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Balance and fewer developmental players, Ohio State basketball roster in better place: Bill Landis analysis

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Ohio State's roster has gone through a serious revamping in only a few short weeks. That's a good thing for the Buckeyes. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Things should be settling down now for the Ohio State basketball team. Right? No more changes?

Should be.

After a couple of tumultuous weeks in which the Buckeyes lost three players to transfer (bringing the season total to four) and two members of the coaching staff, things are finally pointing toward next season.

After all of it, the Buckeyes are in a better place.

Before I say why, I should say this is not a defense of anything that's happened in the last few weeks. I've received some comments that I'm making excuses for the team. I'm not. You lose four players to transfer within one year, and basically miss on two large recruiting classes in the five years, then you have to change things.

Thad Matta and his staff aren't off the hook for anything. They made mistakes building this roster and now they're trying to fix it. I think they're close to fixing it.

Here's a look at what should be Ohio State's roster for the 2016-17 season:

Point guards: JaQuan Lyle, Soph.; C.J. Jackson, Soph.

Shooting guards: Kam Williams, R-Jr.

Small forwards: Marc Loving, Sr.; Keita Bate-Siop, Jr.; Andre Wesson, Fr.

Power forwards: Jae'Sean Tate, Jr.; Derek Funderburk, Fr.

Centers: Trevor Thompson, R-Jr.; Dave Bell, R-Soph.; Micah Potter, Fr.

Here are some thoughts on why I think the roster is better now than it was at the beginning of last year:

Starters

I don't expect anything to change. Lyle, Loving, Bates-Diop, Tate and Thompson should again be the starting lineup in 2016-17. Matta has always favored his older players, and has never been one to make drastic lineup changes unless forced to.

I like this starting lineup as long as Lyle progresses to the point where he's truly running the team. A large part of Ohio State's struggles, particularly early on last year, stemmed from poor point guard play. Lyle needs to take the next step, and if he does he'll lead a starting lineup that returns four double-digit scorers.

Recruiting profiles for Funderburk, Potter and Wesson

The balance

The Buckeyes roster was heading in the direction of being a mess. Think about a scenario in which there were no transfers. The Buckeyes would've had four centers. If nobody left, the 2017 roster would've had five centers. That's some serious roster imbalance.

You now have Thompson as the clear-cut starting center, backed up by Potter and Bell (in that order most likely). Thompson has to get better defensively now that Daniel Giddens is gone, but that gives the Buckeyes some offensive versatility at the big man spot. Potter can stretch the floor to the 3-point line. Thompson has a developing mid-range jumper that can be a weapon if he polishes it enough.

The Buckeyes needed a guard, and added one in Jackson. After a year of prep school and junior college, he's more experienced than A.J. Harris would have been. He's also able to play on the ball or off. Those two and Kam Williams make Ohio State's guard play a little stronger than it was last year.

Adding Andre Wesson on Wednesday gives the Buckeyes a versatile player who can play the two, three or four in Matta's system. He's immediately a three-and-D guy who gives the Buckeyes a perimeter defensive presence they were lacking. He and Tate should be a nice defensive pairing. Wesson and Funderburk, who the Buckeyes hope can be a stretch four or wing player, provide better versatility at wing/forward.

Fewer developmental players

Some of this is obvious, because the core is a year older. That always helps. But look at the players coming in and they could be a little further along than the freshmen who came in last year.

Jackson, as stated, has played a lot of basketball. Wesson isn't a complete product, but has two traits (shooting and defense) that should make him an impact player right away. Potter might already have the best offensive game of any big man on the roster. Funderburk is probably the most developmental player because he doesn't have set position yet, but he has raw athleticism and superior length.

Last year Harris clearly had to slow things down to play in the Big Ten. Austin Grandstaff could shoot, but played few minutes because the rest of his game needed to catch up. Mitchell looked out of place all season backing up and then starting at the four position. His offensive game was limited. Giddens looked like he was going to be a real force defensively, but his offensive game was nowhere near that.

Operating at peak performance and full potential, the 2015 class had more overall talent than this 2016 class. But this 2016 class feels like it's more ready to contribute right away.

More recruiting spots

Ohio State has Kaleb Wesson committed for 2017, and for the longest time it looked like that's all the Buckeyes would be doing in that recruiting class. Now, because it seems like Ohio State is done in 2016 once Jackson signs, they can add two more players in 2017.

They could four or more players in 2018. That gives Matta more options over the last two years to get the roster where he wants it, but he has to get it right.


NBA Awards 2016: Chris Haynes reveals the ballot he sent to the league

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With the 2015-16 NBA campaign in the books, Chris Haynes reveals his selections for the end-of-season awards ballot he submitted to the league.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - With the 2015-16 NBA campaign in the books, it's time to reveal my selections for the end-of-season awards ballot I submitted to the league.

This was an historic year and the players shined brighter than ever, making this one of my most difficult ballots since covering the association. In the comments section, feel free to critique and create your own list.

For some reason I wasn't assigned to vote for MVP, All-NBA Teams or All-Defensive Team, but I still filled out how I would have voted. Here is my ballot:

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Draymond Green, Golden State

2. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio

3. Hasaan Whiteside, Miami

Sixth Man of the Year

1. Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers

2. Will Barton, Denver

3. Zach LaVine, Minnesota

Rookie of the Year

1. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota

2. Kristaps Porzingis, New York

3. Devin Booker, Phoenix

Coach of the Year

1. Terry Stotts, Portland

2. Steve Kerr, Golden State

3. Steve Clifford, Charlotte

All Rookie First Team

1. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota

2. Kristaps Porzingis, New York

3. Devin Booker, Phoenix

4. D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers

5. Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia

All Rookie Second Team

1. Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver

2. Myles Turner, Indiana

3. Stanley Johnson, Detroit

4. Nikola Jokic, Denver

5. Willie Cauley-Stein, Sacramento

Awards I wasn't assigned

Most Valuable Player

1. Stephen Curry, Golden State

2. LeBron James, Cleveland

3. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City

4. Damian Lillard, Portland

5. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City

Most Improved Player

1. C.J. McCollum, Portland

2. Will Barton, Denver

3. Kemba Walker, Charlotte

All-NBA First Team

Stephen Curry (Golden State), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City), LeBron James (Cleveland), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio) and Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City).

All-NBA Second Team

Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers), Damian Lillard (Portland), Klay Thompson (Golden State), Draymond Green (Golden State) and Paul George (Indiana).

All-NBA Third Team

Kyle Lowry (Toronto), DeMar DeRozan (Toronto), James Harden (Houston), Jimmy Butler (Chicago) and LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio).

NCAA's ban on satellite camps strikes deeper than Michigan, Ohio State and SEC powerhouses

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Satellite camps grew to become a polarizing topic with Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and other Big Ten schools heading south.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Bedford's Cameron Odom enrolled early this year at Ohio University. The Bobcats were first to offer him a football scholarship two years ago following a satellite camp.

"If I didn't have that, I don't think I'd be a Division I football player," Odom said.

The NCAA announced Friday that Football Bowl Subdivision schools can no longer participate in satellite camps. Instead, the NCAA's Division I Council decided, all clinics must be held on campus or at regular facilities. The NCAA Board of Directors can certify or overrule the move on April 28.

High school coaches await that decision with bated breath.

One in particular is Bedford's Sean Williams, who organized the satellite camp that helped Odom to his college destination. As it stands, Mid-American Conference programs that came to Bedford the last four years must stay home. Williams estimated 375 high school players attended last year's camps, which exposed them to the MAC and smaller schools that are still allowed to come.

"This is a setback," Williams said. "I can't believe it. I can't believe we'll just change it because people have been careless and frivolous with it."

Satellite camps grew to become a polarizing topic with Michigan and other Big Ten schools heading south. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh took his program last year to six states, including Florida, Texas and Alabama. This drew the ire of southern schools.

ESPN reported six of the 10 FBS conferences voted last week against satellite camps. The Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference were among the nays. The Big Ten and MAC voted to keep them.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has worked in the Big Ten, MAC and SEC. Originally opposed to satellite camps, Meyer changed his mind Monday on the subject.

"When I was at Bowling Green, I'd come to Ohio State's camp because you get to see these great players," he said. "So I didn't realize that was part of the conversation. I wish they (the NCAA) would revisit part of it."

Meyer disappointed MAC can't come campingSEC commissioner Greg Sankey disagreed while speaking Monday at an Associated Press Sports Editors conference in Birmingham, Ala. He called satellite camps "fundraising endeavors around college coaches."

SEC commish explains oppositionIn Northeast Ohio, high school coaches such as Cleveland Heights' Mac Stephens and Williams worry more about funds of their players and families. Stephens said he would take 12 to 15 players to Bedford's June camp. He doesn't think many of his players can afford the mileage required for trips to see all of the MAC schools across Ohio and Michigan that normally would come to them.

Odom recalled his carpool trips with teammates and parents as a drain on everyone.

"It was just hard for them driving every weekend and coming back," said Odom, a 6-foot-1 receiver.

Stephens said he will ask FBS schools which of his players caught their interest and use that to decide what camps are viable. He will encourage only those select player to attend those camps, which require a participation fee on top of the mileage and a potential overnight stay.

"Why have them spend 50 or 75 bucks or whatever it might be?" Stephens asked.

Bedford's camps also included a fee, but with a shorter drive and smorgasbord of colleges -- as Williams described it.

Nordonia coach Jeff Fox, who's sent players there, asked on his program's Twitter account if smaller colleges could be hurt by the NCAA ruling, too. Division II and III schools can still hold satellite camps and attend others' clinics, but they also benefitted from a big-school presence. 

Notre Dame College coach Bill Rychel said his staff attends bigger schools' camps in early June before NDC holds its own later in the month. The initial events allow coaches to invite interested players back for another look.

"It was really ideal to see these guys quite a bit," Rychel said. "When it was time for them to come in the fall, they already knew our coaches."

Camps have served as football's answer to the AAU circuit in basketball, where high school players can interact with college coaches.

"When I was in high school, coaches came to our games or you sent in film," Stephens said. "Now you pretty much have to get to a camp to get recruited."

Stephens' star receiver, Jaylen Harris, is no exception. One of the state's highest-rated players in the 2017 class by 247Sports.com, Harris holds offers from Ohio State and Alabama. Those schools required Harris to attend their camps before offering a scholarship, Stephens said.

At this stage, the coach is concerned about lesser-touted players who must do the same.

"A kid like Jaylen was going to get offers, regardless," Stephens said. "We have five or seven players who I'm certain, if they had attended the satellites at Bedford, they would have left with an offer of some sort."

Williams fears the number attendees this year will shrink without the allure of MAC schools. His former player, Odom, can't imagine the camp without them.

"I know a lot of my teammates didn't get Division I offers," Odom said, "but with smaller schools being at those camps and my teammates showing what they can do, they got scholarship money."

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.

What could the Browns get for the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft 2016?

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With the Rams and Titans dealing for the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, the Browns might want to consider trading down as well.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - With the Rams trading with the Titans for the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft Thursday, you might begin wondering what the Browns could get for their pick at No. 2.

The Titans-Rams deal includes the Titans trading the No.1 pick to the Rams for the 15th overall pick in this year's draft, two second-round picks (43 and 45), and a third-rounder (76) in 2016. The Titans will also receive the Rams' first-round pick in 2017, along with their third-round pick in next year's draft. In addition to Tennessee's No.1 pick this year, the Rams will also receive a fourth-round pick (113) and sixth-round pick (177) in 2016.

Profootballtalk.com's NFL Draft trade chart (see below) can give you an idea of how that deal broke down in terms of equality of picks, and also what the Browns might be able to swing for the No. 2 pick.

For example, with the No. 2 pick being worth 2,600 points in the chart, the Browns might be able to get the No.13 pick (1,150 points) and first- and second-round picks in 2017.

Of course, the players coveted have something to do with what teams are willing to trade. Quarterbacks are likely to raise the stakes. 

NFL Draft Trade Chart 

Rams deal with Titans for No. 1 pick

NFL Draft 2016 guide

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy says defending LeBron James like pitching to Miguel Cabrera: 'Good luck'

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Detroit Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said trying to defend LeBron James is like pitching to Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera. James steps to the plate against Van Gundy's Pistons this weekend when the NBA playoffs start.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Indians pitchers and their fans know the fear they feel when Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera steps to the plate.

It's kind of how Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy gets when he has to explain defending LeBron James.

"If there was a book on those guys, then they wouldn't be who they are," Van Gundy said Wednesday, before Detroit beat the Cavs 112-110 in overtime in the regular-season finale for both teams. They meet again at The Q in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series at 3 p.m. Sunday.

"If you're Miguel Cabrera and you don't have a hole, good luck," Van Gundy said. "Pitch him the best you can, he's still going to hit the (snot) out of you."

Van Gundy didn't have to devise a plan to defend James Wednesday -- he was among the four regular Cleveland starters who didn't play in the meaningless game.

But Van Gundy knows a James-induced headache is coming, and it's a doozy.

James, 31, has never lost a first-round playoff series in 10 previous postseasons. He hasn't lost a first-round game since May 6, 2012 - a string of 13 consecutive wins in the opening round.

The Cavs, as the No. 1 seed in the East, have homecourt advantage over the No. 8 Pistons and throughout the playoffs until the Finals. But James has won at least one road game in each of the last 22 road playoff series, so, if you'll allow, Cleveland's advantage is two games instead of one in these series.

James is also coming off a postseason for the ages from 2015, when he averaged 30.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.5 assists.

And over his past 10 games to end the 2016 regular season, James posted 28.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists and shot 63 percent from the field. Oh, and he shot 52 percent from 3-point range during that stretch.

SEE: LeBron goes from good to great

"What you're really doing is just throwing stuff at the wall and hoping something sticks," Van Gundy said.

James, who was not available to speak to the media Wednesday, averaged 20.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in three games against the Pistons this season. Detroit won two of those games.

But Van Gundy said he puts virtually no stock in how teams do against each other during the regular season when trying to gauge how a playoff series will go. The numbers are not in his favor.

Van Gundy is actually one of the only two Eastern coaches to defeat James in a playoff series dating back to 2009. His Orlando Magic knocked James and the Cavs out in the East Finals (James and the Cavs fell to Doc Rivers and the Celtics in 2010, and that's it - James hasn't lost a series in the East since).

James averaged 38.5 points against the Magic in the 2009 conference finals, but Orlando won the series in six games. The Cavs, of course, also lost the NBA Finals in six games last year to the Golden State Warriors, during which James averaged 35.8 points and took a career-high 196 shots for a playoff series.

So, is that the "book" on James - give him space to score and make sure no one else beats you?

Van Gundy says it isn't, or, at least, it shouldn't work against the Cavs as currently constructed.

"I mean, he didn't have Kevin Love and he didn't have Kyrie Irving (in the Finals, because of injuries), so that's a little different team than who we're going to be playing," Van Gundy said. "And he didn't have those guys when we played them in 09, either. So it's a whole different thing. You can't just go in and have a blanket strategy of how you want to play LeBron James."

Oh, and one more thing.

"And we didn't try to let LeBron get his, he just got it," Van Gundy said, speaking about the 2009 series. "He got us for 36 a game. Believe me, we didn't go in and say we're letting LeBron get his, we tried like hell to play him."

Cleveland Indians-New York Mets preview, pitching matchups

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The Mets visit Progressive Field for a three-game series this weekend. It will be the first time the Indians play the NL champions since 2013.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Preview and pitching matchups for Mets-Indians series this weekend in Cleveland.

Where: Progressive Field, Friday through Sunday.

TV/radio: Fox-SportsTime Ohio will carry the series. WTAM/1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7.

Pitching probables: RHP Bartolo Colon (0-1, 1.23 ERA) vs. RHP Cody Anderson (0-0, 3.00) Friday at 7:10 p.m.; RHP Matt Harvey (0-2, 4.63) vs. RHP Josh Tomlin (first start) Saturday at 4:10 p.m. and LHP Steven Matz (0-1, 37.80) vs. RHP Corey Kluber (0-2, 4.85) Sunday at 1:10 p.m.

Series: The Indians and Mets have not played each other since 2013 when the Indians went 2-1 in the three-game series at Progressive Field. The Mets lead, 8-4, overall.

Friday: Anderson allowed two runs on six hits in six innings in a no-decision against the White Sox on April 8. He left with a 3-2 lead, but Bryan Shaw couldn't hold it. Anderson has never faced the Mets, but Neil Walker is 1-for-4 against him.

Colon, signed and developed by the Indians, allowed one run in six innings in a loss against the Phillies on April 9. He's 6-4 with a 3.84 ERA in 11 starts against the Indians. Marlon Byrd (.429, 6-for-14) has hit him well.

Saturday: Tomlin will be making his first start since March 29 in spring training. He threw a simulated game Monday at Tropicana Field. Curtis Granderson is hitting .273 (2-for-7) against him.

Harvey has allowed six earned runs in 11 2/3 innings in losses to Kansas City and the Phillies this year. Juan Uribe is hitting .333 (2-for-6) against him.

Sunday: Kluber has allowed seven earned runs in 13 innings in losses to Boston and Tampa Bay. Yoenis Cespedes is hitting .333 (4-for-12) with one homer and three RBI against him.

Matz is coming off a 10-3 loss to Miami on Monday in which he allowed seven earned runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings. Byrd is 1-for-3 against Matz.

Team updates: The Indians, who have played just seven games, just finished a 3-2 trip against the White Sox and Rays. The Mets, who won the NL pennant last year, ended a four-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Miami on Wednesday. They're 3-5.

Injuries: Mets - LHP Josh Edgin (left elbow, Tommy John) and RHP Zach Wheeler (right elbow, Tommy John) are on the disabled list. RHP Jacob deGrom (right lat) is day to day. Indians - LF Michael Brantley (right shoulder), RF Lonnie Chisenhall (right forearm, left wrist) and RHP Tommy Hunter (hernia) are on the disabled list.

Next: Seattle arrives for a three-game series on Tuesday night.

NBA Playoffs 2016: Can LeBron James repeat the best postseason of his career?

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LeBron James put forth a playoff performance for the ages in 2015. What do the Cavs need from him in 2016 to do what they could not last year despite James being so good? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Put aside LeBron James' gaudy, history-making statistics from the Cavaliers' run to the 2015 Finals.

Picture what you saw from James last postseason, right up until that moment when he hugged Stephen Curry at The Q and trudged off the court one last time knowing he lost.

"Most things are forgettable in this disposable era of stats, but if you watched him play as I did, you don't need to remember the stats to know how well he played," said Jeff Van Gundy, lead NBA in-game analyst for ABC and ESPN.

"He was great. He was invested. He was all in," Van Gundy said. "He played all out. When you do that, there's no shame to being beaten. Sometimes when reporting numbers, you get away from the fact that he made an all-out effort in pursuit of greatness. Even though he came up short, it was one of the great efforts of all time."

Everything before that moment, the moment when it was clear Game 6 was going to the Warriors and James would lose his fourth Finals, is what you could only hope to see from James during Cleveland's 2016 playoff journey, which begins Sunday at home against the Detroit Pistons.

James turned in a playoff performance that was not only probably the best of his career, but one necessitated by circumstance.

SEE: 23 things about Playoff LeBron

The Cavs couldn't steer clear of adversity, mostly in the form of playoffs-ending injuries to first Kevin Love and then Kyrie Irving. Iman Shumpert was banged up. J.R. Smith was suspended for two games early in the postseason. Matthew Dellavedova was physically exhausted at the end.

And yet, there the Cavs stood through three games in the Finals, up two games to one and riding James' back. It was a testament to the sheer will of a dominant perhaps since James carried the franchise to its first Finals in 2007 -- which also ended in defeat.

The Cavs probably need James to be in the same frame of mind to win a championship. But if they need him to post the same numbers, they've already lost.

"I don't put that on my back," James said this week, when asked if he had to duplicate his performance from 2015 in these upcoming playoffs. "I need to be available to my team every night, both from a performance standpoint and a mental standpoint. The numbers will take care of itself.

"It's not just about me, it's about us together putting in a 48-minute game, for as long as it needs to be, and try to get a win every game." 

Nevertheless, James' stats from the 2015 playoffs are nearly unprecedented.

James' 30.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game for the entire postseason? Yeah, that's only been done one other time, by Oscar Robertson, in 1963.

Only, Robertson played in 12 playoff games that year. James logged 20.

James led both the Cavs and the Warriors in scoring (35.8 ppg), rebounds (13.3 rpg), and assists (8.8 apg). Never happened before.

The 30.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 9.3 assists he averaged in an Eastern finals sweep of Atlanta? Nope, no one had ever compiled that many points, rebounds, and assists in a playoff series prior to him.

How about the 26.2 points, 11 rebounds, and 8.8 assists in the second round against the Chicago Bulls? No one since Magic Johnson in 1991.

"I've never seen anything like it," said coach Tyronn Lue, who was an assistant to David Blatt in Cleveland last year.

Then there were the moments that extend beyond the box score. Like, James' shot in Game 4 against the Bulls. The series on the line and time running out. Turn around on the baseline, splash over Jimmy Butler.

Or the combination of exhaustion and joy he showed following that Game 2 win in the Finals at Golden State. Irving was gone. Love, long gone. All the odds were stacked against the Cavs.

Cavaliers flip the scriptLeBron James (23) celebrates after end of the overtime period of Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, June 7, 2015. The Cavaliers won 95-93 in overtime.

And there was James, celebrating a 95-93 triumph over the Warriors, marking at least one road win in 22 consecutive playoff series. (Not to mention, his fifth-career Finals triple-double. But never mind numbers).

Before that game against the Bulls, after that improbable win at Golden State, and scattered in between are umpteen examples of the investment, the care, the everything James poured into last season's playoff run.

"To see over the course of the season what he's capable of physically was very impressive, but mentally, I think more than anything, his edge and his tenacity throughout that entire process in quarters, semis, finals in the East and then eventually in the Finals where he had that huge run individually," said Love, who witnessed all but four of the Cavs' postseason games as a spectator because of a devastating shoulder injury in the first round against Boston.

"He was so locked in. It was definitely impressive to watch and he definitely made his teammates better."

As the Cavs lost their players last season, they slowed or "junked" up the game. By the time the postseason ended, Cleveland was playing at the second-slowest pace of any playoff team - at 93.5 possessions per 48 minutes.

In Game 3 of the conference finals against the Hawks, James registered 37 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists in 47 minutes in a 3-point, overtime win. No player had ever had such a game in the playoffs, and the only other player to do that in an NBA game, period, was Wilt Chamberlain in March of 1968.

Part of - most of it - was James being his dominant self. But the Cavs' game plan to slow everything down played a role.

"The Hawks didn't know what to do," said Atlanta legend and current TV broadcaster Dominique Wilkins. "It was one of the great performances I've seen. And their plan, his plan, was great too. They slowed everything down so it all could run through him. There just wasn't anything we could do to stop him."

Since Lue took over for Blatt in January, he's made a concerted effort for the Cavs to play at a quicker pace. So, barring injury, Cleveland won't be looking to grind everything to a halt so the entire game can run through James.

Also, James took a career-high 544 shots during the playoffs last year, and 196 in the Finals - the most for him in any series. He felt he had to, for the first time in his career, become a volume shooter. The Warriors seemed to go along with that, attempting to mitigate whichever teammates James had standing while he shot and scored his way to eye-popping numbers.

Assuming Irving, Love, J.R. Smith and others remain healthy, James is probably not going to shoot as much.

"In the era we live in, so much of what he did last year is still viewed with disappointment because he didn't win it," said Greg Anthony, NBA on TNT and NBA TV analyst. "Because of so much he's accomplished in his career, he's been to five consecutive Finals, trying to make it six, which is truly incredible.

"He'd rather have to do less in terms of scoring and his teammates do more that leads to winning at the end. He wasn't as efficient as he needs to be."

So maybe the numbers won't quite be the same for James this time. It's what you saw from James that the Cavs want back.

"He has to set the tone," Lue said. "I think he has to play the way he played last year and the way he's been playing these last few weeks. I think that sets a tone for our team, gives our team and our younger guys confidence of going into the playoffs."

Added Love: "We definitely still want him to be what he's capable of and that's playing in a whole different stratosphere like he did in the playoffs last year.

"We think if we're healthy we can help complement that," Love said.

Do you know which Indians players have worn No. 42? Jackie Robinson Day 2016

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Seventeen players have worn No. 42 for the Indians, and most of them were pitchers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Major League Baseball will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day Friday. All players will wear No. 42 on their jerseys to commemorate Robinson's major league debut, which broke the game's color barrier in 1947.

The first Jackie Robinson Day was in 2004. The number is retired for all teams.

But there was a time when many players wore No. 42. For the Indians, the list includes 17 players. Here's a look at each of them:

Bob Lemon, 1941-42, 46-58

Lemon's name on this list might surprise some because his No. 21 is retired by the Indians. But Lemon wore four numbers during his career, including No. 42, which he wore for just the 1942 season. A Hall of Fame pitcher, he's also the most accomplished Indians player on this list.

Pete Center, 1942-43, 45-46

Center pitched four years in Cleveland, going 7-7. He wore both No. 40 and 42 in 1945, which was also his best year (6-3, 3.99 ERA, two complete games).

Ralph Weigel, 1946

Weigel was a catcher who only played in six games for the Indians in 1946, and he also wore No. 33 that season. He lasted three years in the majors.

Ron Nischwitz, 1963

Nischwitz was a pitcher and joined the Indians after two seasons in Detroit. He was 0-2 in 14 appearances during his only season in Cleveland.

Sonny Siebert, 1964-69

Siebert, a pitcher, wore five different numbers with six teams during a 13-year career. He wore No. 42 for three teams, including his six years in Cleveland, where he was 61-48 with a 2.76 ERA.

Dick Ellsworth, 1969-70

Ellsworth pitched for two years with the Indians, going 9-12 with a 3.70 ERA. He wore both No. 42 and 50 in 1969, and stuck with 42 in 1970.

Jim Rittwage, 1970

Rittwage, a pitcher and third baseman, was a Bedford grad signed by the Indians in 1964. He was 1-1 as a pitcher and hit .375 in eight at-bats in Cleveland, his only major league stop.

Mike Kilkenny, 1972-73

Kilkenny, a pitcher, played the last two years of his career in Cleveland, going 4-1 with a 4.47 ERA.  He had four different numbers in his six seasons, but only wore No. 42 for the Indians.

Johnny Jeter, 1974

An outfielder, Jeter wore a different number in each of his six seasons in the majors, finishing with No. 42 in Cleveland, where he had just 17 at-bats.

Larry Andersen, 1975, 77, 79

Andersen, a pitcher, was drafted by the Indians in 1971. He wore No. 42 throughout his time in Cleveland, then wore six different numbers over the next 15 years of his career. He played in 21 games for the Indians, all as a reliever.

Sandy Wihtol, 1979-82

Wihtol, a pitcher, was drafted by the Indians in 1974. He also wore Nos. 56 and 25 for the Indians, seeing action in 28 games as a reliever over three seasons.

Bob Owchinko, 1980

Owchinko, a pitcher, wore eight numbers during his 10-year career. His one-year stay in Cleveland resulted in a 2-9 record and a 5.27 ERA. He also wore No. 27 for the Tribe.

John Denny, 1980-1982

Denny pitched for 13 years in the majors, and spent the middle of his career in Cleveland, where he was 24-23 as a starter with a 4.15 ERA. He also wore No. 40 for the Tribe.

Rich Yett, 1986-89

Yett pitched for four years in Cleveland and wore No. 42 the whole time. He was 22-24 with a 4.95 ERA for the Indians.

Al Nipper, 1990

Nipper, a pitcher, spent just one season in Cleveland, going 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA in five stars.

Carlos Martinez, 1991-93

Martinez, an infielder, also wore No. 22 in Cleveland, where he batted .264 in 221 games.

Michael Jackson, 1997-99

Jackson pitched for 17 years in the majors, and spent three of them in Cleveland, where he was a reliever. He had 94 saves for the Tribe, including 40 in 1998 and 39 in 1999. He wore No. 42 for five different teams.

Breaking Ground - How Jackie Robinson changed Brooklyn


How the Division I football playoffs would've looked if the OHSAA used four regions in 2015?

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So we decided to take a look at what the playoff seedings would've looked like had the four regions been used in 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The OHSAA shook up Division I football on Thursday, switching from a two-region format to four regions.

The move is aimed at cutting down on potential playoff travel, avoiding the awkward regional final/state semifinal game and becoming uniform with other divisions.

While the OHSAA might accomplish all those things, what many followers of high school football will focus on is the balance of power in the new regions announced Thursday.

So we decided to take a look at what the playoff seedings would've looked like had the four regions been used in 2015.

Regions 2 and 3 both feature 10 teams that qualified for the playoffs last season, which means two would've been left out under the current format. Not only that, each region has five teams that hosted first-round playoff games in 2015.

Regions 1 and 4, meanwhile, would've each had two teams qualify for the playoffs that didn't make it last season.

Traditional powers St. Ignatius and Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, both out of the playoffs last season, would not have been helped by the four-region format.

The breakdown below shows which teams would've qualified for the playoffs in 2015 under the new four-region format, and the order of finish for all teams in each region.

Like the other six divisions, the top eight in each region of Division I will qualify for the playoffs in 2016. The top 16 in each region qualified for the playoffs the last three seasons under the two-region format.

(2015 playoff seed and region is in parenthesis.)

REGION 1

1. Lewis Center Olentangy (third in R1)

2. Westerville Central (fourth R1)

3. Toledo Whitmer (sixth R1)

4. Powell Olentangy Liberty (10th R1)

5. Toledo Start (13th R1)

6. Elyria (14th R1)

7. Dublin Jerome (20th R2 - didn't qualify last season)

8. Strongsville (17th R1 - didn't qualify last season)

Wouldn't qualify

9. Findlay

10. Lorain

11. Medina

12. Brunswick

13. Westerville South

14. Lewis Center Olentangy Orange

15. Marysville

16. Parma

17. North Royalton

18. Newark

REGION 2

1. St. Edward (first R1)

2. Stow (second R1)

3. Euclid (fifth R1)

4. Solon (seventh R1)

5. Mentor (eighth R1)

6. Canton GlenOak (ninth R1)

7. Canton McKinley (11th R1)

8. Austintown-Fitch (12th R1)

Wouldn't qualify

9. Berea-Midpark (15th R1 - qualified last season)

10. Cleveland Heights (16th R1 - qualified last season)

11. Massillon Jackson

12. St. Ignatius

13. Shaker Heights

14. John Marshall

15. Rhodes

16. North Canton Hoover

17. Lakewood

18. Cuyahoga Falls

REGION 3

1. Hilliard Davidson (second R2)

2. Huber Heights Wayne (third R2)

3. Lancaster (fourth R2)

4. Pickerington Central (seventh R2)

5. Gahanna Lincoln (eighth R2)

6. Upper Arlington (10th R2)

7. Hilliard Darby (13th R2)

8. Reynoldsburg (14th R2)

Wouldn't qualify

9. Grove City Central Crossing (15th R2 - qualified last season)

10. Dublin Coffman (16th R2 - qualified last season)

11. Beavercreek

12. Hilliard Bradley

13. Pickerington North

14. Grove City

15. Columbus Westland

16. Springfield

17. Kettering Fairmont

18. Thomas Worthington

REGION 4

1. Cincinnati Colerain (first R2)

2. Cincinnati Elder (fifth R2)

3. Mason (sixth R2)

4. Cincinnati St. Xavier (ninth R2)

5. Springboro (11th R2)

6. Fairfield (12 R2)

7. West Chester Lakota West (17th R2 - didn't qualify last season)

8. Centerville (18th R2 - didn't qualify last season)

Wouldn't qualify

9. Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller

10. Middletown

11. Lebanon

12. Liberty Township Lakota East

13. Hamilton

14. Cincinnati Sycamore

15. Clayton Northmont

16. Milford

17. Cincinnati Oak Hills

18. Cincinnati Western Hills

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

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

Mary Kay Cabot discusses what's next for the Cleveland Browns following Titans-Rams trade

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What's next for the Browns? Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe discussed. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Los Angeles Rams shocked the NFL world on Thursday when it was announced they were trading with the Tennessee Titans for the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Rams are expected to take either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff with the pick.

That puts the Browns in a very different position than before the trade when they were lined up to pick whichever quarterback they wanted. So, where do they go from here?

Mary Kay Cabot and I talked about the trade and looked ahead for the Browns. Will they still take a quarterback? Will they trade the pick? Check out our video above.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam's Pilot Flying J raided 3 years ago today (slideshow)

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Three years ago today, federal agents raided the offices of Pilot Flying J, the family business of Cleveland Browns' owner Jimmy Haslam. News of the raid rocked the trucking world, as investigators searched for evidence of a scheme to defraud companies of rebates. The company has paid more than $170 million in fines and settlements and 18 employees have been charged. Haslam has vehemently denied wrongdoing and has not been charged.

NASCAR 2016: Today's live Bristol scoring, schedule, TV, updates

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Kyle Busch is on a roll, but still not dominating based on past NASCAR history.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- NASCAR is back in familiar territory, racing in the Food City 500 in Bristol, Tennessee. The race is at 1 p.m. Sunday on FOX, with qualifying set for this afternoon at 4:15 on FS1. You can also follow along live at NASCAR's Race Center.

All eyes will be on Kyle Busch, who is showing signs of having a monster season. Busch has swept the weekend events in the Sprint and Xfinity ranks the last two weeks.

Busch looks to be fully recovered from the injuries that slowed his 2015 season that still ended with a series championship. He still has a ways to go to start setting some records at the top level of NASCAR racing as several drivers have won four straight over the years, but this is the first time it has happened since Harry Gant in 1991.

For all Busch has done the last two weeks, those are his only two race wins this season. And while he sits at the top of the driver standings, he only has a six-point lead over Jimmie Johnson and a seven-point lead over Kevin Harvick.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP

FOOD CITY 500

Site: Bristol, Tennessee
Schedule: Friday, practice (FS1, 11 a.m.); qualifying (FS1, 4:15 p.m.); Saturday, practice (FS1, 8:30 a.m.), practice (11 a.m.); Sunday, race, 1 p.m. (FOX).
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway (oval, 0.53 miles).
Race distance: (500 miles, 266.5 laps).
Last year: Denny Hamlin, one of seven drivers to lead at least 20 laps, overcame starting from 15th to claim the win.
Last week: In Texas, Kyle Busch became the first driver in 25 years to notch consecutive weekend sweeps. It was the 36th win in Sprint Cup for Busch.
Fast facts: There is no reason to think that Busch can't pick up another sweep in Bristol. He swept all three national series races in the same weekend on the short track in the summer event six years ago ... Tony Stewart said last weekend that he still doesn't know when he will be able to get back in the No. 14 after breaking his back. Brian Vickers and Ty Dillon have been splitting the role as Stewart's replacement driver.
Next race: Toyota Owners 400, April 24, Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Virginia.

XFINITY
FITZGERALD GLIDER KITS 300

Site: Bristol, Tennessee
Schedule: Friday, practice (FS1, 12:30 p.m.), Friday, practice (FS1, 3 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying, (FS1, 9:30 a.m.) race, 12:30 p.m. (FS1)
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway (oval, 0.533 miles).
Race distance: (300 miles, 159.9 laps).
Last year: Joey Logano took the lead on the first lap and never let go, topping all 300 laps in a snoozer.
Last race: Kyle Busch won from the pole to kick off an historic weekend in Martinsville.
Fast facts: Daniel Suarez saw his lead over Elliott Sadler fall to just one point, 207-206. Justin Allgaier is third with 198 points, and Erik Jones, Brandon Jones and Ty Dillon are all within 20 points of Suarez ... After next week's event in Richmond, the series will run just three times until June.
Next race: ToyotaCare 250, April 23, Richmond International Speedway, Richmond, Virginia.

CAMPING WORLD TRUCK
Next race: Toyota Tundra 250, May 6, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas.
Last race: Kyle Busch began his Martinsville sweep by leading 123 laps and holding off John Hunter Nemechek for the win on April 2.

VERIZON INDYCAR
TOYOTA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH
Site: Long Beach, California
Schedule: Friday, practice (1 p.m.), practice (5 p.m.); Saturday, practice (1 p.m.), qualifying (5-6:15 p.m., NBCSN, 6-7:30 p.m.); Sunday, race, 4:30 p.m. (NBCSN).
Track: (street, 1.97 miles).
Race distance: (157 miles, 80 laps).
Last year: Helio Castroneves earned the pole with a track-record time, but Scott Dixon won the race and later claimed his fourth IndyCar championship.
Last race: Dixon dominated the first IndyCar race in Phoenix in 11 years, winning for the 20th time on an oval.
Fast facts: Ryan Hunter-Reay will race the IMSA race a day before running in the IndyCar race. Hunter-Reay has already run in a pair of endurance events this season ... Brian Barnhart, IndyCar's vice president of competition, clarified why a yellow came out two laps from the finish in Phoenix, saying that the single-car incident involving Alexander Rossi happened in front of the leaders and forced cars to take evasive action.
Next race: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, April 24, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama.

NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING
DENSO SPARK PLUGS NHRA NATIONALS
Next event: 4Wide NHRA Nationals, April 22-24, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Last race: Defending Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown won for the first time in 2016 in Las Vegas, hitting nearly 315 mph to hold off Troy Buff.

