USC men's basketball: Trojans with 40-27 lead over Coppin State after first half

USC couldn't have started off any worse, but the Trojans couldn't have responded to the early struggles any better.

USC has a 40-27 lead over Coppin State after the first half, shooting 61.5% with an effort that has involved most of the team. Guard Donte Smith has led the way with nine points. Forwards Marcus Johnson (eligibility issues involving last season's transfer from Connecticut) and Alex Stepheson (sore left knee) made their season debuts, chipping in with six points and five points, respectively. Stepheson, who had sat out all of last year because of issues related to his transfer from North Carolina, also had four rebounds.

It didn't appear at first that the chemistry would click.

Coppin State stormed to an 8-0 lead that entailed USC missing its first three shots and committing a turnover. After Eagles guard Lenny Young hit a three-pointer at the 16:58 mark, Trojans Coach Kevin O’Neill called a timeout.

But then USC came off the timeout on a 10-0 run and took the lead when Johnson's jumper gave the Trojans a 12-11 edge with 10:58 remaining. The Eagles went through a three-minute stretch late in the first half shooting zero of four and committing two turnovers.

USC guard Marcus Simmons (six points), forward Nikola Vucevic (five points) and forward Evan Smith also rounded out the Trojans depth. It staved off the one of six shooting and two points from USC guard Dwight Lewis and the 11 points from Eagles guard Kareem Brown.

--Mark Medina

UCLA football: Stan Hasiak returns to the team

UCLA freshman guard Stan Hasiak returned to the team Thursday, but Coach Rick Neuheisel says it is unlikely he will play Saturday at Washington State. He is not expected to travel with the team.

"He's back in good stead and we're excited that he's back," Neuheisel said after Thursday's practice.

Neuheisel had said Hasiak, one of the top players in the Bruins' 2009 recruiting class, would not be with the team indefinitely on Tuesday because he was "dealing with issues."

Hasiak has been involved with numerous reported incidents involving near fights with teammates during live scrimmages. He appeared in the first two games this season, but then missed the next three games. Hasiak also did not suit up against Washington last week and did not travel with the team for a game Oct. 31 against Oregon.

When he was asked whether Hasiak took care of his personal issues, Neuheisel responded, "I would leave it at he’s back and he’s in good graces and I’m excited that he’s back."

Stay tuned to latimes.com/sports for more coverage from UCLA's practice.

-- Mark Medina

Chris Dufresne: LeGarrette Blount got what he deserved ... and maybe more

Eight games were enough for suspended Oregon tailback LeGarrette Blount, who was reinstated Monday by the Pacific 10 Conference.

Blount will be eligible to play in the Ducks' home games Saturday against Arizona State.

In hindsight, eight games may have too many for Blount, who paid a steep price for punching Boise State's Byron Hout after Oregon's Sept. 3 loss in Idaho.

Last week, Florida suspended star linebacker Brandon Spikes for one half against Vanderbilt after he tried to gouge the eyes out of a Georgia player.

Florida later "stiffened" the punishment to a full game.

Blount deserved serious discipline for what he did on that Thursday night before Labor Day, but his situation was complicated and compounded by the fact that the game was nationally televised and that the YouTube video of the punch whirled around the world.

LA Times' Chris Dufresne discusses multiple storylines from Pac-10 Media Day

Pac-10 media day on Thursday certainly didn't lack any story lines. Aside from writing in detail why the conference looks much different for the 2009-10 men's college basketball season, The Times' Chris Dufresne also touched on other topics in the videos below.

On how the USC's basketball program will compete amidst an NCAA investigation, a new head coach and a thin roster that currently includes only eight eligible scholarship players.

Pac-10 Media Day: Men's basketball coaches assess conference for 2009-10 season

--Mark Medina

USC's Kevin O'Neill, Arizona's Sean Miller, Washington State's Ken Bone among new members of Pac-10 Conference

There's three new head coaches in the Pac-10 and the circumstances are all different.

USC's Kevin O'Neill takes over a program hobbled by an NCAA investigation, the resignation of Tim Floyd and a shabbled recruiting class.Sean Miller, as suggested by one reporter at Pac-10 media day on Thursday, is in the "shadow" of former Wildcats' Hall-of-Fame Coach Lute Olson, who retired just before the 2008-09 season. Miller succeeds interim Coach Russ Pennell. Then there's Bone, who's replacing Tony Bennett, who left for the head coaching position at Virginia.

