CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 12/21/2016.

Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica

"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"

We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing

Because it's all about you!!!

"Sports Quote of the Day"

"Success isn't always about greatness, it's about consistency. Consistent, hard, (smart) work gains success. Greatness will come." ~ Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Former Professional Wrestler and Actor

Trending: Kennard, No. 5 Duke top Tennessee St 65-55 in Giles' debut. (Monday night's game, 12/19/2016). Tennessee State University, My, (M. P. Jelks), Alma Mater, Class of '72. (See the college basketball section for NCAA basketball updates).

Trending: Blackhawks lose Marian Hossa, have win streak snapped by Senators. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

Trending: Bears' 2017 opponents locked in after Eagles, 49ers clinch last-place finishes. (See the football section for Bears News an NFL updates).

Trending: Rajon Rondo a quiet key to Bulls' shooters and overall consistency. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).

Trending: Report: Prospect-rich Yankees interested in White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

Trending: Fire acquire striker Nemanja Nikolic as Designated Player. (See the soccer section for Fire updates and MLS news).

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks lose Marian Hossa, have win streak snapped by Senators.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The start wasn’t so bad. The end was a great flourish. The middle wasn’t so good, and it was ultimately costly for the Blackhawks. And for only the third time this season, the Blackhawks lost a home game in regulation.

Artemi Panarin scored his 15th goal of the season and Richard Panik added his ninth, but the Blackhawks couldn’t muster another one in a 4-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night. The Blackhawks, whose five-game winning streak was snapped, remain atop the Western Conference with 48 points.

Now, will they be down another forward? Marian Hossa did not return for the second period, suffering an upper-body injury. Coach Joel Quenneville said Hossa is questionable for Friday, when the Blackhawks host the Colorado Avalanche. The Blackhawks are already without Artem Anisimov, although Quenneville said the center could play Friday.

The Blackhawks had a strong finish but they had to make up for a mediocre second in which the Senators scored three times, including twice in 10 seconds. Derick Brassard’s goal one second after an Ottawa power play and Tom Pyatt’s goal those few seconds later turned a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 Ottawa lead.

“Kind of a tough swing in the second period with the end of the penalty kill and another quick one to go down two,” said Jonathan Toews. “I think in a lot of situations, if we have little breakdowns we find a way to keep games tight. Play the way we do late in games we find ways to win, especially the way we’ve been playing lately. Unfortunately, we got down a few and didn’t have enough to come back.”

Still, the Blackhawks almost did. Richard Panik brought the Blackhawks to within a goal early in the third period and Marcus Kruger had a penalty shot with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. But as with several other Blackhawks chances down the stretch, Mike Condon stopped it.

“Obviously I wanted to take the chance there and score and tie it up. That would’ve been great,” said Kruger. “I really wanted to see that go in but it is what it is.”

The Blackhawks have fared well at home this season. They didn’t have enough through the middle of this one, and as Quenneville said, the Senators “played a good road game.”

The Blackhawks have had a lot of finish this season. This time, they didn’t have quite enough.

“I think that’s been our team the last few games, coming from behind and having really good third periods. That’s something we want to keep doing but we want our starts to be a lot better,” Kruger said. “We had two tough breakdowns in the second that put us behind and we had to chase a lot today. We gave it a try in the end, but can’t get the last one in.”

Five Things from Blackhawks-Senators: Jonathan Toews looks frustrated.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

It’s been rare when the Blackhawks haven’t gotten a point out of a home game but on Tuesday, they left the United Center empty-handed for only the third time this season.

There may be bigger losses to deal with, however. So with that, let’s just get to the Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ 4-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

1. Marian Hossa suffers upper-body injury. As the second period began the Blackhawks announced Hossa wouldn’t return. What exactly happened is uncertain; Hossa played just five shifts, his final one ending with 5:21 remaining in the first period. Coach Joel Quenneville said after the game he didn’t think there was a “defining blow” regarding Hossa’s injury. Hossa is day-to-day, but Quenneville said he’s questionable for Friday. Considering how much he’s done this season, his absence was missed immediately on Tuesday.

2. Jonathan Toews frustrated. Some fans may be aggravated that Toews isn’t producing but chances are his angst is higher than anyone else’s could ever be. The captain got tied up on one attempt in the slot in the second period and looked visibly frustrated. Toews has two assists since returning from the back injury that cost him nine games, but he hasn’t scored a goal since Nov. 6. Toews talked about it following the game. “Not the start to the year I wanted but what are you gonna do? Just gotta try and learn every time you’re in this situation and it’ll make you a better player. When I get out of it, just enjoy the game, let it flow and not worry about the end result. Just play the game. The best players don’t go out there thinking about how they’re going to score. They just play and the chances come and scoring just becomes second nature, especially when you’re feeling it and playing well.”

3. Artemi Panarin scores and is open again. It’s no surprise Panarin once again scored from the left circle, or that it’s his fourth goal in his last three games. The shocker? Panarin was open in the left circle. Again. I mean, plenty of room for a guy who seemingly always shoots from the same spot. Apparently those video sessions aren’t so valuable after all.

4. Tyler Motte gets back on the board. Motte talked of his frustration recently. Defensively he’s been fine since returning from his lower-body injury but he had no points since before he was hurt. He got his first goal since Nov. 1 on Tuesday, cleaning up a Vinnie Hinostroza rebound in the second period. Motte needed a boost of confidence. Perhaps that provides it.

5. Lousy second period. Giving up two goals in 10 seconds will take a lot of momentum away, and the United Center got very quiet after the Senators did that in the second. It just wasn’t a good period overall for the Blackhawks, who were outshot 11-6 and allowed three Senators goals. Again, considering how many points the Blackhawks have gotten lately it’s not an issue. But a little tightening here and there, and the Blackhawks may have continued their winning streak.

Blackhawks' Artemi Panarin named NHL's first star of the week.

By Charlie Roumeliotis

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Artemi Panarin was named the NHL's first star for the week ending Dec. 18 after scoring three goals and seven assists in four games, all of which resulted in Blackhawks wins.

He kicked off the week by registering two assists in a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers, and followed that up with a three-point game (two goals and one assist) against the New York Islanders.

Panarin concluded the week by recording his second consecutive three-point game (one goal and two assists) in a 6-4 win over the St. Louis Blues and a two-assist night in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks, extending his point streak to five games.

The 25-year-old Russian winger is now up to 34 points on the year, which is tied for third in the NHL with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who went 3-0-0 with a 0.98 goals against average and .967 save percentage, and Minnesota Wild forward Eric Staal, who scored four goals and one assist in three games, were named the second and third stars, respectively.

Blackhawks getting more balanced scoring. (Update before Tuesday night's game, 21/20/2016). 

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Vinnie Hinostroza was understandably exuberant after scoring the game-winning goal against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. It was great for him individually – his first goal since Nov. 19 – but also for the team, which is seeing more balanced and depth scoring.

“It’s obviously been great when you can get four lines to score,” said Hinostroza, who also scored against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday. “We’ll always have those two lines that will provide offense so it’s nice when the third and fourth lines chip in a little bit.”

Not too long ago we were bemoaning the Blackhawks’ scoring issues.

Oh, they’ve been pretty consistent in the winning category, even when the offense was anemic. They were always getting just enough to help the great goaltending. But lately, that scoring has come back in full force. The best part about it for the Blackhawks is, it’s not the usual suspects every game. Young guys, unsung guys, struggling-to-score guys, the Blackhawks are getting goals from all of them.

Last year one of the Blackhawks’ biggest problems was a bulk of their offense was coming from their second line of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane. Those three are still doing well. Panarin, the NHL’s first star of the week, is coming off 10 points in four games. Anisimov, nursing an upper-body injury, has 14 goals and Kane has 10 goals, including one in each of his last two games.

But this year they’re getting help. Hinostroza has two goals in as many games. Dennis Rasmussen has two in his last six games. Trevor van Riemsdyk, Richard Panik, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Duncan Keith, Brian Campbell and Ryan Hartman have all scored goals in recent games.

And they’ve won games, too. Here are the game winners for the Blackhawks’ current five-game winning streak:

vs. Dallas Stars                Artem Anisimov

vs. New York Rangers     Artem Anisimov

vs. New York Islanders    Richard Panik

vs. St. Louis Blues           Vinnie Hinostroza

vs. San Jose Sharks        Ryan Hartman

Not bad, really.

The Blackhawks have been fairly steady all season despite issues they’ve had in their game. They can win games 1-0 and 2-1 but getting more offense is always welcomed. It was going to take time to get more balance on the lines, especially with so many young players in the lineup this season. But that balance is developing nicely, and the amount of players contributing goals has kept the Blackhawks rolling.

“It’s huge,” said Scott Darling, the beneficiary of the Blackhawks’ latest offensive outbursts. “We need everybody contributing and our big guys always do it. It’s nice for the other guys to help and while they’re still doing their job defensively.”

Corey Crawford hoping to return to Blackhawks Friday.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Corey Crawford was a happy man on Tuesday, skating with his teammates after going solo while the Blackhawks were on the road in New York and St. Louis.

“That road trip felt like an eternity,” Crawford said with a smile. “But it’s good to be back on the ice and seeing shots again.”

Now all that remains is to back up to speed and get back in a game, the latter of which could come as soon as Friday.

Crawford is targeting Friday vs. Colorado, the Blackhawks’ final pre-Christmas game, to return from the appendix surgery that sidelined him about three weeks. Crawford has been on the ice for five or six days but Tuesday was the first time he took shots from his teammates. So now it’s about getting the timing back. He said there was no hesitation once he got back onto the ice.

“I felt pretty good like 3-4 days after. It didn’t really hurt. It was a pretty good surgery,” Crawford said. “Our trainers did a good job and our team doctor, all of them helped me out. And the doctor in Philly, too. He did a really good job I was able to get right out of there and back on the plane.  That was nice. But yeah, I felt good a few days after.”

The wait has been a long one for Crawford, who suffered appendicitis and had his appendix removed on Dec. 3, when the Blackhawks were in Philadelphia. Crawford said he never really felt any pain around that time. He had flu-like symptoms and a fever, but, “it wasn’t really painful,” he said. So it was caught early enough that it didn’t become a bigger concern.

In Crawford’s absence, Scott Darling has been stellar. Darling, who will start his 10th consecutive game on Tuesday night, has gone 6-2-1 during this stretch. Crawford said Darling’s work has been, “unbelievable.”

“He’s been great for us ever since he came here,” Crawford said. “He stole a few games there, some great performances. He made some big saves in the other games, too, at key points in the game. You can’t ask for more than that.”

The Blackhawks are close to getting their goaltending back to full health. Crawford was playing well before his appendicitis – he won all three of his starts entering Dec. 3. He’d like to get back to that level as soon as possible.

“It’d be nice to get the feeling back right away. That’s the plan. That’s what I’m trying to do, or build on in practice,” Crawford said. “I can’t wait to get back in there.”

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears' 2017 opponents locked in after Eagles, 49ers clinch last-place finishes.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Note: It's going to be better for the Bears next season so let's start thinking about our road trips for next year. We know who the opponents will be but we won't be able to get the dates and locations of the games until the second week of April, 2017. Keep the faith, stay strong and let's get ready to travel. ~ Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica Travel Planners 

Sunday’s outcomes finalized the only two variable games on the Bears’ 2017 schedule, which already included the NFC South and AFC North. By finishing last in the NFC North the Bears draw the last-place finishers in the other two NFC divisions not already on the schedule by virtue of the rotation plan used by the NFL. That means that the Bears again have the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, with both losing to ensure their basement slots in the NFC West and East, respectively.

Here are the Bears' opponents for the 2017 season:

NFC North

Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings (twice each)

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers

Last-place NFC teams

Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers

Whether the schedule is easy or tough or whatever is a pointless assessment. For one thing, the only differences between the Bears’ schedule and that of the Lions, Packers and Vikings every year is the two games against the corresponding finishers in the two NFC divisions not already entirely on the schedule.

And even when the schedule with dates and times is finally released, where the rough spots lie won’t be clear. The thinking before this season was that the second half of the schedule would be a bit less prickly than the first half, coming as it did with Tampa Bay, Tennessee and the Green Bay home game among the final eight.

As the Bears’ 2016 fates would have it, the Buccaneers and Titans turned out to be playoff contenders, not coincidentally both behind quarterbacks taken first and second in the 2015 draft.

Bears In-Foe: 'How much do you like me now?' Not as much.

By Chris Boden

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The "How much do you like me now?" quote by Kirk Cousins after trouncing Green Bay a month ago was the latest end-of-game declaration by the Washington quarterback that went viral (see: "You like that?! You LIKE that!!," circa 2015).  It came on the sidelines to general manager Scot McCloughan as the team moved to 6-3-1 and Cousins kept stacking up numbers in his bid for a long-term contract after getting franchise-tagged for $20 million this season.

While Cousins had another 300-yard passing game Monday night and didn't necessarily hurt his cause (he'd get $24 million if tagged again this offseason), the Redskins were held below 23 points for just the fourth time, and had their worst offensive output in a 26-15 home defeat to the Carolina Panthers. Suddenly, Washington fell from holding the second NFC Wild Card spot, to eighth, and needs help to get into the postseason for a second consecutive season. Will they be devastated, or angry "elves" on Christmas Eve?

Here's the good news for them: Despite the quick turnaround for Saturday's game at Soldier Field, they have four days off, not the three they had in having to go on the road to Dallas on Thanksgiving after that Sunday night win over the Packers. They're also not playing on Monday night, where they've now lost 16 of their last 17. And they're playing the Bears, whom they've beaten six straight times, including a 24-21 win on the lakefront a year ago.

Cousins has done his part to earn his payday, and there's no way management can let him go. He's second in the NFL in passing yards, third in completions, fourth in attempts, fifth in completion percentage, sixth in passer rating, and a partridge in a pear tree. The touchdown-to-interception ratio is 23-to-10, even though he was picked off and also fumbled on the opening snap of the second half Monday night (sound familiar to Sunday's Bears game?). One of the league's better offensive lines (which survived four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams' recent four-game suspension for missing a drug test), couldn't get anything going on the ground (13 rushes, 29 yards, with Cousins leading the way via 11 yards on two carries). They were just 2-of-12 on third down (where they still rank fourth in the league). Their 335 net yards were 70 below their third-ranked NFL average. Cousins has been sacked just 18 times.

That ground game is 18th, as undrafted free agent Robert "Fat Rob" Kelley has rushed for almost 600 yards, though just eight of them came vs. the Panthers, on only nine carries.  He burst on the scene in that Green Bay win, with 137 yards on 24 carries after second-year back Matt Jones (460 yards at the time), went down with a knee injury. Chris Thompson offers a change of pace (331 yards rushing, and 42 receptions for 295 yards).

More than Washington's fleet receiving corps, Jordan Reed has done the most damage in his two career games against the Bears (18 targets, 18 catches for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns). The undersized (6-foot-3, 236 pounds) tight end has been a nightmare for other teams, too, when he's been healthy.  He's missed 18 games in his four-year career, including three this season as he now battles through a third-degree separation of a shoulder. He had just one catch last night before being ejected in the third quarter for throwing a punch at Carolina's Kurt Coleman. That came as the offense had finally gotten inside the Panthers' 10-yard line. That left Reed with 61 receptions this season, five for scores.

McCloughan used his first-round draft pick last April on wideout Josh Doctson of TCU, knowing 30-year-olds' DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon will become free agents this offseason. But Doctson had just two catches before an achilles injury that wouldn't go away finally landed him on injured reserve two months ago. That after water bug Jamison Crowder delivered 59 catches a year ago — only Amari Cooper had more receptions among 2015 rookies than the fourth-rounder from Duke. Crowder has surpassed that with 64 grabs (828 yards) and seven touchdowns, to go with Garcon's 71 (851 yards) and the injury-hampered Jackson's 49 (857 yards for a fourth-ranked 17.5-yard average, and four TD's). 

So, yes, the Bears defensive backfield will have its hands full Saturday, looking to rebound from the way Sunday's loss ended.

Bears In-Foe: Washington defense added Josh Norman, but still just normal.

By Chris Boden

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

A defense that ranked 28th in 2015 (26th vs. the run, 25th vs. the pass) hadn't been able to make a splash in the first month of free agency until the Carolina Panthers made a business decision to part ways with star cornerback Josh Norman. In swooped owner Daniel Snyder, whose team needed to do SOMETHING to boost that side of the ball to help out an emerging offense. 

Five years, $75 million. $50 million guaranteed. Norman has one interception, 14 passes defended, and came under early criticism for staying locked in on the right side, no matter where the opposition's best receiver went. And Washington's 2016 defense still ranks no higher than 22nd in any of the following categories: points per game, rushing, passing, total yards, third-down percentage and red-zone TD percentage. Suddenly, after Monday's 26-15 home loss to Carolina showed his unit can't overcome a down day from the offense, coordinator Joe Barry's future is in further question.

There's a need for deeper talent, especially in the secondary. Bashaud Breeland, safeties' Donte Whitner and Will Blackmon, and nickel back Quinton Dunbar (who beat out third-round rookie Kendall Fuller, Kyle's brother) have combined for just three interceptions to go along with Norman's one, which are secondary numbers Bears fans are all too familiar with.

It's not like there's not talent on the second level. Washington's gotten most of its 36 sacks right there in the 3-4. Underrated Ryan Kerrigan is tied for fifth with 11 sacks this season, though he left Monday game with an elbow injury.  Former second-rounder Trent Murphy finally rounded into form in his third season with eight sacks, while last year's second-rounder Preston Smith has four takedowns. That trio sandwiches inside `backers Will Compton (who remained at a team-high 101 tackles despite missing Monday's game with a knee injury) and Bears 2015 training camp castoff Mason Foster (99 tackles). They also rotate in hybrid safety Su'a Cravens who was sidelined vs. the Panthers with his own elbow injury. Based on the secondary's troubles, he could well be moved to the back full-time next season.

Up front, steady free agent-to-be end Chris Baker has 4.5 sacks, but after nose tackle Kedric Golston's early season-ending injury, Ziggy Hood, who had a cup of coffee with the Bears at this time last season, is their usual man in the middle. Veteran Cullen Jenkins was brought in early in the season to start at left end. Junior Galette, who had 22 sacks over two years in New Orleans, is spending his second straight year recovering from an offseason achilles tear, one in each leg. But in another similarity to the Bears' fate vs. the Packers, Washington was gashed for 148 yards rushing in its Monday night loss.

Special teams

Chris Thompson matches the Bears' Deonte Thompson with a 21.2-yard kickoff return average. The biggest weapon is second-year slot/punt returner Jamison Crowder, whose 13.1-yard punt return average ranks second in the NFL and includes a touchdown, is quite the test for the Bears' 30th-ranked punt coverage squad. Kicker Dustin Hopkins is 31-of-38 this season, but missed his third extra point of the season against the Panthers.

Kyle Fuller's future with Bears in question as he continues to sit.

By John Mullin 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

One thing that coach John Fox has held to as part of his mission statement coming in as Bears head coach has been getting not only players with talent, but also ones with a football mindset to be part of an all-in, team-first culture overhaul. Talent was not enough for Fox and the Bears to want Martellus Bennett, Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall and others around going forward.

Whether Kyle Fuller fits into the Fox player template now is a question of some significance.

Even a glaring need at cornerback may not be enough for the Bears to want Fuller back next season as the former first-round draft pick (2014) continues, four months after knee surgery never described as serious, to stay off the field at a time when teammates have been in need of any quality help they can find.

The choice to stay out now appears to be Fuller’s.

“Any time a guy’s hurt, there’s three stages to getting back to the field,” said defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. “One is you’ve got to get medical clearance. Two, the player’s got to say he’s ready to go and feels confident and he’s champing at the bit to go play. And then the coaches get involved and see if he’s better than what the other choices are and if he really is back to being able to play.

“A has happened. B hasn’t, so C is a non-issue.”

The Bears held the door open for Fuller, designating him as the one player allowed to be brought back from injured reserve onto the active roster. Fuller was designated as that player rather than wide receiver Kevin White and could have returned as long ago as the Nov. 27 game against the Tennessee Titans.

But the weekly Fuller watch has taken on a deeper question about his future, particularly if coaches are in question about his desire to play.

A decision regarding his return still has not reached the coaches.

“I don't try to get into the medical part, until they're medically cleared and until the player's ready to go and says he's ready,” Fangio said. “Then I try and put my two cents in. Until then I try not to think too much about it.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Washington Wizards Vs. Chicago Bulls Preview, 12/21/2016.

SportsDirect Inc. staff

The Chicago Bulls were as low as they had been all season after a disastrous week that saw them drop three straight, culminating with a 95-69 home setback against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. One weekend of practice and one win turned the outlook around, and the Bulls will try to build on the momentum when they host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

Chicago shot 30.4 percent from the field in Friday's loss and was booed by the home fans, but the Bulls found their form while shooting 72.7 percent in the first half on Monday en route to a 113-82 triumph over the visiting Detroit Pistons. "It's a great feeling when the ball's going through the basket," Chicago guard Dwyane Wade told reporters. "That's the thing about the game - you don't do much different when it comes to shooting the ball. I think the one thing we did do is move the ball around, we moved bodies around." The Wizards look like a playoff contender when their shots are falling as well, but they struggle if guards John Wall and Bradley Beal are off the mark. The two combined to go 3-of-16 from 3-point range on Monday and Washington ended up falling 107-105 to the Indiana Pacers to drop to 2-9 on the road.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (12-15): Washington won three in a row at home before falling in the final seconds at Indiana despite Beal draining a tying jumper with 15 seconds left. "It's a little more frustrating," Wall told reporters of the loss. "A game we played well. We got stops when we needed, we executed the game plan that we wanted. Even the last shot, we got a great look." Beal finished with 22 points on 7-of-19 shooting after putting up 41 points in a 117-110 triumph over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

ABOUT THE BULLS (14-13): Chicago ended up shooting 58.9 percent from the floor on Monday and had seven players score in double figures, including two - Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott with 13 points apiece - off the much-maligned bench. Star swingman Jimmy Butler need only seven shots to score a team-high 19 points after going 3-of-14 from the floor in Friday's setback. "If you're not making shots, it's hard to win," Butler told reporters. "But we guarded. We let our defense lead to our offense. Got off to an early lead and for once we actually sustained it."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Wizards C Marcin Gortat scored a season-high 21 points on Monday and added 13 rebounds for his third double-double in the last four games.

2. Rajon Rondo recorded his third double-double this month and fifth this season with 10 points and a season-high 14 assists on Monday.

3. Butler collected 37 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in a 106-95 home win over Washington on Nov. 12.

PREDICTION: Bulls 103, Wizards 102

Rajon Rondo a quiet key to Bulls' shooters and overall consistency.

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Part of the reason the Bulls’ offense looked so different and energetic compared to the past week was due to an indifferent Pistons team and an engaged Bulls’ defense anchored by Robin Lopez.

The other reason is because Rajon Rondo was visible and effective, end to end, almost to the point where one thought he had one too many Red Bull’s before the game and a crash was near.

Fortunately for the Bulls, there was no crash and if one was coming the damage was already done as Rondo’s season-high 14 assists was a byproduct of the Bulls getting out and running all night in their 31-point win Monday.

“If we come out with a defensive focus and mindset, it’s so much easier to play offense when you’re not taking the ball out of the net,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “I think we shot 79 percent in that first quarter.”

The Bulls shot 73 percent in the first half and took a 38-point lead at one point in the second quarter.

“Rondo was huge in that stretch,” Hoiberg said at Wednesday’s practice at the Advocate Center. “He was getting that ball down the floor. Having 24 assists in that first half was huge. Give Rondo a lot of credit for that.”

Although not an exact science, there’s some merit to the Bulls being a better team when Rondo is leading the pack. When Rondo has nine assists or more, the Bulls are 7-0. But of Rondo’s eight lowest assist games where he’s gotten five or fewer, the Bulls are 2-6.

It’s not necessarily a situation where Rondo is or isn’t setting up his teammates but also a function of his teammates hitting shots, most notably Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic.

Both scored 12 and looked far more confident together than they probably have all season. Just the threat of a McDermott triple in transition allowed Jimmy Butler to slide backdoor for an alley-oop—aided by Rondo faking a shovel pass to McDermott, freezing the defense and resulting in a spectacular play.

“I did think our guys were headhunting his man (McDermott’s) in transition. Rondo called a couple good plays for him as far as getting him coming off screens,” Hoiberg said. “He’s (McDermott) a weapon out there. We have to make sure we’re using him the right way when he’s on the floor.”

While the Bulls’ fortunes don’t completely rely on Rondo, he’s a big enough key to achieving some level of consistency over the next several games.

“I think a lot of it is going out and playing with a confidence every night,” Hoiberg said. “The consistency comes with habits that we try and build in practice.”

Bulls respond to slump with definitive win over Pistons. (Monday night's game, 12/19/2016).

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Bulls needed a win so definitive to wash the terrible taste of the last week from their mouths and they delivered so surely, “Another One Bites the Dust” should’ve been played shortly after the opening tip Monday at the United Center.

They played like they were tired of losing, and more specifically, tired of losing to the Detroit Pistons and put together their most complete and dominant performance of the year in a 113-82 drubbing that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.

Perhaps the greatest contrast in performances from Friday night was the halftime box score, when the Bulls had more field goals (32) in 24 minutes than they did in the 48-minute stinker they put up against the Bucks (30), and equaled the scoring output of 69 points.

Rajon Rondo neared a triple double with a season-high 14 assists to go with 10 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes, and all five Bulls scored in double-figures.

“I thought Rajon got us off to a great start offensively, he was up and down the floor and got 10 assists by halftime,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “You have to give the guys a lot of credit for stepping up, last week was embarrassing for everybody.

“The way we were able to snap out of it tonight, and have the guys play tonight.”

The problem is, nobody knows which Bulls team will show up on a given night, not even Hoiberg. But when this team plays like this, they can beat anybody—the exact opposite of Friday when the way they played would have them losing to the Washington Generals.

“Games come quick in this league,” said Jimmy Butler, who scored a team-high 19. “Everything looks better when you make shots. If you’re not making shots it’s hard to win. We got out to an early lead and for once actually sustained it.”

Taj Gibson made all eight of his field goals in 19 minutes to score 16 points with four rebounds, the first time a Bull shot 8-for-8 or better since Jamal Crawford in 2002.

“If somebody could figure out if a shootaround could carry to a game, I’d love to hear it,” Hoiberg said. “I wish I had the recipe for reading body language and that kind of thing. I don’t have a degree in that category.”

Speaking of body language, it was the bench that opened eyes and used every minute of Monday’s two-and-a-half hour practice to their advantage.

Nikola Mirotic returned from his banishment and Doug McDermott came out and paced the Bulls after the starters got off to a 12-2 start, hitting their first seven shots off the bench—and showing how diverse the Bulls can be when those two are threats.

They were devils in the activity department, not standing on the perimeter waiting on passes from double-teams but flying to open spots on the floor after stops or in the set offense.

Mirotic had two jumpers where he took two definitive dribbles instead of pump-faking himself into dizziness, and McDermott curled around weak-side screens to hit jumpers—midrange jumpers at that.

“We played with an edge, an energy,” Mirotic said. “Played unselfish, 34 assists and defensively great. That’s the way we had to play. After a couple losses, our team found a way to play. And right now we have to find the way to keep playing like that.”

So by the time they needed to let it fly from the long line, they already had a rhythm and plenty of confidence, as both scored 13, contributing to the Bulls shooting a whopping 73 percent in the first half and taking an even more amazing 38-point lead before the half, setting for a 69-34 score.

Dwyane Wade got the Bulls off and running with fresh legs, getting in the lane and finishing while also earning a couple fast break buckets that sent his former coach Stan Van Gundy to the smelling salts and timeouts to try to stop the internal bleeding.

Wade scored 13 with five assists and four rebounds in 22 minutes, taking just six shots, and Butler added six assists with his scoring (all in the first quarter), hitting on six of his seven shots in 30 minutes.

It was Hoiberg’s dream of ball movement, where they tallied 24 assists in the first half alone with their 32 field goals, finishing with 34 and shooting 60 percent with eight 3-pointers.

The lead was quietly achieved on keeping Bulls menace Andre Drummond from getting to the glass. Drummond has been a terror in his career against the Bulls, averaging 14 rebounds and having a 20-20 game recently, but Robin Lopez held him to four boards and nine points.

Reserve Jon Leuer led the Pistons with 16 points off the bench and Tobias Harris scored 10 for the Pistons, but in a game was the most pitiful showing for the Bulls’ rivals, they picked a perfect team to rise from the ashes, living up to their title of Team Bi-Polar.

CUBS: Theo: Cubs fans haven't seen real Heyward.

chicagocubs.com

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Right fielder honing offensive approach with mental skills coach in Arizona.

He won his fourth Gold Glove Award and his inspirational message to his Cubs teammates during the rain delay in Game 7 appeared to spark a rally and an eventual World Series championship. But Jason Heyward wasn't pleased with his .230 batting average in his first season with the Cubs, and the right fielder is now working in Arizona on some changes.

One of the Cubs' mental skills coaches, Darnell McDonald, posted a video on his Instagram account late Monday of Heyward hitting in a batting cage at the team's Spring Training complex in Mesa, Ariz.

At the Winter Meetings, both Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer talked about how Heyward was receptive to extra work this offseason. Heyward bought a house in Arizona so he could easily commute to the complex.

"You're not re-inventing him but getting him back to some of the places where he had the most success," Hoyer said during the Winter Meetings about Heyward, who batted .293 in 2015 with the Cardinals. "That's what [Cubs fans] know of him, the one year [in 2016], but if you look back at his career, he's had some really good offensive seasons.

"We want to tweak his mechanics to the times when he had success -- 27 homers in 2012 -- and get him back to those places," Hoyer said. "We're not asking him to do new things but go back to doing things he did well. He's totally bought in and excited to get started."

Epstein said it's difficult for players to make in-season adjustments.

"The offseason is a great opportunity to take a deep breath, slow things down, look at video, work with your coaches, really think about the swing," Epstein said. "Think about the bat path and make some adjustments and develop some muscle memory, work on your feel and then take it into games."

Epstein said Heyward, 27, made an impact with his defensive skills and baserunning. There's more to come.

"Cubs fans haven't seen the type of hitter that Jason Heyward is -- and can be -- yet," Epstein said. "But I think they will."

WHITE SOX: Report: Prospect-rich Yankees interested in White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana.

By CSN Staff

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The White Sox winter trade-off could certainly continue, the team obviously willing to part with its top players for the right return package.

All-Star starting pitcher Jose Quintana could potentially be next to go, and apparently one of the most prospect-rich teams in baseball has interest.

According to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi, the New York Yankees are interested in the White Sox lefty.

Quintana won a career-high 13 games last season and posted a career-low 3.20 ERA, earning a spot on his first All-Star team. He'd figure to fetch quite the haul given his age and remaining team control.

Who knows exactly what general manager Rick Hahn would be looking for, but the Yankees' farm system is stocked with top prospects, including four of the top 22 on MLB.com's top-100 list: outfielder Clint Frazier (No. 15), shortstop Gleyber Torres (No. 17), infielder Jorge Mateo (No. 18) and outfielder Aaron Judge (No. 22).

Hahn has already landed huge returns for pitcher Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton, and the White Sox suddenly have two of the top three on that aforementioned MLB.com prospect list: outfielder Yoan Moncada (No. 1) and pitcher Lucas Giolito (No. 3).

Golf: I got a club for that..... Spieth to focus on 'scoring irons' in 2017

By Will Gray

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

After a season that included a trio of individual wins and a pivotal role in a Ryder Cup victory, Jordan Spieth is eager to turn the page to 2017. And when he does, his focus will be right in the middle of his golf bag.

Spieth notched bookend victories this year at the Tournament of Champions and Australian Open as well as a win in front of partisan crowds at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational. But he also let a second Masters title slip away and failed to contend at any of the other three majors.

As he gets set to defend his title at Kapalua, Spieth explained on a conference call this week that he hopes to improve his short-iron game.

"It's the scoring irons. It's 125 to 175 yards," Spieth said. "That's where I was pretty solid in 2015 and then that was one area of my game that took a little bit of a hit this past season. I just wasn't as good with my wedge, 9-, 8-, 7-iron, and especially on kind of shorter par 3s."

The statistics back up Spieth's assertion. In 2016 he slipped from 22nd to 47th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained from 125-150 yards, and he also fell from 34th to 101st in strokes gained from 150-175 yards. As a result, he sees "big room for improvement" within that yardage window heading into the new year.

In the coming days, though, his focus will be on traveling north to visit his brother, Steven, who plays on the basketball team at Brown University.

"He's having a great season," Spieth said of his brother, who leads the team with 15.4 points per game. "I'm not sure, he kind of set up something, we might be playing horse and it might be videoed. At the moment I am starting my grind in the gym, shooting a thousand shots a day so I don't embarrass myself."

Year in review based on every club in the bag.

Associated Press

Henrik Stenson drained a 50-foot birdie putt during the final round of The Open Championship to help him secure the Claret Jug. (Photo/Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The year began with PGA TOUR rookie Smylie Kaufman hitting the opening tee shot into the blue horizon at Kapalua. It ended 319 days later when PGA TOUR rookie Mackenzie Hughes rolled in an 18-foot par putt from the fringe to win at Sea Island.

One way to look back on 2016 is through every club in the bag -- not necessarily the best shots, but those that shaped the year.

DRIVER: Justin Thomas hit the longest drive at 414 yards on the 16th hole at Firestone. Dustin Johnson hit the most impressive drive on the 18th hole at Oakmont in the U.S. Open. But this club goes to Jim Herman, who arguably faced the most pressure.

Herman was among 12 players who won for the first time on the PGA TOUR, and this wasn't exactly handed to him. He had a one-shot lead over Henrik Stenson on the 18th hole of the Shell Houston Open, with water down the left side and a large bunker ready to catch any shot played away from the water. Herman smoked it right down the middle, made his par and headed to the Masters.

FAIRWAY METAL: Needing an eagle on the par-5 18th at the Sony Open to get into a playoff, Zac Blair hit a 3-wood so pure that moments after contact he smiled and said, "Oh my gosh, that is SO good ." And it was, settling 10 feet away. Alas, he missed the putt. But that's not the only reason Blair gets the nod for this club.

On the previous hole, he was just off the green when he chose to putt with a fairway metal. Because of the length of the club, it looked as though it might have been anchored against his chest. The ban on anchored strokes had been effective only one week. Blair had to review it with PGA TOUR officials and was cleared.

2-IRON: Jason Day is among the few who carry a 2-iron, and there's a reason. He can rip it. The world's No. 1 player had no choice. He was in the 18th fairway at Baltusrol in the PGA Championship, two shots behind Jimmy Walker, when he hit 2-iron to 15 feet. The cheer was so loud that Walker backed off his birdie putt on the 17th twice. Day made the eagle, but only after Walker had made his birdie. Walker went on to win by one.

3-IRON: Stenson was one shot behind Phil Mickelson in the third round of The Open Championship when he came to the par-3 17th and hit what he described a "flat-out 3-iron" into the wind to 20 feet for birdie. Mickelson made bogey for a two-shot swing that gave Stenson the lead going into the final round at Royal Troon, and set the tone for one of the great duels in major championship history.

4-IRON: Rory McIlroy took a bow to mock the boisterous fans at Hazeltine after sinking an eagle putt to end his first day of the Ryder Cup. The shot that set up the eagle was a 4-iron on the par-5 16th that never left its target and landed pin-high, allowing him and Thomas Pieters to close out Johnson and Matt Kuchar.

5-IRON: Day was one shot behind Kevin Chappell with no realistic birdie chances over the final two holes at Bay Hill, except that Day can hit some unreal shots. The best was a towering 5-iron that settled 10 feet behind the hole for a birdie. Chappell bogeyed the 18th, and Day had his first victory of the year.

6-IRON: Johnson thought he was leading the U.S. Open, but having not looked at a leaderboard because of a potential penalty at the end of his round, he didn't know by how much. All he saw was the flag 190 yards away. He wanted to hit a cut 6-iron with the wind and pulled it off to near perfection. The ball plopped down next to the pin and settled 5 feet away for birdie. He got the penalty, and it didn't matter. He won by three.

7-IRON: Canadian teen Brooke Henderson rallied on the back nine of Sahalee to get into a playoff at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship against Lydia Ko, the No. 1 player in the world who was going for her third straight major. Henderson stole the show with a 7-iron to 3 feet on the first playoff hole to win.

8-IRON: This wasn't about the club as much as it was the decision. Ko was trailing at the ANA Inspiration, unaware that Ariya Jutanugarn was in trouble on the 17th. She wanted to take on the water at the par-5 18th at Rancho Mirage until her caddie persuaded her that a miss would end it, and Ko could still make birdie by laying up. She laid up with an 8-iron, made birdie and won the first major of the year.

9-IRON: Jordan Spieth had a five-shot lead going to the back nine at the Masters until bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes. But the shot that gets replayed the most was his 9-iron at the flag on the par-3 12th that hit the bank and tumbled back in to the water. That was the start of his triple bogey, and he never caught up.

PITCHING WEDGE: McIlroy was three shots behind with three holes to play when he holed out with a pitching wedge on the 16th hole at East Lake. That was the start of a rally that got him into a three-man playoff, and he won with a birdie on the third playoff hole to win the TOUR Championship and capture the FedExCup.

SAND WEDGE: Jason Dufner had not won since the 2013 PGA Championship, and it looked as though he had squandered a chance at the CareerBuilder Challenge when his tee shot to the island-green 17th at PGA West called "Alcatraz" went over the back. But it hung up on the rocks, and Dufner took out a sand wedge and gave it a whack. It came out so perfectly that it rolled into the pin and led to a tap-in par. He wound up winning in a playoff.

PUTTER: Stenson said his 50-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole at Royal Troon felt like a slap shot. He scored. Every week, someone makes a big putt. Stenson's stands out because it was biggest putt in the final round of The Open Championship, the best major of the year.

Seminole, Cypress Point named future Walker Cup venues.

By Ryan Ballengee

GB&I won the 2015 Walker Cup. (Photo/Getty Images)

Representing your country in competition is always an honor. For elite male American amateur golfers, that honor will only be magnified in the next decade as the Walker Cup will be contested at three of the country’s most incredible venues.

On Thursday, the U.S. Golf Association announced the American venues through 2025 for the Walker Cup, which, at the risk of oversimplifying, is the amateur equivalent of the Ryder Cup. A team of 10 American players take on a team of 10 players from Great Britain and Ireland in a two-day, match-play competition. In 2021, those 20 players will match up at Seminole Country Club in Juno Beach, Fla., marking the first time the Walker Cup will be played in Florida. Then four years later, when the United States hosts again, Cypress Point Club on the California coast will host, marking the second time the club has done so (1981).

“To have two of the United States’ greatest courses as host sites will not only produce memorable competitions but reinforces the stature of amateur golf in this country,” said Stuart Francis, the USGA’s championship committee chairman.

Both clubs are bucket-list destinations for any dedicated golfer, and the fact that they’re hosting the Walker Cup will add to the meaning of making the teams.

These venues only enhance the already announced Walker Cup slate, with Los Angeles Country Club hosting in 2017 as a precursor to hosting the U.S. Open in 2023.

NASCAR reveals new logo and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

By Daniel McFadin

Beginning on Jan. 1, NASCAR’s top series will be called the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

NASCAR made the announcement on Monday in conjunction with the reveal of its first new logo since 1976.

Monster Energy was announced as the title sponsor on Dec. 1 after a lengthy search to find the replacement for Sprint. The sanctioning body keeps the trademark “Cup” that has been part of the series since 1971.

The Premier Series was called the Winston Cup from 1971 – 2003, the Nextel Cup from 2004 – 2007 and the Sprint Cup from 2008 through this past season.

“Our new NASCAR mark is modern, timeless, and embraces the heritage of our sport,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer in a press release. “It was important for us to recognize our history and implement a piece of each previous mark in the new design. Our goal was to evolve the sport’s visual identity to make it concise, relevant and functional, while respecting and maintaining the unique qualities of the original mark.”

Gregory later appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “SiriusXM Speedway” to discuss what went into the logo change and the new Premier Series name.

On keeping “Cup” in the series’ name:

“We thought long and hard about it, we obviously been going through this process for awhile to find the right partner and I think everyone we talked to had a different perspective and so it was just a matter of sitting down and figuring out what was good for NASCAR, what was good the industry and what’s good for Monster and what makes the most sense to make sure their entry as our top series sponsor was successful. Through all that we landed on keeping Cup, which showcases that they’ve got the top position in the series sponsorship category.”

On design of the NASCAR logo:

“We knew early in 2016 and even earlier than that we were going to be looking into a new series partner. We know that fans are interested in figuring out what companies are involved with NASCAR. We started looking at the “bar mark,” as we call it … But this was our chance, we knew we were going to have an opportunity (to change the logo) regardless of who the partner was, that doesn’t come around often. … This was a big change. We’ve had the same general NASCAR logo for 40 years. We did not take that lightly. We wanted to make sure we protect the heritage and consider the history and tradition that has made NASCAR great and also use this opportunity to freshen and modernize things.”

The announcements were made on all of NASCAR’s digital platforms shortly after 4 p.m. ET.

NASCAR returning to renamed Memphis Motorsports Park.

By Daniel McFadin

(Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)

After an absence of seven years, NASCAR is returning to the track formerly known as Memphis Motorsports Park.

Now known as Memphis International Raceway, it will host its first NASCAR event since 2009 when the K&N Pro Series East tour visits the Millington, Tennessee, track on June 3.

Owned by IRG Sports + Entertainment since 2010, the .750-mile track hosted Xfinity Series races from 1999 to 2009 and Camping World Truck Series races from 1998 to 2009.

“NASCAR is extremely excited that the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will be racing at Memphis International Raceway in 2017,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president of touring & weekly series in a press release. “In the last couple years, fans of the series have had a chance to get the first looks at drivers such as Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez before they broke through in the national series. We are looking forward to bringing the next group of rising stars to Memphis and showcasing the tremendous young talent competing in NASCAR.”

The track will have “minor renovations” and safety upgrades to prepare to host the series that crowned Justin Haley as its champion this season.

“This is a huge announcement not only for our organization but for the Mid-South region as well,” said Pam Kendrick, president and general manager at MIR. “Our fans ask us constantly when NASCAR is returning to Memphis and it is finally happening. The return of NASCAR to MIR is part of a bigger plan and just the start of some great things happening at our facility. We’re excited to bring the tri-oval back to life and give our fans what they have been missing.”

The last NASCAR event held there was the Xfinity Series’ Kroger On Track For The Cure 250 on Oct. 24, 2009. The race was won by Brad Keselowski.

2016 Season in Review: Austin Dillon.

By Jerry Bonkowski

(Photo/Getty Images)

AUSTIN DILLON

CREW CHIEF: Richard “Slugger” Labbe

TEAM: Richard Childress Racing

POINTS: 14th

WINS: 0

LAPS LED: 17 (lowest since he led just 10 laps in 2014)

TOP 5s: 4 (career-best)

TOP 10s: 13 (career-best)

POLES: 2 (Fontana, Texas II)

WHAT WENT RIGHT: In his third full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series, 2016 was a breakthrough season for Dillon, grandson of team owner Richard Childress. While he’s still seeking his first Cup-level win, he had highs in top-fives (four) and top-10s (13), poles (2), average start (14.0) and average finish (15.9), lead lap finishes (26) and made the Chase for the Sprint Cup for the first time (although he was eliminated after the second round on a tiebreaker with Denny Hamlin after Talladega). … Also earned two wins, 11 top-fives, 16 top-10s and one pole in 19 Xfinity Series starts.

WHAT WENT WRONG: While he definitely showed significant improvement as a driver, Dillon had a problem getting to the front of the field, leading just 17 laps, less than half of the number of laps he led in 2015 (39). … He had three DNFs for the second season in a row after none in his rookie season in 2014.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2017: While 2016 was a breakthrough season for Dillon, 2017 very well could be a breakout season. He’s ready to win a race – and RCR certainly needs a win, not having visited victory lane since 2013 with Kevin Harvick. Look for Dillon not only to win a race or more, he’ll also make the Chase for the second straight year and has the potential to advance at least to the second or third rounds — if not all the way to the final round — of the playoff eliminations.

SOCCER: Fire acquire striker Nemanja Nikolic as Designated Player.

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/AP)

Since the middle of last season Chicago Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez has spoken about two key needs for the team: an experienced midfielder and a key creator/scorer.

Rodriguez and the Fire have identified and acquired a player who they view as that scorer. The Fire have acquired striker Nemanja Nikolic from Legia Warsaw, the reigning Polish champions announced.

The Fire announced the move later on Tuesday afternoon, confirming Nikolic will take up a Designated Player spot, joining winger David Accam to make two on the team. Nikolic signed a three-year contract and general manager Nelson Rodriguez said a seven-figure transfer fee was involved.

"From the moment the club expressed interest and especially after speaking with manager Veljko Paunovic, and although I had other offers, this is where I wanted to be,” Nikolic said in the Fire's press release.

Nikolic, who turns 29 on New Year’s Eve, led the Ekstraklasa with 28 goals last season. That was the most anyone had scored in the league in 20 years. He helped Legia win the double, taking both the league and cup titles in Poland.

"Nemanja was one of our top priorities this offseason and a player we had been tracking for the better part of seven to eight months," Rodriguez said over the phone from Poland via a conference call after the Fire announced the signing. "He represents one of the types of game breakers that we sought in this offseason."

In 86 matches with Legia Warsaw, Nikolic scored 56 times, including five in six UEFA Champions League qualifying matches to get Legia into the Champions League group stage. Nikolic played in five of the six Champions League group matches, making two starts and scoring one goal. Legia Warsaw was third in its group behind Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.

Nikolic scored five goals in his last two matches for Legia, including a hat trick in his finale. He was named to the Ekstraklasa team of the week in his last game.

Nikolic is Serbian-born, but has represented Hungary at the international level. He has three goals in 23 caps for Hungary, including two substitute appearances at Euro 2016.

He joined the Polish capital club from Hungarian club Videoton following the 2014-15 season. When he was at Videoton he was a teammate of current Fire midfielder Arturo Alvarez. Nikolic was with Videoton from 2010-2015 while Alvarez spent two and a half seasons there.

"The fact that he has already adapted to different countries, different playing styles, different languages makes us believe that he will adapt to Chicago and Major League Soccer," Rodriguez said. "While we are very confident in his ability to adapt we must all always be patient with new signings. It is still a man and human being who has a family and will need time to adjust culturally."

Rodriguez added that Nikolic speaks four languages. He was born in Serbia and speaks Serbian, Hungarian, Polish and English.

The process of identifying and scouting Nikolic began last spring when the Fire were pursuing another player in the Polish league. Rodriguez said the league was underrated so they followed it more closely.

"In that course we noticed Nemanja and his abilities so we tracked him," Rodriguez said. "We had Matt Pearson, our scout, see him play live twice this fall. Then Pauno went to see him play live at the conclusion of our season as well. The live reports married what we felt we had been observing through video and through following full games on television and online."

Nikolic’s goal-scoring track record should translate well to Major League Soccer, although it should be noted that Legia Warsaw is one of the biggest clubs in Poland (11 league titles and 18 cup titles since 1955). It’s easier to score goals when part of a team that is usually creating more chances. Compare that to the Fire, which were last in MLS in shots on target last season.

Still, an attack led by Nikolic, Michael de Leeuw and David Accam sounds good on paper. The Fire’s next priority should be getting that experienced midfielder Rodriguez has mentioned so Nikolic and de Leeuw will have chances.

After adding Nemanja Nikolic, Fire's attention turns to improving midfield.

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/LEGIA WARSAW)

The addition of striker Nemanja Nikolic as the Chicago Fire’s newest designated player was a big move for the Fire, but it was just the beginning of another overhaul of the roster.

After adding Nikolic the club has 17 players currently under contract. He joins Michael de Leeuw, David Accam and David Arshakyan as the team’s forwards.

Accam is a speedster while Arshakyan is a big target at 6-foot-4. Nikolic may be more in the de Leeuw mold of a noted finisher. How those two can play together appears to be one of the keys for the Fire in 2017.

“We actually think that they will be extremely complementary,” GM Nelson Rodriguez said of Nikolic and de Leeuw. “Time will tell. Michael is a very active and busy player who prefers to play underneath another forward. Nemanja does his best work in the box, but having said that is also very mobile with a very high workrate. Nemanja is comfortable playing alone or playing in tandem with another forward and so we think that that versatility will lend itself not only to Michael, but with our other returning attacking assets.”

So with Nikolic now in the fold, the Fire’s attacking group is arguably the most finished of the club’s four lines. Luis Solignac could still be brought back after he was protected from the expansion draft despite the fact that his option was declined by the Fire, which was likely a signal of intent of the club to try to bring him back at a lower cost than his option would have been.

Rodriguez, who was speaking over the phone while in Poland to finalize Nikolic’s contract, said the focus of the rest of the offseason will be to add some experience in central midfield. The Fire were last in Major League Soccer in shots on target in 2016 and last in possession, both of which point to problems in the midfield.

“We have three primary (midfield) targets,” Rodriguez said. “We believe we are making progress against at least two of those. We are working aggressively to close whichever one we can first.”

The Fire have been linked to German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, but he is under contract with Manchester United so Rodriguez declined to comment about a player under contract with another club.

There are just one goalkeeper and six defenders under contract with the Fire so bodies will need to be added in both of those lines as well. Possible homegrown signings and the MLS SuperDraft in January could bolster the roster with some young players.

In addition, Rodriguez said team's have inquired about trading for the Fire's top pick in the second stage of the re-entry draft, which takes place on Thursday.

“We have not yet made a final decision as to whether we will look to select a player or not and we are also examining some offers that we have received for the No. 1 second stage re-entry position,” Rodriguez said. “Obviously we admittedly put that on hold the last 24 hours... We are active on conversations with players within MLS currently.”

USMNT World Cup qualifiers moved up slightly.

Associated Press

(Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)

The United States’ World Cup qualifiers in June have been moved up slightly because of Mexico’s participation in the Confederations Cup.

The U.S. Soccer Federation said Tuesday that the Americans’ home game against Trinidad and Tobago will be played June 8, a day earlier than first scheduled. The Americans’ match at Mexico will be played June 11, two days ahead of the original date.

Mexico plays its Confederations Cup opener against Portugal on June 18 in Kazan, Russia.

After the U.S. lost its opening two games in the final round of the North and Central American and Caribbean region, coach Jurgen Klinsmann was fired and replaced by Bruce Arena, the U.S. coach from 1998-2006.

The Americans resume qualifying at home against Honduras on March 24, then play four days later at Panama.

“An underlying current of quality”

By Nicholas Mendola

(Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

In retrospect, Keegan Rosenberry could’ve seen it as a sign of something good.

Participating in a match to help USMNT reserves stay fit during the Copa America Centenario, Rosenberry wasn’t slotted with his Philadelphia teammates; The right back was plugged in behind winger Christian Pulisic for the U.S. side.

“At first I kinda thought it was a coincidence,” Rosenberry said. “What a chance to hopefully show well. But the more people I talked to, it seemed they wanted to get a proper look at me. As the season progressed, I didn’t think too much of it.”

Still, that was one of just two experiences with the U.S. set-up. Rosenberry had not represented the Americans at any level when he was called up for a U-23 camp for college players only, listed as a midfielder, in 2015.

In the short period since, Rosenberry has grown into a player pegged as a to get a USMNT look under Bruce Arena, something the coach confirmed in a Facebook Q&A last week.

“I’m obviously very, very excited to even be in the discussion,” he said. “I can’t wait.”

Neither can U.S. fans eager to see how Rosenberry compares to DeAndre Yedlin and other options on the right. That’s pretty remarkable considering the right back showed up at Georgetown in 2011 at a different position.

“He was always playing as a center mid,” said Georgetown head coach Brian Wiese. “But my assistant, Zach Samol, saw him first and said he loved this kid because he’s so technical. He’s very clean, tough, quick. He tackles. He makes good decisions with the ball, and has good spring for not being a 6-foot kid, and his habits are really good.”

Wiese says Rosenberry became a right back by virtue of positional need. The Hoyas wanted him on the pitch, but had MLS prospects up-and-down the center of the park. Their holes going into Rosenberry’s freshman year were striker, center back and right back, and they filled them pretty well: Brandon Allen at striker (now with RBNY),  Cole Seiler at center back (Vancouver), and Rosenberry on the right.

“At first it was a shock to my confidence because I played all my life in the middle, and I fancied myself there,” Rosenberry said. “To hear that (he’d play right back), it wasn’t the first thing I wanted to see. But then I saw the talent of the players on the team, and I thought if I could get on the field I’d play any position.”

He started every match of his four years at Georgetown and captaining the club the last two seasons. The Hoyas went to the national championship game in Rosenberry’s freshman year, and went to the third round twice and quarterfinals once in his final three seasons.

“That experience in college was so important because I felt like I was still developing physically and mentally,” Rosenberry said. “Being a captain there for a couple of years and trying to manage the personalities and egos and demands of 25 guys really helps you mature whether you like it or not, and it makes you be a leader. It was something that I really valued.”

Rosenberry and Georgetown teammate Joshua Yaro were both selected by Philadelphia in the Top Three of this year’s SuperDraft. To wind up with Philadelphia was a boon for the Harrisburg, Penn., native. Rosenberry wasn’t a member of the Union’s Academy but had trained with now head coach Jim Curtin, and he admired the boss. He was inspired to put on the shirt.

Rosenberry played every minute for Curtin’s unit this season, completing almost 300 more passes than anyone on the team. Only attack-minded players Tranquillo Barnetta and Seb Le Toux completed more key passes than the rookie.

“Going to team like Philadelphia who I was familiar with before the draft, knowing some of the staff and some of the players and where to go for training, it makes you feel like you belong and I think it helped me with the transition period,” Rosenberry said. “I’m really thankful for that.”

He admits a sour taste from bowing out to Toronto FC in the first round of the playoffs, but Jim Curtin’s Union wasn’t expected to make the postseason this season. Rosenberry was a big part of the surprise, his work earning him a nod as a finalist for the MLS Rookie of the Year award ultimately claimed by Jordan Morris.

Before the Union begin their follow-up run in MLS, Rosenberry will — barring a dramatic turn of events — represent the United States men’s national team at January camp under Bruce Arena.

Wiese sees a comparison between Rosenberry and a current USMNT player that the Georgetown coach helped recruit as an assistant at Notre Dame in 2005: Matt Besler.

There’s a natural comparison of the two players. Besler is taller, and Rosenberry a bit quicker, but both are praised for their inherent leadership and speak about the game in an analytical way.

“There’s just a real quality in both of those guys,” Wiese said. “There’s an underlying current of quality in everything they do, in terms of how they manage themselves, train, take care of their bodies, how serious they are about their approach to their craft and you’re like, yeah, of course they’re going to make it. Those are two guys you never have to ask to do anything twice. You never need to bring them into the office to chastise them for doing something off the field.”

While Rosenberry says there was a chance he’d have to fill in at center mid following deep injuries to Philadelphia’s corps, he expect he’s a right back for life right now. And he’s grateful chance put him in that position once he left his youth club, Penn Fusion, for college in Washington, D.C.

“I took it as a challenge to hone myself as a better 1v1 defender and all the traits that come with the position,” he said. “The similarities between center mid and right back might not be too far off in terms of distribution and connecting passes and whatnot. Where it’s different is getting exposed as a defender 1-on-1 and trying to deny service where in the middle you’re maybe trying to slow things down, stop counter attacks, or funnel things one way or another. Interestingly enough, I think it made me more marketable. There are 3-5 midfielders on the field at all times, but there’s only one right back. From my sophomore year on, I viewed myself as a right back.”

And U.S. fans may be viewing him there for a while. Bring on January.

Report: Man City, Man Utd could play in U.S. this summer.

By Nicholas Mendola

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

After weather led to the cancelation of this summer’s friendly in Beijing, Manchester United and Manchester City may try again to play the first “Manchester Derby” outside of England.

The BBC reports that both sides again plan to participate in the International Champions Cup, and that they’d be stationed in the United States for such a match.

That would fill a big American stadium pretty quickly.

This summer’s cancellation was a big mess, from weather to the pitch itself having fungus, and the ICC would likely choose a much safer option Stateside to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

NCAAFB: Anthony Wales runs Western Kentucky past Memphis in Boca Raton Bowl.

By Zach Barnett

(Photo/Associated Press)

The Boca Raton Bowl boiled down, essentially, to one statistic: the ability of Memphis to stop the run. The Tigers ranked a respectable 44th in the country in rushing defense over their eight victories… and a dreadful 125th in their four losses, allowing an average of 372 yards and five touchdowns on 6.7 yards per carry.

Memphis couldn’t stop the run on Tuesday night, and Western Kentucky had its way with the Tigers, ending the best 2-year run in program history with a 51-31 victory.

Playing in his final collegiate game, Anthony Wales recorded the best night of his career. The senior rushed 35 times for a career-high 245 yards and three touchdowns, essentially breaking open what was a tight, 21-17 game himself. Wales’s first scoring dash came at the end of the first half put WKU up by 11 — Memphis would climb no closer than 13 the rest of the night —  his second score pushed the game into blowout territory and his final score, a 1-yard jaunt around right end with 2:18 remaining, ended any hope of a Memphis comeback.

Western Kentucky quarterback Mike White, playing back home in South Florida, was hyper-efficient as usual. White came into the night averaging 10.4 yards per attempt — which would be the most in FBS over the past three years if not for Baker Mayfield‘s 11.1 average — and improved upon that absurd number by completing 20-of-30 passes for 336 yards (that’s 11.2 yards per attempt) with three touchdowns against one interception. And White actually threw four touchdowns but had this beauty taken away by scoring technicality.

That’s offensive tackle Forrest Lamp finding the end zone on what was scored a 9-yard run, giving WKU a 14-10 lead it would not relinquish.

Memphis (8-5) struggled to run the ball, averaging only 2.5 yards on 31 carries, but Riley Ferguson still got his, completing 25-of-43 passes for 372 yards with four touchdowns and one pick.

