LeBron James raced past four New Orleans defenders on the way to the 9,963rd basket of his NBA career.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James caught New Orleans napping during the first quarter of Monday's game at Quicken Loans arena when he raced past four Pelicans defenders for a fast-break dunk.

The bucket moved James past Dominique Wilkins (9,963) and into 14th place in NBA history for field goals made.

James has a pair of rebounds and two assists Cleveland leads New Orleans midway through the first period.

WITH AUTHORITY!@KingJames | #NBAVote pic.twitter.com/CvFmeTR2x3

-- Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 3, 2017

And then he did this...

Dunking into 2017 like:#DefendTheLand pic.twitter.com/SpuGyItICY

-- Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 3, 2017

Sashi Brown, Paul DePodesta and Hue Jackson wrapped up a 1-15 season for 2016 by promising the Browns won't be 1-15 in 2017. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- If you want the Cleveland Browns to say something, to explain this plan, forecast this future, excuse this record, they said this Monday.

They're not going 1-15 again.

Hue Jackson cut off the consideration of a season-ending news conference on Jan. 2, 2018, that looks just like the one Jackson and Browns front office bosses Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta were sitting at Monday.

"I can't do that, I can't do that," Jackson said in the center chair on the Berea news conference set. "We're not gonna do that. We can stop right there. I'm not doing that."

Not talking about going 1-15 again, or not actually going 1-15 again?

"No, we're not going 1-15," Jackson said. "No. I'll be swimming in the lake over there. So that's not happening. I just know me too well. I know me and I know these guys too well." 

We, of course, barely know them at all. Brown and DePodesta took over the decisions for a miserable franchise last January, hired a coach in Jackson that his players seem to love, failed to re-sign starting right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, traded away the chance to draft Carson Wentz and should be run out of town.

Sorry, the run out of town part was reflexive. I'm still getting accustomed to dealing with the Browns. 

They, of course, should be and are keeping their jobs, Jimmy Haslam said so. So the wrapup news conference Monday was intended mostly to make them reveal exactly who they were going to draft or trade for at quarterback, and for them to explain why Robert Griffin III and Cody Kessler aren't qualified to be franchise quarterbacks.

Let's go, guys.

Brown barely says anything worth writing down, which can be frustrating, but it isn't the same thing as not doing anything worth writing about. 

Hue is the guy with the quotes.

"I know we put out this front," Jackson said, continuing his promise to not duplicate 1-15. "We're not going 1-15 this year. You can write it. Hue Jackson said it. We're not. That's just the way it is."

Here's what Sashi Brown did say, slipping this in with a lean toward his mic between "we're not" and "that's just the way it is."

Brown said, "Amen."

I continued, trying to clarify this insistence on not going 1-15 in 2017 when the explanation accompanying this 1-15 season included descriptions of how upbeat the locker room was Monday and how Jackson felt encouraged after meeting with every single player on the Browns roster. I'll quote my own question now, in the name of accuracy and ego.

"So this 1-15 in some way is a little bit different than a 1-15 a year from now would be, because this 1-15 was laying the foundation of something?"

Three-second pause.

"Absolutely," Jackson said. "I'll say it for you. Yes."

Oh. Who knew?

Actually, anyone paying attention knew.

You hire front office guys from outside the pool of normal job applicants, you let starters walk in free agency, you trade draft picks for future draft picks, you are accepting a step back. That's even if you're starting from 3-13, as the Browns were at this news conference a year ago.

"Painful season, certainly," DePodesta said. "Painful for our players, painful for our coaches and most importantly, painful for the fans. It's never fun to go through a season like this. 

"It's one thing to have a disappointing season, which we had. It's another thing when you have a disappointing season that's on route to something. That's what we all feel like we had this year. ... I'm as optimistic or more optimistic than I was even when we were up here last January about our future."

Take that as you will. The alternative "We stink, all is lost," is not an advisable season wrapup quote. Besides, you can find enough of that sentiment written and talked about in Cleveland.

There are some things that would have been nice to hear from the Browns on Monday.

* Like maybe, we tanked. But Brown wouldn't go for the idea that pain like this was a necessary step.

"We do understand, coming out of last year, that we felt like our roster wasn't championship caliber," Brown said. "I'll leave it at that. I don't think this season was necessary."

* Like maybe, we're definitely drafting Clemson's Deshaun Watson, North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky or Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer or trading for New England's Jimmy Garoppolo and solving this quarterback issue.

That, of course, would involve saying that RG3 and Kessler were definitely not the answer, which is something Jackson, Brown and DePodesta were never going to do, no matter how many times they were pressed on it.

But do they need quarterback help? Of course. Do they realize it? Of course. Are they going to do something? Of course (I think.)

They just aren't going to say it.

* Like maybe, they screwed up a few things their first few months on the job. New guys sometimes do. DePodesta referenced a steep learning curve. But they're smart, and if you're going to hire this group, it's not to win the battle in the first six months.

DePodesta called being together for a whole year the advantage this offseason has over last.

"Last year, it was a real sprint to the draft, even free agency," DePodesta said. "Now we've been working for the draft since August or September. We're in a much better position this year."

"We do hope to transform our roster to an extent," Brown said.

So given what they said and didn't say Monday, and what the Browns didn't and didn't do this season, here's my offseason plan. 

* Anticipate the Browns will address the quarterback spot.

* Anticipate the Browns will pick some very good college players, especially on defense, with their four picks in the first and second rounds, and not keep trading down.

* Anticipate that the front office will be sharper and smarter with a year under them, and that the draft and free agency will reflect that.

* Understand that a 1-15 record in a year when pain was obvious isn't an indication that the plan is a failure.

* Ignore the shamers who contend this 1-15 season (with a purpose) is somehow worse than the 87-186 record since 1999, the one filled with 5-11 and 4-12 records that got the Browns nowhere.

* Assume that another 1-15 isn't coming. Next year should be, and must be, competitive and respectable. Then the playoffs should be a realistic goal in 2018. 

* Not accept this a year from now. But give this a chance through the 2017 season and avoid the cynics holding the past failures of previous regimes against them.

* Believe Sunday was the bottom. And Monday was the beginning of the way back up.

Thomas said that things could be very different for the Browns if they managed to keep key free agents during his time with the team.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns owner Jimmy Haslam laid out three things the Browns need to execute to turn the franchise around when he met with the media on Sunday following the team's final game of the season in Pittsburgh. The first thing: "We gotta resign our key players."

Joe Thomas might not have heard him say that, but the left tackle echoed the same sentiment on Monday during the team's locker room cleanout.

"One of our biggest mistakes that we've made since I've been here is not identifying talent early on in their career, after you've drafted them, and re-signing them before they get to free agency," Thomas said.

He would know, since his position group, long a beacon of stability on the Browns roster, saw two significant departures last offseason when Pro Bowl center Alex Mack signed with Atlanta and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz left for Kansas City.

Thomas blamed the lack of stability in the organization for losing key players, citing the fact that new GMs and coaches want to evaluate players before signing them, ultimately meaning those players are allowed to hit the market and, well...

"Once a guy gets to free agency, he could go anywhere, because all it takes is one team to really fall in love with somebody and throw a big number at them and then they're gone," Thomas said. "Now all that effort and energy that you've put into developing a young man into a great NFL player is gone, and that draft capital you spent on him is a waste."

The Browns lost four starters off of their 2015 team last offseason, all players they either drafted or signed as undrafted free agents, including Mack and Schwartz. Wide receiver Travis Benjamin signed with San Diego and safety Tashaun Gipson signed with Jacksonville. That wasn't the first offseason that saw key players leave, either.

Defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard, a 2011 pick, signed with New England prior to the 2015 season. Safety T.J. Ward, a 2010 pick, signed with Denver prior to the 2014 season when the Browns chose veteran safety Donte Whitner over him.

That's just a small sampling.

Thomas lamented the fact that the Browns could have extended some of their young talent before they hit the market, and the recent history of this team could have played out very differently.

"When those guys were younger players in their first, second and third year, you knew they were going to be good players," Thomas said, "so if you would've re-signed them then you would've been able to re-sign them at a discount and you would've been able to keep all of them and you could only imagine where we'd be right now if we had all of those guys that we drafted in the last eight years."

The Browns will face two more key free agent decisions this offseason, although they acquired those players under different circumstances than some of the recent free agents they've let walk.

Terrelle Pryor, fresh off a 1,000-yard receiving season, is facing free agency. The Browns have no draft capital, as Joe Thomas put it, invested in Pryor, but they have invested the time in helping him convert from quarterback to wide receiver. In fact, they're the team that deserves all of the credit for giving him a shot -- the only one willing to take a chance on him twice in 2015 and then stick with him when a new regime took over last offseason.

Jamie Collins, too, wasn't a draft pick, but the Browns did trade a draft pick to New England for the linebacker. Under this new regime that, so far, values picks over all else, that's a significant move to make in-season for a player set to hit the market.

Monday, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown wouldn't get into his view of the franchise tag or any plans to use it on either player if negotiations break down.

"Our plan on both of those players is try to extend them without the use of the tag," Brown said.

That would be welcome news to Thomas, who was quick to shun the notion that the team's record should play a role in the decision on whether to retain players.

"You sometimes hear fans say, 'Well we were 1-15 with them, we can be 1-15 without them,'" Thomas said, "but if you want to be better than 1-15 you have to keep your good players. That's just the way it goes. You can't keep getting rid of good players and think you're going to get better. Anybody with a brain can figure that out."

-----

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Cavs rookie guard Kay Felder sparked the Cleveland offense with two quick buckets off the bench in the fourth quarter against New Orleans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers guard Kay Felder sparked Cleveland to a fourth quarter lead against visiting New Orleans on Monday with an assist and two quick buckets.

Felder re-entered the game with 11 minutes left in the fourth, subbing out LeBron James and immediately had an impact.

He found Channing Frye on a give-and-go layup, then accelerated to the basket for a layup of his own before hitting a pull-up jumper to give the cavaliers a four-point lead.

Felder has 12 points on 6-for-11 shooting and two assists in 20 minutes. He has not registered a single turnover.

Back-to-back buckets for @2kayzero! He's attacking this 4Q like a vet. #DefendTheLand pic.twitter.com/OnOrfS4w4A

-- Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 3, 2017

LeBron James scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter of the Cavs' win over the Pelicans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The state of things for the Cavs are as such:

Trailing by two points early in the fourth quarter, coach Tyronn Lue subbed out the 6-8, four-time MVP, all-time-great LeBron James for the 5-9 rookie Kay Felder.

And it worked.

The Cavs beat the New Orleans Pelicans 90-82 Monday night to improve their NBA-best home record to 18-2. They did it with just 10 healthy players, as Kyrie Irving (right hamstring tightness) and Mike Dunleavy (sprained right ankle) missed their second consecutive games.

James led Cleveland with 26 points and contributed seven boards and six assists. Channing Frye scored 14 off the bench, while Felder and Richard Jefferson added 12 points apiece.

Kevin Love scored 12 points to go with 11 rebounds, but shot 5-of-19 and left the game with 6:54 to go and didn't return. He went to the locker room and stayed there. Team officials said Love was ill.

So, make that nine healthy players?

James was great in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points and blocking Buddy Hield's layup attempt with 52.9 seconds left. But if not for that crucial stretch early in the fourth quarter when it was Felder, instead of James, running the offense, the Cavs might have fallen.

Lue turned to Felder to give James a break with 11:02 left in the game. The Cavs' starting guards Monday night -- Jordan McRae and DeAndre Liggins -- were ineffective, and Lue's got to do something to try and preserve James a little.

So Felder comes in, and on consecutive possessions he assisted Frye on a layup and then buried two jumpers. The Cavs were up 75-71. When James returned to the game with 6:54 to go, Felder (who had scored again) stayed on the court. He's taken advantage of Irving's absence and has scored 25 points in the last two games.

