Talk » eight seniors in the team. The team nee

Villanovas epic national title victory over North Carolina in April seems like a lifetime ago. It camouflaged a pedestrian regular season. The hope and the expectation is that you wont have to wait until April to be hooked. The season is exactly 30 days away, so here are the things you absolutely must keep an eye on right from the opening tip:Villanovas Kris Jenkins will have miracle shot hangover Jenkins had the shot of a lifetime and an NCAA tournament memory that wont be forgotten for some time. But Jenkins will now be relied on to deliver more big moments, and the regular season simply doesnt carry the same adrenaline. Hard to imagine another comparable moment in his Nova career.Kentucky coach John Calipari still needs a returning player to be a star The Wildcats once again have a star-studded freshman class. The reliable and productive veterans are few. That means Isaiah Briscoe better be an elite player. Kentucky needs someone who has been in high-pressure games to reach its ultimate goal of a national title.Dukes Harry Giles knees will be the most discussed body part in college basketball Giles tore his ACL and MCL in his left knee in 2013. He had a knee scope this month and his return is unknown. The mystery will challenge NBA personnel, who said they will want their doctors to check him out before they can make an evaluation. Lets assume he returns at some point for the Blue Devils. Once he does, his left knee will be a constant conversation point right up until the night of the NBA draft.The ACC may be the strongest, but the Big Ten race will be the most intriguing Duke, Syracuse, Louisville, North Carolina and Virginia will compete for top-5 NCAA tournament seeds. And the league could get as many nine or 10 -- maybe 11? -- teams in the NCAAs. But Duke is the favorite. So give me the Big Ten race, because there Wisconsin, Michigan State, Indiana and Purdue should be competing down to the final weekend for the title in a razor-thin race.Wichita State will face its toughest season since becoming a regular in the NCAA tournament The Shockers have been the dominant team in the Missouri Valley. But you cannot ignore the impact of losing Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker. Gregg Marshall is an elite coach who maximizes talent, but he will face a hungry set of opponents in the Valley who are eager to take down the Shockers.Arizonas Allonzo Trier will be a national name by March The Arizona staff is convinced Trier will be the Pac-12 Player of the Year. He averaged nearly 15 points a game last season. With the top two scorers gone, Trier will have plenty of touches to stuff the stat sheet every game.The pro-Bob Knight loyalists will continue to shrink as Tom Creans Indiana thrives Knight loyalists need to get over themselves. Crean has coached the Indiana Hoosiers to a Big Ten title and multiple Sweet 16 appearances. This Indiana team has the size, depth and speed to again be in the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. If the point guard play materializes, then Hoosiers fans better deal with Crean creating a lasting legacy.The NCAA investigation into Louisville wont impact its season Louisville still hasnt been in front of the NCAA committee on infractions. The timetable to get a hearing and deal with a response and possible appeal means this likely wont ding the Cardinals this season. The worst-case scenario? A suspension for Rick Pitino under the coach control penalty. But that could even be a reach. Cant see a postseason ban after last seasons self-imposed one.NC State freshman guard Dennis Smith will be a part of the All-American discussion Smith is a special talent. A year ago, he tore his ACL, limiting the buzz that might follow him from high school to NC State. Hes healthy now, and Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried has a star, a player who should be the best point guard in the ACC, and as a result, one of the best in the country.Bob Huggins will sweat less at West Virginia this season Huggins will still wear his golf windbreakers and comfy clothes. But he is optimistic he has another team cut from the same West Virginia cloth. If youre looking for a team that could challenge Kansas, lean on West Virginia as your choice.Creightons Marcus Foster will make you care about him this season Remember Creighton? There was a natural speed bump in the program after Doug McDermott left. But the Bluejays may be ready to emerge again. Foster is the reason. He was a double-figure scorer at K-State, and he should be one again at Creighton, joining Maurice Watson Jr.?in one of the best backcourts in the Big East.Dukes Grayson Allen will be hard for critics to hate Allen deservedly got criticized for multiple tripping incidents last season. But its hard to argue against Allens productivity. He enters the season as one of the favorites to win the Wooden Award. If he can emerge as a go-to guy on a team with multiple lottery picks, it will be difficult to dismiss him because of any past chippy play.Shaka Smart will allow Texas fans to enjoy the winter before spring football The Longhorns football program has been in a constant state of chaos. The basketball program has a chance to be the steadier of the two. Smart has a young team, but one that should fit his up-tempo, hectic and harassing style. Entertaining should be the key word, not heard in the fall in Austin.Court storming will no longer be cool The Pac-12 finally got the message that court storming is more dangerous than hip. The league followed the SEC and will fine schools $25,000 for the first offense, $50,000 for the second and $100,000 for the third. Other leagues will likely follow. The court of play should still be reserved for those who actually play in the games.Wisconsins Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig will be the social conscience of the sport this season Hayes has made it clear that he wont shy away from speaking out on social justice issues. He is passionate about the subject and wont hold back when moved. Koenig has already been active in protecting native land against the Dakota pipeline project. Wisconsin coach Greg Gard fully supports their activism, and its not likely to halt anytime soon.North Carolinas mens basketball team wont suffer NCAA penalties Coach Roy Williams has been adamant that his program wont get hit from the NCAAs investigation into fraudulent classes at the university. There is no indication that Williams is wrong. Tar Heels critics will be hot, but the only lasting effect this crisis will likely have on the program will be a PR hit, not a slew of penalties.Lonzo Ball will save UCLA An NBA assistant general manager watched UCLA practice in the preseason and said Ball is a pass-first guard who is going to get Bryce Alford the ball when he needs to shoot it. He will apparently find the key players when theyre open. Do that, and Steve Alford will no longer be feeling outside heat.No one needs a good start more than Illinois John Groce Groces season was dreadful a year ago. And it wasnt just the sub-.500 record. There were three arrests and multiple injuries. The Illini have their deepest team since Groce arrived five years ago. If everything is calm, the Illini can resume being a player in the Big Ten. If chaos resumes, then the crisis for Groce will only get worse.Chatter about Jim Boeheim coaching at Syracuse beyond 2018 will be hot Boeheim announced in 2015 that he would retire after the 2017-18 season. Yet he has another team that could reach the Final Four. His recruiting is going exceedingly well. Hes healthy. And he now has a close friend as a boss in John Wildhack, the former ESPN executive and new Syracuse athletic director. Its hard not to see Boeheim continuing if the Orange continue to excel.Kansas will tie UCLAs record of 13 straight conference titles Oklahoma should have ended Kansas streak last season, but the Sooners couldnt close. While West Virginia will be formidable, the Jayhawks are too loaded with returnees such as Frank Mason and Devonte Graham, as well as studs such as Josh Jackson. Kansas 12 straight Big 12 titles is as impressive a regular-season streak as any recently in college basketball. And there is no reason to believe it wont continue.Dillon Brooks timetable to return to Oregon will be a dominating pre-conference topic Oregon can get to the Final Four with a healthy Brooks. If Brooks foot injury is a nagging issue, the Ducks may struggle in their quest to win the Pac-12. Regardless, his injury will be a constant topic in evaluating Oregons status as an elite team, let alone a title contender.The Maui Invitational will return as the tournament to watch in November Wisconsin could be a Final Four team. So, too, could Oregon and North Carolina. Georgetown is a sleeper in the Big East and UConn could win the American. Dont be surprised if in March, we look back and see five high seeds who played in Maui.Markelle Fultz will be this seasons Ben Simmons Ben Simmons was the top pick in the NBA draft. But LSU couldnt get in the NCAA tournament or even the NIT. Fultz has a chance to be the top pick in June, but the Huskies are still green. That could be a factor in whether Fultz gets the national stage of the NCAA tournament or is relegated to the NIT.Kevin Stallings will coach Pitt into the NCAA tournament in his first season Stallings tenure at Vanderbilt was erratic, but his teams were always well coached. Jamie Dixon bolted for his alma mater at TCU, but he left a roster led by Jamel Artis that has enough to get to the NCAA tournament.Melo Trimble will realize he made the right decision to go back to Maryland Trimble wasnt going to be a first-round pick. He may have made a few big shots last season, but that doesnt equate to being a first-round selection. He will need to prove he can lead a retooled Maryland team back to the NCAA tournament. Do that and hell see he made the right call by creating more of a résumé.Bruce Pearl will be relevant again Pearl has recruited well at Auburn. And he has a win over Kentucky. Hes not going to be quiet. Auburn may not be a serious player for the SEC title, but this could be the season Auburn makes enough noise to be a story in late February.Avery Johnson, Mike Dunleavy Sr. and Terry Porter will make more fired NBA coaches want to coach in college Johnson has created a buzz at Alabama. Dunleavy is super-charged to be at Tulane. Porter could make the Pilots more intriguing. College coaches are now quick to take the money in the NBA, but fired NBA coaches will see college as a legitimate option.Cals Ivan Rabb will show its OK to turn down an NBA first-round spot Rabb will miss Jaylen Brown as a sidekick. But Rabb should thrive as the focal point. The talent in the Pac-12 will be on display on a nightly basis with competition fierce for Player of the Year honors. Rabb will prove that coming back does not always hurt a players draft status.UNLV wont regret not getting its first head-coaching choice Marvin Menzies wasnt supposed to be the head coach. Mick Cronin could have had the job. Chris Beard did have the gig. But Menzies was the fall-back choice, and with an impressive recruiting haul, led by Troy Baxter Jr., the Rebels should be a factor sooner than expected.Michigan State will be the toughest team to project The Spartans could be a Final Four team or an early flameout. The reason for the unknown? Health. The Spartans are already banged up. If they can get healthy, weather a brutal early schedule and get to Tom Izzo time (March), the Spartans will be in the thick of the Big Ten and national title race. Air Force 1 Doernbecher .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Air Force 1 Alte Special Field . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. http://www.airforce1outletitalia.it/scontate-lunar-force-1.html . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. Air Force 1 Alte Liberty . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. Air Force 1 Scontate .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Wednesday that J. Bangladesh Women captain Jahanara Alam has said adjusting to Irish conditions quickly will be key to the teams success during their forthcoming limited-overs matches against Ireland Women in Londonderry.The team is scheduled to arrive in Northern Ireland on September 3, after which they will have only one day to train and get accustomed to the conditions before the first T20I on September 5.We will get only a day to practice after reaching Ireland, Jahanara said on Tuesday. These things can happen. We will have to face the harsh cold weather, while at home we had practiced under hot and humid conditions. But we are hopeful of coping with the conditions despite the fact that one practice session is not enough. We will look to make best use of the time we have there.Bangladesh and Ireland will play T20Is on September 5 and September 6, followed by ODIs on September 8 and September 10. All four matches will be played at the Bready Cricket Club.Bangladeshs last international assignment went poorly as they lost all group-stage matches in this years Womens Worldd T20 in India.ddddddddddddTheir last ODI memory isnt great either; they lost two ODIs out of two against Pakistan in October 2015. But Jahanara was hopeful that their mix of experienced and young players could bring them success.We will try to win all four matches on tour, she said. We have around seven to eight seniors in the team. The team needs to play more matches in order to get the best possible output from the seniors. But we are playing internationals after long gaps and this is hampering our progress. I believe we will be able to put up a team effort, in which both the seniors and the newcomers will contribute.Jahanara said the Bangladesh womens team had come a long way since their international debut, and hoped the change in mentality could lift them to a better position in Ireland.We are training harder these days. Our mentality has also changed over the last four years. I am hopeful that we will do well in Ireland. ' ' '