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Editors note: The 2016-17 college basketball season will be the Year of the Freshmen, featuring what could be the best class weve ever seen. Over the next two weeks we will get familiar with the best of the best, examining who they are and where each of the top 10 prospects in the 2016 ESPN 100 came from.Read more: No. 10 Dukes Frank Jackson | No. 9 Kentuckys Malik Monk No. 8 Michigan States Miles Bridges | No. 7 Washingtons Markelle Fultz No. 6 Kentuckys DeAaron Fox | No. 5 Kentuckys Bam Adebayo No. 4 UCLAs Lonzo Ball | No. 3 Dukes Jayson Tatum No. 2 Kansas Josh Jackson | No. 1 Dukes Harry GilesDURHAM, N.C. -- On Nov. 15, Frank Jackson will don his No. 15 jersey for Duke University, step on the court at Madison Square Garden -- The Worlds Most Famous Arena -- and take on Kansas in a nationally televised game between two preseason top-five teams.The next day, Will Watanabe, Jacksons best friend, will board a flight to Tokyo, where hell begin his mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Watanabe will spend two years in Japan, not even venturing home for a long weekend.Win or lose, Jackson will return to Durham immediately following that Kansas game, where hell settle back in as one of the big men on campus. More than 34,000 fans will continue to track his moves on Instagram, while another 12,000 will read his 140-character messages on Twitter.Watanabe said he wont be able to use Instagram, Twitter or any social media during his 24 months in Japan. He wont even have a smartphone. Instead, hell share the one phone he has with his Mormon traveling companion, and theyll be able to use it only for LDS purposes. In fact, Watanabe can call home just twice a year -- Christmas and Mothers Day -- and will have access to email once a week.Naturally, you can guess who is jealous of whom.I really wish I was going too, Jackson said.Instead, Jackson has opted to make basketball his mission, and his mission basketball -- the perfect combination for a person who values his faith even more than his crossover.We dont have multiple wives, Jackson explained. We dont all have 20 kids. Were not a cult. Were Christians. Were normal. We believe in being good people.This, in some ways, is Jacksons mission: breaking down the perceptions and stereotypes that still chase Mormons to this day. With offshoot sects of their religion drawing attention thanks to reality TV shows such as Sister Wives and Big Love, LDS members are still viewed with a quizzical, if not altogether skeptical, eye. Many people either dont understand what Mormonism is or they base their opinions on misinformation.The very thought that Jackson even toyed with deferring his college basketball career for a mission might have sounded crazy.But up until last year, Jackson had every intention of going away on a mission. Peppered with questions about his future as he traveled the recruiting circuit, he remained steadfast in his desire to be a missionary. It was not because he felt he had to. He simply wanted to.Jackson essentially was reared on three principles: to compete, to succeed and to serve.We never cared what they wanted to do, Jacksons father, Al, said. But whatever it was, they were going to excel.Al lived the message he preached, setting a rather high bar for his five kids to meet. A former college basketball and baseball player at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he graduated from the rigorous academic school and then earned a masters degree from John Hopkins. He put those degrees to use in Washington, D.C., working for 13 years as both a lobbyist and consultant, involved in providing counsel on national issues that frequently included homeland security. He turned that experience into a position as a state senator, appointed to a vacant seat in Utah in 2014.Eh, he was only a state senator, Frank joked about his dad.That is the essence of the oldest boy and second youngest of five kids in the Jackson family.Jackson and his older sister, Kayla, were the alpha dogs in the house. Each wanted things their own way and were downright competitive -- and occasionally combative in the process. Since the two left for college -- Kayla is at BYU and will marry on Dec. 22 ?during her younger brothers lone break from hoops -- Al and his wife, Juleen, cant help but notice how peaceful their home is now.But Al was no fool. He made sure his sons goal to rule the roost would go through him, and Al was ready to meet or block his son as necessary, sometimes quite literally. The two started squaring off in hoops just as soon as the boy could swish a bucket on the six-foot Fisher-Price hoop in the basement. Al never once let his son win.Id scream, Youre the biggest jerk ever. Youre an old man. You couldnt let me score a couple of times? Frank Jackson said. And he never did.Yet, almost every single time, after hed storm off forsaking his dad, Jackson would return for more, sometime within minutes.He has worn us out since he got here on this Earth, his father said, obvious pride in his voice. But he learned to be competitive.Such bullheadedness might seem mutually exclusive to a faithful life, but as fervent as Al and Juleen were about teaching their kids to work for what they wanted, they were even more devoted to their faith. Juleen was born in Sandy, Utah, and raised a Mormon. She was working as an intern in D.C. when she met Al; about three weeks into their relationship, she brought him along to church.Raised a Baptist in South Carolina and Maryland, Al was skeptical. He held plenty of his own stereotypes about the Mormon faith, tantamount among them that few members were of his race.?Instead, at an inner-city church in D.C., Al found a congregation diverse in color and socioeconomic status. Kids, many of them without fathers, loved the former basketball player, and soon Al was not only a regular at church, but he was also in charge of the youth hoops team. His faith grew in lockstep with his relationship with those boys -- many of whom he stays in touch with to this day -- and in 1992, he converted.A year later, Al and Juleen were married. When Frank was 11, the growing family moved to Utah. Surrounded by kids of his own faith, Frank grew up as they all did, dreaming about the day they would head off on their mission.?When you grow up in the LDS culture as Franklin did, going on a mission is just a natural progression, Al said. We talked to him about it since he was a baby, but we really didnt have to talk about it. Thats what all the kids did.Watanabe actually was the better athlete, at least at first. He matured faster than most of his buddies, which means he also grew taller earlier, and so when his club team played Jacksons, Watanabe usually emerged the victor. He was cocky about it too, reminding Jackson who owned the court.Genetics eventually sucked the air out of Watanabes braggadocio, and by the time the two started training at a nearby gym that concentrates on agility and speed work, Jackson left Watanabe in the dust.He could jump higher than everyone else, do all the drills faster, Watanabe said. He just stood out.One night, Jackson dropped 30 points in a high school game as a freshman, and his father thought perhaps those Fisher-Price throwdowns had their merit. BYU thought the same. When Cougars coach Dave Rose offered Jackson a scholarship in 2013, the freshman quickly accepted.The Provo school seemed ideal, with a very good basketball program and one that understood his Mormon faith. Deferring entry to BYU for a mission would be more the norm, not the exception there. But one year later, as Jackson worked his way up the recruiting ladder, he also worked up the courage to get out of his commitment.He kept the Cougars in his final list but also added Utah, Stanford and Duke.To the Blue Devils, who struggled without a true point guard for much of last season, Jackson was a prize worth fighting for. By the end of his senior season, he ranked No. 10 in RecruitingNations ESPN 100. Skeptics questioned just how good a player out of the less fertile Utah recruiting bed could be, but scouts loved his speed, playmaking and especially that alpha-dog competitiveness.The way Al, who knows a thing or two about excellence, figured it, there arent a whole lot of people in the world who can claim to be among the very best in their fields. Mike Krzyzewski, Al reasoned, can. Saying yes to Duke, then, was easy.Saying no to a mission? That was altogether different.It was a really hard decision, Frank Jackson said. Very hard.There were no ultimatums and no pressure. Everyone -- coaches, parents, friends -- said they would honor whatever decision he made.But how do you decide between a lifelong dream and a lifelong dream?Jackson opted not to. He decided he could do both.The purpose of an LDS mission is not simply to proselytize but also to live by example. Jackson realized that while he wouldnt?immerse himself as Watanabe and his other friends will, he would have a pulpit and a platform that they dont have. Every interview, every television appearance offers a chance to explain what being a Mormon is -- and more, its a way to demystify the religion.Im in the spotlight, Jackson said. Everyone is watching us. I can use that as a chance to be a light in the world, in a sense, to show people how I live and what I believe.As it turns out, Jackson can do a little old-fashioned missionary work too. He already has connected with people serving their missions in the Raleigh-Durham area and his semi-fame has helped them speak to people who otherwise might have declined.Jackson also has found a church and is quickly becoming an active member of the congregation.Its in Chapel Hill.They know Im a Duke player, but so far so good, Jackson said. Well see what happens when we play Carolina.Blue Devils and Tar Heels coexisting? That certainly has to qualify as good missionary work. Devon Travis Blue Jays Jersey .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. Marcus Stroman Jersey .