Pelicans 6-10 star Anthony Davis scored 20 points to go with 17 boards.

James and Davis took a nasty spill together into the front row chasing a ball headed out of bounds with 2:20 left. Both men were OK, and Davis was called for the foul. James canned both free throws.

James took his 20,000th-career shot during the game and moved into 15th all time in NBA history in shots; 14th in field goals. He has 1,699 career steals (after two more against the Pelicans). James committed six turnovers in 38 minutes. Jefferson connected on his 1,000th-career 3-pointer late in the third quarter.

Because of the dearth of players Lue has at his disposal and the need to keep the upright players' legs fresh, the coach canceled the Cavs' morning shootaround. The team came out and promptly shot 6-of-25 in the first quarter and trailed by seven. Love was 2-of-10.

But Lue came back with an odd lineup of Love, Felder, Iman Shumpert, Frye, and Jefferson (James usually starts the second quarter), and they opened the period on a 9-0 run. Cleveland led 31-30 when James checked in for Love with 7:03 left in the second quarter.

The Cavs never really warmed up, and their 37.8-percent shooting was the second lowest of the season. The Pelicans had their four-game winning streak snapped. Hield, like Davis, scored 20.

Cleveland (26-7) has now won 13 in a row when James is in the lineup.

The Cavs are battling multiple illnesses, from Kevin Love's food poisoning to LeBron James' cold. And don't forget the injuries. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Only read this story if you've had your flu shot.

The Cavs are sick right now.

Kevin Love played just 24 minutes of Cleveland's 90-82 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday because of what the team for now is calling food poisoning. Coach Tyronn Lue said Love dropped 10 pounds in two days because of the illness; he left the game midway through the fourth quarter and didn't come back.

In fact, Love (12 points, 11 rebounds. 5-of-19 shooting) went to the locker room and stayed there.

But that's not all.

LeBron James left the locker room (after registering 26 points, seven rebounds, and six assists) with a plastic bag of Airborne, Tylenol PM, and two bottles of electrolytes.

Channing Frye's sinuses are still clogged, and Lue complained after the game that Frye sneezed on him during a timeout. Frye scored 14 off the bench.

LeBron, Kay key win over Pelicans

Kyrie Irving didn't play because of a tight right hamstring (and had a cold last week) and Mike Dunleavy was out with a sprained ankle, so Cleveland only had 10 players dress. How many you could say are healthy, though, is another matter.

"It was a total team effort," Lue said. "Everybody gave what they had -- Kevin and Channing being sick the way they were and trying to play and gut it out knowing we only had 10 guys was big for us."

That's two wins in a row with just 10 available players.

Love believes he became ill after eating sea bass on the Cavs' flight home from Charlotte on New Year's Eve, though no one else got sick so it's hard to say for sure.

Lue said he received a call Sunday from trainer Stephen Spiro, who said Love had lost 10 pounds from vomiting. The coach said he cancelled the Cavs' morning shootaround practice to give Love (and the rest of the ailing players) a chance to rest.

"We didn't think he was going to be able to play today," Lue said. "He said he's going to give it a go. He came out there and gave us 24 strong minutes, which we needed. He had 12 and 11 in those 24 minutes but just his presence on the floor was big for us and for him to gut it out the way he did was big for us."

It's unclear when James got sick. The New York Post reported James and his wife, and Tristan Thompson and Khloe Kardashian, jetted to Miami on New Year's Eve from Charlotte to celebrate his birthday, which was Dec. 30.

But James, who scored 10 in the fourth quarter, was coughing in the locker room afterwards.

"Can't have any excuses no matter what's going on with the team," James said. "Has to be next man up and when guys' numbers are called they've got to be ready to go. As ugly as it was tonight, just got to find a way to get through it and we did that."

For what it's worth, all the players are given flu shots at the outset of training camp, according to a team source.

Irving has missed two consecutive games with his hamstring injury. A team source said the hamstring hadn't loosened as quickly as the Cavs would like, and they were being cautious.

That's reality for the Cavs at the moment, beginning some nights with nine or 10 healthy bodies. Still, it was enough against the surging New Orleans Pelicans, as the Cavs overcame a chilly shooting night (37.8 percent) and rallied for the 90-82 win. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love ate some sketchy sea bass -- at least, that was head coach Tyronn Lue's explanation for Love's early fourth quarter departure. Channing Frye was under the weather. Kyrie Irving, Mike Dunleavy and J.R. Smith had already been ruled out.

When pregame introductions commenced, the short-handed Cavaliers used the help of a few team officials, two mascots and a couple security members to help round out the handshake line.

What a way to begin 2017.

That's reality for the Cavs at the moment, beginning some nights with nine or 10 healthy bodies. Still, it was enough against the surging New Orleans Pelicans, as the Cavs overcame a chilly shooting night (37.8 percent) and rallied for the 90-82 win.

Obstacles - The Cavs sent out the release on Sunday, letting media members know Monday's shootaround had been cancelled.

One reporter (I'm not telling which one) didn't bother to look at his phone and showed up to an empty parking lot anyway.

Either way, it highlights Lue's current challenge.

Mo Williams continues to occupy a roster spot while the Cavs look for some team to take him in a trade. Chris Andersen, also holding down a spot, is out for the season with a torn ACL. Smith won't be back for a while. Toss in the minor injuries Irving and Dunleavy are dealing with and the Cavs continue to face plenty of early obstacles -- forcing Lue to stray from the team's usual pregame routine.

"(Not enough) bodies and getting rest," Lue said. "We have 10 guys and we're playing nine. Just getting extra rest and come in and have walkthrough before the game."

It's at least the second time this season Lue has cancelled shootaround.

"Nah, we will do it more times than we have in the past so we will just see how it looks," Lue admitted. "I will look at leaning to doing that a few more times."

Hoping to not run his stars into the ground this early and understanding the minutes keep piling up, the Cavs aren't practicing much these days either, hoping those days off will pay dividends later. Plus, they don't have a full squad.

Limiting Anthony Davis - Prior to the game, Lue mentioned being comfortable with the plan against New Orleans' All-Star big man, pointing to Tristan Thompson as the primary reason why.

"Think it's a good matchup for Tristan, with bringing the physicality and having to guard him on the perimeter one-on-one so we will see how that goes," Lue said.

It went well. Davis finished with 20 points on 10-of-27 from the field.

"We said when he posted up or caught the ball, we were gonna come and double team him," Lue explained. "We just did it by committee. Tristan did a great job of guarding him one on one, which we know he can do. Channing (Frye) came in, did a great job on the blitz. Our guys did a great job of reading the defense, coming to double team when we needed too and helping when we needed to. It was a total team effort."

The key, according to Thompson, was to keep Davis from finding his rhythm early.

"Just tried to make it tough for him," Thompson told me after the game. "When he gets going, he can easily put up 40 and then big numbers, so for us just try to make it tough for him and throw different looks at him."

In the first quarter, Davis scored eight points on 4-of-12 from the field. He also committed three turnovers. After missing his first three shots, he finally scratched with a putback dunk. Another one of his buckets came on a transition leak-out.

But Davis struggled in halfcourt sets. His first non-dunk of the game was a jumper over the smaller Iman Shumpert. In the fourth quarter, he failed to score, missing all five of shots.

While at least five different defenders took a turn, Thompson deserves the bulk of credit. Of Davis' 10 made baskets, only two -- by my count -- came with Thompson as his primary defender.

According to NBA stats, Thompson is holding foes to 44.8 percent from the field this season.

Second-quarter starting group - Instead of sitting James for a few minutes in the first period so he could be fresh to start the second, Lue asked James to go the distance in the first quarter while Love got a brief rest.

The decision enabled Lue to start the second quarter with a Love-led unit, as rookie Kay Felder, Shumpert, Richard Jefferson and Frye flanked him.

Using a 9-0 spurt, the five-man group rallied from a seven-point first quarter deficit, forcing the Pelicans to call timeout.

By the time James was set to check in, the Cavs were leading by one, 31-30, after outscoring New Orleans, 16-8, in those five minutes.

"They gave us a huge spark," James said of the bench.

The Cavs had a similar run in the fourth quarter, one led by Felder, who scored or assisted on eight of the first 10 points.

"My confidence keeps rising the more minutes I play and the more pace I play with," Felder said. "I like to go fast and like to run so playing at that pace has also helped me out a lot."

Felder finished with 12 points on 6-of-11 from the field. The Cavs' second unit outscored the Pelicans' crew, 44-19. 

Champ's run - The fourth quarter seemed to be a carry-over from what happened late in the third, as the Cavs closed on a 14-6 run in the final four minutes.

At that point, Love was clearly sluggish. The Cavs couldn't find anyone to make an open shot. The entire starting five went 0-15 from beyond the arc.

That's when Lue called on Jones, who delivered.

"Like he always does," Lue said. "Champ is just the ultimate professional, a guy you love to have on the team. He should be playing but you got Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, guys in front of him, move LeBron to the four, so it's hard for him to get on the floor. One thing about Champ is he gets his opportunity, he's ready at all times. He never lets you down, he never disappoints."

In that stretch, Jones buried a triple, cutting the lead to four. Then he forced a turnover with stingy defense against Dante Cunningham. On the next possession, New Orleans, afraid to leave Jones open in pick action, blew a defensive assignment that allowed James to soar to basket for a layup, cutting the lead to a deuce.

"One of the greatest shooters I've ever seen," James said. "We don't even think he's going to miss when he shoots the ball. He's just a great asset to have, especially with our team right now being so depleted. He was the first one on the practice court today just waiting for his number to be called and it was."

Jones is 15-of-24 from deep this season.

Shumpert's shooting session - While Lue credited Shumpert for tough defense, he left the court following the game and waited outside the trainer's room with his hands on his knees as someone grabbed him a basketball.

Upset with his shooting night, going just 1-of-7 from the field and 0-of-3 from 3-point range in a game where the Cavs needed his offense, a dejected Shumpert went back onto the court for a postgame shooting session.

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue told Kay Felder not to look over at the bench while he's playing, and the idea's worked wonders for the rookie these last two games. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The advice Cavs rookie Kay Felder received that may have unlocked some of his potential is simple.

"Don't look over at the bench," coach Tyronn Lue said he told Felder. "That's kind of the same approach I had with Jordan (McRae) as well, Liggs (DeAndre Liggins): Just play your game. And if you're doing too much, I'll let you know."

Felder scored 12 points in Cleveland's 90-82 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He has 25 in the last two games, and is taking advantage of gaping holes in Lue's rotation created by a wave of injuries, most notably to Kyrie Irving.

The Cavs sent Felder to Canton last Wednesday for a D-League game to play consistent minutes. He scored 33 points in that game, and then watched from the bench Thursday while Irving scored 32 and the Cavs beat Boston 124-118.

LeBron, Felder lead Cavs

But Irving was injured against the Cs and hasn't played since. Felder, meanwhile, scored 13 off the bench in 19 minutes Saturday against the Hornets, and logged 22 minutes Monday.

Though Felder's minutes had already begun to climb -- Irving missed two games earlier this month and there have been some back-to-back games -- Lue was left with little choice but to play him meaningful minutes now.

And Felder said he appreciates the trust Lue has shown in him.

"That's how it was in college, you know," said Felder, who was drafted in the second round out of Oakland University. "Go ahead and play your game and don't look over every time you do something or look for a play call. You knew what plays are in the playbook so go ahead and be free. That's what he's letting me do and I'm loving it."

Cavs reach for Tamiflu

The Cavs have had a hole at back-up point guard all season, and though Felder is a point guard he is almost never mentioned by team brass as a real option -- at least not this year.

When Felder has appeared in Lue's rotation on certain nights, Lue almost always explains it as that game's particular opponent offering Felder a favorable matchup. He's only 5-9, and has struggled making passes in traffic and on defense.

