CHASKA, Minn. -- At first, I was going to write a column proposing 10 questions entering this weeks Ryder Cup.Then I thought about maybe turning it into 10 predictions instead.Like a golf fan with dual citizenship, I didnt know which way to lean.So I opted for both. Here are 10 questions AND predictions going into this weeks matches.1. Question: Lets start with an easy one: Who are the most important players for each team? Theres a reason why the U.S. team has adopted the slogan 12 Strong and not 1 Stronger than the Other 11. Everybodys points count the same this week. That said, there are a few guys who could spark some momentum a little bit more than their fellow teammates.Prediction: Hes no longer the best player on the U.S. team, and he might not play more than three matches, but if Phil Mickelson gets it going, his counterparts will feed off that. For the Europeans, its all about Rory McIlroy. Hes their compass; as Rory goes, so goes the team. Unless he completely stinks up the joint, expect five matches this week.2. Question: Related follow-up -- Who will be the best players for each team? Maybe these first two questions are the same thing, maybe there are some nuanced differences between them. Its my column; Ill opt for the latter.Prediction: Lets not overthink this on the U.S. side. Dustin Johnson has been the worlds best player this year and he was 3-0-0 the last time this event was held stateside. Easy call. And Id love to go contrarian for the Europeans, but McIlroy is fresh off a win, hes happy and -- uh-oh -- happy learned how to putt.3. Question: Which relative unknown will emerge as a breakout American star this week? Oh, I love the idea of breaking up the U.S. and Europe into two separate questions, so we could stretch this thing out to a total of 10. Thats some crafty column configuring right there.Prediction: There really arent any unknowns on the U.S. team. The two rookies -- Brooks Koepka and Ryan Moore -- have each played high-level golf on the PGA Tour for a while. That said, keep an eye on Moore, the last man in. Nothing tends to rattle him and hes been playing great golf lately.4. Question: Same question, for the Europeans. At least there are some options here. Darren Clarkes side comes in with six rookies, although thats never been the right term for them. Even though hes never played in a Ryder Cup before, its difficult to call Masters champion Danny Willett a rookie. These guys have all played big-event golf before, obviously.Prediction: Thomas Pieters seems like Nicolas Colsaerts 2.0 -- an improved version of the Belgian Bomber who posted nine birdies on Friday afternoon four years ago before running out of gas on the weekend. Expect him to win a few matches this week, possibly paired with a calming veteran influence. Honorable mention: Rafa Cabrera Bello.5. Question: Wait a minute -- why doesnt this thing start on Thursday instead of making us wait until Friday? Ive never understood this. As much as the Ryder Cup is about competition and country, its also all about the Benjamins. Starting on Thursday, even with just one session, would mean an extra day of television revenue, not to mention an extra day of stoking fan interest levels. As is, Thursday at the Ryder Cup is one of the most brutal days in golf. Lets get this thing moving already.Prediction: Itll happen. Someday.6. Question: Will the captains really make a difference this week? And if so, whos better? Ive finally seen the light. I used to compare Ryder Cup captains to first-base coaches: Basically, pat guys on the butt, point em in the right direction and hope you win. I changed my mind when Paul Azinger imparted strategic maneuvers to win in 2008, and my opinion was only reinforced two years ago, when Paul McGinley came prepared for every potential scenario.Prediction: Much like the matches themselves, captains often seem even until they start playing, then some weaknesses emerge. Davis Love III and Darren Clarke appear equally up to the task, though if you want to give a slight advantage, it might go to Love for having the experience from four years ago.7. Question: OK then, smart guy. Will the vice captains really make a difference? Just because I need to hit my word count in this piece, here are all the vice captains for each side: Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Tom Lehman and, yes, Bubba Watson for the U.S.; Padraig Harrington, Ian Poulter, Thomas Bjorn and Paul Lawrie for Europe.Prediction: Actually? Yeah, they will make a difference. Thats because each of these captains is using his assistants much like the president leans on his cabinet. Neither Love nor Clarke is ruling with an iron fist this week. In some ways, the American vice captains might even wield greater power, as Love seems inclined to listen to their decisions -- especially those of Tiger.8. Question: Which pre-tournament controversy will most affect the competition? Mickelson dredged up old memories by criticizing 2004 captain Hal Sutton for pairing him with Woods; he later apologized. Pete Willett, brother of Danny, wrote a column calling American fans a baying mob of imbeciles among other things; Danny later apologized on his behalf.Prediction: This is the kind of stuff that makes headlines when theres so much lead time before the event and no golf being played. Neither controversy should have much of an effect on the outcome, though dont be surprised if Willett -- apology or not -- hears more than his share of jeers from the home crowd, especially during afternoon matches when the gallery has, uh, partaken in the refreshments.9. Question: What will be the key stat this week? Conventional wisdom says putting wins these things. Conventional wisdom is also the kind of thing which we took for granted before analytics showed us what really mattered. Love and his vice captains have taken a deep dive into the numbers of the last few Ryder Cups and have spent the last few months crunching the numbers.Prediction: Sure, putting matters. Putting always matters. But keep a close eye on this one: Four years ago, the U.S. played the par-5 holes in a collective 52-28-94 and nearly -- maybe shouldve -- won. Two years ago, the team played these holes in 27-51-58 and got clobbered. On a long golf course (7,628 yards) with the traditional four par-5 layout, expect performance on these holes to be a great determining factor in the overall result.10. Question: Forget all that other stuff. Whos gonna win this thing? Youre excused if you skipped everything above and scrolled straight to here. This is what you want to know; this is what everyone wants to know. Can the U.S. team, after losing the past three Ryder Cups and six of the past seven, finally win again?Prediction: Playing on home soil, with a team ranked higher collectively and -- most importantly -- inspired by the spirit of Arnold Palmer, it feels like everything is set up for a U.S. victory. Ill put it this way: If they dont win this week, with all of those factors at play, it could be a long time before they do. But itll happen. After years of in-fighting, blame-deflecting and task-forcing, the U.S. will win this week ... finally. Nike Epic React Flyknit Clearance . 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The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina State thrived in a battle of long-range shooting.Terry Henderson scored 25 points and made six 3-pointers to help the Wolfpack beat Fairfield 99-78 on Sunday.Dennis Smith Jr. added 17 points and five 3-pointers for the Wolfpack (9-2), who won their fourth game in a row.NC State shot 53 percent from the floor and made 13 of 25 3-point attempts, taking advantage of Fairfields zone defense.If thats how they want to play, thats on them, Henderson said. Teams have got to pick their poison.Abdul-Malik Abu scored 14 points, and Torin Dorn and Omer Yurtseven had 12 points each for the Wolfpack.The Stags (5-4) made just 11 of 42 3-point tries, attempting 17 more 3-pointers than they had in any game this season.Were comfortable with a lot of those shots, Fairfield coach Sydney Johnson said. We want to get up and down and let them fly as long as theyre good looks.Tyler Nelson scored 23 points to lead Fairfield, which dropped its third consecutive game.Jerry Johnson Jr. added 17 points, and Curtis Cobb had 14 for the Stags.NC State led 48-39 at halftime after seizing control with a 19-0 run midway through the first half.Fairfield went scoreless for more than six minutes as NC State built its lead. The Wolfpack made four 3-pointers, including two by Henderson, during the flurry.BIG PICTUREFairfield: The Stags came out hot after a 12-day break from game action, making seven of their first 11 field goal attempts, but they couldnt maintain the pace. They continue a difficult portion of their schedule that includes only one home game in the month of December.NC State: Short-handed for much of the season, the Wolfpack got a chance to flex their muscles at full strength for the second game in a row. NC State once again showcased its ability to scoree inside and from the perimeter, but defensive improvement remains a necessity as conference play approaches.ddddddddddddI think the depth is going to help our defense more than anything, NC State coach Mark Gottfried said. I think they understand it. Theyve got to play hard and play well, especially defensively, no lapses, or somebody else is ready to play. Thats going to help us become a better team.MILESTONE MANNelson, who entered the game averaging a team-best 19.9 points per game, became the 42nd player in Fairfield history to score 1,000 career points. He reached the milestone early in the first half with a pretty left-handed scoop shot.STAR WATCHSmith played another solid floor game with nine assists, five rebounds and two steals. The one knock on him during his impressive freshman season has been his outside shooting. But after making just 27.5 percent from 3-point range in the first 10 games, he hit 5 of 7 3-point tries against Fairfield. To his credit, he made some big shots, Sydney Johnson said. If he does that, the sky is the limit for him.TIP-INSNC State registered a season-high point total and tied its season high for first-half points. . Fairfield made all 17 of its free throws. . The Stags shot 3-pointers on 62 percent of their field-goal attempts. They entered the game with an average of 35 percent of their field goal attempts coming from 3-point range.UP NEXTFairfield: The Stags take on their second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference opponent when they play Boston College on Wednesday night in Uncasville, Conn.NC State: The Wolfpack take on McNeese State on Thursday night in the fifth-game of a six-game homestand. ' ' '