Preview Page 238 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Top scorers collide when Wisconsin pays visit to Indiana
Nick Boyd's production is helping Wisconsin position itself nicely in the Big Ten standings while Lamar Wilkerson's impressive output has not been enough for Indiana to climb out of the middle of the pack.,Two of the conference's top scorers oppose each other when Boyd and Wisconsin visit Wilkerson ...

No. 10 Michigan State eager to end slide vs. No. 5 Illinois
No. 10 Michigan State is facing real adversity for the first time this season. A matchup against the hottest team in the Big Ten only adds to the Spartans' concerns.,No. 5 Illinois rides a 12-game winning streak into Saturday's clash versus Michigan State at East Lansing, Mich.,Michigan State (19-4,...

Rockets crave greater ‘aggression’ against depleted Thunder
The last time the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Houston Rockets, the teams turned in an epic season opener.,The Thunder ultimately came out ahead 125-124 in double overtime Oct. 21.,The teams meet again Saturday in Oklahoma City.,The Rockets have dropped back-to-back games after winning five of t...

No. 11 Kansas looks for seventh straight win, hosts Utah
Kansas is playing its best basketball of the season and is doing it at just the right time.,Riding a season-best six-game winning streak, the No. 11 Jayhawks will hunt for more Saturday afternoon when they host Utah in Lawrence, Kan.,Kansas (17-5, 7-2 Big 12) solidified its third-place status in the...

Revived Wizards move forward against skidding Nets
The Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets share similar struggles this season, although they will move forward with vastly different strategies.,While the Wizards are banking on the veteran pairing of Trae Young and Anthony Davis to guide them to new heights, the Nets forge ahead with far less star p...

Preparation key for No.7 Iowa State against versatile Baylor
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger doesn't buy the hype that a team flips a switch when February arrives.,With the penultimate month in the regular season already underway, No. 7 Iowa State (20-2, 7-2 Big 12) hosts Baylor (13-9, 3-7) on Saturday in Ames, Iowa.,"I don't believe in any narratives about...

Missouri intends to draw a line in visit to South Carolina
As Missouri battles to make the NCAA Tournament's field of 68, perhaps the most important number it needs to pay attention to is 332.,That is where the Tigers currently sit, out of 361 Division I teams, in free-throw shooting percentage as coach Dennis Gates' team faces South Carolina in Columbia, S...

Georgetown puts Big East win streak on line vs. Villanova
Once one of the premier powerhouses of the Big East Conference, Georgetown has not won five straight league games since 2013.,Saturday in Washington, D.C., the Hoyas (13-10, 5-7) have a chance to accomplish the feat, but it won't be easy as they face Villanova (17-5, 8-3).,The sudden turnaround of G...

NC State looks to keep rolling against Virginia Tech
North Carolina State has been building a solid resume, and the Wolfpack don't want to see that diminished as they navigate a potentially difficult portion of the schedule.,Virginia Tech will arrive looking to boost its stock when the teams meet Saturday afternoon at Raleigh, N.C.,"I think Virginia T...

After a week off, No. 21 Arkansas strives to bounce back vs. Mississippi State
Arkansas coach John Calipari joked in a postgame press conference after a home loss to Kentucky that his team probably could use two weeks off.,But one week will have to suffice before the No. 21 Razorbacks return to Southeastern Conference action on Saturday afternoon against Mississippi State in S...

After 'inconsistent' effort, No. 6 Gonzaga focuses on Oregon State
Gonzaga will strive to bounce back from one of the most stunning outcomes of the season when it battles Oregon State in West Coast Conference play on Saturday at Corvallis, Ore.,The No. 6 Bulldogs had defeated Portland 20 consecutive times overall and had won 26 of the previous 27 road meetings befo...

No. 14 North Carolina set to host No. 4 Duke in storied rivalry
Players for No. 4 Duke understandably can dream big about the possibilities for the remainder of the season.,But in the short term, there are more pressing matters with Saturday evening's date against No. 14 North Carolina in an Atlantic Coast Conference game in Chapel Hill, N.C.,"It's what dreams a...

Confident Fletcher Loyer, No. 12 Purdue take aim at Oregon
Purdue senior guard Fletcher Loyer shook a shooting slump in a big way last weekend.,On Saturday afternoon, his teammates will look to feed off that persistence as the No. 12 Boilermakers face struggling Oregon in West Lafayette, Ind.,Purdue (18-4, 8-3 Big Ten) stopped a three-game losing streak wit...

No. 24 Louisville intent on starting fast vs. Wake Forest
No. 24 Louisville will seek its first three-game winning streak since November when it visits Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon in Atlantic Coast Conference play in Winston-Salem, N.C.,The Cardinals (16-6, 6-4) followed last Saturday's 88-74 victory over SMU with a 76-65 win vs. Notre Dame on Wednes...

No. 18 Virginia rides stingy defense into clash vs. Syracuse
Syracuse will attempt to solve No. 18 Virginia's underrated defense in Saturday afternoon's Atlantic Coast Conference contest in Charlottesville, Va.,Defense was the calling card for the Cavaliers (19-3, 8-2) throughout the Tony Bennett coaching era, but an offense that averages 83.3 points per game...

No. 9 Nebraska looks to rebound vs. reeling Rutgers
For No. 9 Nebraska, a midweek bye in the middle of a difficult Big Ten Conference schedule couldn't have come at a better time.,"We need to get right, get better," Cornhuskers coach Fred Hoiberg said. "It comes at a good time for us to get our guys that have been banged up to get them right.",After ...

Pistons face injury concerns ahead of Knicks' visit
Very little has gone wrong for the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons this season, but things didn't their way leading up to a Friday showdown against the streaking New York Knicks.,The Pistons lost at home to the lowly Washington Wizards 126-117 on Thursday, and now they host the Knicks, wh...

New-look Grizzlies take on slumping Trail Blazers
The revamped Memphis Grizzlies begin play after the trade deadline with two games against the host Portland Trail Blazers, the first on Friday night.,The Grizzlies traded club stalwart Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz in an eight-player deal earlier this week that also netted Memphis three future ...

Ice-cold Kings prepare to host confident Clippers
Two recent Cleveland Cavaliers have a chance to go head-to-head for the first time for new teams nearly 2,500 miles from their old home when the Los Angeles Clippers visit the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.,Dealt from the Cavaliers in separate trades 48 hours apart earlier in the week, Darius Gar...

Timberwolves prep for Pelicans by adding Ayo Dosunmu
Jaden McDaniels can breathe a sigh of relief.,The versatile forward heard his name mentioned in plenty of rumors as the Minnesota Timberwolves explored the idea of adding a star player before the trade deadline.,However, Giannis Antetokounmpo stayed put with the Milwaukee Bucks and McDaniels stayed ...