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Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw still absolutely adores practice, and she always will. It appeals to the puzzle-solving side of her, and how she enjoys the process of finding the right answers.I went up to Michigan and spent some time with [Michigan mens coach] John Beilein, and it was like Christmas, said McGraw, whose Irish host No. 1 UConn on Wednesday (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET). We had two hours, talking about the 1-3-1. I just love it. Ill watch YouTube videos about zone offense. Ill play with the sugar packets at lunch, lining them up. I cant wait for practice; its my favorite part of the day.And while they diverge in personality in some key ways, McGraw shares this trait with UConn coach Geno Auriemma. He might not express it the same way -- Hey, I LOVE practice! -- and has talked about how important a presence associate head coach Chris Dailey is, because shes still such a stickler for details.But the truth is, Auriemma is a stickler, too, and if you ever watch him conduct a practice, youll see that. He doesnt miss anything and still really enjoys teaching basketball.This all speaks to why the UConn-Notre Dame matchups have been so compelling the past several years. And why everyone is looking forward to this seasons rendition Wednesday in South Bend, Indiana.The Huskies, coming off four NCAA titles and riding a 82-game winning streak, have moved back to No. 1 in The Associated Press poll, with Notre Dame at No. 2. The Fighting Irish started the season at No. 1 in the AP top 25 and have dropped despite not losing a game. They are 8-0 and UConn is 7-0; the Irish have beaten one ranked team thus far (Washington), the Huskies four (Florida State, Baylor, DePaul and Texas).It appears, based on the poll numbers, that when then-No. 3 South Carolina lost to Duke on Sunday, those voters who had the Gamecocks at No. 1 switched their votes to the Huskies. And at least one moved from the Irish to the Huskies. So this week, UConn -- which was espnWs No. 1 team in the preseason -- has 18 first-place votes to Notre Dames 15.These are the kinds of details, though, that are unimportant to Auriemma and McGraw. They are tuned into exactly how their teams are playing and what they need to improve. But even as the personnel changes for UConn and Notre Dame, their performances remain high quality.Its going to be fun the next couple of days preparing, Auriemma said after UConns victory over Texas on Sunday. Thats still one of my favorite things to do: prepare for good teams, especially on the road.The Huskies and the Irish are smart squads, always. Their coaches expect them to learn to think for themselves. Sure, Auriemma will make the usual wisecracks about a certain Huskies player not making a good pass all season, or another who moves too fast for her mind to keep up, etc. It has long been part of his shtick, and it works. He recruits players who understand the method and see how consistently it produces results.Auriemma and his assistants have excelled for decades now at recruiting the right fits for the UConn program. And its something that Notre Dame has refined, too.The Irish always have reflected McGraw: scrappy, intelligent, tough and a bit on the reserved side. They won the 2001 NCAA championship with a team that had each starter essentially personifying the most important traits of the position she played, from point guard to center.Yet even after that championship, the Irish retained an underdog mentality. That changed when guard Skylar Diggins stayed home in South Bend, Indiana, to play for the Irish from 2010 to 13.McGraw has talked about that a lot: how the overall confidence level of the program elevated. Notre Dame trails in the series 34-11, but had a stretch from April 2011 to March 13 -- the arc of Diggins career -- when the Irish beat the Huskies in seven of eight meetings.Unfortunately for the Irish, that didnt result in an NCAA title, and theyve lost their subsequent five meetings with UConn. Three of those came at the Final Four: in 2013 (semifinals), 14 (final), and 15 (final).Yet overall, the tone of the UConn-Notre Dame rivalry clearly was altered during Diggins time with the Irish -- in a good way, even if its been a bit testy.The programs dont really like each other, but there is mutual respect. They both recognize the best qualities that each one of them brings to college sports in general, and womens basketball specifically.Auriemma can get on McGraws nerves, just as he used to with Tennessees Pat Summitt, although for different reasons. Summitt had a certain Southern decorum that typically didnt mesh that well with Auriemmas humorous Philly-style verbal sparring. (And, of course, they also had some heated recruiting battles.)McGraw, by contrast, is from the Philadelphia area, too, and understands exactly what Auriemma is doing. She just generally doesnt prefer to engage.To some degree, Auriemma has mellowed, as cliché as that sounds. He was moved to tears at the Final Four last April, reflecting on how much his team and coaches meant to him, and showed the real person underneath the clever wisecracks. The one his players remain devoted to long after they leave Storrs. He also sincerely was affected by Summitts struggle with Alzheimers disease and her death this past summer.But not only has Auriemma maintained his mastery of coaching basketball, he continues to somehow get even better. There are plenty of very good players who dont go to UConn, and several talented, motivated coaches out there. And yet, here Auriemma is at No. 1 again a year after losing the top three picks in the WNBA draft -- including Breanna Stewart, one of the best players in the history of college basketball.With Katie Lou Samuelson (19.1 PPG) and Napheesa Collier (19.0 PPG), the Huskies have sophomores who played their parts well as understudies last year. Auriemma wasnt sure how they or the other Huskies returners, including Kia Nurse (13.9 PPG) and Gabby Williams (10.3 PPG), would respond to having to carry the weight with Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck gone.So far, though, they havent missed a beat. UConn might have some concerns in how they handle opponents with a lot of size, but theyre also great at finding answers.The Irish have become particularly adept at recruiting and developing dynamic guards, and building around them. Sophomore Arike Ogunbowale leads the team in scoring (17.5 PPG). A lot of eyes also will be on Marina Mabrey (13.8 PPG), a sophomore who had 23 points at UConn last season, and freshman Jackie Young (10.2 PPG), who has a sky-high ceiling.This is also a big game for senior point guard Lindsay Allen (8.8 PPG, 7.5 APG) and junior forward Brianna Turner (13.