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STORRS, Conn. Craig Hartsburg Jersey . -- Coach Geno Auriemma has one question for people who are picking his UConn Huskies as preseason No. 1: What the heck are you thinking?Sure, the Huskies have won the past four NCAA titles and are currently on another epic winning streak at 75 in a row. But with Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck all in the WNBA, the Huskies quite obviously are not the same group that went 38-0 last year and won by an average of 40 points.I never said, Well, I think a lot of teams have a chance to win the national championship, and were just one of them, Auriemma said of his preseason stance for the past few years. We knew we were favorites, and we knew why. But now, anyone that picks us No. 1, my first question is Why? Give me your rationale.Well, youve always been No. 1. OK, thats a lazy answer.Uh-huh, its always something with this guy, the master motivator. The Huskies were No. 1 in the WBCA poll and in the espnW preseason poll. They were No. 3 in the Associated Press rankings, getting six votes at the top, behind Notre Dame and Baylor.I wish we were 33, Auriemma said.As if. But if he wants to hear why some of us are voting UConn No. 1, its not out of laziness. Its out of experience. As the saying goes, weve seen this movie before.UConn won three NCAA titles in 2002-04, and then Diana Taurasi went to the WNBA. After that, admittedly, came three years of falling short of the Final Four. But those were still very good UConn teams.In 2004-05, the Huskies went 25-8 and lost to Candice Wiggins and Stanford in the Sweet 16. The next year, UConn was 32-5 and fell to Monique Currie-led Duke in the Elite Eight. Then in 2006-07, the Huskies were 32-4 and lost in the regional final again, this time to Sylvia Fowles and LSU.That 2007 season was the last time the Huskies didnt reach the Final Four. Even in 2012 -- a year after losing Maya Moore and two years after the graduation of Tina Charles, a duo that had led the way in UConns 90-game winning streak of 2008-10 -- the Huskies still got to the national semis.And from 2013-16, they were NCAA champions again. So why are we picking UConn No. 1? Because even without the obvious star right now, the Huskies still have some very talented players and a coaching staff that has more championship experience than you can find almost anywhere in any sport.What the Huskies dont have are all the answers. Who is their emotional leader? Who is the player who gets on everybodys case when its necessary? Who can keep everyone calm? Who will stand tall when they face on-court challenges? Because, unlike recent years when that virtually never happened, it probably will this season.And that includes during their first two games: at No. 12 Florida State on Nov. 14, and at home against No. 2 Baylor on Nov. 17.You cant force leadership on people, said Kia Nurse, one of the most obvious candidates for that role. What happens is the upperclassmen all step up together, and we develop our own leadership traits. We have to figure out how to work together, and make sure thats a presence all the younger guys hear every day.It actually isnt just older players like Nurse, who averaged 9.3 points per game, and fellow junior guard Gabby Williams (8.8) in that role, though -- sophomores Katie Lou Samuelson (11.0) and Napheesa Collier (6.8) need to do it, too.Were trying to do the things we learned from the seniors last year, Samuelson said. All four of us know we have to be really solid every single day we practice or play. Were going to be the ones that disperse the energy throughout the team.All of us knew coming here we would eventually be in this situation. We were fortunate to learn from the three best leaders in the country, I would say. I think its going to keep getting better.The Huskies have three freshmen -- guards Molly Bent and Crystal Dangerfield and forward Kyla Irwin -- being immersed in UConn culture, along with transfers Azura Stevens (Duke) and Batouly Camara (Kentucky). Asked if she could pinpoint what leadership trait from last years seniors that she most wanted to pass on now, Samuelson didnt hesitate.Just how much we all trusted them, she said. Every single day we knew what we were going to get from them in practice. Stewie, Morgan and Mo were just consistently solid every day. Weve been trying to be that same kind of core group to rely on.Samuelson, who sustained a broken bone in her foot in the national semifinal game against Oregon State last April, had to watch the second half of that game and then the championship from the bench. She said shes now at 100 percent.And some classic Auriemma sarcasm was directed her way after the Huskies first exhibition game Tuesday, a 111-39 victory over Indiana of Pennsylvania, so you know she must be doing OK.Im sure any day now, sometime within the next four or five months, Lou will throw a pass, Auriemma said. And well have made some progress.He also joked about whether some magical force had taken over the body of senior guard Saniya Chong because, Right now, shes in a really good place. You got to remember, this kid was really, really good coming out of high school. It kind of got away from her. Hopefully shes got it back a little.It might be fair to wonder if Chong perhaps was just swept along in the tide of greatness that dominated the Huskies. Maybe this season, finally, she -- along with everyone else on the team -- knows that they really can be difference-makers. In fact, they will have to be. Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck cant come to the rescue and take over.Auriemma is intrigued by how his Huskies will deal with that realization.Its hard to know how some people will perform when theres no safety net, he said. And until theyve been in that situation, maybe they dont know. And its our job to help guide them through it. Esa Lindell Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Craig Hartsburg Stars Jersey . The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africas Allan Versfeld and Portugals Ricardo Santos. http://www.thedallasstarshockey.com/jamie-benn-hockey-jersey/ . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room. What to watch for tonight in Game 7 of the World Series at Cleveland:---THE HISTORYThe Chicago Cubs have the longest championship drought in baseball, dating to 1908. The Indians own the second-longest gap, going back to 1948.Both teams are 0-2 in Game 7s. Chicago lost the 1945 World Series to Detroit and the 2003 NLCS to the Marlins; the Indians dropped the 1997 World Series to the Marlins and the 2007 ALCS to Boston.This is the third time in six years the World Series has gone the distance, most recently when the Giants beat the Royals in 2014. Home teams are 18-19 all-time in decisive Game 7s.THE MATCHUPIndians ace Corey Kluber vs. major league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks.Kluber could become the first pitcher to win three starts in a World Series since 1968, when Mickey Lolich did it for Detroit. The Cleveland righty also is the top hitter so far -- hes batting .500, albeit 1 for 2.Kluber has given up one run in 12 innings against the Cubs while fanning 15, and is 4-1 with a 0.89 ERA this postseason. The 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner starts on short rest for the second time in a row.Hendricks didnt get a decision in his Game 3 start, when he was pulled in the fifth inning without allowing a run. He was 16-8 with a 2.13 ERA this season.THE WEATHERThis could cause chaos. The forecast as of early Wednesday morning called for 70 degrees and fairly clear skies at Progressive Field for the first pitch at 8 p.m. EDT. But by 11 p.m., theres a good chance of rain, and its supposed to keep coming down until late morning. The first six games have taken an average of 3 hours, 34 minutes. Might make for a wet, wild finish. Blake Comeau Stars Jersey. THE BULLPENCubs closer Aroldis Chapman has thrown 62 pitches in three days. Only three of his 20 fastballs Tuesday reached 100 mph on the radar gun, a down night for him. He also grimaced and came up limping a bit after covering first base. If his right knee or foot was hurting, he didnt sound concerned.Nothing bad, he said in Spanish. No issues at all.Cleveland relievers Andrew Miller and Cody Allen are well rested. After a travel day Monday, they didnt work Tuesday night in a 9-3 loss. Chances are, manager Terry Francona wont wait long to call in his daunting duo.THE MVPA lot of guys in play here. Corey Kluber would be an obvious choice if he dominates again, but what if hes pulled early in a no-decision and Cleveland wins? Andrew Miller has been nearly unhittable, Cody Allen hasnt given up a run, and flashy shortstop Francisco Lindor has starred with the bat and glove.Jake Arrieta has won twice for the Cubs and Aroldis Chapman has ruled in relief. Ben Zobrist leads all regulars with nine hits and a .391 batting average, Anthony Rizzo is hitting .364, Addison Russell has eight RBI and Kris Bryant has hit two timely home runs.COOPERSTOWN CALLINGSomeone is likely to stamp their ticket to the Hall of Fame with a win tonight. It could be Indians manager Terry Francona, who guided the Red Sox to two titles and helped them end their 86-year championship drought. Or it could be Cubs architect Theo Epstein, who built that Boston team in 2004. ' ' '