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Sports Quote of the Day:
"Excellence is a habit, not an act. It takes practice and perseverance. " ~ Author Unknown
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Ugh, You Again: Week 10, Detroit Lions.
By Steven Schweickert
The Bears, Packers and Lions all sit at 5-3 on the season, and at 2-1 within the division. Heading into week ten, two of those teams start their divisional rematches, as the Bears and Lions face each other at Soldier Field.
We're just about to get into the divisional rematches, and of course that means the customary switch-up of the title. And the rematch against the Lions can't come at a better time, as the winner of this game takes a decent head start into the latter stretch of the season as the NFC North leader. The Bears can undo the Lions' win at Ford Field with their own win at Soldier Field. The Lions can sweep the series against the Bears and likewise be the first NFC North team to six wins.
Since Our Last Meeting: Since the Lions beat the Bears to advance to 3-1, they split the next four games, as they lost to the Packers and the Bengals, yet beat the Browns as well as the Cowboys.
Rankings:
Offense:
Total Yardage: 3328 (3rd)
Total Points: 217 (6th)
Passing Yardage: 2543 (2nd)
Rushing Yardage: 785 (21st)
Defense:
Total Yardage: 3048 (25th)
Total Points: 197 (18th)
Passing Yardage: 2180 (26th)
Rushing Yardage: 868 (14th)
So What's New?: They still mostly operate as the same Detroit Lions - they still lead the league in passing attempts and they still have their season high in rushing yards against the Bears. Even better, the Lions come in off their bye week, whereas the Bears come in off a short week having just faced the Packers. It's a conspi-- Ahem, sorry.
In all seriousness, things haven't been all roses and rainbows for the Lions since Week 4. In addition to the indefinite loss of Nate Burleson (who's still out with a pizza-induced broken arm), the team's also placed Ryan Broyles on injured reserve - this after the Titus Young saga seriously put a cramp on the Lions' ability to field multiple receivers. Kris Durham's slid into the de facto number two wide receiver role and done so to decent effect, and Brandon Pettigrew's between-the-20s checkdown-ness still gives way to Joseph Fauria's red-zone effectiveness. Of Fauria's eight receptions this season, five of them have gone for touchdowns.
Matthew Stafford's still putting up a pretty good year, and is doing so on a team that has allowed less sacks than the Bears. Hm, there's some correlation between pass protection/offensive line play and good quarterback play, but I just can't get through to get the point home.
Defensively, fifth-overall draft pick Ziggy Ansah is questionable at this point, but that still doesn't do anything about Nick Fairley or Ndamukong Suh. That being said, I'd like to point out that with a five-sack explosion against the Packers, the Bears now have surpassed the Lions in rushing the passer, 14 to 13. Three of the Lions' sacks have come from the aforementioned Ansah, and another two have come from blitzing linebacker Stephen Tulloch.
If the Bears are to win on Sunday, first and foremost is probably ensuring Reggie Bush doesn't beat them like he did back in the first match, with those huge holes in the defensive line being ripped open - the Bears still haven't figured out how to play the run, if some of the holes Green Bay opened up were any indication. Bad enough that Calvin Johnson can catch balls with all eleven defenders knowing it's going to him, but if a team like the Lions continues to develop a second half to the offense, this can get dangerous in a hurry.
And second is making the most of the open targets on the roster - the Bears have enough weapons that they should be able to find an open guy and get the ball to him. If the offensive line can keep a struggling Lions pass rush off Josh McCown or Jay Cutler (whichever's starting, depending on whom you want to listen to), there are plays to be made against the Lions cornerbacks.
Bears' Cutler to start vs. Lions on Sunday. What's your take?
By GENE CHAMBERLAIN (Associated Press)
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will start against the Detroit Lions on Sunday after missing one game with a groin muscle tear.
Coach Marc Trestman confirmed Cutler's return Thursday following practice, saying doctors have given Cutler the clearance to play. Trestman said Cutler will not be restricted in any way due to the injury.
Cutler suffered the injury against the Washington Redskins Oct. 20 when he was sacked during the 45-41 loss. The Bears had a bye the following week, then Josh McCown started and played all of Monday night's 27-20 win at Green Bay.
Cutler has completed 146 of 225 passes for 1,658 yards and 12 touchdowns with seven interceptions. McCown completed 36 of 61 for 476 yards and did not turn the ball over as Cutler's replacement.
After reading this article, what's your take? Should Jay wait another week or so to be sure he's completely healed and give Josh McCown a couple of more starts to better hone his skills in the event another injury should occur? As we stated at CS&T/AA before the Green Bay game, we felt that Josh McCown was more than able to run the Bears offense. The Bears schedule is just going to get a little tougher and we will need everyone completely healthy. We really feel Jay should wait, however, It'll be okay if he plays as we do have a very capable back up to support him. What do you think?
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Hawks' top line clicks in win over Jets.
By Scott Powers
"It’s nice," Toews simply put it.
What Toews was excited to discuss was how he, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp had played together at a different level in the win and looked like one of the league’s premier lines.
Toews and Sharp scored goals, and the trio combined for 13 shots on goal.
"I think we've shown that we can take advantage of opportunities," Toews said. "But we want to be that type of line that sustains pressure and keeps the puck alive and keeps plays alive every single shift. We know we can be dangerous on the rush and we got speed going, but, at the same time, we want to control pucks down low in their zone, not turn it over and wait for the next time to get the puck back.
"We had a couple games here and there maybe we didn’t click as much as we wanted to. But tonight, I think we got back together where we were supporting each other and being in the right areas, and you saw the chances that we got. Keep doing that; the more chances you get, the more goals you’re going to score. Try to build off that."
The line has been building momentum since Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville united them last month, when he felt his team wasn’t getting enough consistent offense. In just the past five games, the three players have combined for nine goals and nine assists. The Blackhawks have accumulated 22 goals and had a 4-0-1 record in the past five games.
"I thought they had their best game tonight," Quenneville said. "I thought they had the puck a lot, a lot of zone time, a lot of quality chances and had some production as well to show for it.”
Hossa didn’t produce a point on Wednesday, but he’s been on the score sheet often as of late. After a slow start to the season due to a back injury, Hossa has had six points in the past five games.
Sharp’s game has also been on the rise. He’s scored three of his four goals this season during the past five games.
Overall, Sharp believed they were playing well together because no one was out for himself.
"Three players that want to hold on to the puck and make plays," he said. "I don’t think you really see anybody trying to beat people one-on-one. It’s give-and-go’s. It’s moving the puck back and forth and all the three guys like to score goals. That’s a good thing."
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... 'Disappointed' Bulls 'determined' to turn things around.
By Aggrey Sam
This one stung.
Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, an optimist for once, described his team as “determined.”
“Disappointed” is how Joakim Noah described it.
Whatever the feeling was after the Bulls’ 97-80 loss Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, it’s something they certainly don’t want to feel anytime soon. It’s one thing when they just don’t have it, have the odds against them, have to contend with bad matchups and the like. But the Pacers, a familiar foe they know like the back of their hand, beat the Bulls at their own game—defense, rebounding and resiliency—and there was nothing they could do about it.
“We got beat in every facet of the game: the rebounding, the defensive transition, turned it over. You have to play 48 minutes against good teams. We got into a hole in the first quarter and dug out of that. I thought we played well in the first half overall. Third quarter was good enough and then the fourth has to be our best, and it wasn’t,” Thibodeau explained. “Even at the end, when you’re 10 or inside 10, we compounded our mistakes with giving them threes that really hurt us. I thought when you get outrebounded like we did and give a team like that two or three cracks at it, it’s not good.”
Noah added: “They fought hard. They wanted it more than us, they got to every loose ball, every rebound. Just took it away. Disappointing.”
“Defensively, second shots, turnovers, everything. They were on the fight and we weren’t there,” he continued. “We fought with them for three quarters, and they took it from us in the fourth.”
“We’ve got to get our edge back.”Indeed, from the frenetic and dynamic fourth quarter of shooting guard Lance Stephenson and timely second-half scoring from bench players like Luis Scola, Donald Sloan and C.J. Watson—the former Bull was a fill-in starter on this night—to mainstays like rugged power forward David West owning the boards, behemoth center Roy Hibbert dominating defensively and All-Star swingman Paul George scoring on one end and smothering Derrick Rose on the other, the Pacers had all their bases covered in front of a home crowd that’s no longer 50-50 when the Bulls are in town.
What was a 69-67 Bulls lead with 7:15 remaining, thanks to All-Star small forward Luol Deng and reserves Taj Gibson and Kirk Hinrich, quickly morphed into a double-digit Pacers advantage in less than three minutes, as Indiana overwhelmed its guests.
“They were making shots. Lance came in and hit a couple big buckets, and the momentum went to their side,” Rose said. “Defensively, towards the end, we let them get too many fast-break points.”But afterwards, as dejected as they looked—even on the court, in the final minutes of the game—the Bulls put on brave faces and vowed to turn things around, as the 1-3 start to a regular season in which they were expected by many to be eventual title contenders is certainly not what they envisioned.
“We have to work and we have to work together. That’s the big thing. That’s how you build chemistry. That’s how you learn to play off each other. That’s how you learn to cover for each other. For us right now, we’re inconsistent. We have a good quarter, then a bad quarter. You can’t win in this league like that. We have to be consistent with our approach and our work and in every facet of preparing for the game,” Thibodeau said. “We have good character. We’re all disappointed. We know we have to do better and we will.”
Noah concurred: “Just keep competing. Get sick of losing. It’s everybody. Everybody has to come in with the right mindset.
“We know we’re capable of a lot better. We’ll be all right though,” he went on to say. “I think we just have to play with a better edge and we’ve just got to do better. It’s all about winning and losing. Right now we’re losing. We’ve got to find a way to turn it around.”
The questions of how and when the Bulls will do that are still up for debate. But given this team’s track record of fortitude—and the fact that two home games against Utah and Cleveland are next up on their slate—bank on it happening in the near future.
Cubs name Rick Renteria as next manager; who is Rick Renteria?
By Tony Andracki
Toward the end of his playing career, Rick Renteria was known as 'The Secret Weapon.'
The Cubs are hoping he proves to be exactly that as they introduce him as the team's new manager Thursday.
Renteria doesn't have the 'wow factor' of Joe Girardi, but once Girardi passed on the job in early October, the Cubs turned their attention to Plan B.
Despite weeks of interviews and rumors, Renteria is still largely an unknown in Cubs circles.
The 51-year-old California native spent the past six years on the San Diego Padres big-league coaching staff, the last two of which he served as the bench coach.
Renteria is bilingual and carries a solid background with hispanic players, two characteristics the Cubs held in high regard during their search. Renteria, who managed Team Mexico in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, will help bridge the gap between young, Spanish-speaking players -- like Cuban native Jorge Soler -- and those guys who are already established in the big leagues, like Anthony Rizzo, Starlin Castro or Jeff Samardzija.
The veteran coach also has unique insight into Rizzo's past, having witnessed the slugger's MLB debut and the initial struggles Rizzo went through when he was first promoted to the Padres as a 21-year-old in 2011.
Renteria is widely respected around the game and boasts a strong player development pedigree that stems from eight years of working in the minor leagues.
He is familiar with the Chicagoland area after managing the Kane County Cougars (now a Cubs affiliate) in 1999, when he was named Midwest League Manager of the Year.
The former first-round draft pick (20th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1980) played 184 games in the big leagues, hitting .237 with a .608 OPS and four homers. He earned the nickname "The Secret Weapon" while with the Florida Marlins in 1993 thanks to his clutch play (.351 average in 74 at-bats with runners in scoring position).
Renteria turns 52 on Christmas Day and is recovering from hip surgery he had done shortly after the 2013 regular season ended. His big-league coaching experience dwarfed that of Brad Ausmus', a guy Theo Epstein and the Cubs front office reportedly thought highly of before he signed with the Detroit Tigers last weekend.CSN's David Kaplan spoke with a former GM Monday who said Renteria has been high on the Cubs' list since Dale Sveum was fired and once Girardi made his decision, Renteria was the most logical choice based on the criteria set by Epstein.
"I know the Cubs have been very high on Rick since they started the search," the former GM told Kaplan. "He is a very solid baseball man and he will have an impact on their young players.
"But, let's be honest. Until they give him a roster that can compete, it is going to take time. He will be very good at developing players and holding them accountable."
Thunder delays Woods progress in Turkey.
AFP
World number one Tiger Woods could manage to hit just two fairways on the opening day of the weather-affected Turkish Open in Belek on Thursday.
An early morning thunderstorm resulted in a three hour delay in play and when poor light halted play near 5pm local time (15:00GMT) only 15 players in the 78-player elite field had managed to complete their round in the $7m event.
Woods struggled with the driver managing to hit just two fairway at the 10th and 11th holes and minutes before poor light halted play in the $7m penultimate European Tour event of the season.
A morning thunderstorm meant play did not commence until 12.05 pm local time but with only 15 players in the elite 78 player field managing to complete their round.
The 14-time Major winning Woods was lying at one under par after 10 holes and six shots behind three players leading on seven under par and who too had not completed their first round.
The three are the South African Darren Fichardt, who had both played 14 holes, along the England pair of Paul Casey and Steve Webster, who had played 14 and 12 holes respectively.
The clubhouse leader is the pair of Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen who shot rounds of six under par 66s.
Woods commenced only his second regular European Tour event this year by holing a four-foot putt for birdie.
He went to two under par with a birdie at the par three, eighth hole but after missing the fairway at the next, the par four ninth hole he took bogey to fall back to one-under par.
Woods had just driven off the par five, 11th hole in the company of current European No.1 Henrik Stenson and fellow US Open champion, Justin Rose when the siren sounded and giving the players the option to complete the hole they were playing.
But after Rose was forced to play a provisional ball off the tee the light deteriorated and Woods elected to mark to his ball after playing his second shot. He did so by sticking a white tee peg in the ground from where he will resume his round at 8am local time Friday.
"I thought when we teed off we would be lucky to get in 11 holes and I was pretty spot on," said Woods.
"So we got in about the right number of holes as it just gets dark so quickly and it’s like someone just turned off the light switch.
"The air now also is heavy with moisture so the ball is not going very far compared to when we were warming up on the range and early in the round.
"But towards the end we were hitting about a half-a-club short.
"I’m still working on getting a bit of the rust out of my game but then tomorrow is going to be a long day for all of us."
When Woods was in Turkey last year for the Turkish Airlines Invitational he competed on the nearby Antalya course whereas this year’s event is on the Colin Montgomerie designed Maxx Royal layout.
And while Montgomerie struggled to be at par after 16 holes, Woods was very complimentary of the former victorious European Ryder Cup captain’s design work.
"It’s a tricky golf course and it helps to have played it numerous times as it one of those courses where you get a better feel for it the more you play it," said Woods.
"But overall Colin’s done a good job in designing the course.
"However looking back on my 10 and a half holes, I probably left a little out there and I see that seven under par is leading at this stage so the goal in the holes I have left in the morning is to pick up a few quick birdies."
Purse to $10 million for PGA Championship, Players.
By Doug Ferguson, AP Golf Writer
Prize money to $10 million for PGA, Players in new spirit of cooperation.
The PGA Championship and The Players Championship will share the distinction of having golf's richest tournament next year by offering $10 million in prize money.
In a new spirit of cooperation, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and PGA of America President Ted Bishop announced the purse increases Wednesday. That marks a 25 percent increase for the PGA Championship, making its purse the largest of the four majors. It was $8 million this year.
The Players Championship for years had the largest purse — $9.5 million this year.
The announcement at Sea Island was part of a new collaboration between two groups that once were part of the same organization. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were largely responsible in 1968 for tournament players breaking away from the PGA of America because they felt it was more concerned with the club pro business.
Finchem said the idea was for them to work together toward a common goal of growing the game.
He said the PGA Tour would run public service announcements during its televised events to highlight PGA of America programs such as "Get Golf Ready." It also plans to feature PGA professionals in its weekly television shows and use PGA pros at tournaments to give clinics.
Bishop noted that Ryder Cup points are being awarded during the fall to honor the PGA Tour's new wraparound season.
"There's probably never been a better time of collaboration and cooperation between our two organizations since the PGA Tour and PGA of America split back in 1968," Bishop said. "I think that in a lot of ways, we're just beginning to scratch the surface in ways that we can really impact the game positively when we work together."
It also could give the two organizations a stronger voice over proposed rules changes.
Both of them were opposed to the ban on anchored putters earlier this year. The U.S. Golf Association and Royal & Ancient Golf Club eventually approved a new rule banning the way long putters are anchored starting in 2016.
"I would hope that together we combine for a powerful voice in saying that as changes are implemented in the future, they need to align with what's positive for the growth of the game and the business of the game," Bishop said.
Bishop argued that banning the way long putters are used will drive people away from golf.
Finchem said all golf organizations need to work together, understanding there will be disagreements.
"The fact that we didn't agree on an issue this past year-and-a-half should not temper in any way our enthusiasm for collaboration," Finchem said. "So we hadn't really looked at it from that perspective of having a stronger position, because who knows? We may not agree ourselves on something like a rule."
Phoenix is Bobby Labonte’s final race of 2013.
By Nick Bromberg
Could Sunday be the final race of Bobby Labonte's Sprint Cup Series career?
The 2000 Cup champion hasn't announced plans for next season, and with almost every full-time team set for next season, unless Labonte can snag a part-time role or hitch on with a new team, Phoenix may be his 718th and last start. (Though don't be surprised if a team puts Labonte in its car for the Daytona 500 for the use of the Past Champion's Provisional.)
It's been a trying season for Labonte and JTG-Daugherty Racing. The team brought AJ Allmendinger on board for what it deemed to be a second opinion earlier this season. Allmendinger's first race was at Michigan in June, while Labonte was able to catch a ride with Phoenix Racing to keep his consecutive starts streak intact.
However, two weeks later at Kentucky, Allmendinger was in the No. 47 again and Labonte didn't have a ride and the streak ended at 704 races. Allmendinger is scheduled to drive the No. 47 at Homestead and signed with the team to drive in 2014.
Over Labor Day weekend, Labonte was scheduled to drive for Phoenix again at Atlanta, but broke his ribs in a cycling accident and missed three weeks.
Labonte hasn't won since 2003, so for many newer NASCAR fans, his past accomplishments may be overlooked. However, whenever he is eligible for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, his career will serve as a fascinating barometer for how voters will consider the standards for drivers.
Through his 717 starts to date, Labonte has 21 wins, 115 top fives and that 2000 championship. Is that enough to be in the Hall of Fame? For reference, Dale Jarrett, a 2013 inductee, finished with 32 wins and a Cup title, but Jarrett also won the Daytona 500 three times.
Is any driver who wins a Cup title a Hall of Famer? Labonte's inclusion or exclusion may answer that question. What do you think?
Real Salt Lake eliminates Galaxy with 2-0 win.
By JOHN COON (Associated Press)
Thrust into an underdog role once again, Real Salt Lake kept its season alive after receiving help from unlikely sources.
Sebastian Velasquez scored his first MLS goal in the first half, Chris Schuler added the winning goal in the first overtime and Salt Lake advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Thursday night.
RSL won the series 2-1 on aggregate, reaching a conference final for the third time in five years and ending the Galaxy's bid for a third consecutive MLS Cup. They will host the winner of the Portland-Seattle semifinal in the first leg of the conference finals on Sunday.
''11 players defended,'' RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando said. ''That's the big key. The way we play in our system, we need everybody to pitch in and defend and give the effort. Tonight, we did that. (Coach) Jason (Kreis) said we needed to do that and challenged a lot of us. The result today shows the challenge was met.''
Salt Lake allowed just three shots on goal through 120 minutes and kept Los Angeles from mounting a serious scoring challenge for the bulk of the match.
''We all knew they were going to focus on Robbie (Keane) and myself, so it was incumbent upon the other guys to make some plays,'' Galaxy forward Landon Donovan said. ''Robbie and I couldn't pull a rabbit out of a hat tonight, so we needed some other guys to step up and make plays. Unfortunately, it didn't happen so it made it difficult for everyone.''
Salt Lake started out strong on the offensive end in the first half, mixing several nice passes with good ball movement to break down the Los Angeles defense. The Galaxy made it easier for Salt Lake to create some scoring chances by struggling to possess the ball and clear it.
