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Arriving on Paradise Island in the Bahamas as the favorite to win the 2016 Battle 4 Atlantis, No. 10 Louisville got instructions from its coach. Dont take Old Dominion lightly.The Cardinals will face Old Dominion in the first game of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m. ET.The Monarchs (2-0) have drawn Louisville coach Rick Pitinos praise for their ability to play slow, methodical offense, rebound effectively and play stiff defense. For a 3-0 Louisville team wanting to run and press, Old Dominion could be a significant test.This is, for us, an opportunity to see what we are, Pitino said. Its been very difficult to tell because we have played three good games. Im anxious to see how we play in this tournament.The Cardinals started the season with a 78-47 win over a short-handed Evansville team before beating William & Mary 91-58. An 88-56 win over Long Beach State last Thursday was supposed to provide more of a test, but an early Louisville run put the game out of reach with less than 10 minutes off the clock.As for Old Dominion, coach Jeff Jones team beat James Madison 62-55 and Richmond 64-61 to start the season. They Monarchs are currently ranked 350th in Division I basketball in tempo (64.1 possessions vs. Louisvilles 71.0).ODU was 25-13 last season and reached the Conference USA Championship game. It returned three starters and four of the top seven scorers from last season.It has been a positive for us in terms of preparation when you consider all the different problems Louisville presents, Jones said. Our guys know it is a big challenge, but they also recognize it is a big opportunity for our team.For Old Dominion, Wednesdays game represents its only scheduled shot at a Power 5 opponent this season. The Monarchs could play two or three Power 5 teams during their trip to the Bahamas.For a mid-major program, this is about the only opportunity we get to play against a team like Louisville and teams like (Baylor and Michigan State) that is not on their home floor, Jones said. We want to test ourselves.Louisville last visited the Battle 4 Atlantis during the 2012 season. The Cardinals won the 2013 NCAA title. Adidas NMD R2 γυναικεια . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Adidas NMD ασπρα . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. http://www.nmdgreece.com/adidas-nmd-r1-greece.html . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Adidas NMD R2 φθηνα . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. Adidas NMD R2 ανδρικα . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. The race is on to catch Sydney FC at the top of the A-League table, but the biggest battle in domestic football this season isnt to win the league - its to join it.FFAs decision to begin a formal process early in the new year for teams to enter the A-League has set the pulses racing.As many as a dozen expansion markets exist around Australia and New Zealand, contending for what are likely to be two vacancies.Brisbane, southern Sydney, Tasmania, Auckland, South Melbourne, Canberra and Wollongong are all candidates, among others.And why wouldnt they be interested?Crowds are up, broadcast audiences are up and playing standards are up.Since the admission of the Western Sydney Wanderers in 2012, football dreamers have looked forward to the next entry to boost the 10-team competition.FFA bosses have opted for consolidation over the past five years, only toying with the idea of changing the line-up at crisis moments with existing teams; most notably in October last year at Wellingtons expense.But with the Phoenixs investors backing the New Zealand side for at least another three seasons after this one, the focus now is on expansion and not replacement.A-League chief Greg ORourke gave a timetable for possibly two new teams in the 2018/19 competition in a statement last week.A framework for expansion will be completed early next year which will allow (interested consortia) to submit expressions of interest in a framework which focuses on the viability of the the proposed franchise and its ability to provide benefits to the A-League and the game, it read.In other words, its game on.As it stands right now, the A-League aspirants are at varying states of preparedness.A well-financed Tasmanian bid, which has already met with FFA, believe it just needs the tick-off from head office to start investing and hit the ground running.National Soccer League powerhouses South Melbourne have a champion second-tier team, a boutique stadium and a burning desire to be back among the big boys.In Queensland, former Gold Coast United coach Miron Bleiberg believes fellow NSL winners Brisbbane Strikers could be a viable force in the A-League, and is working with investors to plot a pathway into the top tier.ddddddddddddFurther afield, Oceania powerhouses Auckland City are beginning an exploratory process that could lead to a bid.Chairman Ivan Vuksich told AAP the club was in the very early days of looking at raising the capital.Wed obviously like to be involved, he said.Weve made some tentative enquiries but its very preliminary.Had the Phoenix not continued in the competition, FFA was ready to introduce a third Sydney team encompassing the Sutherland, St George and Illawarra regions.Despite Sydney FCs opposition, it remains a favoured option for the governing body - but its unlikely FFA will drive the concept this time around, meaning external investors will be required.All three associations are still keen to come together and former A-League chief Lyall Gorman, now the chairman on NRL club Cronulla, is eager to accommodate a team at Southern Cross Group Stadium.Its expected any southern Sydney franchise would also play games at WIN Stadium but the Wollongong Wolves, back-to-back NSL champions in 2000 and 2001, believe the South Coast should have its own team and will consider putting forward a bid once FFA releases its criteria.If guidelines come out in January or February, of course were going to look at those guidelines very, very closely, new Wolves CEO Chris Papakosmas told AAP.We have some very, very significant contacts and connections within corporate Australia, right across the country, and we intend to leverage those when its most appropriate and suits everyone involved.The choices for FFA extend further afield, with Geelong presenting a regional alternative for another Victorian franchise, while second teams in Adelaide or Perth are long-shot contenders.No bids are expected from the Gold Coast or North Queensland, two regions burned badly by the A-Leagues disastrous first attempt at expansion in 2009. 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