All three shared their first-season agenda at Pac-10 Media Day. See videos below.

Odds and ends from UCLA football practice

Some tidbits from UCLA's football practice on Thursday....

-- UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel said he plans to start Nick Ekbatani at right guard in front of Stanley Hasiak against Arizona on Saturday. Ekbatani left Wednesday's practice after "tweaking his left knee," Neuheisel said. He said Ekbatani was fine during Thursday's practice. "It didn't look like there was any issue," he added. Hasiak sprained his right ankle last week, and Neuheisel  described it as "gimpy."

-- After cracking his right fibula in the Bruins' season opener against San Diego State, freshman cornerback Aaron Hester will fly with the team tomorrow, Neuheisel said. Hester's playing status will be a game-time decision, Neuheisel said. "We'll see how he does," Neuheisel said of Hester, who was cleared this week to practice.

-- After sophomore reserve tight end Nate Chandler and freshman scout team tackle Nik Abele collided during kickoff coverage drills in Wednesday's practice,  both had X-rays on their necks, Neuheisel said. The X-rays on the players were negative, but "both have headaches," he said.

--Neuheisel said he's confident the Bruins (3-3) can rebound from a 0-3 start in Pacific 10 Conference play. "We’re going to keep coming to work and keep busting our tails knowing there are brighter days ahead," he said. "I can’t wait for it to happen, hopefully as soon as Saturday."

-- Mark Medina

Status of USC tailback C.J. Gable unknown for Notre Dame game

USC tailback C.J. Gable appeared to injure his left knee during a drill with the kick return team in today's practice, and Coach Pete Carroll says he doesn't know if he'll play Saturday against Notre Dame.

"We'll find out," he said. "He banged knees [with another player]. It wasn't a twist or nothing. We got to wait and see, but it might be a bruised knee. That happens quite often. It can be really really sore for him. We'll have to wait and see."

Gable lay on the ground for several minutes after the collision. He limped off the field with team trainers by his side. While on the sideline, Gable was favoring his left knee.

USC officials did not make players available after practice.

-- Mark Medina

Photo: USC running back C.J. Gable tries to get past Ohio State's Nate Oliver on Sept. 12. Credit: Andy Lyons / Getty Images

UCLA linebacker Reggie Carter remains on the sidelines

UCLA senior linebacker Reggie Carter missed his second practice this week Tuesday after spraining his left knee last week against Oregon, but he maintains he will play in Saturday's game against California.

"They told me to relax a little bit, but my knee feels great," said Carter, who mentioned that additional treatment entails ice and massages. "It’s kind of irritating. I don’t like watching. I feel like a spectator."

Carter, who leads the Bruins with 27 tackles, suffered a knee injury last season against Brigham Young, but he played in all 12 games and finished with a team-high 83 tackles.

Carter says he wants to participate in at least one practice this week to work on technique, but UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel expects Carter to respond the same way he did with last season's injury.

Neuheisel said so in a fashion that made reporters laugh for the obvious reference to his departure from Washington in 2003 for betting in an NCAA men's basketball pool.

"If I were a betting man and I’m not," Neuheisel said, "I would say he’ll play."

--Mark Medina

These rankings would be considered rank in Westwood

According to ratings guru Jeff Sagarin, a 1970 MIT mathematics graduate, USC is the No.1 team this week in college football and UCLA is the No. 2 team all-time in college basketball.

Well, of course, who needs a computer to figure that out ... what?

Based on his ratings, you might suspect Sagarin graduated from Kentucky with a law degree from USC.

Sagarin is an important man in numbers-crunching circles. His ratings, published weekly in USA Today, are one of six used in the Bowl Championship Series standings formula to determine the top two teams in college football.

Sagarin was recently commissioned by ESPN to rate the top college basketball programs of all time and this is the top 10 his computer gurgled out:

Kentucky, UCLA, Kansas, North Carolina, Indiana, Illinois (Illinois??), Duke, Purdue, Ohio State, Iowa.

That's right, UCLA is No. 2 and five of the top 10 schools are from the Big Ten.