Notre Dame and Butler battle for the right to play in Cleveland next week.

PITTSBURGH -- No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 6 Butler will not only play for Indiana state rights but also to advance to Cleveland next week for the Midwest Regional semifinals.

Here is your Saturday NCAA Tournament update with schedules, scores, previews, links and more.

• Click here for an updated bracket.

Today's schedule

East Region

• No. 1 Villanova (33-2) vs. No. 8 N.C. State (21-13), 7:10 p.m., TBS.

Winner advances to East Regional at Syracuse against Sunday's Northern Iowa-Louisville winner.

Midwest Region

• No. 3 Notre Dame (30-5) vs. No. 6 Butler (23-10), today, 9:40 p.m., TBS. Click here for a quick preview.

Winner advances to Midwest Regional at Cleveland against Sunday's Kansas-Wichita winner.

How they advanced:

Butler overcame some poor shooting to pull away with a 56-48 victory over Texas on Thursday. Dunham led the Bulldogs with 20 points. Jonathan Holmes led Texas with 15.

Notre Dame regrouped from a sluggish first half and rallied for a 69-65 victory over Northeastern. Zach Auguste led Notre Dame with 25 points. Scott Eatherton led Northeastern (23-12) with 18 points. Stow's David Walker had 15 for Northeastern.

No. 1-seed Villanova shot an incredible 63 percent from the field and ran away with an easy victory over 16th-seed Lafayette.

North Carolina State won a thriller over LSU. The Tigers missed 12 straight shots and four free throws in the final 3:59. The Wolfpack scored with less than a second left.

Tournament on radio and online

Westwood One (WKNR 850 AM) and March Madness Live.

Team stat pages

• Notre Dame
• Butler
• North Carolina State
• Villanova

More Pittsburgh links

Two point guards are better than one for the Irish.

Peer pressure and leadership stabilizes Notre Dame.

Notre Dame's Pat Connaughton hopes to motivate kids.

It must be the shoes when it comes to the Irish.

Butler uses its defense to advance in the tournament.

Roosevelt Jones is not 100 percent but he will play for Butler today.

Butler and Notre Dame are ready for a Hoosier state showdown.

Villanova finds success when it runs the fastbreak over and over again.

Villanova sixth man, Josh Hart, has improved his shooting just in time.

North Carolina State and Villanova hope to add to NCAA Tournament history.

Did you already forget what happened last year? Here's the 2014 bracket.

Here is President Barack Obama's bracket.

Plain Dealer coverage of the Mid-American Conference Tournament in Cleveland.

Rich Paul has had more than one audience with Obama since he took office in 2009.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James' agent scored a quick meet and greet with President Barack Obama prior to the president's speech to the City Club of Cleveland.

Rich Paul, James' long-time friend, business partner, and owner of Klutch Sports Management agency, said he spoke with Obama for a few moments backstage before Obama's address. A picture of Paul with the president circulated on social media.

The Strength Is InThe Crew.... #RWTW #Klutch #Repost klutchsports00Rich Paul and President Obama... https://t.co/whV43DSjT1

-- PR (@pr_again) March 20, 2015

Paul, who sat courtside for James' 29-point effort in the Cavaliers' win over the Pacers Friday night, told the Northeast Ohio Media Group the White House reached out to Paul and invited him to meet with the Obama. The White House did not immediately return emails seeking comment.

Paul visited the White House in June, 2009 with James and their other friends and business partners Maverick Carter and Randy Mims. James also visited the White House twice as an NBA champion with the Miami Heat.

While Paul does not appear to have been a campaign contributor for Obama, records show that James contributed $40,000 to Democratic campaign committees that supported Obama's successful 2008 campaign.

Paul said he's joined first lady Michelle Obama at a private luncheon and was seen chatting on the court with former President Bill Clinton at the NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden in February. He also told the Northeast Ohio Media Group that he's "not well versed in politics, not really in the politics game."

Paul said James was not at Obama's speech Wednesday. The Cavs played and beat Brooklyn that night.

The Redskins held off a late rally by the Lady Wildcats to claim their second OHSAA state girls basketball title.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jessica Boerger and Kelly Turner combined for 40 points to lead Fort Loramie to a 55-48 win over Waterford to win its second Division IV girls state title.

Boerger had 25 points and seven rebounds Saturday at Ohio State's Value City Arena. Turner added 15 points and six rebounds.

Waterford (2-2) had a 15-game winning streak ended in its first state tournament. Taylor Hilverding and Ali Kern each had 13 points for the Wildcats.

Fort Loramie (25-5) led 46-33 early in the fourth quarter on a three-pointer by Boerger but Waterford forced six turnovers during a 12-2 run to pull to within 48-45 before Boerger hit both ends of a one-and-one.

Fort Loramie also won the 2013 title.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Rockies and join Indians reporters Zack Meisel and Paul Hoynes in the comments section. Where to watch/listen:  WTAM, indians.com will carry the game. Pitchers: Danny Salazar will start. Cody Allen, Scott Downs, Jeff Manship, Dustin Molleken and Bryan Price are scheduled to follow Salazar. Indians...

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Rockies and join Indians reporters Zack Meisel and Paul Hoynes in the comments section.

Where to watch/listen:  WTAM, indians.com will carry the game.

Indians lineup:

SS Jose Ramirez.

3B Mike Aviles.

RF Brandon Moss.

1B Jesus Aguilar.

DH Jerry Sands.

C Roberto Perez.

CF Tyler Holt.

LF Destin Hood.

2B Ryan Rohlinger.

RHP Danny Salazar.

Lineup note:  Utility man Aviles back in the lineup after getting five days off after tweaking his right elbow.

Rockies lineup:

RF Charlie Blackmon.

CF Brandon Barnes.

LF Corey Dickerson.

C Wilin Rosario.

1B Ben Paulsen.

DH Ryan Casteel.

SS Rafael Ynoa.

2B DJ LeMahieu.

3B Cristhian Adames.

RHP David Hale.

Central Catholic advances to first state semifinal since 2011.

CANTON, Ohio -- Central Catholic boys basketball shocked Ohio on Saturday by knocking off previously undefeated St. Vincent-St. Mary for a 41-36 win to earn a Division II regional title.

It's the first time since 2011 that the Ironmen (23-4) have won a regional title. The Irish (26-1) were ranked No. 3 in the country by USA Today.

The win sends Central Catholic to Columbus where they will play the winner of New Concord John Glenn and Columbus Walnut Ridge. The state semifinal game will be played Friday at 10:45 a.m.

Fueled by terrific defense, Central Catholic hit the half up 24-17. The Ironmen held the Irish without a 3-pointer over the first two quarters. The combination of Tervell Beck and Antwon Lillard combined for 16 points in the half.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

UCLA advances to the Sweet Sixteen for the 32nd time after beating Alabama-BIrmingham in an NCAA Tournament third-round game in Louisville.

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- UCLA power forward Tony Parker was the immovable object early, and he made the Bruins an irresistible force in a 92-75 victory over Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament at the KFC Yum Center.

There were no tricks or golden bricks this time.

Parker set up camp in the lane and UCLA found him often. He hit eight of his first nine shots and scored 19 of his game-high 28 points in the first half. The junior from Georgia finished 11-of-14 from the field

Just as important, he and UCLA dominated the boards. His 12 rebounds paced the Bruins a 41-26 rebounding edge. They have been among the top five teams in the nation in rebounding margin all season.

UCLA scored 52 points in the paint.

Houston bound: No. 11 seed UCLA (22-13) advances to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in three years and the 32nd time in the program's storied history. The Bruins head to the  South Regional at Houston and will face either No. 7 Iowa (22-11) or No. 2 Gonzaga (33-2), which play Sunday, 7:10 p.m., TNT.

Golden boy update: UCLA sophomore guard Bryce Alford, whose "Golden Brick" goaltending 3-pointer gave UCLA a dramatic win over SMU, kept the ball moving toward Parker. Alford scored 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including thee 3-pointes, and dished five assists.

Five-by-ten: All five UCLA starters were in double figures for the 10th time this season, including guards Norman Powell (15 points) and Isaac Hamilton (13), and forward Kevon Looney (10).

Finding Mr. Brown: The Bruins did a better job of guarding UAB's primary threat, guard Robert Brown, in the second half. After he shot 6-of-7 and scored 15 points in the first half, he was 4-for-13 in the second half and finished with 25 points.

No mojo: In an opening-round upset of No. 3 Iowa State, UAB (20-16) fell behind early but came back strong. The Blazers couldn't sustain the same level of execution and energy against UCLA.

UAB cut UCLA's lead to six midway through the second half on a Tyler Madison 3-pointer.

UCLA answered with six straight points and kept a comfortable cushion to the end.

A 3-pointer by Alford for a 82-70 lead with 3:17 remaining settled the matter.

UAB made 12 3-pointers, but was a mess defensively.

"We got beat up on the boards mightily,'' UAB coach Jerod Haase said. "We tried man, we tried zone, we tried man, and we were not able to guard.''

Strong start: The Bruins scored 28 points in the paint in the first half and took a 46-37 lead.

UCLA took the lead for good, 25-23, and Parker scored nine of his team's last 11 points of the half, including a 3-point play and consecutive dunks.

Parker made 8 of 9 shots and was 3 of 4 at the line by halftime. UCLA outrebounded the Blazers, 21-8.

Powerful, silvery steelhead trout are returning to spawn in Northeast Ohio waterways where they were released in past spring seasons as smolt, a year-old 7- to 9-inch trout.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Steelhead trout on their magical mystery tour are starting to leave Lake Erie this weekend, swimming up the chilly Northeast Ohio rivers and streams.

The powerful, silvery cold-water trout are returning to spawn in the waterways where they were released as year-old smolts raised at the Ohio Division of Wildlife's Castalia Fish Hatchery near Sandusky. The trout are not expected to have much spawning success, but will delight an army of anglers.

It seemed a couple of weeks ago northern Ohio's ice and snow would never melt. Ponds, lakes and rivers and even the massive waters of Lake Erie were covered by the white stuff.

But the thaw came fast and furious over the past week. Surprisingly, after the ice and runoff headed to Lake Erie, the rivers quickly settled and began to clear. On Friday, the sportsmen who enjoy the terrific trout fishing were plunking thumbnail-sized mesh sacks of trout eggs to stained waters.

"The trout are here, and they're biting," said Ronnie Rhodes of Sheffield Lake, who was fishing Friday morning on the Rocky River just upstream of the Emerald Necklace Marina.

Rhodes operates Fintastic Walleye Charters, competes in national walleye tournaments and considers the Vermilion River his home steelheading waters.

"I've caught about a dozen so far," he said about his first trip of the young season. "Nothing real big yet, but the trout have been nice, silvery fish that are fresh from Lake Erie."

Rhodes prefers casting a center pin rod and reel, a versatile rig for both flies and bait fishing. Spinning tackle is a mainstay for steelheaders, and the number of fly fishers chasing big trout has exploded.

Unless Mother Nature tosses a lot of precipitation their way, resulting in high, muddy water, the steelheaders will enjoy more than a few weeks of excellent trout fishing. Almost all of the traditional trout fishing rivers will be in play over the next few days except the Grand River, often clogged by sediment after flowing through stretches of agricultural land. While the Grand takes a little longer to clear, its downstream tributaries are clearing and giving up steelhead trout, said Don Moore at Harbor Bait & Tackle on the Grand River in Painesville.

"The feeder creeks have a nice green tint," said Moore, whose annual steelhead trout contest is topped by a 13-pound, 6-ounce fish caught by local angler Travis Sherman.

Spring is prime time for Ohio's steelhead trout, a strain of trout the state gets from Michigan's Little Manistee River. They're wilder fish than a home-grown version that used to be released here, and Ohio spent $7 million to refurbish the Castalia Hatchery to handle the precious cargo.

March and April are considered the best months for steelhead trout fishing, since warming waters in May send trout back to Lake Erie to feed and grow. That wasn't the case a year ago, said fisheries biologist Mike Durkalec of the Cleveland Metroparks.

"The bitterly cold winter and thick ice last year kept the streams, including the Rocky River, a little cooler than normal," Durkalec said. "The trout stayed in the rivers through May and even into June. We could see that happen again."

The Ohio Division of Wildlife released 428,610 yearling trout into five Northeast Ohio streams last spring. The annual stockings are made in the Grand, Rocky, Chagrin and Vermilion rivers and Conneaut creek. The big trout also race up many other Ohio rivers and creeks, from the Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Huron and Black rivers to Arcola, Cowles, Wheeler, French, Euclid, Turkey, Beaver and Cold creeks. Those fish are strays from other rivers or from minimal spawning success, despite Ohio rivers not offering quality spawning habitat.

Gorging on Lake Erie baitfish all summer long, steelhead trout grow quickly. After just a year, they'll be two or three pound "silver bullets." At four to five years old, they'll often top 10 pounds. For fly fishers used to small stream trout, they are monsters.

What makes steelhead trout so popular is their availability, even for big city anglers. It's a convenient fishery for anglers who don't have a boat and only an hour or two to wade and wet a line.

It's easy to spend thousands on steelheading gear. It's also a snap to pick up a long spinning rod and reel, buy a few floats and some spawn bags - a small mesh sack of trout or salmon eggs - and find success.

Can't catch 'em? Hire a guide. Want to learn to catch 'em? Durkalec and Phil Hillman of the ODOW have a Steelheading Basics class at the Rocky River Nature Center on the Rocky River on April 9 at 7 p.m. It's free.

To immerse yourself in everything steelhead trout, hang out at Castapalooza 2015, an all-day steelheading expo on the Grand River developed by Strongsville fly fishing expert Jerry Darkes. It's free, too, at Lake Metroparks Hidden Valley Reservation in Madison on April 11.

The Cleveland Metroparks offers more than 31 miles of angling access to the heralded Rocky River, a prime location in spring for feisty steelhead trout.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Rocky River is one of the most popular steelhead trout fishing areas in the country, combining a quality fishery with a wealth of public access for anglers of every stripe.

"The Cleveland Metroparks has 31 miles of river access on the Rocky River and the East Branch of the Rocky River," said fisheries biologist Mike Durkalec. "The Rocky is open to fishing from the mouth of the river on Lake Erie all of the way to Berea Falls.

"The Rocky offers fishing for smallmouth bass, carp, panfish and even white suckers, which are coming up the river to spawn right now. Steelhead trout are the big lure, and the outstanding trout fishing has helped the Cleveland Metroparks win national honors."

The Rocky also has an international reputation. Fishermen from Sweden to Alaska have made the trip to Northern Ohio to experience the amazing trout fishing on the democratic stream. Many are surprised there are no fees to fish the river, and Ohio non-resident season fishing licenses are only $40.

A three-day non-resident license is $19; a one-day license is $11. Resident annual licenses are $19.

"In Germany, for instance, you would have to pass a course in order to buy an expensive fishing license," said Durkalec. "Anglers must also pay for a permit to fish most waters because they are privately owned by clubs or landowners."

The Ohio Division of Wildlife releases more than 100,000 year-old steelhead trout into the Rocky River each spring. The trout return to the river after feasting on Lake Erie baitfish all summer and fall. To sweeten the fishing experience, the Cleveland Metroparks also releases of foot-long rainbow trout in the East Branch of the Rocky River in spring. The first rainbow release is expected this week.

Everything UCLA coach Steve Alford said after his team defeated Alabama-Birmingham in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday and advanced to the South Regional Sweet 16.

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- Everything UCLA Coach Steve Alford said after the Bruins beat Alabama-Birmingham, 92-75, in an NCAA Tournament game at Louisville on Saturday in the KFC Yum Center:

COACH ALFORD: Extremely proud of these young men. They have really been resilient all year. They've been a team that has stuck together. We were a team three months ago that had lost five games in a row. They didn't listen to the noise then. They listened in the locker room. They stayed together. They really fought to get better in practice. They competed like crazy. They're proof that, if you're resilient and you persevere when tough times hit, good things can eventually happen. No team is more rewarded and deserving than this team. They proved it again tonight, and I'm very, very pleased. We did a lot of good things in today's game, and we're excited to be the first team to punch the ticket. It's been a great couple days. One of the things they haven't been able to do is win two games away from Pauley (Pavilion) in a row, and there's no better time to do that than March.

Q. Steve, he's got a good sense of humor. Very relevant to this game, the inside-outside combo. In football, if you've got a running game and a passing game, it's really nice, but it just couldn't have worked out much better, I wouldn't think, with the first half what he did and then the second half what Bryce did. That's what you draw up, right?

COACH ALFORD: Right. Five guys in double figures in our starting lineup, that's kind of who we've been all year. So to do that in the National Tournament, that's the balance that, when we've been good, we've gotten during the year. I thought to get five guys in double figures and to outrebound this team the way we did, I thought that was the biggest key. We thought going into the game the board play would be the biggest. Halftime we were up 13 on the glass. We were able to establish paint scorers. We didn't know if they were going to double Tony or not. Teams have mixed that up on us. So we were prepared either way. When he got single coverage, then it was on Tony. We got him the ball -- and it wasn't just Bryce. Isaac got him the ball. Norman got him the ball. We did a really good job of getting it to the rim, and then Tony really finished well. Other than his first move in the second half, that was a fadeaway on a right block, everything was to the rim. When he does that, he's a big load. You're looking at 6'9", 265 -- since he's not in here, 275. He's a big body. So when he's going to the rim, that's hard to guard. I thought he had a presence today. I thought Tommy (Thomas) Welsh came in again off the bench. He had a presence. So having that center that really gives us a presence really opens some things on the perimeter and allows guys like Norman, Isaac, Bryce to be able to shoot the basketball, because all three of them were shooting. When they can get some shots that are open, that really helps the offense.

Q. Has this year been more rewarding the Sweet 16 than last year? Is this a more difficult coaching year for you compared to last year?
COACH ALFORD: They're just different. Last year, taking over a new team, you get a late start no matter -- any time there's a change of coaches, it's going to be a late start because it's April. You got to find a place to live. You're hanging out in a hotel. You've got to put together a new staff. As I mentioned, we spent probably the better part of two months just re-recruiting the guys that are currently at UCLA because it's new to them. The Wear twins (David and Travis) were getting ready to start with their third coach. That's not easy. So it was completely different. You've got a point guard like Kyle Anderson that's 6'9". So you're going to play one way. But we had some experience. We had some older guys. The Wears were in their fifth year. This team, we lost four guys in the NBA, three guys to hardship. We're the only program in the country that that happened to. And to get this team, young, inexperienced, lose five games in a row -- have a game on national TV where we score seven points in a half. Tony's right, I didn't pass that much. There weren't too many halves where personally I only scored seven in a half. To endure all that, have a five-game losing streak, and see these guys mature and grow up, last year was extremely rewarding laying a foundation, and that rewarding just continues to happen with this young, inexperienced team. You're seeing them kind of grow up right in front of your eyes, and that's been extremely rewarding to see this group get back to the Sweet 16.

Q. Coach, I'd like to ask you the same thing I asked the players. What was last Sunday like for you before the selection show? What were you feeling? What were you thinking?
COACH ALFORD: You're anxious because you're not in control. It's the first time all year we haven't been in control of something. You control what you do offensively, defensively. You're controlling who you play, how you want to play. And now all of a sudden, you lose to Arizona, and you're going to be an at large selection. So any of us that are in that at large position, you've got anxious times. Even those that thought they were 4, 5, 6, 7 seeds, that's an anxious time. Maybe you think you're in, but watch your seeding. So we thought after the way we played -- we played really well against USC. We avoided a first-round loss in the postseason tournament. A lot of teams did not avoid that. There were a lot of teams that got beat in the quarterfinal. And then we played really well, I thought, against Arizona for the second time in two weeks, both away from Pauley. So we thought we'd done enough, but you're still very, very anxious. Like I said before, first time you hear "UC" and then they say "Irvine," and then they say "The Bruins of," and they say "Belmont," you're hoping strike three doesn't come. You hope you get the call next time, and fortunately we did.

In a one-sided game, 11th seeded UCLA got a bit of its luster back by smacking down smaller and even lower seeded (14th) UAB.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Well, that was on the dullish side.

There was way too much sanity in the first game of resumption of March Madness here. 

UCLA dispatched Alabama-Birmingham, 92-76, allowing the folks in Birmingham to start thinking about the Iron Bowl against Auburn, if they ever stopped.

* Maybe some of UAB's sizable discrepancy in rebounding (41-26) was because the smaller Blazers didn't box out against the taller Bruins. It was 21-8 in the first half, when UCLA took a lead that was never really in grave jeopardy.

That lack of fundamentals is something everyone supposedly did in the glorious days of yesteryear.

* However, John Wooden didn't believe in boxing out. He believed in going after the ball. He won a little bit. Ten NCAA championships in 12 years at UCLA.

Bill Russell didn't box out either. He won a little bit more. Eleven NBA championships in 13 years with the Boston Celtics.

* One of the guys doing the Iowa-Davidson game Friday night on TV said referees are marked down severely in their evaluations for missing fouls. Maybe that's why they called 'em where they weren't in this game.

* It's just fun watching a kid like Bryce Alford shoot. Such a sweet stroke. Wonder where he learned it? (Sarcasm.) Steve Alford's son made three of five 3-pointers and scored 22 points.

* The younger Alford also had five assists as UCLA owned the inside with a 30-point advantage in points in the paint (52-22).

* UCLA's blue used to be lighter, more of a sky blue than this sort of Blue Meanies shade. It's a bigger change than the orange orange vs. tangerine orange switch the Browns made, although that's no surprise, because so little ever changes in Berea.

* So who's had the same haircut longer -- UCLA coach Steve Alford or Denver quarterback Peyton Manning? Both seemingly have had the same looks their whole lives. Alford's older so I go with him.

* UCLA scored 24 points in 5 minutes vs UAB in coming back from an early deficit.  The Bruins scored 7 in the whole first half this season against Kentucky.

Of course, UCLA is better now, but Kentucky can just close ... you ... down.

* This was a 14 seed (UAB) vs. 11 (UCLA) game, which recalled the unlikely Cleveland State vs. St. Joseph's game in 1986 after each had felled a higher seed (Indiana and former Cavalier Johnny Newman's Richmond team, respectively).

* Plenty of good seats were available at the start of the UAB-UCLA contest.

The reasons why so few fannies were actually in the seats were pretty obvious. It was a long trip to watch a mediocre team for UCLA fans. Kentucky fans bought up most of the tickets anyway And, although everyone professes to like the plucky li'l mid-majors, the fact is that they can't deliver at the gate with their fan bases.

* UCLA's Tony Parker had a first half better than most by San Antonio's Tony Parker in the NBA. OK, the Bruin is a forward and the Spur is a point guard, but 19 points and six rebounds is bringing it. The Bruins' Parker finished with 28 and 12.

* Both teams shot well in the first half before UAB cooled off. 

Note to Cincinnati's offense, which often resembles a meeting of blacksmiths and masons: Good shooting cures a lot of ills -- for spectators and players alike.

The Cavs starters are -- by far -- the most effective group in the NBA.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's hard to remember now, but when the Cavs traded for J.R. Smith he was supposed to be the sixth man and super-scorer coming off the bench.

Smith had to start a few weeks while Iman Shumpert recovered from a shoulder injury. But beginning on Jan. 15 -- when a healthy LeBron James combined with Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Timofey Mozgov and Smith in the starting lineup -- the Cavs started to win.

They haven't stopped yet.

Shumpert missed four games after his arrival and had to play four more under a minutes restriction as he recovered from a dislocated shoulder. By the time he was fully ready, the Cavs were on an eight-game winning streak. Coach David Blatt wisely decided not to change his lineup.

Since January 15, the Cavs are 26-6. They have the lowest-scoring bench in the NBA, but the highest-scoring starters. If they wanted to bolster the bench scoring, they could return to the original plan of Smith as the sixth man.

But there is no reason to do that. Since Jan. 15, the Cavs starters are out-scoring the opposition by 28 points per 100 possessions. Next comes Golden State at 14 points.

The starters are a machine, despite the angst over the drop in Kevin Love's scoring from a year ago. Love is taking six fewer shots per game, and that is one of the main reasons that he has gone from 26.1 points in Minnesota last season to 16.7 here.

But Love's defensive rebounding, his 3-point shooting and being a power forward who averages 16.7 points and 10.2 rebounds is a big deal to how the Cavs are currently constituted.

Here are the numbers on the plus/minus of Cavs players per 100 possessions. That's a measure of how the team outscores (or is outscored) with this player on the floor over 100 possessions.

1. Mozgov, 19.4
2. Love, 17.7
3. James, 17.6
4. Irving, 13.6
5. Smith, 10.9
6. Shumpert, 10.6

Here are a few thoughts from those numbers:

1. The Cavs play very well with the 7-foot-1 Mozgov on the court. It does beg the question about why he plays so little in the fourth quarter. His defense is a real asset.

2. The Cavs play well with Love on the floor, even if his numbers aren't sparkling.

3. The Cavs almost have six starters, as Shumpert blends so well when he comes into the game.

4. It's easy to understand why Blatt has made so few changes once he found a lineup and a rotation. The early January trades of General Manager David Griffin saved the season. He used Dion Waiters and a Memphis first-round pick and turned that into Mozgov, Smith and Shumpert.

5. Come playoff time, a deep bench is not important. You need a few key substitutes. Tristan Thompson and Shumpert are terrific coming off the bench. The key will be how Matthew Dellavedova plays at point guard in reserve, or if Shumpert can handle the point when Irving rests.

6. It doesn't show up the numbers, but the Cavs believe Shumpert is one of the few players in the NBA who can make a major defensive impact in being able to defend both guard spots and small forward. He also is a respectable 3-point shooter (.345). Most of all, they love how he creates turnovers and rattles the player he's assigned to defend.

7. Blatt began giving James Jones regular time off the bench in the middle of February. Shawn Marion (hip injury) was out. Mike Miller has shot poorly all year. So the coach turned to Jones, and he has averaged 6.7 points and shot 43 percent (nearly all his shots are 3-pointers) in 16 minutes a game over the last 16 games. He has been a major asset.

ABOUT THE NO. 2 PLAYOFF SPOT

Blatt wants to finish with the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference. James doesn't seem to worry about it.

What's the deal?

1. The Cavs are 45-26 with 11 games left. Blatt wants them to stay sharp and interested as the playoffs loom. So he has put up a short-term goal.

2. The more home games for the Cavs, the better. They are 26-9 at home, 19-17 on the road. The higher they finish in the regular season, the more home games in the playoffs. So that makes sense.

3. James believes it doesn't matter where the Cavs finish, they will be very good in the playoffs. He is smart enough to know more home games are better, but he doesn't worry about it in the postseason.

4. James has never been on a team that has lost in the first round of the playoffs. His teams have reached the finals in five of his 11 years.

5. Yes, the Cavs do want to finish No. 2, but they don't want James and others to play too many minutes for that reason. Why risk injury/fatigue in the final 11 games?

6. I really don't see this as a big conflict between Blatt and James.

ABOUT FORMER CAVS:

1. With Minnesota, Andrew Wiggins is averaging 15.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and shooting .433 from the field.

2. With Minnesota, Anthony Bennett is averaging 5.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and shooting .418 in 16 minutes a game.

3. With Boston, Tyler Zeller is averaging 10.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and shooting .550.

4. With Oklahoma City, Dion Waiters is averaging 11.1 points, shooting .372 in 28 minutes. Before the trade, he was averaging 10.5 points, shooting .404 in 24 minutes a game with the Cavs.

5. With the L.A. Clippers, Spencer Hawes is averaging 6.3 points and shooting .398.

6. With Brooklyn, Sergey Karasev averaged 4.3 points and shot .406. He is out for the season with a knee injury.

7. With Indiana, C.J. Miles is averaging 12.5 points and shooting .382.

• Terry's Talkin' Browns.
• Terry's Talkin' Indians.

It wasn't like Ohio State's other losses when Russell lit it up and the rest of the team played like a dud. The senior class - one that has taken the brunt of deserved criticism the last month - produced. Russell's shot just wasn't falling. Watch video

PORTLAND, Ore. -- D'Angelo Russell put his right hand on the back of his chair in the locker room and scooted forward. There was no shying away from what was about to happen, and even the freshman was old enough to know it. 

Russell looked up at the horizontally-held iPhone, the one temporarily substituting as a camcorder, then turned to a teammate and said, "Uh oh," accompanied with a nervous chuckle. 

The confident remarks he made the previous day came back to mind. Couple those with a 3-of-19 shooting performance in No. 10 Ohio State's 73-58 loss to No. 2 Arizona, and there was some explaining to do. 

The same question had to be asked again: "Who is the best defender you've faced all year?" 

Russell responded the same exact way as the previous day. The confident way. The only way.

"Nobody," he said.  

But that wasn't true. Maybe there wasn't an individual opposing player deserving of all the credit, but the Arizona trio of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, T.J. McConnell and Elliott Pitts had something to do with Russell's terrible night, which was only the second time all year he failed to reach double-digits in scoring. He finished with nine. 

Arizona's size bothered him. That's what good defense does. But Russell got looks, and when he did, the ball just didn't go down, which is why the freshman had a hard time crediting the opposition. 

"I just missed shots," Russell said. "If I would have made shots, I feel like you all would understand what I'm saying. I missed shots, so I guess you can credit whoever was guarding me. But I had a few clean looks. I just couldn't buy a bucket." 

It's hard to blame Russell for reacting like that. He has a scorer's mentality and he had become so accustomed to getting hot and changing games. He did it all year. But when it mattered the most, against an elite opponent in Arizona with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line, Russell was a freshman. 

"I kept thinking he was going to catch fire there, as he's done so many times this year, but unfortunately it was just one where the ball was going down for him," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "But he's had a heck of a freshman year, and we were going to ride him all the way." 

That's why it's hard for Ohio State to accept the way its season ended. The Buckeyes were big underdogs and they weren't supposed to beat Arizona, but they actually got what they needed from Russell's often-fleeting supporting cast. 

It wasn't like Ohio State's other losses when Russell lit it up and the rest of the team played like a dud. The senior class -- one that has taken the brunt of deserved criticism the last month -- produced. 

Sam Thompson scored a game-high 18 points, Shannon Scott added 10 and Amir Williams made some plays in the post that required an extra bit of energy. If Ohio State would have known that would have been the production from the seniors before the game, the Buckeyes would have liked their odds. 

Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell had a really rough shooting night vs. Arizona. The Buckeyes couldn't overcome that. Craig Mitchelldyer, AP 

Which brings us back to reality. This was a team that was always going to live and die by the freshman. Even when the supporting cast does what it's supposed to do -- provide support -- there's no way the Buckeyes could beat a team like Arizona with Russell not locating his shot. 

"I know what my job is on the team, so if I'm missing shots, I am always in the position where I have to shoot more," Russell said.

"I can't pass up open looks. Anybody on the other team, if they air-ball one and get wide open on the next look, they might not have to shoot it. The position I am in, though, I have to shoot those shots.

"When I am making them, it's good. But when I'm missing, it's bad." 

Russell doesn't miss them very often, which is why he became one of the most electrifying players in college basketball. This is probably the end of the road for Russell at Ohio State. He's a projected top-five pick in the NBA Draft, which means starting right now he has become a pro. 

And part of being a pro is taking your lumps when you don't live up to your job. 

So here's one final question: Who else's shoulders does Ohio State's loss fall on outside of Russell's? 

Nobody. 

 

The Monsters snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 conquest of Grand Rapids on Saturday night at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On Saturday night at The Q, the Monsters took the play to  Grand Rapids for the majority of minutes. Their relentless effort provided the foundation for a stirring 4-3 victory over the AHL's hottest team.

Winger Tomas Vincour scored twice for Lake Erie, which snapped a three-game losing streak. The Monsters (28-25-6-4) played the previous five games on the road, including Friday night against Toronto.

Grand Rapids' point streak ended at 19 games. The Griffins (38-18-6-2) had not lost in regulation since Jan. 31 against Milwaukee, 4-0.

The Griffins are 19-2-3-1 since Jan. 23.

The Monsters opened the scoring. In the early stages of a Lake Erie power play, defenseman Stefan Elliott beat goalie Jared Coreau at 1:58 of the first period. Coreau was screened by Monsters center Reid Petryk as Elliott unloaded from the top of the right circle.

Ben Youds and Andrew Agozzino earned the assists. Agozzino extended his point streak to eight games.

The Griffins scored the next two.

In the middle of a Grand Rapids power play, defenseman Xavier Ouellet shot from the high slot. Goalie Sami Aittokallio made the save but was unable to prevent a rebound. Winger Marek Tvrdon pounced and poked in the puck at 4:08 of the first.

The Griffins made it 2-1 midway through the period. Landon Ferraro's blast from the left circle squirted from Aittokallio and onto the stick of defenseman Ryan Sproul left of the cage. Sproul scored from a tight angle at 10:31.

Lake Erie tied it in the final second of the first. Grand Rapids carelessly sent the puck from behind its cage into the slot, where Vincour was waiting. Vincour's shot crossed the goal line with 0.9 remaining.

Grand Rapids took a 3-2 lead with a shorthanded tally at 1:26 of the second period. Center Tomas Nosek made a steal and controlled the puck on the left side. He skated across the slot and chipped in a backhander.

The Monsters scored the next two.

Two minutes after Nosek scored, Kenny Ryan and Troy Bourke created an odd-man rush. Ryan's shot became a rebound for Bourke, who beat Coreau from outside the right post.

Lake Erie pulled ahead, 4-3, at 8:31 of the second. Trevor Cheek threw the puck on net from the left, and Vincour chipped it in from the right.

The Monsters did an excellent job of making Grand Rapids chase in the third.

Aittokallio denied Grand Rapids winger Jeff Hoggan from the crease in the final seconds. Aittokallio finished with 34 saves.

Too little, too late for No. 1 seed Villanova.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Villanova became the first No. 1 seed knocked out of the 2015 NCAA Tournament on Saturday following a 71-68 loss to No. 8 North Carolina State in the third round at Consol Energy Center.

The Wolfpack (22-13) advance to the East Regional at Syracuse against Sunday's Northern Iowa-Louisville winner.

The loss snapped Villanova's 16-game winning streak and ended its season at 33-3. Trevor Lacey led the Wolfpack with 17 points.

"I know we have to answer to the fact that we did not get to the second weekend again," said Villanova coach Jay Wright. "We have to own that. But it's not going to define us within our program. It's going to define us outside of our program and we accept that. We failed here in this NCAA tournament. And we just got to accept it and we've got to own it and live with it."

N.C. State rode first half momentum into the second half and stretched its lead to 12, thanks to inside scoring combined with Villanova's bankrupt offense.

"We got great looks, got to the basket and we just had to go in at halftime and work on our decision making," said Villanova guard Darrun Hilliard, who had 27 points. "I don't think missing those layups or those easy baskets really fazed us, it was just our decision making in taking them."

Better decisions or better shots cut the deficit to six, but the Wolfpack responded and led by nine with just over five minutes left.

Villanova still trailed by five with just over two minutes left, but Anthony Barber's drive and layup gave N.C. State a 66-59 lead with 1:37 left.

Following a N.C. State missed free throw, Hilliard's 3-pointer closed N.C. State's led to two with 41 seconds left.

The Wolfpack turned the ball over on their next possession. The Wildcats missed a 3-point attempt and a foul sent Barber to the line and he made two free throws. Another Hilliard 3-pointer cut the deficit to one with just over a second left, but Ralston Turner's consecutive free throws sealed the victory.

N.C. State escaped with its second consecutive nail-biter.

"It seems like that always happens with us going down the stretch in late games," Lacey said. "We've been in that situation before. Coach made sure nobody panicked."

Wildcats and Wolfpack notes

This was Villanova's first loss since Jan. 19 at Georgetown... Villanova has not beat N.C. State since 1959... Dereck Whittenberg, director of player development for the Wolfpack, was a member of N.C. State's 1983 NCAA title team.

The Bulldogs avenged two losses to Shaker Heights this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The third time was the charm for Garfield Heights boys basketball as the Bulldogs avenged two regular season losses to Shaker Heights with a 61-56 Division I regional final win on Saturday at Cleveland State.

The Bulldogs (24-3) were able to get Raiders standout Esa Ahmad in foul trouble and took advantage to advance to their first state semifinal since 2011 and third in school history.

"It feels good," said Garfield Heights coach Sonny Johnson. "These kids deserve it. They are a great bunch of kids. They work very hard. I always say you win with great kids."

Garfield Heights is now set to play in Columbus against Westerville South in a Division I state semifinal. The game will be played on Friday at 5:15 p.m.

An ugly first half was played to the liking of Shaker Heights (20-7). The Raiders never trailed and took a 24-19 lead into the break. Unsurprisingly, it was Ahmad leading the way for the Raiders with 11 points at the half. He finished with 37 points.

Junior Willie Jackson led the Bulldogs with 18 points.

What it means

Garfield Heights has climbed the mountain again and is headed back to the state tournament. The Bulldogs avenged two of their three losses with the win against Shaker Heights, and if things play out a certain way next week, they could have a chance to avenge that other loss against St. Edward, which is in the other side of the final four bracket.

"They were saying it's hard to beat a team three times," Jackson said. "I told my coach at halftime when we played bad that we weren't going to lose."

The reason Garfeld Heights is here is the way everyone matured this season. Jackson's offensive development was obvious, but the fact that five players scored at least 10 points in this game says wonders about how deep and balanced Garfield Heights has become.

The loss is especially devastating for Shaker Heights because it means the end of the Ahmad era. With Ahmad, the Raiders were unable to get over the hump of the regional tournament. Still, it takes nothing away from the career of Ahmad, who was one of Northeast Ohio's best players for four years and has won the cleveland.com Player of the Year award two straight seasons.

Play of the game

With Shaker Heights leading 28-24 in the third quarter, Ahmad picked up his fourth foul and had to sit nearly eight minutes. That was essentially the ball game. Just shortly after, the Bulldogs took the lead and never handed it back.

Crucial run

With Ahmad on the bench, the Bulldogs went on a 13-5 run. Frankie Hughes hit two crucial 3-pointers during the stretch, and Garfield Heights scored just one field goal. The Raiders could not establish a scoring option with Ahmad out.

Who stood out for Garfield Heights

Jackson: The junior was his usual self, as he finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. He only turned the ball over once.

Branden Johnson: The senior was huge for the Bulldogs. He played solid defense on Ahmad and finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds. He's an x-factor.

Who stood out for Shaker Heights

Ahmad: Despite essentially not playing for a full quarter because of foul trouble, he finished with 37 points. It's not the result he wanted, but Ahmad still went out with a bang.

Garfield Heights sound bites

Branden Johnson on rebounds: "The key was to get the rebound and not let them get anything off the glass. No second chances."

Sonny Johnson on the difference in the game: "I told them before that Danny [Young] has a good team, but he's counting on one guy who is an outstanding player. I'm counting on the whole team."

Sonny Johnson on Ahmad's fourth foul: "I basically was about to shout like I was in church. I was excited because that really turned the game around. You can't stop him. He makes so many plays."

Shaker Heights sound bites

Coach Danny Young on the loss: "We lost the game on the backboard. They had 41 rebounds to our 26, and 14 of theirs were offensive."

Young on Ahmad: "Esa's name speaks for itself. He's a phenomenal player. He's going to have a wonderful career at West Virginia. He and Terry [Rozier] put Shaker Heights back to relevance."

Key stats

42 - points in the second half by Garfield Heights

27.3 - 3-point percentage for Shaker Heights

15 - rebounding margin in Garfield Heights' favor

6 - most points scored by a Shaker Heights player other than Ahmad

5 - players with at least 10 points for Garfield Heights

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Led by 14 fourth-quarter points from Kipper Nichols, St. Edward won the Division I Akron Regional championship.

TOLEDO, Ohio — Led by a game-high 22 points from Kipper Nichols, St. Edward's boys basketball team beat Lima Senior, 50-42, on Saturday in the Division I Akron Regional final at the University of Toledo.

Nichols had 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to send the defending champion Eagles back to Columbus, where they will play Huber Heights Wayne on Friday at 8:30 p.m., in a Division I state semifinal.

"Getting back down there is hard," Nichols said. "I'm proud of my guys and what we did tonight."

The Eagles took control of the game with a 15-4 run in the fourth quarter. Nichols had nine points in a row in that run.

St. Edward (21-5) struggled against Lima Senior's aggressive man-pressure defense, which forced 19 turnovers. The Eagles countered by shooting 58 percent from the field.

Elijah Pughsley led Lima Senior (23-4) with 11 points.

What it means

St. Edward advanced to the state final four for the second year in a row and the third time in four years. The Eagles won the state title in 2014 and lost in the state semifinals in 2012.

"I'll be honest. I thought this year was a lot tougher," St. Edward coach Eric Flannery said. "I'm as proud if not more proud of this group right here because of that target not only being St. Ed's, but being defending state champs. I thought we've handled it extremely well."

St. Edward started strong with an 8-2 run to open the game. But Lima Senior's pressure got the Spartans back into the game.

The Spartans were relentless and aggressive in pressuring the ball and forcing turnovers all game.

Play of the game

Early in the third quarter, St. Edward's Sean Flannery threw an alley-oop to Derek Funderburk out of an inbounds play to give their team a 28-27 lead.

Critical run

After falling behind in the fourth quarter, St. Edward went on a 15-4 run led by Nichols to take a 47-38 lead with 1:48 to play. Nichols capped off the run by getting a steal and a layup from transition.

Who stood out for St. Edward

Nichols: The senior stepped up and was relentless in attacking the basket in the fourth quarter. He had 14 of his game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter and went 10-for-12 from the free-throw line.

Funderburk: He was effective from the floor, scoring 10 points and blocking five shots in 31 minutes.

Mike Ryan: He had 12 points, two assists and four blocks to supplement Nichols' strong night. The trio of Nichols, Funderburk and Ryan combined for 44 of St. Edward's 50 points.

Who stood out for Lima Senior

Pughsley: The senior led the Spartans with 11 points in 31 minutes of play.

Xavier Simpson: He helped run the Lima Senior offense and finished with eight points and five assists.

St. Edward sound bites

Ryan on Nichols' fourth quarter: "Kipper is always the leader. He's been like that all year, consistently been a leader all year long. That's what he does, gets the job done."

Flannery on Nichols: "He wants the ball in his hands. He attacks the rim. I think when you're 6-foot-7, and you're physical and you can get to the basket and shoot the ball as well as he does. It's a pretty tough combination. And he just takes over the game."

Nichols on Lima Senior's defense: "A lot of credit goes to them, their coaching staff. Everything they did was unbelievable. Great on-ball defense by those guards. They're scrappy and they know how to win."

What's next

St. Edward vs. Huber Heights Wayne in Division I state semifinal at The Ohio State University, Friday, 8:30 p.m.

Danny Salazar throws in the high 90s. His right arm is healthy and he's been in camp since Jan. 11. But he still hasn't claimed one of the two open spots in the Indians rotation with two weeks left in camp. So what is holding him back? Watch video

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Danny Salazar did some good things on the mound Saturday afternoon at Goodyear Ballpark.

A sundial wasn't needed to time him between pitches. He threw strikes, including the all-important first-pitch strike, even though he spent Friday night watching Trevor Bauer's first-pitch strikes turn into ballpark full of hits including four triples in one inning.

Salazar even stuck around past the second inning, something he didn't do in his last Cactus League start. By the way, that was 10 days ago. The Indians hustled Salazar to the backfields of their complex after that performance against Oakland basically to hit him in the face with a bucket of ice water and say, "wake up, keep the ball down and throw more strikes."

Saturday he threw 64 percent (44-of-69) his pitches for strikes. He threw first-pitch strikes to 12 of the 16 batters he faced.

On the day, Salazar allowed one run on three hits in four innings. He struck out five and walked two. One of the three hits was a homer by Charlie Blackmon that left the field in a flash and hit a concrete structure well behind the right field wall with a thud that could be heard in the pressbox.

Such is the fate of a Salazar fastball that lingers in the higher elevations of the strike zone.

Salazar is trying to win one of the two open spots in the rotation behind Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Bauer. For a guy who throws in the high 90s and has been in camp since Jan. 11, you would think one of those open spots would have already had his name etched on it.

Such is not the case and nothing changed when manager Terry Francona met with reporters after the Indians beat the Rockies 10-5.

"He was more good than not," said Francona of Salazar. "At times he still leaves that fastball up. But you could see his intent is to get it down. He drove some good ones down and his off speed was pretty effective.

"Still, we're shooting for more consistency down (in the strike zone). But he's trying. He's getting there."

Last week Francona said he wanted to see more consistency across the board from Salazar regarding every aspect of his pitching. That included his work habits, conditioning and preparation -- not to mention what he does on the mound.

Salazar put some of those practices into use in a simulated game early last week. In four innings, he struck out nine. Francona cautioned reporters not to read too much into those nine strikeouts because some of them were against aggressive-swinging minor leaguers.

Salazar felt it helped.

"In that game, I was able to take what I had been practicing into the game," said Salazar. "I threw my slider, change-up and was aggressive. And I was able to take that into today's game. Everything is working right now."

Salazar said there is a "huge difference" between how he feels this spring compared to last spring, when the Indians babied him through much of camp because of a mysterious shoulder injury that the team never explained.

"This year I don't have limitations," he said. "I'm doing everything with the guys. I'm normal.

"This year I'm healthy. Last year I wasn't healthy during the spring."

All last spring Salazar said he was 100 percent.

The Indians were able to gain another minor-league option on Salazar over the off-season because of the time he missed in the minors while recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. So there's a chance Salazar, despite his healthy right arm, could open the year at Class AAA Columbus.

Salazar is not thinking like that.

When asked how important it is for him to make the opening day rotation, he said, "It's really important. I want to help the team win. I don't want to play for me. I want to play for the team. Everything I do will be for them."

TJ House, Zach McAllister, Josh Tomlin, Bruce Chen and Shaun Marcum are competing for those spots as well.

As for Francona wanting more consistency from Salazar on all things connected to throwing a baseball, Salazar said, "I think it's about having a better tempo. If I throw a ball up, just don't think about that and get ready to make the next pitch."

It seemed as if Francona was talking about more than tempo between pitches, things like conditioning and preparation, but Salazar felt he was solid in those areas.

How solid will be determined if Salazar is able to win one of the two open spots in the rotation. There are two weeks left in camp. The time to pitch is now.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph's boys basketball team defeated Youngstown Ursuline, 66-45, in Saturday's Division III Canton regional final.

CANTON, Ohio -- Villa Angela-St. Joseph's boys basketball team used a big mid-game run and a double double by Dererk Pardon to beat Youngstown Ursuline, 66-45, in Saturday's Division III Canton regional final at the Canton Memorial Fieldhouse. 

The victory marked the Vikings' third regional title in as many years. VASJ is headed back to the state final four, where the Vikings will face Columbus Eastmoor on Thursday at 5:15 p.m. at Ohio State. The winner of that game moves on to the state championship Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

VASJ, last year's state runner-up, took a minute to get its rhythm in the first quarter but still managed to put up the first eight points. 

Ursuline's decent mid- to long-range shooting kept things close early but proved no match for the inside scoring ability of the Vikings in the long run. 

Carlton Bragg and Pardon dominated the paint on offense and defense while Brian Parker paced VASJ's scoring attack with 21 points while also preventing plenty of scoring. 

"We were special defensively. As good as we've ever been," said VASJ coach Babe Kwasniak. "Teams just don't have the type of size that we do and our length gave them a lot of issues." 

The Vikings got on a roll in the second quarter, which gave them momentum that carried over well into the third and ultimately stayed with them the rest of the game. 

VASJ surrendered just four points in the third quarter and scored 16.

Critical runs

VASJ went on an 8-0 run to begin the game, despite struggling to hang on to the ball early.

The Vikings went on a 25-4 run that lasted most of the second quarter and continued into the third. 

Play of the game

About three minutes into the third quarter, Bragg rejected an opponent's shot, took possession and proceeded to throw down a forceful dunk on the other end of the floor. He got the ball on a fastbreak the very next possession and dunked with even more emphasis. 

Who stood out for VASJ

Bragg: The 6-foot-10 senior had 14 points and provided plenty of defense for VASJ, providing multiple blocks and steals. 

Pardon: The 6-8 senior recorded a double double, bringing down 20 rebounds and tallying 11 points. 

Parker: The senior guard scored a game-high 21 points and earned high praise from Kwasniak for his efforts on defense. 

Who stood out for Ursuline

Mark Hughes: The senior led the Irish with 14 points. 

David Collins: The junior scored 10 points and played with plenty of energy. 

VASJ sound bites

Kwasniak on Bragg's dunking: "I've been around a long time but that dunk Carlton had, I mean, I got excited. He almost ripped the structure out of the floor. That really got us going." 

Kwasniak on facing top-notch competition: "People just have no clue the competition we've played. I saw (Ursuline coach Keith) Gunter made a comment where he compared us to Kentucky. I've got two things for that: No. 1, we didn't go undefeated and No. 2, the North Coast League may be better than the Southeastern Conference. You see teams like Cleveland Central Catholic and they're going to states with us this year. We beat them twice this year. We've played the best and that's why you play those games, to get ready for the ones that matter most." 

Pardon on being hated: "We're the most hated team in the NCL. We've had a lot of adversity and we just get through it. Because we're one of the best teams, we've kind of got a bullseye on our backs." 

Bragg: "My mindset coming into the game was just 'attack, attack, attack.' We knew we were bigger than them and we had to take advantage of that." 

Bragg on heading back to state: "We have some unfinished business. We've faced adversity and (last year) didn't finish the way we wanted to finish." 

Everything Ohio State coach Thad Matta said at the podium from the Moda Center after No. 10 Ohio State fell to No. 2 Arizona in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Watch video

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Everything Ohio State coach Thad Matta said at the podium from the Moda Center after No. 10 Ohio State fell to No. 2 Arizona in the second round of the NCAA Tournament: 

Q. What were they doing on Russell throughout the game that was giving him trouble?
COACH MATTA: You know, they had great length out there. Obviously they were committing two guys to him off the ball screen and did a really nice job. You know, with that length, it was a little bit difficult to see around. But I thought he had some great looks at the basket. Unfortunately it was kind of one of those days for him in terms of the shots not going down. But as I told him, hey, he's got to keep shooting. We were hoping, as he's done so many times this year, he's kind of caught fire and put us on his back. It was unfortunately one of those games. The size may have had a little to do with it.

Q. Good defensive job, but York got off. Did he surprise you with what he did?
COACH MATTA: No. Obviously he was in there to do one thing and one thing only. In the first half they had a couple decent looks that didn't go down for them. Once he got going, and we made a couple of big-time mistakes in terms of our rotations, you know, that was kind of the difference in the game. They got into double-digits there. We were telling our guys, Hey, they got one guy out there that's looking to shoot the basketball. The MVP for Arizona was McConnell. That kid was unbelievable both offensively and defensively today. Just did a great, great job. I kind of like coaching because he's out there having the time of his life.

Q. You know Sean Miller well. You've seen his teams. Where would you put this Arizona team?
COACH MATTA: You know, I think this is probably, without a doubt, maybe his best team. You know, we were talking about it the other day, probably 15 years ago to the day, I think I was a 10 seed and Arizona was a 2 seed with Gardner, Arenas, Jefferson, Wright and Woods with like nine All-Americans on the bench. That was a heck of a basketball team, too. I think Sean is doing a tremendous job when you watch him and you really zone in, preparation. You watch him during the year, I'm watching late-night TV, but when you start studying him, I mean, Sean is doing a heck of a job putting those guys in position to be successful. Quite honestly, we had to sort of pick our poison in terms of what we wanted to do today defensively because they can hurt you in so many different ways.

Q. Are you okay losing like that, you said the zone was okay?
COACH MATTA: When you sit down to prepare, they're a team, I don't know how many they shot today, 19 threes. The most I think they had taken was 21. They wanted to go inside on us. I thought we did a pretty good job with our interior defense. Like I said, we had to choose sort of one or the other. Once you hit a couple, we got out of it. They got us a little inside. I think when you're playing a team the caliber of Arizona, you need a little bit of luck, you need him to miss a couple of those. But, you know, with that said, to do over again, I would have done the exact same thing that we did.

Ohio State's wrestling team had a historic night with first NCAA championship and Logan Stieber becoming fourth wrestler in history to win four individual titles. Teammate Nathan Tomasello of Parma also won.

ST. LOUIS -- NCAA wrestling organizers flipped the competition order so Logan Stieber's bid for a fourth national championship came last instead of third in the order. That was the lone suspense remaining from Ohio State's first national title run.

Stieber didn't disappoint, wrapping up an unbeaten season at 141 pounds and a huge meet for the Buckeyes on Saturday night. He's just the fourth to win four individual titles, joining Kyle Dake of Cornell (2010-13), Cael Sanderson of Iowa State (1999-2002), and Pat Smith of Oklahoma State (1990-92, 1994).

Ohio State clinched the championship before the final round began and also got a title from Parma native Nathan Tomasello at 125. The Buckeyes bettered runner-up finishes in 2008 and '09 scored 102 points to easily outdistanced Iowa's 84.

Edinboro was third with 75 1-2 points followed by Missouri at 73 1-2 and Cornell at 71 1-2 with four-time defending champion Penn State sixth at 67 1-2. Sixteen schools had at least one competitor in the finals, including a meet-high three for the winners.

The Buckeyes' lone disappointment in the finals was at 197 where Kyle Snyder couldn't follow up a semifinal upset over top seed J'den Cox at 197 and was pinned by Kyven Gadson of Iowa State in the first period.

"The last match of my career, I wanted to go out with a bang," Gadson said.

Stieber (29-0) decisioned second seed Mitchell Port of Edinboro 10-5, adding to a pin, two technical falls and a major decision in the tourney. Tomasello, who starred for Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, followed up a semifinal victory over top seed Alan Waters of Missouri with an 8-5 decision over Zeke Moisey of West Virginia, the lone unseeded competitor in the finals.

Earlier in the day, the Buckeyes got a third-place finish from Bo Jordan at 165 and a fifth from unseeded Kenny Courts at 184.

Freshman Isaiah Martinez of Illinois (34-0), Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State (34-0) and Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State (35-0) also wrapped up unbeaten seasons. The lone upset came at 133 where 13th seed Cody Brewer of Oklahoma beat third seed Cory Clark of Iowa 11-8.

Martinez, whose only close call of the meet came in the one-point semifinal win over James Green of Nebraska, defeated second seed Brian Realbuto of Cornell 10-2 at 157. Afterward, he did not shy away from comparisons with Sanderson, who was unbeaten as a freshman.

"Am I ready for it?" Martinez said. "I was made ready for it. Wrestling is my life."

Dieringer, a junior who won at 157 last year, took the crown at 165 by outpointing sixth seed Taylor Walsh of Indiana 14-7 and Gwiazdowski edged Adam Coon of Michigan 7-6 at 285.

"My coach always told me the second one's harder," Dieringer said. "So I feel like this one feels a lot more special to me."

Missouri, ranked No. 1 entering the meet, opened the finals with an overtime victory from its lone finalist. Drake Houdashelt (37-1), the top seed at 149, got the decisive takedown in overtime for a 3-1 victory over third seed David Habat of Edinboro, a St. Ignatius graduate.

"It was a tough match, but nothing really mattered but winning," Houdashelt said. "And I pulled it off. I'm excited."

Other wrestlers with local ties placed high as well. Oklahoma State's Dean Heil from Brunswick and St. Edward, was fourth at 141. Virginia's Nick Sulzer of St. Edward was fifth at 165. Kent State's Ian Miller placed fifth at 157 and 285-pounder and St. Edward graduate Ty Walz of Virginia Tech finished seventh.

Missouri was the host school and Houdashelt, who is from nearby O'Fallon, Mo., got an assist from a sellout crowd featuring floor seating that enabled organizers to set a meet attendance record of 113,013.

"Actually, I don't hear much besides my coaches when I wrestle, but I could hear everyone screaming for me and it definitely pumped me up," he said.

Penn State, which replaced two national champions and is redshirting two All-Americans, got a win from Matthew Brown at 174 with the tie-breaking point in a 5-4 decision coming on a technicality in the closing seconds. Referees ruled and then confirmed twice that Tyler Weems of Pittsburgh had locked hands while both wrestlers waited for several minutes.

"When you're a little kid you dream of hitting that grand slam in the ninth inning, and sometimes it's a bunt," Brown said. "Still, got the job done."

Top seed Gabriel Dean of Cornell (35-2) beat seventh seed Nathaniel Brown 7-2 at 184 after making it to the final with three straight one-point decisions.

''Could I have wrestled better? Yeah, I think I definitely could have," Dean said. "But wins are wins, and it's just great to walk out of here as a national champ."