The win closes a 2-year run under head coach Jeff Brohm — who has already left for Purdue; Nick Holt served as interim head coach on Tuesday — in which the Hilltoppers (11-3) posted a 23-5 overall record, a 17-1 mark against Conference USA competition, two C-USA titles and two bowl victories over American opponents. Those five losses: to No. 5 LSU in 2015, to No. 1 Alabama earlier this season, and losses of three, one, and three points.

What comes next will fall on the shoulders of new head coach Mike Sanford. Considering the trajectory of this program from Willie Taggart to Bobby Petrino to Brohm and now to Sanford, whatever comes next should still be pretty darn good.

Clemson QB Deshaun Watson: I'm the best player in the country.

By Bobby Kelland

The Clemson quarterback's confidence isn't shaken one bit by not being named the Heisman winner.

(Photo/cbssports.com)

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was to many the second-best player in college football in 2016. The consensus No. 1 player was Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, who kept Watson from winning the Heisman Trophy and even bumped him to second-team All-ACC.

Heading into the Tigers' College Football Playoff semifinal against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, Watson isn't fazed by being the Heisman runner-up a year after finishing third in voting. Watson remains confident in his abilities and told reporters Monday that he believes he is the nation's best player, whether the voters do or not.

"I'm the best player in the country. That's how I think. That's how I feel. People have their own way of voting," Watson said Monday, according to the Associated Press.

In case Watson needed any more affirmation of his talents from those around him, coach Dabo Swinney and star receiver Mike Williams stuck up for their quarterback Monday as well.

"He knows he is the best player in the country. He doesn't need a trophy to say that," Williams said.

"I think Deshaun is so good, people are numb to it," Swinney said.

Watson's 2016 season wasn't quite as good individually as his 2015 campaign, but he still impressed with 3,914 yards passing, 37 touchdowns and 15 interceptions on a 67.6 completion percentage and 529 yards and six touchdowns rushing.

While he wasn't able to capture the individual award that eluded him in 2015, Watson and the Tigers do have the opportunity to avenge last season's 45-40 loss in the national championship game to Alabama with two more wins. With the Heisman already gone, that opportunity to claim the team title that he missed out on so narrowly a year ago is now Watson's lone focus.

Florida State gives Jimbo Fisher contract extension through 2024.

By Kevin McGuire

(Photo by Jeff Gammons/Getty Images)

The coaching carousel strikes again! After weeks of hearing his name thrown around as a possible coaching candidate for a vacancy at LSU (which has since been filled by Ed Orgeron receiving a promotion to full-time head coach), Jimbo Fisher has been rewarded for his loyalty to Florida State in the form of a contract extension. Fisher is now under contract with Florida State through 2024.

“Coach Fisher has done an outstanding job in leading our football program, and is clearly one of the top coaches in college football,” a statement from Florida State athletics director Stan Wilcox said. “He is committed to maintaining the elite status of FSU football and we are fortunate and proud to secure him for the long term.”

In addition to more years on his contract, Fisher will also receive a raise. According to The Tallahassee Democrat, Fisher’s annual salary will be bumped from $5.25 million to $5.5 million beginning in 2017. Some more details, per The Tallahassee Democrat;

The contract also features a rollover provision that “would provide for no more than two (2) potential automatic one-year contract extensions in the event the football team wins nine (9) or more regular season games during a contract year; the first such additional contract year would include a total annual compensation amount equal to $5,650,000; the second such additional contract year would include a total annual compensation amount equal to $5,750,000.”

Fisher is 77-17 in seven years as Florida State’s head coach after taking over for Bobby Bowden following Bowden’s retirement. Fisher has coached Florida State to a BCS national championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

NCAABKB: 2016 NCAA Associated Press Basketball Rankings, 12/19/2016.

AP

RANK	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS
1	Villanova (56)	11-0	1,614	1
2	UCLA (3)	12-0	1,514	2
3	Kansas	10-1	1,450	3
4	Baylor (6)	11-0	1,439	4
5	Duke	10-1	1,385	5
6	Kentucky	10-1	1,337	6
7	Gonzaga	11-0	1,211	8
8	North Carolina	10-2	1,170	7
9	Creighton	11-0	1,058	10
10	Louisville	10-1	1,044	11
11	West Virginia	9-1	937	12
12	Virginia	9-1	886	13
13	Butler	10-1	821	18
14	Wisconsin	10-2	781	14
15	Purdue	9-2	754	15
16	Indiana	8-2	719	9
17	Xavier	9-2	542	17
18	Arizona	10-2	501	19
19	Saint Mary's (Calif.)	8-1	389	20
20	Oregon	10-2	299	22
21	Florida State	11-1	290	23
22	South Carolina	9-1	218	16
23	Southern California	10-0	212	24
24	Cincinnati	9-2	202	25
25	Notre Dame	9-2	188	21

Others receiving vote: Florida 48, Virginia Tech 40, Maryland 27, Seton Hall 15, Oklahoma State 8, Valparaiso 7, Minnesota 6, Miami (Fla.) 5, Northwestern 4, Iowa State 1, Clemson 1, Kansas State 1, Loyola (Ill.) 1

Kentucky-Louisville Preview: Four things to watch for in Wednesday’s showdown.

By Rob Dauster

UK Coach John Calipari (Photo/Andy Lyons/Getty Images) 

The 50th installation of the rivalry that doubles as a blood feud in the commonwealth will take place on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. ET, as No. 6 Kentucky makes the 80-mile trek west on I-64 to take on No. 10 Louisville in the KFC Yum! Center.

Kentucky has won the last four meetings and eight of the last nine, and while they’ll enter Wednesday night’s showdown as two point underdogs, the line Vegas sets and the general perception of what this matchup will be differs. After that thrilling, 103-100 win over North Carolina on Saturday, the Louisville Courier-Journal polled 82 media members on who they think will win; 64 of them picked the Wildcats. 

Why does Vegas differ so much from the people paid to talk about this sport? And what are the three things that will determine the outcome of this game? Let’s get into it:

1. Will Louisville be able to score enough points to win?: Kentucky can put up points as well as anyone in college basketball. We all know that. They reached the century mark four times in 11 games this season, including on Saturday against North Carolina, who has the 14th-best defense in the country, according to KenPom. Only once this year have they failed to crack 87 points.

Louisville? According to Synergy’s logs, they ranked in the 44th percentile in offensive efficiency at 0.897 points-per-possession. They’re 227th nationally in effective field goal percentage and 244th in three-point percentage. Their three best perimeter players – Donovan Mitchell, Quentin Snider and Deng Adel – all shoot under 37.5 percent from the floor and below 33.3 percent from three; Adel and Mitchell both check in at 29 percent from beyond the arc.

The key to slowing this Kentucky team down is limiting their transition opportunities. Avoiding live-ball turnovers and bad shots that lead to run-outs is one way to do that, but the best way to slow a team down is, simply, to score. Make them take the ball out of the net while you get back on defense.

Which leads me to the biggest question of the day: How is Louisville going to score against a team whose defense can be as suffocating as Kentucky’s?

To me, there are two ways to do to this:

1. Capitalize on your own transition chances. Louisville has, according to KenPom, the best defense in college basketball. Part of the reason for that is that they force turnovers on 23 percent of their defensive possessions. Turning those into easy buckets before the Kentucky defense can get set will be critical, as will Louisville’s awareness when it comes to what is and what isn’t a good transition opportunity.
2. Get to the offensive glass. Kentucky is 238th nationally in defensive rebounding percentage. Louisville is eighth nationally in offensive rebounding percentage. There are going to be times where Louisville’s best offense will be a missed shot that turns into a tip-in.

Kentucky is going to get theirs, and I think it’s safe to say that Louisville is going to have to score more than 75 points if they want to win this game. If Rick Pitino can find a way to generate points – or if Mitchell and Adel finally find a way to play the way we all thought they would play this season – the Cardinals will have a shot.

Louisville Coach Rick Pitino ((Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) 

2. Louisville has to find a way to slow-down Malik Monk: Monk is the most dangerous scorer in college basketball. Louisville has the nation’s best defense. Strength on strength is always fun.

What made Monk’s performance against North Carolina wasn’t so much that he was able to pop off for 47 points and carry his team – if you paid any attention in the preseason, you would have known that it was going to happen at some point – it was that he provided a way for Kentucky to score in half court settings. That’s the biggest concern with the Wildcats. Given their lack of perimeter shooting and some of the offensive question marks that they have in key positions on the offensive end of the floor, what happens when De’Aaron Fox, Isaiah Briscoe and Monk aren’t able to get layups and dunks on the break?

The answer, on Saturday at least, was Monk. John Calipari spoke after the game about how he put in plays similar to what he ran for Jamal Murray last season, plays designed specifically to get Monk an open shot or an opportunity to go one-on-one against a defender. I would be shocked if we didn’t see that out of Kentucky again, and I think that Louisville is better equipped to handle it than North Carolina was.

For starters, the Cards have so much length. Mitchell, who I expect will get plenty of chances to go up against Monk, is long and athletic. Adel and V.J. King are 6-foot-7 athletes with plus-wingspans. Those three are also athletic enough that they should be able to at least make things difficult for Monk, which is about all you can ask against a guy who is unguardable when he’s running hot.

But the more interesting part of this is that Pitino has developed one of the more complicated defenses to play against. They have so many different looks they can give. Sometimes they press full-court in man-to-man. Sometimes it’s a 2-2-1 press. Sometimes they drop back into a man-to-man. Sometimes it’s a 2-3 zone. Many times, that half court defense is some combination of the two, where they’re playing man on half of the court and zone on the other half or changing defenses midway through a possession.

One former Louisville player described it to me as a gameplan of “organized chaos”, and it can be a nightmare to breakdown.

3. Who steps up for Kentucky?: As good as the Wildcats were on Saturday, it was somewhat concerning that so much of their offense came from Fox and Monk. Those two finished with 71 points and 12 assists, combining to contribute 87 of Kentucky’s 103 points.

That’s not something that is sustainable, meaning that Kentucky will need to find another source of scoring. I don’t think it will be Isaiah Briscoe, who has turned into one of the best glue-guys in college basketball. Derek Willis was a difference-maker last season, but his issues defensively mean that he splits time with Wenyen Gabriel, who is very much a work in progress on the offensive end.

To me, the answer is Bam Adebayo, who has been good in stretches this season but has struggled to stay on the floor. He battled foul trouble throughout against North Carolina and still managed to finish with 13 points and seven boards. Louisville’s front line is as deep as they are long and athletic, and Adebayo’s ability to deal with the likes of Jaylen Johnson, Ray Spalding, Anas Mahmoud and Mangok Mathiang without picking up fouls is going to be critical.

4. This is Kentucky’s first true road test: Here’s a stat for you, courtesy of ESPN’s John Gasaway: In the Calipari-era, Kentucky is just 2-5 in their first true road games of the season. In 2008, they won at Indiana in Tom Crean’s second season with the Hoosiers, a year where Indiana finished 194th in KenPom’s rankings. In 2014, they won at Louisville the season that they started 38-0. The other five years? They’ve lost at North Carolina twice, they lost at Indiana thanks to Christian Watford, they lost at Notre Dame in Nerlens Noel’s one season on campus and they lost at UCLA last season.

Home court advantage in college basketball is massive. It’s worth anywhere between five and ten points, depending on the teams involved and the pace of play. Just one example, from the projections on KenPom: Louisville is picked to win by one point against Virginia at home. They’re projected to lost by five to the Cavaliers on the road.

And that’s before you factor in that so many of Kentucky’s most important players will be playing their first true road game in a rivalry as heated as Kentucky-Louisville in an environment that can be as hostile as the Yum! Center.

That’s a massive advantage to have in a game like this and has as much to do with where Vegas set their opening line than anything else happening in this game.

Kennard, No. 5 Duke top Tennessee St 65-55 in Giles' debut. (Monday night's game, 12/19/2016). (Tennessee State University, My Alma Mater, Class of '72).

By Joedy McCreary

Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) shoots a second half shot as he's double covered by the Tennessee State defense. (Photo/Chuck Liddy cliddy@newsobserver.com)

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/duke-now/article121922018.html#storylink=cpy

Duke finally had all the players that made the Blue Devils the top-ranked team in the preseason -- except that, for most of the night, they didn't play like it.

BOX SCORE:  DUKE 65, TENNESSEE STATE 55

Luke Kennard scored 24 points and No. 5 Duke beat Tennessee State 65-55 on Monday in the college debut of touted freshman Harry Giles.

Freshman forward Jayson Tatum added 14 points and Grayson Allen finished with 12 for the Blue Devils (11-1), who plodded through 30 mostly sluggish minutes before pulling away from a pesky Tigers team that threatened to spoil a big night for Giles.

"This game was a learning experience for us," Kennard said. "We can't take anything for granted. We've got to play each and every game like it's the biggest game of the year. ... I just don't think we were really ready to play. ... Our energy wasn't there, our enthusiasm wasn't there, and we just didn't really have one guy that's bringing us all the energy, and we really needed that tonight."

Tennessee State led 36-34 on Wayne Martin's jumper with 15 minutes left. Duke countered with a 25-3 run highlighted by five 3-pointers -- including two by Kennard on consecutive possessions after he was left completely unguarded -- to take a 59-39 lead.

Darreon Reddick and Tahjere McCall scored 14 points apiece for the Tigers (8-3).
Amile Jefferson had a career-best 18 rebounds for Duke, which finally got Giles on the floor for the first time. One of the nation's top recruits, he missed his senior season in high school with torn knee ligaments in his right knee and then missed the first 11 games at Duke after having his left knee scoped in October.

"First game, that was just shaking the rust off and getting the kinks out," Giles said. "I think each day, each game, each practice, I'll get better."

BIG PICTURE

Tennessee State: This was the second time in nine days that the Tigers threw a scare into the host team at an historic Atlantic Coast Conference venue, after taking North Carolina State to overtime in the Wolfpack's first game at renovated Reynolds Coliseum. Tennessee State's three losses have all come on the road against Power 5 programs, with the other defeat coming at Vanderbilt.

"Hopefully, we realized that if we play as a team, we currently feel like we can play with anybody in the country, but we need to try to get to the point where we can consistently beat high-level teams," coach Dana Ford said.

Duke: The impact of Giles' return went far beyond his meager line in the boxscore -- no points, no rebounds, and 0-for-1 shooting in 4 first-half minutes. For the first time, the Blue Devils had the full complement of star freshmen that made them No. 1 in the preseason polls.

But Duke shot a season-worst 37 percent and finished just 19 of 32 from the free throw line while establishing a season-low scoring total by 10 points. The previous low was 75, both in the loss to Kansas and the win against Rhode Island.

"We're in October, not December, with our team," coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

STAT SHEET

Kennard has scored 20 or more points in four of his last five games. ... Jefferson was averaging 17.8 points and 12.3 rebounds during his last four games. His rebounding numbers went up but his scoring numbers fell -- he finished with five points on 2-of-7 shooting and was just 1 for 8 from the foul line.

HARRY CHRISTMAS

All eyes were on Giles, who made his long-awaited Duke debut when he checked in during a timeout with 11:27 left in the first half with the crowd chanting his first name. Those chants died down, then picked back up when the Blue Devils broke the huddle. He clearly isn't in game shape yet, and his only shot -- a jumper from the right wing over Ken'Darrius Hamilton in his first 15 seconds on the floor -- was way too strong.

UP NEXT

Tennessee State: The Tigers have eight days before their next game, a home date with Division III Covenant on Dec. 27.

Duke: The Blue Devils play Elon on Wednesday night at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Since loss, Ronda Rousey finds division she dominated cursed but compelling.

By Martin Rogers

UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes faces off with Ronda Rousey after weigh-ins for UFC 207 fight that will take place on Dec. 30 at Madison Square Garden.(Photo: Michael Reaves, Getty Images)

The last time Ronda Rousey stepped into the octagon the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s bantamweight division was still a one-woman show, now it is the organization’s most cursed – and most compelling – title.

“Ronda wants the belt back,” UFC President Dana White said in the build-up to her Dec. 30 main event showdown with current champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. “She feels like it’s hers.”

However, in the 13 months since the brutal end of Rousey’s unbeaten record and aura of invincibility, the landscape at the top end of women’s mixed martial arts has shifted considerably.

Rousey was the first and only women’s bantamweight champ in UFC history when she faced off against Holly Holm at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, last November and was on a dominant streak of overpowering victories that made her a household name and a modern pop culture icon.

The only criticism that could be leveled at her then was that she made the division too predictable. Since she was knocked cold by a savage Holm kick to the side of her face in the second round, things have been anything but expected.

First, Holm was unable to capitalize upon her newfound celebrity. With Rousey’s health and future then uncertain, the former world boxing champion opted to defend her crown against Miesha Tate instead of waiting around for a highly-lucrative rematch.

In March, Tate survived Holm’s punches before successfully executing a fifth-round choke submission to win the belt. Tate and Rousey had history, but Rousey was still not ready to return, so Tate instead put the title on offer against Nunes, in what became the main event of UFC 200 after Jon Jones was ruled out following a doping issue.

Nunes handed down a forceful beating before winning by first-round submission, to become another fresh titleholder, despite having been on the outer reaches of the division a year earlier.

Meanwhile, Holm lost again, to Valentina Shevchenko, and will now move up to the newly-created featherweight division at 145 pounds, while Tate was defeated by Raquel Pennington and then retired from the octagon. Cris Cyborg also entered the UFC and repeatedly called out Rousey, a matchup that has the potential to be the most lucrative women’s bout in history.

Which brings us back to Rousey, who gets the opportunity to get the belt back in her return fight, which was White’s plan all along.

“Unbelievable,” he said, in reference to the division. “You have a dominant champion and then suddenly the belt is passed around three times in three fights. You never know what to expect next.”

White said from the time Rousey lost that she would get a shot at the title in her first fight back, a reward for the way she put women’s MMA on the map since entering the sport in 2011 after a judo career that saw her win an Olympic bronze medal in 2008.

She is the strong favorite and victory would mean a fourth consecutive title fight where the belt has been slipped around a different waist. Nunes, though, should not be discounted.

“Women’s MMA is so strong now and there is a lot of depth,” Tate said. “It might be a while before you see someone go on a long streak of title defenses again.”

A Rousey victory would set up a number of intriguing options, including a potential move up to featherweight for a rematch with Holm or a showdown with Cyborg. Yet as the last 13 months have shown, it is wise to expect the unexpected in MMA’s most tumultuous division.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, December 21, 2016.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1941 - Ray McLean (Chicago Bears) performed a drop kick for an extra point in the NFL. The next one would not happen until Doug Flutie performed on 61 years later.

1951 - Joe DiMaggio announced his retirement from major league baseball.

1959 - Tom Landry accepted the position of head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Landry led the team to 22 consecutive winning seasons in his 29 years as coach.

1969 - Vince Lombardi coached his last game. His Washington Redskins lost to the Dallas Cowboys 20-10. The Redskins ended that season at 7-5-2, which was the first winning season for the team in 14 years.

1975 - John Riggins became the first New York Jets player to gain 1,000 yards.

1975 - George Blanda, in his final regular-season game, became the first professional football player to reach 2,000 points. His total was 2,002 points over a 26-year career.

1975 - The Buffalo Sabres scored eight goals in the third period against the Washington Capitals. The Sabres won the game 14-2.

1980 - Harold Carmichael ended his NFL streak of 127 consecutive game receptions.

1981 - Cincinnati defeated Bradley 75-73 in seven overtimes. The game was the longest collegiate basketball game in the history of NCAA Division I competition.

1983 - The NBA's Indiana Pacers ended a 28 game losing streak.

1993 - Shaquille O'Neal's "I Know I Got Skillz" single was certified Gold by the RIAA.

*******************************************************************

Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.