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Shaq’s Son, Shareef O’Neal, Commits To Arizona Wildcats

Back in November, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal made a rare appearance at the McKale Center. His appearances could become a regular occurrence as his son, Shareef O’Neal, has committed to the Arizona Wildcats.

Although he isn’t as physically imposed as his father, Shareef has become in his own right a very respected player on the court. The style of play for the school’s basketball program is what piqued his interest.

According to 247Sports.com, the Santa Monica (CA) Crossroads product is listed as the No. 31 prospect in the 2018 recruiting class. The 6-foot-9, 210 pound forward averaged 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds last season for Crossroads High.

A four-star recruit, O’Neal unofficially visited Arizona on Nov. 18 with his father. He has received offers from schools such as UCLA, USC, Cal, Kansas and even his father’s alma mater, LSU.

O’Neal’s teammate, Ira Lee, is a 2017 signee with Arizona, who many believes have been actively recruiting him. “The campus was great and the coaches treated us like family,” said O’Neal of his campus visit. “My teammate Ira Lee has been talking to me about the program.”

He will join five-star forward Emmanual Akot as the second member in the 2018 recruiting class for Arizona. His AAU teammate Bol Bol, the son of NBA giant Manute Bol, is the No. 16 player in his recruiting class and holds an offer from Arizona as well.

Arizona is well on its way to becoming the son-of-former-NBA-player university pretty soon.

The City Battle Splits UCLA Men, USC Women Win

NCAA 2017 UCLA vs USC Dual Meet at USC on April 30, 2017 at Loker Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
NCAA 2017 UCLA vs USC Dual Meet at USC on April 30, 2017 at Loker Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

Los Angeles, CA – The crosstown rivals split the Track Meet at Loker Stadium with a anticlimactic finish with both men’s and women’s USC 4x400m relays teams running unopposed.

Those final results gave the USC women the 86-77 win and the Trojan men lost by a score of 88-75. This was the last dual meet before PAC-12 Championships in Oregon on May 13-14.

The fans did some great battles throughout the meet, with Dior Hall, Ky Westbrook, Destinee Brown and Deanna Hill who won the 4x100m with a season-best time of 43.84 to start off the track events.

The men’s battle was tight call after USC Marquis Morris jumped out for quick lead on first leg but once hit third leg coming off the turn UCLA Darnell Roberson closed the gap. Then the footrace left USC with narrow victory for 5 points.

UCLA Junior Leon Powell let the Trojans know that they were here too as he stormed the 100m straightaway to victory and snapped a 14-year Trojan winning streak in the event. He posted a lifetime best of 10.26.

Alexander Barnum had a PR of 10.32 (+0.9) to take second and Christian Sourapas a PR of 10.37 (+0.9) to place third for USC right behind Powell. All three runners benefited from a tight competitive race.

UCLA took advantage of its depth and talent in the distance races to secure precious points for the men’s team.

Anna Cockrell won the 110m women’s hurdles with a PR of 12.91 (+1.1) to lead a USC sweep in the event gaining big points.

USC’s women got another sweep in the 400m hurdles as Amalie Iuel won with a time of 55.62, Cockrell took second with a time of 55.86 and Mecca McGlaston took third with a time of 61.38, her first collegiate 400m hurdles race.

Senior Sage Stone led the way to a Bruin sweep in the men’s high jump with his clearance of 6-10.75 after the favorite USC 2016 NCAA defending champion Randall Cunningham was off his game.

UCLA Jessie Maduka went on to lead a sweep in the women’s triple jump with junior Efe Age (38-10.50) and sophomore Lilliana Hebert (38-04.25).

It was great for the fans to see both teams competing with great sportsmanship. Both teams excelling in their events with plenty of sweeps for both schools.

Now the next test will be how well can these team compete in Oregon on the road to the PAC-12 Title.

 

 

NFL Draft is Here for UCLA & USC?

Los Angeles, Ca – The 2017 NFL Draft is upon us and who will be among the 253 players drafted over the next three days to be in the NFL? Somebody’s life will be changed and placed on a whole new trajectory after their card is read.

“Virtually nothing is impossible in this world if you just put your mind to it and maintain a positive attitude” – Lou Holtz

In Los Angeles there are two major football programs UCLA and USC that every year have NFL talent looking to continue the game on the gridiron. Both schools have a rich tradition of great players moving on to the next level.

Which school will have a player picked first, will it be UCLA Defensive End Takkarist McKinley or USC Defensive Back Adoree’ Jackson.

Can you image if you were in Philadelphia in the 2017 NFL Draft green room waiting for your phone to ring and hear the words welcome to the – – – – – -! Then you are rushed with emotions.

All the hard work from Pop Warner Football, to High School, and picking the right school to showcase your talent. All across america the world will be watching who will get the opportunity to be the next star.

After the draft is over there will be a second chance lottery to sign as a free agent to make a team camp roster. But before the season starts all 32 teams will trim the fat and have 53 man roster with 10 practice players.

Who will be the 2,016 NFL players to start the 2017 season? It most definitely can be you!

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

Philip Rivers & Chargers’ 2017 First-Round Draft Pick Headline DraftFest 2017 at StubHub Center

Nov 9: Chargers receiver (11) Steve Johnson stiff arming Bears defender during the Chicago Bears vs San Diego Chargers (Photo by Jordon Kelly)

The Los Angeles Chargers will celebrate day three of the 2017 NFL Draft (Rounds 4-7) at DraftFest 2017 at StubHub Center on Saturday, April 29. DraftFest is open to the public, and parking and admission are free.  Gates open at 8 a.m., and the party will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The Chargers will also celebrate Carson Community Day with Carson Mayor Albert Robles, Carson community leaders and Carson residents joining the festivities.

Fans attending DraftFest should park in Lots 10, 11 and 12.

DraftFest will mark the first official public appearance for the Chargers’ first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.  A long list of current and former Chargers players will also be in attendance, signing autographs, taking pictures and mingling with fans. The list of current Chargers confirmed to attend includes six-time Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers; tight end Hunter Henrywho led the team and all NFL tight ends in 2016 in touchdown catches; running back Branden Oliver, fullback Derek Watt, cornerback Craig Mager and safety Adrian Phillips. Chargers alums slated to attend include five-time Pro Bowl wide receiverAnthony Miller and three-time Pro Bowl special teams standout Kassim Osgood.

There will be plenty to do for fans of all ages. Live NFL Draft coverage will be broadcast on screens throughout the venue, including the large video board inside StubHub Center, and Rivers will announce the Chargers’ fourth-round draft selection live from the stage at DraftFest. Former Chargers safety Jim Hill will serve as emcee.

While Saturday’s draft festivities are taking place, youngsters in attendance will enjoy a host of interactive NFL Play60 games suitable for kids of all ages. The Chargers will also have several locations set up where fans can shop for exciting new L.A. Chargers apparel.

Fans should also bring their appetite to DraftFest as StubHub Center’s concessionaire, Levy Foods, will offer discounted fare to Chargers fans in attendance.

The 2017 NFL Draft is headquartered in Philadelphia and begins with Round 1 on Thursday, April 27. Rounds 2-3 are set for Friday, April 28 and Rounds 4-7 will commence Saturday, April 29. The Chargers have a total of seven picks in the 2017 NFL Draft with one selection in each round, including the seventh overall pick in the first round.

Download the Chargers App and be sure to follow all the Los Angeles Chargers’ social media platforms and Chargers.com to stay up-to-date on all things related to the 2017 Chargers Draft.

Blake Griffin Will Miss Remainder of Postseason Due to a Toe Injury

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Clippers organization has announced today that power forward Blake Griffin will miss the remainder of the postseason due to a plantar plate injury in the big toe of his right foot.

On Friday, Griffin suffered a toe injury after landing awkwardly following a transition layup during Game 3 of the first round playoff series against the Utah Jazz. With 3:18 left during the first half on Friday, he went to the sideline, slapped a chair on the bench and yelled, “It is worse than I thought,” before exiting the court
and heading to the locker room.

Griffin did not return to the game. He finished the game with 11 points, six rebounds and two assists in just 18 minutes of play.

The X-ray results came out negative, but Griffin was re-evaluated after the game. Surgery is a possibility for Griffin, who will remain in Salt Lake City while wearing a walking boot. The five-time NBA All-Star forward will visit a foot and ankle specialist Dr. Richard Ferkel for rehabilitation and treatment once the Clippers return to Los Angeles on Sunday.

Griffin has been plagued by injuries throughout the majority of his career, including last year’s playoffs when he suffered a quad injury in Game 4 of the first round series against Portland. Not returning to play, the Clippers were eventually eliminated in six games.

His injury marks another playoff blow to a franchise that has dealt with a series of bad luck in the recent years. Last year, Griffin and Paul were both lost to injuries as the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead against Houston in 2015. In 2013, the Clippers were up 2-0 before losing to Memphis in six games after Griffin stepped on teammate Lamar Odom and injured his ankle.

At the heights of his career, Griffin missed 18 straight games earlier this season after undergoing surgery on his right knee. He led the Clippers in scoring and rebounding this season averaging 21.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists.