RSL's efforts paid off in the 35th minute when Velasquez's goal tied it 1-1 on the aggregate. Chris Wingert sent a cross into Velasquez, who was unmarked just outside the top of the 6-yard box. Velasquez quickly made the Galaxy pay, sending a snap-header past goalkeeper Jaime Penedo for his first goal in an RSL uniform.
Velasquez earned the start in place of injured midfielder Ned Grabavoy, who sat out with a left hamstring strain.
''He's an extremely hungry player that has some real gifts,'' Kreis said. ''Sometimes it's difficult to get some of those gifts to come out of him. Tonight, he took a major step forward.''
Los Angeles had no answer on the other end. The Galaxy created eight shots before halftime, but did not put any on the frame. RSL had three shots on goal out of a total of six shots.
''The conditions were tough,'' Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. ''But both teams have to play under those conditions. They played better than we did. They were very direct. They just played the ball behind us and put our backs under pressure and scrapped a lot.''
Salt Lake stepped up its pressure after halftime.
Schuler sent a header into the crossbar in the 74th minute after Javier Morales crossed it to him off a corner kick. Then Alavro Saborio collected the ball outside the box in the 78th minute and blasted it to the left side, hitting the post.
RSL had its most painful near-miss during the 84th minute. Morales scored an apparent go-ahead goal when he sent a through ball on a free kick into the back of the net. A foul in the box away from the ball negated the scoring play.
Schuler came through in overtime. Latching onto a cross from Morales on a free kick in the 102nd minute, Schuler corralled the ball on a run to the back post and tapped it home just inside the post for his first MLS goal this season.
Salt Lake improved to 2-2-2 in second-leg matches in the MLS playoffs. RSL's previous second leg win came against Columbus in the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals.
No. 6 Stanford holds off No. 2 Oregon 26-20.
By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer)
Stanford crushed Oregon's national championship hopes again. Florida State might want to send the Cardinal a thank you card.
Tyler Gaffney ran for 157 yards and No. 6 Stanford hammered No. 2 Oregon for three quarters, then held off a furious rally by the Ducks to beat them for a second straight season, 26-20 on Thursday night.
Kevin Hogan ran for a touchdown and played a mistake-free game for Stanford (8-1, 6-1 Pac-12). The Cardinal put on a clinic in how to play keep away from a team that was averaging 55.6 points. Stanford ran 66 times for 274 yards - sometimes behind as many as nine offensive linemen - and held the ball for 42 1/2 minutes.
Heisman Trophy contender Marcus Mariota was inaccurate and under pressure much of the night, but he threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes, sandwiched around a blocked field goal return for a score by Rodney Hardrick, to pull the Ducks (8-1, 5-1) to 26-20 with 2:12 left.
Oregon couldn't recover a second onside kick and Stanford ran out the clock.
And the biggest winner of all? No. 3 Florida State. The Seminoles don't have to worry about the Ducks nudging them out of second place in the BCS standings.
FSU was in danger of slipping to third in the BCS if Oregon could have registered a big road victory against a quality opponent. Now, the Seminoles face a manageable remaining schedule with a good chance to win their way to the BCS championship game at the Rose Bowl in January.
Unbeaten Baylor and Ohio State have to be happy, too, with one less hurdle to clear.
As for Stanford, it gets first place in the Pac-12 North and the inside track to another league title game. And maybe if things get really weird, the Cardinal can get back in the title hunt.
Stanford won a three-point game in overtime at Oregon last year to deny the Ducks a chance to play for the national title, but it didn't look as if there would be much drama in the return bout on the Farm. Stanford led 17-0 at halftime and added three more field goals by Josh Williamson in the second half.
Oregon looked like dead Ducks, down 26-0 early in the fourth with Stanford hammering away behind Gaffney, who set a school record with 45 carries. Even after Oregon finally broke the seal with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Mariota to Daryle Hawkins, the Cardinal went on another time consuming drive and attempted a long field goal that would have sealed it.
As for Stanford, it gets first place in the Pac-12 North and the inside track to another league title game. And maybe if things get really weird, the Cardinal can get back in the title hunt.
Stanford won a three-point game in overtime at Oregon last year to deny the Ducks a chance to play for the national title, but it didn't look as if there would be much drama in the return bout on the Farm. Stanford led 17-0 at halftime and added three more field goals by Josh Williamson in the second half.
Oregon looked like dead Ducks, down 26-0 early in the fourth with Stanford hammering away behind Gaffney, who set a school record with 45 carries. Even after Oregon finally broke the seal with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Mariota to Daryle Hawkins, the Cardinal went on another time consuming drive and attempted a long field goal that would have sealed it.
Instead, the Ducks blocked it, Hardrick scooped and scored from 65 yards out with 5:08 left and suddenly it was interesting.
Only 5 seconds later it got even more interesting when the Ducks recovered an onside kick. They quickly moved inside the Stanford 5, but got pushed back to a fourth-and-goal from the 12. Mariota threw a touchdown pass to Pharoah Brown with 2:12 remaining, but the time it took the Ducks to get in while burning a timeout was key.
Stanford grabbed the next onside kick and Oregon was powerless to stop the clock.
Stanford put Oregon in a 14-0 hole, the Ducks' largest deficit of the season, with a power football clinic that started when the Cardinal came up with a fourth-and-goal stop from the 4 in the first quarter.
Stanford followed with a punishing 96-yard drive that included one long strike from Hogan to Michael Rector. Gaffney's 2-yard plunge made it 7-0.
Sixty-eight predictions for the new season that are sure to come true (unless they don’t).
By Jeff Eisenberg
College basketball season tips off today with 19 members of the AP Preseason Top 25 in action. To celebrate the end of the offseason, here are 64 65 ... wait ... 68 fearless predictions for the new season.
1. How will this season be remembered? Maybe as the year of the whistle. Expect new rules cracking down on hand-checking and physical contact to lead to a barrage of fouls, especially early in the season as players and coaches adjust to the changes.
2. Team who benefits most from the rules changes: Syracuse. Numerous coaches are implementing more zone in practice this season to make dribble penetration more difficult and to protect against foul trouble. Syracuse won't need to adjust since the two-three zone is already its trademark defense.
3. The NCAA will insist on calling the four play-in games "the first round" and the round of 64 "the second round." Nobody besides Jim Nantz will comply.
4. First-team All-Americans: Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), Gary Harris (Michigan State), Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Julius Randle (Kentucky)
5. Where's Russ Smith, you ask? He was my toughest omission. I suspect he'll put up numbers close to what he accomplished last season, especially since the new rules limiting hand checking will make it next-to-impossible to keep him from getting to the rim.
6. Whichever team draws Harvard in the round of 64 in the NCAA tournament will be a popular upset pick. In addition to returning the core of last year's Ivy League championship team that toppled New Mexico in the NCAA tournament, the Crimson also get senior standouts Kyle Casey and Brandyn Curry back from suspensions.
