in six games, scoring no fewer than nine points in a game during that span and as many as 18

LOS ANGELES -- Although Clay Helton is beginning his first full season as Southern Californias head coach, this transplanted Southerner has been around the West Coasts most glamorous college football program long enough to know its already time to start winning again.At USC, the bar is set high, Helton said. Its about championships. And if you dont like that bar, dont take the job.After six years as a steadying influence on the perpetually troubled Trojans during the tenures of fired coaches Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian, Helton is finally in charge of a program that hasnt won a Pac-12 title since 2008.Thats the longest drought since the leagues genesis as an eight-team circuit in 1968, and the Trojans thirsty fans arent eager to wait through another rebuilding season. Neither is new athletic director Lynn Swann -- who took over after Helton had been given the permanent job by departing Pat Haden.Luckily for them, USC already has plenty of pieces in place for a resurgent season, including its usual stockpile of blue-chip talent. The Pac-12 Souths lack of a clear-cut favorite leaves the Trojans with ample reason to believe they can reach the Pac-12 title game -- where Stanford routed them last year.Helton doesnt have much of a rebuilding job to do. His offense is stocked with a veteran offensive line, JuJu Smith-Schusters fleet of receivers, and tremendous tailbacks Justin Davis and Ronald Jones II.Returning defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast also has plenty of five-star pieces, but Pete Carroll was the last coach to turn all that talent into a powerhouse when it really mattered. Helton realizes hell be compared to those dynastic teams of the past decade until he creates his own identity for the Trojans.The clock is already ticking.Heres what to know about USC:PICK A PASSER: Helton should make his choice on a starting quarterback by next weekend -- about two weeks before the season opener. Max Browne is in his fourth season on campus, finally out of Cody Kesslers shadow. Redshirt freshman Sam Darnold has made Heltons choice tougher than expected. No matter who is chosen to go first, the other quarterback will be ready to step in.CAMS BACK: One breakout star on last seasons defense was playmaking linebacker Cameron Smith, but the freshman missed the last four games with a knee injury. He returns to provide steady play on a unit that must replace several major parts, including a defensive line missing six of its top seven players from last year.SHARING IS CARING: The Trojans will share the Coliseum for at least the next three years with the Los Angeles Rams, who only have four home games before the Trojans regular season ends Nov. 26. Theyll play back-to-back home games twice -- but since the Trojans play on Saturdays, they wont get the worst of any chewed-up turf. The Coliseum groundskeepers also appear to have stepped up their game, so the arrangement could be no problem.SEASON OPENER: After losing his final two games last season as the Trojans permanent coach, Helton will continue his tenure on Sept. 3 with a trip to Arlington, Texas, to play defending national champion Alabama at the Dallas Cowboys palatial stadium. It sounds like a foolproof recipe for a third straight defeat, but Helton only sees it as an opportunity for the memorable moments expected by any player with college footballs elite programs.KEY GAMES: Even after Alabama, USCs schedule is rough on a first-year coach. September alone includes visits to Stanford and Utah, and the Trojans have back-to-back road games at Washington and UCLA in November before returning for the annual intersectional rivalry game with Notre Dame. Sounds tough -- and sounds great to Helton. Play Alabama, play Notre Dame, play the Pac-12 schedule, he said. Its what dreams are made of.PREDICTION: After the ridiculous tumult of the past six seasons, USC could benefit from a calm, sensible fall of steady growth, even if it doesnt culminate in a Pac-12 championship. Helton knows all about the Trojans lofty expectations, and he realizes Swann will be looking closely at a coach he didnt hire. Given their sadistic schedule, it would be optimistic to expect more than eight wins from these Trojans -- but that still might put USC in position to win its division. Adidas Nmd Panske Cerne . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. Adidas Nmd r2 Damske . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. http://www.botynmdlevne.com/adidas-nmd-damske-levne.html .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Basketbalové Boty Adidas . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. Boty Nmd Levne . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . NEW ORLEANS -- If Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams keep scoring like this, opponents are going to have trouble matching up with Los Angeles second unit this season.Clarkson scored 23 points, Williams added 21, and the Lakers won for the fifth time in six games, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 126-99 on Saturday night.Me and Lou are going to be real aggressive coming in. Were trying to do a good job of leading this second group, bringing the energy, scoring the ball, pushing the pace, Clarkson said. Coach (Luke Walton) gave that to us. Thats our role and thats what were going to do.DAngelo Russell scored 22 and Nick Young added 15 points for the Lakers, who shot 55.3 percent (52 of 94) overall and made 16 of 30 3-pointers.Combined, Lakers guards scored 84 points.It just shows how much firepower weve got and how deep we can go, Clarkson said. Weve got so many options, its crazy.Anthony Davis scored 34 for New Orleans, but left the game for a pivotal stretch with lower back pain after his layup had cut Los Angeles lead to 63-62 in the third quarter. Davis, who crumpled to the court after his shot fell, went to the locker room and was out of the game for four-plus minutes while the Lakers went on a 14-0 run.It just locked up on me, Davis said of his back. I hate being out, so I tried to do whatever I could to come back.Davis added nine more points after he returned, but New Orleans never recovered, losing for the ninth time in its first 10 games and dropping to 0-5 at home.New Orleans has been without three top players -- guards Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans, and forward Quincy Pondexter -- so far this season. The lack of depth caused by those absences stuck out against a Lakers second unit that has demonstrated exceptional chemistry lately.Their bench totally dominated the game, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. We couldnt get Lou stopped. I thought Clarkson pretty much scored at will.Rookie Buddy Hield scored 18 points and Langston Galloway added 12 for the Pelicans.Young was 5 for 7 from 3-point range, while Clarkson went 4 of 6 and Russell 4 of 77.ddddddddddddRookie Brandon Ingram scored 10 points for the Lakers. He left the game in the second half with what team officials said was a sprained left ankle, but Ingram said he might have returned if his team hadnt built such a comfortable lead in the fourth quarter.TIP-INSLakers: Julius Randle had 11 rebounds to go with eight points. ... Williams entered the game as one of the top scorers in the NBA in a reserve role, averaging 15.9 points. He scored 14 in the first half, hitting six of his first 10 shots, including a 3-pointer. His 21 points tied a season high. ... Young, who entered the game 22 of 22 on free throws this season, did not attempt a foul shot -- nor did any Lakers starter. ... The Lakers 53.3 percent shooting from 3-point range was their best since hitting 14 of 25 (56 percent) in a 111-103 win over Denver on Dec. 30, 2014.Pelicans: Davis reached 30 points for the seventh time in 10 games this season. ... Hield reached double digits in scoring for the fourth time in six games, scoring no fewer than nine points in a game during that span and as many as 18 twice.REMINISCINGWalton and Gentry hugged in the hallway outside the locker rooms before the game. They also reminisced about their time as assistants on the same staff with Golden State during the 2014-15 season, when the Warriors were NBA champions. Gentry said he was not at all surprised to see Waltons early success as a first-year head coach of a young team that won only 17 games last season.Hes got a great feel for the game, but I think more so than that, hes got a great feel for people. He can relate to anyone, Gentry said.Gentry also alluded to a couple of Lakers players whove said they would run through a wall for Walton. In our profession, Gentry began, laughing as he spoke, youve accomplished a lot when an NBA player says something like that about his coach.UP NEXTLakers: Visit Minnesota on Sunday night.Pelicans: Host Boston on Monday night. ' ' '