Lexington, KY (SportsNetwork. Anaheim Ducks Gear .com) - Devin Booker and Willie Cauley-Stein each scored 15 points as top-ranked Kentucky remained undefeated with an 84-70 victory over No. 21 North Carolina. Aaron Harrison added 14 points and the Wildcats shot 56.3 percent from the floor in a performance far more impressive then Wednesdays lethargic 10-point home win over heavy underdog Columbia. Kentucky (11-0) also asserted itself on the defensive end, forcing 18 Tar Heel turnovers that it converted into 24 points, and was never seriously threatened for the majority of this high-profile battle of basketball blue bloods. Brice Johnson led North Carolina (6-3) with 15 points, though most of that total came the games early stages. Marcus Paige finished with 14 points in the loss. Final Score: (3) Arizona 80, Michigan 53 Tucson, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Last season, Arizona traveled to Ann Arbor and won a two-point thriller. It was much easier this time around for the hird-ranked Wildcats, who dominated Michigan in every facet of the game in front of their home crowd and embarrassed the Wolverines, 80-53. Freshman phenom Stanley Johnson led a balanced scoring attack with 17 points for Arizona (10-0), which shot 58.2 percent from the floor while limiting the Wolverines to just 35.2 percent. Arizona improved to 31-0 with Ashley in the lineup since the start of last season. Zak Irvin had 14 points to lead the Wolverines (6-4), who were coming off consecutive home losses to NJIT and Eastern Michigan. Final Score: (5) Wisconsin 86, Nicholls 43 Madison, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Sam Dekker scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds in No. 5 Wisconsins 86-43 win over Nicholls. Dekker scored 13 of those points in the first half for the Badgers (10-1), who led by as much as 45. Josh Gasser added 14 points for Wisconsin, and Nigel Hayes chipped in 12 points and eight boards. Amin Torres scored 14 points off the bench to lead the Colonels (1-5), and Sam McBeath netted nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. Wisconsin owned a 41-26 edge on the boards and outscored Nicholls 36-26 in the paint. The Badgers also scored 19 points off 21 Colonels turnovers. Final Score: (8) Texas 59, Texas State 27 Austin, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Cameron Ridley scored 14 points and eighth- ranked Texas used a dominating defensive performance to rout Texas State, 59-27, at the Erwin Center. Javan Felix added 10 points, and Connor Lammert pulled down 10 rebounds for the Longhorns (8-1), who bounced back from a 12- point loss to top-ranked Kentucky on Dec. 5. Demarcus Holland scored nine points for Texas, which has posted 26 straight wins against Texas State. Cameron Naylor scored eight to pace the Bobcats (5-2), who had just nine points in the opening half and faced a 15-point deficit after 20 minutes. Final Score: (9) Gonzaga 87, UCLA 74 Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Kyle Wiltjer had 24 points, Byron Wesley scored 20 with nine rebounds and No. 9 Gonzaga shot the lights out and never trailed in an 87-74 win over UCLA on Saturday night. Przemek Karnowski and Domantas Sabonis added 10 points apiece for the Bulldogs (9-1), who played their third consecutive game against a Pac-12 team. They beat Washington State by 15 points on Wednesday after falling to Arizona in overtime last Saturday for their first loss of the season. Bryce Alford had 23 points to lead UCLA (8-3), which had a four-game winning streak snapped. Isaac Hamilton added 18 points, Kevon Looney scored 14 and Norman Powell had 12 in the loss. Final Score: (10) Kansas 63, (13) Utah 60 Kansas City, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Perry Ellis scored 14 points, the last two on a tie-breaking basket with 2:01 remaining, and 10th-ranked Kansas survived a stern challenge from No. 13 Utah to earn a 63-60 victory. The Jayhawks squandered a 21-point lead early in the second half, but came up clutch down the stretch to record their seventh straight win since a blowout loss to top-ranked Kentucky in Indianapolis in mid-November. Ellis big basket snapped a 55-55 tie, while Brannen Greene hit four critical free throws in the final seconds to enable Kansas (8-1) to hold on. Delon Wright led the Utes near-comeback by netting 12 of his 23 points in the second half, but Utah (7-2) failed to score on five straight possessions after claiming a 55-53 edge on Jakob Poeltls layup with 4:36 left to play. Final Score: (11) Wichita State 77, Detroit 68 Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Darius Carter had 18 points and 11 rebounds to guide No. 11 Wichita State to a 77-68 victory over Detroit on Saturday. Ron Baker had 19 points and seven rebounds while Fred VanVleet gave 11 points, eight boards and seven assists for the Shockers (7-1), who have won their past three. Juwan Howard Jr. scored a game-high 27 points while Matthew Grant and Paris Bass each had 12 for the Titans (6-4), who had won their previous two. Final Score: (12) Ohio State 87, Morehead State 71 Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Sam Thompson and DAngelo Russell each had 15 points as No. 12 Ohio State posted an 87-71 win over Morehead State at Value City Arena. Despite struggling on the defensive end for much of the game, Ohio State (8-1) still managed to record a third straight lopsided victory since falling to No. 4 Louisville on Dec. 2 behind a sharp shooting display. Thompson and Amir Williams both finished 5-of-6 from the field and the Buckeyes went 56.6 percent overall as a team. The Eagles (4-8) shot 55.3 percent, with Corban Collins draining 6-of-7 attempts from 3-point range in a 22-point effort, but committed 21 turnovers in their fourth straight loss. Williams ended with 12 points and nine rebounds, with JaeSean Tate also tallying 12 points for Ohio State. Final Score: (16) Oklahoma 87, Tulsa 68 Tulsa, OK (SportsNetwork.com) - TaShawn Thomas poured in a season-best 25 points as 16th-ranked Oklahoma cruised to an 87-68 victory over in-state foe Tulsa at the Reynolds Center. Thomas went 9-of-12 from the floor and Isaiah Cousins knocked down five 3-pointers in a 21-point effort for the Sooners. Cousins added eight rebounds to help Oklahoma (6-2) easily handle a struggling Tulsa team coming off a home loss to Division II Southeast Oklahoma State. Shaquille Harrison was one of the Golden Hurricanes few bright spots, finishing with 21 points and five assists. Rashad Ray tallied 11 points off the bench for Tulsa (5-5). Final Score: (19) Maryland 67, USC Upstate 57 College Park, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - Jake Layman scored 17 points and No. 19 Maryland rallied in the second half for a 67-57 victory over USC Upstate on Saturday. Melo Trimble had 14 points and 12 rebounds while Evan Smotrycz added 10 points and six boards for the Terrapins (10-1), who have won their past three games. Fred Miller gave 13 points, five boards and five assists and Ty Greene added 11 for the Spartans (8-3), who had a three-game winning streak broken. Final Score: VCU 93, (23) Northern Iowa 87 (2OT) Richmond, VA (SportsNetwork.com) - Treveon Graham scored 21 points, including a clutch 3-pointer in the second overtime, and pulled down 11 rebounds to help VCU knock off No. 23 Northern Iowa 93-87 on Saturday. Grahams late layup in regulation helped the Rams (6-3) force overtime and after being held scoreless in the first extra period, he hit the 3-pointer in the second overtime that put VCU ahead for good. Briante Weber chipped in 14 points and six steals for the Rams, and Melvin Johnson added 12. Wes Washpun and Matt Bohannon scored 27 and 18 points, respectively, for the Panthers (9-1), including 12 of the teams 14 points in the overtime sessions. It was not enough, though, and Washpun fouled out of the game in the second overtime. Final Score: (25) Notre Dame 83, Florida State 63 South Bend, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - Zach Auguste scored 26 points and No. 25 Notre Dame pulled away in the second half for an 83-63 win over short-handed Florida State on Saturday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams. Conference scoring leader Jerian Grant added 18 points, including 14 in the second half, and Demetrius Jackson also scored 18 as Notre Dame (10-1, 1-0 ACC) picked up its sixth consecutive win since a one-point loss to Providence on Nov. 23. Florida State played without leading scorer Aaron Thomas, who was declared ineligible by the school on Friday. The junior guard was averaging 14.8 points and 3.5 rebounds this season. Montay Brandon had 14 points to lead the Seminoles (4-5, 0-1) and Devon Bookert scored 11. Ducks Jerseys 2020 . Halladays resume as a Blue Jay is among the elite in the franchises 36-year history. Over 12 seasons in Toronto, he was named an All-Star six times. He had arguably the finest campaign of his career in 2003 when he posted a 22-7 record, a 3. Samuel Pahlsson Jersey . Now he can be had by any team willing to pay his salary. According to a report from ESPN, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are shopping the veteran CB and plan on releasing him Wednesday if they cant find a trade partner. https://www.cheapducks.com/ . Damyean Dotson, 19, Dominic Artis, 19 and Brandon Austin, 18, were suspended after the school received a police report concerning allegations made by a student who said she was assaulted by the players in early March.For the Toronto Raptors and their fans, the heartbreak from Sundays loss to the Brooklyn Nets in Game 7 is still fresh - so fresh that even contemplating next season, or even this offseason, might be too painful to do right now. Perhaps thinking about anything else at all would be a welcome distraction. The 2014 Toronto Raptors seemingly came out of nowhere. In a season when the club was expected to be "riggin for Wiggins" or one of the other highly touted prospects available in next months NBA Draft, not only did the Raptors compete, they won the division and, in the process, became the most likable team that Toronto sports has seen for some time. Now, whats next? What would you do to build upon this years breakthrough season going into 2014-2015? The Raptors success was a confluence of many different things and credit is due to many different people. General manager Masai Ujiris December trade of Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings opened a number of doors for Dwane Caseys squad and was the chief catalyst for the success to follow. Nobody will dispute Gays credentials as a gifted scorer and a well-liked teammate, but on many nights, he was a black hole on offence for the Raptors. Sure, Gay led the team in scoring, but he also led the team in shots taken with many of them low-percentage and poorly thought out. The Raptors offence lived and died with Gay and the teams 6-12 record at the time of the trade indicates that there was a lot more dying being done. Gays removal did two major things for the Raptors – it opened up the floor for the emergence of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry and effectively rounded out the teams second-unit. Not much more ink can be spilled on the seasons that both DeRozan and Lowry had for the Raptors. In becoming the teams out-and-out number one option, DeRozan rounded into a smarter player who, when given the ball, did one crucial thing much better than Gay did – he picked his spots. Rarely did you see a Gay-like game from DeRozan with 25+ points, but on sub-30 per cent shooting. DeRozan earned himself on an All-Star appearance in becoming the Raptors go-to player and it was well deserved. Lowry was inarguably the best point guard in the Eastern Conference in 2014. The Raptors backcourt general, Lowrys vision and quick decision-making on most nights opened up the floor and allowed the Raps to develop into a solid offensive team in the leagues top half. Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson, two of the players acquired from the Kings, were sparkplugs off the bench, contributing both valuable minutes and timely scoring. Of course, there was more than just that. Jonas Valanciunas built on his rookie season, growing more accustomed to the North American game, to continue to develop into a more than effective post presence. Amir Johnson, the heart and soul of the team, was a dependable energy player, both responsible defensively and able to chip in on offence. None of this would have been possible without the guiding hand of Casey. The man who finished fifth in voting for the NBA Coach of the Year award got his charges to commit to his system and work as a cohesive unit. More often than not, one of the most consistent talking points you would get from any interview given by a Raptors player over the course of the season was that there was a real sense of camaraderie amongst the squad and that was fostered under Caseys tutelage. But what now for Ujiris second act? Soon, though, when the heartache from that last-second loss begins to subside in earnest, Ujiri will some difficult decisions to make in guiding his 2014 Atlantic Division champions forward. Firstly, lets look at who on this team is almost certain to return. Under guaranteed contract for 2015 are DeRozan, Valanciunas, Terrence Ross, Chuck Hayes, Steve Novak and Landry Fields. Thats 60 per cent of your starting five and three bench pieces, but ones that are not remotely irreplaceable. The team has five players with non-guaranteed contracts for next season, three of those of consequence. With all due respect to Julyan Stone and Dwight Buycks, whether or not the team chooses to retain the pairs modest salaries is insignificant, considering the two are in street clothes more nights than theyre dressed. Amir Johnson, John Salmons and Tyler Hansbrough are the trio of players that Ujiri has options on. Johnson and Salmons both have a $7 million option and Ujiri will be loath to let the former go. Johnson is arguably the teams most popular player and his workmanlike effort will not be easy to replace. Barring the unforeseen, Johnson is a Raptor next season. The situation is murkier for Salmons. A piece who came over from Sacramento as part of the Gay deal, Salmons found himself in and out of Caseys favoured rotation over the course of the season. A more than competent sixth or seventh man, there certainly is value in retaining Salmons in his leadership and sharpshooting. That said, $7 million isnt exactly a drop in the bucket for a bench player who will turn 35 over the course of next season and the team might try too explore a trade for veteran before deciding not to qualify him. Devin Shore Jersey. Salmons probably wont be back. As for Hansbrough, his $3.3 million is commensurate for what "Psyco T" brings to the table and, while hes not a lock to come back, hes likely to return. The team holds qualifying offers on three players: Vasquez, Patterson and Nando De Colo. Both Vasquez and Patterson want to return and its easy to see why Ujiri would want them back. Vasquez excelled as the teams back-up point guard with Casey feeling no unease inserting him to spell Lowry. His dependable off-the-bench scoring, competent defence and the ability to start in a pinch guarantee that a player like Vasquez, due to make $3.2 million next season, wont have any troubling finding an NBA job. The same goes for Patterson, who comes in at just over $4.3 million. Expect there to be interest league-wide for both players, but look for the Raptors to be game to match. De Colo, who came over at the deadline from the San Antonio Spurs, was serviceable in his limited role as a number-three point guard and would be welcomed back in that role. This, of course, leaves the teams biggest question mark on the court and its only unrestricted free agent: Lowry. The player wants to come back. Management wants him to stay. His teammates want him to return. Kyle Lowry doesnt have to clean out his locker room stall at the Air Canada Centre if he doesnt want to. The sticking point, as is apt to be the case in situations like these, is money. Lowry, a player who was attached to trade rumours for much of this past season, was the 23rd-highest-paid point guard in the league. You can guarantee that wont be the case with his new deal, but two key factors come into play for the Raptors: just how much the 28-year-old is looking for and how big the market is for his services. Obviously, the two are linked. From a financial standpoint, Lowrys career-year couldnt have come at a worse time. There just simply arent vacancies right now around the league for a point guard to be paid what the Raptors talisman will likely command. Sure, Lowrys easily the best unrestricted PG out there (with the likes of Rodney Stuckey and Mario Chalmers also on the board) and a team like the Los Angeles Lakers is a potential destination, but in all likelihood, theyre keeping their chequebooks open for next summers probable free agent bonanza (including UCLA product Kevin Love, who they covet highly.) What that boils down to, then, is the fact that for a myriad of reasons, Toronto is Lowrys best fit. Its all a matter of finding common ground. Hes not going to get max money, but hes going to be in line for a significant raise that will eat up some of the teams available cap space. All signs are pointing to a deal getting done, but dont think that Lowry wont be listening to other offers. So where does this leave the Raptors for next season? Theyre clearly a work in progress, which is a blessing and a curse. Theres potential here to build on, but theres also a clear indication that this team needs to raise its talent level one way or another, whether its through free agency or trade. Its difficult to speculate on the trade market just yet, but there are several potentially attractive names for the Raptors available on the free agent market. The likes of Trevor Ariza, Luol Deng or even a returning Vince Carter could all make sense for the Raptors and represent an upgrade in the overall talent department. Yes, theres always been the concern about how attractive Toronto is to NBA players, but much of that is unfounded speculation based on ignorance. Players will always follow money and a chance to win and 2014-15 could be an opportunity for the Raptors to strike while the iron is hot. Dont get me wrong, nobody is suggesting that this team is in the same class as the Miami Heat or even the Indiana Pacers, but look around at the rest of the East and especially the Atlantic. The Nets are obviously anticipating the return of a healthy Brook Lopez, but Brooklyn is both expensive and old. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers will both be buoyed by a high selection in next months draft, likely a player who could make an immediate impact, but each team is in the midst of a long rebuild.The New York Knicks will play the waiting game with Carmelo Anthony and whether or not hell want to opt out of his current deal. Yes, the likes of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have opt-outs, too, but out of the premier players in the NBA who have that option, Anthony is the only one who realistically might take it with the Chicago Bulls potentially waiting in the wings. As Phil Jacksons team focuses on Anthony, the rest of the team around him just isnt good enough. There is room to move in the East and the Raptors will do whats necessary to help facilitate that. Next October is a long ways away, but the path to it will start soon. Masai Ujiris Toronto Raptors face a pivotal offseason after the teams greatest success in recent memory. How would you move forward with the Raptors? Its Your Call! ' ' '