Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue already has his detractors in Israel, but now they've surfaced in Canada too.

TORONTO - Since becoming the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tyronn Lue not only inherited detractors from Israelis claiming he undermined David Blatt, but also finds himself on the bad side of Canadians.

When Lue was introduced to the fans at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto on Saturday in advance of the Eastern Conference All-Stars practice, Lue was booed. That resentment stems from Lue being allowed to coach the All-Stars after only, at the time, coaching in a handful of games after the firing of Blatt.

In this neck of the woods, many believe Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey should have been the coach, since their city is this year's host and since the Raptors are second in the Eastern Conference standings.

All of a sudden, Lue has been portrayed as a villain. He was asked if he's ever been described in that fashion.

"No, I've always been great," he said. "That's why it's a tough situation for me. Eighteen years in this league and having a clean image, being who I am on and off the court, it's been difficult for me to go through this. But it's something I have to go through now and we'll see what happens."

Previously: Israeli backlash to the Cavs' firing of David Blatt

What happens in the short-term is the likelihood he's booed mercilessly for tonight's All-Star game, and it's unfortunate. This is an uncomfortable situation for Lue and he's done absolutely nothing to bring it upon himself.

Raptors officials told cleveland.com they were at peace with the decision to let Lue coach when the league informed them it was a team recognition, not a coaching one. The Cavaliers had the best record, so their coaching staff went to Toronto.

That answer may be good enough to pacify the Raptors, but the fans apparently aren't buying it.

The Eagles are making their third finals appearance and second straight, while the Pioneers are in the finals for the first time.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – St. Edward and Elyria, the top two seeds in Division I, will wrestle Sunday in the OHSAA dual team state wrestling tournament finals.

The finals for all three divisions begin at 7:30 p.m. at Ohio State's St. John Arena. Follow the finals with live updates on cleveland.com.

St. Edward is making its second finals appearance. It will be the first for Elyria, which defeated defending champ Brecksville in the semifinals.

Lake Catholic (Division II) and Rootstown (Division III) were both eliminated in the semifinals.

Elyria defeated Brecksville 34-24 in perhaps the highlight of the semifinals. The Bees, defending champs, opened a 24-6 lead after eight matches, capped by Austin Hiles’ 3-2 decision against Nico O’Dor at 152, a battle of top-four state placers.

But the Pioneers won the final six matches, getting technical falls from J.T. Brown (182) and Ben Darmstadt (220) and a pin from Kevin Vough (285).

St. Edward cruised past Massillon Perry, 49-10, in the third state duals meeting between the schools. The Eagles defeated Perry in the 2013 final and lost in the 2014 semifinals. The Eagles won the first six bouts Sunday, then the final five.

Check out complete Division I semifinal results.

Lake Catholic lost 51-6 to three-time defending champ St. Paris Graham. The Cougars were making their first appearance at the state tournament. They defeated Mt. Orab Western Brown 47-24 in the quarterfinals.

Graham will face Wauseon in the finals.

Check out complete Division II semifinal results.

Rootstown reached the semifinals for the first time, but ran into three-time defending champ Delta, and lost 40-19. The Rovers defeated Oak Harbor 30-39 in the quarterfinals.

Delta will face Mechanicsburg in the final.

Check out complete Division III semifinal results.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact sports reporter Scott Patsko on Twitter (@ScottPatsko) by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Get the latest updates and analysis on the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, featuring Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James.

TORONTO -- The Western Conference had a record-setting performance, beating the Eastern Conference, 196-173, during the 65th All-Star Game on Sunday night. 

Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook scored 31 points en route to his second straight All-Star MVP while Stephen Curry added 26 points. Kobe Bryant, playing in his final All-Star Game of his career, added 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting. 

The Eastern Conference, coached by Tyronn Lue, was led by Indiana's Paul George. He had 41 points, falling one point shy of tying the showcase record. LeBron James scored 13 points in 20 minutes. 

Make sure to follow Haynes, Vardon and Fedor on Twitter.

Tip off: 8:30 p.m. at Air Canada Centre

TV: TNT

East starting lineup: Kyle Lowry, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.

West starting lineup: Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard.

Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights and NDCL were the winners of their respective Baron Cup tournaments.

BROOKLYN, Ohio — Here is a recap of the three Baron Cup hockey championship games played on Sunday.

Baron Cup I

Shaker Heights 3, Hudson 2: Peter Shick's shorthanded goal in the third period was enough to lead the Raiders to the Baron Cup title. Hudson's Maxwell Cole scored late in the third period to cut the deficit to just one. But the Raiders held on to win. Geoff Grossman-McKee and Ryan Wheeler also scored for Shaker Heights, and William Harr had Hudson's first goal of the game.

Baron Cup II

Cleveland Heights 3, North Olmsted 2: Connor Lewis recorded a hat trick to lead the Tigers past the Eagles for the Baron Cup II title. The Eagles had a 1-0 lead after the first period before Cleveland Heights tied it at 1 in the second period. Lewis scored the game-winning goal with less than 12 minutes to play to secure the win. Shane Maliniak and Travis Vitaz had the Eagles' two goals.

Baron Cup III

NDCL 5, Bay 2: The Lions defeated the Rockets to win back-to-back Baron Cup III titles. NDCL scored four goals in the third period, two of which came from Joe Iademarco, to overcome a 2-1 deficit. Chris Eifert and Jake Gaudino each scored in the second period for Bay before Grey Wilson's goal cut the Rockets' lead to 2-1 at the end of the period. CJ Natale and Will Ferrell each scored as well for NDCL.

Recap the GCHSHL postseason tournaments with our interactive brackets:

Baron Cup I

Baron Cup II

Baron Cup III

The Texas Stars defeated the Lake Erie Monsters on Sunday, 2-1.

CEDAR PARK, Texas -- The Lake Erie Monsters dropped their second straight close decision to the Texas Stars here Sunday, falling 2-1 in the American League Hockey game.

The Stars defeated the Monsters on Saturday, 4-3, in overtime. Sunday's loss dropped the Monsters to 26-17-5-3, though they remain in third place in the Central Division. Texas is now 29-18-3-3, good for second in the Pacific Division.

The Monsters jumped ahead at 11:49 of the first period when Michael Paliotta scored off an assist by Sonny Milano.

Texas tied it at 1-1 when Cole Ully scored at 15:47 of the first with assists from Gemel Smith and Esa Lindell at even-strength.

The Stars got the winning score on a power play in the second period as Travis Morin beat Monsters goalie Brad Thiessen at 7:28.

Thiessen had 26 saves, but saw his record fall to 8-3-3. The Monsters outshot the Stars, 34-28, but Stars goalie Maxime Legace had 33 saves.

The Monsters were unable score on five power plays. Texas had three power plays and scored on one.

Final round results from all three divisions at the OHSAA state dual tournament.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Final round results from Sunday's OHSAA dual team state wrestling tournament at Ohio State's St. John Arena.

Division I

St. Edward 49, Elyria 22

106: Andonian (St. Edward) p. Zuckerman, 3:51.

113: Fenton (Elyria) d. Kazimir, 5-2.

120: Breeding (Elyria) p. Conway, 1:55.

126: Hart (St. Edward) t.f. Schill, 16-0.

132: Dover (St. Edward) m.d. Keegan, 20-8.

138: Daugherty (St. Edward) p. Truxall, 1:59.

145: Ladnier (St. Edward) t.f. Brady, 26-11.

152: O’Dor (Elyria) m.d. Collier, 9-1.

160: Conway (St. Edward) p. Price, 3:38.

170: Price (Elyria) d. Leidich, 7-3.

182: Stepic (St. Edward) inj. def. Leidich.

195: Darmstadt (Elyria) p. Howard, 1:09.

220: Campbell (St. Edward) p. King, :41.

285: Vough (Elyria) p. O’Malley, 1:42.

Division II

St. Paris Graham 62, Wauseon 4

106: Crace (Graham) m.d. Ritter, 17-4.

113: Thomas (Graham) t.f. Campbell, 22-7.

120: Stickley (Graham) t.f. Slattman, 22-6.

126: Moore (Graham) p. Campbell, 2:34.

132: Thomas (Graham) m.d. Yackee, 13-5.

138: Moore (Graham) p. Bailey, :59.

145: Jordan (Graham) d. Ramirez, 4-0.

152: Sanchez (Graham) d. Torres, 7-1.

160: Jordan (Graham) t.f. Schuette, 21-6.

170: Marinelli (Graham) p. Davis, :33.

182: Campbell (Wauseon) m.d. Braun, 8-0.

195: Sarver (Graham) d. Banister, 3-2.

220: Shafer (Graham) forfeit.

285: Hays (Graham) forfeit.

Division III

Delta 41, Mechanicsburg 21

106: Mattin (Delta) p. Maxwell, 1:39.

113: Wetzel (Mechanicsburg) d. Rayfield, 8-1.

120: Mattin (Delta) d. Rhine, 6-2.

126: Leffler (Delta) m.d. Rozmus, 14-3.

132: Spiess (Delta) m.d. Miller, 11-1.

138: Smith (Mechanicsburg) d. Marteney, 3-1 SV.

145: Barnes (Delta) p. Smiddy, 2:47.

152: Beverly (Delta) p. Bogan, 3:19.

160: Romero (Mechanicsburg) p. Beverly, 1:01

170: Knapp (Mechanicsburg) d. Osborn, 2-1.

182: Rogers (Delta) d. Samples, 12-6.

195: Wolford (Delta) d. Knapp, 7-0.

220: Richard (Delta) p. Hartley, 5:26.

285: Veller (Delta) p. Hartman, 1:26.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. 

Contact sports reporter Scott Patsko on Twitter (@ScottPatsko) by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Eagles also won the Division I title in 2013.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – St. Edward won its second Division I OHSAA dual team state wrestling tournament Sunday, three years after winning the inaugural event.

The top-seeded Eagles defeated No. 2 Elyria, 49-22, for the Division I title. They are the first Division I team to win more than once.

It’s the 31^st team state title overall for the Eagles, who have won 29 team titles in the individual state tournament. They would have had 32 titles if not for a last-bout loss to Brecksville in last season’s dual finals.

“We remember last year and that didn’t settle real good in our stomachs,” said Eagles coach Greg Urbas. “The kids worked their tails off the whole year. They wanted this. They wanted it real bad.”

St. Paris Graham won the Division II title for the fourth straight year, defeating Wauseon 62-4 in the final. Delta, too, won a fourth straight title, defeating Mechanicsburg 41-21 in the Division III final.

Brecksville (Division I), Lake Catholic (Division II) and Rootstown (Division III) reached Sunday’s semifinals. St. Vincent-St. Mary (Division II) was knocked out in the quarterfinals. Elyria won a 34-24 dual against the defending champion Bees.

Elyria was trying to become the fourth Division I team to win the title in as many years. The clincher for the Eagles came at 182 when Elyria’s J.T. Brown had to take an injury default in the second period. Tyler Stepic, on the strength of a reversal and back points just prior to the injury, led 4-2 at the time. That gave the Eagles an insurmountable 37-16 lead with three matches to go.

“We always talk about bonus points and we gave up a lot of bonus points today,” said Elyria coach Erik Burnett. “We finished second in the state, which is good. But it’s kind of a reversal of fortune there with bonus points.”

The Eagles got bonus points in all eight matches they won, including pins from Bryce Andonian (106), Mason Daugherty (138), Jack Conway (160) and Jared Campbell (220).

The Eagles bumped up a handful of wrestlers to take advantage of matchups. None proved bigger than moving Conway from 152 to 160, where he pinned fellow state placer Mikah Price for a 31-13 lead.

Price led 8-5 after the first period and 10-6 in the second, but a flurry from Conway made it 11-10, leading to the pin.

“I was told to use your conditioning to your advantage,” said Conway. “It wasn’t a pleasant start. It wasn’t what I was planning on, but I weathered the storm.”

The Eagles and Pioneers are expected to tangle again on the Division I leaderboard at the season-ending individual state tournament in March, where the Pioneers were runner-up to the Eagles last season.

“Our motto this year is ’31-32’, so we count this as a state title,” said Conway. “We’ve got two goals every year and this is the first one.”

Final round results

Division I

St. Edward 49, Elyria 22

106: Andonian (St. Edward) p. Zuckerman, 3:51.

113: Fenton (Elyria) d. Kazimir, 5-2.

120: Breeding (Elyria) p. Conway, 1:55.

126: Hart (St. Edward) t.f. Schill, 16-0.

132: Dover (St. Edward) m.d. Keegan, 20-8.

138: Daugherty (St. Edward) p. Truxall, 1:59.

145: Ladnier (St. Edward) t.f. Brady, 26-11.

152: O’Dor (Elyria) m.d. Collier, 9-1.

160: Conway (St. Edward) p. Price, 3:38.

170: Price (Elyria) d. Leidich, 7-3.

182: Stepic (St. Edward) inj. def. Leidich.

195: Darmstadt (Elyria) p. Howard, 1:09.

220: Campbell (St. Edward) p. King, :41.

285: Vough (Elyria) p. O’Malley, 1:42.

Division II

St. Paris Graham 62, Wauseon 4

106: Crace (Graham) m.d. Ritter, 17-4.

113: Thomas (Graham) t.f. Campbell, 22-7.

120: Stickley (Graham) t.f. Slattman, 22-6.

126: Moore (Graham) p. Campbell, 2:34.

132: Thomas (Graham) m.d. Yackee, 13-5.

138: Moore (Graham) p. Bailey, :59.

145: Jordan (Graham) d. Ramirez, 4-0.

152: Sanchez (Graham) d. Torres, 7-1.

160: Jordan (Graham) t.f. Schuette, 21-6.

170: Marinelli (Graham) p. Davis, :33.

182: Campbell (Wauseon) m.d. Braun, 8-0.

195: Sarver (Graham) d. Banister, 3-2.

220: Shafer (Graham) forfeit.

285: Hays (Graham) forfeit.

Division III

Delta 41, Mechanicsburg 21

106: Mattin (Delta) p. Maxwell, 1:39.

113: Wetzel (Mechanicsburg) d. Rayfield, 8-1.

120: Mattin (Delta) d. Rhine, 6-2.

126: Leffler (Delta) m.d. Rozmus, 14-3.

132: Spiess (Delta) m.d. Miller, 11-1.

138: Smith (Mechanicsburg) d. Marteney, 3-1 SV.

145: Barnes (Delta) p. Smiddy, 2:47.

152: Beverly (Delta) p. Bogan, 3:19.

160: Romero (Mechanicsburg) p. Beverly, 1:01

170: Knapp (Mechanicsburg) d. Osborn, 2-1.

182: Rogers (Delta) d. Samples, 12-6.

195: Wolford (Delta) d. Knapp, 7-0.

220: Richard (Delta) p. Hartley, 5:26.

285: Veller (Delta) p. Hartman, 1:26.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact sports reporter Scott Patsko on Twitter (@ScottPatsko) by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook scored 31 points and the Western Conference set an All-Star record for points in a game with a 196-173 victory over the East on Sunday.

TORONTO -- Kobe Bryant said his NBA All-Star Game goodbye and the next generation of the West's best sent him off a winner, rolling to a record-setting 196-173 victory over the East on Sunday night.

The first All-Star Game outside the U.S. was the highest-scoring ever, with both teams scoring more than any team had ever managed. Bryant didn't provide much of the offense but many of the memories.

"To see him now, it's like the passing of a generation," West coach Gregg Popovich said. "He's been such an iconic figure for so long, and he passes it on to that other group of young guys that you saw out there tonight."

Bryant finished with just 10 points, so few that he lost his career lead in All-Star Game scoring to LeBron James, even though James also had a quiet night.

But Russell Westbrook scored 31 points in his second straight All-Star MVP performance, Stephen Curry added 26, Anthony Davis 24, and Kevin Durant 23.

Paul George finished with 41 for the East, tying Westbrook's total from last year in New York that was one off Wilt Chamberlain's record. John Wall added 22 points.

James finished with 13 points, just enough to move ahead of Bryant for most ever in the All-Star Game. He has 291, while Bryant, who is retiring after this season, leaves with 290.

He checked out with 1:06 left to cheers and hugs from his fellow All-Stars who now put up points in bunches the way Bryant did for so long.

Bryant had seven assists and six rebounds, but shot just 4 for 11 in a game where there isn't really much defense and had never been less. The 369 combined points were 48 more than last year's record, and both clubs blew away the previous individual team record of 163.

But people just wanted to see Bryant play, not necessarily play well.

The pregame was a celebration first of Canada, then of Bryant.

A video message from Dr. James Naismith, the Canadian who invented basketball in the early 1890s, was followed by player introductions by two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and Grammy winner Drake. Canadian Nelly Furtado sang her country's national anthem.

Then it was time for two video tributes for Bryant, whose 18 All-Star selections are second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant thanked fans who have given him more than 30 million votes in his career, and as he finished speaking all the All-Stars lined up in the background to salute him.

He took the opening jump ball against James -- neither team had a true center voted to the starting lineup -- and each East starter took a turn early covering Bryant.

Toronto hosted the very first NBA game on Nov. 1, 1946. Neither Naismith nor anyone who saw that game would recognize the way it looked Sunday.

Curry and Durant launched shots from spots where only buzzer-beating heaves were once attempted, and Westbrook put together another combination of speed and force that turned it into a rare All-Star blowout in the second half.

The West has won five of the last six even without longtime mainstay Bryant, who hadn't played since 2013 because of injuries. But players like Westbrook, Durant and Curry are more than ready to shoulder the load.

At 37, Bryant has trouble keeping up with the youngsters -- especially the real young ones. Chris Paul's son stole the ball from him as Bryant warmed up for the second half.

But he was the star without playing a starring a role. He had said he didn't want players forcing him the ball in an effort to make him the MVP -- he's already got four of them in this game -- but he was never far from the center of attention.

James crouched in his defensive stance and pounded the floor when he found himself covering Bryant out on the wing in the second quarter. But come on, nobody is really here to play defense, at least that early.

The West led 92-90 at the break, both teams surpassing the previous record of 89 points in a half.

The game goes back to the U.S. next year, and for the first time since 1997 won't have Bryant. He made his All-Star debut in New York in 1998, a game also remembered for Michael Jordan's last with the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan, now chairman of the Hornets, was on hand Sunday for a ceremonial passing of the All-Star torch from Toronto to Charlotte, the 2017 host.

Paul finished with 14 points and 16 assists and is the leader in All-Star assists per game. DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points for the East and Kyle Lowry had 14 points and 10 assists as both Raptors played well in front of their home crowd.

"I think everybody got the feel of the energy that we witness every single night when we play as Raptors players," DeRozan said. "I think all the guys really got insight on how in tune the city of Toronto and all of Canada is to basketball."

Westbrook became the first player to win consecutive MVP awards outright. Bob Pettit won the 1958 award and shared it the next year with Elgin Baylor.

The Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference 196-173 in what was a defensive-less 2016 All-Star game.

TORONTO - It would be difficult to outdo the performances that took place on Saturday night as the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference 196-173 in a defense-less 2016 NBA All-Star game.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook was named the game's Most Valuable Player after registering 31 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Indiana forward Paul George led all scorers with 41 points and drained an All-Star record nine 3-pointers.

Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue was booed upon being introduced at the sold-out Air Canada Centre. Raptors faithful believe their head coach Dwane Casey should be coaching the Eastern Conference, since Lue took over the team with the best record in late January.

That was about the noisiest fans were on this night.

The Cavs' LeBron James made his 12^th All-Star appearance and received a hearty ovation. He scored 13 points, pulled down four rebounds and distributed seven assists in 20 minutes.

Hip-hop artist and Canadian Drake was brought onto the stage to address the crowd, and then he remained there while starters were introduced. Every starter who was called to the stage went over and greeted Drake with a hug or handshake, with the exception of Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook and Bryant.

It's not clear if that was intentional or an oversight, but it should be noted that Westbrook was asked over the weekend if he could name five Canadian celebrities, and Drake was left off of his list.

A video tribute to Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who is retiring at the end of the season, was played on the Jumbotron before tip-off. Bryant, 37, has played in 18 All-Star games.

After the video presentation, chants of "Kobe, Kobe, Kobe" rang loudly throughout the arena. Bryant was visibly emotional. That was some major respect, considering at one time Bryant torched the hometown team for 81 points.

Midway in second quarter, Bryant had a one-on-one opportunity with James on the right wing. Players cleared out for them and the fans stood up and cheered. However, Bryant isn't the same player he was a few years ago. He settled for a contested, double-pump fadeaway that clanked off the iron.

Bryant ended the evening with 10 points, six rebounds and seven assists.

Bryant and James, arguably the two biggest stars of this generation, did the jump ball for their respective teams. It was a nice way for Bryant to go out.

As for the game, both teams scored at will and defense was nowhere to be seen. Lue finally had enough and called a timeout midway in the first quarter. Those isolations and defensive lapses Lue has been trying to eradicate out of the Cavaliers' system were prevalent Sunday night.

There was nothing he could draw up in that huddle to get guys to take this exhibition game seriously. On the other hand, his team did play with the accelerated pace he's been preaching for weeks.

There was a ton of 3-on-1, 4-on-1 and 2-on-0 fastbreaks. Every other basket seemed like it was a dunk. That's the nature of this event.

The score at half was 92-90 in favor of the Western Conference. You didn't see players in defensive stances all night. They were standing straight up, letting the opposition run free in the lane with no resistance.

It was absolutely quiet while Sting was performing at halftime and it wasn't much louder during the actual game. The fans were either polite or just not being entertained. The energy was low in the building.

James' best move of the night was an alley-oop reverse jam from Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry in the opening quarter. He also had an impressive left-handed windmill dunk in the third quarter.

It wasn't the best brand of basketball, but it was a star-studded event for the fans' enjoyment. When the ball sailed out of bounds in the third near actor/comedian Kevin Hart, James took Hart's drink out of his hands and ran to give it to Drake, who started sipping from the cup.

Bryant's final All-Star game was the theme of the night. When he was subbed out with a minute left in the game, he was greeted by cheers and players seeking him out to embrace him.

LeBron James played the fewest minutes in an All-Star Game in his 13-year career with 20.

TORONTO - LeBron James is now the NBA's all-time leading scorer in the All-Star Game, but don't let that little nugget fool you.

James was mostly a bystander in the NBA's 65^th All-Star Game, won by the West 196-173 scoring just 13 points in 20 minutes.

Russell Westbrook from Oklahoma City was named MVP for the second consecutive year, scoring 31 points with eight rebounds and five assists.

The night was supposed to belong to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who was playing in his final All-Star Game with retirement looming at season's end. Bryant entered play leading James by two points on the all-time, All-Star scoring list, but he mustered just 10 points in his finale.

Bryant returned for the last time with 5:29 to go, but failed to score by the time he was removed with 1:06 left and the Air Canada Centre crowd chanting "KO-BE, KO-BE." James was on the sideline the entire time.

As it stands, James now has 291 points in 12 All-Star games. Bryant has 290 in 15 games.

James' 13 points tied career low in 12 All-Star games, equaling the 13 points in his first game in 2005. His 20 minutes were easily the lowest of his career.

Say this for Cavs coach Tyronn Lue's first appearance as All-Star coach: he protected his prized player. Otherwise, it didn't go particularly well for Lue, whose East squad coughed up a record 196 points.

James was removed from the game with 5:36 left in the third quarter and never came back. He sat in a chair adjacent to the bench for most of the second half, so the children of some of his East teammates could sit on the bench.

Bryant and James opened the game by jumping against one another at the opening tip. In the first half, James slapped the floor while defending Bryant, as if to say "come on, guy, one more time." Bryant misfired on a jumper.

James, 31, remains the All-Star leader with 28 3-pointers, counting the one he made Sunday night. He said this weekend that the end of Bryant's illustrious, surefire hall-of-fame career has him thinking about his own ending.

"Of course, I'd be lying to you if I didn't think about it," James said.

Bryant was honored with two videoboard tributes for the game even started. It's been a season of such tributes as he plays in road cities for the final time, like he did Wednesday in Cleveland.

"I don't know if I would want that," James said.

"I've got so many great years left to play the game, but I definitely know that at some point we all have to come to an end."

With so much basketball in the books, here are the frontrunners for the cleveland.com Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The boys basketball regular season ends this week with sectional and district tournament play on the horizon.

With so much basketball in the books, here are the frontrunners for the cleveland.com Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Click on this slideshow link, which includes quick profiles for 15 of Northeast Ohio’s top performers.

Vote in the poll at the end of the linked slideshow or below to let us know who you think is the favorite to win this season’s award. This vote will not factor into who wins the award, which will be decided at the season’s conclusion.

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Wide receiver applied for reinstatement and could be back for the Browns this season. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns have an interesting scenario playing out at wide receiver -- they could get one of the league's most talented players at the position back this season, if they want him. Josh Gordon, when he's right, has been one of the league's best.

Can they count on him, though? Chris Fedor, Michael Reghi and Bud Shaw answered that question as part of our weekly series of videos. See what they had to say above.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have made so many major changes in the last two years, it may be wise to let Tyronn Lue work with the current roster.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers general manager David Griffin is in a rough spot.

His team is probably not good enough to win the NBA title.

Not with Golden State (48-4) and San Antonio (45-8) playing as they are right now. Oklahoma City (40-14) also could be a scary opponent in The Finals.

So that seems to demand Griffin make some type of significant trade as the deadline looms Thursday.

Here's the problem -- the Cavs already have made several major deals in the last 20 months. A team can't keep changing critical parts of its roster, especially a team with a 38-14 record. That's the best in the Eastern Conference.

This is not like January of 2015 when the Cavs were 19-20 in the first season of the return of LeBron James. That roster was very flawed and it showed on the court.

Griffin had to make bold moves, and he did. He turned Dion Waiters and a future first round pick into Timofey Mozgov, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert. That saved the season for the Cavs, setting up their march into the 2015 Finals.

What also helped last season is the Cavs needed a center. They needed help at shooting guard. Mozgov, Shumpert and Smith filled immediate holes.

BIG DEAL, LITTLE DEAL?

I suggested a minor deal for Thabo Sefolsha, a defensive-minded small forward with Atlanta. With his impending free agency and his declining performance, a trade involving Mozgov might make some sense.

But a monster deal? Probably not.

The Carmelo Anthony/Kevin Love deal generated by the New York Daily News is a great trade -- for the Knicks.

James quickly denied the rumor saying, "It's false."

I believe James is correct.

If I'm Knicks president Phil Jackson, I'd love to trade Anthony for Love. Anthony is 31 years old. He's coming off reconstructive knee surgery done a year ago.

This is Anthony's 13th season. He is averaging 21.4 points, shooting .426 from field (.327 on 3-pointers). His game and his body are in decline.

He also has four years and $101 million left on his contract.

The 27-year-old Love has had some injury issues, but his 10 rebounds a game, strong outlet passing and ability to deliver 15 points a game as a third scoring option makes him a good fit with the Cavs.

Adding yet another scorer such as Anthony to the Cavs mix is a recipe for dysfunction on the court.

TIME TO SETTLE DOWN

Two years ago, Mike Brown was the Cavs coach.

Since then, David Blatt has come and gone, now Tyronn Lue is the head coach. Lue is trying to change several key parts of the offense and doing it during the season.

Only four players remain from before James returned to the Cavs in July of 2014: Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao and Matthew Dellavedova.

Does a major mid-season trade really put the Cavs in a better position to win a title?

Or does it make more sense for Lue to work with the key players and have them as prepared as possible for the playoffs?

The Love rumors pop up because he would be a valuable player to most teams.

Love is one of only six players averaging at least 15 points and 10 rebounds this season. The others are Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Pau Gasol, Andre Drummond and Karl Anthony Towns.

Love is the kind of player with a variety of skills who helps you win a title.

I started the story with the concern that the Cavs don't have enough talent and chemistry to win a title. That hasn't changed.

But keeping the key players together with Lue should help the chemistry, and give them at least a shot to win a title.

Villanova held on to the top spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll announced on Monday and Kansas moved up to second. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Villanova retained its spot atop the Associated Press Top 25 poll, announced Monday afternoon, while Kansas jumped into the No. 2 spot after beating Oklahoma on Saturday.

The Wildcats (22-3) received 44 of the 65 first-place votes from a national media panel and had 1,601 points. Kansas (21-4) received the remaining 21 first-place votes and had 1,578 points.

Villanova had moved into the No. 1 spot last week with 32 first-place votes. Kansas was sixth last week, but did have one vote.

Despite losing to Kansas, Oklahoma (20-5) remained in third, followed by Iowa (20-4) and North Carolina (21-4). Rounding out the top 10 are Maryland, Virginia, Xavier, Michigan State and West Virginia.

What a mess: This has been bordering on the ridiculous for awhile now, even as it fast became normal for 2016. Down the stretch when teams are supposed to be peaking, only seven AP Top 25 teams escaped without a loss last week. The remaining 18 combined to lose 23 games. And the vast majority of those w ere not to Top 25 peers.

It can't be stressed enough: conference play is different from non-conference and postseasons. Any solid program, even in a down year, should post a winning record at home especially against teams they play two and three times a season. That fact is just being magnified in 2016.

USC lost at Arizona State; Providence lost at Marquette; Oregon lost at Cal; Texas A&M lost at Alabama; Purdue lost at Michigan. Those are just some of the "should not be surprised" losses from last week to home teams desperate to put a feather in their caps. Here are two of the real upsets from last week -- Wisconsin winning at Maryland and Kansas winning at Oklahoma.

Speaking of Kansas: The season is not over yet, but shy of any surprises -- yeah right -- the Kansas Jayhawks are in prime position to win or share their 12th straight Big 12 championship. The weekend victory on the road over Oklahoma set the stage for that. Equally important, the victory likely solidified a No. 1 seed for the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Entering the season, the general view had the Jayhawks' run coming to an end. As of now, the answer is no.

My vote: I dropped USC, Wichita State and Texas out of my Top 25 ballot this week. Moved Kansas up to No. 2, but kept Villanova No. 1. At the back end, I added North Carolina-Wilmington, St. Joes and Monmouth.

AP TOP 25 POLL

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Feb. 14, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:

Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 90, Utah 75, Saint Joseph's 57, Wisconsin 47, South Carolina 39, Southern Cal 38, Michigan 17, Syracuse 17, Wichita St. 14, Stony Brook 13, Monmouth (NJ) 10, California 8, Hawaii 5, UNC Wilmington 4, San Diego St. 3, Yale 3, Cincinnati 2.

ELTON ALEXANDER'S BALLOT

1. Villanova
2. Kansas
3. Oklahoma
4. Maryland
5. Iowa
6. Xavier
7. North Carolina
8. Virginia
9. Michigan State
10. Miami
11. West Virginia
12. Arizona
13. Dayton
14. Kentucky
15. Iowa State
16. Louisville
17. SMU
18. Oregon
19. Texas A&M
20. Purdue
21. St. Joseph
22. UNC-Wilmington
23. Providence
24. Baylor
25. Monmouth

Conference tournaments will begin soon. Based on the 2016 regular season, look for a plethora of upsets that could leave the 2016 NCAA Tournament field topsy-turvy.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With two weeks left before the start of some conference tournaments and three weeks before most of the regular season is completed, this 2016 season remains on its own roller coaster.

This continues to point to a wide open 2016 NCAA Tournament. But conference tournaments also seem ripe for upsets ... perhaps multiple upsets. This could wreak havoc on bracketology boards around the internet that still stick to their past pattern of loading the field with mid-pack power conference teams.

Can you believe seven or eight teams from the ACC on the 68-team board? How about six or seven from the Big Ten? That is how things are tracking. At the top of the grid, the No. 1 seeds are coming into clearer focus. Villanova and Kansas seem to have locked down two of the spots. And Oklahoma arguably has a grip on the third.

That last No. 1: The final No. 1 seed, as of Monday, could come from a list of Maryland, Iowa, Xavier, North Carolina and Virginia. Or, perhaps even West Virginia, should the Mountaineers win out and advance to the Big 12 Tournament finals. An outlier, but maybe still a possibility, is Oregon to balance the regions with a true west coast team.

Who's No. 8/9: In the NCAA Tournament field the No. 8/9 seed is considered the equivalent of 'Aces and Eights" as a bad luck poker hand. The No. 8 seed plays a No. 9 seed in the opening round, essentially the most evenly matched opening game on the board. And no matter who wins, they draw a No. 1 seed in the next game. In most cases, exit, stage left.

Yet in this season of parity, in fact for the entire tournament, style of play may actually be more important than seed of an opponent. As a No. 1 seed, do you really want to play a Syracuse, Wisconsin, Pitt or Florida? All of those teams are projected as potential 8/9 seeds.

Just so you know: In 2013, Wichita State was a No. 9 seed and the first to make it to the Final Four from that slot since 1985. Butler was the last No. 8 seed to advance to the Final Four, in 2011.

Post it note: Is there is quality post player in the Top 25, a player who can carry a team down the stretch? Here is the best I've found:

• Diamond Stone, Maryland -- 6-11, 255, averages 12.8 points, but has only scored over 20 points twice this season.
• Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa -- 6-9, 210, has averaged 18.8 points, prototypical 'stretch' player. But clearly not a banger.
• Perry Ellis, Kansas -- 6-8, 225, leads the team in scoring (16.6 points) but is not the 'go-to' player for the Jayhawks overall.
• Devin Williams, West Virginia -- 6-9, 255, is a more traditional post averaging 13.3 points and 9.0 boards.
• Steve McElvene, Dayton -- 6-11, 268, is a project post (6.2 points, 6.2 rebounds) who could blossom on the big stage.

The one player who could really give his team a boost is Texas center Cameron Ridley (12.7 points, 10.0 rebounds). The 6-9, 285-pound pivot broke his foot during the Christmas holiday. The hope has been for his return by the Big 12 Conference Tournament. Considered a NBA prospect coming out of high school, Ridley can rekindle those thoughts with a big showing in March, if he is healthy.

Michael Reghi, Bud Shaw, Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe discuss whether the Cleveland Cavaliers can win an NBA title without making a trade at the deadline. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the All-Star break with the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they continue to be at the center of trade rumors as the deadline approaches on Thursday, Feb. 18. 

Do the Cavaliers need to make a move to boost their title chances? Can they win the championship without a deal?

Bud Shaw, Michael Reghi, Dan Labbe and I answer that question during our weekly video series. 

Watch the video above and share your thoughts in the comments section. 

2015 seventh rounder is coming back from a torn ACL that prevented him from being selected much higher.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ifo Ekpre-Olomu hasn't played a down of real football since 2014. He indicated on Instagram on Monday that he might be close to playing again. 

"A lot of people have asked about my recovery," Ekpre-Olomu said in the post. "I'm not quite 100 (percent) yet but I'm close and in the next couple of weeks I'll show you some of the progress I've made." 

The Browns made Ekpre-Olomu their final pick in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft, 241st overall. Following a strong junior season, he returned to Oregon for his senior year, only to tear his ACL and dislocate his knee bone during a practice in December 2014. Prior to the injury, he had a shot to go in the first or second round. The Browns knew they were picking a player to essentially stash for the entirety of the 2015 season. 

"The resume spoke for itself," CBS Sports draft analyst Dane Brugler told Cleveland.com's Tom Reed in December. "When you break up as many passes as he did, that's impressive. He was a top-50 pick in my mind." 

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu offered an update on his status via Instagram on Monday.Instagram 

Softening the blow of the injury, Ekpre-Olomu reportedly earned a $3 million settlement on an insurance policy his college bankrolled to entice him to return for his senior year. He told Cleveland.com in December he expects to return for the team's first organized activities in April. That would mark 16 months since suffering the injury. 

"Although this past year has had many ups and downs, I'm finally close to the point I want to be," Ekpre-Olomu said in his Instagram post. "Now it's time to get better as a player and person." 

The Browns' secondary struggled in 2015, especially after losing cornerback Joe Haden to a concussion. Adding Ekpre-Olomu, if he's able to live up to predraft expectations, would serve as a significant boost to an area of the team that needs just that.

Beachwood’s upset on the road Friday of Garfield Heights stirred up this week’s cleveland.com boys basketball Top 25. The Bison rise from eighth to third, while No. 1 St. Vincent-St. Mary remains i...

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Beachwood’s upset on the road Friday of Garfield Heights stirred up this week’s cleveland.com boys basketball Top 25. The Bison rise from eighth to third, while No. 1 St. Vincent-St. Mary remains in the top spot.

Read below for this week’s rankings. Records are listed in parenthesis, followed by previous ranking.

1, St. Vincent-St. Mary (17-3, 1)

Comment: The Fighting Irish take a six-game winning streak into the final week of the regular season.

Next up: Tuesday at North Canton Hoover, Friday at Canton McKinley.

2, Benedictine (18-2, 3)

Comment: Last week’s developments have pushed the Bengals up to No. 2, but two tough tests await them. Only No. 1 St. Vincent-St. Mary has left Lakewood and St. Edward with a win.

Next up: Tuesday at No. 5 St. Edward, Friday at No. 16 Walsh Jesuit.

3, Beachwood (19-2, 8)

Comment: Speaking of tough places to play, Beachwood became the first team this season to win at Garfield Heights with its 83-71 victory Friday. The Bison never trailed, and Tyrone Gibson continued his scoring pace with a team-high 28 on the balanced squad. Remember, Beachwood is in Division III and owns wins against two Division I state semifinalists from last year. That is enough to vault the Bison high up the rankings.

Next up: Thursday at Harvey.

4, Garfield Heights (17-4, 2)

Comment: If there was a plus for Garfield Heights last week, it was Braun Hartfield’s debut and point guard Marreon Jackson’s return from a brief absence. Hartfield supplied 14 points off the bench, which has been a question mark for the Bulldogs.

Next up: Wednesday vs. No. 6 St. Ignatius.

5, St. Edward (13-6, 5)

Comment: The Eagles have put together some impressive victories, and the latest came Saturday in the form of a 31-point home win vs. Central Catholic. The No. 1 seed in the Division I Strongsville District draws the Stow Division II No. 1 before Saturday’s showdown with rival St. Ignatius.

Next up: Tuesday vs. No. 2 Benedictine, Saturday at No. 6 St. Ignatius.

6, St. Ignatius (14-5, 4)

Comment: The Wildcats lost a tough one Saturday at Massillon Jackson, where Kyle Young’s 25 points proved too much. All of a sudden, Wednesday’s game at Garfield Heights pits two squads looking to bounce back.

Next up: Wednesday at No. 4 Garfield Heights, Saturday vs. No. 5 St. Edward.

7, Lorain (17-3, 6)

Comment: With a share of the Lake Erie League title locked up, the Titans can win their second straight outright championship Friday with a win or Bedford loss.

Next up: Friday vs. Cleveland Heights.

8, East Tech (17-3, 7)

Comment: After a week off from its Senate League title win, East Tech draws to smaller, but talented, foes before the postseason. Remember, East Tech moved down to Division II this season.

Next up: Tuesday vs. Lutheran East, Wednesday at Warrensville Heights.

9, Copley (20-0, 10)

Comment: Can Mark Dente’s Indians wrap up an undefeated regular season?

Next up: Tuesday at Kent Roosevelt, Friday vs. Green.

10, Brunswick (17-4, 14)

Comment: Joe Mackey’s Blue Devils emerged from last week’s Greater Cleveland Conference crunch with a share of the GCC title. It took a narrow win at Strongsville to do so.

Next up: Friday vs. Shaker Heights.

11, Bedford (14-6, 9)

Comment: Depth hurt Bedford in its rematch at Lorain.

Next up: Friday vs. Maple Heights.

12, Central Catholic (14-6, 12)

Comment: The Ironmen have the North Coast League White Division all but wrapped up before Saturday’s finale at Villa Angela-St. Joseph.

Next up: Friday at Youngstown Valley Christian, Saturday at No. 19 Villa Angela-St. Joseph.

13, Archbishop Hoban (16-4, 13)

Comment: While the Knights need help to catch Benedictine in the North Coast League Blue Division, they have a nonconference matchup Tuesday against undefeated and Division III state-ranked Tuslaw.

Next up: Tuesday at Massillon Tuslaw, Friday vs. Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin.

14, Brecksville (16-3, 11)

Comment: A gauntlet awaits the Bees this week. One win hands them the outright Suburban League National Division title. Both Stow and Hudson are two games behind.

Next up: Tuesday at No. 23 Stow, Friday vs. No. No. 21 Hudson.

15, Medina (15-6, 16)

Comment: The Bees avenged an earlier loss to Elyria in impressive fashion. If they can keep Mentor from doing the same, they will enter a deep Division I Copley District with momentum.

Next up: Friday at No. 24 Mentor.

16, Walsh Jesuit (13-7, 17)

Comment: The Warriors have a first-round by at Copley. They await Medina, which opted to play early, or Akron North.

Next up: Friday vs. No. 2 Benedictine.

17, Midview (16-5, 18)

Comment: Middies coach Troy DiFranco will have one last home game in the sectional round. They can claim at least a share of the Southwestern Conference title Tuesday.

Next up: Tuesday at North Ridgeville.

18, Elyria (13-6, 15)

Comment: Last week was a tough one for the Pioneers, who lost a close one at home to Strongsville and then handed a hard loss at Medina.

Next up: Friday vs. Solon.

19, Villa Angela-St. Joseph (15-5, 19)

Comment: The Vikings still have an outside shot at a North Coast League White Division share, but they’re also gearing up for a tough Garfield Heights district in Division III.

Next up: Friday vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, Saturday vs. Central Catholic.

20, Bay (16-3, 20)

Comment: Busy Tuesday? The Rockets will host what is essentially a Great Lakes Conference championship game.

Next up: Tuesday vs. No. 25 Elyria Catholic, Friday at Parma, Saturday at Olmsted Falls.

21, Hudson (16-4, 21)

Comment: The Explorers bring an eight-game win streak into the week.

Next up: Tuesday at Wadsworth, Friday at Brecksville.

22, North Olmsted (15-5, 23)

Comment: The Eagles climbed back atop the SWC – with Medina and Avon – thanks to Jimmy Clark’s late 3 that sent them into overtime Friday and an eventual victory against Olmsted Falls.

Next up: Tuesday at Avon Lake, Friday vs. Buckeye.

23, Stow (16-4, 24)

Comment: Like Suburban League rival Hudson, the Bulldogs are peaking at the right time. In fact, the Explorers are the only team to beat them in their 11 games.

Next up: Tuesday vs. No. 14 Brecksville, Friday at North Royalton.

24, Mentor (12-9, 25)

Comment: Bob Krizancic’s squad looks to be turning a corner right in time for the Division I Euclid District, where it’s the top seed.

Next up: Friday vs. No. 15 Medina.

25, Elyria Catholic (13-6, NR)

Comment: The Panthers pushed Central Catholic to the limit Tuesday and scored a sound, 15-point home win Friday vs. Rocky River to set up their upcoming GLC showdown with Bay.

Next up: Tuesday at No. 20 Bay, Wednesday at No. 11 Bedford, Friday vs. Valley Forge.

DROPPED FROM TOP 25

Olmsted Falls (13-7, 22)

ON THE BUBBLE

Avon (14-7), Chagrin Falls (16-4), Clearview (16-6), Lutheran East (15-4), Mogadore (18-1), Orange (15-5).

The Buckeyes have yet to beat a team ranked ahead of them in the Big Ten standings. They'll have four chances to do so in their final five games. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jae'Sean Tate has seemed pretty in tune with Ohio State's place in the Big Ten standings all year.

Even when the Buckeyes were at one of their few low points this season, Tate always pointed to opportunities ahead to turn things around and get some big wins. So he knows the implications of Tuesday night's game against Michigan at Value City Arena.

Michigan is 9-4 in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes are 8-5. A win for Ohio State would change things a bit and put the Buckeyes in position to play for better seeding in the Big Ten Tournament. Right now, they're the No. 8 seed. Michigan is No. 4.

There's such a logjam in the standings, and still so many games left that the picture should look a little different by March. But the time to play for positioning is now. Tate knows that much. He also knows that the opportunity Ohio State has on Tuesday is one the Buckeyes have let slip away time and again this season.

But Tate didn't know the exact numbers on this:

Ohio State is 8-0 against teams ranked below it in the Big Ten standings, and 0-5 against teams ranked ahead of  it.

Michigan is ranked ahead of the Buckeyes, so if things follow that trend ... Tate didn't go there.

"I think it's a lack of focus when it comes down to the wire," Tate said Monday. "I feel like we're getting better. We've gotten so much better than where we were in the beginning of the season, but we still have to work on finishing games. It's just those couple possessions that are key. We capitalize on those possessions, you say we're 0-5, but that can turn into 5-0."

To be fair, it's probably more like 3-2. The point is Ohio State let possible wins slip away against Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin.

Efforts in those games were better, considerably, than losses at Indiana and Maryland, but they still ended in the loss column.  Wins in any of those five games and the conversation about the NCAA Tournament would be a little different. The Buckeyes' situation would be less dire.

Ohio State basketball NCAA Tournament tracker

Now Ohio State is in a position where it needs multiple wins against a schedule that includes Michigan, Iowa a road game at Nebraska and a home-and-home with Michigan State. Even that might not be enough, but if there's a path, it starts Tuesday against Michigan.

"You're getting into late February. All games are vitally important," Thad Matta said. "You look where they are, where we are, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out there's some implications to this game."

That stark contrast in Ohio State's Big Ten play -- winless against the best teams and undefeated against the worst teams -- leaves little hope that the Buckeyes could somehow change the narrative. Varied inconsistencies throughout the team (like the fact that its best players sometimes go scoreless), make it difficult to imagine a scenario in which they turn things around.

This is a team that hasn't had a significant Big Ten win since it beat Purdue at home last February. Matta's teams have historically been good in February, but rarely ever have they been this inexperienced. That makes it difficult to predict just how the team will come out with the stakes so high now.

That's why it was so puzzling when the Buckeyes felt good coming into last Saturday's game against Rutgers, but left with a win that left them wanting more.

"That's the thing we've talked about with this team," Matta said. "Sometimes you have to play yourself through a bad start, or a bad finish, and find ways. A bad stretch doesn't dictate that the game's over for you. Sometimes I think that's youth, and hopefully we've hammered that point home."

Ohio State has shown a tendency to let things snowball, often in a bad way and rarely in a good way. That led to lopsided losses earlier, and the inability to close more recently.

The fact that things never got out of hand in games against Purdue and the second time against Maryland are progress, Matta said. But that only gets you so far.

Now Ohio State needs to find a way to take the next step that leads to wins in these important games. Chances to do so are becoming more scarce.

"Sometimes earlier in the season we could get down 10 points and we'd let up," Kam Williams said. "We know now that we can still hang around teams, we just need to fine tune some areas. We can't quit, we can't give up, and we know if we do that, something is finally gonna fall through for us."

The 22-year-old actor plays the former Cleveland resident, Ohio State star and Olympic champion in a movie released this week. Watch video

What Stephan James looks like as Jesse Owens in the movie "Race" on a promotional board in the student union at Ohio State.Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com 

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- You can't play Jesse Owens and look slow.

The movie "Race," which opens nationally on Friday, tells the story of Owens, who went from Cleveland to Ohio State to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where he won four gold medals in Nazi Germany.

It's a story that goes beyond the track, obviously. But you can't make a movie about the fastest man in the world at the time, as Owens won gold in both the 100 and 200 meters, and have an actor out there who looks like he's jogging.

Stephan James thinks he has it down.

"It ruins the whole film, for sure," James said of the idea of looking slow on camera. "I think I came across as fast in the film."

The 22-year-old explained in an interview with cleveland.com on Monday just what went into capturing Owens the athlete. James was at Ohio State for a premiere of the movie on campus Monday night.

He said he filmed most of the running scenes himself as opposed to having a stunt double do it.

Watch the video at the top of this page to see James' explanation of learning to run like an Olympic champion and to see how a race almost happened in a hallway Monday.

To see the full interview with James, which includes what current athletes could learn from Owens, whether he wants to do a zombie movie and what Drake is like as a basketball coach, see the video below.