outhland Conference.Purdue: The Boilermakers played without three scholarship players -- F/C Jacquil Tayl

TORONTO -- Just days after the Memorial Cup, Seth Jones, Nate MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin remain squarely in the hockey limelight. Jones, the Portland Winterhawks defenceman rated the top North American draft prospect by NHL Central Scouting, has gone through interviews with 17 teams at this weeks NHL Combine. MacKinnon, the smooth centre from the Halifax Mooseheads rated second by Central Scouting, has also had 17 interviews. Drouin, a high-scoring winger from the Memorial Cup champion Mooseheads rated the No. 3 prospect, had 19 interviews. Some 100 prospects are at the combine, where the focus switches from interviews to fitness testing Friday and Saturday. Watch the NHL on TSNs Scouting Combine Special on TSN, tonight at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. You can also follow the Combine from TSNs hockey personalities as it happens with TSN.cas Combine Blog. Jones wasnt sure how many of the fitness tests he would do, saying his body was "definitely worn down" having played more than 90 games this year. Drouin seemed ready for anything. The real test will come June 30 at the NHL draft at the Prudential Centre in Newark, N.J. Colorado picks first, followed by Florida, Tampa Bay, Nashville and Carolina. "It still feels a little surreal that the draft is coming so close now," said the six-foot-four, 205-pound Jones, a native of Frisco, Texas, who turns 19 on Oct. 3. "Anything can happen," said Drouin, pointing to potential trades. Asked about the toughest question he faced from an NHL team interviewer, Jones paused but couldnt pick one. "A lot of tough questions," he said. "They try to trick you all the time." The son of former NBAer and current Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Popeye Jones, he had 14 goals and 42 assists in the WHL this season. He took up hockey in Denver while his father played for the Nuggets but said his interview with the Avalanche was no different than any other interview. "They didnt treat me special or anything from what Ive heard from other players," said Jones, a definite chip off Popeyes block in terms of facial looks. "A lot of the same questions as everyone else." The six-foot, 182-pound MacKinnon was taken aback when one team asked him what kind of hockey player he would be if he couldnt skate. "It tricked me a little but because my whole game is around speed," he said. "A tough one to answer." MacKinnon, a native of Cole Harbour, N.S., who doesnt turn 18 until Oct. 1, had 32 goals and 43 assists in the QMJHL this season. Drouin, who is listed at 5-10 and 186 pounds, said his toughest question was what kind of player he would be if he didnt have hands -- presumably soft hands. "Hard question to answer," he said. "Probably chip the puck in and go." Drouin, a native of Huberdeau, Que., who turned 18 on March 27, clearly has good hands. He collected 41 goals and 64 assists, winning CHL player of the year honours. The top three prospects are already getting a taste of what awaits young hockey stars. On Thursday evening, they were introduced as the new faces of Reebok-CCM. Sitting next to each other in Reebok gear at an airport hotel, it was clear they get on -- despite Halifaxs 6-4 win over Portland in Sundays Memorial Cup final. "They have bragged a couple of times," joked Jones. MacKinnon and Drouin noted that Jones had one over them as a member of the world junior champion Americans. The three young guns will showcase Reebok-CCM equipment including the CCM RBZ skate and CCM RBZ Stage 2 stick (whose top of the line model will cost $299 when it hits stores in July), joining the likes of Sidney Crosby, John Tavares and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at Reebok-CCM, which is looking to focus attention on CCM as its hockey brand. Philippe Dube, president and CEO of Reebok-CCM Hockey, would not detail the length of the three prospects contracts but said such agreements usually were for two to three years, with the hope of turning it into a long-term relationship. MacKinnon, who says he doesnt mind being called Nate or Nathan, said it was his first endorsement deal. He is used to the attention back in Halifax but says he likes being away from the spotlight. "For me, Im just a regular 17-year-old. I like to hang with my friends and have some fun, just relax." The draft will likely split up the two Mooseheads teammates, who used to go to practice together in MacKinnons Ford Escape SUV.Willian Youth Jersey . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. Pedro Shirt . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. http://www.chelseafcshoponlineuk.com/antonio-rudiger-youth-jersey.html .C. -- Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said after all of these years in the NBA hes still amazed at some of the things LeBron James does. NGolo Kante Shirt . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. Chelsea Fc Shirt Sale . The recently retired Stern was elected Friday to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be enshrined with the class of 2014 on Aug.WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue sophomore forward Caleb Swanigan joined some elite company Friday night during the 15th-ranked Boilermakers 109-65 season-opening victory over McNeese State.With 23 points, 20 rebounds and six assists, Swanigan joined No. 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons of LSU and NBA star Blake Griffin as the only college players in the past 10 years to amass at least 20 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in a game.We needed to get the momentum going and moving our way, Swanigan said of his dominant 17-point, 10-rebound first half. We knew we came out a little slow. McNeese State really competed in those first few minutes, so we had to turn it up.Center Isaac Haas added 22 points and six rebounds for Purdue, and forward Vince Edwards had 19 points and 11 rebounds.The Cowboys led 19-14 with 10:16 remaining in the first half when Swanigan and Edwards fueled a 22-3 run that turned a five-point deficit into a 36-22 lead.Purdue features one of the nations top front lines, and that was evident as the Boilermakers dominated inside, enjoying a 32-15 rebounding advantage through 20 minutes.Swanigan, Haas and Edwards combined for 64 points and 37 rebounds, making 23 of 36 field goal attempts.Swanigan and Edwards, a junior, both declared for the NBA Draft in the spring, but after workouts with professional teams, the forwards opted to return to college for the 2016-17 season.Sometimes we seem to forget that we have size, Purdue coach Matt Painter said. But what I liked is that Caleb is getting assists now and is becoming a complete player. There was a time in the first half that it seemed like he was getting every rebound. Then Vince Edwards had a great start to the second half.Freshman guard Carsen Edwards scored 18 points and guard Dakota Mathias added 13 for the Boilermakers.Five guys getting in double figures .dddddddddddd.. thats just sharing the ball and having fun as a team, Vince Edwards said.Richard Laku scored 16 points and James Harvey and Jamaya Burr each had 15 to lead McNeese State.BIG PICTURE:McNeese State: The Cowboys were competitive for almost 15 minutes, making 7 of 13 first-half 3-point attempts but had no answer for Swanigan, Edwards and Haas, kinds of players rarely seen in the Southland Conference.Purdue: The Boilermakers played without three scholarship players -- F/C Jacquil Taylor, F Basil Smotherman and G Ryan Cline -- but had plenty of interior strength to win. Taylor underwent ankle surgery on Tuesday, and Smotherman and Cline each was suspended for Fridays game for summer arrests involving marijuana use. Smotherman will return for Mondays game against No. 4 Villanova.POLL IMPLICATIONSPurdue certainly did not hurt its chances of climbing in the Top 25 poll with its 44-point victory and will have a chance to open even more eyes Monday night when it plays No. 4 Villanova in Mackey Arena.STAT TO NOTE:Big men Swanigan, Vince Edwards and Haas were a collective 15 of 19 from the free throw line. Guard Carsen Edwards was only 1 of 6 from the line.UP NEXT:McNeese State: The Cowboys will play host to Louisiana College on Tuesday night, hoping to use their perimeter shooting and quickness to get into the win column after facing a Big Ten opponent loaded with frontcourt strength.Purdue: The Boilermakers will have an opportunity to open some eyes nationally on Monday night when they entertain reigning national champion and No. 4 Villanova. Purdue has never beaten a Top 5, non-conference opponent in Mackey Arena, posting an 0-5 record from the time the building opened in December 1967. ' ' '