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As the opening night of Premier League draws closer, we have picked a PL club to represent each of this seasons darting stars. Premier League moments Rod Studd looks back on some Premier League classics Defending champion Gary Anderson, world No 1 Michael van Gerwen, and six-time winner Phil Taylor are all part of a 10-man field who will head to the First Direct Arena in Leeds on Thursday night, live on Sky Sports. But which PL team is a fitting example of this campaigns title hopefuls? Gary Anderson - Chelsea Gary Anderson starts the defence of his title next week The reigning champion will be hoping to mount a more concerted title defence than Chelsea, but on his day the Scot is more than a match for any of the top contenders.Anderson is not afraid to fight his corner in the manner of Blues striker Diego Costa as he proved in last years row with Raymond van Barneveld about the Dutchman walking too close to him on the oche. World champion Gary Anderson looks ahead to the Premier League The Flying Scotsman has shown he can land major silverware and holds his nerve in the closing stages of a season.Michael van Gerwen - Manchester City Michael van Gerwen will be trying to regain the Premier League crown Comparisons can be drawn between the Dutchman and the affluent Manchester club, especially after MVG scooped nearly £1m in prize money from his tournament wins last season - like City he has also flown out of the traps this season with victory in the opening event of the regular season.Van Gerwen also possesses similar firepower to the likes of Sergio Aguero and can blast aside his rivals with a stunning checkout. Michael van Gerwen displays his composed finishing with a 160 checkout But like City, the 26-year-old has suffered surprise defeats while pursuing the sports top silverware.Phil Taylor - Manchester United Phil Taylor failed to win a major title in 2015 Still hugely popular due to past success, Taylor and Manchester United are both enduring a barren spell.The Power has been forced to contend with recent speculation about his future, very much like Uniteds beleaguered boss Louis van Gaal.And it remains to be seen whether Taylor or the Manchester giants can silence their doubters by rediscovering their title-winning form. Raymond van Barneveld - Liverpool Raymond van Barneveld displayed vintage form at the World Championship After a golden era, Van Barneveld and Liverpool have only been able to collect the occasional title in recent years.Both are capable of conjuring up glimpses of their past glory as shown by Barneys thrilling win over Van Gerwen at the World Championship. Raymond van Barneveld produced a stunning comeback from 3 nil down to beat Michael Smith 5-4 and reach the semi-finals of the World Championship But they have fallen short at crucial spells and RVBs sleepy start to his semi-final defeat against Adrian Lewis at Ally Pally was akin to that Steven Gerrard backpass against Chelsea.Adrian Lewis - Arsenal Adrian Lewis endured more title anguish against Anderson at Alexandra Palace In their pomp, Lewis and Arsenal had that Invincible air about them, but they have struggled to cope with the burden of expectation.Jackpot can produce moments of brilliance and frustration, just like the north Londoners, and this lack of consistency has hampered their pursuit of new silverware.But Lewis will prove his critics wrong if he lifts another title on the closing day of the season.James Wade - Everton James Wade has kept his fans waiting for another major trophy win Respected members of the league, Wade and Everton have to cast their minds back a bit for memories of their most successful spells.But Wade remains a testing opponent for any rivals and fans of the Merseysiders would appreciate the mixture of grit and talent that The Machine displays on the oche.Another mid-table finish looks likely, unless Wade can cast off the lapses in concentration that have cost him dearly.Peter Wright - Norwich City Peter Wright enjoys standing out from the crowd Wrights fondness for colourful outfits suggests that he would happily pull on Norwichs eye-catching home kit on a match day - or even their more lurid away strip.When in top form, Snakebite can offer as much enjoyment as the free-flowing Canaries, but is let down by a lack of cutting edge when under pressure.You can rarely accuse Wright or City of dullness and he should provide even more entertainment for the watching fans.Dave Chisnall - Watford Dave Chisnall compiled the most 180s in last seasons Premier League Another player with a penchant for bright outfits, Chisnalls love of a yellow shirt means he is a natural choice for Watford.Chizzy and the Hornets have come to the fore over the last few years and the prolific Odion Ighalo would approve of his scoring power. Dave Chisnall wowed the Wolverhampton crowd by hitting a wonderful nine-darter against Peter Wright After exceeding expectations last year, Chisnall will want to force his way among the big guns.Michael Smith - Bournemouth Michael Smith is taking a step into the unknown A Premier League debutant, Smith is an easy match for the south coast side as they are making their first appearances on the big stage.Smith must handle the pressure of playing in sold-out venues and like Bournemouth, the 25-year-old will start as an underdog against the more established performers.But Bully Boy and Bournemouth are capable of punching above their weight and more than capable of causing a stir in the coming weeks.Robert Thornton - Swansea City Robert Thornton triumphed at last years Grand Prix Swansea and the Scot share similar qualities as they both relish the challenge of again mixing it with the major stars.Thornton proved he can compete for notable titles by winning last years Grand Prix, while the Swans added the League Cup to their cabinet after rejoining the top tier.But weeks of competition could take their toll on The Thorn, who could be looking anxiously over his shoulder on Judgement Night.You can watch the opening night live on Sky Sports 1 from 7pm on Thursday, we will be building up to the coverage this week and our live blog here at www.skysports.com/darts and on the Sky Sports app will keep you up to date with all the action. 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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The college basketball season is officially here.From North Carolinas Late Night With Roy event to Kentuckys Big Blue Madness that drew a packed crowd to Rupp Arena, Friday night featured a busy schedule of Midnight Madness-style events around the country that stand as the ceremonial kickoff to the 2016-17 season.Similar events took place at Michigan State, Arizona, Maryland, Iowa State and Connecticut among other schools.Coming off a loss in the NCAA championship game on a last-second 3-pointer to Villanova, the Tar Heels held their Late Night event featuring the mens and womens basketball teams in front of a crowd of more than 15,000 fans at the Smith Center. Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams drew a standing ovation as he walked onto the court ahead of player introductions for a veteran squad, while the players quickly commenced with a series of skills contests and dancing for fans before capping the night with an intrasquad scrimmage.I think weve had a pretty good structure out there: guys knew where to go, Tar Heels junior Theo Pinson said. It was good playing in front of a crowd, to get used to it for the freshmen and us getting the feel of it again. It was fun.In Lexington, Kentucky, the Wildcats stepped out on the blue carpet to offer the first look at John Caliparis latest heralded freshman class. The school also unveiled a new scoreboard above center court and a newly designed playing court, part of renovations at Rupp Arena for its 40th anniversary.Actors Steve Zahn and Josh Hopkins, along with former Kentucky standouts and NBA first-round draft picks John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins were also in attendance. Renowned boxing announcer Michael Buffer introduced the players with some of the newcomers displaying dance moves to the delight of those in attendance.Wow, Calipari said. You people are crazy. Look at this place. Only you, only here.The Midnight Madness tradition was based on teams holding open practices at the earliest opportunity on the first day the NCAA permitted teams to open practice. Rule changes in 2013 gaave teams more flexibility on when they would start their practices, which also scattered the Midnight Madness type events -- many now being held in more family-friendly evening hours -- across the calendar.ddddddddddddansas was the first of the marquee programs to hold its event on Oct. 1, while others -- including Duke, Syracuse, Indiana and Virginia -- are scheduled to hold public scrimmages or similar events next weekend.---Heres a look at some of the Midnight Madness events Friday night:UNC: Senior Isaiah Hicks scored 13 points according to unofficial statistics to lead Blue past White 40-37, though the Tar Heels needed a 1-minute overtime after the 20-minute scrimmage to decide it.KENTUCKY: Buffer played off his trademark phrase by announcing Lets get ready for roundball! ahead the Wildcats 10-minute scrimmage matching the newcomers against the veterans. Bam Adebayo had 14 points on seven dunks to help the freshmen win 25-21.UCONN: The Huskies drew about 8,000 fans to Gampel Pavilion in Storrs to catch First Night with the mens and national championship womens teams, which evenly divided both teams players for the 20-minute scrimmage featuring alternating 5-minute segments for mens and womens play.ARIZONA: Five-star freshman guard Rawle Alkins had quite a moment en route to winning the teams dunk contest, plucking the ball from coach Sean Miller as he leaped over his back and then threw it down in one motion.IOWA STATE: Senior Deonte Burton won the teams dunk contest, junior college transfer Donovan Jackson won the 3-point contest, and the mens and womens squads played a 16-minute co-ed scrimmage in Hilton Madness.---This story has been corrected to show Buffer said `roundball, not `rumble.---Freelance writer Keith Taylor in Lexington, Kentucky, contributed to this report.---Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap and the APs college basketball site at http://collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '