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Arizona has played an aggressive and demanding road schedule in the early part of the 2016-17 campaign, with games in Hawaii, Missouri, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. That road grind continues Saturday when the 19th-ranked Wildcats battle Texas A&M on Saturday in the first game of the Lone Star Shootout at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.Former Southwest Conference rivals Texas and Arkansas play in the second game of the showcase.Arizona is 9-2, with both of its losses coming in neutral-site games (against Butler in the Las Vegas Invitational and against eighth-ranked Gonzaga in the Hoophall LA in Los Angeles). The Wildcats also defeated 12th-ranked Michigan State in the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu and beat Santa Clara in Las Vegas in their other neutral-site games and even tossed in a true road game win on Dec. 10 at Missouri.The matchup with Texas A&M will mark just the second time in 15 seasons that the Wildcats will face two Southeastern Conference opponents in the same year. Arizonas 2011-12 squad faced Mississippi State in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic before playing at Florida three weeks later.Saturdays game against the Aggies will be Arizonas final game prior to the demanding Pac-12 Conference schedule.Arizona outlasted Grand Canyon 64-54 on Wednesday in Tucson as Kobi Simmons scored 13 points and Lauri Markkanen and Rawle Alkins each had 11 points and eight rebounds. All three of those players are freshmen, making Arizona one of only two programs in the nation (Auburn is the other) to have its top three scorers all be freshmen averaging at least 10 points per game.The Wildcats had 19 turnovers in the victory, with 10 of those coming from their three post players.It was a very physical, hard-fought game and it should do well to prepare us for playing Texas A&M and for the Pac-12 schedule, Arizona coach Sean Miller said after the win Wednesday. It caught us off guard for a while but our defense was really good. We took advantage of our size but our turnovers were out of control.The Wildcats have won three straight. Arizona has been ranked in the AP poll for 84 consecutive weeks, trailing only Kansas for the longest active streak in the country.We have no depth to speak of and three freshmen are playing huge roles for us, but I think we have a tough team, with some hard-nosed guys that will not back away from a challenge, Miller said. This game against Texas A&M will be another test for our team, another step in being the team we want to be.Arizona is 24-26 (.480) against current SEC institutions in program history. That 48.0 winning percentage is the second lowest versus all 32 conferences faced, trailing only the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), against which Arizona is 2-4 (.333).Texas A&M (7-2) has also won three straight games and will be led by reigning SEC Player of the Week center Tyler Davis, who averaged 18 points and eight rebounds while shooting 73.1 percent from the field in wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Denver and South Carolina State last week.Both of the Aggies losses this season are to Pac-12 teams, at home to USC (65-63) and to UCLA (74-67) in the Wooden Legacy Classic in Anaheim, Calif.We match up well size-wise with Arizona, Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. Arizona is big at the 3-4-5 positions, and we know that playing, and hopefully beating, a team like Arizona will help us in the long haul. Our practices have been good but we have to make shots -- they are the best defensive team weve played so far this year.Saturday will be A&Ms fourth neutral-site game of the season, having defeated Cal State Northridge and Virginia Tech at Cal State Fullertons Titan Gym and falling to then-No. 14 UCLA. It will be Texas A&Ms fourth game inside the Toyota Center (1-2).Our energy is great in practice so we just have to bring that level of intensity to the games, Davis said. We nearly kill ourselves in practice every day and we need to find a way to bring that mentality when were playing someone else.The state of Texas has not been kind to the Wildcats throughout program history. Despite a record of 4-1 (.800) in neutral-site games in Texas, Arizonas all-time record in the state is 54-75 (.419). The Wildcats last played in Texas on Dec. 19, 2014, in a 60-55 win at UTEP, which pushed Arizonas record in Texas to 3-0 under Miller. . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said.Celtic boss Ronny Deila says Sundays Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers will be special but insists booking a return to Hampden next month is the only thing on his mind. Celtic face Rangers at the national stadium - live on Sky Sports 2 HD from 11am - for the right to play the winner of the other semi-final between Dundee United and Hibernian on Saturday, May 21.Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, the Norwegian said: It is very important. Its another game closer to getting a trophy. We have played two semi-finals and lost two so we want to get back to the final and get a new trophy. Celtic, eight points clear at the top of the Premiership, are closing in on their fifth successive title and Deila would love to win the one major trophy which has eluded him during his time at Celtic Park.Two trophies are of course much better than one. We have put ourselves in a good position in the league, but this is just one game. It will be tight but we are really looking forward to it. Celtics Leigh Griffiths scores against Rangers last year Asked if the experience of beating Rangers in the Scottish League Cup last year will benefit his side come Sunday, Deila said: Well see on Sunday. Its not just me who has the experience. There are lots of players here as well who know about the derbies and that is always a positive thing.Rangers manager Mark Warburton is reported to have labelled the match just another game of football in the build-up, but Deila disagrees.You cant say that. It is a game of football but this is special. Its a big game and something we really look forward to, he added. Leigh Griffiths explains why this weekends Glasgow derby against Rangers is so big Theres always pressure on these games.dddddddddddd It is a semi-final, one game, and we have seen before that things can happen in these games.We need to be very concentrated and we know we have a very good team when we are at our best so everything is in our hands.Central defender Erik Sviatchenko suffered an injury in the recent 0-0 draw at Dundee and Deila is refusing to rule the Dane out of the weekend game. Dedryck Boyata (left) should be fine to face Rangers at Hampden on Sunday He has a good chance, but we will see. Its too early for Erik now. Its a grade one pulled muscle... so well see.Dedryck Boyata missed training this morning, but hell be fine. Its just a small thing. Everyone knows whats coming up and theyre just ensuring they are ready for Sunday.Watch the Glasgow derby on Sky Sports 2 HD from 11am this Sunday.By purchasing a Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99 or Sky Sports Week Pass for £10.99, you can enjoy access to all seven Sky Sports channels and watch on a TV with a NOW TV Box or on a range of devices. Also See: Strong Celtic impress Kennedy County first up for Celtic Celtic stats Bet ￡5 get ￡20 free ' ' '
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