Dein erstes Forum » .7. Last season, the Irish finished eighth at 43.2.C

MINNEAPOLIS -- Gorgui Dieng would have been one of the most sought after big men on the open market if he had become a restricted free agent next summer.The Minnesota Timberwolves had no interest in seeing it get that far.The team announced Monday night that Dieng had signed a four-year contract extension. The deal is worth $64 million, a person with knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team did not publicly announce the terms.Keeping Dieng was a crucial first move for the Timberwolves, who will have to spend millions in the coming two years if they want to keep their core of Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Karl-Anthony Towns -- who all are on affordable rookie contracts -- intact.Dieng isnt as well-known as Towns and Wiggins, but the versatile big man is instrumental to the teams success. He is averaging 13.0 points and 13.5 rebounds in the first two games this season, and his ability to play both power forward and center, defend multiple positions and knock down the midrange jumper make the 26-year-old a perfect fit with what the Wolves want to do.Dieng was the 21st overall draft pick in 2013 by the Utah Jazz, who traded him and Shabazz Muhammad for Trey Burke on draft night. It was a masterful decision by the late Flip Saunders, who ended up getting two rotation players for Burke, a scoring point guard who has struggled to find his fit in the NBA to this point.Dieng is much more than a rotation player, having started alongside Towns to give the Timberwolves one of the most promising young frontcourts in the league. His ability to defend the pick-and-roll coupled with flashes of range that occasionally stretches back to the 3-point line helped new coach and president Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden quickly decide that they wanted to keep him around for the long haul.In a market where big men were getting enormous deals -- Oklahoma Citys Steven Adams and Utahs Rudy Gobert each signed four-year extensions worth at least $100 million on Monday -- Dieng comes at a relative bargain. As the sides negotiated Monday with a midnight Eastern deadline looming to get a deal done, Wolves owner Glen Taylor met personally with Dieng to drive home how important he was to the teams success going forward.Diengs contract also gives the Timberwolves flexibility going forward to be able to pay the premium they will need to pay for Wiggins and Towns, and perhaps LaVine as well.And $64 million is life-changing money for anyone, but especially for Dieng, who came to the United States from Senegal, won a national championship at Louisville and established himself as a starting-caliber big man in the NBA. Dieng continues to send aid and develop programs to help back home, and this contract will go a long way toward helping him continue his philanthropy.Dieng has been particularly active in donating much-needed supplies to the hospital in his hometown of Kebemer.Melvin Frazier Magic Jersey .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. Shaquille ONeal Magic Jersey .Y. -- Injured Buffalo Sabres forward Marcus Foligno did not practice with the team Monday and head coach Ron Rolston said its unlikely hell play in Wednesdays season opener in Detroit. http://www.magicauthentic.com/kids-terrence-ross-magic-jersey/ . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. 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The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety.SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame coach Mike Brey knew Sunday what was coming in less than 24 hours when his team likely would be nationally ranked for the first time.Brey knows whats coming at the end of the week, when now-No. 23 Notre Dame (8-0) faces the newest top-ranked team in defending national champion Villanova (8-0).All Brey was worried about after a 54-point victory over North Carolina A&T -- the most lopsided in Purcell Pavilion history -- was the challenge that awaits Tuesday when IUPU-Fort Wayne (7-2) comes to town.Its the same Fort Wayne team that beat then-No. 3 Indiana during Thanksgiving week.The Mastodons believe they can play with anybody. Anywhere. Theyre the type of non-conference team that often worries Brey -- experienced, confident.Three years ago, Notre Dame hosted two similar teams in out of conference games -- Indiana State and North Dakota State -- and lost both.No disrespect to who weve played to date. They may be the best team weve played given their frame of mind, their confidence, Brey said. It would be (an NCAA Tournament) resume win for us.This is a challenge that Notre Dame needs after winning its first eight games by an average of 26.5 points.We want to play hard games; I think were good in hard games, senior captain Steve Vasturia said. Everybody is ready to show people what were made of and take this team where we think we can take it.Notre Dame again is one of the most efficient outfits in the country. The Irish average 89.1 pooints per game and placed a school-record seven in double figures Sunday.ddddddddddddThey lead the nation in free throw shooting at 85.8 percent.They also do it with defense. Notre Dame has held opponents below 40 percent from the floor in five of eight games. The Irish rank fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage defense at 36.7. Last season, the Irish finished eighth at 43.2.Can this team be Breys best team in terms of locking down opponents and guarding for extended stretches?I think it is because they think they are, Brey said. We really know how to play and rotate and help off each other.Dealing with the Mastodons means dealing with do-everything forward John Konchar, a redshirt sophomore. Konchar is averaging 13.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in a team-high 32.0 minutes with four double-doubles for points and rebounds.Konchar and his teammates have worked to make sure the win over Indiana is just a start -- not the stopping point -- in what they believe can be a special season. Hours after beating the Hoosiers, Konchar already had detected a different basketball vibe around the 14,000-student campus.I went to breakfast and somebody wanted to take a picture with me, he said. I thought that was really interesting. Theres been more attention in a way about basketball, but we just take it day by and focus on our next game. ' ' '