Browns new head coach Hue Jackson will try to snap the Browns' 13-year playoff draught and make them a force in the AFC North. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Before Browns new head coach Hue Jackson rocked his introductory press conference Wednesday night, he killed it in the lobby in front of Browns employees.

"We've got a lot of work to do," Jackson said on his way into the building for the first time. "We're going to chase greatness here, that's for sure. That's what we're interested in doing. The AFC North, we want to win the division championship. We want to go to the Super Bowl and win that too. That's what it's truly all about."

Jackson's pre-presser speech was met with thunderous applause from his new co-workers.

"I've never experienced anything like that before in my life,'' said Jackson, the 16th full-time head coach in Browns history. "To me, that told me that this building is electric and they want to win and they expect to win.''

And that's exactly what Jackson, the former Bengals offensive coordinator and head coach of the Raiders, plans to do, sooner rather than later regardless of the 3-13 record and the laughingstock reputation. The two winning seasons since 1999, the 13-year playoff draught and the revolving door of coaches.

"I didn't have any preconceived notions (about the Browns) and my mind didn't need to be changed,'' said Jackson. "This is a tremendous organization led by some great people and there's only 32 of these [jobs]. So I understood where they had been and where they're trying to go, and I like challenges. And boy, what a challenge!''

Granted, he knows that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said last week that it's a "several year'' rebuilding process, but Jackson -- who went 8-8 in his lone season with the Raiders in 2011 -- is aiming high early.

"I'm glad (Haslam) said that,'' Jackson, 50, said to a roomful of chuckles. "I truly understand that and I really respect Jim saying that. At the same time, that's not my mindset and I don't want it to be our players' mindset. We want to go and we expect to win every game we play.

"We're not going to be that football team that walks out there and we say, 'give.' I'm not interested in that. I didn't come here for that. I came here to win.''

Jackson, the eighth full-time head coach since 1999 and the sixth since 2008, brings 15 years experience in the NFL -- including nine in the demanding AFC North. He knows, as his predecessor Mike Pettine used to say, how to get his nose bloodied, and he knows what it takes to beat Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cincinnati. He's made a living in this division and he plans to put the Browns back on top in it.

"I've been in two of these organizations in the AFC North,'' he said. "I've been in Cincinnati and I've been in Baltimore and I can tell you firsthand, there's nothing like the feeling of walking through these doors. Nothing. I know there is a rabid fan base that's excited.''

He then gestured to some of the most important fans in town.

"Dawg Pound let me give you a fist pump because I'm excited and I want to jump over into that pound,'' he said. "And (I'll) get an opportunity when we play football the way I know we can play.''

But what about all the coaches before him -- the Manginis and Shurmurs and Chudzinskis and Pettines -- who burst into the media room with the same gusto and made the same promises about winning and changing the culture? The last four guys lasted two years or less. What about them?

"That's those coaches,'' said Jackson, flanked at the podium by owner Jimmy Haslam and Football Operations boss Sashi Brown. "It's hard for me to tell you about the other coaches, but I know what Hue Jackson can do, and I feel very comfortable and confident that I can get it turned. I believe that, I know that and I expect to get that done.''

Haslam, who's fired three coaches since he took over in 2012 and readily admits he's had the Midas touch for everything in life "except this'' believes he struck gold this time.

"We got the right guy for the Cleveland Browns,'' said Haslam. "He's smart. He's tough. He's confident He's competitive. He's been a head coach before. He's got a great offensive mind. He's got a tremendous track record developing quarterbacks. He's very, very competitive. He understands the AFC North. He's going to be a great head coach for the Cleveland Browns.''

He noted that when he talked to Jackson on the sidelines before games "we had a natural chemistry.''

Jackson, who interviewed with the 49ers and Browns on Sunday, was scheduled to fly to New York on Wednesday afternoon to meet with the Giants, but canceled the trip when Haslam called and offered him the job. Haslam had shown the commitment on Tuesday when he skipped the important NFL relocation meeting in Houston and flew to Cincinnati instead to talk to Jackson for the second time. By the end of that interview, Haslam knew Jackson -- the seventh and final candidate interviewed by the Browns -- was his man.

But why would Jackson pass up a chance to interview with one of the league's elite franchises in the biggest market in the country, who kept their last coach 12 year and who has a two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback in Eli Manning -- for this?

"Someone said it best, there's 32 of these,'' said Jackson. "To me, I can't worry about what's happened before me. I know there's history that everybody looks to and points to and say, well, this can happen to you -- and I'm not opposed to saying that it couldn't. But I don't believe that.''

As for the notion that old school people-person Jackson -- who referred to himself in third person at least three times -- will balk at the new analytics approach being implemented by Brown and new Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta --- forget about it. Bring on the sabermetrics and Harvard-educated guys crunching the numbers. Jackson's all in.

"These guys are tremendous,'' he said. "I know everybody is talking about analytics and all those things. Please trust me. I'm going to have an opportunity to work with some of the smartest men in football.

"I like being cutting edge. I try being innovative and cutting edge on offense. We want to be innovative and cutting edge on everything we do in this building. Eventually everybody is going to be doing what we're doing. And that's the fun part."

He also wouldn't confirm reports that he's ready to run troubled quarterback Johnny Manziel out of town. The Browns are still miffed at Manziel for skipping his concussion treatment the morning of the season finale and for reports that he was spotted in Vegas the night before the game in a blond wig and fake mustache - just two days after being ruled out of the Pittsburgh game with a concussion.

Related: Jackson will evaluate Manziel's film and assess the situation before deciding if he wants him

The bizarre sequence of events capped a two-month downward spiral for Manziel full of partying, lying, an NFL investigation and getting benched.

"I need to get in this building and have an opportunity to sit down and watch tape,'' he said. "I don't know Johnny personally. I know who he is, but at the same time I think I have to give everybody on our football team a fair opportunity to see who they are, to truly learn who they are, and then make decisions from there.''

Jackson acknowledged that he'll soon know all about the top quarterback prospects in the draft. He also hinted that the Browns -- who need talent -- are open to anything with their No. 2 overall pick.

"I'm going to know them pretty well, pretty soon,'' he said. "Having the No. 2 pick is great - and sometimes it's not. We as an organization have a lot of work to do to make sure that's where we need to be -- or where we don't need to be. But I think it's a great place to start as a new head coach because you have a chance to get a great player.''

As for left tackle Joe Thomas, who might ask out if he doesn't like where this is all going, Jackson is confident he can win him over.

"Joe Thomas, is one of the best left tackles in this league, bar none, and he does deserve an opportunity to win,'' said Jackson. "He is a tremendous football player and has been one of the cornerstones of this organization and this football team, and I can't wait to have the opportunity to talk to him, to give him our plan and hopefully, I believe in my heart, that he's going to get excited about what we're trying to accomplish.''

Jackson will go to work right away hiring his staff and will consider some assistants currently under contract. The Browns have asked four to stay on if Jackson wants them: offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, quarterbacks coach Kevin O'Connell, secondary coach Jeff Hafley and assistant secondary coach Aaron Glenn. DeFilippo, for one, has had several opportunities, including an interview for the 49ers head coach vacancy, and will likely move on.

