me, so ... were not going to be intimidated by anybody.De

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Buzz Williams has coached Virginia Tech for two seasons with low expectations from outside as a motivational tool.He wont have that card to play this year because of what the Hokies accomplished last season.The Hokies (20-15, 10-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) were the surprise of the ACC last season. They beat two teams ranked in the top 10, and closed the regular season with six consecutive victories in ACC play, their longest in-conference winning streak since they won eight straight in the Southern Conference in the 1964-65 season.The Hokies have their top four scorers back, led by Zach LeDay (15.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg) and Seth Allen (14.4 ppg), get Ahmed Hill (8.7 ppg in 2014-15) back from knee surgery and welcome sharpshooting transfer Ty Outlaw this year.One viewpoint the Hokies dont welcome is talk that success will change their approach.I dont really think hes got to create motivation for us, LeDay said of Williams. I mean, we know what type of team we are. We dont bring in five five-star, top-20 players out of high school every year, so we know what type of team we are. We know were going to have to give it our all every night and every nights going to be a battle.The us-against-them mentality might be a harder sell for Williams this year, especially with the Hokies expected to be a preseason Top 25 consideration, but he said hes not planning to change the way he views the accolades.Once you get past the top 10, 12, 15 teams, then everybody is just kind of searching, he said. `Let me reach for this team. I like how theyre going, and I think that thats probably whats happening to us a little bit. We kind of finished semi on a good note over the last month of the season. It sounds good. It looks good.For the first time in his tenure with the Hokies, Williams and his staff will have ample talent available. He has seven returnees that played significant minutes last season, adds Hill and Outlaw and freshmen guard Tyrie Jackson (18 ppg as a high school senior) and 6-foot-10 freshman Khadim Sy, who could help immediately defensively.Some others things to loss for from Virginia Tech in the 2016-17 season:TALK IS NICE, BUT: A buzz about basketball around campus can be heady stuff to take in for 18-22 year old players, and the Hokies ability to ignore the hype of expectations and keep doing the things Williams preaches is key, particularly since, after last season, opponents are unlikely to look past Virginia Tech this season.INCORPORATION: Barring injuries, the Hokies are transitioning from having not enough players to having more than enough, and while Williams loves the idea of having certain combinations on the court together, they must first build the chemistry to make it effective. That will be a significant part of their preseason workouts.TRIPLE THREATS: The Hokies say Outlaw is likely the best shooter on the team, and he joins a roster on which Justin Bibbs made 76 3-pointers last season, Seth Allen made 44 and two others made at least 20. With a roster still lacking tall depth, their ability to make shots from long range can remain a significant equalizer this season.MR. ENERGY: Chris Clarke missed 13 games as a freshman with a broken foot, but was a huge energy source when available. Hes very athletic, can play every position except center and always provides a spark on the court.We were distinctly a different team when he played, Williams said.KINGS OF THE CASSELL: Cassell Coliseum is a difficult place to play when the fans, already right on top of the court fill it up and find reasons to be loud. Making home game must-see events for the student body and community is one of the goals for this season and will only enhance the Hokies move toward being a consistent ACC winner.---Online: The APs college basketball page: http://collegebasketball.ap.org---Follow Hank on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hankkurzjrCustom Paul Molitor Jersey . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Custom Brewers T-shirts . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. http://www.custombrewersjersey.com/ .4 million title. Ryan Riess emerged with the title after a session in which he started behind, but used expert skill to gather the chips to his side amid the unpredictability of no-limit Texas Hold em. Riess put his final opponent Jay Farber all-in with an Ace-King. Authentic Custom Brewers Jersey . Philadelphia is 2-0 against the Senators this season and scored five goals in each victory. The Flyers recorded a 5-0 win in Ottawa on Nov. 12 and then earned a 5-2 home decision on Nov. 19. The Flyers have claimed three straight and four of the last five encounters with the Sens overall and Philly has won two in a row and three of its past four tests in Canadas capital city. Custom Brewers Jersey China . 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.Three key pillars of Australias Olympic basketball squad are united in their belief the Boomers can push for a drought-breaking medal at Rio - even gold.The Boomers have never won an Olympic medal, with their best result a fourth-place finish in 1988, 1996 and 2000.Boomers can win gold - in Tokyo, says GoorjianDespite being weakened by the withdrawal of 2016 No.1 NBA draft pick Ben Simmons and 2014 No.5 selection Dante Exum -- and the possible unavailability of important big man Andrew Bogut (knee) - the Boomers are full of confidence ahead of next months Games.As the squad went through its paces during a physical scrimmage in Melbourne on Saturday, key playmakers Matthew Dellavedova and Patty Mills, and coach Andrej Lemanis, were all adamant the Aussies could push for an elusive medal, and perhaps even shock the world by claiming gold.Our goals are to achieve something Australias never done before - to win a medal, San Antonios Mills said.Our goal is gold - weve dreamt about it from when we were little kids, laying in bed dreaming about it, getting that gold medal put around our necks on the podium. To put that into reality [would be amazing].Were going to the Olympics not to just participate, but to try to win a gold medal. We all believe in it. Thats the belief we have. I think its been more felt this time around than any other program Ive been involved in.Mills partner in crime Dellavedova, fresh off winning the NBA championship with Cleveland before a $US38.4 million move to Milwaukee, said he also had his sights firmly on the gold medal.The 25-year-old said Australias famous fighting spirit and team-first mentality would help the Boomers fight above their weight division at Rio.I think our camaraderie -- the things that make Australians Australian -- is what our big advantage is, he said. We have a lot of guys going well all over the world but when we come back [as a squad], theres only one goal, and thats to win. Weve played togetther for a number of years now, so the understanding on the court, our systems, we know each other on and off the court.ddddddddddddWeve got the most guys weve ever had playing in the NBA, weve got guys playing at a really high level in Europe, the NBL is going as well as it has for a long time, so ... were not going to be intimidated by anybody.Delly excited by new Bucks team-mate Thon MakerA sign of that camaraderie was on display at Saturdays scrimmage, with Exum --who withdrew from the squad in June to focus on his recovery from a knee reconstruction in September last year - watching on intently from the sidelines, cajoling and cheering on the squad despite his unavailability for Rio.Lemanis - who will select his 12-man squad for Rio on Monday morning - said he was confident the team at his disposal could secure a podium finish.Absolutely, he said. Its something weve spoken about as a team and we believe we have enough talent and enough chemistry to go to Rio and be successful. I dont think its any secret that as a team weve set our sights on the gold medal.A key wildcard for the Boomers could be the inclusion of Bogut, who is battling bone bruising from last months NBA Finals series.His coach believes Bogut could be a key player even if he wasnt at full fitness for the Olympics.Hes such a difference-maker, his presence is so positive for the group ... so its worthwhile giving him every opportunity to play, Lemanis said.Even if he doesnt play any of the lead-in games, were still OK with that. Im OK with [Bogut playing at 60 or 70 percent fitness] - but its Andrews call, its something only he can make a call on. But if he says hes in, Im good with that.The Boomers will finalise their preparation for Rio with two games against an American College All-Stars side at Melbournes Hisense Arena?on July 12 and 14. ' ' '