viously, and hes handled himself in a good way, Reid said. There hav

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forest showed signs of improvement across its athletic department this past year. Athletic director Ron Wellman says it just didnt show up in the won-lost records of its highest-profile sports.In an interview with The Associated Press, Wellman called 2015-16 a year of progress and improvement ... in the vast majority of our sports.Wake Forest finished at No. 68 in the final standings for the Directors Cup, awarded annually to the top overall athletic department. The Demon Deacons were just 13th in the Atlantic Coast Conference.They insist they made strides in both football and mens basketball, even if their records didnt reflect it. The football team went 3-9 for a second straight year under coach Dave Clawson while Danny Mannings basketball team couldnt sustain the momentum of a promising start and finished under .500 for the fifth time in six years and for the second time in two years under him.Those teams subpar records threatened to overshadow the rest of the schools largely successful programs. The baseball team made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. The womens basketball team reached the WNIT. Both golf programs and the mens soccer team also made it to postseason play.And the school continued to plow through its ambitious list of facility upgrades.Overall were moving in the right direction, and weve got the right coaches to move in the right direction, Wellman said. They are the reasons were moving in the right direction. That, combined with the facility improvements ... puts us in a really good position for the future.The construction of a sustainable football program has been an exercise in patience for Clawson, who fielded arguably the youngest team in Division I last season with 27 players on the final depth chart in either their first or second year. Still, the Demon Deacons were largely more competitive, with four losses coming by eight or fewer points.When you think about (the youth) and being as improved as we were last year, theres reason to be enthused about the future, Wellman said.The basketball team was in the NCAA Tournament conversation after beating Indiana, UCLA and finally LSU on Dec. 29. But they only won twice after that, and ended up with the programs first 20-loss season since 2011.That was certainly a growing experience and a learning experience for our players, Wellman said, and I think they learned from that, and we will see a different outcome this year.The school continued its building boom, finishing its $21 million, 80,000-square-foot indoor practice facility as the first phase of a $58 million sports performance center and opening a $4.5 million headquarters for the golf teams.A project to renovate its baseball stadium and build additional training facilities there is underway, and Wellman says theyre planning a new practice gym for the basketball programs and a renovation of the tennis complex because Wake Forest is hosting the mens and womens NCAA championships in that sport in 2018.Kids are making their (recruiting) decisions earlier, and theyre basing their decisions much more on facilities than maybe what happened 10-15 years ago, Wellman said. Its important to be in the ball game, facility-wise, and we are more than in the ball game with our facilities today. Bruno Caboclo Kings Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Skal Labissiere Jersey . Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. https://www.kingslockerroom.com/Deaaron-Fox-City-Edition-Jersey/ .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. Yogi Ferrell Jersey . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. Trevor Ariza Kings Jersey . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tyreek Hill has proven he can outrun just about anybody in the NFL.If only he could outrun his past, too.The rookie wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs has been a breakout star this season, evidenced by his performance Sunday night in Denver. Hill had nine catches for 52 yards and the tying touchdown, ran right around the Broncos Von Miller for another score and even returned a free kick for an early TD that helped Kansas City to a crucial overtime victory.It was hardly a surprise Wednesday when the NFL announced that Hill, a controversial fifth-round pick in Aprils draft, was chosen the AFC offensive player of the week.Tribute to the kid, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. Im probably more proud of him for what hes doing off the field than on the field, but its well deserved. The award is well deserved.You see, all of Hills success -- and by extension, the Chiefs success -- has generated conflicting feelings among fans in Kansas City familiar with the diminutive speedsters backstory.Some are ready to forgive. Very few seem to have forgotten.Hill was an emerging star at Oklahoma State when he was arrested for domestic violence two years ago. He wound up pleading guilty to abusing and strangling his pregnant girlfriend, and Cowboys coach Mike Gundy kicked him out of the program -- a decision by turns easy and hard to make.Easy because of the egregious nature of the crime, hard because of Hills vast talent.Tyreek put himself in a bad situation, Gundy said, but during his time here at Oklahoma State, he was never an issue. That was the only incident that he ever had, so thats why I felt really bad for him. But hes certainly a big-time player and could have made a huge difference on that team.Instead, he was forced to rehabilitate his image -- and himself -- at West Alabama, where he juggled school and football with counseling sessions and other court-mandated service work.In one season at the out-of-the-way Division II school in Livingston, 60 miles from Tuscaloosa but a million miles from playing for the Crimson Tide, Hill hardly put up the kind of numbers that portend NFL greatness. He ran for a modest 237 yards and a touchdown, caught 27 ppasses for 444 yards and three scores, and returned two punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns.ddddddddddddBut the Chiefs knew his world-class speed -- he won two medals running sprints at the world junior championships -- could be a difference maker. So in an age of heightened sensitivity in the NFL when it comes to domestic violence, they spent a draft pick on him when most teams were unwilling. Then they faced the backlash of a fan base that still recalls the Jovan Belcher murder-suicide of a few years ago.Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said front-office executives spent time with coaches at Oklahoma State and West Alabama, Hills family members and friends, and even the Oklahoma prosecutor who handled his case. They came away convinced that he was on the right path.He came in here with the incident, obviously, and hes handled himself in a good way, Reid said. There havent been any issues, which has been positive, and hes had some things hes had to do for the incident and he doesnt miss anything. He does everything hes supposed to do.Hill said that includes classes and therapy sessions, where he can get things off his chest, but he declined to discuss specifics. He also said he is supporting the victim and his child.I make sure I do those things in order to be a better person, Hill said before Wednesdays practice. Im real dedicated. Im going to stick to it so I can be a better man, a better citizen for the community and a better father for my son.Indeed, Hill has done nothing off the field to make the Chiefs regret the decision.Hes done plenty on it to make it look like a wise move.Obviously hes a big part of what were doing, Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith said. Hes had more on his plate but hes handled it really well.Game notes WR Jeremy Maclin (groin) and LB Dee Ford (hamstring) returned to practice Wednesday, though Reid wasnt sure whether they will play Sunday in Atlanta. ... DE Jaye Howard (hip) and DT Dontari Poe (back spasms) remained out of practice.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '