shot, better than the less-than-one percent given to Atlanta, Detroit, Charlotte, Cleveland or New York.
So why play the rest of the season past the Feb. 16 All-Star break?

How the rest of the week unfolds for the Lakers (31-11, 3 1/2 games up in the Western Conference, still No. 2 in the ESPN NBA Power Rankings behind Milwaukee):
= Vs. San Antonio, Staples Center, Tuesday at 7 p.m., TNT, Spectrum SportsNet
= Vs. Houston, Staples Center, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., TNT
= At Golden State, Saturday at 5:30 p.m., Channel 7

How the rest of the week unfolds for the Clippers (34-15, second in the Western Conference, with Paul George back, but still No. 4 in the ESPN NBA Power rankings, with Toronto moving to No. 3) now that San Diego State has retired Kawhi Leonard’s jersey:
= Vs. San Antonio, Staples Center, Monday at 7:30 p.m. Prime Ticket
= Vs. Miami, Staples Center, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket
= At Minnesota, Saturday at 5 p.m., Prime Ticket
= At Cleveland, Sunday at 4:30 p.m., Prime Ticket

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The latest we are trying to figure out about the college basketball season with March Madness just a month away:

== The latest AP Top 25 poll continues to give 19-1 Baylor (49 first place votes) a healthy push over 23-1 Gonzaga, which has LMU this week. San Diego State’s 23-0 mark remains fourth behind 18-3 Kansas.
The highest-ranked Pac-12 team, Oregon (18-5), dropped three spots to No. 14. Arizona (15-6), which has USC and UCLA this week, moved up three spots to No. 23, and Colorado (17-5) dropped four spots to No. 24 after a loss to UCLA. No other Pac-12 team received a vote.
== If you look at the NCAA Power 36, SDSU is No. 3, Oregon and Arizona are Nos. 17 and 18, and Colorado is 25.
== Sniffing around Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology on ESPN:  Oregon is a No. 3 seed, but in the South (where Baylor is No. 1), Arizona is a No. 7 seed in the Midwest (where Kansas is No. 1) and Colorado is a No. 6 seed and USC is a No. 8 seed in the West (where San Diego State is No. 1). Gonzaga’s top seed zigs the Zags over to the … East? He also has UC Irvine as the Big West rep, a No. 15 seed in the East served up to No. 2 Seton Hall.

How the week plays out for USC (17-5, 6-3 in the Pac-12, 0-2 against teams in the AP Top 25)
= At Arizona, Thursday at 6 p.m., ESPN2
= At Arizona State, Saturday at 7 p.m., FS1
How the week plays out for UCLA (12-10, 5-4 in the Pac-12, just 1 1/2 games out of the lead, and 1-2 against teams in the AP Top 25 coming off a win vs. Colorado)
= At Arizona State, Thursday at 8 p.m., ESPN2
= At Arizona, Saturday at 7 p.m., ESPN2

How the week plays out for Cal State Northridge (9-15, 4-4 in the Big West)
= Vs. UC Riverside, Matadome, Saturday at 7 p.m.
How the week plays out for Long Beach State (7-16, 2-5 in the Big West)
= At Cal Poly, Wednesday at 7 p.m.

How the week plays out for Pepperdine (12-11, 5-4 in the WCC, coming off a win at LMU last Saturday in OT)
= Vs. Santa Clara, Firestone Fieldhouse, Thursday at 7 p.m., WCC Network
= At Pacific, Saturday at 7 p.m., WCC Network
How the week plays out for Loyola Marymount (8-15, 2-7 in the WCC coming off a loss to Pepperdine in OT last Saturday at home, 0-2 against the AP Top 25)
== At Gonzaga, Thursday at 8 p.m., CBSSN

Games of national interest this week include:
Monday
North Carolina at Florida State, 4 p.m., ESPN
Texas at Kansas, 6 p.m., ESPN
Baylor at Kansas State, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Tuesday
Duke at Boston College, 4 p.m., ESPN
Rutgers at Maryland, 4 p.m., FS1
Penn State at Michigan State, 5 p.m., Big Ten Net
Mississippi State at Kentucky, 6 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday
Villanova at Butler, 3:30 p.m., FS1
Seton Hall at Georgetown, 5:30 p.m., FS1
Wake Forest at Louisville, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Thursday
Cal at Colorado, 5 p.m., Pac 12 Net
Stanford at Utah, 7 p.m., Pac 12 Net
Friday
Harvard at Yale, 2 p.m., ESPNU
Maryland at Illinois, 5 p.m., FS1
Saturday
Kansas at TCU, 9 a.m., FS1
Miami at Florida State, 9 a.m., ACC Net
Michigan State at Michigan, 9 a.m., Channel 11
LSU at Auburn, 9 a.m.
DePaul at Georgetown, 9 a.m.
Kentucky at Tennessee, 10 a.m., Channel 2
Seton Hall at Villanova, 11:30 a.m., Channel 11
Virginia at Louisville, 1 p.m., ESPN
Oklahoma State at Baylor, 3 p.m., ESPN2
Duke at North Carolina, 3 p.m., ESPN
Stanford at Colorado, 3 p.m., Pac 12 Net
San Diego State at Air Force, 5 p.m., CBSSN
Cal at Utah, 5 p.m., Pac 12 Net
Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s, 7 p.m.
Oregon at Oregon State, 7:30 p.m., Pac 12 Net
Sunday
Butler at Marquette, 9 a.m., FS1
Ohio State at Wisconsin, 10 a.m., Channel 2
Cincinnati at UConn, 9 a.m., CBSSN
Wichita State at Houston, noon, ESPN
Notre Dame at Clemson, 3 p.m., ACC Network
Washington at Washington State, 3 p.m., ESPNU
Northwestern at Rutgers, 3:30 p.m., Big Ten Net

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What we know about the NHL and the brutal week ahead for the Kings and Ducks away from home:
== Alex Ovechkin has passed Mark Messier for No. 8 on the career goals list with 695. Could he reach the 700 mark in Tuesday’s game against the Kings at home?
“Eight is a good number,” the Capitals captain said after Friday’s accomplishment, since he wears No. 8, and recently changed it to wear  No. 24 in honor of Kobe Bryant. “I would say it’s nice to be in good company. There are a lot of legends up there.”
In the Caps’ 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday, Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet, staying at 37 goals for the season. That game marked the 50th meeting between Ovechkin and Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby. The Pens have won 31 of the 50 Crosby versus Ovechkin games dating to their NHL debuts during the 2005-06 season.

How the week lays out for the Kings (19-29-5, last in the Western Conference after a loss to the Ducks at home)
= At Washington, Tuesday at 4 p.m., Fox Sports West
= At N.Y. Islanders, Thursday at 4 p.m., Fox Sports West
= At New Jersey, Saturday at 4 p.m., Fox Sports West
= At N.Y. Rangers, Sunday at 3 p.m., Fox Sports West

Also this week for the Ducks (21-26-6, next to last in the Western Conference)
= At Ottawa, Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., Prime Ticket
= At Montreal, Thursday at 4 p.m., Prime Ticket
= At Toronto, Friday at 4 p.m., Prime Ticket
= At Buffalo, Sunday at noon, Prime Ticket

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Welcome again to the XFL.
Ahem…
L.A. has been waiting 19 years to defend its one and only XFL championship. Sorry, Chiefs, but this wait has seemed more than just a half century.
The new post-NFL eight-team league starts Saturday and Sunday. It runs 10 weeks until April 12. Playoffs (April 18-19) lead to a title game on Sunday, April 26 on ESPN.
Then, we rest.
Your Los Angeles Wildcats – and if you ask us to identify any one of them, including the coach, you’ll get a blank stare – starts the season at Houston, 2 p.m. on Channel 11, with Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt.
OK, so we know Norm Chow is the offensive coordinator. Former USC receiver De’Quan Hampton is listed on the roster.
The hook: New rules tested out. Like the “Double Pass” – a team can complete a pass behind the line of scrimmage and then throw a second forward pass as long as they haven’t crossed the line of scrimmage. The NFL and college only allow one forward pass per play. What does it matter? It’s less risky. If the first pass is incomplete, it’s not a fumbled lateral.

Also:
Seattle at D.C, Saturday at 11 a.m., Channel 7 (Steve Levy and Greg McElroy)
Tampa Bay at New York, Sunday at 11 a.m., Channel 11 (Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen)
St. Louis at Dallas, Sunday at 2 p.m., ESPN (Tom Hart, Joey Galloway and Pat McAfee)

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Pro Bull Riding returns to Staples Center (Friday at 7:45 p.m. and Saturday at 6:45 p.m.), the day after a Lakers-Rockets game and two days before it needs to go back to basketball.
What do we know about the PBR?
Not a heck of a lot except … Who are we kidding? There was a great interview that Jim Gaffigan did with Stephen Colbert the other night, talking about how he had to do a comedy show at a pro bull riding event in San Antonio recently.

= The PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Thursday-Sunday, Golf Channel and Channel 2, noon to 3 p.m. each day) is the next-to-last West Coast swing stop before Riviera.

== The CONCACAF Women’s Olympic qualifiers happen at Dignity Heath Sports Park in Carson with semifinals on Friday starting at 4 p.m. (Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up and Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up, with the U.S. playing in Group A and Canada and Mexico in Group B). The U.S. game airs at 7 p.m. on FS1. Then, the final on Sunday at 3 p.m. on FS2 (bumped there from FS1 because of NHRA).