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Sports Quote of the Day:
"If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome." ~ Michael Jordan, NBA Player, Hall of Famer and NBA Team Owner
Trending: Wow!!! What a night!!! Watch the season opener for the Blackhawks starting with their Banner Raising Ceremony tonight at 6:30pm and/or watch the CUBBIES Wild Card Game starting at 7pm. (Check your local TV listings for stations showing the games). Let's go Chicago!!!
Trending: Bulls launch 39 triples, open Hoiberg Era with preseason win over Bucks. (See the basketball section for details).
Trending: The Bears defense has made great strides in the last two games. (See the football section for Bears updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Seventh-ranked Bears defense done with 'new' label.
During an interview with CSNChicago.com before the start of the season, John Fox was a realist about how he anticipated his first season as Bears coach playing out:
“Our first four games, and a little preseason, there’ll be a learning curve,” Fox said. "Whenever you have a new staff, it’s just not as well-oiled early. Going back to both places I’ve been (Carolina, Denver), it didn’t start great. By the time you finish that first year, then it consistently gets better because you have some core players that know your system.
“It doesn’t happen overnight, even from just the learning curve. Forget about the ability level; it’s knowing and understanding the system.”
Indeed, the “new” excuse was there for the taking when Vic Fangio was hired as Fox’s defensive coordinator: “The Bears are changing over to a 3-4 scheme” ... “don’t have all the players that fit it” ... “even the ones that might fit have to learn new teammates and Fangio’s system.”
But after throttling the Raiders and allowing just 243 yards, the Bears rank No. 7 in yards allowed. They have allowed just two rushing touchdowns through four games and just two offensive touchdowns of any kind to Oakland and one to Seattle.
The Bears aren’t interested in the “new” label anymore.
“I don't think it's a ‘new’ defense,” linebacker Sam Acho said. “I think it was new in April, maybe in May, maybe even in June. But come August and September, it's not new anymore.
“This is our defense, we're taking ownership of it, and there's definitely areas we can grow and we can grow as unit, but it's not new anymore, it's starting to become our own defense.”
But besides individual player performances, the confidence level in the Fox coaching staff is palpable. And with confidence comes success, and vice versa.
“Vic is just a great teacher, he understands the game,” Acho said. “It's almost like he wrote the book on defense and how it's played.
“Obviously everyone has their different mentalities, different styles of defense, but he just understands it and understands the game in a way that we can go out and play fast and play physical and he knows what it takes to win and play good defense and that's what we do.”
Shuffled Bears secondary doing far more than just surviving.
By John Mullin
Sometimes very significant things go unnoticed because of what didn't happen rather than what did. Such was the case with the Bears’ secondary in Sunday’s 22-20 win over the Oakland Raiders.
What did happen was losing veteran safety and leader Antrel Rolle to an ankle injury, sending him to the sidelines. What didn’t happen was the Oakland offense, which was held to 243 yards, matching the low (Minnesota, last Nov. 16) since the Lance Briggs/Julius Peppers/Charles Tillman/Brian Urlacher defense held the Houston Texans to 215 back in Nov. 2012.
Much is made of how the important and difficult it is to achieve the necessary synchronization within the offensive line. A close second in that regard is the defensive backfield, where signals are exchanged, players need to know each other’s ranges, tendencies and capabilities, and the Bears achieved something unusual under pressure Sunday.
With the Bears facing the abyss of an 0-4 start, and with Rolle out, they were dealing with wide receivers who were No. 4 (Amari Cooper) and No. 10 (Michael Crabtree) picks in their drafts and the AFC’s leading rusher (Latavius Murray) using two rookie safeties (Adrian Amos, Harold Jones-Quartey) and a cornerback (Tracy Porter) who was inactive and injured for the first two games with a hamstring problem.
Putting this in another, deeper perspective: In the win over Oakland, three of the Bears’ four starting defensive backs, including cornerback Kyle Fuller, were rookies or one-year players.
Except that Amos has begun to play like anything but a rookie. Rolle himself singled out Amos in the locker room after the Oakland game for the latter’s taking charge and leadership role in a first-time collection of defensive backs and coaches echoed the sentiments.
“Adrian Amos I think just gets better every week,” coach John Fox said. “He did a great job communicating to the corners. We had a lot of different things we were doing from a coverage standpoint, that you need that communication. I think it just stepped him up a little bit. I think he’s more experienced as a rookie than Harold is, but I think he had to pick his game up some, especially from a communication standpoint, making sure Harold knew what he was doing and the corners involved on the field at that time.”
Porter, a 2008 second-round draft choice by New Orleans when general manager Ryan Pace was in player personnel there and who played for the Denver Broncos and Fox in 2012, drew the assignment of locking down Cooper, already a force after just a handful of games.
“I obviously have a lot of faith in his abilities, having coached him before,” Fox said. “I think the issue there was he had a hamstring injury. For ‘skill’ people those aren’t easy things to get over. They’re hard to put time limits on. So I think once he was healthy we were excited to get him back for sure.”
Perhaps the performances and overall level of play in the defensive back end shouldn’t be a complete surprise, owing in some measure to the level of coaching that has been in evidence even back in the early stages of the offseason. Besides defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, one of the major hires on the Fox staff was longtime secondary coach Ed Donatell, who was Fangio’s defensive backs coach in San Francisco and is himself a former defensive coordinator.
Add to that assistant defensive backs coach Sam Garnes, who played for Fox from 1997-2001 while the latter was defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. Garnes started 105 games as a player and also was with Fox in Carolina and Denver, meaning he knows extremely well Fox’s concepts and approach. You have the sense that Fox could start a sentence and Garnes could walk in the room cold and finish it.
“I think Harold just got here, I think, two weeks ago,” Fox said. “Primarily we put him on ‘fourth down’ or special teams. Sam Garnes and Ed Donatell, our secondary coaches, felt good about the guy. He’s smart, he works at it. So that was pretty admirable, too.”
Expect Bears to start Matt Slauson at center vs. Chiefs.
By John Mullin
Coach John Fox likely will not formally reveal until just before game time whether left guard Matt Slauson will remain at guard in Kansas City against the Chiefs or rookie Hroniss Grasu will get a sudden start after being on the inactive list the first four games of his rookie season.
But based strictly on Fox’s assessment of Grasu’s readiness to start an NFL game, which was not exactly damning with faint praise, but close to it, Slauson will anchor the Bears’ offensive line next Sunday.
“Hmm,” Fox said, pausing. “I think [Grasu] is a very talented player. He’s a guy that’s familiar with our offense. I think everybody in our locker room, or in our football building, has confidence in him. At some point, we will get to find out.”
Which does not sound like next Sunday in Kansas City is “some point” just yet. The Chiefs’ 3-4 scheme has two-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Dontari Poe’s 346 pounds frequently over opposing centers. Kansas City opened Sunday against Cincinnati with one other defensive lineman besides Poe plus their four linebackers.
Slauson, who has consistently graded out as the No. 1 or 2 Bears offensive lineman in his two-plus Chicago seasons, just wants early clarity, which he presumably received on Monday.
“It's only important to me if I'm going to play center because obviously I want to be working in that spot all week,” said Slauson, who slid over to center four plays into the Bears’ 22-20 win Sunday over the Oakland Raiders after Will Montgomery suffered a broken left leg. “As far as guard reps, I think I have a pretty good grasp of how to play that spot. But if I'm going to be the center this week I'd like to know that soon.”
The situation bears some semblance of what the Bears went through at right guard/tackle, with Kyle Long able to play either and the decision coming down to whether Vladimir Ducasse was a better guard than Jordan Mills was a tackle. In this case, Patrick Omameh played well stepping in at left guard and rates an edge over Grasu at this point in their careers.
Fox was effusive in his praise of Slauson, who managed the line calls as well as blocking Oakland nose tackle Dan Williams and holding the 330-pounder to one tackle.
“I thought it was tremendous,” Fox said. “That early in the game, it’s a two-man switch. Typically in this league, you go in with seven linemen, and even Pat moving over to left guard and Matt going to center, it wasn’t all hunky-dory. But I thought they didn’t panic and just kept swinging the sword and did pretty good.”
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Rangers-Blackhawks Preview.
By KEVIN MASSOTH
The tail end of the Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup celebration was halted by the criminal investigation surrounding perhaps their biggest star.
Several big names are gone but Patrick Kane and the unwanted spotlight around him remain as the focus turns back to hockey for Wednesday night's season opener against the visiting New York Rangers.
Kane will take the ice still under investigation on suspicion of sexual assault from an incident that allegedly occurred in early August at his Hamburg, New York, home. No charges have been filed.
Following the Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony, he will skate alongside several new faces that inherit the title of defending champions. After a third title in six years, Chicago relieved its salary cap restraints by unloading key contributors Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp and Brad Richards, among others.
But Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook, Andrew Shaw, Niklas Hjalmarsson and goaltender Corey Crawford hold down the core. And, of course, Kane - for now.
"I think there's plenty of talent," Hossa told the team's official website. "We lost so many key members of our team from the last year, but on the plus side, we've got lots of great young players coming in to give us lots of enthusiasm and energy, which could be our motor."
Chicago, which finished third in the Central Division before its playoff run, hopes for contributions from youngster Teuvo Teravainen and newcomers Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov to an attack that ranked 17th with 220 goals last year.
Teravainen contributed four goals and six assists in the postseason, and the 21-year-old will take the place of Saad on Chicago's top line alongside Toews and Hossa. Panarin and Anisimov will join Kane on the second line, while the third group features Shaw, Kyle Baun and Bryan Bickell - who was waived last week but went unclaimed and returns for his ninth season with Chicago.
Andrew Desjardins, Marcus Kruger and Ryan Garbutt make up the fourth line, while Marko Dano was a surprise cut in camp but is an option to be recalled.
Coach Joel Quenneville tends to have a short leash when a line isn't working, and early-season tinkering is on the table.
"I don't think the word is impatient, it's opportunity," Quenneville said.
While the Blackhawks hoisted the Stanley Cup in June, the Rangers were one game away from playing for it for the second straight year. The Presidents' Trophy winners lost 2-0 to Tampa Bay in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has been with the Rangers his entire 10-year career, the last four of which include two first-place finishes, a Presidents' Trophy, three trips to the East finals and one Stanley Cup appearance.
"I think it used to be that we always hoped to be a contender, but now we all expect to be up there," Lundqvist told the team's official website. "You feel the expectations walking in here. That's a good thing."
While Chicago's roster transformed, the Rangers look mostly the same - outside of the retirement of Martin St. Louis and a trade that sent Carl Hagelin to Anaheim. But New York picked up Emerson Etem to replace Hagelin and acquired former Blackhawks Viktor Stalberg and Antti Raanta, the latter of whom will replace Cam Talbot as Lundqvist's backup.
The Rangers, who have won three of the last four meetings against Chicago, ranked third in the NHL in goals (248) and goals against (187) last year, giving them a plus-61 differential that easily led the league.
Six of the seven Rangers who produced at least 45 points return. Rick Nash leads the way after tallying 42 goals, just five fewer than he did in his first two seasons in a New York uniform.
He's gone 11 straight games at the United Center without scoring a goal, the last two with the Rangers.
New-look Chicago Blackhawks aiming for historic title.
By Jay Cohen
When it was all over — all the days with the Stanley Cup, the trades, the free-agent departures — the core of the Chicago Blackhawks just shrugged and went back to work.
There is precious little time for sentiment when you are trying to become the first repeat NHL champion in almost two decades.
"I feel pretty confident," forward Marian Hossa said. "I think we have lots of great players in this dressing room, lots of new faces, but I think there's lots of energy in this room. Lots of guys are hungry, and I think that's important."
Chicago won its third title in six seasons when it defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in June. While the party lasted for much of the summer, the final bill was significant.
The core group of seven players who have their name on the Cup for each of the three titles took a hit when Patrick Sharp was traded to Dallas. Walking a tricky line with the salary cap, the Blackhawks also traded away rising star Brandon Saad and forward Kris Versteeg. Defenseman Johnny Oduya and centers Brad Richards and Antoine Vermette left in free agency.
The offseason turnover was reminiscent of the aftermath of Chicago's 2010 championship, and the Blackhawks lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of the next two years. But there are plenty of reasons for optimism this time around.
Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Hossa lead a very potent group of forwards, and Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson are back to anchor the defense in front of Corey Crawford. Artem Anisimov came over from Columbus in the Saad deal, giving the Blackhawks a big center to play on the second line behind Toews.
"I think that the room here, I think we've got lots of leaders," Hossa said. "I think they're not satisfied. We turn the page and we try to focus on a new season."
The Blackhawks also have longtime coach Joel Quenneville back for his eighth season with the team. His ability to find the right combinations with all the new players and keep the core group healthy also could be key.
"Our division, conference, never been better," Quenneville said. "I expect everybody to be hungry when they play us. I would say making the playoffs this year, no matter what team you are, is going to be a great accomplishment."
Here are a few more things to watch with the Blackhawks:
KANE'S SEASON: Kane is the subject of a sexual assault investigation in western New York. The All-Star winger has not been charged, and has said he expects to be exonerated. Kane, who is heading into the first season of an $84 million, eight-year contract extension, has been with the team since the start of training camp last month, leading to some criticism of the Blackhawks and the league.
Here are a few more things to watch with the Blackhawks:
KANE'S SEASON: Kane is the subject of a sexual assault investigation in western New York. The All-Star winger has not been charged, and has said he expects to be exonerated. Kane, who is heading into the first season of an $84 million, eight-year contract extension, has been with the team since the start of training camp last month, leading to some criticism of the Blackhawks and the league.
PANARIN'S POTENTIAL: Several NHL teams were interested in Artemi Panarin before the Russian forward signed with Chicago last May. The rookie was limited by an upper-body injury during the preseason, but the Blackhawks raved about his talent and ability.
"I think he could be fun to watch," Quenneville said. "Kid's got a real nice gift of finding pucks and getting it off quickly."
TEUVO TIME: Long one of Chicago's top prospects, it looked as if forward Teuvo Teravainen came into his own during the playoffs. He had two goals and two assists in the Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay. Teravainen has great vision and a good shot. His continued development could help make up for the lost production with the departure of Sharp and Saad.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Oduya was one of four defensemen who carried the load for the Blackhawks in the last postseason. He also had five assists in 23 playoffs games. With Oduya gone, Chicago's defensive pairings could be a work in progress at the start of the year. The Blackhawks got Trevor Daley in the trade that sent Sharp to Dallas, and Trevor van Riemsdyk also returns after a promising debut last season.
ONE-TWO PUNCH: Crawford and Scott Darling could be one of the NHL's best goaltender tandems. Crawford had 32 wins last season with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. Darling came up with a couple of huge performances in Chicago's run to the Cup.
TEUVO TIME: Long one of Chicago's top prospects, it looked as if forward Teuvo Teravainen came into his own during the playoffs. He had two goals and two assists in the Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay. Teravainen has great vision and a good shot. His continued development could help make up for the lost production with the departure of Sharp and Saad.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Oduya was one of four defensemen who carried the load for the Blackhawks in the last postseason. He also had five assists in 23 playoffs games. With Oduya gone, Chicago's defensive pairings could be a work in progress at the start of the year. The Blackhawks got Trevor Daley in the trade that sent Sharp to Dallas, and Trevor van Riemsdyk also returns after a promising debut last season.
ONE-TWO PUNCH: Crawford and Scott Darling could be one of the NHL's best goaltender tandems. Crawford had 32 wins last season with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. Darling came up with a couple of huge performances in Chicago's run to the Cup.
New Blackhawks following lead of 'locked-in' core.
By Tracey Myers
Trevor Daley had watched the Blackhawks from afar for the last several years. He saw how they worked collectively as a group, how they got through ups and downs and how they won — and won and won.
Now he’s seeing it up close.
“These guys are locked in,” he said following Tuesday’s practice at Johnny’s IceHouse. “I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”
The Blackhawks have done a lot of winning these last few seasons, and it starts with a core that brings as much mental toughness and confidence as it does talent. That core will be instrumental again as the Blackhawks defend their Stanley Cup, starting with Wednesday's regular-season opener against the New York Rangers.
For Daley, the chance to join this group, and possibly win a Cup with them, is enticing. He’s willing to do what’s asked of him because, obviously, what the Blackhawks are doing has worked pretty damn well lately.
“When you come in and you see what these guys have done — especially for someone like myself, who’s been in the league a lot of years and trying to accomplish what these guys have accomplished — it’s a no-brainer to come in and see what they do and follow,” he said. “Selfishly, what a great opportunity it is for me to come in and have guys like this around me and be able to see what they’re doing. Because at the end of the day, these guys have done what every other team in the league wants to do.”
Andrew Desjardins said he observed the same things when he was traded here last spring.
“There was just that feeling of winning. ‘Let’s be the best team, let’s be the best team every night and let’s ... let’s win,’” Desjardins said. “Obviously there are other things: the mindset, play the right way, do the right things with the puck and play with the style that makes us successful. But the bottom line is to win.”
While many moves have been made since the Blackhawks won the Cup in 2010, the core group — Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane, among others — remains largely intact. They’ve set the bar, and those who join the team have to meet it.
“The core group in here that really plants the seed of how things are done,” Corey Crawford said. “The guys who come in, our management has done a great job of bringing in the right guys to fill spots. It’s more these guys coming in and following what’s been going on here for a while.”
At the same time, those new acquisitions bring some special elements, too. Many haven’t gone through the rigors of several long postseason, so they bring energy. And many — including Jamal Mayers, Michal Rozsival, Michal Handzus, Antoine Vermette and Kimmo Timonen — have joined the Blackhawks looking for their first Stanley Cup. That desire to win one brings an enthusiastic jolt to the core.
“Just their attitude, their excitement,” Bryan Bickell said of what the new guys add. “I’m sure everyone in the league wants to wear a Blackhawks jersey because they have a chance every year. The excitement lifts us to give them an opportunity to win. We want to win for them and for ourselves, too.”
The Blackhawks are embarking on another Cup defense. The other two weren’t easy; this one won’t be either. But the core that’s been in place here knows what it takes to vie for another Cup. Those who are new to the program know they need to heed and follow the core group and adapt to the Blackhawks’ system for their best chance to win. Recent results show it’s been a successful blueprint.
“Guys who (have been) around and know the systems and lead by example on the ice,” Bickell said. “Our leaders show (new players) the ropes, what Blackhawks hockey is all about, what we need and what we look forward to for a season to be successful.”
Blackhawks confident in one-two punch of Crawford, Darling.
By Tracey Myers
There were plenty of changes for the Blackhawks this offseason, mainly among the forward and defenseman groups. Uncertainty usually accompanies change, and the Blackhawks will work through that as they have in the past.
But when it comes to the Blackhawks’ goaltending, coach Joel Quenneville is pretty sure of what he’s got.
“There was some uncertainty there in the past,” he said. “And now we’re probably as comfortable as we’ve been with our goaltenders, one-two, starting the season.”
Corey Crawford and Scott Darling made a great tandem down the stretch and both are looking to start the 2015-16 season strong. For Crawford, it’s building off a second Stanley Cup and second William Jennings Trophy — he shared last season’s honor with Carey Price and shared the 2012-13 award with former teammate Ray Emery. For Darling, it’s prepping for a sophomore season after an impressive 2014-15.
“Well, I think both guys proved they can play, and both played meaningful games for us down the stretch,” Quenneville said. “Darls came a long way over the course of a season; it looks like he’s taking off from that note and wants to get better. I think there’s healthy competition and good support through each other as well.”
Crawford and Darling have formed a good bond on and off the ice. The competition, however, remains.
“We push each other, we work together to make each other better,” Crawford said. “We talk about other teams’ players, our technique, pretty much anything. It’s good to have that communication between us and with Jimmy (Waite, Blackhawks goaltending coach), too. We have to be a team back there and work on ways to — not necessarily make it easier, but find ways where it’s more efficient to stop the puck. We’re both excited, and we both feel pushing each other makes us that much better, too.”
Darling said Crawford is another “coach” for him.
“He’s a little easier on me than Jimmy,” Darling said. “But just learning from him and watching how he prepares and plays game in and game out has been helpful for my career. There’s no better mentor to have.”
It was a short summer for all of the returning Blackhawks, including the goaltenders. For Crawford, this is his second quick offseason turnaround. But he said he budgeted his off time the right way.
“The training was there, no question; I didn’t miss any of that. I took just enough time (off), mentally and physically, and then it was back to work. You don’t want to miss too much time because it gets harder and harder to start back up as the years go on,” Crawford said with a smile. “Hockey-wise in the summer, it’s the same thing. That nice mental break helps when you’re coming into camp fresh. Your mind’s fresh and you’re hungry to be on the ice and start playing again.”
Darling had enough trial-by-fire moments last season that nothing should surprise him entering this one. If there was any question of Darling’s ability to handle the pressure, it was answered in that first-round series against the Nashville Predators.
“I had a lot of growing experiences last season, whether it was getting multiple starts in a row or not playing for a long time and then having to go in. And the playoffs were obviously huge for me,” Darling said. “That gives me confidence going forward, to know I can do it. I’ve done it before, so I just have to build off that.”
Speaking of confidence, considering how much Quenneville has in Crawford and Darling, don’t be surprised if the starts are more divided between the two.
“It’s not etched in stone how much or who’s going to play, but I think we expect them both to be regularly playing and keep them both fresh as possible as well,” Quenneville said. “We like our goaltending situation.”
The Blackhawks had their share of summer changes. Goaltending wasn’t one of them, and the Blackhawks are assured in that familiarity.
“I just think whoever’s playing gives us the confidence we need in our defensive game. If something goes wrong, they’ll do everything they can to stop the puck,” Marcus Kruger said. “They just give us that confidence, and we know they’ll give us a good chance to win every night. That’s huge to have two goalies like that.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Bulls launch 39 triples, open Hoiberg Era with preseason win over Bucks.
By Vincent Goodwill
It was ugly and intense in all the ways one would expect of two teams separated by only an expressway and experience, in a first preseason game.
But despite all that familiarity, there was something different about the Bulls’ exhibition opener.
Namely, the 3-pointers.
They came from the top, the wings, the corners, and they came fast in their 105-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday at the United Center.
Of course, long-term prognostications are useless based on a preseason opener where both teams are merely happy to stop bumping and banging with their teammates, but the Bulls have preached to any and everybody that their product would look different under Fred Hoiberg than his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau.
And in the first morsel of the Hoiberg Era, the Bulls attempted 39 triples, and despite missing 11 of their first 12, they kept shooting. Aside from Joakim Noah and Cristiano Felicio, every participant who played more than two minutes launched at least two.
It didn’t yield great results initially, as the Bulls went 3-for-20 in the first half, then 10-for-19 in the second half against a defense not nearly as stingy. Hoiberg didn’t hesitate when asked if 39 attempts would be the norm this season.
“If they’re open and they’re good looks, yeah,” he said. “Once we get Pau (Gasol) out there, we’ll have more of a post presence. Doug (McDermott) got it going in the second half, which was great to see him get that ball in the basket.”
McDermott put up a whopping 11 attempts, and after rushing the first three shots, he settled in the second half to hit five, accounting for 18 of his 23 points.
“For him to come out and continue to shoot was a great sign,” Hoiberg said. “He might’ve put his head down in the past.”
A matchup against the team the Bulls had a chippy series with this past spring produced its share of moments, albeit fleeting, as the Bucks rolled out their impressive collection of youthful talent and defensive length that seems to cover every bit of available space in the half court.
Rookie guard Rashad Vaughn scored 20 in 35 minutes, while free agent addition Greg Monroe scored six in 17 minutes, putting both Noah and rookie Bobby Portis in a blender with spin moves for layups on separate occasions.
The Bulls offense didn’t get going until the Bucks sat their starters after halftime, and the Bulls feasted to score 40 in the third quarter to make the overall number look respectable. The difference in ball movement and pace was noticeable, even when the shots weren’t falling.
“Second half I thought our pace was better. Early on, we were lagging,” Hoiberg said. “Then we got the ball out and moving. Generally good things happen. Overall first game, especially in the second half I liked what I saw.”
Jimmy Butler didn’t attempt that many 3-pointers but found every other way to score, putting up 23 and playing with regular-season intensity, getting into a competitive go-round with emerging swingman Khris Middleton, who scored 10 in 17 minutes.
Butler caught himself on the unfortunate end of a Middleton poster, when he sized Middleton up on the fast break but couldn’t quite get a blocked shot when Middleton cupped it and jammed it, much to the buzz of the United Center crowd.
The turnovers were plentiful, but the effort and intensity will likely be to Hoiberg’s contentment, especially as Portis seemed to agitate everyone wearing green on the glass, grabbing 14 rebounds in 24 minutes.
Ugly it was, and the Bulls will take the game tape to find some positives among the muck — then they’ll likely burn it.
Bulls staff visited Derrick Rose, Hoiberg said he's 'in great spirits'.
By Vincent Goodwill
The Bulls coaching staff paid a visit to Derrick Rose yesterday to get him up to speed about what he’s been missing from the start of training camp, and on the morning of the first preseason game, Fred Hoiberg believes the guard is itching to get back.
“We’ve added probably three sets, three actions, from when Derrick was here that first day,” the Bulls coach said. “You know, he was great. He was in great spirits, a great mood. He’s itching to get back here.”
Rose, whose left eye is still swollen shut after his surgical procedure to repair his fractured left orbital bone last Wednesday, still has some time before he can resume basketball activities. Further elaboration will be revealed after his follow-up appointment today.
“But again he’s moving around, he’s great,” Hoiberg said. “He just can’t do anything right now to get his blood pressure up, but it was great to see him. We also sent him the file of everything we’ve got going. After the game tonight, we’ll have another session with him before we head out of town.”
The Bulls travel to Boulder, Colorado for a game against the Denver Nuggets Thursday and will be in Winnipeg for a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday night, hence the checking on him before the team leaves town.
Hoiberg isn’t sure about further complications with the eye as far as vision issues, believing everything is still on schedule for a return before opening night on Oct. 27.
“They haven’t said that,” Hoiberg said. “The surgery went as planned, everything seems to be going as it’s supposed to at this point. But to answer your question, I guess we’ll know more about that after today’s follow-up.”
Although it isn’t a knee injury, Rose can’t do anything to keep his body warm as far as basketball shape, so staying abreast of the new offense is the best he can do in the meantime.
“The good thing about Derrick is he’s been in here since Labor Day,” Hoiberg said. “We’ve been able to get a little bit of a head start by watching film and getting in small groups, try to get a little bit ahead of the game going into training camp, so he did pick things up quickly. I’ll say that.”
Rose’s wind and timing is essentially his only concern.
“And I don’t think it will take long to get that back, especially having, I guess it will be four days before we get back from this road trip, to watch and relearn everything,” Hoiberg said. “Now it’s about getting his timing back. Normally, you’re at least able to get on a bike and get a sweat, keep that going, get your lungs burning, but he hasn’t been able to do any of that. So I think the biggest thing in those two weeks leading up to the opener for Derrick is going to be all about getting his timing and getting his wind back.”
NL wild card preview: Either the Cubs or the Pirates are going home early.
By Chris Cwik
Following Wednesday's National League wild card game, one of the top three teams in baseball will be eliminated from the postseason. That's unfortunate for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh, but that's the way it is.
While regular season record isn't always a perfect reflection of team talent, it's pretty safe to say both the Cubs and Pirates have a legitimate chance at winning the World Series. Whichever team advances could be favored over St. Louis Cardinals during the NLDS, and it's not tough to envision a scenario where the Cubs or Pirates are favored over whichever team makes it to the NLCS.
These aren't weak wild card teams that stumbled into the playoffs with 85 wins. These are exceptionally strong clubs that were penalized because they play in the same division as the Cardinals.
Because of that, the hopes and dreams of one of these clubs will be crushed after just one postseason game. While both teams deserve better, the do-or-die drama of a one-game playoff makes for one hell of an exciting (and incredibly stressful) matchup.
PARTICULARS
First pitch is at 8:08 p.m. ET Wednesday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The game airs live on TBS. Rosters have yet to be announced.
(Photo/AP)
PITCHERS
It doesn't get much better than this. Cubs ace, and potential 2015 Cy Young winner, Jake Arrieta (22-6, 1.77) will tow the rubber against Pirates stud Gerrit Cole (19-8, 2.60).
Much has been written about Arrieta over the past couple weeks. His post trade deadline numbers are insane. Over the last 88 1/3 innings, Arrieta has a 0.41 ERA and a .136 batting average against. The Cubs have won each of his last 13 starts. The last time he failed to notch a quality start was all the way back on July 16. That was also the last time he failed to go at least six innings during a game. He is, undoubtedly, a serious contender for the 2015 Cy Young award after somehow not even making the All-Star team.
Gerrit Cole, on the other hand, has no shot at winning the NL Cy Young. That speaks far more about his competition for the award, and far less about his abilities on the mound. In any other season, Cole would likely be among the Cy Young favorites. His 2.60 ERA is among one the best in the league, and his 208 innings speak to his durability. Since his promotion back in 2013, Cole has been everything Pirates' fans were promised. Watching him take that step from great pitcher to no-doubt franchise ace has been one of the best parts of the Pirates' surge this season. As a reward, he gets the face the hottest pitcher on the planet in a one-game playoff.
PREVIOUSLY
The Cubs led the season series, going 11-8 against the Pirates. Pittsburgh did manage the most dominant win, for what it's worth, knocking off the Cubs by a score of 8-1 April 29. In five starts against the Pirates, Arrieta has a 0.75 ERA through 36 innings. The Cubs went 4-1 against Pittsburgh in games started by Arrieta. Cole has made four starts against the Cubs this season, posting a 2.13 ERA over 25 1/3 innings. The Pirates have gone 3-1 against Chicago in games started by Cole. The wild card matchup will be the first time the two pitchers have squared off against each other this season.
THE CUBS WILL WIN IF ...
Arrieta continues this unreal run. We've talked a fair amount about the starters, though, so let's focus on another scenario. The Cubs will win if their young hitters aren't overwhelmed by the moment, and can take good at-bats against Cole. It's been a fantastic year for rookie Kris Bryant, and a big part of that has been his patience. Bryant has taken at least 12 walks after starting a count 0-2. If he can retain his same approach at the plate in this atmosphere, the Cubs might be able to notch a few runs against Cole.
THE PIRATES WILL WIN IF ...
Cole pitches like a bonafide ace. Again, we've talked about the starting pitching so much, so let's focus on something else. The Pirates will win if Andrew McCutchen tells his teammates the secret to hitting Arrieta. The two have only faced off 27 times during their careers, but McCutchen holds a .348/.444/.435 line against the ace. That includes a .333 batting average the past two seasons, when Arrieta blossomed into a star. That's an incredibly small sample, of course, and it's tough to trust those numbers. More importantly (and obviously), if McCutchen has his usual strong game, the Pirates will be in great shape.
FIVE IMPORTANT NUMBERS
• 438: Strikeouts by Arrieta and Cole in 437 innings during the regular season. All signs point to this being a low scoring game.
• 48: Road wins for the Cubs. That figured led all of baseball this season. The Cubs are just as strong on the road as they are at home. Will home field matter for Pittsburgh?
• 11: Wins in 16 games for Pittsburgh after infielder Jung-Ho Kang was lost for the season with a knee injury. Kang was on his way to a fantastic rookie year, hitting .287/.355/.461 in 126 games. While the team didn't miss a beat without him, Kang's contributions would have helped in October.
• .353: Starlin Castro's batting average since he got "benched" in early August. Castro has a .373 on-base percentage and .588 slugging percentage over that same period, which has spanned 143 plate appearances. It's a small sample, but Castro is one of the team's hottest hitters entering this game.
• -34.3: Pittsburgh's UZR throughout the season. That figure ranked last in the NL. Looking at the advanced stats, this is the one place that puts the Pirates at a big disadvantage. Defensive metrics aren't the most dependable (for example, McCutchen has never been loved by them despite strong scouting reports), but it's something to watch in this contest. We should note that Pedro Alvarez's awful -21.1 mark at first might be the big reason for the club's poor showing in UZR.
Cubs trying to be oblivious to playoff pressure: 'Dumb it down'.
By Patrick Mooney
Jonathan Herrera walked into PNC Park’s visiting clubhouse on Tuesday afternoon wearing a homemade rally helmet with two detached hands glued on top, capturing the spontaneous celebration/inside joke the Cubs have turned into a signature move.
The Cubs are only guaranteed nine more innings this season, but this still feels like the opening of a competitive window for a core group of young players and what has been a sleeping-giant franchise.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a well-run, small-market team playing in the National League wild-card game for the third year in a row. The Pirates haven’t won a playoff series since their 1979 World Series title.
Which team will feel more pressure on Wednesday night?
“It’s certainly not on us,” said Anthony Rizzo, the All-Star first baseman who’s been such a huge building block for the Cubs. “We don’t feel any pressure.”
Of course, the Cubs have 1908, the Billy Goat curse, Bartman and a star manager who has zero interest in talking about the past.
“Cubs history is wonderful,” Joe Maddon said. “The tradition of being a Chicago Cub, I think, is outstanding. And I’m talking about players, the ballpark, the city and (everything) attached to that.
“Superstition, for me, has no place in Cubs history or tradition. If you choose to vibrate there, that’s your concern. For our guys, it’s about playing winning baseball every night. And that’s it.
“I don’t want them to get caught up in stuff that really doesn’t matter. I want us to be more process-oriented as opposed to outcome-oriented. And if you really focus on today, that other stuff really should not matter.”
Jon Lester won two World Series rings with the Boston Red Sox, but he doesn’t remember a ballpark louder than Kauffman Stadium during last year’s American League wild-card game. As a hired-gun for the Oakland A’s, Lester got a no-decision in a game the Royals would win in 12 innings, pushing them toward the World Series.
“Tomorrow is just a different animal,” Lester said before Tuesday’s workout. “It’s so unique. It’s do or die. You’re trying to get your home-field advantage, and these guys are rocking from Pitch 1.”
The young Cubs can talk about it all they want, Lester said, but they still won’t know what it’s like until they actually experience a real playoff environment.
“The game doesn’t change,” Lester said. “The fastball down and away that you locate works just the same as it does (in) Game 7 of the World Series as it does on April 15th. That doesn’t change.
“It’s just now you’ve got a little more adrenaline. You’ve got the buzz of the crowd (being) a little louder. The ramifications for bad pitches matter a little bit more. Your heart rate is going to be a little higher in that first inning. After that, you should be able to settle right back in and just go about your business.”
Lester remembered standing in this same clubhouse in early August and saying how he became a big believer in “playing stupid.”
Lester noticed how Maddon’s Tampa Bay Rays teams played loose and came across as naïve during that shocking run to the 2008 World Series, seeing the same qualities developing here.
“I like playing dumb,” Lester said. “I like going in and not knowing what to expect and just try to play baseball. Dumb it down the best you can to: ‘Hey, we need to get three outs.’ Or: ‘We need to make this pitch.’
“The quicker you can do that, the easier it is to handle the adrenaline and handle the atmosphere and handle everything that’s going on around you.
“I’m not worried about them chanting whatever. You give up a leadoff double and the stands are going crazy, you’re worried about executing the next pitch and not letting that guy get to third. Dumb it down.”
Cubs-Pirates: Maddon, Hurdle love the drama of one-game playoff.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
One and done?
After 162 games, the fact the second-best team in baseball is hosting the third-best team in a winner-take-all one-game playoff is unfair, objectively speaking.
Teams with 98 and 97 wins should have earned more than just one night to showcase their team.
But that's the world we live in with Major League Baseball's current wild-card format, and both Cubs manager Joe Maddon and Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle can at least agree to appreciate the drama the one-game playoff brings, even if they wish they had a chance to play in a complete postseason series.
"It's great TV," Hurdle said during his press conference Tuesday. "There'll be a lot of people watching. It's probably a great revenue-maker. You gotta love the concept. It's great sport.
"It's been drawn up; we knew the rules coming in. ... It's the postseason. Only a few teams are in. A lot of teams are going to be left watching."
Maddon would rather MLB hold a three-game series between the two wild-card teams because he thinks that's the most fair way to do it, but he can still enjoy the do-or-die format.
"The only time you like one and done is when you win that first game," Maddon said. "Then you absolutely love it. ... It's the most fun and no fun at the same time."
Both Maddon and Hurdle acknowledged it would be tough for MLB to keep a division winner waiting for five, six or even seven days in order to play a three-game series between the wild-card teams.
Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein shared his idea with reporters at Wrigley Field earlier this season — a three-game series but the first two games come in the form of a doubleheader to help save time.
Most Cubs players have yet to experience the thrill — and pressure — of a one-game playoff, but the Pirates understand what this is all about, having played in the last two National League wild-card games.
The Pirates beat the Reds in 2013 to advance to the NLDS but lost to Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants last season.
"The definition of this game is a 'wild-card' game," Hurdle said. "There are some things we're looking at that we need to do differently than we did in the past.
"Maybe there's a little bit of a 'wild-card' mentality for us as well."
Maddon has been in this one-game playoff situation before, too, as manager of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013.
He refused to share his ideas for the Cubs' lineup against Pirates ace Gerrit Cole, but a reasonable expectation is to have Kris Bryant in left field, Kyle Schwarber in right and Tommy La Stella at third base. That's how they lined up behind Jake Arrieta on Friday in Milwaukee, and both Schwarber and La Stella saw extra work in the field during Tuesday's team workout.
Either way, a Cubs lineup packed with young, inexperienced talent will have to avoid letting the pressure get to them with a Game 7-type atmosphere.
"You're thrown right into the fire," Bryant said. "I really wouldn't have it any other way."
Poor base running hurt 2015 White Sox in a big way.
By Dan Hayes
There are several statistics you could point to as a key for a failed White Sox campaign that ended with a 6-0 loss the Detroit Tigers on Sunday afternoon.
But perhaps the one that best exemplifies a stumble that took the White Sox from postseason aspirations to narrowly avoiding the American League Central cellar is Outs On The Bases.
