41.   Stone, whom Houck said has vastly improved from last year, and George Hegamin are expected to provide the team with some young depth.

42.   The Boilermakers improved from seventh to third in the Big Ten in total defense, despite having just one senior starter, cornerback Chris Clopton.

43.   The Celtics will be much improved from last season, but they will still be a lottery team.

44.   The index is computed by subtracting the percentage of companies which foresee business conditions improving from the percentage which expect conditions to worsen.

45.   The index is computed by subtracting the percentage of manufacturers which foresee business conditions improving from the percentage who see conditions deteriorating.

46.   The Lakers are much improved from last season but may need time to mesh.

47.   The loss to Tennessee was deflating, yes, but on the whole Georgia is much improved from last season.

48.   The Saints will learn and improve from their playoff loss at Minnesota last year.

49.   The two models are vastly improved from the aging design of the cars they replace, analysts have said.

50.   They have reversed their on-field fortunes this season, improving from a dispirited team to one that could contend for the MLS Cup title.