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The Secondary Break: Thursday’s Links

Adreian Payne

Michigan State’s Adreian Payne sits on the bench in street clothes and a walking boot during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Michigan State, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State won 87-75 in overtime. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

AP

The Adreian Payne Story: How Michigan State star became the ultimate role model (Bleacher Report)
The story of Michigan State senior forward Adreian Payne is one that anyone can draw inspiration from. From his path to Michigan State, which included a lot of hard work in the classroom, to his relationship with 8-year old Lacey Holsworth as she fights cancer, Payne has become a man we all can learn from.

Iowa State’s DeAndre Kane making the most of second chance (Sports Illustrated)
Iowa State’s enjoyed a great deal of success during Fred Hoiberg’s tenure when it comes to adding transfers to the program, with senior guard DeAndre Kane being the most recent. Kane’s path to Ames was anything but smooth, as he lost his father and also had bouts with immaturity at Marshall before head coach Tom Herrion informed him that his scholarship would not be renewed.

Friday Preview: Wildcats lead from within (Phila Hoops)
No. 6 Villanova has exceeded preseason expectations, winning 20 of their first 22 games and currently sitting in a tie for first place in the Big East. One of the reasons for that: the leadership that begins with head coach Jay Wright, and on the floor a solid group of upperclassmen led by senior James Bell.

Amid talk of NBA prospects, KU’s Tarik Black gets NFL attention (Lawrence Journal-World)
While Kansas has two freshmen in Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins who have been the focus of much NBA chatter, they aren’t the only Jayhawks with designs on a professional career. One of those other players is senior forward Tarik Black, with head coach Bill Self stating that the big man should consider trying out for an NFL team.

No. 22 UConn can make a statement against No. 7 Cincinnati (Hartford Courant)
One of the biggest games on Thursday’s schedule is UConn’s trip to Cincinnati, with the Bearcats currently holding a two-game lead in the American Athletic Conference. And the game represents an opportunity for the Huskies, who can add another quality win to their resume while closing the gap at the top of the conference.

Washington takes on Utah and Colorado, the toughest road trip of the Pac-12 season (Seattle Times)
Conference realignment has forced many schools to adjust the way in which they attack their schedules, and the Pac-12 would be one example of this. With the addition of Colorado and Utah, this two-game swing has become the toughest according to a number of the league’s coaches. Not only is there the travel to be concerned with but also the altitude, a challenge that no other road trip in the Pac-12 poses.

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