training quality in Norwalk, the Chinese team provided him with the best practice t

Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Friday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EST:- College football games of note Friday: No. 6 Washington at No. 23 Washington State (3:30 p.m.); No. 17 Nebraska at Iowa (3:30 p.m.); No. 18 Houston at Memphis (noon); No. 20 Boise State at Air Force (3:30 p.m.).- Top-five college football games Saturday: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 16 Auburn; No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Michigan; No. 4 Clemson vs. South Carolina.- ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys already have 10 wins for only the second time since their last Super Bowl title 21 seasons ago.- DETROIT -- With so many games coming down to the wire, the Lions are fortunate to have kicker Matt Prater. Detroit has won six of seven and leads the NFC North.- PITTSBURGH -- Two wins in five days have given the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) hope their four-game midseason swoon is behind them.- LOS ANGELES -- Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors go for their 10th straight win when they face the Los Angeles Lakers for the third time in three weeks and the second time in three days. Game starts 10:30 p.m.- BOSTON -- The San Antonio Spurs, winners of seven straight and leading the Southwest Division, play a Boston Celtics team that has won three in a row and is tied for first in the Atlantic Division. Game starts 1 p.m.- PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- In the only mens college basketball game involving two ranked teams, No. 10 Louisville meets No. 20 Baylor in the title game of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Game starts 3:30 p.m.- ZAGREB, Croatia -- Croatia, led by Marin Cilic, and an Argentine team powered by Juan Martin del Potro begin the best-of-five Davis Cup final. Croatia is going for its second Davis Cup title, Argentina its first.- LONDON -- Former English soccer players who were subjected to years of sexual abuse by youth team coaches entrusted with their care are now exposing the games dark secrets.- Even though George McPhee ran the Washington Capitals for 17 years, NHL general managers have no idea how hell build the Vegas Golden Knights through an expansion draft. McPhee only hints he wont take bad contracts.- TOKYO -- Manny Pacquiao says his next bout will be in April or May provided it fits his schedule as a senator in the Philippines. He would like a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.- MELBOURNE, Australia -- The Danish team of Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen leads after second round of World Cup of Golf. Ricky Fowler and Jimmy Walker of the U.S. are among those five shots back. Cheap New Orleans Saints Jerseys . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask. Cheap Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. http://www.usnewjerseysoutlet.com/?tag=cheap-cincinnati-bengals-jerseys . LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. Cheap Minnesota Vikings Jerseys . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Cheap Buffalo Bills Jerseys . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. NORWALK, Conn. -- This serene Southern Connecticut coastal city received a group of special guests in July. They came from half a world away, making a short visit before heading to Rio de Janeiro in August.For three weeks, the Swim Seventy Aquatic Center, a swanky private facility, was home to the Chinese Olympic swim team. Far away from the intense media attention in Beijing, the Olympians trained twice a day, putting the finishing touches to their preparations for the worlds biggest international sporting event.Leading the Chinese squad was Sun Yang, the countrys No.1 swimmer and two-time gold medalist at the 2012 London Games. By 10 a.m. each day, he would arrive at the center to begin warm-ups and individual drills. The entire pool was busy with the metronome rhythm of strokes, splashes and training.He looks pretty good, a member of the coaching staff told Zhang Yadong, Suns personal instructor.Hes been in a good mood lately. Zhang said with a smile.Looking back at the preparations in the past month or two, everything is pretty good, Sun told ESPN.com in an exclusive interview.But for Sun, as well as people around him, this kind of optimism has been hard to come by since the 24-year-old suffered a foot injury during a January training session in Australia.Suns mother, Yang Ming, said her heart thumped after learning of her sons injury. Sun also told Chinese state media news agency Xinhua that the injury was so painful he almost cried.In the following months, Suns injury shadowed him, as well as entire Chinese team. The road to recovery was long and tedious. He began to walk on crutches in February. By March, he was able to swim, relying on strength from only one leg. Little by little, Sun was overcoming fear while racing against the clock.Some lost some progress in training because of the injury, Sun said. I was doing my best to overcome the obstacles and come back tenaciously.Prior to coming to Connecticut, Sun was training by himself in California, surviving a dull and arduous period filled with countless drills and treatments, as well as a two-hour daily commute to and from the facility.Sun tried to keep everything to himself. Speaking to ESPN.com, Suns mother pulled up a photo on her cell phone, showing Suns body and arms covered with medical patches after a treatment.He wont let me take pictures or share them on WeChat [a Chinese mobile social media platform], Yang said. I took this one secretly.With the help from his family and the swim team, Suns recovery was speedy. Last June, he won the 200-meter freestyle competition at the 2016 Arena Pro Swim Series in Santa Clara with a 1:44.dddddddddddd82 result, the best record in the world so far this year.In Rio, Sun will compete in 200-, 400- and 1,500-meter freestyle events. To defend the 400 and 1,500 gold medals he won four years ago in London, Sun will have to face several challengers. One is Italys Gregorio Paltrinieri, who won the 1,500 freestyle gold at last years World Swimming Championships after Sun withdrew from the final due to injury.In the 400 freestyle, Sun will face South Koreas Park Tae-hwan, a tough foe in the pool but a friend outside of it, who lost the gold to Sun in London. In the 200 freestyle, Sun will meet Japans rising star Kosuke Hagino, Great Britains World Swimming Championships gold medalist James Guy, and 27-year-old American Conor Dwyer.I am happy with my confidence level. Sun said. I havent swam a lot this year, but I feel like I am in pretty good shape after competing in two events. Everything, including my final sprints, has increased a lot compared to two years ago. The recovery has also been pretty good.As Chinas best swimmer, Sun carries the heaviest weight, trying to help his country get ahead on the medal counts list. To ensure Suns training quality in Norwalk, the Chinese team provided him with the best practice time slots, a team doctor and a therapist, as well as his own car.As a defending Olympic champion to compete this year, he said, I think I will have an edge over my rivals in terms of confidence and experience.Outside the pool, the 6-foot-6 Sun is a big basketball fan. He shoots hoops with his father during free time. While in California, Sun watched this years NBA Finals Game 5 in Oakland, witnessing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers start their comeback back from a 3-1 deficit.I love watching Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, but at that moment I wanted LeBron to win, because he is the best, he said.The Chinese swimming team has since left Connecticut for Rio, and will settle into the Olympic Village in early August. Three weeks of training in the U.S. has allowed Sun to get into his best form. But now he just has to prove he is the best.On Monday, Sun Yang wrote on his Weibo (a Chinese social media platform): Third time heading to the Olympics, it is my utmost responsibility to win honor for my country. Ill strive to make my dream come true. No matter how harsh and exhausting the training is, I have no complaints or regrets. Rio, here we come. ' ' '