Check out the fourth AP state girls basketball poll for the 2015-16 season, including where teams from Northeast Ohio are ranked.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Here's how a state panel of sports writers and broadcasters rates Ohio high school girls basketball teams in the fourth weekly Associated Press poll of 2015-16. With won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses).

DIVISION I

1, Wadsworth (10)                        19-1  154

2, W. Chester Lakota W. (2)              21-1  141

3, Sidney (3)                            22-0  132

4, Mason (1)                             20-2  115

5, Huber Hts. Wayne (1)                  21-1  91

6, Pickerington Cent.                    19-3  86

7, Powell Olentangy Liberty              19-1  58

8, Canton McKinley                       15-3  38

9, N. Can. Hoover                        18-3  33

10, Louisville                           18-2  23

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Dublin Coffman 20.

DIVISION II

1, Kettering Alter (11)                  20-2  162

2, Oak Harbor (1)                        20-0  144

3, Bellbrook (3)                         22-0  142

4, Zanesville Maysville                  20-2  91

5, Millersburg W. Holmes (1)             19-3  87

6, Ottawa-Glandorf                       18-2  77

7, Circleville                           20-2  56

8, Tol. Rogers (1)                       15-5  49

9, Clarksville Clinton-Massie            14-3  38

10, Washington C.H. Miami Trace          20-2  15

(tie) Bellevue                           17-4  15

Others receiving 12 or more points: 12, Steubenville 12.

DIVISION III

1, Ashland Crestview (16)                18-0  169

2, Lynchburg-Clay                        20-1  111

3, Sugarcreek Garaway                    15-2  100

4, Marion Pleasant                       19-1  88

5, Anna                                  19-3  78

6, Columbus Grove                        18-2  75

7, Archbold                              18-2  70

8, Cin. Summit Country Day               19-3  66

9, Doylestown Chippewa                   17-3  63

10, Metamora Evergreen                   17-2  48

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Ft. Recovery 17. 12, Cols. Africentric 14.

DIVISION IV

1, Arlington (10)                        20-1  154

2, Waterford (2)                         19-1  121

3, Berlin Hiland                         20-3  104

4, New Madison Tri-Village (3)           19-3  103

5, Carey                                 19-1  99

6, Minster (1)                           19-2  90

7, Ottoville (1)                         19-2  87

8, Fairfield Christian                   17-2  49

9, Ft. Loramie                           17-4  23

10, Gorham Fayette                       20-1  20

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, N. Baltimore 17. 12, Haviland Wayne Trace 16. 13, Defiance Ayersville 13.

Kent State lost an 11-point lead but defeated Northern Illinois, 75-74, on two late free throws by Galal Cancer.

KENT, Ohio -- Galal Cancer hit two free throws with seven seconds remaining to lift Kent State past Northern Illinois, 75-74, in a Mid-American Conference men's basketball game Tuesday in the M.A.C. Center.

Kent State snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 16-8 overall, 7-4 in the MAC. Northern Illinois lost its fifth straight to fall to 16-8, 5-6. Less than two weeks ago these two teams had been in first place.

The Golden Flashes struggled shooting, especially from long range, making just 6 of 20 from behind the 3-point line for 30 percent. But the Flashes controlled the inside game with a 38-22 advantage on points in the paint and a 41-31 edge on the boards.

Khaliq Spicer led KSU with 17 points, Cancer had 13 and Kellon Thomas and Jimmy Hall had 11 each. Hall added a game-high 12 rebounds.

Aaric Armstead led the Huskies with 22 points, Marin Maric had 14 and Travon Barker had 12.

Kent State trailed, 28-26, at the half, but jumped ahead early in the second half and led, 38-31, on a free throw by Hall with 16:31 remaining. Hall hit a jumper with 6:51 left for a 60-49 lead, but the Huskies went on a 25-13 run to grab a 74-73 lead with 15 seconds left and set the stage for Cancer's late free throws.

Up next: Kent State play at Eastern Michigan on Saturday at noon, then play host to Western Michigan on Tuesday at 7. ... The Flashes will host rival Akron on Feb. 19 at 6.

The hot 3-point shooting by the Akron Zips leads to an easy victory over Bowling Green, 83-68, on the road.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Akron Zips' 3-point barrage continued Tuesday night in an 83-68 victory over host Bowling Green in a Mid-American Conference men's basketball game.

The Zips made 16 of 32 3-pointers on a night when the Falcons could only counter with 5-of-15 behind the arc. That was the difference as Antino Jackson led four Akron players in double figures with 20 points and Reggie McAdams added 15. Post players Isaiah Johnson and Pat Forsythe combined for another 25.

The victory lifted Akron to 20-4 overall, 9-3 in the MAC. After losing two straight road games and falling to 2-2 early in the conference race, the Zips totally flipped the script.

The Zips are riding a seven-game winning streak and doing it in impressive fashion. They came in averaging 11 made 3-pointers a game and combined with the massive inside presence of Johnson (6-10, 285), most teams have had no answers.

Bowling Green (13-11, 4-7) was strong to start the season, but the Falcons have now lost four straight and five of their last six.

The Zips jumped to a 41-32 halftime lead with six 3-pointers, including five from Jackson. In the post, Johnson had 10 points at the break and got a boost from Forsythe with another eight. Spencer Parker kept BG within range, scoring 16 of his 23 points in the opening half.

But the inability to match Akron's perimeter marksmanship allowed the Zips to make it seven wins straight with another road game on Saturday at Northern Illinois.

The Buckeyes completed a season sweep of the Wildcats.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State basketball team will take a win any way it can get. That includes ugly.

That's what much of Tuesday night's game against Northwestern was before the Buckeyes found a late second half run to finally regain the lead, and leave Value City Arena with a 71-63 win.

With the win, Ohio State (15-10, 7-5 Big Ten) completed a season sweep of the Wildcats.

Marc Loving led Ohio State with 15 points in a must-have bounce-back game for the junior forward. He also had a team-high five assists. Loving led five Ohio State players in double figures.

Trevor Thompson helped ignite the second-half comeback. He finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds, getting 10 points and six rebounds in the second half.

Northwestern led 33-26 at the break, and had its advantage up to as much as 10.

Ohio State cut the deficit to one with an 8-0 run capped by a dunk from JaQuan Lyle off a steal and assist from Loving. The Buckeyes then took their first lead since the midway point of the first half with a runner from Keita Bates-Diop that made it 52-50 with 5:58 left in the game.

The teams traded offense, with Northwestern tying the game at 56 on a Scottie Lindsey 3-pointer with 4:28 left. The Buckeyes pulled back ahead 61-56 after a 3 from Lyle and a couple of free throws from Kam Williams, and held on from there.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, but Northwestern held a 33-26 edge at the break thanks to six 3-pointers and a 25-15 rebounding edge at the half.

When it was over

When Lyle went to the line and knocked down a pair of free throws to put the Buckeyes up 65-58 with less than a minute to go. That cushion was enough to hold off the Wildcats as Ohio State played good defense on the final couple possessions of the game.

What it means

Ohio State was sloppy for most of the game, but got a win it needed. The Buckeyes NCAA Tournament margin was slim to begin with, and still hinges on stealing games at the end of the year against Michigan State and Iowa. These wins in the meantime are must-haves.

What's next

Ohio State travels to Rutgers (6-18, 0-11) on Saturday for a 4 p.m. tip in Piscatatway, N.J.

Markus Hannikainen scored in overtime to lead the Lake Erie Monsters over the Chicago Wolves, 3-2, at Quicken Loans Arena.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Markus Hannikainen scored in overtime to carry the Lake Erie Monsters over the Chicago Wolves, 3-2, in an American Hockey League game Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena.

Hannikainen's goal came at 1:14 of the overtime session, assisted by Dillon Heatherington and Daniel Zaar. The goal was Hannikainen's sixth of the season.

Brad Thiessen stopped 22 of 24 shots to hold off the Wolves and improve to 7-2-2.

The win was the third straight for the Monsters, who improved to 25-16-4-3 and moved into fourth place in the Central Division. Chicago fell to 22-20-2-2 and remains in sixth place.

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored two goals for the Monsters, his second at 2:28 of the third period to set up overtime. He also scored on a power play with 19 seconds left in the first period. Bjorkstrand now has nine goals on the season.

Heatherington and Zaar each had two assists.

Winger Danny Kristo scored twice for Chicago, giving him 16 on the season. Wolves goalie Jordan Binnington stopped 26 of 29 shots. Chicago came into the game with six overtime victories.

Lake Erie had seven power plays, but scored just once. The Monsters blanked Chicago on five power plays.

Up next: The Monsters and Wolves meet again Thursday at the Q at 7. The Monsters then play at the Texas Stars on Saturday at 8 and Friday at 6.

See Ohio high school boys basketball statewide scores for Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are Ohio high school boys basketball statewide scores for Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.

Akr. Hoban 70, Can. Cent. Cath. 51

Akr. Manchester 88, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 64

Akr. SVSM 65, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 55

Andrews Osborne Academy 57, Elyria First Baptist Christian 47

Arcanum 41, Lewisburg Tri-County N. 39

Austintown Fitch 56, Hubbard 33

Avon 71, Amherst Steele 52

Avon Lake 56, Olmsted Falls 43

Beachwood 73, Orange 70

Bedford 71, E. Cle. Shaw 49

Bellefontaine 56, Elida 46

Berlin Hiland 61, Tuscarawas Cent. Cath. 54

Brunswick 55, Medina 51

Burton Berkshire 53, Gates Mills Hawken 42

Caledonia River Valley 83, Galion 61

Can. McKinley 80, Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 58

Cardington-Lincoln 47, Richwood N. Union 42

Casstown Miami E. 78, Pitsburg Franklin-Monroe 34

Castalia Margaretta 69, Old Fort 59

Chagrin Falls 52, Wickliffe 46

Chagrin Falls Kenston 69, Mayfield 67

Chardon NDCL 65, Cornerstone Christian 61

Chesapeake 60, Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant 44

Chillicothe 64, Chillicothe Unioto 61

Cin. Indian Hill 69, Cin. Deer Park 27

Cin. Madeira 51, N. Bend (Cleves) Taylor 46

Cin. Mariemont 75, Cin. Finneytown 68

Cin. Princeton 79, Cin. Colerain 65

Cin. Wyoming 72, Reading 30

Clayton Northmont 58, Centerville 51

Cle. Cent. Cath. 85, Elyria Cath. 84

Cle. Hts. Lutheran E. 49, Garfield Hts. Trinity 45

Cle. St. Ignatius 89, Cle. Glenville 62

Cle. VASJ 54, Gates Mills Gilmour 53

Cols. DeSales 71, Grove City Christian 58

Cols. Grandview Hts. 59, Cols. Bexley 53

Cols. Hartley 53, Sunbury Big Walnut 43

Cols. West 67, Cols. Linden McKinley 63

Columbia Station Columbia 53, Rocky River Lutheran W. 52

Coshocton 52, Danville 49

Creston Norwayne 70, Lodi Cloverleaf 46

Cuyahoga Falls CVCA 57, Akr. Kenmore 50

Day. Dunbar 72, Day. Stivers 70

Day. Oakwood 53, Bellbrook 44

Defiance Tinora 69, Hamler Patrick Henry 43

Fairview 74, Brooklyn 62

Findlay 51, Tol. Cent. Cath. 45

Fostoria St. Wendelin 51, Attica Seneca E. 48

Franklin 64, Brookville 62

Gahanna Cols. Academy 63, London 46

Galion Northmor 57, Bellville Clear Fork 42

Grafton Midview 68, Lakewood 56

Granville 64, Pataskala Watkins Memorial 44

Green 70, Tallmadge 42

Hamilton 57, Fairfield 54

Heath 78, Utica 54

Hilliard Darby 58, Grove City 54

Hilliard Davidson 53, Pickerington N. 48

Huber Hts. Wayne 88, Kettering Fairmont 51

Hudson 58, Medina Highland 51

Hunting Valley University 66, Macedonia Nordonia 60

Ironton 43, S. Point 40

Jackson 81, Cuyahoga Falls 65

Johnstown Northridge 62, Johnstown-Monroe 45

Kent Roosevelt 48, Wadsworth 32

Kettering Alter 58, Cin. Hills Christian Academy 43

Kirtland 54, Cuyahoga Hts. 50

Lebanon 48, W. Carrollton 33

Lorain 62, Warrensville Hts. 59

Lorain Clearview 62, Oberlin 54

Louisville 59, N. Can. Hoover 56

Louisville Aquinas 89, Mantua Crestwood 75

Lowellville 57, Columbiana 52

Magnolia Sandy Valley 61, Strasburg-Franklin 56

Malvern 99, E. Can. 48

Marysville 65, Delaware Hayes 63

Mason 68, Middletown 57

Massillon Jackson 81, Cuyahoga Falls 65

Massillon Perry 64, Can. South 54

McComb 66, Ottoville 59

Mentor 73, Solon 67

Milan Edison 50, Huron 47

Miller City 65, Lima Perry 57

Mogadore 75, Akr. Springfield 34

Mogadore Field 52, Rootstown 29

N. Olmsted 51, Berea-Midpark 49

N. Royalton 63, Parma 61

Navarre Fairless 79, Atwater Waterloo 43

New Madison Tri-Village 59, Ansonia 30

New Paris National Trail 40, Bradford 28

Newton Falls 75, Ravenna SE 40

Norton 64, Doylestown Chippewa 63

Parma Normandy 79, Cle. Lincoln W. 51

Peninsula Woodridge 51, Aurora 41

Piqua 49, Vandalia Butler 39

Poland Seminary 75, Cortland Lakeview 30

Port Clinton 56, Clyde 52, OT

Proctorville Fairland 66, Gallipolis Gallia 46

Richfield Revere 83, Parma Hts. Valley Forge 63

Rocky River 54, Vermilion 40

Sandusky Perkins 58, Oak Harbor 45

Smithville 66, Kidron Cent. Christian 55

Spring. Shawnee 59, Washington C.H. 45

St. Bernard Roger Bacon 72, Cin. Mt. Healthy 48

Stow-Munroe Falls 46, Barberton 44

Streetsboro 70, Akr. East 65

Strongsville 46, Elyria 45

Struthers 69, Ashtabula Lakeside 68, OT

Sugarcreek Garaway 93, W. Lafayette Ridgewood 57

Sullivan Black River 75, Oberlin Firelands 65

Tipp City Bethel 62, Newton Local 44

Tol. Ottawa Hills 70, Lakeside Danbury 44

Tol. St. John's 49, Tol. Rogers 33

Trotwood-Madison 82, Greenville 71

Troy 55, Sidney 54

Union City Mississinawa Valley 56, Covington 53

Urbana 49, W. Liberty-Salem 40

W. Chester Lakota W. 51, Cin. Sycamore 45

Warren Champion 79, Cortland Maplewood 62

Warren Harding 76, Erie Strong Vincent, Pa. 64

Waterford 67, Belpre 56

Wellsville 88, Mineral Ridge 85

Westerville Cent. 72, Lewis Center Olentangy 68

Westlake 69, N. Ridgeville 57

Whitehall-Yearling 57, Worthington Christian 43

Willoughby S. 61, Eastlake N. 35

Windham 66, Garrettsville Garfield 65

Worthington Kilbourne 74, Cols. Centennial 72

Youngs. Boardman 68, Ashtabula Edgewood 63

Youngs. East 59, Youngs. Liberty 50

Zanesville Rosecrans 72, Warsaw River View 39

OVAC Tournament

Class 3A

Semifinal

Magnolia, W.Va. vs. Woodsfield Monroe Cent., ppd. to Feb 11.

Class 2A

Semifinal

Toronto vs. Caldwell, ppd. to Feb 10.

Wheeling Central, W.Va. 70, Shadyside 57

OVAC Tournament

Consolation

Barnesville vs. Rayland Buckeye, ppd. to Feb 10.

Brooke, W.Va. 43, Wintersville Indian Creek 30

Hannibal River vs. Cadiz Harrison Cent., ppd. to Feb 10.

Linsly, W.Va. vs. Belmont Union Local, ppd. to Feb 15.

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS

Amanda-Clearcreek vs. Circleville Logan Elm, ppd. to Feb 10.

Bainbridge Paint Valley vs. Portsmouth Clay, ppd.

Beavercreek vs. Springfield, ppd. to Feb 17.

Bidwell River Valley vs. Wellston, ppd. to Feb 11.

Cedarville vs. Lees Creek E. Clinton, ppd. to Feb 16.

Chillicothe Huntington vs. Minford, ppd. to Feb 10.

Cin. Glen Este vs. Cin. Withrow, ppd. to Feb 10.

Cin. La Salle vs. Day. Chaminade Julienne, ccd.

Clarksville Clinton-Massie vs. Monroe, ppd. to Feb 15.

Corning Miller vs. Racine Southern, ppd.

Day. Miami Valley vs. Day. Christian, ppd. to Feb 15.

Dresden Tri-Valley vs. New Concord John Glenn, ppd. to Feb 10.

Eaton vs. Germantown Valley View, ppd. to Feb 11.

Fairborn vs. Springboro, ppd. to Feb 16.

Greenfield McClain vs. Lynchburg-Clay, ppd. to Feb 10.

Hamilton Badin vs. Cin. Summit Country Day, ppd. to Feb 16.

Jackson vs. S. Webster, ppd.

Jamestown Greeneview vs. Xenia Christian, ppd.

Kings Mills Kings vs. Cin. Walnut Hills, ppd. to Feb 10.

Lancaster Fairfield Union vs. Circleville, ppd. to Feb 10.

Latham Western vs. Portsmouth Sciotoville, ppd. to Feb 19.

Lucasville Valley vs. Piketon, ccd.

Madison vs. Day. Northridge, ppd. to Feb 10.

Manchester vs. Mason Co., Ky., ccd.

McConnelsville Morgan vs. Crooksville, ppd. to Feb 10.

Miamisburg vs. Xenia, ppd. to Feb 10.

Milford vs. Cin. Turpin, ppd. to Feb 10.

Mowrystown Whiteoak vs. McDermott Scioto NW, ppd. to Feb 13.

Nelsonville-York vs. Athens, ppd. to Feb 13.

New Boston Glenwood vs. Ironton St. Joseph, ppd.

New Lebanon Dixie vs. Carlisle, ppd. to Feb 10.

New Lexington vs. Philo, ppd. to Feb 11.

Oxford Talawanda vs. Cin. Christian, ppd. to Feb 10.

Oxford Talawanda vs. Cincinnati Christian, ppd. to Feb 10.

Peebles vs. Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington, ppd. to Feb 15.

Pomeroy Meigs vs. McArthur Vinton County, ppd. to Feb 10.

Portsmouth Notre Dame vs. Seaman N. Adams, ppd. to Feb 10.

Portsmouth W. vs. W. Union, ppd.

Reedsville Eastern vs. Stewart Federal Hocking, ppd. to Feb 10.

Sardinia Eastern Brown vs. Hillsboro, ppd. to Feb 10.

Spring. NE vs. Spring. Greenon, ppd. to Feb 10.

Thornville Sheridan vs. Zanesville Maysville, ppd. to Feb 10.

Wahama, W.Va. vs. Crown City S. Gallia, ppd. to Feb 15.

Waynesville vs. Milton-Union, ppd. to Feb 18.

See Ohio high school girls basketball statewide scores for Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are Ohio high school girls basketball statewide scores for Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.

The No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft was watching from behind Ohio State's bench Tuesday after his season playing basketball in China ended.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Ohio State star Greg Oden has an idea why his basketball career in China ended prematurely.

"I would have finished out the season if they didn't want to cut me so they didn't have to pay me for February," Oden told cleveland.com on Tuesday. 

The former No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft smiled, another break in a basketball career filled with them. But he's not done. Not if there's still a chance to play.

Oden sat behind Ohio State's bench during the Buckeyes 71-63 win over Northwestern on Tuesday as he has many times since departing Ohio State after his freshman season nine years ago. Oden said he has been back in Columbus for a week after his Chinese team, the Jiangsu Dragons, let him go on Jan. 31 after they were eliminated from playoff contention.

Oden believes it was a money move. Multiple reports in August had him signing a one-year deal for $1.2 million, but Oden said his deal was month-to-month, so letting him go on Jan. 31 saved the Dragons a month of salary as they played out the string.

As the 7-footer with a history of devastating injuries sat in the crowd, the question for the 28-year-old was obvious. 

Is this it? Is one of the most star-crossed basketball careers in modern NBA history, after just 103 NBA games, his last action in 23 games with the Miami Heat two seasons ago, finished?

No. Not for sure.

"I mean, if the opportunity is there, and it's the right opportunity, of course," Oden said when asked if he'll play again. "I've just got to look at the opportunities. I haven't heard about anything yet. I'll take what I can."

That could be overseas again. China, a last gasp for more than a few NBA players, was worth it. Oden's debut was a 19-point, 24-rebound, 4-block eruption.

Things settled down after that. According to reports, he averaged about 13 points and 12 rebounds in 25 minutes per game.

"It was an opportunity for me to play. I had to take that chance," Oden said. "I made some money and I got to play basketball. I didn't get injured and hurt my knee to where I couldn't play no more. So for me, I look at it as a win."

Small victories are what he'll take now after problems both on and off the court.

In December of 2014, Oden entered a guilty plea to a felony battery charge stemming from a domestic violence incident where he hit his girlfriend. According to the Indianapolis Star, he was sentenced to counseling and probation.

Oden said he has pondered his life after basketball, but his focus remains on the game. He missed the start of the winter semester at Ohio State, but he plans to continue to work toward a degree later, one that he said "is a long ways" away.

"My number one thing would be to get my degree and figure it out from there," Oden said.

For now, he'll hang around the Buckeyes and keep coming to the games. And he'll keep that basketball door open until it shuts on him.

"I can't talk about what's going to happen in the future," Oden said. "All I know is this year I was able to play. So if I feel better and next year comes along, I'll take that chance."

Ohio State was finally able to pull out a win late on Tuesday against Northwestern. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In Thad Matta's ideal world, he could kick back, put things on cruise control and watch his Ohio State basketball team run through the rest of the Big Ten schedule before things get serious in tournament time.

That was never going to be an option with this team. So you can come back to reality now.

As Matta fought back a cough and struggled to find his voice on Tuesday night, he outwardly longed for a world in which the Buckeyes don't have to scratch and claw to get a win over the 10th-place team in the Big Ten.

"I'd really like to not be in that position if at all possible, but that seems to be the way it is," Matta said after Ohio State staged a late second-half comeback and beat Northwestern 71-63 at Value City Arena.

For the third straight game, Ohio State found itself withing striking distance of a win. The first two times didn't go their way in losses to Maryland and Wisconsin. A win in either of those games would have been a serious boost to its NCAA Tournament resume.

Tuesday's win over Northwestern wasn't a boost as much as it was Ohio State keeping whatever shred of a hope it had of making the tournament alive.

But it's good, in a way, that Ohio State has found itself in these tight and at times difficult to watch games. The only path the Buckeyes have to the tournament will be paved with them.

So strap in.

Take next Saturday's game at Rutgers out of the equation. Rutgers is bad, and Ohio State should win comfortably, even on the road. Now look at what lies ahead before the Big Ten Tournament.

Ohio State (15-10, 7-5 Big Ten) finishes the season vs. Michigan, at Nebraska, vs. Michigan State, vs. Iowa and at Michigan State. There are some openings for some really nice wins in there. As long as those possible wins are still out there, Ohio State's tournament chances aren't completely dead.

The Buckeyes have shown nothing to say they could beat a team like Iowa or Michigan State, but weird things happen when you can muck it up a little bit.

A month ago, this was a team that flinched as soon as it got down by 10. It was over. But in the last few weeks, you can mark better efforts against Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin as progress and perhaps a sign that Ohio State can at least do enough to put itself in a position to win a game it shouldn't.

"I think the last two games we were sort of in the same position and we couldn't figure out how to win the game," Matta said Tuesday. "That's what I told the guys afterwards, I'm proud of how we finally settled down and figured out what we needed to do, especially on the offensive end. Defensively I thought we kept grinding, got some consecutive stops."

The Buckeyes are in a position now where they need to hang around, even when things are as bad as they were in the first half against Northwestern, then find a way.

Ohio State got dominated on the boards by a team not known for doing that. The Buckeyes got a little rattled when Northwestern started making shots it didn't make when these teams hooked up last month. That all ended with Ohio State being down at the half, and not retaking the lead until the final six minutes of the game.

The Buckeyes are going to be in that position again, they just are. They're not good enough to blow anybody out the rest of the way (except Rutgers). So they must find ways to swing momentum, and give themselves a chance to execute in the final minutes.

That came in the form a revamped 1-2-2 press that used Keita Bates-Diop's length at the top and created real problems for Northwestern late in the game.

"We just needed some type of spark," junior Marc Loving said. "Our press really switched it up, and we were able to get the tempo going a little faster, and we came up with some key turnovers that we were able to convert into easy buckets."

Loving had a good game with 15 points and five assists, but one good game doesn't mean he's over his struggles in the last six.

JaQuan Lyle got back in the starting lineup, started slow and finished strong with 16 points and six rebounds only after Matta laid into him at halftime.

"JaQuan and I had a one-sided conversation at halftime, and I was leading the charge on that," Matta said.

There's a certain skill a team must have to be able to win a game like Tuesday's when nothing is really going your way until the last few minutes. Maybe Ohio State doesn't actually have that skill right now, and was simply just better than Northwestern and showed it late.

Against better teams, the Buckeyes still haven't got it done save for a win over Kentucky back in December.

The only hope is that Tuesday was some kind of turning point. Matta talked about players growing up after the game, and Ohio State certainly needs that.

The Buckeyes have begun a four-game stretch that pretty much needs to end with four wins, in any kind of fashion. The best bet is everything from now on will be ugly.

Ugly is fine, as long as ugly ends in a win. Ugly can get you to the tournament.

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue has a story to tell about a legendary player with an unmatched competitive drive.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue was in his second NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers when a normal practice turned into his most unforgettable Kobe Bryant story, the one that stands out in a collection of thousands.

"We're playing five-on-five one day and it was the gold team against the white team," Lue said on Tuesday. "It was myself, Devean George, Brian Shaw, Mark Madsen and I want to say Slava Medvedenko, playing against the first unit -- against Fish (Derek Fisher), Kob, Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal).

"Long story short is, it was a game point and (Bryant) drove baseline and I was at the elbow. He drove baseline and I went down the lane and I pinned his dunk against the glass. He tried to dunk it and I blocked it against the glass. We came down, Devean George made a layup for game and Brian Shaw went, 'Ahhh, he blocked you!' He went crazy. Kobe wanted to fight me at first and then, second, he wanted to play one-on-one after practice."

That's Bryant -- a legendary player with an unmatched competitive drive, his greatest trait that also leads to a complicated legacy.

"(Bryant said) 'We going to play one-on-one, me and you.' I said, 'No, I'm not playing you one-on-one,'" Lue said, continuing the story. "He was so mad and then, after that, it was just, every day we stepped onto the court, he just went after me every single day. It was crazy. Then, like other stories, just playing one-on-one every day, every time we acquired a new guy, he would play those guys one-on-one after every practice just to show them, like, 'I'm the man, I'm the man.' Did the same thing with Glen Rice. Just his competitive nature, man, it was just unbelievable."

Lue played with Bryant for three years in Los Angeles. Bryant, who holds a reputation for straining relationships with teammates during his playing days, recently said, "Friends can come and go, but banners hang forever."

However, Lue and Bryant still have a connection, even talking two months ago when Lue asked the future Hall-of-Famer to sign a No. 24 jersey for a friend.

On Wednesday night, in front of a sellout crowd at Quicken Loans Arena, Bryant's final time in the building, Lue will reunite with the Lakers legend.

"You talk to Kobe when you get a chance, but you don't want to wear your relationship out with him," Lue said. "Whenever I see him, whenever I call him or need to talk to him, he's always there. He always picks up. I know tomorrow he'll come over probably give me a hug before the game and talk to me and say congratulations. But such a great bond that I have with him, playing in L.A. for three years, winning two championships. It's just a bond that can't be broken."

Following his time in Los Angeles, Lue moved onto Washington, a quick stint with the Wizards, playing alongside Michael Jordan at the tail end of his career.

"Him and Kobe was the spitting image of each other," Lue said of Jordan. "Just his competitive nature, always wanted to practice, never wanted to sit out a practice and Doug Collins had to basically try to make him, but he would never sit out of practice. Get up early every morning, have a thing called the 'Breakfast Club,' where all the guys would go lift in the morning and then come in for shootaround and whoever went to lift, he'd pay for their breakfast and whatever, but he was just a competitor. Also, (Jordan) was on one leg at the age of 40 and he still wanted to compete every single day."

Lue, who has been around LeBron James since 2014, sees those same qualities in the Cavs' leader.

"LeBron's the same way, it's just they're more vocal about it," Lue said. "They're more demonstrative about it. They'll get on guys. They'll cuss guys out. They'll even fight guys if they have to, so that's just the difference, but they still all have the same will to win and be able to take control of a game like that."

The emotions will surely be running high on Wednesday night as the Kobe Bryant farewell tour makes its stop in Cleveland, his final regular season game against the Cavaliers and one-time rival James.

"Anytime I even watch his games, even when I'm not playing him, it's always like very emotional just knowing it's his last hurrah," James said recently. "And he's done so much not only for the Lakers organization but for me as a kid growing up watching Kobe and things of that nature and also competing against him.

"So, it's going to be really cool to see him on Wednesday for sure and hopefully, I know our fans, they're going to give him a great reception -- well deserved."

The last time James and Bryant played against each other was last January at the Staples Center. James poured in 36 points in a Cavs win; Bryant added 19 points and a career-high 17 assists.

James and Bryant went at each other on the court, but also shared plenty of laughs and pleasantries. The relationship wasn't always like that, especially when James was trying to pry away Bryant's torch as the league's best player.

"When you have a guy like Kobe, who is a competitor the way that he is, and then being the number one at the top of the game for so long, he's went through a lot of generations where it was the Tracy McGrady and Kobe comparison, then it was the Vince Carter and Kobe comparison. He kind of took that challenge and still was always number one," Lue said.

"It was kind of the same thing with LeBron. He's always come into the league, he's always had that situation where he had to be the best, every single night. LeBron's withstood a lot of guys also. So Kobe, knowing LeBron's coming in to try to take his spot, he's not going to open up to him and give him any leeway or give him any reason to try to come in and take his spot is what he was thinking. I'm glad they have a great relationship because, as far as I've been in the league, those two guys have carried the league for a long time."

Bryant is 37 now, in the midst of his 20th NBA season. And he's savoring his time on the court, something Lue has stressed to his team since taking over for David Blatt. It's one of many lessons Lue believes James can learn from Bryant.

"I know there's a lot of media pressure and lot of pressure to win championships, but just for LeBron, I hope he's able to enjoy it," Lue said. "You know, sit back and just take it all in and enjoy the game and enjoy the success he's had. I think that will be good for him like it is for Kobe right now."

But make no mistake, the fire still burns and Bryant will be relishing his final road duel with a respected adversary. He's also playing some of his best basketball, showing glimpses of his younger days, averaging 26.4 points in the last five games and hitting clutch shots.

The timing couldn't be better.

It sets the stage for one final showdown against James.

Here are the best linebackers available in free agency at linebacker.

See updated interactive, printable brackets for the 2016 Cleveland Cup and Baron Cup competitions.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The 2016 Cleveland Cup and Baron Cup tournaments are underway featuring the top high school hockey teams in Northeast Ohio.

The Cleveland Cup takes place at the OBM Arena by Iceland USA in Strongsville, and Baron Cups I, II and III are all played at the Brooklyn Athletic Complex.

Here are interactive and printable brackets for the four tournaments. They will be updated throughout the four tournaments.

Cleveland Cup

Baron Cup I

Baron Cup II

Baron Cup III

Look back at Kobe Bryant and LeBron James through the years.

Find out when, where and how to watch the 2016 NFL Combine.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 2016 NFL Scouting Combine will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis from Feb. 26-29.

Coverage of the event will be on NFL Network starting on Feb. 26 with on-field workouts for running backs, offensive linemen and special teamers. Quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends will work out on Feb. 27, defensive linemen and linebackers on Feb. 28 and defensive backs on Feb. 29.

Live coverage will start at 9 a.m. on each of the four days and will be streamed on NFL.com.

Combine press conferences will be aired on NFL Network starting on Feb. 24 with running backs, offensive linemen and special teamers. Media interviews for each specific position group will take place two days before their respective workouts.

Find out when is NASCAR's Daytona, which will be broadcast by Fox on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The 58th running of the Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 21 and will be broadcast by Fox. The race officially opens the 2016 season for NASCAR.

Here is what you need to know:

What: Daytona 500.

When: 1 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. Prerace coverage scheduled for noon.

TV: Fox.

Live stream: nascar.com/racebuddy.html.

Practice: Saturday, Feb. 13 and Wednesday, Feb. 17. Sprint Cup teams can practice Friday, Feb. 12 for the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race, which is Feb. 13.

Qualifying: Sunday, Feb. 14 to determine the front row through single-lap time trials. The remainder of the field will be set Thursday, Feb. 18 through duel qualifying races.

Last year's winner: Joey Logano (Ford).

No Big Ten team that has finished above .500 in conference play has been denied a NCAA Tournament slot in the last five years. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Book it, Dan-o! Those fretting that Ohio State is a longshot to make the 2016 NCAA Tournament field should sleep easy. History says the Buckeyes are in, comfortably.

Over the last five seasons, 83 percent of teams from the five power conferences -- ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, SEC -- with conference records above .500 have made the field as an at-large.

That has held true 100 percent of the time in the Big 12 and the Big Ten over the last five seasons (25-of-25 each). So as long as the 15-10, 7-5 Buckeyes go .500 for the rest of the season, along with seven of their conference brothers, they are in.

For the record: The ACC has gotten 81 percent (25 of 31) of their .500 teams in; the Pac 12 has gotten 75 percent (21 of 28) in, and the SEC has gotten 66 percent (19 of 29) in. History says OSU does not have to beat No. 8 Michigan State or No. 4 Iowa down the stretch, as long as it beats Rutgers, Michigan and Nebraska before those final three (MSU twice) games of the season.

Indeed, the Buckeyes' biggest game of the season may have been Tuesday night. The comeback win over Northwestern put them two games over .500 in league play.

Then again, maybe not? NCAA Tournament Selection Committee Chairman Joe Castiglione spoke with the media via teleconference Wednesday afternoon noting generally up to 11 leagues get two or more teams into the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. But maybe not this season. "You can make a case that up to 14 leagues could get two teams,'' he said.

Castiglione noted a team like Monmouth, out of the generally weak Metro Atlantic Conference, could still make the field as an at-large if Monmouth is not the MAAC conference tournament champ.

He could also be speaking of teams such as Valparaiso (Horizon League), Cal-Irvine (Big West), Chattanooga (Southern), Arkansas-Little Rock (Sun Belt) and/or UNC Wilmington (Colonial) as teams/leagues from traditional one-bid leagues that could have a rare at-large entry.

If that happens, some power conference teams would be left out. In that scenario maybe Ohio State becomes the first Big Ten team in five years to finish above .500 in league play and not make the NCAA Tournament field.

Just so you know: Castiglione said committee members have more than just RPI data available to them, although that is the one most basketball fans reference. Currently, among the five power conferences, there are 36 teams with conference records that are .above 500; ACC - 10, Big Ten - 8, Big 12 - 6, Pac 12 - 6, SEC - 6. Louisville (ACC) has taken itself out of NCAA Tournament consideration.

At the same time, those conferences only have 31 teams with RPI of 50 or lower. Clearly, where last season the NCAA committee had an easy time filling out the tournament bracket, this season could be extremely tough.

Get the latest updates and analysis on the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Los Angeles Lakers

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Kobe Bryant's final game in Cleveland, 120-111. 

Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 35 points. LeBron James added 29 points. Kevin Love left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury.

Bryant scored 17 points. 

Scoring Summary: 

End of 3rd Quarter - Cavs lead Lakers, 93-74. Kyrie Irving leads all scorers with 27 points. LeBron James has added 26 points while Tristan Thompson has 15. The Lakers are led by Lou Williams, who has 18 points. Kobe Bryant has eight. 

End of 1st Half - Cavs lead Lakers, 62-47. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving each have 17 points. Tristan Thompson has added nine points and seven rebounds. The Lakers are led by Lou Williams, who has 11 points. Kobe Bryant has five points on 2-of-9 from the field. 

Game 52: Cavs (37-14) vs. Lakers (11-43)

Tip off: 8 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio, ESPN; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7 FM, 87.7 FM (ESP)

Cavs probable starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.

Lakers probable starting lineup: Jordan Clarkson, Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle, Lou Williams and Roy Hibbert.

In case Hue Jackson forgot, recent events served to remind him that changing the culture in Berea is his first order of business,

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Maybe it's good that the first thing Hue Jackson told us was he liked a challenge.

"And boy, what a challenge," he said at his introductory press conference.

That was in January. That was before anyone had reason to ask about a helicopter search in Texas or Colleen Crowley's affidavit.

That was before NFL Network claimed the Browns lied about the reason for placing Johnny Manziel in concussion protocol -- a charge the author of the report quickly rescinded.

That was before Tuesday's indictments of top Pilot Flying J executives. And before a Wednesday indictment of Armonty Bryant for felony drug possession stemming from an incident Dec. 25.

A belated Merry Christmas, Coach. Welcome to town. Everybody is counting on you to make these kinds of stories fade away.

Oh, and make everyone forget two decades of losing, too.

Fortunately for Jackson, Bryant's indictment is the only recent development threatening to impact his roster. 

Bryant indicted for drug possession stemming from Dec. 25 incident.

The Browns have made it clear they plan on parting with Manziel when the new fiscal year begins in March. They refuted the NFL Network report. Its author, Michael Silver, backed away from saying the Browns lied about the reason for putting Manziel in concussion protocol but stood by his story that Manziel showed up drunk at the facility Jan. 30.  

Will the Browns put more emphasis on character in the draft under Jackson? We'll see. Meanwhile, nothing revealed in the Pilot Flying J case suggests Haslam faces indictment. He claims no knowledge of the rebate fraud. 

Jackson clearly put his trust in Haslam by accepting the job. He put his trust in the organizational reshaping that included the promotion of Sashi Brown to VP of Football Operations and the hiring of Paul DePodesta as the team's strategy chief.

DePodesta has an overarching role, but Jackson is the one who will set the course in the locker room and on the field. In a national radio appearance not long after accepting the Browns job, Jackson told us why he thought the latest new regime change in Berea could make the difference when others failed so spectacularly.

"Hue Jackson's in town, baby," the head coach said.

Jackson has a ripe opportunity to establish a culture change. The opportunity, if cashed, won't result in the same sized legacy LeBron James will claim if he brings Cleveland's first championship since 1964.

But the first Browns coach to change the organization, the first coach to build a talented, professional roster and a perennial contender, will eat and drink in Northeast Ohio for free for the rest of his life.

Because only thing as big as the challenge facing Hue Jackson is the thirst of fans to be proud of their team for a change.

In the Cleveland stop on Kobe Bryant's farewell tour, the Lakers' superstar reflected on his relationship with LeBron James.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kobe Bryant agrees with LeBron James - they bonded over shoes.

As in, the pair Bryant gave James before the teenaged LeBron was to play in a high school tournament against Carmelo Anthony's Oak Hill Academy.

It's the pair James mentions virtually any time he's asked for his favorite Kobe memory.

"I remember that," Bryant said, addressing a packed media room before his final game at The Q. "I remember sitting down and talking with him. And the advice that I gave him, because he was going to have so much coming at him, was just to stay focused on the game, stay true to the craft. And everything else would kind of sort itself out.

"And I think that was the most important piece of advice I could've given him at the time."

This was the Cleveland stop on Bryant's farewell tour in this his 20^th and final season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Cavs won easily, 120-111, and James piled up 29 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds. He's now the NBA's 15th all-time scorer with 26,188 points, surpassing Paul Pierce.

Bryant scored 17 points in 33 minutes. He was treated with a video tribute from the Cavs before the game, showered with various "KO-BE" chants from the crowd, and hugged it out with James and former teammate, current Cavs coach Tyronn Lue.

Bryant was removed from the game with 40.2 seconds to go, and again shared an embrace with James as he was serenaded one more time by the Cleveland crowd.

The stop was a little more special than the usual for Bryant because of James, who followed Bryant as the game's best player. Either James or Bryant have played in every Finals since 2007, but never against one another.

For James, not playing Bryant in the Finals - particularly in 2009, when James' Cavs didn't make it and the Lakers did - is one of his biggest regrets.

Bryant shrugged that off - "I just wanted to win the damn thing, I didn't care who we played" - and otherwise portrayed his relationship James as a mentorship than a rivalry.

"I wouldn't say he was a rival, or, I never looked to see what he was doing, or someone to kind of push me," Bryant said. "I just felt like we were completely different generations. I just missed that thing completely. Not like a Magic and Bird sort of thing.

"It was more like, from the time he came in the league it was more helping him, giving him direction, advice, cause I was just so much older by NBA years."

Bryant, 37, said he and James, 31, are "close," talking on the phone more than people realize, about the game and about business.

He downplayed the apparent coldness with which he treated James on the court earlier in James' career, something James has acknowledged in the past, describing Bryant's attitude as "I'm taking your heart out from the jump and we'll figure things out later."

There was a noticeable thaw between them last season, when the Cavs played in Los Angeles and the two traded laughs and hugs all night while James scored 36 and Bryant recorded a career-high 17 assists in a Cleveland win.

"We've always kind of had conversation on the court and it was never a nasty competition when we played against each other," Bryant said. "It was never that way. I just think now it's a little different being that it's toward the end. Last year when we were playing, played against him with our team being out of the playoffs, what's at stake changes a little bit."

Bryant is a five-time NBA champion with one league MVP. James won the MVP four times but has, comparatively speaking, just two titles.

Bryant is a 19-time All-Star who is the all-time leading scorer in NBA All-Star Game history with 280 points. Right behind him is James, who's scored 278 in 11 previous All-Star Games.

Bryant said he "can't wait" to get to Toronto tomorrow for All-Star weekend and be surrounded by the "different generations" of NBA stars.

"To me LeBron is still young," Bryant said. "I can't fathom this is his 13^th season and the generations that come after him - the (Kevin) Durant generations, the (Stephen) Curry generations. There are so many generations in between that. It's going to be fun for me to be around."

Bryant was flabbergasted when he was told during the news conference that this is James' 13^th season.

"To me, it still, it seems like he just got into the league," Bryant said. "(Gosh), he might retire soon, too."

Carson Wentz is ranked the top quarterback in the NFL draft by NFL Network's Mike Mayock. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- NFL Network's Mike Mayock ranked North Dakota State's Carson Wentz No. 1 in his quarterback rankings Wednesday -- ahead of Cal's Jared Goff and Memphis' Paxton Lynch.

Mayock ranked his top five at each position on nfl.com.

Wentz, who met with Browns coach Hue Jackson at the Senior Bowl two weeks ago, shot to the top of Mayock's list despite that fact he's from an FCS school.

The rest of the quarterbacks are as follows:  2. Goff 3. Lynch 4. Connor Cook of Michigan State 5. Dak Prescott of Mississippi State.

At the Senior Bowl, Jackson told cleveland.com that he was impressed with Wentz, who was coached by the Dallas Cowboys (who have the No. 4 overall pick) at the college all-star classic.

The Browns have the No. 2 pick and are looking hard at all the top quarterback prospects.

"It's always hard when you're sitting in the stands watching these young guys, but he has a lot of the characteristics that you look for," Jackson told cleveland.com. "Again, it's just so early in this process and until you can really study them and get to know them will you really be able to make a sound judgment."

One top personnel executive who doesn't need a quarterback told cleveland.com that he'd take Wentz at No. 2 if he were the Browns. Of course, if Wentz keeps gaining momentum, someone could trade with Tennessee and take him at No. 1.

Executive Vice President Sashi Brown said "it would be shocking" for the Browns to trade up to No.1, and if that if they moved at all, it would more likely be down.  

"If the Browns take Carson Wentz at No. 2 they'd be set for 15 years,'' the personnel executive said. "He's the best quarterback in the draft. If I were picking at No. 2, I'd take him. It will solve all of their problems and they'll get this team turned around.''

Wentz also enjoyed his chat with Jackson and Brown in Mobile, Alabama, site of the Senior Bowl.

Related: Hue Jackson enjoyed meeting Paxton Lynch at the Super Bowl

"It went well and (Jackson) seemed like a really good guy and obviously I'm assuming he's going to be a really good coach up there in Cleveland,'' Wentz told cleveland.com.

Scouts at the Senior Bowl marveled at Wentz' size (6-5, 233) and other physical attributes. He's got a cannon arm, his footwork is excellent and he played in a pro-style offense in college, meaning he's not the projection most spread quarterbacks are. In 23 starts at North Dakota State, he threw 42 touchdown passes, rushed for 12 more and threw 14 picks.  

From a character standpoint, his interviews have been off the charts, one talent evaluator told cleveland.com.

But Wentz isn't the only top prospect Jackson has met with over the past two weeks.

Related: If Browns take Wentz, they're set for 15 years, NFL exec says

At the Super Bowl, he talked to Lynch (6-7, 245) at a party hosted by Lynch's agent Leigh Steinberg. Jackson also received the Humanitarian Award given to a head coach at the event.

"He's tall,'' Jackson told cleveland.com after the NFL Honors show Saturday night. "He's a tall young man. He looks like Man Mountain Dean standing up there. But what a nice kid, a personable kid with great parents. He carries himself extremely well, as I expected that he would.''

Steinberg told cleveland.com that Lynch will throw at the Combine next month.

Jackson is also eager to meet Goff, whom he's heard a lot about from friends at Cal, where he was once offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

"I have never met Jared, but I'm sure that will happen at some point soon,'' Jackson said. "There are some things I've heard and some things that I know. Again, I coached at Cal, so I do know quite a few people that are still there and again the guy's been a sensational player at Cal. But just like all the rest of the guys in this process, we'll evaluate them all and see how it turns out.''

Jackson was grateful to get a jump on the quarterback meetings before the NFL combine in Indianapolis in two weeks.

"Not too bad,'' Jackson said of the two meetings. "It gives us a good start.''

Mayock's other rankings are as follows, including two Ohio State Buckeyes at the top of their positions: running back Ezekiel Elliott and edge rusher Joey Bosa:

Running back

1. Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State 2. Derrick Henry, Alabama 3. Devontae Booker, Utah 4. Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech 5. Jordan Howard, Indiana

Wide receiver

1. Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss 2. Corey Coleman, Baylor 3. Michael Thomas, Ohio State 4. Josh Doctson, TCU 5. Will Fuller, Notre Dame

Tight end

1. Hunter Henry, Arkansas 2. Austin Hooper, Stanford 3. Jerrell Adams, South Carolina 4. Nick Vannett, Ohio State 5. Henry Krieger Coble, Iowa

Offensive tackle

1. Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss 2. Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame 3. Jack Conklin, Michigan State 4. Taylor Decker, Ohio State 5. Willie Beavers, Western Michigan

Guard

1. Cody Whitehair, Kansas State 2. Vadal Alexander, LSU 3. Joshua Garnett, Stanford 4. Christian Westerman, Arizona State 5. Graham Glasgow, Michigan

Center

1. Ryan Kelly, Alabama 2. Nick Martin, Notre Dame 3. Max Tuerk, USC 4. Evan Boehm, Missouri 5. Jack Allen, Michigan State

Interior defensive line

1. DeForest Buckner, Oregon 2. Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss 3. Sheldon Rankins, Louisville 4. Jarran Reed, Alabama 5. A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama

Edge rusher

1. Joey Bosa, Ohio State 2. Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky 3. Shaq Lawson, Clemson 4. Leonard Floyd, Georgia 5. Kevin Dodd, Clemson

Linebacker

1. Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame 2. Myles Jack, UCLA 3. Reggie Ragland, Alabama 4. Darron Lee, Ohio State 5. Deion Jones, LSU

Cornerback

1. Jalen Ramsey, Florida State 2. Vernon Hargreaves, Florida 3. Mackensie Alexander, Clemson 4. Eli Apple, Ohio State 5. Cyrus Jones, Alabama

Safeties

1. Karl Joseph, West Virginia 2. Vonn Bell, Ohio State 3. Darien Thompson, Boise State 4. Miles Killebrew, Southern Utah 5. Jeremy Cash, Duke