A look back at the 2012 NFL Draft and what became of the Browns' selections.

The Indians' consideration for hauling five outfielders back to Cleveland stems from Michael Brantley's uncertain status.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The names have not been finalized, but the complexion of the Indians' Opening Day roster is beginning to take shape.

Tyler Naquin received word on Friday morning that he would break camp with the big league club. Veteran reliever Joe Thatcher learned that he would not.

Both players have performed well this spring; Naquin entered Friday's action with a .447 average and eight extra-base hits. Thatcher posted a 1.35 ERA, with no walks and eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Both decisions relate to the Indians' plan to potentially carry five outfielders and only seven relievers on their Opening Day roster.

Naquin might have earned his way onto the club anyway, given his sterling spring statistics and the team's need for a spark in the outfield. Thatcher, however, was a victim of circumstance.

"It was more situationally, trying to carry five outfielders and one less guy in the bullpen and it directly hurt his chances," Tribe manager Terry Francona told reporters Friday. "He didn't hurt his chances, our situation did."

Naquin's sterling spring pays dividends

Francona said the Indians couldn't afford to carry a lefty specialist as one of seven bullpen members. Francona typically prefers eight relievers on staff.

The Indians' consideration for hauling five outfielders back to Cleveland stems from Michael Brantley's uncertain status. Brantley's Friday schedule included a checkup with the team doctor and some work in the batting cages. The Indians have still not decided upon his itinerary for the rest of spring training, but he might be limited to minor-league games so the team could backdate a potential disabled list trip.

Collin Cowgill, Will Venable, Marlon Byrd, Shane Robinson and Robbie Grossman are all still in camp competing for an opportunity.

"We're probably going to mix and match a little bit in April for sure," Francona said. "We're still trying to work our way through it, but not giving up runs is important. We need to score, we know. But we don't want to get sloppy on defense."

Michael Brantley's spring training status in question

Testing, testing: Lonnie Chisenhall was scratched from Friday's lineup. The right fielder has been dealing with forearm soreness. His revised schedule for Friday included a few at-bats in a minor-league game and a visit with Dr. Thomas Graham, who was already slated to fly to Arizona.

"The opportunity to see [the doctor] is there today," Francona said. "It'd be kind of silly not to."

Columbus bound: First baseman Jesus Aguilar was optioned to Triple-A on Friday. Aguilar batted .162 with a .541 OPS in 37 spring at-bats. Aguilar has appeared in 26 games with the Tribe over the last two years.

"We recognize that there could be some frustration on his part and we respect that," Francona said. "We want to make sure he realizes when he goes to Triple-A, that he needs to do what he can do or it hurts him, and we don't want to see that happen. How you handle the frustration so often defines who you are. It might not be on your timetable, but if you can play, it'll work. We saw some of that frustration this spring a little bit. It's hard. We recognize that. The only alternative is to play through it as opposed to giving in to it."

Indiana vs. North Carolina is a Final Four matchup happening in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and looks to be the marquee matchup of the night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- March Madness II picks up where Thursday's Sweet 16 games left off, and hopefully with a bit more compelling action as all four games Thursday ended with double-digit victories.

One game sure to be must-see TV is the final game of the night with Indiana taking on North Carolina. Winners advance to the Elite Eight, Sunday with the Final Four looming ahead.

You can follow our live scoreboard here, which includes previews, updates and TV schedules.

Friday's NCAA Tournament Games

• Virginia vs. Iowa State, 7:10 p.m. CBS
• Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame, 7:27 p.m. CBS
• Gonzaga vs. Syracuse, 9:40 p.m. CBS
• Indiana vs. North Carolina, 9:57 p.m. TBS

• Updated NCAA Tournament Bracket

Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III will reportedly work with quarterback expert Tom House, who has close ties with Hue Jackson. Other Jackson quarterbacks have worked with him, including Carson Palmer, Andy Dalton and A.J. McCarron.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III will make a House call to try to get his mechanics back on track, according to NFL.com.

Griffin, signed by the Browns to a two-year, $15 million deal on Friday, will work in Los Angeles this off-season with noted quarterback expert Tom House, a close associate of Hue Jackson's.

Last year, House worked extensively with Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who catapulted to No. 2 in the NFL with a 106.3 rating. Other Jackson quarterbacks House has tutored include Carson Palmer, Terrelle Pryor and A.J. McCarron and he knows Jackson's scheme well.

Pryor, now a Browns receiver and possible quarterback, worked with House for three seasons and credits him, in part, with helping to win games for the Raiders in 2013.

The book on the dual-threat Griffin is that he's inaccurate from the pocket, holds the ball too long, doesn't read defenses quickly enough and takes too many sacks. Some say he doesn't prepare hard enough during the week.

House, a former Major League Baseball pitcher with a Ph.D. in Sports/Performance Psychology, will help with all of those things. Quarterbacks have flocked to him in recent years, including Tom Brady and Drew Brees. He's also worked with Tim Tebow and Alex Smith.

Dalton, who had Jackson as his offensive coordinator in 2014-15, had worked with House in previous years, but went all in last off-season. He earned the career-high 106. 2 rating, which blew away his previous high of 87.4. His 66.1 percent completion percentage was a career high and his touchdown-to-interception ratio of 25-7 was a career-best.

"The motion is still mine,'' he explained to bengals.com. "It's not like it's completely changed. We tweaked a few things just to make sure all of your momentum, all your force, everything you have is going toward the target of where you're trying to throw. We tweaked it a little bit. It happens so quickly, I don't think the average person will notice it."

Robert Griffin's III signing: 5 things it means

House utilizes 3D-Motions analysis to break down a quarterback's throwing motion and then rebuilds it through proper muscle mechanics.

"I just wanted to fine tune the accuracy and get the most out of every throw and when you're doing it right, it just becomes effortless when the ball comes out of your hand,'' said Dalton. "A lot of that stuff is making sure my shoulders, hips and everything else are going at the right time."

A quicker release will be imperative for Griffin, especially behind an offensive line that lost Pro Bowl center Alex Mack to Atlanta and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz to Kansas City. In each of his three seasons, he's been sacked 30 or more times -- including in 2014 when he was sacked 33 times in 214 pass attempts. That's a sack every 6.5 attempts -- the most for an NFL quarterback since 1992.

For comparison's sake, Peyton Manning was never sacked more than 30 times in his 17 seasons, and only once in his career was he sacked more than 23 times.

Despite working last off-season to develop as a pocket passer, Griffin was third string behind Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy in 2015, and dressed for only game. Gruden attributed Griffin's woes to injuries, but insiders say he was unable to execute Gruden's precision-timing offense as well as the other two.

Still, Gruden insisted that Griffin will be fine with a change of scenery.

"From a mental standpoint, he's going to continue to develop and I think he's ready to jump back in the saddle quickly,'' Gruden said at the NFL Annual Meeting this week. "He's learned concepts in the passing game. He can always do the zone-read stuff with his legs athletically, but now I think he's got a good, firm grasp of a drop-back passing game, which he can add to his skill set. So he'll be a huge help somewhere."

Especially now that he's taking it to the House.

Virginia, Iowa State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Syracuse, North Carolina and Indiana will all try to advance to the Elite Eight this evening.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- March Madness continues today with the 2016 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

On Thursday, Kansas advanced to the Elite Eight with a victory over Maryland. The Jayhawks will play Villanova on Saturday. Villanova advanced after its victory over Miami. Oregon will play Oklahoma on Saturday in the second Elite Eight game. Oregon defeated Duke and Oklahoma defeated Texas A&M.

Tonight's games include Virginia/Iowa State, Notre Dame/Wisconsin, Gonzaga/Syracuse and North Carolina/Indiana.

• Updated NCAA Tournament Bracket

Winners advance to Sunday's Elite Eight games.

ELITE 8

Saturday, March 26

6:09 p.m. on CBS: (1) Oregon vs. (2) Oklahoma

8:49 p.m. on CBS: (1) Kansas vs. (2) Villanova

See every game with March Madness Live and on the March Madness Live app.

Today's NCAA Tournament Games

• Virginia vs. Iowa State, 7:10 p.m. CBS
• Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame, 7:27 p.m. CBS
• Gonzaga vs. Syracuse, 9:40 p.m. CBS
• Indiana vs. North Carolina, 9:57 p.m. TBS

7:20 - Iowa State picked a fine time not to show up. Virginia has an early 17-3.

The teams to beat Iowa State as a No. 1 Seed:

2012 Kentucky
2005 UNC
2000 Michigan State

All won national title. https://t.co/cwYsn2joK7

ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 25, 2016

7:55 - So far, offense is not a first option for Notre Dame and Wisconsin

This is Wisconsin's kind of game. They make their opponents work and it's not always pretty. #MarchMadness

Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) March 25, 2016

8:02 - Virginia has a comfortable 45-31 halftime lead over Iowa State.

8:14 - Fewest points at anytime this season for Notre Dame in a half, Wisconsin 23, ND 19.

8:55 - Here comes Notre Dame.

9:06 - Iowa State's Georges Niang is the first player all-time with 25 plus points, 5 plus rebounds and 3 plus assists in three straight NCAA Tournament games.

9:13 - Virginia 84, Iowa State 71 - final

9:32 - Big steal by Jackson to seal the victory for ND. Irish win 61-56.

10:23 - Marcus Paige had 12 of North Carolina's first 14 points against.

10:29 - Gonzaga 29, Syracuse 28 - 1/2 time.

AA 

With #NotreDame and #UVA winning tonight, the ACC is now 14-3 in the NCAA Tournament.

 Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) March 26, 2016

By the way, this is the worst 3-point shooting team in North Carolina history. The worst. And they all look like Curry tonight.

 Bob Kravitz (@bkravitz) March 26, 2016

11:02 - North Carolina's 52 points is the most the Hoosiers have given up in a half all season.

11:18 - Gonzaga's on a 10-2 run.

11:48 - Syracuse wins

Lukas Sedlak scored two goals in the Lake Erie Monsters' 5-1 win over the Rockford IceHogs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Lake Erie Monsters skated past Rockford, 4,1, and closer to home ice in the playoffs Friday night in front of 13,188 fans at The Q.

Lake Erie (36-21-5-5) inched by Rockford (35-19-8-4) in points and victories, and just a few percentage points separate the rivals. Percentage points determine the final standings. 

Rockford and Lake Erie began the night ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Western Conference with 10 games remaining. The top four teams earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Lake Erie also beat Rockford on Thursday and finished 4-4 in the season series, with the home team winning each game. Rockford's frustration showed in a pair of third-period fights that sent two IceHogs to the locker room in an increasingly intense rivalry.

"We caused some turnovers and those resulted in our goals,'' coach Jared Bednar said on the Monsters broadcast. "There's a lot of positives. Things got a little bit rough, but our whole team is committed and sticking up for each other. It's a big character win for out team.''

Lukas Sedlak scored the Monsters' final two goals -- one shorthanded -- in the second and third periods. Daniel Zaar added a goal and two assists and Josh Anderson had two assists.

Goalie Anton Forsberg (20-10-4) helped give the Monsters all the cushion they needed with another stellar performance between the pipes -- 27 saves.

Rockford's David Rundblad scored first, and Monsters defenseman Steve Eminger's power-play goal tied it with 2:43 left in the first period.

The last two periods belonged to Lake Erie. Michael Chaput scored the go-ahead goal 2 minutes into the second. Zaar and Sedlak added tallies later in the period.

Sedlak's shorthander, his 10th goal of the season, finished the scoring. Lake Erie leads the AHL with eight short-handed goals.

ICE CHIPS: Fans received Sonny Milano bobbleheads. Milano had two goals in Thursday's win against Rockford, but did not have a point Friday. . . Lake Erie plays at Grand Rapids tonight.

The Lady Vols (22-13), who upset No. 2 seed Arizona State last Sunday, beat the No. 3 Buckeyes (26-8) to reach the Elite Eight for the fifth time in six years.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Mercedes Russell scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and Tennessee continued its surprising run in the women's NCAA Tournament with a 78-62 victory over Ohio State in a Sioux Falls Regional semifinal Friday night.

The Lady Vols (22-13), who upset No. 2 seed Arizona State last Sunday, beat the No. 3 Buckeyes (26-8) to reach the Elite Eight for the fifth time in six years. They'll play Sunday against No. 4 Syracuse, which stunned top-seeded South Carolina 80-72 in the first semifinal.

Russell and fellow post player Bashaara Graves combined to make their first 13 shots from the field before Russell missed a tough one in the middle of the third quarter. The two combined for 22 of the Lady Vols' first 28 points as they got out to a 43-35 halftime lead.

Ameryst Alston led the Buckeyes with 21 points and Kelsey Mitchell had 20 while playing all 40 minutes.

The Browns promised calculated decision-making by the new front office. The Robert Griffin III signing raises a lot of questions that they must've considered ... right?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Initial reaction to the signing of Robert Griffin III: little risk.

Delayed reaction: Still little risk but lots more questions raised than answered.

If the Browns draft Carson Wentz or Jared Goff at No. 2 overall, how do they find enough snaps to groom a young quarterback and re-wire RG3's circuit board in the same training camp?

Possible answer: They're not looking to hit the fast-forward button. Is it an indication they'd sit the rookie? Sure seems so.

Wentz isn't exactly as experienced as Brandon Weeden was in blowing out birthday candles, but he'll be 24 in December. My guess: They like Goff and will take Goff who's 21 and (presumably) the apple of Hue Jackson's eye for a number of valid reasons.

The signing of RG3 isn't inviting another circus

Hard to say what the analytics point to as far as the success of rookie quarterbacks thrown in behind overmatched offensive lines, but going into a season with the idea of letting Goff learn isn't a bad idea.

If Griffin can improve and becomes a bridge, what have the Browns lost? The answer: a veteran mentor. But the gain may be a draft pick if they can repackage Griffin and trade him in a year or two.

Does this coaching staff suffer from delusions of grandeur and believe it can be all things to all people? Mentor to a rookie? Architect of a RG3 quarterback renovation?

Maybe. The mentor role of a veteran backup is nice when it's there and it happens naturally, but the Browns might believe it's the all-in job of the organization to do the mentoring.

What if Griffin responds so well to the Browns' plan -- there is a plan, right? -- that he becomes the unquestioned starter, if not the exact same bolt of lightning that lit up the NFL in 2012? That could be problematic in a good way. On the scale of Browns quarterback issues since 1999, having two valuable commodities at the position is hardly a conundrum.

The preference is for a quarterback controversy to involve two guys who can actually play. Imagine.

What if the Browns signed Griffin because they don't see greatness in either Goff or Wentz? That seems possible. In fact, if you can't imagine how they'd be able to give a rookie and RG3 enough snaps to groom one and resuscitate the other, this is perhaps where you suspect they're heading.

Take the best player available at No. 2. Or trade down for more picks.

My thought: Don't trade down for more picks. Keep that pick and take a quarterback or immediate impact player. You're drafting there because you don't have a quarterback or enough difference makers. It's not as if the Browns only have a handful of picks. They should take quality. They have quantity.

What if they are so convinced RG3 can be put back together again and be the answer that they don't bother drafting a quarterback in the top rounds? That's the scenario -- and perhaps the only one we've discussed here - that makes no sense at all.

Do the Browns see RG3 as a complement and not a fix?

They can't put that much trust in a player who's suffered serious injuries, was benched and didn't take a snap in 2015 -- let alone a player whose ego and personality criticized in Washington.

The Browns didn't outbid the league's quarterback desperados to bring RG3 to town. There's a reason for that. If he's part of a temporary solution, if he's a place holder, signing him was understandable. The new Browns front office promised calculated decisions, remember?

Whatever questions are raised about the sharing of repetitions between a young QB and a reclamation project, it beats one alternative.

Going all in on the reclamation project, whose one good season came in 2012, when you're in perfect position to embrace your future.

Among many questions surrounding Griffin's signing with Cleveland Browns: What impact, if any, will it have on Josh Gordon?

BEREA, Ohio -- Robert Griffin III and Josh Gordon share a history. It was brief, dynamic and cut short by the receiver's poor judgment.

The description capsulizes Gordon's time at Baylor and, if he slips up again, could serve as his NFL coda. The oft-suspended Browns' wideout is running out of chances. So is his former college quarterback, only for different reasons.

The last coach to see them on the field together believes a reunion in Cleveland could draw out the best in both.

"There is a natural connection between RG3 and JG," Baylor's Art Briles told cleveland.com. "When you're talking about a quarterback-receiver relationship at the highest level of the game you need a really strong bond and those guys have it. I think it's going to be great for them."

The Browns' decision to sign Griffin supplies ample storylines:

* A quarterback-starved franchise gets a passer it coveted in the 2012 draft.

* A former rookie of the year earns the opportunity to reverse a three-year slide filled with serious injury, demotion and controversy.

* A new coach with a reputation for honing the abilities of quarterbacks and drawing the most out of players whose own reputations need mending gets seriously tested. 

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon (12) hopes to be reinstated by the NFL in the coming days.John Kuntz, cleveland.com 

Questions abound. Among them: What, if anything, does Griffin's arrival mean for Gordon, who's still waiting for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to green-light his reinstatement.

Briles thinks having a friend on the team with whom he's enjoyed success will have a significant impact. The Baylor coach reminded Browns fans what they saw from the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Gordon during his All-Pro season wasn't a fluke.

"If you drew a picture of an ideal NFL receiver it would be Josh," Briles said. "Hopefully, he's on the right track now. Robert is only going to help. ... Sometimes, it takes two to make one person special."

The longtime Bears coach, however, is all too familiar with Gordon's imperfections. Before the NFL banned him three times, totaling 28 games, for violations to its substance-abuse policy, Briles suspended him indefinitely for a failed drug test prior to the 2011 season.

Griffin won the Heisman and the Bears went 10-3 that year, but you can only imagine how much better both would have been with Gordon in the lineup. A season earlier, he caught 42 passes for 714 yards and seven touchdowns.

RG3 working with quarterback guru to refine his game

Gordon has become football's most notorious ineligible receiver, having been suspended 42 games of a possible 77 dating to his final season at Baylor. During a Thursday conference call, Griffin said he considers his once-and-future teammate "family." The quarterback reportedly lobbied the Redskins to select Gordon in the 2012 supplemental draft.

It's easy to see how much these two players need each other. Gordon provides Griffin a legitimate playmaker and a locker-room ally as he tries to convince the Browns he's a better teammate than what was sometimes portrayed in Washington.

If Griffin wins the starting job, his ability to throw the deep ball could do wonders for Gordon's future earning potential. The wideout has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract. While Griffin has endured his own issues with Redskins' coaches and teammates, he figures to be a more stable and positive influence on Gordon than Johnny Manziel. The friendship always worried the Browns, and for good reason.

Adding Griffin to the roster should help Gordon in his presumptive return to the club. There were moments in recent weeks when he appeared to be sabotaging it -- none more blatant than attending a UFC event in Manziel's company.

His latest series of tweets reflect a receiver anxious to team up with Griffin.

Would be nice.. https://t.co/lkaAQ0n14q

-- Flash Gordon (@JOSH_GORDONXII) March 24, 2016

Griffin's two-year deal suggests he's a bridge quarterback for now. He will have to compete for the job and perhaps do so against Carson Wentz or Jared Goff, assuming the Browns use their first-round pick on a quarterback.

Briles thinks Hue Jackson's presence is paramount to Griffin revival. The suspect offensive line and paucity of playmakers won't trouble the quarterback, the Baylor coach said.

"I've always tried to recruit mavericks and RG3 is definitely one of them," Briles said. "He's never been afraid to jump into a situation where nobody else would want to go.

"If Robert is able to play free and use his skill level, he'll be fine."

It all sounds great, but Browns fans know better. They are conditioned to expect the worst. There are enough question marks surrounding Griffin's durability and Gordon's reliability to cover The Riddler's green outfit. Griffin has won just five games since his celestial rookie season. Neither man played a down in 2015.

Naturally, their old college coach wants to put the most positive spin on the reunion.

"RG3 and JG together," Briles said. "If they are healthy and on top of their games, you would have a hard time naming (a better quarterback-receiver tandem) in the league."

Color me skeptical, yet intrigued. Tis the season for talk of resurrections.

For March Madness 2016, I like the two "underdogs'' in Saturday's Elite 8 games -- Oklahoma (over Oregon) and Villanova (over Kansas).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I freely admitted to having minimal knowledge about college basketball from the time the season started until March 1. Then I crammed, college-economics-final-style, for the NCAA Tournament by reading, listening and watching as much as possible.

I learned from others that the field supposedly was wide-open, which figured to make it all the more difficult to pick winners -- let alone winners against the spread. I have tried to do so, with periodic advice from a friend who follows college hoops closely.

The results have been mixed. I went a combined 19-13 in the first round, 7-9 in the second round and 4-4 in the Sweet 16.

I am upset about Friday's 2-2. I desperately wanted to go with North Carolina in a blowout over Indiana but allowed my friend to talk me out of it. My Indiana +5 1/2 pick went up in smoke as North Carolina did, indeed, roll.

Lines for Saturday's Elite 8 games are from Westgate Superbook as of Saturday afternoon. As always in this space, no matter the sport, the ATS picks are for entertainment purposes only.

ELITE 8, SATURDAY

West Region, Anaheim, Calif., 6:09 p.m., CBS

No. 2 Oklahoma +1 1/2 over No. 1 Oregon  

Skinny: There is plenty to like about the Ducks, but the Sooners' talent and experience in the backcourt make the difference. Sooners by three.

