Sonstiges » Maui Invitational, but Georgetown will take it. Its hard t

The Buffalo Sabres have signed one of the top players on the free-agent market, picking up?Kyle Okposo on a seven-year contract worth $42 million Friday.Okposo, 28, had spent his nine-year career with the New York Islanders. He is a three-time 20-goal scorer.He was drafted high. He was a high-profile guy. And hes lived up to that, Sabres general manager Tim Murray said of Okposo, who was selected seventh overall in the 2006 draft. Its exciting to get a player of his caliber that had a choice of, I wont say 30 teams, but certainly a lot of teams, and decided to come here.Okposo?fills a top-line need on a Sabres team that has spent the past two years rebuilding through youth. He scored 64 points during the regular season in 2015-16 and put up two goals and six assists in the playoffs as the Islanders won a postseason series for the first time since 1993.Murray already envisions Okposo playing right wing on a line centered by either Ryan OReilly or Jack Eichel.After playing alongside Islanders captain John Tavares, Okposo is already looking forward to the possibilities of what the Sabres lineup has to offer.What sold me first and foremost, and Ive been saying it all day, is the chance to win the Stanley Cup, and I think we have a lot of pieces in place that can help us achieve that goal, Okposo said. And when I looked at their forwards, and especially their top two centers in OReilly and Eichel, those guys are only going to continue to get better, especially Jack. Hes got superstar status.Okposo is an eight-year NHL veteran and was regarded as one of the top players available on the market after Steven Stamkos elected to re-sign with Tampa Bay on Wednesday.The Sabres are attempting to quicken their push to become contenders after showing signs of improvement last season. Buffalo finished 23rd in the standings this past season after two consecutive last-place finishes. After being part of a lengthy rebuilding plan on Long Island, Okposo says he likes the Sabres approach.I think theyre been going at an accelerated rate, Okposo said. I think we can get there quicker than I did with the Islanders.Okposo becomes the Sabres second-highest-paid player, behind OReilly, who signed a seven-year, $52 million deal shortly after being acquired in a trade from Colorado last summer. And Okposo is close with Sabres forward Matt Moulson. The two played together in New York, and are godfathers of each others children.The Associated Press contributed to this report. Fake NMD R1 For Sale . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. Cheap Adidas NMD 2019 . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. http://www.cheapnmdonline.com/adidas-nmd-r1-core-black-carbon-white-b79758-men-s.html .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. Adidas NMD Human Race Sale . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Adidas NMD Womens Pink . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. WASHINGTON -- When 24-year-old graduate-student transfer Rodney Pryor joined Georgetown, not everyone appreciated him acting like the big man on campus.From Day One he came in, he was very vocal, junior forward Isaac Copeland said. At first it kind of rubbed me the wrong way like, `What is this new dude talking about all this stuff for? But after Week One or Week Two I was like, hes going to be a big part of our team this year.The oldest player on the team, Pryor is expected to be a big part of the Hoyas as they look to rebound from their worst season in more than 40 years. Pryor, junior college transfer Jonathan Mulmore and freshman Jagan Mosely are part of Georgetowns new blood, and those players should make it easier to forget a forgettable 15-18 campaign -- the worst winning percentage since 1971-72.After averaging 18 points a game at Robert Morris, Pryor got a sixth year of eligibility and picked Georgetown over Kansas, Gonzaga and Florida.Obviously Kansas is a top-tier school, but I didnt feel the need for me was as high because they got great players, the 6-foot-5 guard said at Georgetowns preseason media day Thursday. To have a top-tier school like (Georgetown) want me and need me goes a long way, and I want to make sure I prove to them that they picked the right person.Pryor wanting to be defensive player of the year fits in with Thompsons goal of getting back to being consistently strong on defense. The new-look Hoyas will probably push the pace more than ever before under Thompson, but that starts with defense and rebounding.You need rebounds to run a fast break, Copeland said. We have athletes at all positions this year, so get the rebound and push it.Adding Pryor, Mulmore, Mosely and getting former Louisville forward Akoy Agau back after he missed all last season with a torn ACL makes the Hoyas more athletic. It has also provided more depth after managers joined practice at times last year to fill holes.The one big void was left by the graduation of guard DVauntes Smith-Rivvera, who was Georgetowns go-to guy.dddddddddddd There isnt one yet, but talent by committee isnt a bad thing.Our team is very different this year than last year, Thompson said. Its just very different in that we dont have to depend on one person like we did last year.The stacked Big East with defending national champion Villanova, Xavier, Creighton and Seton Hall at the top will certainly challenge the Hoyas. Thats what Thompson said they signed up for, and theyre not shying away from the competition.It makes us better, but I think we make them better too, junior guard L.J. Peak said.---Some other things to watch with Georgetown this season:HAYES, EVENTUALLY: Center Bradley Hayes is back for an unexpected extra season but will have to sit out the first four games. That means missing Maryland and then Oregon at the Maui Invitational, but Georgetown will take it. Its hard to replace 7-foot, 280, Copeland said. Hes huge.PEAK PLAYING TIME: Peak was better off the bench than starting last season, Thompson conceded, though its not certain what his role will be now. Peak is one of Georgetowns best players, so if he can handle starting again he will.DONT FORGET IT: Peak believes Georgetown should just drop last years disappointment, while Copeland considers it motivation. Their coach is following the latter. Were not going to keep picking that scab, Thompson said. We have to make some changes on how things were done, and we have. Were in the process of doing it.FOUL PLAY: After being one of the most foul-prone teams in the nation last season, The coaching staff is preaching playing better defense and being more disciplined at the same time. Last year we fouled too much, Thompson said. Last year we didnt get to the line enough. All of those have been looked at and try to figure out how to address those issues.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '