UCLA has options to try and slow Arizona’s Caleb Love

• December 14, 2024

LOS ANGELES — Oftentimes, the starting guards for the UCLA men’s basketball team will find themselves in a healthy discourse. The defensive-minded trio debates which one gets to check the opponents’ best offensive option.

“It comes down to who we’re playing,” senior Kobe Johnson said on Wednesday. “Depends on the sizing, the matchup.”

The topic for discussion between Johnson and his stoic sidekicks, this week, was Caleb Love, the erratic fireball, who leads Arizona in scoring (14.1 points per game) and can torch any defense if he sees his first shot fall. Johnson and junior Dylan Andrews each have experience facing Love over the last few years in Pac-12 battles. But according to Johnson, Louisville transfer Skyy Clark might get the “Love matchup.”

It’s a good problem to have three starters all willing and capable of taking on a challenge such as guarding Love. In reality, when the 24th-ranked Bruins (8-1) take on the Wildcats (4-4) on Saturday afternoon in a neutral-site game at Phoenix’s Footprint Center, each will get the opportunity. And the two who aren’t on Love during a given possession need to stay wary as this Wildcats team is loaded with backcourt scorers.

Jaden Bradley and KJ Lewis, who each brought a spark off the bench last season, entered the starting lineup this season and have improved their production. Bradley is averaging 12 ppg, while Lewis is up to 10.3. Arizona also added Campbell transfer Anthony Dell’Orso, who is shooting 50% on 3.8 3-point shot attempts per game.

“They’ve had a changing of the guard,” UCLA head coach Mick Cronin said.

These aren’t the Oumar Ballo, Pelle Larson, grind-it-out Wildcats who traded regular-season Pac-12 titles with the Bruins and edged them for the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament championship. These Wildcats aren’t as dominant on the glass, or as imposing with their pace. That said, according to Cronin, they’re still trying to play with a familiar style. Similar sets, similar tendencies, just different personnel.

And those players are still trying to learn one another while navigating one of the nation’s toughest early-season schedules.

“They’re 4-4, but metrically, they’re in the Top 25,” Cronin said. “So it tells you they’re a Top 25 team.

Viewing them as such is important for the Bruins, who have had five days to come down from the high of celebrating Andrews’ game-winning, bank-shot 3-pointer against No. 12 Oregon on Sunday in Eugene.

What was ultimately a 73-71 victory was almost a disaster for the Bruins as Andrews forced an entry pass to Tyler Bilodeau that was deflected, intercepted and turned into a Jackson Shelstad 3-pointer that put the Ducks ahead by one with 10 seconds left. Then on the ensuing possession, Andrews stumbled and missed Bilodeau, who was sealing a shorter Shelstad, before recovering and saving the possession with the winning shot.

“We struggle throwing the ball to Tyler Bilodeau, right now,” Cronin said after the Oregon game.

On Saturday, the 6-foot-9 Bilodeau, who excels at shooting mid-range jumpers over smaller defenders, will have an advantage against a Wildcats team whose tallest starter is 6-8. It’s a team effort to put him in those positions, though, as the Bruins’ guards need to throw smoother entry passes.

Bilodeau averaged a team high 15.5 ppg over the first six games, but he has had down scoring nights in two of the last three. With the Bruins embarking on a stretch run that includes Arizona, North Carolina, and No. 8 Gonzaga, it’s vital they get Bilodeau going again as those three teams consist of talented guards who won’t turn the ball over as much as previous opponents and will force the Bruins to score in the half court, where Bilodeau flourishes.

No. 24 UCLA (8-1) AT ARIZONA (4-4)

When: Saturday, noon PT

Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix

TV/radio: ESPN2/570 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Austin Reaves rejoins Lakers’ lineup, but LeBron James’ return remains unclear

• December 14, 2024

MINNEAPOLIS — Austin Reaves was back in the Lakers’ lineup for Friday night’s road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing the previous five games because of a bruised left pelvis.

“Feel good,” Reaves said after the team’s Friday morning shootaround. “Been getting treatment about five hours a day for the last week and a half. Feeling really good.”

Reaves suffered the pelvis injury in the Lakers’ Nov. 29 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder after taking a hard fall during the second quarter.

