CINCINNATI -- Skip Prosser died in 2007, but hell be on the minds of many players, coaches and fans on Saturday night, when No. 17 Xavier hosts Wake Forest at Cintas Center.The Musketeers and Demon Deacons are meeting for the sixth time as part of the Skip Prosser Classic, played in honor of the former coach at both programs.Xavier head coach Chris Mack was an assistant at Wake Forest for three years under Prosser and was a two-year captain for the Musketeers while Prosser was an assistant coach.Mack spoke with his team this week about his former friend and mentor.I wanted the guys to understand why we play the series, and give them a gd perspective of who he was, Mack said. Anybody that had a chance to play for Skip or coach with him knows how genuinely sincere and caring he was. He treated everyone the same, from the guy who mopped the gym to his players.Prosser was at Xavier for 15 years from 1985-2001, including as Musketeers head coach from 1994-2001, when he compiled a 148-65 record and three NCAA Tournament berths. He was Wake Forests head coach from 2001 until he died of a massive heart attack in his campus office. Prosser led the Demon Deacons to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first four years.During his coaching career, Prosser helped develop future NBA stars David West, Josh Howard, and Chris Paul.Prosser was inducted into XUs Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 and remains a beloved figure at both schls and throughout college basketball.We briefly talked about him (on Thursday), said Xavier forward RaShid Gaston. He had a great impact on both teams and were playing this game in honor of him.Xavier (8-2) leads the series 4-2, including a come-from-behind 78-70 win at Wake Forest last season. The Musketeers trailed by as many as 18 points in that game.Macks team, like Wake Forest, is coming off exam week, which can often result in sluggish performances.The gd thing is that Wake Forest is dealing with it, t, he said. So, no excuses tomorrow if we dont play well. It was exam week for both teams.Musketeers guard Trevon Bluiett was named to the Big East Conference weekly honor roll after averaging 22.5 points in a loss at Colorado and a win over Utah.Wake Forest (8-2) is 3-1 on the road with wins at Charleston, Richmond and UNC-Greensboro and a loss at Northwestern.Theyre a really gd team in transition, said Gaston. Theyre really aggressive on the offensive glass as well.Gaston will try to contain Demon Deacons sophomore forward John Collins, who averages 18 points and is among four Wake Forest players scoring in double-figures.Mack believes Collins is among the most improved players in all of college basketball this season.Johns an athletic kid, said Wake Forest head coach Danny Manning last month. Last year, in the minutes that he played, his production was really, really high. But the thing we continue to stress with him is defensive positioning. When you get to this level and you try to time up a block or go make a great defensive play, you usually end up getting a foul.Chris Chelios Jersey . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. Brendan Shanahan Jersey . It was the kind of score that might make everyone else wonder which course he was playing. Except that Graeme McDowell saw the whole thing. Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell lked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days. http://www.redwingshockeyauthentic.com/jonathan-bernier-jersey/ . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Sergei Fedorov Red Wings Jersey . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but gd things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Trps" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. Ted Lindsay Red Wings Jersey . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brklyn during the off-season.The?Edmonton Oilers?-- who will move into a new arena this season that immediately becomes the best in the NHL -- may have timed their rebuilding effort perfectly. This may finally be a team worthy of such a home.Fans might not have liked the Taylor Hall-for-Adam Larsson trade with the?New Jersey Devils,?but one need only lk at the Oilers offseason in its entirety to see that Edmonton is in considerably better shape than it was last year at this time.First and foremost, the Oilers are getting a Connor McDavid who enters the NHL much more comfortable than he was last year at this time. The 2015 No. 1 draft pick continues to add strength and even speed, which some thought impossible.I believe in my game a lot more heading in, McDavid said. I didnt know what to expect last year, going into my first NHL season. I didnt know what it would be like. I definitely have more confidence.If hes healthy for 82 games, McDavid will be one of the best players in the league this season and make a Hart Trophy push.The Oilers got a break in the draft lottery when winger Jesse Puljujarvi fell to them at No. 4. Hell make the team and be an impact player this season.Theyre still a top four right-shot defenseman short of playoff defense, but Larsson and a healthy Oscar Klefbom will go a long way in providing balance to the roster.Weve been hearing about an Oilers turnaround for years. This is the season it comes to fruition.Best new facesLarsson jumps into the lineup and provides the Oilers with a defenseman capable of taking on the tough assignment every single night. He did it on a regular basis with Andy Greene in New Jersey, and at 23 years old, Larsson is still developing as a defenseman. Once Oilers fans get over who was given up to acquire him, theyre going to really like Larssons game.Milan Lucic brings Stanley Cup experience and a physical edge Edmontons forward group needed to keep pace in the heavy Western Conference.You feel a little bit more safe out there with a guy like him on the ice, McDavid said. Hes one of the toughest guys in the league, if not the toughest. It definitely helps my game a lot to have him on our team.Puljujarvi is the wild card. His spot in the lineup is written in pencil, but its the kind of pencil thats pushed really hard on the paper aand hard to erase.dddddddddddd Assuming hes healthy and ready to go, he could be another dynamic player for this group.Biggest unknownsThe defense still needs work. Brandon Davidson was a bit of a revelation last season and is a gd player. Klefbom has to prove that he can stay healthy. Is Larsson gd enough right now to be a top-pair defenseman on a gd playoff team? Probably not, but Id be comfortable with him on the second pair. Darnell Nurse is another guy whose ceiling is still in question. Hes probably a second-pair guy when the dust settles, but hes still young enough that its hard to project exactly what hell be this season.The Oilers have a lot of questions on defense.The other issue is whether this team has figured out how to win consistently. Edmonton was a dangerous team last year when trailing by a goal or two because it had the talent and skill to make up a deficit quickly. The problem was that the Oilers were just as dangerous when up a goal or two because they played the same way. Having a guy like Lucic around will help in that regard. And McDavid is nothing, if not a fast learner.Sure thingsThats the problem with this team. There are very few sure things. Were pretty sure McDavid will be a superstar. Will it happen this season? Probably? We think guys like Puljujarvi and Leon Draisaitl will be top-six contributors this season. Can we say so for sure? Nope!Even goaltender?Cam Talbot, who is a solid No. 1 starter, isnt a sure thing.Its a pretty strong bet that Jordan Eberle and McDavid will get every opportunity to play together and form a duo that could be a match for years. They both love playing with each other and have skill sets that complement each other.As a linemate, you have to be able to think the game quick and get the puck to him with speed, Eberle said. You have to be ready for the puck at all times.PredictionThe Oilers will make a leap this year. It will be considerable, like 20 points in the standings. The problem is that even with a 20-point improvement, the Oilers are still only at 90 points, and that wont be quite enough in the competitive Pacific. They will finish short of the playoffs. ' ' '