TORONTO – Around the table sat the future Maple Leafs prospect and his family. NCAA Basketball Jerseys . One major decision loomed at the time for Andrew MacWilliam, one that would decide his future in many ways. Drafted by the Spokane Chiefs, the teenage defenceman had the option of joining the Western League club as a 16-year-old. Then there was college, the route his father, Alex, preferred – ever the believer in the value of a degree – and the course that would offer a more lenient curve of development. "I never watched college hockey growing up," MacWilliam, a Calgary native said. "Being from western Canada you dont see it much." It took a trip down to Denver, Colorado for the West regional of the 2007 NCAA tournament, a tour of the pristine facilities there and an opportunity to watch Jonathan Toews and Kyle Okposo before a choice was made. Recruited by head coach Dave Hakstol, MacWilliam opted for the hockey-rich program at the University of North Dakota, where he spent the past four seasons before arriving at Leafs training camp this fall. "Probably the best decision of my life so far," MacWilliam stated sincerely of choosing college, where he was voted captain by teammates last year. "I definitely would recommend it to any young guys deciding what route theyre going to take." Selected with the 188th overall pick in the 2008 Draft from the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior League – where he played alongside Joe Colborne – MacWilliam has climbed slow and steady to the edge of the NHL. Now a mature 23-years-old and a thick 230 pounds, the 6-foot-2 defender has definite darkhorse potential for the Leafs this season. A combative protect-the-house type with a penchant for rough play, MacWilliam has offered a positive impression to the Leafs brass and coaching staff in the first week of camp. While still a long-shot to make the NHL club at the outset and more likely pegged to join Steve Spott and the Marlies initially, MacWilliam has not looked out of place in the early going. "I just wanted to show what I can do," he said of expectations coming into camp. "I obviously want to make it a tough decision for the coaching staff. I know theres a lot of numbers [on defence] already up top, but I just wanted to come in and show what I can do and how I can play." MacWilliam has no illusions about his role. His job, quite simply, is to protect the house. He projects as a defender in the Mark Fraser mold, though he probably moves the puck more efficiently than his NHL counterpart and owns better foot speed. Because he remained at North Dakota for the full freight of four years – where he also played alongside former Leaf Matt Frattin – MacWilliam also appears physically ready to play at the next level. At one point in practice on Wednesday, he capably battled for net-front position with Joffrey Lupul, eventually ousting the All-Star to the ice. MacWilliam attributes his solid frame to years of lifting weights at school – where they play in and around 40 games – adding 15 pounds from the point of his freshman year. "Just that extra little oomph I guess is just huge at this level," said MacWilliam, who played in two games with the Marlies at the end of last season. "It helps you out in the net front and in the corners, being able to handle a mans game." Named to the Western College Hockey Associations all-academic team three years straight, MacWilliam also found time to focus his efforts on foot speed, improving his quickness laterally over his junior and senior seasons. Maybe most important to the college experience though was the reward of a degree, which he earned in business management. "Youre not going to play hockey your whole life right," he observed with the savvy of someone far beyond his years. "Youre not guaranteed anything as far as a pro career. Having that to fall back on is something that I take a lot of pride in and down the road will have some use for me." Whether he makes the jump now to the NHL is a question that will decide itself in the coming days of camp. The Leafs have a number of more experienced defenders on the roster and one in Cody Franson who remains unsigned. All of which makes an initial stint with the Leafs unlikely. But if MacWilliam demonstrates continued readiness and progression in the coming two weeks he could just sneak onto the roster or at the very least, provide the club with options to play with on the back-end. "Its been a long five years," MacWilliam concluded of the process that saw him drafted and now on the verge of the NHL. "But they say its not about the destination, its the journey. "The whole process, along the whole way of my career, we havent taken things too fast, we just take it slow and it hasnt hurt me yet." NCAA Jerseys . Both had to wait out a rain interruption lasting nearly five hours before taking comprehensive third-round victories to join Carling Bassett-Seguso (1983, 1986), Patricia Hy-Boulais (1996-97) and Daniel Nestor (1999) as Canadians who made it into the second week of a major. Cheap NCAA Jerseys . The underachieving franchise finished 17th in the 19-team league with a 6-17-11 record this season. "Our soccer team is absolutely in complete disarray," said Leiweke, drawing laughs during an Empire Club luncheon speech about the future of MLSE teams and plans to improve them. https://www.cheapncaajerseysjustwholesale.com/ .com) - Houston Texans interim head coach Wade Phillips confirmed Monday that starting quarterback Case Keenum sustained a sprained right thumb during Sundays 25-3 loss in Indianapolis.DETROIT -- Even by the Detroit Pistons recent standards, this was an abrupt change. Detroit fired coach Maurice Cheeks on Sunday after less than a year as coach, with the Pistons languishing well below .500 despite off-season moves aimed at putting the struggling franchise back in contention. Detroit is 21-29, and although the Pistons still have a decent chance to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, their new roster has performed erratically. "This was a difficult decision for the organization to make but we needed to make a change," team president Joe Dumars said in a statement. "We have great respect for Maurice and appreciate his hard work." A person with knowledge of Detroits plans said assistant John Loyer will take over as interim coach. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced an interim coach yet. The Pistons havent made the playoffs since being swept in the first round in 2009 -- in Michael Currys only season as their coach. Since then, Detroit has gone through two seasons under John Kuester and two under Lawrence Frank. After neither of them could make any real progress, Cheeks was brought in as Detroits ninth coach since the 1999-2000 season. In addition to hiring Cheeks last off-season, Detroit signed forward Josh Smith and traded for point guard Brandon Jennings, trying to bolster a roster that already included young big men Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe. But the mix has been uninspiring for the most part. The Pistons have had problems defensively and have struggled to close out games in the fourth quarter. The poor attendance thats become commonplace at The Palace hasnt really improved -- and Detroits 11-15 home record hasnt helped. "Our record does not reflect our talent and we simply need a change," Pistons owner Tom Gores said Sunday. "We have not made the kind of progress that we should have over the first half of the season. This is a young team and we knew there would be growing pains, but we can be patient only as long as there is progress." Detroit is only a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the East, but thats largely because so many teams in the conference are having similar problems. The Pistons are only three games better than they were after 50 games last season. Cheeks became the first coach to leave or be fired after 50 games or fewer with an NBA team since Bob Weiss, who coached only 30 games forr Seattle in 2005-06, according to STATS. Cheap NCAA Jerseys China. That does not include interim coaches. "The responsibility does not fall squarely on any one individual, but right now this change is a necessary step toward turning this thing around," Gores said. "I still have a lot of hope for this season and I expect our players to step up. I respect and appreciate Maurice Cheeks and thank him for his efforts; we just require a different approach." The Pistons have won four of six, including back-to-back blowouts at home against Brooklyn and Denver on Friday and Saturday. They host San Antonio on Monday night, and the team has not made any announcement about who will coach that game. Cheeks previously coached Portland and Philadelphia, a team he won an NBA title with as a point guard. The Pistons gave him his third shot to be an NBA head coach in June. Gores was in attendance at a recent game and said he thought the team was better than its record. "Im not satisfied. Our job is to make sure that our players are at their maximum," Gores said after that Feb. 1 game against Philadelphia. "Im not satisfied with the job Im doing. Im not satisfied with the job anyone is doing." At that point, speculation centred around the upcoming trade deadline and the possibility that Detroit might shake up its roster again. Now, the Pistons are hoping another coaching change can improve the franchises outlook. Detroit made the conference finals six straight years from 2003-08, but the teams fall was swift after that, and rebuilding has been difficult. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Pistons championship in 2004 -- and the atmosphere at The Palace could hardly be more different. "Were focused on how to make our players the best," Gores said earlier this month. "I dont think weve done our best job of making sure they are at their best. They are working at 100 per cent, but these are young men who need a lot of preparation." The Pistons became the third major pro team in Detroit to make a coaching or managerial change in the past six months. Jim Leyland of the Tigers stepped down and was replaced by Brad Ausmus after last season, and the Lions fired Jim Schwartz in late December, eventually replacing him with Jim Caldwell. So Ausmus, who has yet to manage a game, is now the second-longest tenured manager or coach of the citys four major pro teams. Yahoo Sports first reported Cheeks firing. ' ' '