Bewerbungen » receiver Dontez Ford (26 for 505 ya

WACO, Texas -- The Baylor Bears grabbed the attention of the college basketball nation last week by winning the Battle 4 Atlantis and now the Sam Houston State Bearkats will be the first team to take a shot at the No. 9 Bears.By defeating VCU, Michigan State and Louisville in succession in Nassau, Bahamas, Baylor ascended 11 spots in this weeks Associated Press poll. The Bears also debuted at No. 11 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.Baylor (6-0) definitely felt slighted when they didnt receive votes in the AP rankings to start the season. Although the Bears have now defeated three ranked opponents -- then-No. 4 Oregon, then-No. 24 Michigan State and then-No. 10 Louisville -- they intend to keep playing with an edge.Its nice to be awarded with recognition and all that but were still the same team that no one wanted to give votes to in the beginning of the year, Baylor reserve guard Jake Lindsey said. Thats the mindset we keep.But for Sam Houston State, Baylor is still an in-state opponent from a power 5 conference no matter what the Bears place in national polls. And the Bearkats have a promising history in Waco since they defeated Baylor on its home floor in 1995 and 1999.Sam Houston States last appearance in the NCAA Tournament ended in the first round with a 68-59 loss to third-seeded Baylor. The Bearkats have a chance to build a postseason resume when they face Baylor at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Ferrell Center.Baylor coach Scott Drew doesnt have to wonder about Sam Houston States motivation.Our guys should be able to know and realize just how tough a game its going to be, Drew said. Even if we play outside the power 5 conferences, we play teams with great tradition that expect to win and are used to winning.The Bearkats (4-2) are led by guard John Dewey III with 13 points per game, but they spread the offense around as eight players average 5.7 points or more.Defensively, Sam Houston State enters the game forcing opponents into 17.5 turnovers per game.Its a team that has a lot of depth, Drew said. They like playing a lot of guys. They like to pressure you. They like to get out and cause turnovers, basically make you rush into things you might not want to do.Baylor began to establish its offensive identity in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. Forward Johnathan Motley averaged 20 points on his way to earning tournament MVP. In the Bears 66-63 tournament-final victory over Louisville, Baylor reserve guard King McClure scored 15 points in a pivotal effort to help Baylor erase a 22-point Cardinal lead.But whether its McClure, Lindsey, Al Freeman or Manu Lecomte, the Bears formula appears to be working inside out with Motley in the center and a barrage of guards firing from the outside.Perhaps Baylor went unnoticed when the season started because of its lack of star power in the backcourt. And maybe thats the biggest change through six games for the Bears.Definitely we got out to a start thats better than expected by most peoples standards, Drew said. Thats a tribute to the guys being all about the team. Jeffery Simmons Youth Jersey . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. Amani Hooker Youth Jersey . 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Dalvin Cook is good to go at Florida State. And Brad Kaaya doesnt need to look over his shoulder at Miami.But there are plenty of up-for-grabs positions across the ACC. Heres the biggest preseason battle to watch for each conference team.Atlantic DivisionFlorida State Seminoles: Quarterback?Quarterback Sean Maguire, who replaced an ineffective Everett Golson last year, missed the spring with an ankle injury and isnt assured the No. 1 spot this fall. The majority of spring reps went to J.J. Cosentino (like Maguire a prototypical dropback passer) and dual-threat candidates Deondre Francois and Malik Henry. Redshirt freshman Deondre Francois, who spent last season learning the system, is the favorite to win the starting job.Clemson Tigers: Linebacker?Linebacker B.J. Goodson, a senior who led the team with 108 tackles last season, is gone, leaving a huge hole in the heart of the defense. Sophomore Kendall Joseph (six career tackles) leads the competition to replace him, with early-enrollee freshmen Shaq Smith and Tre Lamar, both ESPN 300 recruits, also in the mix.Louisville Cardinals: Defensive end?Senior Sheldon Rankins is off to the NFL, and he leaves the biggest hole to fill on the Louisville defense. He started all 26 games the past two seasons, and theres not much game experience behind him. Senior Drew Bailey and junior Johnny Richardson, the only returners with experience, have just 22 combined career tackles. Redshirt freshman G.G. Robinson, junior college transfer Chris Williams and early-enrollee freshman Kordell Slater will all compete for the starting spot.NC State Wolfpack: Quarterback?Though some believe sophomore Jalan McClendon, who played in seven games last year, has the edge, redshirt freshman Jakobi Meyers presents more of a dual threat -- in fact, hes the best running quarterback Dave Doeren has had since he arrived. Even if McClendon becomes the starter, new offensive coordinator Eli Drinkwitz, a former assistant at Boise State who learned the spread from Gus Malzahn at Auburn, could design packages to utilize Meyers running ability.Boston College Eagles: Quarterback?BC must get this one right to avoid another losing season. The numbers in 2015 were ugly: Four quarterbacks had at least 40 attempts, but none had a better completion rate than 52 percent; they combined for just eight passing touchdowns and averaged only 5.36 yards per attempt; and they logged seven games with fewer than 100 passing yards. Patrick Towles, a graduate transfer from Kentucky, is expected to battle for the top spot with Darius Wade, who returns from a broken left ankle after starting the first three games of 2015.Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Linebacker?All-ACC player Brandon Chubb (last years leading tackler with 107) and Hunter Williams are gone, leaving big holes to fill at the position. Senior returning starter Marquel Lee will be crucial to solidifying the unit: He had 71 tackles and led the team with 10 tackles for loss last season. Also look for junior Jaboree Williams, sophomore Demetrius Kemp and redshirt freshmen Nate Mays and Justin Strnad to contribute.Syracuse Orangemen: Defensive end?With the graduation or early departure of three of last seasons top defensive ends and the offseason dismissal of three others, game experience at the position is a major concern. Redshirt freshman Jake Pickard will compete with converted tight end Trey Dunkelberger and converted linebacker Kenneth Ruff. But dont be surprised if more reshuffling of the roster occurs, especially with Delaware State grad transfer Gabe Sherrod in the mix.Coastal DivisionNorth Carolina Tar Heels: Linebacker?Jeff Schoetttmer and Shakeel Rashad accounted for most of the tackles from the linebacker position (223 combined) last fall.dddddddddddd. But now that theyve graduated, sophomore Andre Smith and junior Cayson Collins are the only returning linebackers with at least 20 tackles in 2015 -- they combined for 91. Smith can play strong or inside linebacker, which gives the Heels flexibility as they fill out the unit with a number of younger players, led by early enrollee Jonathan Smith.Miami Hurricanes: Offensive line?An improved offensive line is pivotal to any potential turnaround. Junior left tackle Trevor Darling returns and likely will anchor an experienced unit that needs to live up to the Miami pedigree. The group returns nearly every starter, but the new regime could shake up the depth chart. Kc McDermott and Alex Gall will battle at left guard, unless McDermott wins the right tackle job from Sunny Odogwu, who is recovering from an MCL injury. With new offensive line coach Stacy Searels demanding improvement on all fronts, even Darlings job isnt secure.Pittsburgh Panthers: Wide receiver?For quarterback Nathan Peterman to excel in the passing game, the Panthers will need several players to emerge at receiver and tight end. Tyler Boyd caught 43 percent of all passes in 2015, 65 more than second-leading receiver Dontez Ford (26 for 505 yards, 19.4 yards per catch). Zach Challingsworth and Quadree Henderson will also compete for catches, but sophomore Tre Tipton, a running quarterback and wide receiver in high school, might be best suited to replicate Boyds all-purpose style.Virginia Tech Hokies: Quarterback?Last year Brenden Motley played admirably as the backup to senior Michael Brewer -- he completed 56.1 percent of his passes and threw for 11 touchdowns with seven interceptions -- but he wont just slide into the starting role. Fourth-ranked juco quarterback Jerod Evans joined the fold in the spring, and former ESPN 300 signal-caller Dwayne Lawson might be ready to start as a sophomore. Whoever earns the starting job likely will be raw, but Justin Fuente is credited with developing Andy Dalton and Paxton Lynch, so there is valid cause for optimism.Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Defensive back?Last seasons secondary fielded four senior starters, so there are several roles up for grabs on a unit that was solid in pass defense in 2015 (1.33 TD-to-INT rate, fifth best in the ACC, and 7.23 yards allowed per attempt). More than a dozen defensive backs could compete for the four roles: Twin brothers Lance and Lawrence Austin, Step Durham, A.J. Gray and Corey Griffin are among those best positioned to earn starting spots.Duke Blue Devils: Defensive end?Defensive tackle A.J. Wolf is the lone returning starter from the front four, and the staff is comfortable with the lines interior. So now Ben Albert needs to identify a few defensive ends with pass-rush potential. Sophomore Marquies Price was the teams third-best pass rusher last season -- faint praise, as he finished with just 1.5 sacks. Allen Jackson and Dominic McDonald are upperclassmen, but theyve combined for only 10 tackles in their careers. Keep an eye on redshirt freshman Trevon McSwain (6-6, 265 pounds).Virginia Cavaliers: Defensive line?Bronco Mendenhall is bringing a 3-4 scheme, and hes tasked with replacing a handful of starters along the defensive line. Andrew Browns spot should be secure, but what pieces will surround him? While Andre Miles-Redmond has starting experience, how will he fare in a new scheme? Donte Wilkins and Chris Peace are two other contenders for starting positions, but dont expect a defined depth chart until well into preseason practice. receiver Dontez Ford (26 for 505 ya