Manager Terry Francona wants Nick Hagadone to make adjustments faster on the mound. He says the Indians need the left-hander to help them win games in the big leagues.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – The Indians spring training roster keeps shrinking.

Left-handers Nick Hagadone and Scott Barnes were optioned to Class AAA Columbus, while right-handers Travis Banwart, Tyler Cloyd, J.C. Ramirez and lefty Mike Zagurski were re-assigned to minor league camp.

The Indians have 46 players in camp as manager Terry Francona works his way toward the 25 players who will open the season on March 31 in Oakland.

Ramirez underwent surgery Monday in Cleveland on a broken left thumb suffered in a B game last week.

Francona added that infielder Ryan Rohlinger has been told he won’t make the club, but will stay with the big league team for the rest of camp.

Hagadone appeared in six games and posted a 2.57 ERA (two earned runs in seven innings). He struck out six, walked three and allowed four hits.

Here’s how Francona described Hagadone’s camp, “Some really good, some inconsistencies. The biggest thing we’re trying to get Nick to do is make adjustments quicker. The thing he showed this camp is that he’d come in and get a walk and then he’d go back out and have a good inning. OK, now we want to get to if you throw ball one, let’s reel it in right now as opposed to after one hitter.”

In an appearance against Seattle, Hagadone was rushed into the first inning with the bases loaded and two out, even though he was scheduled to pitch much later in the game. He did not respond well and said after the game that he learned a valuable lesson about being ready to pitch at all times.

“When you send a guy down, it’s not the best day for a guy to listen and we totally understand that,” said Francona. “But we told him when the phone rings, whether it's 7 in the morning or 7 at night, be ready to come in and compete, and enjoy being ready when that phone rings. That’s probably the biggest thing we could tell him.

“We will continue to follow up on him because we need him in the major leagues to help us win.”

Barnes posted a 1.50 ERA in six appearances. He struck out two, walked two and allowed one run on four hits.

Banwart made three appearances and had a 20.25 ERA (six runs in 2 2/3 innings). The opposition hit .429 against him.

Cloyd made two appearances and didn’t allow a run in one start.

Ramirez pitched in two Cactus League games before breaking his left thumb. He posted a 7.71 ERA.

Zagurski allowed one run in five appearances for a 1.50 ERA. He struck out five, walked one and allowed three hits in five innings. The opposition hit .158 against him.

If Irving ruptured or tore a tendon near his shoulder, he will be out only 6-8 weeks; if it occurred near his elbow, it could take three months. The Cavaliers have just over a month left in the season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – How long Kyrie Irving could be out to recover from a biceps injury and how severe the injury is depends upon where on his arm the injury occurred, according to University Hospitals orthopedic surgeon Reuben Gobezie.

Irving sustained a biceps injury during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers when Blake Griffin appeared to come down on his left arm while Irving was raising his arm toward the ball.

Irving clutched at his left shoulder as he walked off the court in the first quarter – which could be relatively good news for the Cavaliers.

A torn biceps tendon where it is connected to the shoulder – in two places -- typically requires surgery and rehabilitation of 6-8 weeks.

A torn biceps tendon where it is connected to the elbow – in one place – typically requires surgery and rehabilitation of about three months.

The only problem for the Cavaliers is that only 4 ½ weeks remain in the season.

Irving was to have an MRI on Monday.

"It's a bit of a big deal which one it is," Gobezie said.

If it's a tear at one of the two attachments at Irving's shoulder, Gobezie said the injury is less severe. Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway played in two Super Bowls with a torn biceps, Gobezie said.

No matter where the injury occurred, though, Gobezie said that prognosis for a full recovery is good.

"Usually they do very well," he said. "If you look at the prognosis for biceps repairs, typically they do very well. They come back."

Inside the numbers is where you will find the secrets to a winning March Madness bracket.

Here are five simple facts that could keep you from making the wrong picks on your NCAA tournament bracket:

1. CINDERELLA USUALLY GOES HOME EARLY

After last season's wacky tournament, expect to see a lot more upsets on the brackets in your pool this year. So, you may want to go in the opposite direction. Only about 16 percent of higher-seeded teams lose in the NCAA tournament, according to BracketScience.com. In the 2013 tournament, nearly 21 percent of lower-seeded teams won thanks in large part to ninth-seeded Wichita State's run to the Final Four and 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast's trip to the Sweet Sixteen. But if you must pick some upsets, stick with the 11th or 12th seed. Since 1985, here are the winning percentages for teams seeded No. 10 or lower:

No. 11 - 33.6%

No. 12 - 35.3%

No. 13 - 21.6%

No. 14 - 14.6%

No. 15 - 6%

No. 16 - 0%

Here are some Cinderella picks, courtesy of Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis:

2. SEEDS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN SOWN

The following seeds have never been to a Final Four: 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16. An 11th seed has made the Final Four three times, most recently Virginia Commonwealth in 2011.

Among the top eight seeds, the only seeds that have not won a national championship are fifth and seventh. Since 1985, when the tournament expanded to 64 teams, a No. 5 seed has made the Final Four six times, including a pair of them in 2010 (Butler and Michigan State), while a No. 7 seed last made the Final Four in 1984 when Virginia made it to the semifinals.

3. WATCH YOUR STEP ONTO THE BANDWAGON

There are a number of experts jumping on No. 4 seeds Michigan State and Louisville to win it all. History says those experts are wrong. Since 2000, a No. 1 seed has won the national title 10 times, a No. 3 seed three times and a No. 2 seed once. No fourth seed has won it all since Arizona in 1997.

Here's more on the tournament's No. 1 seeds, and some thoughts on dark horse candidates, from Basketball Insiders' Yannis Koutroupis:

4. KEY INJURIES

Don't forget to factor in injuries when filling out your bracket. 

As you probably already know, Kansas will start tournament play without 7-foot freshman Joel Embiid (8.1 rebounds per game) because of a back injury that could sideline him for the duration. With Embiid, the Jayhawks allowed 67.1 points per game. Without Embiid, the Jayhawks have surrendered 75.6 ppg and lost two of five games.

BYU, meanwhile, lost its 6-foot-6 point guard Kyle Collinsworth (14 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists per game) when he tore his ACL in the West Coast Conference title game. Collinsworth had 15 points and eight assists in the 100-96 overtime loss to Oregon in December.

Colorado played its final 17 games without leading scorer Spencer Dinwiddie (torn ACL) and went 9-8.

5. GOOD FOLLOWS BAD

If you add the combined seeds for the 2013 Final Four (Louisville was a No. 1 seed, Syracuse and Michigan were No. 4 seeds, and Wichita State was a No. 9 seed), you get 18. Since 1985, that total exceeded 12 six times -- in 2011, 2010, 2006, 2000, 1992 and 1986. In all but one of those cases, at least two top seeds were in the Final Four the following year.

Will Weeden be a winner in the NFL? Cast your vote.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - After being released by the Browns last week, quarterback Brandon Weeden has latched on with the Dallas Cowboys. Fans are reacting to the signing on social media. 

More details from Mary Kay Cabot's post on the news:

The 2012 No. 22 overall pick signed a two-year deal worth the Cowboys worth a total of $1.23 million, a league source confirmed.

According to ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer, Weeden will be the No. 3 quarterback behind Tony Romo and Kyle Orton. The Cowboys haven't kept three quarterbacks since 2011.

Weeden, who went 5-15 in his two seasons here, was released by the Browns last week along with Jason Campbell, leaving only Brian Hoyer and Alex Tanney on the roster.

The deal brings Weeden closer to his hometown in Oklahoma and gives him a fresh start on his pro career.

The question now that he has left Cleveland is: What do you think Weeden's NFL career will be like in the future? Cast your vote:

Former Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden has signed a two-year deal with the Cowboys.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden has joined America's team.

The 2012 No. 22 overall pick signed a two-year deal with the Cowboys worth a total of $1.23 million, a league source confirmed. He also talked to the Ravens and Bengals last week, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Weeden's deal with the Cowboys contains no guaranteed money, meaning they won't be out anything if they cut him. And if he does make the team both years, the Browns will save about $1.230 million of the $2.044 million guaranteed they still owe him because of offset language in the contract.

Currently, the Browns owe Weeden $1.1 million for 2014 and about $920,000 for 2015.

His base salaries with the Cowboys are about $570,000 in 2014, and $660,000 in 2015. If he plays both of those years, the Browns will only have to pay him $554,000 in 2014 and $260,000 in 2015 -- a total of $814,000.

If the Cowboys cut him, the Browns will be back on the hook for the $2.044 million -- or the difference between that and whatever another club pays him.

According to ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer, Weeden will be the No. 3 quarterback behind starter Tony Romo, who's recovering from his second back surgery in eight months, and backup Kyle Orton. The Cowboys haven't kept three quarterbacks since 2011, and it's still not a lock they'll do so.

The Dallas Morning News reported that the Orton has indicated to the Cowboys that he might retire. But Archer noted that the Cowboys believe Orton will stick around because of his $3.25 million base salary and the fact he'd have to repay $3 million of his $5 million signing bonus if he hangs it up.

Weeden, who went 5-15 in his two seasons here, was released by the Browns last week along with Jason Campbell, leaving only Brian Hoyer and Alex Tanney on the roster. It paves the way for the Browns to possibly add another veteran quarterback and a rookie.

It also means that the two first-round picks from 2012 have found new homes, Trent Richardson in Indianapolis and Weeden in Dallas.

The No. 22 pick used on Weeden was acquired in a 2011 trade with the Falcons that enabled Atlanta to move up to draft receiver Julio Jones.

Weeden, immediately installed as the starter in 2012 ahead of Colt McCoy, went 5-10 his first season and 0-5 in 2013. He was benched three times last season in favor of Hoyer and Campbell.

Weeden, 30, must have left a good impression on the Cowboys when he almost beat them in Dallas in 2012. With 1:10 left in regulation, Weeden threw his second TD pass of the game to tight end Ben Watson -- a 17-yarder -- to put the Browns up 20-17. But Romo rallied with a last-minute gametying field goal drive and then tacked on another three in overtime to beat the Browns 23-20.

If Orton plays in 2014, Weeden could be looking for work again soon.

Some NFL draft boards might've shifted around after Teddy Bridgewater's lackluster Pro Day yesterday. Without his normal gloves on, Bridgewater worked out in front of scouts, head coaches and general managers for the first time this off-season, and did not leave teams with a great impression.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Some NFL draft boards might've shifted after Teddy Bridgewater's lackluster Pro Day on Monday. Without the gloves he used during the football season, Bridgewater worked out in front of scouts, head coaches and general managers for the first time this off-season, and did not leave teams with a great impression.

Bridgewater did indeed underwhelm at Pro Day. Tried throwing w/o glove. It's not "numbers" on Pro Day; it's how ball comes out of QB's hand

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) March 17, 2014

Mike Mayock of NFL Network says Teddy Bridgewater was "very average at best" during passing drills.

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 17, 2014

Those descriptions of Monday's performance are fair and accurate. People in attendance wanted to see pinpoint accuracy that he displayed at Louisville -- they wanted near perfection. In a rare occurrence for my top-ranked quarterback, he failed to deliver. Never looking comfortable, he sprayed the ball all over the place, missing throws that he usually hits. The tight spirals that many had grown accustomed to turned into fluttering ducks that sailed high and wide of receivers he had a strong familiarity with.

It was a shocking performance, no doubt a poor showing for a player fighting to be the top pick in the draft. But the Pro Day is only one piece of a complex puzzle that teams will have to sort through between now and May 8th, the first day of the 2014 NFL Draft. For Bridgewater, failing to shine on a stage that doesn't highlight his strengths shouldn't cause him to start falling down draft boards.

Most prospects will look better in gym shorts, showing off a strong arm, where the football jumps off the hand. Fresno State's Derek Carr will likely leave scouts salivating when his Pro Day rolls around. JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf wowed those in attendance because of their strong arms, elevating them to the top of the draft. Last year, it was E.J. Manuel's athleticism that helped him become a first-round pick.

Bridgewater doesn't have those attributes. His arm is far from the strongest in the class and he's not the kind of improvisor that Johnny Manziel is. He's also not the only one to underwhelm at their Pro Day. According to ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., Peyton Manning left scouts wondering whether Leaf was the better prospect, citing Manning's last name aiding him in the process. Matt Ryan's wobbly throws raised questions about his standing as a Top-5 pick. Bridgewater's a cerebral, surgical rhythm passer. He has his flaws, just like every other QB to come into the draft in the last decade not named Luck. Struggles with accuracy beyond 20 yards, especially outside the numbers was something that showed up during his three seasons at Louisville and the problem remained yesterday inside the Louisville fieldhouse.

Yet there are plenty of other positives that would be foolish to overlook. When it comes to the day-to-day quarterback traits that allow a prospect to succeed in the pros, Bridgewater does them all at a high level, and better than any other QB in the class. His high football IQ, pocket presence, pre-snap reads, footwork and accuracy in the short-to-intermediate passing game allow him to shred defenses. Those traits have separated him from Blake Bortles, Carr and Manziel.

Bridgewater throws with the timing, anticipation and rhythm of a top-level passer. It doesn't make sense to ignore three years of strong tape, 30 wins, 72 touchdowns and all the other positives he brings to a franchise because of one bad throwing day in March.

His detractors will point to his throwing session yesterday as a negative, making jokes about him looking bad on a field without defenders. His underwhelming performance only gives more ammunition. But his Pro Day hasn't changed anything for me. His tape against real competition and skill-set tell me he's the best quarterback in the class, the most polished passer. Bridgewater still deserves to be a Top-5 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

The Bengals have to decide by today whether or not to match the Browns' offer to Andrew Hawkins.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Bengals have until midnight tonight to match the Browns' offer to unrestricted free agent receiver Andrew Hawkins -- but they could decide well before that.

Hawkins, 28, signed his four-year, $13.6 million offer sheet from the Browns on Wednesday night, and the Bengals had five days to match.

Reports on ESPN and NFL Network have said the Bengals are unlikely to match.

The offer is frontloaded -- including a $3.8 million signing bonus and $10.8 million over the first two years -- which will make it tough for the Bengals to match.

Hawkins (5-7, 180) is their fourth receiver behind A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones. The Bengals had given Hawkins only the low tender of $1.4 million for 2014 to retain the right of first refusal, but now might regret the lower tender.

In Cleveland, Hawkins (5-7, 175) would replace recently-released Davone Bess as the Browns' slot receiver.

After agreeing to the Browns' offer in principle last week, his agent Craig Schaeffer told cleveland.com, "Andrew is excited about the prospect of becoming a Cleveland Brown.''

A speedster who ran 4.34 coming out of Toledo, Hawkins worked out for the Browns after he went undrafted in 2007, but they opted not to sign him. He went on to play for the Montreal Allouettes of the Canadian Football League -- and the Browns wanted him again a year later, but the Allouettes wouldn't let him go. He signed with the Rams in 2011 and was claimed by the Bengals via waivers that year and has been there ever since.

In 2012, he caught a career-high 51 passes for 533 yards and four TDs. Last season, he suffered a serious ankle injury in preseason and played in only eight games, catching 12 passes for 1999 yards.

Senior guard Roy Devyn Marble is one of the best players in the Big Ten, but can he give an Iowa team that's lost six of seven games confidence in the NCAA Tournament?

Iowa, No. 11 seed (play-in) Midwest

20-12, 9-9 Big Ten, sixth place

Path to the Final Four: Iowa has an extra step than everyone else because it must beat No. 11 Tennessee in the play-in game to advance into the bracket. But if the Hawkeyes do, then they'll face No. 6 UMass in the first round with the winner of No. 3 Duke-No. 14 Mercer waiting in the second game. The potential Sweet 16 opponent, if the Hawkeyes survive past the Blue Devils, could be No. 2 Michigan. If Iowa gets by all of that, then they could potentially face No. 1 Wichita State, No. 8 Kentucky or No. 4 Louisville in the Elite Eight.

Best wins: Xavier (Nov. 28), Ohio State (Jan. 12) and Michigan (Feb. 8)

Worst losses: Indiana (Feb. 27), Illinois (March 8) and Northwestern (March 13)

What the Hawkeyes have going for them: Iowa played in one of the deepest conferences in college basketball, and before it hit its recent swoon the Hawkeyes knocked off some very talented teams and even played No. 3 seed Iowa State close during the nonconference schedule. Iowa was a popular dark horse pick for the NCAA Tournament a month ago, it just has to get back to winning.

What the Hawkeyes have going against them: The Hawkeyes sat silently in their locker room after losing to Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. It was the latest blunder for a team that has now lost six of seven, and some even were worried about potentially missing the NCAA Tournament all together. Iowa's recent skid added an extra step to the Final Four, and having to figure out how to turn around a bad streak in the Big Dance isn't the ideal formula for success.

Player it hinges on: One of the most productive scorers in the Big Ten, Roy Devyn Marble has waited his entire career to play on this stage. He averages 17.3 points per game and is one of the most dynamic talents in the Big Ten. If he can get his shot working early vs. Tennessee, he could be the catalyst for a much-needed confidence boost for the team.

Ari's prediction: Trending upward is so important in college basketball, and Iowa's season has basically bottomed out. The Hawkeyes, even, had to wonder if they were going to be playing in the NCAA Tournament after being a lock for the event a month ago. I think Tennessee drops Iowa in the first round, as the Volunteers come winners of five of their last six with the only loss coming in a hard-fought game vs. No. 1 seed Florida in the SEC Tournament.

Doug's prediction: The Hawkeyes are in a tough spot, having nosedived in the final weeks of the season. The thing is, they used to be good. And I think they can be again. Give me Iowa as a tournament upset pick, to not only beat Tennessee on Wednesday, but then No. 6 seed Massachusetts before falling to No. 3 seed Duke in the round of 32. The Hawkeyes would have to consider that ending on an upswing.

The Bengals decided not to match the Browns offer to Andrew Hawkins and he became a Brown today.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Bengals wide receiver Andrew Hawkins waited six long years to become a Brown, but better late than never.

The Bengals announced Tuesday that they decided not to match the Browns' offer to the restricted free agent, who first participated in the Browns rookie minicamp in 2008 after he went undrafted out of Toledo.

He's now under contract with the Browns and they don't owe their AFC North rivals any compensation.

"Can't thank the Cincinnati Bengals Organization & fans enough for giving me my first fair shot at the best job in all the land,'' Hawkins tweeted. "Forever greatful [sic] is an understatement. 1st class is another…That being said, excited to join the Browns (where it all started) & giving all I got to help bring championship football back to Cleveland!''

The Bengals had until 11:59 Tuesday night to match the offer, but announced around 4 p.m. that they weren't going to do so. The Browns won this particular Battle of Ohio by wisely frontloading the deal, which made it tough for the Bengals to match. It's for four years and $13.6 million, including a $3.8 million signing bonus and $10.8 million over the first two years.

“I don't want to let Andrew go without making note that he has been a very hardworking and contributing player," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said in a statement released by the club. "He has set a great example of being a great teammate. But we're fortunate to have a lot of depth at wide receiver, and we're excited to move forward. Our leading receivers from last year will all return, and we have another group who know our system and have earned our confidence that they are ready to see more action.

“It’s a given that we will invest in players to the limit of the salary cap, but the system means teams have to make choices, and we don’t believe this match, at this time, would serve our goal of allocating resources roster-wide for the best possible team come September.”

The Browns chose not to sign Hawkins in 2008, but wanted him again the following year. By then, he was playing for the Montreal Allouettes of the Canadian Football League, and they wouldn't let him out of his contract.

The Browns pursued him in free agency this year in part to fill the slot role vacated by recently-released Davone Bess.

Hawkins, 28, was the Bengals' fourth receiver behind A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones. They gave Hawkins only the low tender of $1.4 million for 2014 to retain the right of first refusal, but might regret the low tender. However, Geoff Hobson of bengals.com reported that Hawkins was slated for only about 15 snaps per game, which made the Browns' offer sheet too rich for them.

In Cleveland, Hawkins (5-7, 180) will replace recently-released Davone Bess as the Browns' slot receiver. Bess was let go after a series of bizarre incidents, including an arrest for assaulting an officer at the Ft. Lauderdale airport.

Browns GM Ray Farmer issued a statement about the team's new free agents Tuesday evening.

“Free agency is well under way. We’ve added several players to the roster that will continue to push in the direction we want this team to go. A couple key things to keep in mind: What we’re doing is finding talented players that can be good starters in this league, and guys that can compete to push those guys that end up being the starters.

“Since we last talked about the state of our roster, we’ve added Jim Dray, Ben Tate and now Andrew Hawkins – all offensive guys who we think can help advance our mission. These acquisitions are about steadying our ship and moving Cleveland closer to competing in our division and competing for championships.

“Like Coach Pett has articulated, we want guys that play like Browns, and we feel like every player we’ve added in free agency embodies the characteristics we want: Passion, toughness, relentlessness, competitiveness, accountability and productivity.”

Hawkins broke into the NFL in 2011 when he signed with the Rams out of the CFL in January, but they waived him in July of that year and the Bengals soon claimed him. He played a reserve role in 2011, appearing in 13 games with 23 catches for 263 yards.

In 2012, Hawkins was elevated to a regular role as the Bengals' slot receiver, ranking third on team in both receptions (51) and receiving yards (533), with four TDs. One of those touchdowns was a 50-yarder against the Browns in the fourth quarter of a 34-27 Bengals victory Sept. 16 in Cincinnati.

Last season, he suffered a serious ankle injury in preseason and played in only the final eight games, catching 12 passes for 199 yards. But he showed his tremendous speed (4.34 coming out of Toledo) on a 50-yard catch-and-run Dec. 1 at San Diego, and averaged 24.7 yards per catch on three receptions Dec. 29 vs. Baltimore. Although he had only 12 catches, led team with 16.6 average.

Hawkins is the sixth free agent signed by the Browns since the league opened for business a week ago. The others are safety Donte Whitner, inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, cornerback Isaiah Trufant, tight end Jim Dray and running back Ben Tate.

Tournament play for Cleveland State, Akron and Ohio University starts Wednesday night and coaches hope to have their players ready to play.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tournament play begins Wednesday for Cleveland State, Akron and Ohio University, but not in the premiere NCAA or NIT events. CSU plays at OU tonight at 7 and Akron is at IUP-Fort Wayne, also at 7, both in the College Insider.com Tournament.

In the minds of many, both fans and players, this tournament inspires little interest. For OU head coach Jim Christian, that is not the right mentality to have. If a 7-5 football team going cross-country to a second-rate bowl game is cause for celebration, certainly players and fans of a 20-win basketball team should be equally excited to still be playing.

All 350 Division I teams play to be one of the 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Simple math says the majority won't get there. Just like most won't make the Rose Bowl or the Orange Bowl. But if the Potato Bowl is a reward, the NIT, College Basketball Invitational (CBI) and CIT -- where Akron, OU and CSU will be playing -- is a reward as well.

While fans moan over being left out of the NCAA, or pull out of playing in the CIT, like Buffalo, Christian bristles.

"I hope you were playing for more than (a NCAA bid),'' Christian told The Athens Messenger. "To learn and grow and because you love basketball."

That is the hope for coach Gary Waters and his Vikings (21-11), Keith Dambrot for the Akron Zips (21-12) and Christian for his Bobcats (23-11).

When Christian was head coach at Kent State he coined the phrase, "we play for the postseason" in part to have his teams embrace any postseason tournament reward that came their way.

While memories of the Golden Flashes 2002 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight run fade with every season, the fact is, since 2000, no MAC team has as many postseason tournament victories (10) as the Golden Flashes.

While KSU has not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2008, the Flashes still have the second most postseason wins in the conference since that time (3 NIT, 1 CIT to OU's 5), and that includes two NCAA appearances by the Bobcats and three by the Zips.

Cleveland State has two postseason wins since 2008.

The Vikings have had the longest time to recover, 10 days, since their Horizon League Tournament semifinal loss to Wright State. So Waters should have the Vikings ready to go. CSU won 10 of its final 12 games.

The Vikings will, however, be without the services of 6-4 junior swingman Sebastian Douglas, who is having a third surgery on his knee, Wednesday, which puts the end of his CSU career in doubt.

The Bobcats have had some time to heal, although 6-9 Maurice Ndour (back), and 6-0 guard Stevie Taylor (leg) will not be 100 percent until after the season. Akron's Dambrot probably has the biggest challenge, as his Zips are still recovering after losing their MAC Tournament semifinal game to Western Michigan after holding a 17-point halftime lead.

All three coaches hope to have their teams tournament ready, much like ESPN's Jimmy Dykes described Kent in 2011 during its NIT run.

"These guys are a bunch of ballers,'' he began. " A bunch of guys who say, 'where are we playing? What time does the game start? Let's get it on.''

That's the attitude needed for every team in any tournament play.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Looking at the roster for the East Tech boys basketball team, which is slated to take on St. Edward in the Division I state semifinals this coming Friday at 5:15 p.m. at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, it is difficult not to be impressed.  East Tech has a high-powered offense that averaged close to 90...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Looking at the roster for the East Tech boys basketball team, which is slated to take on St. Edward in the Division I state semifinals this coming Friday at 5:15 p.m. at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, it is difficult not to be impressed. 

East Tech has a high-powered offense that averaged close to 90 points per game early in the season. That offense is led by the team's backcourt, made up of guards KT Taylor, Johnell Free, Anthony Carmon and Markell Johnson. 

Johnson, a freshman, hit the game-winning shot for East Tech in its tightly-contested regional final matchup against Uniontown Lake with only 3.1 seconds left in overtime this past Saturday. Two days prior, the Scarabs defeated Shaker Heights, 70-54, in the team's first regional matchup. 

The team beat Mentor, 79-63, on March 8 in the Euclid District final to advance to regionals. Taylor, Crmon, Johnson and Free combined for 72 points in that contest, which was fairly close until the fourth quarter when the Scarabs outscored the Cardinals, 18-8. The Cardinals were the defending Division I state champions and finished the season ranked No. 11 in the cleveland.com Top 25 boys basketball poll. 

East Tech finished the regular season ranked No. 12 in the cleveland.com Top 25 while St. Edward took top honors in the final version, released on Feb. 25. 

While having an explosive offense at his disposal has been a great asset, East Tech coach Brett Moore said in an interview with cleveland.com that he recognizes the value of being able to also win in low-scoring contests during the playoffs. With that being the case, he made sure to have his team play against squads with different playing styles during the regular season, forcing his players to adapt their style of play in order to be successful. 

East Tech is 24-3 overall this season and posted a perfect 12-0 record in the Senate Athletic League to finish atop the division. 

Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com), Twitter (@rrozboril) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Northfield Park is hosting special Customer Appreciation Days on Wednesday and Thursday, giving fans a couple of nights of gifts and special prices to make up for closing March 12-13 after a winter storm knocked down a high voltage line.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Northfield Park will host special Customer Appreciation Nights on Wednesday and Thursday (March 19-20) to give fans a couple of nights of gifts and special prices to make up for closing March 12-13 after a winter storm knocked down a high voltage line.

Players Club members get a free $10 wager, a Northfield Park live program, a simulcast program and a free hamburger or hot dog basket and fries.

The coupon for the free gifts is available both days from 3-9 p.m. at the Guest Services Stand near the center program stand. Fans who are not Players Club members can sign up either evening.

How to use mascots, Twitter, numbers or letters to pick your bracket

When it comes to filling out your NCAA basketball tournament bracket, there are many systems. Flipping coins, picking by favorite color, drawing names from a hat or this system from former Duke star J.J. Reddick:

So here are three more wacky ways to make your bracket picks:

TWITTER WARS

Thanks to this list of Twitter handles for all 68 NCAA teams, you can pick your bracket through the power of Twitter.

Going by followers on the men's basketball accounts (some schools have no active, official basketball twitter account), here's how the regions would play out:

EAST: North Carolina's 156,000 followers beat Michigan State's 64,400 followers

SOUTH: Kansas 73,500 tops Florida's 23,600

WEST: Wisconsin's 32,100 followers nip Arizona's 18,900 in the weakest Twitter region with only two teams with more than 20,000 followers

MIDWEST: Michigan's 101,000 followers dominate Kentucky's 63,700, although the Wildcats' coach John Calipari would run away with the tournament thanks to 1.26 million followers

Look who stopped by the office today. (Thanks to @Reynsoul for the photo.) pic.twitter.com/92S47Vb7kL

-- John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) March 6, 2014

MASCOT WARS

What if the mascots for each team were to have a fight? How would win?

This is a little more difficult because animals against armed humans or colors against weather is hard to compared. But that doesn't mean people don't give it a try.

SBnation.com has two of the regions finished for their Mascot Deathbracket.

Meanwhile, a blog from The Fat Pastor breaks down each game all the way to the national title game. You can also take part in a poll to make your choices.

ARE YOU A MATH OR VERBAL PERSON?

Do you pick your bracket alphabetically? Place value in numerology? Or do you mix both and go with the teams with the most letters in their name?

Regardless, here are a couple facts to help you.

- Lute Olson is the last coach to win a national title without an 'I' in his first or second name. Olson won the 1997 title.

- A 13th seed won at least once in the past six years.

- A 12th seed won at least one game, not including a First Four game, in 23 of the past 25 tournaments

Brett Moore wants this team to make its own East Tech history, winning the school's first basketball state title since 1972.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Unless you've seen the East Tech gym floor, it's impossible to fully understand what Coach Brett Moore and his team have accomplished.

It's a "Tartan surface." It's sort of rubber. It's all scuffed-up from more than 40 years of games, gym classes and dances.

"It's the last one like it left in the city," said Leonard Jackson, the commissioner of Cleveland Public Schools athletics. Jackson doesn't say it with pride. Rather, with the hope that one day, it can be replaced.

But it's the East Tech team that should bring smiles to the faces of everyone who loves an underdog. For the first time since 1985, a Senate Athletic League boys team is headed to Columbus for the state semifinals.

"That was East High," said Moore. "I still play (pickup) basketball against some of those guys."

East High closed in 2010.

The last Senate School to win a title was the 1972 East Tech model. That team featured future Ohio State star Lawrence Bolden. Moore still talks to Van Glenn Neal, a starting guard on that title team.

Neal and others will speak to the East Tech team and students in a rally at the school on Thursday as the team prepares for its Friday game with powerhouse St. Edward.

Once upon a time, East Tech was basketball royalty. The Scarabs went to 10 state title semifinals between 1956-72. They won three titles.

But that was a long time ago.

Coach Brett Moore went to school at night to earn his Master's in special education while running the suspension room at East Tech.John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

Ultimate underdogs

Now most of the city's top players gravitate to private schools or the suburbs. But Moore is taking to Columbus a group whose tallest player "is 6-foot-5 in his shoes."

The coach was talking about Kory Cullum.

It's a team that knocked off Mentor, Shaker Heights and Uniontown Lake to advance to Columbus.

It's a team where the biggest shot of the season was made by a 5-11 freshman -- Markell Johnson. He beat Lake with a 15-footer in the final seconds of OT, ending the game with 27 points. He may be the only Division I college prospect on the roster.

It's a team that starts four guards ... where Moore washes the uniforms after every game.

It's a team where the shoes and uniforms were purchased by Pastor R.A. Vernon of the Word Church. He grew up a few blocks away at the Longwood Projects and graduated from East Tech in 1989.

It's a team that had to defy the Senate stereotype that the players would lack the poise to win big games outside the Senate.

"That's so true," said Moore. "When I came here, the goal was to win the Senate. My vision has been to do more. Not only did I want us to get the Columbus, but the vision is to win. I've been talking about that for years."

Moore has one full-time assistant. That's Daryl Forest, who also serves as junior varsity coach. Also helping out is Vito Frederici, an assistant football coach from John Hay.

"I keep my own stats, set up the scorebook and do a lot of other things some coaches don't have to do," he said. "But it's not about excuses, it's about getting the work done."

St. Edward coach Eric Flannery told the story of how an employee of the Wolstein Center approached Moore as the coach was setting up a camera to tape the game.

"Who are you?" asked the worker.

"I'm the East Tech coach," said Moore.

The guy couldn't believe the coach had to worry about the camera.

"Brett has done such a great job," said Flannery. "You can see how he builds confidence and belief in his players. This job is so much more than Xs and Os, and Brett knows that."

The floor also is an issue.

"I haven't seen it, except on tape," said Flannery. "I heard about it."

Teams don't want to play at East Tech because it's in such poor condition.

"We had one non-conference home game scheduled," said Moore. "That was with Toledo Scott, but it was snowed out."

So to pile up that 23-4 record, the Scarabs had to do much of it on the road.

Two-time Senate Player of the Year K.T. Taylor has a 3.6 grade point average.Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer

The hard way

Moore is 37 years old. He grew up about a mile from the school on East 79th and Woodland. He would have attended East Tech, but he was bussed across town to West Tech. He played basketball at Wooster College, and later at Walsh University in North Canton.

From 2007-13, he was in charge of in-school suspensions at East Tech. He also was attending Cleveland State at night, working on his Masters in Special Education -- and then becoming certified as a teacher. He now teaches special education at Washington Park School during the day, and then drives to East Tech to coach.

Moore's point is that if he's preaching education to his players, he needed to model it.

He's proud of senior K.T. Taylor, and not just because the guard is the two-time Senate Player of the Year.

"He has a 3.6 GPA," said Moore. "Notre Dame College has offered him a scholarship. Some other Division II schools are looking at him. He's a great kid."

Moore says he knows the East Tech streets because this was his neighborhood. His parents broke up when he was 10, "but was I blessed because my father (Brett Manuel) has always been in my life." He talked about how many of his players lack a strong father figure.

"I've been telling people for years that we have only touched the tip of the iceberg of what we can accomplish here," he said. "It's why I have stayed (at East Tech) all these years. I believe in what can happen here.

Coming together

Jackson, the long-time Senate AD, talked about how this East Tech team "is galvanizing the community." He mentioned "about 1,400 fans" who have shown up to support Tech at the two regional games.

He began reminiscing about that last great East Tech team coached by John Chavers, and featuring Lawrence Bolden, Antonio Bolden, Jim Abrams and Fred Beamon as if he could still see that group on the court today.

But it was 42 years ago.

"We want to carry on that tradition and build some of our own," said Moore.

Like his players, he wasn't born when the Scarabs ruled. But he heard about them from his father and from former Tech players such as Neal. His goal is that one day, East Tech fans will talk about his team the same way.

"We have a lot to be proud of," said Moore. "But I keep telling our players, the job is not done yet."

The Buckeyes rank 209th in the nation in free-throw shooting, making 68.9 percent. That's actually ahead of first-round NCAA Tournament opponent Dayton.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tight game. Waning moments. A Buckeye on the foul line.

Anyone out there comfortable with that scenario?

Any reason as to why No. 6 seed Ohio State might be primed for a first-round upset against No. 11 Dayton in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday should start with that possibility – the Buckeyes needing foul shots to win.

After the Buckeyes went 17-of-28 from the line, making just 60.7 percent, in a comeback Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal win over Nebraska last week, point guard Aaron Craft said, “It’s gonna kill us. We can joke around about it as much as we want. It’s going to cost us a game, and for it to cost us a game now is awful.”

The next day, in a Big Ten semifinal against Michigan, Craft missed two three free throws with 2:27 left and the Buckeyes down a point. With 44 seconds left, LaQuinton Ross made one of two. Down the stretch the Buckeyes missed three of four free throws in a game they lost by three.

It’s not just in crunch time that it matters. In their last six games, the Buckeyes are 87-of-137 from the line, a dreary 63.5 percent.

“Every free throw is important,” Craft said. “Whether it’s the first half or the second half, we’ve got to get that corrected.”

Don’t hold your breath. Free throw talk has been ongoing all season. Ohio State is shooting 68.9 percent from the line overall, its worst mark since shooting 68.7 percent in its NIT season in 2007-08. Asked about the free throws after the Michigan loss, Thad Matta stretched out a curse word in a whisper and admitted it was a problem.

The Buckeyes are tied for 209th in the nation in free throw shooting, but that 68.9 percent isn’t the worst in the NCAA Tournament. Teams even worse are Ohio State’s first-round opponent, Dayton (68.1 percent), No. 1 seeds Florida (66.6), Virginia (66.4) and Arizona (65.5), defending national champion Louisville (65.9) and teams like Xavier (68.8), Kentucky (67.9), San Diego State (65.3) and North Carolina (62.5).

We’ll see if that makes Ohio State feel any better.

One of the Buckeyes' issues is that they rely on getting to the line so much. Ohio State is 553-of-772 this season. Opponents are 384-for-541. That’s an edge of 231 foul shots. Even in just Big Ten play, Ohio State shot more than 100 more free throws than the opposition.

“We want to get to the foul line,” assistant coach Greg Paulus said. “It’s something we do well. We’re putting ourselves in good position, and we’ve just got to knock them down.”

The Buckeyes have worked more lately at taking free throws at the end of practice after running sprints, while they are tired, simulating late-game situations. Matta and Paulus said the practice routine has been shuffled in search of answers.

One idea would be to keep their big men off the line. Starting center Amir Williams shoots 65.1 percent, while backup Trey McDonald is at a stunning 33.3 percent. He’d be better off trying to miss.

But Sam Thompson (62.7) and Shannon Scott (68.9) also are too low for guys who have the ball in their hands a lot.

The Buckeyes shot 70.7 percent last season, but that was aided by their go-to guy, Deshaun Thomas, at 83 percent. Take him away, and the rest of the team was at 66.8 percent – worse than this season while Thomas is playing in France.

Last season, the Buckeyes made 79.2 percent of their free throws in the NCAA Tournament, 10th-best among tournament teams. Maybe they’ll figure it out again.

The Buckeyes had their stretches this season when they’ve been hot from the line. Then stretches when they weren't.

“That sounds like something mental,” Craft said.

And maybe something Ohio State fans would be better off not thinking about.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With a balanced look at both ends of the court, the St. Edward boys basketball team has proven a formidable opponent this season. Now, the Eagles' next challenge is getting past the high-powered East Tech offense in the Division I state semifinals on Friday at 5:15 p.m. at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus. 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With a balanced look at both ends of the court, the St. Edward boys basketball team has proven a formidable opponent this season.

Now, the Eagles' next challenge is getting past the high-powered East Tech offense in the Division I state semifinals on Friday at 5:15 p.m. at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus. 

The team finished the season ranked first in the cleveland.com Top 25 boys basketball poll and third by the Associated Press. 

The Eagles routed Mansfield Senior in the regional finals this past Saturday, 74-47, with the help of some sharp outside shooting by senior Tony Vuyancih. He went 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and totaled 19 points in the game. 

Along with Vuyancih, St. Edward also has a potent weapon in Marsalis Hamilton who scored 12 against Mansfield. He nearly posted a triple-double against St. Ignatius during the Eagles' regional semifinal win in which he tallied nine points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. 

The Eagles defeated the Wildcats, 70-59, in the opening round of regional playoff action.

St. Edward's defense has been very reliable this season. Derek Funderburk and Kipper Nichols consistently take pressure off of the Eagles' offense by being major forces at the defensive end of the floor, keeping opposing scorers in check. 

Eagles coach Eric Flannery has hopes of winning his second Division I state title. In order to remain in the hunt after Friday, his team will be sure to cut down on the 18 turnovers it committed against Mansfield and be sharp on both ends of the floor. 

St. Edward enters Friday's matchup with a 24-2 overall record this season. 

Read a scouting report about the East Tech boys basketball team. 

Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com), Twitter (@rrozboril) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Read updates and chat with cleveland.com's Paul Hoyne as the Cleveland Indians face the San Francisco Giants at Goodyear Ballpark in a Cactus League game. First pitch is at 10:05 p.m.

GOODYEAR, Arizona -- The Indians take their 14-4-2 Cactus League record back to Goodyear to face the Giants today. First pitch is at 10:05 p.m.

RHP Zach McAllister (1-0, 2.45) takes on San Francisco's Ryan Vogelsong (1-1, 5.11).

Chat live during the game with cleveland.com's Paul Hoynes (@hoynsie) and interact with other fans in the comments section below. Click here to participate on a mobile device.

Tweets from @clevelanddotcom/indians

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scroll below to watch a series of videos recorded Tuesday with three of the four local boys basketball teams headed to the state final four this week. Coaches and players from East Tech, St. Edward and St. Vincent-St. Mary came to the Northeast Ohio Media Group studio Tuesday for videos before departing for Ohio State for...

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scroll below to watch a series of videos recorded Tuesday with three of the four local boys basketball teams headed to the state final four this week.

Coaches and players from East Tech, St. Edward and St. Vincent-St. Mary came to the Northeast Ohio Media Group studio Tuesday for videos before departing for Ohio State for the state semifinals. All three videos are below. 

East Tech and St. Edward face each other in a Division I semifinal Friday at 5:15 p.m.

St. Vincent-St. Mary plays in a Division II semifinal against Columbus Bishop Watterson on Thursday at 2 p.m.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph, which plays Columbus Bishop Ready in a Division III semifinal Friday, was unable to attend. Scroll below to watch a video below breaking down the Vikings' season and upcoming week.

Click here to see brackets for all four divisions.

St. Edward and East Tech coaches break down their semifinal

Three days before they square off in a Division I state semifinal, St. Edward coach Eric Flannery and East Tech coach Brett Moore spoke with reporter David Cassilo about the game, if there's an advantage to facing an area team at state, and more. Who are they picking to win the NCAA Tournament? Stay tuned to the end of the video to hear each coach's predicted champ.

St. Edward team video

See a video roundtable with St. Edward coach Eric Flannery and players Marsalis Hamilton and Tony Vuyancih with Cassilo.

East Tech team video

See a video featuring East Tech coach Brett Moore and players Johnell Free and Anthony Carmon as the Scarabs return to the state final four for the first time in 42 years.

St. Vincent-St. Mary coach Dru Joyce

St. Vincent-St. Mary coach Dru Joyce speaks with reporters Tim Bielik and Mark Kern as his Irish get ready to play in the final four for the 12th time in school history, including nine times in the past 14 years. 

St. Vincent-St. Mary players Jibri Blount, Jarel Woolridge and Josh Williams

Three players from St. Vincent-St. Mary -- Jibri Blount, Jarel Woolridge and Josh Williams -- talk about facing Columbus Bishop Watterson for the second straight year after losing to the Eagles in the state final last season, and more.

Scouting Villa Angela-St. Joseph before Division III state semifinal

Reporters Bielik and Kern analyze Villa Angela-St. Joseph and the Vikings' quest to become the first school in Ohio to win state championships in all four divisions.

Corny as it might sound, the Indians will have to rely on the clubhouse chemistry embodied by Nick Swisher to make it back to the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians are chasing consecutive postseason appearances in 2014.

This might yet come as news to Kenny Lofton, but you could look it up.

When Lofton used the January Fan Fest to suggest the Indians weren’t really in the postseason as such in 2013, you knew it didn’t go over well with a team that had won 10 straight to earn the home-field advantage in the wild-card showdown. An MLB.com story this week told of Nick Swisher seeking Lofton out to tell him in no uncertain terms that if he wanted to rain on the Indians’ parade, he should go back to L.A. where the sun always shines.

Good for Swisher. It shows for one thing that he’s the same loquacious sort in defending his teammates as he is in front of the media.

It also shows that Swisher can count.

Lofton is entitled to his wrong opinion. Fact is, the Indians had the fourth-best record in the American League last year. They would’ve played a postseason series under the old format. The fact they didn’t doesn’t make them a non-playoff team.

The new format benefited Tampa Bay, not the Tribe. The new format hurt the Indians, who would’ve played a division champ in a series a year earlier but were forced to walk the tightrope with the Rays in 2013.

That’s what you get these days for not winning the division. You get the one-game white-knuckler. That doesn’t mean Rays-Indians was Albany-Mount St. Mary’s.

Living in Cleveland, we know the Super Bowl Lofton referenced only from afar. We know the baseball playoffs much more intimately, dating to the 1990s when Lofton and the other All-Stars-At-Every-Position made it an annual habit.

The format was the format then. The format is the format now. Saying the Indians weren’t really a playoff team is wrong and not very smart – especially if you’re going to show up in spring training as a visiting coach.

According to the MLB.com story, Lofton received the cold shoulder from players in spring training and curtailed his visit.

Swisher would only say, “We handled it.”

This time a year ago, new manager Terry Francona was participating in the Harlem Shake video. And some Indians fans on Twitter and via e-mail were decrying Francona’s habit of being too buddy-buddy with his players.

You can’t argue chemistry carried the Indians to that one game that happened after the regular season concluded – traditionally called the “postseason.”

It may be even more important this time around, since you’d be hard-pressed to say the Indians have improved themselves. They need Michael Bourn and Swisher to produce more than they did in 2013. They need to adequately replace Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir.

The smart people in Vegas set 80 1/2 wins as the over/under for a team that won 92 a year ago. A lot has to go right. They’re not going to win 10 in a row to close out a season again. Or 21 in September.

They’re counting on the good feeling that came with accomplishing that and by playing host to a postseason game to not only propel them but to occasionally fill the stadium.

That game against Tampa felt like so many of the playoff games of the past.

Because it was.

SPINOFFS

• The Bengals announced they won’t match the Browns’ offer sheet to wide receiver Andrew Hawkins. So the Browns have added another weapon to go along with running back Ben Tate.

Cincinnati took the full five days to make the decision. So we’re not even close to knowing what Alex Mack might do, since there’s been no word on Mack making a visit to any team.

When you have as many suitors as a Spin reader on Valentine’s Day, the writing would appear to be on the wall.

• Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater didn’t overly impress at his Pro Day Monday, and that's a setback. NFL draft analyst Mike Mayock called it an “average” workout.

Mayock, of course, raved about Blaine Gabbert’s Pro Day a few years back. Jacksonville recently traded Gabbert, a first-round pick in 2011, to San Francisco for a sixth-round draft choice.

The salient point about pro days is the good ones don’t tell you much. But they’re so orchestrated to show off a quarterback’s strong points that the bad ones can trigger an alarm.

Bridgewater is said to be the most NFL-ready quarterback among Central Florida’s Blake Bortles and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel. A word of caution: Brady Quinn.

OK, so that’s actually two words.

• This March is the seventh anniversary of a quarterback sweepstakes that should scare every GM, scout, coach, and Browns fan in America. Quinn, like Bridgewater, didn’t do much at the NFL Scouting Combine other than bench press 225 pounds 24 times (We’re looking at you, Clowney).

According to the Associated Press coverage of his Pro Day, “Quinn has been the center of much draft speculation, particularly over whether the Oakland Raiders will use the No. 1 overall pick to take him or LSU's JaMarcus Russell."

Of course, the smart draft people thought Quinn was slipping and weren’t swayed by his work at the pro day. One team, though, still thought Quinn looked really good, had “zip” on his passes.”

The rest of the quote?

“The fact he could make all the throws, right and left, he’s a polished quarterback.”

Said Browns head coach Romeo Crennel.

• One last Quinn note: He called any suggestion that he might be slipping in the draft “comical.”

That’s not mentioned to rub his face in what happened on draft day. I’m betting, though, that one of the alleged front-running quarterbacks suffers a free fall.

If not two of them.

• One more 2007 draft note:

You can find evidence in every draft of the inexact nature of talent evaluation, but how’s this list of the highs and lows of first-round picks that year:

No. 1: Jamarcus Russell

No. 2: Calvin Johnson

No. 3: Joe Thomas

No. 7: Adrian Peterson

No. 9: Ted Ginn Jr.

No. 12: Marshawn Lynch

No. 14: Darrelle Revis

No. 22: Brady Quinn

• Dr. David Chao, the former team physician for the San Diego Chargers, is critical of the Browns for the delay in putting together a medical staff after ending its association with the Cleveland Clinic and striking a new working agreement with University Hospitals.

“In my 19 years attending and working at the combine, I never encountered a situation where a club did not have lead team physicians in place,” Chao wrote for the NationalFootballPost.com

A reasonable point. Made by a doctor who stepped down in June after harsh criticism from the NFLPA, which claimed he didn’t provide adequate care for San Diego’s players.

• The Cubs parted ways with team psychologist Marc Strickland, who reportedly kept a locker in the clubhouse home and away, dressed in team workout gear and warmed up with the players.

Complain about “Only in Cleveland” moments all you want, but only the Cubs need a team shrink for the team shrink.

• Former Steelers linebacker James Harrison, vowing to play “until the wheels come off,” would like to return to Pittsburgh after one year with the Bengals.

My guess is the Browns, Ravens and Bengals are not at all opposed to the Steelers accumulating as many older players with wobbly wheels as they want.

• Carmelo Anthony is all for Phil Jackson joining the Knicks and vows to adopt whatever changes in his game Jackson suggests.

“As far as knowing what it takes to win, Phil is the best to ever do it,” Anthony said.

True enough, all Jackson did was win … with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and some other also-rans.

• Another vote of confidence for Jackson came from Jordan.

“Just because he’s never been an executive before doesn’t mean he can’t do that,” said Jordan, who had never been an executive before and has proven in Charlotte that he can’t do it.

• Jordan makes a point about how well Jackson “manages egos.”

The difference? As a coach, Jackson controlled playing time. Owner James Dolan’s ego is mathematically calculated at Kobe X 5.

• The Arizona Diamondbacks are unveiling a 18-inch long corn dog called the D-Bat at games this season. Selling for $25, it is stuffed with cheddar, jalapeno and bacon and comes with a side of fries and an angioplasty.

HE TWEETED IT

Vinnie Pestano was the first to address Kenny Lofton’s opinion on what constitutes a playoff game:

Last year's team played past 162, thats Postseason. To see the atmosphere that was there that day, thats Postseason. No need to cheapen that

— Vinnie Pestano (@VinnieP52) January 25, 2014

Join cleveland.com's Chris Fedor for a live chat during tonight's Cavs-Heat game at Quicken Loans Arena.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James is returning to Quicken Loans Arena. James and the Miami Heat will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at 7 p.m.