With the entire team healthy, the Clippers had hopes of challenging Golden State in the second round of this year’s playoffs. Those hopes took a major hit with Griffin unable to play.

Now with Blake’s absence, the Clippers again will be tasked with winning in the postseason without him. With a 2-1 series lead, the Clippers should be fine without Griffin as the Jazz are somewhat in a similar situation without their star player Rudy Gobert.

Chris Paul said Saturday, “We’ll worry about the game when its that time, but right now its about consoling one of the leaders of our team who this means more to him than anything.” Paul led the Clippers back from a second-half deficit with a fourth-quarter takeover. The Clippers star point guard finished with a season-high 34 points, leading the Clippers to a 111-106 victory over Utah giving them a 2-1 lead in the series.

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers stated, “He’s too good of a guy for this to continue to happen. There’s going to be some kind of sunshine for him at some point. You’ve just got to weather the storm.”

The Jazz will host the Clippers for Game 4 on Sunday, April 23rd.

NFL 2017 Preseason Schedule Announced

NFL Preseason Dallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Rams 2nf Half action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Ca on August 13 , 2016. (Photographer Jevone Moore)
Apr 10, 2017​
2017 Preseason Schedule Announced
​​​​​2017 PRESEASON SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

The NFL has finalized its 65-game 2017 preseason schedule, which includes a slate of eight nationally televised preseason games, the league announced today.

The 2017 preseason will kick off on Thursday, August 3 (NBC, 8:00 PM ET) in Canton, Ohio when the Dallas Cowboys face the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL/Hall of Fame Game.

Following is the complete 2017 NFL preseason national television, week-by-week and team-by-team schedule:

2017 NFL PRESEASON NATIONAL TELEVISION SCHEDULE

(All times Eastern)

 

DATEGAMENETWORK (TIME)
Thursday, August 3NFL/Hall of Fame Game, Canton, OH:

Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals

NBC (8:00 PM)
Preseason Week 2 (August 17-21)
Thursday, August 17Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville JaguarsESPN (8:00 PM)
Monday, August 21New York Giants at Cleveland BrownsESPN (8:00 PM)
Preseason Week 3 (August 24-27)
Friday, August 25Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle SeahawksCBS (8:00 PM)
Saturday, August 26Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles RamsCBS (8:00 PM)
Sunday, August 27Chicago Bears at Tennessee TitansFOX (1:00 PM)
Sunday, August 27Cincinnati Bengals at Wash​ington RedskinsFOX (4:30 PM)
Sunday, August 27San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota VikingsNBC (8:00 PM)

2017 PRESEASON WEEK-BY-WEEK SCHEDULE​

NFL/HALL OF FAME GAME – AUGUST 3

Dallas vs. Arizona (NBC, 8/3)

WEEK 1 – AUGUST 10-14

Atlanta at Miami

Dallas at LA Rams

Denver at Chicago

Detroit at Indianapolis

Houston at Carolina

Jacksonville at New England

Minnesota at Buffalo

New Orleans at Cleveland

Oakland at Arizona

Philadelphia at Green Bay

Pittsburgh at NY Giants

San Francisco at Kansas City

Seattle at LA Chargers

Tampa Bay at Cincinnati

Tennessee at NY Jets

Washington at Baltimore

WEEK 2 – AUGUST 17-21

Atlanta at Pittsburgh

Baltimore at Miami

Buffalo at Philadelphia

Carolina at Tennessee

Chicago at Arizona

Denver at San Francisco

Green Bay at Washington

Indianapolis at Dallas

Kansas City at Cincinnati

LA Rams at Oakland

Minnesota at Seattle

New England at Houston

New Orleans at LA Chargers

NY Giants at Cleveland (ESPN, 8/21)

NY Jets at Detroit

Tampa Bay at Jacksonville (ESPN, 8/17)


WEEK
 3 – AUGUST 24-27

Arizona at Atlanta

Buffalo at Baltimore

Carolina at Jacksonville

Chicago at Tennessee (FOX, 8/27)

Cincinnati at Washington (FOX, 8/27)

Cleveland at Tampa Bay

Green Bay at Denver

Houston at New Orleans

Indianapolis at Pittsburgh

Kansas City at Seattle (CBS, 8/25)

LA Chargers at LA Rams (CBS, 8/26)

Miami at Philadelphia

New England at Detroit

NY Jets at NY Giants

Oakland at Dallas

San Francisco at Minnesota (NBC, 8/27)


WEEK 4 – 
AUGUST 31 – SEPTEMBER 1

Arizona at Denver

Baltimore at New Orleans

Cincinnati at Indianapolis

Cleveland at Chicago

Dallas at Houston

Detroit at Buffalo

Jacksonville at Atlanta

LA Chargers at San Francisco

LA Rams at Green Bay

Miami at Minnesota

NY Giants at New England

Philadelphia at NY Jets

Pittsburgh at Carolina

Seattle at Oakland

Tennessee at Kansas City

Washington at Tampa Bay

LA Chargers

P1 Seattle, P2 Saints, P3 @Rams, P4 @49ers

Los Angeles Rams

P1 Dallas, P2 @Oakland, P3 LA Chargers, P4 @Green Bay
*NFL/Hall of Fame Game, Canton, OH

For more from NFL Communications, visit NFLCommunications.com and follow @NFL345.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bishop Montgomery Knocks Off Chino Hills

CIFSS High School Semi Finals State Chino Hills vs Bishop Montgomery on March 14, at El Camino College in Torrance, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

The Bishop Montgomery Knights were able to slow down the offensive onslaught of the Chino Hills Huskies as they won 87-80 in a game held at El Camino College. LaMelo Ball finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists while LiAngelo Ball dropped 25 for Chino. Ethan Thompson had 23 points and 10 rebounds while David Singleton had 25.

The game started fast for the Knights after a delay because of shot clock malfunctions. They jumped out to a 17-6 lead and forced the Huskies to call a timeout. Thompson and Fletcher Tynen scored some easy baskets off penetration. Chino would answer the bell with an 18-6 run to make it 24-23. LiAngelo had it going as he hit a crazy windmill layup and knocked down a fade away three-pointer off the glass.

Both teams got cold in the second quarter and this was a point where the Knights established a slow pace, which frustrated Chino. Bishop only scored 13 points in the quarter as there was a lid on their end, but the slow pace benefitted them. At the half, Chino led with the scoreboard showing 40-39. Scott and LiAngelo combined for 29 for Chino as Thompson paced Bishop with 10.

The intensity of the game picked up in the second half as both teams knew they had a shot at advancing. LaMelo and Gianni Hunt we’re going back and forth exchanging words as neither of them was willing to back down. Both coaches barked their orders to their players more often and the fans from Bishop were going wild. LaMelo hit tough shots including a deadly three where he took some time to marvel at his work as he held his form. It felt as though the Huskies would take momentum, but the Knights finished the quarter strong and led 60-55.

The pace picked up in the fourth as Chino played with a sense of urgency. Elizjah Scott hit the glass hard and found easy buckets for Chino. He finished with 24 points and 19 rebounds! Singleton and Thompson would not be denied as they were as cool as cucumbers all night finishing around the rack. Their point guard, Hunt, set them up nicely with good passes and he made sure LaMelo had a bad night shooting. He embraced the big time matchup and scored 14 himself. He talked about going against LaMelo. Most notably, he recognized LaMelo is a top prospect in the 2019 class, but he believes he is on his level.

“I like that, I like the competitive nature it’s what gets me going. That just added more fuel to the fire and more motivation,” stated Hunt.

The final horn blew and Bishop celebrated their victory. After losing both contests last year to Chino, they were able to win and advance to the semi-finals of state to play Mater Dei. They got a great lift off the bench from super-sub Josh Vazquez. Coach Doug Mitchell talked about his performance.

“He was really calm under pressure. He gave us good minutes,” said the Knights coach. “I thought a lot of people wouldn’t notice that, but I thought he gave us really good minutes tonight.”

This Knights team was really focused and made sure they honed in on the fine details to beat the Huskies who play a fast pace. Chino had scored 130 in their last game and Bishop held them to 80 by making sure they got back on defense and kept fresh bodies on the court to thwart the Ball brothers. The Knights were hyped after a big win, but Thompson noted that after tonight they will shift their attention to the next game.

The game against Mater Dei will be a rematch for Bishop as the Knights beat the Monarchs in the CIF Finals just a few weeks ago. Only this time, a spot in the California State Finals is on the line.

USC Locks Down Washington State

NCAA College Basketball game action during the college basketball game between the Washington State Cougars vs USC Trojans at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

Lock it down, then fire at will.

Coming off of a close loss at Arizona State University, the University of Southern California men’s basketball team returned home with an up-tempo game and snapped its four-game losing streak, defeating Washington State 87-64 Wednesday night at the Galen Center.

Trojan guard Jordan McLaughlin was one rebound shy of finishing with a triple-double with 16 points and 10 assists. McLaughlin led four Trojans in double figures in scoring and drained four from distance alongside teammate Bennie Boatwright 14 points. Chimezie Metu added 15 points and nine rebounds.

“We focused all week in practice on defense and talking,” McLaughlin said. “We executed everything well tonight, especially the game plan. Coach did a good job and we were all locked in.”

“Coach told us we needed to come out strong and not lackadaisical, especially in the first half,” he continued.

The Trojans (22-8 overall, 9-8 conference) came out guns a-blazing. USC completed 54 percent shooting, drained 10 shots from three and forced 11 Washington State first-half turnovers, including six steals in the half.

“We played really well at both ends of the ball,” USC head coach Andy Enfield said. “We had nine steals and seven blocks and that helps you get out in transition. We got deflections and we shared the basketball.”

USC dominated the paint and perimeter shooting in the opening minutes and embarked on a 14-1 run within the first seven minutes, then another 9-0 run just a few minutes later. While the offense was clicking for USC, the Trojans kept the Cougars (13-15, 6-10)  uncomfortable at the other end of the court. The Trojans sank six from distance and led by as many as 22 points, but settled for a comfortable 48-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Boatwright started the second half with a three ball to put the up Trojans up 23 to start the second interval. It was cruise control from there, but the Cougars recovered from its turnovers and found their shot. Washington State forward Robert Franks led the team with 18 points.

Then, with just one minute remaining, McLaughlin nearly picked up a defensive rebound to complete his triple-double, but teammate Jonah Mathews beat him to the board.

“(Mathews and I) talked in the locker room,” said McLaughlin about Mathews’ rebound. “It’s all good.”

Enfield and the Trojans look ahead to their final regular season game at home against Washington. USC can grab a season sweep the state’s teams with a win, but Enfield said the team needs to come out with the same energy as it did against the Cougars.

“I was proud of our players tonight because they were focused,” Enfield said. “They know what’s at stake. As far as our season, we had a two game season, and tonight was game number one. Saturday will be game number two. Then we’ll go from there.”

Mater Dei coaching push them over Ball Brother’s

CIFSS High School Semi finals Basketball doubleheader on February 24, at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

With time winding down in regulation and a packed Galen Center on its feet, LaMelo Ball launched a three as time expired but his shot missed, sending the game into overtime.

Mater Dei scored the first six points in overtime but Chino Hills came back to tie it, 79-79. Spencer Freedmen made two free throws with nine seconds left to give Mater Dei a 83-80 win over Chino Hills in the CIF-SS Open Division semifinal on Friday night.

“I’m proud of the way our team battled back in the second half,” Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight said. “They were killing us on the boards in the first half.”

The highly anticipated matchup got off to a fast start as LaMelo Ball scored 11 points in the first quarter. Freedman matched Ball with 11 points also to give the Monarchs a 22-21 lead in the first quarter.

“We played a great team in an unbelievable environment,” Freedman said. “We knew we had to bring our A game against them.”

Chino Hills settled for too many outside shots in the second half. The new man in the middle made a difference as the Huskies could not find an open lane. Bol Bol finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds while adding five blocks.

Justice Sueing led the Monarchs with 25 points while Freedman finished with 17 points and nine assists.

“There style of play is difficult to go against,” McKnight said. “It’s a pretty good rivalry.”

Mater Dei will play Bishop Montgomery for the CIF-SS Open Division championship on March 4 at the Honda Center.

Bishop Montgomery outlast Sierra Canyon down the stretch

CIFSS High School Semi finals Basketball doubleheader on February 24, at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

With the game tied, 51-51, and 5:20 left in the game, Jordan Schakel drained an off-balance three, followed by two consecutive three-pointers. Schakel would go on to score 15 points in the fourth quarter to help Bishop Montgomery beat Sierra Canyon, 70-63, in the CIF Southern Section Open Division semifinals on Friday at the Galen Center.

“He missed some shots early but he stayed aggressive,” Bishop Montgomery coach Doug Mitchell said. “We played all year for this moment.”

The upset win propels the Knights to the CIF Southern Section Open Division final against Mater Dei at the Honda Center on March 4.

Ethan Thompson led Bishop Montgomery with 21 points while David Singleton added 11 points.

Bishop Montgomery returned all five starters from last years team who lost to Sierra Canyon in the semifinals. They looked more than ready for this game as the Knights jumped out to a 13-2 lead early in the first quarter.

“Coach stressed getting defensive rebounds and stops,” Thompson said. “We just came out and did our job.”

Sierra Canyon took 43-41 lead in the third quarter after a three by Marvin Bagley III. Bagley would finish with 28 points despite struggling early. The Trailblazers went on a 13-0 run in the third quarter but the fourth quarter was all Bishop Montgomery.

“I’m proud of the whole team,” Mitchell said. “They did a great job.”