Prep basketball roundup: Loyola has a dunker to create excitement in Jack Jeffery
It was the night before Thanksgiving and about 100 people were sitting in the Fairfax High gym bleachers to witness a memorable first dunk by…
Sondheimer: Glendale’s Art Samontina finds solace in coaching after loss of son
For nearly 10 minutes last June, Glendale High basketball coach Art Samontina watched on his cell phone in horror as his 6-year-old son, who had…
Simi Valley’s Izak Simpson, recruited from basketball, becomes football star
Jim Benkert, the football coach at Simi Valley High, proudly tells the story of how he discovered defensive end Izak Simpson. Benkert was the scoreboard…
UCLA women’s basketball ranked No. 1 in AP poll for the first time
The UCLA women’s basketball team has a new, coveted designation: best in the country.A day after the Bruins toppled top-ranked South Carolina, they leapfrogged three…
The Sports Report: UCLA has the best team in women’s basketball
Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news. Newsletter Go beyond the scoreboard Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the…
Hernández: UCLA women prove beyond a doubt they are No. 1
The best women’s basketball team in the country plays at Pauley Pavilion.How else can UCLA be described after its 77-62 destruction of No. 1 South…
Clippers beat Kings for fourth win in a row and first NBA Cup victory
The NBA Cup encounter between the Clippers and Sacramento Kings heightened both teams’ awareness even with this being an early-season game.Both teams had lost their…
Prep basketball roundup: Alijah Arenas vs. Tajh Ariza brings out James Harden to watch
Two of the top teams in the City Section led by the sons of former NBA players Gilbert Arenas and Trevor Ariza faced off on…
Prep basketball: Heritage Christian duo makes impressive debut
Ten pounds heavier and with bulging biceps, San Diego State commit Tae Simmons of Heritage Christian sure looked the part of a dominant inside player…
Sotomayor basketball team chooses to play after tragic deaths
What’s a high school basketball team supposed to do when a week before its season begins, the starting point guard and a former player are…
Surprise! UCLA basketball may not sign any high school recruits
UCLA’s latest high school basketball signing class could make history.It might not exist.For the first time in at least a quarter of a century, the…
UCLA basketball blows out Boston University but issues remain
The long road back to prestige started at home, against a largely anonymous opponent.Having failed its first test against a mid-major, UCLA took a step…
Prep Rally: St. John Bosco is the team to beat in high school basketball
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. The high school basketball season begins next week. Let’s take a…
The Times’ preseason top 25 high school basketball rankings
The Times’ preseason top 25 boys basketball rankings.Rk.; School; Comment1.; ST. JOHN BOSCO; Brandon McCoy, Elzie Harrington, Christian Collins are impressive trio to build around.2.;…
Sondheimer: SoCal has the best high school basketball anywhere
If you’re a fan of amateur basketball, there’s no better place to spend the next four months than Southern California, where talent at the high…
UCLA basketball mulls going with taller lineup against New Mexico
Having revealed his small-ball starting lineup, UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin soon will have a decision to make when he wants to go big.Does he…
UCLA basketball hopes an ensemble cast can put it back on top
One of the lead architects of four NBA championship teams wanted to see the modern blueprint for building a winner in the college game.While coaching…
With loss to Thunder, Clippers remain winless at Intuit Dome
The Clippers’ locker room was mostly empty and quiet Saturday night, a sense of dread appearing to envelop the team following its third consecutive loss.After…
Hanif Abdurraqib’s new book shows basketball can be poetry
Welcome to the L.A. Times Book Club newsletter.Hello, fellow readers. I’m culture critic, fervent bookworm and hoops head Chris Vognar.This week we speak with poet…
‘The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh’ review: A funny, oddball new series
“The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh,” premiering Thursday on Prime Video, is a funny, splendid, oddball new series from Vijal Patel, whose own family experience it reflects…