He momentarily went back to the locker room during the final minutes of the second quarter, all of halftime and the start of the third quarter against the Thunder before rejoining the team midway through the third and finished that game before missing the Lakers’ next five.

“I was sore during the game, but I wanted to get out there and compete and try to win that game,” Reaves said. “And unfortunately, we didn’t do that. I felt like it wasn’t beneficial for me or the group to get out there and run around on one leg.”

Before the five-game absence, the fourth-year guard played in 129 consecutive regular-season games from Feb. 7, 2023-Nov. 29, including playing all 82 regular-season games last season.

He also played in 21 playoff games, two Play-In Tournament games and the 2023-24 NBA Cup title game during that stretch.

“I was pissed, to be honest,” Reaves said. “I kind of wanted to keep that streak going. Just want to be available to get on the court every single night with the guys and go and compete.

“But you find the positives in everything and and one of those was to take a week to not just recover the current injury, but just to feel better all in all. That’s what we did and I’m feeling good.”

The Lakers went 2-3 without Reaves, with their offense in particular struggling during his absence.

The team had an offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) of 103.8 in the five games Reaves missed, the league’s third-worst mark during that stretch. They had an offensive rating of 115.5 in their first 19 games with Reaves.

“He’s one of our best players and he’s able to provide us with some thrust and some pace in the halfcourt,” first-year Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Reaves. “Another playmaker, another ball handler. You need multiple ball handlers on the floor anytime you play the Timberwolves because of their wing defenders and their pressure. And then, spiritually, he’s a competitor. I’m looking forward to having him back in the lineup.”

JAMES UPDATE

Star forward LeBron James missed his second consecutive game on Friday with the Lakers listing him out because of left foot soreness after sitting out of last Sunday’s home win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

James didn’t travel with the team to Minneapolis, with the team giving him an excused absence.

Redick said on Wednesday that James had been away from the team the previous few days because of personal reasons, adding that James was “taking some time.”

When asked ahead of Friday’s game whether he had a sense for when James would rejoin the team, Redick responded “no.”

James’ name has been mentioned in trade rumors this week, with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst saying on Wednesday that the Golden State Warriors could target he four-time league MVP in a potential acquisition. James has a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning he would need to approve any deal before it happens.

The Warriors looked into acquiring James prior to last season’s trade deadline.

James, who turns 40 in 2½ weeks, is averaging 23 points (49.5% shooting overall, 35.9% from 3-point range), 9.1 assists and 8 rebounds in 35 minutes per game (23 games).

If James returns to the court for Sunday’s home game against the Memphis Grizzlies, it will have been eight days between games for him after last playing in the Dec. 6 road loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

​ Orange County Register 

Los Alamitos horse racing consensus picks for Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024

• December 14, 2024

The consensus box of Los Alamitos horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Eddie Wilson, Mark Ratzky and Michael Superstein. (Kevin Modesti is on vacation). Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Saturday, December 14, 2024.

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​ Orange County Register 

Santa’s knocking streets off his list during annual tour of Tustin

• December 14, 2024

Santa Claus has been patroling Tustin streets with the local police.

In a beloved holiday tradition, the Tustin Police Department’s Santa Sleigh visits the city’s residential streets each year, children awaiting his arrival from the sidewalks. The patrol stops for photos and visits before moving on to the next street.

It will take the Santa Sleigh 15 nights to reach all corners of Tustin. He’ll be out again starting Monday, Dec. 16, and will finish Dec. 20. Find the streets he is still to visit each night on the city calendar at tustinca.org. Bad weather will cancel a visit.

​ Orange County Register 

Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightings

• December 14, 2024

By MIKE CATALINI and HALLIE GOLDEN

CHATHAM, N.J. — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It’s unclear if it’s drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward.

Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights.

This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what’s behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey’s new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X.

NEW YORK: Unidentified drones spotted flying at locations across NYC, including LaGuardia Airport

But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they’re looking into what’s happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else.

Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on.

In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group.

The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it, has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there.

One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.)

Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she’s glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said.

“I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said.

She doesn’t buy what the governor said, that the drones aren’t a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”

“How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.”

Then there’s the notion that people could misunderstand what they’re seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots.

Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they’re looking at.

Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories.

“It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.”