7. Coach who will be in demand next spring: Louisiana Tech's Michael White, whose program returns four starters from a team that won 27 games a year ago. When White took the Louisiana Tech job in spring 2011, the Bulldogs were coming off a 2-14 season in the WAC.
8. Coach who will be out of work next spring: Auburn's Tony Barbee, whose athletic director said last March he expects the program "to show significant improvement" this season. That's not going to be easy considering three starters graduated last June and highly touted sophomore Shaq Johnson was dismissed in July.
9. Other coaches under pressure to win this season: Texas' Rick Barnes, Rice's Ben Braun, Wake Forest's Jeff Bzdelik, Stanford's Johnny Dawkins, UNC Wilmington's Buzz Peterson and Washington State's Ken Bone.
10. You'll spend 15 minutes between Selection Sunday and the start of NCAA tournament play desperately trying to find Tru-TV on your cable system. Three weeks later, you'll forget the channel exists again for another 11 1/2 months.
11. Team that will improve the most: Iowa, which returns nine of its 10 leading scorers from a team that lost seven games by four or fewer points last season yet still finished .500 in the rugged Big Ten. The Hawkeyes also add Peter Jok to bolster their anemic 3-point shooting and Wisconsin transfer Jarrod Uthoff to strengthen an already deep frontcourt.
12. Team that will decline the most: Miami. The Hurricanes may contend in the ACC again, but it won't be this season. The only rotation player returning from last year's ACC-winning team is senior guard Rion Brown, who averaged a modest 6.4 points per game last season.
13. The best freshman whose name you probably haven't heard? BYU's Eric Mika. Strong, athletic and physical, he'll replace Brandon Davies in the Cougars' frontcourt and be expected to emerge as the team's top low-post threat immediately.
14. This year's Champion's Classic will feature more talent than the Final Four. Julius Randle, Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Gary Harris in a double-header? Yes, please.
15. There are 15 Division I programs whose nickname is the Bulldogs. Gonzaga once again will be the best of them.
16. Creighton will finish in the top three in the new Big East this season, but it's going to be a while before the Bluejays are competitive in their new league again. Doug McDermott and much of his supporting cast graduates after this season, plus Creighton isn't recruiting at the level of some of the top Big East teams yet.
17. Gus Johnson is awesome. Bill Raftery is awesome. Both of them in the same booth on Big East telecasts this season will be that much more awesome.
18. For once, Marshall Henderson will make more news for getting buckets than getting in trouble. It's way too soon to judge whether Henderson is a changed man, but I think he's smart enough to realize what he needs to do to have a chance to play professionally next season -- even if it's overseas. Consider this a contract year for Henderson.
19. Storyline you'll be sick of by Thanksgiving, part I: When will P.J. Hairston be back for North Carolina?
20. Storyline you'll be sick of by Thanksgiving, part II: When will Chane Behanan be back for Louisville?
21. My guess? Both play this season, but Behanan returns before Hairston. There are no NCAA issues complicating Behanan's return.
22. Get ready for a Pac-12 resurgence. The league won't be at the level it was during the Kevin Love-Russell Westbrook-James Harden-Brook Lopez days of five or six years ago, it will produce six NCAA tournament teams and reestablish itself as the premier conference in the West.
23. Oakland sharpshooter Travis Bader will shatter J.J. Redick's career three-point record. Bader has 357 made threes entering the new season, 100 behind Redick's 457.
24. The best player of the year race outside the major conferences will be in the Sun Belt. Georgia State's R.J. Hunter, South Alabama's Augustine Rubit, Louisiana-Lafayette's Elfrid Payton and Western Kentucky's T.J. Price are all mid-major stars who should be on your radar.
25. The best title race outside the major conferences will also be in the Sun Belt. The team that emerges from the group of Georgia State, South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette and Western Kentucky will be an opening-round NCAA tournament nobody wants to draw.
26. At some point this season, New Mexico State will go with one of the biggest front lines in college basketball history. Seven-foot-5 center Sim Bhullar returns for his sophomore season and 7-foot-3 younger brother Tanveer is a true freshman. The Aggies also have a 6-foot-10 center and a pair of 6-foot-8 forwards in their frontcourt rotation.
27. Injured Gary Harris was pretty terrific as a freshman for Michigan State. Healthy Gary Harris will emerge as the Big Ten's best player.
28. Team who will thrive in its new league: College of Charleston, which has recently struggled to eclipse Davidson in the Southern Conference. The Cougars have enough talent to challenge Towson in the CAA this season and should be a fixture in the CAA title race for years to come.
29. Team who will be overmatched in its new league: San Jose State, which lacked the facilities, talent base or budget to be competitive in the WAC. It would be a tremendous accomplishment for new coach Dave Wojcik to keep the Spartans out of the basement in year one in the Mountain West.
30. ACC breakout candidate: Jerami Grant, Syracuse. James Southerland's graduation should open up plenty of minutes for Grant, who averaged just 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds as a freshman but showed flashes of potential. His jump shot is a work in progress, but he's an effective transition scorer and his length and athleticism make him a standout defender in the two-three zone.
31. American Athletic Conference breakout candidate: Montrezl Harrell, Louisville. The only silver lining to Gorgui Dieng's graduation and Chane Behanan's indefinite suspension is more playing time for Harrell. The 6-foot-8 sophomore showed flashes of shot-blocking, rebounding and finishing ability at the rim last season, including a 20-point, seven-rebound masterpiece against Syracuse.
32. Atlantic 10 breakout candidate: Cady Lalanne, UMass. Injury-plagued the past two seasons, Lalanne is healthy and ready to emerge as an interior complement to Chaz Williams and Derrick Gordon. He has shed enough weight over the offseason to improve his mobility and explosiveness and avoid picking up quick fouls.
33. Big East breakout candidate: Jamil Wilson, Marquette. An unlikely star seems to emerge for Buzz Williams every season, and Wilson is as good a candidate as any this season. Wilson had a solid 2012-13 season, averaging 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Look for him to improve those numbers and follow in the footsteps of previous versatile forwards Lazar Hayward and Jae Crowder.
34. Big Ten breakout candidate: Sam Dekker, Wisconsin. A reserve as a freshman last season for the Badgers, Dekker still averaged 9.6 points in 22.3 minutes per game. If he maintains a similar level of efficiency as a sophomore, he'll be an all-Big Ten candidate and likely Wisconsin's top scoring threat.
35. Big 12 breakout candidate: Perry Ellis, Kansas. Highly touted when he arrived at Kansas, Ellis made a modest impact as a freshman playing behind Jeff Withey and Kevin Young. Expect a big jump from the 6-foot-8 forward as a sophomore when he'll have a chance to emerge as the top frontcourt scoring option for the Jayhawks.
36. Mountain West breakout candidate Daniel Bejarano, Colorado State: Someone is going to have to score for a Colorado State team that lost its entire starting five from last season. The most proven returning player is Bejarano, a former top 100 recruit who is an excellent rebounder for a guard and is capable of improving his 31 percent 3-point shooting.
37. Pac-12 breakout candidate: Omar Oraby, USC. The 7-foot-2 center thrived in limited minutes for USC last season, shooting 61 percent from the floor and flashing an array of post moves. The only thing that could keep him from emerging as an impact player this season is if USC can't find a way to incorporate him in its fast-paced system.
38. SEC breakout candidate: Michael Carrera, South Carolina. A 6-foot-5 forward is typically undersized for his position, but Carrera makes up for it with his 7-foot-2 wingspan. He's active defensively, extremely good on the glass and an efficient enough scorer that he could improve on the 9.9 points per game he averaged as a freshman.
39. Five more breakout candidates: Ohio State's LaQuinton Ross, Gonzaga's Przemek Karnowski, Wichita State's Fred VanVleet, Texas' Cameron Ridley and Virginia's Mike Tobey
40. NCAA tournament drought that will end this season: Big West favorite UC Irvine, which has never earned a bid before. The Anteaters won 21 games last season and upgraded their size with three 7-footers.
41. NCAA tournament drought that won't end this season: Sorry, Northwestern. This isn't your year. New coach Chris Collins is recruiting well enough to suggest it will happen sooner than later, but the Big Ten is too strong this year and there's not enough returning talent.
42. Once again, people are going to be surprised by Saint Mary's ability to survive the loss of a star without much dropoff. With high-scoring guard Jordan Page and a wealth of frontcourt talent, the Gaels will remain in NCAA tournament contention without Matthew Dellavedova just as they did when Omar Samhan, Mickey McConnell and Patrick Mills moved on from Moraga.
43. Wichita State is no one-year wonder. With Fred VanVleet stepping in for point guard Malcolm Armstead and Kadeem Coleby helping replace Carl Hall's defense and rebounding, the Shockers roll to the Valley title and remain a fixture in the top 20 all season.
44. Top 25 team that could disappoint: North Carolina. Is there a top 12 team with more questions than the Tar Heels? Will the NCAA allow P.J. Hairston to play? Can James Michael-McAdoo bounce back from last year? Is there a big man on the roster capable of seizing the starting job alongside McAdoo? North Carolina can be really good if the answers to those questions are all "yes," but that's a lot of uncertainty.
45. Team outside the top 25 that could surprise: Watch out for Stanford, which returns all five starters from a team that underachieved last season but still made the NIT. If Chasson Randle has a bounce-back season and Anthony Brown is fully healthy, the Cardinal can not only make the NCAA tournament but perhaps win a game or two.
46. Not only will Kentucky not go 40-0 this season, the Wildcats won't be the last unbeaten standing. Youth and immaturity will show up at some point in a non-conference season that includes matchups with Michigan State, North Carolina and Louisville.
47. Football schools which will have more success on the hardwood than the gridiron this school year: Michigan, Tennessee, Florida, Boise State.
48. Maui Invitational prediction: Syracuse over Baylor.
49. Wooden Legacy prediction: Marquette over Creighton.
50. 2KSports Classic prediction: Indiana over UConn.
51. Old Spice Classic prediction: Oklahoma State over Memphis.
52. Puerto Rico Classic prediction: Michigan over Georgetown.
53. Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off prediction: Louisville over North Carolina.
54. NIT Season Tip-Off prediction: Duke over Arizona.
55. Battle 4 Atlantis prediction: Kansas over Iowa.
56. The Big Ten and ACC split their annual challenge last year, and it will be close again this season. Call it ACC 7, Big Ten 5.
57. Three most impactful high-major transfers: Rodney Hood (Mississippi State to Duke), T.J. McConnell (Duquesne to Arizona) and Jordan Clarkson (Tulsa to Missouri)
58. Three most impactful small-conference transfers: Ryan Harrow ( Kentucky to Georgia State); Four McGlynn (Vermont to Towson).
59. Mike Moser's form will more closely resemble his superb 2011-12 season than his disappointing 2012-13 campaign. He'll be back at the power forward spot, he's in a fast-paced system that fits his strengths and Oregon coach Dana Altman has proven adept at getting the most out of one-year transfers.
60. Was LaQuinton Ross' breakout NCAA tournament a step forward or just a product of small sample size? I believe the talented but enigmatic forward will build on it and help replace Deshaun Thomas' scoring, but Ohio State's season may hinge on the answer.
61. Florida Gulf Coast returns enough talent that another magical March is conceivable, but don't book Dunk City's trip to the NCAA tournament just yet. Mercer returns four starters from a team that won the Atlantic Sun regular season title over FGCU last season and also defeated Alabama, Florida State and Tennessee.
62. The experiment of playing Aaron Gordon on the perimeter won't last beyond New Year's. Arizona is better with him attacking the rim and dominating the glass in the paint than with him handling the ball and shooting jumpers on the perimeter. Look for Gordon, Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski to form a three-man frontcourt rotation, with either Rondae Hollis-Jefferson or Gabe York moving into the starting five on the wing.
63. On Jan. 26, Clemson will lose at North Carolina. That's the safest prediction on this list because the Tigers have lost in Chapel Hill 56 straight times, the longest such streak in college basketball history.
64. Is this the year Wisconsin finishes lower than fourth in the Big Ten for the first time in Bo Ryan's tenure? Don't count on it. A breakout season from Sam Dekker and lots of good guard play ought to keep the Badgers in contention in the Big Ten deep into the conference season.
65. Jordan Adams was UCLA's best player as a freshman. He'll be UCLA's best player as a sophomore too, but you'll probably hear more about it with Shabazz Muhammad now having moved on to the NBA.
66. Early men's Final Four projection: Kentucky, Louisville, Duke and Ohio State.
67. Early women's Final Four projection: UConn, Stanford, Tennessee, Louisville.
68. At least half of these preseason predictions will probably be wrong. The most fun part of college basketball is that it always defies expectation.
Only 5 seconds later it got even more interesting when the Ducks recovered an onside kick. They quickly moved inside the Stanford 5, but got pushed back to a fourth-and-goal from the 12. Mariota threw a touchdown pass to Pharoah Brown with 2:12 remaining, but the time it took the Ducks to get in while burning a timeout was key.
Stanford grabbed the next onside kick and Oregon was powerless to stop the clock.
Stanford put Oregon in a 14-0 hole, the Ducks' largest deficit of the season, with a power football clinic that started when the Cardinal came up with a fourth-and-goal stop from the 4 in the first quarter.
Stanford followed with a punishing 96-yard drive that included one long strike from Hogan to Michael Rector. Gaffney's 2-yard plunge made it 7-0.
Sixty-eight predictions for the new season that are sure to come true (unless they don’t).
By Jeff Eisenberg
College basketball season tips off today with 19 members of the AP Preseason Top 25 in action. To celebrate the end of the offseason, here are 64 65 ... wait ... 68 fearless predictions for the new season.
1. How will this season be remembered? Maybe as the year of the whistle. Expect new rules cracking down on hand-checking and physical contact to lead to a barrage of fouls, especially early in the season as players and coaches adjust to the changes.
2. Team who benefits most from the rules changes: Syracuse. Numerous coaches are implementing more zone in practice this season to make dribble penetration more difficult and to protect against foul trouble. Syracuse won't need to adjust since the two-three zone is already its trademark defense.
3. The NCAA will insist on calling the four play-in games "the first round" and the round of 64 "the second round." Nobody besides Jim Nantz will comply.
4. First-team All-Americans: Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), Gary Harris (Michigan State), Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Julius Randle (Kentucky)
5. Where's Russ Smith, you ask? He was my toughest omission. I suspect he'll put up numbers close to what he accomplished last season, especially since the new rules limiting hand checking will make it next-to-impossible to keep him from getting to the rim.
6. Whichever team draws Harvard in the round of 64 in the NCAA tournament will be a popular upset pick. In addition to returning the core of last year's Ivy League championship team that toppled New Mexico in the NCAA tournament, the Crimson also get senior standouts Kyle Casey and Brandyn Curry back from suspensions.
7. Coach who will be in demand next spring: Louisiana Tech's Michael White, whose program returns four starters from a team that won 27 games a year ago. When White took the Louisiana Tech job in spring 2011, the Bulldogs were coming off a 2-14 season in the WAC.
8. Coach who will be out of work next spring: Auburn's Tony Barbee, whose athletic director said last March he expects the program "to show significant improvement" this season. That's not going to be easy considering three starters graduated last June and highly touted sophomore Shaq Johnson was dismissed in July.
9. Other coaches under pressure to win this season: Texas' Rick Barnes, Rice's Ben Braun, Wake Forest's Jeff Bzdelik, Stanford's Johnny Dawkins, UNC Wilmington's Buzz Peterson and Washington State's Ken Bone.
10. You'll spend 15 minutes between Selection Sunday and the start of NCAA tournament play desperately trying to find Tru-TV on your cable system. Three weeks later, you'll forget the channel exists again for another 11 1/2 months.
11. Team that will improve the most: Iowa, which returns nine of its 10 leading scorers from a team that lost seven games by four or fewer points last season yet still finished .500 in the rugged Big Ten. The Hawkeyes also add Peter Jok to bolster their anemic 3-point shooting and Wisconsin transfer Jarrod Uthoff to strengthen an already deep frontcourt.
12. Team that will decline the most: Miami. The Hurricanes may contend in the ACC again, but it won't be this season. The only rotation player returning from last year's ACC-winning team is senior guard Rion Brown, who averaged a modest 6.4 points per game last season.
13. The best freshman whose name you probably haven't heard? BYU's Eric Mika. Strong, athletic and physical, he'll replace Brandon Davies in the Cougars' frontcourt and be expected to emerge as the team's top low-post threat immediately.
14. This year's Champion's Classic will feature more talent than the Final Four. Julius Randle, Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Gary Harris in a double-header? Yes, please.
15. There are 15 Division I programs whose nickname is the Bulldogs. Gonzaga once again will be the best of them.
16. Creighton will finish in the top three in the new Big East this season, but it's going to be a while before the Bluejays are competitive in their new league again. Doug McDermott and much of his supporting cast graduates after this season, plus Creighton isn't recruiting at the level of some of the top Big East teams yet.
17. Gus Johnson is awesome. Bill Raftery is awesome. Both of them in the same booth on Big East telecasts this season will be that much more awesome.
18. For once, Marshall Henderson will make more news for getting buckets than getting in trouble. It's way too soon to judge whether Henderson is a changed man, but I think he's smart enough to realize what he needs to do to have a chance to play professionally next season -- even if it's overseas. Consider this a contract year for Henderson.
19. Storyline you'll be sick of by Thanksgiving, part I: When will P.J. Hairston be back for North Carolina?
20. Storyline you'll be sick of by Thanksgiving, part II: When will Chane Behanan be back for Louisville?
21. My guess? Both play this season, but Behanan returns before Hairston. There are no NCAA issues complicating Behanan's return.
22. Get ready for a Pac-12 resurgence. The league won't be at the level it was during the Kevin Love-Russell Westbrook-James Harden-Brook Lopez days of five or six years ago, it will produce six NCAA tournament teams and reestablish itself as the premier conference in the West.
23. Oakland sharpshooter Travis Bader will shatter J.J. Redick's career three-point record. Bader has 357 made threes entering the new season, 100 behind Redick's 457.
24. The best player of the year race outside the major conferences will be in the Sun Belt. Georgia State's R.J. Hunter, South Alabama's Augustine Rubit, Louisiana-Lafayette's Elfrid Payton and Western Kentucky's T.J. Price are all mid-major stars who should be on your radar.
25. The best title race outside the major conferences will also be in the Sun Belt. The team that emerges from the group of Georgia State, South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette and Western Kentucky will be an opening-round NCAA tournament nobody wants to draw.
26. At some point this season, New Mexico State will go with one of the biggest front lines in college basketball history. Seven-foot-5 center Sim Bhullar returns for his sophomore season and 7-foot-3 younger brother Tanveer is a true freshman. The Aggies also have a 6-foot-10 center and a pair of 6-foot-8 forwards in their frontcourt rotation.
27. Injured Gary Harris was pretty terrific as a freshman for Michigan State. Healthy Gary Harris will emerge as the Big Ten's best player.
28. Team who will thrive in its new league: College of Charleston, which has recently struggled to eclipse Davidson in the Southern Conference. The Cougars have enough talent to challenge Towson in the CAA this season and should be a fixture in the CAA title race for years to come.
29. Team who will be overmatched in its new league: San Jose State, which lacked the facilities, talent base or budget to be competitive in the WAC. It would be a tremendous accomplishment for new coach Dave Wojcik to keep the Spartans out of the basement in year one in the Mountain West.
30. ACC breakout candidate: Jerami Grant, Syracuse. James Southerland's graduation should open up plenty of minutes for Grant, who averaged just 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds as a freshman but showed flashes of potential. His jump shot is a work in progress, but he's an effective transition scorer and his length and athleticism make him a standout defender in the two-three zone.
31. American Athletic Conference breakout candidate: Montrezl Harrell, Louisville. The only silver lining to Gorgui Dieng's graduation and Chane Behanan's indefinite suspension is more playing time for Harrell. The 6-foot-8 sophomore showed flashes of shot-blocking, rebounding and finishing ability at the rim last season, including a 20-point, seven-rebound masterpiece against Syracuse.
32. Atlantic 10 breakout candidate: Cady Lalanne, UMass. Injury-plagued the past two seasons, Lalanne is healthy and ready to emerge as an interior complement to Chaz Williams and Derrick Gordon. He has shed enough weight over the offseason to improve his mobility and explosiveness and avoid picking up quick fouls.
33. Big East breakout candidate: Jamil Wilson, Marquette. An unlikely star seems to emerge for Buzz Williams every season, and Wilson is as good a candidate as any this season. Wilson had a solid 2012-13 season, averaging 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Look for him to improve those numbers and follow in the footsteps of previous versatile forwards Lazar Hayward and Jae Crowder.
34. Big Ten breakout candidate: Sam Dekker, Wisconsin. A reserve as a freshman last season for the Badgers, Dekker still averaged 9.6 points in 22.3 minutes per game. If he maintains a similar level of efficiency as a sophomore, he'll be an all-Big Ten candidate and likely Wisconsin's top scoring threat.
35. Big 12 breakout candidate: Perry Ellis, Kansas. Highly touted when he arrived at Kansas, Ellis made a modest impact as a freshman playing behind Jeff Withey and Kevin Young. Expect a big jump from the 6-foot-8 forward as a sophomore when he'll have a chance to emerge as the top frontcourt scoring option for the Jayhawks.
36. Mountain West breakout candidate Daniel Bejarano, Colorado State: Someone is going to have to score for a Colorado State team that lost its entire starting five from last season. The most proven returning player is Bejarano, a former top 100 recruit who is an excellent rebounder for a guard and is capable of improving his 31 percent 3-point shooting.
37. Pac-12 breakout candidate: Omar Oraby, USC. The 7-foot-2 center thrived in limited minutes for USC last season, shooting 61 percent from the floor and flashing an array of post moves. The only thing that could keep him from emerging as an impact player this season is if USC can't find a way to incorporate him in its fast-paced system.
38. SEC breakout candidate: Michael Carrera, South Carolina. A 6-foot-5 forward is typically undersized for his position, but Carrera makes up for it with his 7-foot-2 wingspan. He's active defensively, extremely good on the glass and an efficient enough scorer that he could improve on the 9.9 points per game he averaged as a freshman.
39. Five more breakout candidates: Ohio State's LaQuinton Ross, Gonzaga's Przemek Karnowski, Wichita State's Fred VanVleet, Texas' Cameron Ridley and Virginia's Mike Tobey
40. NCAA tournament drought that will end this season: Big West favorite UC Irvine, which has never earned a bid before. The Anteaters won 21 games last season and upgraded their size with three 7-footers.
41. NCAA tournament drought that won't end this season: Sorry, Northwestern. This isn't your year. New coach Chris Collins is recruiting well enough to suggest it will happen sooner than later, but the Big Ten is too strong this year and there's not enough returning talent.
42. Once again, people are going to be surprised by Saint Mary's ability to survive the loss of a star without much dropoff. With high-scoring guard Jordan Page and a wealth of frontcourt talent, the Gaels will remain in NCAA tournament contention without Matthew Dellavedova just as they did when Omar Samhan, Mickey McConnell and Patrick Mills moved on from Moraga.
43. Wichita State is no one-year wonder. With Fred VanVleet stepping in for point guard Malcolm Armstead and Kadeem Coleby helping replace Carl Hall's defense and rebounding, the Shockers roll to the Valley title and remain a fixture in the top 20 all season.
44. Top 25 team that could disappoint: North Carolina. Is there a top 12 team with more questions than the Tar Heels? Will the NCAA allow P.J. Hairston to play? Can James Michael-McAdoo bounce back from last year? Is there a big man on the roster capable of seizing the starting job alongside McAdoo? North Carolina can be really good if the answers to those questions are all "yes," but that's a lot of uncertainty.
45. Team outside the top 25 that could surprise: Watch out for Stanford, which returns all five starters from a team that underachieved last season but still made the NIT. If Chasson Randle has a bounce-back season and Anthony Brown is fully healthy, the Cardinal can not only make the NCAA tournament but perhaps win a game or two.
46. Not only will Kentucky not go 40-0 this season, the Wildcats won't be the last unbeaten standing. Youth and immaturity will show up at some point in a non-conference season that includes matchups with Michigan State, North Carolina and Louisville.
47. Football schools which will have more success on the hardwood than the gridiron this school year: Michigan, Tennessee, Florida, Boise State.
48. Maui Invitational prediction: Syracuse over Baylor.
49. Wooden Legacy prediction: Marquette over Creighton.
50. 2KSports Classic prediction: Indiana over UConn.
51. Old Spice Classic prediction: Oklahoma State over Memphis.
52. Puerto Rico Classic prediction: Michigan over Georgetown.
53. Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off prediction: Louisville over North Carolina.
54. NIT Season Tip-Off prediction: Duke over Arizona.
55. Battle 4 Atlantis prediction: Kansas over Iowa.
56. The Big Ten and ACC split their annual challenge last year, and it will be close again this season. Call it ACC 7, Big Ten 5.
57. Three most impactful high-major transfers: Rodney Hood (Mississippi State to Duke), T.J. McConnell (Duquesne to Arizona) and Jordan Clarkson (Tulsa to Missouri)
58. Three most impactful small-conference transfers: Ryan Harrow ( Kentucky to Georgia State); Four McGlynn (Vermont to Towson).
59. Mike Moser's form will more closely resemble his superb 2011-12 season than his disappointing 2012-13 campaign. He'll be back at the power forward spot, he's in a fast-paced system that fits his strengths and Oregon coach Dana Altman has proven adept at getting the most out of one-year transfers.
60. Was LaQuinton Ross' breakout NCAA tournament a step forward or just a product of small sample size? I believe the talented but enigmatic forward will build on it and help replace Deshaun Thomas' scoring, but Ohio State's season may hinge on the answer.
61. Florida Gulf Coast returns enough talent that another magical March is conceivable, but don't book Dunk City's trip to the NCAA tournament just yet. Mercer returns four starters from a team that won the Atlantic Sun regular season title over FGCU last season and also defeated Alabama, Florida State and Tennessee.
62. The experiment of playing Aaron Gordon on the perimeter won't last beyond New Year's. Arizona is better with him attacking the rim and dominating the glass in the paint than with him handling the ball and shooting jumpers on the perimeter. Look for Gordon, Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski to form a three-man frontcourt rotation, with either Rondae Hollis-Jefferson or Gabe York moving into the starting five on the wing.
63. On Jan. 26, Clemson will lose at North Carolina. That's the safest prediction on this list because the Tigers have lost in Chapel Hill 56 straight times, the longest such streak in college basketball history.
64. Is this the year Wisconsin finishes lower than fourth in the Big Ten for the first time in Bo Ryan's tenure? Don't count on it. A breakout season from Sam Dekker and lots of good guard play ought to keep the Badgers in contention in the Big Ten deep into the conference season.
65. Jordan Adams was UCLA's best player as a freshman. He'll be UCLA's best player as a sophomore too, but you'll probably hear more about it with Shabazz Muhammad now having moved on to the NBA.
66. Early men's Final Four projection: Kentucky, Louisville, Duke and Ohio State.
67. Early women's Final Four projection: UConn, Stanford, Tennessee, Louisville.
68. At least half of these preseason predictions will probably be wrong. The most fun part of college basketball is that it always defies expectation.
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