Western Bulldogs forward Clay Smith reckons hes starting to move on from the dark moments that accompanied his wretched injury run.After three knee reconstructions, he still finds it hard to believe hes back on the field at the pointy end of the AFL season.The 23-year-old returned to the Bulldogs side in round 15 and has since played 10 consecutive games, something he last achieved in 2013.And his hard-edged performance in the Dogs thumping elimination final win over West Coast suggests hes as ready as anyone for Fridays semi-final against Hawthorn at the MCG.Smith finished Thursdays game at Domain Stadium with nine tackles and left several Eagles feeling the effect of bruising collisions.Thats just the way Ive grown up playing footy, Smith says of his physical approach.I think youve just got to play to your strengths and bring what you do for the team. Thats one of the areas I think I help the team out.If I can put my body in there and crash around and knock a few blokes over then thats what Im going to do.Smith has forged an important role as a defensive forward since his return from injury but admits he wasnt initially sure whether his problematic knees would hold up.It was probably that three or four-game mark where I got nervous because thats where the other ones have gone, he said.Once I got through that its just been really good and really enjoyable to be out there every week and feel normal.I suppose its just a learning curve. Its something that you can learn from and become a stronger person from.The Bulldogs trained in wet conditions at Whitten Oval on Tuesday and Smith said spirits were high following the win over the Eagles and the return of Tom Liberatore, Easton Wood, Jack Macrae and Jordan Roughead from injury.Were just really riding on energy and enthusiasm at the moment, he said.Coming off such a good win, were just full of belief and feeling good and I think that sort of just takes away a few niggles. Alex Tuch Jersey . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Marc-Andre Fleury Jersey . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators. http://www.officialgoldenknightspro.com/Jonathan-marchessault-golden-knights-jersey/ . 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CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The hundreds of Villanova fans at Charlestons TD Arena gathered with coach Jay Wright and his Wildcats to cheer their latest in-season tournament championship.Most of them surely believe winning the Charleston Classic can lead the defending national champions to even bigger celebrations this season.I feel good about where we are, our path, Wright said Sunday night.The Wildcats passed their biggest test yet in staring down UCF and 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall for a 67-57 victory, giving Villanova an in-season tournament title for the fourth straight season.Josh Hart, a preseason All-America selection, scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half and was chosen the events MVP. He and his teammates showed their savvy in maneuvering around Fall, whose wingspan is 8 feet, 2 inches.Its genius how they use him, Wright said. Its hard to play them. Theyre a tough team.The Knights anchor Fall near the basket on defense while his teammates switch through different schemes to frustrate opponents. If anyone dares to drive the lane, Fall is waiting to swat it away.On offense, Fall is also underneath waiting for entry passes that he can efficiently jam home for dunks.Fall made all 10 of his shots and finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. He went 26 of 31 from the floor with 34 rebounds in three tournament games and was a constant headache for defenders.All I could do was make it difficult for him to get post touches, said Darryl Reynolds, the 6-9 Villanova forward charged with fronting Fall. You cant block his shot because he does a good job keeping the ball high.Reynolds, a senior starter, finished with two points and fouled out after 26 minutes.Still, it was the Wildcats celebrating. Fans and teammates sang Happy Birthday to Final Four star Kris Jenkins, who had 12 points despite an off shooting night as Villanova ran its November record the past four years to 24-0.It was a great way to spend my birthday, he said. I wouldnt have it any other way.UCF closed to 37-32 on Matt Williams basket with 16 minutes left.dddddddddddd Then the Wildcats took off on a 12-3 run to extend the lead. Hart had a jumper and his only 3-pointer in the surge. The Knights never got within single digits after that.Theyve been in that position before, you could tell, UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. They made the big plays when they needed to make them.Villanova freshman Donte DiVincenzo had 13 points, and Jalen Brunson added 12.Williams scored 17 points for UCF.BIG PICTUREVillanova: The Wildcats showed their resiliency and skill in battering three opponents in Charleston, all by double digits. If youre nitpicking for a deficiency, it might be a lack of height; Reynolds played center most of the weekend.We knew this was coming, Wright said.Villanova has won three games in the past week against teams that had height advantages: No. 15 Purdue, Wake Forest and UCF.UCF: The Knights picture is always big with Fall, the tallest player in the game. The school says he is among the 40 tallest people in the world, too. But UCFs offense at times doesnt run through Fall, maybe because hes still developing his passing skills down low. If that happens, look for the Knights and Fall to take off as he becomes a more versatile player.POLL IMPLICATIONSLook for Villanova to move up a spot after No. 1 Duke lost to seventh-ranked Kansas earlier this week.CHART CLIMBERWright has 359 victories at Villanova, moving past former boss Rollie Massimino into second place on the schools all-time list among coaches. Only Al Severance with 413 stands in front of Wright.UP NEXTVillanova heads home to face the College of Charleston. After the teams spent the past four days crisscrossing each other at TD Arena, they travel to Philadelphia to play Wednesday night.UCF begins a two-game homestand against Seattle on Saturday night.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '