Hart was one of three St. Edward finalists.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – St. Edward sophomore wrestler Allan Hart became the Eagles’ 103^rd state champion Saturday at the Division I OHSAA individual state tournament. 

The 113-pound weight class featured a state champion and one of the most decorated freshmen in the state, but Hart was the last one standing. He won an 8-5 decision over Central Crossing freshman Jaden Mattox in the final.

Hart’s performance at state helped the Eagles reclaim the team title after a year away. It was their 29^th title at the individual state tournament.

Hart and Maddox, a three-time junior high state champion, were very familiar with each other. They have drilled together for years.

“I just wanted it super bad,” said Hart, who was seventh at 106 last season. “I’ve been training with him my whole life so I knew what he’d be doing. Going for high crotch on the outside. If I defended that it’d slow him down and open up my shot.”

Hart scored the opening takedown in the match. Mattox tied the match 3-3 with a reversal in the second period. It was tied again at 5-5. Mattox let Hart up with 48 seconds left, hoping to get a winning takedown, but it was Hart that got the takedown in the final moments to secure the win.

“(Knowing Mattox) helped me because I knew what to expect,” said Hart. “He went in there underestimating me and thinking he was going to whoop through me like he did everybody else and it kind of worked to my advantage.”

Follow our high school sports Twitter account @NEOVarsity and tag your related Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag. Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko on Twitter (@ScottPatsko) by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Darmstadt's performance helped Elyria finish runner-up in the Division I team race.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Elyria junior wrestler Ben Darmstadt was dominant all season, and he capped it off with a dominant performance in the 182-pound finals Saturday at the Division I OHSAA individual state tournament. 

He scored a 9-0 major decision against Nathan Hall of Lewis Center Olentangy in the final.

A state-runner up at 152 last season, Darmstadt rolled through the postseason, winning each match he wrestled by pin until the state semifinals. His closest match in the postseason was an 11-6 decision in the semifinals.

“I’ve been training all year for this. Ever since I took that loss last year in the finals it’s all I’ve been thinking about,” said Darmstadt, who set a school record with his 51^st win of the season.

He was one of two Elyria state champions Saturday. Kevin Vough won the 285-pound title. The Pioneers were runner-up in the Division I team race.

Hall didn’t have answer for Darmstadt, who scored the first takedown, and later added a reversal and back points to take a 7-0 lead into the third. Hall spent most of the match trying to get out from underneath Darmstadt. He never did.

“Usually when I get on top I can ride pretty good,” said Darmstadt. “I know that when I get there I should be able to rack up some points.”

Darmstadt is a three-time state qualifier, but now has his sights set on becoming a three-time finalist and two-time champion.

“Now that this year is over, it’s great,” said Darmstadt, “but next year, it’s just one more state title. It’s not two state titles, it’s one state title." 

Follow our high school sports Twitter account @NEOVarsity and tag your related Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag. Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko on Twitter (@ScottPatsko) by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Vough finished his season undefeated after a 38-second pin in the state finals.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Elyria wrestler Kevin Vough put an exclamation point on his sophomore season Saturday by winning the Division I 285-pound title at the OHSAA individual state wrestling tournament. 

Vough finished the year 43-0 after a 38-second pin of Lewis Center Olentangy’s Chris Crumb.

Crumb locked up with Vough in the opening seconds and tried to throw him, but Vough’s strength was too much. He landed on Crumb and ended the match quickly.

 “I felt him starting to pick me off the mat and I stepped to the side. Once we started going down I held on,” said Vough.  “I had him on his back and heard the ref slam the mat, I was just, ‘Yeah!’”

Vough was Elyria’s second state champion Saturday. Ben Darmstadt won the 182-pound title. Elyria was runner-up in the Division I team race.

Vough won three of his four state matches by pin, including two in the first minute. He won a 3-1 decision against Valley Forge’s Aaron Crosby in the semifinals.

After last season’s third-place state finish and national titles over the summer, Vough was a popular pick to win the state title this year. Earlier this season he became Elyria’s first Walsh Jesuit Ironman champion.

“Winning those tournaments takes away all the fear of wrestling at states,” said Vough of his summer schedule. “I’ve been in bigger, wrestled harder (opponents) with more people.”

One thing Vough didn’t accomplish Saturday was the popular scene of jumping into his coach’s arms. Coach Erik Burnett might be a former four-time state champ, but he’s about as big as one of Vough’s legs.

“I’m afraid I’d squish him,” said Vough.

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Lutheran West 170-pound wrestler James Handwerk is the school's first state champion.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- James Handwerk's path to a state championship got a lot harder when he twisted his left ankle midway through the second period of his 170-pound title match Saturday against Chance Sonnenberg of Van Buren.

It might not have been a big deal if Handwerk had not already injured his other ankle in a car accident three weeks ago -- an injury that he and coach Dave Ressler took great pains to conceal from his opponents throughout the postseason.

"We've been keeping it a secret from everybody," Ressler said after Handwerk earned a 9-4 victory in the Division III championship match.

The title is the first championship for a Lutheran West wrestler in school history. Handwerk, a sophomore, finishes the season with a 49-2 record.

"I was worried for a little bit," Handwerk later admitted. "But I've been through the training not to let anything faze me in a match. I was able to power through and finish it out."

Handwerk attributed his success in the final to his ability to relax under pressure. He placed second in a national tournament in Fargo last offseason.

"I've been there and I've lost there mostly because of the nerves," he said. "I know how to control those now. I feel like I have more experience on that level than (Sonnenberg) did and that's really what pulled me through in that match."

Handwerk opened the match shooting quickly and scoring takedown points within the first 20 seconds. He talked about having confidence that he can get the first takedown against any opponent.

"Being able to go out there and get the first takedown is just that much more important to get the momentum going for me in a match," he said.

With a late lead, Handwerk was able to make enough defensive moves following the injury to preserve the victory.

"I was just trying to survive out there after I got hurt," Handwerk said. "I knew I had the lead and I had to hold on to it."

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Perry's Kyle Kremiller needed an escape in the ultimate tiebreaker overtime to beat Lexington's Bailey Faust and win a state championship.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Perry wrestler Kyle Kremiller's chance at a state championship went almost as long as it possibly could in his Division II 195-pound championship match on Saturday in the 2015 OHSAA State Wrestling Tournament at The Ohio State University.

After he and Lexington's Bailey Faust traded escape points, Kremiller made an escape three seconds into the ultimate tiebreaker overtime and won, 3-2, to claim a state championship in his final high school match.

"Going into that quadruple overtime, it was a great representation of me, my training and my team," Kremiller said. "We train for those situations."

Kremiller and Faust were scoreless until Kremiller, who started the second period down, made an escape with 39 seconds left in the period to get on the board. Faust had an escape in the third to tie the match and sent it to overtime.

Each wrestler made an escape in the 30-second overtimes, forcing the ultimate tiebreaker. Kremiller got to start the final period on bottom, as he did when he had his two escapes.

"I was extremely relieved because on bottom, I'm comfortable," Kremiller said. "My mind's at ease. I know I can be explosive. I can be powerful and quick at the hands on bottom and get out on anybody."

Kremiller's win gives Perry a state champion in each of the last three years, with Billy Miller winning titles in 2013 and 2014.

"I've never been here before. So this is all new territory," Perry coach Dave Rowan said. "I guess we're doing the right thing and just hoping more kids keep buying into the system, keep working hard."

Kremiller, a Rutgers recruit, placed fourth at 195 in 2014 and finished his senior season with a 46-3 record.

"It's just a direct reflection on our team. It's not just me," Kremiller said. "It's a win for our team. It's a win for our community. Being together and so close and supportive, and training together and all that we've been through. It's truly just carrying on the legacy that our community and our wrestling team holds."

A great game quiets thoughts of political correctness, Duke-centric hatred, and frets about the declining quality of college basketball.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Confetti is falling from the rafters of The Q, making a rainbow of the keyboard on which this is written.

Why not? Saturday night gave us a game that deserved celebrating. 

In the first Mid-American Conference Tournament final without an Ohio team since the week-long basketball event came here in 2000, the Buffalo-Central Michigan game was an exhibition of classic, high-octane college basketball.

But where was the impartial Cleveland fan's rooting interest?

On grounds of civic similarity -- Lake Erie shoreline, snow, no major pro sports championships since Lyndon Johnson was in the White House, snow, no major college football program closer than a two- or three-hour drive, Rust Belt image, and I mentioned snow, right? -- it has to be Buffalo.

But for proving strong blood lines matter, regardless of geography, Central Michigan -- with Keno Davis, son of former Iowa mentor Dr. Tom Davis -- could hold its own with Buffalo -- with coach Bobby Hurley, son of a Basketball Hall of Fame father, Bob Sr., star player for Duke's Hall of Fame coach, Mike Krzyzewski.

For playing the game the right way, both teams deserve applause. They freed the college game for one night from the chains of diminished skills and grab, hold and bump defense.

Buffalo won, 89-84. Both teams ran early and often, shot at or near 50 percent from the field, distributed the ball well enough to put 10 players in double figures (six for Buffalo), shot the three-ball effectively, and left few in the crowd of 5,266 disappointed with the quality of the game.

Until the teams put together this reminder of how entertaining the college game can be, the thought here was that the "other" March Madness was going to have its say about the winner, whether it was Central or, especially, if it was Buffalo with its fiery,controversial coach.

The other March Madness is the irreversible anger of those unable to forgive background. It is fury at slights perceived to be dishonorable in nicknames meant to be honorable.

The Q offered a representative sample of each with the Buffalo Bulls (insensitive to bovines and vegans), coached by former Duke (elitism) star Hurley (too small and white to have deserved his accolades) against the Central Michigan Chippewas (unreconstructed reminder of the practice of giving sports teams names of Native Americans instead of animals).

Hurley is the biggest lightning rod. Resented for the success of the Duke program he helped establish, Hurley is not shy and retiring on the sideline.

He was his own sideshow Saturday night -- gesticulating, stomping and fuming, screaming at the referees, agitating for an edge, sticking up for his players, and just generally being Bobby Hurley

Personally, I renounced Duke-phobic attitudes when Coach Mike Krzyzewski started winning Olympic gold medals that NBA coaches could not.

