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LAS VEGAS -- Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre says he has left no stone unturned for his weekend title defence against Johny (Bigg Rigg) Hendricks and is confident of winning at UFC 167. Carlos Zambrano Cubs Jersey . Hendricks, meanwhile, says he plans to keep the fight a standup affair and knock the champion out. And the challenger says while he likes GSP, he wants to kill him, adding -- in his words -- "not in that sense." The two welterweights face off Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. UFC president Dana White paid tribute to St-Pierre at the pre-fight news conference, calling the 32-year-old from Montreal his organizations "pay-per-view king." White says choosing GSP to headline the UFCs 20th-year anniversary show was a no-brainer and that the UFC was fortunate that the Canadians fighting schedule fitted in. The UFC boss said all of Canada loves GSP and "it doesnt suck" to come to Vegas at this time of year. St-Pierre arrived wearing a suit and tie while Hendricks opted for a lime green T-shirt under a black baseball cap. Jeff Samardzija Authentic Jersey . Kane returned to score a goal and added an assist, leading the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night. Darwin Barney Jersey . Cross-country skier Brian McKeever won the mens visually impaired 20-kilometre race on Monday.LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Two of the top freshmen in the country wont have a whole lot of time to get acclimated to college basketball before squaring off in an early season showdown. Try just four days each. Canadas Andrew Wiggins is the headliner for the most heralded class at Kansas in years, while Jabari Parker is the biggest name headed to Duke. The two of them will face each other Nov. 12 at the United Center in Chicago as part of a doubleheader that also features Michigan State-Kentucky. Two more programs boasting a slew of stellar freshmen. In an era of one-and-done superstars, the first-year players hitting the hardwood this season may trump any other year. Along with Wiggins and Parker, theres Kentuckys class of Julius Randle, Dakari Johnson, James Young and the Harrison brothers, Aaron and Andrew. Theres also Noah Vonleh at Indiana, Aaron Gordon at Arizona and Kasey Hill at Florida. All of them have the potential to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft next year. In the meantime, all of them will be trying to deliver an NCAA title. "We can be great, the best team in the country," Wiggins told The Associated Press. "We have a young team, the chemistry is really good. The first couple weeks of practice were hard for the freshmen, but everything is coming easier now, more fluid. So the potential is there." Potential is a dangerous word in college basketball. There are no sure bets. Plenty of highly touted players have flamed out before they ever earned a dime. It happens every year. But perhaps never before has a group of freshmen promised to make such a statement on the national stage. Just about every program with a chance to compete for a national championship this season will be counting on at least one first-year player to make an immediate impact. In the case of Kansas, its more than one. Wiggins may be the most recognizable name, but combo guard Wayne Selden and raw 7-footer Joel Embiid have the potential to be lottery picks. Theyre joined by a group of freshmen that includes sharpshooters Conner Frankamp, Frank Mason and Brannen Greene. "Theres as much hype around this year as any," Jayhawks coach Bill Self said, "and I think its a large part because of the unknown. Weve had other good players and other good teams return and this team hasnt proven itself at all. But the unknown has everyone excited." Kansas opens the season against Louisiana Monroe on Nov. 8, the same day Duke opens its season against Davidson. The two blue bloods -- and their blue cchippers -- collide four days later. Darwin Barney Cubs Jersey. On the same floor that night will be Kentucky coach John Caliparis latest bumper crop, which some pundits believe could be the best recruiting class in college basketball history. Randle is a bruising forward who can also play the wing. The Harrisons should form a dangerous backcourt. Johnson is a talented, athletic centre. Young is the quintessential wing scorer. Just like the newcomers at Kansas and Duke, though, theyll have to get accustomed to playing with each other in a hurry. The Wildcats play UNC-Asheville and Northern Kentucky before they head to Chicago for their high-profile date with the Spartans. "Let them get on the court," Calipari said. "Weve got some tough games early. Weve got one of the best schedules in the country. Weve got one of the most inexperienced teams in the country. So it will be interesting." Vonleh, a 6-foot-9 forward, should give the Hoosiers a bruising inside presence as they chase their second straight Big Ten title. Hell compete with Michigans Derrick Walton Jr., the heir to guard Trey Burke, among others for the honour of the leagues best freshman. Out in the desert, the 6-8 Gordon is already drawing comparisons to Blake Griffin -- much to the chagrin of Arizona coach Sean Miller, who is trying to temper expectations just a bit. "Hes extremely focused. Hes somebody that is tireless in his own approach to be great," Miller said. "But yet, at the same time, because of how he plays the game and conducts himself, hes a fun guy to have as a teammate. Hes a fun guy to have as part of your program." As high as expectations are for Gordon -- California coach Mike Montgomery called him "just a monster" -- theyre just as high for Hill, who is expected to take over for Kenny Boynton and run the point for Florida. Hell join a veteran team that includes forward Patric Young. "What you can do as a coach when you have an unknown -- youve never coached a guy, youve never been in a game with a guy, never been in a huddle with a guy -- I dont know how hes going to respond in certain situations," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "Hes going to really have to be able to understand there is going to be a lot on him, but I dont need to overwhelm him." Good luck with that, Billy. Then again, considering all the touted freshmen wholl be playing important minutes for their teams this season, there are a whole lot of coaches worrying about the exact same thing. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