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. http://www.bluejaysonline.com/blue-jays-justin-smoak-jersey/ . "No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. Eric Sogard Jersey . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. Freddy Galvis Blue Jays Jersey . Rousey will put her perfect 8-0 record and hardware on the line against another undefeated fighter, 7-0 Sara McMann in the main event of UFC 170, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Nevada on February 22nd. CLEVELAND -- Tony Romo will get more work at practice this week, moving the Dallas quarterback closer to his long-awaited comeback.That day looks as far off as ever.Until further notice, the Cowboys are Dak Prescotts team. End of discussion.Prescott threw three touchdown passes , maybe three of the easiest scores the rookie will have in his career, and Ezekiel Elliott ran for two TDs as Dallas won its seventh straight, 35-10 on Sunday over the hapless Cleveland Browns.Prescott improved to 7-1 as a starter, and his latest performance has pushed Romo deeper into the background of what is developing into a special season for the Cowboys.Following the game, Dallas owner Jerry Jones was peppered with the usual questions about a quarterback situation that may never reach controversial levels.Prescott has the Cowboys rolling, and despite his love and loyalty toward the 36-year-old Romo, Jones, who has made rash decisions in the past, doesnt appear ready to make any moves.Weve got a great luxury and wonderful problem to have, Jones said. Weve got some real talent at our quarterback position. I think Tony Romo is one of the best quarterbacks that has played this game.My real regret would be to have had him here and not win a Super Bowl with him. Hes that talented. And then I look at Dak and how hes playing, his future.I just dont have a problem with this situation.Romo returned to practice last week, and while his exact progress remains something of a mystery, Prescott has only strengthened his grip on the starting job.The fourth-round draft pick completed 21 of 27 passes for 247 yards against the woeful Browns (0-9), who offered little resistance and are more than halfway to a winless season.Prescott and the Cowboys built a 25-point lead after three quarters and coasted to their most lopsided win this season in front of thousands of Dallas fans, who invaded FirstEnergy Stadium and made the guys in blue and white feel as if they were home.Its Americas Team, Prescott said of the support. I expect that everywhere we go.And its getting to the point where the expectations for Prescott are soaring as well. He broke a few more of Troy Aikmans rookie passing records and showed uncanny poise for a player with only eight games under his belt.He doesnt act like a rookie, said tight end Jason Witten, who caught a 26-yard pass from Prescott . Hes critical of himself when hhe makes mistakes.dddddddddddd He takes ownership in it. Through eight weeks you look at what hes done, it speaks volumes about him, his preparation and his ability to trust the people around him. Hes done a great job.Prescott looks as if hes going to keep it for a while.KESSLER INJURED: Browns rookie Cody Kessler passed for 203 yards and threw a 12-yard TD pass to Terrelle Pryor in his first game back from a concussion.Kessler hurt his right leg in the second quarter, but finished the game and believes hell be ready to play Thursday night in Baltimore.ZEKE THE FREAK: Elliott rushed for 92 yards and has 891 this season, the third most by a rookie in league history after eight games.Only Adrian Peterson (1,036) and Eric Dickerson (995) have gotten off to a better start than Elliott, the former Ohio State star who enjoyed playing in front of some familiar faces.Ohio means a lot to me, kind of like a second home, he said. Just the memories I had here and the friends I made while at Ohio State and just the other things I accomplished at that great university. So it was very important for me to come here, have a good game and play in front of these great fans.BAD, BAD BROWNS: Cleveland is hoping to avoid joining the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only teams in league history to go 0-16.First-year coach Hue Jackson, who has endured several seasons worth of injuries, said his teams problems are too numerous to single out one.It is not just about the defense, he said. It is me. It starts with the coaching. It is a top-down deal. We are not playing well right now anyplace. It is not just defense. It is offensively and special teams. I am not just going to dump on one group. We have to play better as a team. We are not playing good enough, and that is what it is.FIGHT CLUB: The Browns lost starting center Cam Erving on their first series when he was ejected for fighting with Dallas defensive end David Irving, who was also tossed. The two tangled away from the ball near Dallas sideline.I let my emotions get the best of me, said Erving, who did not speak with reporter but provided a comment to a team spokesman. Ill learn from this mistake and put it behind me.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '