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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Derrick Rose said Monday he isnt worried about a rape trial set to start next week because he feels he didnt do anything wrong.Rose said he is instead focused on his first season with the New York Knicks. His first practice with the team will be Tuesday.My concern is just playing well this year, Rose said. I cant think about the case. I feel like Im innocent and I feel like I didnt do anything wrong, like I said, and I cant let that distract me with the year that I have ahead of me.A woman sued Rose last year in California, contending the former MVP and two of his friends raped her in August 2013 while she was incapacitated after a night of drinking. Rose and the others say they had consensual sex with her that night.The civil trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 4 -- barring any settlement -- the day the Knicks play their exhibition opener in Houston. Its unclear how much, if any, of the preseason he would have to miss if there is a trial.Im not worried about it, but if I do have to miss time, its a part of it, Rose said. Of course I dont want to be in this position, but it is what it is and Im going to let my lawyers and my team handle it.Rose added that he hadnt heard anything about a possibility of criminal charges being brought.The Knicks acquired Rose from Chicago in June. The point guard said he is healthy after a series of injuries, mostly to his knees, that have plagued him since his MVP season in 2011.Because of the injuries, Rose hasnt played in more than 66 games a season since he first tore his ACL in the 2012 playoffs. Rehab has forced him to report early or stay late after practices and games for much of the last few years, which he said was tiresome.But he was able to focus on basketball this summer while adding yoga to his workout routine, and Knicks who have been playing with him say Roses quickness has returned.Hes extremely focused right now, All-Star Carmelo Anthony said, adding that hes never played with a point guard with Roses explosiveness. Hes healthy, he has a different mindset. He has a clear mind and hes ready to go out there and try to help us with our goals.Rose was the biggest addition to a Knicks team that also signed his former Bulls teammate, Joakim Noah, and veteran guards Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings. If he remains healthy, Rose can get the Knicks playing at a quicker pace and create easier baskets under new coach Jeff Hornacek, after their offense often stalled while playing the triangle under Derek Fisher and Kurt Rambis the last two years.Lee said Rose, who once hit a game-winning shot over him while Lee played for Houston, has looked confident during offseason workouts.He kind of reminded me of that MVP D-Rose, especially in some of the drills that we were doing, Lee said. He was able to get to his spots quick, explosiveness and knock down shots.Rose averaged 16.4 points in 66 games last season, and most of the games he missed were unrelated to his knees. The Chicago native has been focused on learning a new city and team, traveling with a group of Knicks players to practice in Puerto Rico at Anthonys invitation.Having to miss time in October would delay his ability to get comfortable. A settlement would prevent that, but Rose didnt discuss that possibility, praising his legal team for taking care of the details.Theyre handling everything and theyre giving me time to focus on what I need to focus on and thats just straight basketball, Rose said.---Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BriancmahoneyGermaine Pratt Youth Jersey . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Jessie Bates III Womens Jersey . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. http://www.bengalsrookiestore.com/Bengals-Boomer-Esiason-Jersey/ . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. A.J. Green Jersey . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Cincinnati Bengals Jerseys . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday.STORRS, Conn. -- With its road win over second-ranked Notre Dame on Wednesday, UConn has opened the 2016-17 season at 8-0 to extend its current winning streak to 83 games.The 72-61 victory over the Fighting Irish marked the second time this season the Huskies -- ranked third in the AP Top 25 preseason poll -- beat the nations No. 2 team.Prior to the Nov. 17 matchup with then-No. 2 Baylor, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said: Im somewhat realistic about what my expectation level is. Im realistic about what we can do, and I think the previous couple of years we would sit here and tell you that we were the favorite to win the national championship. Thats not the case this year. I know it, and I think everyone on our team knows it.But lets be realistic: Its time to talk about the Huskies being the favorites -- again.Weve seen this movie before. When Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Asjha Jones graduated after winning the 2002 national championship with a perfect 39-0 record, many thought the Huskies would be down on their luck the next year.The AP preseason poll ranked the 2003 Huskies fourth; the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll had UConn third. The Huskies werent supposed to extend a 39-game winning streak to 70. They werent supposed to go 37-1. They definitely werent supposed to win their second consecutive NCAA championship.Of course, a lot of things were different 14 years ago.The 2003 championship marked the programs fourth title. The Huskies now have 11. Their streak of 70 consecutive victories was the longest in Division I womens basketball history. UConn has since shattered its own record; it owns the top spot in all of Division I basketball, having unseated the 88-game streak the UCLA men put together (1971 to 74) with a 90-game winning streak from 2009 to 11.And most of all, in 2003, UConn had Diana Taurasi and no one else did.While Taurasi was the primary reason for UConns championship-level success in 2003 (and 2004), the defining characteristic of the 2003 squad was the fact that its composition worked (Taurasi averaged 17.6 points per game). It just so happened that its composition required Wonder Woman in the form of a basketball player.There is obviously no Taurasi at UConn this season, and quite frankly, there doesnt need to be. What makes this version of the Huskies work is how mmalleable they are.dddddddddddd They create matchup difficulties all over the floor.Gabby Williams primarily plays inside but is increasingly stepping out to the perimeter, and she can guard pretty much anyone. Sophomore forward Napheesa Colliers movement off the ball and quickness make her difficult to guard for traditional forwards and centers.The perimeter doesnt get much more friendly with 6-foot-3 sophomore Katie Lou Samuelson and 6-foot junior Kia Nurse. Overall, size inside has the potential to be a big problem for UConn, but its quickness is a problem for everyone else.The most concerning thing for the Huskies is that their offense has stalled for atypical stretches, especially when Collier is not in the mix. Collier is averaging 19.1 points per game (Samuelson is right behind at 19.0 PPG), and when she is on the floor producing, Collier opens up the perimeter for Samuelson and Nurse. Without her on the floor, UConn struggles, as it did in the second quarter against Notre Dame (the Irish outscored the Huskies 20-11).And dont underestimate the intangibles. For the first time in years, UConn has gotten to play as the underdog. When the season started, few expected the Huskies to win another championship this year, and that has proven to matter.The differences my first two years and this year in the expectations people have for us, thats something that I play with a chip on my shoulder about, Nurse said before the Baylor game.Those expectations have already begun to shift, as reflected in UConn jumping Notre Dame for the No. 1 spot in the rankings this past week, despite the Irish remaining unbeaten at the time. It took the 2003 Huskies 13 weeks to top the rankings, doing so as the only remaining unbeaten team.This does not mean that UConn is somehow impenetrable. The Huskies still have to play at No. 4 Maryland (Dec. 29), home versus No. 6 South Carolina (Feb. 13), and home versus No. 12 Ohio State (Dec. 19). They could also lose unexpectedly, akin to the Huskies Big East championship loss to Villanova in 2003.In the grand scheme of things, 2003 probably doesnt matter that much to this crop of Huskies, but that teams success shows just how far they could go. ' ' '