Federal officials echo Austin’s view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy.

That’s not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects.

For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions.

“My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said.

“Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added.

Golden reported form Seattle.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Friday, Dec. 13

• December 14, 2024

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Scores and stats from Orange County games on Friday, Dec. 13

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.

FRIDAY’S SCORES

GIRLS BASKETBALL

NONLEAGUE

Cerritos 49, University 34

Valencia 48, Oxford Academy 27

GIRLS WATER POLO

VILLA PARK CLASSIC

At Villa Park

Camarillo 8, Villa Park 5

BOYS SOCCER

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

St. Margaret’s 2, Woodbridge 0

NONLEAGUE

Kennedy 3, Whitney 1

Servite 3, El Dorado 0

Santa Fe 3, Oxford Academy 0

Samueli Academy 4, Rancho Alamitos 2

GIRLS SOCCER

NONLEAGUE

Los Amigos 5, Santiago 0

Garden Grove 5, La Quinta 0

​ Orange County Register 

Ian Rankin recommends a gritty crime novel and a Jilly Cooper romance

• December 14, 2024

Ian Rankin is the best-selling author of the Inspector Rebus mysteries and other books. A multiple-award winner, the Edinburgh-based novelist has received an OBE and knighthood for his service to literature. Early one morning while traveling in Paris recently, Rankin took the Q&A and shared a wealth of book recommendations and more.

Q. Please tell readers about your new Rebus novel, “Midnight and Blue.”

“Midnight and Blue” sees retired cop John Rebus imprisoned for murder. He is surrounded by people who mistrust him, hate him, wish harm on him. But when a seemingly impossible crime takes place in a locked cell Rebus is best placed to solve it before the prison erupts.

Q. How challenging is it to deal with changing technology as you write your books?

Technology does give me headaches. Cellphones and surveillance have to be taken into account. Scientific methods of crime-solving evolve rapidly. Vehicles have trackers et cetera. Detailing all of this can become tedious for the reader so I tend to mention it in passing while my main characters focus on the physical detecting.

Q. Music has been an important part of the Rebus books as well as your life. Can you talk about how your use of music has informed the books over time?

Like many authors, I am a frustrated rock star. I bring music into my books to help me get over that fact. And because there is so much music in my books, musicians have become fans and in some cases I have been able to work with them. I interviewed Van Morrison onstage, wrote lyrics for The Charlatans, and made an album with the late great Jackie Leven.

Q. Is there a book or books you always recommend to other readers?

My favourite book is probably “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” by Muriel Spark, a masterclass in concision. It’s only 125 pages long but it is morally and structurally complex, funny and tragic, and says a lot about Edinburgh and Scotland.

I met the author once and got her to sign my copy.

Q. What are you reading now?

I’ve just finished reading “White City” by Dominic Nolan. If James Ellroy were English and writing about London in the 1950s, this would be his book. It’s tough-minded, poetic and bloody, and twistily plotted.

Q. How do you decide what to read next?

I have piles of books waiting to be read. If I’m travelling I might slip a slim novel into my pocket. Or a cover or title might pique my interest.

Q. Do you remember the first book that made an impact on you?

“A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess. A friend loaned me his copy in high school. The film wasn’t available to view in the U.K. and I knew it was a controversial book. But it was also an experimental novel in terms of its language. It showed me what literature could do. It lit a flame.

Q. Is there a book you’re nervous to read?

I’m always nervous to read the latest book by authors I hold in high esteem – especially if I know them personally! Because at some point I’ll meet them and they’ll ask me what I think. Please be good, I tell the book as I open it…

Q. Can you recall a book that felt like it was written with you in mind?

My wife and I were snowed in one winter in rural France. The only book in the house I hadn’t read was my wife’s copy of “Rivals” by Jilly Cooper – a frothy concoction set in a mythically posh England with lots of romance, sex and intrigue – not my usual fare! But I devoured it and have reread it with pleasure since. You never know what type of book might be just your thing!

Q. What’s something – a fact, a bit of dialogue or something else – that has stayed with you from a recent reading?

I reread “The Big Sleep” by Raymond Chandler recently and the opening paragraph is just perfect. We learn a lot about the detective Marlowe from his clothes choices. Then we learn he is about to commence work on a case involving big money. The reader has to read on. We’ve been hooked.

Q. Do you have any favorite book covers?

I remember at high school we studied “Catch-22.” The cover contained no clues, just the title. I was intrigued. I wanted to know what was inside those pages.

Q. Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, are there any titles or narrators you’d recommend?

I don’t listen to audiobooks but when my son was small we had the [U.K. edition] Harry Potter cassettes narrated by Stephen Fry and he was unimprovable.

Q. Is there a genre or type of book you read the most – and what would you like to read more of?

I read mostly crime fiction and literary fiction. I’d like to read more historical non-fiction but I find that my mind wanders, just as it did in lecture theatres!

Q. Which books are you planning to read next?

I’m about to start reading “Tommy the Bruce” by James Yorkston. James is a very fine Scottish musician who’s also a nifty novelist.

Q. Do you have a favorite character or quote from a book?

My favourite character has to be John Rebus (sorry). I wouldn’t have spent 40 years of my life with him if that weren’t the case!

Q. Is there a person who made an impact on your reading life – a teacher, a parent, a librarian or someone else?

I had a terrific English teacher at high school, Mr. Gillespie. He taught us that great song lyrics are poetry. He also admired my earliest attempts at fiction writing.

Q.What do you find the most appealing in a book: the plot, the language, the cover, a recommendation? Do you have any examples?

I’m a plot guy. I want a good story that keeps me on my toes and hungry to know what happens next. I remember reading Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” and thinking at the end – how did the author do that? So I started again from the beginning, this time reading it as an author rather than a reader.

Q. What’s a memorable book experience – good or bad – you’re willing to share?

My wife and I went on safari in Kenya some years back. I needed a long book so packed “War and Peace.” At night it was stiflingly hot in our tent and I would read aloud the sections set during the Russian winter – this was our equivalent of air conditioning!

Q. Do you have a favorite bookstore or bookstore experience?

We are blessed in Edinburgh to have several independent book stores. I use The Edinburgh Bookshop most frequently as it is closest to my home.

Q. What’s something about your book that no one knows?

The character of Christine Esson (one of my detectives) is a real person. She’s a local businesswoman who paid at a charity auction to become a character in my book.

Q. If you could ask your readers something, what would it be?

What is it about John Rebus that you like? I find him complicated and sometimes infuriating. And yet…

More bestsellers, author Q&As, books and more

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The top-selling books at your local independent bookstores. READ MORE

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70 years ago, California executed a woman. Marcia Clark’s new book calls it unjust. READ MORE

Giant steps

Eric Nakamura talks 30th anniversary of Giant Robot and the zine’s future plans. READ MORE

​ Orange County Register 

LA County judge weighing shutdown of Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall

• December 14, 2024

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ordered Probation Department officials to appear for a Dec. 23 hearing to explain why Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall should not be shut down.

The judge’s order came a day after the Probation Department refused to close Los Padrinos in defiance of state law and the Board of State and Community Corrections, the regulatory body overseeing California’s jails and juvenile halls.

The BSCC declared Los Padrinos “unsuitable” for the confinement of youth in October and required L.A. County to either fix severe understaffing or close the facility by Thursday, Dec. 12, a deadline that came and went without the county addressing the issue, according to state inspectors.

Judge Miguel Espinoza’s order to show cause requires the Public Defender’s Office, the Probation Department and the District Attorney’s Office to address why the court shouldn’t transfer all youth housed at Los Padrinos to other secure facilities deemed suitable by the BSCC and bar the use of Los Padrinos until improvements are made.

Espinoza issued his order in a case involving a juvenile accused of robbery and murder, though his decision could impact every youth held inside the juvenile hall. The judge acknowledged the youth in question and “hundreds of other youth currently detained at Los Padrinos remain confined in a facility deemed unsuitable by BSCC” in violation of the state’s Welfare and Institutions Code.

The Probation Department filed a last-ditch appeal with the BSCC one day before the deadline to empty the facility, stating it will present evidence within 30 days showing it failed a recent inspection only because of the BSCC’s “misappropriation and capricious enforcement” of the state’s regulations.