FORMULA ONE
CHINESE GRAND PRIIX
Site: Jiading, Shanghai
Schedule: Friday, practice (10 p.m.-11:30 p.m.), practice (2 a.m.-3:30 a.m.); Saturday, practice (12 a.m.-1 a.m.), qualifying (3 a.m.-4 a.m.); Sunday, race, 2 a.m. (NBCSN).
Track: Shanghai International Circuit (road, 3.39 miles).
Race distance: (190 miles, 56 laps).
Last year: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg gave Mercedes a 1-2 finish, with Hamilton winning by less than a second. The Ferraris driven by Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen finished third and fourth.
Last race: Nico Rosberg of Mercedes won his fifth consecutive race in Bahrain. Rosberg is just the eighth F1 driver to win five in a row and all previous drivers that did so went on the win the championship.
Fast facts: The Chinese Grand Prix will be the first race to use last year's qualifying system. The new rolling-elimination format, in which the slowest driver is eliminated every 90 seconds, was used in the first two races this season in Australia and Bahrain before being shelved following heavy criticism.
Next race: Russian Grand Prix, May 1, Sochi Autodrum, Sochi, Russia.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)

Austin Carr, Fred McLeod catch phrase dictionary: Guide to Cavaliers announcers' sayings

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With the NBA Playoffs starting this weekend, it's time to re-familiarize yourself with the Fred McLeod and Austin Carr Catch Phrase Dictionary.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NBA Playoffs tip off this weekend, meaning you'll probably find yourself in front of a TV, watching the Cavaliers on multiple occasions over the next two months.

Cavaliers vs. Pistons: First-round playoff schedule

While ABC, TNT and ESPN have exclusive rights starting with the conference finals, Fox Sports Ohio will broadcast most of the games during the first two rounds. That means Fred McLeod, Austin Carr and more catch phrases than an episode of "Full House."

So, if you're not sure what a "heat check" is or think a "Delly tray" is something you order for lunch, here are some entries from cleveland.com's Fred McLeod & Austin Carr Catch Phrase Dictionary, first edition.

Are you kiddin' me?: An exclamation following an exceptional play. Often followed by "that's just not fair!" (McLeod)

A bird: When a player gets their defender to bite on a pump fake. (Carr)

Blew a tire: When a player slips and falls on their way to the basket. (McLeod)

The bottom!: Confirmation of a successful jump shot, usually a three-pointer.

Convenient banking hours: When a player shoots the ball off the backboard and into the hoop.  The phrase is often used sarcastically as if the player meant to bounce the ball off the glass all along when it clearly was a mere happenstance. (McLeod)

Delly tray: A three-point goal by Matthew Dellavedova. (McLeod)

Dots the i: When a player makes a jump shot of varying distance. (Carr)

[player's name] from deep in the [approximate name of arena where game is being played]: A successful three-point shot. (Carr)

Get that weak stuff out here: A blocked shot. (Carr)

Goes video game on him: A play so spectacular, it resembles something from out of a video game and not real life. (McLeod)

Heat check: When a player launches in an ill-advised shot after making at least two shots in a row. (Carr)

High handoff: An alley-oop pass. (McLeod)

[player's name] says "I got your back": When a player grabs an offensive rebound and scores a basket after it was previously missed by a teammate. (McLeod)

It's a beautiful thing: When the Cavaliers move the ball, resulting in a successful basket. (Carr)

Ky-ridiculous: A play of impressive nature by Kyrie Irving. (McLeod)

Love is the air: When Kevin Love does something of notable consequence. (McLeod)

Mo flow:  Mo Williams' signature move. See: "floater."  (McLeod)

Mouse in the house: When a player is being guarded by a smaller player, or a mouse. (Carr) 

Move the ball!: Said in exasperation when the Cavaliers fall into the habit of playing isolation basketball. (Carr)

Nyet: An exclamation said after a blocked shot by Timofey Mozgov. (McLeod)

Right down Euclid: When a player drives through the lane for a layup. Used even when the Cavaliers are playing in a city without a Euclid Ave. (McLeod)

Rubber rim: A friendly bounce off the rim of the basket, causing the ball to go in the hoop. (McLeod)

Shakes the thunder from the sky: Alternate form of "throws the hammer down," although, honestly, we're not really sure what it means. (Carr)

Shumped: A steal or strip by Iman Shumpert. (McLeod)

Shuffled his shoes: A traveling violation. (McLeod)

Sweaty palms time: The portion near the end of a game when the result is in doubt. (McLeod)

Throws the hammer down: A slam dunk (Carr)

Wine and gold winner: A Cavaliers win, said immediately after the final horn. (McLeod)

We're also working on a dictionary of catch phrases for when TNT, ESPN and ABC take over. Here's what we have so far:

Downtown: The area of the court beyond the three-point line. (Marv Albert, TNT)

Grown-man move: A basketball action performed only by an experienced, well-skilled player. (Mark Jackson, ABC/ESPN)

LeBron James with no regard for human life: The best slam dunk of LeBron James' life. (Kevin Harlan, TNT)

Oh, a spectacular move: A move of spectacular merit. (Albert)

PGA Tour 2016: Today's live RBC Heritage leaderboard, TV, schedule, tee times (photos)

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Luke Donald and Branden Grace lead the first day of the RBC Heritage.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Luke Donald and Branden Grace each shot a 5-under 66 at the RBC Heritage on Thursday and are tied for the first-round lead. The tournament resumes today with coverage on the Golf Channel from 3-6 p.m. You can also follow along on our live leaderboard (below).

Donald and Grace are a stroke ahead of No. 1 player Jason Day, Matt Kuchar, Tony Finau and David Lingmerth.

In other news, former Master champ Mike Weir withdrew following a 7-over 78 in the opening round. PGA Tour member Dawie van der Walt was so displeased about Weir's withdrawl that he sent out a tweet that he later deleted.

"Gota (sic) love a guy who gets an invite into a Tour event and then WD after the first round."  van der Walt ended the tweet with the hashtag, "#hangitupmike."

RBC Heritage

Site: Hilton Head, S.C.

Schedule: Today-Sunday.

Course: Harbour Town Golf Links (6,973 yards, par 71).

Purse: $5.9 million. Winner's share: $1.06 million.

TV: Golf Channel (3 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.), CBS Sports (Saturday-Sunday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.)

Here's the live leaderboard:

Round 2 tee times

No. 1 tee

  • 7:10 a.m. - Jerry Kelly, Spencer Levin, Chad Collins
  • 7:20 a.m. - Boo Weekley, Jason Gore, Roberto Castro
  • 7:30 a.m. - Zac Blair, Andres Gonzales, Sung Kang
  • 7:40 a.m. - Danny Lee, Ben Crane, Ernie Els
  • 7:50 a.m. - Tony Finau, Ben Martin, Mike Weird
  • 8 a.m. - Vaughn Taylor, Seung-Yul Noh, Vijay Singh
  • 8:10 a.m. - Matt Jones, Stuart Appleby, Paul Casey
  • 8:20 a.m. - Brendan Steele, Ricky Barnes, Steve Wheatcroft
  • 8:30 a.m. - Carl Pettersson, Tyrone Van Aswegen, Mark Hubbard
  • 8:40 a.m. - Colt Knost, Justin Hicks, Carlos Ortiz
  • 8:50 a.m. - Hiroshi Iwata, Tyler Aldridge, Ryan Ruffels
  • 11:50 a.m. - Shawn Stefani, Francesco Molinari, Si Woo Kim
  • 12 p.m. - Tommy Gainey, Will MacKenzie, Hudson Swafford
  • 12:10 p.m. - Kyle Stanley, Lucas Glover, Luke List
  • 12:20 p.m. - Russell Knox, Brendon Todd, Harris English
  • 12:30 p.m. - Chris Kirk, John Senden, Rory Sabbatini
  • 12:40 p.m. - Kevin Kisner, Justin Thomas, Zach Johnson
  • 12:50 p.m. - Jason Dufner, Davis Love III, Matt Kuchar
  • 1 p.m. - Jason Bohn, Chad Campbell, Jamie Lovemark
  • 1:10 p.m. - Ken Duke, Brendon de Jonge, William McGirt
  • 1:20 p.m. - George McNeill, Jason Kokrak, Will Wilcox
  • 1:30 p.m. - Sam Saunders, Wes Roach, Bronson Burgoon

No. 10 tee

  • 7:10 a.m. - Ian Poulter, Graham DeLaet, Kevin Chappell
  • 7:20 a.m. - Mark Wilson, Adam Hadwin, Scott Pinckney
  • 7:30 a.m. - Bryce Molder, Kyle Reifers, Brett Stegmaier
  • 7:40 a.m. - David Lingmerth, Camilo Villegas, Branden Grace
  • 7:50 a.m. - Jim Herman, Chesson Hadley, Justin Leonard
  • 8 a.m. - Graeme McDowell, Billy Horschel, Webb Simpson
  • 8:10 a.m. - Jason Day, Brandt Snedeker, Bill Haas
  • 8:20 a.m. - Robert Allenby, Erik Compton, Matthew Fitzpatrick
  • 8:30 a.m. - Scott Brown, Aaron Baddeley, Chris Stroud
  • 8:40 a.m. - Marc Leishman, Morgan Hoffman, Whee Kim
  • 8:50 a.m. - Michael Kim, Bryson DeChambeau, Kelly Mitchum
  • 11:50 a.m. - Sean O'Hair, David Hearn, Greg Owen
  • 12 p.m. - Kevin Na, Ryan Palmer, Charles Howell III
  • 12:10 p.m. - Jeff Overton, Steve Marino, Blayne Barber
  • 12:20 p.m. - Fabian Gomez, Robert Streb, Luke Donald
  • 12:30 p.m. - Peter Malnati, J.J. Henry, Brian Harman
  • 12:40 p.m. - James Hahn, David Toms, Stewart Cink
  • 12:50 p.m. - Nick Taylor, Geoff Ogilvy, Russell Henley
  • 1 p.m. - Charley Hoffman, Brian Gay, K.J. Choi
  • 1:10 p.m. - Jon Curran, Patton Kizzire, Harold Varner III
  • 1:20 p.m. - Daniel Summerhays, Derek Fathauer, Thongchai Jaidee
  • 1:30 p.m. - Johnson Wagner, Chez Reavie, Jeff Maggert

Bartolo Colon through the years, from the Cleveland Indians to the New York Mets

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Colon made his debut with the Indians in 1997. Nearly 20 years later, he's still pitching. How has the marvel done it?


Browns 2016 schedule only adds to the size of the challenge -- Bud Shaw's Spinoffs

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The Cleveland Browns, already facing a big challenge in 2016, will play a schedule that takes them away from home for five of the first seven games -- Bud Shaw's Spinoffs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 2016 schedule for the Browns is a tough one on a few fronts.

Difficult road games early. The prospect of sparsely attended frigid home games late.

Five of the first seven games are away. Another new staff. A reclamation project at QB in Robert Griffin III. The need to replace so many starters. That's a difficult way to start.

Browns open on the road against the Eagles.

The other part of the challenge could be the tail end of the schedule if losses pile up as expected. Four of the last six games are at home, including one on Christmas Eve.

You've heard about fan bases that don't travel well? Cold weather games at home for a team in a rebuilding season invite a fan base not to travel to its own stadium.

* If we accept the premise that all Austin Davis wants for Christmas is a NFL start, history tells us he'll probably get it Christmas Eve against San Diego.

With Connor Shaw in line to start the final game of the season in Pittsburgh.

* The big reveal of the Browns schedule fell flat. It's not too difficult to guess why. The Browns looked like a 2-14 team before the schedule release. Now they look like a 2-14 team.

* There was very little build-up associated with finding out which Thursday night game would fall to the Browns.

That was the case despite the NFL's riveting announcement early in the week that it would soon be announcing when it would announce the schedule.

* The Indianapolis Colts, who play the Jaguars in London this coming season, are the first team to travel overseas that won't get a bye week to recover. The Colts will get a home game, against the Chicago Bears.

"The reality is if we ever put a team into the UK, you're not going to be able to commit that every team that comes to play an away game is going to get their bye the week after," executive vice president of international Mark Waller said, according to SkySports.

There's another reality. The NFL doesn't have a team in London.

* Talented defensive back Jalen Ramsey of Florida State says he has not had "much interaction" with the Browns, who own the No. 2 pick in the draft.

Nobody knows exactly what that means. But in Ray Farmer's time, it probably meant the Browns had clearly made up their minds.

To take him.

* Boston's Pablo Sandoval lost his starting third base job in spring training in part because the team wasn't happy with his conditioning. The opinion on that front isn't likely to change after Sandoval's belt actually broke during a recent plate appearance.

It happened during a swing and miss. Sandoval finished the at-bat without a belt.

Who knew that a guy nicknamed Panda would have a weight issue?

* The Sox, who signed Sandoval to a five-year, $95 million deal, still owe him more than $75 million. His former trainer says Sandoval once gained 21 pounds in 21 days during the offseason.

Or what I call fasting.

* Ethan Banning, Sandoval's old trainer, told the Boston Herald that Sandoval has an "eating problem" and that the best thing the Red Sox could do would be to hire a babysitter for him.

A babysitter who can duck the occasional spring-loaded belt buckle.

* A source told ESPN the Rams are leaning toward taking Cal quarterback Jared Goff after trading with the Titans to move from No. 15 to No. 1 in the first round. Other sources say it will be North Dakota State's Carson Wentz.

So that clears things up.

* The Rams say they moved to No. 1 early so they could have a healthy debate about whether the pick should be Goff or Wentz. I'm pretty sure they could've held that debate without owning the No. 1 pick.

If they gave up a king's ransom without knowing which quarterback they wanted, they could be crazier than even this deal makes them look.

* The NBA says it will keep "hustle stats" during the NBA playoffs. The categories will include contested twos, contested threes, pass deflections, etc.

The league believes it is another way to connect with its fans.

Not to mention making James Harden feel left out.

* Carmelo Anthony is encouraging the Knicks to take advantage of his window. He is 31.

The Knicks have lost 115 games in two seasons. They don't have a coach. Or much talent.

And they have a complicated offensive system -- Phil Jackson's triangle -- that some critics believe is part of the problem.

"Who are these people?" Jackson told ESPN. "Why would they even say that? Do they have 11 championships to show you when they talk about that? They got a lot of excuses. That's the way it is."

Jackson never had excuses as a coach.

He just had Jordan, Pippen, Shaq and Kobe is all.

* The Sacramento Kings fired George Karl. They will be hiring their ninth coach since 2007.

Making the Browns look as stable as the San Antonio Spurs.

* If the Cavs don't sweep the Pistons, Game 5 at the Q could cause a postponement of the Justin Bieber concert scheduled for the same night.

Root as you will.

* Michigan running back Drake Johnson, also a member of the university's track team, was reportedly hit by a forklift while stretching at the indoor track facility.

And still people say Jim Harbaugh is prone to grand overstatement.

* If Harbaugh were around in 1985 when an automated tarp rolled over the leg of St. Louis Cardinals' speedster Vince Coleman, ending Coleman's playoffs, we might've had the first Panzer division reference in sports history.

* The L.A. Times provides a statistically-based graphic on all 30,699 field Kobe Bryant goal attempts during his 20-year career.

That's impressive for how quickly they produced the graphic.

Given that 699 of those shots came in the season finale Wednesday.

Talk Cavaliers, Browns and Indians with Dennis Manoloff at 12:30

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Talk all things Cleveland sports with DMan and Dan Labbe at 12:30.

DManTalk Cleveland sports with Dennis Manoloff during his weekly podcast today at 12:30

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get your questions ready and join the Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff today at 12:30 p.m. as he talks Cleveland sports.

DMan and I will preview the Cavaliers playoff run. We'll also talk about the Browns' draft plans following the Rams-Titans trade and talk Indians.

Jump in the comments to ask your questions and talk along with us.

