The Times’ 2023-24 All-Star boys’ basketball team

A look at the Los Angeles Times’ All-Star boys’ basketball team for the 2023-24 season. Trent Perry, Harvard-Westlake, 6-4, Sr. The USC commit led the Wolverines (33-3) to Southern Section and state Open Division championships, averaging 18 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jason Crowe Jr., Lynwood, 6-3, So. He averaged 37.4 points as a 15-year-old while continuing to develop strength and skills. Brandon McCoy, St. John Bosco, 6-4, So. He averaged 18.5 points and 7.6 rebounds in helping the Braves win the state Division I championship. Aidan Fowler, JSerra, 5-10, Sr. He averaged 17.9 points and 4.5 assists as the Trinity League’s most consistent offensive scoring threat. Mercy Miller, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 6-4, Sr. The Houston commit averaged 30 points and 10 rebounds in a spectacular season that led the Knights to the Southern Section Division I title. Alijah Arenas, Chatsworth, 6-6, So. He averaged 33 points, with a high of 53 in the regional playoffs and a record 44 in the Division IV state final. He scored 40 or more six times. Gavin Hightower, Windward, 6-0, Jr. The point guard and Gold

The Times’ 2023-24 All-Star girls’ basketball team

A look at the Los Angeles Times’ All-Star girls’ basketball team for the 2023-24 season: Kennedy Smith, Etiwanda, 6-1, Sr. The USC commit and McDonald’s All-American averaged 19.4 points and 7.8 rebounds in leading the Eagles to Southern Section and state Open Division championships. Mackenly Randolph, Sierra Canyon, 6-1, Sr. The Louisville commit, a four-year starter, finished her senior year averaging 19 points and 11.7 rebounds. Jerzy Robinson, Sierra Canyon, 6-1, So. Setting the stage for bigger and better things, Robinson averaged 22.5 points and 10.8 rebounds after transferring from Arizona. Grace Knox, Etiwanda, 6-3, Jr. The transfer from Las Vegas made a huge impact, averaging 17.2 points and 11.9 rebounds while making the difference in two matchups against Sierra Canyon. Kaleena Smith, Ontario Christian, 5-6, Fr. Her first year of high school basketball was remarkable. She averaged 34.9 points and 6.5 assists while making 179 three-pointers. Jenessa Cotton, Mater Dei, 6-2, Sr. The Duke commit averaged 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds for the Trinity League champions. Emily Eadie, Sage Hill, 6-0, Sr. The Princeton commit averaged 14 points and had 30 points in a

Plaschke: No Anthony Davis? Struggling Lakers have no chance if he’s out

It was a forearm to the eye. It was a punch to the gut. It was routine contact on a routine drive. It was an extraordinary symbol of a season skidding. In the final minutes of the first quarter of the Lakers’ nationally televised showdown with the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, Anthony Davis was smacked in the face by the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis. The eye was quickly swollen shut. The Lakers’ hopes were instantly impaired. Davis couldn’t see, so the Lakers couldn’t win, and now their spring might not survive after a deflating 128-121 loss at a mournful Crypto.com Arena. “Any time you lose AD … it’s tough,” Austin Reaves said. “But we’ve got to figure out a way to be better.” Too late. They can’t figure out a way. They can’t be better. They can’t win without Davis, period. Even though he’s not expected to miss much time with what the Lakers are calling an “eye contusion,” his absence Saturday sent a chilling reminder about the rest of this season. The Lakers are walking a tightrope where one errant smack upon their

