Texas Bowl Preview Houston will play in its fourth bowl game in five seasons Dec. 28, but its first without the man responsible for making that run possible. The Cougars will face a TCU team that needed to win its final two games to extend its impressive run of postseason appearances when the schools meet in the Texas Bowl.
Author: Anthony Rome
New Orleans Preview Coach Howard Schnellenberger previously took two established programs and turned them into powerhouses. He has added to his successful reputation by building Florida Atlantic from the ground up and helping it reach the postseason for the first time. Schnellenberger hopes to lead the Owls to a triumphant end to their historic season when they meet Memphis in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 21 at the Superdome.
Pacers Travel to Miami Despite coming off a 2-4 road trip, the Miami Heat returned home earlier this week feeling optimistic after posting their first back-to-back wins of the season. Any good feelings have likely disappeared, however, following another frustrating loss. Miami (6-16) is trying hard to stay positive despite having one of the worst records in the NBA as it hosts the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.
Slow Starters Slow starts against quality opponents have plagued UCLA in its last two contests. The eighth-ranked Bruins hope to open strong against a less formidable opponent Saturday when they face Idaho State in their first game at Pauley Pavilion since suffering their only loss of the season there.
Showing Their Mettle Pittsburgh has showed mettle in winning consecutive road games to start a challenging five-game stretch. The 11th-ranked Panthers hope to continue that success at home Saturday when they host Oklahoma State at the Petersen Events Center.
Sun Belt Classic Matchup Memphis has two tough games on the schedule to end December, but its first game back from an 11-day layoff figures to be easy. The second-ranked Tigers take on Middle Tennessee in the Sun Belt Classic on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.
Familiar Faces New Mexico coach Steve Alford won an NCAA title playing at Indiana for Bob Knight. Twenty years later, the two are meeting as coaches for the fifth time Saturday when Knight brings Texas Tech (6-3) to play New Mexico (8-2). Still, Alford has a hard time thinking of Knight as a peer.
Penguins Face Islanders The New York Islanders are the lowest-scoring team in the NHL and haven’t won two straight in nearly a month. A matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins might help them get back on track. New York tries to post back-to-back victories for the first time since Nov. 16-19 on Saturday when it hosts a Pittsburgh team that is having trouble stopping opponents from scoring.
Jazz Free-Falling Entering December, it seemed unlikely the Portland Trail Blazers would be able to catch the Utah Jazz in the Northwest Division this season. Two weeks later, that doesn’t seem nearly as far-fetched. The free-falling Jazz look to avoid losing six in a row for the first time in three seasons when they visit the surging Trail Blazers on Friday night.
Important Homestand Marquette knows it can be as good as any team in the country with its strong guard play. But the 10th-ranked Golden Eagles hope the continued emergence of forward Dwight Burke will lift them into elite status as they begin a five-game homestand Saturday against Sacramento State.