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ROME -- At the age of 17, Gianluigi Donnarumma is already considered the heir apparent to Gianluigi Buffon.After only seven Serie A appearances, 18-year-old Manuel Locatelli is drawing comparisons to Andrea Pirlo.MBaye Niang, a relative veteran at 21, is providing the kind of consistency at forward that Mario Balotelli couldnt.AC Milan is fully embracing a youth movement as it endures a third consecutive season out of European competition. In a league where the top clubs have had a tendency to rely on veterans and the odd Brazilian teenager, seeing so many young faces wearing the familiar Rossoneri colors is a novelty.Theres less fear in Italy now, even though some clubs still prefer veterans, Niang said. Weve got the right mix. When you have great players that can win matches by themselves it throws the other players off balance.The Milan side that beat Chievo Verona 3-1 Sunday was the youngest average team of the weekend in Serie A at 24 years, 231 days. Seven of the players were born in the 1990s -- Donnarumma, Locatelli, Niang, Alessio Romagnoli, Suso, Mattia De Sciglio and Gianluca Lapadula.I dont feel like a young player anymore. Im nearly 22 and Ive been a pro since I was 16, Niang, who made his Ligue 1 debut with Caen in 2011, said in an interview with La Repubblica. (De Sciglio and I) have got to be examples for the actual kids, like Donnarumma and Locatelli.Riding a five-match unbeaten streak, Milan is in third place, level on points with second-place Roma.Up next for Milan is a match against five-time defending champion Juventus on Saturday at the San Siro. Its a rematch of last seasons Italian Cup final, which Juventus won 1-0 after extra time.Milan hasnt beaten Juventus since November 2012.It reminds me of Juve from a few years ago, Buffon said of Milan, recalling Juves transformation after a 2006 match-fixing scandal that saw the Bianconeri relegated to Serie B. They just need time and experience to improve.The last time Milan collected 16 or more points over its first eight matches was in 2010-11, when the Rossoneri won their last title. A year after that title, Milan sold top players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain -- part of a mass exodus of veterans instigated by a drop in investments by club president Silvio Berlusconi.The overhaul sparked a downward spiral that has seen Milan fail to finish higher than seventh the past three seasons, including a dismal 10th in 2014-15.Since current Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri was fired by Milan in January 2014, five different coaches have taken charge of the club. Berlusconi is in the process of finalizing the sale of the team to a group of Chinese investors.Unlike Clarence Seedorf, Filippo Inzaghi, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Cristian Brocchi, current coach Vincenzo Montella has been able to restore some pride in the seven-time European champion.Montella has brought back the joy of the game, midfielder Giacomo Bonaventura told the Gazzetta dello Sport of the manager who was known as the Aeroplanino -- the Little Airplane -- as a player for his small stature and trademark goal celebrations, when he spread his arms like wings.It shows in the fact that weve reached this point with more or less the same squad as a year ago, Bonaventura added. Hes improved things on the pitch and hes changing our mentality. Its been a pleasant surprise.---Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampf Wholesale Vapormax China . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Fake Yeezy 700 . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. http://www.cheapshoesstorewholesale.com/yeezy-boost-350-online-outlet.html . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. Air Force 1 Clearance Sale . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Cheap Shoes Online Free Delivery . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- East Carolina coach Jeff Lebo came to John Paul Jones Arena thinking his team could be running into a buzz saw.He was right.Kyle Guy scored 13 points to lead a season-high five Virginia players in double figures, and the No. 14 Cavaliers used strong perimeter shooting to beat the Pirates 76-53 on Tuesday night.I knew we would get a spirited group after a loss at home, Lebo said. They dont lose too often at home.Virginia (8-1) had little trouble bouncing back from Saturdays loss to then-No. 25 West Virginia, its first at JPJ in two years. After trailing 16-15 with 9:26 remaining in the first half, the Cavaliers ended the period on a 27-4 run.The spurt included seven straight made 3-pointers, with three coming from Guy.A former Mr. Basketball in Indiana, Guy was held out for the final 11:27 during the loss to the Mountaineers. The freshman logged 21 minutes Tuesday, sparking Virginias early barrage from long range.I really think I can help this team, Guy said. Im not complaining about my minutes. Im fine with not playing at all. I just want my team to win.I know my minutes are going to fluctuate throughout the year. Some Ill be able to put up numbers and help this team and other games I can help this team by cheering.He did both on Tuesday.The Cavaliers finished 9 of 21 from beyond the arc, taking advantage of East Carolinas 2/3 zone.East Carolina played a lot of zone early, Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, and we shot them out of it.London Perrantes added 12 points and five assists for Virginia. Other double-digit scorers for the Cavaliers included Marial Shayok (12), Mamadi Diakite (12) and Jarred Reuter (10).East Carolina (7-3) was led by Jeremy Sheppards 17 points.BIG PICTUREEast Carolina: It was East Carolinas first game against a Power Five team this season. The Pirates entered John Paul Jones Arena searching for their first win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 30, 2002, wwhen they beat then-No.dddddddddddd13 Marquette and Dwyane Wade. Theyve never defeated a ranked team on the road. ... East Carolina, picked to finish seventh in the 11-team American Athletic Conference, is looking for its first winning season since 2012-13. It features three players averaging at least 12 points per game.Virginia: Coming off a competitive week that included games against West Virginia and Ohio State, the Cavaliers werent expected to be tested Tuesday. The game against the Pirates gave Bennett another opportunity to work different combinations as the team continues its quest for an identity in the post following the Nov. 18 dismissal of Austin Nichols. Virginia, after being outscored by a combined 26 points in the paint against the Mountaineers and Buckeyes, was plus-26 vs. East Carolina. A Dec. 21 road matchup with Ivan Rabb and California should reveal plenty about this team on the interior.Each game presents different matchups, Bennett said, but we tried to be a little more intentional getting to the paint off the dribble, dropping passes, throwing it inside.SHARING THE WEALTHVirginia assisted on all 15 of its first-half field goals, and 22 of 30 for the game. Four different Cavaliers finished with at least three assists.BIG MAN SHUT DOWNEast Carolina 7-foot-1 center Andre Washington, who entered averaging 9.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, was held scoreless with four rebounds.Most of the time, if were going against a big guy and he gets it, we try to trap the post, Bennett said. Thats a staple of our defense, to try to be disruptive. I thought for the most part we did a good job. Its hard to score out of that.UP NEXTThe Pirates are off until Dec. 15, when they host College of Charleston.The Cavaliers are off until Dec. 17, when they host Robert Morris. ' ' '