The Times’ boys’ basketball final top 25 rankings

A look at the Los Angeles Times’ top 25 high school boys’ basketball teams in the Southland after Week 10 of the 2023-24 season. Rk. SCHOOL; Finish; last rank 1. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (33-3); SS, Regional and State Open Division champions; 1 2. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (31-4); SS and Regional Open Division runner-up; 2 3. ST. JOHN BOSCO (28-7); SS Open Division pool play, Regional and State DI champions; 6 4. St. PIUS X-ST. MATTHIAS (24-7); SS Open Division pool play, Regional Open Division first round; 10 5. SANTA ANA MATER DEI (29-6); SS Open Division pool play, Regional Division I runner-up; 3 6. SIERRA CANYON (26-4); SS Open Division pool play, Regional Open Division first round; 4 7. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (31-4); SS Division 1 champions, Regional Division I semifinalist; 5 8. WINDWARD (29-5); SS Division I runner-up, Regional Division I second round; 8 9. DAMIEN (28-6); SS Division 1 semifinalist, Regional Division I semifinalist; 11 10. CRESPI (24-8); SS Division 2AA second round; 15 11. REDONDO UNION (25-6); SS Division 1 semifinalist, Regional Division I second round; 13 12. ROLLING HILLS PREP (27-7); SS Division

The Times’ girls’ basketball final top 25 rankings

Coach Stan Delus of Etiwanda guided the Eagles to the Open Division girls’ basketball state championship with a 69-67 win over Archbishop Mitty. (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times) March 17, 2024 3:50 AM PT A look at the final top 20 high school girls’ basketball rankings produced by Harold Abend of CalHiSports for The Times. Rank (last rank) school (record) 1. (2) Etiwanda (32-3) 2. (1) Sierra Canyon (31-3) 3. (5) Ontario Christian (28-5) 4. (3) Mater Dei (25-8) 5. (4) Sage Hill (25-5) 6. (6) Bishop Montgomery (23-5) 7. (8) Brentwood (27-9) 8. (14) Orangewood Academy (22-10) 9. (12) Corona Santiago (22-13) 10. (13) St. Anthony (25-8) 11. (7) Moreno Valley (30-6) 12. (9) Corona Centennial (19-14) 13. (NR) Harvard-Westlake (19-18) 14. (16) Orange Lutheran (21-9) 15. (17) Buena Park (22-11) 16. (15) Esperanza (25-5) 17. (NR) Birmingham (25-7) 18. (18) Lynwood (18-12) 19. (10) Windward (20-7) 20. (11) Rancho Christian (18-8) Get our high school sports newsletter Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so

Where to watch the Selection Sunday show to kick off March Madness 2024 today

Essentials By Meredith Gordon March 17, 2024 / 7:00 AM EDT / Essentials CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. The Connecticut Huskies celebrate winning the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four championship game against the San Diego State Aztecs at NRG Stadium on April 03, 2023 in Houston, Texas.  Mitchell Layton/Getty Images Today is the day college basketball fans have waited for all year. It’s Selection Sunday, the day the NCAA releases rankings and seedings for men’s and women’s college basketball teams for the NCAA College Basketball Tournament — aka March Madness. While you focus on getting your bracket set, we’ve gathered all the information you need to watch or stream Selection Sunday 2024.  Let the (college basketball) games begin. What is Selection Sunday? The annual beginning of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament for both men’s and women’s teams, Selection Sunday is the NCAA’s reveal of seedings and rankings in the knockout bracket of the tournament known as “March Madness.” 

Horoscopes March 17, 2024: Rob Lowe, persist in reaching your target

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Mia Hamm, 52; Rob Lowe, 60; Gary Sinise, 69; Kurt Russell, 73. Happy Birthday: Nothing will stop you if you are diligent about what you want to achieve this year. The flow of creativity, combined with your insight and vision into trends, will help you conquer whatever you aim to achieve. There is so much to gain if you believe in yourself and persist in reaching your target. Personal gain, love and romance are in the stars. Your numbers are 6, 13, 20, 27, 36, 41, 45. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Shake off any negativity that comes your way and focus on what you want to achieve. Take time to pursue something you enjoy and to spend time with someone you love. Make decisions that put your mind at ease and benefit you financially. 2 stars TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t get angry, get moving. Take your attributes and stretch them to the limit. How you react to others will make a difference and define what you can do under pressure. If you love someone, let them know and share

Bridge: March 17, 2024

A reader asks how long I take to write a column and how many per day I can turn out. The answers are (1) longer than I used to, and (2) fewer than I once did. Producing a draft actually takes only a few minutes. But locating a deal with an instructive point, checking the analysis, and coming up with a setting in which to present the deal take time. My draft is invariably too long, and cutting it to the 150 words I’m allotted can be taxing. Then come proofreading, re-checking and consulting with my independent checker and my editor. Declaring a contract is a somewhat similar process. When declarer sees the opening lead and dummy, he will take a minute or two to plan. He must not succumb to impulse. At some point in the play, he may pause to reconsider. An average deal takes eight minutes. Today’s South plays at four spades. What should be his plan when West leads a low diamond? South is safe for an overtrick if East has the ace of hearts, but if West has it, and

Word Game: March 17, 2024

TODAY’S WORD — GRAVITATE (GRAVITATE: GRAV-ih-tate: To be drawn toward something or someone.) Average mark 41 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 55 or more words in GRAVITATE? TODAY’S WORD — GRAVITATE gait gaiter gate gave gear give giver grate grave great grit rage rate ravage rave reata regatta riata rite rive rivet agar agate agave ager agitate area aria attar attire aver avert aviate vier virga vita irate taiga tare target tart tear teat tetra tiara tier tiger tire titer trait treat triage trig trite trivet To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

Ask Amy: I’m worried about the policy at this day care

Dear Amy: My wife and I have a 14-month-old baby. Overall we have adjusted pretty well to parenthood. My wife works full time and I’m scheduled to take grad school classes three days a week, so we have been looking into day care. We checked out some places and all had pluses and minuses. The one we thought might be the best for us is very close to my wife’s office, so it would be convenient to have our baby there. We made an appointment and went over to tour the place. It was clean and organized. There are about 10 babies in the “yellow room,” our child’s age group. When we went to look at the room, three of the babies were crying and the caregivers in the room were interacting with each other and did not respond to the babies. We asked the director about this and she said that they don’t as a rule always respond to babies who cry because letting them cry “teaches them resilience.” She made this sound like their “best practice” policy. Is this true? Should we feel

Dear Abby: I RSVP’d for the wedding, and then I got this postcard from the couple

DEAR ABBY: A relative is getting married. It was announced many months ago and was to be a big, formal church wedding, with eight or nine groomsmen and bridesmaids, a flower girl and ring bearer, followed by a reception. On the day of the RSVP deadline, the couple sent out a postcard stating: “Change of plans! After much consideration, we have decided to have a private wedding ceremony. Meet at the reception as planned.” I think it’s extremely rude and presumptuous to be expected to travel a great distance at a hefty expense only to find out that guests are now excluded from the actual wedding. I’m trying to make sense of this awkward situation. Any advice? — LEFT AT THE DOOR DEAR LEFT: Yes, I do have a bit of advice for you. Because you are unhappy with the change of plans and find them to be “rude and presumptuous,” send a congratulatory card to the happy couple that reads: “Change of plans: Sorry, we will be unable to attend your reception, but we wish you all the best!” Their plans changed; so can

Calmes: One Trump puppet stands between Ukraine and the aid it needs

Speaker Mike Johnson in just months has all but cemented his place among the weakest House leaders in its history. Alas, the Louisianan nonetheless holds enough power that he’s single-handedly blocking one of the most crucial matters of our time: bipartisan U.S. aid to Ukraine for its defense against Vladimir Putin’s murderous expansionism. It’s not like Johnson is making a stand on principle by not scheduling a House vote. Oh, no. To hear him talk, he’s all for our Ukrainian allies and wants some kind of aid. But Donald Trump does not — he’s with Putin, as usual — and Johnson generally stands wherever the former president directs. Not for nothing is the novice speaker called “MAGA Mike.” Opinion Columnist Jackie Calmes Jackie Calmes brings a critical eye to the national political scene. She has decades of experience covering the White House and Congress. And no issue illustrates better than Ukraine the dithering and subservience to Trump that have become Johnson’s hallmarks since October, when House Republicans ousted his predecessor, rejected several higher-ranking aspirants and then, exhausted by the impasse, settled on him. Also, no

5 artists from L.A. to Osaka made posters of Shohei Ohtani for us

March 17, 2024 3 AM PT For the Los Angeles Times’ special section on “The Journey of Shohei Ohtani,” we commissioned five artists to create portraits of the baseball megastar. All of the stories in the section can be found at latimes.com/ohtani. To buy the special print section, go to the L.A. Times store. Kenichi Minami (NOY DESIGN) Find more of Minami’s work @noydesign_minami. Dave Murray Find more of Murray’s work @dave__murray. César R. Canseco Find more of Canseco’s work @canseco.ltd. Bam Bam Yeh Find more of Yeh’s work @bambambam.99. Alycea Tinoyan Find more of Tinoyan’s work @alyceaill.

Arizona and Nevada make up 3% of the U.S. population — and are vital to picking a president

LAS VEGAS —  When President Biden flies into Nevada on Monday and to Arizona the following day, he’s likely to compliment the West’s natural beauty, pay homage to the unmatched political power of the Culinary Workers Union and nod to local Democratic elected officials. Another truth about his visit to the two Southwestern states may remain unspoken: Though together they are home to only about 3% of the U.S. population, Arizona and Nevada are expected to have an outsize influence on the outcome of the 2024 presidential race. With Arizona’s 11 electoral votes and Nevada’s six, the states collectively hold more voting power than Georgia, another closely contested state that both Democrats and Republicans believe they can win — as Biden and former President Trump engage in the first rematch of presidential contenders in nearly 70 years. Having secured enough delegates last week to become their parties’ presumptive nominees, the two oldest major-party candidates in American history are facing off in a presidential rematch that most people saw coming and many hoped to avoid. The race pits a president languishing in the polls against a challenger

Deputies Shoot, Kill Suspect in East Los Angeles

Deputies fatally shot a man outside an East Los Angeles business Saturday evening. The chain of events started at 9:20 p.m. Saturday when deputies were summoned to the area of Gage and Eastman avenues and Pomeroy Street, where a man was reported harassing customers with a metal stick, Dep. Tracy Koerner told City News Service. The deputies made contact with the suspect and shot him at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Koerner said. The man died at the scene, Koerner said. The circumstances leading up to the shooting were under investigation, he said.

15-year-old Chowchilla girl headed to historical golf course for tournament

CHOWCHILLA, Calif. (KFSN) — For the past two years, we’ve shown you the rise of golfing sensation Asterisk Talley. “I’ve definitely gotten taller, so it’s been an advantage,” she said. The 15-year-old has already won multiple tournaments, most notably last summer’s Rolex Girls Junior Championship in South Carolina. “After that, I just played my best and I didn’t really have any super bad rounds,” she said. “I just kept being consistent with top teams.” That consistency earned the Chowchilla native a special invitation to one of golf’s most prestigious venues — a spot to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur this April. “Hearing that news was pretty exciting,” says her dad, James. “We kind of held out to tell her until she got out school.” “Augusta wasn’t really a big goal that I had,” she said. “It was just out of reach, from what I thought.” Asterisk has been among the Augusta Azaleas before, competing in the 2022 drive, chip and putt competition. She even shook hands with former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. “That’s so special at the time, but just getting to

Two new video game studios form with “Star Wars” and id Software pedigrees

Video game studios like other tech industry has seen plenty of tumult this year. Publishers have announced several layoffs while others have said they will refocus their approach. That means plenty of talent is out there, and in this uncertain time, two studios have emerged this week boasting several big names and hints of promising AAA projects. Giant Skull and emptyvessel have impressive pedigrees. Giant Skull is headed by Stig Asmussen who recently helmed the “Star Wars Jedi” titles. Both are stellar games. He also previously worked for Santa Monica Studios on “God of War II” and “God of War III” “The Giant Skull studio culture is founded on creativity and curiosity,” said Asmussen, who is also Giant Skull CEO, in a news release. “We have assembled a talented team renowned for immersive storytelling, heroic combat and exhilarating traversal, and our goal is to craft a rich universe that players will want to lose themselves in for years to come.” Some of the talent on the team also includes Jon Carr, who worked with Amussen on “Jedi: Survivor” as technical director; art director Patrick Murphy

‘Those little kids deserve the world’; ‘Great Cut 2024’ donates to children with medical hair loss

SAN DIEGO — The “Great Cut 2024” returns to San Diego, after the first event was held in 2019. And after five long years of regrowing their hair, thousands of people went back out to the Broadway Pier to chop it all off again for a good cause. The Longhairs Organization hosted Saturday’s event. “I mean it kind of tugs on your heartstrings a little bit,” said Banon Ellison, who flew in with friends and family from Texas. Ellison is part of a group of men who are cutting their hair together. The “Great Cut 2024” is a world-record charity hair donating event for children with medical hair loss, such as cancer, auto-immune conditions, burn injuries, etc. ‘The Longhairs’ look to break own record at The Great Cut 2024 “You got all this beautiful hair, how much of it is going to go?” FOX 5 asked Beth Tosti who flew in from Denver. “I’m going to try to do 8 to 9 inches,” Tosti explained. “I never knew I had curls, I’ve never had my hair this long. I’m going to go back to my

Citations issued, arrests made as thousands gather near Cal Poly

Streets were closed off in San Luis Obispo near Cal Poly early Saturday morning and damage reported as police say thousands of people gathered at the start of St. Patricks Day weekend. San Luis Obispo police say calls started coming in at around 3:30 a.m. leading to citations for noise violations, unruly gatherings, open containers, public urination and public intoxication, adding that arrests were also made. With the Safety Enhancement Zone in effect, along with an increased police presence, nuisance violation fines are doubled throughout the city through Monday morning, but that didnt keep people from parting. Police estimate 6,000 to 7,000 people were gathering in the streets near Cal Poly, leading to the closure of the streets surrounding Hathway and Bond at around 6 a.m. Saturday. I was standing in my driveway playing defense the whole morning, yelling at people to not come on my property. Yeah, it was pretty ridiculous, said Cal Poly student Mason Asphar. Police say several cars in surrounding neighborhoods were damaged, adding that mutual aid was requested from other agencies including the Cal Poly Police Department, Cal State police

Local dancers set to take center stage at the Spanos Theatre for iDance4aCURE

North County Dance and Performing Arts Foundation is performing in a benefit concert with Class Act Dance from Paso Robles, SLOMAC, and professional dancers and singers who will help benefit iDance4aCURE. iDance4aCURE is a national organization that raises funds for pediatric cancer and brain tumor research. We have really discussed how we want to hear classical dance to have our dance company learn about how they can bring better things to the world and bring a purpose and how they can dance, use their art form in their passion for this art form, and go out and do good things for the community and for the world,” said Cheryle Armstrong, owner of Class Act Dance. Armstrong opened Class Act Dance and Performing Arts in 1990 and has been teaching in San Luis Obispo County for 33 years. Three years after opening the studio, Armstrong co-founded the non-profit North County Dance and Performing Arts Foundation. Rehearsals are underway for the first iDance4aCURE fundraiser. I have a neighbor whose granddaughter, he’s very close to me and their son grew up with my daughter,” Armstrong said. “You’ll see

Southern California hope to save lives from DUI drivers on St. Patrick’s Day

As revelers prepare for St. Patrick’s Day festivities this Sunday, authorities will be ramping up their presence and patrolling the streets for drunk drivers. California Highway Patrol officers will be out in full force across Southern California, hoping to keep the streets safe and prevent any unnecessary injuries or deaths. Officers said St. Patrick’s Day is one of the major holidays when driving under the influence is unfortunately prevalent. As revelers head out for a night of drinking and celebrating at local bars and restaurants,  watchful CHP officers like Luis Quintero are making sure people can get home safely. “We tend to see more drivers go out and drink and drive,” Quintero said. “So, the sole purpose of the task force is to saturate that area and get these drivers off the road.” Quintero took KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff on a ride-along through Baldwin Park and downtown Los Angeles as he explained the goals of CHP’s Impaired Driving Task Force. The task force is typically deployed during holidays and at monthly intervals. California Highway Patrol officer Luis Quintero works to ensure roads are safe from anyone