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Nestled on a 2-acre hillside, the 4,297-square-foot house, known as the “Striking Viking” after its late owner, has three bedrooms, five bathrooms and an open-concept floor plan. Records show Glen Heggstad bought the vacant lot in March 2009 for $700,000 and built the home on it.
Award-winning architect Narendra Patel of Patel Architecture in Rancho Mirage designed the house for Heggstad, a former Hells Angel nicknamed the Striking Viking due to his Nordic background.
Heggstad’s home, which is privately gated, showcases bold lines, exposed steel, natural stone, wood flooring and expansive glass walls with views of the surrounding desert and Santa Rosa Mountains.
A slate stone fireplace warms the living space, which opens to the kitchen.
The primary suite features spa-inspired amenities.
There’s a dedicated office suite, which can double as a guest room.
One of the guest rooms has a private entrance and a kitchen.
Outdoor amenities include an infinity pool and spa. A graded pad for a future garage or accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rounds out the offering.
Dave Kibbey of Desert Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing, a 5-minute drive from downtown El Paseo’s upscale restaurants, designer shops, art galleries, interior design showrooms and more.
Heggstad, who died in November 2025 at 73, founded the Coachella Valley Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo in 1987. According to the website, he later turned the school over to his two best students and set off on a five-year motorcycle trip around the world.
In 2001, during a cross-country motorcycle trip from California to the southernmost tip of Argentina, guerrillas kidnapped Heggstad at a roadblock they set up in northern Colombia. He endured five weeks of starvation, forced marches and psychological torment during his ordeal in the jungle, he told CNN.com.
The National Geographic Channel docu-series “Banged Up Abroad” dedicated an episode to his story in September 2007.
A memorial service for Heggstad will take place on Feb. 12, as announced in social media posts. Space is limited, so attendees must RSVP to Mauinina@hotmail.com for the location details by Sunday, Feb. 1.
]]>The Colorado-based full service chain expanded its value menu this week, but also added some higher prices.
ALSO SEE: Cheap burgers, fried chicken, pizzas, churros and other new fast food deals
It’s called Big Yummm Deals, and it includes seven mains. Last summer’s limited-time offer had almost the same name, the Big Yummm Burger Deal, but it only offered one burger.
The current offer has three price levels — $9.99, $14.99 and $16.99 — at participating locations, according to the chain’s news release. Each meal includes a main, a bottomless side and a bottomless soft drink.
Four of the mains are burgers, but your options include pizza and chicken. Most of them cost a couple of dollars more without the beverage when they are ordered on the regular menu. Most sandwiches already come with the same choice of fries or sides as Big Yummm.
The $9.99 deal includes a Red’s Double Burger, a Haystack Double Burger or a 7-inch Donatos Pizza, cheese or Pepperoni.
Red’s Double Burger appears to be the same as Red’s Double Tavern Burger, which was offered in the previous Big Yummm deal. It has two meat patties, American cheese, secret sauce, lettuce and tomato.
The pizza is smaller than the 10- and 14-inch pizzas on the regular menu. Want an extra 3 inches? That’s $2 more.
The Haystack burger includes crispy onion straws.
For $14.99, choose between a Cowboy Ranch Double Burger and a Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Wrap.
Cowboy Ranch is a new item with bacon and barbecue sauce.
The wrap features chicken breast, barbecue sauce and tortilla strips in a flour tortilla.
For $16.99, choose between a Smashed Avocado Burger and a Crispy Chicken Sandwich.
Choices of bottomless sides and beverages are the same for all Big Yummm meals. The sides are Steak Fries, Yukon Chips, coleslaw or steamed broccoli. The beverages are sodas, lemonade or iced tea.
Red Robin serves premium sides such as sweet potato fries, but if you indulge you’ll be looking at an up charge of three or four bucks.
Your sides come with free dipping sauces such as Campfire Mayo and Ranch. Don’t forget to ask your server for them. But again, if you order a premium side sauce like Roasted Garlic Aioli, Mike’s Hot Honey or Beer Cheese Bacon Fondue, you’re looking at an up charge of 99 cents to $2.49.
Big Yummm deals are dine-in only, the news release said.
Information: redrobin.com
]]>Censorship claims, technical problems and a report of a surge in app deletions are just some of the challenges TikTok is facing as it adjusts to a new ownership structure in the United States that was finalized last week.
The company said Monday it was experiencing a “major infrastructure issue triggered by a power outage” at one of its U.S. data center partner sites. The outage led to bugs such as creators temporarily seeing zero views on their videos even if people had looked at them, as well as slow load times and timeout requests when posting videos.
On Tuesday, TikTok said it had made significant progress restoring services though users could still see glitches while using the popular video sharing app.
At the same time, users were raising concerns that the company is “censoring” videos, including ones critical of President Donald Trump, ICE or mentions of Jeffrey Epstein. The complaints were enough for California Gov. Gavin Newsom to announce on X Monday that he is launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content.
Jamie Favazza, a spokesperson for TikTok’s new U.S. joint venture, said it is inaccurate to say that the problems users have been encountering are “anything but the technical issues we’ve transparently confirmed.”
Still, the technical problems combined with the ties that some of the new owners have to Trump bristled some U.S. users just enough to delete the app. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower said Tuesday that daily average app uninstalls grew 130% from Jan. 22 to Jan. 26 compared with the previous 30 days. However, daily average users still increased by 2% in the same period, which Sensor Tower says suggests the uninstalls had little effect on overall usage. And while TikTok lagged YouTube and Instagram in U.S. user growth, people spent more time on the platform than its rivals.
Minda Smiley, a social media analyst at research firm Emarketer, noted that ownership change did just happen and that TikTok is going through a lot of infrastructure-related shifts, which can lead to technical issues. But if there are still problems with certain videos not uploading, or the censorship claims persist, TikTok could see bigger issues down the line.
“Optics and perceptions are really important in situations like this, so I would stay like regardless of what’s actually happening, if people do feel as if content is being suppressed or content is difficult to upload or is being moderated or whatever it might be, that’s enough reason for a lot of users to flee or to stop using TikTok or to say they’re going to stop using TikTok,” she said.
That being said, “what users say and do is often different,” she added. After all, it was only a year ago that TikTok users were flocking to RedNote, a Chinese social media app, to protest a potential TikTok ban. The protest didn’t last and RedNote doesn’t see much discussion in the U.S. these days.
“Still, I think my point still stands that if this continues and people do feel as if the algorithm is changing, the content is changing, it certainly presents a challenge for TikTok,” Smiley added.
]]>The Associated Press
After two weeks of intense political and legal scrutiny, the Federal Reserve will seek to make this week’s meeting about interest rates as straightforward and uneventful as possible, though President Donald Trump probably still won’t like the result.
The central bank’s interest rate-setting committee is almost certain to keep its key short-term rate unchanged at about 3.6%, after three straight quarter-point cuts last year. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said after December’s meeting that they were “well positioned to wait to see how the economy evolves” before making any further moves.
When the Fed lowers its short-term rate, it can over time influence other borrowing costs for things like mortgages, auto loans and business borrowing, though those rates are also affected by market forces.
This week’s meeting — one of eight the Fed holds each year — will be overshadowed by the bombshell revelation earlier this month that the Justice Department has subpoenaed the Fed as part of a criminal investigation into testimony Powell gave last June about a $2.5 billion building renovation. It’s the first time a sitting Fed chair has been investigated, and prompted an unusually public rebuke from Powell.
Now, Powell will have to shift from a dispute with the White House to emphasizing that the Fed’s decisions around interest rates are driven by economic concerns, not politics. Powell said Jan. 11 that the subpoenas were “pretexts” to punish the Fed for not cutting rates as sharply as Trump wants.
Powell will be “under even more pressure to underscore, ‘everything we’re doing here … is all about the economics,’” said Claudia Sahm, a former Fed economist and chief economist at New Century Advisors. “‘We didn’t think about the politics.’”
Michael Gapen, chief U.S. economist at Morgan Stanley and also a former Fed staffer, said that despite the scrutiny, the Fed can be expected to consider its interest rate policies like it always does.
“The meetings have a regular flow to them,” he said. “There are presentations that are made, there are discussions that have to be had. … Some of these other broader-based attacks on the Fed don’t really come up.”
Not long after the Justice Department’s subpoenas, the Supreme Court last week considered whether Trump can fire Fed governor Lisa Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud, which she denies. No president has fired a governor in the Fed’s 112-year history. During an oral argument, the justices appeared to be leaning toward allowing her to stay in her job until the case is resolved.
]]>My trusty spreadsheet’s review of the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index for January showed a 28% decline from December in California’s shopper pysche. It’s a sharp reversal from a steep jump in the index, which is based on consumer surveys, seen between November and December.
Taking a longer-term view, California confidence is down 25% since January 2025, when Donald Trump started his second presidential term. This is the lowest California confidence score since December 2020 – when coronavirus was twisting the economy. Optimism is also 22% below the average results since 2007.
Consumer confidence is a critical part of the business climate, as their spending habits account for roughly two-thirds of economic activity. Pessimistic shoppers may skip or delay various purchases – especially pricey ones like homes or autos.
The Trump administration’s unorthodox, domestically focused economic policies don’t align well with California’s liberal politics or the state’s global business orientation. Meanwhile, conservative Californians aren’t happy with the state government’s management.
At the same time, consumers worry that California’s job growth is slowing to a crawl amid stubbornly elevated inflation.
By the way, California optimism grew by 8% in Trump’s first year of his first White House term, which began in January 2017.
By the slice
Think about the two slices of this confidence index.
California’s “present situation” index, which tracks consumer views of current economic conditions, fell 32% in January and is down 31% over the year.
It’s now at its lowest level since January 2021. This shopper’s view of today’s financial climate is 17% below the index’s 19-year average.
Meanwhile, the “expectations” index, which tracks consumer views of the future, was down 24% for the month and off 20% year over year.
It’s the bleakest outlook since April 2025, as California expectations run 26% below average.
Emotions elsewhere
Nationally, confidence was down 10% for the month and off 20% in Trump’s first year of his second term.
This brought American optimism to its lowest level since May 2014; it’s also 8% below the 19-year average.
In Trump’s first term, U.S. confidence rose 11% in his first year.
Yet, the nation was by no means universally pessimistic in January. Ponder the seven other states tracked by the Conference Board.
Just three states parallel California, with confidence down in January and the past 12 months.
Texas optimism fell 22% for the month and 26% year over year to the lowest level since December 2020.
In New York, optimism dropped 25% for the month and 17% year over year. Confidence is at its lowest since April 2025.
And Ohio optimism is off 1% for the month and 10% over the year.
Two others have muddled trends.
Florida confidence was up 2% for the month but down 13% in a year. Meanwhile, Michigan optimism rose 7% in January but is down 23% in a year.
And shoppers seem buoyant in two states.
Pennsylvania optimism rose 16% in January and 2% in a year, as Illinois confidence rose 6% for the month and 14% in a year.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com
]]>A federal judge has issued a temporary order prohibiting removal of a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father whose arrest last week in Minnesota quickly become another lightning rod for America’s divisions on immigration under the Trump administration.
U.S. Judge Fred Biery ruled Monday that any removal or transfer of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, is on hold while a court case proceeds.
The father and son are now at family detention facility in Dilley, Texas, near San Antonio.
They were taken into custody last week outside their home in Minnesota. Neighbors and school officials say that federal immigration officers used the preschooler as “bait” by telling him to knock on the door to his house so that his mother would answer.
The Department of Homeland Security has called that description of events an “abject lie.” It said the father fled on foot and left the boy in a running vehicle in their driveway.
Ramos’ attorney, Jennifer Scarborough, didn’t immediately respond to phone or email messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. The Department of Homeland Security sent a response only reiterating their version of events, insisting they did not arrest or target the child. Their statement did not address the judge’s court order.
Federal officials have said the father was in the U.S. illegally, without offering details. Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, said the man entered the country in December 2024.
The family’s attorney said he had a pending asylum claim allowing him to stay in the country.
]]>On Tuesday, the Galaxy completed a cash trade for Klauss, sending $2.375 million to St. Louis City SC. In three seasons in MLS, Klauss has scored 25 goals.
“Going into the offseason, he was our top target,” Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz said. “We knew we needed a nine (forward) and at that point in time, we thought we had three Designated Players and we were trying to figure out how we could stretch within the confines of the MLS rules to find the right structure for a deal that would bring Klauss in.
“It was really difficult because he was in the last year of his deal. St. Louis still wanted a lot in return because they had Klaus now as a (Target Allocated Money) player, he was originally a DP, now a TAM player. And there was an extension part of the conversation, that became difficult and ultimately sort of fell apart.”
The Galaxy entered the offseason thinking all three of their Designated Players (Joseph Painstil, Gabriel Pec and Riqui Puig) would be available. However, Puig had to undergo another ACL surgery, which eventually rekindled talks with St. Louis for Klauss.
“When Riqui got here, it allowed us to re-engage conversation because the deal structure could be very different,” Kuntz said.
The Galaxy placed Puig on the season-ending injury list, allowing them to bring in Klauss as a Designated Player. He is in the last year of his contract.
“He knows the league. He’s bigger than you think, he’s faster than you think and, for me, he’s younger than you think,” Kuntz said. “He’s a real handful. He occupies space. He’s very good technically and we like the way he plays underneath.
“One of the concerns we had initially was that because Riqui will show up late (on the ball) sometimes, we’re worried that he and Riqui might be in the same places, but he offers a lot of experience and quality and size. I think our group will benefit from him up top and because of the opportunity provided, the season-ending injury replacement mechanism, we were able to structure a deal and I think it gives us some good flexibility going forward.”
The trade didn’t automatically trigger an extension, Kuntz said, adding that Klauss is “betting on himself and we’re kind of betting on ourselves.”
“He is coming for one year, so I think he’s betting on this turning into a contract, a bigger contract down the line,” Kuntz said.
Klauss was St. Louis’ first Designated Player, joining the club in 2023. He scored 10 MLS goals that year in 19 games.
“First and foremost, he’s a good soccer player,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “Really good feet, good technique, a guy, who as a striker, can link up plays, bring attackers into the game. … He’s a good finisher. Gives us size up top too. If teams are trying to overpress us, he gives us a target. If teams are sitting low, he gives us a big body in the goal, in the box to score with his head.
“Without having someone like Riqui, who tends to come a little lower and play the game forward, João will come off the back line, pick up the game, play the winger into attacks and then join the attacks too. He’s got good speed in transition moments, he’s a smart defender, just a good experienced forward.”
]]>BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge said Tuesday that a nearly completed Massachusetts offshore wind project can continue, as the industry successfully challenges the Trump administration in court.
At U.S. District Court in Boston, Judge Brian Murphy halted the administration’s stop work order for Vineyard Wind, citing the potential economic losses from the delays and the developers’ likelihood of success on their claims. Vineyard Wind is one of five big offshore wind projects on the East Coast that the Trump administration froze days before Christmas, citing national security concerns— and the fourth that has since been allowed to go forward.
Developers and states sued seeking to block the administration’s order. Prior to Vineyard Wind’s hearing, federal judges had allowed three of the five to restart construction: the Revolution Wind project for Rhode Island and Connecticut by Danish company Orsted, the Empire Wind project for New York by Norwegian company Equinor, and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind for Virginia by Dominion Energy Virginia. Those three judges essentially concluded that the government did not show that the national security risk is so imminent that construction must halt, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond Law School professor who has been following the lawsuits.
Orsted is also suing over the administration halting its Sunrise Wind project for New York— the fifth paused project — but has not had a hearing yet.
Vineyard Wind is a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, located 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts. It is 95% complete and partially operational, able to produce nearly 600 megawatts of power for the New England electric grid, according to the complaint. Before the pause, it was on track to be complete by the end of March, with 62 turbines generating a total of 800 megawatts. That is enough clean electricity to power about 400,000 homes.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said the completion of this project is essential to ensuring the state can lower costs, meet rising energy demand, advance its climate goals and sustain thousands of good-paying jobs.
The administration’s announcement that paused construction did not reveal specifics about its national security concerns. But in a court filing, Matthew Giacona, acting director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said he reviewed classified documents in November that discussed direct impacts to national security that arise from operating offshore wind projects near early warning monitoring and radar systems. Giacona said he determined the ongoing activities for the Vineyard Wind project did not “adequately provide for the protection of national security interests,” absent potential mitigation measures.
Given its nearly complete status, BOEM decided to allow Vineyard Wind to continue partially operating during the suspension period while it consulted with defense officials and the owners, Giacona said. But, he said he is not aware of any measures that would mitigate the national security risks.
President Donald Trump has targeted offshore wind from his first days back in the White House, recently calling wind farms “losers” that lose money, destroy the landscape and kill birds. Research from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows that states with the most utility-scale wind and solar often have low electricity prices, supported by federal tax incentives. However, states with aggressive, binding programs to mandate more renewable energy have seen prices increase as a result of those policies, according to the study.
Turbines, like all infrastructure, can pose a risk to birds. The National Audubon Society, which is dedicated to the conservation of birds, thinks developers can manage these risks and climate change is a greater threat.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers has said the construction pause is meant to protect the national security of the American people and Trump has been clear that “wind energy is the scam of the century.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the Vineyard Wind project, specifically, because of a blade failure. Fiberglass fragments of a blade broke apart and began washing onto Nantucket beaches in July 2024 during the peak of tourist season. Manufacturer GE Vernova agreed to pay $10.5 million in a settlement to compensate island businesses that suffered losses.
Kennedy’s family famously opposed an earlier failed wind project not far from the family’s Cape Cod estate.
McDermott contributed to this report from Providence, Rhode Island.
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
]]>The restaurant is on the southwest corner of Atlantic and Gage avenues. The address is 6415 Atlantic Ave.
This location was the only one in California listed on its website’s “opening soon” page although there may be others in the works. In-N-Out often posts upcoming locations when they are at or near construction, about eight to 10 months in advance. Restaurant proposals can be working their way through cities’ planning departments months or years before that.
Matt Perez takes orders on opening day of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Mario Tapia calls order number 38 on opening day of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Hats for sale during the opening of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
T-Shirts for sale during the opening of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Merchandise for sale during the opening of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The opening of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The opening of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Julianna Diaz serves a Double-Double during the opening of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The opening of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Johnpaul Martinez displays a youth T-shirt for sale during the opening of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
A double-double served during the opening of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
From right, Julianna Diaz serves a milkshake to Alfonso Barajas during the opening of In-N-Out Burger’s first drive-thru in Bell on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
In-N-Out was founded in Baldwin Park in 1948, and about two-thirds of its locations are in California. In-N-Out lists 288 on its website. The Bell restaurant is No. 432 in the chain.
New restaurants are coming to Arizona, Washington state and Tennessee, where In-N-Out is in the midst of a major expansion.
Hours will be Monday 10:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Throughout the rest of January, In-N-Out is raising funds to combat human trafficking through the Slave 2 Nothing Foundation, set up by In-N-Out owner and president Lynsi Snyder and her husband Sean Ellingson. Customers are being invited to round up their purchases for the cause, with In-N-Out matching donations three-to-one up to $300,000.
On Jan. 17, Slave 2 Nothing brought its annual fund-raising car show and cruise to the South Bay for the first time. The event was held at Redondo Beach Marina and raised more than $600,000 for the cause, according to a reel on In-N-Out’s Facebook page.
Information: in-n-out.com
]]>Clark continues to contribute to the UCLA men’s basketball team despite missing the past six contests. During the Bruins’ game against Maryland on Jan. 10, he offered Tyler Bilodeau advice after head coach Mick Cronin benched the senior for committing a mindless foul. He’s empowered Trent Perry, telling the sophomore who’s been starting since he went out to “let it fly.”
Clark is a steady presence, but the Bruins have had to navigate the Big Ten without his shooting streaks, defense and dependability.
“Nobody wants to be back more than him,” Cronin said after the Bruins’ win over Northwestern on Saturday. “He’s doing everything he can, but we’re just trying to hold down the fort until we can get him back.
Clark is questionable for UCLA’s game at Oregon (8-12, 1-8 Big Ten) on Wednesday, a team source told the Southern California News Group. Even if Clark misses a seventh straight contest, the Bruins (14-5, 6-3) have proved they can fare in his absence.
Cronin has referred to Clark as UCLA’s best all-around player. His team-high on/off split (22.7 NET rating) reflects that. Fighting for an NCAA Tournament spot without him is daunting. The Bruins are overcoming those circumstances – going 4-2 so far without Clark – because multiple players have stepped up.
“The fact that we’re winning games without Skyy Clark, in this conference,” Cronin said, emphatically. “That’s what time it is.”
The first step in making up for a player of Clark’s caliber is replacing his counting stats. Teams often require a combination of various contributors to complete that task. Instead, Trent Perry has filled that gap himself. The sophomore guard is mimicking Clark’s offensive output, averaging 16.2 points, 3.2 assists and shooting 41% from 3-point range over the past six games.
Perry is heeding Clark’s encouragement and benefiting from the coaching staff calling sets that give him space to shoot – coalescence of confidence and opportunity.
After a freshman season bereft of the immediate success he expected because of his stellar high school career – highlighted by consecutive CIF state championships at Harvard-Westlake – Perry is shedding his shell at a crucial time.
“Just playing basketball, being confident,” he said Saturday. “The coaching staff is just telling me to let it fly, be aggressive. And of course, you know, with Skyy, he’s a great sport and all that. So just try to, you know, step into that role a little bit.”
On Jan. 14, UCLA trudged through the Happy Valley snow to play a desperate Penn State team. The game’s flow seemed desolate. The seats behind the basket were devoid of fans. Perry brought the energy. He sprinted off screens looking for passes from point guard Donovan Dent. He stayed ready to shoot when Penn State threw double teams at Bilodeau. He made a season-high four 3-pointers. He turned the barren sections into his backyard, hitting all 12 of his free-throw attempts.
He scored a career-high 30 points, leading UCLA to a crucial road victory.
“Trent made some big shots,” Cronin said following that 71-60 win.
It’s expected to have sophomore-year progression. It’s another thing to break out, with the Bruins teetering on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and do a Skyy-Clark impression.
While Perry has matched Clark’s numbers, Clark’s value transcends the box score.
In his absence, Dent has accepted an increased responsibility handling the ball, initiating plays, and defending the opponent’s best guard. Junior Eric Dailey Jr. has become the defensive leader, and redshirt freshman Eric Freeny has been dependable and tough.
Each of those played out in UCLA’s upset of then-No. 4 Purdue last Tuesday.
Dent fought through constant ball-screens, stayed in front of Braden Smith’s shifty drives and tracked him as he darted off-ball. He was the primary defender, holding the Boilermakers’ first-team All-American to 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
Freeny played only eight minutes, but late in the first half, he blocked a layup attempt by Smith, starting a fast break that Dailey finished with a hammering dunk. The sequence sparked an eruption from Pauley Pavilion, providing the Bruins with momentum.
“One thing Eric Freeny’ll give you is physicality and fight,” Cronin said. “As a freshman, you know, at times, he might be out there in the wrong spot, or whatever, but he’s never, ever, ever going to lack for giving effort. That’s why I signed him.”
Dailey, though, was in the perfect spot on the defensive possession prior to Bilodeau’s game-winning 3-pointer that has gained national attention. With just under 40 seconds left, Smith blew by Xavier Booker, Perry rotated to force a pass, and Dailey dropped down to deflect Smith’s dish, creating a loose ball that tipped off the Boilermakers and out of play. Without Dailey’s timely defense, Bilodeau’s shot might not have turned the nation’s eyes to Westwood.
As his offense has fluctuated, Dailey hasn’t let that deter his effort on the other side.
“Stopping players is what we need to do,” Dailey said following the Purdue game. “Just got to continue this type of energy we’ve been bringing.”
Whether that’s without Clark or carrying it into his return as he’s taking his recovery “day by day.”
With its postseason hopes in jeopardy, in a conference loaded with talent and toughness, UCLA has persevered in the absence of a player who provides both.
UCLA at Oregon
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, Oregon
TV/Radio: Big Ten Network/AM 790
]]>