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LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas coach Bill Self was asked not long ago about the Jayhawks early schedule, and he wryly gazed across the room at several school administrators and responded with his own question.Who thought this was a good idea? he said.Few teams play tougher nonconference schedules than the third-ranked Jayhawks, which is a big reason why their RPI is always among the best in the country. But theyve taken it up a notch this year, playing No. 11 Indiana in their opener Friday night before facing top-ranked Duke on Tuesday.Oh, and those two games will take place 5,000 miles apart.I think to get a couple of blue-bloods to play, I think it will be a great game, said Self, whose Jayhawks face the Hoosiers in Honolulu before turning around to play the Blue Devils in New York.Self may have poked fun at school officials for their brutal first week, but in reality he wouldnt have it any other way. The game in Hawaii is part of the Armed Forces Classic, and roughly coincides with the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, while the game at Madison Square Garden is part of the Champions Classic doubleheader that also features second-ranked Kentucky and No. 14 Michigan State.These are the kinds of games that top-rated recruits want to play, and the kind that give Kansas the national exposure that it takes to reel them in.I mean, its hard. You play national, traditional powers, the league will be great, all these things, Self said. But when it was brought to me to have a chance to play in kind of the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and what that could mean from an educational standpoint with our guys and everything, I think that was something like, `Yeah, emotionally weve got to do that.Of course, then he realized how the flight itinerary will look.Were taking three planes over there. Weve got to take three planes back to New York. We cant even travel together, Self said. And its certainly not going to be easy coming back to play after that trip, and all we did was set ourselves up to have a tough opening start.At least Spartans coach Tom Izzo can commiserate.Michigan State plays No. 10 Arizona in the other part of the Armed Forces Classic on Friday night, then will take a similar trip to New York for its game against the Wildcats.In fact, the Spartans may have an even more daunting November than Kansas. They return from New York for two games at the Breslin Center before visiting the Blue Devils in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.Weve never had a November where we played three or four top teams, opponents. This year were going to probably have a minimum of four, Izzo said. I dont know what that means. It means that were going to find out early exactly where we are, like we always do. The travel makes it a little more brutal, a little more concerning with the number of young guys.Likewise, Hoosiers coach Tom Crean welcomes the challenge of facing the Jayhawks to start the year.Were going to go against one of the hardest-nosed, toughest-minded, best-coached teams in the country, he said. And really, what it does is it just kind of increases your urgency a little bit in the non-season. And theres not a day that goes by that I dont reference one of those two teams at least four or five times in something that were doing.Two teams? Oh, right. The Hoosiers wrap November by playing sixth-ranked North Carolina .But the marquee nonconference matchups are part of college basketballs appeal. Even a team that loses one -- or all -- of its high-profile games wont hurt its chances of making the NCAA Tournament, while a similar loss or two in college football can end a teams championship hopes.Rather, the games serve as an early barometer for where a team stands, exposes flaws that can be addressed before league play, and toughens teams up for the brutal grind of March.I think our guys will rally around that, Self said of the grinding start to the season, and certainly if they are fatigued, they wont play fatigued.---For more AP college basketball coverage: http://collegebasketball.ap.org/ Cody Bellinger Jersey . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. A. J. Pollock Dodgers Jersey . The phone hearing is scheduled for 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt. Winchester, who was not penalized for the hit, appeared to make contact with Kellys head early in the first period of Thursdays game in Boston. http://www.dodgerssale.com/dodgers-corey-seager-jersey/ . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. Russell Martin Jersey . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. A. J. Pollock Jersey . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans.PASADENA, Calif. -- Colin Millers tenure as head coach of the Canadian mens soccer team is coming to an end, and he wants at least one victory before he makes way for his successor. His best shot may come Sunday when Canada opens the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Martinique. "I dont want to say I was desperate but Im as close to desperate as you can imagine. Weve played some very good games during my time as the interim head coach," said Miller, who will stay on until Benito Floro takes over in August. "Personally, Id love to get that first win under my belt because its very important to me. I care very much about what were doing as an association and Im excited about it." Miller has been in charge of three of Canadas four international friendlies in 2013. Combined with his previous stint as interim boss in 2003-04, Miller is still winless. Its now seven international games without a win and Miller doesnt want it to reach eight. Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani let Miller know on Wednesday about Floros hiring. But, despite the impending regime change for the team, Miller was informed that for the next month hes still the man in charge. "Montagliani gave me a call just before training and said it was absolutely status quo," said Miller before the teams final training session at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. "Its my show throughout the whole process. Mr. Floro will be in attendance and watching the whole team and I will just continue to do the best job that I can possibly do along with my entire staff. Nothing has changed." Canada first faces Martinique, taking on a team thats not a FIFA member since its still a French territory, before more difficult tasks in Mexico and Panama. But while Martinique may present the best chance of a win, the fact that they remain something of a mystery is their biggest advantage. "Obviously the Panamanians and the Mexicans are great teams, but theyre known quantities. With Martinique we dont really know what to expect," said captain Will Johnson. "Im not sure what any game is easier than the other, to be quite honest with you." Most of the Martinique pplayers play domestically and are noticeable by their size.ddddddddddddAfter their own training session ended, the group was remarkable by their abundance of players who stand over six feet. Johnson, who is also the captain of the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer, does have one familiar face on the opposing side. Veteran player Frederic Piquionne also calls Portland home. In the press conference prior to the Martinique training session, a wide grin spread across Piquionnes face when he was asked about the prospect of playing his club-mate.