With a dozen games in the books, some early-season anomalies are turning into trends worth watching as the season continues to unfold. Yahoo Sports takes a look at the players and teams who have surprised, or played exactly to expectations so far. It’s not that Tatum is close to 50-40-90 territory; well he’s actually close to it with 50-38-87, but …

Who’s Playing Eastern Michigan @ No. 22 Michigan Current Records: Eastern Michigan 1-0; Michigan 1-0 What to Know The #22 Michigan Wolverines will square off against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at 9 p.m. ET Friday at Little Caesars Arena. Michigan is the favorite in this one, with an expected 21-point margin of victory. While not quite a landslide, the contest …

Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue still isn’t sure when star Kawhi Leonard will take the court again. Leonard did, though, participate normally in a 5-on-5 workout on Friday — which is a great sign. “He played 5-on 5 with some of our guys, some of the players and some of the coaches,” Lue said, via ESPN. “The first time …

For the first time in a decade, the deck of an aircraft carrier will be the site for an NCAA Division I men’s college basketball game as No. 2 Gonzaga faces Michigan State on Friday in what is considered the marquee game of the opening week of the 2022-23 season. Docked off the coast of San Diego, the USS Abraham …

Getty Images The Miami Heat had a big Thursday night. After defeating the Charlotte Hornets in overtime, 117-112, the Heat got a locker room visit from two comedy icons. On Friday, the Heat tweeted out a video of Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider visiting the team after its win over the Hornets. The two comedians mingled with the players and …

Who’s Playing UMKC @ No. 23 Illinois Current Records: UMKC 0-2; Illinois 1-0 What to Know The UMKC Kangaroos have quite the challenge ahead of them as they’re expected to be blown off the court. They will take on the #23 Illinois Fighting Illini at 9 p.m. ET Friday at State Farm Center. The contest between UMKC and the LSU …

On Thursday night, the Washington Wizards got somewhat of a feel for what it’s like to be the Utah Jazz, who will be in town Saturday for an interesting matchup. The Wizards enjoyed a similar result, too. Playing without a couple of key players, the Wizards survived and thrived en route to a 113-105 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Kyle …

Listen, it’s Friday, and I’ve got over 2,000 words of picks coming at you, including a college basketball game that’s being played on a freaking aircraft carrier. What more do you need to know about today’s newsletter than that? Nothing. What you do need to know, however, is the information in the following stories. So read them, acquire knowledge, and …

The encore could be a pretty good one between the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat. The teams will meet Saturday for the second time in three nights on the same court at Miami. The Hornets have lost seven games in a row, with Thursday night’s 117-112 overtime outcome among the most difficult to digest. “We get a couple breaks, things …

Who’s Playing New Jersey Tech @ California Baptist Current Records: New Jersey Tech 0-1; California Baptist 0-1 What to Know The New Jersey Tech Highlanders are staying on the road Friday to face off against the California Baptist Lancers at 10 p.m. ET Nov. 11 at CBU Events Center. Given that these two teams suffered a loss in their last …

Getty Images The cryptocurrency market was rocked Friday by the collapse of FTX, which filed for bankruptcy and saw CEO Sam Bankman-Fried resign after his assets plummeted in worth from $16 billion at the beginning of the week to virtually nothing. The fall of FTX, which had been hailed as a trusted crypto platform, is set to have major consequences …

Who’s Playing Pepperdine @ Cal State Fullerton Current Records: Pepperdine 1-0; Cal State Fullerton 0-1 What to Know The Cal State Fullerton Titans may be playing at home Friday, but the experts are forecasting a three-point defeat. They will square off against the Pepperdine Waves at 10 p.m. ET at Titan Gym. Pepperdine will be strutting in after a win …

The Milwaukee Bucks want to add veteran, two-way depth at the four. Jae Crowder fits that bill and is not with the Suns — and no, he is not going back to Phoenix now that Cameron Johnson is out for a couple of months after surgery, league sources told NBC Sports. The Bucks have registered interest in Crowder. One easy …

Who’s Playing Western Illinois @ DePaul Current Records: Western Illinois 2-0; DePaul 1-0 What to Know The Western Illinois Leathernecks have quite the challenge ahead of them as they’re expected to be blown off the court. They will square off against the DePaul Blue Demons on the road at 10 p.m. ET Friday at Wintrust Arena. Both teams come into …

The Brooklyn Nets fared pretty well in their first road trip without Kyrie Irving. Next, they will find out if they can keep it up on a second road trip without Irving. The Nets are slated to begin a four-game trip to the West Coast on Saturday afternoon, when Brooklyn visits the Los Angeles Clippers. Both teams have been off …

USATSI After an underwhelming opening week for college basketball featuring few marquee matchups, in-season tournaments are approaching to add some punch to the November slate. These bracketed events are on the horizon across the country — and overseas — that will feature quality programs battling it out with each other for early-season resume-building victories. While much of the sports world …

Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin has emerged as one of the top first-year players and is impressing those around him, including his coaching staff and teammates. That includes third-year guard Tyrese Haliburton. Mathurin is averaging 20.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 11 games this season on 43.7% shooting from 3-point range. He ranks second in rookie scoring and …

USATSI The ninth annual edition of the Veterans Classic takes place in Annapolis, Maryland, on Friday with a big doubleheader airing on CBS Sports Network. The games, a college basketball staple the last decade hosted by Navy to honor veterans of all service branches, tip at 6 p.m. ET with No. 3 Houston in action vs. Saint Joseph’s followed by …

Smart shows Isaiah Thomas love after ex-Celtic’s surprise cameo originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Isaiah Thomas made quite the impact during his two-and-a-half seasons in Boston — especially on young guard Marcus Smart. Smart was a rookie when Thomas joined the Celtics via trade in February 2015, and the two guards helped develop Boston’s identity as a scrappy underdog …

The No. 3 Houston Cougars will take on the Saint Joseph’s Hawks at 6 p.m. ET Friday at Alumni Hall. This matchup is part of the 2022 Veterans Classic in Annapolis, Md., on CBS Sports Network. This is the season opener for the Hawks. Houston is 1-0 after dominating Northern Colorado 83-36 on Monday. The Cougars are favored by 22 …

Getty Images Kyrie Irving met with Nets owners Joe and Clara Tsai on Thursday, and while that meeting reportedly was productive, there appears to be no momentum towards a return during Brooklyn’s upcoming four-game road trip, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Irving’s suspension will last a minimum of five games, but there is no defined endpoint. The Nets have given …

The Michigan State Spartans will have another opportunity to play on the flight deck of a Naval aircraft carrier in San Diego when they face the No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs on the USS Abraham Lincoln on Friday night in the 2022 Armed Forces Classic. Michigan State lost to North Carolina 11 years ago on the USS Carl Vinson in The …

Clippers All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard has played in only two games this season because of stiffness in his surgically repaired knee. On Friday he took part in a five-on-five scrimmage. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) Friday marked what Clippers coach Tyronn Lue called the first positive sign for Kawhi Leonard’s recovery from stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee …

The No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats will be looking to build on their blowout win over Howard when they face the Duquesne Dukes on Friday night. Kentucky opened up a 23-point lead over Howard at halftime and wound up covering the 25-point spread in the 95-63 final. Meanwhile, Duquesne blew out Montana in a 91-63 win on Tuesday in its opener.  …

Memphis point guard Ja Morant has scored 84 total points over his last three games, and leads the Grizzlies (8-4) at home on Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves (5-7). Minnesota center Rudy Gobert (health and safety protocols) returned from a two-game absence to finish with 25 points and 11 rebounds against Phoenix on Wednesday, but the Timberwolves have still …