Andrew Bynum
Lakers center Andrew Bynum made a case for contract extension, as he scored 23 points, snatched eight rebounds and blocked three shots in 29 minutes in the final preseason game against Oklahoma City. The Lakers have until Oct. 31 to sign the young center to a contract extension of up to $85 million over five years.
Lakers Role Players
Lost among Bynum’s contract extension and other personnel issues are standout performances by guard Jordan Farmar and forward Trevor Ariza, who both played exceptionally well during the preseason. Farmar averaged a team-high 12.3 points in 21.1 minutes per game, while Ariza ran the floor well and finished strong in averaging 10.3 points in 23.5 minutes per game during the preseason.
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
In Montreal, the Anaheim goalkeeper stopped 47 shots as the Ducks (4-5-0) defeated the Canadiens, 6-4, on Saturday. It was Montreal’s (5-1-1) first loss of the season.
Jason LaBarbera
In St. Louis, the Kings goalkeeper stopped 15 shots in a 4-0 shutout victory over the Blues on Friday night. (The Kings, 3-4 overall, followed up with a 5-4 loss in Nashville on Saturday.)
USC in BCS
Barely escaping Tucson with a 17-10 victory over Arizona, the Trojans held par in the most recent BCS rankings released Sunday. Southern California remained ranked No. 5 despite dropping in two other polls. USC improved to 6-1 (4-1 in PAC-10) with the victory.
Trojan Defense
USC limited the Wildcat offense to a season-low 188 total yards and sacked Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama three times. However, the biggest moment on defense came with 5:55 remaining in the game, when USC stopped Arizona on a fourth-and-one sneak to preserve victory.
WHO’S NOT
Baron Davis
Clippers point guard Baron Davis may not be ready for the team’s home opener against the Lakers after his sprained left ring finger kept him out of contact situations this week. Wearing a splint on the injured finger, team officials do not know when Davis will be ready to play.
David Beckham’s Galaxy
The British soccer star will reportedly be loaned to AC Milan for the winter. If the loan is made final, Beckham should return to the Galaxy in time for the 2009 season. Yet, the loan may convert into a trade if both sides agree.
Beckham indicated to sources he desires to play for England in the 2010 World Cup, believing that playing in Europe will help his chances to earn a roster spot.
Bowling at UCLA
Already out of the PAC-10 title race, the UCLA Bruins may be out of a bowl game, too, after losing to California, 41-20, on Saturday. To be bowl eligible, the Bruins (3-5, 2-4 in PAC-10) must win at least three of their final four games.
Running at UCLA
Not only may UCLA miss a bowl game, they are struggling to run the ball. Factoring their loss to California (5-2, 3-1) on Saturday, the Bruins average about 2.5 yards per carry as a team.
Running Against UCLA
However, teams find it particularly easy to run against the UCLA defense, which gave up more than 200 rushing yards for the third consecutive game at Berkeley. The Golden Bears gained 232 rushing yards against UCLA.
USC in Polls Other Than BCS
While the Trojans remained status quo in the BCS, a couple other polls were not impressed with USC’s narrow victory at Arizona on Saturday. In the USA Today Poll, the Trojans dropped two slots to the sixth spot, while they also fell two positions to No. 7 in the Harris Interactive Poll.
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