The Michigan basketball recruit will lead Lima Senior into the OHSAA Division I state semifinals on Friday vs. Wilmington.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Before embarking on a high school career that has culminated with his selection as the Associated Press 2016 Ohio Mr. Basketball, Lima Senior point guard Xavier Simpson made a decision that surprised his father.

He wanted to give up football to concentrate on basketball, a move Quincey Simpson acknowledges he wasn't sure was the right one.

"He used to be very, very aggressive at basketball, so I always thought he was too aggressive," said the elder Simpson, a longtime basketball coach and the head coach at Lima Senior. "I thought the aggressiveness would be fine for football but as he got older, when he was going into the eighth grade he told me he only wanted to play basketball.

"For me I was a little disturbed by it because I felt at that time he was better in football, but I sat him down and explained if you're going to do basketball you're going to have to put in some work and do the small things."

As it turns out, that was precisely why the younger Simpson decided to put away his helmet and shoulder pads for good.

"I always knew whatever you've got to do, you've got to put in that extra work, more than the average person," Xavier Simpson said. "And with football I was just going to practice and leaving. I didn't care. I didn't do any type of (extra) drills or anything like that, so in basketball I always wanted to do a little more than the average person because I wanted to be great at it."

Five years later, there is little doubt he made the right choice. Simpson has averaged 27.2 points, 6.1 assists and 3.8 steals per game for the undefeated Spartans, who will play Wilmington in a state semifinal Friday.

No matter how the weekend goes, the Simpsons already have helped turn around a program that had fallen on hard times.

"I was ballboy there since I was little, maybe since second or third grade when my dad was an assistant coach," said Xavier Simpson, whose father is also a former Lima Senior player. "I've been around that atmosphere and I always imagined myself sitting on the bench when I was in high school, what kind of person would I be? Would I be all right? Would I be average? I just sat there and imagined that and now I'm just glad to see the program on the upswing again because there was kind of a drought and now I'm just glad to have an influence on those who are coming."

The younger Simpson's next stop will be Michigan, where he plans to major in business or communications.

He already knows comparisons to Trey Burke, the 2011 Ohio Mr. Basketball from Columbus Northland who became a star point guard for the Wolverines, are probably inevitable.

"Oh definitely," Simpson said. "With me going to Michigan and seeing the success they had with him. What I'm hearing, from out of high school no one ever thought he would go to the NBA. And Michigan put the ball in his hand and helped him make the right decisions and get better as a player. That prepared him for the next level, so hopefully they can do that for me."

Simpson was chosen the 2016 Ohio Mr. Basketball by a statewide media panel. He beat out finalists Jarron Cumberland of Wilmington, Seth Towns of Columbus Northland, Markell Johnson of Cleveland East Tech, Drew Rackley of New Concord John Glenn and Jon Teske of Medina.

Previous winners include Burke and fellow current NBA players Jared Sullinger of Columbus Northland (2009 and 2010) and LeBron James of Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (2001-03).

Other past winners include Lima Senior standout Greg Simpson (1991 and 1992), a relative of the 2016 winner; Aaron Hutchins of Lima Central Catholic (1994); and Jamar Butler of Lima Shawnee (2004).

Mr. Basketball winner Xavier Simpson, Garfield Heights' Willie Jackson and Frankie Hughes, plus Medina's Jon Teske were part of the first team.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The 2015-16 Associated Press Division I All-Ohio boys basketball team, based on the recommendations of a media panel, with school, height, class and scoring average:

DIVISION I

First team: Seth Towns, Columbus Northland, 6-foot-7, senior, 32.0 points per game; Kyle Young, Massillon Jackson, 6-7, jr., 20.6; Jon Teske, Medina, 7-1, sr., 16.9; Willie Jackson, Garfield Heights, 6-6, sr., 21.0; Xavier Simpson, Lima Senior, 6-0, sr., 30.2; Jarron Cumberland, Wilmington, 6-5, sr., 29.5; Nick Ward, Gahanna, 6-9, sr., 21.0; Ibi Watson, Pickerington Central, 6-5, sr., 19.3; Frankie Hughes, Garfield Heights, 6-4, sr., 18.0; Trey Landers, Huber Heights Wayne, 6-5, sr., 16.4.

Player of the year: Xavier Simpson, Lima Senior

Coaches of the year: Jacob Daniel of Columbus St. Charles; Quincey Simpson, Lima Senior

Second team: Andre Wesson, Westerville South, 6-7, sr., 17.5; Seth Fuller, Dublin Coffman, 6-0, sr., 18.9; Marcus Dempsey, Dresden Tri-Valley, 6-1, sr., 24.1; Mitch Peterson, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, 6-5, sr., 21.0; Blake Furcron, Elyria, 6-5, sr., 21.8; Mario Young, Mansfield Senior, 6-3, sr., 19.1; Danny Davis, Springfield, 6-3, jr., 19.5; Vincent Williams, Toledo St. John's Jesuit, 6-4, so., 15.3; C.J. Fleming, Cincinnati LaSalle, 5-11, sr., 19.3; Sam Hickey, Toledo Whitmer, 6-3, sr., 18.0.

Third team: KeShawn Underwood, Zanesville, 6-3, jr., 12.2; Chandler Vaudrin, Uniontown Lake, 6-7, sr., 16.1; Nazihar Bohannon, Lorain, 6-5, jr., 17.7; Larnell Nealy, Copley, 5-8, sr., 19.0; Trevor Hafner, Perrysburg, 6-0, sr., 18.9; Kyle Lamotte, Mason, 6-3, sr., 14.8; LePear Toles, Canton McKinley, 6-5, sr., 13.9; Zach Ravine, Dover, 6-3, sr., 15.1; Drew Noble, Louisville, 6-8, sr., 20.0; Gabe Simpson, Warren G. Harding, 5-10, sr., 20.5.

Special mention: Jake McLoughlin, Dresden Tri-Valley; Aronde Myers, Zanesville; Tyler Bardall, Dover; Tyler McGee, Dresden Tri-Valley; Anthony Williams, Zanesville; Brandon Troyer, Dover; Nathan Bower-Malone, Stow-Munroe Falls; Sean Flannery, Lakewood St. Edward; Deven Stover, Cleveland St. Ignatius; Andy Lucien, North Olmsted; Lane Little, Logan.

Honorable mention: Mason Baich, Dublin Jerome; BJ Duling, Newark; Mark Fair, Reynoldsburg; Onno Steger, Upper Arlington; Jalen Tate, Pickerington Central;

Logan Hill, Massillon Jackson; Zack Meder, Hudson; Derek Culver, Warren G. Harding; Chris Libertore, Louisville; Raybon Lewis, Akron Firestone; A.J. Gareri, Akron Ellet; Bryce Harvey, Copley; Michael Quiring, Brunswick; Kevin Simmons, Brunswick;

Da'viere Andrews, Lorain; Kevin Meehan, Olmsted Falls; Quintin Dove, Euclid; Lamont Rhodes, Bedford; Christian Guess, Cleveland Glenville; Alex Nahra, Mayfield Village Mayfield; Jacob Wells, Grafton Midview;

Marquevious Wilson, Lima Senior; Aerin West, Sylvania Northview; Montrece Collins, Toledo Whitmer; Logan Brewer, Ashland; Dalonte Brown, Toledo Bowsher;

Clay Guillozet, Greenville; Frankie Hofmeyer, Cincinnati Elder; Ryan Robinson, Hamilton; L'Christian Smith, Huber Heights Wayne; Jeremy Larkin, Cincinnati LaSalle.

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue chose to rest LeBron James tonight against Dallas at The Q, rather than in one of the games in Florida over the weekend.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James will not play against the Dallas Mavericks at The Q tonight as part of the Cavaliers' plan to rest him and others for the playoffs next month.

The Cavs are 3-12 without James since he returned to Cleveland for the start of last season, and have lost by a combined 29 points in two games without him this season. Neither game was that close.

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he chose to rest James tonight, rather than for one of their games on consecutive nights in Florida over the weekend, because of the team's travel schedule. The Cavs are in the midst of a stretch of five games in seven nights, and this is their only home game over a period of about two weeks.

After playing on consecutive days Sunday in Los Angeles and Monday night in Utah, the Cavs remained overnight in Salt Lake City and didn't return to Cleveland until Tuesday.

Choosing to rest James now rather than Friday or Saturday means three full days off for James, 31, who leads the Cavs in scoring (24.9 points per game) and assists (6.5 apg).

"I just thought (giving) him the three days now would be good instead of just resting him one game or one day on the back to back," Lue said.

Barring some extenuating circumstances developing in Orlando Friday, James will play Saturday in Miami against his firmer team. One of the two games James has missed this season was in Miami, on Dec. 5, when the Cavs lost by 15 after losing in overtime the night before to New Orleans.

James, who's played over 44,000 minutes for his career, is averaging a career-low 35.8 minutes per game.

"We've got to start playing better when LeBron doesn't play," Lue said. "Guys need to step up and be ready to play and take on this challenge."

Iman Shumpert will start for James tonight.

Lue said the Cavs would look to score through Kyrie Irving (19.6 ppg) and Kevin Love (15.6 ppg) - two players who could sit one of the games this weekend.

Here is a look at Garfield Heights seniors Frankie Hughes, Willie Jackson and Medina’s Jon Teske, plus other area players to make the first three teams.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Associated Press selected Lima Senior standout and Michigan recruit Xavier Simpson as its Mr. Basketball winner for the 2015-16 season. It also unveiled its Division I All-Ohio boys basketball teams Wednesday, concluding statewide postseason awards before the state semifinals and championships are held Thursday through Saturday at Ohio State.

Three Northeast Ohio players in the cleveland.com coverage area received first-team All-Ohio nods. Here is a look at Garfield Heights seniors Frankie Hughes, Willie Jackson and Medina’s Jon Teske, plus other area players to make the first three teams.

FIRST TEAM

Frankie Hughes, Garfield Heights: The 6-foot-5 guard is headed to Louisville after this season, but he might have two more high school games left. Hughes and the Bulldogs face Westerville South on Friday night in a rematch of last year’s state semifinals. To get there, the sharpshooting Hughes averaged about 18 points.

Jon Teske, Medina: No one else on the first team can match Teske’s 7-1 frame. His opponents couldn’t either. That’s why teams continually double- and triple-teamed him. No matter, Teske still averaged 16.9 points. He is headed to Michigan to play basketball, joining Lima Senior’s Simpson.

Willie Jackson, Garfield Heights: The 6-6 Missouri-bound forward is a tenacious a rebounder and led the Bulldogs with 21.0 points per game. He had 16 points and 16 rebounds in Garfield Heights’ 70-69 double overtime win Saturday against St. Ignatius, which sets the stage for Friday’s state semifinal.

SECOND TEAM

Blake Furcron, Elyria: A 21.8-point scorer, Furcron received Lorain County coaches’ nod as their Division I Player of the Year. He propelled Elyria into Greater Cleveland Conference contention and is headed to Walsh University after decommitting from Ohio Dominican.

Mitch Peterson, Walsh Jesuit: The Kent State-bound 6-5 senior guard averaged 21.0 points. Peterson helped the Warriors finish 15-8 against one of the area's most challenging schedules.

THIRD TEAM

Nazihar Bohannon, Lorain: The only junior from the area to receive mention in the top three teams, Bohannon pushed Lorain’s run to another district title. The 6-5 forward also plays football as a receive and outside linebacker but bulled over competition to average 17.7 points this winter.

Larnell Nealy, Copley: The senior guard is 5-8 and could dunk with the best of them. Nealy averaged 19.0 points and helped Copley to its first unbeaten regular season. The Indians’ run ended in the district semifinals.

SPECIAL MENTION

Nathan Bower-Malone, Stow-Munroe Falls; Sean Flannery, Lakewood St. Edward; Deven Stover, Cleveland St. Ignatius; Andy Lucien, North Olmsted.

HONORABLE MENTION

Zack Meder, Hudson; Raybon Lewis, Akron Firestone; A.J. Gareri, Akron Ellet; Bryce Harvey, Copley; Michael Quiring, Brunswick; Kevin Simmons, Brunswick; Da'viere Andrews, Lorain; Kevin Meehan, Olmsted Falls; Quintin Dove, Euclid;Lamont Rhodes, Bedford; Christian Guess, Cleveland Glenville; Alex Nahra, Mayfield Village Mayfield; Jacob Wells, Grafton Midview.

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.

Get the latest updates and analysis on the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Dallas Mavericks.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James will rest, as the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

Follow along in the comments section as Chris Haynes, Joe Vardon and Chris Fedor bring you observations and analysis throughout the game.

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

Game 67: Cavs (47-19) vs. Mavericks (34-33)

Tip off: 7 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena.

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

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

Mavericks probable starting lineup: Raymond Felton, Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews, Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki.

Browns new safety Rahim Moore, who signed a one-year deal with the Browns on Wednesday, will try to get back to his second-round level after being inactive the final 9 games in Houston.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Free safety Rahim Moore will try to resurrect his career with the Browns after being benched by the Texans last year.

Not only was he benched, he was inactive for the final nine games while the Texans went 7-2.

But he signed a one-year deal with the Browns Wednesday in hopes of getting back on track. The Browns officially announced the move Thursday.

In addition, receiver Terrelle Pryor and defensive back Don Jones signed their qualifying offers of $1.671 million as restricted free agents.

"It's a blessing. It feels like being drafted all over again," Moore said in a release. "I can definitely sense the aura on how this program is trying to change things around. Before I set foot in the premises, I've known the great history of the Cleveland Browns, from former UCLA great Eric Turner to Don Rogers to Thom Darden, it's a great place to be and I really felt like this was a great opportunity for me and a great fit, so I'm really excited."

A second-round pick of the Broncos in 2011 out UCLA, the Los Angeles native graduated from Susan Miller Dorsey High School, the alma mater of Browns coach Hue Jackson and running backs/run game coordinator Kirby Wilson.

 "I want to be a guy who comes in every day to work to be the best," Moore said. "I'm a team guy. I'm a guy that can come help force turnovers, comes in and puts in work in the film room, get in early, leave late, very inquisitive when it comes to the game of football. I'm just a guy that loves the game. I love the history of the NFL. I want to help this program win and compete."

Moore, 26,  will compete for time at free safety with Jordan Poyer. But the Browns must have seen something in Moore that the Texans didn't. They banished him to the inactive list after a horrible game against the Dolphins in week seven, during which he missed big tackles on three touchdown drives.

Moore, who spent his first four seasons in Denver, was crushed by the benching.

"It was mortifying," Moore told reporters after a victory the week after he was benched. "Crying and all kinds of stuff. But that's because I love football a lot. You want to be out there. The good feeling about it is that we won yesterday. That's a great thing."

Karlos Dansby says Browns told him 'we're going to rebuild with younger guys'

Moore recorded 16 tackles in his seven games, with one interception but had two more interceptions nullified by penalties. He was known for taking bad angles and missing tackles in Houston, and the Browns will have to correct those problems if he's to make the team.

But the Browns need some depth at the position after losing Pro Bowler Tashaun Gipson. They'll also likely address the spot in the draft.

Browns beat reporter joined us on Sports Insider on Thursday. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's no secret that the Cleveland Browns are in the process of tearing down their roster. Karlos Dansby and Dwayne Bowe were the most recent to go on Wednesday. 

Cleveland.com Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot joined Chris Fedor and me today on Sports Insider to talk about the teardown and who could be next in line to get cut. Watch her response to our question above and make sure you check out Sports Insider live every Thursday at noon.

Sports Insider full episode: March 17, 2016

Lima Central Catholic will play in a third straight state final after Dantez Walton's 30 points and 11 rebounds vs. Roger Bacon.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Lima Central Catholic will play in a third straight OHSAA Division III boys basketball state final.

Behind Dantez Walton’s 30 points and 11 rebounds, the Thunderbirds dispatched Cincinnati St. Bernard Roger Bacon on Thursday, 74-56, at Ohio State and will face Villa Angela-St. Joseph in a rematch of last year’s title game. They will meet at 10:45 a.m. back at the Schottenstein Center, where the teams opened the semifinals.

Tre Cobbs added 20 points and Ethan O’Connor scored 12 for LCC, which will seek its second state title in three years.

VASJ beat LCC last year, 63-50, but return no starters from that team. The Vikings’ new crew beat Lynchburg-Clay, 81-64, in Thursday’s first semifinal behind 16 points and seven assists from sophomore guard Jerry Higgins.

The Thunderbirds won the first Division III state final between these teams two years ago, 64-62.

Sherman Dean III’s season directly correlates with VASJ (23-5), which lost all five starters and nearly 100 percent of its statistical production from a year ago.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sherman Dean III played one minute last year in Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s state championship win.

The senior guard has started all of this season.

“We have no chance of being here without him,” coach Babe Kwasniak said Thursday after the Vikings beat Lynchburg-Clay, 81-64, in the OHSAA Division III state semifinals.

Dean’s season directly correlates with VASJ (23-5), which lost all five starters and nearly 100 percent of its statistical production from a year ago. These Vikings’ lack of experience on the Schottenstein Center court didn’t hurt them against Lynchburg-Clay (25-3).

Dean admitted it’s different when playing in front of 8,433 people instead of watching with them.

“I had to keep my nerves down because this is really my first time starting at this level of intensity,” he said.

The 6-foot-1 Dean isn’t alone.

“I had to calm my nerves down because this is a very big stage,” sophomore point guard Jerry Higgins said. “I definitely started feeling comfortable once the game started flowing.

“When you have players that haven’t played at this stage, you get very anxious.”

Dean put up 11 shots behind the 3-point arc in the first half. He hit just one, exhibiting some of that anxiety. Kwasniak didn’t care, saying they were good shots in the flow of the offense. His sharpshooter kept firing and finished with 14 points as VASJ pulled ahead in the third quarter.

Higgins played a vital role, engineering a third-quarter push that clinched the school’s fourth straight trip to the state finals. That hasn’t been done since St. Vincent-St. Mary and LeBron James from 2000-03.

Kwasniak said he brought up Jerry Lucas’ Middletown teams of the 1950, but the name didn’t register with them.

That’s the age gap he’s dealing with here.

Two of his top performers Thursday and for much of the season are just a sophomore and freshman. Higgins dished out seven assists with his team-high 16 points. Freshman forward Alonzo Gaffney added 11 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

“He’s probably as talented as anyone we’ve ever had as a freshman,” Kwasniak said. “We’ve sent five kids D-I that last couple of years, so that’s saying something.”

Kwasniak was happier with Gaffney acing a Russian history test this week.

They all passed Thursday. The state championship game return could set them for a rematch with Lima Central Catholic, which followed in a semifinal against Cincinnati’s St. Bernard Roger Bacon. After VASJ beat LCC last year, Thunderbirds coach Frank Kill visited Kwasniak in the fall and suggested they meet up again in Columbus.

If they do, it will be at 10:45 a.m. Saturday on Ohio State’s campus.

“I knew he’d keep his end of the bargain,” Kwasniak said. “I thought for us to do it, it would take something pretty majestic.”

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.

NFL's Competition Committee will vote on 19 proposals at next week's Owners Meeting.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You may still not know what a catch is next season in the NFL, but coaches could get more of a chance to take another look at it.

The NFL's competition committee won't change the league's complicated and often bewildering catch rules this season, but multiple proposals have been put forth concerning instant replay. 

The Baltimore Ravens are proposing that coaches receive three challenges per game alongside expanding reviewable plays. The Buffalo Bills are proposing that coaches be allowed to challenge any play by an official outside of scoring plays and turnovers. There is also a proposal, this one by the Minnesota Vikings, that would eliminate the requirement that a coach be successful on his first two challenges in order to be awarded a third. 

There are also proposals that would make all chop blocks illegal and disqualify players upon receiving two of a certain type of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. The committee will also vote to permanently move the line of scrimmage for extra points to the 15-yard line and allow defenses to return tries following touchdowns for points of their own. 

Some of the other rule changes up for consideration: 

* Touchbacks would place the ball at the 25 instead of the 20. 

* A rule that would add penalty yards to the distance needed to gain a first down on half-the-distance penalties. 

* A rule that would make this pass illegal (prohibiting quarterbacks from falling to the ground, getting back up and completing a pass): 

Peyton goes down, Peyton gets up, Peyton completes pass. Does not appear to be touched on the 2nd view pic.twitter.com/6eVqjZS3PU

-- The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) January 18, 2016

* The elimination of overtime in preseason games.

You can see all of the proposals and get further explanation in the Document viewer below.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph and Lima Central Catholic will play for the Division III state title for the third straight year.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Back in November, VASJ boys basketball coach Babe Kwasniak invited Lima Central Catholic coach Frank Kill to Villa Angela-St. Joseph to check out a practice.

The two stood at halfcourt that day and discussed the possibility of a third consecutive matchup in the Division III state championship game.

After the Vikings, despite losing 99 percent of their scoring, lived up to their end of the bargain earlier on Thursday, LCC followed suit to set up Saturday's state championship matchup.

VASJ defeated Lynchburg-Clay, 81-64, in the first Division III state semifinal. Later in the day, the Thunderbirds beat St. Bernard Roger Bacon, 74-56, to set up their third title game.

"Before the game, he said, 'I've done my job. Now it's your turn to do your job,'" Kill said.

Four of VASJ's starters from Thursday combined to play just five minutes in last year's 63-50 championship win for the Vikings.

Against Lynchburg-Clay, sophomore Jerry Higgins, who had two of those minutes, had a team-high 16 points and seven assists. Kevin Roberts and Sherman Dean III each had 14, and Jacob Stauffer had four points and four rebounds.

"I did text (Kwasniak) the other day," Kill said. "I said it's a shame that he wasn't the Division III coach of the year because no one expected St. Joe to be back.

"I stood there at halfcourt with him in their own gym (in November) ... I kind of shook hands and said, 'Let's make a date and see you in Columbus.' At the time, Coach Kwasniak was like, 'I will take that.' Well, the wish was granted."

Against Roger Bacon, LCC's Dantez Walton had a game-high 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Tre Cobbs added 12 points and three assists. Both players have started both matchups against VASJ.

The Thunderbirds won the 2014 state championship, 64-62.

Tipoff for Saturday's Division III championship game is at 10:45 a.m.

The 360-by-90-foot sign won't be visible from surrounding streets. It will, however, be an unmissable addition to flyover shots of downtown Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Ventures plan to drape the roof of Quicken Loans Arena with an LED banner promoting the facility and its eponymous sponsor.

The 360-by-90-foot sign won't be visible from surrounding streets. It will, however, be an unmissable addition to flyover shots of downtown Cleveland, where the Quicken Loans name could occupy prime-time real estate during major sporting events and this summer's Republican National Convention.

The Cavs are asking the Cleveland City Planning Commission to approve the sign this week so that construction can start quickly and be finished by mid-May -- in time for the NBA's Eastern Conference finals. The city's zoning code actually doesn't allow such rooftop signage, but the planning commission can make an exception.

Len Komoroski, chief executive for the Cavs, said Thursday that the installation will dovetail with a roof replacement project at the 22-year-old arena.

Another version of the sign adds the "Q" logo to the Quicken Loans Arena name.Cleveland City Planning Commission 

"We've been in a process, actually, for years, of looking at replacing our roof," Komoroski told members of a city design-review committee. "That time has come."

The public foots the bill for big-ticket repairs at The Q, which the nonprofit Gateway Economic Development Corp. owns and leases to the Cavs. The roughly $6.25 million cost of the roof replacement will be paid using funds generated by a countywide "sin tax" on cigarettes and alcohol.

The Cavs will pay to install and maintain the rooftop sign.

During a follow-up phone call, Komoroski said he couldn't provide a price tag for that project.

The sign, he added, doesn't necessarily represent an extra source of cash for the Cavs under the team's naming-rights deal with Detroit-based Quicken. The arena lease allows the Cavs to keep any money from naming-rights agreements.

"There's no real material effect as it relates to our partnership with Quicken Loans or the revenue associated with that," Komoroski said. "It's something we had contemplated for a period of time, but it was really born more out of the timing for replacement of the roof."

And, he added, "the terms between us and Quicken Loans are private."

Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans, is the majority owner of the Cavs. Rock Ventures is the umbrella organization that represents Gilbert's various businesses and investments, which span financial services, gaming, sports, real estate and technology.

The city design-review committee that oversees downtown and the Flats gave the Quicken Loans LED display a thumbs-up Thursday. That recommendation will head to the City Planning Commission on Friday for a vote.

If the commission signs off, then the sign could be finished by mid-May, said Todd Greathouse of Gateway. But the roof project will take longer.

"Weather plays a role as to how much of the roof we will actually get done before Eastern finals," Greathouse, the nonprofit landlord's executive director, wrote in an email. "My goal is to have most of the upper roof complete before [the GOP convention.]"

The roof replacement will not interfere with activities at The Q, Komoroski said.

During Thursday's public meeting, designers working on the project said that light from the sign shouldn't be disruptive to downtown apartment-dwellers and other nearby tenants. The LEDs will be on all the time, but they'll be the brightest during the day to ensure that the sign photographs well. At night, the lights will be dimmed just enough to be visible -- not glowing or blown out -- on television.

Representatives of WJHW, a design firm working with the Cavs, said the sign will be much less bright than existing digital billboards downtown. Though LED displays can change, the image atop The Q will be static -- the arena's name and, possibly, its logo.

The presentation seemed to mollify members of the Downtown Cleveland Residents Association who were worried about light spilling over the Gateway District. "That would be our major concern," Trampas Ferguson, the group's program director, told the design-review committee. "So it seems like that's been addressed."

The 49ers reiterated that they won't release Colin Kaepernick before his $11.9 million base salary is guaranteed on April 1, according to a report.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 49ers won't release quarterback Colin Kaepernick before his 2016 contract is guaranteed on April 1, and with trade talks at a standstill, it looks like he might stay put, according to a report.

"There's a good chance he's still on the team the way things look now," a source told CSNBayArea.com Thursday.

The Browns, Broncos and Jets have all talked to the 49ers about trading for the six-year pro, but none of them are currently jumping at the chance.

The 49ers are believed to be seeking a second-round pick in return, but might be willing to accept the Browns' high third-rounder, which is No. 65 overall. A source told cleveland.com that the Browns would be willing to part with that pick if they were able to get a break on his $19 million a year contract.

However, they could also test-drive Kaeprnick in 2016 for $11.9 million, the base salary that will be guaranteed on April 1. He's essentially playing under a series of one-year deals and could be cut after a year with no more guaranteed money owed by the new team.

49ers general manager Trent Baalke said at the NFL Combine last month that the club won't release Kaepernick -- but that was before he informed the team that he wanted out.

Browns coach Hue Jackson would like a chance to help Kaepernick get his career back on track here.

Colin Kaepernick and the Browns: 5 reasons it makes sense

The San Jose Mercury News reported Wednesday that Kaepernick won't skip the offseason, which begins April 4, and new 49ers coach Chip Kelly told the Sacramento Bee Wednesday, "If he's here on April 4, we're going to coach the heck out of him and he's going to work his ass off," Kelly said.

Kaepernick will receive a $400,000 bonus for 90 percent participation in the offseason program, CSNBayarea.com reported.

At Stanford's Pro Day Thursday, where Kelly and others watched quarterback Kevin Hogan go through drills, the 49ers reiterated that he wants Kaepernick to stay.

"I'd love to have him," Kelly told CSNBayarea.com. "I'm a big Kap fan."

Kelly said Kaepernick, who's in Colorado rehabbing from surgeries on his non-throwing shoulder, right thumb and left knee, has never given him any indication he doesn't want to be back. He said all of the trade talk has been conducted by the agents and the 49ers.

"He said he's doing well," Kelly said. "He's back in Vail, still rehabbing. But he said he feels like he's on track. He's getting healthy and he's excited. And that's the biggest thing for him, just getting healthy.

"I talk to him. 'If you're here, we're going to coach the heck out of you.' And he was excited about that. I said I understand there's a business side to this, and you guys deal with the business side. That's why he has an agent, and that's why we have a personnel department. They deal with all of that stuff.

"I deal with him as a football player, and he's been great."

It remains to be seen if Kaepernick will remain with the 49ers, or move on to Denver or Cleveland.

Former offensive coordinator Sean Belveal selected as next Brooklyn football head coach.

BROOKLYN, Ohio – Sean Belveal has been selected as the next football coach at Brooklyn.

He replaces Jay O’Hanlon who resigned in early December for personal reasons after three seasons.

"Very excited for the opportunity and to be able to get in there and working with the kids," said Belveal.

Belveal served as offensive coordinator at Cleveland Central Catholic for the past three seasons, as stated by Brooklyn athletic director Ryan Kelber. He also spent time at Madison and Wilson High school in Portland Oregon as an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. 

Belveal began his coaching career in 1997 at Santa Cruz High School in California. He is currently teaching social studies at Cleveland College Preparatory School, a school in the ICAN Schools network.

Beveal will also be hanging up his coaching hat after four seasons with Central Catholic. Last year was his first year as a head coach.

"I just didn't feel it would be fair to Brooklyn and the girls at Cleveland Central Catholic girls basketball team," Belveal said. "I'm 100 percent committed to Brooklyn football."

Brooklyn finished 4-26 in the past three seasons including 1-9 last year.

Cleveland Indians sign Marlon Byrd, who has hit 72 homers in the last three seasons -- more than anyone else on the Tribe roster.

GOODYEAR, Arizona -- In the last three years, Marlon Byrd has hit 72 home runs.

No one else on the Indians' roster has that many. Mike Napoli has 68, Carlos Santana 66.

Or how about last season? Byrd belted 23 homers, splitting the year between Cincinnati and San Francisco. Santana led the Indians with 19.

This is a little heavy on the numbers, but it underlines a key point about the Tribe: This team desperately needs someone to hit some homers.

Obviously, there are problems with Byrd. Why else would he still be on the open market in the middle of March after hitting those 23 homers with 73 RBI and a .247 batting average last season?

And why did he end up signing a minor-league contract? If he does make the Tribe's roster, his salary will be $1 million. He was paid $8 million last season.

"I know this is a tryout," he said, admitting he was surprised to have no offers once spring training opened.

"Why was that?" I asked.

"I'm not sure," said Byrd, who then talked about his age. He's 38. He mentioned being aware that his batting average and on-base percentage have been dropping the last few years. In his last three seasons, Byrd has batted .291, .264, .247.

His strikeouts are high: 144, 185, 145. His on-base percentage was .290 last season. He was suspended in 2012 for PED use. He has not had any more suspensions since.

He probably can still hit some home runs. Tribe fans know how their team needs a power boost.

Terry Francona was answering my question about Mike Napoli when he discussed how it's very hard to find right-handed power. But that also described Byrd. While hitting those 72 homers, he did so for five different teams.

But the Indians aren't thinking long term, which holds true for veteran free agents Rajai Davis, Juan Uribe and Napoli. All signed one-year contracts. All are in their middle 30s.

The Indians are piling up the outfielders. As I recently wrote, they have used eight players in center during the spring. Thankfully, rookie Tyler Naquin is putting in his bid to start, batting .444 this spring.

Byrd could platoon with Lonnie Chisenhall in right. The Indians say they aren't alarmed by Chisenhall being 1-of-21 (.048) at the plate. He's had one walk, six strikeouts and grounded into three double plays.

The fact is Chisenhall remains excellent defensively, but his bat is having a sorry spring. He'll make the team, but the Indians would love to have Byrd look good during the last few weeks of camp.

This is a team constantly searching for power, and Byrd could supply some at a very reasonable price.

Cleveland sports fans wonder about LeBron James' status as the best player in the game, the "loss" of Dwayne Bowe and what Mitchell Schwartz has in common with former Indians pitcher Justin Masterson.

Joe Vardon discusses Kyrie Irving's best role for the Cleveland Cavaliers and whether he needs to pass the ball more. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving has received criticism this season for not being a better playmaker, especially when LeBron James is resting. 

Irving is averaging 4.5 assists this season. 

Our Chris Haynes took Irving to task following an earlier loss against the Washington Wizards and did the same following Wednesday's win against the Dallas Mavericks, a game in which Irving had one assist.

Haynes: Kyrie Irving shows he's not ready to lead a team

"Players are growing tired of Irving's inability to not only register a proper amount of assists at the lead guard position, but also to just move the ball," Haynes wrote. 

Does Irving need to pass more? Is his lack of assists a cause for concern?

Joe Vardon joined Dan Labbe and I to discuss that. 

Senior Henry Baddley scored 27 points, junior Jayvon Graves added 23 and STVM quickly seized control in its semifinal.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – St. Vincent-St. Mary is back in the state finals for the first time in three years.

The Fighting Irish clinched their spot in Saturday’s OHSAA Division II boys basketball title game with an 85-68 win Thursday night against Cincinnati Aiken. Senior Henry Baddley scored 27 points, junior Jayvon Graves added 23 and STVM quickly seized control in its semifinal.

Check back later for more details, reaction, photos and video highlights.

I missed two loud Graves dunks, but here's Baddley. pic.twitter.com/m3GOJPWV86

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) March 17, 2016

The Irish (26-3) will face the winner of Thursday’s later game between Bay and New Concord John Glenn. The third-ranked team in the final Associated Press state poll, STVM lost the top spot with a 54-51 home loss in late January to the Muskies. John Glenn (26-1) remained the state’s top-ranked Division II team for the rest of the way.

John Glenn is in its first state final four since 1928, and Bay is in its first in school history.

STVM, however, is familiar with this setting. It’s made three trips here in the last four years with a championship game appearance in 2013. STVM is in search of its first state title since 2011.

Guard Carlik Jones led Aiken (24-4) with a game-high 29 points. Teammate Lonnie Berry added 20.

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.

The Last Two Minute Report, which was released Thursday afternoon, determined the no-call was, after further review, incorrect.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kyrie Irving clinched the Cleveland Cavaliers' 99-98 win against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night with a steal that should have been called a foul, according to the NBA. 

The Last Two Minute Report, which was released Thursday afternoon, determined the no-call was, after further review, incorrect because Irving made contact with Nowitzki's midsection before stealing the entry pass. 

On the play, Nowitzki immediately signaled for a call, but it never came. After the loss, he didn't want to get into specifics. 

"I don't know," Nowitzki said. "Kyrie magically appeared with the ball. That's really all that happened. I know I'm not going to get fined over it. It is what it is." 

The missed call with 5.1 seconds remaining led to Irving getting fouled. He hit two free throws, which pushed Cleveland's lead from two to four and essentially clinched the team's first win without LeBron James this season.

"The first initial thought is be aggressive and make the catch hard but also don't let him get to that three-point line," Irving said of his mindset on that play. "Dirk's a killer so I know he was aware they were only down by two and I've seen him make plenty of 3-point shots. And at that point, if he's at the three-point line, I'd try to do my best to contest but I was just trying to make his catch hard and be aggressive on the defensive end."

Had it been correctly ruled a foul, Nowitzki -- an 88 percent free-throw shooter -- would've gone to the line for a pair of freebies and an attempt to tie the game, as the Cavs had already committed one foul in the final two minutes and the Mavs were in the bonus.

That wasn't the only error by the refs in the final two minutes.

There was a moving screen by Nowitzki that went uncalled with 1:26 remaining and a missed three-second violation against Tristan Thompson before Irving's costly turnover with 18.6 seconds left. The league also ruled that Irving was fouled on the same play by Devin Harris.

However, the report doesn't state whether that call would've been negated by the should've-been-called three-second violation against Thompson. 

The result, of course, doesn't change. Irving was credited with a steal and the Cavs picked up their 48th win.

It was another in a long line of 12th-seed vs. fifth-seed upsets, and it was received, well, tepidly by Harvard graduates.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The old saying was that Macy's didn't root for Gimbel's, although it's been 29 years since the latter went out of business.

So do Harvard guys root for Yalies?

Yale is not only still in business, but actually gained the first NCAA Tournament victory in school history Thursday afternoon, beating Baylor, 79-75, in the round of 64.

The game was played in what appears, from the Yale perspective, to be "divine" Providence, R.I. It was Yale's first NCAA Tournament game since 1962.

The Bulldogs were led by sophomore guard Makai Mason's school Tournament record 31 points. 

"Makai" (pronounced "muh-KY," as in "Makyrie "Irving), is a Hawaiian word meaning "winds to the sea." His family has no known Hawaiian ancestry, however.

The Ivy League has shown serious competitive fire in recent years in college basketball. Yale was a 12th-seed, not a 16th,  and it joined the long line of 12 vs. five upsets.

For comparison purposes, Buffalo, which upset a very good Akron team in the Mid-American Conference Tournament final at The Q Saturday night, is a 14th seed.

In 2012, my  alma mater, fifth-seeded Vanderbilt, the "Harvard of the South,"   edged the actual Harvard, a 12th-seed, 79-70, It saved from me a load of grief, courtesy of Plain Dealer colleagues who attended Harvard, that would have sunk a shell in the Harvard-Yale Regatta.

Yale, located in New Haven, Conn., is only about 100 miles from Providence, so it was almost a home game for the underdogs. Perhaps the Bulldogs' fans sang one of their fight songs in celebration afterward:

"Boola, Boola; Boola, Boola; Boola, Boola;
When we 'roughhouse' poor old Harvard,
They will holler Boola Boo.
Oh! Yale, Eli Yale!"

Two Harvard-educated Plain Dealer acquaintances mostly shrugged when told the  score of the Yale-Baylor game, with one admitting he follows the Ohio State-Michigan football game more closely these days than that of Harvard vs. Yale.

My good friend and Plain Dealer colleague Tom Feran, a Harvard man,  said with studied hauteur: "I am happy for their limited success."

Perhaps it was that "roughouse Harvard" thing.

                                            *

In other news, Holy Cross, a 16th-seed, flew to Spokane, Wash., to meet top-seeded  Oregon Friday night.

The Crusaders are only 15-19 on the year, were 5-13 in the Patriot League and winless on the road, then won four straight road games in the conference tournament. Next, they beat Southern, a historically black university, in the First Four in Dayton in the play-in game.

"The Cross" won the 1947 NCAA Tournament and boasts a number of famous alumni. Their coach is Bill Carmody, formerly of Northwestern.

After the Southern game, I congratulated by email Holy Cross alumnus Pat McManamon of ESPN.com, formerly a sports columnist at the Akron Beacon Journal.

He emailed back, " We are proud, but I fear not even (former Holy Cross players) Tom Heinsohn, Ron Perry or even Bob Cousy could save the Crusaders against Oregon."

Holy busted brackets, Patman! Why not?