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New on Sports Illustrated: Alston Jr. carries Boise St. past Sam Houston St. 86-55

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) Derrick Alston Jr. had 27 points as Boise State rolled past Sam Houston State 86-55 on Sunday.

Marcus Shaver Jr. had 18 points and six rebounds for Boise State (1-1). RayJ Dennis added 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Abu Kigab had 11 points and seven rebounds.

Zach Nutall had 22 points for the Bearkats (0-3). He also had seven turnovers but only two assists.

---

For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25

---

This was generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com

New on Sports Illustrated: Former No. 1 Pick Andrew Bogut Retires After 14 Seasons

Bogut was named to the All-NBA third team in 2010, five years before he won his first championship with the Warriors.

Former No. 1 pick and NBA champion Andrew Bogut

announced his retirement on his podcast on Monday.

Bogut was selected out of Utah with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. He played for five teams across 14 seasons, most recently playing 11 games for the Warriors in 2018-19. 

The Australian center never made an All-Star team in his NBA career, though he retires with an impressive career resume. Bogut earned All-NBA third-team honors in 2009-10, and he was an All-Defense honoree in 2014-15. He appeared in three Finals, winning the championship with Golden State in 2015.

Bogut was the fifth international player to be selected No. 1 overall. Fellow Australian Ben Simmons was drafted with the top pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. 

New on Sports Illustrated: Bou scores twice, New England reaches MLS Eastern finals

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Gustavo Bou scored his second goal of the game in the 86th minute to help the New England Revolution beat 10-man Orlando City 3-1 on Sunday in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Eighth-seeded New England will play at Columbus next Sunday for a spot in the MLS Cup final. The Crew advanced Sunday night with a 2-0 overtime victory over visiting Nashville.

Fourth-seeded Orlando City had a chance to tie it at 2 in the 74th minute, but Matt Turner stopped Nani on a penalty kick. Twelve minutes later, Bou ran to Carles Gil's through ball and sent it between goalkeeper Brian Rowe's legs for a 3-1 lead.

The teams combined for three goals in the opening 33 minutes. Gil opened the scoring in the 17th minute on a penalty kick after Uri Rosell was taken down at the edge of the box. Bou gave New England a 2-0 lead in the 26th off a rebound off the post, and Orlando City scored in the 33rd when Junior Urso's capitalized on a loose ball in front of the goal.

Orlando City's Mauricio Pereyra was sent off in the 60th for a studs-up tackle of Matt Polster.

New on Sports Illustrated: Crew score twice in OT, beat Nashville to reach East finals

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Pedros Santos and Gyasi Zardes scored three minutes apart early in overtime and the Columbus Crew beat expansion Nashville SC 2-0 on Sunday to advance to the MLS Eastern Conference finals.

The third-seeded Crew will host eighth-seeded New England next Sunday for a spot in the MLS Cup. The Revolution beat Orlando City 3-1 earlier Sunday.

Santos scored in the 99th minute off a feed from Zardes near the center of the net, ending seventh-seeded Nashville's shutout streak at more than 200 minutes. Zardes struck in the 102nd on a breakaway off Luis Diaz's deft lead pass.

New on Sports Illustrated: North Carolina counting on youngsters against UNLV

North Carolina is putting its fortunes on the offensive end in the hands of freshmen.

It's just a matter of which newcomers will be most crucial for the No. 16 Tar Heels when they meet UNLV in a first-round game of the relocated Maui Invitational on Monday night at the downtown arena in Asheville, N.C.

"We weren't nearly as smooth offensively as I wanted us to be," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said of the season-opening 79-60 victory against visiting College of Charleston.

But there were moments to relish for the Tar Heels after one game. Many of those came from the backcourt combination of freshmen Caleb Love and R.J. Davis.

"It was a different vibe," North Carolina forward Armando Bacot said of the newcomers handling the ball.

Davis and Love were the first pair of freshman guards to start North Carolina's first game of the season since Bobby Frasor and Marcus Ginyard in 2005-06.

Love posted 17 points in his college debut, while Davis scored 11. Love said he likes the possibilities.

"The team goes as the point guard goes," Love said. "(Davis and I) have to get better at more chemistry. Us as a backcourt, I think we're so lethal."

It wasn't all smooth for the Tar Heels in the first game. They saw a 14-point lead turn into a one-point deficit before finding their footing again.

"I liked what happened to our team," Williams said of dealing with the Cougars' second-half comeback.

UNLV didn't have such a good ending to its first game of the season. The Runnin' Rebels lost 91-78 to visiting Montana State despite Bryce Hamilton's 27 points.

There's lots for second-year coach T.J. Otzelberger to fix with his team. Among the tasks: creating energy without fans in the stands.

"It is something we are going to continue to work on and drive home because we have to be a lot better than we were from an effort and competitive standpoint from start to finish," Otzelberger said.

Nick Blake notched 16 points for the Runnin' Rebels in the opener. Only three scholarship players had appeared in a game for UNLV prior to the Montana State game.

On the to-do list for North Carolina is an improved shooting performance.

"I think we're going to be a much better shooting team than we were last year," Williams said. "We didn't show it (in the first game)."

New faces also could play a key role for the Tar Heels. One of them is freshman Day'Ron Sharpe, who scored 13 points in his debut. Walker Kessler and Puff Johnson are likely to see more action after some of their preseason activity was reduced due to COVID-19 protocols.

"They're back with us," Williams said. "They're good and gave us a few minutes. Hopefully they'll help us down the road."

North Carolina holds a 4-1 all-time series lead vs. UNLV. They most recently met on Dec. 29, 2012, in a game won by the Tar Heels.

The Maui Invitational was moved from Hawaii because of the coronavirus pandemic. Otzelberger is counting on his team improving before the Mountain West season.

"Those are opportunities we will embrace as we continue to move our program forward," he said.

North Carolina and UNLV are in the same bracket of the tournament with Alabama and Stanford, with a semifinal matchup coming Tuesday and a consolation-bracket game for Monday night's losing teams.

--Field Level Media

New on Sports Illustrated: Cunningham, Oklahoma State set to take on Texas Southern

Freshman guard Cade Cunningham enjoyed a successful collegiate debut, even if his own coach gave him a grade that might raise a few eyebrows.

Cunningham aims to test better in the eyes of head coach Mike Boynton on Saturday when Oklahoma State (1-0) hosts Texas Southern (0-1) in Stillwater, Okla.

With his parents and uncle in attendance, Cunningham collected 21 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in the Cowboys' 75-68 season-opening win over Texas-Arlington on Wednesday. The game was played in Cunningham's hometown of Arlington, Texas.

"He was somewhere between a C-plus and B-minus," Boynton said afterward. "I thought he played the game the right way."

Five turnovers and three fouls likely factored into Boynton's assessment of Cunningham. There is, after all, room for an improvement just one game into the season.

"I came in pretty open-minded and ready to adapt to whatever the game looked like," Cunningham said. "I think I did that pretty early in the game. After that, I got comfortable."

Oklahoma State's Isaac Likekele recorded a career-high 13 rebounds to go along with nine points and seven assists. Sophomore Keylan Boon had a personal-best 12 boards and 10 points for his first career double-double.

Oklahoma State took a step forward in its opener after posting a 18-14 record overall last season. The Cowboys are in the midst of transition after losing four of their top five scorers from 2019-20 as they feature eight freshmen and 10 total newcomers.

The Tigers arrive in Stillwater after a 56-52, season-opening road loss to Washington State on Wednesday. Michael Weathers, a transfer from Oklahoma State, joined John Walker III and Galen Alexander in scoring 10 points apiece.

All-Southwest Athletic Conference first-team pick Yahuza Rasas added seven points off the bench. He had just one rebound after averaging a team-best 8.2 last season.

Graduate student Justin Hopkins added five points off the bench. He is the team's leading returning scorer (10.5 points per game in 2019-20).

"We should be effective with the depth that we have. Guys should be ready to make an impact on the floor," Tigers coach Johnny Jones said.

Texas Southern is entertaining high hopes after finishing 16-16 last season. The team has been pegged as the preseason favorite to win the SWAC.

"We have great length, certainly the biggest team across the board that we've had and I love our athleticism with this group," Jones said, per the Houston Chronicle. "Hopefully with that combination some good things will happen for us."

--Field Level Media

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New on Sports Illustrated: Kansas State looks to avoid 0-3 in UMKC matchup

Kansas State is saddled with an 0-2 start for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

With Missouri-Kansas City coming to Manhattan, Kan. on Monday night, the Wildcats will look to avoid their first 0-3 start since 1965-66.

UMKC (2-1) will be looking to rebound from its first setback of the season to Southeast Missouri State on Saturday. Neither of the Kangaroos' victories came against NCAA Division I opponents.

K-State opened the season with back-to-back double-digit losses home to Drake (80-70) and Colorado (76-58). The Wildcats were tied or led in the second half of both games before fading down the stretch.

"We made some progress, but tonight it was 20-some," head coach Bruce Weber said following the Colorado loss regarding his team giving 40 minutes of effort. "Now we've got to get to 25-30."

Weber's crew has struggled with depth this season because of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing. Many days, the Wildcats could only practice 4-on-4 because there weren't enough available players for 5-on-5.

Combined with the fact that there are nine new players on this year's team, finding cohesion has been difficult.

"I think the thing that happens is they try to go make plays on their own, instead of letting the game come," Weber said. "And part of that is practice. Being together, playing together, understanding when we need a shot, getting it to the right people at the right time. It's just going to be a matter of time, working together and working through some of these things."

The Wildcats have been led by senior Mike McGuirl, the lone player with more than one year's experience on the team. McGuirl is averaging 15.0 points per game. Freshman Nijel Pack is averaging 10.5 point per game.

UMKC has five players averaging in double-figures, led by Josiah Allick (19.0). The 'Roos are shooting 66 percent from the floor, including 35.1 percent from three-point range.

Their loss to SEMO was decided late when the Redhawks hit a 3-pointer to ice the game.

"We didn't finish plays, we fouled, we have to play better defensively," head coach Billy Donlon said. "We cannot give our opponent 35 attempts at the line.

"We will grow from it; we will get better. This team will be playing its best basketball in February."

--Field Level Media

New on Sports Illustrated: Harrell lifts Texas State past Texas A&M-CC 75-63

Mason Harrell scored 18 points as Texas State pulled away after halftime, defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 75-63 on Saturday.

Alonzo Sule added 14 points for Texas State (2-0), and Caleb Asberry added 12 on 4-for-4 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc.

The Bobcats led 35-33 at the break, but began to pull away on back-to-back Caleb Asberry 3-pointers midway through the second half. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi didn't get within two possessions the rest of the way.

Myles Smith had 13 points and four steals for the Islanders (1-1). Rasheed Browne added 11 points and eight rebounds.

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For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25

---

Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com

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New on Sports Illustrated: St. John's looks to stay perfect vs. BC

The St. John's Red Storm and the Boston College Eagles are set to meet on Monday night in a non-conference, neutral-court game in Uncasville, Conn.

Boston College (1-1) battled No. 3 Villanova in its opener before losing 76-67. The Eagles then rebounded and defeated Rhode Island, 69-64.

St. John's (2-0) is off to a great start after beating Saint Peter's and LaSalle. Red Storm newcomer Vince Cole, a 6-5 junior-college transfer, was named the MVP of the Lapchick Tournament, won by St. John's. Cole, a two-time junior-college All-American, is averaging 20.0 points and shooting 46.2 percent on 3-point attempts.

Two other Storm newcomers -- freshman Posh Alexander and junior-college transfer Isaih Moore -- were named to the five-player all-tournament team. Alexander is averaging 12.0 points, 4.0 steals and 3.0 assists. The 6-foot-10 Moore is averaging 10.5 points and is leading the team in rebounds (8.0).

"We have to continue to get better," Storm coach Mike Anderson said. "We have to shore up the live-ball turnovers.

"When you have two guys out, you are asking a lot of your newcomers. We have two double-figure scorers who are not even on the court right now."

Anderson was referring to 6-8 wing Julian Champagnie, who has missed two straight games due to a sprained ankle, and guard Rasheem Dunn, who missed the second game due to a concussion.

"Julian will be a game-time decision on Monday," Anderson said. "Rasheem took a spill, got some stitches and is at home. He is going through the concussion protocol."

Anderson said he is grateful to have Cole, who played off the bench in the first game before moving into the starting lineup against LaSalle.

"He has a knack for getting buckets -- he can score," Anderson said. "You got to have guys you can go to (like Cole). He came in with that reputation as a scorer, but he's also getting more in tune on defense. He's just finding his way."

Meanwhile, the Eagles are led by Wynston Tabbs, a 6-2, third-year guard who missed half his freshman year and all of last season due to left-knee surgery. On Thursday, however, Tabbs produced the first double-double of his career, getting 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against Rhode Island.

Tabbs, who had missed 676 days between games, is averaging 13.5 points in two contests this season. He averaged 13.9 points as a freshman.

Up front, Steffon Mitchell is BC's rock. He has made 84 starts and is averaging 9.0 points and 9.5 rebounds this season. Last season, he made the ACC's All-Defensive team.

"Any coach would want a guy like Mitchell," BC sixth-year coach Jim Christian said. "He doesn't need the ball every possession to dictate play."

Rich Kelly, a 6-1 graduate transfer from Quinnipiac, is averaging 10.0 points off the Eagles bench.

One issue for the Eagles, however, is the foot injury that forced guard Jay Heath to miss BC's second game. In the opener, Heath had 16 points on 7-for-14 shooting. He averaged 13.1 points last season, which was second best on the team.

--Field Level Media

New on Sports Illustrated: Davis, SMU keep guard up vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi

SMU's Kendric Davis recently spoke to the challenges of a long layoff after setting a program record for scoring in a season opener with 33 points.

Davis and the Mustangs (1-0) aim to continue their acclimation on Monday when they host Texas A&M Corpus Christi five days after cruising to a 97-67 win over Sam Houston State.

"We've been practicing for a year straight, so, I mean, it felt a little different," Davis said, a nod to the adjustments prompted by the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. "I mean, you've got to kind of get loose, get warm, just get back used to playing a game. That was pretty much the biggest thing was getting back (to) normal."

As SMU awaits the return of other players expected to fill key roles this season -- namely Tyson Jolly, who is dealing with a personal matter -- the Mustangs will keep looking to a rejuvenated Davis, recovered from an early summer bout with COVID-19, for leadership.

"He is a gym rat. He always has been," Mustangs coach Tim Jankovich said. "He's really worked on some things that he was good at, but not great at. I see a much better player this year."

Three teammates joined Davis in double figures Wednesday, including William Douglas. He had a career-high 15 points.

The Islanders (1-1) endured a night of what coach Willis Wilson called "dramatically woeful" shooting during a 75-63 home loss to Texas State on Saturday.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi finished 16-for-47 (34.0 percent) from the floor compared to 26-for-48 (54.2 percent) for Texas State.

"There's a lot of things to be hopeful for, but we've got to show a greater commitment to defense," Wilson said. "When the ball is not falling, you've got to get stops. That's the story at the end of the day."

Although six Islanders drilled 3-pointers in the game, the team was a mere 7-for-27 from long range, a 25.9 percent effort. Wilson wants to be closer to 39 to 42 percent.

"If we're going to be a team that's going to take 27 3s, then we've got to be a team that's going to make a high percentage of those," Wilson said. "We're not close to that in these first two games."

Myles Smith paced the Islanders with 13 points, marking the 39th time the senior has registered double figures in his career. Smith matched a career high with four assists, while Rasheed Browne nearly notched a double-double with 11 points and eight rebounds.

--Field Level Media

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New on Sports Illustrated: Bothwell lifts Furman over SC-Upstate 91-63

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) Mike Bothwell had 24 points as Furman easily beat South Carolina Upstate 91-63 on Saturday.

Alex Hunter added 22 points and six rebounds Furman (2-0). Jalen Slawson had 10 points. Marcus Foster added six rebounds. Clay Mounce, whose 23.0 points per game coming into the matchup led the Paladins, was held to only nine points on 4-of-10 shooting.

Cartier Jernigan had 12 points for the Spartans (0-2). Nevin Zink added 12 points and nine rebounds. Everette Hammond, whose 13.0 points per game entering the contest ranked second on the Spartans, scored four points (2 of 10).

---

For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25

---

This was generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com

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New on Sports Illustrated: Georgia pulls away in second half to win its opener 85-75

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) Tye Fagan had career highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds as Georgia opened its season with an 85-75 victory over Florida A&M on Sunday.

Fagan, the only second-year letterman in the program, scored eight straight points during a 10-0 run to put the Bulldogs up 57-47. A final Bulldogs push in the final three minutes extended the lead to 16.

Stony Brook grad transfer Andrew Garcia added 22 points. Sahvir Wheeler, who broke the program's freshman record for assists last season with 139, had 12 Sunday along with 12 points.

The Rattlers (1-1) shot 53% but the Bulldogs, who had only a two-point advantage in the paint in the first half finished with a 50-32 advantage. They were 20 of 26 at the line to 11 of 17 for FAMU.

Georgia got off to an 11-2 start before the Rattlers grabbed the lead, which went back and forth until Garcia's basket just before the break gave the Bulldogs a 38-37 lead.

M.J. Randolph scored 21 points with nine rebounds for the Rattlers. D.J. Jones added 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting, and Kamron Reaves and Bryce Moragne had 14 each.

The Bulldogs opened their season without Anthony Edwards, recently made the NBA's No. 1 overall draft pick, and were slated for 13th in the media's Southeastern Conference preseason rankings. They were scheduled to open the season last Wednesday but their opponent, Columbus State, had COVID-19 issues within its traveling party. FAMU was a replacement for Gardner-Webb after the latter player test positive.

--

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Covid: Fauci warns of 'surge in cases' post Thanksgiving

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New on Sports Illustrated: Washington finally set to open vs. No. 2 Baylor

The Washington Huskies opened last season with a 67-64 victory against then-No. 16 Baylor in the Armed Forces Classic at Anchorage, Alaska.