Many Americans are fine with the concept of dukes, as in royalty, but not necessarily with Duke, the school. Witness the ridiculous amount of interest by Americans in the British royal family, who, in Colonial times, were hardly a revered group after the unhappiness at Lexington and Concord.

There is the odd boo-magnet Dookie (Hurley to many, Steve Wojciechowski, J.J. Redick.)

The Duke of Crowborough was a rotter on Downton Abbey.

But who doesn't like Daisy Duke? Patty Duke? Duke Ellington? The Duke of Earl? John Wayne, was the Duke, pilgrim.

The Chippewas, had they won, surely would have encountered somewhere along the NCAA Tournament trail the protest movement against teams named for Native American tribes. Locally, it always rears its head when the Indians make the playoffs.

Once Notre Dame drops "Fighting Irish," as the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux were legislated into doing, and whenever the Boston Celtics drop their logo, which needs only a pint of Jameson's sticking out of the hip pocket to complete the stereotype, then the Indians should not be the Indians.

But for one night, neither the declining quality of play nor political correctness could compete with the boisterous roars from the fans of both teams. After the Chips (so much less controversial than the full Chippewa) fell where they might, the only discussion for basketball fans should have been about the great game.

As far as political correctness goes, why no one argues that the Browns since 1999 are a poor reflection on sprites, elves and fairies is beyond me.

The Eagles return to the top at the state tournament a year after finishing out of the trophies.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – St. Edward won its 29^th OHSAA individual state tournament team title Saturday, putting an end to a race that had plenty of twists and turns over the last few days. 

While the Eagles were atop the leaderboard earlier in the three-day tournament, Elyria, Wadsworth and Massillon Perry also spent time at the top.

But the Eagles, with one state champion, two runners-up and three other placers, were on top when it mattered most.

“We trust our young people. They’ve worked so hard and we have such a tough schedule. They’re used to the pressure. The pressure was on,” said Eagles coach Greg Urbas. “There were some great teams here and the kids responded really well.”

Elyria was runner-up, 14.5 points behind, followed by Massillon Perry. Brecksville was fourth and Wadsworth sixth.

St. Edward celebrated the victory as its 30^th as a wrestling program, counting the 2012 state dual tournament title in the trophy haul.

The Eagles clinched title after junior Jack Conway won his 145-pound third-place match, 3-2 against Dresden Tri-Valley’s Kade Kowalski, who was a state champion last season. Conway battled back from a first-round loss to place.

Three other Eagles – Allan Hart (113), Hunter Ladnier (132) and Jared Campbell (195) –wrestled for titles.

Hart became the Eagles’ 103^rd state champion. Ladnier and Campbell were runners-up. Conway and L.J. Bentley (126) were third. Parker Knapp (220) was fourth.

The Eagles last won the team title in 2013. They were seventh last season, their first tournament without a top-two finish since 1993.

“Last year we just had a couple seniors on the team. This team only has three starting seniors, so it’s still a young team,” said Urbas. “And they’ve learned a lot.”

Elyria won the state title in 1973, but this year’s runner-up trophy caps a year of firsts for the program, including first Walsh Jesuit Ironman champion, first team title at the Bill Dies Memorial Tournament and the most state placers (seven) in school history.

“The eight guys who came down here were tremendous,” said Elyria coach Erik Burnett. “But it’s not just those guys. It’s all the guys in the wrestling room. Everybody pushed each other all year long. They came in after their seasons were over and continued to wrestle these guys in practices.”

DIVISION II

St. Paris Graham won its 15^th consecutive team title and 17^th overall. They clinched the title early on Friday and left the tournament with five individual champions.

Toledo Central Catholic was a distant second, 151 points behind.

DIVISION III

Dayton Christian edged Delta for the team title by 11 points. The teams finished in reverse order last season. Each team had three individual champions.

Follow our high school sports Twitter account @NEOVarsity and tag your related Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag. Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko on Twitter (@ScottPatsko) by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

A valiant rally fell just short as Cuyahoga Heights girls basketball lost in the regional final by a single point for the second straight season.

MASSILLON, Ohio – Jenna Stegmaier’s blocked 3-point try at the buzzer left the Cuyahoga Heights girls basketball team in agony once again.

For the second straight season, Cuyahoga Heights fell one point short of the state final four, losing 29-28 to Berlin Hiland in the Massillon regional final Saturday night at Massillon Perry.

“(It’s not easy) at all,” Stegmaier said. “Especially losing by one point, knowing you’re that close and that you did have a chance to go down to states and that team wasn’t better than you.”

Last year, the Redskins fell, 22-21, to Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans at Perry.

The Redskins (23-5) were one of three local girls teams to lose in regional finals Saturday, making Solon the lone area qualifier for next week's state final four in Columbus.

Cuyahoga Heights completed its rally from four down to start the fourth quarter, when senior wing Lauren Goetz hit a layup off an inbound pass with 43 seconds remaining.

The Redskins couldn’t keep the Hawks off the board, however, as Hiland sophomore guard Angela Troyer rolled by her defender, drew a foul and split a pair from the line for a 29-28 lead in the final seconds.

With 1.7 seconds remaining, Cuyahoga Heights inbounded to Stegmaier, but junior guard Brittany Miller blocked her buzzer-beating three-point try.

Stegmaier led the team with 10 points.

“Someone was open in the corner, but there wasn’t enough time to throw it and them get a shot off,” Stegmaier said. “I was triple-covered once I caught the ball, but there was nothing else I could do. We only had one second. I had to throw it up there.”

Cuyahoga Heights went 4 for 18 from behind the arc.

Hiland (27-1) will play Thursday at 3 p.m. for a berth in the state title game. 

What it means

Cuyahoga Heights went on a great run. A repeat in 2015-16 will be a tall task, as the Redskins lose most of their leaders, including Stegmaier, Goetz, Ariel Rebello and Allie Triskett.

“We were one of the greatest senior classes to walk through Cuyahoga Heights,” Stegmaier said. “I think it gives our town and our school and city a lot of pride.”

After winning its first five postseason games by a combined 199 points, Hiland proved it could win a close one – on a free throw from a sophomore no less. Troyer poured in eight off the bench.

“We ended up going to two kids a lot – Brittany Miller and Angela Troyer – who aren’t necessarily our kids that we go to,” coach Dave Schlabach said. “To make the call to go to (Angela Troyer) with a state trip on the line shows our confidence in our bench.”

Play of the game

Miller undoubtedly had the play of the game, blocking Stegmaier at the buzzer.

Defending an elite player takes confidence, and Miller had it, according to Schlabach.

“We were in the huddle,” Schlabach said. “We were discussing what to do, and I’m running over like four different options, and Brittany looks at me and says, ‘Coach, I got her.’ I love that confidence out of her.”

Crucial run

Leading 19-15 after a Goetz fastbreak layup, the Redskins missed several chances to extend their lead, failing to convert consecutive 2-on-1 and 3-on-1 fastbreak opportunities.

Hiland freshman guard Kennedy Schlabach capitalized with a pair of 3-pointers to give the Hawks a four-point lead entering the fourth quarter. 

Who stood out for Cuyahoga Heights

Dayna Denner: The junior got behind the press for a couple of easy layups and six points.

Stegmaier: The senior led her team in points and rebounds, including two 3-pointers.

Who stood out for Hiland

Miller: If not for the last-minute drama, Miller’s reverse layup -- casually flicking the ball over her shoulder to put the Hawks up 27-24 -- might have been the play of the game.

Kennedy Schlabach: The freshman guard erased a short-lived Redskins lead with two 3-pointers to end the third quarter.

Cuyahoga Heights sound bites

Stegmaier: “With them pressing, we were getting open looks. I think if they didn’t press, we wouldn’t have scored as many points as we did. I was kind of confused a little. They tried to turn us over, and it didn’t really work.”

Coach Al Martin: “They obviously overplay a lot. If you have a chance to get by someone, you can create some shots, but they’re very good defensively, which is why we didn’t have a ton of looks.”

Hiland sound bites

Coach Schlabach: “My first impression is Cuyahoga Heights is a really good team. Defense will keep you in great games. ... That was two really good defensive teams going at it.”

Coach Schlabach: “We tried everything to turn them over. We thought we could maybe score some easy stuff. I don’t remember an easy bucket all night.”

Jonah L. Rosenblum is a freelancer from Cleveland Heights.

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The Lake Erie Monsters fall to the San Antonio Rampage, 5-2.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas --The San Antonio Rampage jumped ahead early and never trailed as they defeated the Lake Erie Monsters, 5-2, in an American Hockey League game here Saturday.

The loss was the first for the Monsters in four games vs. San Antonio this season and dropped their season mark to 27-25-5-3.

Calvin Pickard returned from an assignment with the Colorado Avalanche and started in goal for the Monsters, but surrendered three goals in a chippy first period that saw each team penalized eight times for 33 minutes.

The Rampage got on the board on a short-handed goal by Wade Megan at 10:08. San Antonio's Dany Heatley added a goal with 3:03 remaining, then Blake Parlett scored on a power play with just 13 seconds remaining in the period.

San Antonio out-shot the Monsters in the first period, 10-1, and 34-23 for the game.

San Antonio built it to 4-0 in the second period before the Monsters finally got on the board when Andrew Agozzino scored with 4:10 left in the second. It was Agozzino's 18th goal of the season. Michael Schumacher scored his ninth goal of the season with 21 seconds left in the game.

The Monsters were called for 14 penalties totalling 67 minutes, while the Rampage had 16 for 58 minutes.

Pickard finished with 29 saves and San Antonio's Michael Houser had 21.

The Monsters have a rematch at Texas on Tuesday, then visit Toronto next Friday before finally returning to the Q next Saturday against Grand Rapids.

Check out all the content from the final day of the OHSAA state wrestling championships, including pictures and videos.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The OHSAA wrestling state championships concluded Saturday and cleveland.com has dozens of stories, photos and videos of all the storylines as 15 locals wrestled in championship matches and one team champ was crowned in St. Edward.

Fans can check out all the stories, pictures and videos below from Saturday, which featured championship matches and bouts for third-, fifth- and seventh-place.

Congratulations to all the place-winners, including five local state champions.

If you missed the live action Saturday, check out this live updates blog, which contains additional pictures and videos.

Saturday evening: Coverage from state championship bouts

Northeast Ohio produced five individual champions. Read a separate story on each of the champs.

Elyria's Ben Darmstadt, 182-pound champion in Division I

Elyria's Kevin Vough, 285-pound champion in Division I 

St. Edward's Allan Hart, 113-pound champion in Division I

Perry's Kyle Kremiller, 195-pound champion in Division II

Lutheran West's James Handwerk, 170-pound champion in Division III

Team champions crowned

The Division I team race saw movement during the first two days but it was all St. Edward on Saturday as the Eagles won their 29th wrestling state title in school history (see each team champ).

Tough final match for many locals

Overall, Northeast Ohio struggled in the final round, winning five of the 15 matches. Local coaches weigh in, and see a match-by-match breakdown of all the area runner-up finishers.

How did wrestlers from your school do?

Get statewide results from every match wrestled at Ohio State on Saturday.

Division I

Results from state championship matches and see final team standings

Results from placement matches (third, fifth and seventh) and consolation semifinals

Division II

Results from state championship matches and see final team standings

Results from placement matches (third, fifth and seventh) and consolation semifinals

Division III

Results from state championship matches and see final team standings

Results from placement matches (third, fifth and seventh) and consolation semifinals

Scouting the finals

See a scouting report for all 15 title bouts involving a local wrestler by reporter Scott Patsko.

Saturday afternoon: Top storylines from placement matches

Division I: Wadsworth gets five state place-winners.

ALSO: St. Edward clinches the big-school title during the opening session.

Division II: See how 17 locals fared in placement matches in the middle division.

Division III: Three locals earn fifth-place medals and three win seventh-place bouts.

Relive Friday's double session

Check out a post with links to all of Friday's content, including pictures and videos.

Relive Thursday's opening day

See a post with links to all of Thursday's content, including pictures and videos.

Get caught up on how locals reached state

Check out a compilation of all the preview content, including predictions, a scouting report for each division and a 48-image vintage photo gallery of state wrestling pictures from 2001 through last season.

The Indians have earned a reputation throughout baseball for taking injured pitchers and making them productive again. Did that reputation take a hit because of the signing of Gavin Floyd and his susequent right elbow fracture? Watch video

GOODYEAR, Ariz.-- Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here 

Hey, Hoynsie: Does the Gavin Floyd injury so soon after signing indicate a broader issue with the Tribe's ability to evaluate a pitcher's health risk? Last year they let a healthy Scott Kazmir walk and were willing to spend on an apparently injured Justin Masterson with bad results. -- Steve Cornelius, Rocky River.

Hey, Steve: They took a chance on Kazmir and it worked. They took a chance on Floyd and it didn't work.

It was a more expensive gamble this time, $4 million as opposed to $1 million.

The Masterson negotiations will forever be encased in fog. Did the Indians make an offer that they knew Masterson wouldn't accept? They were well aware that his velocity was down in spring training and they have several young starters behind him.

Whatever, they dodged a bullet, but every year is different. Masterson has had a good spring for Boston. So what will you say if he wins 15 games for the Red Sox this year?

Over the last 20 years or so, the Indians have established a good reputation for rehabbing injured pitchers from other organizations. They may have been reading their own press clippings regarding Floyd, but it doesn't mean they've lost their feel for reviving pitchers' careers.  

Hey, Hoynsie: I know it may sound crazy, but is it time to trade Jason Kipnis? He still has good value and can easily be replaced by Jose Ramirez. His past greatness is nearly unrepeatable and Ramirez's better defense can make a bigger impact. - Chris Zanon, Miami, Fla. 

Hey, Chris: You're right, that sounds crazy. Kipnis had two OK years, but it's not like he put up Robinson Cano numbers.

He hasn't set his bar as high as it will go just yet. 

Hey, Hoynsie: With Gavin Floyd basically being eliminated from the rotation to start the season, many are assuming that Danny Salazar and TJ House are guaranteed the final two spots. What concerns me is the Salazar's slow start this spring. Would it be smart to start him at Class AAA for a month or even use him in the bullpen? Do you see Shaun Marcum, Bruce Chen, Josh Tomlin or Zach McAllister doing enough to prove they, too, deserve the final spot in the rotation? - Shawn Marshall, Garfield Heights. 

Hey, Shawn: Salazar hasn't pitched well this spring. It's surprising because he's been out here since mid-January so you would think he'd be ready to compete.

Still, there's time left in camp and as we saw with Floyd's injury things can change quickly. I think TJ (no periods, please) House is the clubhouse leader for one of the two open spots in the rotation.

The second one is wide open with the exception of Shaun Marcum. Nothing against Marcum because he's pitched well this spring, but he hardly pitched at all last year. I just don't see the Indians giving him a rotation spot when they'd have to be so careful with him.

If Marcum stays with the organization, perhaps he can help them during the season.

Hey, Hoynsie: Obviously, we all know that teams take out insurance policies to cover those "mega deals". For a team like the Indians do they take out policies on the deals like they gave to Gavin Floyd, especially with his recent injury history? - Casey Dubiel, Belmont. 

Hey, Casey: The Indians did not have insurance on Floyd. It would have been much too expensive on a one-year deal on a pitcher with Floyd's injury past. 

Hey, Hoynsie: I'm sure you can recall the "live ball" era in baseball years ago. With the "steroid era" all but over, and run production at an all time low, do you think it's time for MLB to bring back a livelier ball? -- Bruce Allen, Land O Lakes, Fla.

Hey, Bruce: I know runs were down last year, but I think the drop in offense is a long way from being at an all-time low. And it's not like people aren't paying to watch games. MLB made $8 billion in revenues last year.

If MLB starts losing money, lots of it, maybe they'd juice the ball. But for sure, they wouldn't tell anybody

Hey, Hoynsie: Just to make sure I didn't miss something, Nick Swisher had both knees debrided (cleaned out) vs. any sort of meniscal repair or microfracture procedure, correct? Coming up on seven months it seems like it's been a lengthy recovery. This is also assuming there were no complications/infections and subsequent procedures. Not that the Tribe front office is ever secretive about injuries or anything, but there seems to be more to this. - Nick Kynyk, Dublin.

Hey, Nick: When Swisher underwent surgery on Aug. 20, the Indians said it was to repair chronic medial knee discomfort as the result of medial meniscus wear. Swisher, in his own words, has said repeatedly, "Nothing went snap in my knees. It's just wear and tear."

Draw your own conclusion.

Check out video footage of wrestlers in action, relishing victory and coping with defeat during the 2015 OHSAA state wrestling semifinals on Saturday at the Schottenstein Center.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Watch video footage of wrestlers in action, relishing victory and coping with defeat during the 2015 OHSAA state wrestling championship on Saturday at the Schottenstein Center. 

Also, get a look behind the scenes for a glimpse of what this year's state wrestlers saw just before coming onto the mats and the writing on the wall they passed shortly after leaving the podium. 

Find links every piece of state championship wrestling coverage by cleveland.com. 

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Who will the Buckeyes play and where? Tell us. How about about the Bearcats in the first round?

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It's all about matchups. Thad Matta says that every year when the NCAA Tournament pairings come out.

So it's not just which seed Ohio State will get when the bracket is announced Sunday night, but which foe the Buckeyes will face.

Last year as a No. 6 seed in Buffalo, the Buckeyes were bounced in the first round by No. 11 Dayton. The Flyers went on to beat an underwhelming No. 3 seed in Syracuse in the next round and then get all the way to the Elite Eight by beating No. 10 Stanford.

Matchups.

This year, Ohio State is looking at a tougher road, because it sure seems like the Buckeyes could wind up in an 8-9 game, with a No. 1 seed waiting in the round of 32. Remember, a No. 1 seed has never lost to a No. 16 seed. 

But first, Ohio State has to get one victory, which certainly will be no sure thing. But anyone certain the Buckeyes are going down in the opener are going too far the other way.

So what do you think will happen? 

As of Sunday morning, ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi projected the Buckeyes as a:

* No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed VCU in Charlotte, opposite No. 1 seed Duke.

Jerry Palm at CBSSports.com had Ohio State as:

* A No. 9 seed opposite No. 8 VCU in Pittsburgh, opposite No. 1 seed Villanova.

Columbus sportscaster Matt Barnes projected the Buckeyes as:

* A No. 9 seed seed vs. North Carolina State in Louisville, opposite No. 1 seed Kentucky.

So let's make our picks. Tell us in the comments what seed you think the Buckeyes will be, who they will play, what site they will be sent to and which team they would play in their second game if they win. If you're right, we'll make sure we credit you in our story announcing the bracket Sunday night.

Here's my guess, just because it would be so interesting, and Dayton had its shot at the Buckeyes last year:

* A No. 9 seed against No. 8 Cincinnati in Louisville, opposite No. 1 Kentucky.

Bill Landis' pick:

* A No. 9 seed against No. 8 Xavier in Louisville, opposite No. 1 Kentucky.

Ari's Pick:

* A No. 9 seed against No. 8 VCU in Pittsburgh, opposite No. 1 Villanova. 

The speculation is Buffalo coach Bobby Hurley is gone at the first big offer he gets. But he could very well stay at UB and quickly become the big fish in the Mid-American Conference.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Four things I think after the Buffalo Bulls won the 2015 Mid-American Conference Basketball Tournament.

1. Look for Buffalo coach Bobby Hurley to get a nice, new contract in the Saul Phillips (Ohio University, $500,000) range after the Bulls NCAA Tournament run. And while many think Hurley will quickly jump to a big-time program, I don't. My read is Hurley, with seven of his top nine players returning for 2016 plus waiting transfers in house, likes being a big fish in a farm pond and will be at UB for several seasons to come.

2. The Bulls have taken the game plan used by Kent State and Akron before them, building with transfers and jumping to the front of the pack in a hurry. The difference will be seeing how Hurley's freshman recruiting improves in years to come. His key freshman this season, 6-3 point guard Lamonte Bearden, indicates that will not be a problem, either.

Once Hurley lands that quality Zeke Marshall-type freshman post player the Bulls will separate themselves from the rest of the league. Only one quality MAC post player this past season, Toledo's 6-10 Nathan Boothe, arrived as a freshman recruit. Richaun Holmes (Bowling Green), Maurice Ndour (Ohio), Justin Moss (Buffalo), Pat Forsythe (Akron), Jimmy Hall (Kent State), Jordan Treeloff (Northern Illinois) all arrived in the MAC as transfers. However, Central Michigan's 6-11 Luke Meyer, OU's 6-9 Antonio Campbell, and Akron's 6-10 Isaiah Johnson, all four-year MAC post players, project well for the league going forward.

3. The MAC had eight 20-win teams this season, the most of any conference in the country, including all of the mega conferences with more than 12 teams. The league may find it hard to match that number in 2016. But the MAC should easily come close as Buffalo, Akron, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Kent State should all be penciled in for 20 even before the first jump ball.

4. Central Michigan has its top nine players returning for next season to contend with Buffalo, and beat the Bulls twice during the 2015 regular season. Akron also has nine of its top players returning for 2016 and split in the regular season with UB. Those three teams start as the MAC's top tier for 2016. But don't be surprised if Ohio and Kent State, two teams with practicing transfers sitting out and quality freshmen coming in, rise to that level by the end of next season as well.

 

After three weeks of inactivity with hip injury, Shawn Marion may be in uniform tonight against Orlando.

ORLANDO - For the first time in three weeks, Cleveland Cavaliers' forward Shawn Marion could be in uniform tonight against the Orlando Magic.

Marion has been sidelined with a left hip strain he sustained sometime during the course of the season. It's something he says has gotten progressively worse over time.

After an MRI revealed the extent of the injury, he was advised to rest for two weeks and to be reevaluated following that time-frame.

The versatile small forward traveled with the team on this four-game road trip with the intentions of returning to action at some point on the roadie.

Head Coach David Blatt said he's hopeful Marion will be activated this evening, though the chances of him seeing playing time are slim to none. The team is on a roll and James Jones has been used at the backup three-four spot.

It could be too late in the season for Blatt to be tinkering with the rotation, but he has shown that he's willing to go the unconventional path when it comes to substitution patterns.

Marion, 36, is averaging 4.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 20.0 minutes a game this season, all of which are career lows. He is retiring at the end of the season after 16 years of service.

Iowa State has a high-scoring team and a rising star, and it helps that this is a weak region.

Bracket Boy has picked his Final Four: Kentucky, Arizona, Iowa State and Virginia. But, if you're a serious office pool participant, you don't just want the "who," you want the "why." And so here are three reasons Iowa State -- and not Duke or Gonzaga -- will get to the Final Four: 1. They score. Okay, the Cyclones are a streaky team, but they put up 47 points in the second half in the Big 12 title game over Kansas. and average 78.4 points per game This is a talented, uptempo team that seems to be peaking at the right time. 2. A weak region. Maybe this is the year that Gonzaga breaks through and gets to the Final Four, but people have been saying that forever. Duke flamed out in the ACC Tournament and has its flaws. Georgetown is the weakest of the No. 4 seeds, by far. If you're going to pick a non 1 or 2 seed, this is the region. 3. Georges Niang. Remember the name. The 6-foot-8 forward carried the Cyclones to the Big 12 Tournament title, and the junior will have the same impact on the NCAAs. He's a matchup nightmare. Bracket Boy may be reached at bracketboyNCAA@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @BracketBoy. Find Bracket Boy on Facebook.

 

Check out four things we learned from the four playoff girls basketball playoff games over the weekend.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Four area girls basketball teams contended for a shot in the state semifinals this week, but only one has advanced.

Here are four things we learned from the weekend.

1. Solon is learning and adjusting. I’ll be the first to admit, Solon has a talented squad and picked up some great wins during the season. But in my stance, I questioned the Comets strength in those losses during the year. Looking back at their last loss, I think its fair to say they learned from their mistakes as a unit. The Comets peaked at the right moment and now have a shot at picking up the school’s first girls basketball state championship, according to the OHSAA. The last appearance the Comets made in the state finals was in 2006 finishing as the state runner-up.

See game story by Mark Kern.

2. Wadsworth coach Andy Booth was right about his girls on Saturday. In a statement to the media on Saturday following the regional final loss, I agree with Booth’s statement about how pleased he was with his girls’ resilience in the moments. Down by at most 10 points in the game, the Grizzlies clawed their way back in the game to be down by three points and gave themselves an opportunity to least tie the game by the end of regulation. Jodi Johnson, who took the 3-point shot, missed the opportunity in the final seconds of the game. However, to see that grit from any team was impressive. If the girls continue that trait, Wadsworth could probably win another 75 more league games in the future.

See game story by Nathaniel Cline.

3. Garrettsville Garfield made spectators into believers. The famous catchphrase “started from the bottom, now we’re here” could be applied to the Garfield girls basketball team as they rose from being a below .500 team to finish among the Top 8 in Division III this season. The G-Men were not known by a lot of teams, nor were considered a favorite by spectators to win many titles. However, coach Aaron Gilbert and his coaching staff molded a group of ball players together that have improved over the last five seasons and this year proved to be a competitive playoff contender.

See game story by Mark Kern.

4. Cuyahoga Heights proved its strength in the playoffs. From conversations with readers to responses in the comments section of Top 25 polls, Cuyahoga Heights proved during the postseason its strength to naysayers. To finish among the Elite 8 teams in the state, it’s a critical statement made by Cuyahoga Heights. Saturday’s one-point loss was bittersweet ending to a team that faced adversity. It will also be a tremendous loss for the team as they Redskins bid farewell to their all-time leading scorer Jenna Stegmaier. She will continue playing basketball at Findlay.

See game story by Jonas Rosenblum.

Follow girls basketball all season

Bookmark the girls basketball webpage at cleveland.com to see every post, podcast and video pertaining to the sport.

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Follow our new high school sports Twitter account @NEOVarsity and tag your related Tweets and score updates with the #NEOvarsity hashtag. Contact high school sports reporter Nathaniel Cline on Twitter, by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

There's a lot of madness to go around in Cleveland this March and only some of it has to do with the Midwest Regional coming to town -- Bud Shaw's You Said It.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You Said It is based on the premise that the only thing Cleveland sports fans need more than a championship is a sense of humor...

YOU SAID IT

(The Monday Edition)

Bud: What can you tell us about the strenuous nature of the You Said It selection process? -- Frank Bruno, Westlake

The committee of one meets twice a week, and the process is a bear. Think of it as an entire field of No. 16 seeds with no impressive wins on their resume to separate them.

Bud: In the fourth quarter, does Timofey Mozgov have to pay for his courtside seat? -- Jim Lefkowitz, Pepper Pike

It makes you wonder. I find it especially disconcerting when he's sitting on Kevin Love's lap.

Bud: What do you think has been more exciting so far about the Browns' off season moves...the new helmet or their moves in free agency? - Josh, South Euclid

One is subtraction by addition. We should wait to see the uniforms before deciding on the other.

Bud: I saw where in India a bride ditched her groom at the altar after he answered "17" when asked what was the sum of 15 and 6.  I didn't realize you had readers over there - Vince G., Cincinnati

Since Cleveland football fans can easily add 4 and 12 and 5 and 11 but are stumped by math problems where the larger number comes first, I suspect the groom was a member of the Mumbai Browns' Backers.

Bud: We never got an explanation why The King took off his headband. You know, your forehead wouldn't look so large if you went back to it - Steve S, Richmond Heights.

Lesser men my age would run from the nickname "Rain Forest." I embrace it.

Bud: Was Thad Lewis brought in to mentor Josh McCown? - Sancho

First-time You Said It winners are officially off the scrap heap. Repeat winners climb the depth chart.

 

The show will break down the regional tournament.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's regional tournament time, and we've got you set for all it with a playoff preview show on Monday night at 7 p.m.

Watch boys basketball reporters Tim Bielik, David Cassilo and Mark Kern break down all of the action on the horizon in what will be an exciting and busy March.

The show have a stacked lineup of boys basketball coaches and players. It will include:

St. Edward coach Eric Flannery

Medina coach Chris Hassinger

Players from Holy Name and Chagrin Falls

Live streaming video by Ustream

We want viewers to be part of the show too. Anytime before the show or during the show we invite you to post your questions for all of the guests, as well as show hosts/reporters David Cassilo, Tim Bielik and Mark Kern in the comments section below.

We hope you watch the show today and participate in some of the segments. We’ve made it easy. All you need is a free cleveland.com account to comment. Get your account here (it only takes a couple of minutes and you’ll have the ability to comment on all stories forever).

See you later today on the show.

If academic, not athletic, skill won basketball games, Belmont University's team from Nashville would win the NCAA tournament. Ohio State University (seeded 10th) doesn't proceed past the second round and the University of Cincinnati (seeded 8th) and Xavier University (seeded 6th) lose in the first round.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - If academic rather than athletic skill won basketball games, Belmont University's team from Nashville would win the NCAA tournament.

That's what Inside Higher Ed determined after crunching athlete classroom performance and graduation success numbers of the 68 teams competing in this year's tournament.

Of Ohio's four schools in the tournament, the University of Dayton (which must win a play-in game) makes it to the academic Sweet Sixteen. Ohio State University (seeded 10th) doesn't proceed past the second round and the University of Cincinnati (seeded 8th) and Xavier University (seeded 6th) lose in the first round.

While Belmont is seeded 15th, the other three schools that advance to the Academic Final Four, the University of Kansas, the University of Arizona and Duke University, are first or second seeds. Belmont beats Kansas for the championship.

To determine winners, Inside Higher Ed first looked at the Academic Progress Rate, the NCAA's multiyear measure of a team's classroom performance.

If two teams tied, Inside Higher Ed examined the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate, which measures the proportion of athletes on track to graduate within six years. A second tie was be broken by turning to the Federal Graduation Rate, a slightly different formula that the government uses to track graduation rates.

The teams in the championship round went into double overtime, Inside Higher Ed reported, because they tied on the progress and success rates.

Academics are an ongoing focus of the NCAA. Inside Higher Ed said there is talk at some institutions of tying championship bonuses for coaches to the Academic Progress Rate of their teams.