Ohio State DE Joey Bosa receives endorsement from Cleveland City councilman Zack Reed in #BrownsDecision2016

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Cleveland City councilman Zack Reed endorses Ohio State DE Joey Bosa in #BrownsDecision2016. Watch video

Zack ReedZack Reed 

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland City Council member Zack Reed from Ward-2 has endorsed Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa in the #BrownsDecisison2016 campaign.

Reed, who believes Bosa is a favorite draft pick, hopes the defensive end will be the next piece to help the Browns holding the No. 2 overall pick.

"If Bosa is on the list, you got to get him first," Reed said. "You have to build your team with defense first."

Reed said if they Browns are unable to grab Bosa, then he hopes the next steps will be to draft quarterback Jared Goff and Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell.

Fans have the opportunity to share who they believe the Browns should take with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft on April 28 in Chicago.

Bosa represents the Non-QB Party with offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil (NQB-OhioSt.), linebacker Myles Jack (NQB-Ucla) and cornerback Jalen Ramsey (NQB-FlaSt.).

Laremy Tunsil draft profile

Myles Jack draft profile

Jalen Ramsey draft profile

Jared Goff (California) and Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) are in the QB Party.

Goff and Wentz may be off the Browns radar after the Tennessee Titans traded the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday to Los Angeles Rams.

#BrownsDecision2016 comes complete with a Super Tuesday primary (April 19), after which the poll results will identify the top candidate from each party.

The winning campaign representatives will meet in an April 21 debate on cleveland.com.

Joey Bosa draft profile

More on #BrownsDecision2016

Ohio State spring football game: Why I can't wait to watch Dre'Mont Jones and Jashon Cornell

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The options at defensive tackle from guys who used to play end could change the Buckeyes defensive line. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No two players intrigue me more for Ohio State's spring game Saturday than redshirt freshmen defensive tackles Dre'Mont Jones and Jashon Cornell.

Denzel Ward at cornerback and safeties Malik Hooker, Damon Webb and Eric Glover-Williams will draw my attention, as will Dante Booker, Chris Worley and Jerome Baker at linebacker.

On offense, how tackles Jamarco Jones and Isaiah Prince handle themselves will merit observation, and wouldn't it be nice to see Austin Mack, Torrance Gibson and Terry McLaurin make some plays in the passing game and Mike Weber and Antonio Williams make some moves with the ball in their hands?

No offense to the guys who have done it, but spring is for the guys who haven't. With 16 starters to replace, there are plenty of them, and that's why Urban Meyer said the value of this spring game is higher than for any spring event in his Ohio State career.

But give me the defensive tackles. Not just the tackles, but the ends turned tackles.

Give me Jones and Cornell, talented outside rush options made more dangerous by their moves inside.

Cornell was the No. 91 overall recruitin the Class of 2015 according to 247sports.com, while Jones was No. 136. 

Dre'Mont JonesRedshirt freshman defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones during spring practice. 

Cornell was the No. 7 strongside defensive end, while Jones was No. 11. Highly-rated.

But at tackle? Through the roof.

The position changes have been made by design and by necessity. The outcome could produce an Ohio State defensive line always on the attack. Without Joey Bosa around to draw a couple blockers each play, a pass rush threat at each defensive line spot is a way to compensate.

The moves are what defensive line coach Larry Johnson described to us a year ago in "Middle Men," our series of stories on finding and developing defensive tackles.

"I want a guy who has some basketball skills, who is able to move his feet, that's the start of it," Johnson told us last season. "You can take a big defensive end and move him inside and make him a great three technique because he can move."

That could be Jones. That could be Cornell, as I reminded Johnson this spring of his words then.

"I felt when we recruited them they were defensive ends, but I knew they were going to be big," Johnson said. "You take a quick guy like that, move him inside and he gets all that one-one-one protection and one-on-one blocking, so you really have a chance of a guy playing end on the inside and that's a bonus for us (with) what we do defensively."

Revisit Middle Men

How good does that sound?

Johnson said Jones and Cornell, both listed at 6-foot-3, are about 275 pounds right now. That's still well short of someone like Adolphus Washington, the Buckeyes' previous defensive end turned disruptive defensive tackle, who was 6-3 and about 300 pounds.

Maybe they have weight add. Maybe they're both projecting at the pass-rushing, play-making defensive tackle spot while someone like Tracy Sprinkle (290 pounds) or Michael Hill (295 pounds) plays nose tackle.

Jashon CornellRedshirt freshman defensive tackle Jashon Cornell during drills this spring. 

Maybe you couldn't put a defensive line of Tyquan Lewis and Sam Hubbard at end and Jones and Cornell at tackle on the field on a regular basis. Maybe first and second down need at least one big run stuffer to take up double teams inside. (But the Buckeyes could, and have, put four pass rushers out on third down.)

Or maybe Cornell and Jones can do it all together, every down. 

Michael Bennett and Adolphus Washington played together inside as the starting tackles on the 2014 defensive line and they were both more in the play-making mode. 

However it works out, you have to like what the Buckeyes are trying. 

A year ago, the depth at defensive tackle was Urban Meyer's top issue. He talked about the lack of depth there all the time. So while losing the top three tackles to graduation - Washington, Tommy Schutt and Joel Hale - you can't assume that the backups he worried about last season are going to be the ones taking over playing time this season.

That's a group that includes Sprinkle, Hill and Donovan Munger, who has been out this spring because of health reasons.

Meyer wants more. Meyer wants action on the inside. So the Buckeyes went looking for it at other positions, knowing that Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard and Jalyn Holmes give the Buckeyes three top ends who are going to suck up most of the playing time.

Why waste Jones and Cornell behind them?

"You always got to fit the need first, and these guys really fit what we're looking for," Johnson said.

With Jones especially, the Buckeyes didn't have to look far for an answer. Recovering from injury most of last season, the St. Ignatius grad popped on the radar during bowl practice, and he continued the kind of play that draws attention this spring.

"You could see the improvement, you could see him starting to take off, the first time you've seen him run," Johnson said of what Jones looked like in December. "He had a good twitch."

This week when asked about players he wants to see Saturday, Meyer listed many but singled out one.

"The guy that has really come on is Dre'Mont Jones," Meyer said.

That's just what he wants at tackle. 

Oh, and five-star freshman Nick Bosa might play tackle, too, when he arrives at Ohio State this summer and gets ready to compete for playing time and even a starting spot in preseason camp.

He was the No. 1 strongside defensive end in the nation in the Class of 2016 according to 247sports.com.

Jones, Cornell and Bosa - ends at heart - all playing tackle this season, with Lewis, Hubbard and Holmes at end?

Watch the defensive tackles Saturday, then keep watching all fall.

Why Nick Bosa could play defensive tackle

Which team has the best chance of keeping Cleveland Cavaliers from going back to NBA Finals? (video)

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Chris Haynes, Joe Vardon, Chris Fedor and Bud Shaw discuss which Eastern Conference team has the best chance of upsetting the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are heading into the playoffs with plenty of confidence. 

"We're better all across the board," veteran James Jones said recently. "We are physically and mentally locked in. I think at this point last year, we were still trying to find our way. Now I think we understand who we are and what is in front of us. Over the last few weeks, we have really started to feel that edge that we need to sustain the effort level necessary to chase a championship. We are ready to go."

Once again, the expectations in Cleveland are high, with winning a championship as the only measure of success. Beating the Detroit Pistons in Round One is a formality, a small step in what the Cavs are hoping will be a lengthy journey.

If not Detroit, then which team has a chance of keeping the Cavs from making a repeat trip to the NBA Finals? Is there any matchup that could be problematic?

Our reporters -- Chris Haynes, Joe Vardon, Bud Shaw and I -- believe there's one primary threat.

Watch the video above to find out. 

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