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG). The rankings dont mean anything, really -- but it probably is a little motivating that the Irish fell to No. 2 despite being unbeaten.Wednesdays game is also a chance for the Notre Dame faithful to roar. The Irish crowd always gets up for facing UConn, and its become a consistently strong fan base for womens basketball. Notre Dame is averaging 8,037 per game this season at Purcell Pavilion, which has a capacity of 9,149.I would think its going to be a high level of intensity and energy in the crowd and in their team, Auriemma said. Were going to have to match that. Theyre deep, they have a lot of players. Were not so much right now.Five of the Huskies next six games are on the road, with three in the Midwest. Following Notre Dame, the Huskies go to Kansas State on Dec. 11. They return to Hartford, Connecticut, for Ohio State on Dec. 19, then play at Nebraska on Dec. 21.UConns second-to-last nonconference game is at Maryland on Dec. 29. The Huskies start the American Athletic Conference season at Central Florida on Jan. 1. Their only nonleague game after that is Feb. 13, when South Carolina visits Connecticut.Considering the Huskies domination of the American conference, these remaining games in December are all the more intriguing. UConn is nine victories away from breaking its own 90-game winning streak, and getting past Notre Dame obviously is the biggest hurdle remaining, along with the No. 4 Terps.So there is a lot on the line Wednesday, even as early as it is in the season. Its a matchup that has stood out on the schedule every year now, and thats a tribute to both programs.Adidas Nmd Cs1 Noir Pas Cher .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem. Adidas Nmd Pas Cher Chine . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. 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Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears rebuilt their defense.They gave their offense a different look, too.More than anything, they insisted they put themselves in a position to make a jump in the standings.Considering they finished last in the NFC North last season, theres plenty of room for that.I feel really good where were at right now as a team and really good where our staff is at, and excited to get started, general manager Ryan Pace said.The Bears showed up Wednesday for their second training camp under Pace and coach John Fox with a renewed hope after making strides last season even if it didnt necessarily show up in the record.They finished 6-10 after winning just five games the previous season. And if history is an indication, they can expect to improve in Year 2 under Fox.The Carolina Panthers went from seven wins in 2002 to 11 with a trip to the Super Bowl the following season. The Denver Broncos went from eight wins in 2011 to 13 the following season.While Fox was quick to point out the Bears did not bring in an all-time great such as Peyton Manning, he could see some parallels between his current and past situations. More than the moves that were made, theres the comfort and familiarity that comes in Year 2.Its like when I was a kid and wed go on a trip and it seemed a whole lot longer on the way there than it did coming home, Fox said.And the reason is that youve seen it before, youve been there before. So I think thats its just kind of human development. We added Jake Delhomme in Carolina and made a big jump.Granted, we added Peyton Manning (in Denver). But to me, we added a bunch of players. Its not just the quarterback. I think weve done similar things and well see where it takes us.The Bears signed Danny Trevathan from Super Bowl champion Denver and added Jerrell Freeman from Indianapolis to fill needs at inside linebacker. They traded up to draft Georgia outside linebacker Leonard Floyd with the ninth pick, hoping his athleticism will give them a pass-rush threat who can also drop back into coverage.They envision a stout front seven after tying for 22nd in sacks and 30th in interceptions, and theyre counting on their offense to come through despite losing two of its top playmakers in running back Matt Forte and tight end Martellus Bennett.The offensive line has also been rebuilt since the start of last year, and offensivve coordinator Adam Gase is gone, too.dddddddddddd The Bears promoted quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains to replace him and maintain some continuity for quarterback Jay Cutler.They could have a dynamic receiver tandem with Alshon Jeffery healthy on the heels of an injury-filled season and Kevin White ready to show what he can do after missing his rookie season because of a stress fracture in his left shin.But with Forte gone, theyre relying on a group led by Jeremy Langford and KaDeem Carey. And at tight end, they are counting on Zach Miller staying healthy despite a long history of injuries.Even so, the Bears have a year in the system. And Cutler insisted that alone is reason to expect bigger things.Solely just Year 1 to Year 2, he said. I think theres going to be less thinking. I think we have a better idea of what we like in the offense, what we dont like in the offense, where we need to improve, what we need to add. I think personnel-wise were getting better and better.Enough to compete in the NFC North? Or at least make a jump?From a personnel standpoint, weve just got to keep putting good drafts together, Pace said.And we have to see how this draft unfolds. Weve got to stack good drafts. Weve got to be accurate in free agency. I feel good about where were at right now, but truth will be told as this plays out.Game notesThe Bears signed former Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers CB Brandon Boykin. Boykin has 131 tackles and eight interceptions over four seasons with the Eagles (2012-14) and Steelers (2015). He signed a one-year contract with Carolina in March and got cut in May prior to the start of OTAs after the Panthers drafted three cornerbacks. Chicago also signed WR B.J. Daniels, who has played in eight games over three seasons with San Francisco, Seattle and Houston. ... LB Pernell McPhee will open camp on the physically unable to perform list after missing the offseason program following knee surgery. Pace said hes not sure if McPhee will play in the preseason. WR Marquess Wilson (foot) and offensive lineman Amini Silatolu (torn ACL in left knee) will also begin camp on the physically unable to perform list.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '