Collins missed Wednesday's win over the Bucks with an elbow injury. Collins returned to play in Utah's las two games after missing the first nine games of the season while recovering from right elbow tendinitis.

Deng missed the Bulls' loss to Portland on Wednesday night with a groin injury. Deng was hurt Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, and is day to day.

Przybilla had 14 points and nine rebounds and went 6-for-6 from the field in the Blazers' 116-74 rout of Chicago on Wednesday night. Przybilla has the potential to deliver games like this on occasion as long as he's getting the minutes. With Greg Oden slowly getting worked back into the starting lineup, however, Przybilla's chances at regaining fantasy relevance are limited.

Roy scored 20 points and went 7-for-13 from the field in the Blazers' 116-74 rout of Chicago on Wednesday night. Roy has scored at least 20 points in seven straight games, averaging 22.9 and shooting 47.3 percent in those games. He shot just 40.0 percent in his first five games of the season.

Rose was 1-for-8 from the field and had a season-low six points and three turnovers in the Bulls' 116-74 loss to Portland on Wednesday night. It was a rare off night for the rookie point guard, who averaged 19.5 points and shot 48.3 percent from the field in his first 11 NBA games before Wednesday's struggles. Expect him to bounce back against a porous Warriors defense on Friday night.

Duncan had a season-low 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in Wednesday's loss to Denver. Duncan was 4-of-13 from the field and fell way short of his season average of 23.9 points. The Spurs host Utah on Friday, and in three games against the Jazz last season, Duncan averaged 18.3 points on 55.6 percent shooting and 10.7 rebounds.

Guite suffered a rib injury and hasn't played since Nov. 8. He is listed as day-to-day.

Johnson left a game on Nov. 12 with a hip injury. Johnson has not played since then and it is uncertain when he will return in net.

Fedorov has missed six games for undisclosed reasons. It is uncertain when he will return to the lineup. He has four goals and five assists.

Vandermeer has not played since Nov. 9 because of a fractured foot. It is uncertain when Vandermeer, who has two assists this season.

Vaananen missed three games with an upper-body injury. He has five assists and no goals this season.

Hannan missed one game with flu-like symptoms on Nov. 6. He has one point this season.

The 49ers placed Jennings on injured reserve Tuesday for the third time in his four seasons with the club. Jennings underwent surgery Tuesday on his dislocated right shoulder, which has kept him out of action since it occurred in Week 2 against Seattle. He dressed but didn't play in the 49ers' (3-7) past two games, and the club eventually decided to scrap another season for a $36 million tackle who has missed 35 games with injuries since signing with San Francisco in 2005.

The Cardinals declined to consider releasing James when the running back's agent inquired about the possibility, the team's general manager said Wednesday. Rod Graves said he received a call from agent Drew Rosenhaus three weeks ago after James was benched in favor of rookie Tim Hightower and didn't play a down in Arizona's 34-13 victory at St. Louis. According to Graves, Rosenhaus asked if the team would consider releasing James "and we declined it as a consideration.'' James has three carries for 5 yards since losing his starting job.

Davis has been placed on the IR with a groin injury.

Graham will miss the remainder of the season after injuring his right ankle during last week's victory over the Minnesota Vikings. He limped off the field on his only carry, which went for 3 yards. Graham was leading Tampa Bay with 563 yards on 132 carries and scored four touchdowns. He had a career-best 898 yards and scored 10 times on 222 attempts. He also caught 49 passes for 324 yards. With Graham out, Warrick Dunn moves into the featured tailback role and Carnell Williams will be the backup.

The NFL told Vikings coach Brad Childress on Wednesday that Allen will not be suspended for a spate of late hits. Instead, the league will fine Allen $25,000 and not punished further. Allen was summoned to the league office Tuesday and went with defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. He was fined $50,000 for two late hits earlier this month on Houston quarterback Matt Schaub, one that injured his knee. He was called for roughing the passer the next week against Green Bay after knocking down Aaron Rodgers.

Karney will miss Monday's home game with Green Bay because of his knee injury. Karney has 7 yards on four carries and has caught seven passes for 12 yards in eight games this season. He has rushed for 76 yards and five touchdowns in 71 career games. Karney has also caught 51 passes for 289 yards and two TDs.

The Yankees expect to enter next season without Mussina. FoxSports.com reported Wednesday that Mussina intends to retire and will make the move official this week. In the report, the Web site cited unidentified major league sources. Mussina, who turns 40 next month, would become the first pitcher to call it quits following a 20-win season since Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax in 1966. Only 30 wins shy of 300, Mussina became the oldest pitcher in big league history to win 20 games for the first time.

The Red Sox acquired Ramirez from the Kansas City Royals in a trade for outfielder Coco Crisp. The primary setup man for Joakim Soria, the 27-year-old right-hander went 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 71 2-3 innings. Ramirez should take over the setup role for Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon and send Justin Masterson back to the rotation.

The Kansas City Royals acquired Crisp from the Red Sox on Wednesday for reliever Ramon Ramirez. Boston will to replace Crisp with a right-handed outfielder who can play center. The Red Sox will likely look outside the organization. Crisp is due to make $5.75 million next season in a deal that includes an $8 million club option for 2010 with a $500,000 buyout. Kansas City was 12th among the 14 American League teams in runs scored and 11th in stolen bases. The 29-year-old Crisp has stoled 20 bases or more in each of the last three seasons with 20 last year. He also hit .283 with seven homers and 41 RBIs. "The speed aspect of it was very important," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "I've talked many times about the importance of a balanced lineup, speed at the top and the bottom, and Coco certainly gives us that."

Pedroia won the AL MVP award Tuesday, becoming the first second baseman to earn the honor in nearly a half-century. Nellie Fox was the last second baseman to become AL MVP, in 1959 with the White Sox. No position has produced fewer MVPs overall. Pedroia led the AL in hits, runs and doubles in helping the Red Sox win the AL wild-card berth. He batted .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs and also stole 20 bases, getting caught just once and playing Gold Glove defense.

Dempster and the Chicago Cubs are close to agreement on a four-year contract worth about $52 million, according to a baseball official. The official, with knowledge of the negotiations, spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the Cubs had not made any announcement. Dempster was 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA for the Cubs last season, then became a free agent. Chicago has not commented in recent days on its efforts to re-sign the 31-year-old right-hander.

Kouzmanoff had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and is expected to be ready by the start of spring training. Kouzmanoff batted .260 with 23 home runs and 84 RBIs this season, when San Diego lost 99 games and finished last in the NL West. The surgery was performed Saturday.

Ball State found itself in an unfamiliar situation at halftime, deadlocked for the first time after 30 minutes all season.The No. 14 Cardinals and Central Michigan were still tied midway through the fourth quarter when MiQuale Lewis stepped up, carrying six times for 63 yards and setting up Nate Davis' fourth touchdown pass of the game in Ball State's 31-24 victory on Wednesday night.The win clinched a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title for Ball State (11-0, 7-0 MAC) and set a school record for wins in a season, with representatives from the Fiesta, Motor City and International bowls looking on.The Cardinals have never played for the league championship, and can claim the division outright if they beat Western Michigan on Nov. 25."It was a big win," said Lewis, who finished with 177 yards rushing on 28 carries. "For us to win the MAC championship, we knew we had to come through here, through Central. Great team. Well coached. We knew we'd get their A game."The win broke a streak of four consecutive losses to Central Michigan (8-3, 6-1), which had won the past two division titles and defeated the Cardinals by 20 points last season.The Chippewas can still steal a spot in the MAC title game again if they defeat Eastern Michigan, Ball State loses to Western Michigan and a number of other tiebreakers come through.The Cardinals went ahead with 7:29 left when Davis found Briggs Orsbon in the corner of the end zone from 11 yards out, capping a drive in which Lewis carried the bulk of the load. Central Michigan had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds, but Dan LeFevour was intercepted by Sean Baker with 27 seconds left."It shows that we are resilient," Cardinals coach Brady Hoke said, "and can win tightly contested games."Davis completed 12-of-22 passes for 175 yards, including two TD passes to Louis Robinson.LeFevour completed 30-of-44 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns, and added a team-high 75 yards rushing on 24 carries. He became the fifth quarterback in MAC history to pass 11,000 career yards in total offense. He now has 11,004."I think he's great," Hoke said. "He's a tremendous football player."Central Michigan's Antonio Brown caught eight passes for 61 yards, and Kito Poblah caught five passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. His 38-yard scoring reception in the first minute of the fourth quarter gave the Chippewas a 24-17 lead.Davis answered with TD passes to Robinson and Orsbon.After Ball State struck first on Johnson's scoring reception with 1:56 left in the first quarter, Central Michigan answered with a 24-yard TD pass from LeFevour to Joe Bockheim and a 31-yard field by Andrew Aguila on consecutive possessions in the second quarter.A 21-yard field goal by Ball State's Ian McGarvey with 59 seconds left in the second quarter tied it at 10. The 10-10 deadlock marked the first time in 11 games this season that Ball State had not led at halftime.

Ball State found itself in an unfamiliar situation at halftime, deadlocked for the first time after 30 minutes all season.The No. 14 Cardinals and Central Michigan were still tied midway through the fourth quarter when MiQuale Lewis stepped up, carrying six times for 63 yards and setting up Nate Davis' fourth touchdown pass of the game in Ball State's 31-24 victory on Wednesday night.The win clinched a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title for Ball State (11-0, 7-0 MAC) and set a school record for wins in a season, with representatives from the Fiesta, Motor City and International bowls looking on.The Cardinals have never played for the league championship, and can claim the division outright if they beat Western Michigan on Nov. 25."It was a big win," said Lewis, who finished with 177 yards rushing on 28 carries. "For us to win the MAC championship, we knew we had to come through here, through Central. Great team. Well coached. We knew we'd get their A game."The win broke a streak of four consecutive losses to Central Michigan (8-3, 6-1), which had won the past two division titles and defeated the Cardinals by 20 points last season.The Chippewas can still steal a spot in the MAC title game again if they defeat Eastern Michigan, Ball State loses to Western Michigan and a number of other tiebreakers come through.The Cardinals went ahead with 7:29 left when Davis found Briggs Orsbon in the corner of the end zone from 11 yards out, capping a drive in which Lewis carried the bulk of the load. Central Michigan had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds, but Dan LeFevour was intercepted by Sean Baker with 27 seconds left."It shows that we are resilient," Cardinals coach Brady Hoke said, "and can win tightly contested games."Davis completed 12-of-22 passes for 175 yards, including two TD passes to Louis Robinson.LeFevour completed 30-of-44 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns, and added a team-high 75 yards rushing on 24 carries. He became the fifth quarterback in MAC history to pass 11,000 career yards in total offense. He now has 11,004."I think he's great," Hoke said. "He's a tremendous football player."Central Michigan's Antonio Brown caught eight passes for 61 yards, and Kito Poblah caught five passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. His 38-yard scoring reception in the first minute of the fourth quarter gave the Chippewas a 24-17 lead.Davis answered with TD passes to Robinson and Orsbon.After Ball State struck first on Johnson's scoring reception with 1:56 left in the first quarter, Central Michigan answered with a 24-yard TD pass from LeFevour to Joe Bockheim and a 31-yard field by Andrew Aguila on consecutive possessions in the second quarter.A 21-yard field goal by Ball State's Ian McGarvey with 59 seconds left in the second quarter tied it at 10. The 10-10 deadlock marked the first time in 11 games this season that Ball State had not led at halftime.

This sibling rivalry has an entire state of Arkansas' attention.The Razorbacks enter Saturday's game at Mississippi State with plenty of uncertainty at quarterback. Coach Bobby Petrino has said either Casey Dick or his younger brother Nathan could start."We certainly feel confident with either one of them," Petrino said earlier this week.Casey Dick, a senior, has been the starter all season, and he's played well at times in Petrino's offense. He's thrown for 2,389 yards, only 240 shy of tying the single-season school record.Two weekends ago, however, he was sacked six times and threw three interceptions in a 34-21 loss at South Carolina. He also left the game with a concussion. Arkansas had last weekend off, giving him more time to recover, but Petrino hasn't committed to a starter yet.Nathan Dick, a redshirt freshman, made his college debut in relief of his brother against South Carolina."We want to make sure that Casey's back healthy, but we did like the way Nathan played when he came in," Petrino said. "It wasn't Casey's best game of the year against South Carolina. He made some mistakes before getting hit in the head. Also, you want to make sure Mississippi State has to prepare for both of them."If Nathan Dick starts, his ascent will be similar to his brother's back in 2005. That year, Casey Dick had his redshirt pulled and was named the starter with four games remaining in the season. Arkansas needed to win them all to become bowl eligible. Instead the Razorbacks went 2-2 and finished 4-7.This year Arkansas needs to win its last two games to qualify for the postseason.---=PROMOTING COACHES: With the success No. 3 Florida has had this season, coach Urban Meyer believes both his coordinators could have opportunities to become head coaches next season.Dan Mullen's offense leads the conference in scoring (44.1 ppg) and rushing (213.4 ypg) and ranks second in yards (418.6). Charlie Strong's defense leads the league in scoring (11.3 ppg) and ranks second against the run (102.8 ypg) and in yards (274.9)."The great thing is you don't leave Florida to go to another spot," Meyer said. "You go as a head coach or to the NFL for some ridiculous amount of money. If it's a chance to better your family, I'm in favor of bettering your family. I also think this is the best job in America. That's the good thing. The negative is we have a very talented staff and there's a chance (some could leave). We've already had some people sniffing around."Meyer declined to reveal if another program has requested interviews with any of his assistants, but there are several openings already and surely more to come.New Mexico, Syracuse, Tennessee, Utah State and Washington have head coaching vacancies."If things happen, then we'll have the appropriate discussions at that time," Meyer said.Meyer also said he always has some potential replacements in mind in case one of assistants takes a position somewhere else."I don't really have a 'hot list,"' he said. "I kind of keep my eyes open."--=COMMITTED: It wasn't really a recruiting victory, but Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom received a commitment last week from a player likely to strengthen next year's team.Senior middle linebacker Jamar Chaney has decided to return for one more season after breaking his leg in the season opener against Louisiana Tech and missing the rest of 2008. The coaching staff will now apply for a medical hardship redshirt for him."That really strengthens our linebacking corps immediately just having him back," Croom said. "On paper right now with the guys we've got and him coming back, that will definitely be one of our stronger positions."The 6-foot-1, 236-pound senior from Fort Pierce, Fla., led the Bulldogs with 89 tackles last season. He's made 27 starts at Mississippi State. Croom said he'll likely move Chaney from the middle to outside linebacker, where Croom thinks he's got the best shot to play in the NFL.Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, another senior was lost to injury for the rest of this season, but there will be no redshirt for defensive tackle Jessie Bowman.Bowman had surgery for a torn quadriceps tendon Sunday after hurting himself late in last weekend's 32-7 loss to No. 1 Alabama.---=STAYING?: If it's late November, it must be time for the rumors about Steve Spurrier leaving South Carolina to start flying.Almost from the time Spurrier accepted the job in late 2004, speculation began to surface that South Carolina's head ball coach wouldn't stick around long.The latest rumor was floated early this week on the Internet, citing "NFL sources" saying the 63-year-old Spurrier was ready to bolt - partly because of his worst loss ever, 56-6 to Florida last week, and partly because the university wouldn't agree to let son, Steve Jr., succeed him as coach.Spurrier debunked both parts on Tuesday night. He said he's likely to stay with the Gamecocks another four to five seasons. He also said his son, who took on some playing calling duties from his dad this fall, has to make his own way in the profession.But shooting down scuttlebutt is commonplace for Spurrier.Two weeks ago, he dismissed talk he'd be a top target for Tennessee's opening now that Phillip Fulmer is leaving.This summer and at the end of last season, it was the notion, he was frustrated with South Carolina's slow progress, which led Spurrier to reaffirm his commitment to the Gamecocks.In 2006, Spurrier was linked by some to openings at Miami and Alabama. Both times, Spurrier said he was going nowhere but his South Carolina office."We are having a pretty good recruiting class if it all comes together the way it appears to be. So let's give this thing four or five years and see what happens around here," he said Tuesday night.Spurrier has four seasons remaining on contract that pays him more than $1.75 million a year. He would also receive a $1 million annuity if remains South Carolina's coach through Dec. 31, 2011.

This sibling rivalry has an entire state of Arkansas' attention.The Razorbacks enter Saturday's game at Mississippi State with plenty of uncertainty at quarterback. Coach Bobby Petrino has said either Casey Dick or his younger brother Nathan could start."We certainly feel confident with either one of them," Petrino said earlier this week.Casey Dick, a senior, has been the starter all season, and he's played well at times in Petrino's offense. He's thrown for 2,389 yards, only 240 shy of tying the single-season school record.Two weekends ago, however, he was sacked six times and threw three interceptions in a 34-21 loss at South Carolina. He also left the game with a concussion. Arkansas had last weekend off, giving him more time to recover, but Petrino hasn't committed to a starter yet.Nathan Dick, a redshirt freshman, made his college debut in relief of his brother against South Carolina."We want to make sure that Casey's back healthy, but we did like the way Nathan played when he came in," Petrino said. "It wasn't Casey's best game of the year against South Carolina. He made some mistakes before getting hit in the head. Also, you want to make sure Mississippi State has to prepare for both of them."If Nathan Dick starts, his ascent will be similar to his brother's back in 2005. That year, Casey Dick had his redshirt pulled and was named the starter with four games remaining in the season. Arkansas needed to win them all to become bowl eligible. Instead the Razorbacks went 2-2 and finished 4-7.This year Arkansas needs to win its last two games to qualify for the postseason.---=PROMOTING COACHES: With the success No. 3 Florida has had this season, coach Urban Meyer believes both his coordinators could have opportunities to become head coaches next season.Dan Mullen's offense leads the conference in scoring (44.1 ppg) and rushing (213.4 ypg) and ranks second in yards (418.6). Charlie Strong's defense leads the league in scoring (11.3 ppg) and ranks second against the run (102.8 ypg) and in yards (274.9)."The great thing is you don't leave Florida to go to another spot," Meyer said. "You go as a head coach or to the NFL for some ridiculous amount of money. If it's a chance to better your family, I'm in favor of bettering your family. I also think this is the best job in America. That's the good thing. The negative is we have a very talented staff and there's a chance (some could leave). We've already had some people sniffing around."Meyer declined to reveal if another program has requested interviews with any of his assistants, but there are several openings already and surely more to come.New Mexico, Syracuse, Tennessee, Utah State and Washington have head coaching vacancies."If things happen, then we'll have the appropriate discussions at that time," Meyer said.Meyer also said he always has some potential replacements in mind in case one of assistants takes a position somewhere else."I don't really have a 'hot list,"' he said. "I kind of keep my eyes open."--=COMMITTED: It wasn't really a recruiting victory, but Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom received a commitment last week from a player likely to strengthen next year's team.Senior middle linebacker Jamar Chaney has decided to return for one more season after breaking his leg in the season opener against Louisiana Tech and missing the rest of 2008. The coaching staff will now apply for a medical hardship redshirt for him."That really strengthens our linebacking corps immediately just having him back," Croom said. "On paper right now with the guys we've got and him coming back, that will definitely be one of our stronger positions."The 6-foot-1, 236-pound senior from Fort Pierce, Fla., led the Bulldogs with 89 tackles last season. He's made 27 starts at Mississippi State. Croom said he'll likely move Chaney from the middle to outside linebacker, where Croom thinks he's got the best shot to play in the NFL.Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, another senior was lost to injury for the rest of this season, but there will be no redshirt for defensive tackle Jessie Bowman.Bowman had surgery for a torn quadriceps tendon Sunday after hurting himself late in last weekend's 32-7 loss to No. 1 Alabama.---=STAYING?: If it's late November, it must be time for the rumors about Steve Spurrier leaving South Carolina to start flying.Almost from the time Spurrier accepted the job in late 2004, speculation began to surface that South Carolina's head ball coach wouldn't stick around long.The latest rumor was floated early this week on the Internet, citing "NFL sources" saying the 63-year-old Spurrier was ready to bolt - partly because of his worst loss ever, 56-6 to Florida last week, and partly because the university wouldn't agree to let son, Steve Jr., succeed him as coach.Spurrier debunked both parts on Tuesday night. He said he's likely to stay with the Gamecocks another four to five seasons. He also said his son, who took on some playing calling duties from his dad this fall, has to make his own way in the profession.But shooting down scuttlebutt is commonplace for Spurrier.Two weeks ago, he dismissed talk he'd be a top target for Tennessee's opening now that Phillip Fulmer is leaving.This summer and at the end of last season, it was the notion, he was frustrated with South Carolina's slow progress, which led Spurrier to reaffirm his commitment to the Gamecocks.In 2006, Spurrier was linked by some to openings at Miami and Alabama. Both times, Spurrier said he was going nowhere but his South Carolina office."We are having a pretty good recruiting class if it all comes together the way it appears to be. So let's give this thing four or five years and see what happens around here," he said Tuesday night.Spurrier has four seasons remaining on contract that pays him more than $1.75 million a year. He would also receive a $1 million annuity if remains South Carolina's coach through Dec. 31, 2011.

When Kansas State athletic director Bob Krause announced coach Ron Prince would not be back next season, the immediate focus shifted to Texas Christian's Gary Patterson.It made sense. Patterson is a Kansas native, played at Kansas State as a walk-on, got his first coaching job in Manhattan under Jim Dickey in 1982.It seemed so logical that the only surprise from an Internet report that Patterson had been hired at Kansas State was that it happened so quickly, just two days after Prince was fired on Nov. 5.The problem was that the report was false - and Patterson didn't like it.The Horned Frogs coach immediately denied that he had taken the job and ranted about the false report during his radio show later that day.Even now, nearly two weeks after the report came out, Patterson is still bothered that he was linked to another job just hours after his team had been knocked out of BCS contention by a loss to Utah."I just had 65 guys fight their hearts out for a dream to get to a BCS game and they lost it," Patterson said this week during the Mountain West coaches teleconference."The first thing they did when they woke up after getting home at about 4 in the morning was to find out the guy they fought for had taken another job. It was very disappointing to me that that happened because there were a lot of people that had put a lot of time and effort into this season."So does that mean Patterson is out of the running for the K-State job? Not necessarily. It just means he's not going to talk about it right now.Neither is Krause.At the time of Prince's firing, Kansas State's athletic director said he hoped to have a coach in place before the end of the season. The Wildcats finish up Saturday against Iowa State, so it doesn't look like that will happen.Kansas State sports information director Kenny Lannou says Krause isn't going to comment until after a coach has been hired.So if Patterson doesn't end up being the man, who might?Oklahoma associate head coach Brent Venables would have to be considered a strong candidate after playing at Kansas State and spending six years there on Bill Snyder's staff.Dennis Franchione is also a possibility. The former Texas A&M coach is from Girard, Kan., attended Pittsburg State in the southeast part of the state and has reportedly expressed interest in the job.The most intriguing candidate might already be on campus.Snyder has his name on the stadium and hasn't coached since 2005, but could make the transition to a new coach easier if he were persuaded to come back to the sideline for a year or two.Whoever ends up in the Little Apple will face some difficult challenges.The Wildcats have struggled in the difficult Big 12 over the past few seasons, closing last year with a four-game losing streak and entering Saturday's finale on a five-game skid. The offense has been decent, thanks in part to quarterback Josh Freeman, but the defense has been among the worst in the nation each of the past two seasons.Manhattan also is a unique setting, a small college town in an isolated area roughly an hour from Topeka, two hours from Kansas City."It is not a big-city campus. You have to have a feel of the people," Kansas State tight end Brett Alstatt said. "I think we have to have somebody that just connects the Kansas life and the blue-collar people around here."---=INTERESTED BYSTANDER: Texas' only path to the Big 12 championship game requires Texas Tech to lose to Oklahoma this week, but Longhorns coach Mack Brown says he knows better than to pull for his archrival."I remember I pulled really, really hard the time they were playing Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game (in 2003). I sat there and I was all pumped up because we were going to the Fiesta Bowl as soon as they won, and Kansas State beat them 35-7," Brown said. "I realized that night that me being a fan of either team doesn't really matter."Texas is immediately behind Texas Tech at third in the BCS standings, and Brown noted that the Red Raiders still have another game after facing Oklahoma."There's so many different things that can happen over the next three weeks that I will simply sit back and watch and be a fan of the game," Brown said.---=PAWELEK'S PICKS: Baylor linebacker Joe Pawelek intercepted a pass in the end zone for the third time this season on Saturday in the Bears' 41-21 win against Texas A&M.With his two picks against the Aggies, Pawelek now has six interceptions this season, the most of any linebacker in major college football and the most by a Bears players since Michael McFarland had six in 1991.All that added up to help Pawelek be named the Big 12 defensive player of the week."He's just smart. He understands, he anticipates and he pays attention. Those are all pretty good qualities to have as a middle linebacker," Baylor coach Art Briles said. "He studies the game."Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz was the offensive player of the week after racking up 365 yards of total offense, including two touchdowns rushing and passing, in a 56-28 win against Kansas State. K-State's Brandon Banks, who had a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown in the same game, was the special teams selection.---=AP Sports Writer Jeff Latzke in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

When Kansas State athletic director Bob Krause announced coach Ron Prince would not be back next season, the immediate focus shifted to Texas Christian's Gary Patterson.It made sense. Patterson is a Kansas native, played at Kansas State as a walk-on, got his first coaching job in Manhattan under Jim Dickey in 1982.It seemed so logical that the only surprise from an Internet report that Patterson had been hired at Kansas State was that it happened so quickly, just two days after Prince was fired on Nov. 5.The problem was that the report was false - and Patterson didn't like it.The Horned Frogs coach immediately denied that he had taken the job and ranted about the false report during his radio show later that day.Even now, nearly two weeks after the report came out, Patterson is still bothered that he was linked to another job just hours after his team had been knocked out of BCS contention by a loss to Utah."I just had 65 guys fight their hearts out for a dream to get to a BCS game and they lost it," Patterson said this week during the Mountain West coaches teleconference."The first thing they did when they woke up after getting home at about 4 in the morning was to find out the guy they fought for had taken another job. It was very disappointing to me that that happened because there were a lot of people that had put a lot of time and effort into this season."So does that mean Patterson is out of the running for the K-State job? Not necessarily. It just means he's not going to talk about it right now.Neither is Krause.At the time of Prince's firing, Kansas State's athletic director said he hoped to have a coach in place before the end of the season. The Wildcats finish up Saturday against Iowa State, so it doesn't look like that will happen.Kansas State sports information director Kenny Lannou says Krause isn't going to comment until after a coach has been hired.So if Patterson doesn't end up being the man, who might?Oklahoma associate head coach Brent Venables would have to be considered a strong candidate after playing at Kansas State and spending six years there on Bill Snyder's staff.Dennis Franchione is also a possibility. The former Texas A&M coach is from Girard, Kan., attended Pittsburg State in the southeast part of the state and has reportedly expressed interest in the job.The most intriguing candidate might already be on campus.Snyder has his name on the stadium and hasn't coached since 2005, but could make the transition to a new coach easier if he were persuaded to come back to the sideline for a year or two.Whoever ends up in the Little Apple will face some difficult challenges.The Wildcats have struggled in the difficult Big 12 over the past few seasons, closing last year with a four-game losing streak and entering Saturday's finale on a five-game skid. The offense has been decent, thanks in part to quarterback Josh Freeman, but the defense has been among the worst in the nation each of the past two seasons.Manhattan also is a unique setting, a small college town in an isolated area roughly an hour from Topeka, two hours from Kansas City."It is not a big-city campus. You have to have a feel of the people," Kansas State tight end Brett Alstatt said. "I think we have to have somebody that just connects the Kansas life and the blue-collar people around here."---=INTERESTED BYSTANDER: Texas' only path to the Big 12 championship game requires Texas Tech to lose to Oklahoma this week, but Longhorns coach Mack Brown says he knows better than to pull for his archrival."I remember I pulled really, really hard the time they were playing Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game (in 2003). I sat there and I was all pumped up because we were going to the Fiesta Bowl as soon as they won, and Kansas State beat them 35-7," Brown said. "I realized that night that me being a fan of either team doesn't really matter."Texas is immediately behind Texas Tech at third in the BCS standings, and Brown noted that the Red Raiders still have another game after facing Oklahoma."There's so many different things that can happen over the next three weeks that I will simply sit back and watch and be a fan of the game," Brown said.---=PAWELEK'S PICKS: Baylor linebacker Joe Pawelek intercepted a pass in the end zone for the third time this season on Saturday in the Bears' 41-21 win against Texas A&M.With his two picks against the Aggies, Pawelek now has six interceptions this season, the most of any linebacker in major college football and the most by a Bears players since Michael McFarland had six in 1991.All that added up to help Pawelek be named the Big 12 defensive player of the week."He's just smart. He understands, he anticipates and he pays attention. Those are all pretty good qualities to have as a middle linebacker," Baylor coach Art Briles said. "He studies the game."Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz was the offensive player of the week after racking up 365 yards of total offense, including two touchdowns rushing and passing, in a 56-28 win against Kansas State. K-State's Brandon Banks, who had a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown in the same game, was the special teams selection.---=AP Sports Writer Jeff Latzke in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

Anthony Brown scored a game-high 19 points to lead Pacific to a 66-58 victory over UC San Diego Wednesday night.Sam Willard had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers (1-1), who won their home opener for the sixth consecutive season.Joe Ford scored 10 points for Pacific, which never trailed in the game.Jordan Lawley led San Diego (0-2) with 14 points. Kelvin Kim made all four of his 3-point attempts to score 12 for the Tritons while teammate Shane Poppen added 10.Willard had six points in a 10-2 Pacific run midway through the second half that gave the Tigers their biggest lead at 49-34.Lawley's drive to the basket brought San Diego within 54-49 with four minutes to play. But the Tritons didn't get any closer.Pacific scored the games first seven points, but shot poorly from the field, allowing San Diego to remain close throughout the first half.The Tritons closed within a point twice in the final two minutes of the half before Pacific went on a run to take a 33-27 lead at the intermission.Ford and Terrell Smith, who scored 9 points, each made jumpers to begin the second half, stretching Pacific's lead to double digits for the first time.

Anthony Brown scored a game-high 19 points to lead Pacific to a 66-58 victory over UC San Diego Wednesday night.Sam Willard had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers (1-1), who won their home opener for the sixth consecutive season.Joe Ford scored 10 points for Pacific, which never trailed in the game.Jordan Lawley led San Diego (0-2) with 14 points. Kelvin Kim made all four of his 3-point attempts to score 12 for the Tritons while teammate Shane Poppen added 10.Willard had six points in a 10-2 Pacific run midway through the second half that gave the Tigers their biggest lead at 49-34.Lawley's drive to the basket brought San Diego within 54-49 with four minutes to play. But the Tritons didn't get any closer.Pacific scored the games first seven points, but shot poorly from the field, allowing San Diego to remain close throughout the first half.The Tritons closed within a point twice in the final two minutes of the half before Pacific went on a run to take a 33-27 lead at the intermission.Ford and Terrell Smith, who scored 9 points, each made jumpers to begin the second half, stretching Pacific's lead to double digits for the first time.

Benny Valentine made a pair of free throws with 19.7 seconds left sending Eastern Washington past UC Irvine 74-69 Wednesday.Eastern Washington (1-1) held off a late rally by the Anteaters (0-2) in the final two minutes of the game. The Eagles converted eight of 10 free throw opportunities to hold the lead.Michael Hunter scored seven consecutive points and freshman Eric Wise hit a jumper with 21.9 seconds left to get Irvine to within two points at 69-67 with 39 seconds left. Valentine made his free throws to put the game out of reach and Gary Gibson added a free throw with 2.1 seconds left for the final point.Andy Genao scored 12 points with 17 rebounds and Valentine added 17 points to lead the Eagles.Wise scored 19 points with six rebounds, Hunter had 13 points and Darren Moore also scored 13 for the Anteaters.

Benny Valentine made a pair of free throws with 19.7 seconds left sending Eastern Washington past UC Irvine 74-69 Wednesday.Eastern Washington (1-1) held off a late rally by the Anteaters (0-2) in the final two minutes of the game. The Eagles converted eight of 10 free throw opportunities to hold the lead.Michael Hunter scored seven consecutive points and freshman Eric Wise hit a jumper with 21.9 seconds left to get Irvine to within two points at 69-67 with 39 seconds left. Valentine made his free throws to put the game out of reach and Gary Gibson added a free throw with 2.1 seconds left for the final point.Andy Genao scored 12 points with 17 rebounds and Valentine added 17 points to lead the Eagles.Wise scored 19 points with six rebounds, Hunter had 13 points and Darren Moore also scored 13 for the Anteaters.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski admitted his team may have underestimated its last opponent in a close victory over the weekend. With stiffer competition around the corner, he hopes the Blue Devils have learned their lesson.The 10th-ranked Blue Devils look to bounce back from an uneven performance as they meet Southern Illinois in the semifinals of the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.Duke (3-0) didn't face much resistance in its first two games, blowing out Presbyterian by 31 points in its season opener before routing Georgia Southern by 43 last Tuesday to win the Durham regional of the tournament.The Blue Devils, though, had their hands full on Sunday night, when they held on to an 82-79 win over Rhode Island in a non-tournament game."I don't think our guys expected the level of play," Krzyzewski said. "Don't get me wrong. We respected Rhode Island. But they played at a really high level tonight. I thought it knocked us back."Though they may not have been fully prepared, the Blue Devils improved to 3-0 for the eighth straight season thanks to a strong finish. After falling behind by 12 early and trailing most of the way, Duke scored on its final seven possessions to rally for its NCAA-best 62nd straight nonconference victory at home.Sophomore forward Kyle Singler made two free throws with 19.4 seconds left to finish with 21 points, then stopped Rhode Island's top scorer on the other end to seal the victory."It was one of those February games in November," Krzyzewski said. "The last 5 minutes, I thought we did everything right."Krzyzewski's team could need more than five minutes of strong play to stay undefeated through the end of this tournament. Southern Illinois (2-0) has fared well early, and the winner of this game will go on to face the winner of Thursday's game between undefeated Michigan and No. 4 UCLA.The Salukis won the Carbondale regional of this tournament with an 80-73 victory over Massachusetts on Wednesday night. They trailed by 11 at halftime before outscoring the Minutemen 52-34 in the second half.Carlton Fay led four Southern Illinois players in double figures with 17 points, and Bryan Mullins added 16, a school record-tying 13 assists and four steals.The victory earned the Salukis a chance to play in Madison Square Garden for the first time since losing to Duke 78-54 on Feb. 8, 1968. They had won their four previous games there, all during their run toward the 1967 NIT title."Madison Square Garden is a basketball mecca," Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery told the team's official Web site. "It's the best basketball arena in the world, and for our guys to be able to experience that and to have a first-round matchup against Duke is terrific."We're looking forward to it, but it's not a vacation for us. We have to go at it like a business trip."This is the first meeting between Duke and Southern Illinois since the then-No. 3 seed Blue Devils ousted the 14th-seeded Salukis from the first round of the NCAA tournament in 1993. Duke won that game 105-70 to improve to 2-1 in the all-time series.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski admitted his team may have underestimated its last opponent in a close victory over the weekend. With stiffer competition around the corner, he hopes the Blue Devils have learned their lesson.The 10th-ranked Blue Devils look to bounce back from an uneven performance as they meet Southern Illinois in the semifinals of the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.Duke (3-0) didn't face much resistance in its first two games, blowing out Presbyterian by 31 points in its season opener before routing Georgia Southern by 43 last Tuesday to win the Durham regional of the tournament.The Blue Devils, though, had their hands full on Sunday night, when they held on to an 82-79 win over Rhode Island in a non-tournament game."I don't think our guys expected the level of play," Krzyzewski said. "Don't get me wrong. We respected Rhode Island. But they played at a really high level tonight. I thought it knocked us back."Though they may not have been fully prepared, the Blue Devils improved to 3-0 for the eighth straight season thanks to a strong finish. After falling behind by 12 early and trailing most of the way, Duke scored on its final seven possessions to rally for its NCAA-best 62nd straight nonconference victory at home.Sophomore forward Kyle Singler made two free throws with 19.4 seconds left to finish with 21 points, then stopped Rhode Island's top scorer on the other end to seal the victory."It was one of those February games in November," Krzyzewski said. "The last 5 minutes, I thought we did everything right."Krzyzewski's team could need more than five minutes of strong play to stay undefeated through the end of this tournament. Southern Illinois (2-0) has fared well early, and the winner of this game will go on to face the winner of Thursday's game between undefeated Michigan and No. 4 UCLA.The Salukis won the Carbondale regional of this tournament with an 80-73 victory over Massachusetts on Wednesday night. They trailed by 11 at halftime before outscoring the Minutemen 52-34 in the second half.Carlton Fay led four Southern Illinois players in double figures with 17 points, and Bryan Mullins added 16, a school record-tying 13 assists and four steals.The victory earned the Salukis a chance to play in Madison Square Garden for the first time since losing to Duke 78-54 on Feb. 8, 1968. They had won their four previous games there, all during their run toward the 1967 NIT title."Madison Square Garden is a basketball mecca," Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery told the team's official Web site. "It's the best basketball arena in the world, and for our guys to be able to experience that and to have a first-round matchup against Duke is terrific."We're looking forward to it, but it's not a vacation for us. We have to go at it like a business trip."This is the first meeting between Duke and Southern Illinois since the then-No. 3 seed Blue Devils ousted the 14th-seeded Salukis from the first round of the NCAA tournament in 1993. Duke won that game 105-70 to improve to 2-1 in the all-time series.