LAT20170111

LATIMES.COM/SPORTS WEDNESDAY,JANUARY11, 2017 D5

In thewake of a thrilling

national championship

game, itwas no surpriseto

see Clemson atNo. 1 and Al-

abama just behind in thefi-

nal Associated Presstop 25

Tuesday.

The big surprise in the

media poll was No. 3. And

No. 7.

USC,which started the

season by losing three of its

first fourgames, made the

jump to the thirdspoton the

st rengthofalast-secondvic-

tory over Penn State in one

of the mostexciting Rose

Bowls ever. The Trojans

wereNo. 9 before thatgame.

There was more good

news forthe Pac-12 Confer-

ence — Washington was

No.4after losing ina semifi-

nal against Alabama.

Which takes usto that

other surprise,No. 7.

Penn State, which played

USCtoe to t oe in the Rose

Bowl, defeated Ohio State

during the season,won the

Big Ten championshipand

outperformeditsconference

brethren in the postseason,

fell two spotsto finish be-

hind No. 5 Oklahoma and

No. 6 Ohio State in thefinal

ranking.

Strange that the Nittany

Lions wouldn’tbe rightbe-

hind USC and ahead of both

Ohio State and Washington,

especially whenyou com-

pare results andconsider

that the Trojans squeaked

past Penn State but dealt

Washington a convincing

defeat on its homefield.

San Diego State, with

record-settingtailbackDon-

nel Pumphrey, was No.25.

Alabamawas the only

Southeastern Conference

team to finishin the top10.

TheAtlantic Coast Con-

ference, which had a strong

bowl season,finished with a

handful ofteams in thetop

25, including Clemson and

No. 8 Florida State.

“I think all you media

folks needto change your

stories,” Clemson Coach

Dabo Swinney said. “I’ve

been in this leaguea long

time,and this league has ne-

ver gotten the respectthatit

deserves.”

Wisconsin came in at

No.9, followed by Michigan,

giving the BigTen, which

went 3-7 in bowlgames, four

top-10 teams.

[email protected]

Tr ojans make surprise

jump to No. 3 in poll

USC is behind only

Clemson, Alabama in

final APranking.Penn

State dropstoNo. 7.

By DavidWharton

The voice boomed
throughout the Clippers’
practice facility, leaving all
the players nochoice butto
hearKevinGarnett’sbark
and to notice his presence at
practiceTuesday.
Garnett bouncedaround
forwardBrandon Bass,in-
tensely giving orders. He
then interrupted former
Boston teammate Paul
Pierce’sconversationwith a
memberof the media and
the two friends laughed.
Andjust before the start
of practice, Garnett as-
sumed his officialrole as a
Clippersconsultant and be-
gan working with centerDe-
Andre Jordan.
The duowent to one side
of the facility, and the15-
time NBA All-Star showed
Jordan the best method of
shootingaleft-handedhook.
Then right-handed. And
thengave tips on shooting
from the middle of the lane
with either hand.
Every stepalong the way,
Jordan said, Garnett’s in-
structionwas “intense.”

“You’v e got to be l ocked

in,” Jordan said.“That’s just

his personality. He’s an in-

tense person. He’s locked in

all the timeand that’s conta-

gious, man. I’m glad thatwe

got him here. I’m glad that

I’mableto takeadvantageof

that. Whenever he’s here,

he’s going to get tired of me.”

Months ago, Garnett was

asked by Clippers Coach

Doc Rivers,whocoached

him in Boston, where they

won an NBAchampionship

toge ther in 2008,to work

with the team’s big men

when his time permits.

Tuesday’s appearance

was Garnett’s first since he

helped out during training

camp in October.

Garnett also chatted

withBlake Griffin,whoisre-

covering from right knee

surgery. Griffin, dressed in

practice gear, took some

shotsas Garnettalked.

“Youcantellthatheloves

the game of basketball,”Jor-

dan said of Garnett. “He

wants to teach people. He

wants you to learn and he

wants to give knowledge,

andIwanttoreceiveallofit.”

From their few practice

sessions,Jordan said, he has

learned much from Garnett,

whoretiredafterlastseason,

ending a 21-yea r NBA

playing career with Minne-

sota, Boston and Brooklyn.

“Besides himcussingme

out whenwe played against

each other,” Jordan said,

laughing. “He’s a great spirit

and a great basketball mind,

aHall ofFame guy, some-

bodyI looked up to coming

up and even playing the

game. So any pointers he

can give me andtips isgreat,

man.I just want to be a stu-

dent whenever he’s here.”

Etc.

Rivers missed practice

Tuesday because he was

home sick. If he misses

Wednesday night’s game

against Orlando at Staples

Center, assistant Mike

Woodsonwould coach the

team... .Clippers guard

Austin Rivers,who missed

Sunday’s game because of

flu symptoms, was at prac-

tice Tuesday and said heex-

pectsto play against the

Magic.

[email protected]

CLIPPERS REPORT

When Garnett barks, Jordan listens

ByBroderickTurner

CLIPPERS CENTERDeAndreJordanworked with

consultantKevin Garnettat practice on Tuesday.

MarkJ. TerrillAssociated Press

Clipperstonight

VS. ORLANDO

When:7:30.

Where:Staples Center.

On the air:TV: PrimeTicket; Radio:570.

Records:Clippers 26-14, Magic16-23.

Recordvs. Magic:1-0.

Update:Tonight’s game willmark the halfway point for the

Clippers in the 82-gameregularseason. The Clippers have

defeated Orlando sixconsecutive times. The Magic have had

problemsoffensively thisseason, ranking27th inscoring

(98.9 points per game),25th infield-goal percentage

(43.8%) and28th i n three-point shooting (33.7%).

—BroderickTurner

Te am Record Pts.Prv.

1. Clemson (60).......14-11500 3
   2.Alabama................14-1 1440 1


2. USC.......................10-31 2929
   4.Washington..........12-2 1277 4


3. Oklahoma..............11-21 2527
   6.OhioState.............11-2 1240 2


4. Penn State.............11-31130 5
   8.FloridaState........10-3 1105 10


5. Wisconsin..... .........11-31032 8
   10.Michigan............... 10-3 1001 6


6. OklahomaState..10-3920 13
   12.Stanford................10-3 730 16
   13.LSU ......................... 8-4 651 19
   14.Florida..... ...............9-4 640 20
   15.W. Michigan..........13-1619 12
   16.VirginiaTech........10-4 610 18
   17.Colorado...............10-4 585 11
   18.West Virginia........10-3 368 14
   19.SouthFlorida........11-23 58 25
   20.Miami......................9-4 338 NR
   21. Louisville................ 9-4 27715
   22.Tennessee..............9-4 253 NR
   23. Utah........................9-4 222 NR
   24.Auburn....................8-5 206 17
   25.San DiegoState...11-3113 NR
   Othersreceivingvotes:Kansas
   State 83, GeorgiaTech 47, Nebraska
   38, W. Kentucky32, AirForce 30,
   Pitt sburgh 21, BoiseState 19, Iowa
   14, Minnesota12, Tulsa 10,BYU 9,
   Temple 8, Houston 8, NorthCarolina
   8, Navy 1,WashingtonState 1.

FINALAP

TOP 25 POLL

minus someof their best

players, especiallyon de-

fense, where Jonathan

Allen, Ryan Anderson

and ReubenFoster have

played theirfinal game as

sen iors.

Afew younger starters —

such as junior offensive

lineman Cam Robinson —

could turn pro early.

But freshman quarter-

backJalen Hurts, who

struggledat times this

season, willreturn witha full

year ofexperience. And

sophomore running back

Bo Scarbrough, whogained

93 yards and scoredtwice

against Clemson before

breakinga bone in his right

leg, should recover by fall.

“He’s certainly been a

bell cow for us, ” Saban said

after Monday’s loss. “And he

certainly, because of his

size and durability, he

makes it difficult when the

defensegets worn down a

little bit.”

Alot of questions will be

answered early when the

Crimson Tide open the

season against Florida

State, anotherteam hoping

to ride a young passer —

Deondre Francois— to the

College Football Playoff’s

final four.

The Seminoles must

replace running back Dalvin

Cook, the heart of their

team in therecent Orange

Bowl, but will not have to

face Watson in Atlantic

Coast Conference play.

“We have a lot of young

talentcoming back,” Fran-

cois said after capping the

season witha victory over

Michigan.“This off-season

will beveryimportant ... and

we’re just going to focus on

details andcontinueto get

better.”

Momentum isa big deal

at USC, which bounced

backfrom a1-3 start to win a

Rose Bowl thrillerover

Penn State.

The Trojans expect to

return well over a dozen

starters but must fill sizable

gaps left by the departure of

—amongothers— receiver

JuJuSmith-Schuster, offen-

sive tackles ChadWheeler

and Zach Banner, and de-

fensive tackle Stevie

Tu’ikolovatu, the transfer

player who anchored the

front seven.

Veteran leadership can

be crucial incollege football,

so teams’ ability to restock

at key positions will make all

the difference.A wealth of

returning starters could

bodewell for top teams,

especially in the BigTen.

Thiswas a roller coaster

season for theconference,

which dominated the polls

throughNovember but

suffered losses in major

bowlgames.

Penn State should bene-

fit from experience on both

sides of the ballcoming off a

resurgent season. Quarter-

back TraceMcSorley and

running back Saquon Bark-

ley will lead theway on

offense.

Ohio State is similarly

well-stocked and should

excel if quarterback J.T.

Barrett, who will bypass the

NFLto return as a senior,

continuesto improve. The

Buckeyes will facea test

against Oklahoma early on.

Michigan has quarter-

backWilton Speight back.

Wisconsin has Alex Horni-

brook.

“I’mexcited about the

growth that Alex took this

year and the steps he can

take to goforward,” Coach

Paul Paul Chryst said after

the Badgers defeatedWest-

ern Michigan in the Cotton

Bowl. “He’s got a lot of foot-

ball ahead of him.”

Other potential contend-

ers include Washington,

Oklahoma— which must

get past itsgrowing reputa-

tion for underachievement

—and Oklahoma State.

As for Clemson, Swinney

and his staff have shown

they canrecruit with the

best programs in the nation.

Thatgives the Tigers a

chance to hang around the

top10 even withoutWatson.

On Tuesday, in th e after-

glow of his school’s first

nationaltitle since1981 , the

coach was already thinking

ahead.

“What’s next?” Swinney

said. “For us, it’ll be like I

said, enjoying this moment

but getting excited about

coming back and seeing if

we can charge back up the

mountain nextyear.”

[email protected]

Twitter: @LAtimesWharton

Earlyfavorite Alabama will face

early challenge in Florida State

[Wharton,fromD1]

heroes, its eternal lessons,
talk that streamedrefresh-
ing light into a room dark-
ened by political andcultur-
al morass?
Ridingan elevator at the
office,I was address ed by a
coworker whowas mar-
veling about thegame — not
as a fan, but as anobserver
of the humancondition
found within its four quar-
ters. I asked what he
thought it all meant. As he
exited the elevator and
walked ina different direc-
tion, he said, simply,
“Hope.”
It was, indeed, about the
hope thatthis countryis
sti ll grounded in the notion
thatgreat achievements
can be accomplished by
unity, great moments cre-
ated without bluster, and
that there are trophies that
cannot be bought.
For all its imperfections,
sportsworks. Its athletes
are flesh, its scores are final,
and, when it performs like it
did in the pastyear, its
magic is unmatched.
During that period,
maybe thegreatest stretch
in the history of American
athletics, four major sports
championshipswereeach
decided in final moments
heavy with history, teeming
with drama, and filled with
that hope.
Begin nine months ago
on anotherMonday night,
the first one of April, when
Villanova defeated North
Carolina,77-74, on a three-
pointer by KrisJenkins at
the buzzer for the men’s
college basketballchampi-
onship.
The Tar Heels hadjust
tied the score on theirown
three-pointer, by Marcus
Paige. Villanova hadfive
seconds to win it. Ryan
Arcidiacono dribbled up-
court and flipped the ball
behindto Jenkins, who
threw it up as timeexpired.
“Bang,”cool Villanova
Coach Jay Wright saidfrom
the sidelines as the ball
soaredtoward the rim.
Boom went the college
basketballworld, as the
shot swished and Villanova
stormed the floor, smother-
ing Jenkins while colorful
streamers rained upon
them in celebration of the
Wildcats’first title in 31
years.
“They saidwe couldn’t,
they saidwe couldn’t, they
saidwe couldn’t,”Jenkins
later shouted.
Real stuff. Human stuff.
And itwas just the start.
Acoupleof months later,
the Cleveland Cavaliers
fulfilled LeBronJames’
promiseto bring a champi-
onshipto his homeregion
by defeating the Golden
State Warriorsto win one of
the mostcompelling Finals

in NBA history.

The Cavaliersbecame

the first major sportscham-

pio n from Cleveland in 52

years. Theywerethe first

team to win an NBA Finals

after trailing three games to

one. And they did it with a

knuckle-biting 93-89 win in

Game7 at Oakland.

Remember it? Theywon

the game in thefinal two

minutes withJames block-

ing the potentialgo-ahead

layup by Andre Iguodala,

thenKyrie Irving hitting the

game-winning three-pointer

in thefinal minute.

It was such a monumen-

tal game that back inWash-

ington, President Obama

refusedto leave Air Force

One at theconclusion of a

tripuntil hecouldwatchthe

final moments ontelevision.

It held such meaning that

afterward, the rich and

famousJames fellto the

gym floor and cried.

“I’mcoming home with

whatI saidI was going to

do,” James said, because

sports is one place where,

through effortand will,

promises can still bekept.

Thosetwo events were

merely openingacts for the

greatest sports drama of

the year, in the first week of

November, when the Chi-

cago Cubs ended sports’

longest title drought with

theirfirst World Series

championship in108 years.

They didn’tjust win it,

they seized it with what

some people believe was the

most rivetinggame in base-

ball history, a10-inning, 8-7

Game7 victoryover the

Cleveland Indians that

occurredafter a three-run

Indianscomeback and a

17-minute rai n delay.

During the delay, in a

tiny weight room under-

neath Cleveland’s Prog-

ressive Field, Cubs out-

fielderJason Heyward gave

his team a speech that left

some players intears. The

Cubs cameto the plate at

the start of the first extra

inning, scoredtwice on a

double by Ben Zobrist and a

single by MiguelMontero,

then held on in the bottom

of the10th for the win.

The lasting imageswere

not of the Cubs bouncing

around the middle of the

diamond,but of thousands

of celebrating fans dancing

in the streets of Chicago,

singing “Go Cubs Go.”

“This one about made

me pass out,”Zobrist said

afterward.

Once again, at its best,

sports wasn’t about sports,

but about the human spirit,

and how witnessing and

participating in this spirit

can strengthen the resil-

ience of humanity.

Four majorchampi-

onships, fourfinal games,

four closing minutes, four

last stretches that beat the

clock and barged into his-

tory. Oh yeah, anddon’t

forget the Sparks winning

the WNBA titleover the

Minnesota Lynx with Nneka

Ogwumike scoring the

winning basket with3.1

secondsremaining for a

77-76 victory in thefinal

game ofa best-of-five cham-

pionship series.

Sportscontinuesto save

us, againand again, most

recently Monday night,

when Clemson drove down

the field in thefinal two

minutesand toppled the

Alabama dynasty with a

two-yard touchdown pass

from DeshaunWatsonto

Hunter Renfrow with one

second—onesecond!—

remainingon the clock.

“You can’t make this up,”

Clemson Coach Dabo Swin-

ney said.

No need.Not in s ports.

It’s the opus that makes us

stronger, the miracle we can

still believe.

[email protected]

Twitter: @BillPlaschke

EVERYBODY LOVEDKrisJenkins after his buzzer-

beating three-pointer gave Villanova a thrilling win

over North Carolina inNCAA basketball title game.

Michael SimmonsAssociated Press

Sports

brings

hope in

cynical

times

[Plaschke,from D1]