BSCC: Appeal misguided

The BSCC, however, in a Friday letter to L.A. County’s attorneys, denied part of the appeal request because L.A. County had missed the window to challenge certain decisions. Aaron Maguire, executive director of the BSCC, warned that the appeals process does not freeze L.A. County’s legal obligation to close Los Padrinos.

“The only basis to rescind the Board’s Notice of Unsuitability is for the county to remedy the conditions that rendered the facility unsuitable,” Maguire wrote. “The probation department has had over 120 days to improve conditions at Los Padrinos since the initial inspection report was issued and the Welfare and Institutions Code does not provide for additional delays. Los Padrinos remains unsuitable for the confinement of juveniles.”

The BSCC is scheduled to meet Wednesday, Dec. 18, to discuss its options for forcing Los Padrinos to comply with the closure.

Los Padrinos has struggled to maintain consistent staffing since the day it opened in July 2023. Some of the county’s efforts, such as a controversial mandate redeploying field officers from the traditional probation side of the department to Los Padrinos, have led to short-lived stability that crumbled as the number of officers calling out and taking leaves began to rise again.

The understaffing has created a tense environment rife with violence within the county’s largest juvenile detention facility. The Probation Department reported 800 uses of force in the 181 days from Jan. 1 to June 30, according to a report to the Probation Oversight Commission. That’s four incidents per day in which officers intervened with either physical force, or by using pepper spray, and that figure doesn’t include any violence that resolved before officers could intervene.

The BSCC’s most recent inspection, completed just days before the Thursday deadline, found that nearly a quarter of the shifts at Los Padrinos still do not meet the minimum ratios of staff to youth, an increase from about 20% in July.

In a statement, Probation Department spokesperson Vicky Waters doubled down on the argument that the BSCC erred in its determination.

“The Department strongly believes our staffing at Los Padrinos is compliant with state regulations, and have appealed the BSCC’s recent findings,” Waters said. “We’re currently evaluating Judge Espinoza’s order and will respond as required. We also will continue working with our leaders and partners to minimize impact to public safety and the youth in our care.”

Intervention applauded

The Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, as well as other defense attorneys, planned to file motions requesting new placement on behalf of the hundreds of clients still held within Los Padrinos. Those cases, plus any private lawsuits challenging Los Padrinos’ continued operation, will likely be on hold until after Espinoza makes a ruling.

“We are heartened by the Court’s decision to prioritize the well-being of our youth and ensure that they receive the safety and care they deserve,” county Public Defender Ricardo Garcia said in a statement.

Earlier this week, Loyola Law School’s Center for Juvenile Law & Policy sent demand letters through its attorneys urging the Superior Court and the Probation Department to stop using Los Padrinos. Roshell Amezcua, director of the center’s Juvenile Justice Center, said the youth remaining inside the unsuitable facility face risks every day to their physical and mental well-being.

Espinoza’s order is the “first step in getting actual answers to what the court and probation plan to do, a step that should have been taken awhile ago,” she said.

“We at the CJLP are seeking quick action to release our youth to their families and communities, including innovative and creative ways to address behaviors and trauma,” Amezcua said. “We join community members in asking the Juvenile Judges to release our youth and shut it down.”

Eduardo Mundo, chair of the Los Angeles County Probation Oversight Commission, welcomed Espinoza’s intervention. Mundo, who often sits in on juvenile cases, described the East L.A. judge as measured and thoughtful in his deliberations.

The Probation Department’s own data, particularly the 800 uses of force, shows “how bad the hall is,” the commissioner said. The short staffing has left officers unable to do “the most mundane things like walk kids to class on time,” he added.

“They can’t even do that, how can they argue that they can keep the kids safe,” Mundo said. “I don’t know how they’re going to convince him that they’re safely able to supervise these kids with the number of uses of force and the number of problems they have.”

Where can detainees go?

One possible outcome may be the removal of a portion of the youth from Los Padrinos by either sending them to other counties, or to community detention programs where appropriate, he said. Though some advocates strongly oppose the idea, those over 18 could be sent to the county jail temporarily, according to Mundo.

If Los Angeles County can get the population down enough, Los Padrinos may finally stabilize and could shift from fighting constant fires to making actual, long-lasting reforms, he said.

“They can probably remain there if we reduce the population to a number that is equal to the number of staff that regularly come to work and feel safe,” Mundo said.

​ Orange County Register