NEW YORK -- Top-ranked Notre Dame cruised to an easy win in its opener. The rest of the Top 25 didnt face much of a challenge either.That will change Monday night as eight of the top 12 teams in The Associated Press womens college basketball poll will square off against each other in four tasty early season matchups.The Irish won their first game by 60 points to remain the top choice in the poll released Monday, the first of the regular season. They received 14 first-place votes from a 33-member national media panel, holding on to their slim four-point lead over Baylor. Notre Dame hosts Fordham in the second round of the Preseason WNIT on Monday night.The Lady Bears, who garnered 12 first-place ballots, have a much tougher game as they host No. 9 UCLA. Third-ranked UConn visits No. 12 Florida State.In other games between top teams Monday, No. 4 South Carolina plays seventh-ranked Ohio State and eight-ranked Texas heads to 11th-ranked Stanford.There certainly are a lot of great games early on, UCLA coach Cori Close said in early November at a national media day held at ESPN. Teams are challenging themselves.The Huskies, who have won four straight national championships and 75 consecutive games, host Baylor on Thursday. Geno Auriemmas team will play six of the other top eight teams in the country over the course of the regular season.Somebody said, what are you thinking making that kind of schedule in November? Auriemma said last month. Well, Ive always been one that (doesnt) want any surprises come March. I want to go into March feeling like we put ourselves through a lot of tests. Were going to pass some and were going to fail some. How do you get tough? Sometimes you have to fail.Not many ranked teams failed in opening weekend as they went 28-1, with the loss coming when No. 19 Kentucky beat 14th-ranked Miami. The Wildcats moved up to 15 while the Hurricanes fell to 22.Throw that game out, and Top 25 teams won by an average of nearly 37 points.---The poll and the voters selections can be found online at: http://collegebasketball.ap.org/womens-ap-top-25-week-2 Air Max Shop Italia . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. Nike Air Max Plus Tn Nere . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. http://www.airmaxitaliascarpe.it/scarpe-air-max-flair-scontate.html .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. Scarpe Nike Air Max In Offerta . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. Air Max 270 Scontate Uomo .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey. NAPA, Calif. -- When the Oakland Raiders set out this offseason to upgrade their defense, general manager Reggie McKenzie systematically targeted every apparent need except for one.McKenzie rebuilt his secondary, added a pass rusher in Bruce Irvin and fortified the defensive line by using a second-round pick on Jihad Ward but was content to stand pat at middle linebacker to give second-year player Ben Heeney a chance to win the job.It definitely lets you know they have confidence in you, Heeney said. It makes you feel good but that doesnt mean anything. Its just what you do on the field every day.Heeney had been groomed to be Oaklands middle linebacker after being drafted in the fifth round out of Kansas in 2015. He had played more on the outside in college but the Raiders liked him in the middle, where he backed up veteran Curtis Lofton for most of last season.Heeney played about one-quarter of the defensive snaps last season but got more time as the year went on and he gained the confidence of his coaches.Now as the starter this year, Heeney has been given the green-dot helmet, which will allow him to get the plays directly into his headset from coordinator Ken Norton Jr.Hes smart, hes fast, and hes relentless, Norton said. He has a nose for the ball, very instinctive. Ben is going to be a very good football player. He cares a lot, hes always getting better. You cant get him out of the film room, asking all the right questions, and we have a lot of confidence in him.Heeney had been the defensive signal caller in college so the role is not new for him and he says it involves little more than hearing the play from Norton and relaying it to his teammates.Having teammates like All Pro Khaalil Mack, Irvin, Dan Williams, Sean Smith and Reggie Nelson gives Heeney the confidence that he can perform this season.dddddddddddde have playmakers all over the field, he said. Its definitely fun to be able to give the plays to those guys and see what they can do with it.The Raiders felt little need to upgrade at middle linebacker after letting Lofton go, believing Heeney could fill that role this season.While he is not the prototypical thumper in the middle who can stuff the run, the 226-pound Heeney brings much more speed and agility to the field than Lofton and will be last apt to get exploited in coverage or in space.Ben Heeney is a dog, Irvin said. Hes not the biggest guy, but he plays bigger than what he is. The guy leaves it out there for me. Its just practice, so I can only image what he does for me in a game. Hes a team guy. Thats the biggest thing, having a bunch of team guys who are willing to leave it out there for each other. I can already tell Ben is one of those guys.Heeney finished his rookie season with 27 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks but expects big improvements with more playing time and the comfort level that comes from a year in the NFL and the familiarity with the defensive system.You definitely want the game to slow down as far as seeing your reads, he said. But I like to play fast. I always like to play fast, go get the ball and make plays. Theres a lot of times where I was overaggressive last year. Thats something that hurt me in college. Thats one of the knocks I had.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '