Arizonas three-man freshman class is stepping up big early in the season, and it will have to continue to do so.The 10th-ranked Wildcats (2-0) figure to have only seven scholarship players available for the second consecutive game when they face Sacred Heart (1-1) on Friday night. The game tips off at 10 p.m. ET in Tucson, Ariz.Arizona beat Cal State Bakersfield 78-66 Tuesday night but had to fight off a 17-0 second-half charge after fatigue set in with about 16 minutes to go.Wildcats guard Kadeem Allen sat out because of a left knee sprain. Coach Sean Miller said there was no structural damage in Allens knee, and surgery was not required, but the team will take a cautious approach.I dont think he has an injury that is going to take him a long time to get back, but were certainly not going to lose sight of the big picture and rush him, Miller said. Kadeem would like to play right now, but he cant.Freshman Kobi Simmons replaced Allen in the starting lineup Tuesday night, joining a pair of classmates, forward Lauri Markkanen and wing Rawle Alkins.Markkanen scored 26 points on just 11 shots from the field. He converted eight, including one 3-pointer, and drained all nine attempts from the free-throw line. Miller raved about the 7-footer from Finland.Lauri is one of the best players in college basketball. He is. Hes a monster, Miller said. He can put it on the floor. Hes a great free-throw shooter. Hes a 7-footer who is playing the small forward position. He guards perimeter players. He guards post players. He inbounds the ball against full-court pressure.He just really, really knows how to play. Its almost like he has the game of a 6-foot-7 forward. He just happens to be 7 foot.Markkanen is averaging 19.5 points and 7.0 rebounds. Simmons, who had 18 in a season-opening win over Michigan State, is averaging 15.5. Alkins is at nine points per game.Miller said it is not a bad thing that these guys have been thrown into the deep end right way because of the short-handed roster.There is nothing like learning by being out on the court, he said. If there is a silver lining in our situation, its the amount of minutes these guys are getting early on.Since the beginning of the summer, Arizona has lost freshman guard Terrance Ferguson to pro ball, graduate transfer guard Talbott Denny to a knee injury and redshirt freshman Ray Smith to a knee injury. Sophomore guard Allonzo Trier hasnt played yet because of rumored eligibility issues that the school has not commented on.Sacred Heart, which was picked to finish eighth in the Northeast Conferences preseason coaches poll, is coming off a 90-86 win over Hofstra on Tuesday night. The Pioneers overcame a nine-point deficit in the final four minutes.Sophomore guard Quincy McKnight, who averaged 11.4 points last season, scored a career-high 28 against Hofstra after posting a personal-best 25 in the season-opening loss at Fairfield.Hes more an all-around player -- offense, defense. He can help you in a lot of different ways, Sacred Heart coach Anthony Latina said. We want him to play exactly how he played last year, just be a little more efficient, and we will probably late in games call his number a little bit more. Joe Allen Wales Jersey .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Joe Allen Jersey .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem. http://www.soccerwalesstore.com/gareth-bale-wales-UEFA-EURO-jersey/ . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Aaron Ramsey Wales Jersey . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. Gareth Bale Wales Jersey .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Pearson has been suspended for the first two games of the regular season for his check to the head of Edmonton defenseman Brandon Davidson.Pearson also was suspended for the remainder of the preseason by the NHL on Wednesday.Pearson got a match penalty and a game misconduct for the hit midway through the second period last Sunday during the game in Vernon, British Columbia.Pearson loses $15,,555.dddddddddddd6 during his suspension.The 24-year-old Pearson won a Stanley Cup ring with the Kings as a rookie in 2014. He had 36 points in 79 games last season.Pearson will miss the Kings season opener in San Jose and their home opener against Philadelphia next week. He is eligible to return Oct. 18 at Minnesota. ' ' '