For while the White Sox offense scored the fewest runs in the AL, the defense was at or near the bottom of almost every metrical measure and the starting pitching wasn’t as good as they had hoped, there’s no question the 2015 White Sox were also felled by many self-inflicted wounds. Even though they entered Sunday with the fifth-worst on-base percentage in the majors, the White Sox somehow ran into a major league-leading 74 outs, according to baseball-reference.com -- 19 more than the league average.
“There are some mistakes you can make that look aggressive and some you make that don’t look aggressive, that just look like you’re not paying attention,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “There were too many of those.”
Outs On The Bases doesn’t include stolen base attempts nor do runners who are picked off count. Same for force plays.
They’re merely an accumulation of plays where runners are thrown out stretching singles into doubles, contact plays that result in easy outs at home, or players caught trying to advance on balls that get away from the catcher, etc. If you’ve seen more than a handful of White Sox games this season, you’ve seen your fair share.
While they can represent an aggressive mindset (which is good if properly used), Outs On The Bases also can make a team appear as if it has no idea what it’s doing.
In Friday’s 2015 postmortem, general manager Rick Hahn said base running is one of the issues that plagued the White Sox this season.
“The mistakes on the bases, are far, far too numerous and not the brand of baseball we want to play,” Hahn said.
While fans on social media blame the coaching staff for these mistakes, Hahn and the players disagree. Hahn said players fundamentally hadn’t lived up to his expectations.
But Ventura said he understands the criticism levied toward the coaching staff and said it comes with the position. Ventura is OK with aggressive outs, but not the ones caused by mental mistakes. He hopes next season’s team is more aware of the situation and alert, looking to coaches, paying attention to stop signs, etc.
“A lot of it is really what’s going on in the head as they’re running around, paying attention to Joe (McEwing) a little bit more,” Ventura said. “You continue to work at it. You continue to try to get them to learn when those situations are and when they aren’t. We have some guys who are young and haven’t been in the league all that long, so there is a certain element, and you want them to get it quicker rather than later.”
Leadoff man Adam Eaton, who made a team-high 12 Outs On The Bases, hopes experience gives White Sox players have a better idea what not to do in the future. He believes the mistakes fall squarely on the shoulders of the players, not the coaches. Echoing Hahn’s sentiments, Eaton said it’s not because of poor preparation -- plenty of work goes into base running in spring training.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Presidents Cup Preview.
By Ryan O'Sullivan
The jets have landed and the practice rounds are underway as the United States prepares to defend the Presidents Cup in South Korea against the International squad. We will take this opportunity to discuss some Presidents Cup history as it relates to this event, dive into the teams and analyze the players. We’ll even go on record with a prediction. Let’s have some fun!
Perhaps we should start with the basics. While the qualifications for being on Team USA are fairly obvious, those of the International Team can be a bit confusing for those who don’t follow these events all that closely. This is not the U.S. versus the world. It is the U.S. versus the world minus Europe. That means Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Mexico and Canada are all fair game. Antarctica too, I suppose. Consider the geography lesson over.
Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea serves as the host venue. It is a 7,380 yard par-72 layout. While this course is a bit of an unknown, it is expected to play like the typical Nicklaus layout. That means long, but forgiving, off the tee with reasonably large greens that reward proximity to the hole.
The sessions of play will be divided as follows:
Thursday: Five Foursomes Matches (Alternate Shot)
Friday: Five Four-ball Matches (Best Ball)
Saturday Morning: Four Foursomes Matches
Saturday Afternoon: Four Four-ball Matches
Sunday: 12 Singles Matches
All you need to know about the history of the Presidents Cup on a macro level is that the U.S. hasn’t lost since 1998. They did, somewhat famously, tie in 2003. In the five wins since that tie, it really hasn’t even been close.
With that as the backdrop, we’ll begin our deep dive with a look at the heavyweights.
Team USA is led by captain Jay Haas. He’ll have his buddies, Freddie Couples, Davis Love III, Steve Stricker and recently injured Jim Furyk in tow to pitch in as needed. No matter the outcome, don’t expect a coup in the post-Cup presser. Jay is highly respected among his peers and will have his finger on the pulse of this team through his assistants and veterans like Phil Mickelson.
Players
Jordan Spieth
Experience: 2-2-0 in 2013
Comments: Was a captain’s pick in 2013, with many believing the reason was to prepare him for what was to come in future Ryder and Presidents Cups. Good call by Freddie. Spieth’s season needs no introduction or analysis. While Mickelson may own the clubhouse, Spieth is the lead dog on course.
Expectations: While Spieth would partner well with anyone, it seems likely that his Ryder Cup partner, Patrick Reed, would make a likely bedfellow. Expect Spieth to play in each of the five sessions. His fearless putting from all ranges makes him especially deadly in match play. He’ll win more points than he loses.
Experience: 3-2-0 in 2011
Comments: Bomber should enjoy the Nicklaus layout and will be relied upon to be a major contributor for the Yanks. It should be noted that he is a very weak 3-8-0 in the Ryder Cup, with each of his points coming in the Four-ball sessions.
Expectations: Should play both of the Four-ball sets, but don’t be surprised if he sits out one of the Foursomes. There are a number of ways Haas could go in terms of pairings, but the most important thing is that it’s someone that Bubba finds comforting in some way. Team USA needs for him to at least break even.
Experience: Rookie
Comments: Limped to the finish on the PGA TOUR in 2014-15. While he doesn’t have experience in this event, he was a gritty 1-1-3 in the 2014 Ryder Cup while taking on some of Europe’s toughest teams.
Expectations: Matched up well with Rickie Fowler last year in Gleneagles, and Jay Haas would be crazy not to trot them out early in Korea to see if there is still some magic. If he brings the passion to the Presidents Cup that he did to the Ryder Cup, he’ll have a winning record this week.
Zach Johnson
Experience: 7-6-0 in 2007, 2009, 2013
Comments: The kind of guy you want on any team, ZJ enters off a hot season and has evolved into the role of a veteran leader. Also 6-6-2 in the Ryder Cup.
Expectations: A must in the Foursomes, he could also be a nice choice to pair with Chris Kirk in his first time out. His past record indicates that he’s at least a break-even proposition.
Zach Johnson
Experience: 7-6-0 in 2007, 2009, 2013
Comments: The kind of guy you want on any team, ZJ enters off a hot season and has evolved into the role of a veteran leader. Also 6-6-2 in the Ryder Cup.
Expectations: A must in the Foursomes, he could also be a nice choice to pair with Chris Kirk in his first time out. His past record indicates that he’s at least a break-even proposition.
Rickie Fowler
Experience: Rookie
Comments: Figured out how to win in 2015, and perhaps that will be of value this week in Korea. The bad news is that he is 0-3-5 in the Ryder Cup.
Expectations: It was covered in the Walker capsule, but it stands to reason that a Fowler-Walker duo is highly likely. While his record can’t get much worse than what he’s done in the Ryder Cup, it’s safe to say that he could be a star of the show for the USA in Korea.
Dustin Johnson
Experience: 1-3-1 in 2011
Comments: Hasn’t played in a team event since 2012, so the hope is that he’s refreshed and ready to roll.
Expectations: Better than 2011, as he’s too good to own a losing record in team events.
There are several ways to go with DJ in terms of pairings. One idea would be to match him up with Bubba or J.B. Holmes and say “bombs away.” Could also be a nice partner for Mickelson if they don’t need Lefty holding a rookie’s hand.
Patrick Reed
Experience: Rookie
Comments: The U.S. version of Ian Poulter went 3-0-1 in his Ryder Cup debut. The last few months of his 2014-15 season weren’t exactly memorable, but we’ve all seen much worse.
Expectations: He’s match play prowess dates well back into his amateur days and he really does live for these events. Reed and Spieth should be the A-Team for just about any outing, and they will rack up some points.
Matt Kuchar
Experience: 4-5-0 in 2011 and 2013
Comments: While Kuchar’s game is boring compared to just about every guy else on Team USA, he’s a steady hand on most wheels. Similarly, he’s 4-5-2 in the Ryder Cup. Biggest knock on his 2014-15 campaign is that he didn’t find a win.
Expectations: Has the game that should set up OK for foursomes, but also has value in being the guy that keeps it in play in a four-ball while a bomber goes for the gusto. Probably not going to hurt the team, but won’t be the MVP either.
Chris Kirk
Experience: Rookie
Comments: Only player on Team USA that doesn’t have either Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup experience. Barely hung on to the last automatic spot after an injury in the heart of the season.
Expectations: He should be on a short leash given the resumes of his teammates and his inexperience. It’s important for him to get off to a fast start. Might make sense for Mickelson to usher him out, but don’t rule out ZJ or Kuchar.
Bill Haas
Experience: 3-5-2 in 2011 and 2013
Comments: Performed better than his record in previous Cups, especially in 2013, and made plenty of sense as one of his dad’s picks thanks to that and ranking 11th on the points list.
Expectations: Dad will sit him at least once and possibly twice, especially if he starts slow. He should have a chip on his shoulder. Pretty versatile as a partner, but best guess is that he plays with someone other than the traditional bomber.
Phil Mickelson
Experience: 20-16-11 in EVERY Presidents Cup ever played.
Comments: A bit of an eyebrow raiser as a captain’s pick given his performance this season, but it was clear in the aftermath that he was the man the locker room wanted.
Expectations: If his true value really is in the team room, he sees the bench as much as anyone. This lineup doesn’t require a lot of handholding, so we’ll see how his potential partnerships play out. Given Dustin Johnson’s record of underachieving, he might be a nice project for Lefty.
J.B. Holmes
Experience: Rookie
Comments: After finishing 12th on the points list and ending the year with back-to-back top 10s, he was the obvious and safe pick when Jim Furyk bowed out. It only helps matters that Holmes was 2-0-1 in the last Ryder Cup won by the U.S.
Expectations: Very little, which could be a great thing for Holmes. His current form is strong and his history in the Ryder Cup proves he can handle this stage. How about J.B. and Bubba on the loose in Korea?
Team USA wins if: Spieth plays like Spieth and everyone else holds serve. This team is loaded with experience, most of which was good, as well as talent.
Nick Price takes another crack at leading the International Team, with K.J. Choi strategically serving as the Vice Captain. Also pitching in are Tony Johnstone and Mark McNulty. This squad is either due for an upset victory or facing mission impossible.
Here are the players that have chosen to accept it.
Jason Day
Experience: 4-4-2 in 2011 and 2013
Comments: The unquestioned star of the International Team will have his work cut out for him if the underdogs have any chance.
Expectations: I think we are all hoping to see him face off against Jordan Spieth in team events and/or singles, and that may not be a bad strategy for Nick Price to employ. Day topping Spieth could give his teammates added confidence and rattle the U.S. He has to have a winning record for his mates to have any chance.
Louis Oosthuizen
Experience: 1-3-1 in 2013
Comments: It’s all about the health for Louis. This has been a great season for the South African, and he needs for that to continue this week.
Expectations: Pay very little attention to his record, as he’s in much better form than in 2013. Fellow South Africans Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel will likely ride shotgun.
Adam Scott
Experience: 12-15-3 in every event since 2003
Comments: This has been a terrible 2015 for Scott, and the putter is the reason as to why. That won’t change just because the event is what it is. In fact, the pressure could make it worse.
Expectations: Captain Price has to look past his name and look at his recent game. That means play him sparingly unless he proves otherwise.
Hideki Matsuyama
Experience: 1-3-1 in 2013
Comments: Arguably the second-best player on the squad, the Japanese budding star is critical to his team’s success.
Expectations: Hard to guess his potential partners, but he needs to play every session. Sending him out with Day would be a true “A Team” for the Internationals.
Branden Grace
Experience: 0-4-0
Comments: The old adage that all experience is not good experience is personified in Grace. He can’t do any worse.
Expectations: It stands to reason that the other South Africans are likely partners. He has to try and keep from being a boat anchor this time around.
Marc Leishman
Experience: 2-2-0 in 2013
Comments: Aussie is a PGA TOUR regular, meaning he knows all of the names and faces he will encounter on the other side. He’s also shown some mettle in several majors over the last few years.
Expectations: Must play to his absolute top potential this week. May trot out alongside fellow Aussie, Steven Bowditch. If so, they could be a due of underdogs that accomplishes big things.
Anirban Lahiri
Experience: Rookie
Comments: Just earned his 2015-16 PGA TOUR card via the Web.com Tour Finals. While that’s good, he did so rather quietly. If he can’t dominate that, how’s he going to perform when lined up across from Rickie Fowler?
Expectations: This moment might be a bit too big for him. Potential partner could be Thongchai Jaidee.
Charl Schwartzel
Experience: 5-4-1 2011 and 2013
Comments: Struggled at times this season, but his class is important to the squad no matter how you slice it and dice it.
Expectations: The temptation will be to stick him with Oosthuizen and see what they can accomplish. Schwartzel is back to playing some better golf after some rocky spurts in 2015, so it might just work.
Thongchai Jaidee
Experience: Rookie
Comments: Plays the vast majority of his golf opposite the true stars of the game, so he could get outclassed this week. He is a gritty competitor that will give it all he’s got.
Expectations: Could be a pretty polar player this week. It’s most likely that he’s a liability, but a scenario could arise where he proves to be an unlikely star.
Danny Lee
Experience: Rookie
Comments: Really came alive during the summer of 2015 and looked quite impressive. It cannot be overemphasized how much his team needs him to continue that this week.
Expectations: It wouldn’t be crazy to stick him with Jason Day, but the real bang for the buck would be if Lee could get hot with someone like Sangmoon Bae.
Steven Bowditch
Experience: Rookie
Comments: A captain’s pick is easy to support, the Aussie that has battled the demons of depression and is one of the better stories of the last few years.
Expectations: Aussie’s like to stick together, meaning Scott or Leishman make a lot of sense as partners. If an upset happens this week, he could be in the middle of it.
Sangmoon Bae
Experience: Rookie
Comments: While Nick Price had a choice, he really didn’t. The Koreans now have a person to rally behind. He’s worthy, winning on the PGA TOUR in 2014-15 and making it all the way to East Lake for the TOUR Championship.
Expectations: Visions of Mike Weir slaying Tiger Woods in Sunday Singles on his home turf are dancing in my head. Perhaps a Bae vs. Spieth Singles match awaits?
The International Team wins if: Several things have to happen. For starters, Day has to lead them by his actions on the course. The other thing they need is an unlikely hero. Someone to go something like 4-1-0 that nobody sees coming.
Prediction time!
My quick math shows 30 points up for grabs. Five on Thursday, five on Friday, eight on Saturday and 12 in Sunday Singles.
Expect the International Team to put forth a spirited effort and be even with Team USA at 9-9 through the first three days. Part of that is because Nick Price can hide a few of his weaker players on the bench during those sessions.
Sunday Singles will be a different story. The US is just too deep for the Internationals and they take the final session 7-5 for a 16-14 victory for Team USA.
Tune in, sit back, relax and enjoy!
NASCAR: Power Rankings: Kevin Harvick is back.
By Nick Bromberg
1. Kevin Harvick (LW: NR): How do you go from not ranked to the top in a week? Lead 355 laps and win the race. Harvick became the second win-and-in-when-there-was-no-alternative driver in the brief history of this Chase format. And you know that NASCAR officials are hoping this becomes an occurrence that happens every year now. What Harvick did on Sunday was freaking impressive. He's going to be the favorite for the title as his team won't keep putting itself in bad positions with fast cars.
2. Matt Kenseth (LW: 1): Kenseth had the best average finish of anyone in the first round of the Chase. He finished in the top 10 all three races. Keep this up and he's going to be in the final four at Homestead. While Joe Gibbs Racing got all four cars into the second round of the Chase, the odds are against it in the second round. Which JGR car do you think has the smallest chance of moving on? If we're ranking them 1-4, we'd have Kenseth at the top right now.
3. Kyle Busch (LW: 9): Busch has been NASCAR's second-best driver at Dover in recent years. His presence at the front of the field was no surprise. He also recognized the importance of attempting to prevent Harvick from advancing to the second round. "That was a guy that we wanted to knock out, you know, that's a guy that can win all these races, and you don't want to have to compete against a guy like that," Busch said.
4. Carl Edwards (LW: 4): The most dramatic part of Edwards' race came when Kurt Busch's car slid in fluid coming on to pit road and rammed into the back of Edwards. The No. 19 had some slight bumper damage but that was about it. Edwards ended up finishing 15th and conceded the title of "most points in the third round among winless drivers" to Joey Logano.
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 12): That was a heck of a drive by Junior over the final laps, don't you think? He knew he had to get around McMurray to advance and he did just that, even completing somewhat of an improbable pass. Now, let's play devil's advocate for a second. What if Junior doesn't make that pass? The Chase would be out Jimmie Johnson and Junior before the second round. A bit of an unfathomable scenario until
6. Denny Hamlin (LW: 2): Sunday's race was a bit of a throwaway race for Hamlin. There's no track like Dover in the next seven races and with a win to his credit, he didn't need to worry about his finishing position on Sunday. Should NASCAR give winners bonus points in the next round? It'd be a nice perk. Not that Hamlin didn't have an incentive to win; had he won, Kevin Harvick doesn't advance. And we're not accusing the No. 11 of sandbagging. But do you really need an in-depth paragraph about a meaningless 18th-place finish?
7. Joey Logano (LW: 5): Here's the other driver who finished in the top 10 in every Chase race. Logano had finishes of sixth, third and 10th. Though he led a grand total of one lap in those three races. In his previous three races he led 230 laps. Can Logano find the winning form? He's got a plate win to his name this year (though we know how random it can be) and he's finished fifth and 13th at Kansas and Charlotte. Logano could get three more top 10s in the second round.
8. Kurt Busch (LW: 6): Busch finished one spot ahead of Hamlin. He's in the second round on points. Given how his Dover race weekend went in 2014 (on multiple levels), this has to be considered a big victory. He's had cars that have been fast at intermediate tracks, so Busch could be a sneaky candidate to get a win over the next two weeks. He and the man just below him are the only two drivers with a chance this year to be the first to win in both Chase formats.
9. Brad Keselowski (LW: 8): We noted in Keselowski's paragraph last week that he wouldn't be penalized for his comments that NASCAR was an "entertainment sport." And Keselowski's comments (and our paragraph about them) were validated with the barrage of tweets with derivatives of "entertain" from those associated with NASCAR. Given how boring Sunday's race was, the e-word within the context of the elimination format was used as a carrot to keep people from tuning out.
10. Jeff Gordon (LW: 10): We're not going to lie, it'd be funny if Gordon could advance to the final round at Homestead simply by avoiding disaster. He cut it close at Dover, so he's going to have to pick up the pace in the second round. Gordon is not a fan of plate racing; it'd be a cruel way for him to be eliminated from the Chase if he has a poor finish at Talladega.
11. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 11): Truex had to start at the back of the field in Sunday's race because his car didn't fit templates before the race. He recovered nicely and finished 11th. Will he have the speed he's shown at intermediate tracks earlier this season? If he doesn't, making it to the third round could be a dicey proposition.
12. Ryan Newman (LW: NR): Hey Newman, we see what you're doing here. Newman was the first car one lap down and finished 19th. After finishing fourth at Chicago, he finished 10th at New Hampshire. Two borderline top-10 finishes seem reasonable at Charlotte and Kansas. Then if he gets through Talladega without a wreck, Newman could be headed to the third round.
13. Jimmie Johnson: (LW: 3): This seems incredibly cruel, doesn't it? Johnson doesn't deserve this fate. But that's what this Chase format gives us. One of the best drivers throughout the season is out because he had an ill-timed (cheap) part failure. Will Johnson outscore everyone else through the final seven races of the Chase? It wouldn't surprise us.
Lucky Dog: Aric Almirola won best in class outside of the Chasers.
The DNF: Jeb Burton's day was not exceptional.
SOCCER: Landon Donovan: Klinsmann should be fired if USMNT loses to Mexico.
By Kyle Lynch
Jurgen Klinsmann (Photo/Getty Images)
Landon Donovan and Jurgen Klinsmann haven’t had the rosiest of relationships.
Since being left off of the 2014 World Cup roster and retiring from the game, Donovan has often been critical of Klinsmann and his tenure with the USMNT.
Ahead of Saturday’s CONCACAF playoff match against Mexico, Donovan said he believes Klinsmann should be fired if the United States loses.
Since being left off of the 2014 World Cup roster and retiring from the game, Donovan has often been critical of Klinsmann and his tenure with the USMNT.
Ahead of Saturday’s CONCACAF playoff match against Mexico, Donovan said he believes Klinsmann should be fired if the United States loses.
Speaking to ESPN FC:
Around the world, if a player plays poorly and a player has a bad string of results, they get dropped from the team.
Jurgen said many times he wants our players to feel pressure — so if they lose a game they can’t go to the grocery store the next day. If they lose a game, they are getting hammered in the press.
Well, the same holds true for the coach, and so we had a very poor summer with bad results in the Gold Cup. The last game against Brazil was probably the worst game I’ve seen them play under Jurgen.
The reality is that now, anywhere else in the world, if this coach had those results, and they lose this game against Mexico, they’d be fired.
I think if Jurgen wants to hold all the players to that standard, then he has to be held to that standard too.
Heading into the Gold Cup this summer on the heels of some great wins over the Netherlands and Germany, the United States’ performance was wildly disappointing, losing in the semifinals to Jamaica and finishing in fourth place.
President of U.S. Soccer Sunil Gulati has shown great faith in Klinsmann, giving him a contract until 2018 as both manager and technical director of the program. However, pressure has been building after a string of poor results.
For Klinsmann, this is arguably his biggest match in charge of the USMNT. Not only does it have implications for the Confederations Cup in 2017, but it is also against Mexico, which always puts added pressure on a manager. If the U.S. loses, more people than Donovan will be calling for a change.
NCAAFB: Northwestern-Michigan will pit nation's top scoring defenses.
By ERIC OLSON
Three of the nation's top four scoring defenses reside in the Big Ten, and the best of them will meet Saturday when Northwestern visits Michigan.
Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald on Tuesday downplayed the notion that defense will carry the day at the Big House.
It's hard to ignore the numbers put up so far, though.
No. 13 Northwestern has given up a nation-low 7.0 points a game, and the 35 points allowed through five games are the fewest since they gave up 33 in 1943. No. 18 Michigan is surrendering just 7.6 points a game and is coming off back-to-back shutouts.
Wisconsin, which plays at Nebraska, is fourth nationally at 9.6 points a game, and the last four opponents have managed a total of just nine points since Alabama scored 35 against the Badgers in the opener.
Northwestern brought back nine starters from the unit that allowed 25.2 points a game to rank 46th in scoring defense last season.
''Up front last week (against Minnesota) we played 11 defensive linemen. We're playing a lot of guys, and there's a lot of different talent and skill set in those guys that are playing,''
Fitzgerald said. ''They are playing really hard for each other and really hard for our program.''
Michigan is second in total defense at 184 yards a game, has held its opponents scoreless in 14 of the last 15 quarters and last week forced three-and-outs on 12 of Maryland's 16 possessions.
Wisconsin is led by linebacker Joe Schobert, who had three of his nation-leading nine sacks against Iowa last week.
''No magic involved,'' Badgers coach Paul Chryst said. ''There are a lot of the pieces - scheme, players, leadership. It's all that. And I think it's a group that mindset-wise knows you need to continually get better.''
BLOSSOMING BLOUGH
Purdue coach Darrell Hazell likes what he's seen from QB David Blough. The redshirt freshman passed for more than 300 yards against Bowling Green in his first start and last week was impressive leading the drive that pulled the Boilermakers within 24-21 of Michigan State.
''The kid has a great ceiling,'' Hazell said, ''and he works so hard to make sure we're going to have success here in the near future.''
Other Big Ten notes:
- Nebraska coach Mike Riley announced no disciplinary action against Alex Lewis and said there was no plan to strip the offensive lineman of his captaincy. Lewis sarcastically blew kisses at fans while walking off field at Illinois on Saturday.
- Iowa is the only FBS team yet to allow a rushing touchdown. Coach Kirk Ferentz said improving run defense has been a priority, but he doesn't read much into the no-TD streak. ''The touchdown part is just luck,'' he said.
- Maryland's William Likely is averaging a Big Ten-best 24 yards on punt returns and is the only player in the country to run back two for TDs. Coach Randy Edsall said players on the return unit ''know if they make their block and sustain their block we have a guy back there who can put points on the board or change the dynamic of the field position game for us.''
- Interim Illinois coach Bill Cubit said QB Wes Lunt's reaction to the last-minute TD drive to beat Nebraska made him smile. ''He's kind of a reserved guy. He let it all out after it happened.''
- Northwestern's Fitzgerald was among the few coaches to accept Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh's invitation to work a camp in Ann Arbor this past June. Fitzgerald said he did it because it fit into his schedule. However, he said, ''I almost had to back out on it because the Blackhawks were playing for the Stanley Cup.''
Arkansas-Alabama PreviewAP - Sports
Nick Saban doesn't want his Alabama team to care what outsiders think.
It doesn't matter whether it was the questions in recent weeks that maybe the eighth-ranked Crimson Tide were a fading dynasty, or this week's feverish praise following the team's most dominating performance of the year against then-No. 8 Georgia.
It's all the same to Saban, who told reporters his message to players will be ''the same thing as when you all buried us last week.''
''It really doesn't matter what you think,'' Saban said Monday. ''It really doesn't matter what you say. And I'm hoping that nobody on our team is playing for you.''
In other words, it's about the team and then the fans, not national perception, whether it's criticism or praise. Clearly, Saban wasn't oblivious to the talk in the two weeks following a turnover-filled loss to then-No. 15 Mississippi, though.
Alabama (4-1, 1-1 SEC) responded with a 38-10 thrashing of the Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium and now hosts Arkansas (2-3, 1-1) on Saturday night.
Quarterback Jake Coker and tailback Derrick Henry were superb and two freshmen, receiver Calvin Ridley and defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, also turned in huge performances in a dominant effort on offense, defense and special teams.
It was vintage Alabama. And a vintage Saban rant followed two days later when asked what he says to the team when perception is so fluid.
''I said before, I believe in our team,'' the coach said. ''I do believe in our team, and we're going to work hard to make our team better and I hope the players respond the right way. And it's not going to be for you. The fans, yes. Because if it was up to you, we were six foot under already. We're dead and buried and gone. Gone.
It was vintage Alabama. And a vintage Saban rant followed two days later when asked what he says to the team when perception is so fluid.
''I said before, I believe in our team,'' the coach said. ''I do believe in our team, and we're going to work hard to make our team better and I hope the players respond the right way. And it's not going to be for you. The fans, yes. Because if it was up to you, we were six foot under already. We're dead and buried and gone. Gone.
''So if that was the case, we'd have to get some respirators out or something there to put the life back in people.''
This was hardly the first time Alabama has mustered such a resounding bounce-back win.
Last season, Alabama destroyed Texas A&M 59-0 two weeks after losing to Ole Miss. In 2012, the Tide rebounded from a loss to Texas A&M by beating struggling rival Auburn 49-0 en route to a national title. A series of blowouts polished off Alabama's 2011 title run after losing to LSU, including a one-sided rematch in the national championship game.
Now, the Tide are 16-point favorites over Arkansas. Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema said he never bought into chatter that Alabama was down after one loss.
Now, the Tide are 16-point favorites over Arkansas. Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema said he never bought into chatter that Alabama was down after one loss.
''To me, they're the staple of what college football is, not just the SEC,'' Bielema said. ''They've got a phenomenal head coach, their environment ... It's as good as any environment. I've been in the Big Ten and the Big 12 and been to every part of this country, and I think that environment is as good as any that there is for a home-game environment.''
Saban said the Georgia win only re-establishes Alabama's identity ''if it happens on a continuum.'' He doesn't want the Tide to join the teams around the country who can't build on big wins.
It happened to Ole Miss, which was hammered by Florida last week by the same 38-10 score that Alabama produced against Georgia.
Alabama center Ryan Kelly said it was the team's most complete performance but knows the goal is to sustain the strong play.
He said Saban is ''obviously excited that we won but one of the messages he said was, 'Look, this is the proof that we can do a lot of great things but we've just got to stay on the right road.'''
Arkansas finally found a way to win a close game last week, ending a three-game skid with a 24-20 victory at Tennessee. The Razorbacks had lost their last 10 games decided by seven points or less, with nine of those defeats coming since Bielema took over the program in 2013.
''At some point in your life as a man, you've just got to finally take what the world wants to give you,'' Bielema said. ''You can't keep giving it away. Our guys really played well today. There wasn't going to be anything but full throttle for four quarters.''
Alex Collins rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns and Rawleigh Williams ran for 100 yards on only 14 carries.
Alex Collins rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns and Rawleigh Williams ran for 100 yards on only 14 carries.
''Now everybody's got it in their mind that we're capable of finishing games, even when they're close,'' Collins said. ''I just wonder how the season's going to go from here on out, knowing if we're ever in these close situations, now that we know how to, we can keep doing it.''
The Razorbacks were in a tight one last year against visiting Alabama, leading after three quarters before the Tide scored early in the fourth to pull out a 14-13 win - their eighth straight in the series.
Illinois-Iowa Preview
AP - Sports
On the surface, it appears as though No. 22 Iowa's resurgence has been fueled by the so-called ''New Kirk Ferentz.''
In reality, the Hawkeyes are better because their defense is better - and knocking opponents around has been the foundation of every good team coached by Ferentz.
Iowa (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) surged back into the Top 25 for the first time in five years this week following one of the best defensive performances in Ferentz's 17-year run in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes forced four turnovers and held then-No. 19 Wisconsin out of the end zone in a 10-6 win in Madison, cementing Iowa's status as a legitimate contender in the Big Ten West.
Iowa (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) surged back into the Top 25 for the first time in five years this week following one of the best defensive performances in Ferentz's 17-year run in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes forced four turnovers and held then-No. 19 Wisconsin out of the end zone in a 10-6 win in Madison, cementing Iowa's status as a legitimate contender in the Big Ten West.
Iowa, ranked 15th nationally with 15.4 points allowed per game, will look for its sixth straight win Saturday when it hosts border rival Illinois (4-1, 1-0).
''The credit goes to our players. These guys are working their tails off right now, and they're all contributing in their way. And when you get that going, you have a chance,'' Ferentz said.
Ferentz's new, more forward-thinking approach - which has included much more aggressive approaches to recruiting and game-planning - has energized the program.
The one thing that hasn't changed is a commitment to hard-nosed defense.
The Hawkeyes weren't playing that way a year ago.
Despite the presence of a pair of future NFL players on its line in Carl Davis and Louis Trinca-Pasat, Iowa was wildly inconsistent. Its defense bottomed out at the end of the year, allowing 82 points in losses to Nebraska and Tennessee.
Iowa's biggest issue was on the perimeter. Opponents ran wild on the Hawkeyes outside and their inexperienced linebackers seemed powerless to stop them.
The one thing that hasn't changed is a commitment to hard-nosed defense.
The Hawkeyes weren't playing that way a year ago.
Despite the presence of a pair of future NFL players on its line in Carl Davis and Louis Trinca-Pasat, Iowa was wildly inconsistent. Its defense bottomed out at the end of the year, allowing 82 points in losses to Nebraska and Tennessee.
Iowa's biggest issue was on the perimeter. Opponents ran wild on the Hawkeyes outside and their inexperienced linebackers seemed powerless to stop them.
But the line has more than made up for the losses of Davis and Trinca-Pasat, and linebackers Ben Neimann, Josey Jewell and Cole Fisher have made remarkable strides this season.
Iowa is the only team in the nation that hasn't given up a rushing touchdown, and its 2.6 yards per carry allowed is 10th.
Wisconsin was threatening to break that streak in the fourth quarter last week, but end Nate Meier helped force a fumble near the goal line that preserved the win.
''He's playing his best football, and again, for us to have a good football team, our seniors need to be humming, and he's doing that,'' Ferentz said.
The Hawkeyes also have witnessed solid play out of their secondary.
Junior Desmond King has blossomed into one of the country's best cornerbacks and an early favorite for Big Ten defensive player of the year honors.
He shared the league's player of the week honor Monday after recording nine tackles, two pass break-ups and two interceptions against the Badgers.
King, who has also been a standout in the return game, is tied for the national lead with five interceptions - despite opponents avoiding throwing his way as much as possible.
''It's our third Big Ten recognition for a player this season,'' Ferentz said. ''If you look at it, it's an offensive player, defensive player and a special teams player, and really that's kind of how we're winning right now. We're playing good team football.''
Iowa might need its defense to carry it again this weekend, since injuries to top wide receiver Tevaun Smith (knee sprain) and left tackle Boone Myers (shoulder stinger) will likely keep them out against the Illini.
Illinois has to be feeling good after last week's 14-13 victory over Nebraska in which it rallied from 13-0 down after three quarters. Wes Lunt connected with Geronimo Allison in the end zone with 10 seconds left as the Illini also overcame a pair of missed field goals and four early trips into the red zone that produced no points.
"That's the biggest thing we're gonna work on this week, just finishing drives; we
want touchdowns not field goals," Lunt said.Illinois has to be feeling good after last week's 14-13 victory over Nebraska in which it rallied from 13-0 down after three quarters. Wes Lunt connected with Geronimo Allison in the end zone with 10 seconds left as the Illini also overcame a pair of missed field goals and four early trips into the red zone that produced no points.
"That's the biggest thing we're gonna work on this week, just finishing drives; we
The Hawkeyes have won seven of the past eight meetings.
NCAABKB: Pressure is on new coach Steve Prohm at Iowa State.
By LUKE MEREDITH
Five months ago, Iowa State's Steve Prohm was the coach at mid-major Murray State. Now he's in charge of one of the big favorites in the Big 12.
Prohm officially began his first season in charge of the Cyclones on Tuesday with the team's annual media day.
Iowa State has all the pieces to make a run at the league title and more - provided that Prohm can handle coaching college basketball at the highest level, of course.
In the minds of Prohm's players, the Cyclones have nothing to worry about.
''Coach (Prohm) is in here earning our trust and our respect every day,'' said senior forward Georges Niang. ''Even though he's not trying to cross any of our toes, he puts his foot down when he needs to and lets us know that stuff needs to get done. I think he has a great combination of how to keep us motivated...and still be stern and be able to get the most out of us.''
Fred Hoiberg's departure for the Chicago Bulls after five mostly successful seasons gave Prohm a shot at a national title. The roster Hoiberg left behind for Prohm is loaded.
Niang, a likely preseason first-team All-American, second-team All-Big 12 point guard Monte Morris and league defensive player of the year Jameel McKay headline one of the nation's most talented starting units. Throw in veterans like Naz Long, Matt Thomas, Abdel Nader and transfer Deonte Burton, and Prohm might just have the best roster a new Power Five coach has inherited since Bill Guthridge took over for Dean Smith at North Carolina in 1997.
Guthridge reached the Final Four with his first team.
Prohm isn't shying away from the notion that Iowa State is among the handful of teams with serious national title aspirations.
''Yeah, they're realistic,'' Prohm said when asked about the sky-high expectations for this year's team. ''I think we have the opportunity to have a very special season.''
The similarities between what type of styles Prohm and Hoiberg use was cited as a big reason why Iowa State hired him. Hoiberg even lobbied for Prohm to athletic director Jamie Pollard during the hiring process.
To that end, Prohm is going to let his players have a ton of input on how they play. Prohm doesn't plan many changes, just tweaks that mostly involve techniques to improve Iowa State's somewhat inconsistent rebounding and defense.
''I don't need to say, 'This is the way we're doing things guys because this is the way I did it.' That's stupid,'' Prohm said. ''I need to meet these guys halfway.''
Prohm also acknowledged that he'll be doing quite a bit of learning himself this season. But Prohm said he intends to embrace the unique opportunity he's been afforded.
''This is a great situation to walk into. No question,'' Prohm said. ''Is there pressure? Yeah. But who wants a job with no pressure?''
Keuchel, Astros cruise past Yankees in AL Wild Card Game.
By Drew Silva
(Photo/AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Dallas Keuchel faced the Yankees two times during the regular season and was fantastic in each outing, striking out 12 in a complete-game shutout on June 25 and whiffing nine batters over seven scoreless frames on August 25.
The 2015 Cy Young Award candidate continued that trend in Tuesday night’s American League Wild Card Game, limiting the Yankees to three hits and one walk over six innings of scoreless ball as the Astros earned a 3-0 win and advanced to a best-of-five ALDS with the top-seeded Royals.
The 2015 Cy Young Award candidate continued that trend in Tuesday night’s American League Wild Card Game, limiting the Yankees to three hits and one walk over six innings of scoreless ball as the Astros earned a 3-0 win and advanced to a best-of-five ALDS with the top-seeded Royals.
Keuchel was working on three days of rest but didn’t show very many signs of fatigue, whiffing seven and needing only 87 pitches to get through six. He sure looked like he could have gone an inning longer, but Astros manager A.J. Hinch decided to turn the game over to his bullpen and they added three more big zeroes to the scoreboard at a very loud then very boo-heavy Yankee Stadium. Tony Sipp worked around some early jitters to throw a scoreless seventh, Will Harris kept the Yankees off the bases entirely in a scoreless eighth, and closer Luke Gregerson went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth.
Impending free agent outfielder Colby Rasmus provided the first burst of offense for the Astros in the top of the second inning with a leadoff homer against Masahiro Tanaka. And then deadline acquisition Carlos Gomez, who missed a bunch of time down the stretch with an intercostal strain, got to Tanaka for another solo shot in the top of the fourth. Houston scored its third run on a Jose Altuve RBI single in the top of the seventh.
This is a young, talented Astros team with an ace at the head of its rotation.
Kansas City could have a problem.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1918 - The Georgia Tech football team defeated Cumberland College 222-0. Georgia Tech carried the ball 978 yards and never threw a pass.
1956 - Al Carmichael (Green Bay Packers) returned a kickoff 106 yards to set an NFL record.
2001 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) hit his 73rd home run of the season and set a new major league record.
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