Jim Alexander

Alexander: Here’s a way to end college sports’ transfer chaos UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin’s suggestion: Let schools go over the revenue sharing limit to keep returning players, just like the NBA.

How to end the player movement chaos in college sports? Mick Cronin has some ideas in today’s bucket o’ notes.

www.ocregister.com/2026/03/06/a...

Alexander: Can these Ducks end their playoff drought? Anaheim’s mature and resilient young nucleus, under coach Joel Quenneville’s guidance, looks like it could make the postseason for the first time since 2018.

Ducks owner Henry Samueli announced the end of the rebuild the day his team hired Joel Quenneville as its new coach.

With Anaheim in position to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2018, a look at the Ducks' progress.

www.ocregister.com/2026/03/05/a...

Greg Paules is named UC Riverside’s new athletic director Paules, who was senior associate AD at Cal State Fullerton, takes over March 23.

UC Riverside has a new athletic director.

UC Riverside has a new athletic director.

www.pressenterprise.com/2026/03/02/g...

Alexander: A tone-deaf moment for Arte Moreno The Angels owner appears to have misjudged the priorities of his fan base, especially considering the accomplishments of the other team in the market.

If you are an Angel fan ... what do you really have to look forward to? Especially when the owner believes that fans don't consider winning a top priority.

www.ocregister.com/2026/03/02/a...

Alexander: Is Charlisse Leger-Walker UCLA’s not-so-secret weapon? The New Zealand native had a big scoring game in Sunday’s win over USC women’s basketball, but her contributions go way beyond the stat sheet.

She is a leader, her coach calls her a “connector,” and on a UCLA roster of very talented women Charlisse Leger-Walker may be their secret (or maybe not so secret) weapon.

www.ocregister.com/2026/03/01/a...

Alexander: Cori Close and No. 2 UCLA find success through balance After the weight of last season ended in the Final Four, the coach says she and her Bruins are ‘better equipped’ for March via working hard and embracing joy.

Could joy be the secret weapon for Cori Close and her UCLA women’s basketball team as the postseason nears?

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/28/a...

If you missed it…

Alexander: Another big night for UCLA’s Donovan Dent The former Corona Centennial High star has 30 points and eight assists with no turnovers in an 81-62 victory over USC and looks like the player Mick Cronin thought he was getting all along.

This is the Donovan Dent that UCLA and Mick Cronin were expecting all along, and his 30 point, eight assist, no turnover performance helped the Bruins subdue USC Tuesday night.

(But don't disrespect his hometown, OK?)

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/25/a...

Alexander: Pat Riley statue captures his Lakers coaching personality The coach of the Showtime championship teams, and current president of the Miami Heat, has his statue unveiled Sunday.

Yes, if Pat Riley were still coaching these days he’d likely wear a suit. And you look at the statue unveiled Sunday and … yep, that’s Riles, all right.

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/22/a...

Alexander: Aldrich Potgieter is having one of those (really good) weeks The 21-year-old from South Africa, who earned a two-year PGA Tour exemption by winning last June, is in the hunt at Riviera after shooting a 6-under 65 Saturday.

“ … the soul of the tour, its gristle and fiber, is that mass of players who grind it out from week to week, fighting to make the cut and aiming for that occasional great round or successful tournament as the impetus that keeps them going.”

Meet one of them.

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/21/a...

UCLA’s Mick Cronin apologizes for Steven Jamerson II ejection ‘The last thing I want to do is bring negative publicity to our school,’ the Bruins’ head coach says three days after his actions in a loss at Michigan State.

I'm not anti-Mick Cronin, OK? I just think he needs to dial it back a little bit, and he might even be coming to the same conclusion.

That and more in this week's bucket o' notes.

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/20/u...

Alexander: At least the rain has left Riviera … we think After a 3-hour rain delay early in the day, most of the field gets a full first round in as the PGA Tour – and most of its biggest names – returns to Pacific Palisades after a year away.

The weather’s got to be better at Riviera the rest of the weekend, right?

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/19/a...

Alexander: Readers submit their favorite SoCal sports moments Responses to the columnist’s original list mentioned a lot of other candidates, all worthy suggestions from memorable games or events, but we all missed one.

Today we print some of the readers selections for their favorite/most memorable SoCal sports moments.

(And I’m guessing there will be more responses to come.)

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/17/a...

Alexander: The NBA’s race to the bottom continues Commissioner Adam Silver recently levied fines for lineup manipulation, and he is considering many possible remedies, from taking away draft picks to making wholesale changes to the draft and the l…

Is tanking for the chance of a higher draft pick really worth it?

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/14/a...

Alexander: New baseball season, same old refrain In what world does it make sense to shut the game down over a salary cap? It didn’t in 1994, and it doesn’t now.

Today's advice, to all of those in and around baseball who believe a salary cap is the only way forward: The Dodgers - who spend money and are innovative in other areas - would still have an advantage.

Ah, but cue the whining.

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/13/a...

Alexander: Lakers haven’t been paragons of consistency so far But it will help their fortunes significantly if Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves can be on the court together more often the next few months.

It will help when the Lakers have LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves playing together on a consistent basis.

It'll help more when the Lakers get a full game's work out of everybody, instead of those periods of slippage that cost them games.

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/11/a...

The Audible: Stafford’s return, NBA trades and Super Bowl LX Columnists Jim Alexander and Mirjam Swanson discuss some of the week’s sports issues.

In today's Audible, @mirjamswanson.bsky.social and I discuss Matthew Stafford's return, the Lakers and Clippers after the trade deadline, and who we like in Sunday's Super Bowl.

Join us.

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/06/t...

Alexander: What are your favorite Southern California sports moments? There are plenty of possibilities to choose from, and the columnist starts the conversation with his five.

In today's bucket o' notes, time for more reader participation: What are your five favorite SoCal sports moments?

Also, we name-drop Sam Darnold, Bad Bunny (of course) and Kawhi Leonard, and discuss a foolproof way to keep 49ers fans away from a Rams home game.

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/06/a...

Alexander: With Clippers, business is … well, it can be a shock The deadline trades of James Harden and Ivica Zubac suggest a different trajectory, one that does not seem to include a “Larry O’B” pursuit in the immediate future.

Reset, rebuild … however you categorize it, the Clippers have significantly changed direction in just two days.

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/05/a...

Alexander: Spencer Howe’s journey from the skating rink to the Army to the Olympics After literally following in his sister’s skates in Burbank, Spencer Howe and partner Emily Chan will compete in pairs at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

He's in the Army now ... and he's an Olympic athlete.

www.ocregister.com/2026/02/03/a...

Alexander: Yes, the L.A. Sports Hall of Fame is really happening The lobbying for that first class of inductees in 2027 may have already begun, just a couple of days after the concept became public knowledge.

“Inspiration is the best way to fill a vacuum, right?”

And that, in a nutshell, is how the idea for an L.A. Sports Hall of Fame was formed.

www.ocregister.com/2026/01/31/a...

It’s hard to imagine someone more universally enjoyed than Catherine O’Hara where the opinions range from “I like her and her work” to “I love her and her work” and that’s a pretty good legacy

Back to back blocks by Aday Mara

DRINK YOUR COFFEE. READ YOUR BOOKS. IT'S CHAOS OUT THERE.

#SelfCare Too

Ravens damage Big Bear bald eagle eggs Jackie and Shadow left the nest earlier in the day for some time, which was “a little uncharacteristic” of them.

Ravens damage Big Bear bald eagle eggs.

My story in the @sbsun.bsky.social:

If you believe in American democracy, this is a very good time to stand up for the free press

A statement from Mark Carney.

Where to Stream Catherine O’Hara’s Best Performances

Wrote about Catherine www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/a...

…

Alexander: L.A. gets a Hall of Fame; get ready for the arguments It’s way past time for the city to have its very own shrine to its sports heroes.

Leading off today’s bucket o’ notes: It’s about time an L.A. Sports Hall of Fame was launched, right?

Now get ready for the debates.

www.ocregister.com/2026/01/30/a...