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On December 5, the IndieWire Honors Winter 2024 ceremony will celebrate the creators and stars responsible for crafting some of the year’s best films . Curated and selected by IndieWire’s editorial team, IndieWire Honors is a celebration of the filmmakers, artisans, and performers behind films well worth toasting. We’re showcasing their work with new interviews leading up to the Los Angeles event. When filmmaker Chris Sanders began to imagine what his fifth animated film , “The Wild Robot,” might look like on the big screen, he was stuck on one crucial idea: how to turn Peter Brown’s deep-feeling and beautifully rendered YA novel about a caring robot and the baby goose she adopts into a movie for everyone. “One of the things we talked about a lot, was how do you make a movie like this for a broad audience?” Sanders said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “We’ve talked a lot about who you work to not exclude , but you also don’t try to target anybody specifically. Anytime I’ve been near that, when you try to deliberately target any particular group of people, I think inevitably you miss and it throws things into a very strange place.” That meant crafting a film that could appeal to all ages, not just the built-in audience of kiddos who would naturally gravitate toward a colorful world mostly populated by chatty forest animals and the charming robot ( voiced by Lupita Nyong’o ) who brings them together. “One of my most critical concerns from the very beginning was making a movie for adults,” the filmmaker said. “I absolutely knew by nature of the story that kids were going to be interested. A robot in the wilderness and these really adorable animals? It’s naturally going to be interesting to kids, very kid-friendly. I was really concerned that the style of the movie and the storytelling be something that adults would really engage with in a big way, and that’s where the whole style of the island came from.” For Sanders, the recipient of this year’s IndieWire Honors Spark Award , dedicated to honoring those who advance and delight in the craft of animation, that meant a combination of both the look and the feel of his lauded film. “Visually, I think that was the biggest challenge: to find an artistic and aesthetic altitude that was worthy of the story,” Sanders said. “It’s just natural for me to operate in those kinds of zones because I came from ‘Mulan,’ ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’ where I love to attend to the big emotional wavelengths of these things and to not shy away from it.” Sanders, who has directed animated hits like “Lilo & Stitch” (he even voices the cuddly blue alien) and “How to Train Your Dragon,” pointed to a wide variety of other animated classics as his creative waypoints: everything from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” to “My Neighbor Totoro” and the “always inspiring” classic “Bambi.” Even during production on a new film, Sanders said he likes to watch other movies to keep his brain fresh and his imagination bold. “You get so busy on your particular film, you get so into the details, sometimes you just need to remind yourself what a movie is,” he said. “I’ll go to see a movie, it can have nothing to do tonally with the thing I’m working on, it can be a drama, it can be a comedy, it can be almost a near documentary. It could even be a horror film. It just reminds you of what a movie is, the audacity of it, the boldness of it.” Mostly, Sanders and his team — as you can see, the filmmaker nearly always says “we” when chatting about his creative choices, rarely just “I” — wanted to tell a story they would all enjoy. Perhaps that was the ticket. “We were just so busy making a movie that entertained ourselves, because I think we’re very representative of the core audience,” he said. “All of the things that people were feeling when they watched it, we felt when we were making it. ... Our wish was that, when the movie was over, people would walk out of the theater and just have a moment of, ‘Oh, I’m back,’ to really try to immerse people and beguile them with the environment.” Sanders, who also adapted the script for the film from the first book in Brown’s beloved trilogy about the wondrous robot Roz and the lush forest (and all its furry friends) she eventually makes her home, was so struck by Brown’s book that he could instantly “see” some of the key scenes he wanted to bring to the big screen while reading. “It absolutely happens,” he said when asked about those “lightbulb moments.” “As I’m reading a book, if I see [even one moment] very clearly in my head, I get very anxious that other people will see what I just saw. In ‘The Wild Robot,’ there were several places like that. One of the most notable would be in the very middle, the migration. It isn’t the climactic finish of the movie, it’s just the midpoint, and yet it’s one of the most compelling things I’d ever worked on.” In the film, Roz is unexpectedly shipwrecked on an uninhabited island while she’s out for delivery to the wider, decidedly human world. While the animals that live on the island — foxes (like one voiced by Pedro Pascal), squirrels, bears, beavers, falcons — are initially scared of their new mechanical citizen, Roz finds sanctuary when she adopts young Canadian goose Brightbill (voiced by Kit Connor) after she (oops) accidentally kills his entire family. Ever driven by her programmed directives, Roz makes it her job to get Brightbill ready for an upcoming migration. “I liked the complexity of it, the spectacle, the scale,” he said. “I always work to music and immediately as I was reading this, music was going through my head, visuals were going through my head. What an incredible moment.” Of course, Roz and Brightbill (plus Pascal’s fox Fink) eventually come to love each other, seeing each other as their own chosen, slightly weird but deeply adorable family. And while Brightbill is, at first, angry at Roz for forcing him to migrate (and thus, take him away from his new clan), his goose mentor Longneck (voiced by Bill Nighy) offers him some key context to her choices as his surrogate mom, just as they — and hundreds of other geese — finally take to the skies. “At that moment of truth, when Longneck lays this big last piece of information on him to consider, there’s no longer time for him to apologize, there’s no time left to make things right,” the filmmaker said. “This is something that I have experienced in my life, that I’ve waited too long to say something, and the regret that I carry is huge. So I love the complexity of the moment and these two characters are doing their best to navigate that moment while this really huge thing is going on and time has run out and the train is leaving the station and Brightbill has to be on that train.” What was thrilling for Sanders was “not only these big, magnificent events that were visually compelling, but the incredible complexity and power of the emotional wavelengths that were flowing” through them. And, yes, those first sparks of an idea, those lightbulb moments, are very close to what we see onscreen. “In the case of the migration, pretty close, because I actually [story] boarded it,” he said when asked about how closely his vision and the final product align. “I thought, ‘I know exactly what I want, let me just jump in there, I’ll board it, and I’ll get it up there.’ I had a very specific series of shots that I really wanted to get up on screen, some of those high angles with all the birds and Roz running with her arms out and stuff like that. I usually have a pretty clear thought for what I want, and in that particular case, I took the extra step of, I’ll just board it. That one didn’t shift very much at all, it pretty much stuck.” That look is essential, because while “The Wild Robot” was computer-animated, it also comes with a distinctly painterly look. A combination of technological advancements and old-school attention to details, which included hand-painted elements (artists used styluses, not brushes, in a 3D environment, but the look and feel are wonderfully familiar), made it possible. “I hadn’t been on a film that did that since ‘Lilo & Stitch,'” Sanders said of the hand-painted elements. “The idea that we had matte painters painting the sky, painting the trees, oh my gosh . It made such a gigantic contribution to the emotional resonance of that film. It cannot be understated. We are so at the verge of another Renaissance, as far as seeing new styles of things now. I’m really thrilled by it.” Given the tremendous success of the film — it has so far made nearly $320 million at the global box office, with glowing reviews from both critics and audiences to boot — talk of a sequel is only natural. After all, “The Wild Robot” is part of a trilogy of novels. “ We have not yet begun to do anything on a sequel yet,” Sanders said. “I think we’re very hopeful. I’ve definitely read the second book, and I plan to actually re-read it because his books have many, many chapters. When I read it the first time, I just read it. I just needed to digest it. And the second time through, I’m actually going to make some notes to myself that, perhaps, may come in handy.” Whatever the filmmaker tackles next, Sanders believes animation is returning to “more handmade-looking things.” “I am not somebody who is lamenting the disappearance of traditional animation,” he said. “I love traditional animation and I know it’ll always be there. I was just watching ‘Robot Dreams,’ and it’s hand-drawn and it’s the perfect style for that story, but the fact that we have now finally broken away from that gravitational hold that we were under technologically is the thing that’s so thrilling to me about where we are right now. I feel like we’ve come through a tunnel and we are looking at a big open field and mountains, and we can finally see the sky, and now we can finally go back to more broad, stylistic choices.” He credits “Into the Spider-Verse” for breaking down those doors “with a Sherman tank.” “That was such a revelation, that film worked so well because of it, and it got the Oscar,” Sanders said. “It so deserved it. That just let everybody know, ‘Oh, we are open and free to maneuver, should we be able to get our software to the point where we can do it.'” While audiences might not be too fussed about the mechanics that make this all possible, they do feel it in the final product. That’s what really gets Sanders going. “People noticed the difference on ‘The Wild Robot,'” Sanders said. “I was wondering, well, we are so attuned to it within the studio, I saw it as looking like a radically different thing, and I actually wasn’t sure, when we show this to a general audience, are they going to see the same things that we are? And they sure did, people would comment on it, and oh , that made me happy.” “The Wild Robot” is available to download or rent on various streaming platforms, including Apple TV, Amazon Video, Fandango at Home, Microsoft Store, and more.Only 60-70 Maoists active in Odisha, most of them from Andhra, Chhattisgarh: BSF officer

The Pittsburgh Penguins were not happy with themselves Saturday after losing to the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. Defenseman Erik Karlsson said the team wasn’t emotionally or physically engaged. Coach Mike Sullivan said the team talked about playing a simple game, but they weren’t good enough. For most of the game, the Penguins were obviously the better team. A good goal and a fluky bounce put New York within striking distance, but a diving clear by Cody Glass ended any threats in the final seconds as the Penguins beat New York 3-2 at PPG Paints Arena. Sunday was the reverse of Saturday. The Penguins showed some backbone and executed so many of the things they didn’t less than 24 hours earlier. They got back to the better hockey they were playing before the holiday break and are now 10-4-1 in their last 15. There was plenty to build on. Again. Play simply? Check. Play straight ahead and get to the net? Yep. Defend their own net? You betcha. “We just knew it had to be a good bounce-back game. It was a quick turnaround, and you can have all the excuses in the world that you’re tired and whatnot, but we didn’t do that,” Michael Bunting said. “I think we played a complete game. You know, they got (a) six-on-five goal, but I thought we defended hard and showed (well) tonight.” The Penguins lost all of those battles Saturday, especially around their own net. However, with a makeshift blue line on Sunday due to Kris Letang’s injury and the insertion of 26-year-old Nate Clurman making his NHL debut, there weren’t many frills to the Penguins game. And that helped. Tight defense. Net-front scoring, including a power play goal. Good goaltending. It’s a simple formula but difficult to execute. Yet the Penguins did so for their 10th win in 15 games, and get this–at the conclusion of the game, the Penguins vaulted into a playoff spot. No joke. “I mean, it’s important. Just the way we’ve played over the last month or so, I think we’ve given ourselves an opportunity to be back in the mix. We’re competing with a lot of teams, and we know we’ve got our work cut out for us,” Crosby said. “This is hopefully a position that we’re in for the rest of the year–competing, and that’s what it’s all about. So to be back in that spot compared to where we were a month ago, I think it’s important.” Oh, by the way, Crosby broke Mario Lemieux’s franchise record for most assists (again) in the first period when he set up Michael Bunting’s goal. For the most part, the Penguins maintained a better attitude with the lead than the score may have indicated. With a 1-0 lead in the second period, the Penguins ripped 20 shots at New York goalie Magnus Hogberg, who was making his first start since 2021. The team sagged late in the period, giving up a spate of shots on a power play and the subsequent even-strength time. Fortunately for the Penguins, Alex Nedeljkovic held his ground with a couple of sparklers, including a windmill glove save on Anthony Duclair later in the second period. The Penguins didn’t defend their lead in the third. They attacked again. In the first 12:59 of the third period, the Penguins outshot New York 11-3 until Anders Lee broke the shutout. And then Anders Lee scored when an errant shot hit him and caromed into the net at 16:10, but the Penguins clamped down. Penguins Xs and Os The Penguins didn’t cautiously establish neutral zone traffic in the first period; they set the tone with an aggressive forecheck attack. With multiple forecheckers in the zone, the Penguins struggled to generate dangerous puck possession while the New Yorkers buzzed around the net. The shots were 6-6 after 20 minutes, but the Penguins pressure buckled New York in the second period. The Penguins had a commanding 12-7 scoring chance advantage, which would have been much greater if not for New York’s late period flourish. The Penguins also held a 10-5 scoring chance advantage in the third period. Lest anyone thinks the Penguins tried to sit on the lead, that was not the case. In addition to the hard forecheck, the Penguins were not shy at the net. Michael Bunting and Evgeni Malkin were around the net for much of the game. The Penguins also defended well. As a double “Get This:” Erik Karlsson killed penalties and blocked shots. With 26-year-old Nate Clurman making his NHL debut, the Penguins made a conscious effort to keep the defending simple, too. Those ghastly sort-out problems of Saturday vanished. Penguins Grades Team: B+ It wasn’t their high-energy A game, but it was a hard-nosed, workman-like game. Of course, playing two games 22 hours apart took something out of both teams, but the Penguins were the better team. Alex Nedeljkovic: A The Penguins goalie cleaned up a couple of high-danger opportunities. The contest may have gone differently if Nedeljkovic hadn’t made a few key saves on the Islanders’ power plays–they had a few, and they pressed. His final tally was 28 saves on 30 shots, but New York’s second goal wasn’t really a shot as much as a perfect bounce. Michael Bunting-Evgeni Malkin: A Bunting was the best Penguins forward on Sunday. He was ever present and noticeable, a constant threat to score and a thorn in the Islanders’ defense. Malkin is flying. He was the second-best Penguins forward Saturday. Malkin isn’t trying anything fancy but instead playing the simplest game he’s ever played. He had a couple of steals by defending the Islanders’ breakouts, and he stayed between the dots. It’s different than vintage Malkin, but it’s a pretty good version. Erik Karlsson: A In a tough situation, he dug in and defended hard. This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.Met Eireann issues multiple Status Yellow weather warnings for New Year's Eve

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lowered its holdings in NVR, Inc. ( NYSE:NVR – Free Report ) by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,064 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 37 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in NVR were worth $10,440,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of NVR. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its position in NVR by 125.7% during the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 3,024 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $24,494,000 after purchasing an additional 1,684 shares during the last quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of NVR by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,405 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $19,480,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its position in NVR by 7.7% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 406 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,283,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its stake in NVR by 98.9% in the first quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 17,469 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $141,498,000 after acquiring an additional 8,684 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC raised its position in NVR by 1,285.4% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 568 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $4,601,000 after purchasing an additional 527 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.67% of the company’s stock. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, Director David A. Preiser sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9,302.64, for a total value of $2,325,660.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 239 shares in the company, valued at $2,223,330.96. This trade represents a 51.12 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, CAO Matthew B. Kelpy sold 400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9,450.00, for a total transaction of $3,780,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 208 shares in the company, valued at $1,965,600. This represents a 65.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold a total of 775 shares of company stock valued at $7,294,073 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 7.00% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Check Out Our Latest Research Report on NVR NVR Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:NVR opened at $9,007.24 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 6.21, a quick ratio of 3.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $9,422.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $8,587.74. The company has a market cap of $27.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.20. NVR, Inc. has a 12 month low of $6,052.58 and a 12 month high of $9,964.77. NVR ( NYSE:NVR – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 22nd. The construction company reported $130.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $131.00 by ($0.50). The business had revenue of $2.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.71 billion. NVR had a return on equity of 38.20% and a net margin of 16.51%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $125.26 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that NVR, Inc. will post 494.48 EPS for the current year. About NVR ( Free Report ) NVR, Inc operates as a homebuilder in the United States. The company operates through, Homebuilding and Mortgage Banking segments. It engages in the construction and sale of single-family detached homes, townhomes, and condominium buildings under the Ryan Homes, NVHomes, and Heartland Homes names. The company markets its Ryan Homes products to first-time and first-time move-up buyers; and NVHomes and Heartland Homes products to move-up and luxury buyers. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NVR, Inc. ( NYSE:NVR – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for NVR Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NVR and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .ICC Labs Inc. ( CVE:ICC – Get Free Report ) was down 5.8% on Friday . The company traded as low as C$1.61 and last traded at C$1.62. Approximately 646,156 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 19% from the average daily volume of 799,310 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$1.72. ICC Labs Stock Down 5.8 % The firm has a market capitalization of C$223.63 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of 95.29. The company has a fifty day moving average price of C$1.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$1.62. ICC Labs Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) ICC Labs Inc, through its subsidiaries, produces and sells cannabis in Uruguay. It offers recreational cannabis, medicinal cannabis, cannabinoid extracts, and by-products for medicinal, recreational, and industrial use, as well as industrial hemp. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for ICC Labs Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ICC Labs and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Jets left tackle Tyron Smith was called a candidate for injured reserve early this week and his status changed on Saturday. The NFL’s daily transaction report shows that Smith went from being a candidate to being on the list. Smith has a neck injury and will miss at least four games, but the nature of the injury and the timing of the season would make it little surprise if Smith is out for the rest of the year. First-round pick Olu Fashanu will likely be the starter in Smith’s absence. The Jets also activated guard Xavier Newman-Johnson from injured reserve and they elevated running back Kene Nwangwu from the practice squad.

Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Key Posts US ceasefire proposal wait’s Israel’s response Hezbollah rockets land near Tel Aviv after big Israeli strike on Beirut Reuters Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Most Viewed In PoliticsWhile there are many great stocks available, there can only be one "best stock to buy." Narrowing it down was difficult, but I think Alphabet ( GOOG -1.58% ) ( GOOGL -1.71% ) tops the list. Although Alphabet is the world's fourth-largest company by market cap, it still has plenty of room to grow. Buying the stock now sets investors up nicely for 2025, because I think the company can excel next year. Alphabet has a balanced growth strategy Alphabet is better known as Google's parent company, although it also owns the Android operating system and YouTube, among other things. While it has interests in many places, the majority of its business can be attributed to advertising. In the third quarter, advertising made up 75% of its total revenue, so it's clearly a big part of the company. Its advertising business is fairly mature and only grew 10% in the third quarter. That growth isn't rapid by any measure, but it's steady growth that allows Alphabet to invest in other areas that can deliver higher growth. One of those areas is cloud computing , which also nicely relates to its artificial intelligence (AI) aspirations. Its cloud computing wing, Google Cloud, has been a tremendous performer lately, with revenue rising 35% year over year. This growth is occurring for multiple reasons, one of which is that Google Cloud provides access to one of the top generative AI models, Gemini. Use of the Gemini model in APIs (application program interfaces) -- plug-and-play apps that allow programmers to use another pre-built application easily -- grew 14 times year over year. Building generative AI into various workflows and interfaces is becoming more popular, and its use will only increase over the next few years, boosting Google Cloud's revenue. There are multiple other reasons to invest in Alphabet as a business, but it all boils down to its steady advertising business keeping the lights on and then using those cash flows to build out other high-growth business sectors. Strong financial results are another key reason to invest in the stock. Alphabet's stock is cheap for the performance it delivers In the third quarter, Alphabet grew revenue 15% companywide. Thanks to improved operating efficiencies, earnings per share (EPS) increased from $1.55 last year to $2.12, a 37% rise. That's an incredibly strong performance from a fairly mature business, yet the stock gets no respect. It trades at just 20.9 times forward earnings, which is less than the broader market, as measured by the S&P 500, which trades at 24.6 times forward earnings. GOOGL PE ratio (forward); data by YCharts. PE = price to earnings. That indicates strong value, but the undervaluation becomes clearer if you compare the stock to some of its big tech peers. Of the ones that have similar financials to Alphabet -- Microsoft ( MSFT 1.00% ) , Apple ( AAPL 0.59% ) , and Meta Platforms ( META -0.70% ) -- it trades at the lowest multiple. Company Q3 Revenue Growth Q3 EPS Growth Forward P/E Alphabet 15.1% 37.2% 20.9 Apple 6.1% (34%) 30.9 Microsoft 16% 10.7% 31.9 Meta Platforms 18.6% 37.8% 24.8 Data source: YCharts. Note: Q3 encompasses the calendar quarter for Q3; Apple and Microsoft results are in the same time frame but are on a different fiscal-year calendar. Alphabet is doing far better than Apple and Microsoft, yet it's trading at a much lower multiple. As a result, I think investors should reconsider their positions in those two and look into Alphabet and Meta (which also stands near the top of my list of best stocks to buy now). However, part of this valuation discount comes from the concern that the Department of Justice is seeking to break up Alphabet by forcing the sale of Google Chrome. This is obviously a concern, but we are likely some time away from having a resolution. This decision will end up in court and will take a while to get sorted out. The last high-profile DOJ breakup was when it went after Microsoft in the early 2000s. The lawsuit was originally filed in mid-1998 and concluded in late 1999. It wasn't until mid-2001 that the appeal was heard, and the final remedial trial concluded in late 2002. As a result, we are years away from knowing what the final outcome will be and whether Google Chrome will actually get spun off at all. Because of that, I think using the short-term weakness of this news to your advantage is a smart move. Alphabet is a fantastic business, but it doesn't trade near the multiple its peers do. Although there are some unknowns with how the DOJ settlement ends up, I think those fears have already been priced into the stock. As a result, investors should use this opportunity to purchase more of its stock before that trend comes to an end.

Minnesota will try to bounce back from two straight losses when it hosts Bethune-Cookman on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers (5-3) are coming off a 57-51 loss against Wake Forest on Friday, which followed a 68-66 overtime loss against Wichita State on Thursday. Both games took place at the ESPN Events Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Minnesota coach Ben Johnson cited inconsistency on offense as the main reason for his team's recent skid. "We're painfully figuring that out," Johnson said. "I thought our defense, though, (Thursday and Friday) has proven this is a top-40 or top-30 defense. We've got to be able to show up with offense and free throws." Golden Gophers starter Lu'Cye Patterson said he and his teammates remain confident in their potential as the Big Ten conference season approaches. "We just have to keep doing what we're supposed to do and keep our level of defensive play up," Patterson said. "It's going to win us a lot of games. The offense is going to come." Bethune-Cookman (2-5) will try to play spoiler on the road. The Wildcats have split their past two games as they beat North Dakota 79-67 on Tuesday and lost to Gardner-Webb 79-64 on Wednesday, both games played in the Cancun Challenge in Cancun, Mexico. Four players for Bethune-Cookman scored in double digits in their most recent game. Reggie Ward Jr. and Daniel Rouzan led the way with 14 points apiece, Trey Thomas scored 13 and Brayon Freeman chipped in 10. Bethune-Cookman is coached by Reggie Theus, who enjoyed a long NBA career and coached the Sacramento Kings for parts of two seasons. Theus said the Wildcats were in better position to compete this season compared with a season ago. "We've got a lot of depth, and we have age and experience," Theus said. "One of the biggest differences in our team is that we have great size now, where last year we were pretty small." Dawson Garcia leads Minnesota with 18.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Patterson is next with 10.1 points per contest. Bethune-Cookman is led by Freeman, who is averaging 15.9 points per game. Thomas (11.7 points per game) and Ward Jr. (11.0) also are scoring in double digits. --Field Level MediaIndustrial Waste Management Market: Growth to $140.87B by 2031, 5.4% CAGR