Dein erstes Forum » . Outside linebacker Nigel Bradham leads the Eagles wi

Big Blue Nation isnt going to be happy, but the Indiana Hoosiers are more deserving of the top spot. Remember, the preseason power rankings were based on paper. Now, the rankings change dramatically due to on-court results.Indianas victory in Hawaii over a top-5 Kansas team is far more impressive than Kentuckys easy win over a Michigan State club that lost to Arizona and nearly dropped one at home Sunday night to Florida Gulf Coast.The defending national champion Villanova Wildcats, Kansas and an injury-depleted Duke team round out the top 5 -- with Creighton earning the biggest riser award after wins over Wisconsin and NC State. I owe Bluejays fans and Greg McDermott an apology after calling them overrated in the preseason. The addition of Marcus Foster has been huge, as has the play of talented big man Justin Patton.Say goodbye to a pair of proud programs: Michigan State and UConn. The Spartans, at least, have lost to a couple of big boys: Arizona and Kentucky. But the Huskies have looked abysmal, losing at home to Wagner and Northeastern.1. Indiana Hoosiers Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: 14The Hoosiers are shooting 44 percent from 3. James Blackmon Jr. is shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc thus far, and hes averaging 23 points and 7.3 boards. Indiana has the neutral-site win against Kansas on its résumé, which is arguably the most impressive win of the early season.2. Kentucky Wildcats Record: 4-0 Last weeks ranking: 3The Cats had no trouble with Michigan State at Madison Square Garden at the Champions Classic, largely due to the play of freshman Malik Monk and fellow guard Isaiah Briscoe. Monk scored 23 points and was 7-of-11 from deep in the 21-point win.3. Villanova Wildcats Record: 5-0 Last weeks ranking: 4The defending national champs have started strong with a close win at Purdue before winning the Charleston Classic on Sunday. Josh Hart, who nearly left for the NBA Draft after last season, made six of eight 3s against Wake Forest and finished with 30 points.4. Kansas Jayhawks Record: 2-1 Last weeks rankings: 2The Jayhawks dropped their season opener to Indiana in Hawaii, but Frank Masons game winner against Duke keeps KU in the top five. Mason has been sensational thus far, averaging 23 points, 5.7 assists and 4.7 boards. Bill Self became the winningest coach in Allen Fieldhouse history with the victory over Siena, and he now has a 207-6 career mark in the building.5. Duke Blue Devils Record: 4-1 Last weeks ranking: 1The Blue Devils have few healthy bodies but nearly knocked off Kansas in New York, and Duke had little problem beating a tough Rhode Island team. Heralded freshmen Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden havent played yet, and Grayson Allen has no lift or acceleration due to foot injuries. The duo of Luke Kennard and Amile Jefferson?have led the way for Coach K.6. Louisville Cardinals Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: 5OK, who would have guessed that the Cards leading scorer and rebounder through the first three games would be junior forward Jaylen Johnson, who averaged 5.0 points and 3.5 boards last season? Johnson is putting up 15.3 points and 11.3 rebounds thus far, but the concern is that Rick Pitinos team has struggled from deep (20-for-63) and also from the line (61 percent).7. North Carolina Tar Heels Record: 4-0 Last weeks ranking: 6The Tar Heels havent played a big boy yet, but they pounded a couple of quality mid-majors: Chattanooga by 40 and Long Beach State by 36. Remember, the Tar Heels are without athletic wing Theo Pinson. The surprise has been the early play of freshman big man Tony Bradley, who is averaging 10.5 points and 7.8 boards in 17.5 minutes per game.8. Xavier Musketeers Record: 5-0 Last weeks ranking: 8 Without Myles Davis, the Musketeers looked vulnerable. The hope is that Davis, the senior who gives Chris Mack a much-needed shooter, will return at the semester break. Xavier will also get Kaiser Gates back soon, and that will help the depth, which has been lacking.9. Gonzaga Bulldogs Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: 17Heres the thing with the Zags: We didnt realize their quality frontcourt depth. Przemek Karnowski is back healthy and leads the team in scoring (14.7) and rebounding (7.0). However, its the immediate impact of freshmen Zach Collins (14.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG) and Killian Tillie -- who had eight points and 10 boards in a win over San Diego State -- that make this team a legitimate top-10 club.10. Creighton Bluejays Record: 4-0 Last weeks ranking: NRI should have ranked the Bluejays in the preseason poll -- especially after watching Greg McDermotts team beat Wisconsin and then put up 112 points against NC State. This team is balanced with Maurice Watson Jr., Cole Huff, Marcus Foster and redshirt freshman big man Justin Patton.11. Saint Marys Gaels Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: 19Australian big man Jock Landale averaged 7.9 points and 3.9 boards last season; he had 33 points in the opener against Nevada and then went for 15 points and 14 rebounds in a road win over a depleted Dayton club. Randy Bennetts team brought just about everyone back from last seasons team that barely missed the NCAA tournament.12. Baylor Bears Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: 25Get to know the name Jo Lual-Acuil. The 7-footer was born in South Sudan, grew up in Australia and spent a couple of years in the junior college ranks before arriving in Waco. He is averaging 10.7 points, 10 boards and has 16 blocks in three games. Miami transfer Manu Lecomte has also been tremendous, leading the team in scoring (16.7 PPG) and assists (7.3).13. Syracuse Orange Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: 18The question entering the season was point guard play, but Jim Boeheims duo of Colorado State transfer John Gillon and Frank Howard have combined for 27 assists and just five turnovers. Theres also the matter of that 2-3 zone, which has stifled opposing teams. Theyve shot a putrid 19 percent (19-of-98) from beyond the arc through the first three games.14. Purdue Boilermakers Record: 2-1 Last weeks ranking: 21The loss came against defending national champion Villanova, but Matt Painters team needed a 20-0 run at the end of the game against Georgia State to pull out a 64-56 victory. The Boilermakers minus-9 rebound margin was its lowest against a nonconference opponent since 2012. Sophomore big man Caleb Swanigan has looked the part of an All-American, averaging 20.7 points, 13 boards and 4.3 assists per game.15. Virginia Cavaliers Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: 7Tony Bennetts Cavaliers made more news off the court than on it over the first week this season. Bennett tossed Memphis transfer Austin Nichols?off the team prior to the win over Yale. Nichols was suspended for the opener, and he was slated to be one of Virginias top offensive options. This will be a significant hit for the Cavs.16. Arizona Wildcats Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: 9 With Allonzo Trier out of the lineup, Finnish skilled big man Lauri Markkanen has shined. He has quickly become the focal point of the Wildcats offense and is averaging 20.3 points and 6.7 boards thus far. Hes shooting 59 percent from the field, 46 percent from 3 and 95 percent from the line.17. UCLA Bruins Record: 4-0 Last weeks ranking: 24There hasnt been a better freshman duo thus far than point guard Lonzo Ball and skilled forward T.J. Leaf. Ball just makes everyone better, and Leaf can really score. Steve Alford has a talented, deep group. It should be tested this week at the Wooden Legacy.18. Oregon Ducks Record: 2-1 Last weeks ranking: 10Its difficult to evaluate the Ducks because theyve been without their most important player, Dillon Brooks, who is set to return Monday after rehabbing from offseason foot surgery. Oregon got blasted by Baylor in Waco, but the Ducks rebounded with a win over Valparaiso. When Brooks returns, its time to reevaluate this group.19.?Florida Gators Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: 20The Gators have beaten Florida Gulf Coast, Mercer and St. Bonaventure. So they are still fairly unproven. Canyon Barry, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry and a graduate student majoring in nuclear engineering, had 16 points off the bench for Florida. The key, though, is point guard play. Starter Kasey Hill has struggled thus far with just 10 assists and eight turnovers.20. Michigan Wolverines Record: 4-0 Last weeks ranking: NRThe Wolverines won the 2K Classic after pounding both Marquette and SMU. John Beilein admitted his defense was subpar (and thats putting it nicely) last season, but Michigan is holding opponents to 41 percent shooting and 59.5 points per game through the first four games this season. Junior D.J. Wilson barely played last season; hes logging 30 minutes per game, grabbing 9.5 boards and has been a huge factor in the improved defense this season.21. Wisconsin Badgers Record: 2-1 Last weeks ranking: 12The Badgers lost to Creighton in Omaha but are still worthy of a top-25 ranking. Bronson Koenig has just three assists in three games. Nigel Hayes is struggling, averaging 11.0 points and 4.3 rebounds thus far. The Badgers are shooting just 31 percent from beyond the arc.22. West Virginia Mountaineers Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: 23Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers have beaten up on low-majors: Mount St. Marys, Mississippi Valley State and New Hampshire. Huggins has 11 guys who are averaging more than 10 minutes per game. Three of them -- Nathan Adrian, Jevon Carter?and?Teyvon Myers?-- are averaging double figures in scoring.23. Rhode Island Rams Record: 4-1 Last weeks ranking: NRThe Rams got a big win against Cincinnati but couldnt take advantage of an injury-depleted Duke team in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off title game. E.C. Matthews is still working his way back from an ACL injury that cost him all but one game last season.?24. Seton Hall Pirates Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: NRKevin Willard lost Isaiah Whitehead but returns the other four starters. The coach also added freshman Myles Powell (15.3 PPG). Khadeen Carrington is leading the team at 21.7 points per game, but he has had plenty of help from Desi Rodriguez, Angel Delgado and Powell. Seton Hall is one of the few power league teams that has a true road win -- at Iowa.25. USC Trojans Record: 3-0 Last weeks ranking: NRThe Trojans deserve a spot after a road win against Texas A&M. Andy Enfields team isnt overly deep -- especially up front -- but he has a couple of talented bigs with Chimezie Metu and Bennie Boatwright, in addition to guard Jordan McLaughlin and wing?Elijah Stewart. However, it was freshman DeAnthony Melton who came up with the two biggest plays of the game -- a 3-pointer and a late steal.Dropped out: UConn, Michigan State, San Diego State, Dayton, NC State Wholesale NHL Jerseys . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. Discount NHL Jerseys . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. http://www.cheapjerseysauthenticnhl.com/ . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Cheap NHL Jerseys Store . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. The Philadelphia Eagles skidded in the wrong direction after a 3-0 start.The Cincinnati Bengals never really got going this season.The two below-.500 teams look to halt their free falls when the Eagles visit the Bengals on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX).Philadelphia (5-6) has dropped six of its last eight games after its strong start and is desperate for a victory to remain a viable contender in the NFC wild-card race. The Eagles are just 1-5 on the road and the lone victory came on Sept. 19 against the Chicago Bears.Cincinnati (3-7-1) is well aware that its streak of five consecutive playoff appearances will come to an end. The Bengals all but assured that with three consecutive losses and quarterback Andy Dalton isnt sure how to handle the predicament.Its different. Ive never really been in this situation in my life or with any sport that Ive ever played. Dalton said on a conference call. Ive been just trying to figure out how to change it.The Bengals are averaging 15.3 points during their skid, and will be without star receiver A.J. Green for basically the third consecutive game. Green injured a hamstring on the opening series against the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 20 and missed last Sundays 19-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.The Eagles also are having issues finding the end zone. Philadelphia averaged 14 points while losing to the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers in the past two games and rookie quarterback Carson Wentz is experiencing growing pains.Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft, was the talk of the NFL as he threw seven touchdown passes and was intercepted only once through the first five games.The last six games tell a different story, with Wentz throwing seven interceptions and four touchdowns.The struggles have been alarming and have been a big factor in Philadelphias decline. Yet Wentz maintains he and his team should not be counted out.We just have to stay the course. We cant dwell on anything, Wentz said during a press conference. We just have to keep plugging along. Cant throw in the towel. I know the guys in that locker room and thats not going to happen. Our effort is always there. We just have to keep fighting, keep believing, and we cant change our preparation.Eagles first-year coach Doug Pederson changed his tune lately with the defeatts mounting.ddddddddddddWhere he often mentioned the playoffs while the team was soaring, Pederson is now talking more about the building process.Teams in our situation right now, even though you are still maybe on the edge of getting to where you want to be at the end of the season, you can kind of go the other way, Pederson said in a press conference. Its not to put any added pressure on anybody, but ... I dont want people to just start tanking it in the last month of the season.Pederson said it is likely that leading receiver Jordan Matthews (ankle) will play after missing most of the second half of Mondays loss to the Packers. Matthews leads the Eagles with 57 receptions for 686 yards and three touchdowns.However, running back Ryan Mathews (knee) will miss his second straight game. Mathews leads the Eagles with 427 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.Defensively, Philadelphia is performing well and tied for fifth in scoring defense (19.4 points per game) and stands eighth in total defense (339.4 yards per game). Outside linebacker Nigel Bradham leads the Eagles with 70 tackles and safety Rodney McLeod has a team-best three interceptions.Defensive ends Brandon Graham (team-high five sacks) and Connor Barwin (four sacks) will attempt to pressure Dalton, who had several passes batted down in last Sundays 19-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.Dalton (3,043 yards, 12 touchdowns) went past 3,000 yards for the sixth straight season, joining Peyton Manning as the only quarterbacks to do so in each of their first six years.Defensive end Carlos Dunlap (team-high 6.5 sacks) and weak-side linebacker Vontaze Burfict (team-leading 76 tackles) are playing well for the Bengals defense. Burfict is aiming for his fifth consecutive outing of 10 or more tackles.With basically little to play for, Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis is striving to keep the troops motivated.I think coaches work harder, turn over more stones, become better coaches and people when things are a touch off, Lewis said during a conference call. When youre winning, you are doing the same thing, youre just not questioned by the masses about it. It doesnt change your outlook on things. ' ' '