CHICAGO -- The Bulls are in the process of undergoing two makeovers.The first one came during the summer when Bulls GM Gar Forman added veterans Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo to an unproven core of young players. Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol were out. Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson remained. In the multimillion dollar poker game that is NBA free agency, Forman pushed in all his chips behind Wade and Rondo, hoping the pairs presence would keep his team relevant. In Formans mind Wade and Rondo would help mentor Butler as a leader. Theyd serve as a sounding board for the 27-year-old All-Star swingman, while also helping unite what had become a fractured locker room.The second makeover is much more difficult. It will evolve throughout the season and just like the first one, it wont be initially clear if it is a success or failure. The second makeover centers on creating a new culture for a group in search of one. The Bulls didnt just miss the playoffs in last seasons disappointing 42-40 campaign. The group became fractured as Butler tried to take more of a leadership role and new coach Fred Hoiberg struggled to form an identity for his group.Optimism throughout the first week of training camp is almost universal in the NBA, but the poignant words that many Bulls players continue to speak about the ongoing culture change have been hard to miss. Player after player has regurgitated the same message.This time is different. This time the group is unified. This time were all on the same page.Whether there is a discernible difference or not in regard to how the group plays together compared to last season remains to be seen, but the message has been unmistakable so far. After a season of unfulfilled expectations, the Bulls are embracing a new image, a picture which doesnt include long-time franchise stalwarts Rose and Noah.Its weird, Bulls forward Doug McDermott said of going to work without Rose and Noah. It still doesnt quite feel real. But I think its for the better. Not saying anything bad about those guys obviously, they meant a lot to this organization, and they helped me a lot. But I think we just needed a new vibe. And I think we got it with these guys.A new vibe may as well become the tagline for the Bulls 2016 new beginning. Butler seems much happier knowing that he is now the unquestioned face of the franchise?and the long shadows of Rose and Noah are gone. Wade seems confident he can guide?his new team when needed and provide some stability from within the group its craving.Ive come from a different place, a different culture, so things are done differently in different places, Wade said. So I sat down and listened to guys and just talked and they tell me [about what happened last season]. But I think the biggest thing is some of the things they said I know its not going to take place here. Not while Im here. Not while Rondos here and not while Jimmys continuing to grow as a leader. You talk about last year, but at the same time last year doesnt matter neither. We have a different core ... We have guys, obviously Rondos won a championship, Ive won a championship, we demand respect on the court, but we got a lot of young guys as well so theyll listen. Its not a veteran team where everyones stuck in their ways. Right now in training camp we got 10 guys thats three years or less [of NBA experience] so theyre all ears and thats a good thing for this team right now.Forman is surely proud of Wades message given its the same one the general manager has been opining about for months. The mixture of old and?young is what Forman is banking on as the two makeovers merge into a larger project this season. He is confident that the young players will grow under the veterans tutelage and the older players will be refreshed by working with their younger counterparts.Everyones full of energy, Bulls forward Bobby Portis said. I feel like its a different level of competition. And also, everyones trying to compete for minutes. We have a lot of guys thats around the same age this year thats trying to go out there and compete for minutes. Its always fun to go out there and compete each and every day because me, Cris [Felicio], Niko [Mirotic], Taj [Gibson], were all competing for something big. At the end of the day were all a team, but at the same time were all competitors.Hoiberg has consistently thrown plaudits toward his group after most days, appreciating the work they are putting in. But its the talking points?the group repeatedly hits that are worth noting. The communication, which was so bad at times on and off the floor last year, seems much better for now.I think the great thing about it is the players have been very vocal this year, Hoiberg said. When youve got a guy like Dwyane Wade whos won multiple championships, whos been around this league, going into his 14th season. Jimmys been very vocal in training camp. Rondos got a great voice. So when youve got your players out there setting the tone with communication it makes everybodys job easier. As far as, am I more vocal? Yeah, probably. I probably am this year. But its about going out there, carrying that communication to the floor once we get out in game-type situations.It isnt just the Bulls words that have garnered attention. Its the groups collective actions that have left an impression, specifically those of Hoiberg and how he has constructed the training camp schedule in his second year. The Bulls have not had a day off since camp officially began on Sept. 27, a rarity in a league more conscious than ever about rest schedules. The irony of Hoiberg running a tighter ship than usual this season is that his new work schedule, which has included multiple two-hour plus practices and several two-a-day workouts is that it resembles that of his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau. But even Thibodeau, a task-master, whom the Bulls front office grew to hate over time -- at least in part because of the workload he put on players, routinely gave his team a day off during the first week of camp.We need the work, Hoiberg said of his new schedule. Weve gone every day, we havent given a day off yet. The plan is to take our first day off after our Saturday night game [against the Indiana Pacers]. Well play [Thursday], come in and correct some things [Friday], play again on Saturday night and then take Sunday off, but I just think we need the work. Weve had tentative days scheduled where we might take it off, but I just felt we needed to be in the gym.Hoiberg is in a tough spot no matter what he decides to do. He wasnt able to push the Bulls into the playoffs last season. The offense he was brought in to fix sputtered and the defense that had been the Bulls linchpin under Thibodeau fell off. The Bulls have suddenly gone from a potential title contender to an afterthought. And Hoiberg acknowledged that he is feeling more heat this year to right the ship.Hoiberg isnt just more vocal these days in how he wants his players to prepare, hes more forceful as well.Hes been much more demanding on us, McDermott said of Hoiberg. Hes really vocal out there and Ive noticed a difference for sure. Obviously, hes real hard on himself about last year, as we are too. And we dont want that to happen again so were going to do everything we can right off the bat to try and fix it.Hoiberg has been buoyed by Wades arrival, with the future Hall of Famer acknowledging that the young coach has given him carte blanche to stop practice whenever he feels necessary to impart some not-so-subtle words of wisdom to his teammates. But its Hoiberg who has been more open about exactly what he wants, much earlier than he was a year ago, according to his players.Just how much hes looking for everybody to be a perfectionist in whatever it may be, Butler said. Whether its catching a rebound with one hand or making a bounce pass here when youre not supposed to. I think thats holding everybody accountable to where theyre not going to mess up because youre giving it to them early, the second day, third day of training camp. Let [the team] know this is how were going to do it this year, this is how were going to guard the ball -- everybody, not one or the other. Everybody. So when everybody has that same thing in their head, then everybodys on the same page.Butler, who famously ripped Hoiberg last December, saying the coach needed to coach harder, made it very clear on media day that he wanted Hoiberg to use him as an example for his younger teammates. Hoiberg has ramped up practices for Butler and his teammates both in time and intensity by integrating a lot more game-type action this time around.We are doing a lot more scrimmaging, Hoiberg said. And we get into it quickly. Obviously theres a lot of things that we have to teach. But everything were doing, we try to put a competitive element to it. And theres consequences: If you lose, you run. And the guys have bought into everything were doing on that end. Its all about going out there and competing. Again, our guys are fighting and they know theyre out there competing for minutes, rotation spots, so it has been a very, very competitive camp.No rebuilding, or in the Bulls case, re-tooling process, as Forman loves to say, is easy. There are going to be bumps along the way and there are still serious questions regarding whether or not this team has the talent to contend for a playoff spot again. But the one thing this group has been consistent about as it turns the page to another year is that, at least for now, everybody is pulling in the same direction -- and that wasnt the case a year ago. Andrew Cashner Jersey . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Joey Rickard Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. http://www.cheaporiolesjerseyschina.com/jim-palmer-jersey/ . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. Dylan Bundy Jersey . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. Youth Orioles Jerseys . LOUIS -- St. After a pair of 1,000-yard seasons, Baylor career rushing leader Shock Linwood still has to earn his carries for the Bears. They have two other runners with 100-yard games this season.The Big 12 has long had a reputation for big-play passing offenses, but there are also some impressive running combos. Besides No. 11 Baylor, No. 19 Oklahoma and Texas havent been single-handed in piling up more than 200 yards a game.While an injured right knee has Chris Warren III out for Texas, the Longhorns still have Big 12 rushing leader DOnta Foreman, who is also second nationally with 149 yards rushing per game. Oklahoma has Samaje Perine, the Big 12s leading rusher as a freshman two seasons ago, and all-around standout Joe Mixon.Here is more on the dual threats:SHOCK FACTORIn the game after Linwood broke Baylors career rushing record that had stood for 35 years, he had only two carries for 4 yards against Oklahoma State on Sept. 24. The senior likely re-established himself as the Bears top runner among their trio with a career-high 237 yards at Iowa State before an open date.This is the guy that everybody was talking about, and I hadnt really seen that guy early, acting head coach Jim Grobe said. When he got challenged, when he didnt play a lot, he had a great week of practice.Linwood said he was motivated by what happened in the last home game, and admitted being pretty upset after barely touching the ball against Oklahoma State. But he clearly took to heart the message about practicing better.The Bears lead the Big 12 with 290 yards rushing per game -- 12 yards more than their passing average. Linwood is fourth in the league with 90.8 yards rushing per game, while sophomore Terence Williams is sixth with 82 yards per game.Baylor also has redshirt freshman JaMycal Hasty, who had 105 yards against Rice but only one carry in Linwoods breakout game in which Williams also had 126 yards and two touuchdowns.ddddddddddddLONGHORN LEGSEven with a pulled abdominal muscle, Foreman ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns Saturday against Oklahoma, when the Longhorns were without the injured Warren for the first time.Hes a guy that we are definitely excited about, offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert said of Foreman, the deceptively quick 249-pound junior. He was not 100 percent healthy, and the kid went out there and was determined. He fought, he battled to the yards that he got.Both Foreman and Warren got banged up in the Oct. 1 game at Oklahoma State. Warren, still third in the Big 12 with 91.5 yards per game, is out 6-8 weeks after running 10 times for 106 yards before halftime against the Cowboys. Foreman had 148 yards in that game.BOOMER SOONERPerine ran for a season-high 214 yards in the Red River Rivalry game against Texas, on 35 carries without negative yards on any of those. It was Perines 12th career 100-yard game , trailing only Linwoods 15 for the most by an active Big 12 player.Mixon had been the Sooners leading rusher -- at least stats-wise -- before then. Mixon averages 77.6 yards rushing per game (eighth in the Big 12), and 6.5 yards per carry. Hes also second on the Sooners with 15 catches, and is their primary kick returner.After missing spring practice following left ankle surgery to repair torn ligaments, Perines rushing total has increased each game this season. He is now second in the Big 12 with 92.2 yards per game.Hes getting his rhythm back, coach Bob Stoops said. I think a lot of people can take it for granted hes the same old guy as soon as hes out there. Thats a fine art, those guys, in the way they run, and split-second reactions. Hes just getting his grove back.---Online: AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org Discount NFL Jerseys Cheap Stitched Jerseys Disocunt Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China NFL Jerseys From China Wholesale Stitched Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Store ' ' '