The Big Sky Conference will begin its conference games on December 29th.  Behind star Damian Lillard, the Weber State Wildcats have emerged as the conference favorites.  However, Montana, Eastern Washington, and Portland State have put together solid seasons so far, and they will look to take down the Wildcats for the conference crown.Let's take a look at how each Big Sky Conference team has performed so far in the 2011-12 season. Begin Slideshow

The 2011 Syracuse Orange football season left a bitter taste in every fan's and coach's mouth as the Orange found a way to drop five straight and fall out of bowl contention one year removed from a program reviving postseason Pinstripe Bowl triumph.As with every football program, the end of the season leaves holes that must be filled by another player as upperclassmen leave. The Orange seniors and underclassmen testing draft waters have left Coach ...

The Pittsburgh Panthers did something they had never done before on Friday night.Which, in this case, is not a good thing.In case you missed it, 13th-ranked Pitt lost a thriller to the mighty Wagner Seahawks on Friday night. Wagner got hot and took a lead into the half, and it kept up the pressure in the second half to come away with a 59-54 victory in front of a stunned crowd at the Petersen Events ...

If Friday's loss to Wagner is any indication, the Pittsburgh Panthers are in for another disappointing campaign, especially with the Big East season just around the corner.Jamie Dixon's squad struggled to hit shots at the Petersen Events Center against the fearless Seahawks all night, finishing the game with a mere 39.6-percent success rate on its field goals and just 14 free throws made on 23 attempts.Ashton Gibbs had a particularly tough time getting much of ...

Purdue football announced today that they have extended coach Danny Hope's contract two years, to run through the 2016 season.This announcement is not really a shock to a lot of Boilermakers. It was clear the athletic department was talking to the coach about an extension and that his performance was being evaluated.With an extension, Hope will get a boost in the recruiting process. His extension reassures potential recruits that he will be around for their ...

The top quarterback prospect in the nation plans to make a decision on where he will be heading to school this weekend.Gunner Kiel, who has the name of a superstar, is ranked by both Rivals.com and Scout.com as the top quarterback prospect in the country.According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Kiel has cut his list down to Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and LSU.To the common fan, the decision seems like a no-brainer.Notre Dame may be the local ...

The 2011 edition of the Hawaii Bowl, the annual Christmas Eve contest, will feature the Nevada Wolf Pack and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.The game will be played on Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. ET in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.Note: Rankings used are from my National Top 25 rankings.Begin Slideshow

The ACC produces some competitive teams for the NCAA Tournament year after year. However, the most exciting part of the ACC resides in the rivalry between North Carolina and Duke. The Tar Heels and the Blue Devils almost always have Top 25 teams and are a threat to do some damage in the NCAA Tournament. Duke may be ranked a slot higher (No. 5) than North Carolina (No. 6) in the ESPN/ USA Today Coaches Poll, but ...

Syracuse men’s basketball is 13-0 for the third consecutive year. As the top-ranked team in the nation, the Orange will begin its conference schedule on Wednesday, December 28 with a visit from the Seton Hall Pirates. Seton Hall (10-1) is much improved this season—with quality wins against VCU and Auburn—and is led by its senior star, Herb Pope. While Seton Hall is most likely not in the talent category of Syracuse, it presents one of ...

As college basketball is now in full swing around the nation, it is time to start giving close consideration to the commencing of conference play.The Pac-12 entered the 2011-2012 as a 12-team conference for the first time.  The University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Utah were added to the conference within the last year.This new 12-team look deserves special attention as the conference schedule begins. The first Pac-12 games will take place ...