Kritik und Anregungen » Wade got his fourth assist in the fourth qu

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Two weeks into this season Mike Leach was ripping his Washington State team for being soft, decrying participation-trophy culture and suggesting local law enforcement and media were unfairly treating his players after several arrests and run-ins with police.Eight straight victories later and the curmudgeonly, complaining Cougars coach has been replaced by the quirky, entertaining one who muses about picking a team captain based on ability to win the coin toss and weighs in on how soon is too soon to display Christmas decorations.The reality is that Leach is the same but the circumstances have changed. Getting fined and reprimanded by the Pac-12 for publicly accusing Arizona State of stealing signs -- as happened to Leach last month -- is a whole lot easier to laugh off as Leach being Leach when the 20th-ranked Cougars (8-2, 7-0, No. 22 CFP) are leading the Pac-12 North.And all the stuff that makes Leach a unique character in college football -- his public endorsement of old friend Donald Trump, his offseason trip to Cuba -- tends to obscure a more mundane but relevant fact: Leach has been one of the best program-builders in coaching over the past two decades.Washington State had gone eight seasons without a winning record and won a total of nine games in the four seasons before Leachs arrival in 2012. A program that traditionally had struggled to sustain success had tumbled to new depths.We had a deep hole to dig out of, Washington State athletic director Bill Moos said. We needed somebody who could provide the stability and build it the right way.The Cougars won 12 games in Leachs first three seasons, causing some Wazzu fans to fret that Leachs once innovative Air Raid offense was now behind the curve in college football.Turns out Leach just needed a little more time to do at Washington State what he once did at Texas Tech. The Cougars went 9-4 last season and came into this season as a Pac-12 North contender. They then lost their first two games, including their opener to FCS Eastern Washington.Leach went off on his team and got back to the basics.We literally simplified, he said Sunday in his office before settling in for about five hours of film study on Colorado. Just emphasized little techniques. Became obsessive about blocking and tackling. That gets your focus. `Youre not going to do it next time youre going to do it now. Get your foot there NOW. Get your eyes there NOW. Then it became kind of contagious team-wise.The Cougars responded to the tough love.Instead of wilting like guys will do sometimes, they get kind of fired up and determined, Leach said.The Cougars play at No. 12 Colorado (8-2, 6-1, No. 10 CFP) on Saturday, trying for the first nine-game winning streak at Washington State since 1930.Leach is one of the godfathers of the spread offense. The brilliance of his system is simplicity and repetition to the point of mastery.I think the fact that its not super complex and teams know really what were going to do and theyve had film on us for the last 15, 20 years I think that makes it even more amazing when it still works, fifth-year senior receiver Gabe Marks said.Luke Falk is the latest Leach quarterback thriving. The junior is completing 74 percent of his passes for 361 yards per game.Marks said Leach runs his program the way he runs his offense. Give every player and coach a clear and relatively simple task, and create an environment conducive to reaching a goal. Leachs plan is really no different from Nick Sabans or Urban Meyers.Hes the best Ive been around in regards to his demands on academics and discipline, Moos said. You know when you come to play for him what is expected of you. It hasnt changed in all his years as a head coach.Leach spent 10 years at Texas Tech, becoming the winningest coach in the history of the program and famous for his inquisitiveness beyond football. Most notably, he went through a serious pirate phase.On the field, the Red Raiders won at least eight games in each of Leachs last eight seasons. The 20 years preceding his time in Lubbock, Texas Tech reached eight wins in a season twice.The end at Texas Tech was messy. He was fired after allegations from a player that Leach mistreated him while the player was being treated for a concussion. Lawsuits followed and Leach spent two years away from coaching.He returned at Washington State and found a perfect fit in Pullman, another off-the-beaten path college town, where -- for better or worse -- Leach can be Leach.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP---FBC:More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 Stitched Heat Jerseys . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. Daryl Macon Jersey . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. https://www.cheapheatonline.com/257h-daequan-cook-jersey-heat.html . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. 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CHICAGO -- Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers learned from last months blowout loss to Chicago.They turned that knowledge into their own road win Monday night.Lillard had 30 points and seven assists, CJ McCollum scored 24 and the Trail Blazers beat the Bulls 112-110 for their third consecutive victory.Portland had won five of six before Chicago visited the Moda Center on Nov. 15 and rolled to a 113-88 win. That loss started the Blazers on a bit of a slide, but they are rounding into form again.I think the game in Portland helped us prepare for what kind of game it was going to be, Lillard said. We saw how physical they were. They compete on both ends of the floor. ... We just came in with the right mindset, knowing what to expect.Allen Crabbe added 17 points for Portland, which opened a five-game trip with its fourth win in five games. Maurice Harkless had 11 and Evan Turner finished with 10, providing a nice boost in the fourth quarter.Im really pleased the way we responded after the way they beat us the first time, Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said.Dwyane Wade scored 34 points for the Bulls, and Jimmy Butler finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Robin Lopez had seven points and a season-high 14 rebounds.Chicago played without point guard Rajon Rondo, suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team. There was no public indication from the Bulls on what triggered Rondos suspension. He is expected to return Tuesday night in Detroit.Hes obviously very important with what we do in this building, coach Fred Hoiberg said. Hes a guy that really gets us out and establishes the tempo for our team, especially in the fourth quarter. Hes important for what we do, but thats not the reason we lost the game.Portland trailed 93-92 before Ed Davis converted a driving layup with 8:19 left, sparking an 11-0 run for the Trail Blazers. Turner made three straight jumpers and Lillard connected from long range to make it 103-93 with 5:55 left.Chicago closed to 108-105 on Nikola Mirotics two foul shots with 1:56 remaining, but Lillard made four free throws in the final seconds to help Portland hold on.We used a lot of energy coming back in the thirdd quarter and then from there we didnt make enough shots, Wade said.ddddddddddddMirotic finished with 18 points and seven rebounds for the Bulls, who have dropped three of four. Isaiah Canaan had 10 points.Lillard scored 17 to help Portland to a 65-57 halftime lead. The Trail Blazers shot 55 percent in the first half, but the Bulls turned it up on defense to get back in the game in the third quarter.Mirotic capped an 18-4 run with two foul shots, giving Chicago a 75-70 lead with 5:44 left. The Bulls had an 87-83 advantage before McCollum made a 3-pointer in the final second of the period, trimming the lead to one heading into the final quarter.AMINUS RETURNPortland forward Al-Farouq Aminu had three points in 17 minutes in his return to the lineup after being sidelined by a left calf injury. Aminu started the first eight games of the season before he got hurt Nov. 8 against Phoenix.You could tell he had a little rust, but it was good to see him back on the court, Stotts said.TIP-INSTrail Blazers: C Mason Plumlee had 10 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. ... Portland went 13 for 18 from the free throw line, compared to 33 of 38 for Chicago.Bulls: Wade got his fourth assist in the fourth quarter to reach 5,000 for his career. ... F Doug McDermott practiced with the Windy City Bulls after he was assigned to the D-League for conditioning. McDermott hasnt played since Nov. 11 due to a concussion. Hopefully he has another good day tomorrow and well see what happens with Thursday, Hoiberg said. ... G Michael Carter-Williams, sidelined since Oct. 31 with left wrist and left knee injuries, also could head to the D-League soon. Hoiberg said he thinks Carter-Williams is going to be re-evaluated Tuesday.UP NEXTTrail Blazers: Visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. Portland is 1-4 in Milwaukee over the past five seasons.Bulls: Visit Detroit on Tuesday night for their first game of the season against the Pistons. Chicago dropped three of four to Detroit last season.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap ' ' '