Riau Police arrest members of crime ring implicated in tiger organ trade
He said the recent boom in the illegal tiger skin and organ trade could be attributed to the growing demand for such items in the black market. According to the police’s investigation, a single tiger hide could sell for between Rp 30 million and Rp 80 million, while tiger bones could sell for Rp 2 million per kilogram and fangs for Rp 500,000 to Rp 1 million each, Sunarto said.“The surge in black market prices was likely the main reason why these smugglers dared to commit such crimes. As a member of a larger international community, Indonesia has committed to putting an end to illegal tiger organ trade, given that the animals are facing extinction,” he said, adding that the Riau Police would keep tracing the movements of the larger crime syndicate involved in the illicit business.The government has recently stepped up its efforts to crack down on groups involved in the illegal trade of tiger organs across Riau.A joint team comprising personnel from the Environment and Forestry Ministry and the National Police tracked down and subsequently arrested suspected poachers and traders targeting Sumatran tigers and confiscated four fetuses of the endangered species as well as tiger hides in the province last December.According to an official estimate from the Environment and Forestry Ministry, as of last December, the Sumatran tiger population stands at no more than 600 because of a loss of habitat and poaching.Meanwhile, a report in Nature Communications estimated there were 618 adults in 2012, a 20 percent drop from 742 in 2000. (rfa)Topics : Police have apprehended three members of a crime ring allegedly involved in the illegal trade of Sumatran tiger organs in Pasir Penyu district, Indragiri Hulu regency, Riau.Riau Police chief Insp. Gen. Agung Setya Imam Effendi said the police had named three suspects – a 45-year-old Jambi local, 57-year-old North Sumatra native and and 43-year-old Ingragiri Hulu resident.“The three of them acted as couriers who transported tiger organs from Jambi to Indragiri Hulu,” Agung said in a statement on Sunday. The investigators had tracked down and monitored the suspects’ activities since Friday to follow up on a report regarding tiger organ trafficking from Muara Tebo in Jambi to Riau, he said.“Our investigation found that [the suspects] had been transporting the tiger organs in a minibus. We arrested the three suspects and seized several pieces of evidence including one dried tiger hide, four fangs and one sack of bones on Jl. Arjuna, Candi Rejo subdistrict, on Saturday at around 11 a.m.,” Agung said, adding that the suspects were detained at the Riau Police headquarters along with the evidence.Riau Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Sunarto said that, during the questioning, the suspects said that they had been paid by an individual identified only as AT to transport the animal body parts to another individual identified as HN in Air Molek subdistrict.“[The suspects] were paid Rp 2 million [US$164.14] each. HN and AT have been added to Riau Police’s most-wanted list,” Sunarto said.
Vieira now manages Nice in France (Picture: Getty Images)‘There’s one more that people won’t think of, when I played against Portsmouth, do you remember Papa Bouba Diop? He played for Fulham as well.‘Big, massive, they used to call him the wardrobe. Get involved with him physically, you’re absolutely wasting your time.More: Manchester United FCRio Ferdinand urges Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to drop Manchester United starNew Manchester United signing Facundo Pellistri responds to Edinson Cavani praiseEx-Man Utd coach blasts Ed Woodward for two key transfer errors‘I always found him awkward to play against.‘Look, he wasn’t a Patrick Vieira, of course he wasn’t, but he still had talent. As far as players being awkward to play against, I always found him a nuisance.’MORE: Paul Scholes names the Manchester United legends who ‘loved’ arguing with Sir Alex FergusonMORE: Manchester United still intend to sign Jude Bellingham, Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish in next transfer windowFollow Metro Sport across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.For more stories like this, check our sport page. Comment Advertisement Metro Sport ReporterTuesday 12 May 2020 7:00 pmShare this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via messengerShare this with Share this article via emailShare this article via flipboardCopy link287Shares Advertisement Man Utd legend Paul Scholes names the two Premier League opponents he hated facing Scholes often got the better of his midfield opponents (Picture: Getty Images)Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has revealed he despised coming up against ex-Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira and former Fulham hardman Papa Bouba Diop as they were so ‘awkward’ to deal with.As well as being known for his exceptional passing range, the tough-tackling midfield general amassed the fifth-most yellow cards of any player in Premier League history over his 20-year career at Old Trafford.Scholes won an impressive 11 league titles under Sir Alex Ferguson and earned 66 caps for England, but despite his many accolades, he hated the physical challenge posed by Vieira and Bouba Diop.He told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘As a midfield player, especially the way I played, I didn’t really have to beat people, I didn’t have to be stronger than the other person, I didn’t have to be quicker than the other person, it was more my passing that beat them.AdvertisementAdvertisementADVERTISEMENT‘I suppose the awkward ones… obviously Patrick Vieira, he’s so long, he’s so big. You think you’ve got the ball, next minute he nicks the ball over your head.‘He was a clever player as well, he could play one-twos around you, he could score goals, he could make goals.
Image courtesy of CheniereThe US liquefied natural gas export player, Cheniere, reported a net loss of $393 million for the year 2017, cutting it down from $610 million reported in 2016.The decrease in net loss was primarily due to increased income from operations as a result of additional trains in operation at the Sabine Pass liquefaction project, the company said in a report on Wednesday.Company’s net income for the last quarter of the year rose from $110 million in 2016 to $127 million.During the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2017, 70 and 205 LNG cargoes, respectively, were exported from the Sabine Pass project, of which 2 and 14, respectively, were commissioning cargoes. Twelve cargoes exported from the facility and sold on a delivered basis were in transit as of December 31, 2017, the report says.The total volumes of LNG loaded at the Sabine Pass plant was at 252 TBtu for the three and 735 TBtu for the twelve months ending December 31, 2017.Commenting on the results in 2017 and the start of 2018, Jack Fusco, Cheniere’s president and CEO, said 2017 was a breakthrough year for the company and due to the robust start to 2018 Cheniere is raising its 2018 guidance.For full-year 2017, Cheniere achieved consolidated adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $1.8 billion, within the guidance range of $1.8-$1.9 billion, and distributable cash flow of $0.6 billion, also within the guidance range of $0.5-0.7 billion.Under its revised guidance for 2018, Cheniere anticipates a consolidated adjusted EBITDA between $2 and $2.2 billion while the distributable cash flow is expected to remain in level with the year 2017 at $0.2 to $0.4 billion.
National Institutes of Health 4 March 2016Family First Comment: Busting the dope myths….. “…Marijuana use can lead to harmful consequences for individuals and society.” —George F. Koob, Ph.D., Director, NIAAA The new study found that past-year and lifetime marijuana use disorders were strongly and consistently associated with other substance use and mental health disorders. Marijuana use disorder is common in the United States, is often associated with other substance use disorders, behavioral problems, and disability, and goes largely untreated, according to a new study conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The analysis found that 2.5 percent of adults — nearly 6 million people — experienced marijuana use disorder in the past year, while 6.3 percent had met the diagnostic criteria for the disorder at some point in their lives. A report of the study, led by Bridget Grant, Ph.D., of the NIAAA Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biometry, appears online today in the American Journal of Psychiatry.“The new analysis complements previous population-level studies by Dr. Grant’s group that show that marijuana use can lead to harmful consequences for individuals and society,” said George F. Koob, Ph.D., director of NIAAA.In a recent report, Dr. Grant and her team found that the percentage of Americans who reported using marijuana in the past year more than doubled between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013, and the increase in marijuana use disorders during that time was nearly as large. The new study analyzed data about marijuana use that were collected in the 2012-2013 wave of NIAAA’s National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), the largest study ever conducted on the co-occurrence of alcohol use, drug use, and related psychiatric conditions.The researchers interviewed more than 36,000 U.S. adults about alcohol use, drug use, and related psychiatric conditions. Notably, the current study applies diagnostic criteria for marijuana use disorder from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to the NESARC data. In DSM-5, marijuana dependence and abuse are combined into a single disorder. To be diagnosed with the disorder, individuals must meet at least two of 11 symptoms that assess craving, withdrawal, lack of control, and negative effects on personal and professional responsibilities. Severity of the disorder is rated as mild, moderate, or severe depending on the number of symptoms met.Consistent with previous findings, the new data showed that marijuana use disorder is about twice as common among men than women, and that younger age groups are much more likely to experience the disorder than people age 45 and over. The risk for onset of the disorder was found to peak during late adolescence and among people in their early 20s, with remission occurring within 3 to 4 years. Also in keeping with previous findings, the new study found that past-year and lifetime marijuana use disorders were strongly and consistently associated with other substance use and mental health disorders.READ MORE: http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/marijuana-use-disorder-common-often-untreatedAlmost Six Million U.S. Adults Experienced Marijuana Use Disorder in Past Year: StudyDrugFree.org 8 March 2016Almost six million American adults experienced marijuana use disorder in the past year, according to a study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).Symptoms of marijuana use disorder include cravings, developing a tolerance, and experiencing withdrawal symptoms, including inability to sleep, nervousness, anger, or depression, within a week of stopping heavy use, according to Medical Daily.The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, found 6.3 percent of adults acquire a dependence on marijuana at some point in their lives, and 2.5 percent of adults have experienced marijuana use disorder in the past year. The researchers interviewed more than 36,000 adults about their drug and alcohol use, and related psychiatric conditions.They found marijuana use disorder is about twice as common in men than women. Younger people are much more likely than those over 45 to experience the disorder. The researchers note cannabis dependence is strongly and consistently associated with mental health disorders, as well as other substance use disorders.The study found people with marijuana use disorder, particularly those with severe forms of the disorder, experience considerable mental disability. The researchers found only about 7 percent of people with past-year marijuana use disorder receive any marijuana-specific treatment, compared with slightly less than 14 percent of people with lifetime marijuana use disorder.“These findings demonstrate that people with marijuana use disorder are vulnerable to other mental health disorders,” Nora D. Volkow, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said in a news release.READ MORE: http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/almost-six-million-u-s-adults-experienced-marijuana-use-disorder-past-year-study/Keep up with family issues in NZ. Receive our weekly emails direct to your Inbox.
Read Also: Ighalo thrilled as Pogba, James show off dancing skills (video) “Scott and Nemanja, they’re in a similar position but at different stages in their careers. One at the start, one really experienced. We also need players in that mid-range group, so hopefully we can do something. “I know that since Paul’s come back now he’s looking better and better. He’s just enjoying his football and let’s see where it takes us.” FacebookTwitterWhatsAppEmail分享 Promoted Content10 Risky Jobs Some Women DoThe Best Cars Of All Time7 Of The Wealthiest Universities In The World10 Irresistibly Gorgeous Asian ActressesWho Earns More Than Ronaldo?12 Flicks That Almost Ended Their Stars’ CareersYou’ve Only Seen Such Colorful Hairdos In A Handful Of AnimeA Guy Turns Gray Walls And Simple Bricks Into Works Of ArtLittle Georgie Henley Has Grown Into A Beautiful Swan!The Very Last Bitcoin Will Be Mined Around 2140. Read More7 Universities In The World Where Education Costs Too Much7 Ways To Understand Your Girlfriend Better Loading… Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will not seek huge funds for transfers this summer due to the economic realities of the coronavirus crisis, but is keen for the club to tie down Paul Pogba to a long-term contract. United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has warned it will not be “business as usual” in the transfer market and said during football’s shutdown from COVID-19 that “speculation around transfers of individual players for hundreds of millions of pounds this summer seems to ignore the realities that face the sport”. The form of Solskjaer’s men since returning to action last month has also suggested United do not need to spend tens of millions in the upcoming window. The emergence of teenager Mason Greenwood – who has scored three times in his last two games – has helped quieten speculation over a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho. “There’s got to be realism,” Solskjaer said. “I think the whole world has changed, both financially and the perception that we’ve got on values. “So every time I put the case in front of Ed, I think it’s a sensible one and it’s a realistic one. “I think I’ve proven to the club that I’ve always got the club in the front of my mind and the best for the club. I’ll always think long term and try to be making good deals. I’m always quite careful with money, my own personal money as well.” Pogba’s return to fitness has been a key factor to a run of four wins and a draw from five games since the restart. The French World Cup winner looked destined to leave Old Trafford for the second time in his career prior to the pandemic. However, interest from Real Madrid is now unlikely to materialise this summer and Pogba has formed a formidable partnership with Bruno Fernandes in midfield. Pogba’s contract expires next summer, although United have the option to extend that deal by a further year. Midfielders Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic have recently penned new deals with the club and Solskjaer is hopeful Pogba will follow suit. “Of course we want to keep the best players around the club. We want to build a squad for the future.
Press Association The Reds’ position in the Champions League qualifying spots is largely down to their record at Anfield, where they have dropped just five points from 13 games. Liverpool have won nine of their last 10 home games in the Barclays Premier League, and will look to carry on that record when Rodgers’ old club Swansea visit on Sunday. The Reds felt hard done by after being denied a second penalty for what appeared a clear foul on Luis Suarez. Rodgers hopes the single-minded focus will help Liverpool’s cause, even if he wishes that were not the case. He said: “Last week we were disappointed to go out of the cup. You could see the players’ reactions after the game because we wanted to do well in it and our performance level was very good. “Unfortunately we lost the game and now we really focus in on the only competition that is left. The objective is the same, to really do the very best we can in every game. “Ideally we’d have more games and be in other competitions but it gives us the chance to ensure players’ fitness levels are correct. “We can taper the week in terms of focusing on one game. When you’re in the cup competitions sometimes they can give you that extra prop to move forward in your league campaign as well but we’re very determined.” Glen Johnson returns to the Liverpool squad. The right-back has been out for more than a month with ankle and groin problems, while fellow defender Mamadou Sakho could return next week from a hamstring injury. Swansea manager Garry Monk is hoping “football fitness” will help him get the best out of his players as they bid to avoid relegation. The Premier League is proving deceptive at present because although the Swans may appear to be riding high in 12th place, just four points separate Monk’s side from the bottom three. Nights like Thursday, when they held Italian giants Napoli to a goalless draw in the first leg of their last-32 Europa League tie, will live long in the memory of many Swansea fans. But it will count for nothing if Monk is unable to keep his team in the top flight, especially after being entrusted with the reins following the sacking of Michael Laudrup earlier this month. There have been some suggestions Laudrup’s training methods lacked intensity, and although Monk did not highlight that directly, he has admitted to stepping on the gas with his players. “I know the levels they can get to in terms of what I call football fitness,” said Monk. “There is being able to run all day, which is your endurance, but to be able to keep the ball like we do, make movements, press, get back and retrieve you have to be football fit. “That’s down to your training, and they’ve only trained like that for 13 days or whatever, but that is the level they have already got to. “If you can have a longer period with them, and you get that football fitness into them, they can only go one way. Long-term, you can see the benefits coming already. “We’ve just stripped it back to some intensity, sharpness, quickness, some guidance in what they are doing, the details we give them about us and the opposition. “It is about giving them as much as possible, so they are prepared.” Having learned from a number of managers during his playing career, including Rodgers, Monk is hoping his ways will sink in with his players. “The best managers I’ve had are on you as early as possible, trying to make you set the standards,” said Monk. “Then in the end you don’t hear much from them because you are doing it yourself and the whole group is doing it. “It’s when the whole group buys into it that you get the best out of them.” Monk has no new injury worries going into the game following the match with Napoli, with striker Michu his only doubt as he draws closer to a return after ankle surgery. He said: “It’s something we’ve been building towards. “We’ve started well in a lot of the games, and you align that with the support we’ve got, which is remarkable, and that’s really helped us with this home form. “If you’re going to be successful, that’s going to be vital. We’re looking to create that not just for now but for the future as well. “We just need to go into games with the same approach, that same commitment and energy, and obviously we’ve got undoubted quality. “We go into every game, obviously in particular our home games, looking to own the pitch. It’s our home ground, our changing rooms, our field, our supporters, so we have to play like we own it. “That’s always been the mantra here. We back ourselves now and we expect to win. It’s dealing with that pressure which has really helped. “We’ve got good organisation, everyone knows their function in the team, and everyone’s working tirelessly in order to achieve the results. You do that consistently; day in, day out and week in, week out, and you build that momentum.” Qualifying for the Champions League is now Liverpool’s only priority after last weekend’s FA Cup fifth-round defeat by Arsenal. Brendan Rodgers believes Liverpool’s excellent home form is down to their desire to “own the pitch”.
Arsene Wenger does not believe Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema would automatically transform Arsenal into Barclays Premier League winners. “Your body settles down at 23 and adapts,” Wenger said. “I have developed many, many young players and many who were injury-prone at 19, 20, 21. “You think they will always be injured, but at 23 suddenly their bodies adapted. “Ashley Cole had ankle problems, Gael Clichy and Robin van Persie also had surgeries before the age of 23 but after that they suddenly settled.” Arsenal’s record goalscorer Thierry Henry has said the acquisition of Benzema, who has been linked with a move to north London this summer, would spur the Gunners to their first league title since 2004. But Wenger, speaking ahead of his side’s opener against West Ham at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, insists his squad should instead take a collective approach to their goalscoring duties this term. “I respect Thierry Henry a lot for his football knowledge but it is not as mathematical as that,” Wenger said. “We have to develop our collective game and depend less on one guy who comes in and scores all the goals.” Every Premier League title winner since 2009 has boasted one player who has scored at least 20 goals. But while Wenger acknowledged the importance of a free-scoring striker, he called on players such as Mesut Ozil, in his third campaign with the Gunners, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who netted the winner against Chelsea in the Community Shield, to improve their scoring tallies from midfield. “It is important but maybe we can share that,” Wenger added. “I think Olivier Giroud would not have been far from 20 if he played the whole of last season and Theo Walcott as well. “I don’t see why a guy like Chamberlain should not have an ambition to score 10 goals, Sanchez can score goals too. “Ozil has to fix himself a target of at least 10. For a guy who plays behind the striker you want more from him on the goalscoring so we can a little bit share that.” Arsenal will head into their opener against West Ham without Jack Wilshere after he was sidelined for up to four weeks with a hairline fracture to his left fibula. It marks the latest setback for the 23-year-old, but Wenger is hopeful Wilshere will become less susceptible to injuries with age. Press Association
(BBC) – Liverpool celebrated receiving the title trophy for the first time in 30 years in style as the new Premier League champions overcame Chelsea in a thriller at Anfield.Jordan Henderson – currently out injured – received the trophy from Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish on a special podium built on the Kop after Jurgen Klopp’s side made it three full unbeaten Premier League seasons at Anfield.Chelsea, who now need a point from their final game at home to Wolves on Sunday to confirm a place in the top four – and next season’s Champions League – started well.But Liverpool moved through the gears after Naby Keita broke deadlock with a rising 25-yard drive, and they added further goals before the break through Trent Alexander-Arnold’s fine free-kick and Gini Wijnaldum’s close-range strike.Olivier Giroud scrambled in for Chelsea on the stroke of halftime but their hopes of a comeback appeared to be snuffed out 10 minutes after the break, when Roberto Firmino headed in his first Premier League home goal of the season from Alexander-Arnold’s cross.Chelsea substitute Christian Pulisic then had a dramatic impact as he sparked a Chelsea fightback, creating a goal for Tammy Abraham and then scoring another himself on the turn as this entertaining game took an unexpected turn.To the thunderous sound of fireworks being let off outside Anfield by celebrating fans, the champions pressed forward again and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain slammed home the fifth from Andy Robertson’s cross with six minutes left.And then it was time for the ceremony Liverpool have waited three decades to enjoy – albeit conducted in the somewhat surreal surroundings of a virtually empty stadium.LIVERPOOL IRRESISTIBLE TO THE END
Jordan Henderson of Liverpool lifts The Premier League trophy following the match v Chelsea FC at Anfield yesterday in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)Liverpool may have secured the title with seven games to go and Chelsea – but there is a relentless quality about the drive and motivation of Jurgen Klopp’s team.They showed that against opponents who still needed that crucial point to assure a place in next season’s Champions League.Chelsea were the better team early on but Liverpool produced on those spells after the midway point in the first half in which they are simply irresistible.Liverpool scored three goals and even when Chelsea threatened an unlikely resurgence, they rose to the challenge again to confirm the win through substitute Oxlade-Chamberlain.Mohamed Salah could have pushed his claims for the Golden Boot but missed several chances – while Keita distinguished himself with a superb strike and excellent performance.Once again, Liverpool refused to finish second best in a show of character and quality.It was a fitting way for Liverpool to round off another unbeaten league season at Anfield and the perfect set-up for those title presentation celebrations.CHELSEA PAY FOR DEFENSIVE LAPSESChelsea are left needing that final point at home to Wolves to earn a top-four place as reward for a season of development under manager Frank Lampard.Here, there were many fine elements to their performance but frailty at the back is never going to escape punishment against a side of Liverpool’s potency.There was huge cause for optimism with the explosive contribution of Pulisic, who unnerved Liverpool’s defence with his pace and threat.Wolves represent dangerous opponents in the season’s finale and Lampard will be warning his players that they cannot display the same flaws as they did here.
GREGORY DIXON/Herald PhotoLast weekend was a good one for the Wisconsin women’s soccer team.The Badgers tied Michigan and easily defeated Michigan State while celebrating the 25th anniversary of the program to give head coach Dean Duerst the 150th win of his coaching career.This weekend, however, will be a little different.Wisconsin heads to the Hoosier state this weekend as they battle two of the best teams in the Big Ten. The Badgers land in Bloomington Friday to take on No. 16 Indiana (4-0-1, 8-2-4) before traveling to West Lafayette to battle Purdue (3-2-0, 10-3-2) Sunday afternoon.While the Boilermakers currently sit sixth in the conference standings, they do boast the conference’s top overall record.As the Badgers head into what is arguably the most important weekend of the season, they are confident in their game.”[Indiana] is going to be a good team,” UW junior goalkeeper Lynn Murray said. “I think we can handle them. I think that it’s going to depend a lot on how we come to play that night.”We have to be confident in how we play and know that they’re out there on the field with us and they have to do as much of the work as we do to win the game,” she added.After missing five matches earlier in the season due to injury, Murray has returned to the field and has been given the start in the team’s last five games posting a 3-1-1 mark. While senior goalkeeper Stefani Szczechowski filled in admirably in Murray’s absence, it appears as though Murray has regained the starting job.”It’s still something as a staff we review all the time,” Duerst said. “You have to keep evaluation of how you train and things that are going on in practice on a daily basis. For now, [Murray] will be starting Friday night; that would be the plan at this point.”Indiana is currently ranked No. 7 in the Big Ten in goals per game, so Murray knows that while the Hoosiers may not score much, they do take advantage of their opportunities. To counter that, Murray said the Badgers are just going to have try and limit the Hoosiers’ chances.”From what we know about [Indiana], they’re not a big shooting team, so we have to really shut down on the chances that they do get,” she said.While the Badgers are going to have to play tough defensively, their opponents for the weekend are also very tough defensively. Indiana is first in the conference and No. 21 in the nation with a 0.54 goals-against-average, and the Boilermakers and Hoosiers are ranked one and two in the conference in shutouts with ten and seven, respectively.It may seem like a tough task, but Duerst is feeling good about his team’s chances.”I like our chances against them because of the way we’ve been playing offensively,” he said. “When you play really solid defensive teams and teams that play really tough, you got to find ways to get end-line crosses and free kicks; things that don’t allow them to kind of lock themselves in.”Sophomore Elise Weber said the team’s recent 5-1 victory over Minnesota and 3-0 win over Michigan State has shown the offense is starting to click.”We’ve been exploding in a couple games offensively so hopefully we bring that on Friday and Sunday and get a couple [wins] against them,” she said. “We know we have the offensive ability in us, it’s just a matter of whether we bring it out or not.”One of the biggest things the Badgers have going for themselves is they are very balanced offensively. Seven different players have at least two goals on the year, while three have at least four. Six players have at least three assists for the year, and those same six have at least seven points. It’s this kind of balance that gives the Badgers an advantage.”I think people are just stepping up each weekend,” Weber said. “We’re not just depending on one person to be scoring goals and making all the plays for us. And I think it’s good because when teams look at that, it’s harder for them to come up with a plan to play against us because there’s not just one person to always be watching.”Duerst feels that the conference is wide open at this point, which will make getting two wins against quality opponents even more important.”Boy, it is going to be a lot of fun,” Duerst said of this weekend. “We’re eager, we’re looking forward to it and we’re playing well. We have two very good opponents and it all starts Friday night.”
Uncertain future · Tim Floyd’s recruiting class continues to falter. Brandon Hui | Summer Trojan The roster for next year’s USC men’s basketball team remains in flux following the departures of one of its top would-be returning players and its most highly touted recruit.Forward Marcus Johnson had been granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA after transferring from Connecticut but has elected to turn pro instead of returning to the Trojans, according to the Los Angeles Times. He becomes the fourth USC player to forgo his remaining eligibility to pursue a professional career, joining guard Daniel Hackett and forwards DeMar DeRozan and Taj Gibson.Noel Johnson has also requested to be released from his letter of intent because of the ongoing NCAA investigations into USC. Johnson, rated by most scouting services as one of the top 50 incoming freshmen in the country, is the third member of USC’s once highly decorated recruiting class to pursue other opportunities. Top 10 recruit Renardo Sidney has committed next season to play at Mississippi State and forward Solomon Hill defected to Pac-10 rival Arizona.The remaining members of USC’s recruiting class who have signed letters of intent are guard Lamont “Momo” Jones and forwards Derrick Williams and Evan Smith.Earlier in the offseason, point guard Donte Smith decided he would transfer to Cal State San Bernardino.