See what the fans are saying after the Villa Angela-St. Joseph boys basketball team defeated Lima Central Catholic in the Division II state championship.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Check out what people are saying on social media following Villa Angela-St. Joseph boys basketball Division III championship victory against Lima Central Catholic.
Be sure to leave your thoughts on the Vikings run to their second state title in three years. Don't have an account? Find out how to sign up.
Using its size advantage all game, Villa Angela-St. Joseph got redemption by beating Lima Central Catholic to win its sixth state championship.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Villa Angela-St. Joseph's boys basketball team sent its eight seniors out with a state championship as the Vikings beat Lima Central Catholic, 63-50, in the Division III state championship game on Saturday at Value City Arena at The Ohio State University.
The Vikings have now won six state championships, making them the third program in Ohio to do so along with Middletown and St. Vincent-St. Mary. Villa Angela-St. Joseph is also the only school to win a state championship in all four divisions.
Northwestern recruit Dererk Pardon helped lead the way with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. He fell one block short of a triple-double, getting nine in the game, and earned the school's single-season blocks record.
"He's going to the big-time. He's going to be a big-time player," VIlla Angela-St. Joseph coach Babe Kwasniak said. "Some of those blocks I thought were game-changing. They knew they had to kick the ball out because they knew they weren't getting a layup."
Brian Parker had a game-high 17 for the Vikings, and Carlton Bragg and Simon Texidor each had 12 in their final high school games.
What it means
The win gives the Vikings six state championships, tying them with St. Vincent-St. Mary for second place all-time in Ohio. Middletown still has the most with seven.
It was also some revenge for Villa Angela-St. Joseph after the Vikings lost this matchup last year to Lima Central Catholic, 64-62, in the Division III championship game.
The Vikings were assertive right from the start and used their size advantage control the paint, outscoring the Thunderbirds, 42-22, in the paint.
"We knew that was our mistake from last year," Kwasniak said. "We knew we took too many jumpers (last year). That's tough when they're just packing it in, daring you."
Video coming shortly.
Villa Angela-St. Joseph's eight seniors will graduate having won two state championships in three years and finishing runner-up in 2014.
Play of the game
A pair of blocks by Pardon created a transition layup from Jeff Grudzinski with 3:38 left to give the Vikings a 38-25 lead, their biggest of the game at that point.
Critical run
Grudzinski's layup capped off a 9-0 run in the third quarter that turned a four-point Vikings' lead into a 13-point lead in a stretch of 2:12.
Who stood out for Villa Angela-St. Joseph
Pardon: In his final game before heading to Northwestern, Pardon was one block short of a triple-double. Pardon had 15 points, 12 rebounds and nine blocks, and helped the Vikings control the paint all game, especially with Bragg in foul trouble most of the game.
Parker: He finished with a game-high 17 points, and had five rebounds and four assists. Parker also got to the free-throw line often, going 7-for-9 from the line.
Bragg: The Kansas recruit struggled with foul trouble, but finished with 12 points in 17 minutes. He also had a team-high 5 assists.
Who stood out for Lima Central Catholic
Dantez Walton: The junior was the leading scorer for the Thunderbirds, finishing wtih 13 points.
Josh Dixon: He had an efficient offensive game, finishing with 11 points.
Villa Angela-St. Joseph sound bites
Bragg on winning a title: "We reached our goals and we reached history. The good part is nobody can take that from you."
Parker on the legacy of the seniors: "When I came in as a freshman, I really, honestly never expected to make it this far until my sophomore year when I realized how good we could be. These met my expectations besides the loss last year."
Kwasniak on his seniors: "We knew we were going to be pretty good. But what's been amazing is how they've grown in leadership, how much they've brought up the level of other kids. This is the least amount of coaching I ever did. Even this whole tournament, one of my big goals was to make sure I didn't over-coach."
Pardon on his final game: "It's just a hard feeling to describe. It's crazy it's over."
Key stats
42 - Points in the paint for Villa Angela-St. Joseph.
10 - Blocks for Villa Angela-St. Joseph.
0 - Blocks for Lima Central Catholic.
4 - Starters in double figures for Villa Angela-St. Joseph.
16 - Assists for Villa Angela-St. Joseph on 23 made field goals.
The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't bring it in Brooklyn and LeBron James finds that unacceptable.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The Cleveland Cavaliers have been the NBA's best team since Jan. 15, proven by their 28-7 record since then.
On any given night an upset can occur and on Friday night at Barclay Center, the Brooklyn Nets accomplished the uphill task of avoiding a season sweep by defeating the Cavaliers 106-98.
Losses happen to the best of teams. You can't win them all, even if it feels like Cleveland has been knocking out every single opponent. On some nights you don't have it. It was one of those evenings for Cleveland.
They looked unmotivated, lethargic and out of sync. In the grand scheme of things, losing their second game in their last 10 contests didn't do much harm. They're still 21/2 games up on Chicago for the second seed in the East and in the Central Division.
Despite being in a good place with eight games remaining, LeBron James made it clear that losing at this juncture is unacceptable.
"You don't chalk up losses," James said after registering 24 points, five rebounds and nine assists. "It's too hard to win in professional sports. You don't chalk up none of it. You see the ways at film tomorrow, what you didn't do so well and how you can get better from that. It's too hard in this league to ever chalk up a loss."
James was also disappointed in the team's lack of energy.
"It was spotty," he said. "At times we were flying around and at times we were kind of in a trance. One thing we can do is try to control how hard we play and how much we communicate and I don't think we did that to our capabilities tonight."
It appeared that coach David Blatt attempted to inject life into his players by picking up his second technical of the season late in the third quarter. After the game, Blatt said that wasn't the plan. The referee just decided to T him up.
"I just reacted and he reacted to me," Blatt said. "I could have gotten a better one than that. I thought that was kind of a crummy effort on my part, to be honest with you because it wasn't by design by any means."
Brooklyn is in a desperate state, fighting for one of the eight playoff seeds. The win moved them a half-game from the eighth seed and just 1.5 from the seventh with 11 games left. Cleveland failed to match their intensity level and sense of urgency.
Playing well hasn't been a problem for the Cavaliers in the last two months, but it was largely absent Friday. Perhaps they figured the Nets would just roll over after losing to Cleveland by an average of 17.0 points during the previous three meetings.
If so, they were sadly mistaken.
"We knew we were going to play against a team that very badly needed to win and we had to play it at a level that was appropriate to that. We just didn't reach that level today and they for their purposes did," Blatt said.
"No excuses guys. We did not play well and we did not have a good game. I'm not pointing any fingers at anybody. We just didn't have it as a unit today. That's something we have to correct."
It was the Nets' reserves that did most of the damage, scoring a whopping 54 points. Bojan Bogdanovic supplied 18, former Cavalier Jarrett Jack contributed 16 and five assists and Alan Anderson added 11 points.
They clearly outplayed their counterparts.
"They had 54 bench points, we had 20. That's pretty significant," Blatt said.
Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-22 from the field in 38 minutes. He took a distinctly different attitude to the post-game analysis and questions -- one of irritation.
"I mean it's just the game of basketball," he said. "I guess you guys expect us to be at the all-time level, we expect ourselves to be at an all-time level, but sometimes it's not going to happen. Shots are just not going to go in, the rhythm is going to change; it the game of basketball."
It's just one game. There's no need to overreact. The Cavaliers were not on top of their game, but seems likely to be a one-night exception. It has been a wearing season and everyone is eager to get to the postseason.
Two nights removed from an outstanding performance in Memphis, the Cavs were likely caught looking ahead. Nonetheless, they move on giving credit where credit is due.
"There's no excuses. That team over there played better than us tonight," James said.
Huber Heights Wayne wins Division I boys basketball state championship with a 65-57 victory over Westerville South.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Saturday marked the first time Huber Heights Wayne had ever been to the boys basketball state title game, but the Warriors played like they were grizzled vets.
D'Mitrik Trice scored 19 points to lead the way to the Division I state championship with a 65-57 victory over Westerville South on Saturday night in a battle between big-school teams who had never played at state before this week.
"Our group has been led all season by our seniors — Ahmad Wagner, Xeyrius Williams and D'Mitrik Trice," said eighth-year Warriors coach Travis Trice, also D'Mitrik's father. "They've been varsity players since they were freshmen. And it showed tonight."
Rodrick Caldwell had 14 points, Williams added 12 and Trey Landers 10 for Wayne (26-4), which never trailed before a crowd of 10,664 at Ohio State's Value City Arena.
Part of the inspiration for the Warriors was their 31-21 loss to St. Edward in last December in the state football title game. D'Mitrik Trice was the quarterback of that team. He made sure to quarterback this team to a win, including a win in Friday’s semifinal against the Eagles.
"The state football game still sits on me today," he said. "This helps a little."
Wayne came out with a sense of urgency and kept going, leading 22-11 after a quarter, 30-19 at the half and 46-33 through three quarters before spreading the floor and taking time off the clock. South got no closer than six points in the fourth quarter.
"They hit their open shots," said 6-foot-9 sophomore Kaleb Wesson, who scored 15 points for Westerville South (27-2). "They made the most of their opportunities."
Eighth-ranked Wayne (26-4) got a measure of revenge in the semifinals on Friday night, beating Lakewood St. Edward, 57-51 in overtime.
The game was expected to be a showdown between Westerville South's versatility and the size of Wesson vs. the speed and athleticism of Wayne's whole roster.
The Warriors came out running and never stopped. And South never found its shooting touch.
Two layups by Wagner, an Iowa recruit, and a 3 by Trice and the Warriors were out of the gates in a hurry, up 7-2 within 4 minutes. They led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter and were on top by 11 at the half.
South hurt itself with poor shooting, hitting just 1 of 7 free throws in the opening half.
The Wildcats pulled as close as 36-31 on a three-point play by Wesson at the 3:53 mark of the third period, but the Warriors quickly ended that surge.
Landers stole a pass and fed Caldwell for a three-point play and, after a South miss, Landers tipped in a shot. The lead was back to 10 at 41-31. By the end of the third, the Warriors were in control at 46-33.
South cut it to six points with a furious rush at the end but could get no closer.
The Wildcats were hindered by the foul trouble of leading scorer Andre Wesson, averaging 15 points a game. He sat out much of the third quarter before returning and then fouling out in the fourth. The older brother of Kaleb Wesson, the 6-6 junior ended up with just four points.
Trice was 6 of 10 from the field including 3 of 6 on 3-pointers. He also had three rebounds and two steals.
"He controlled the tempo of the game," South coach Ed Calo said.
Wayne shot 51 percent (21 of 41) overall and 7 of 16 behind the arc, while South was just 22 of 53 (42 percent) and hit 5 of 23 3-pointers.
"They did so many things well," Calo said of the Warriors. "They shot the basketball with poise. They shot in rhythm."
It was not the 3-pointers that helped Notre Dame put Kentucky on the ropes in the NCAA Midwest Regional, it was a conga line of layups and dunks.
CLEVELAND - The blueprint is there to defeat the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats, but after Big Blue took down Notre Dame, 68-66, Saturday night in the NCAA Midwest Regional Final, only two more teams have a shot to make that happen.
Kentucky will advance to play Wisconsin in the Final Four this week in Indianapolis.
"We did a good job of spreading them out and attacking the rim,'' Notre Dame guard Steve Vasturia said of ND's game plan. "We just didn't do it enough for the win."
With the game tied, 66-66, a bad possession with 34.1 seconds to play ended with a blocked Irish shot. Kentucky then got the ball to guard Andrew Harrison, who drew a foul driving to the lane with six seconds to play, then hit two from the line for the game.
"When we couldn't get that key stop to get the game to overtime, you're starting to doubt a little,'' ND head coach Mike Brey said.
That was only six seconds of doubt, before that, all the angst belonged to Kentucky.
Notre Dame made an amazing 20 layups or dunks at the rim against Kentucky, even as the Wildcats had nine blocked shots. The last came with 5:21 to go in the game for a 61-56 Irish lead. After that, a Jerian Grant 3-pointer was the last hoop ND would get.
Notre Dame would exit the tournament at 32-6, but not without showing the way for others to follow -- hit a good percentage from the field (46.4 percent), hold your own on the boards (29-28), and be fearless taking the ball to the hoop.
"We really thought we had a great chance,'' Brey said. "That first half gave us even more confidence."
Most expected the Irish to hang close with Kentucky early, based on their perimeter shooting. But Notre Dame went into the mouth of the Wildcats, their interior defense, and was successful at it. The layup - with back-door cuts, baseline drives and blitzes into the lane - generated an amazing 10 baskets by halftime for Notre Dame, and only one 3-pointer.
Notre Dame entered the game shooting 51.1 percent from the field on the season, 39.2 percent on 3-pointers, and averaging 78.3 points a game. Kentucky entered the game holding the opposition to 34.8 percent shooting and 53.5 points a game.
Kentucky's game, with its size, was understandably inside. And freshman Karl-Anthony Towns would show why he is considered one of the top future NBA talents in the college game as the 6-11, 250-pound pivot was near unstoppable on the block.
But while he was just about all the Wildcats had going for them, the Irish were getting help from several players, including 6-10 junior Zach Auguste (20 points, nine rebounds). He was not intimidated by Kentucky's size, and effectively neutralized Towns (25 points, 5 rebounds) performance with his own.
If Kentucky's plan was to contain the Irish perimeter firepower, they were playing dangerously.
Make that seven layups at the rim at the 7:00 mark with an Auguste rebound and dunk - posing, hanging, on the rim for emphasis, to tie it, 19-19. Layup No. 8 put the lead back into the Irish hands, then a Jerian Grant jumper made it 24-21. Moments later layup No. 9 made it 26-22. No. 10 was good for a 31-29 Irish lead before the Cats sent the game into halftime, tied, 31-31, on a tip-in.
The game was tied 10 times, with 13 lead changes and still 20 more minutes to play. Ultimately 12 ties and 20 lead changes were had in this one. But it was the layups that made this a game for the Irish, sadly for them, perhaps just one more short.
Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey looks ahead to next year after losing to Kentucky in the Midwest Regional, 68-66.
CLEVELAND - Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey talks about losing to Kentucky, 68-66, in the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Q. Mike, you lost the game, and I'm sure it's still pretty raw, but how much do you think this game is testimony to the idea that there are no sure things? I think a lot of people didn't see this kind of game coming.
COACH BREY: Yeah, I mean, we really thought we had a great chance as the game was going on, you know, I thought we just felt we could win the game. We were very confident. The first half gave us even more confidence. We played such a great schedule and played so many hard games and good teams, I think we're really battle tested to absorb their punches. I'm really proud of our group. We were a little tired at the end. I used a couple timeouts just to rest us. We were fatigued a little bit because our guys play a lot. Their length at times shrinks the court and it just makes it a little difficult, and it did there a couple possessions at the end of the game.
Q. Mike, I know the last play didn't have any timeouts, what was the plan, what was discussed?
COACH BREY: I told Jerian to try to get -- can you get to the bucket, maybe you can just get to the bucket. They did such a great job kind of doubling him. He went for the win, I don't fault him for that. He tried to get something off but I don't think he could turn the corner. Even some of the shots he took in those possessions that were a little empty, you can say get to the basket, it's a little harder to get to the basket against these guys, there's not a lot of room in there. And I thought they doubled him out of bounds and they did a great job kind of riding him all the way to the end. You know, when we couldn't get the key stop to get it to overtime, that's where you lose the game really. You've got to get that stop. And it was Harrison, I think, right, that made the drive? Demetrius tried to get the charge. You don't get a stop there, you know, you're starting to doubt a little.
Q. Can you talk about the defensive game plan. And aside from Karl, it seemed like Kentucky's bigs really struggled to get anything going down low?
COACH BREY: We just didn't want to give up too many clean looks. We felt we could absorb two point shots from their bigs. Towns was fabulous. Our two big guys, God bless them, they were on their own most of the night. The one time I go zone, Booker hits a 3, and the one time we tell to help a little bit, Ulis hits a 3. So now you're like, the rest of the game, fellas, you're on your own, we've got to hug these guys because I think we can absorb 2s. I love how we battled on the board against their size. But we have played big teams and we've held our own on the backboard and we did that again tonight to give ourselves a chance to win.
Q. So how do you balance the emotion then of playing as well as you did, taking down to the last possession and knowing that this is the end and you lost the way you did?
COACH BREY: Yeah, I don't know if it will sink in. I think I was in denial because walking down the hall, I had Auguste and Vasturia and I was talking about next season, that was my way of thinking ahead a little bit. The one thing I did tell them, I said, when we walk out of here, man, we're champions now, we're going to get championship rings, this group won a championship and hopefully it's something to build on and I spent some time with Pat and Jerian, and just thanked them for what they've done for our program. I think it will still be a little raw here until tomorrow, but I've been in long enough, I'll be label able to look back and digest it, and my assistants will probably have some recruiting stuff for me tomorrow, knowing them.
Q. Mike, you mentioned Pat and Jerian, is that kind of the toughest part of losing in this tournament, is saying goodbye to seniors, especially two that have meant so much to you guys?
COACH BREY: Yeah, the one thing I said to them in the locker room, "You know what's really depressing? We lost the game but we don't get to practice tomorrow, I don't get to be around this group." And that includes certainly our two seniors because it was so energizing and rewarding to be with this team, it was uplifting. I was thinking, walking down the hall, that's over, you don't get to do that anymore. But those two guys are big-time winners, and man, have they left a mark for the young guys in our program.
Q. 34 seconds left, sorting through the loose ball. Did you care one way or the other whether it was a jump ball or your possession?
COACH BREY: Well, I loved that we had it. One second's a little tough to operate with, and we tried to get something for Jerian curling. The problem is when Cauley-Stein is hot on the ball, there wasn't a whole lot of room to get anything, and it's too bad we at least couldn't get a shot upright there. But I thought the ball pressure of a 7-footer, and wing span on Pat, we just couldn't get anything. And then you've got to be really mentally tough. And this group, they have been all year to kind of flush that and guard to get it to overtime. We've done that a bunch, but we couldn't do it tonight, and you give Kentucky credit.
Q. Coach, you joked about being the loosest coach in America. What are you telling them in the second half when you guys go on that 13-4 run, and also the final minute?
COACH BREY: We were talking about this is what we've done in the second half, we've had runs offensively and we've played with great emotion and spirit and fearlessness. I wasn't saying a whole lot. They were talking in the timeouts like, we're up five, let's see if we can get it to 10. All things that we talked about through the year. I mean, we gave ourselves a chance, and it's disappointing because, you know, you really had -- you had the thing, you had a great chance to win it. But our guys felt we had a great chance to win it.
Q. Looking ahead to the Final Four, what type of team, what sort of style do you think can give Kentucky the kind of --
COACH BREY: Wisconsin, did they win? Yeah, that's a great match-up, that's a great match-up. Wisconsin's a little bit like us, they're skilled and they can spread people out a little bit. They have a little more bulk and frontline size, but they're really skilled offensive guys, and certainly we were able to get some things tonight. But the size does get to you, over 40 minutes it can take its toll on you and I thought the defensive possessions, as good as Jerian was getting us there, getting us a couple possession lead, it kind of swallowed him a little bit a couple times. But we'll go down with him making plays because he's made all the plays for us all year to get us here.
Q. Coach, you mentioned how you were looking ahead to next year even after -- what do you see when you look ahead to next year?
COACH BREY: Quick snapshot. When you have Jackson, Auguste, Vasturia, Bonzie Colson, Beachem, you've got a nice nucleus of guys that were a big part of a heck of a year, so I really hope that's something for us to build on. I'm excited about moving forward with that group.
MODERATOR: Coach Brey, thank you for your time
Kentucky head coach John Calipari looks forward to the Final Four after topping Notre Dame, 68-66.
CLEVELAND - It went down to the final seconds by Kentucky remains undefeated, 37-0. Here is what coach John Calipari had to say.
MODERATOR: We'll continue with questions for Coach Calipari.
Q. Could you talk about that last sequence with Andrew, because it didn't seem like one of his better games and he made the two free throws for you. He was running down there with Willie, too, on that defense. Is that kind of what you expect from him?
COACH CALIPARI: They didn't have a timeout, and I wasn't going to call one. You guys know how I am. I wasn't to call one and let Mike design something crazy, so we weren't going to call a timeout. What we did on the last play was, with eight to nine seconds to go, he was to take it and we had some stuff working on the back side. I said, if you don't have it, you've got stuff behind. We had something for Willie over the top. But he drove in and he got it, he got fouled. And it was a foul, I looked at it, he moved. It was close, but he moved. Andrew tried to avoid him, which made him move instead of just jumping, which is something we do work on a lot but he's been great at.
Q. Obviously they're a really good offensive team, but what was it about them defensively that gave you problems early on?
COACH CALIPARI: Well, we knew we were going to throw to the post every chance we could, and we just missed -- they were physical enough to cause us to miss 10 one footers in the first half. You know, that was an issue for us because now they didn't have to leave off the wings. They had to leave Tyler Ulis and give him that three to guard Karl. That's how you're trying to play but if you can't make the one footer, they don't have to do anything. The other thing is they're physical. Shots went up, they fought. We out-rebounded them by one, but that was lucky, we only get 10 offensive rebounds. So they're a better defensive team than you give them credit for and they're also a tougher team, physically a tougher team. Their guards bothered us, especially early in the game, they got up in us.
Q. Coach, Aaron or Andrew said that they're going to get better this week, because of this close game. And Willie in the dressing room said he's glad that you have the week to prepare for Wisconsin. Because of this close win, assuming that you always have their attention, do you think you'll have their attention even a little bit more?
COACH CALIPARI: Yeah. Trey didn't play particularly well. I thought Dakari did some good stuff. I didn't give Marcus enough time, but the game didn't dictate that I should because of how it played. I'm glad that Devin Booker's making shots, but we've got to get a little bit better in this pick and roll defense. I think, again, I don't remember a whole lot about Wisconsin. I mean, I'll watch this game tape tonight and then probably start on Wisconsin tomorrow at some point in the day. I know Bo Ryan, and he's a great friend, and how good he coaches. And I've said all along I thought the three best teams were us, Wisconsin and Arizona -- and Duke. And other teams are right there, but those four seem to be a little bit better than the others. And those two, I feel bad for Arizona because they had to play in that regional final because they are a Final Four team but that's how this stuff goes sometimes.
Q. You won a lot of close games last year in the tournament but you were a No. 8 seed last year. This year you're an undefeated favorite and you were behind most of the second half, behind by six, six minutes to go. Pressure's all on you. Did you feel that then, do you think your team felt that or do you think your team just played the way it would play if this were January in Rupp Arena?
COACH CALIPARI: My mind is never on we may lose. My whole mindset all the time is how are we going to win, how do we win this game. That's all I keep saying to myself, how do we win the game. I want them to know we're not playing not to lose; we play to win. That means be aggressive offensively. And so I'm telling you, I was trying every combination I could just to keep us in the game. And then we had to have the 3 by Aaron. We had to have the 3 by Tyler. We had to have and-1 by Karl, think about this, to stay in the game. So they had to make the plays, but we were breaking down defensively. I couldn't keep Trey in the game. Tyler jumped on the guy's side. It was an and-1. We were breaking down defensively ourselves. And again, that side pick and roll stuff is not my team, that's on me. But they did enough, and they wanted to win, they do have a will to win, and I know that. I know that, I've coached them, I know they'll make plays. It's just a matter of you have to keep the game close enough so they can.
Q. You guys, I think, made your last nine baskets and you got three stops at the end of the game. A lot has been made about how young your team is, and maybe they wouldn't be able to execute like that down the stretch. What does that tell you about your guys?
COACH CALIPARI: Well, when you have Willie, Aaron and Andrew in there most of that time, but I had Tyler in there a lot of the time, and Karl. And then we had to switch Karl in and out because of the foul trouble, I wanted him off the floor. Not only foul trouble, he was defensively hurting us. But I've just seen these kids make plays. I trust them. I trust to put them in, instead of running a play, put them in a position to make a play, which is what I try to do.
Q. Because of the number of wins that you've had and some of the easier games or not close games in the tournament, do you think your guys get enough credit for their determination and will?
COACH CALIPARI: I don't know. They do from me. I think that's all they care about right now. I mean, again, we're -- we know we're not perfect. We're undefeated, but we're not perfect. I mean, we showed that tonight. We're really young and showed it tonight a ton. We had some turnovers that were like, "What did you just do? You just threw them the ball." We did some things that we work on every day not to drive baseline. We drove baseline, stepped out of bounds. There were things that we did that showed our youth. But that being said, you still have a will to win. I'll tell you, if people don't realize it, Andrew and Aaron still drive this team. Willie does his thing, Karl was tremendous today, but those other two kids drive this team. Tyler comes in, Devin comes in. Those other two, they drove us last year to the final game, and they're doing the same thing this year.
Q. Coach, they said the word desperation a couple times. Is that a word that floats around the program? Has it floated around this year, and how do you handle it. You reacted a bit when they said it?
COACH CALIPARI: I don't think we ever talk about it. They must have felt like it's time. Now, they were in every huddle saying, "let's go, it's time." They were saying it to each other in every huddle. My thing is in these games, we can't help the other team. We can't. We helped Notre Dame a lot today. But until I watch the tape, I think they're a great offensive team and they did some stuff and got us in some different positions and situations that were not good. But again, I don't ever use it. My thing is just keep playing, man, keep playing. We'll figure it out.
Q. How good did you think Karl was the second half?
COACH CALIPARI: He was unbelievable, and my staff was telling me, take him out, he's not guarding him. I was like he's the only guy scoring, I've got to leave him in. So I was trying to leave him -- then he started taking himself out on defense, he was like, "take me out." But, again, offensively, by the time this season winds down, I want people to look and say, wow, a big man, can make free throws, can score around the basket, can play pick and roll defense, not today but he can. Blocked shots, makes his free throws. That's what you want, and I'll tell you, he's the greatest kid, he's a great kid, really is.
Q. John, Willie at times it seemed like he struggled a little bit defensively or whatever but he made the plays at the end, he got his finger on Grant's 3 and then chased Grant on that final play?
COACH CALIPARI: Let me just say at halftime, I'm walking in and they're looking, we're not playing loose enough, we're not playing loose enough. I said you're playing too cool. It's hard to be loose when the other team is playing harder than you. And I felt their guards were playing more aggressive on our guards on both offense and defense. I thought our bigs were standing straight up and down, and acting like, wow, we can get these guys. I said, you can't play loose unless you're competing at a high level, then you can let it go offensively. Be loose and aggressive. We weren't because it's hard to be loose when a guy's up in you and you're just trying to make a pass. And I think Willie and Andrew, they all fell into that in the first half. And give Notre Dame credit, they came right after us, they were not afraid, they were confident. We made some plays down the stretch. We don't make them, they're going to Indy, and we're going home.
Q. One of your former players will be playing tomorrow, in Wilshire. What have you thought of what he's accomplished this year?
COACH CALIPARI: I'm so proud of Kyle, I can't begin to tell you. My wife and I watch his games and I text him, we text back and forth. What he's done, I knew he could do. You know, when kids make decisions to stay or leave, I don't always agree. And I'm talking NBA or choose to go to another program, but at the end of the day, I am for Kyle Wilshire, that's who I'm for. Unless we're playing him, then I hope he misses every shot. Other than that, I can't begin to tell you -- and Mark is such a great coach, getting him to defend, elevating his game, not letting him settle for just being an offensive player, but being a guy that can score next to the basket, can pass, can shoot. Mark is making him a well-rounded player, something obviously I didn't do as good a job of. But I'm proud of him and really happy for him.
MODERATOR: We want to thank Coach Calipari for his time.
Kentucky prevails with its heighth and grit against a superbly prepared Notre Dame to reach the NCAA Tournament Final Four.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As tough an opponent as history has been in the 39 years since Indiana went undefeated in 1976 college basketball, Notre Dame almost proved tougher Saturday night at The Q.
At the 11th hour, unbeaten Kentucky survived, 68-66, calling on all its precocious poise and using every inch on the metric of its size advantage against the Fighting Irish.
This was no fluke. This was nothing out of the Villanova-Georgetown or North Carolina State-Houston time capsule. Those incredible upsets occurred in the 1980s without a shot clock. They would never, ever have happened in a faster-paced game with more possessions.
"We're not perfect," said Kentucky coach John Calipari. "We were just fighting to stay in the game, to be honest with you, and it was nice to see how it finished for these kids."
The near-miss by the Irish came almost out of nowhere. They were 6-11 in the NCAA Tournament under coach Mike Brey until this year. In their first two Tournament games, the Irish barely slipped past Northeastern and went an overtime to beat Butler. The latter is so well-known for bracket-busting that it has become the littlest giant in the game.
Who figured Notre Dame would lead, 61-56, in the last 5 1/2 minutes? Kentucky put so much emphasis on running Notre Dame off the 3-point arc that it overextended and gave up a score of layups by messing up its spacing as badly as Apollo 13.
On the other end, Notre Dame was physical enough to swarm and hurry the Wildcats into "10 missed one-footers" in the first half alone," according to Calipari.
Fearless all night, the pressure of the almost unthinkable got to Notre Dame, but not the burden of being 37-and-0 for Kentucky.
Asked to account for the three straight stops at the end, Andrew Harrison said, "Desperation, probably. We had no choice or we were going to lose."
How good a game was this? Because of the dominant shadow Kentucky casts, it could have been remembered forever had Jerian Grant's twisting 3-pointer from the corner at the final buzzer gone in and not over the basket.
Seven-foot Willie Cauley-Stein, who plays even bigger, shadowed him and forced an unanswered prayer from the corner.
Size matters. Height can always make right in basketball. Kentucky went to 6-11 Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half, all of them from Gulliver-in-Lilliput range. He did not miss in eight shots from the floor in the second half.
The Wildcats are probably the biggest team in college basketball history Even NCAA runner-up Jacksonville in 1970 with 7-footers Pembrook Burrows III and Artis Gilmore, did not have this kind of length and size on the perimeter.
Thus the Wildcats thrived on rebounds of their own misses. It is a relentless game that recalled Moses Malone, only in quintuplicate.
From first to last, by comparison, Notre Dame played the basketball of coaches' dreams, the basketball of movement and cutting and passing, the basketball of layup angles and spacing and backdoor cuts.
It wasn't all grace and guile, though. Pat Connaughton, a 6-5 senior whose 96 mph fastball might get him to the big leagues instead of the NBA, got nine rebounds. That was tied for the most in the game with 6-11 junior Zach Auguste, who used the rim to ward off shot blockers on reverse layups. Both were valorous and almost enough.
Kentucky for its part is not blessed with good offensive players. Strange ball flight characterized the Wildcats for much of the game, with low, short liners coming in hot from the big men; and uncertain 3-pointers that had no chance from the arc; and a point guard in Tyer Ulis who once wouldn't shoot an open 15-footer, but instead airballed a two-handed shot at the end of the drive. Yes. Two-handed.
If it were a game of HORSE, the team from thoroughbred country would be out to pasture.
At the end, Aaron Harrison's 3-pointer boosted the Wildcats' morale and his twin Andrew's free throws with six seconds to play decided it.
It had been in doubt all game.
A good start was essential if Notre Dame was to make thinking about the impossible become doing it.
When Irish coach Mike Brey was an assistant at Duke, that is how the beanstalk came crashing down with gigantic favorite UNLV clinging to it. Said Brey: "My memory of that game is Duke,we got off to a great start and then you believed. And it's similar to Kentucky."
As Notre Dame took it inside against taller Kentucky, the early Irish lead amplified the noise in The Q to the point that loud goes when belief spreads like an infection.
The only reason Kentucky won was free throw shooting. All these dunks and blocks and deflections and paint ball power came down to one of the least interesting of fundamentals.
Forced to play defense for almost 35 seconds many times against a great offensive team, scrambling with their quickness and length to recover from poor positioning, the Wildcats survived and advanced. That is the whole idea of March.
Fans desperate for a championship after a wait of more than a half-century here sometimes hopefully call Cleveland "Believeland."
But the greatest college basketball team in two generations was the one that finally kept the faith.
Urban Meyer likes to say how there's only one ball when referencing the quarterback competition. In 2016, Ohio State could have a similar issue at the running back position. Watch video
COLUMBUS, Ohio - With Ezekiel Elliott sidelined this spring with a wrist injury and Curtis Samuel working with the wide receivers, the Buckeyes only had two players working at running back on Thursday - Bri'onte Dunn and Warren Ball.
But don't worry, there's no running back deficiency at Ohio State. Just take a look what the Buckeyes have coming in.
Ohio State earned a verbal commitment from four-star running back Demario McCall of North Ridgeville, Ohio, on Saturday.
Now the Buckeyes have pledges from three of the top four running backs in the 2016 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings: Five-star Kareem Walker of Wayner (N.J.) De Paul Catholic (No. 1), McCall (No. 3) and four-star George Hill of Hubbard, Ohio.
Oh, and there's this four-star prospect who already signed with the Buckeyes in 2015 that you may remember. His name is Mike Weber of Detroit Cass Tech.
This season is the year of having too many quarterbacks. It looks like Urban Meyer will have a similar problem - or luxury, depending on how you look at it - in 2016 at the running back position, even if Elliott turns pro early.
Let's take a closer look at each of them:
* Weber: Ohio State absolutely needed a running back in the 2015 class, and the Buckeyes got Weber despite a late push from Michigan on National Signing Day. Though there will be two senior running backs on the 2016 roster, Weber is widely expected to be Elliott's replacement. He's a 5-foot-11, 205-bruiser and one of the most complete running backs in last year's class.
* Walker: Ohio State ended up with Weber after a long, hard pursuit of five-star running back Damien Harris of Berea (Ky.) Madison Southern in 2015. Not a bad consolation prize. But 2016's version of Harris is Walker, who committed to Ohio State at halftime of the national championship game. Weber will be a sophomore in 2016, but the Buckeyes could turn to a multi-running back system because Walker, a 6-1, 210-pound prospect, may be too good to keep off the field.
* Hill: Last season he was a part of a deadly 1-2 running back punch that also consisted of four-star prospect L.J. Scott, who signed with Michigan State. Hill was viewed as an H-Back when he initially committed, but he told cleveland.com in November that it was his goal to bulk up - while keeping his speed - as he becomes Hubbard's primary back in 2015. His versatility will certainly help at Ohio State.
* McCall: He stormed onto Ohio State's radar when he was a top performer during last summer's camp circuit. Watching him workout, his blazing speed is apparent. McCall also did a great job of running routes against some top defensive backs. The general view is that the 5-11, 180-pounder could be the Buckeyes' H-Back of the future.
* Dunn: He looked solid in practice on Thursday, and maybe he'll get some valuable reps for the Buckeyes this year alongside Elliott. If he makes the most of those game reps, maybe he'll enter 2016 as the favorite to start for the Buckeyes. But Dunn will have some very impressive talent pushing him regardless.
* Ball: Though Ball came to Ohio State as a four-star prospect from Columbus, he has been a career backup for the Buckeyes. That won't change in 2016.
The Indians showed plenty of patience with Carlos Carrasco. Will they have the ability to do the same with Danny Salazar? Watch video
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here.
Hey, Hoynsie: With Danny Salazar struggling to seize one of the remaining rotation spots, is it possible that we're looking at another talented pitcher who matures late, ala Carlos Carrasco?
It seems like part of Salazar's struggles are due to lack of preparation or an effective routine between starts, something similar to Carrasco's cause for late development -- Sean Kerrane, Newark, Del.
Hey, Sean: As you know, Salazar was sent down Friday. The things you mentioned such as a lack of a strong routine between starts were part of the reason.
Carrasco didn't have a breakout year until 2014 when he was 27. Salazar is 25 so if the Indians are fortunate maybe the light goes on for Salazar sooner than it did for Carrasco.
Remember, Salazar will be out of options after this season.
Hey, Hoynsie: Tribe President Mark Shapiro and his minions have been looking for a cleanup hitter for more than 10 years. Why do you think the Dolans stick with this poor performing front office? The mid-market excuse is lame after what KC and Oakland have done. - Rich Novak, Fairview Park.
Hey, Rich: They could have a cleanup hitter in Michael Brantley, Carlos Santana or Brandon Moss.
No doubt Oakland has done a nice job on a tight payroll, but last year they went for it all, barely made the postseason and were eliminated in the wild card game.
As for the Royals, they certainly deserve credit for reaching Game 7 of the World Series last year, but that was their first postseason appearance since 1985. The Indians have been to the postseason eight times, winning two AL pennants, since 1995.
Shapiro started working for the Tribe in 1992. As they say victory has many fathers and defeat is an orphan, but Shapiro and other members of the current front office had a hand in that success.
Hey, Hoynsie: With the logjam at shortstop will Erik Gonzalez ever play for the Tribe? - Bill Holman, Stow.
Hey, Bill: As long as manager Terry Francona is with the Indians, Gonzalez will have a champion. If Gonzalez isn't used as a trade chip, I think he eventually makes it to Cleveland. But it might not be at shortstop.
Gonzalez is lean and tall and could fill out. Francona said the Indians player development people feel he could player almost anywhere on the diamond.
Hey, Hoynsie: Are the Indians really satisfied with Zach McAllister or Josh Tomlin as the fifth starter? Are there any Aaron Harang's out there? - John Picken, Bay Village.
Hey, John: The Indians already have this year's version of Aaron Harang under contract in Bruce Chen. I wouldn't be surprised if McAllister starts one of the first three games in Houston.
That's how well he's pitched this spring.
Hey, Hoynsie: Do you see Jose Ramirez still here at the end of the season or will he be used for a trade when Francisco Lindor comes up? -- Tom Cassity, Perrysburg.
Hey, Tom: I've been thinking about that. The Indians have depth at shortstop and they've been getting a lot of calls on Ramirez, Lindor and Erik Gonzlaez. This is just me, but I bet they hang onto Ramirez.
Even if Lindor eventually replaces him at short, Ramirez is a switch-hitter with speed who can play more than one postion. He could be the next Mike Aviles.
Ramirez also has two options left.
Hey, Hoynsie: Is manager Terry Francona handcuffed with all the left-handed hitters at the top of the lineup? -- Tom Vito, Lake Milton.
Hey, Tom: I know it concerns him because he spends a lot of time talking about it.
Michael Bourn, Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley, who could be the first three hitters in the Tribe's opening day lineup, are especially vulnerable to lefty relievers late in a game.
They miss Nick Swisher in that regard because as a switch-hitter he could bat second. Francona avoided that problem last year by batting switch-hitter Jose Ramirez in the No.2 spot, but he feels Kipnis is a better hitter.
Still, I would not be surprised to see Ramirez hit there from time to time.
Francona also said that since the Indians have so many left-handed hitters that he's probably going to run into that problem somewhere in the lineup, but felt better having his best hitters at the top of the lineup.
Hey, Hoynsie: Assuming the Indians are going with a five-man rotation, will Corey Kluber pitch on April 12 against Detroit's David Price? -- Marc Condon, Cleveland.
Hey, Marc: Right now Kluber will stay on regular rest and pitch April 11 after pitching the season opener on April 6. The Tribe's fifth starter will go April 12.
Hey, Hoynsie: If Zach McAllister is the Indians fifth starter, who will fill his role in the bullpen? -- Neal Hausch, Akron.
Hey, Neal: If McAllister is the fifth starter, I think he could fill both roles through much of April. Through April 21, the fifth starter will make only two starts. That would allow Francona to open the season with an extra reliever or position player.
Hey, Hoynsie: What are the biggest positives and negatives from the Tribe this spring that you've seen? -- Mike Armbruster, Rochester, N.Y.
Hey, Mike: A couple of positives: Michael Bourn has swung the bat well and shown that his legs are healthy. Brandon Moss has covered quickly from right hip surgery and has flashed the power he showed the last three years in Oakland.
A couple of negatives: The Gavin Floyd injury put a strain on the Indians starting pitching depth. So did Danny Salazar's demotion.
Manager Terry Francona says TJ House, Zach McAllister and Anthony Swarzak have made the Indians opening day roster. Josh Tomlin and Jeff Manship have been optioned to Class AAA Columbus.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Manager Terry Francona on Sunday named TJ House and Zach McAllister as starters to complete the Indians rotation for the start of the 2015 season.
Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer will start the first three games in Houston. Kluber, last year's Cy Young winner, will open the season on April 6.
McAllister will start the home opener on April 10 against Detroit at Progressive Field with House making his 2015 debut on April 12. Kluber will start April 11.
In other moves, Francona said right-hander Anthony Swarzak has made the club, while Austin Adams, another right-handed reliever, has been told he could make the club depending on what the Indians do with the last spot on the roster.
Right-handers Josh Tomlin and Jeff Manship have been sent to Class AAA Columbus.
The last spot on the Indians roster could be filled by right-hander Austin Adams, outfielder Tyler Holt or first baseman-outfielder Jerry Sands.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians opening day roster is almost set with one roster spot still undecided.
The open roster spot is expected to be decided among right-hander Austin Adams, outfielder-first baseman Jerry Sands or outfielder Tyler Holt. Utility man Michael Martinez and first baseman Jesus Aguilar are long shots.
"We told Austin Adams, depending on what we do with the last spot on the roster, he's still in contention depending on if we take a pitcher or position player," said manager Terry Francona.
Francona announced Sunday that TJ House and Zack McAllister made the rotation and right-hander Anthony Swarzak made the bullpen.
Josh Tomlin and Jeff Manship were optioned to Class AAA Columbus.
Here's how the current roster breaks down:
Rotation (five): Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, McAllister and House.
Bullpen (seven): Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Marc Rzepczynski, Scott Atchison, Nick Hagadone, Kyle Crockett and Swarzak.
Catchers (two): Yan Gomes, Roberto Perez.
Infielders (five): Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis, Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall and Mike Aviles.
Outfielders (five): Michael Brantley, Michael Bourn, David Murphy, Brandon Moss and Ryan Raburn.
Nick Swisher, Zack Walters and Gavin Floyd will open the year on the disabled list. Swarzak, a non-roster invitee, will be added to the 40-man when Floyd is moved to the 60-day disabled list.
Jason Kipnis looks healthy this spring, and that's a key for the Tribe. Watch video
GOODYEAR, Arizona -- There was a dive and a belly-flop play on a ground ball to his left. Then Jason Kipnis bounced to his feet and threw out a runner at first base.
Also this week, the Indians second baseman quickly turned a double play.
He lashed a base hit up the middle, and later rifled a 430-foot homer off the center field wall.
"That's Kip," said Tribe Manager Terry Francona, who now smiles whenever he talks about his second baseman. There was some anxiety about Kipnis when training camp opened.
Last season, he had a major oblique injury. Then, he suffered a late-season hamstring injury. On December 16, he had surgery on his left ring finger, which he hurt when lifting weights.
In the middle of camp, there was some back soreness and he was held out of games.
"Now, everything feels great," said Kipnis.
More importantly, he is playing like the Kipnis of 2013.
"He has so many ways to beat you," said Francona. "He is a very good bunter. He can steal a base. He is back to hitting the ball with authority to the opposite field, and he can pull the ball with power."
WHAT CHANGES WERE MADE
Kipnis talks about how last season's oblique injury "is far in the rear view mirror."
But the lessons that he learned the hard way last season are right in front of him every day. That's because he's determined to not have a repeat of 2014, when he batted a career-low .240 (.640 OPS) with six homers and 41 RBI.
It was a frustrating, humbling experience for a 2013 All-Star and a favorite of the Tribe fans.
He weighs about 10 pounds less than a year ago. Kipnis is still listed at 195 pounds in the Tribe media guide, but said he was close to 210. He's at 200 right now, his weight when he was an All-Star in 2013.
"Last winter, I wanted to add strength," he said. "But in the process, I bulked up. I got stronger, but stiffer."
Is that why he pulled the oblique muscle in his right side in late April?
Who knows?
But it probably didn't help. In his quest to hit for more power, Kipnis lost some of the flexibility and athleticism that made him such a terrific all-around player.
WHAT THE CONTRACT MEANT
On the day the Tribe opened the 2014 season, Kipnis signed a seven-year, $52 million extension. He is under contract through 2019 and the team has an option for 2020.
"You don't want to take the contract for granted," said Kipnis. "You want people to think that it was a smart idea for the team to give it to you -- you want it to be a win/win for both sides."
When Kipnis injured the oblique, he pushed hard to come back quickly. He missed 28 days.
"Probably came back too fast," he said.
Was the contract part of the reason?
"Sure, part of it," he said. "And I wanted to play. I wanted to help the team. I wanted to give all I had to earn it."
In retrospect, Kipnis said he should have sat out another week or two.
"But even that, I'm not sure how much good it would have done," he said. "Some of the muscles were pulled away from the bone. What I learned was that it takes a long time to come back from this thing. I'm just glad it's over."
WHAT THE INJURY DID
The oblique injury was to his right side. A left-handed batter, Kipnis uses the right hand on the bottom of his grip and he twists with his right side when he swings.
And it hurt when he did it -- every time -- for a few months. That led to big problems with his swing, even when the oblique finally began to heal.
"I couldn't hit the ball to left field or when I did, I didn't hit the ball very hard," he said.
Kipnis said he kept playing because it's natural for athletes to think that if they are at "70 or 80 percent" physically, they can still help their teams. High-level athletes also are trained to push through pain, to stay on the field.
Kipnis pulled a hamstring on September 18, and that virtually ended his season -- although he had a few more at bats.
When a player doesn't move naturally, it can lead to different injuries.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN
Kipnis hit so many weak ground balls to second base or high soft pop ups. He lost his natural swing, the one that vaulted him through the minors in 2 1/2 seasons, hitting .296 (.861 OPS).
It's important to keep in mind that Kipnis always hit. He batted .384 in two years at Arizona State and was the PAC-10 Player of the Year in 2009. He never had a season like 2014 ... not anywhere, any time.
"I'd go 0-for-4 against some guy and wonder how that happened," he said. "I'd miss some fastballs that I normally hit. That's why I'm excited now. I'm starting to be fastball efficient."
Fastball efficient?
"That means when you get a good fastball to hit, you hit it," he said. "One way to not have to deal with breaking pitches is to hit the fastball when it comes."
Kipnis will be 28 on April 3. He is in the prime of his career. In 2013, he batted .284 (.818 OPS) with 36 doubles, 30 steals, 17 homers and 84 RBI.
"Last year tough in so many ways," he said.
He got into debates with fans on his Twitter account, and regrets that.
"I found out some people just write things to get a reaction," he said. "I used to read everything (in the papers and on-line), now I skim it. I don't want to get caught up in this."
Kipnis started to say that he "doesn't have a chip..." on his shoulder, but he sort of does. He was driven to prove the scouts wrong, because he believed he should have been a first-round pick out of college.
He was determined to show he could move from the outfield to second base, an adjustment he made in the minors -- one that is a challenge.
"Kip is an impact player and things went wrong for him (last season)," said Francona. "We need him to be a good player. I don't see any reason why that won't happen."
TJ House, after being told he made the Indians opening day roster, started against the White Sox on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the White Sox join Indians reporters Zack Meisel and Paul Hoynes in the comments section.
Where to watch/listen: WTAM-AM and Indians.com will carry the game.
Pitchers: TJ House vs. Chicago's Scott Carroll at 4:05 p.m. at Goodyear Ballpark.
Jeff Manship and Scott Downs are scheduled to follow House. House is filling in for Carlos Carrasco, who left the team to attend the birth of his fourth child.
Indians lineup:
CF Michael Bourn.
2B Jason Kipnis.
LF Michael Brantley.
1B Carlos Santana.
RF Brandon Moss.
3B Lonnie Chisenhall.
DH David Murphy.
SS Mike Aviles.
C Roberto Perez.
LPH TJ House.
White Sox lineup:
2B Michah Johnson.
SS Gordon Beckham.
3B Connor Gillespie.
1B Adam LaRoche.
DH Tyler Flowers.
LF J.B. Shuck.
C George Kottaras.
RF Engel Beltre.
CF Emilio Bonifacio.
RHP Scott Carroll.
Andrew Agozzino's scored a hat trick to lift Lake Erie over Charlotte on Sunday.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Andrew Agozzino had a hat trick Sunday afternoon to lead the Lake Erie Monsters over the Charlotte Checkers, 5-1, at Time Warner Cable Arena.
The win was the second straight over Charlotte on the weekend and improved the Monsters to 30-26-6-4 on the season as they continue to battle for the last playoff spot.
Agozzino established a franchise record by extending his point streak to 11 games. He had shared the record with David Jones, who scored a point in 10 straight in 2007-08. Agozzino has (7) goals and (12) assists during the streak and his three goals Sunday gives him 22 on the season.
He got the Monsters started early Sunday, scoring his first goal just 4:16 into the game, off assists by Ben Street and Reid Petryk.
Stefan Elliott scored on a power play at 8:15 and Kenny Ryan added an unassisted, short-handed goal with 21 seconds left for a 3-0 lead after one period. Elliott's goal was his 18th of the season and Agozzino had an assist.
Agozzino scored two more goals before the middle of the second period, chasing Checkers goalie Drew MacIntyre, who gave up five goals on 15 shots.
Agozzino had an unassisted, short-handed goal at the 6:10 mark, then scored again at 8:27, assisted by Tomas Vincour and Cody Corbett.
Calvin Pickard finished with 34 saves. John Muse replaced MacIntyre for Charlotte and stopped all 16 shots he faced. Charlotte outshot the Monsters, 35-31, including 17-7 in the second period. The Checkers also had 30 penalty minutes, compared to 18 for the Monsters.
The Monsters have 10 games remaining in the regular season and the next three are at Quicken Loans Arena. They host the Milwaukee Admirals on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7, then welcome the Toronto Marlies on Friday at 7:30.
Notes: The Monsters finish the three-game road trip with a 2-1-0-0 record... The Monsters finish the four-game season series against Charlotte with a 3-1-0-0 record... The Monsters are 14-13-5-2 on the road this season... The Monsters were out-shot 35-31, and are now 17-13-4-2 this season when they are out-shot by the opposition... The Monsters were 1-5 on the power play, and 4-4 on the penalty kill... Agozzino led the way with a plus-three rating for the Monsters.
The controversial play has fans divided.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On Saturday, Central Catholic boys basketball fell in overtime of the Division II state title game. However, it is a dunk and technical foul call from the game that has generated most of the discussion.
A dunk by Central Catholic senior Antwon Lillard put the Ironmen up 39-35 with less than a minute to play. However, Lillard was called for a technical foul for hanging on the rim. Defiance hit two free throws and then on the following possession tied the game with a layup.
Fast forward to :33 second mark for dunk and technical foul call.
Denny Morris, the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Basketball Director of Official Development, told the Northeast Ohio Media Group in a statement why the technical foul was called.
“A player can hang from the rim if he is protecting himself from injury if a player or players are underneath him," Morris said. “There were not any players underneath him, and he pulled himself up and swung excessively.”
Rule 10, section 3, article 3 of the National Federation of State High School Associations rulebook, which Ohio goes by, states the following:
"A player shall not grasp either basket at any time during the game except to prevent injury; dunk or stuff, or attempt to dunk or stuff a dead ball."
Afterwards, Lillard explained the play, and what he remembers:
“I got to the rim so fast, I wasn’t going to be able to land. It was kind of difficult for me. As I swung on the rim, it was kind of difficult for me to come down. I didn’t want to tweak an ankle or tear something."
Lillard's coach, Jeremy Holmes, also weighed in on the play. Here was his take:
"My Central Catholic brain tells me I am very upset and I didn't agree with the call," he said. "But just as a basketball guy, I agree with it. I don't know if Antwon didn't feel safe with people up under him. But whatever he felt, I trust him. That's my guy. Whatever he was thinking at that moment, I'm rollin' with that."
Is Josh McCown really the Browns' starter this year? Or will they make another run at Sam Bradford on draft day or trade up for Marcus Mariota?
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hey Mary Kay!
Hey Mary Kay: Are the Browns really going to go with Josh McCown at quarterback
this year or do they have another moved planned? Will they make another run at
Sam Bradford? Are they hoping Johnny Manziel can play?
-- Lou Piernik, Medina, Ohio
Hey Lou: I think the Browns are fully prepared to start McCown this year, but they will continue to look for chances to upgrade the position. I think they'll try to trade up to draft Marcus Mariota, and I also think they could make another run at Sam Bradford on draft day. If they don't land one of those two, I do think McCown will be their man in 2015. They are also big on Connor Shaw, who could start games for them this season if necessary. As for Manziel, they'll see what happens when he gets out of rehab soon. At this point, I don't think they can get much in a trade. Maybe Jerry Jones is still interested.
Hey Mary Kay: I think the Titans like Zach Mettenberger and the Jets are going
to roll with Geno Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick. That being said, there is a chance
Marcus Mariota could fall to 19. If so, could you see a scenario where the Browns takes the Eagles' 20th pick and Sam Bradford for the 19th where Philly could get Mariota?
-- Trent Somple, Columbus Ohio
Hey Trent: I don't think there's a chance in heck that Mariota falls to No. 19. Too many teams need quarterbacks and too many are willing to take a chance even on a projection like Mariota. But he's highly-regarded by plenty of NFL coaches, including his old Oregon boss Chip Kelly, who thinks he's the best QB in the draft. I don't see
him getting past No. 6. He could go as high as No. 2.
Hey, Mary Kay: Where do you think Browns would be now if they had not reached for Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden and Johnny Manziel, and instead went after top quarterback free agents with large cap space? Would they now have a top offensive line plus playmakers to make a Colt McCoy, Josh McCown, Brian Hoyer or better free agent excel? Have the Browns repeatedly hurt themselves by reaching for players and changing staff?
-- David Seed, Shaker Heights, Ohio
Hey David: There's no question the Browns have hurt themselves with their constant turnover in the front office and coaching staff. When they do draft a quarterback, they don't take the time to develop him. I thought Colt McCoy had potential to be a winner, but he was never surrounded by enough talent or given a chance. Same for the rest of them. At least this regime understands the importance of building around the quarterback and not putting all of the pressure on one player. If Manziel is to have a chance, he'll need a great supporting cast.
Hey, Mary Kay: The coverage of Textgate has focused on what punishment Ray Farmer and the Browns might suffer as a consequence. Shouldn't we be concerned about the effect on Browns reputation and his ability to be effective going forward? Almost certainly the act of attempting to interfere with coaching decisions during games had a ripple effect in league circles. It was a factor in Shanahan wanting out. Was it a factor in not being able to hire experienced offensive coordinator and QB coach replacements. Could it have been a factor in why a team with $40 million to spend couldn't sign a top 50 free agent at positions of need? Thoughts?
-- Andy Brodhead, Mayfield Heights, Ohio
Hey Andy: I think the inability to attract some of the bigger-name coordinators had more to do with the high turnover rate at the position and concern in league circles that Jimmy Haslam might have a quick hook for this staff if they don't win this year. As for big-name free agents, the Browns didn't try hard to sign many. They inquired about a few, but are committed to building through the draft. Yes, the texting was a factor in Shanahan's departure, but I think it was much less a factor in the hiring of a new coordinator. Mike Pettine has also really liked John DeFilippo for a long time
and wanted to give him a chance.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Plain Dealer and Northeast Ohio Media Group photographers are at Quicken Loans Arena as the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Philadelphia 76ers this afternoon. Check back to see all their photos as the gallery is updated.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Plain Dealer and Northeast Ohio Media Group photographers are at Quicken Loans Arena as the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Philadelphia 76ers this afternoon. Check back to see all their photos as the gallery is updated.
Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's reporters bring you the latest on the game between the Cavs and 76ers.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will attempt to win their 16th straight home game on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's reporters bring you the latest on the game in the comments section below.
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Scoring Summary:
End of 2nd Quarter - Cavs lead 76ers, 53-45. LeBron James leads the way with 11 points. Timofey Mozgov is also in double figures, with 10 points. Kevin Love has chipped in seven points. For the 76ers, they are paced by Ish Smith, who has nine points.
End of 1st Quarter - Cavs lead 76ers, 26-20. J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert each have six points. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love have four apiece. The 76ers are led by Nerlens Noel, who has six points.
Game 75: Cavs (47-27) vs. 76ers (18-55)
Tip off: 4:30 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena
TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7 FM
Cavs probable starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov.
76ers probable starting lineup: Ish Smith, JaKarr Sampson, Luc Mbah a Moute, Robert Covington and Nerlens Noel.
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Jesus Aguilar, Austin Adams and Michael Martinez competing for last spot on Indians roster.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. - The Indians keep trimming the roster, but they still haven't picked their 25th player.
Outfielder Tyler Holt was optioned to Class AAA Columbus and first baseman-outfielder Jerry Sands has been told he will not make the club. He's expected to go to Columbus.
That leaves three men standing for the last spot on the roster - right-hander Austin Adams, first baseman Jesus Aguilar and utility man Michael Martinez.
"We told them we'll let them know as soon as we make a decision," said manager Terry Francona.
The Indians break camp Saturday.
Francona said they could also add a player off the waiver wire.
Adams is 2-0 with a 5.87 ERA in eight games this spring. Aguilar is hitting .342 (13-for-38) with one homer and five RBI. Martinez is hitting .286 (16-for-35) with one homer and six RBI.
