preview Page 8 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Iowa puts stringent defense up against Chad Baker-Mazara, USC
Southern California will try to close out a successful road swing on Wednesday in Iowa City, when the Trojans face an Iowa team seeking its third straight win.,The Hawkeyes (14-5, 4-4 Big Ten Conference) recovered from a three-game losing streak by prevailing 74-57 at Indiana on Jan. 17, then holdin...

Cavs ready for LeBron James as Lakers look for more road success
Homegrown hero LeBron James will be back in Northeast Ohio on Wednesday for his annual visit with the Los Angeles Lakers, who play the streaking Cleveland Cavaliers.,James spent 11 seasons over two stints with the Cavaliers, leading them to five NBA Finals appearances and their only championship in ...

Dedan Thomas Jr., LSU aim to topple reeling Mississippi State
LSU and Mississippi State are both in the bottom quadrant of the Southeastern Conference standings.,But the Tigers (13-7, 1-6) entertain a glimmer of hope that recently has eluded the Bulldogs (10-10, 2-5) as the teams prepare to meet Wednesday night in Baton Rouge, La.,LSU point guard Dedan Thomas ...

Dan Skillings returns to Cincinnati looking for Baylor win
It'll be a homecoming of sorts when Cincinnati plays hosts to Baylor on Wednesday night in a Big 12 contest featuring a pair of struggling teams.,Former Cincinnati star wing Dan Skillings Jr. returns to the place he called home for the previous three seasons before entering the transfer portal last ...

Flyers try to shake off clunker, hit road again vs. Blue Jackets
The Philadelphia Flyers cobbled together five of a possible six points on a just-concluded three-game road trip before putting forth a flat performance at home in their last outing.,The Flyers will look to get back on track Wednesday night when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets.,"You've got to ha...

Thriving Sabres look to hand Leafs fifth straight loss
The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to salvage the finale of a disappointing five-game homestand Tuesday night against the Buffalo Sabres.,The Maple Leafs fell to 0-3-1 on the homestand with Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche when they averted a shutout on Max Domi's power-play goal at 18:58 o...

Suns adjusting to life without Devin Booker, face lowly Nets
The Phoenix Suns will look to regain their offensive rhythm when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, understanding things change without leading scorer Devin Booker.,Booker's absence stood out in the Suns' 111-102 home loss to Miami on Sunday, when they shot 37% from the field and made only 7 of...

Pistons launch tough road trip with test vs. Nuggets
The slog of an 82-game schedule becomes tough in January, when winter has settled in and injuries add up.,The Detroit Pistons are feeling it as they embark on a three-game road trip Tuesday night at the Denver Nuggets. ,All-Star Cade Cunningham is dealing with a wrist injury that sidelined him for t...

Pierre-Luc Dubois returns to practice as Caps prep for Kraken
The Washington Capitals, trying to surge back into playoff positioning before the Olympic break, had a welcome participant Monday at practice.,Forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, who has missed 42 games since undergoing surgery on Nov. 7 on his abdominal and adductor muscles, was cleared for full contact wit...

Blackhawks ready to bring back Teuvo Teravainen vs. Wild
Connor Bedard is about to get a boost on the Chicago Blackhawks' top scoring line.,Chicago expects to welcome back forward Teuvo Teravainen from injury when the Blackhawks face off against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night in Saint Paul, Minn.,The 31-year-old Teravainen shares fourth on the team w...

Thunder hope to emerge from tough stretch, battle Pelicans
Even though the Oklahoma City Thunder are facing some challenges, with two starters out and several other rotational players injured, Mark Daigneault views it as a positive.,"There's a lot of headwinds in the NBA -- scheduling, injuries, refereeing, shot variance, and everybody deals with it at diff...

Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech plan to 'take a stand'
With both teams coming off decisive losses to ranked foes, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech seek turnarounds when they meet Tuesday in Blacksburg, Va.,Both teams have struggled lately. After starting 12-2, the Hokies (15-6, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) have lost four of their last seven games to dro...

Knicks look to avenge recent loss to lowly Kings
The first time this month the New York Knicks gained some momentum, it vanished with a surprising loss to the Sacramento Kings.,The Knicks will look to avoid repeating history Tuesday night when they host the Kings in the final battle of the season between the nonconference foes.,The Knicks have bee...

UCF feeling whole again, takes on Arizona State
With coach Johnny Dawkins getting another leader back in his lineup, things are looking up as UCF prepares to host Arizona State on Tuesday night in Orlando, Fla.,The Knights (15-4, 4-3 Big 12) recently welcomed back Jamichael Stillwell after he missed the squad's game at then-No. 9 Iowa State, an 8...

NC State's Quadir Copeland gets shot at former club Syracuse
When Syracuse visits North Carolina State on Tuesday night, expect quite a bit of attention to fall on Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland.,He started his college career at Syracuse, but now, in his first season with NC State, he has made significant contributions to his new team in Raleigh, N.C.,Copelan...

Faltering Jets, Devils seek return to early-season form
The quest to move into playoff position in their respective conferences remains a grind for both the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets. ,Amid disappointing seasons, the Devils and Jets try to rebound from their latest defeat when they meet Tuesday night in Newark, N.J. ,Last season, Winnipeg won t...

Cole Caufield, Habs out to extend Knights' tough stretch
Cole Caufield will look to continue his torrid goal-scoring pace on Tuesday when the Montreal Canadiens host the Vegas Golden Knights.,Caufield recorded his second career hat trick in Montreal's 4-3 setback to the Boston Bruins on Saturday, extending his point streak to five games (eight goals, two ...

Tennessee's tough task: Slow down high-octane Georgia
Tennessee, which boasts the No. 1-ranked defense in the Southeastern Conference, will try to slow down the league's top offensive team when it visits Georgia on Wednesday in Athens, Ga.,The game originally was scheduled for Tuesday before being moved back one day because of icy conditions from a win...

No. 7 Michigan State's focus on Rutgers, not No. 3 Michigan
Tuesday might be the ultimate trap game for No. 7 Michigan State. ,Winners of six in a row, Michigan State (18-2, 8-1) heads into a Big Ten contest against Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J., knowing that a showdown with archrival and No. 3 Michigan is looming at home on Friday.,So before the Spartans worr...

No. 12 Purdue aiming for improved shooting, rebounding against Indiana
No. 12 Purdue is making 3-pointers at an excellent 38.3% clip, good for 21st in Division I.,But in the last four games, the Boilermakers have hit just 33.3% (27 of 81). That's not bad but isn't good enough when weighed against how they normally hit it.,As Purdue prepares for a Tuesday night trip to ...