"I have 142 text messages on my phone,'' said Jackson. "I never knew my phone could go that long. And most of them are coaches. And they're not just saying, "Hey Hue, congratulations!" They're saying, "Hue, will you help me get to the Cleveland Browns and have an opportunity to sit in front of Jimmy and the rest of your staff and have a chance to come here and help you win.' There are some tremendous football coaches sitting by the phone waiting on me to call.''

Jackson, an offensive innovator, acknowledged he might want to call his own plays.

"Boy, I love calling plays. I do,'' he said. "But I'm going to do whatever I think is the right thing for this organization. Obviously, we are going to look to find the best coaches in the world to come here and if that means Hue Jackson needs to slide over and give someone else that opportunity I will. But I know I will always be itching and scratching and wanting to do it because I have a pretty good feel for what it takes to be successful in this league.''

As for his defensive coordinator, "I'm looking for the person that can bring energy, that can bring tenacity, a guy that understands how to lead men and a guy that understands how to defeat offenses, the real good offenses in this league.

The Browns will begin looking this week for their new general manager, and Jackson will be part of the process. But as for reports that he was promised a large role in personnel decisions, he didn't corroborate that.

"My job is to make sure that we win football games,'' he said. "All I want to do is win. I'm not worried about who picks this player, picks that player. Get me players, I can coach em. That's what my expertise is.''

If he gets more talent -- the kind he had in Baltimore and Cincinnati -- he's sure he can restore the luster to this once-proud franchise, one who's fans can't take much more.

"We're chasing greatness,'' he reiterated. "You don't hit it all the time, but if you don't chase it, then you're going to hit the wrong thing. At least when you chase it, you might fall on something that's really good, and that gives us a chance to be very special here.''

Hue Jackson greets Browns staff upon arriving at team headquarters earlier this evening in Berea, OH. https://t.co/cRcijdVxNu

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 14, 2016

LeBron James and Maverick Carter are applying their business acumen to a new reality TV series for CNBC.

SAN ANTONIO - A cable TV network has taken notice of LeBron James' business acumen and is turning it into a reality TV series.

James and Maverick Carter have partnered with CNBC for a new show called Cleveland Hustles, which will begin airing this summer.

The premise of the show, according to a news release from CNBC, is James and Carter will help four local entrepreneurs get a jump on building their businesses and work to revitalize and unnamed Cleveland neighborhood.

The show will be produced by James and Carter's SpringHill Entertainment and Magical Elves. James and Carter will make cameos on the show but will not appear regularly - their primary role is as co-executive producers, according to their spokesman.

James plans on being busy with the NBA season and the Cavs through most of June, and in the summer travels the world for various business commitments and vacations. He may also play in the 2016 Olympics.

Both James and Carter own multimillion-dollar homes in the Los Angeles area and are expected to spend time there over the summer working on various movie projects, too.

According to CNBC's news release, James and Carter will "enlist" four established business leaders and associates for Cleveland Hustles area to mentor and invest in the four budding entrepreneurs.

"Cleveland Hustles speaks to the network's entrepreneurial spirit and also creates an opportunity to help strengthen communities that have fallen on hard times," said Jim Ackerman an executive vice president for CNBC, in the release.

James' expansive business empire includes SpringHill, which last summer signed a content agreement with Warner Bros; Uninterrupted, an on-line platform for athletes; Blaze Pizza restaurant chain; a lifetime endorsement deal with Nike, and myriad other investments and endorsements.

All of the aforementioned endeavors are managed by Carter. CNBC isn't the first to take notice of the empire James and Carter have built. Harvard's prestigious business school has studied the James-Carter enterprise for years.

Cleveland Hustles also isn't SpringHill's first project with the NBC family of networks. A reality game show called The Wall, hosted by Chris Hardwick, will air on NBC at an unannounced date.

Ohio State athletics announced a new deal with Nike on Thursday worth $252 million.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State announced on Wednesday a new $252 million deal with Nike, extending an already existing contract by 15 years.

The Buckeyes and the apparel company are going to be linked for awhile.

That means Ohio State and Nike will continue to work together on alternate uniforms, like the black ones the Buckeyes wore this season against Penn State, among other things that will impact all of Ohio State's athletic teams.

* Quick Fact sheet on Ohio State's new contract with Nike

The deal includes $215 million in cash and product, according to Ohio State.

Cleveland.com obtained the full contract between Ohio State and Nike, which you can read below.

* First part of Ohio State's new deal with Nike

* Second part of Ohio State's new deal with Nike

* Third part of Ohio State's new deal with Nike

The 15-year, $252 million deal with NIke makes it the richest in college sports

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's administration noticed when other schools, like Texas and Michigan, signed lucrative new deals with Nike.

It's how you work in the marketplace. You're always monitoring the surroundings and staking out your turf. Ohio State did it believing it deserved the largest sponsorship deal for a college athletics department in the country.

Thursday, Ohio State announced just that with a $252 million, 15-year extension of its association with Nike.

That's just ahead of the $250 million, 15-year deal Texas signed with Nike in the fall, and richer than the $169 million, 15-year deal Michigan signed with Nike in July.

Ohio State's current Nike contract, part of a relationship of two decades, wasn't up until 2018. But Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told cleveland.com in an interview Thursday night that Nike approached Ohio State to open discussions in 2014. Ohio State pondered talking to other apparel companies, which by contract couldn't have happened until 2017, Smith said, but the school liked what it was hearing from Nike.

He saw Michigan's flip from Adidas to Nike in the summer and said he expected that.

"They were on our radar," Smith said. 

But Smith said he and Ohio State CFO Geoffrey Chatas were waiting on one thing - to see the Texas deal.

"We waited," Smith said. "We made a conscious decision to wait for the Texas deal to be done, because we knew that would be huge and we wanted to learn from that."

Given the size of Ohio State's athletic department, with 36 sports, and its alumni and fanbase, Smith felt Ohio State deserved the top spot. He also called Ohio State the most televised football program in the nation over the past 25 years, pointing out its continued popularity this season while playing in three of the four most-viewed regular-season games of the 2015 season.

He said Nike broke some sales records with merchandise after Ohio State football's 2014 National Championship.

"We were deserving in this deal to be No. 1 in the country," Smith said. "There are a number of criteria in that partnership where we demonstrated that we performed extremely well, and so we feel that's where we should be."

Smith believes Nike recognized that not only in the money involved in the deal, but in the extension of the agreement into the university as a whole, with internships, discounts for club team sports and marketing in the Columbus area.

The deal doesn't go into effect until 2018, with the current contract in place until then, and Smith said other schools could pass Ohio State with deals in the interim.

"But we feel at this time it's such a good deal for us," Smith said.

It's one that put Ohio State back on top.

Josh McCown is eager to play for former college quarterback Hue Jackson, who's gotten the best out of Joe Flacco, Carson Palmer, Jason Campbell and Andy Dalton.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Josh McCown doesn't know Hue Jackson, but he knows many quarterbacks who have played for him, and he can't wait to get started.

"As a quarterback, you've got to get excited about playing for a guy like that,'' McCown told cleveland.com.

McCown, who's under contract for two more seasons, witnessed his friend Andy Dalton have the best statistical season of his career under Jackson this year before breaking his hand with three games left in the season. Dalton finished second in the NFL with a career-high 106.2 rating -- far better than the 80-somethings he posted in his first four years in the NFL.

He also threw 25 touchdowns against only seven interceptions - almost half his previous low interception total of 13.

"I don't think anybody would argue that Andy was played at a high, high level before he got hurt and I'm excited about that,'' said McCown. "Andy has always spoken very highly of the offense under Hue and he's been very positive about him.''

What's more, McCown watched backup quarterback A.J. McCarron, a fifth-round pick last year, step in and play well the final three games of the season, earning a rating of 100-plus in two of his three starts and throwing four touchdowns and no interceptions. Overall, he finished the regular season with a  97.1 rating.  

"Hue did a nice job with A.J. the last three games of the season and there wasn't a huge dropoff in play,'' said McCown. "They played some good football and usually when that happens, you have to give credit to the coach and the people around him.''

McCown also saw Jackson, a former college quarterback, get the best out of his former Bears teammate Jason Campbell when Jackson coached Oakland in 2011. Campbell, who played for the Browns in 2013, had a 4-2 record and was playing the best ball of his career when he broke his collarbone against the Browns and was lost for the season.

Jackson was fired after going 8-8 that season, and it also spelled the end of Campbell in Oakland.

Jackson also has a huge fan in his former Bengals and Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer, and coached Baltimore's Joe Flacco to playoff berths in each of his first two seasons.

"I've been around long enough that I know a lot of quarterbacks in the league,'' said McCown. "They all say great things about Hue.''

McCown stressed that the film doesn't lie.

"When I watch the tape from this year and the last few years, I have respect for what the Bengals were doing because there's a plan, there's an intent to where they're attacking defenses,'' McCown said. "It's well thought out and put together. To me, that's the biggest compliment of anything, because you are what you put on tape and that's what excites me the most about this.''

What McCown saw from the Bengals this year was an offense that finished seventh in points per game and seventh in yards per play. He saw an offense that kept defenses off balance with an array of creative formations and one that took plenty of shots downfield. It was supported by a strong running game and featured a balanced attack.

Complete coverage on Hue Jackson

"You can get a bunch of opinions from different people, but when you put on the tape, that's when you really know what you're getting as a coach and a playcaller,'' said McCown. "For me, that's the best evaluation I can get of a coach, and I have great respect for the kind of offense he runs.''

McCown, a 14-year veteran, is also thrilled that Jackson has a year's experience under his belt. He's been around long enough to watch plenty of new head coaches make rookie mistakes.

"It's a good deal for us as players because it won't be his first time through everything,'' said McCown. "We're getting somebody that's been a head coach before and that experience is invaluable.''

McCown, who's recovering from his broken collarbone, said Jackson's hiring has been well received by the players, especially the veterans who have been through a lot of changes. Joe Thomas, for one, warned he might want to leave if he didn't like the new coach. But McCown is optimistic that Jackson will win over a team rocked by Mike Pettine's firing.

"I've received a lot of texts from guys and they've all been positive,'' said McCown. "The guys are excited about the direction we're headed and the respect that Hue's garnered through what he's been able to accomplish in the league. Like the rest of the guys, I'm thrilled with what's happening. It's great.''

Ed Warinner will move to coaching tight ends and focusing on running the offense.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's offensive football staff will be restructured, with Ed Warinner focusing on running the offense and a new offensive line coach joining the staff, a source confirmed to cleveland.com. 

As first reported by footballscoop.com, the new hire is former Maryland offensive line coach Greg Studrawa, who also worked at LSU and Bowling Green. He was Urban Meyer's offensive line coach at Bowling Green in 2001 and 2002.

Warinner will move to coaching tight ends while focusing on his role as offensive coordinator. Quarterbacks coach Tim Beck will remain on the staff. Former tight ends coach Tim Hinton will remain with Ohio State in an administrative role, but not as one of the primary nine assistants. That Hinton move clears the spot for Studrawa.

Warinner had taken over primary play-calling duties this season with the departure of co-offensive coordinator Tom Herman. The goal was for Warinner to remain as offensive line coach, where he had built Ohio State's line into a strength for four seasons, while taking on the additional duties.

That proved difficult logistically, even with a veteran offensive line.

Warinner was on the sideline both calling plays and coaching the line during games, while Beck was upstairs in the coaching box. Ohio State changed that in the middle of the season, giving Beck more play-calling duties.

But after issues in the Michigan State loss, Meyer sent Warinner up to the box, and the offense played its two best games in the last two games of the year with that setup.

Meyer wanted to continue that, but the issue was coaching the offensive line during the game. This will solve that, allowing Warinner to stay upstairs and the heart of the offense to retain its position coach, now Studrawa, on the sideline.

When asked last week if there would be any staff changes, Meyer said there wouldn't be. But this is a change that makes sense for the Buckeyes in a lot of ways. Warinner will be missed as a line coach, but he was needed more upstairs on gameday getting this offense to work.

Cleveland State fell to 0-5 in the Horizon League after dropping a 70-53 decision to Wright State on Thursday.

FAIRBORN, Ohio -- The Cleveland State Vikings remained winless in Horizon League action after falling to Wright State, 70-53, Thursday night at the Nutter Center.

CSU falls to 5-13 overall, 0-5 in the Horizon League. Wright State is now at 9-8, 3-2.

Cleveland State had a 7-6 lead with five minutes gone in the game, but Wright State went on an 8-0 run and eventually turned it into a 42-32 lead at the half.

CSU made just 3 of 14 3-pointers for 21 percent, while the Raiders connected on 10 of 25 for 40 percent.

Andre Yates led the Vikings with 14 points and Kenny Carpenter had nine.

Grant Benzinger led the Raiders with 17 points, hitting 5-of-8 3-pointers. Michael Karena added 16 points, Mark Alstork had 13 and JT Yoho had 11.

Up next: CSU plays at Northern Kentucky on Saturday at 7 p.m. Northern Kentucky is new to the Horizon League. ... The Vikings return home against UIC on Monday at 7 p.m. in the Wolstein Center. ... CSU will play Youngstown State in Quicken Loans Arena on Jan. 24 at 1.

The Buckeyes will name Studrawa offensive line coach, while Ed Warinner will retain his offensive coordinator title.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Urban Meyer is going back to his Bowling Green roots.

Greg Studrawa, the former offensive line coach at Maryland, is expected to be named Ohio State's new offensive line coach. Studrawa worked with Meyer at Bowling Green as the offensive line coach in 2001 and 2002.

Former Buckeyes offensive line coach Ed Warinner will retain his title as offensive coordinator, while shifting his position focus to tight ends. A source confirmed the moves to cleveland.com.

In Studrawa, Ohio State is getting a coach long considered to be a target of Meyer's. It just took until now to make it happen. Studrawa is an Ohio native who played offensive line at Bowling Green from 1984-87.

When Meyer left Bowling Green for Utah, Studrawa originally was set to join him as the Utes line coach. Instead, Studrawa returned to Bowling Green and worked as offensive coordinator from 2003-06. Now Meyer and Studrawa are reunited.

Studrawa's coaching career has also included stops at Arkansas State, LSU and Maryland among other places. He worked as graduate assistant at Ohio State in 1997.

With Studrawa serving as offensive coordinator, Bowling Green finished second in the country in total offense in 2004. His offensive lines at LSU helped pave the way for four 1,000-yard rushers.

In his first year as the offensive line coach at Maryland in 2014, the Terrapins were ranked 111th in the country in rushing offense. In 2015, Studrawa's line helped pave the way for the No. 31 rushing offense in the country.

It was thought that Meyer was going to hire Studrawa when assembling his first Ohio State staff in 2011, but Studrawa stayed at LSU and took on the title of offensive coordinator/offensive line coach. Meyer ended up hiring Warinner instead.

Meyer hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano to replace Chris Ash last month. Meyer has long called Schiano a close friend. Now Meyer has another coach on his staff whom he has a longstanding relationship with. 

No. 25 Laurel's 43-34 win against Western Reserve Academy highlighted Thursday night's action.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are Thursday’s high school sports results:

GIRLS BASKETBALL

No. 25 Laurel 43, Western Reserve Academy 34: Laurel, the No. 25 team in the cleveland.com Top 25, jumped out to a 12-2 lead and won at home. Christina Steele scored 17 points and Christina Murgiano added 10 rebounds to lead Laurel.

VASJ 53, Lake Catholic 41: Shannon Garvey’s 16 points led Villa Angela-St. Joseph to a home win. The Vikings took control an 18-10 third quarter.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Lutheran East 87, Whitney Young 75: The Falcons scored 51 points in the first half during a home victory.

New Day Academy 57, Andrews Osborne 41: New Day jumped out to an 18-9 lead and added to its lead in the second half at home, improving to 10-1. Arturo Sanchez led Andrews Osborne with 16 points.

BOYS BOWLING

Mentor 2,596, Eastlake North 2,221: Aaron Billington put together a 459 series, Tommy Manisiewicz scored a 448 and Charlie Ball added a 428 to lead to the Cardinals. Eastlake North’s Jake Vohnout rolled a team-high 375.

Nordonia 2,577, Hudson 2,263: Conner Novak bowled a 478 series and Nolan Postolka added a 417 to lead the Knights. Jacob Harris paced host Hudson with a 403.

GIRLS BOWLING

Mentor 2,537, Eastlake North 932: Jenna McGee’s 427 series led a Cardinals attack that included a 354 from Amy Fortuna. Kaylee Phillips’ 228 led Eastlake North.

Nordonia 1,816, Hudson 1,489: Morgan Rittenberger scored a 343 series, Hannah Mazzulo rolled a 323 and Nordonia topped the Explorers. Grace Richards led Hudson with a 320.

Read Thursday's high school scores from around Ohio.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are Thursday's scores from around Ohio:

Akr. East 52, Cols. International 22

Ashland Mapleton 61, Norwalk St. Paul 59

Cle. Hts. Lutheran E. 87, Cle. Whitney Young 75

Cols. Hamilton Twp. 53, Amanda-Clearcreek 32

Columbus Torah Academy 79, London Madison Plains 67

Crestline 53, Bucyrus 39

Defiance Ayersville 60, Sherwood Fairview 40

Defiance Tinora 56, Antwerp 51

Greenwich S. Cent. 49, Collins Western Reserve 43

Haviland Wayne Trace 54, Holgate 35

New Day Academy 57, Andrews Osborne Academy 41

New Hope Christian 79, Delaware Christian 65

New Riegel 60, N. Robinson Col. Crawford 57

Newark Cath. 54, Granville 50

Patriot Preparatory Academy 81, Cols. Horizon Science 79

Plymouth 50, New London 45

Sylvania Northview 59, Napoleon 55

Urbana 54, St. Paris Graham 34

Wood County Christian, W.Va. 79, Beallsville 41

New Matamoras Frontier 51, South Harrison, W.Va. 30

Read high school scores from around Ohio.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are Thursday's girls basketball scores from around Ohio:

Andover Pymatuning Valley 51, Vienna Mathews 46

Ansonia 49, New Paris National Trail 27

Arcadia 56, Vanlue 43

Arcanum 63, Union City Mississinawa Valley 22

Arlington 68, Leipsic 48

Beaver Eastern 43, Portsmouth Sciotoville 38

Bellbrook 52, Germantown Valley View 22

Bellville Clear Fork 39, Lexington 31

Bluffton 80, Paulding 32

Bradford 51, Pitsburg Franklin-Monroe 40

Chesapeake 46, S. Point 44

Chillicothe Huntington 55, Frankfort Adena 35

Chillicothe Unioto 50, Bainbridge Paint Valley 35

Day. Chaminade Julienne 64, St. Bernard Roger Bacon 51

Day. Dunbar 56, Day. Belmont 13

Defiance 37, Celina 31

Doylestown Chippewa 67, Apple Creek Waynedale 40

Findlay 83, Lima Sr. 74

Franklin Middletown Christian 61, Yellow Springs 24

Ft. Jennings 47, Continental 34

Ft. Loramie 54, Botkins 35

Ft. Recovery 47, Versailles 37

Glouster Trimble 51, Stewart Federal Hocking 33

Gorham Fayette 62, Edon 29

Groveport Madison Christian 35, New Hope Christian 33

Hamler Patrick Henry 61, Montpelier 49

Ironton 44, Proctorville Fairland 34

Kenton 69, Van Wert 57

Kidron Cent. Christian 45, Kingsway Christian 28

Lima Bath 57, Wapakoneta 44

Lima Cent. Cath. 29, Convoy Crestview 18

Lucasville Valley 52, Oak Hill 34

Lynchburg-Clay 60, Sardinia Eastern Brown 41

Maria Stein Marion Local 47, St. Henry 34

McComb 49, Pandora-Gilboa 36

Mechanicsburg 44, N. Lewisburg Triad 26

Middletown Madison Senior 42, Milton-Union 23

Millersburg W. Holmes 60, Mansfield Sr. 33

Minster 43, New Bremen 33

Mt. Notre Dame 48, Ursuline Academy 33

N. Baltimore 66, Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 65

N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 66, Mineral Ridge 20

Nelsonville-York 51, McArthur Vinton County 31

New Knoxville 39, Delphos St. John's 22

New Madison Tri-Village 85, Lewisburg Tri-County N. 27

New Richmond 49, Batavia Clermont NE 32

Notre Dame Academy 56, Oregon Clay 52

Oak Harbor 76, Huron 36

Ottawa-Glandorf 73, Lima Shawnee 47

Portsmouth Clay 58, Franklin Furnace Green 30

Portsmouth Notre Dame 59, Latham Western 32

Reedsville Eastern 49, Corning Miller 34

Ridgeway Ridgemont 45, Lima Temple Christian 33

Rittman 35, Jeromesville Hillsdale 8

S. Charleston SE 49, Urbana 41

Shaker Hts. Laurel 43, Hudson WRA 34

Sidney Lehman 49, Lima Perry 18

Southeastern 53, Piketon 35

Spencerville 44, Harrod Allen E. 42

St. Marys Memorial 50, Elida 45

Tol. Cent. Cath. 70, Fremont Ross 40

Vincent Warren 61, Athens 15

Waterford 67, Wahama, W.Va. 12

Waynesfield-Goshen 46, DeGraff Riverside 34

Wheelersburg 46, Minford 34

Wheeling Central, W.Va. 66, Shadyside 46

Williamsport Westfall 65, Chillicothe Zane Trace 44

Willow Wood Symmes Valley 57, New Boston Glenwood 55

Youngs. Valley Christian 56, Heartland Christian 10

A look at how long it took 10 of the top coaches in NFL history to turn bad teams into winning teams.

CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reported on Thursday that the Buckeyes are no longer recruiting 2016 guard Kobi Simmons.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Kobi Simmons, a five-star guard in the Class of 2016, is set to announce his college decision on Saturday night.

Don't expect it to be Ohio State.

CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported on Thursday night that Ohio State is no longer recruiting Simmons. That news comes one night after Simmons said he would be choosing from a final three of the Buckeyes, Kentucky and Arizona.

Sources indicated to cleveland.com last month that Ohio State felt like it was in a good position with Simmons, but the situation has since changed. His crystal ball prediction on 247Sports.com has been trending hard toward Arizona over the last few days.

Simmons had an original final three of Ohio State, Kentucky and UNLV. When UNLV fired head coach Dave Rice last Sunday, Simmons removed the Rebels from contention and replaced them with Arizona.

Without the addition of Simmons, Ohio State is now left with an open scholarship, should it want to use one in this recruiting cycle. The problem is that it's so late in the process that many players have already signed letters during the early signing period.

Ohio State still has some options.

The Buckeyes could add a transfer player, or pocket the scholarship and use it for 2017. Ohio State has a commitment from center Kaleb Wesson for 2017, and that was thought to be the only scholarship for that class.

Now that Austin Grandstaff has transferred to Oklahoma, the Buckeyes have some flexibility.

With no seniors on this year's roster, Ohio State's makeup isn't going to change much next season. The Buckeyes will add 2016 signees Derek Funderburk and Micah Potter. Signing Simmons would've added another guard to mix in with JaQuan Lyle, A.J. Harris and Kam Williams.

If Ohio State wants to add another guard to the roster, it could search the transfer market this off-season. Or it's wait and add one for 2017, where a handful of players have been targeted to add with Wesson.

LeBron James scored 22 points to go with seven points and five rebounds in a loss to San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO - It feels a little funny to talk about the Cavs and Finals after a game like this.

LeBron James' team is the best team in the East, and a 99-95 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in their building didn't change that. The Cavs' eight-game winning streak was snapped on a night when they committed more turnovers (18) than they collected assists (15).

The Spurs have won 10 straight and haven't dropped a game at the AT&T Center during the regular season since, well, since Cleveland beat them here on March 12.

Given James' historical ties to San Antonio -- two of the five championship banners that hang here were earned at his expense, while his Miami Heat won its second title against the Spurs in 2013 - and the Spurs' refusal to let age get the better of them, a Cavs-Spurs Finals is probably always going to be a topic of conversation when they play.

Or, at least until Gregg Popovich, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili retire.

"It's always special when you can go head-to-head with greats. And I continue to say that," James said before the game. "Their place in the history books is already written. It's just up to them when they want to decide that there's no more ink in the pen. Their story, they have multiple chapters in the history of the game. So, it's great to be a part of that."

But for one night, anyway, the Cavs probably don't deserve the Finals talk. They were outclassed for much of the fourth quarter, nevermind the final score.

San Antonio went on a rollicking 13-0 run over a period of about four minutes early in the fourth quarter, changing the Cavs' 75-72 lead into their own 10-point advantage.

James was on the bench for about two minutes of that run. When he re-entered the game with 9:24 to go, the Spurs led by five. It would be another two minutes before James momentarily stopped the bleeding with two free throws.

James led the Cavs with 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Kawhi Leonard, the NBA's reigning defensive player of the year, made life difficult for James, as he typically does, denying him the ball and access to the lane. James committed four turnovers.

(Quick milestone update: With his 3-pointer at 1:09 of the second quarter, James became the 13^th active NBA player to reach 1,300 treys for his career.)

Kyrie Irving's magical, 57-point outburst from last time against the Spurs quickly faded. He scored 16 points but was 6-of-17 from the field with three turnovers. Parker was better on this night with 24 points. Leonard posted 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Coach David Blatt also didn't respond to the Spurs' run, failing to call timeout and quiet the raucous crowd.

Cleveland is now 0-2 against the Spurs and Golden State - the other favorite to come out of the West - on the road this season. The Warriors visit The Q on Monday.

In both games against the West's top two teams, the Cavs played well enough to lose close, though, as previously mentioned, the Spurs controlled this game in the fourth quarter while the loss to the Warriors on Christmas was tight throughout.

In both games, the Cavs showed that with perhaps a little more seasoning, they'll be ready to clash with one of these titans come June.

It's just, well, a conversation for another time.

The Cleveland Cavaliers played superbly in the first quarter but faded in the second half Thursday night in San Antonio. They lost to Tony Parker's Spurs, 99-95.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Point guard Tony Parker scored 24 on 11-of-18 shooting and small forward Kawhi Leonard had 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 99-95, Thursday night at AT&T Center in San Antonio. LeBron James scored 22 and Tristan Thompson had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Cavs.

Here is a capsule look at the game, which was televised by TNT:

Wrong team, wrong time, wrong place: The Spurs are a machine, especially at home. They don't care who the opponent is. On the rare nights when they struggle, they usually find a way to win.

Line dancing: San Antonio was favored by seven points early in the day. The line dropped to six in an assortment of major books. LeBron's putback before the final buzzer changed some moods.

Streak busted: The Cavs (27-10) had won eight in a row.

Streak extended: The Spurs (35-6) have won 10 straight. According to Elias Sports Bureau, they became the first team in NBA history with a 10-game winning streak in six consecutive seasons.

During the current run, the Spurs have outscored opponents, 1,095-931, and held nine of them below 100.

Home dominance: Spurs improved to 23-0 at home this season and have won 32 straight regular-season home games dating to last season. Previous loss: March 12, 2015, vs. Cleveland. Kyrie Irving scored 57 as the Cavs prevailed, 128-125, in overtime.

Not this time: On Thursday, Irving scored 16 but needed 17 shots from the field in 32 minutes. He made six. He was outplayed by his counterpart Parker at both ends.

Irving's performance comes with an asterisk, though, because he is not close to being 100 percent. He played in just his 11th game of the season since returning from a broken kneecap suffered in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals. The Cavs are 9-2 with Irving.

Harsh reality: The Cavs can't be expected to defeat the Spurs when Irving comes up short against Parker for most of the game and LeBron is outmaneuvered by Leonard in the second half.

LeBron finished 9-of-17 from the field in 37 minutes, but he scored eight in the second half, two of which came with the outcome decided. He appeared to wear down; given the physicality of Leonard and others against him, it is understandable.

Leonard scored 16 in the second half and did his typically good job of denying King optimal spots on the floor. 

Numbers deceive: The Cavs led, 50-44, at halftime. 

From one perspective, they should have been thrilled to be ahead of the Spurs by any margin on the road. From another, they should have been disappointed because the margin could have been 15-20.

The Cavs shot 51 percent from the field and played good defense. At one point, they led, 28-13 -- San Antonio's largest home deficit this season. The Spurs, other than  Parker, struggled offensively.

TNT studio analyst Charles Barkley said: "If I'm the Cavaliers, I'm concerned, because the Spurs played awful....and they're only down six points. To be only down six, as badly as they played, they're in great shape.''

Even though the Cavs shot above 50 percent and scored 50, Barkley praised San Antonio's vaunted defense. His reasoning: If the Cavs were playing average-to-decent defensive teams, their performance would have resulted in plenty more points.

San Antonio's defense did not have much to do with this: The Cavs lost focus in the final minute of the second quarter, effectively handing the Spurs a 6-0 run that also provided them a psychological boost.

Parker scored 18 and LeBron 14 in the half. Parker had his way with Irving off the dribble.

Pulling away: Barkley was proven correct when the Spurs outscored the Cavs, 28-23, in the third quarter and 27-22 in the fourth.

The Spurs turned up the intensity and out-executed the Cavs. They were able to wear down the Cavs in part because of their productive bench, led by former Indiana Pacer David West (13 points, +16, 18 minutes).

The Spurs deserve most of the credit for the outcome, no question.

At the same time, the Cavs hurt themselves by being disheveled and panicky for stretches, none more glaring than a two-minute span early in the third. They went from leading by nine with 9:50 left to trailing, 57-55, with 7:50 remaining. Their offense, in particular, was unrecognizable because of bad decisions and unforced errors.

Standard (ridiculous) fare: The Spurs won, fair and square. Sort of.

Opponents know the truth: Strange things happen to the officials when they work Spurs games, especially at AT&T Center. The Spurs, who are immensely talented, team-oriented and super-well-coached, don't need help -- but they receive it just in case.

No team other than Golden State can match San Antonio's ability to flap arms, flail legs and flop bodies in order to draw calls. And that's on offense.

Defensively, San Antonio has mastered the art of subtly nudging/bumping/pushing shooters off-balance, and of reaching across the body after getting beat off the dribble and slapping an arm to knock the ball loose.

As expected, the Cavs were on the wrong end of the whistle or non-whistle on numerous occasions. None was more egregious than with 6:25 left in the fourth quarter.

Matthew Dellavedova dribbled around a LeBron screen on the left and began to drive. Delly's man, Patty Mills, ran into LeBron's man, Leonard, who fell and tripped Delly. Because Delly was headed out of bounds, he was forced to get rid of the ball, and Spurs big Tim Duncan grabbed it. The Spurs remained ahead, 87-77.

In the eyes of the nearest official, Delly committed a turnover. He magically tripped himself.

It was billed as a potential NBA Finals preview, a measuring stick game for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the league's hottest team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was billed as a potential NBA Finals preview, a measuring stick game for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the league's hottest team.

The Cavaliers were treating it that way early, playing with fire and determination, as they stormed out to a 10-2 advantage against the San Antonio Spurs, the No. 2 team in the Western Conference who entered the night undefeated at home.

Even after a Spurs timeout and ensuing run, the Cavaliers once again pushed their lead back to double digits. At the end of a magnificent first quarter, the Cavs were leading, 32-20, scoring the highest point total of any team in the first against the NBA's top defense.

That quarter helped show Cleveland's potential. But then everything changed. By the end of 48 minutes, the Cavs had their eight-game winning streak snapped, 99-95.

The good news is the calendar is on the Cavs' side, with plenty of time for them to reach their peak. The best way to handle Thursday's loss, a game earmarked whether the Cavs wanted to admit it or not, is to take the lessons from a recent champion -- and there were plenty -- and put them to practice.

Here are five observations:

Squandering an opportunity - The Cavs built their 12-point first quarter edge using crisp ball movement -- assisting on six of their 13 made baskets with just two turnovers -- hot outside shooting and a balanced offensive attack, as six players scored at least one basket.

They were also active on defense, holding the Spurs to 8-of-20 (40 percent) from the field and forcing three turnovers. San Antonio looked shaky on offense, searching for answers and sets that would work. 

That quality play carried into the early second quarter when an Iman Shumpert triple pushed the Cavs' lead to 15 points.

Moments later, a TV camera courtesy of TNT caught an impassioned Gregg Popovich trying to deliver a message to his team in the huddle.

"You're playing like they're your big brother," Popovich said.

The two teams went back-and-forth for a majority of the second quarter before a LeBron James three-pointer gave the Cavs another double-digit lead with 1:08 remaining in the first half.

Cleveland just needed a strong final minute. It needed to put the finishing touches on one of the better first half showings.

Instead, Tony Parker closed the half with a personal 6-0 run, cutting the lead to just six before halftime.

That's where the game was truly lost.

The Cavs had just shot 21-of-41 (51.2 percent) from the field, including 5-of-10 (50 percent) from three-point range. Their tough defense had just held San Antonio, the league's sixth-best offense, to 18-of-45 (40 percent) from the floor.

The Spurs, known for their flowing offense and excellent passing, had six assists on 18 made shots. Leading scorer and early-season MVP candidate, Kawhi Leonard, was sitting at four points on 2-of-7 from the field. Off-season addition LaMarcus Aldridge looked out of place, missing all four of his shot attempts and picking up two fouls in 16 forgettable minutes. Even Tim Duncan was struggling, heading into the second half with a single point on 0-of-4 from the field.

For 23 minutes, the Cavs had executed their plan as well as anyone in San Antonio.

"One of the best opponents we can play against," Manu Ginobili said after the game. "It gave us so many mismatches. They play different than most other teams," 

Yes, the Cavs had done what they wanted, and needed, to do against the 34-win Spurs. And yet they were only leading by six points, giving San Antonio plenty of reasons to feel great about its chances despite facing a deficit.

That first half was the Cavs' opportunity to blow the game open, to take advantage of a title contender not being at its best. The Cavs gave the Spurs hope and it came back to haunt them in the second half. San Antonio increased its level of play and the Cavs weren't able to answer.

Vanishing offense - Playing against the top defense has a tendency to take any team out of its own game. That seemed to happen to the Cavs in the second half.

After scoring 50 points and dishing out nine assists in the first half, the Cavs scored 45 points with six assists on 17 made baskets in the final 24 minutes.

"They did a good job of taking us out of our sets, but we also had some really good looks that didn't go down for us," James said.

The Cavs missed seven of their first eight shots to start the fourth, allowing the Spurs to take a 10-point lead, their biggest of the night.

"I thought we stopped moving the ball," Cavs head coach David Blatt said.

James struggled in the second half as well, scoring eight points on 3-of-7 from the field. According to ESPN stats and info, Leonard, a defensive wunderkind who constantly fought through screens, stymied the four-time MVP by keeping him away from the basket.

In the first half, James scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, with an average shot distance of 9.1 feet. In the second half, James scored six points on 2-of-6 shooting with an average distance of 16.2 feet before his late-game put back with the game already decided increased his nightly totals.

"Of course, when you have a guy like LeBron, the whole team plays different," Ginobili said. "Kawhi (Leonard) did a very good job of making him play uncomfortable." 

James didn't get much help from his teammates either. The rest of the team shot 14-of-34 (41.1 percent) in the second half, as the Spurs' defense stiffened. 

No encore - The last time Irving stepped foot inside the AT&T Center, he left Popovich and the normally raucous crowd speechless. Irving scored a career-high 57 points, with 35 coming during an enchanting second half.

