Jacksonville Dolphins (8-7, 2-1 ASUN) at Eastern Kentucky Colonels (8-8, 2-1 ASUN) Richmond, Kentucky; Saturday, 4 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Colonels -1.5; over/under is 146 BOTTOM LINE: Eastern Kentucky hosts Jacksonville after George Kimble III scored 26 points in Eastern Kentucky's 79-74 victory over the North Florida Ospreys. The Colonels have gone 4-1 in home games.
Tennessee State faces Western Illinois on 7-game road skid
Tennessee State Tigers (5-11, 1-4 OVC) at Western Illinois Leathernecks (8-8, 2-3 OVC) Macomb, Illinois; Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Leathernecks -1; over/under is 146.5 BOTTOM LINE: Tennessee State will attempt to break its seven-game road slide when the Tigers face Western Illinois. The Leathernecks are 5-2 in home games.
Vanderbilt visits Bates and Missouri
Vanderbilt Commodores (13-2, 1-1 SEC) at Missouri Tigers (12-3, 1-1 SEC) Columbia, Missouri; Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Tigers -3.5; over/under is 156.5 BOTTOM LINE: Missouri takes on Vanderbilt after Tamar Bates scored 20 points in Missouri's 83-67 victory against the LSU Tigers. The Tigers are 12-0 on their home court.
Butler hosts Creighton on home skid
Creighton Bluejays (9-6, 2-2 Big East) at Butler Bulldogs (7-9, 0-5 Big East) Indianapolis; Saturday, 12 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Bluejays -2.5; over/under is 145 BOTTOM LINE: Butler looks to end its four-game home losing streak with a win over Creighton. The Bulldogs are 5-4 on their home court.
DePaul hosts Xavier after Freemantle’s 22-point game
Xavier Musketeers (9-7, 1-4 Big East) at DePaul Blue Demons (9-7, 0-5 Big East) Chicago; Saturday, 4 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Musketeers -5.5; over/under is 151.5 BOTTOM LINE: Xavier visits DePaul after Zach Freemantle scored 22 points in Xavier's 82-72 loss to the St. John's Red Storm. The Blue Demons have gone 9-2 at home.
Kinziger, Illinois State Redbirds to host Anderson and the Northern Iowa Panthers
Illinois State has a 2-2 record in games decided by less than 4 points. The Panthers have gone 3-2 against MVC opponents. Northern Iowa has a 0-1 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
Southern hosts Matthews and Florida A&M
Florida A&M Rattlers (3-9, 0-1 SWAC) at Southern Jaguars (7-8, 2-0 SWAC) Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Saturday, 6 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Jaguars -13.5; over/under is 136.5 BOTTOM LINE: Florida A&M visits Southern after Milton Matthews scored 20 points in Florida A&M's 62-55 loss to the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. The Jaguars are 3-0 on their home court.
Portland State hosts Idaho after Payne’s 23-point game
Idaho Vandals (7-9, 2-1 Big Sky) at Portland State Vikings (9-6, 1-1 Big Sky) Portland, Oregon; Saturday, 5 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Vikings -2.5; over/under is 146 BOTTOM LINE: Idaho visits Portland State after Jack Payne scored 23 points in Idaho's 80-67 win over the Sacramento State Hornets. The Vikings are 5-1 in home games.
Northwestern hosts No. 16 Michigan State following Akins’ 20-point showing
Michigan State Spartans (13-2, 4-0 Big Ten) at Northwestern Wildcats (10-5, 1-3 Big Ten) Evanston, Illinois; Sunday, 12 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: No. Michigan State plays Northwestern after Jaden scored 20 points in Michigan State's 88-54 victory over the Washington Huskies.
Butler and No. 6 Kentucky host No. 14 Mississippi State
Mississippi State has a 1-0 record in one-possession games. The Wildcats are 1-1 in SEC play. Kentucky has a 1-0 record in one-possession games.
Montana State takes on Northern Arizona following Walker’s 20-point showing
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (10-6, 1-2 Big Sky) at Montana State Bobcats (5-11, 0-3 Big Sky) Bozeman, Montana; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Bobcats -7.5; over/under is 148 BOTTOM LINE: Montana State takes on Northern Arizona after Brandon Walker scored 20 points in Montana State's 83-82 loss to the Northern Colorado Bears. The Bobcats have gone 4-2 in home games.
Pope leads Texas State against Southern Miss after 27-point outing
Texas State Bobcats (9-7, 2-2 Sun Belt) at Southern Miss Golden Eagles (7-9, 2-2 Sun Belt) Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Saturday, 3 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Bobcats -3.5; over/under is 145 BOTTOM LINE: Texas State faces Southern Miss after Tylan Pope scored 27 points in Texas State's 74-73 victory over the Troy Trojans. The Golden Eagles are 7-1 in home games.
Coppin State visits Norfolk State after Myers’ 20-point game
Coppin State Eagles (2-14, 1-1 MEAC) at Norfolk State Spartans (11-7, 2-0 MEAC) Norfolk, Virginia; Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Spartans -20.5; over/under is 134.5 BOTTOM LINE: Norfolk State hosts Coppin State after Jalen Myers scored 20 points in Norfolk State's 73-64 victory against the Delaware State Hornets. The Spartans are 4-1 on their home court.
Indiana visits Iowa after Dix’s 31-point game
Indiana Hoosiers (13-3, 4-1 Big Ten) at Iowa Hawkeyes (11-4, 2-2 Big Ten) Iowa City, Iowa; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hawkeyes -5.5; over/under is 166.5 BOTTOM LINE: Iowa hosts Indiana after Josh Dix scored 31 points in Iowa's 97-87 overtime win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Hawkeyes have gone 9-1 in home games.
Callum Simpson: ‘Lily would want me to carry on … I know I made her proud through my boxing’
Before the defence of his British and Commonwealth belts, the 28-year-old reflects on the tragic death of his sister
“I’ve heard her voice in training sometimes,” Callum Simpson says quietly as looks up in his apartment in Dewsbury and remembers his sister Lily-Rae who, just over four months ago, died tragically following an accident on a quad bike at the age of 19. “I hear her when the sessions are hard, especially during running sessions, and her voice will say: ‘Just keep going, keep pushing.’”
West Yorkshire looks beautiful on a bitterly cold yet sunlit morning. A new year has just begun, and there is still snow on the ground, but the same raw pain churns though Simpson. The 28-year-old boxer is a composed and impressive man who will defend his British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles against Steed Woodall in Sheffield on Saturday night. It is likely to be a difficult test against a determined domestic rival who has lost only two of 22 bouts – particularly as Simpson and his family are still besieged by grief.
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