Gästebereich » ing for ... you guessed it, Michael Andretti, himse

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- No. 13 Indiana will try to summon karma from its banner-hoisting past when hosting No. 3 North Carolina Wednesday night in a nationally televised ACC/Big Ten Challenge clash.The Hoosiers 1981 National Championship team, which defeated the Tar Heels in the title game, will be honored in a halftime ceremony. That Bob Knight squad had Isiah Thomas, Randy Wittman, Ray Tolbert and Landon Turner, among others.Problem is, those guys cant suit up against the latest Tar Heels (7-0), who are fresh off three wins by an average of 30.3 points at the Maui Invitational including a 71-56 finale over Wisconsin on Nov. 23. North Carolinas path to finishing last season as an NCAA Tournament runner-up included a 101-86 victory over Indiana in the Sweet Sixteen at Philadelphia.Im not going to go out and make my reservations for the Final Four, Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams said after the Wisconsin win. Ive never seen a national championship won the day before Thanksgiving. Its usually won that first Monday night in April.He would know. He celebrated national titles in 2005 and 2009.Indiana (4-1), ranked third before losing in overtime at Fort Wayne and dropping 10 spots, could be without its leading scorer in junior guard James Blackmon Jr., who is questionable with a left knee injury. The 20.5-point scorer, who also leads the team in 3-pointers with 15 out of 32 attempted (.469), missed Sundays 85-52 home rout of Mississippi Valley State.Blackmon has a lengthy history of significant knee injuries. He tore his left ACL in high school, meniscus in the same knee early in his college career and last year the right ACL prior to the Big Ten opener and missed the rest of the season.This afternoon, I go run, and I come through the weight room at the end before I go home to change, and there he is in the weight room doing his leg exercises, Indiana head coach Tom Crean said after Sundays win. Hes very, very diligent on getting himself ready. Hes been through a lot. Been through a lot before he even got here.So weve just got to make sure that were patient with him and help him get through that part of it, and hell know his body. Hes certainly got great support here, and hell get that. And well just see how the next few days go.While the Hoosiers average 88.6 points scored and have allowed 69.6 per game, the Tar Heels sport a 92.9-point average while allowing 65.6. Both teams shoot 3-pointers well -- Indiana has made 51 of 128 (.398) while North Carolina has hit 47 of 120 (.392).Five Tar Heels average in double digits, led by junior guard Joel Berry II at 17.1 points per game. Berry has a team-high 16 3-pointers and was just named ACC Player of the Week for a second time in this young season.Tar Heels junior forward/guard Justin Jackson averages 15.4 points with 11 3-pointers. Senior forward Isaiah Hicks checks in at 14.6 points and senior forward Kennedy Meeks averages 13.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.Were not perfect, Hicks said. We have to polish some things, especially on the offensive side. We need to move more and get a little better spacing. Sometimes we get caught standing there. And we always have to keep up our defensive intensity and effort.Indiana sophomore forward OG Anunoby bounced back from a flu-shortened scoreless game with a career-high 21 points Sunday to boost his scoring average to 11.8 points. The preseason All-American also grabs 6.2 rebounds per game.Hoosiers junior guard Robert Johnson averages 13.8 points and sophomore center Thomas Bryant averages 13.6 points and 8.2 rebounds.Crean, the 2016 Big Ten Coach of the Year, is matching wits against one of the all-time greats in Williams, a 29th-year Hall of Famer whose 790-209 record ranks eighth on the career win list. Crean has spent half of his 18 seasons at Indiana and has a 342-216 overall record.Indiana has an 8-6 series advantage including 2-1 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Since 2011-12, Indiana has five wins against top-three opponents, which ties for second behind Dukes six. Cheap Custom Astros Jersey . The Croatian served 21 aces and hit 42 winners against Sijsling, who double-faulted to give Cilic a 4-3 lead in the deciding set. "All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said. Custom Astros Jerseys . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. http://www.customastrosjersey.com/ .7 million, one-year contract, a raise of $2.2 million. Wieters had asked for $8.75 million and the Orioles had offered $6. Astros Jerseys China . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. Jeff Bagwell Jersey Large . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. WEST ALLIS, Wis. -- When Ryan Hunter-Reay picked up his first win of the season in Alabama, he regretted that his wife and newborn son werent on hand for Victory Lane photographs. He made up for it Saturday with an early Fathers Day celebration at his favourite track, no less. Hunter-Reay continued Andretti Autosports domination at the Milwaukee Mile, winning the IndyCar event for the second year in a row and third time in his career. He became the first driver to win back-to-back races at the Mile since Tony Kanaan in 2006 and 2007 when he was driving for ... you guessed it, Michael Andretti, himself a five-time winner at Milwaukee. "At Barber, that was one of the races that Beccy and our son didnt come to and I felt bad because we didnt have the pictures of him in Victory Lane, so this is even better," Hunter-Reay said. "To do it on Fathers Day, to do back-to-back at Milwaukee, I love this place. Every driver, you ask them, they respect this oval the most." Andretti drivers have won five of the last nine races at the mile oval and nearly had a perfect day Saturday in a race that was promoted for the second year by Michael Andrettis marketing company. Hunter-Reay got the win, E.J. Viso finished fourth and James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ont., was fifth. The only blemish was pole-sitter Marco Andretti, who led the first 62 laps before his day fell apart with an electrical issue. "He let me down," joked father Michael Andretti. "I really feel bad for Marco. He was running really strong, really strong all weekend." But it was still a huge success for Andretti, who is in negotiations with IndyCar to promote the race next year but makes winning at Milwaukee a priority for his organization. "We come here with a philosophy of what I had back when I was driving, and we just carry that on, try to stress that to the engineering and the drivers on the way we used to do it then," Andretti said. "Theres things we used to do that really used to work. Seem to still be working." Alex Tagliani of Lachenaie, Que., finished second last in 23rd after his car suffered a mechanical problem. For Hunter-Reay, it was the second win of the season for the defending IndyCar Series champion. And it came at the site of the track he used to jump-start last years title run -- Hunter-Reay reeled off three consecutive wins starting with Milwaukee last season to climb into the championship race. He wasnt thinking cchampionship in the closing laps, though.dddddddddddd His focus was on Fathers Day and son Ryden. "Those last few laps I was thinking, Man, Ive got to do this for him," Hunter-Reay said. "Its so special, hes 6 months old, getting to have my little guy here in Victory Lane is the best Fathers Day gift." IndyCar Series points leader Helio Castroneves was second and followed by Penske Racing teammate Will Power as Chevrolet swept the podium. It was the first podium finish this season for Power, who hasnt won a race since Brazil last year. He made a bold attempt to pass Castroneves for second in the closing laps before cautiously backing off a touch. Power said after the race he had to consider the big picture and that his teammate is the current points leader while racing for position. "That was close, I wanted to race him very cleanly because hes leading the championship," Power said. "I was like Man, I dont want to take you out. Helio continues to get good points, and its cool to get (my) car up on the podium. Weve just got to keep chipping away and in the meantime, Im going to help out Helio as much as I can. If I can beat him I will, and make some hay on the championship." Scott Dixon was sixth in the highest finishing Honda and was followed by Takuma Sato, who dominated the middle section of the race but was shuffled out of contention when Ana Beatriz brought out the final caution and pit cycles dropped him deep into the field. Still, it was the best finish for an A.J. Foyt Racing entry at Milwaukee since Foyt himself was fifth in 1988. "The yellow came out and that was very bad timing for us because it put us behind those who hadnt pitted yet," Sato said. "They were able to pit and get ahead of us which is why we lined up in seventh. Then they had fresher tires, too, so it was really tough to pass them back. It was still a great race, but it was so disappointing in the end. Really a shame." Dario Franchitti, Justin Wilson and Kanaan rounded out the top 10. Marco Andretti wound up 20th and was passed by teammate Hunter-Reay for second in the IndyCar standings. "Its unfortunate, we came here for a win and had a car to do it," said Andretti, who was slowed before the electrical issue by a poor pit stop. "The voltage went straight down and I lost all kinds of power. I couldnt shift, the clutch didnt work. We came back for all the points we could." ' ' '