CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here is a list of postponed high school sports events for boys and girls basketball, wrestling, boys and girls swimming and hockey for Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. Rescheduled dates and times are noted where available.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here is a list of postponed high school sports events for boys and girls basketball, wrestling, boys and girls swimming and hockey for Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. Rescheduled dates and times are noted where available.

If you are an athletic administrator or coach and have information about postponed or rescheduled events, please notify the Northeast Ohio Media Group staff via email at hssports.cleveland.com.

Boys basketball

Avon at Westlake, postponed (rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1 at Avon, 7:30 p.m.)

Elyria Catholic at Rocky River, postponed

Glenville at St. Ignatius, postponed

Lake Ridge Academy at Andrews Osborne Academy, postponed

North Royalton vs. Uniontown Lake at Walsh University (Dunk 4 Diabetes), postponed

Western Reserve Academy at Linsly, postponed

Wickliffe at Geneva, postponed

Girls basketball

Avon at Elyria Catholic, postponed (rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m.)

Berea-Midpark at Amherst, postponed

Berkshire at Fairport Harding, postponed

Brecksville-Broadview Heights at North Olmsted, postponed

Brookside at Firelands, postponed (rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m.)

Brunswick vs. Newark at Walsh University (Dunk 4 Diabetes), postponed

Cardinal vs. Kirtland, postponed

Chardon at Eastlake North, postponed

Clearview at Fairview, postponed (rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m.)

Columbia at Brooklyn, postponed

Copley at Green, postponed (rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m.)

Elyria at North Royalton, postponed

Gilmour vs. Youngstown Christian, postponed

Harvey at Newbury, postponed

Maple Heights at Lorain, postponed

Medina at Brunswick, postponed

Midview at Rocky River, postponed

North Ridgeville at Lakewood, postponed

Revere at Cloverleaf, postponed

Rootstown at Mogadore, postponed

Tallmadge vs. Highland, postponed

Valley Forge at Cuyahoga Falls, postponed

Westlake at Avon Lake, postponed

West Geauga vs. Perry, postponed

Wickliffe at Richmond Heights, postponed

Willoughby South at Madison, postponed

Hockey

Avon Lake vs. Lakewood, postponed

Archbishop Hoban at Lake Catholic, postponed

Garfield Heights vs. Brooklyn, postponed

North Olmsted vs. Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, postponed

Westlake vs. Kenston, postponed

Wrestling

Anthony Wayne duals, postponed

Archbishop Hoban At Canfield, postponed

Euclid duals, postponed

Crestwood, Padua at Revere, postponed

This list will continue to be updated as more postponements are announced.

NORTH CANTON, Ohio — Inclement weather throughout Northeast Ohio forced the cancellation of two games in Saturday’s Dunk 4 Diabetes Shootout at Walsh University. The scheduled 3:45 p.m. game between North Royalton and Uniontown Lake was cancelled, as was the 5:30 game between Brunswick and Newark.

NORTH CANTON, Ohio — Inclement weather throughout Northeast Ohio forced the cancellation of two games in Saturday’s Dunk 4 Diabetes Shootout at Walsh University.

The scheduled 3:45 p.m. game between North Royalton and Uniontown Lake was cancelled, as was the 5:30 game between Brunswick and Newark.

Beachwood and Leavittsburg LaBrae are still schedule to kick off the two-day event today at 2 p.m. The two late games Saturday are set to feature Cleveland Central Catholic and La Lumiere (Ind.) at 7:15, and Shaker Heights and Huntington Prep (W. Va.) at 9.

Dunk 4 Diabetes Event Director Chas Wolfe said La Lumiere is already in town, and the other three teams for the night games are expected to make the trip.

You can listen to a webcast of both late games here on cleveland.com.

Keep up to date on all cancellations in all sports throughout Northeast Ohio here.

We will continue to provide updates on possible cancellations throughout the day.

Contact high school sports reporter Bill Landis by email (blandis@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@blandis25). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

"Stranger things have happened," Thad Matta said. "I always go back to a guy named Tyrus Thomas. He went to LSU and nobody knew who he was, redshirts one year and then is in the NBA after that. Big guys mature different than guards sometimes."

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Sonny Johnson paused for a second, then looked down to the floor as he pondered where to begin.

It wasn’t easy for Garfield Heights’ head coach to articulate a concise answer when asked which aspect of David Bell’s game must be further developed before the senior big man heads to Ohio State next year.

When Johnson looked up, now smiling widely, he was blunt.

“He’s a project,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot.”

Bell’s the footnote of Ohio State’s star-studded 2014 recruiting class, one where he’s joined by three top prospects. There’s five-star shooting guard D’Angelo Russell, five-star small forward Keita Bates-Diop, four-star small forward Jae’Sean Tate … And Bell.

Most prospects in Bell’s situation would be quick to tell you they don’t care about the recruiting rankings and projections, that they’ll prove once they get on campus that they can be an immediate factor.

But that’s not Bell. He’s happy with the three stars he has, and knows when he gets to Ohio State that he probably won’t be involved with the three other prospects in his class that are considered program-altering recruits.

Bell plans to wait in the wings, and maybe, just maybe, surprise you one day.

“Because I know I am a project,” Bell said. “All I do all day I work so I can get better and hopefully turn into something great at Ohio State. But I know I have a lot to learn and a lot to get better at before I am on that level.”

Thad Matta doesn’t typically redshirt players, but Ohio State’s coach was open about his intentions with Bell before offering him a scholarship. This is a gamble for Matta, a roll of the dice on a raw player that has physical intangibles that could help him develop into a difference maker.

View full sizeOhio State head coach Thad Matta doesn't typically redshirt his players, but he plans to go that route with David Bell to allow the raw big man to develop. Plain Dealer file

Bell has only one full year of basketball experience. He didn’t play his freshman year, and he missed his sophomore season with a broken hand. But as a junior, the athletic, 6-10, 225-pounder took his first real swing at basketball.

It wasn’t pretty. Bell didn’t understand most core defensive principles and his offensive moves were non-existent. When it was all over, all he had to show for it were scholarship offers from Ohio State, Cleveland State and DePaul.

“He has so much learning to do, but that’s the intriguing thing about him,” Johnson said. “You don’t know how good he’s going to be. If he’s already able to run the floor and challenge shots without having a lot of experience playing, he just has nothing but upside. I think Thad sees that upside and is willing to develop him.” 

Jim Thome, who hit 337 of his his 612 homers with the Indians, is humbled by the honor.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The statue honoring Jim Thome, the Indians' all-time home run hitter, will be unveiled on Aug. 2 at Progressive Field.

Thome, talking Saturday at Tribe Fest, said he’s overwhelmed.

“All I can tell you it’s going to be pretty awesome,” said Thome, who works as a special assistant for the White Sox. “How do you ever imagine, when you play this game, getting an opportunity to have an organization put a statute up of you? I’m a little lost for words.

“As a player, I don’t even want to say you dream of that. When it happens, when the opportunity comes about, it’s humbling. It’s just a wonderful thing. My family is just ecstatic about it.”

Lakewood sculptor Dave Deming made the statue. It shows Thome pointing the bat toward the mound.

“I started pointing the bat when I was in the minors,” said Thome. “We were playing in Scranton, but I don’t remember the year.”

Charlie Manuel, a minor-league hitting coach for the Indians at the time, suggested it to Thome after watching Robert Redford do it in the movie “The Natural.”

“Charlie had seen a clip of Roy Hobbs (the character Redford played in the movie) pointing the bat,” said Thome. “See, when I got in the box, I was tense, everything was tight. He wanted to create that relaxing feeling in the box for me and pointing the bat did that.

“It got my trigger ready to hit.”

Asked if the statue was life-sized, Thome said, “It’s much bigger than all of us. What’s going to be cool is that it will stay. I mean like, now, in the snow. I always look at Bob Feller’s statue and No. 1 you appreciate the player, but the fact that it’s up all year and people can come see it.

“If you were their favorite player, maybe they pass on a memory to a kid. It’s humbling.”

Manuel would go on to manage Thome with the Indians and the Phillies. As a hitting coach, he changed Thome’s stance, which led to a career that included 612 homers.

“Charlie meant everything to me ... everything ... hands down,” said Thome, seventh on the all-time home run list. “From confidence, to what he taught me from the mental side of hitting, to the little things mechanically that he taught me.

“He put my back foot on home plate and opened me up, which freed my hips up. That’s when I really saw my power keep progressing.”

Thome, 43, hit 337 of his homers with the Indians. He played in parts of 13 seasons with the Tribe, his first tour lasting from 1991 through 2002. The Indians brought him back in the second half of the 2011 season in a deal with the Twins.

Although he played in the steroid era, Thome was never connected to PEDs.

“(Steroids) was never presented,” he said. “It wasn’t like, ‘Hey, you can do this or we have this.’ Maybe I was naïve, I just played the game. I didn’t seek, nor did I ever seek, to do that.

“It was never around. It was never “Hey, it’s around do it.’ No, no. How people do it, I don’t know. ... The path that leads them to that point is their personal thing. At the end of the day, I think what makes you most proud is that you can stick your chest out and look in the mirror and say, 'I did what I did.'’’

The second-year center has seen an increase in expectations since the departure of Andrew Bynum, and has been providing a steady bench presence.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – For reasons Mike Brown attributed to "a feel," the Cavaliers head coach opted not to go straight to Tyler Zeller when he needed a backup center in Friday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

It was a curious move, inserting seldom-used Henry Sims instead, and one that showed just how valuable the second-year Zeller has become to the Cavaliers of late -- particularly since the departure of center Andrew Bynum.

With the second unit – minus Zeller – in for the final 3:09 of the first quarter against the Bucks, Cleveland's 12-point lead evaporated to a one-point advantage by the break. At which point, Zeller entered at the start of the second quarter, and within 45 seconds, blocked a Larry Sanders attempt at a dunk.

In all, the 7-foot Zeller recorded eight points on 3-for-6 shooting and added nine rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes of play. It's the kind of performance the Cavaliers are becoming accustomed to of late -- a scrappy, hard-nosed outing – from the backup center whose greatest contributions often can't be seen on the scoresheet.

"He's been playing out of his mind," point guard Kyrie Irving said. "It's not just about points or anything like that. He's been doing everything we need him to do and everything we ask of him – and some."

Zeller is the kind of quiet, get-the-job-done player that Brown loves. He sets screens, fights for rebounds and follows all the rules the head coach demands. Perhaps the only thing limiting Zeller to 11.8 minutes per game is that he plays behind Anderson Varejao – the one player on the Cavaliers who epitomizes all that Brown asks.

Still, Zeller has consistently scored and rebounded when asked this season, including raising his rebounds to 4.8 per game since Bynum was dismissed Dec. 28.

"He's been on a consistent tear, whether it's setting screens or rolling to the basket or dunking on people," Irving said. "I'm really happy and I'm excited to see his development and continue to watch it. It's exciting."

Added Tristan Thompson: "We're going to need our bench to win games. Everybody's got to play well, we can't rely on our starting group or rely on our reserves to play well. It's got to be collectively, and that's what we did (Friday night). Tyler was huge for us off the bench with his defensive presence, rebounding and finishing around the rim."

Are you in or out? A new Brown-ism of late has been the questioning of whether his players are "in the circle." It's a analogy he has returned to often in recent weeks to describe how players need to buy into the team-oriented system.

He explained the theory further before Friday's game.

"Is everybody going to be in the circle, stay in the circle? Or you've got one foot in and one foot out?" Brown said. "If you're a young team that doesn't know, or a losing team that doesn't know, then that in my opinion is the hardest thing to get instilled in a group of individuals more than anything else.

"You can X and O to death and all that. But when times get tough, are we going to stick together and fight together? When they don't, are we going to do what is easy to do? Everybody has people in their ear. When they leave this building, they're saying, 'It's not your fault. It's the coaches' fault or it's the system or it's that player or they don't have good enough players.' And that's where the fractions can happen or the splitting can happen."

Cavaliers vs. Suns

Time: 6 p.m. Sunday at The Q.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio, WTAM AM/1100.

Notable: Eric Bledsoe (right knee arthroscopy) is out for the Suns. ... Phoenix is 8-10 without Bledsoe, 16-8 with him. ... The Suns have won three straight against Cleveland, and five of six. ... Phoenix has won three of its last five. ... The Suns are 9-11 on the road.

The Cavaliers are 6-7 against the Western Conference, and they will face three more West teams this week, two of them at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There are two games left in the Cavaliers' longest homestand of the season -- five games -- and two more chances for victories against Western Conference opponents.

They wiil face the Phoenix Suns for the first time in Sunday's 6 p.m. game, and renew acquaintances with the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. The Pelicans beat the Cavaliers, 104-100, on Nov. 22.

Cleveland will visit New York for the first time this season, although the Cavs beat the Knicks, 109-94, on Dec. 10 in Ohio.

It's Super Bowl week in New York, but by the time the game rolls around the Cavs will be in Texas.

On Saturday, they will tip off against Dwight Howard and the Houston Rockets -- and former Cav Omri Casspi -- for the first time this season.

Perhaps this is a good time to mention that the Cavs are 6-7 against the Western Conference this season.

Ryan Kelly of the Los Angeles Lakers: Rookie watch

It's one of the oldest rivalries in the NBA -- the Celtics vs. the Lakers. Now it has a special meaning for Lakers rookie Ryan Kelly.

The second-round pick from Duke, the 48th player taken in the 2013 NBA Draft, moved into the starting lineup in the second half of that matchup and finished with a career-high 20 points, plus four rebounds and one blocked shot, in the Lakers' 107-104 victory on Jan. 17.

With the struggling, injury-riddled Lakers looking for a combination that clicks, coach Mike D'Antoni turned to the rookie. Kelly, who barely played until Christmas, has made three starts heading into the weekend. The 6-11, 230-pound Kelly is averaging 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 21 games.

"He's going to give us toughness and smarts and move the ball and hopefully he'll hit open shots," D'Antoni told reporters before a Jan. 19 game. "I just think we're a better team when we can spread the floor. That's nothing against anybody, except it's better for Wes [Johnson]. He has better games when we can spread the floor. It's better for Pau [Gasol] when we can spread the floor. It's better for Kendall [Marshall]. So, that's one of the things we like to do. We have a better tempo, better rhythm and everything is a little bit better."

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, Kelly is the 14th player on L.A.'s 15-man roster to start a game this season. The only player not included is recent D-League call-up Manny Harris, the former Cavalier.

"Coach thought I brought pretty good energy [against Boston] and I worked my tail off, so he thought I earned it," Kelly told reporters before that game at Toronto. "It's another incredible opportunity and it's something I need to take advantage of and just play the way I've been playing. It's not just about the fact that last game I scored more than I had, it's just playing with confidence, playing aggressive and being there for my teammates defensively."

62-1: By the numbers

USA Basketball men's senior national team record since Jerry Colangelo took over the program in 2005. The one loss was to Greece, 101-95, in the semifinals of the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan.

Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks: The last word

"I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I'm pretty good with chemistry -- and that's what he brings." --Thunder coach Scott Brooks on Kendrick Perkins

In spite of his many accolades, Kyrie Irving has work to do on his defense and leadership.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Got a question about the Cavs? Send it in. Submit your question at cleveland.com/heymary and beat writer Mary Schmitt Boyer will choose at least one to answer each week.

Hey, Mary: Was Coach Krzyzewski talking about the same Kyrie Irving we watch on the Cavs as they continue on a 30-win pace? Krzyzewski said of Irving, "He has special mental and people talent.'' Clearly, Kyrie's leadership is a slow work in progress. So is playing defense. D.J. Augustin lit up the Cavs for 27 in the Bulls' win. Maybe Deng can corral Irving and turn this season around? -- Tim Corbett, Ladera Ranch, Calif.

Hey, Tim: Irving has skills. There's no doubt about that. He also needs to improve on the two fronts you mentioned -- defense and leadership. But he's only 21. As Krzyzewski pointed out, he'd be a senior in college this year had he stayed. Leadership doesn't always come naturally to players that young. I do think Deng, an excellent defender and leader, will be a great role model. Whereas Irving may grow into the sort of leader the Cavs need, he could make more of a commitment to defense right now.

Hey, Mary: Do the Cavs practice? Looking at their current roster they have a good amount of talent, but they look like a pick-up team at the park. Is Dan Gilbert happy with their current progression? Also, are any of the players on the team friends off the court? They don't appear to have any camaraderie when games get tight. -- Justin Martin, Chicago

Hey, Justin: No one is happy with the way the Cavs are playing. In spite of plenty of practice time, they continue to be inconsistent and make a lot of unforced errors, especially late in games. I don't really know who pals around together off the court, but they seem to enjoy each other's company enough when we see them in the locker room or on the court at the end of practice. Way too often, though, they try to outscore their opponents instead of stop them defensively. That's a mindset that has to change.

Hey, Mary: What's the word on Dion Waiters? Do you think he is that much of a disruptive force in the locker room and will he get traded or will a trade be made for a better outside shooter? -- Ric McElroy, Travelers Rest, S.C.

Hey, Ric: I would not characterize Waiters as disruptive. He can be moody when things are not going well, but given how things are going, that might be understandable. I think there are 29 teams that would be interested in acquiring someone who can score like he does, which is why I think the Cavs will hold onto him unless they get an amazing offer.

Hey, Mary: While I love Tristan Thompson's work ethic and motor, he seems to always get bullied by the elite power forwards (David West, Carlos Boozer, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh, etc.). Those are the players that we will see in the playoffs if we ever get there. While he seems to get better every year, one thing won't change and that's his height and body type. So is Thompson a starting power forward on a elite NBA team or just a good reserve? -- Chris Taylor, Columbus

Hey, Chris: You named some of the best power forwards in the NBA, and Thompson is not in their league. He would not start on any of their teams. He's young. He's willing to work to get better, and I think he will, though it remains to be seen if he can reach the level of the players you mentioned.

Hey, Mary: The Feb. 20 trade deadline is coming up. Do you expect the Cavs to be buyers, sellers or stand pat? With Luol Deng being a free agent after this season, do you think they have a realistic chance of re-signing him? Also, I think the possible free agent that Gilbert and all fans really want to end up signing with Cleveland is none other than King James. As you know he can opt out of his contract with the Heat after this season. Do the Cavs have a chance in the world to re-sign him? Also, do you expect James to opt out of his contract? If so, which teams including the Heat would have the best chance of signing him? -- Jeff, Saint Johns, Mich.

Hey, Mary: Looking at the salary cap, it looks like the Cavs would have to make room on the salary cap if you-know-who decided to come back, assuming they give Deng an extension. Do you know of any current buy-out options with players who have contracts that go beyond this year? If not, how would they make room for James and sign Deng? -- Jericho James, Wooster

Hey, Jeff and Jericho: History tells us the Cavs will be active at the trading deadline, especially if the team doesn't show some significant improvement soon. They have not given up on their goal of making the playoffs, but it's unclear if this team, as constituted, can achieve that. As far as the future, they could sign Deng and have room for another max free agent. I have no idea if that will be James -- and I'm quite sure James hasn't made up his mind, either. The latest theory is that James will not opt out this summer but will finish his contract in Miami and become a free agent in the summer of 2015. If he ever wanted to come back, Cavs GM Chris Grant has done a good job of structuring contracts so the team would have payroll room. In addition, Dan Gilbert has shown a willingness to spend the money to make this team better.

Hey, Mary: With Jared Sullinger crushing it while Tyler Zeller does little, and Anthony Bennett not even playing while Victor Oladipo lights it up, isn't it time to start questioning Chris Grant's credentials as GM? -- Greg Schwartz, San Diego

Hey, Greg: It's no secret Grant has had more success with trades than draft choices, but I don't think you can question his credentials. You can question his choices, but he's more than qualified to be in the position he holds. After all, this is the guy who just turned Andrew Bynum -- a guy the Cavs were about to waive -- into All-Star Luol Deng.

Hey, Mary: When he was in L.A., Mike Brown introduced a Princeton offense. However, as someone who doesn't know a lot about the technical side of basketball, I'm curious if this is what he's currently using. I feel as though at the start of the season, with someone like Andrew Bynum, this might not have been a good choice. However, subtract Bynum and add a mobile small forward like Luol Deng, and it might be a much better option. Am I right? -- Matt White, Columbiana, OH

Hey, Matt: Byron Scott famously brought the Princeton offense with him to Cleveland and was never able to implement it. I don't think that's the answer. I think if the Cavs consistently ran the up-tempo offense Brown wants them to run, they'd be fine. The problem is, they don't.

Hey, Mary: Can you have owner/players in the NBA? Can Dan Gilbert offer LeBron James a minority interest as his financial incentive to re-join the Cavs and maintain a long-term relationship with the team? -- Bill Maclee, Wilmington, N.C.

Hey, Bill: No. NBA salary-cap rules would prohibit such an arrangement.

Hey, Mary: Can you explain the divide between the common fans who think Mike Brown is the worst coach in sports and the beat writers, reporters and columnists (apologists) who think he is a great coach who needs more time? It is so apparent how bad Brown is (perfect examples are the numerous failed attempts at simply inbounding the ball) it is almost lunacy to think otherwise. I guess Dan Gilbert not wanting to look like a complete fool for hiring him is understandable, but the media's love affair is baffling. Maybe Stockholm Syndrome? Can you explain? -- Eliot Clasen, Cape Coral, Fla.

Hey, Eliot: We haven't been taken hostage, but I think those of us around the team every day realize that the players don't always do what Brown tells them to. I'm not suggesting he's Red Auerbach. But if he tells his players not to switch on defense and they switch, resulting in a wide-open shot for an opponent, I don't think that makes him a bad coach. If Earl Clark steps out of bounds before attempting a game-tying shot, I don't think that makes Mike Brown a bad coach.

Obviously, if they're not listening to him at all, that's another kind of problem. But his offense and defense at the Lakers and at Denver -- two victories -- was the same as it was at Sacramento -- monumental loss. The biggest problem this season is their inconsistent attitude and approach on both ends of the floor.

Hey, Mary: Luol Deng has shown leadership on the court, in the huddle at timeouts and in the locker room. Do you think some day he might be a player/coach like Lenny Wilkens was? -- Ron Jackson, Parma

Hey, Ron: I don't think there will be any more player/coaches in the NBA. But I think if Deng decides he wants to be a coach, there will be a long list of teams lining up to hire him.

Hey, Mary: I heard reports of the Cavs holding a post-game practice after the loss to the Portland Trailblazers. Any information on who called the practice and who participated? -- Anthony, Cleveland

Hey, Anthony: I wrote about this during the road trip. Jarrett Jack led the charge, and teammates C.J. Miles, Alonzo Gee and Earl Clark worked out for about an hour. It was partly because of how the Cavs lost and partly because they were not scheduled to practice the next day and the players wanted to get in some extra work.

Browns coach has emerged from the shadows of demanding father and Rex Ryan to make his own way. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio – Twelve years ago, Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick sat in a room with Mike Pettine and begged him not to take the entry-level position he was offering.

Why would a successful high school football coach in his 30s with a wife and small kids leave the security of a good teaching job in suburban Philadelphia to work in the Ravens’ video-operations department?

Pettine was willing to uproot his family, accept a 50 percent pay cut and dip into his retirement fund to finance a new home -- and a dream of coaching in the NFL.

“When I came in to offer him the job I did my damnedest to talk him out of it,” Billick said. “I was like, ‘This is what it is, it doesn’t pay much and there’s no guarantee of where this is going to lead.’ I told him, ‘If I’m you, I don’t understand why you would take this job.’ ”

On Thursday afternoon, the 47-year-old Pettine stood on a dais in the Browns fieldhouse and faced similar questions. He had just agreed to become head coach of a franchise that people around the league reportedly term “radioactive,” a franchise that fired its last coach after one season, a franchise that saw at least three candidates withdraw their names from consideration.

The Browns have had more owners (three) than winning seasons (two) since their 1999 NFL repatriation. Berea is to quarterbacks and coaches what the New Jersey swamplands are to mobsters running afoul with their dons.

Why would someone else risk being a first-time head coach in this environment? Because as Pettine explained, he’s comfortable “betting” on himself.

Growing up under the roof of a demanding prep coach steeled him for future challenges. You think operating a sideline printer on game days for NFL coaches is humbling work? Imagine having your old man make you duck walk up and down a football field in front of teammates in practice.

The bald and goateed Pettine, who looks like he could patrol a cell block, isn’t afraid of long odds or adverse to public scrutiny. When he was a high school junior, community members petitioned against him starting at quarterback. ESPN aired documentaries about him coaching and losing games to his famous father.

And, no matter how much success Pettine has enjoyed in stops with the Ravens, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills -- the last two as a defensive coordinator – he acknowledges the stigma attached to his unconventional route to the NFL.

“I coached, especially early on, with a bit of a chip on my shoulder,” Pettine said. “Whether it was real or not, in my mind (I) was thinking that people saw me as just a high-school coach. Here’s a guy trying to make it in the NFL, but he’s just a high-school coach in the NFL. That drove me.”

Maybe Pettine is destined to fail like Pat Shurmur and Rob Chudzinski before him, an uninspired choice in another Browns coaching search that rarely attracts the proven winners ownership promises. Even Pettine was ready to pull out if the club had waited past the Super Bowl to name a coach.

But he’s here now, armed with a four-year deal and secure in the knowledge he’s already won the biggest gamble of his life.

Life in the shadows

Filled with trepidation, Mike Pettine Sr. drove his son through the winding roads of Owings Mills, Md., to a secluded site that looks better suited for the Bat Cave than an NFL team headquarters.

The Ravens complex is a fortress nestled in a wooded area. Assistant coach Matt Cavanaugh, who met Pettine when he was a grad assistant at the University of Pittsburgh, greeted them.

“We’ll take care of him,” Mike Sr. recalled Cavanaugh saying.

View full sizeMike Pettine Sr. ended his career in 1999 as the winningest coach in the history of Pennsylvania high school football. Bucks County (Pa.) Courier Times

None of it felt right to one of the winningest coaches in Pennsylvania prep football history. The father didn’t know the half of it. He was unaware of the pay cut, the 401(k) withdraw and Billick’s warnings.

“Junior told me some white lies,” Mike Sr. told cleveland.com this week in a phone interview. “He was the risk taker and I wasn’t. I had opportunities, but I didn’t want to move my family. It was a track I never wanted to take.”

Father and son share a name and a love for football. Theirs, however, is a complex relationship, one that’s grown stronger since days spent together as coach and quarterback.

The dad had both mentored and maddened his son as patriarch of the dynastic Central Bucks West High program in suburban Philadelphia. He won four state Class AAAA championships over 33 years and amassed a 327-42-4 record before his 1999 retirement.

Pettine, who began splicing C.B. West game film at age 8, said his coaching foundation is rooted in his father’s teaching. Not schematically, but in his attention to detail and common-sense approach.

Those who know the family well say “Junior,” as many call him, strikes a balance between stern and fun-loving with his players. That was seldom the case with the no-nonsense father, especially when coaching his only son.

Mike Sr. admits he’s “ashamed” at how he treated Pettine at times in wanting to show no favoritism.

“It could be brutal,” said Mike Carey, a longtime C.B. West assistant. “He was hard on Junior and he definitely toughened him up.”

Carey recalls the coach making an example of his son during a junior season in which some fans in Doylestown, Pa., charged the coach with nepotism. After a mistake in practice, the father cleared the field and made Pettine walk up and down it in a squat position like a duck. It’s a grueling exercise to endure for 20 yards let alone 200.

That season taught Pettine a valuable lesson regarding outsiders’ opinions. The petition wanting him out as quarterback stung until his dad helped narrow his focus.

“For me, that was a lot for a teenage kid to handle, and it bothered me,” Pettine said. “It really started to affect me on the field. That’s when he grabbed me and said, ‘Listen, you have no control over that, so don’t waste another second thinking about it or stressing about it. The things you have control over, focus on them and be full-speed ahead.’ ”

Father and son argued so much that Pettine’s mother, Joyce, banned football talk in her house. Instead, they stopped in a middle-school parking lot after practices where Mike Sr. concedes, “I read him the riot act.”

Pettine earned all-state honors as a senior, throwing for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns and finishing his career as a free safety with 21 interceptions. But C.W. Bucks went 9-2 in his last season as quarterback – the team would win its next 50-plus games – with Pettine absorbing plenty of blame from the community.

“Playing for (dad) was a rough experience,” said Pettine, who went on to play at the University of Virginia. “I really wanted to get away from football after I was done playing for him, but after a while ended up circling back and just fell in love with the game.

“That’s what I’m most passionate about and it’s something that, again, he gave me the advice that I think a lot of good parents give: Find a job that you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

After college, Pettine served as Mike Sr.’s assistant for several years before working as a graduate assistant at Pitt. In 1995, he became a first-time head coach at William Tennett High, turning around the program before accepting a job at North Penn High, a large school that shared a conference with powerhouse C.B. West.

View full sizeMike Pettine, shown here at the University of Virginia, was called a "pretty boy" by friends back in day.University of Virginia photo

Money was so tight for Pettine and his growing family that dad loaned him a car dubbed the “Blue Meanie.”

“It was a piece-of-junk Buick or Oldsmobile that they hand painted,” said current North Penn coach Dick Beck, a prep teammate and longtime Pettine friend. “He’d parked it in the teachers' lot, and people complained because they thought it was a student’s car.”

Beck busts chops the way only old buddies can.

“Junior looks like Bronko Nagurski now with that bald head, but he was a pretty boy in high school,” Beck said. “He played basketball and was the 3-pointer shooter that never passed. To look at him, you would think he was the guy inside grabbing the rebounds, but that wasn’t Junior.”

Beck was on the North Penn staff that won 45 games during Pettine’s five seasons. Once again, he resurrected a downtrodden program, but could not topple C.B. West, losing to his father all five times.

The family rivalry riveted a region and became the centerpiece of two documentaries. “The Season,” chronicled North Penn’s 1999 campaign; and ESPN’s “The Last Game” focused on the father’s final team.

The films produce several wrenching father-and-son scenes, perhaps none more captivating than after their final game, a 21-0 district final verdict, in which they meet at midfield and Mike Sr. says, “That was your last shot, buddy.”

“The ESPN piece, there were some hardcore moments in that,” Pettine Jr. said. “The only thing I was not appreciative of in that was they filmed 500 hours and edited it down to five. They took really every flipout I had during the season, and I looked like Coach Kilmer from Varsity Blues. I was the devil, but I got a lot of feedback from around the country because . . . it was on ESPN, it was football, high school football. Hard-core football fans loved it.”

But even with his father in retirement and plenty of job security, Pettine yearned for more from the game. He spent his mornings drawing up plays while working as the district’s audio-visual coordinator. He reconnected with Cavanaugh, who told him of an opening in the Ravens’ three-man video staff.

There was no promise of coaching. It was menial work normally performed by enterprising would-be coaches in their 20s. But Pettine took the chance his dad would not.

“It shows you how confident Junior was in his abilities,” Beck said. “You wanna talk about a risk – making that move with a wife and three young kids. He had just got vested and was probably making $65,000.”

The coach had slid all his chips to the center of the table.

From the bottom up

Not long after Pettine’s arrival in Baltimore, Beck received a phone call from his excited friend.

“Junior told me, ‘I found this coach and I’m going to hook my wagon to his star,’ ” Beck recalled.

It was the Ravens’ defensive-line coach. His name: Rex Ryan.

The two men hit it off. Each knew how to have fun with players. Each was the son of a legendary coach. Buddy Ryan was the architect of the 1985 Chicago Bears' “46 defense.”

Pettine drew the attention of Rex Ryan with his work ethic. No task was too small. No job order too large.

View full sizeNew York Jets coach Rex Ryan took a liking to Mike Pettine from their days together in Baltimore.Associated Press

On game days, Pettine took presnap photos sent to a sideline printer/fax machine and affixed down-and-distance information to the pictures before running them to assistant coaches.

Years spent toiling for a demanding father was paying off.

“I told him, ‘I don’t want you to become a pain in the ass where you’re constantly trying to work your way into one of those (coaching) positions. If it happens, it will happen organically,’ ” Billick said. “He went about it the right way. Whatever job came up, he did it. And as people recognized his competence, more people had him doing things for them. Rex saw that.”

Ryan made Pettine his defensive-line assistant in 2004. A year later, he was named outside linebackers coach, a job he retained until Ryan became Jets head coach in 2009, and took Pettine with him as defensive coordinator. His ex-wife and their three children, Megan, Ryan and Katie, still reside in Baltimore.

In their first two years together in New York, Ryan and Pettine reached the AFC title game.

“He and Rex meshed well personally and professionally,” Billick said. “They developed a relationship that typically happens. You have to latch onto somebody in terms of making a place for yourself in the organization.”

A season ago, Pettine emerged from Ryan’s shadow, taking a job as defensive coordinator with the Bills. Despite a 6-10 mark, Buffalo finished 10th in total defense and ranked second in sacks and interceptions. The Bills sent four defenders to the Pro Bowl, and Pettine produced measured improvement in a handful of underachievers.

Ironically, Buffalo allowed a season-high 37 points in a loss to the Browns, a game that included 17 points scored directly or indirectly from punt and interception returns.

"Some games you shut out, they go to dark places in your brain and you don't want to retrieve them, and the Browns game is one of them,” he said.

Few believe Pettine was a top candidate when the coaching search started. Many seem underwhelmed by the choice, which is more a reflection on Browns' ownership and management.

One must wonder what Pettine was thinking as Jimmy Haslam referenced his 0-5 record versus Mike Sr. in the owner’s opening remarks. Who needs Jay Leno making wisecracks when the Browns boss is feeding the public material?

The new coach remains undaunted. So does his dad. Mike Sr. recently addressed the notion his son made it in the NFL as a caretaker of Ryan’s defense.

“I know perception is one thing and reality is another,” the father said. “I was a grinder, and Junior got to where he is because he’s really smart. He gets that from his mother.”

Billick said his former assistant will bring “toughness” to Berea and demand player accountability. Cynical Browns have heard it all before.

Who can make this team a winner? Mike Pettine is betting it’s him.

Dan Quinn and Adam Gase were at the top of the Browns' original list; Mike Pettine made the most of his interviews.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lots to talk about after a very newsy week.

About the Browns' coaching search ...

Here's what I'm hearing:

1. The Browns knew this would be a search of at least two or three weeks, because high on their list were Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase and New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. All would be in the playoffs.

2. They may have had some college coaches on their original list, but CEO Joe Banner said they never interviewed any active college coaches. That matches what I heard.

3. The Browns interviewed Mike Pettine for their defensive coordinator job last season. They liked him, but Buffalo moved quickly -- offering him the job on Jan. 9, 2013. The Browns hired Ray Horton on Jan. 20. They may have hired Horton anyway, because he was a hot name. But Pettine was under serious consideration here a year ago.

4. Nonetheless, it's a big jump from consideration for coordinator to head coach. He was not considered a head coaching candidate last season. It was only after Pettine left the Jets and Rex Ryan and had his own success on defense with the Bills that the Browns began to see him as a possible head coach.

5. Not sure exactly what happened with McDaniels, but he was not at the top of their list. The top two names right after the season were Gase and Quinn.

6. Northeast Ohio Media Group's Mary Kay Cabot reported that McDaniels pulled out because he sensed he was not the leading candidate. That appears to be true. McDaniels also sensed the Browns were not right for him. After his failure in Denver (2009-10), he wants to make sure his next opportunity is set up for success. Yes, the Browns bring some attractive aspects (10 draft picks, salary cap room, etc.), but the losing culture and lack of a quarterback make this a very challenging job.

7. My guess is Pettine may have been fourth on their original list. They definitely had plans to talk to him. They didn't rush because they knew they had to wait to interview Gase and Quinn. Gase wanted to wait until after the playoffs. Quinn was impressive in his first interview, but the Browns needed a second interview. That had to wait until last week.

8. Pettine sold himself to owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner. Yes, team president Alec Scheiner and General Manager Mike Lombardi were part of the process. But the final call was made by Haslam and Banner. Just as they made the decision to hire and later fire Rob Chudzinski. Lombardi does not have that kind of power in this front office.

9. Why did they interview Ken Whisenhunt again? They talked to him twice a year ago, and passed. One NFL person respected by the Browns suggested Whisenhunt was worth another interview.

10. The strange interview was with Greg Schiano early last week. Why? I never could get a good answer. He was fired after a rocky stint at Tampa Bay. It made no sense for the Browns to talk to him. He was never high on their list. The same with Mike Munchak. Perhaps the team was looking at them as possible coordinators for the next coach. Munchak went to the Steelers as offensive line coach.

11. The Browns liked Ben McAdoo, the Green Bay quarterback coach, but didn't think he was ready. They thought he could be an offensive coordinator, which he now is with the Giants. There were times when it seemed the Browns were just interviewing people because they were waiting for the playoffs to end. They wanted to pick some brains while waiting for those higher on the list.

12. It's no secret that Haslam really liked Gase -- or at least, the idea of Gase. The Browns never interviewed him. Peyton Manning loves Gase, and Manning is close to Haslam. Minnesota also wanted an interview. He turned down both teams.

13. That left the Browns with Quinn and Pettine. In the end, they became sold on Pettine -- who really wanted the job. My sense on Quinn is that the Browns weren't sure he would take the job. The more they talked to Pettine, the more they liked him. But Pettine was worrying about the process affecting his ability to hire a coaching staff.

14. That's why Pettine was thinking of walking away. While the team thought their search was careful and thorough, the candidates sometimes saw it as taking too long. When the Browns became the last team without a coach, that opinion gained strength. At one point, they had to wonder if they would lose both Quinn and Pettine.

15. I doubt this as the Browns planned, given the different turns and 10 candidates interviewed. In the end, they hired an assistant with no head coaching experience. That would have been the case with Gase, Quinn and virtually all their top candidates except McDaniels. With rookie head coaches, you never know how they will perform until they are in the job.

About the Browns ...

1. While some people have held his high school experience against Pettine, the Browns believe it helped his teaching skills. They also respect how he took more than a 50 percent pay cut to take an entry-level position with the Ravens. They like how he rejected a contract extension to remain as the Jets' defensive coordinator to move onto Buffalo.

2. The Browns view Pettine as a risk-taker, someone "willing to bet on myself," as he said during his press conference. He walked away from two safe jobs -- as a successful high school coach and as Rex Ryan's main assistant -- to establish his own identity and chase his NFL dream.

3. The team's research showed that in Pettine's first two years with the Jets, Ryan often had his fingerprints on the defense. But in the last two, Pettine took over. In Buffalo, rookie head coach Doug Marrone's background was offense. Pettine ran the defense.

4. Special teams coach Chris Tabor may be retained. I don't think Alex Van Pelt was a strong offensive coordinator candidate, despite reports. Van Pelt was promoted to quarterback coach by the Packers (replacing McAdoo). I hear the Browns want to add an experienced offensive coordinator, because Pettine's background is defense.

5. No matter what the Browns say, being the last team to hire a coach did cut down on the candidates available for coordinators and other positions.

6. In the end, the key will be how the front office handles the draft and free agency. Banner and his people are picking the players. Pettine will be consulted, but it's just as with Chudzinski -- the front office makes the final decisions.

7. I checked on those reports that the front office "really loves Johnny Manziel." They have scouted him heavily, but aren't close to having the quarterbacks rated. I sense they really are interested in Blake Bortles. But right now, this is all premature. There wasn't much talk in the coaching interviews about quarterbacks -- because the coaches haven't had time to study film, etc.

8. While Pettine and the top front office people were not at the Senior Bowl this week, Assistant General Manager Ray Farmer was in Mobile. The Browns had at least 10 scouts/player personnel people there most days. Banner and Lombardi visited for a day, although they spent part of it interviewing Pettine.

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona is upbeat about Josh Tomlin's chances this season.Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

About Terry Francona talkin' Tribe starting pitching ...

From Wednesday's press conference:

1. About not spending big for a free-agent starter: "We have Carlos Carrasco and Josh Tomlin who we want to see pitch. So rather than going out and spending money on guys, we want to see our guys. We have Corey Kluber, Zach McAllister and Danny Salazar all for hopefully a full year. Again, we have guys in place … When you start thinking about the dollars you can allocate for pitching, I think we’d rather see these guys pitch."

2. On Danny Salazar: "The sky is the ceiling for Danny. You don’t want to make too many proclamations on a guy who has had 8 to 10 starts. I can’t wait to see him after 35 starts."

3. On Josh Tomlin: "He’s a strike-throwing machine. He’s going to give up the occasional homer because he’s around the plate."

4. On Trevor Bauer: "He’s coming into camp this year closer to the pitcher he wants to be. Last year, it was a lot of experimenting and trying to get comfortable in his delivery. It was tough for him at times. He was very open with us on everything. He’s sent video into (pitching coach) Mickey (Callaway) and the guys in Baseball Ops. Whether he makes the team out of spring training or not, we’re really excited about watching him pitch."

5. On Shaun Marcum: "He’s a little bit behind (physically) where (Scott Kazmir) was last year. But I think it’s a good sign because when he’s healthy he competes his rear end off. He’s done it in the AL East."

Carlos Carrasco has made a slight alteration to his windup.Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer

About the Tribe's rotation ...

1. The Indians enter spring training with four rotation spots set: Justin Masterson, Kluber, McAllister and Salazar. They will spend much of the spring looking for a fifth starter.

2. Carrasco and Tomlin are the top candidates. Francona loves Carrasco's stuff -- he throws 95-98 with a sizzling slider. But Carrasco has been a mess trying to make it as a starter. The Indians have raised Carrasco's glove as he prepares to wind up, believing it will hide the ball for a split second from the batter.

3. In 2011, Tomlin was 12-7 with a 4.25 ERA. He hurt his elbow in 2012 (5-8, 6.36) and had surgery. He came back in 2013, allowing five earned runs in 27 minor-league innings. He struck out 21, didn't walk anyone. He also pitched two scoreless innings for the Tribe in September.

4. Tomlin and Carrasco can both pitch in relief, so the one who doesn't earn a spot in the rotation will be in the bullpen.

5. The Indians have sent Minor League Director Ross Atkins, assistant minor league director Carter Hawkins and minor league pitching coordinator Ruben Niebla to watch Bauer. Pitching coaching Mickey Callaway has studied five videos sent by Bauer -- and they have talked.

6. Bauer will probably start at Class AAA. The Indians are encouraged that he seems to have found a windup that is comfortable, but think he needs more work in the minors.

7. Counting Bauer, the Indians have seven candidates for the rotation. The eighth is Shaun Marcum, who is recovering from surgery to deal with a thoracic outlet syndrome. He may not be ready until late in spring. The Indians don't want to rush him. He was 1-10 with a 5.24 ERA for the Mets before having the operation last year. He is 58-46 with a 3.88 ERA for his career. He was 20-11 with a 3.62 ERA in 2011-12 for the Brewers.

8. The Tribe has had success rehabilitating some injured starters. Kazmir was the most recent. They also helped Carl Pavano make a comeback in 2009 after missing nearly all of 2007-08 with arm problems. Pavano signed for $1.5 million with the Tribe. He was 9-8 with a 5.37 ERA that year before being traded to the Twins. In 2010, he was 17-11 with the Twins.

Grady Sizemore has not played since 2011. Boston is giving him a chance and a big league contract this spring.Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

About the Tribe ...

1. While Francona is trying to play down expectations about Carlos Santana at third base, reports from the Dominican League have been encouraging. The Indians would love for Santana to play third two or three times a week. He also can play first, DH and catch. That makes him extremely valuable to Francona, who loves players able to handle more than one position.

2. Hard to believe, but I hear the Tribe may be going to arbitration with Tomlin. He has asked for $975,000, the Tribe has offered $800,000.

3. Boston signed Grady Sizemore to a guaranteed $750,000 deal that can be worth $6 million with incentives. The former Indian hasn't played since 2011. Former Tribe Minor League Director John Farrell is Boston's manager, and a huge fan of the 31-year-old Sizemore, whose last healthy year was 2009.

4. A few fans wanted the Tribe to bring back Sizemore. But he's had microfracture surgery on both knees -- the most serious, career-threatening knee operation for an athlete. Maybe he will come back, but the odds are against him. I'd rather the Tribe look at Jeff Franceour (my vote as the Ryan Raburn of 2014) or Nyjer Morgan -- both outfielders on minor-league contracts.

5. Morgan batted .304 for the Brewers in 2011, but slumped to .239 in 2012. He played last year in Japan. He's 33 and has some speed. Franceour batted .285 (.805 OPS) with 20 homers, 87 RBI and 20 steals in 2011 for the Royals. Last season, it was as if he forgot how to play -- hitting .204 with three homers and 17 RBI, being cut by the Royals and Giants.

Anderson Varejao shows the toughness the Cavaliers need.John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

About the Cavs ...

Want to know what style the Cavs are supposed to play? Watch the Chicago Bulls, who embarrassed the Cavs (98-87) in a game while missing three starters.

Kyrie Irving is still looking for D.J. Augustin, who torched the Cavs' All-Star guard for 27 points. Augustin has often been a difficult cover for Irving, but he's a so-so player who spent time in the D-League this year.

The Bulls are bruising. The Bulls are gritty. The Bulls are 21-20 despite virtually giving Luol Deng to the Cavs in a salary cap move and playing without star guard Derrick Rose (more knee issues). This is Tom Thibodeau's fourth year as coach, and he brought the toughness to Chicago. The Cavs want Mike Brown to do the same in Cleveland.

The Cavs have improved their defensive shooting percentage. A year ago, the Cavs ranked 30th (.476). This season, they are 16th (.453). A year ago, they allowed 101.2 points. This season, it's 101.9. They are averaging 96.5 points this season -- exactly the same as a year ago.

Which makes me wonder:

1. If the defensive shooting percentage is so much better, why hasn't it shown up on the scoreboard?

2. Are the Cavs just a soft team? They were under Byron Scott, and remain so under Brown. The Bulls and some other veteran teams remind me of that when they face Cleveland.

3. Why can't the Cavs change that image, especially after adding Deng? He is a good defender. Anderson Varejao is an elite rebounder. Tristan Thompson can defend.

4. That's because their backcourt defense was bad a year ago, and it's still pretty awful. Irving has made a slight improvement, but remains well below average. Dion Waiters and Jarrett Jack are very iffy. C.J. Miles may be the best of the group (other than rookie Matt Dellavedova), and Miles won't make any all-defensive teams.

5. The Cavs are a team whose parts seem better than the whole, and it's up to Brown to pull the team together. The addition of Deng (4-4 since the trade) should give the coach a huge asset to teach the players the defensive style needed to succeed.

The next step for Kyrie Irving is to be more than just a scoring point guard, but also to lead the offense.John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

About Kyrie Irving ...

Irving will start for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game. He leads all Eastern Conference guards in scoring (21.7). Those are two facts for those who have been emailing me about Irving being selfish, and suggesting maybe even the Cavs should trade him.

Yes, Irving can force up some stupid shots. I do wish he were more of a playmaker. He was so effective with those 10 assists in Friday's victory over Milwaukee.

But Irving is only 21. Yes, this is his third season, but he's still learning. This is the first time that defense has been demanded of him, even if he doesn't always deliver.

I have seen Deng talk to him a few times about bad shots, and also about being patient when running the pick-and-roll play.

There are four point guards averaging at least 20 points. Here's the list with their shooting percentages:

1. Stephan Curry, 23.5 points, .442.

2. Irving, 21.7, .430

3. Damian Lillard, 21.0, .422

4. John Wall, 20.2, .425.

Most point guards are barely shooting over 40 percent. The exception is future Hall of Famer Tony Parker (18.4, .516).

Irving has a lot to learn, but he also has so much talent. He's shooting a very respectable .377 on 3-pointers. He can drive to the rim with ease on most defenders. He can be a good passer when the mood strikes him -- and he trusts his teammates.

The disturbing thing is his shooting percentage has dropped in three years from .469 to .452 to .430. Part of the reason is that his shot selection is worse.

He is piling up more assists: 5.4 to 5.9 to 6.1 this season.

The bottom line is Irving still has so much room to grow, despite being an All-Star at 21. Adding Deng to the roster should help.

Thomas was a small, scoring point guard built in a similar mold to that of Irving, and the former Detroit Pistons player says the Cavaliers guard can lead Cleveland to a championship.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – One of Kyrie Irving's biggest fans often watches the Cavaliers point guard dazzle with his uncommon dribbling skills, wow with his big-time shooting abilities, and then reacts in the same way just about everyone else does.

"I'm one of many who sit back and say, 'Did he just do that?'" Isiah Thomas said in a phone interview this week. "I'm just one of his biggest fans. I love watching him play."

Yep, that's Hall of Famer, two-time NBA champion, NBA Finals MVP and former Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas who is awed by Irving. Of course, Thomas is also the oft-criticized former New York Knicks coach and president, but that's for another story.

This is the one where Thomas – one of the best scoring point guards to play the game – describes his affection for Irving, and proclaims that if any small player can lead a team to an NBA title in this land of big men, Irving can.

"He is definitely going against the grain – a small man trying to win in a big man's league," Thomas said. "But if anybody can do it, I believe he's the one guy that is capable of doing it."

Thomas has faith because he did it 25 years ago. The 6-foot-1 (and that's being generous) point guard was the foundation upon which the Pistons built their franchise in the 1980s. Thomas was a scrappy, sweet-shooting guard with ball-handling skills that few in the NBA could duplicate. His Pistons built a tough, hard-nosed team around him, and they won championships in 1989 and 1990.

Now, Irving is a small, sweet-shooting guard with a remarkable handle that Thomas has called even better than his own. The Cavaliers seemingly are still searching for the right complements, but this week, Irving also became an All-Star starter and part of Team USA.

"The way Isiah could handle the ball, the way he could score -- they're similar games," current Pistons coach Mo Cheeks said earlier this season. "But Isiah did it for a long, long time. And did it very, very well for a long, long time. It's tough to be mentioned (in comparison) right now. But (Irving) has very good potential to be one of the best."

Remember, this is 21-year-old Irving, whose 43-percent shooting this season is the worst of his career, but who still is gaining respect and fans despite the downturn in his stats line. Thomas sees the talent, calls him one of the "top 3-4 point guards in the league," but says the Cavaliers need more than just Irving to win. Cleveland needs clear vision and a plan, according to Thomas.

"Once the environment is solidified and the vision is clear, he has a chance to knock the cover off the ball as far as I'm concerned," he said.

True, this is another small, scoring point guard talking about a player many say is the best to come along at that position since Thomas (or Allen Iverson, though A.I. never had the titles to go along with the talent). But it's an appreciation from one of the best, nonetheless.

"Do I think you can win with Kyrie as your leading scorer and shot-maker and everything else? I believe that. Yes I do," Thomas said. "Now, it's just a matter of what type of team you build around him. You've got to have the right bigs, the right wings, you've got to have the right kind of temperament. All that needs to be put in place. But in terms of can you win with his talent? I believe you can."

Until that happens, if that happens, one of Irving's biggest fans will keep watching.

"I am a huge fan of his," Thomas said. "His ball-handling ability and shot-making ability is extremely impressive. He's must-see TV every time he's on, for me."

Mike Pettine is a capable coach...I fear his biggest impediment to winning in the bloody nosed AFC North may not be the Bengals, Ravens, or Steelers, but the unaccountable front office he now works for.

Anyone who has ever watched "The Three Stooges" show knows it's as violent as the AFC North and that all of the injuries are self-inflicted.

Now that the Browns' front office has hired a head coach, they can begin their methodical search for a credibility repairman who is a proven winner.

Mike Pettine hadn't even been the Browns' head coach for even 48 hours when there was a difference of opinion with Joe Banner.   During the presser announcing Pettine's hire, Banner corrected reporters, stating Pettine was given a 5-year contract. The following day in a radio interview, Pettine emphatically said he did not have a 5-year contract.  For clarification, Pettine was asked twice and twice said he did not have a 5-year contract.  Not that it matters when you're dealing with a front office that fired it's first coach with a multi-year deal after less than a year.

The contract contradiction follows Pettine's new boss joking that Pettine was the newly hired third stooge and then moments after introducing Pettine, telling reporters how he was bummed he couldn't interview Quinn a second time.  All of which came hours after Banner and Haslam reportedly made one last phone call to Josh McDaniels to see if he might be interested in the job again, after dropping out.

This is the same Josh McDaniels we were led to believe was never one of the Browns top choices.  We're to believe it was just a coincidence that days after McDaniels withdrew, the Browns  decided  to interview Ken Whisenhunt again, after Banner just got done saying they wouldn't interview anyone from the previous annual coaching search.  Maybe Banner had some analytics that showed last years rejects look better at closing time after one of your top choices tells you thanks, but no thanks.  Some of the people who bought the line that McDaniels withdrew when told he wasn't the top choice, may now be owners of Florida swamp land and signing up for one of those great Pilot Flying J rebate deals.

25 days to find a coach doesn't bother me as much as the self-serving spin that came from 'league sources' and the Browns front office... which you get the feeling, sometimes, was one in the same.

I'm not going to say "same old Cleveland Browns" because I know it bugs Haslam like a Federal grand jury hearing wire taps about "Cost Plusin" truckin' companies.  No, I'm not going to say it because the Cleveland Browns are the team that now plays under the name "Ravens" and won two Super Bowls for Baltimore.  Instead I'll say "same old Cleveland Banners" 'cause "same old Cleveland Lerner's, Haslam's, Banners', Lombardi's" is a mouthful.

Another moment of lame levity at the Pettine intro, was Haslam telling reporters that he liked Pettine because he has a strong  Cowher like jawline.   BREAKING NEWS!!! Chud firing mystery solved! Chud was fired because he has a weaker jawline profile than Cowher...a coach who would never work under Haslam's front office management team and setup...ditto Chuckie Gruden.

With the words ''tough' and ''aggressive' being used in the presser as often as Haslam says "candidly" you can't help but take it as an inference that Chud wasn't tough and aggressive or knew how to win.  Anyone who sits outside his living room window and watches Browns games in the snow, as Chud did, is tough.  Anyone who played T.E. for Miami U. is tough.  Anyone who had to deal with the garbage roster Banner produced is tough.  Any coach who went for it on fourth down as often as Chud did is aggressive.  When Chud was O.C. the Browns record was 10-6...he clearly knows how to win.    

The other dubious suggestion is that Chud was fired because he and Norv misjudged Hoyer.  Swiss cheese has fewer holes  than that theory. When camp started Hoyer wasn't on the roster. Banner and Lombardi signed Campbell first, then Hoyer late.  Any Coach would have had Weeden-1. Campbell-2, Hoyer-3, at that point. It's been forgotten Chud played Hoyer the entire fourth preseason game.  It's been forgotten that Weeden actually played well in the preseason and everyone wanted to see if his performance would carry over into the regular season.  When Chud started Hoyer over Campbell he pointed out how well Hoyer played in the last preseason game.  So I don't buy the theory that Chud and Norv were slow to grasp Hoyer's potential.  The fourth preseason starting roster and game tape says otherwise. I'm sticking with the "Haslam had a hissy fit and it backfired" theory.

Another word that kept being used at Pettine's intro was "accountability." Chud is accused of not holding players accountable by not cutting Little  or benching Bess. For all we know he continued playing Bess because Banner traded for him and gave him a $3 million extension.  Haslam and Banner talk a lot about accountability, but when Banner was asked about Bess and who was accountable for that blunder, he answered with his typical Banner-speak and then refused to discuss it further.  Same old Cleveland Banners!

Accountablity enforcer Jimmy Haslam  said he knew nothing about the Bess blunder.  He was too busy knowing nothing about the felony scams allegedly being carried out by his sales reps under the supervision of his top executives.

Haslam also said the idea that the Browns job was considered toxic was a creation of the media and that none of the football people he talked with thought that way.  He clearly didn't talk to any of the football people who were among the very people who were saying the Browns situation was undesirable and toxic.

Mike Pettine is clearly a capable coach who's earned his new job. But I fear his biggest impediment to winning in the bloody nosed AFC North, may not be  the Bengals, Ravens or Steelers, but the unaccountable front office he now works for.

Banner has said fans have a right to be skeptical until the Browns prove otherwise. Call me skeptical.

The 3rd Annual Dunk 4 Diabetes shootout continues Sunday at Walsh University in North Canton, and cleveland.com will have live audio coverage of 2 more games today. Check out our live broadcast schedule for Sunday's games and listen live in the player below: Sunday, 4:45 p.m.: VASJ vs. Mentor Sunday, 6:30 p.m.: St. Edward vs. Walnut Hills

The 3rd Annual Dunk 4 Diabetes shootout continues Sunday at Walsh University in North Canton, and cleveland.com will have live audio coverage of 2 more games today.

Check out our live broadcast schedule for Sunday's games and listen live in the player below:
Sunday, 4:45 p.m.: VASJ vs. Mentor
Sunday, 6:30 p.m.: St. Edward vs. Walnut Hills

You can see the full schedule of Dunk4Diabetes games here: dunk4diabetes.com.

Salazar stopped by cleveland.com's broadcast booth at Tribe Fest Saturday to talk about his meteoric rise to fame, what he learned from his rookie season and what he expects in 2014.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In a few short months, Indians pitcher Danny Salazar went from Double-A Akron to starting a playoff game for the Cleveland Indians.

What was that like?

"I was a little bit nervous in the beginning," Salazar said. "I started to get a little tired because I had too much adrenalin going. But I hope that if we repeat that and I know we will, it's going to be different."

Salazar stopped by cleveland.com's broadcast booth at Tribe Fest on Saturday to talk about his meteoric rise to fame, what he learned from his rookie season and what he expects in 2014. He also chatted with Zack Meisel and Dennis Manoloff about how he developed his changeup and growing up idolizing Pedro Martinez.

Tribe Fest, featuring player interviews, autograph sessions, clubhouse tours and activities for the kids, continues today at Progressive Field from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Go to indians.com/tribefest for more information.

Be sure to join The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Zack Meisel for a live show from Tribe Fest from 4-6 p.m. at cleveland.com/tribe

Terry Francona stopped by cleveland.com's broadcast booth during Tribe Fest to chat baseball with Zack Meisel and Dennis Manoloff. The trio spent 20 minutes talking about a wide range of topics, starting with the optimism surrounding the 2014 Indians and what his players learned from their postseason run.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When you get 25 minutes with Indians manager Terry Francona, you take it-- especially after he somehow managed to drive his scooter to the ballpark Saturday morning and stay in one piece.

"Yeah, bad move on my part," he said.

Francona stopped by cleveland.com's broadcast booth during Tribe Fest to chat baseball with Zack Meisel and Dennis Manoloff. The trio spent 25 minutes talking about a wide range of topics, starting with the optimism surrounding the 2014 Indians and what his players learned from their postseason run.

"To go through that with a lot of young guys who hadn't done it before and to get into that playoff game against Tampa, I think if anything, it'll make guys hungier to get back there," he said.

In the video above, Francona also looks back at being a part of the heated Yankees-Red Sox rivalry for 8 years and what it was like managing Manny Ramirez.

Tribe Fest, featuring player interviews, autograph sessions, clubhouse tours and activities for the kids, continues today at Progressive Field from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Go to indians.com/tribefest for more information.

Be sure to join The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Zack Meisel for a live show from Tribe Fest from 4-6 p.m. at cleveland.com/tribe

NORTH CANTON, Ohio – We have a full slate of live coverage for boys basketball fans today from the Dunk 4 Diabetes Shootout with six games from 11:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. The cleveland.com high school staff is pleased to provide extensive coverage of the showcase.

NORTH CANTON, Ohio – We have a full slate of live coverage for boys basketball fans today from the Dunk 4 Diabetes Shootout with six games from 11:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m.

The cleveland.com high school staff is pleased to provide extensive coverage of the showcase.

This single post is your one stop shop today for all things Dunk 4 Diabetes, including a continuous string of live updates and analysis from Walsh University.

In this post you’ll also get:

* Links to all the game stories, as well as picture galleries and videos from every game, including action highlights and interviews.

* Links to live audio play-by-play and commentary from two games (broadcasted games marked below).

Today’s schedule:

(check back for links to coverage added here all day, along with final scores)

Wadsworth vs. Cornerstone Christian, 11:30 a.m.

No. 20 Warrensville Heights vs. La Lumiere (Ind.), 1:15 p.m.

No. 4 St. Ignatius vs. Canton Timken, 3 p.m.

No. 17 Mentor vs. No. 3 Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 4:45 p.m. (live audio webcast will begin 10 minutes before tipoff)

No. 1 St. Edward vs. Cincinnati Walnut Hills, 6:30 p.m. (live audio webcast will begin 10 minutes before tipoff)

No. 9 Garfield Heights vs. North Canton Hoover, 8:15 p.m.

And click here for a link to all of Saturday's coverage, which included No. 2 Shaker Heights, No. 5 Central Catholic and No. 11 Beachwood.

We hope to see you and interact with you in the live comments section, which can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this post.

The comments section will also include score updates, stats and analysis. It’s also a great place to chat with fellow fans and share your take on the games. If you have questions post them in the comments and our reporters will answer you.

Today’s cleveland.com team on site consists of Tim Bielik, David Cassilo, Kristen Davis, Chris Fedor, Mark Kern, Bill Landis, Lexi Pluym and Nubyjas Wilborn.

Click here to get an account so you can comment if you don’t have one set up yet (it's free and quick).

Here's a look at the latest news and some of the top storylines coming out of the Meadowlands as we officially kick off Super Bowl Week.

Here's a look at the latest news and some of the top storylines coming out of the Meadowlands as we officially kick off Super Bowl Week:

The Big Buzz: Peyton's Place or "Boom" Town?

Hard-hitting Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor helps put the boom in Seattle's "Legion of Boom" secondary. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

The Super Bowl combatants have been set for a week, and football connoisseurs are still marveling at the pigskin feast now set before them. The main course is the titanic battle between Peyton Manning and Seattle's "Legion of Boom," and it couldn't be juicier.

This championship matchup is so good that it's got NFL.com's Adam Schein thanking the football gods -- profusely:

This is going to be an epic showdown, a classic confrontation of pure strength against strength, and Manning's biggest test of the year.

Seattle and its defense are legitimately that good.

If there's one thing about Pete Carroll's team, it's that the Seahawks ooze not just talent but confidence. Peyton Manning? Legacy? Greatest season ever? Whatever.

Cocky Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman -- the self-proclaimed "best corner in the game" -- provides the always-humble Manning with the perfect foil, and perhaps the ultimate challenge. Beating Sherman and the fearsome Seahawks secondary would erase any lingering doubts about Manning's postseason prowess, writes ESPN.com columnist Skip Bayless:

Few, if any, would say the Seahawks were frauds. Many would conclude Peyton was the greatest of the QBs with two rings (Elway, Staubach, Ben Roethlisberger, Bart Starr, Bob Griese, Jim Plunkett and Eli). Some would make the case that, in overall résumé, Peyton had eclipsed even three-ring [Tom] Brady (8-8 in his past 16 playoff games and 0-2 in Super Bowls over the past nine years). Good gracious, a few might even leap to the prisoner-of-the-moment conclusion that Peyton's sensational longevity capped off by the greatest regular season ever and a Super Bowl destruction of Sherman's defense pole-vaults Peyton past (dare I say) [Joe] Montana.

Manning is perhaps the most cerebral quarterback in NFL history and a master of reading defenses, but he's going to have trouble with this Seahawks defense no matter how many times he shouts "Omaha." This is one opponent that the future Hall of Famer can't toy with, writes CBSSports.com NFL Insider Pat Kirwan:

Manning only has 72 attempts greater than 20 yards (four per game) all year and produces most of his offense with the short passing game. Seattle safety Earl Thomas will play a big role in convincing Manning to throw the ball where the Seahawks want him to by baiting the QB with coverage disguises. Manning will not use motion to disguise or change formations. He would much rather come up to the line and read the defense. Peyton Manning has seen it all before but Seattle still presents problems.

The Seahawks have a "squadron of talented, big, hard-hitting defensive backs" with which to counter the Broncos' prodigious receiving corps, writes Nate Davis of USAToday.com, setting up one seriously intriguing showdown:

Seattle neutralized Drew Brees and the Saints twice this season, showing they're more than comfortable against the most high-tech attacks, and their ability to deploy fresh waves of pass rushers is another underrated aspect of their arsenal. But solving Manning is no easy assignment, and no one mixes and matches the mismatches he isolates pre-snap any better. The chess match should be a joy to behold.

Watch Peter King of The MMQB explain how he expects the "match for the ages" between Peyton Manning and the Seahawks secondary to play out:

Headlines

• Seattle wide receiver Percy Harvin has completed the NFL-mandated concussion protocol and been cleared to play in the Super Bowl. (via The Seattle Times)

• Broncos kicker Matt Prater did not practice all week because of a stomach virus. (via SI.com)

• Peyton Manning is putting little brother Eli to work making ticket arrangements for family and friends. (via NJ.com)

• We're still too far out to really nail down the weather forecast for Super Bowl Sunday, but that hasn't stopped the constant updates and angst. (via CBSSports.com)

• Super Bowl ticket prices continue to plummet for what is sure to be a very chilly game for fans. (via NJ.com)

• Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman has been fined $7,875 by the NFL for taunting and unsportsmanlike conduct in the final minute of the Seahawks' 23-17 win over San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game. (via OregonLive.com)

• Opera singer Renee Fleming has been chosen to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. (via CBSSports.com)

• The Seahawks look a bit healthier than the Broncos, listing all six players on their injury report Friday as probable for the game while Denver listed four players as either questionable or doubtful. (via USAToday.com)

What they're saying

Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas is embracing the possibility of a duel with Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

• A one-on-one matchup with Seattle's Richard Sherman in the Super Bowl? Bring it on, says Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas: (via SI.com)

"He's a great player. I'd love to have that matchup and show what kind of player I am. I don't know if we'll match up, but like I said, he's a great player."

• U.S. Senator Robert Menendez was among several New Jersey politicians who blasted the NFL this week for giving New York City top billing in the Super Bowl run-up, despite the game actually being played in the Garden State: (via NJ.com)

"The Big Apple may have Super Bowl Boulevard, but no one is going to score any touchdowns in Times Square," Menendez said. "Richard Sherman isn't going to be screaming in anyone's face in the financial district."

• Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, booted from the playoffs by Peyton Manning and the Broncos last week, probably won't be hosting a Super Bowl viewing party at his house next Sunday: (via FoxSports.com)

"I don't have much of a rooting interest, truthfully. Those games are hard to watch," Brady said. "I don't see myself sitting down to enjoy a football game or watch it. Our season is over. Truthfully, I could care less about watching a game. That's pretty much how I feel."

