Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
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Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans title chances now.
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Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Da’Sean Butler bounced back from one of his worst performances and helped West Virginia to its biggest win of the season.
Butler scored a career-high 43 points to lead the Mountaineers to a 93-72 victory over No. 13 Villanova on Friday night. Earlier in the week, Butler had just four points on 2-for-12 shooting in a loss at fourth-ranked Pittsburgh.
“I’m just happy we won, honestly,” Butler said. “Granted the points are great and everything and I’m happy I got that, but I’m just glad that we have a chance to start a streak now. We’ve got Notre Dame coming in on Wednesday.”
Against the Wildcats, Butler shot 12-for-23 from the field, including six 3-pointerss, and 13-for-15 on free throws.
“I have been waiting for (a big game from Butler), honestly,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. “He does it in practice. He does a great job of reading screens and our guys are getting better at getting him the ball.”
Butler scored 24 in the first half as the Mountaineers (17-8, 6-6 Big East) built a 20-point lead en route to their season-high scoring output. Devin Ebanks added 16 for West Virginia, which led 52-34 at halftime.
Corey Fisher had 17 points to lead Villanova (20-5, 8-4), which had its six-game winning streak snapped. Corey Stokes and Scottie Reynolds added 12 each.
Stokes hit a 3-pointer with 3:53 to play to pull the Wildcats within 13. The Mountaineers responded with a 7-0 run, capped by Butler’s sixth 3 to extend the lead to 20 points and seal the win. he basket also made Butler the first West Virginia player to score 40 points in a game since Lowes Moore in a win over Notre Dame in 1978.
“I looked up (at the scoreboard) once right before that and just thought ’Wow’,” Butler said with a grin. “My teammates got me the ball and I knew I was going to shoot a 3. I knew I was going to shoot it. I might not have made it, but I was shooting it. I’m glad I made it, though. That was pretty awesome.”
The big night almost didn’t happen for Butler, who injured his ankle during a rebounding drill in practice on Thursday. Butler and the Mountaineers’ training staff worked tirelessly Thursday night and throughout Friday to at least give the team’s leading scorer a chance to suit up against the Wildcats.
“I came very close to not playing,” he said. “It was pretty bad when (the injury) happened and this morning. I really couldn’t walk and I had to have someone help me get out of bed so I could come to the Coliseum.”
Once he arrived in WVU’s 38-year old campus facility, though, the injury obviously wasn’t bothersome.
“(WVU trainer Randy Meador) did a terrific job, and Da’Sean really wanted to play,” Huggins said.
The Mountaineers, who beat a team in the top half of the conference standings for the first time this season, topped their previous high of 92 points in wins over Elon. and Seton Hall. West Virginia also ended Villanova’s streak of three consecutive games with at least 90 points.
“We got in foul trouble early and then defensively we just didn’t have an answer for Da’Sean Butler,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “He was great and when we got down and we were trying to come back, we left him open a lot. ... He was just a great player tonight.”
Former WVU star Joe Alexander, who led the Mountaineers to the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament last year, was seated behind the Mountaineer bench. Alexander was drafted eighth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in last June’s NBA draft.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans title chances now.
Beyond the Arc: No. 11 Michigan State ends No. 3 Ohio State's 39-game home winning streak with a 58-48 victory.
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.