This year's opener on Sunday, vs. the same opponent, will be a bit different.

The Huskies, minus two NBA first-round draft picks Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels, will again open against the Bears, although this time Baylor is ranked No. 2 and the game will be in Las Vegas.

Washington, who won the Pac-12 Conference regular-season title in 2018-19, didn't parlay their victory against Baylor into a winning campaign in 2019-20. They finished 15-17 overall and last in the league at 5-13.

"Last year we had so many new guys in new positions and we had these young superstars (Stewart and McDaniels)," Huskies coach Mike Hopkins said. "This year we've got some proven players with a lot of mileage under their belt, and that experience, especially at the guard position, will hopefully pay dividends."

Quade Green is back after missing half of last season due to academic ineligibility. The Huskies are hopeful transfers Erik Stevenson (Wichita State), Cole Bajema (Michigan), J'Raan Brooks (Southern California) and Nate Pryor (junior college) can make an impact.

Nahziah Carter, who averaged 12.2 points last season, was suspended in October for violating the athletic department's code of conduct.

"Obviously, you're talking about a guy who is an all-league-caliber player, fourth-year player. Really started to thrive in moments last year," Hopkins said. "Hopefully he can come back. If not, it would be a huge loss for us."

The Bears, who were originally scheduled to start the season last Wednesday against No. 18 Arizona State and then play No. 3 Villanova or Boston College on Thanksgiving Day at the Empire Classic in Connecticut, had those games wiped out because of coronavirus concerns and instead boarded a flight to Las Vegas on Thursday night.

They opened their season Saturday with a 112-82 victory against Louisiana as MaCio Teague had 21 points, leading five Bears in double-digit scoring. Teague also tied for the team high with seven rebounds.

"It's been extremely chaotic, kind of a day-by-day basis," preseason All-America guard Jared Butler said. "We've just been trying to find games to play."

Bears coach Scott Drew didn't make the trip after testing positive for COVID-19.

While isolated at home, Drew helped set up the game plan to face the Ragin' Cajuns.

"The worst thing in the world you can do is give Scott time and isolate him (where you) can't distract him, and he's got a phone and a computer," said Bears associate coach Jerome Tang, who is filling in for Drew on the bench. "His brain is just going."

The Bears are also without senior forward Tristan Clark, who announced recently he decided to retire.

Clark was leading the nation in field-goal shooting as a sophomore (73.7 percent) when he sustained a serious knee injury. He was limited to 22 games last season and averaged just four points.

"I pushed and challenged myself because I love basketball and I love playing. And I just kept going because I just wanted to keep playing," Clark said. "But it just comes a time where you have to think about the future and just your mental state."

--Field Level Media

New on Sports Illustrated: No. 25 North Carolina takes aim at No. 2 Notre Dame

A week off might have been good for No. 2 Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish must return to action ready for more challenges.

"There are still some things out there for us that we need to get better," coach Brian Kelly said. "Get ready for this stretch drive because it's going to be a tough one. A lot work left for this football team."

A matchup with No. 25 North Carolina comes next for Notre Dame on Friday at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.

"We definitely understand this is a big opportunity for our team and it's a tremendous challenge against a team like Notre Dame," North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell said. "We know the impact a win like this can have on a program. It's definitely a game we want to win and we're going to put in all the work."

With three games remaining, Notre Dame (8-0, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) still has work to do to qualify for the ACC championship game. Clemson and Miami, both with one loss, are in the mix, while North Carolina (6-2, 6-2) can stay in contention by defeating the Irish.

Notre Dame and North Carolina have similar firepower, though that's often produced in varying fashions.

In its most recent game, North Carolina wiped out a 21-point second-half hole to overcome visiting Wake Forest 59-53 on Nov. 14. Later that day, Notre Dame followed its conquering of then-No. 1 Clemson by winning 45-31 at Boston College.

Howell posted a school-record 550 passing yards against Wake Forest.

"If you look at them, certainly the first thing is the big-chunk plays," Kelly said. "... Eliminating the big-chunk plays, making them earn it down the field, I think is job (No.) 1. They have schemes for everything. We have to do a good job of keeping them to minimum gains. They're going to move the ball."

Kelly said the Irish continue to evolve at the cornerback position, which includes true freshman Clarence Lewis on one side. In order to keep the Tar Heels in check, controlling the line of scrimmage will be important.

"We still have to work a rotation to get a pass rush," Kelly said.

Notre Dame limits opponents to an ACC-best 85.1 rushing yards per game. North Carolina running backs Javonte Williams (108.5) and Michael Carter (100.9) both average more than that on the ground individually. Williams has a league-high 18 touchdowns, 15 coming on the ground.

Howell tops the ACC with 338 yards per game of total offense and 23 touchdown passes.

"We definitely have a lot of confidence that we can score as many points as it takes to win," Howell said. "We are going to have a really good plan."

Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book has thrown for 11 touchdowns with one interception. Irish running back Kyren Williams has posted 97.1 rushing yards per game.

North Carolina has given up some large point totals. The Tar Heels could have some new looks this week.

"We're also throwing in some wrinkles in practice to make sure we're on top of everything," linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel said. "Notre Dame likes to attack your weaknesses, and we've seen that on tape throughout the year."

Notre Dame will have adjustments to make on the offensive line.

Four-year starting right guard Tommy Kraemer underwent an appendectomy and will miss the North Carolina game, according to reports out of South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame is already without center Jarrett Patterson because of a broken foot.

This is North Carolina's final ACC home game, though the Tar Heels will attempt to play a nonleague home game next week against Western Carolina.

That game, which was added to the schedule after the Tar Heels' attempts to play nonconference contests in September were derailed, was pushed up from Dec. 11 to Dec. 5 amid numerous rescheduled ACC games.

The Tar Heels play at Miami on Dec. 12.

--Field Level Media

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Serbia and Montenegro expel respective ambassadors

The two nations have expelled each other's envoys over a historical dispute dating back a century.

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Viewpoint: How Ethiopia is undermining the African Union

The country has rebuffed African efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the Tigray conflict.

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Serbia coronavirus: The Church losing its leaders to the pandemic

Few organisations have taken a bigger hit from coronavirus than the Serbian Orthodox Church

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In pictures: Hurricanes leave Hondurans homeless and destitute

Hurricanes Eta and Iota left more than 150,000 people in Honduras homeless and many lost everything.

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The battle to save a biodiversity hotspot in India

Environmentalists in India's Goa state are fighting projects they say will turn it into a coal hub.

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Khachaturyan sisters: A murder trial that shocked Russia

The case of the three Khachaturyan sisters accused of killing their father sent shockwaves through Russia.

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Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: What does it mean for the east Africa region?

BBC correspondents across the east Africa region explain the impact for Ethiopia and its neighbours.

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Conjoined twins: 'We always knew we were different'

They made headlines when surgeons separated them - now Sanchia and Eman Mowatt are at university.

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Afghanistan, home to the heroin trade, moves into meth

A new report warns Afghanistan is becoming a major methamphetamine producer, leaving addicts in its wake.

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Why Bhutan's Sakteng wildlife sanctuary is disputed by China

Tiny Bhutan is feeling the squeeze as its giant neighbours China and India vie for territory.

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New on Sports Illustrated: Report: Broncos to Face Saints Without Any Quarterbacks Available

Broncos quarterback Jeff Driskel tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, while the rest of the quarterbacks have been deemed high-risk close contacts.

The Broncos will not be forfeiting their game against the Saints after all of their quarterbacks were

deemed high-risk close contacts with a player who had tested positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The trouble began on Thursday when Jeff Driskel tested positive. Drew Lock, Brett Rypien and Blake Bortles all came into contact with Driskel and were not wearing masks, per Schefter. They were ruled out on Saturday for Sunday's game.

Rookie wide receiver Kendall Hinton is expected to play "plenty of quarterback" on Sunday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Hinton has not appeared in a game yet this season, though he spent most of his college career at Wake Forest playing quarterback. In four seasons, he completed 53.0% of his pass attempts for 1,504 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions before switching to receiver as a senior.

Running back Royce Freeman held the title of Denver's emergency quarterback, according to Ryan O'Halloran of The Denver Post. Freeman was the team's emergency quarterback in Week 2 when Lock was injured. Freeman has never attempted a pass in an NFL game, though he did complete his only collegiate pass attempt as a freshman in 2014 for a 26-yard touchdown.

On the season, Freeman has 79 rushing yards on 22 attempts, with nine receptions for 73 yards. As a team, Denver ranks last in the league in passer rating (69.0), interceptions (17) and completion rate (56.7%).

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New on Sports Illustrated: Odom leads Xavier over Bradley on late basket

CINCINNATI (AP) Dwon Odom made a layup with 3.8 seconds remaining to lift Xavier to a 51-50 win over Bradley on Thursday.

Zach Freemantle posted 19 points and Paul Scruggs had 17 points for Xavier (2-0). Odom was just 2 of 10 from the field and finished with four points.

Elijah Childs had 17 points for the Braves (1-1). Ville Tahvanainen added 11 points.

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For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25

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New on Sports Illustrated: Childs leads Bradley over Oakland 74-60

CINCINNATI (AP) Elijah Childs had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Bradley to a 74-60 win over Oakland on Friday.

Darius Hannah had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Braves (2-1). Sean East II added 10 points. Childs also had a career-high six assists.

Jalen Moore had 17 points, seven steals and five assists for the Golden Grizzlies (0-3). Blake Lampman added 11 points. Micah Parrish had 10 points and eight rebounds.

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For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25

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New on Sports Illustrated: Kinsey scores 17 to lead Marshall past Arkansas St. 70-56

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) Taevion Kinsey registered 17 points as Marshall beat Arkansas State 70-56 in the season opener on Friday.

Darius George had 15 points for Marshall. Jarrod West had five steals and is two short of breaking Skip Henderson's school record of 208.

Marquis Eaton had 13 points for the Red Wolves and Caleb Fields added.

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‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Review: I Remember Mamaw

By A.O. Scott from NYT Movies https://ift.tt/2UTO9q5

Maradona: Funeral worker apologises over coffin photos

The Argentine funeral worker took photos next to the open casket of football legend Diego Maradona.

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Swiss vote on making firms liable for rights abuse

Many in government and business are wary, but campaigners say politicians are out of touch.

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Climate change: The woman watching the ice melt from under her feet

For thousands of years Inupaiq people have relied on the land in Alaska but now climate change is threatening their entire way of life.

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Losing Cinema Park: Tears over demolition of Kabul's iconic cinema

Why the demolition of a 70-year old cinema hall in Kabul went viral in Afghanistan.

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Jane Fonda: 'It's much harder to be young than it is old'

As an 82-year-old Jane Fonda is still protesting - this time about climate change - and getting arrested.

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New on Sports Illustrated: Penn St. starts Jim Ferry era against Virginia Military Institute

Penn State has had to deal with the coronavirus pandemic in addition to another problem entering its season opener against the Virginia Military Institute in State College, Pa., on Saturday.

The Nittany Lions will play their first game under interim coach Jim Ferry after Pat Chambers resigned last month after former Penn State guard Rasir Bolton claimed Chambers said Bolton, who is Black, had a "noose" around his neck. Chambers, who is white, tweeted an apology.

"We've all been working together, so there really hasn't been that much change," Ferry told the Centre Daily Times. "We had one of the best seasons in the history of the school last year, so I don't think we're looking to change much."

The Nittany Lions' initial season opener against Drexel this past Wednesday was postponed because of coronavirus.

It's no surprise that Ferry, who spent the previous three seasons as one of Chambers' assistants, wants to maintain the status quo at Penn State. The Nittany Lions went 21-10 last season and peaked at No. 9 in the AP Top 25 before going 1-5 over their last six games.

Despite that finish, Penn State returns three of its top five scorers from last season -- Myreon Jones (13.3 points per game), Myles Dread (8.6) and Izaiah Brockington (8.1), who are all junior guards.

Meanwhile, the Virginia Military Institute is trying to build on its victory on Wednesday, when Ta'Vonne Bond led six Keydets in double figures with a career-high 15 points as VMI rolled over St. Andrews -- an NAIA school from North Carolina -- 90-63 in its season opener.

Saturday's game will be a homecoming for Keydets coach Dan Earl, a two-time All-Big Ten selection at Penn State and former assistant coach for the Nittany Lions from 2006-11. Earl, who is 45-111 in five-plus seasons with the Keydets, is looking forward to returning to his alma mater.

"It will be fun getting back to Happy Valley on Saturday," said Earl, whose Southern Conference team went 9-24 last season. "I'm a proud Penn State alum, and it will be good to play up there. I think our guys are excited. It's fun to play any game at this point with all the precautions we are taking. I haven't watched much film on them, and I will start doing that now. Obviously, they are a Big Ten team and have a decent amount of returners back and they play physical, so we are going to have to be even tougher defensively and on the boards up there, but we'll expect to go at them."

Ferry, who is 210-246 as a Division 1 head coach, said he doesn't plan to change much despite having up-tempo teams during his stints at Duquesne and LIU-Brooklyn.

"I think, if anything, you might see a little change and the possibility to go a little bit smaller," Ferry said. "You know, even before LIU, my teams have always played at a high pace, at a high rate. We've always played unselfishly and shared the basketball, which I think we've done here very much as well."

The Nittany Lions defeated the Keydets, 62-50, in the teams' previous meeting, which opened the 2015-16 season.

--Field Level Media

New on Sports Illustrated: Pitt looks to bounce back vs. Drexel

Pittsburgh began its season in a dismal manner and will look for a sharp turnaround when it hosts Drexel in Saturday's nonconference affair.

The Panthers are hoping to make strides in Jeff Capel's third season as coach but signs of improvement were limited during a hapless. 80-70 home loss to Saint Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh (0-1) shot just 39.7 percent from the field -- including 6 of 24 3-point attempts -- and committed 23 turnovers.

"We have to understand we're not as good as we thought we were," Capel said. "That's one of the main things. It's hard for young guys to understand that when we're just against each other. There's a feeling we had that we're really good. We have a chance to be good, but we have to understand that all of these things are required to have a chance to be good.

"If you don't have energy, it's not going to happen. If you don't value the basketball, it's not going to happen. I don't care what your talent is -- it's not going to happen. That's where we have to learn."

Junior guard Au'Diese Toney scored a team-best 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Toney made 4 of 6 3-point attempts while notching his fourth career 20-point outing.

Pittsburgh scored the game's first two points and never led again. Saint Francis (1-0) led by double digits most of the contest.

"One lesson I could take away is that you got to bring it every single night," freshman swingman William Jeffress said after scoring seven points in 20 minutes off the bench. "Everybody's beatable and if you don't come out with energy and you don't come out the gates right away, it's hard to come from behind. We were kind of flat and our intensity dropped as St Francis started to pull away."

Drexel is opening its season after its scheduled Wednesday opener at Penn State was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.

It wasn't divulged which school needed to pull out but two days prior to the contest, Dragons coach Zach Spiker said none of his players had tested positive for COVID-19.

Drexel figures to provide some tough matchups for the Panthers, as senior forward James Butler and point guard Camren Wynter were first-team preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association choices.

Butler averaged 13.2 points and a team-leading 11.7 rebounds per game last season, when he had 20 double-doubles.

Wynter led the Dragons in scoring (15.7) and assists (5.1). The junior also was the team leader in steals (54) and 3-pointers (44).

Spiker said the coronavirus pandemic proved to be a formidable obstacle when preparing for the season.

"It's been more challenging for our freshmen to pick up things and come along because we didn't have summer or fall workouts," Spiker said. "It's been a time crunch, but there's been a time crunch for everyone, so we're not complaining."

Drexel was just 1-13 in road games last season while compiling a 14-19 overall mark.

--Field Level Media

New on Sports Illustrated: Morsell, Ayala, lead hot-shooting Maryland over Navy 82-52

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) Darryl Morsell and Eric Ayala each scored 15 points and Maryland pulled away in the second half in an 82-52 rout of Navy on Friday.

Aaron Wiggins added 14 points and a career-best six assists for Maryland (2-0), including a dish to Galin Smith for an emphatic dunk, part of a 23-11 run to open the second half. Wiggins capped the stretch scoring eight straight points and the Terrapins led 55-36 with 10 minutes left.

It was Maryland's 12th straight win over Navy dating to 1970, and the first played in College Park, Maryland since 1983.

Smith finished with 12 points and Hakim Hart had a career-high 11 for the Terrapins, who shot 68% from the floor including 8 of 15 from 3-point range. Morsell and Smith were each 6-of-6 shooting from the floor. Ayala and Wiggins made three 3-pointers apiece.

Cam Davis scored 10 points to lead Navy (1-1). Davis is 17 points shy of a career 1,000.

The Terps hold a 32-27 advantage in the series that started in the 1924-25 season.

INCOMING FRESHMAN

Maryland coach Mark Turgeon announced Friday that James Graham III, a 6-8 guard/forward from Milwaukee, will graduate Nicolet High School early and join the program later this season. As a junior last year, he averaged 20.3 points and 6.6 rebounds while leading the team to a 22-2 record.

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New on Sports Illustrated: Mason leads Abilene Christian over Austin Peay 80-72

ESTERO, Fla. (AP) Coryon Mason registered 14 points as Abilene Christian topped Austin Peay 80-72 on Friday in the Gulf Coast Showcase.

Joe Pleasant added12 points for the Wildcats (2-0) and Reggie Miller and Kolton Kohl had 10 points each.

Terry Taylor had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Governors (2-1). Jordyn Adams added 14 points and Mike Peake had 12.

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For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25

---

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New on Sports Illustrated: Grimes scores 25 points, No. 17 Houston beats Boise State

HOUSTON (AP) Quentin Grimes had 25 points and eight rebounds, Caleb Mills added 12 points and No. 17 Houston beat Boise State 68-58 on Friday in the Southwest Showcase.

Grimes was 9 of 15 from the floor after scoring eight points on 3-of-15 shooting in an opening victory over Lamar on Wednesday. Grimes scored 17 first-half points to lead Houston to a 34-19 advantage.

Marcus Sasser had 10 points for Houston. The Cougars shot 41%, outrebounded Boise State 49-26, and had a 15-2 advantage in second-chance points.

Rayj Dennis scored 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting to lead the Broncos in their opener. Marcus Shaver Jr. added 16 points and seven rebounds, and Mladen Armus had 11 points and six rebounds.

Mountain West preseason player of the year Derrick Alston Jr. was scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting. Boise State shot 41%, going 1 of 16 on 3-pointers. The Broncos were 15 of 26 from the free throw line.

Houston used a 21-5 run to open up a 32-14 lead with five minutes remaining in the first half. Grimes scored 15 points in the run, including the final 10.

After the Cougars pushed the lead to 20 with 9 1/2 minutes remaining in the second half, the Broncos used a 18-5 spurt to cut it to 57-50 with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

BIG PICTURE

Boise State: The Broncos struggled early, shooting 29% and hitting 1 of 8 on 3-pointers in the first half. Boise State, which was picked to finish second in the Mountain West, was able to score down low, finishing with 38 points in the paint and got out on in transition, scoring 21 fast-break points.

Houston: The Cougars had five players grab at least five rebounds, led by J'Wan Roberts, who had 13 rebounds. Houston had trouble with turnovers, committing 17, and also ran into foul trouble, with seven players committing at least three fouls. The Cougars were 15 of 17 on free throws.

UP NEXT

Boise State: Plays Sam Houston State in Fort Worth on Sunday as part of the Southwest Showcase.

Houston: Faces No. 14 Texas Tech in Fort Worth on Sunday as part of the Southwest Showcase.

New on Sports Illustrated: Seton Hall gets underway at Louisville

The Seton Hall Pirates, who were a late addition to Louisville's bubble of games that is being dubbed the Wade Houston Tipoff Classic, open their season Friday afternoon facing a Cardinals team that beat Evansville in the event Wednesday.

Seton Hall was added Oct. 29, which allowed coach Kevin Willard to return to part of his roots. Willard coached with the Cardinals under Rick Pitino from 2001 to 2007. Also, his dad, Ralph Willard, a head coach at Western Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Holy Cross, served as the associate head coach under Pitino at Louisville in the 2009-10 season.

"I have great respect for Kevin Willard and the job he's done," said Louisville coach Chris Mack, who spent nine years competing against Seton Hall in the Big East at Xavier. "His teams have always played with a toughness and a resilience."

Before COVID-19 canceled the NCAA tournament last season, Seton Hall believed it could have made a run to the Final Four behind All-American guard Myles Powell. The Pirates were 21-9 and ranked 15th in the country after finishing tied for first in the Big East with a 13-5 record.

In limited opportunities last year playing behind Powell, who is now with the New York Knicks, former walk-on Shavar Reynolds averaged 4.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting 43 percent from the field and 48 percent from 3-point range.

Willard will count on Reynolds to set up backcourt mates Bryce Aiken and Takal Molson, first-team All-Big East selection Sandro Mamukelashvili, wings Jared Rhoden and Myles Cale, and 7-foot-2 center Ike Obiagu.

"With Shavar maybe not chasing Myles around all practice, he's a senior who understands that he has a great opportunity and he really put a lot of great work in when maybe some other guys weren't during the quarantine or house arrest, whatever you want to call it," Kevin Willard said, alluding to Seton Hall pausing activities Nov. 11 because of a positive COVID-19 test among its players.

In Louisville's opening 79-44 rout of Evansville, Radford graduate transfer guard Carlik Jones had a productive debut, producing team highs of 18 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Sophomore guard Samuell Williamson had career-best totals of 17 points and five assists, while matching his career high with six rebounds.

--Field Level Media

Midnight Ruling Exposes Rifts at a Supreme Court Transformed by Trump

By Adam Liptak from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2V6d7Tk

US election results: Why the most accurate bellwether counties were wrong

Of the 19 places in the US that usually correctly pick the president, only one got it right this time.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2HJdlwE

Singapore: Jolovan Wham charged for holding up a smiley face sign

Activist Jolovan Wham faces large fines for violating public order in Singapore.

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Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: Fears of a march into guerrilla warfare

The government is hoping for a quick victory in Tigray but it may not be that simple.

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PG Wodehouse: Why India still holds a flame for the English author

The Jeeves and Wooster creator was the most English of novelists so why does he have fans in India?

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/36855Q0

New on Sports Illustrated: Newcastle United-Crystal Palace Preview

Crystal Palace will be again without Wilfried Zaha as they take on Newcastle United on Friday, while Steve Bruce has confirmed several members of his squad are self-isolating.

Zaha, who has scored five Premier League goals already this term, tested positive for coronavirus following his return from international duty with Ivory Coast, and the forward subsequently sat out Palace's defeat to Burnley on Monday.

Hodgson has confirmed Zaha's isolation period is still ongoing, meaning the Eagles will be shorn of their star man when they host Newcastle at Selhurst Park.

"He's still got to serve out the period of isolation. That will take him I think to Saturday when he'll be tested again and we're hoping that will come back negative. He's been feeling okay, which is often the case when people test positive," Hodgson said.

"He's a very important player. It's always the case whenever you have a player who's hit the headlines for his club in the way Wilf has done for us and lots of other players you could name for other clubs in the same category, it's normal when the team plays without that player and don't get a result, everything focuses around the man who's missing.

"Of course you miss those players but you miss them playing their best football and you can't guarantee they'd be playing their best football ... We tend to endow the player who's not playing with incredible quality. But we did miss him of course and always will miss him when he's not playing because he's such a good player."

Hodgson's counterpart Bruce, meanwhile, confirmed: "Two or three individuals are self-isolating."

However, Bruce will be able to call on leading scorer Callum Wilson, who has recovered from an injury which saw him miss the defeat to Chelsea.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Crystal Palace - Andros Townsend

Townsend enjoyed an impressive, albeit short-lived, spell with Newcastle and, in the absence of Zaha, will be tasked with providing the creativity for Palace. The winger did just that against Burnley, crafting three chances and having three attempts, though only one was on target.

Newcastle United - Karl Darlow

Darlow has made more saves than any other Premier League keeper this season (41), while only Chelsea's Edouard Mendy (87.5 per cent) has a better save percentage than Darlow (72.2 per cent).

KEY OPTA FACTS

- Palace have won two of their last three Premier League meetings with Newcastle (L1), as many as they had in their first 15 games against them in the competition (W2 D5 L8).

- After winning their first four Premier League away games against Palace between 1994-2013, Newcastle are winless in their last five top-flight visits to Selhurst Park against them since (D3 L2).

- There have been just seven goals scored in the last seven Premier League meetings between Palace (three goals) and Newcastle (four), with neither side netting more than once in a match since the Eagles' 5-1 win in November 2015.

- Newcastle have lost their last two Premier League games by a 0-2 scoreline. They have not lost three in a row without scoring in the competition since January 2016.

- Bruce's side have had fewer shots (71) and fewer shots on target (21) than any other side in the Premier League so far this season. However, the Magpies have scored with a higher percentage of their shots on target than any other Premier League side this term (48 per cent - 10/21).

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Pope Francis: A Crisis Reveals What Is in Our Hearts

By Pope Francis from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/367rVaA

Can a ninja’s life teach us about staying safe in a pandemic?

Genichi is the first student from a Japanese university with a master’s degree in ninja studies.

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Searching 80,000 miles for the American dream

Photographer Ian Brown travelled around the US in search of people's American dreams.

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'This is War': Poland’s battle for abortion

People have taken to the streets as the government attempts to ban nearly all abortions.

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New on Sports Illustrated: No. 1 South Carolina Surges to 81-Point Win Over Charleston in Opener

The top-ranked Gamecocks secured their second-largest margin of victory in program history.

The start of college basketball season also means the return of blowouts, and No. 1 South Carolina wasted no time before dismantling its first opponent.

The Gamecocks routed College of Charleston, 119-38, Wednesday night, to secure their second-largest win in program history, according to The State. The 81-point victory is tied for the

fourth-greatest scoring margin in all of Division I women's basketball over the past five seasons.

The Gamecocks scored more points and field goals and grabbed more rebounds than they have in head coach Dawn Staley’s 12-plus seasons with the program. Every player scored, and four recorded double-doubles. 

The 119 points are tied for third most scored in a single game in program history. The victory also extends the team’s program-record winning streak to 27 games. 

South Carolina ended last season with the most Top 25 wins, the longest active winning streak and was ranked No. 1 longer than any other team.

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Coronavirus pandemic: Germany seeks EU deal to close ski resorts

Germany and Italy want slopes closed until January, but the EU is yet to reach an agreement.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3pYQLBo

Black Friday: Why bots will beat you to in-demand gifts

Black Friday and Christmas shopping are here - but it may be harder than ever to snag what you want.

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Why France may ban discrimination against accents

A French MP wants to push back against the traditional Parisian disdain for regional voices.

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Chile's Mapuche indigenous group fights for rights

The Mapuche make up 12% of Chile's population but are not recognised in the country's constitution.

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Tigray crisis: How the Ethiopian army and TPLF clashed over an airport

With communications largely cut to the Tigray region, both sides in the conflict are trying to control the narrative.

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Covid: US doctor's video simulates what dying patient sees

This doctor made a video simulating what a dying Covid patient sees - to urge people to wear masks.

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Trump Pardons Michael Flynn, Ending Case His Justice Dept. Sought to Shut Down

By Charlie Savage from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/365ZDNR

After Admitting Mistake, AstraZeneca Faces Difficult Questions About Its Vaccine

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Coronavirus and gender: More chores for women set back gains in equality

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Belarus: The woman sacrificing everything for her country’s freedom

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Tributes pour in for football great Maradona

Three days of mourning begin in Argentina as tributes pour in for Diego Maradona, one of the greatest footballers of all time, who died on Wednesday.

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Yemen: Growing up in a war-torn country

Yemen is labelled the "the world's worst humanitarian crisis" and 60% of its population is under 25.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/39cTpO1

'Michael Flynn's loyalty to Trump has paid off' - Omarosa Manigault Newman

Former Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman reacts to the ex-national security adviser's pardon.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2V286Lp

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New on Sports Illustrated: Xavier worries about defense ahead of Oakland opener

Xavier shouldn't have much trouble scoring this season. Stopping its opponents from doing the same could be another issue.

The Musketeers will see what they have when they host Oakland in Cincinnati to open the season Wednesday.

"Our guys know what's at stake," said Xavier coach Travis Steele. "They know how fragile this is."

That fragility includes the thing every other program is facing -- the COVID-19 pandemic -- but the Musketeers are trying to stay focused on the court. Xavier, coming off a 19-13 season, is picked to finish seventh in the Big East.

Senior guard Paul Scruggs is the top returning scorer (12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists per game) from a squad that averaged 70.7 points and shot 43.6 percent from the field.

Zach Freemantle (7.5 ppg) and Jason Carter (6.9 ppg) also return for a team Steele believes should score more than it did last season. However, he's uncertain if his Musketeers will be as stout defensively as last season when they allowed an average of 67.6 points (fourth in the Big East) and 40.8 percent shooting.

"We're going be able to score this year," Steele said.

"We've got a lot of shooting, a lot of firepower. But we've got to be good on (the defensive end). We cannot let our defense slip and just become a good offensive team. We've got to be able to rely on our defense to be competitive night in and night out in the Big East."

Xavier won't have to worry about the Big East for a while. Instead, the focus is improving to 5-0 all-time against Oakland. Scruggs had 10 points with five rebounds, four assists and three steals during the Musketeers' 73-63 home win over the Grizzlies in December 2018.

Oakland, which finished 14-19 last season, is picked to finish sixth in the Horizon League as voted on by the conference's coaches and media. However, the Grizzlies do boast one of the league's top players in Rashad Williams, who averaged 19.5 points in 15 games after he was cleared to play in January, following a transfer from Cleveland State.

"Me jumping in the middle of the season last year, not knowing if I was going to be cleared to play or not, it put a toll on my mental health," Williams told The Oakland Post.

"Coach (Greg Kampe) and my teammates, they gave me confidence to do what I needed to make sure I was confident."

Oakland, which is hoping to find more consistent offense after scoring just 67.8 points per contest and shooting a dismal 29.6 percent from 3-point range in 2019-20, has dropped its last 11 games against Big East opponents. That 2018 contest against Xavier was its most recent Big East foe.

--Field Level Media

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New on Sports Illustrated: Optimism abounds for No. 17 Houston before opener vs. Lamar

For the first time in 37 years, the Houston Cougars will open a season ranked among the Top 25 in the AP preseason poll, perhaps the clearest indication of their ascent under veteran coach Kelvin Sampson.

The 17th-ranked Cougars (23-8, 13-5 American Athletic Conference last season) have won 20-plus games in each of the past five seasons and have been ranked a total of 30 weeks during the past three seasons with three Top 25 finishes. Houston will open this campaign Wednesday hosting Lamar at the Fertitta Center as a fixture in the polls while seeking to maintain program momentum.

With four returning starters and seven lettermen -- including standout sophomore guard Caleb Mills, the league's preseason Player of the Year -- back in the fold, Sampson has the talent to advance the program an additional step. But like others, the Cougars had their share of interruptions during the summer months while preparing for this season, and Sampson has taken efforts to make sure that his players manage the best they can in unprecedented times.

"It was unusual, to say the least, but we were no different than anybody else," Sampson said. "You just kind of deal with it.

"That's the new norm. To say that it's unfair, it's what it is. It's just the way the country is. You adjust to what you have and the situations you have. That's what we're doing."

Lamar (17-15, 10-10 Southland last season), like most programs nationwide, is approaching the 2020-21 campaign with a mix of enthusiasm and trepidation. Having witnessed the postponements and cancellations experienced by college football certainly gives basketball programs reason for concern. Still, the opportunity to play games in the aftermath of last season's hasty adjournment is cause for celebration.

"I would say there is added excitement for this year just because of all the question marks that surrounded COVID," Lamar coach Tic Price said. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think that when we left the conference tournament last season because of the virus that we would still be dealing with it so many months later."

Ten of the Cardinals' 26 scheduled games are set to be played at the Montagne Center in Beaumont, with seven of their first eight on the road. Following the opener at Houston, Lamar will play four more road games prior to their home opener against Southern Mississippi on Dec. 15.

That represents a challenging start for any program. Opening the slate against the nationally ranked Cougars will offer a stiff test right out of the gate for the Cardinals.

"There is an old cliche in sports: us against the world. And that's the attitude we're going to have to take on this year," Price said. "We're going to have to be road warriors this season and have the mental toughness that goes along with that description. Obviously, we have to stay healthy, but I also believe the team that is the most disciplined off the court and can avoid some of the pitfalls that can occur during this time with COVID has a real chance of success."

--Field Level Media

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New on Sports Illustrated: No. 25 Michigan to debut two new guards vs. Bowling Green

A pair of accomplished transfers provide the University of Michigan with a wealth of experience on an already seasoned roster.

Guards Mike Smith and Chaundee Brown Jr. will debut for the Wolverines against Bowling Green in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday.

A grad transfer from Columbia, Smith led the Ivy League and ranked sixth nationally last season in scoring at 22.8 points per game. Smith, who also averaged 4.5 assists, is expected to take over point guard duties from Zavier Simpson, who completed his eligibility last season.

Brown, a Wake Forest transfer who started 74 games the past three seasons, averaged 12.1 points and 6.5 rebounds last season.

"He's only been here a short amount of time and his teammates are already looking forward to playing with him," coach Juwan Howard said of Brown. "He's got a chance to be pretty special. He's played three years in the ACC, a very competitive Power 5 conference. Shooting is one of his strengths but his level of competitiveness, that would be his biggest strength."

Plenty of other familiar faces dot the roster for Michigan, ranked 25th entering the season after a 19-12 record last season. Forward Isaiah Livers and combo guard Franz Wagner could compete for All-Big Ten honors.

Livers, a senior, missed 10 games last season due to groin and ankle injuries. When healthy, he was productive, tying for the team lead at 12.9 points per game while making 40.2 percent of his 3-pointers.

Wagner made the conference's All-Freshman Team by averaging 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds.

"He doesn't play like a typical sophomore," Howard said. "He's like a seasoned vet. Franz is a gym rat. He's always here before practice and after practice, getting up shots."

Big men Austin Davis and Brandon Johns Jr. were rotation players last season as well. The Wolverines' backcourt has a returning starter in Eli Brooks, who averaged 10.6 points and ranked second on the team in total assists.

"We have experience on all levels, at all positions," Howard said.

Bowling Green isn't lacking for experience, either. The Falcons, who finished 21-10, are led by senior guard Justin Turner. He averaged 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a junior while being named to the All-Mid-American Conference First Team for the second time.

Turner went through the NBA draft process before returning to Bowling Green prior to last season. He decided in April to come back for his final year.

"It's been nothing but love since I decided to come back," he said to the team's website. "When I decided to come back, there was always one goal in mind -- I want to win the championship."

Swingmen Daeqwon Plowden (12.7 points, 8.2 rebounds) and Trey Diggs (7.3 points) and guard Caleb Fields (6.8 points) are also back after ranking among the team's top-five scorers last season.

"I'm impressed with how talented we are," Turner said.

This will be the first meeting between the schools since 2010.

--Field Level Media

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New on Sports Illustrated: No. 10 Kentucky to debut fresh blood vs. Morehead State

The Kentucky basketball team is used to starting over, and this season is no different as the No. 10 Wildcats open the slate against visiting Morehead State on Wednesday.

Six underclassmen from last season's team entered the NBA draft -- three were selected -- so it again will be a sea of new faces when Kentucky takes the court at Rupp Arena in Lexington.

Sophomore forward Keion Brooks Jr. is the lone returner who was part of the rotation last season. Brooks averaged 15.1 minutes while contributing 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Brooks is now a team leader after the departures of first-round draft choices Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley, second-round selection Nick Richards and the undrafted trio of Ashton Hagans, EJ Montgomery and Nate Sestina. In addition, reserve Johnny Juzang transferred to UCLA.

"It's just a different team, a whole different dynamic," Brooks said. "I can't pinpoint one moment when I really noticed it. It's just, like I said, a different team, a different group of personalities. It takes some adjusting to getting used to.

"I was just accustomed to seeing Ashton, seeing Tyrese, Johnny, all those guys every day. But you know, that's kind of what you signed up for when you came to Kentucky. People aren't going to be here long."

The Wildcats (25-6 last season) have won all 10 meetings with Morehead State, which is located approximately 65 miles east of Lexington.

Kentucky will break in its new highly acclaimed players against the Eagles in the four-team Bluegrass Showcase. Richmond and Detroit Mercy are part of the three-game, round-robin event being played over five days.

Shooting guards Brandon Boston Jr. and Terrence Clarke are considered the best players of the freshman class while point guard Devin Askew also will be an immediate contributor. Big men Isaiah Jackson and Lance Ware and small forward Cam'Ron Fletcher also are slated to make impacts.

Wildcats coach John Calipari also scored well on the transfer market by landing senior center Olivier Sarr (Wake Forest), senior point guard Davion Mintz (Creighton) and sophomore forward Jacob Toppin (Rhode Island).

The 7-foot Sarr averaged 13.7 points and 9.0 rebounds while being a third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference choice last season.

"Olivier is a really skilled player," Ware said. "Olivier can really shoot it, very versatile. Obviously, (Olivier) being an older guy and just his knowledge of the game and his ability to rebound, block shots, it's all there."

Mintz started 79 games at Creighton before missing last season with an ankle injury. Toppin averaged 5.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in his one season with the Rams.

Toppin is the younger brother of Obi Toppin, the eighth overall pick in the NBA draft by the New York Knicks after being the consensus national player of the year last season for Dayton.

Morehead State, which went 13-19 in 2019-20, has experienced four consecutive losing seasons. The Eagles were just 2-14 in road games last season.

Morehead State coach Preston Spradlin knows his club will have its hands full with the Wildcats.

"Kentucky has a great tradition, and they'll have a lot of talented freshmen and transfers once again," Spradlin said. "So it will present a great challenge right away."

Senior forward James Baker Jr. is the Eagles' top returning player and has started 53 games over the past two seasons. He blocked 42 shots last season while averaging 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.

Morehead State hasn't been part of the NCAA Tournament since school legend Kenneth Faried led them to the Big Dance in 2009 and 2011. But being part of Kentucky's season-opening event gives the squad a taste of the big time.

Plus, getting on the court is a feel-good moment in the eyes of Spradlin with the coronavirus pandemic causing so much havoc around the nation.

"We are excited to get the season kicked off in general, especially with all the things that have happened over the last eight months," Spradlin said.

--Field Level Media

New on Sports Illustrated: Louisville, Evansville turn to new leaders for 2020-21 season

Louisville's top returning scorer and rebounder Malik Williams is sidelined for at least 12 weeks as he recovers from offseason surgery on a broken bone in his foot.

A knee sprain is the culprit for transfer guard Charles Minlend's expected five-week absence.

Make no mistake, injury concerns are abundant for Louisville entering Wednesday's season opener against visiting Evansville. At times, coach Chris Mack said, the team has practiced with just six healthy scholarship players, although the sidelines still were packed with plenty of anticipation.

"Some of the injuries that our guys are dealing with have been finicky, to say the least," Mack said. "We have guys that want to be out there. Nobody's sort of sandbagging and holding back."

The Cardinals and Purple Aces are slated to begin play in the Wade Houston Tipoff Classic in a field that looks slightly different from how it was constructed originally.

Evansville, which closed the 2019-20 season on a 19-game losing streak, is a late replacement as the Cardinals' opponent at KFC Yum! Center, where the Cardinals went 17-1 last season. Southern Illinois, the Purple Aces' counterpart in the Missouri Valley Conference, had to pull out of the game due to COVID-19 concerns.

Even before the evolving pandemic prompted the scheduling change, Mack preached to players the importance of remaining flexible amid the unprecedented nature and likely adjustments that await in the season ahead.

"We're not unlike every team in the country when they're dealing with the exact same thing," Mack said. "There's gonna be a feeling out process. We play those first couple games, and they're gonna come fast and furious. We're going to have to make some adjustments and we're gonna have to learn from both good play and bad, figure out how to continue to get better, especially with the younger roster in certain areas."

Louisville lost about 75 percent of its scoring from last season. With Williams and Minlend out, the program is hopeful former reserves such as sophomore guard David Johnson can emerge as reliable options from the outset. Carlik Jones, a graduate transfer from Radford who averaged 20.0 points last season, also figures to get plenty of looks.

The Purple Aces either graduated or lost via transfer their top five scorers from last season. Evan Kuhlman, a 6-foot-8 senior, and Noah Frederking, a 6-4 senior, are the leading returning scorers at 5.8 points a game.

Mack played for Evansville for two seasons before transferring to Xavier following the 1989-90 campaign.

--Field Level Media

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New on Sports Illustrated: Forbes opens new era with Wake Forest vs. Delaware St.

Wake Forest hopes to take the pivotal first steps of its transition period on Wednesday when the Demon Deacons tip off against Delaware State in the Wake Forest Classic in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Former East Tennessee State head coach Steve Forbes was named to the same position with the Demon Deacons in April. Forbes replaced Danny Manning, who guided Wake Forest to a 13-18 overall record and 6-14 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2019-20.

Forbes, 55, hopes his success at the mid-major school translates to the ACC. He posted a 130-43 record in five seasons with the Buccaneers and helped East Tennessee State capture two Southern Conference regular-season titles.

Forbes stresses the importance of playing with intensity on defense, and he plans to use a tried-and-true method of enforcing that to his new charges.

"It's called the bench," he said, per The Times News. "I think Bobby Knight said this a long time ago: When you sit down on the bench (it) sends a signal to your brain that I better do something different. It just takes time. They do understand how important it is to me and how that relates to their playing time."

The transition along the sideline isn't the only one for the Demon Deacons, who lost senior guard Brandon Childress (team-leading 15.6 points, 4.6 assists). It also saw guard Chaundee Brown (12.1 ppg) and 7-foot center Olivier Sarr (club-best 9.0 rebounds) transfer to Michigan and Kentucky, respectively.

Junior forward Isaiah Mucius, who is the top returning scorer from last season at 7.3 points, said he is up to the challenge of taking on an expanded role in 2020-21.

"I've kind of just launched at the opportunity to become a leader on this team," Mucius said. "I'm the one guy on the team with the most ACC experience, so now I'm able to get ready for battles and tell them how the ACC is and how tough the conference is."

Wake Forest will conclude play in the tournament against Longwood on Friday, one day after the Lancers tangle with Delaware State. Alabama State is also part of the four-team event.

Senior guard Pinky Wiley will be looked to step up for Delaware State, which posted a 6-26 overall record (4-12 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) last season.

Wiley, who was named to the Preseason All-MEAC Third Team, finished sixth in the conference in assists (3.1 per game) in 2019-20.

Forward Ameer Bennett (team-leading 5.8 rebounds) and guard Myles Carter (club-best 42.2 percent from 3-point range) also return for a Hornets team that won three of its final five games.

"We've got to overcome adversity. Conditioning, because it's been a long time off and being able to build back per COVID protocols," coach Eric Skeeters said recently. "Guys are working and doing the best they can (to get back)."

--Field Level Media

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Lugano attack: Two hurt in suspected terror incident in Switzerland

A 28-year-old woman is arrested after allegedly stabbing and trying to choke two other women.

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Nagorno-Karabakh: The family that lost everything

Maria and her children were driven from their home in Nagorno-Karabakh due to the ongoing conflict.

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Brexit: Biden says no to hard border in Ireland

US President-elect Joe Biden says closing the border would be "just not right".

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Zahara: Violence against women in South Africa 'a pandemic'

Zahara, a platinum-selling singer in South Africa, talks to the BBC about surviving a violent attack.

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Your Brain Is Not for Thinking

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Janet Yellen, Biden’s Expected Treasury Pick, Has Broken More Than Gender Barriers

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More Republicans Tiptoe Toward Acknowledging Biden’s Victory

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Party at a Queens Sex Club With 80 People Is Shut Down by Sheriff

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Mexico ambush: Arrest over Mormon massacre

Three Mormon women and six of their children were killed in the Sonora desert last year.

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Stephen Ellison: Diplomat who saved drowning woman given banner

The banner, a Chinese gift of gratitude, reads "righteous and courageous, saving people from water".

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Small Gatherings Spread the Virus, but Are They Causing the Surge?

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Covid: King Felipe of Spain in quarantine after contact

King Felipe will stop public activities for 10 days after coming into contact with an infected person.

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A South African village, a murder and a coal mine

Was the brutal shooting of a woman linked to her campaign against an opencast mine?

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New on Sports Illustrated: MLB Rumors: Rays Open to Trading Blake Snell

Stay up to date with all the latest MLB news and rumors ahead of the 2021 season.

Blake Snell has been the face of the Rays in recent years, but Tampa's ace could reportedly be on the move before 2021.

Tampa is "open to the idea of trading Snell," according to MLB.com's

Mark Feinsand. Snell is reportedly not being "actively shopped" but the Rays could benefit from a deal that relieves them of his contract. Snell has three years and $39 million remaining on his deal. 

Snell, 27, won the American League Cy Young in 2018 as he posted a 1.89 ERA. He sports a career 3.24 ERA in 108 starts over the last five seasons, all with the Rays. 

Keep up with all the latest MLB news and rumors below: 

• The Braves are interested in signing starting pitcher Charlie Morton. (Mark Bowman, MLB.com)

• The Cardinals are unlikely to pursue a trade for Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. (Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic)

• Starting pitcher Michael Wacha is "among the most popular starting pitchers in the free-agent market." (Buster Olney, ESPN)

• The Yankees remain the favorites to sign second baseman D.J. LeMahieu. (Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic)

What Biden's new foreign policy team tells us

US foreign policy experts weigh in on what the new slate of top diplomats means for global affairs.

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Afghanistan, home to the heroin trade, moves into meth

A new report warns Afghanistan is becoming a major methamphetamine producer, leaving addicts in its wake.

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Karl Edwards: The 'bronzed Aussie' who knew life was for living

The story behind the plaque: the fast life and freakishly unlucky death of Karl Edwards.

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The Indian bride who wore a pantsuit to her wedding

In a country where marriages are steeped in tradition, Sanjana Rishi's wedding outfit drew criticism.

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Sanna Marin: The feminist PM who says trans people have a 'right to self-identify'

Nearly a year into her job, Finland's PM, Sanna Marin, says it's 'everyone's job to identify themselves'.

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Nagorno-Karabakh: 'It's too painful to sleep'

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Reunited after the Manchester Arena bombing

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New on Sports Illustrated: MAQB: Deshaun Watson Looked Better in Week 11; Joe Brady Deserves Credit for P.J. Walker

Deshaun Watson has put in work to clean up his mechanics lately, and it showed against the Patriots. Plus, dishing out credit for P.J. Walker's first start.

It’s Thanksgiving week. One game tonight, three more on Thursday, let’s go …

• Deshaun Watson looked different on Sunday against New England. Part of it may have been playing a New England pass rush that’s really struggling right now. But there was more to it than that. Watson threw with great anticipation on a first-quarter touchdown toss to Randall Cobb, and he put his accuracy on display on critical downfield throws of 25 and 24 yards to Jordan Akins, and those are just three examples of how his game was tightened up. In general, his mechanics were better, he was being more patient in the pocket and all this is no mistake. Watson’s been spending chunks of Mondays and Tuesdays of late doing extra detail and mechanical work with his throwing coach, Quincy Avery, and it sure looks like it’s showing up now. And this continued growth would qualify as awfully good news for whoever gets to coach Watson next.

• I don’t want what the Panthers’ staff pulled off Sunday to go by without saying something—because P.J. Walker walked into Bank of America Stadium with 15 career passing yards and walked out having completed 70.6% of his throws against the Lions for 258 yards and a touchdown in a 20–0 win. And while Matt Rhule deserves a ton of credit (and maybe even some Coach of the Year mention) for having Carolina this competitive while going through a roster overhaul in the weirdest NFL season in decades, when it comes to Walker’s performance, it’s worth looking down the staff list a little. That’ll get you to offensive coordinator Joe Brady, the 31-year-old phenom whom Rhule plucked from LSU earlier this year. Brady was probably already going to get some head coach looks this January based on the work he’s done with Teddy Bridgewater—on top of what he accomplished last year in Baton Rouge. And what Walker did on short notice will only bolster the case that someone should take a shot on Brady in 2021. The interesting thing about last week? Brady actually prepared Bridgewater, Walker and Will Grier to start, and built wrinkles into the game plan for each of them. Because of that, the truth is, the reps were split up last week, making what Walker and Brady pulled off even more impressive.

• Part of my process on Mondays is to go around and ask people for details or interesting quirks on signature performances on Sunday. Obviously, one of the guys I went hunting on coming out of this Sunday was Chiefs supernova Patrick Mahomes. And one question I asked about his comeback win over the Raiders on Sunday night was this: Was there any more to it than Mahomes just being an alien in general? “That’s basically it,” went one response I got. “He’s just better than everyone else.” That pretty much sums it up.

• You won’t make much money

betting against Joe Burrow, and I’m definitely not going to make the mistake of doing that here. But even if he can make it back in time for the 2021 opener—and while the Bengals are optimistic he’ll be ready for next season, it’s hard for anyone to know definitively until after the surgery is done—he will be losing a lot. The injury will almost certainly wipe out his ability to do competitive field work in the spring, and could well limit him in training camp too. The time between Year 1 and Year 2 is critical for a young quarterback, so that’s nothing to sneeze at. Again, ask me to push my chips in, and I’m pushing them in on Burrow. But he’s going to lose some ground here, and have to make up for it as part of his recovery.

• I forgot to mention in my Colts item in this morning’s MMQB the bizarre penalty circumstance that waylaid the Colts near the end of regulation. On Indy’s last possession of regulation, the officials threw eight flags—six of them on the Colts, and five for holding (from four different players). It cost the Colts three points, having knocked them out of field goal range, and naturally it was the first thing I asked Frank Reich about when we talked on Sunday night. His answer: “I was going crazy. Obviously I didn’t see the calls and I wouldn’t critique the calls even if I had saw them. All I know is we can’t even give the opportunity for those calls to be made. So that’s a combination of coaching it better and playing it better. We all know when you get in a four-minute drive, you don’t give the officials the opportunity to make a call like that. I’d rather have a minus-2 run than a holding penalty. And that’s not just the players. That’s coaches. We’ve got to coach that better. And that starts with me. And we’ve just got to be cleaner right there.” The flip side? The flip side, for Reich, was that his players didn’t get sideways over the calls—which helped them work through the problem and win the game in overtime. “For sure,” Reich continued. “And again, that just goes back to the resiliency and the mental toughness of the team. And the belief in one another. And so, hey, if offensively we had an opportunity to put it away, and we didn’t do it, well the defense has got to do it and the special teams. And that’s what happened.”

The Albert Breer Show is back on its own podcast feed! Subscribe for Albert's insight and info, with guests including the biggest names in football.

• Here’s what Dolphins coach Brian Flores said about benching Tua Tagovailoa, a day after the fact: “He’s the starting quarterback. He knows that. We’ve had that conversation. He’s played well. And I expect him to continue to play well. … He’s a resilient kid, like I’ve said. He’s a talented kid as well, too. I expect him to bounce back. I expect our entire team to bounce back, to be honest with you.” I don’t know why Flores did it. But if I had to guess? I’d say he’s probably holding other players to the same standard and feels like if he takes one off the field for being deficient in any area, he has to handle others the same way. Also, I think there’s a second message to the locker room that I took out of it, that I think is pretty clear: Miami is in the playoff hunt now, and the coaches are going to pull out all the stops.

• We can mark the Bears down now, regardless of who the coach is, as a team in the mix for a big quarterback acquisition (be it through the draft, trade or free agency) when we get past the season. Mitch Trubisky’s had his option declined and been benched. Nick Foles may be on the verge being benched after losing the summer competition for the job. So yeah, right up there with fixing the offensive line will be the task of at least taking a good hard look at every quarterbacking option on the market in 2021.

• A fun sidelight to Sunday’s Patriots–Cardinals game: Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury played for Bill Belichick 17 years ago and, that year, Belichick put Kingsbury on injured reserve and basically turned him into a quality control assistant. Kingsbury’s a son of a coach, like Belichick, and Belichick figured he’d want to get into the business after he was done playing. That 2003 season became like a grad-level course for him in it. We had an item on it last August in the MMQB, and it was pretty clear then how much the now-Cards coach appreciated the experience: “I was in there grinding with the coaches. And that was basically the role that I served in, helping with breakdowns, printing things out, helping offensively any way they could use me under Charlie Weis and some really good coaches.” But after that year? Kingsbury wasn’t positive he really wanted to dive in. “I think at that point, I was like, ‘Hell no, I’m never doing this,’” Kingsbury said, laughing. “But looking back, that was huge as far as what I learned, a crash course from the best organization to ever do it, really. Coach Belichick and Charlie Weis, day-in, day-out, it was like getting a Ph.D. in football.” And now, here he is.

• We’ve mentioned this before: Sometimes getting past the trade deadline can make a difference for players who’ve been shopped. Browns DE Olivier Vernon seems to that kind of case. He was available in October, the Seahawks engaged Cleveland in talks on him before dealing for Carlos Dunlap, and there was some feeling in the Browns’ organization that Vernon was less than engaged throughout that process. There are stats to back it up too. He didn’t have a single sack in September or October. Since November 1? Five sacks in three games.

• One key matchup tonight, without question: The Rams’ pass rush against the Buccaneer offensive line. The formula for beating Tom Brady has always been to get to him with four rushers, and L.A. certainly has the personnel to do it. Should be a fun one.