Preview Page 826 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Jamir Watkins leads Florida State into season vs. No. Kentucky
Jamir Watkins opted to come back to Florida State for another season after passing on the chance to enter the 2024 NBA Draft.,Now, the senior guard is ready to help Florida State improve on last season's 17-16 record and be a contender in the ACC.,The journey starts Monday as Watkins and the Seminol...

Pitt prepares to showcase backcourt in opener vs. Radford
Despite losing its top two scorers from last season, Pittsburgh is far from entering a rebuilding phase.,Pittsburgh, projected to finish seventh in the ACC, will rev up its 2024-25 campaign Monday when it hosts Radford of the Big South Conference.,Blake Hinson (18.5 points per game) and Carlton Carr...

NC State debuts retooled roster vs. South Carolina Upstate
Coming off an unlikely run to the Final Four, North Carolina State enters its opener Monday against visiting South Carolina Upstate hoping to make new magic with a retooled lineup.,Four of his top five scorers have departed but eighth-year coach Kevin Keatts still has enough returning players and pr...

Maxime Raynaud leads Stanford, new coach into season vs. Denver
The Kyle Smith era tips off Monday afternoon when Stanford hosts Denver and its beefed-up coaching staff in a nonconference game.,Smith, who directed Washington State to 25 wins and into the NCAA Tournament last season, was hired to replace Jerod Haase, who went 126-127 in eight years with the Cardi...

Oregon tips off Big Ten season vs. UC-Riverside
Oregon kicks off its inaugural Big Ten campaign on Monday against UC-Riverside in a nonconference season opener in Eugene, Ore.,Oregon joined nine other schools in departing the Pac-12 after last season, but the Ducks were the only program to leave with a Pac-12 Tournament championship. ,Oregon ente...

Chattanooga packs proven resume, out to spoil opener for USC
The Eric Musselman era tips off at Southern California when the Trojans open the 2024-25 season in Los Angeles against visiting Chattanooga on Monday.,USC debuts as a member of the Big Ten Conference after its tenure in the Pac-12 closed with a disappointing 15-18 finish amid a rash of injuries a se...

Nebraska plans to deploy deep rotation as season begins
The sixth season of the Fred Hoiberg era gets underway Monday when Nebraska hosts Texas-Rio Grande Valley in a nonconference game in Lincoln, Neb. to open the 2024-25 season.,The Cornhuskers are coming off their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade, losing to Texas A&M in the first round and...

Overhauled Michigan ready for reveal starting with Cleveland St.
Michigan has so many changes within its basketball program since last season, it's almost as if the Wolverines swapped programs with another school.,Head coach Juwan Howard was fired after an 8-24 season and replaced by former Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May. The roster, revamped with a flurry of i...

Revamped Illinois roster chasing chemistry, faces Eastern Illinois
For the third year in a row, Illinois welcomes Eastern Illinois to kick off the season. But as the Fighting Illini prepare for Monday's game in Champaign, Ill., they bear almost no resemblance to last season's group.,The Illini retain just two scholarship players -- guards Ty Rodgers and Dravyn Gibb...

Iowa depending on depth to prove doubters wrong, welcomes Southland foe
Death, taxes and Fran McCaffery-coached teams putting points on the board.,Iowa looks like better than the 16th-ranked team in one Big Ten preseason poll. The Hawkeyes will get a chance to show they are capable of outperforming that prediction, beginning with their season opener on Monday when Texas...

Northwestern doesn't mind doubters ahead of opener vs. Lehigh
Northwestern enters 2024-25 coming off consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in school history and returning 66 percent of its minutes.,Still, a preseason media poll tapped the Wildcats 16th out of 18 teams in the Big Ten, due largely to the graduation of top scorer and floor le...

Wisconsin looking inside to replace top production, opens with Holy Cross
After losing two top starters to the transfer portal, Wisconsin unveils its revamped lineup Monday night in the season opener against visiting Holy Cross.,Wisconsin finished 22-14 last season, 11-9 in the Big Ten but outside expectations are well below that mark. ,The Badgers were picked tied for 12...

Sawyer Robertson, Baylor bid to subdue TCU
Something has to give when longtime rivals Baylor and TCU square off on Saturday evening in a Big 12 Conference game in Waco, Texas.,Both the Bears (4-4, 2-3) and Horned Frogs (5-3, 3-2) carry two-game winning streaks into the clash. ,Saturday's meeting will be the 120th all-time in the series, maki...

Penn State opens with Binghamton on mission for sustained success
Penn State experienced ups and downs in its first season under coach Mike Rhoades. ,But the team is optimistic as Year 2 begins with the season opener against visiting Binghamton on Monday in University Park, Pa.,The Nittany Lions were 16-17 last season, but expectations will never be low as long as...

No. 18 Marquette, with tournament aspirations, opens vs. Stony Brook
Coach Shaka Smart said he is excited about his new-look yet veteran-savvy Marquette team ahead of the No. 18 Golden Eagles' season opener Monday against Stony Brook in Milwaukee.,"A big part of that (transition) is getting our guys better," Smart said at Big East media day last week. "Taking guys th...

Skidding Oklahoma looks to keep focus in meeting vs. Maine
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables wasn't asked much directly about his team's matchup with FCS opponent Maine during his Tuesday press conference.,"I could brag on Maine," Venables said. "They've got 17 graduates. What does that mean? They've got a lot of experience. Nobody cares. We're focused on Oklah...

Maryland stoked for 'generational talent' Derik Queen's debut vs. Manhattan
Maryland landed just two five-star recruits in its history before Derik Queen committed to the Terrapins.,The touted center makes his Maryland debut Monday when the Terrapins host Manhattan in College Park, Md., the regular-season opener for both teams.,Queen, a Baltimore native, returned home after...

UCLA has uphill climb in bid to 'keep building' vs. Nebraska
UCLA is carrying some momentum for the first time in its inaugural Big Ten Conference season.,The Bruins will look to ride that steam into Saturday afternoon's game against Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb.,UCLA (2-5, 1-4) posted a season high in points and notched its first-ever league win as a Big Ten mem...

Iowa backup QB Brendan Sullivan in spotlight vs. Wisconsin
Brendan Sullivan is expected to make his first start at quarterback for Iowa when the Hawkeyes host Wisconsin in Iowa City on Saturday night in a Big Ten matchup of teams with identical records.,Iowa (5-3, 3-2) is coming off a 40-14 victory at home over Northwestern last Saturday. Sullivan replaced ...

Former Pac-12 foes USC, Washington set to test mettle
This wasn't the way Washington or Southern California expected their first season of Big Ten Conference football to go.,When the former Pacific-12 Conference powers meet Saturday in Seattle, it won't be for a spot in the College Football Playoff but for mere bowl eligibility.,Both Southern Californi...