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Indiana might have lost the best point guard in the Big 10 Conference to graduation in Yogi Ferrell, but if the seasons first two games are any indication, it has regained perhaps the conferences most explosive scorer.Back from a torn right ACL he suffered last December, 6-foot-4 junior guard James Blackmon Jr. has scored 26 and 23 points in wins over Kansas and UMass Lowell, respectively. Blackmon is canning 55.2 percent of his field goal tries, including an impressive 9-of-17 on 3-pointers.Whats more, Blackmon has enjoyed 20-point halves in both games. He victimized Kansas in the second half and extra period of a 103-99 overtime win at the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu, then picked up where he left off in the first half of Wednesdays 100-78 pounding of UMass Lowell with another 20 points.So Blackmon, Jr. will be in the spotlight again Saturday night when the sixth-ranked Hoosiers continue the Indiana Classic at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind., against Liberty.I think theres a confidence when they look at him, Hoosiers coach Tom Crean said of Blackmon. James is a lot more explosive than what he was. Hes playing with more force. Hes playing downhill more. Hes covering more ground.I think the fact that hes moving the ball, that hes getting better defensively, thats a really good thing. To come back from an injury like that and to be a better athlete than he even was and be stronger like he is, that takes a little time for him to get used to.Blackmons presence forces opponents to respect him from 25 feet and in, leading to more scoring opportunities for teammates like 6-10 center Thomas Bryant (14 points per game, 7.5 rebounds), 6-8 forward OG Anunoby (14 points, 5.5 rebounds) and 6-3 point guard Robert Johnson (13 points, 3.5 assists).Indianas offense has been clicking on nearly all cylinders so far, canning 50 percent of its field goal attempts and nearly 45 percent on 3-pointers (26-of-58). Its ability to either get to the rim or create open 3s can test any defense.Liberty (1-1) will counter with a defense the Hoosiers have battled before -- the pack line scheme created by Dick Bennett and still run by the likes of Wisconsin and Virginia. Fourth-year coach Ritchie McKays squad held up-tempo VCU to 64 points in a five-point home loss Tuesday night.I thought everyone came in and battled, and you have to play well on the defensive end to have a chance, McKay said to the Lynchburg (Va.) News & Advance. And we had a chance.The Flames are expected to challenge Winthrop for the Big South Conference title with the return of four starters, plus the arrival of 6-7 freshman forward Brock Gardner. McKay, in his second stint as Liberty coach, said Gardner is the best player he has landed there since signing Seth Curry in 2008.Former Marquette guard John Dawson, a 6-2 senior, is the teams leading scorer at 14.5 points per game. Libertys tallest starter is 6-5, 255-pound forward Myo Baxter-Bell, which will put it at a serious disadvantage inside against the likes of Bryant and Anunoby.It is Indianas second game in the Indiana Classic and Libertys first. 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AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Kyle Busch won for the 10th time in the Xfinity Series this season with a victory at Phoenix International Raceway on the night NASCARs second-tier series set its inaugural championship field.The final four for next weekends race at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be a battle between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joe Gibbs.Both car owners got two drivers each into the championship field the first year NASCAR rolled out the Chase for its lower two national series. The Chase uses the same elimination format as the Sprint Cup Series, and eight drivers were competing for the final four slots on Saturday night.Daniel Suarez and Erik Jones, both driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, got in. JR Motorsports qualified Justin Allgaier and Elliott Sadler.After the race, Sadlers car was inspected for a lug nut infraction. NASCAR announced the car had two loose nuts but Sadler wont receive a penalty and he will be racing for the title next weekend. Sadlers crew chief Kevin Meendering will be suspended for the championship race.I think we might have a loose lug. Theyll look at it. But, hey, we did what we had to do, Sadler said.Sadler, a longtime NASCAR veteran, is seeking his first title at the national level and has his best chance this year in this winner-take-all format.Were pumped about it -- we really put all our eggs in one basket, and thats that Homestead car, he said.Allgaier had to stretch a drying gas tank over the closing laps to claim his spot and keep Blake Koch out of the field.dddddddddddd Koch was keeping an eye postrace on Sadlers situation, but immediately apologized for an earlier incident with Darrell Wallace Jr. that knocked Wallace out of title contention.Busch, meanwhile, is racing Sunday for a spot in Sprint Cups final four. New rules will make him ineligible to race in any Chase races in a lower series next year, so this was his last victory in the fall race at Phoenix.Busch noted hed learned something about the tires by running the Xfinity race, and he planned to confer with his Cup team to get better prepared for Sundays main event. The reigning Sprint Cup champion had the fastest car in Saturdays final practice.We got a lot better. I feel like were at least in the ballpark, Busch said of Sunday. Weve got a top-five race car and well go from there.Brendan Gaughans championship chances ended when he wrecked with 63 laps remaining. He was in a must-win situation and came to Phoenix last in the eight-driver standings.Wallace, who was seventh in the standings, was wrecked when Koch ran into Wallaces lane and caused the accident. Wallace was mourning his grandmother, who died earlier this week, and had trouble controlling his emotions after.My grandmother was giving me the ride of my life, said Wallace, nearly sobbing. That was the most fun I have had all year. Just circumstances took us out. ' ' '