South Region, Louisville, Ky., 8:49 p.m., CBS

No. 2 Villanova +2 over No. 1 Kansas

Skinny: 'Nova F Kris Jenkins is locked in. 'Nova by two.

The Indians told lefty Tom Gorzelanny on Saturday that he was not going to make the 25-man roster. That means there's just one open spot in the seven-man pen and the two remaining candidates are lefties Kyle Crockett and Ross Detwiler.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians trimmed their roster to 39 players Saturday in preparation for opening day on April 4 at Progressive Field.

Right-hander Austin Adams, outfielder Joey Butler and infielders Giovanny Urshela and Erik Gonzalez were optioned to Class AAA Columbus. Catcher Adam Moore was re-assigned to the minors and lefty Tom Gorzelanny was told he would not make the big-league club.

Adams' demotion and Gorzelanny's status bring the composition of the bullpen into focus. Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Zach McAllister, Jeff Manship and Joba Chamberlain, all right-handers, have made the team. They still have not made a decision on right-hander Dan Otero and who will be the lone lefty -- Kyle Crockett or Ross Detwiler.

The Indians did announce that Chamberlain has made the club.

The demotion of Butler, claimed on waivers in December, is not a surprise. The combination of a poor spring and the availability of a minor-league option made him a logical choice, but there are still 10 outfielders in camp. Michael Brantley is not expected to open the season on time because of his surgically repaired right shoulder and Abraham Almonte definitely won't be available as he starts serving an 80-game suspension come opening day.

Urshela and Gonzalez should form the left side of the Columbus infield at third and shortstop, respectively. Urshela turned in a strong performance this spring. He hit .308 (12-for-39) and leaves the team ranked first in homers with five and second in RBI with 12.

His fate was sealed when the Indians signed veteran third baseman Juan Uribe in late February.

For the second time in as many days manager Terry Francona had to tell a veteran lefty that he wasn't making the club. On Friday it was Joe Thatcher. On Saturday it was Gorzelanny.

Gorzalanny posted a 3.58 ERA in eight games. He struck out three, walked two and allowed three earned runs in 7 2/3 innings.

Adams, up and down five times between Columbus and Cleveland last year, was demoted in spite of a strong spring. Adams went 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA and one save in nine appearances. He struck out nine, walked four and allowed three earned runs in 10 1/3 innings.

Hainsey is the No. 3 offensive guard in the 2017 recruiting class according to 247Sports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A staple of Urban Meyer's Ohio State recruiting classes over the last few years has been loading up on offensive linemen.

So even with a tight 2017 recruiting class that already includes two blue-chip offensive line commits, of course the Buckeyes would make room for more. That's good, because one of the best in the country is interested.

Four-star offensive guard Robert Hainsey announced a list of of his final 10 schools on Friday, and he included Ohio State. Hainsey plays for powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., but he's originally from the Pittsburgh area. So he has a strong Big Ten presence on his final list.

Hainsey also listed Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Pitt, North Carolina, Florida, Miami (Fla.) and Ole Miss as finalists.

The 6-foot-4, 276-pound Hainsey is the No. 69 overall prospect and the No. 3 guard in the country according to 247Sports composite ratings.

Hainsey's final list, which he posted on his public Twitter account, came on the same weekend he was in Columbus visiting Ohio State. This is a big weekend for the Buckeyes, with many high-profile recruits on campus.

d$? pic.twitter.com/iREuUROP9f

-- Robert Hainsey5i,aPS6i,aPS (@RH56__) March 26, 2016

The Buckeyes' 2017 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation by 247Sports, and with 13 commitments already Ohio State is either going to have a small class or somehow find space on a roster filled with underclassmen.

Five-star offensive tackle Josh Meyers from Miamisburg, Ohio, and four-star star offensive tackle Jake Moretti from Arvada, Colorado are the two offensive linemen committed right now.

Ohio State already has commitments from two of Hainsey's IMG teammates in 2017: Four-star safety Isaiah Pryor and four-star cornerback Marcus Williamson.

Thompson will enter the 2016 NBA Draft, but under a new rule he can return to Ohio State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Before you freak out, know that we're living in a different world when it comes to college basketball players declaring for the NBA Draft.

Ohio State redshirt sophomore center Trevor Thompson has declared for the 2016 NBA Draft. An Ohio State spokesman confirmed Thompson's decision to cleveland.com.

"Thompson has indicated to the coaching staff his intention to take advantage of new NCAA opportunities to gather information about becoming a professional," the spokesman said in an email.

The news was first reported by ESPN's Jeff Goodman. Under a new NCAA rule, players can declare for the draft, but as long as they don't hire an agent they can return to play college basketball. According to Goodman, Thompson does not plan on hiring an agent.

A new NCAA rule announced in January allows college basketball players to enter and withdraw their name for NBA Draft consideration as many times as they want over the course of their college career. Underclassmen like Thompson have until May 25 this year, 10 days after the NBA Draft combine, to withdraw their names and keep their college eligibility.

Though the NCAA allows players to enter and withdraw their name as many times as they want, the NBA has a rule that states they may only withdraw from the draft twice before becoming automatically eligible.

Regardless, this is new territory for the NCAA and the NBA, and it allows players like Thompson -- who seemingly aren't even marginal NBA prospects at this point -- to test the waters without the penalty of losing their college eligibility.

Whether you agree with the new rule or not, players are going to take advantage of this opportunity. Why wouldn't they? There's no harm in finding out what the NBA thinks of you now if you can always return to college and get better.

But this is going to drastically alter the pre-draft process as players who have zero chance of getting drafted are now suddenly going to throw their names in and see what happens. Kentucky coach John Calipari recently said he's encouraging all of his eligible players, even walk-ons, to declare for the draft.

The NBA combine is invite-only. But players who declare are allowed to take part in the combine and one workout with each of the NBA's 30 teams -- and still return to college as long as they don't hire an agent and make their decision to return within that 10-day window after the combine.

This is a departure from old rules that required players to make a decision on the NBA in April. You might remember D'Angelo Russell taking his decision down to the wire last year even though everybody assumed he would be leaving. This new rule also removes the cap on the number of times a player can enter the draft before losing his college eligibility, which used to be twice and is now unlimited.

So Thompson is the first Buckeye to take advantage of the new rule. Even though Ohio State doesn't appear to have any NBA-ready talent right now, don't be surprised if Thompson isn't the last.

Last season was Thompson's first at Ohio State after transferring from Virginia Tech and sitting out last year. He played in all 35 games, making 28 starts -- losing his starting job to freshman center Daniel Giddens at two different points.

Thompson averaged 6.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.

We take a look at Coach Tyronn Lue, LeBron James and other key figures as the Cavs enter the final stretch of the regular season.

Get the latest updates and analysis on the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the New York Knicks.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers, without Kyrie Irving who was resting, had a wire-to-wire win against the New York Knicks, 107-93.

LeBron James recorded his third triple-double of the season, with 27 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds. Kevin Love added 28 points and 12 rebounds. 

Scoring Summary:

End of 3rd Quarter - Cavs lead Knicks, 89-72. The Cavs are led by Kevin Love, who has 23 points to go with 10 rebounds. LeBron James has added 19 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. The Knicks scored 40 points in the quarter, and are led by Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony -- each with 17 points. 

End of 2nd Quarter - Cavs lead Knicks, 56-32. Kevin Love leads the way with 14 points. J.R. Smith has added 11 points. LeBron James has eight points to go with eight assists and six rebounds. The Knicks are led by Kristaps Porzingis, who has 12 points. 

End of 1st Quarter - Cavs lead Knicks, 32-15. LeBron James leads the way with eight points, six assists and four rebounds. Kevin Love has six points on 2-of-7 shooting. The Knicks are led by Kristaps Porzingis, who has seven points. 

Game 73: Cavs (51-21) vs. Knicks (30-43)

Tip off: 7:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden.

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

Cavs probable starting lineup: Matthew Dellavedova, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov.

Knicks probable starting lineup: Jose Calderon, Sasha Vujacic, Kristaps Porzingis, Carmelo Anthony and Robin Lopez.

For the first time in over a month, Mo Williams will be available to see action tonight.

NEW YORK - For the first time in over a month, Mo Williams will make his return to the court this evening against the New York Knicks.

He was cleared to play following a morning shootaround and a mini-workout with assistant coach Phil Handy. Head trainer Steve Spiro ruled he was ready. Head coach Tyronn Lue said the guard will play around 10-12 minutes.

The 13-year vet has been dealing with knee soreness all season long. The team anticipated tonight's game would be his target date.

Kyrie Irving is resting as part of the team's maintenance program, so Williams will have an opportunity to see quality minutes.

Matthew Dellavedova will get his 12^th start of the season in place of Irving.

Williams is averaging 8.9 points and 2.7 assists in 35 appearances this campaign. He hasn't played more than four minutes in a game since Feb. 10.

Manager Terry Francona names Joba Chamberlain to the bullpen on Saturday, but he still has two openings to fill before the season begins on April 4.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - This is the time of spring training that players love or hate, but deep down inside they're just glad to find out where they'll be playing baseball at the start of the season.

In the confines of the Indians' bullpen, Joba Chamberlain received the good news on Saturday morning. Austin Adams and Tom Gorzelanny were not so fortunate.

"We talked to Joba and informed him that he's on the ballclub," manager Terry Francona told reporters Saturday morning in Goodyear, Arizona. "In a week where you have a lot of tough conversations, that was a rewarding one."

Chamberlain, the one-time darling of the New York Yankees, struggled last year with Detroit, Toronto and Kansas City. He signed a minor-league deal with the Indians on Dec. 1 and has been working toward making the team ever since.

"Joba came out here (Goodyear) in January," said Francona. "He's been a (good) teammate from Day One. He's throwing the ball really well. Getting to know him has been fun."

Chamberlain, 30, has a 3.38 ERA in eight games this spring. He's allowed three earned runs in eight innings with seven strikeouts and five walks. The opposition is hitting .233 against him.

Francona says he'll open the season with a seven-man bullpen. Five spots are filled with closer Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Zach McAllister, Jeff Manship and Chamberlain. Left-handers Kyle Crockett or Ross Detwiler will fill one of the two remaining openings. Right-hander Dan Otero would seem to be closing in on the other spot, but there's been no official word on his standing.

Tito could open season with 5 outfielders, 7 relievers

Adams and Gorzelanny performed well this spring, but not well enough. Adams went 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA and one save over 10 1/3 innings this spring. He struck out nine, walked four and allowed three earned runs.

"We spent a lot of time with Austin," said Francona. "We tried to explain to him that there has been so much development with his curveball, but there has been a lot of times this spring where he comes in and it's ball one, ball two. In the regular season if that happens, it means we have to get somebody up in the bullpen."

Last year the hard-throwing Adams struck out 23 and walked 17 in 33 1/3 innings with the Tribe.

"I want him to recognize how highly we regard him and that we want him to be a guy in our bullpen," said Francona. "But we also want to be honest enough (with him). He handled that conversation really well."

Gorzelanny, the veteran lefty who came to camp on a minor league deal, went 0-0 with a 3.58 ERA in eight games. He struck out three, walked two and allowed three earned runs in 7 2/3 innings.

At the start of camp, five lefties were trying to win one spot in the pen. Giovanni Soto was optioned to Columbus and Joe Thatcher received the same news Friday that Gorzelanny received Saturday. Now only Crockett and Detwiler remain.

"We know he can go look around now, but if there's not a major league opportunity for him, we'd love to come and pitch at Triple-A with us," said Francona. "He says he really doesn't get going until May. I know he could help us."

Adams, Butler among Indians latest cuts

It's not often that a team searching for offense as the Indians are options its top home run hitter to Class AAA Columbus. But that's what they did to third baseman Giovanny Urshela, whose five homers led the team. He ranked second on the team with 12 RBI.

The news did not surprise Urshela. He was told this would happen when the Indians signed Juan Uribe in February.

"He had a really good camp," said Francona. "He feels for first time in a while that he's fully healthy. We walked through why signed Uribe again. We think spending sometime in Triple-AAA will be good for him. He understood.

"We signed (Uribe) for one year. We told him, 'We want you to come here and be ready to stay here.'"

Urshela makes hay, while Uribe is away

Shortstop Erik Gonzalez and outfielder Joey Butler were also optioned to Columbus. Catcher Adam Moore was re-assigned to the minors and will end up on the Columbus roster.

Check up: Right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall had his right forearm examined by Dr. Thomas Graham on Friday. He's been sidelined by the forearm injury for the last several days.

Graham, one of the top hand specialists in the country, told Chisenhall that he couldn't injure himself any further even though he does have pain in the forearm. Chisenhall has told the Indians that he gets this kind of soreness every year, but he's never missed this much time in spring training.

Chisenhall will trade bad spring for good season

To make matters worse, Chisenhall has one hit in 22 at-bats this spring. It's unclear if the Indians are thinking about putting Chisenhall on the disabled list to start the season.

The herd has thinned. Many openings have been filled. In a few days, the Indians will abandon Goodyear and confront the regular season with a 25-man unit.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The herd has thinned. Many openings have been filled. In a few days, the Indians will abandon Goodyear, Arizona, and confront the regular season with a 25-man unit.

On Saturday, following a series of roster cuts -- and one roster spot clinch -- the Indians fell short against the Cincinnati Reds by a 7-4 margin. Here are some takeaways from the affair and what they mean moving forward with the regular season around the corner.

* Michael Brantley's likely absence at the start of the regular season means the Indians will need all of the offensive assistance they can get from their in-house outfield candidates.

Marlon Byrd hasn't been in camp with the Tribe for long, but he has displayed some punch at the plate. Byrd notched a pair of doubles on Saturday to give him five two-baggers in five spring games. Overall, the 38-year-old outfielder has seven hits in 15 at-bats (1.300 OPS).

Tribe manager Terry Francona was pleased to watch Byrd catch up to a fastball from hard-throwing right-hander Blake Wood.

"He got to a pretty good fastball," Francona told reporters. "Blake Wood, we've seen, he throws pretty firm. And he got to it pretty well. That was good to see."

* Cody Allen surrendered four runs (three earned, because of a Francisco Lindor throwing error) in the seventh, which turned a slim Cleveland lead into a three-run deficit. Allen owns an 8.59 ERA this spring.

* Lindor made a pair of errors to boost his spring total to four. Francona said the Indians made some defensive miscues that they "shouldn't." He also downplayed their significance.

"Sometimes an error in spring training can almost be good," he said, "because it can get you back to fundamentals and moving your feet."

Lindor doubled and walked in four trips to the plate. He is batting .311 with an .871 OPS.

* Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana slugged back-to-back solo home runs in the sixth. Yan Gomes also belted a solo shot. Gomes and Napoli have each clubbed four homers this spring. Napoli is batting .450 with a 1.286 OPS.

* Santana went 1-for-4 with the long ball. He is hitting .283 with an .862 OPS. Francona has appreciated Santana demonstrating some extra aggression at the plate.

"He's not been passive [on] 0-0 [counts] like sometimes he can be," Francona said. "I don't know if passive is the right word, but just take mode, where, if he sees a fastball he likes, he's been kind of letting it fly, which I think is really going to help him. If that's the best pitch you're going to see, if he's ready to hit, I think he'll do some damage. I think he's in a good spot.

"I just like when guys [take the approach of], 'Be ready to hit.' And, if you get a good pitch, go ahead. You're going to get deep in the count by swinging at strikes and taking good swings. He's really good at that, so he can afford to be aggressive at times, because people try to get ahead of him."

* Ross Detwiler, one of two left-handers remaining (Kyle Crockett is the other) in the battle for two bullpen openings, tossed a scoreless inning. Right-hander Dan Otero is also in the mix. Joba Chamberlain received word on Saturday that he had earned a spot on the team.

Tribe to carry 5 outfielders, 7 relievers

* Carlos Carrasco allowed three runs on six hits over five innings. He threw a pair of wild pitches and served up a solo home run to Reds infielder Eugenio Suarez.

"You're starting to get where you're getting deeper into a game and you're using all your pitches," Francona said. "I thought he threw a much better breaking ball. He got out far enough and we'll have him go farther his last one. Like [Corey] Kluber, we'll rein back in, but we want to get Carlos out a little bit farther. He made a couple mistakes, but I thought he looks like he's [getting close to being ready]. He's just trying to refine his location, and with repetition, he'll be just fine."

LeBron James and Kevin Love led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 108-93 victory over the New York Knicks.

NEW YORK - Midway through the third quarter, the Cavaliers were breezing by 25 over New York. Not surprisingly, that lead didn't last -- largely because the Knicks posted a 40-point period.

That meant LeBron James didn't get his fourth quarter off. The margin dwindled to  10 just under five minutes left, but James' driving layup in traffic, plus the foul produced a much-needed three-point play and the Cavaliers coasted home from there for a 107-93 victory Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

No. 23 captured his third triple-double of the season and the 42^nd of his career after compiling 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Kevin Love produced 28 points and 12 boards. He took an elbow to the back of his head late in the third quarter by Robin Lopez. He was shaken briefly, but remained in the game after a timeout.

The contest had all the makings of a lengthy Sasha Kaun appearance, but Cleveland (52-21) let a very effective defense wane in the third quarter. When the Cavaliers' second unit struggled to score in the fourth quarter, New York (30-44) made something of a game of it.

But for the first half, Madison Square Garden was The Silent Garden. The Knicks' media section is near the top of the roof, and yet you could hear players talking on the court. By the sound of it, there were more Cavs fans in attendance than Knicks' fans.

"I always look forward to playing against one of my really good friends," James said regarding Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony. "Especially in this building, the mecca of basketball."

Judging by his performance, Anthony didn't feel the same way until halftime. James locked him up. Anthony traveled, rushed his shots and missed point-blank layups while trying to maneuver around James in isolation sets. He started out 1-for-11 from the field before ending with 28 points in 24 shot attempts. Only two of his nine buckets came on James.

James continued on his pre-postseason tear. He was In case some thought he had lost some bounce in his legs, he cleared that up in the third. On three straight possessions, James had the ball on the left wing. First was a triple over Robin Lopez, then a baseline drive and foul against Lopez and finally a driving, soaring dunk over Kristaps Porzingis and the head of Lou Amundson.

James picked up a technical for taunting, but it was well worth it. It was one nasty slam.

Kyrie Irving took the night off as part of the team's maintenance program. For the first time in over a month, Mo Williams played. He hit his first two shots, which were back-to-back threes and finished with eight points and two assists in 12 minutes.

Coming off of that awful loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, head coach Tyronn Lue said he challenged his guys to be more physical on the defensive end and they accepted. Although the Knicks scored 40 in the third, they managed just 53 in the other 36 minutes.

Channing Frye showed on a Jerian Grant drive and the rookie bumped into him and forced up an air ball as he crashed to the floor to end the opening quarter. That's the physicality Lue is searching for.

Iman Shumpert didn't allow Arron Afflalo to post him up in the second quarter and he managed to get around him for the steal that led to him converting a fastbreak layup. Cleveland held New York to 42 percent shooting.

"I think defensively is always our key,"Lue said. "If we're playing good defensively, it's means our offense is pretty good because we can get out and run in transition."

Cleveland was on top of its game for the most part. They depart The Big Apple with a split.

On deck

Cleveland has a two-game homestand starting with the Houston Rockets on Tuesday at 8 p.m. on TNT. The second of the two is a rematch with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday at 7 p.m., televised on Fox Sports Ohio.

LeBron James notched another triple-double with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Cavs' win over New York.

NEW YORK - Make that two triple-doubles for LeBron James this week.

Always a star at Madison Square Garden, James shined again in the Cavaliers' 107-93 road victory over the Knicks, which allowed the Cavs to maintain their 2.5-game lead over the Toronto Raptors for first in the East with nine to play.

James finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists for his third triple-double this season and 42^nd of his career in regular-season games. He needs just one more to tie Lafayette "Fat" Lever for sixth all-time.

James' last triple-double was Monday against Denver. What preceded the week's statistical onslaught? That talking to he received from coach Tyronn Lue, which apparently forced him into playoff mode a little sooner than normal.

Can't give Lue all the credit for what we've seen on the court from James this week. But, sheesh.

He entered play averaging about 30 points on 60 percent shooting for the week, and all James did was dominate the Knicks. Of course, James usually does that at the Garden. Entering Saturday's game, he was averaging 28.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 21 regular-season games here.

On Saturday, James shot 10-of-21 in 36 minutes.

"I'm on him a lot sometimes but I demand a lot of him because when you're the best player in the world, it comes with that," coach Tyronn Lue said before the game. "I just stay on him and for him to stay on the guys and just try to get us to the next level."

James' friend (and future teammate?) Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 28 points. The play of the game belonged to James.

With 14.5 seconds to go in the third quarter, James blew past former Cav Lou Amundson and went over both him and Kristaps Porzingis for a dignity-robbing dunk. The two were helpless as James skied over both and crushed one upon their heads.

James was actually hit with a technical foul on the play, apparently for the few extra words and sideways look he shot toward Amundson.

A whistle wasn't going to save Sweet Lou there.

Kyrie Irving was held out of the game to rest. James is the Cavs' top assist man anyway, but he was especially in the mode of distributor without Irving on the floor in the first half. At halftime, James had eight points and eight assists.

James needs four points to pass Dominique Wilkins (26,668 points) for 12^th on the NBA's all-time scoring list.