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NASCAR 2016: Sunday's lineup, TV, live scoring, updates

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Kurt Busch is on the pole for today's NASCAR Sprint Cup Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kurt Busch is on the pole in his hometown for today's NASCAR Sprint Cup Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Race coverage on FOX begins at 3 p.m., with the green flag scheduled to drop at 3:30.

You can follow along live on NASCAR's Race Center.

Busch won the pole in Friday's qualifying time, then brother Kyle Busch won Saturday XFINITY Series race on his hometown track.

Joey Logano starts next to Kurt Busch in the No. 2 spot, with Matt Kenseth No. 3 and Brad Keselowski No. 4. You can see the full lineup here.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP
KOBALT 400
Site: Las Vegas.
Schedule: Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (Fox, 3-7 p.m.).
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).
Race distance: 400.5 miles, 267 laps.
Last year: Kevin Harvick raced to the first of his three 2015 victories.
Last week: Jimmie Johnson won at Atlanta for the second straight year. He tied the late Dale Earnhardt for seventh place on the career victory list with 76.
Fast facts: The race is the third of the year. Denny Hamlin won the season-opening Daytona 500. ... Johnson has a record four Las Vegas victories. ... Brian Vickers is driving Stewart-Haas Racing's No. 14 Chevrolet in place of the injured Tony Stewart. Retiring at the end of the season, Stewart fractured his back in an accident on an all-terrain vehicle. Vickers was 26th subbing for Stewart at Daytona, and Ty Dillon was 17th in the car at Atlanta.
Next race: Good Sam 500, March 13, Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona.

XFINITY
BOYD GAMING 300
Site: Las Vegas.
Saturday's race: Kyle Busch led 199 of 200 laps to end his 0-for-11 drought in his hometown.
Next race: Axalta 200, March 12, Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona.

CAMPING WORLD TRUCK
Next race: Alpha Energy Solutions 250, April 2, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Virginia.
Last week: John Hunter Nemechek won at Atlanta, holding off Cameron Hayley by 0.305 seconds.

NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING
Next event: Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 17-20, Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Florida.
Last week: Leah Pritchett won at Chandler, Arizona, beating Brittany Force in the first all-female Top Fuel final since 1982. Tim Wilkerson won in Funny Car, and Jason Line in Pro Stock.

VERIZON INDYCAR
Next race: Firestone Grand Prix Of St. Petersburg, March 13, Streets of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Florida.

FORMULA ONE
Next race: Australian Grand Prix, March 20, Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia.

OTHER RACES
WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car: FVP Outlaw Showdown, Thursday-Friday, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas, Las Vegas; NAPA Desert Shootout, Sunday, Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, Arizona. 

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)


Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon together at UFC196 in Las Vegas Saturday night

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Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon have gotten in trouble together in the past, but it didn't stop Gordon from hanging out with his pal at the UFC196 fights in Vegas Saturday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon are back together again, but not in the way that Mike Pettine predicted they might be at the end of last season.

Manziel, who's facing domestic violence charges, and Gordon, who's hoping to be reinstated from his drug ban soon by the NFL, were photographed together Saturday at the UFC196 fights in Las Vegas.

The sight of Gordon and Manziel together has always sent shivers up the Browns' spine, but now only half of that duo is the club's problem anymore.

Manziel, who's domestic violence probe has been turned over to a grand jury in Texas, will be waived by the Browns on Wednesday, the first day of the new league year.

They've reached the end of their rope with him after two years of lies, excessive partying, possible domestic violence and very little production on the football field.
As for Gordon, it remains to be seen how this will all play out. He applied for reinstatement in January, and Commissioner Roger Goodell will decide sometime this month on whether or not to let him back into the league.

During his Super Bowl press conference last month, Goodell said, "Our No. 1 issue here is to prevent these things from happening. I'm hopeful that Josh understands that he's going to have to conduct himself differently going forward to be a member of the NFL and to be representing the Cleveland Browns, or any team in the NFL.

Mike Pettine says a Manziel-Gordon would be positive

"So our job is to try to get people to understand that, try to make sure that they live by the policies that we have and ensure that this is what all of us in the league want, but also I think our fans want. our fans want players playing by the same rules.''

So it's not a lock that Gordon, who's been suspended in each of the last three seasons, will be reinstated in the first place. And if he is, will he actually be on the Browns' roster in 2016?

Browns Executive Vice President Sashi Brown stressed at the NFL Combine that Gordon will have to demonstrate that he's changed in order to have a place on the team.

Roger Goodell says Gordon will have to show he's changed

"He understands that he's made some mistakes in the past, I think he's accountable for those and everything that we see and hear in talking to his representation and those that have been in communication with him is that he's eager to get back and contribute,'' Brown said. "And we feel like if he's accomplished those things, there's a spot for him on the roster, (and he) could certainly help.''

Coach Hue Jackson has stressed that high character is important, and that the Browns won't tolerate misbehavior. But he's noted that if Gordon is reinstated, he'll start with a clean slate like everyone else.

During an introductory press conference with associate head coach/offensive Pep Hamilton two weeks ago, he revealed that the coaches "have not'' discussed the possibility of having Gordon back on the roster next season.

So for now, it seems, the Browns are preparing to play without him, and if they get him back, it's a bonus.

It also remains to be seen if Gordon wants to remain with the Browns. He was suspended by the club for the final game of 2014 for oversleeping for the walk-through the day before, and it cost him an accrued season (six games played) towards unrestricted free agency. Gordon was out with Manziel the night before, and both players overslept that day. The two have remained in close contact throughout Gordon's suspension, and Gordon accompanied Manziel to Texas A&M for a game during the season.

Once he's reinstated, Gordon will resume his grievance through the NFLPA and try to get his accrued season back. If he wins, he'll be an unrestricted free agent after 2016. If he loses, he'll be a restricted free agent and won't have a good chance of hitting the open market and cashing in.

So a lot has to happen before Gordon can make it back into a Browns uniform.

And hanging out with Manziel probably isn't the best way to get back in the good graces of the club.

Pat Elflein, Greg Studrawa and an important dinner for Ohio State's transitioning offensive line

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The new offensive line coach and Ohio State's oldest offensive lineman hit it off right away. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio --  Greg Studrawa and Pat Elflein got to know each other in the only way two men of substantial girth could, over a nice meal.

Ohio State's new offensive line coach and the oldest member of the Buckeyes offensive line sat down at a Champps sports bar in Columbus in January -- just the two of them -- and they laid out the groundwork for what's going to be an important season for that position group.

It was the first day of their new relationship. They had sat down earlier that day for a conversation in Urban Meyer's office, and that went well. This was different.

You can learn a lot about a guy based on what he picks off the appetizer menu.

"It was a good dinner," Elflein said. "It was real casual. We were talking about his players, his stories. Just talking. What he's about, what I'm about. What we have to do together to get this unit going."

That last part if what's most important.

It's not surprising that Studrawa and Elflein would get along. Studrawa is an offensive line coach straight out of central casting, a large man with a booming voice and a personality that seems like it would mesh well with anyone.

Ohio State's offensive line calls themselves "The Slobs." Studrawa -- and this is a compliment -- seems like he'll fit right in.

"I know the personalities in our room," Elflein said. "Getting to know his, I knew it was going to be perfect."

But Elflein liking his new coach personally, and accepting his vision for the offensive line are two different things.

Entering a season in which Elflein will be moving from guard to center, and the Buckeyes will be replacing three new starters, a transition to a new coach can muddy things. That offensive line has known one way of doing things for four years under former offensive line coach Ed Warinner, and now that's changing.

So that's what made the dinner important. Studrawa had to sell his vision for the offensive line to that group's most important player and its leader.

"Any room starts with the leaders," Studrawa said. "It's me and it's the leaders in that room who will dictate the culture and show the young guys how to do it. Pat and I need to be on the same page."

The switch to a new coach seemingly would affect a guy like Elflein the most.

He's entering his fifth season at Ohio State, and the first four were all with the same position coach. He and guard Billy Price would be more set in their ways than anybody, the rest of those younger guys might have an easier adjustment to something new.

Having that old position coach around could complicate things even more. Warinner is still very visible as the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach. Studrawa downplayed any such complications, but it had to be asked because that could be an awkward thing.

Studrawa made sure it wasn't.

"Ed, Coach Meyer and I sat those kids down and told them what was going on," Studrawa said. "The good thing is Ed's not leaving, he's right here. So the relationships are still here, there's just gonna be a new guy around them coaching them."

So on the flip side of things, maybe it's good that Warinner is still around to help smooth over this transition from a veteran offensive line to one with three players with little to no experience.

But from the sound of it there won't be any of that needed, because the new coach and the senior player are on the same page.

"I've been with Coach Warinner for four years, I know what he teaches, what he expects," Elflein said. "To get a new perspective on things, I'm excited about that. I'll have more ideas, techniques. Coach Warinner will still be around, and add his two cents. Coach Stud, we all love him. He fits really well in our room."

LeBron James' tweets can cause 'nightmares' if you let them

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LeBron James nd his Twitter account are either spelling doom for the Cavs or are messing with us.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James and that Twitter account of his...together they're either wreaking havoc and spelling doom for the Cavaliers, or simply messing with us.

Here's James' latest blast, to some more than 28.5 million followers, this morning, around the time many are finishing up with church:

We're not going to speculate here as to whom or what he's referring.

But there's been a lot of speculating over the past week, mostly because James has unleashed a string of cryptic, either virtually innocuous or potentially loaded tweets since Tuesday.

James was asked about the first two on Thursday, and didn't want to talk about it. He'll be asked again Monday following Cleveland's shootaround in preparation for the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Cavs are 44-17, lead the Raptors by 2.5 games for first place in the East, and beat their last two opponents by a combined 42 points over the weekend.

So, what's the problem? Is there one? Is it all a ruse? Motivation tactic?

Here are all James' strange tweets from the past week:

 

Two can be at least partially explained. He was credited with convincing hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar to release an album Thursday evening, and he spent time with friend Dwyane Wade during a brief trip to Miami on the Cavs' off days.

But, as you can see, he sprinkled in some intrigue with those tweets, too.

Find all four of the OHSAA girls basketball state brackets 2016

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Here is a look at 2016 OHSAA girls basketball state brackets.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Here are the four statewide, division-by-division girls basketball brackets for the 2016 OHSAA tournament.

There are five local girls basketball teams remaining including Cornerstone Christian, Gilmour, Hathaway Brown, Solon and Wadsworth ranked No. 1 in Division I.


Click the links below to access the brackets, which are printable. The brackets also are interactive. Click on the game to see more about the matchup, particularly after the game has been played.


These brackets will be updated as the state championships progress, starting on Thursday.


Division I


Division II


Division III


Division IV


Here is a look back at the district/regional brackets.


DIVISION I


Canton Region


Akron SVSM


Euclid


Perry


Walsh University


Kettering Region


Harrison 1


Harrison 2


Harrison 3


Harrison 4


Westerville


Columbus 1


Columbus 2


Columbus 3


Columbus 4


TBA Region


Elyria Catholic


Medina


Parma Heights Valley Forge


Toledo Central Catholic


DIVISION II


Barberton Region


Austintown-Fitch


Elyria


Grand Valley


Nordonia


Ontario Region


Anthony Wayne


Paulding 


Uniontown Lake


Willard


Springfield Region


Mason 1


Mason 2


Mason 3


Westerville 2


Zanesville Region


Chillicothe


Coshocton


OU-Belmont


Westerville 1


DIVISION III


Cuyahoga Falls Region


North Ridgeville


Ravenna


Struthers


Wooster


Lexington Region


Columbus 1


Elida


Millbury Lake


Shelby


Logan Region


East


Waverly 1


Waverly 2


Waverly 3


Springfield Region


Columbus 2


Springfield 1


Springfield 2


Springfield 3


DIVISION IV


Elida Region


Archbold 


Gibsonburg


Ottawa-Glandorf


Seneca East


Massillon Region


Grand Valley


Mineral Ridge


New Philadelphia


Norwayne


Tipp City Region


Tipp City 1


Tipp City 2


Tipp City 3


Wapakoneta


TBA Region


Jackson 1


Jackson 2 


New Albany 1


New Albany 2


Follow our high school sports Twitter account @neovarsity and tag your high school sports tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Memphis Grizzlies: Tipoff time, TV channel and radio information

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The Cleveland Cavaliers will wrap up their four-game homestand on Monday night when they host the Memphis Grizzlies. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. and the game will be shown on Fox Sports Ohio and NBA TV.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will wrap up their four-game homestand on Monday night when they host the Memphis Grizzlies. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. and the game will be shown on Fox Sports Ohio and NBA TV. On radio, it will be simulcast on WTAM-AM 1100, 100.7 WMMS-FM and 87.7 FM (ESP).

The Cavaliers (43-17) have won three straight games, including Saturday's 120-103 win against the Boston Celtics. 

In the win, LeBron James scored 28 points to go with 11 rebounds and eight assists. Kyrie Irving added 20 points. 

Memphis (37-25) has won three of its last four games. Most recently, the Grizzlies lost to the Phoenix Suns, 109-100, on Sunday. In the loss, Mike Conley led the new-look Grizzlies with 22 points.

Without Marc Gasol, who is sidelined with a foot injury, Zach Randolph has picked up his play, averaging 14.6 points on the season. 

Monday marks the second and final contest between the Cavs and Grizzlies. The Cavs won the first matchup, beating the Grizzlies, 106-76, in the second game of the regular season. 

Catch the coverage from before the game; join in the live chat starting at tipoff; and stick around for full postgame coverage. For all Cavs information, be sure to check out cleveland.com/cavs

LeBron James' strange tweets a product of his 'beautiful mind,' he says

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LeBron James said anyone with an 'educated mind' should understand his strange tweets. Don't look now, but Kyrie Irving is tweeting weird things, too.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - LeBron James said those with an "educated mind" should have no trouble deciphering the cryptic tweets he's unleashed on his social media account over the past week to some 28.5 million followers.

"If you have an educated mind, they hit home for you," James said Monday, after the Cavaliers' shooatround in preparation to play Memphis at The Q. "Last night I tweeted that consistency and structure breeds perfection and if you take a short cut, or if you don't handle business then you come up short. I think everybody should understand that.

"It's nothing between the lines, it's just, life," James said. "You can't shortcut being perfect or trying to be as perfect as you can, or trying to get to a point where you just feel like you can succeed.

"So, for educated minds, it should be fine."

Oh.

 

After a relatively quiet season on Twitter for James, he has for the past six days blitzed his followers with messages that have no obvious target or intent. The messages themselves are mostly platitudes and cliches - shortcuts are of course frowned upon - but it's the who and the why with James' tweets that has caused such a stir.

SEE: All of LeBron's weird tweets

Is there a problem on the Cavs? Has he grown tired of Cleveland? Why send these tweets to such a large audience without explaining what they mean if they're innocuous?

Or, perhaps he's just playing.

James sent two tweets Sunday. The other said you can't accomplish "the dream if everyone isn't dreaming the same thing every day. Nightmares follow."

It wouldn't be a leap to assume he was somehow directing the message toward a Cavaliers teammate or two, given that he's made similar suggestions to the press earlier this season and coach Tyronn Lue said Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love needed to defer to James to win rather than worry about their brands.

James said on Monday that "conflict throughout the course of a season ... builds character. It builds even more trust."

But he also said he wasn't tweeting to create internal conflict on the Cavs.

"It's just my mind working, that's all," James said. "I don't know if anything started it. Just my mind working. I got a beautiful mind and I want to use it sometimes in a social manner."

James also declined to say what #TheDC means -- the hashtag he's been using on many of his tweets.

Not to be left out of the cryptic tweet game, Irving let loose his own mysterious message Monday morning.

Cam Akers, the recent Alabama decommit, still making Ohio State visit Monday despite JK Dobbins commitment

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Rated the No. 3 running back in the 2017 class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Akers is on his way up to Columbus from Mississippi and will stick around for a few days to see Ohio State kick off spring football on Tuesday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When five-star running back Cam Akers of Clinton, Miss., announced his decision to decommit from Alabama late last week, it was huge news for Ohio State. 

That's because the 6-foot, 210-pound prospect was one of Ohio State's top-remaining targets at the running back position and he had a trip scheduled to Columbus for an unofficial visit starting Monday. 

Ohio State, however, picked up a verbal commitment from four-star running back JK Dobbins of La Grange, Texas, on Sunday evening, giving Urban Meyer two running back pledges in the 2017 recruiting class. 

Dobbins' pledge isn't stopping Akers from taking his visit. 

Rated the No. 3 running back in the 2017 class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Akers is on his way up to Columbus from Mississippi and will stick around for a few days to see Ohio State kick off spring football on Tuesday. 

Ohio State has 13 verbal commitments in its 2017 recruiting class that currently ranks No. 1 overall in the 247Sports composite team rankings, and two are running backs: Dobbins and four-star Todd Sibley of Archbishop Hoban. 

As things stand right now, the Buckeyes just don't have room for another running back. They just don't. 

But that doesn't mean Ohio State is going to turn down the opportunity to host a prospect like Akers, who just got done being named the MVP for running backs at a Rivals.com camp in New Orleans. 

Why? Because things are always in flux in recruiting and every opportunity to get face time with an elite prospect has to be a must for Ohio State. 


Who should the Cleveland Browns cut?

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We offer our opinions on which players the Browns should cut. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel will be cut when the new league year opens on Wednesday. Are there other players on the Browns roster that could or should get sent packing that day?

Michael Reghi, Chris Fedor and Bud Shaw offered their opinions and predictions on what the Browns should do during our weekly series of videos. Take a look at the video above and weigh in in the comments with the player you think the Browns should cut when Wednesday rolls around.

Browns pursuing Bengals receiver Marvin Jones in free agency

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The Browns are pursuing Bengals receiver Marvin Jones in free agency, a league source told cleveland.com.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns will pursue Bengals receiver Marvin Jones in free agency, a league source told cleveland.com.

Jones, 25, played for Browns coach Hue Jackson in Cincinnati and Jackson would like to bring him to Cleveland as his No. 1 or No. 2 receiver.

Jackson also liked Bengals free agent receiver Mohamed Sanu, but Jones has more speed.

Last season, coming off foot surgery that cost him all of 2014, Jones caught 65 passes for 816 yard and four TDs in 13 starts. The thinking is that Jones could break out of No. 1 receiver A.J. Green's shadow in Cleveland and establish himself as a Pro Bowl-caliber wideout.

Hue Jackson says Alex Mack's value right 'up there with the QB's'

Jones (6-2, 198) really likes Jackson, which will be a huge selling point for the Browns. But as one of the top receivers on the market, he'll draw a lot of attention and command a big salary. Teams were permitted to begin negotiating at noon today.

A reference point is the contract that No. 2 receiver Golden Tate signed last year with the Lions. It's a five-year deal worth $31 million, including $16 million guaranteed and an $8 million signing bonus.

LeBron James said playing Kobe Bryant one last time won't override need to rest

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LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are supposed to play one last time this week, but LeBron explained why it might not happen.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - LeBron James said one last chance to play against Kobe Bryant would not override the need to rest his body if coach Tyronn Lue wants to rest him against the Los Angeles Lakers this week.

"I don't think so," James said Monday, following the Cavs' shootaround in preparation to play Memphis at The Q. "I had an opportunity to play against him here and also in the All-Star game and I've been watching him throughout this journey.

"But for me, playing against him one last time doesn't come into play if Coach wants to rest me that night."

Bryant, 37, is in his 20th and final season. He's also nursing a bad shoulder and has missed three of the Lakers' last five games. He scored 12 points and shot 4-of-14 in L.A.'s surprise win over Golden State Sunday.

James and the Cavs will be at Staples Center Thursday to play the Lakers in game two of Cleveland's four-game Western trip. The Cavs play in Sacramento the night before, and coach Tyronn Lue has made it clear he will rest his key guys over the final month to prepare for the playoffs.

So it's apparently well within the realm of possibility James sits on Thursday, just as there's a chance Bryant's shoulder could force him out.

If either scenario emerges, then the last James-Bryant showdown was Feb. 10 in Cleveland (that counted; they also played in the All-Star Game in Toronto on Feb. 14.)

James scored 29 points to go with 11 assists and seven rebounds in a 120-111 win for the Cavs over the Lakers; Bryant contributed 17 points and signed a pair of shoes for James afterwards.

SEE: The evolution of LeBron's relationship with Kobe

James, who's missed just two games this season - both for rest - said he and Lue have "discussed a few things," about James' schedule, "but it's still day-to-day though.

"We want to go by day by day and not try to plan too much."

James is averaging 24.8 points in a career-low 35.8 minutes per game this season.

Ohio State basketball: 7 thoughts on the Buckeyes and the Big Ten Tournament

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The Big Ten Tournament begins Wednesday, the Buckeyes open play on Thursday against Penn State. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Take Marc Loving, Ohio State's only junior, out of the equation and the Buckeyes basketball team has exactly 24 minutes worth of experience playing in the Big Ten Ten Tournament.

Those 24 minutes belong to Keita Bates-Diop (11) and Kam Williams (13), who saw limited time in two conference tournament games last year.

This is another new experience for this Ohio State team, how it reacts to a win-and-go-home scenario is unknown.

"Most of our guys have a pretty good understanding where if you don't win you go home," Thad Matta said Monday. "At that particular juncture, the level should be raised in terms of how we want to play and how we want to compete."

Ohio State (19-12, 11-7) opens Big Ten Tournament play on Thursday night against Penn State (16-15, 7-11) in Indianapolis.

Under ideal circumstances, you'd want to come into the conference tournament off a win, or at least a string of games where you feel like you're playing well. Instead Ohio State has two lopsided losses to Michigan State in its last three games.

So you have to wonder where this team's confidence level is going into an unknown situation off of a loss like it had to Michigan State on Saturday.

Maybe the naivete of this team is a good thing in that sense. Putting two games of the same kind of effort -- good or bad -- has been a rare thing this season. It's possible the loss to the Spartans doesn't effect the Buckeyes at all, which is good because their opening opponent is a tricky one.

"The thing about this tournament is things happen so fast, that a bad stretch can cost you," Matta said. "I think our guys have a pretty good understanding, but there are a lot of new guys who haven't been in this situation before."

2. Ohio State vs. Penn State: The Buckeyes beat the Nittany Lions by 20 points in January, and should win again to get to Friday's quarterfinals.

But the Nittany Lions won four of their last six games, including a win over then-No. 4 Iowa. Ohio State's best win is the same as Penn State's. That doesn't mean much, but this is a different Penn State team than the one Ohio State beat earlier.

Jae'Sean Tate held Penn State's leading scorer Brandon Taylor in check in January. The Buckeyes will have to find another body to put on Taylor, who averages 16.3 points per game. Lions guard Shep Garner injured his ankle early in the loss to Ohio State, and was hampered by that. Josh Reaves is an athletic guard averaging 6.4 points per game who didn't play last time against the Buckeyes.

"We're really two different teams," Penn State coach Pat Chambers said Monday. "We didn't have Reaves, Garner was hurt and now they don't have Tate. It should be an interesting matchup."

See the full 2016 Big Ten Tournament bracket

3. Does Ohio State actually have to win the Big Ten Tournament? That's been my thinking since the Buckeyes lost to Michigan State on Saturday. Maybe I'm wrong. ESPN's Joe Lunardi had the Buckeyes among his first four out on Monday, in that scenario a win over the Spartans on Friday could be enough to get the Buckeyes into the NCAA Tournament.

You'd also have to believe Ohio State could beat Michigan State in that scenario.

It's also worth noting that the Buckeyes aren't listed among bubble teams by CBS Sports, and in BracketMatrix.com's sampling of 89 tournament projections Ohio State is mentioned once. So I'm still of the thinking they need to win the whole thing to get in.

4. Best potential Friday mathcup: No. 3 Maryland vs. No. 6 Wisconsin. The Badgers would have to get by the winner of Rutgers and Nebraska on Thursday (safe bet) to set up this quarterfinal matchup. The Terps and Badgers split both regular season meetings, with the road team winning each.

5. Thursday team that could make a run: No. 6 Wisconsin. Being hot counts, and though the Badgers lost to Purdue on Sunday, they've won 11 of their last 13. A Wisconsin vs. Michigan State semifinal on Saturday would be a good one.

6. Thursday team on upset alert: Ohio State. Like I said, this is a tricky matchup for the Buckeyes. Ohio State's time in Indianapolis could be short.

7. My pick: I said in our preseason Big Ten discussion that Purdue would win the Big Ten, so I'll stick with that. Purdue beats Indiana in the semifinals, then Michigan State in the final.

Kansas Jayhawks remain No. 1 in Associated Press Top 25 Poll (video)

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The Kansas Jayhawks solidify their status atop the AP Top 25 poll as the No. 1 team in the country going into conference tournament play. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Kansas Jayhawks remain the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, announced today.

The Jayhawks (27-4) got 63 of the 65 first-place votes from a selected national media panel. No. 2 Michigan State received the other two first-place votes.

The rest of the top five remain unchanged also, with Villanova third, followed by Virginia and Xavier.

Miami, which had been seventh last week, fell to 11th this week, while North Carolina moved up to No. 7. The same 25 teams are in the poll for the second straight week, the first time that has happened all season.

About last week: Perhaps for the first time all season the Top 25 ranks were not in upheaval. There was only one loss within the top 10 and only 11 top 25 losses overall. The only team to lose twice was Baylor, and both of those were to ranked teams in the No. 1 conference in the country, the Big 12.

Play-in games: On the face of it every team in the Top 25 appears safe for the 2016 NCAA Tournament as either an automatic qualifier or as an at-large team. But there are some teams that have been in and out of the Top 25 this season -- can you say Cincinnati, and Pitt -- that would do themselves a big favor by advancing a couple games in their respective conference tournaments just to be sure.

While probation has taken two sure NCAA Tournament teams -- SMU and Louisville -- out of the running for one of the 68 NCAA Tournament slots, the depth of parity around the country will still likely make the selection process even murkier.

AP Coach of the Year: My guess is there will be little or no talk about Xavier's Chris Mack as national Coach of the Year, but he certainly deserves to be in the conversation.

The Musketeers are one Top 25 team that had very little drama surrounding it all season. The Musketeers (26-4) never had a big losing streak and when the spotlight hit them in big games, rarely failed. They will be no worse than a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and deep in the argument to be on the top line.

Kansas coach Bill Self probably will be in the discussion. And considering what he did without a full band of MCDonald's All-Americans, he deserves to be.

It's been noted before, but his starting backcourt of Frank Mason and Devonte Graham are two players originally well below the five-star line the Jayhawks normally recruit from who changed allegiance late from Towson State and Appalachian State for Kansas.

AP TOP 25 POLL

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through March 6, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:

 RecordPts  Prv
1. Kansas (63) 27-4 1,623   1
2. Michigan St. (2) 26-5 1,520   2
3. Villanova 27-4 1,480   3
4. Virginia 24-6 1,424   4
5. Xavier 26-4 1,351   5
6. Oklahoma 24-6 1,309   6
7. North Carolina 25-6 1,252   8
8. Oregon 25-6 1,127   9
9. West Virginia 24-7 1,113   10
10. Indiana 25-6 1,038   12
11. Miami 24-6 935   7
12. Utah 24-7 898   13
13. Purdue 24-7 798   15
14. Louisville 23-8 647   11
15. Arizona 24-7 626   18
16. Kentucky 23-8 608   22
17. Texas A&M 24-7 574   20
18. Maryland 24-7 544   14
19. Duke 22-9 512   17
20. Iowa 21-9 407   16
21. Iowa St. 21-10 374   21
22. Baylor 21-10 262   19
23. Texas 20-11 191   23
24. California 22-9 189   25
25. SMU 25-5 88   24

Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 62, Dayton 35, Saint Mary's (Cal) 33, Seton Hall 28, Stephen F. Austin 9, Butler 8, Providence 8, Valparaiso 7, Yale 7, Cincinnati 6, St. Bonaventure 6, Gonzaga 5, Akron 4, Temple 4, Notre Dame 3, San Diego St. 3, UAB 2, N. Iowa 1, S. Dakota St. 1, South Carolina 1, Texas Tech 1, Wichita St. 1.

ELTON ALEXANDER'S BALLOT

1. Kansas
2. Michigan State
3. Villanova
4. Virginia
5. Xavier
6. Oklahoma
7. North Carolina
8. Oregon
9. West Virginia
10. Miami
11. Indiana
12. Utah
13. Purdue
14. Louisville
15. Arizona
16. Maryland
17. Texas A&M
18. Kentucky
19. Iowa
20. Duke
21. Iowa State
22. Seton Hall
23. Cincinnati
24. Valparaiso
25. SMU

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)

Cleveland Browns should focus on younger free agents (video)

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Here are some NFL free agents that the Cleveland Browns should be looking at. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns have made no secret that their new front office is approaching things from an analytics standpoint. And that should show up when free agency opens up across the NFL landscape on Wednesday. Higher-price, older free agents are likely out. Younger players, just coming into their prime, are the likely targets.

Ideas for Browns in free agency

With that in mind, here are some free agents the Browns should be looking at:

  • Jaye Howard, 27, a 300-pound defensive lineman with the Kansas City Chiefs.
  • Reuben Randall, 24, a big receiver with 128 receptions in the past two seasons with the New York Giants.
  • Lamar Miller, 24, a running back who rushed for 872 yards and caught 47 passes for the Miami Dolphins.
  • Chris Ivory, 27, a running who gained 1,040 yards last year for the New York Jets.

Akron's Isaiah Johnson, Kent State's Jimmy Hall first team All-MAC

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Mid-American Conference coaches All-MAC selections were announced Monday and included Akron's Isaiah Johnson and Kent State's Jimmy Hall on the first team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference announced the coaches All-MAC men's basketball teams, All-Freshman team and All-Defensive team Monday, with all 12 league members represented on one of the three All-MAC teams.

Named to the All-MAC first team are Akron's Isaiah Johnson, Toledo's Nathan Boothe, Ohio University's Antonio Campbell, Kent State's Jimmy Hall, and Central Michigan's Chris Fowler.

No ballot count was issued by the coaches, but the lone question mark was the omission of the MAC's leading scorer, Western Michigan's Thomas Wilder, also a likely Player of the Year candidate, from the first team. Wilder was named to the second team.

All five on the first team will likely join Wilder getting their share of Player of the Year votes. The same can be said for Eastern Michigan center James Thompson IV, who leads a quality All-Freshman unit that included Akron guard Josh Williams and Ohio guard Jordan Dartis.

Following are the 2016 All-MAC teams:

All-MAC First Team

Isaiah Johnson, Jr. C, Akron
Chris Fowler, Sr. G, Central Michigan
Jimmy Hall, Jr. F, Kent State
Antonio Campbell, Jr. C, Ohio
Nathan Boothe, Sr. F/C, Toledo

All-MAC Second Team

Reggie McAdams, Sr.  F, Akron
Franko House, Jr. F, Ball State
James Thompson IV, Fr. C, Eastern Michigan
Jaaron Simmons, So. G, Ohio
Thomas Wilder, So. G, Western Michigan

All-MAC Third Team

Lamonte Bearden, So. G, Buffalo
Blake Hamilton,  Fr. F., Buffalo
Braylon Rayson, Sr. G, Central Michigan
Marin Maric, So. C, Northern Illinois
Jonathan Williams, Jr.  G, Toledo

Honorable Mention

Antino Jackson, So. G, Akron
Spencer Parker, Sr. F, Bowling Green
Raven Lee, Jr. G, Eastern Michigan
Eric Washington, Sr. G, Miami
Geovonie McKnight, Sr. G, Miami

All-Freshman Team

Josh Williams, G, Akron
CJ Massinburg, G, Buffalo
James Thompson IV, C, Eastern Michigan
Marshawn Wilson, G, Northern Illinois
Jordan Dartis, G, Ohio

All-Defensive Team

Franko House, Jr. F, Ball State
Willie Conner, Jr. F, Buffalo
Tim Bond, So. F, Eastern Michigan
Khaliq Spicer, Sr. C, Kent State
Aaric Armstead, Sr. G, Northern Illinois


Have Cleveland Cavaliers turned the corner? (video)

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Michael Reghi, Chris Fedor, Bud Shaw and Dan Labbe discuss whether the Cleveland Cavaliers have turned the corner and found something with their new small-ball lineup. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Putting aside LeBron James' cryptic tweets, things are going pretty well for the Cleveland Cavaliers after a rough February.

Winners of three straight, including back-to-back victories against Washington and Boston, the Cavs have showed a renewed sense of focus and even unleashed a new small-ball attack, using James at power forward. 

To help matters, their lead continues to grow in the Eastern Conference, taking a three-game advantage over the Toronto Raptors.

Michael Reghi, Bud Shaw, Dan Labbe and I discussed whether the Cavs have turned the corner. 

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

No. 1 seeds fall as March Madness begins: 2016 NCAA Tournament Forecast

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March Madness begins this week with conference tournaments. But major conference at-large possibilities want no part of one-bid upsets.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Don't pre-judge the upcoming March Madness by the 2016 regular season. Wipe your memory slate clean of conference play. Conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament is a whole new ballgame.

But first, teams have to get there. Major conference teams on the bubble include Cincinnati, USC, Michigan, Texas and more who want no part of conference tournament upsets from lesser leagues around the country.

Teams can be playing each other for a third time in conference tournaments, which opens the window much wider for upsets. Teams will be playing on neutral courts, which also makes for more upset opportunities.

Evidence is in: Already we have seen five No. 1 seeds fall in conference tournaments around the country, including two in the RPI top 100 -- No. 47 Wichita State out of the Missouri Valley Conference and No. 94 Belmont out of the Ohio Valley Conference. Wichita State is now on the bubble, meaning more than a few power conference teams, somewhere, have seen their NCAA Tournament chances drop.

With more conference tournaments starting this week, if five more No. 1 seeds lose, the NCAA Tournament Selection committee may need a scalpel to cut the difference between at-large teams selected into the tournament and those left out.

Here are the RPI rankings for No. 1 seeds in key conference tournaments that begin this week.

No. 34 Akron (Mid-American); No. 36 South Dakota State (Summit); No. 39 Valparaiso (Horizon); No. 42 San Diego State (Mountain West); No. 50 Monmouth (Metro Atlantic).

Inside the numbers: What makes this really dicey is Wichita State and Monmouth are two of the lowest RPI on this list and played in leagues outside of the Top 10 in the country. But pundits almost unanimously pick those teams for at-large spots. WSU already is on the at-large board and Monmouth still could be, pending its conference title game tonight against Iona.

Remember, there are 32 automatic qualifiers as champions of their leagues. The remaining 36 slots are at-large. With power conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big 10, Big East, SEC, Pac 12) generally assured of five or more teams each, the at-large field can quickly dwindle inside of 10.

Meanwhile, there is absolutely no talk about Valparaiso, South Dakota State and Akron teams that are ranked much higher and -- in the cases of Akron and SDSU -- played in more competitive leagues. The selection committee, hopefully, will not be so blind.

No. 1 Yale: What looked like a potential playoff looming in the Ivy League last week suddenly became a coronation when Princeton lost at Harvard on Friday, allowing Yale to win its first Ivy League crown since 1962 with a victory Columbia. The Bulldogs (22-6, 13-1) became the first team this season to punch in for the NCAA Tournament as the Ivy League has no conference tournament.

Terrelle Pryor receives low tender from Browns; LB Tank Carder re-signed

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Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor received the low-round original tender from the Browns, meaning he'll make $1.671 from them in 2016 if he plays out the tender.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor, signed by the Browns in December, received the original low-round tender from the Browns, which is worth $1.671 million.

If a team wants to sign Pryor, they'd have to give the Browns his original third-round draft pick. The Browns also have right of first refusal.

If he plays out the tender, he'll make the $1.671 million in 2016. The Browns can also sign him to a longer-term deal.

The club has also re-signed inside linebacker and special teams ace Tank Carder, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent and signed two exclusive rights free agents and tendered three other restricted free agents.

The ERFAs signed were defensive lineman Jamie Meder, a native of Parma Heights, Ohio and running back Raheem Mostert, claimed off waivers from the Ravens.

They tendered the following restricted free agents in addition to Pryor: defensive back Don Jones, offensive lineman Austin Pasztor, and linebacker Scott Solomon.

Pryor played for Hue Jackson as a quarterback in Oakland and also spent a month with him as a quarterback in Cincinnati last season. Jackson told cleveland.com at the Senior Bowl in January that he believes Pryor can play receiver in the NFL.

"I think he has tremendous potential, but again, he'll be just like all the rest of the guys and we'll evaluate him on playing receiver and the fun part about Terrelle is that there are other things he can do that I've watched do or had him do,'' Jackson said. "So again, I'm glad he's part of the organization and he has an opportunity and he needs to continue to grow and get better.''

As for carrying Pryor as a third quarterback, he said, "I just think it's too soon to talk about those things, but I know he's on our roster and he's a player that I've watched and know and so we'll just continue to see where he is.''

Pryor (6-4, 223) was claimed off waivers from the Bengals in June after he converted to receiver and spent training camp with the Browns. He originally made the final 53-man roster out of camp, but was waived shortly thereafter. Pryor continued to work out and hone his receiver skills, and the Browns brought him back in December.

Browns pursuing Marvin Jones in free agency

He played in three games for the Browns with two starts in 2015, catching one pass for 42 yards. Overall, he's played in 18 career games -- 15 as a quarterback -- with 12 starts, including 11 as a QB.

All of restricted free agents received the low round "original'' tender of $1.671 million, meaning the Browns have the right of first refusal or receive the corresponding draft pick to the player's original draft round from the new club if he leaves.

The other rounds are as follows: Jones (seventh), and Solomon (seventh). Pasztor was undrafted, but the Browns would still have the right of first refusal.

Carder appeared in all 16 games last season, recording 10 special-teams tackles and six defensive stops. A fifth-round pick of the Bills in 2012, he joined the Browns via waivers prior to the start of that season. With the Browns, he's appeared in 62 games with two starts. One of the Browns' most valuable special teams players, he's made 34 career special-teams tackles, blocked a punt for a safety and was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in 2014. On defense, he has 18 stops and a pass defensed.

Meder, originally signed to the Browns practice squad last year after signing with Ravens as an undrafted rookie out of Ashland, appeared in all 16 games as a backup in 2015, recording 33 tackles and one sack.

Mostert (5-10, 197), claimed by the Browns in December, returned a kickoff 53 yards in his Browns debut. He was originally signed by the Eagles as an undrafted rookie out of Purdue last season.

He appeared in 11 games (seven with Baltimore, three with Cleveland and one with Miami), averaging 27.9 yards on his 19 kickoff returns.

Jones, claimed by the Browns via waivers in October, played in nine games and recorded three special-teams tackles. Originally a seventh-round pick of the Dolphins out of Arkansas State in 2013, he's played in 43 career games and has logged 26 special-teams tackles.

Pasztor, acquired via waivers from Jacksonville in September, played in all 16 games with the Browns with four starts at left guard in 2015. He has appeared in 42 career games with 27 starts (seven at left guard and 20 at right tackle). He'll be a candidate to start at right tackle if Mitchell Schwartz leaves.

Solomon finished the 2015 season on injured reserve with after recording one tackle in two games. He's registered 25 tackles and two sacks in his 24 career games.

Browns' Mitchell Schwartz has interest from Bucs, Giants, Vikings, Falcons

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Browns right tackle Mitchell Schwartz has drawn interest from four teams on the first day of free agency negotiating. The Browns stand to lose him.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns right tackle Mitchell Schwartz has drawn interest on the first day of the free agency negotiating period from the Bucs, Giants, Vikings and Falcons.

The Browns can still re-sign him even before he officially hits the market Wednesday at 4 p.m.

The other teams can't complete a deal with him until Wednesday.

Schwartz stands to become the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL at about $8.5 million a year.

If he leaves, Austin Pasztor will be a candidate to replace him. Claimed by the Browns in September of 2015, he started the final four games of the season at left guard.

The Browns are also in jeopardy of losing three-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, who's drawn considerable interest from the Falcons, according to Bleacher Report's Jason Cole.

How the Cleveland Browns could replace Tashaun Gipson if he leaves

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Here are some options for the Browns to replace Tashaun Gipson if he leaves via free agency. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It has been awfully quiet in regards to Tashaun Gipson's free agency. Most of the talk when it comes to browns free agents has focused on the two offensive lineman, Mitchell Schwartz and Alex Mack, and wide receiver Travis Benjamin.  

It's a little strange considering Gipson won't turn 26 until after training camp starts. Gipson has also shown a nose for the football, collecting 14 interceptions during his four-year career, including 13 in 39 games the last three seasons. 

Gipson has struggled with injuries the last two seasons. A knee injury cost him the final five games of the 2014 season and an ankle injury kept him out of three games in 2015. Terry Pluto pointed out a couple weekends ago that, from an analytics standpoint, the safety position is similar to the running back position. That means they are prone to shorter careers which, in turn, decreases their value as they get older. 

Still, a safety with a nose for the football, if he leaves, is a big piece for a defense to lose, even if letting him walk might be the right move. How do the Browns replace Gipson if he does go elsewhere? Let's take a look: 

Internal options: The Browns drafted Ibraheim Campbell in 2014. He can play either safety position and received some playing time last season in place of Donte Whitner. Johnson Bademosi is more naturally a safety, though not a realistic option to start. Jordan Poyer played better filling in during the 2014 season than during the 2015 season, but at least offers depth at the position. 

Free agency: As usual, we'll take a peek down I-71 and point out that both Cincinnati's Reggie Nelson and George Iloka are free agents. Iloka, like Gipson, is just 25 years old. Nelson is one of those wrong-side-of-30 players the Browns might want to avoid. Rodney McLeod is 25, too, and is one of a handful of players in the Rams secondary headed for free agency. 

Draft: Continuing to assume the Browns go with a quarterback at No. 2, Boise State's Darian Thompson could be an option, especially if he falls into the third round. Ohio State fans could be clamoring for Tyvis Powell on Saturday if the Browns still haven't filled this need by then. 

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