John Wall

You've heard about this freshman leading one of the best teams in the nation, right? No, not Kentucky's John Wall . While nobody can argue about Wall's impact, nobody who has seen No. 1 Kansas would underestimate Xavier Henry's impact. Not that Henry wants to go anywhere near talk of a freshman-of-the-year duel. He's just happy to be exceeding expectations with the Jayhawks. "Everything is pressure," Henry, a 6-foot-6 wing, said Saturday after scoring 15 points in a victory over Michigan.

The Lakers (36-33) host the Washington Wizards (24-43) on Friday night at Staples Center.  Kobe Bryant (ankle) and Pau Gasol (foot) are both expected to return from injury against the Wizards. Coach Mike D'Antoni said he intends to return Gasol to the starting lineup although he might give it a few games for Gasol to build up his conditioning. The Wizards are better than their record.  Point guard John Wall missed 33 games, which killed Washington's playoff hopes before they began.

Oklahoma City's James Harden drove hard through the lane. Players scattered as if they owed him money. Harden, rattled by the defensive exodus, missed the layup. Welcome to the NBA's Rookie Challenge. This was the chance for the league's young talent to show off, but there are games of H-O-R-S-E that have more defensive pressure. What did get displayed were dunks, dunks and, yes, more dunks — seven alone by the Clippers' Blake Griffin — in the Rookie team's 148-140 victory Friday night at Staples Center.

When: 7:30. Where: Staples Center. On the air: TV: TWC SportsNet, TWC Deportes; Radio: 710, 1330. Records: Lakers 36-33, Wizards 24-43. Record vs. Wizards: 1-0. Update: Washington is 6-26 on the road but won in Phoenix on Wednesday, 88-79. Point guard John Wall has elevated his game this month after coming back from a stress injury in his left knee in January, averaging 20 points, 7.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds his last 11 games. Rookie shooting guard Bradley Beal is doubtful after aggravating an ankle injury against Phoenix .

When: 7:30. Where: Staples Center. On the air: TV: TWC SportsNet, TWC Deportes; Radio: 710, 1330. Records: Lakers 36-33, Wizards 24-43. Record vs. Wizards: 1-0. Update: Washington is 6-26 on the road but won in Phoenix on Wednesday, 88-79. Point guard John Wall has elevated his game this month after coming back from a stress injury in his left knee in January, averaging 20 points, 7.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds his last 11 games. Rookie shooting guard Bradley Beal is doubtful after aggravating an ankle injury against Phoenix .

Fifteen games remaining and it is not too early to pen a significant disclaimer about the Clippers' wildly uneven season. Bad in the third quarter. Good work in the first half has had an uncanny way of evaporating ? fast ? in the third quarter, and it started happening again for the second time in two nights on this five-game trip. They blew a 20-point lead and lost to the New Jersey Nets in overtime Friday night. Luckily for the Clippers, the woeful 16-win Wizards happened to be Saturday night's host, and the Clippers self-corrected after letting Washington pull within three points early in the third quarter.

When Kevin Durant strolled into the Pyramid, a hoodie covering his head, his eyes glued to the floor, the fans here for the Drew League-Goodman League exhibition affair began to stir. Durant was on the campus of Long Beach State representing the Washington-based Goodman League along with such players as John Wall (Washington Wizards) and Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies) to face South Los Angeles-based Drew League players such as James Harden (Oklahoma City Thunder), Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee Bucks)

How do you really feel? Agent Dan Fegan , on counterpart David Falk's comments that Washington point guard John Wall lacked a "feel for the game" and was incapable of being the franchise's cornerstone: "David Falk's rant about John Wall was uneducated, unsophisticated and immature. It proved the adage that one can grow old without ever growing up. I'm relieved David had the sense to apologize for his remarks, but that doesn't change the fact that he publicly disparaged a classy young man and a great young player.

How do you really feel? Agent Dan Fegan , on counterpart David Falk's comments that Washington point guard John Wall lacked a "feel for the game" and was incapable of being the franchise's cornerstone: "David Falk's rant about John Wall was uneducated, unsophisticated and immature. It proved the adage that one can grow old without ever growing up. I'm relieved David had the sense to apologize for his remarks, but that doesn't change the fact that he publicly disparaged a classy young man and a great young player.

NEW ORLEANS - Cancel that code blue alert. Kentucky fans, you can exhale now. Relax and enjoy the next 10 minutes before preparing for the season's last nervous-wreck ramp-up. The disaster-scenario defeat to arch-rival Louisville in Saturday's NCAA national semifinals was, narrowly, averted. It wasn't easy or awe-inspiring, but top-seeded Kentucky survived rival Louisville's late rush and advanced to Monday night's title game with a 69-61 win at the Superdome. Kentucky will play Kansas.

Eleven days ago, the Clippers turned the Verizon Center in Washington into their playground. They had rolled in to commence a 10-day, six-game trip and moved on after a no-sweat, 26-point demolition of the Wizards, their largest win in the nation's capital. On Wednesday, the Clippers were home, seemingly safe and sound, with their first game back in their quarters against those same lowly Wizards. Only those woebegone Wizards made the Clippers look jet-lagged and heavy-legged, turning what was expected to be an L.A. blowout into a grinder, which the Clippers won by a deceiving score of 102-84, before 19,135 at Staples Center.

When Kevin Durant strolled into the Pyramid, a hoodie covering his head, his eyes glued to the floor, the fans here for the Drew League-Goodman League exhibition affair began to stir. Durant was on the campus of Long Beach State representing the Washington-based Goodman League along with such players as John Wall (Washington Wizards) and Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies) to face South Los Angeles-based Drew League players such as James Harden (Oklahoma City Thunder), Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee Bucks)