back Melvin Gordon didnt score a touchdown as a rookie, but Ken Whisenhu

Quick question: Just how good is Kentucky, anyway?The safe bet is very good. Very, very good. Like, national-title-contention good. And why not? John Calipari entered the 2016-17 season having wrangled together the nations No. 1 recruiting class, per ESPN RecruitingNation, in a year when No. 1 Harry Giles and No. 3 Jayson Tatum both chose to play at Duke.That was not easy to do, but done it was, and those dudes of the No. 1 class have hardly disappointed. Freshmen?DeAaron Fox, Malik Monk, Bam Adebayo?and Wenyen Gabriel are all on the floor more frequently than any Wildcats player except sophomore?Isaiah Briscoe. All but Gabriel -- who gets 20.4 minutes per game and is still the teams second-leading rebounder -- average double-figure points per game. Fox has been described (by his own coach, among others) as a left-handed?John Wall; Monk has more or less lived up to CoachCal.coms preseason appraisals; Adebayo has grabbed offensive rebounds, drawn fouls and dutifully protected the rim.The Wildcats enter the weekend ranked among the top 10 in offensive and defensive adjusted efficiency, per KenPom.com, something just two other teams can say. One of those teams is Kansas. The other is Kentuckys next opponent.And thats just a small portion of what makes No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 7 North Carolina (5:45 p.m. ET, CBS) so fascinating. For months, this neutral-court matchup at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas -- not UCLAs cross-country visit, pfft -- was the one Wildcats fans had circled on their calendar (albeit in slightly less-bold ink than next weeks blood feud with Louisville). Now here we are, and those same fans are?wondering?-- unfairly --?whether Saturday is the moment Kentucky turns really good into a win over a really good team.Whats doubly exciting is that the Tar Heels are big, athletic and versatile, and they love to push the pace. Which is to say theyre coached by Roy Williams, and which, in a twist, matches up perfectly with this version of the Wildcats.Recent Kentucky teams, for all their success, have never willingly played at a Williams-level pace. Over seven seasons, Caliparis UK teams have averaged 67.1 (adjusted, per KenPom.com) possessions per game. This season, they average 75.9; their mean possession ends in 13.5 seconds, fourth-fastest in the country. Theyre flying with Fox-led fast breaks and rebound runouts and Briscoe open-court creativity. The results have been impressive -- even against UCLA, when UK scored 92 points in 83 possessions, only to find itself outdone by an even better, even faster offensive team.That is the question posed by Saturdays matchup in Las Vegas: Can Caliparis team, as athletic and talented and fast as it is, sustain this style? Are the Wildcats so good that it can work against a team such as UNC, which is designed from the ground up to do the exact same thing (and which is vastly more experienced than Kentucky)? Can the Wildcats do so while keeping the nations best offensive rebounding team off the boards? Are they good enough to do so? How good are they, anyway?Probably really good! But lets see how Saturday -- and, not for nothing, Wednesdays trip to the Yum! Center -- goes before we decide. Fair?Crossroads ClassicNo. 21 Notre Dame vs. No. 15 Purdue, Saturday, 2 p.m., ESPN2No. 18 Butler vs. No. 9 Indiana, Saturday, 5 p.m., BTNCollege basketballs recent vintage has yielded a bumper crop of nonconference events. Sometimes these events produce good basketball. Sometimes they have weird names. Sometimes they -- gasp -- even make money.Rarely, however, are these events so organically obvious that its a wonder they havent existed all along. The Crossroads Classic, which pairs Indianas four marquee college hoops programs, is the most notable exception.As easy as it is to overly romanticize the states love affair with basketball and to reduce a cultural touchstone to pat Jimmy Chitwood references, there are good reasons why you might. Frankly, there is no event in college basketball that manages to capture the culture of the state in which it is held quite like the Crossroads Classic. For one Saturday in December, fans of four different teams, from various corners of a basketball-obsessed geographic area, congregate in one arena -- in the same way they would for, say, the Indiana state high school basketball tournament, which fills the same number of seats in Bankers Life Fieldhouse every season as does the Crossroads Classic. Which is to say, all of them.Its an event so good that it feels as if its always been around. In fact, its only 6 years old. But however successful the idea of pairing Indiana, Butler, Notre Dame and Purdue in one doubleheader has been, its safe to say the basketball itself has probably never been better than it will be Saturday.All four teams are ranked in the top 25. Combined, they are 34-5 on the season. Indiana has toppled Kansas and North Carolina; Butler owns wins over Arizona and Cincinnati; Notre Dame and surprise star Bonzie Colson had Villanova on the ropes for 35 minutes last week; Purdue has the highest efficiency margin of all four.Indeed, no team has more on the line Saturday than the Boilermakers. A neutral-court matchup with Notre Dame -- or a neutral-court matchup at least until the Indiana fans show up -- is the first of Purdues remaining three nonconference games before Big Ten play and the only one with any redeeming résumé value. To date, Matt Painters team has looked generally excellent but failed to hold on against Villanova at home and lost a tight game to Louisville on the road. Analytically speaking, Purdue is obviously good. But above all else, the NCAA tournament selection committee cares about wins and losses, and this is the Boilermakers last chance to impress before conference play begins. (Oh, and by the way, Purdue has yet to win in the first five years of the Crossroads Classic. The Boilers would very much like for that to change.)Saturdays Indiana-focused basketball will be as good as it ever has been. Thats not really the point. In an era flush with nonconference doubleheaders, most of which contain almost zero thematic or cultural resonance, the on-court product at the Crossroads Classic could be garbage and still be pretty rad. Fortunately, the basketball will be good, too. Adidas Superstar Nederland . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Adidas Falcon Nederland .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. http://www.nmdtekoop.com/ultra-boost-sneakers.html . General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. Adidas Futurecraft 4d Kopen . On Mar. 16, coming off a "fight of the year" performance at UFC 154 the previous November, St-Pierre faced Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in what would be his eighth defence of the welterweight title. Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. Adidas Superstar Schoenen Sale . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. To coincide with the 28-hour ESPN Fantasy Football Marathon presented by Draft Kings, NFL Nation reporters are taking a position-by-position look at the teams they cover. Below are projections for each starting running backs stats for 2016.On Monday: NFL Nation covered over/under on starting-quarterback performances?in 2016, based on their ESPN fantasy projections. Here are the fantasy projections for running backs. Click the links after each team to view the full posts.Arizona Cardinals: David and Chris Johnson will give the Cardinals a strong one-two punch, but it might be a stretch for David Johnson to reach his lofty projections. Read more.Atlanta Falcons: There are early indications that Devonta Freeman is the Falcons preferred rushing option near the goal line, which hikes up his fantasy value. Read more.Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens could end up with a running back by committee, which could directly impact Justin Forsett, who has surpassed 700 yards only once in his career. Read more.Buffalo Bills: LeSean McCoy has looked explosive during training camp, but once Karlos Williams returns from his four-game suspension, he will likely steal some fantasy points from McCoy. Read more.Carolina Panthers: The Panthers continuity on the offensive line, and teams keying on Cam Newton as a runner as well as a passer, could open the door for Jonathan Stewart to have an even bigger season. Read more.Chicago Bears: Jeremy Langford showcased elite breakaway speed last season but also suffered from a case of the drops in the passing game. The Bears beefed up the backfield this offseason, but Langford is still expected to be the guy to replace Matt Forte. Read more.Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals might be forced to rely on their running game more this season, which would produce more opportunities for Jeremy Hill. All fantasy owners need from Hill is week-to-week consistency. Read more.Cleveland Browns: With Isaiah Crowell likely to split duties with Duke Johnson, the Browns running backs dont offer much fantasy security, especially behind an offensive line with major questions. Read more.Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys want to get back to the running the ball the way they did in 2014, and with the likes of Ezekiel Elliott, Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris, the run game looks solid. Read more.Denver Broncos: All signs point to the Broncos running the ball more than they have the previous four seasons with Peyton Manning at quarterback. C.J. Anderson, who takes his first real foray into the role of lead back, figures to flourish in the one-cut-and-go scheme. Read more.Detroit Lions: Coach Jim Caldwells teams have rarely had prolific rushers, so be wary of Detroit running backs in 2016 -- except if you have Theo Riddick, who is good to have in PPR leagues because he could be as good as a high RB2. Read more.Green Bay Packers: Eddie Lacy is in shape and knows the pressure is on him this year, in the final season of his rookie contract, so a return to form seems probable. Read more.Houston Texans: Lamar Miller averaged 196 carries in his final three campaigns in Miami, but the additional work he will see with the Texans should give him the opportunity to put up RB1 numbers. Read more.Indianapolis Colts: ESPNs fantasy projection for Frank Gore is fewer than 1,000 yards this season. However, the Colts offensive line should be improved, which would give Gore more lanes to run through and more opportunities to surpass the 1,000-yard mark. Read more.Jacksonville Jaguars: The bad news? Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon will be sharing carries. The good news? The Jaguars are committed to running the ball more, which should help both rrunning backs and their fantasy owners.dddddddddddd Read more.Kansas City Chiefs: Jamaal Charles is back from his ACL injury, but hell have company in the backfield this season and might not get the carries hes used to. Read more.Los Angeles Rams: As the clear focal point of the Rams offense, Todd Gurley should be even better in his second season and will be relied upon heavily, especially with rookie quarterback Jared Goff trying to figure things out. Read more.Miami Dolphins: Whoever wins the starting job has a great shot to beat fantasy projections, and for Arian Foster, it has more to do with health than anything else. Read more.Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings ground game should still be one of the leagues pre-eminent running attacks this season, and theres another star fantasy option beyond Adrian Peterson. Read more.New England Patriots: Its always risky to count on a Patriots running back in fantasy, but if Dion Lewis stays healthy, he should put up decent numbers, including going above expectations for yards and receptions. Read more.New Orleans Saints: Mark Ingram has earned the Saints trust and is their clear-cut No. 1 back, which makes him a great option in fantasy, despite his injury history. Read more.New York Giants: New Yorks backfield might remain a muddled fantasy mess again in 2016, as the Giants played ring-around-a-running-back for the first 13 weeks of the previous season. Veterans Rashad Jennings and Shane Vereen are the heavy favorites to earn the most significant time, but there are several wild cards in waiting. Read more.New York Jets: Matt Forte should be healthy by the season opener, but he wont be an every-down player. How does that affect his fantasy value? Read more.Oakland Raiders: Although Latavius Murray rushed for 1,066 yards last season, he is barely ranked as a top-20 fantasy running back. Say what? Read more.Pittsburgh Steelers: DeAngelo Williams can ably fill in for LeVeon Bell if needed, but might the Steelers surprise us by keeping both on the field for extended periods? Read more.Philadelphia Eagles: Coach Doug Pedersons focus on the run -- especially given the lack of big-play weapons at wide receiver -- should give Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles plenty of opportunities to put points on the board for the Eagles. Read more.San Diego Chargers: Chargers tailback Melvin Gordon didnt score a touchdown as a rookie, but Ken Whisenhunts scheme should boost Gordons production in his second season. Read more.San Francisco 49ers: Its a good thing Carlos Hyde returned to training camp leaning and with a goal of 1,500 yards, as hell need it in coach Chip Kellys consistent ground game attack. Read more.Seattle Seahawks: Although fantasy owners cant turn to Beastmode this season, Thomas Rawls has returned from a season-ending ankle injury and should exceed ESPNs fantasy projections. Read more.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers have two strong running backs in Doug Martin and Charles Sims. It seems safe to bet Martin will have another 1,000-yard season. Read more.Tennessee Titans: Tennessees preseason opener, in which DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry combined for 167 rushing yards and two touchdowns, made it seem that things are moving in a good direction for both the Titans and fantasy owners of both players. Read more.Washington Redskins: The Redskins offense has a lot of talent in the passing game, which could limit Matt Jones opportunities. Can Jones exceed ESPNs fantasy projection of 936.7 rushing yards and 5.2 rushing touchdowns? Read more. ' ' '