• Denver defensive tackle Terrance Knighton on how he picked up the nickname "Pot Roast" while playing for Jacksonville: (via The MMQB)

"Long flight home," Knighton said. "The food that night was shrimp alfredo or pot roast. I'm not a seafood guy, so I got the pot roast. So the guy sitting behind me on the plane was Clint Ingram, who was like the biggest comedian on the team. He says, 'Oh, pot roast. You're saying that like it's your name. I'm going to make that your new nickname.' It ended up sticking with me. I'm just glad I ordered the pot roast, not the shrimp alfredo."

• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell chose his words carefully, but made it clear that he wasn't pleased with Richard Sherman's postgame rant last weekend: (via CBSSports.com)

"It's an emotional game, and you see a young man who comes off the field and he's pumped up, and there's so much excitement in the stadium, but no, I'm not cheering for that," Goodell said.

Just for fun

• Video: A look back at the National Anthem performances from Super Bowls past. (via NJ.com)

• Photos: What players from the Broncos and Seahawks looked like in high school. (via USAToday.com)

• FoxSports.com ranks the best Super Bowl halftime performances of the last 21 years.

• Photos: Check out Sports Illustrated's gallery of their 100 all-time best Super Bowl images.

For complete coverage, check out Super Bowl Central at NJ.com

Dixon is already enrolled at Ohio State, as is fellow receiver Curtis Samuel, and they'll be out to fight for early playing time in spring football.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In anticipation of National Signing Day on Feb. 5, Cleveland.com is putting together player profiles for each prospect Ohio State will soon officially add to its roster.

Johnnie Dixon

School: Dwyer High School, West Palm Beach, Fla.

Position: Receiver 

Height, Weight: 6-foot, 170 pounds

Rivals.com rating: Dixon is rated as a four-star prospect, the No. 18 player in Florida, the No. 15 receiver in the class and the No. 117 overall recruit in the Class of 2014.

Other schools: Miami, Alabama, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Notre Dame

How he fits into Ohio State’s plans:  Dixon is the latest Florida receiver to decide to come North to be a Buckeye. He follows players like James Clark, Ricquan Southward, James Louis and Duron Carter. None of the latter three finished their careers at Ohio State, while Clark was getting some playing time early last season before an injury forced him to redshirt. The Buckeyes would love one of these Florida receivers to make the kind of difference Santonio Holmes made when he arrived from the Sunshine State. Dixon, one of four receivers in the Buckeyes' 2014 class, said he wanted to get away from home for college, so maybe he'll be the next Florida receiver to make a name for himself in Columbus.

Projection for 2014: Dixon and fellow receiver Curtis Samuel are among the seven members of the Class of 2014 already enrolled at Ohio State, so they should have a jump on the competition in spring ball. Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin are the other receivers in this class. With Philly Brown graduating, there are some catches out there to be replaced, but the competition should be wide open in the spring and during preseason ball. Samuel played running back in high school and may project more as a slot receiver or H-back, while Dixon has been catching passes for years. But blocking on the outside will go a long way toward determining playing time. And there are Buckeyes already on the roster like Corey Smith, Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall and Clark who haven't had much of a chance yet and won't want to get passed by a freshman.

What we’ve written about Dixon:

• Buckeyes looking for production from their latest Florida receiver

• Dixon second big addition in two days for Ohio State

What others have written about Dixon:

• "Coach Meyer knows what to do with receivers"

• "I love to bowl" - a Johnnie Dixon interview

Videos:

One of five offensive linemen pledged to the Buckeyes' class, the Chicago native originally announced for Ohio State over the Spartans.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Buckeyes have 22 oral commitments with National Signing Day less than two weeks away on Feb. 5. While Ohio State could maybe fit another player in its class, there also may be some work to be done to maintain that number at 22.

247sports.com was the first of several recruiting sites to report that Chicago offensive lineman Jamarco Jones will take an official visit to Michigan State before National Signing Day. Urban Meyer has never shied away from looking at players who have given oral commitments to other schools, and Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is doing the same here.

Jones' status with Ohio State changed at least a bit when defensive line coach Mike Vrabel, who had been heavily involved in his recruiting, left Ohio State for the Houston Texans.

Jones recently received a visit from Meyer and Vrabel's replacement, new defensive line coach Larry Johnson.

Just had a great in home visit with Coach Meyer and Coach Johnson

— Jamarco Jones (@jjones_73) January 20, 2014

And he has continued to talk about Ohio State on his Twitter account. So this could be viewed as no big deal, a player taking a final visit to a school that was his runnerup when he made his decision the first time around. Jones does have connections to East Lansing - he wrote on Twitter of watching two former high school teammates, Gavin Schilling and Alvin Ellis, who are now freshman basketball players at Michigan State.

It's crazy seeing people you went to school with playing ball in big time games in tv

— Jamarco Jones (@jjones_73) January 26, 2014

Plenty of players take late official visits and stick with the team they originally announced for. OSU linebacker Trey Johnson, for instance, visited Tennessee right before National Signing Day last year. And Jones isn't hiding from the fact that he's taking a look, offering this retweet.

@jjones_73 Have fun on your visit 2 MSU....could be worse...could have been scUM 🅾🙌🙏🅾

— Julie (@Colombiana_Gal) January 25, 2014

But the departure of Vrabel makes this a little different, even though Jones is on the offensive side of the ball and his position coach, Ed Warinner, didn't go anywhere.

So he'll take a look. And the Buckeyes will hope he sticks with his initial choice. Jones is one of five offensive linemen in the Ohio State class, but the Buckeyes could use them all.

The 24-18 Suns are one victory away from equaling last season's win total.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Just over halfway through the season, the Phoenix Suns are 24-18. That means the Suns are not only the surprise team of the NBA, but they are one victory away from equaling last season's entire win total.

Not a bad start for first-year coach Jeff Hornacek, who has revamped Phoenix into the Suns of old, an up-tempo squad whose 104.2 points per game ranks seventh in the NBA.

Guard Goran Dragic leads Phoenix with 19.4 points per game, and his 49.2-percent shooting is by far the best of his six-year NBA career.

"I've always been a fan of Dragic's," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "I've thought since he's been in the league, if he has a team that's his own, if he has the right people around him and the right system, he can really do some damage. It's starting to show. Out of all the teams in the league, this is probably the surprise team."

Probable starters: Cavs -- F Luol Deng, F Tristan Thompson, C Anderson Varejao, G C.J. Miles, G Kyrie Irving. Suns -- F P.J. Tucker, F Channing Frye, C Miles Plumlee, G Gerald Green, G Goran Dragic.

Injuries: Cavs – None. Suns – Emeka Okafor (herniated disc) and Eric Bledsoe (right knee arthroscopy) are out.

Officials: Ron Garretson, Kevin Cutler, Leon Wood.

Up next for Cavs: vs. New Orleans on Tuesday at The Q.

NORTH CANTON, Ohio — Cornerstone Christian boys basketball coach Dan Selle believes his senior point guard, Bryan Gee, is the best point guard in Ohio. In his team's first appearance in the Dunk 4 Diabetes Shootout at Walsh University on Sunday, Gee had an impressive performance befitting his coach's praise. The Longwood recruit had a game-high 18 points, seven...

NORTH CANTON, Ohio — Cornerstone Christian boys basketball coach Dan Selle believes his senior point guard, Bryan Gee, is the best point guard in Ohio.

In his team's first appearance in the Dunk 4 Diabetes Shootout at Walsh University on Sunday, Gee had an impressive performance befitting his coach's praise. The Longwood recruit had a game-high 18 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and four steals to lead the Patriots to a 58-37 win against Wadsworth.

Gee was looking forward to Sunday's opportunity since Cornerstone Christian, which is a Division IV school, rarely gets to be in the spotlight.

"We definitely treated this like a showcase," Gee said. "We wanted to come out and show everybody what we are and what we're about."

The Patriots got off to a quick start, opening the game on a 12-5 run, highlighted by nine of RJ Spaller's 12 points, all from behind the 3-point arc. Cornerstone Christian came out with a tremendous amount of energy on the bench despite the 11:30 a.m. start time, and it guided it to a 17-7 lead after the first quarter

"We came out and we made a bunch of threes to start the game. I think we made five in the first half," Selle said. "As a coach, when you look at the scoreboard and it says 12-5, you got started off on the right foot. (Wadsworth) coach (Michael) Schmeltzer, he runs a great program. They're the No. 2 defense in their conference. So we knew we were going to have a challenge today."

Cornerstone Christian played some impressive defense of its own against Wadsworth, holding the Grizzlies to single digits in three of the fourth quarters, including just 14 points in the second half. Wadsworth shot 34 percent from the field and was just 2 of 16 from three.

The Grizzlies actually had fewer turnovers than Cornerstone Christian, 20-19, but Schmeltzer knew his team needed to protect the ball better.

"Our goal is under 12 a game as a team. I think we had 12 in the first quarter," Schmeltzer said. "Against a quality opponent like that, if you're going to turn the ball over that many times, it's going to be hard to win."

The Patriots pulled away starting in the third quarter, going on a 16-0 run and taking a 56-31 lead late in the fourth quarter.

"We kind of hang our hat on defense," Selle said. "It's about getting stops. Our coaching staff, I thought, did a great job scouting Wadsworth before the game. They have three fantastic shooters.

"We basically had to focus on weakside help and great closeouts on those shooters."

Gee's impact was felt in more than just his scoring. He either scored or assisted in 16 of his team's 22 field goals and had one less assist than Wadsworth had as a team.

"I definitely think we got a couple more followers today," Gee said. "In the past Cornerstone hasn't had much of a spotlight on us. We wanted to come out here and show everybody what we can do."

Isaiah McQueen added 10 points for Cornerstone Christian. Kyle Prunty was Wadsworth's leading scorer with 12 points.