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The host Xavier Musketeers will aim to continue their resurgence under coach Sean Miller while the Robert Morris Colonials will begin their 14th season under coach Andrew Toole when the teams meet Monday night in Cincinnati. Miller returned to Xavier last season after 12 years (2009-21) at Arizona. Miller led Xavier to a 27-10 record last season, good enough for its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2018. In addition to matching the school

Two teams searching for their newest go-to players will collide when Butler hosts Eastern Michigan on Monday night in Indianapolis in the season opener for both squads. The Bulldogs welcomed six transfers throughout the offseason after the team lost over 90 percent of its scoring and minutes from last season, when they finished 14-18 overall and 6-14 in the Big East. Newcomers DJ Davis and Posh Alexander headline a backcourt that will look to push

A veteran Wisconsin team will look to bounce back from a rare NCAA Tournament absence when the Badgers open their season at home against Arkansas State on Monday night in Madison, Wisc. Wisconsin returns all five starters from a team that missed the NCAA tourney for the first time since 2018 and just the second time since 1998. The Badgers went 20-15 last season, the 18th time in the last 21 years they reached 20

All the numbers seem to favor the Golden State Warriors as they look to remain unbeaten on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night. The Warriors opened In-Season Tournament play with an action-packed, 141-139 road win Friday night over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State’s fourth straight triumph away from home this season. The Warriors won just 11 road games all of last year. One of those wins came at Cleveland, a 120-114

The Nuggets historically are dominant at home, including last season, when they went 34-7 in the regular season and 10-1 in the playoffs in Denver. One team that got them on their court was the Chicago Bulls, who came to Denver on March 8 and beat the Nuggets 117-96. That was eight months and an offseason ago, but Denver might be looking for some payback when it hosts the Bulls on Saturday night. Both teams

Last season, the rebuilding Montreal Canadiens stayed focused on player development while sliding to their 31-45-6 finish. This season they are looking to translate growth into more victories. “The group steered us in that direction,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “We have to make decisions that help us get the two points, but also we have to factor in the youth of our club and where we want to be.” Montreal earned points in

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be out to end a three-game losing streak Saturday night when they open a five-game homestand against the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres should be highly motivated after taking a 5-1 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night. The Maple Leafs lost 3-2 in a shootout against the host Boston Bruins on Thursday. Toronto also lost 3-2 in overtime to the host Nashville Predators on Oct. 28 and 4-1

Nebraska may be playing with a shorter rotation than normal when it opens the 2023-24 season against Lindenwood in a nonconference game on Monday in Lincoln, Neb. The Cornhuskers were without five players for their exhibition win over Doane on Oct. 29, and then top returning scorer Keisei Tominaga sprained his ankle in the first half. “Hopefully he recovers well,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said afterward. “Obviously, he’s a very important part of what we

Cincinnati enters its first season of Big 12 play while Illinois-Chicago continues its rebuild when the Bearcats host the Flames in the season opener for both teams on Monday. The Bearcats, under third-year coach Wes Miller, finished last season with a 23-13 record. They reached the NIT quarterfinals before getting eliminated by Utah Valley. Their final season in the American Athletic Conference saw them post an 11-7 mark, just missing a chance to reach the

When the Boston Celtics return to the floor on Saturday night, the intrigue will revolve around how their offense follows one of the most historic showings in team history, a 155-point night. Boston will oppose the Brooklyn Nets in New York. Riding a three-game winning streak, the Nets are hoping their defense can make enough plays to stop the unbeaten Celtics from putting up more big offensive numbers. The Celtics are 4-0 for the first