ace in literature, which I believe is like a FedEx Cup trophy to the rest of the non-golf world.And sure, if were really going to discuss how the times are a-changin, we might want to start with the presidential election. Or at the very least, the Chicago Cubs.By comparison, the golf industry is movin

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams consistently cites Ahmed Hill as the toughest player in his program.So it came as no surprise to him that Hill made the big plays in the final minute of a close non-conference game.Ive been to where Med grew up, Williams said. Hell be fine in the toughest situation you can create.Hill scored 20 points to lead the Hokies to an 80-75 victory over Ole Miss on Sunday.Hill hit 5 of 10 from the floor, including 3 of 6 from beyond the 3-point arc for Virginia Tech (8-1), which won its fourth straight game. Zach LeDay added 15 points.Sebastian Saiz led the Rebels (6-3) with 21 points.Ole Miss trailed the entire second half, including 68-54 with a little more than five minutes left to play, but the Rebels scored on six straight possessions. They hit three 3-pointers in that span to cut the lead to 71-70 on a basket by Cullen Neal with 1:224 remaining.But the Hokies went to Hill, and he responded, scoring six points in the final minute. He drained a jumper with 59 seconds left to push the lead to 73-70. He also hit four free throws in the final 16.6 seconds to help the Hokies hold on.Were trying to work on finishing better, Hill said. Last year, we didnt finish as well, and Buzz is trying to teach us how to finish better in the second half. Were learning every day.Hill made 7 of 10 from the free-throw line, but the Hokies connected on just 60 percent of their free-throw attempts (18 of 30). Virginia Tech was able to make up for it by hitting 10 of 26 from beyond the 3-point arc.If they get penetration, because of their spacing and ball movement, theyre going to find the open guy, Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said. Youve got three of their five guys typically making 3s -- and then (Chris) Clarke throws one in. And LeDay throws one in. It doesnt do good for the other team.BIG PICTUREOle Miss needs to shore up its perimeter defense if it harbors any hopes of postseason play. The Rebels gave up 10 3-pointers to Virginia Tech and have allowed at least eight 3s in eight of nine games this season.Virginia Tech added another impressive win to its resume, as it seeks a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Ole Miss came in ranked No. 26 in the Ratings Percentage Index. The Hokies also have non-conference wins against New Mexico, Nebraska and Michigan.QUOTE TO NOTEVirginia Tech post player Khadim Sy scored the Hokies first three baskets of the second half, forcing Kennedy to stop playing a 1-3-1 zone and go to a man-to-man defense -- which the Hokies exploited. Sy, a native of Senegal, scored just the six points, but had an impact on the game and has a huge fan in his coach Williams.Hes like Eddie Murphy in `Coming to America, Williams said. Hes just happy to be here. I think thats part of the reason why hes good. He doesnt have a lot of bad voices in his head. He wants to do what you ask him to do.UP NEXTThe Rebels return to action Thursday with a home game against Murray State for the first of three straight non-conference home games before opening SEC play against No. 6 Kentucky on Dec. 29The Hokies are in exams this week and dont return to the court until Saturday when they continue non-conference play with a home game against The Citadel. Virginia Tech is a combined 23-2 all-time versus its next three opponents. Lanny McDonald Maple Leafs Jersey . The 18th player to shoot 60 on the tour, Jamieson settled for par on the final hole when his 15-foot birdie chip grazed the edge of the hole and stayed out. After opening with rounds of 66 and 73 to make the cut by a stroke, he had 11 birdies in the bogey-free round. Borje Salming Maple Leafs Jersey . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. http://www.mapleleafsteamstoreonline.com/authentic-wendel-clark-maple-leafs-jersey/ . JOHNS, N. Mats Sundin Jersey . Datsyuk will miss Tuesdays game against New Jersey and could be sidelined longer, while Cleary will likely miss at least the next three games. Its been an injury-plagued season for Datsyuk, who has suited up for just 39 games. Dave Keon Jersey . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- It would be a little too clichéd to open a column about changing times by quoting Bob Dylan, but hey, those words helped win him a Nobel Peace in literature, which I believe is like a FedEx Cup trophy to the rest of the non-golf world.And sure, if were really going to discuss how the times are a-changin, we might want to start with the presidential election. Or at the very least, the Chicago Cubs.By comparison, the golf industry is moving at a leisurely pace. But the better point to be made here is that it is indeed moving forward, which hasnt always been the case.For years, industry leaders have cited declines in both the number of people playing the game and the number of people watching the game at its highest level, so much so that the grassroots movement to grow the game has become synonymous with the rhetoric of these leaders.Too often this has just been lip service. Sure, efforts to increase the amount of people playing golf shouldnt go unrecognized, but the worlds biggest tours have largely remained stagnant. The popular takeaway has been that these tours are all in favor of growing the game, just as long as they dont have to veer too far from the status quo.Three announcements in the past week alone, though, have already triggered the changing times in golf.The PGA Tour revealed that next years edition of the Zurich Classic will be a team event, featuring 80 two-man pairings competing alongside each other in the only officially sanctioned non-individual tournament on the schedule.The Web.com Tour, the largest developmental tour of the PGA circuit, announced that its season will begin with two events in the Bahamas that are played in consecutive rounds starting on Sunday and finishing on Wednesday in an effort to maximize interest on otherwise golf-less days.The European Tour, fresh off a few non-competitive nighttime challenges before tournaments, is looking into the potential of contesting an entire competitive event under a dark sky and bright lights.These are brilliant ideas, all of them, for the simple reason that theyre not the status quo. That doesnt mean theyll all be endlessly successful or grow the game, but they will break the mold. Theyll move outside a box that has too frequently confined professional events to the usual conformist standards.ddddddddddddIt can be argued that golf doesnt need such tweaks at its highest levels, at least not in the most literal sense, but it can more easily be argued that new ideas can be beneficial to helping the overall cause.Is it needed? I dont have any idea. I would probably say no, Zach Johnson explained. But can it be a positive in the long run? Absolutely. To add something to a product thats already tremendous and make it better -- whether its lights, dates, formats -- Im all for it. If it can help the game, if it helps fans of the game and makes us players hungrier to play more, sure. I see no issues with it.Its a trial and error process, added Jim Furyk. If its good and the fans like it and the sponsor likes it and the players like it, heck yeah, lets go. Lets keep doing it. If it doesnt work, well come up with some new ideas. Theres nothing wrong with trying.Therein lies an inherent issue with outside the box thinking: It cant only serve one master. These new ideas have to fit the desires of fans, sponsors and players, which is a more difficult concept than it might seem.Each of these ideas proposed in the past week meets all of the criteria. Each should help grow the game -- or at least enhance the entertainment factor -- without failing to fulfill the needs of one of these parties.Obviously, the tried and true traditional fan is always going to watch golf, Brandt Snedeker said. But how do we get the casual fan involved? How do we get people who dont think golf is cool to watch an event? We saw that at the Ryder Cup; people who traditionally dont watch golf watched it. How can we use that to our advantage? Its good to try it, see how it goes, see the fan response and go from there.For too long, golf has remained reluctant to stray from the status quo at professional tournaments. Finally the industry is starting to listen to its own grow the game implorations. Some of the ideas might be instant hits, others might prove to be flops.But thats beside the point. The games leaders are becoming more open to ideas. At least theyre now starting to try some ideas and see what works. ' ' '