Thursday's return was much more subdued.

Irving didn't score his first basket until the second quarter and finished with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting to go with four assists. He also committed three turnovers and became one of San Antonio's primary targets at the other end in the pick-and-roll. 

That's an issue with Irving. Just like the March meeting between the two teams, Irving's counterpart, Parker, tormented the Cavaliers, getting anywhere he wanted to on the offensive end.

The crafty veteran scored a game-high 24 points on 11-of-18 from the field.

"Tony has carried us a lot this year because of his two-way play," Popovich said. "He's working his butt off on Kyrie Irving, who is a great player. That's not easy to do, and he was still aggressive defensively. So, Tony was great at both ends."

If Irving is going to be a detriment on the defensive end, he needs to make up for it with his offense.

In the 57-point game last year, he did that, burying clutch shots no matter who was guarding him. 

Don't forget, Parker scored 31 points on 15-of-23 shooting that night, a game that morphed into a duel between point guards. But the French point guard became a footnote, overshadowed by Cleveland's young star.

In an earlier win this year against Toronto, Irving's competitor, Kyle Lowry scored 23 points on 7-of-13 from the field. Again, it was overlooked because of Cleveland's 22-point thrashing and Irving's 25 points. Those are the kinds of things opponents will be paying attention to and it's up to Irving to make the adjustment. 

His offense makes him a future MVP candidate and likely four-time All-Star. But he couldn't deliver on that end against San Antonio and it made his defensive woes tougher to stomach. 

Of course, it's tough to judge Irving right now. He didn't have a training camp, he's still on a minutes restriction and is not yet 100 percent. Thursday was his 11th game since returning from a fractured kneecap during Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals. Parker, on the otherhand, looks in playoff form. 

Where's Love - Whether it's fair or not, many players, including Love, are judged on what they do in the biggest games. For the Cavs, San Antonio represents one of the marquee matchups. Love's played three games against the Spurs since coming to Cleveland and has been virtually AWOL.

As was the case with a few different players, Love got off to a strong start, scoring five points and grabbing five rebounds in the first quarter.

He went 2-of-7 from the field the rest of the way and finished with just 10 points, well below his season average. Love added 12 rebounds, recording another double-double, but made little impact and was the other Spurs' target.

They constantly attempted to get him in pick-and-roll action, and Ginobili's late layup was a dribble hand off against Love, who switched off Duncan. 

In three games against San Antonio, Love is averaging 9.3 points on 10-of-32 (31.2 percent) from the field to go with 9.3 rebounds.

Those numbers, and how he's exploited on defense by Parker's quickness and crafty ball handling, make it fascinating to think about how the Cavs, and Blatt, would approach a seven-game series if the two teams were to meet in June.

Two keys - Beating San Antonio takes a lot.

One prerequisite is taking care of the basketball. The Cavs didn't do that Thursday. Cleveland committed 18 turnovers, which the Spurs turned into 19 points. James was the main culprit, coughing it up four times. But other players had issues as well.

Nine guys earned at least 10 minutes of playing time and Richard Jefferson was the only one who didn't have at least one miscue.

Even Matthew Dellavedova, one of the Cavs' most reliable bench players, had two turnovers.

Speaking of the bench, the struggles are starting to become a nasty theme. Tuesday against Dallas was a splendid night for Cleveland's much-maligned second unit. Not so much against San Antonio.

The Spurs' bench won the battle, 35-12. Dellavedova and Shumpert were the only players to score.

Meanwhile, San Antonio got double figures in scoring from David West (13) and Ginobili (10). Patty Mills, who brings energy, hit a pair of big-time three-pointers. Even little-known Jonathan Simmons gave Popovich nine quality minutes.

Thursday's game also helps show a difference between Blatt and Popovich. The latter does a terrific job using the regular season to develop his bench, to build trust with numerous players. He understands what the postseason will bring and the uncertainty of a seven-game series. In one of the biggest games of the year, Pop was willing to turn to Simmons and even Kyle Anderson for a brief stretch.

That will help as the season goes along, especially as the coach tries to keep his biggest pieces fresh for a title run. Blatt, meanwhile, is still trying to figure out how to best utilize the depth he's been given.

In a potential NBA Finals preview of Thursday night, it was the San Antonio Spurs that came away on top at AT&T Center.

SAN ANTONIO - In a potential NBA Finals preview of Thursday night, it was the San Antonio Spurs that came away on top of the Cleveland Cavaliers with an 99-95 victory at AT&T Center.

Tony Parker led San Antonio (35-6) with 24 points and Kawhi Leonard supped 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

The loss broke the Cavaliers' season-high eight-game winning streak. LeBron James registered 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Tristan Thompson supplied 18 points and 14 rebounds while J.R. Smith chipped in with 17 points and three 3-pointers drained.

By game's end, four of the five Cavaliers starters -- Kyrie Irving excluded -- actually had positive plus-minus ratings against the Spurs' starters. But the bench struggled -- Iman Shumpert was minus-13 and Richard Jefferson minus-12 -- and that gave San Antonio a chance to slowly take control and claim the win.

Cleveland (27-10) jumped out of the gate on a 10-2 start after Smith splashed in an uncontested left wing 3-pointer. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich hopped out of his seat and screamed for a timeout. Out of the timeout, Tim Duncan missed a hook in the paint and James came back down and hit a step-back jumper to go up 12-2.

The Spurs quickly answered back with a 9-1 run to avoid an early grave. San Antonio's age showed initially. Cleveland was quick to the ball and players had a zest to their movement. Cleveland shot 51 percent in the opening quarter and put up 32 points to take a 12-point lead going into the second quarter.

It was the most points the Spurs had given up in an opening quarter all season. Iman Shumpert made matters worse for the Spurs when he knocked down a transition left wing trey to extend the Cavaliers' lead to 15 points, their biggest of the evening.

A TNT camera caught a fiery Popovich in a second-quarter huddle telling his team, "You're playing like they're your big brother."

That must have ticked off Parker because he proceeded to go to work, scoring 12 points in the quarter by penetrating to the basket for difficult finishes. He turned the corner on those screens so aggressively that it caught Cleveland's defense off guard. He accounted for his team's last eight points going into the half.

San Antonio ended the half on a 6-0 run and closed the gap to six.

After two minutes of exchanging baskets, the Spurs, led by Kawhi Leonard's seven points, went on a 9-0 run to take their first lead of 57-55 with 7:50 left in the third. "MVP, MVP" chants showered down for Leonard.

With San Antonio up two with 13 seconds remaining in the third, Kyrie Irving brought the ball up to get the last shot. As soon as he crossed half court, the Spurs sent a double and Irving crossed over his primary defender and split the secondary defender and found a wide open Matthew Dellavedova for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Cavaliers a 73-72 advantage.

The last thing the defending Eastern Conference champs needed was a slow start to the fourth quarter, but that's exactly what happened. San Antonio orchestrated an 11-2 start within the first three minutes against mostly Cavs reserves and pushed it to 13-2 following a Leonard driving layup, giving the Spurs their biggest lead of 85-75.

Cavaliers coach David Blatt had no choice but to insert James back after two and a half minutes of rest. Midway in the fourth, Danny Green missed a corner three and Leonard came out of nowhere for the left handed put-back jam to put his team back up 10.

Cleveland cut it to five late in the contest, but Duncan followed that up with a tough turnaround jumper over Love that banked off the glass to provide his team a seven-point cushion with 55 seconds left. Cleveland got it to four with 17 seconds on the clock, but time wasn't on their side.

Parker was fouled and missed both free throws, but LaMarcus Aldridge managed to scrap for the huge offensive board. He hit both free throws and that was the end of Cleveland's streak.

The Cavaliers shot 51 percent in the first half, but only 41 percent in the final two quarters. They also turned it over 18 times, leading to 19 points for the Spurs.

Irving came into the game shooting 16-for-47 in his last three games. He was 6-of-17 for 16 points tonight. Kevin Love had 10 points and 12 rebounds for his third straight double-double performance. Thompson played his 325th consecutive regular season game. He now holds the longest active playing streak.

Mo Williams missed his second straight game as he mourns the passing of his uncle. The Cavaliers are not sure when he'll rejoin the team.

On deck

The second game of this back-to-back ends with the Houston Rockets on Friday. It will conclude the Cavaliers' six-game road trip and will be a 9:30 p.m. tip televised on ESPN and Fox Sports Ohio.

Four-star linebacker Keandre Jones of Olney (Md.) Good Counsel is on campus at Ohio State with five-star athlete Mecole Hardman, four-star athlete Jordan Fuller, four-star cornerback Damar Hamlin and others.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's big recruiting weekend that began Friday already featured an impressive group of prospects before the surprise. 

The surprise?

What surprise?

You know, the unexpected official visit being made by four-star linebacker Keandre Jones of Olney (Md.) Good Counsel, who is on campus at Ohio State with five-star athlete Mecole Hardman, four-star athlete Jordan Fuller, four-star cornerback Damar Hamlin and others. The news was first reported by ElevenWarriors.com. 

Rated the No. 9 outside linebacker in the 2016 recruiting class, Jones has been committed to Maryland since Dec. 1. But now that the 6-foot-3, 198-pound prospect is getting one-on-one time with Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer. 

According to 247Sports, Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell visited Jones at his school late this week after the dead period passed. Ohio State is the only school Jones has officially visited since committing to Maryland. 

Jones is also considering Kentucky, Florida and and USC, but he doesn't have an offer from the Trojans. 

The Browns want to hire Ray Horton as defensive coordinator, but he'll interview for the Titans head coach vacancy on Saturday. The Browns talked to Pep Hamilton Friday for an offensive assistant post, possibly coordinator.

The Browns believed that it was just a matter of time before Ray Horton became an NFL head coach when he was defensive coordinator in Cleveland. The Titans are interviewing Horton for just that role, which would eliminate a return reportedly desired by new Browns head coach Hue Jackson.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton, who is Hue Jackson's top target for defensive coordinator, will interview for the Titans head coaching vacancy Saturday, John Wooten of the Fritz Pollard Alliance confirmed for cleveland.com.

ESPN's Josina Anderson first reported the interview.

Other candidates for the Titans job include former Bill coach Doug Marrone, interim coach Mike Mularkey and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.

If Horton doesn't get the job, Jackson will resume trying to lure Horton back to Cleveland, where he was defensive coordinator in 2013 under Rob Chudzinski.

Jackson, who hopes to have his staff rounded out in the next couple of weeks, also interviewed former Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, who was fired Nov. 13, for a role on the offense on Friday. He's also trying to hire Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson as his running game coordinator and Green Bay assistant offensive line coach Mike Solari as line coach or more.

Wooten, the former Browns guard and chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance which promotes minority coaches, scouts and front office personnel, told cleveland.com that Horton wants the defensive coordinator post here -- providing he doesn't get a head coaching opportunity.

"I know he would love to come back to the Browns,'' Wooten said. "We've been working on that to see if we can make it happen.''

Horton is still under contract with the Titans, where he's been coordinator since last season. But the Titans are in the process of hiring a new coach and called upon Horton on Friday.

"We've had him on our list as a head coach candidate, but he may have gotten a little overshadowed in Tennessee by (assistant head coach) Dick LeBeau,'' said Wooten.

Jackson has retained Browns special teams coordinator Chris Tabor. Adding Horton, who coached the Steelers secondary from 2004-10 before becoming Cardinals defensive coordinator in 2011-12, would fill a big piece of the new staff.

"Ray is that guy that has been in the AFC North,'' said Wooten. "He's an exceptionally bright guy along the lines of a Bill Cowher, Dick LeBeau, or Marvin Lewis. He's an excellent teacher. I think he'll be a great fit. We'll have to see what Tennessee wants to do.''

Wooten also confirmed cleveland.com's report that former Bucs defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is on the Browns' radar. Frazier would not need permission to interview because the Bucs have not picked up his option for 2016.

"We've thrown Leslie Frazier's name in the hat there because of his outstanding ability to coach and teach,'' said Wooten. "The thing that these guys have that you look at all the time is the ability to teach and develop.''

The Titans finished 12th in total defense this season, seventh against the pass. They were 27th in the NFL with 26.4 points per game.  In 2013 with the Browns, Horton's 3-4 defense finished ninth with 332.4 yards per game and 16th with 40 sacks.

Related: Brown retain Chris Tabor as special teams coordinator

As for Hamilton, he was fired after the Colts went 3-5 while struggling offensively in the first half of the season. They were shut out in the first half three times and 20th in points at the time. Andrew Luck was in the midst of his worst career slump, leading the NFL with 13 turnovers.

"Through the first eight weeks of the season, we have felt our offense hasn't performed at the consistent level that we need,'' coach Chuck Pagano said in a statement announcing Hamilton's dismissal.

Toledo center Nathan Boothe continued his strong senior season with 25 points and nine rebounds to help knock off the Zips.

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Exposed off the dribble for the second straight game, the Akron Zips fell to the Toledo Rockets, 78-64, Friday night.

Both teams were coming off losses, the Zips to Central Michigan last Tuesday and the Rockets to Northern Illinois. CMU guards drove the lane hard for baskets in that victory over Akron.

Friday, Toledo had the guards, and arguably the best player in the league, 6-10 center Nathan Boothe. The Zips never really had an answer.

The Zips (13-4, 2-2) opened with a lineup change, going with 6-11 Pat Forsythe and 6-10 Isaiah Johnson to make sure Boothe had to guard a big body on the block. But that ploy was foiled quickly as Forsythe picked up two fouls in two minutes -- the second very suspect -- sending him to the bench.

Akron's 3-point shooting was off as well, allowing Toledo (11-6, 2-2) to take an 18-11 lead before a Zips 3-pointer snapped a 1-for-9 start. An inside power move from Johnson closed the gap to 18-16.

By halftime, however, the Rockets were rolling, taking the ball to the rim off Akron misses for a 39-28 lead. The final play was a mid-court steal by Toledo's freshman guard Jalen Sanford for a dunk.

The Zips turned to their inside game in the second half, letting Johnson muscle the Rockets as Akron closed within 51-45. But that was it for the Zips as Toledo pushed its lead out to 61-48 with 6:40 to play and did not look back.

Boothe led all scorers with 25 points for the Rockets while Johnson finished with 16 for the Zips.