But now the Cavs are signaling that the rookie is improving. They went to Felder to sub in for James early in the fourth quarter Monday, handing him the offense when they were down two. He scored or assisted on the next four baskets.

"I just think he implanted everything he's been working on on practice days and off days into game situation," James said. "He's learning, he's watching film. You see him over there with the coaches every day and anybody that can take from what they watch on film and take what they do on the practice court and implement it into a game situation lets you know they have a great growth mindset. His mind is allowing him to go out there and do those things. It's good for his development."

Starting in Irving's place the last two games was Jordan McRae. He had a breakout game Saturday with 20 points, but struggled mightily against the Pelicans.

It remains to be seen whether or not Irving returns Wednesday against the Bulls, and if he doesn't then who starts for him. And if Irving does play, then what happens to Felder's minutes?

Will they again be based on matchups?

Check out this week's cleveland.com girls basketball Top 25 featuring moves by Mentor, Eastlake North and Lakewood.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Mentor climbs again in this week’s cleveland.com girls basketball Top 25 by four spots following the Christmas holiday.

The holiday action also includes the emergence of Eastlake North and Lakewood into the rankings and exit of two area teams.

Check back on Tuesdays unless otherwise stated for the weekly rankings.

Records as of Jan. 2 at noon

1. Solon (6-2)

Last Week: Ranked No. 1, beat then-No. 3 Twinsburg 67-45, Ann Arbor Huron 59-54 and loss to Heritage 38-35

This Week: Wednesday at Brunswick and Saturday vs. Strongsville

2. Gilmour (6-3)

Last Week: Ranked No. 2, loss North Central 74-60, beat Westlake (Ga.) 66-49, Loranger (La.) 58-46 and lost to West Campus (Calif.) 60-55.

This Week: Wednesday vs. St. Vincent-St. Mary, Monday vs. Euclid

3. Twinsburg (7-3)

Last Week: Ranked No. 3, beat Perrysburg 46-42, then-No. 8 Hathaway Brown 53-47 and loss to then-No. 1 Solon 67-45

This Week: Wednesday vs. Nordonia and Saturday at Cuyahoga Falls

4. Stow (6-2)

Last Week: Ranked No. 4, beat Avon 30-21, Carrollton 57-28 and loss to Jackson 52-45

This Week: Wednesday at Brecksville and Saturday vs. North Royalton

5. St. Joseph Academy (8-1)

Last Week: Ranked No. 6, Perry, beat Revere 44-28, Walsh Jesuit 43-30.

This Week: Wednesday vs. No. 12 Archbishop Hoban and Monday vs. Cleveland Central Catholic

6. Mentor (7-2)

Last week: Ranked No. 10, beat Lake Catholic 54-32, Brunswick 68-35, then-No. 5 Wadsworth 47-37, and loss to Berlin Hiland 67-53

This Week: Wednesday vs. No. 22 Strongsville, Friday vs. Elyria

7. Wadsworth (4-5)

Last Week: Ranked No. 5, beat then-No. 7 Magnificat 42-40, and loss to then-No. 10 Mentor 47-37 and Reynoldsburg 48-28

This Week: Wednesday at Hudson and Saturday at Nordonia

8. Magnificat (3-6)

Last Week: Ranked No. 7, loss to then-No. 5 Wadsworth 42-40, Reynoldsburg 64-38 and Chippewa 39-37

This Week: Wednesday at Walsh Jesuit and Saturday Youngstown Ursuline

9. Laurel (9-0)

Last week: Ranked No. 9, beat Kenston 39-28, Cleveland Central Catholic 67-52 and Normandy 45-22

This Week: Wednesday vs. Cleveland Heights, Saturday vs. Cornerstone Christian

10. Hathaway Brown (4-7)

Last Week: Ranked No. 8, beat Elyria 45-37, and loss to Chillicothe 32-20, Villa Marie (Pa) 44-34 and then-No. 3 Twinsburg 53-47

This Week: Tuesday vs. Rogers and Saturday No. 13 St. Vincent-St. Mary.

Rest of the Top 25: 11. Euclid (4-2), 12. Archbishop Hoban (5-4), 13. St. Vincent St. Mary (3-5), 14. Garrettsville Garfield (9-0), 15. Lake Ridge (7-1), 16. Amherst (7-2), 17. Berea-Midpark (7-1), 18. Elyria Catholic (7-2), 19. Revere (6-2), 20. Bay (7-2), 21. Brush (9-1), 22. Strongsville (7-3), 23. Eastlake North (9-0), 24. Padua (8-1), 25. Lakewood (6-3).

Closing: Mentor, who had the several questions coming into the season with its returning lineup, has responded well moving up four spots in the Top 25. The Cardinals highlight this week’s rankings after defeating Wadsworth on the road by 10 points.

This shift moved St. Joseph Academy up one position, and Magnificat down a spot following four straight losses. The Blue Streaks still remain a strong contender after dropping three of those four games by at least three points. Like Magnificat, Hathaway Brown dropped two spots after falling in three straight games during the holiday.

In other action over of the holiday, Chagrin Falls and Walsh Jesuit deserves recognition for defeating Chardon and Elyria Catholic, respectively. However, three-point games are not enough to cause a huge shift in the rankings. Elyria Catholic, last year’s Great Lakes Conference champion, is still one of the strongest teams in the area after dropping two close games. This time period could be the beginning of a big impact for Walsh Jesuit and Chagrin Falls. The Panthers remain at No. 18.

As for Chardon, who fell to conference opponent Eastlake North in a five-point overtime game, drops out of the Top 25 after to make room for the Rangers at No. 23. Chardon is still a strong contender trailing Eastlake North and Brush in the Western Reserve Conference.

Padua, who is coming off an 18-point loss to Brunswick, drops three spots and makes room for Brush and Strongsville. Despite the Blue Devils win against the Bruins they don’t break the Top 25 coming into the New Year with an under .500 record and losses to ranked teams Strongsville, Berea-Midpark, and previously ranked Shaker Heights and Avon.

Lakewood becomes the latest team from the Southwestern Conference to move into the Top 25. The Rangers are coming off a 52-39 win against Medina dropping the Bees from the No. 25 spot.

*Reporter's note: "On the bubble" teams will be posted in the Jan. 10 rankings. This post will be updated following games on Monday.

A final look at all of the first-year Buckeyes who saw action in 2016. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Part of what made Ohio State's run to the College Football Playoff a bit of a surprise this season was that the Buckeyes entered the year with 44 freshmen on the roster. 

That's more than half of the scholarship players. That's a lot, and it shouldn't have happened. Urban Meyer admitted that himself when he lamented how many players Ohio State redshirted during the 2015 season. 

It was easy to fall into that trap when Ohio State had so much coming back from a 2014 national-title winner, and compounded by the fact that comfortable blowouts didn't come easily during the 2015 season. Opportunities to work young guys into games were scarce, and as a result the Buckeyes redshirted 21 of the 25 true freshmen they had in 2015. 

They didn't want to make that mistake again, and struck a much better balance this year. 

Ohio State signed 24 players in its 2016 recruiting class, but one of those was junior college offensive lineman Malcolm Pridgeon. So count that as 23 true freshmen on the Buckeyes' roster in 2016.

Why Ohio State should never redshirt players

Here are the true freshmen who played this year, how much they played, and the ones who didn't:

True freshmen who played (11):

* Michael Jordan, guard: Started all 13 games at left guard.

* Nick Bosa, defensive end: Never started, but played in all 13 games, with a featured role as an inside rusher in Ohio State's third-down package. Finished with 29 tackles and five sacks.

* Jordan Fuller, safety: Played in 12 games and earned a spot as a special teams starter. Fuller finished with 11 tackles.

* Austin Mack, receiver: Played in 12 games, some at receiver, but mostly as a special teams starter. He finished with two catches for 15 yards, and three tackles.

* Malik Harrison, linebacker: Played in 11 games, finishing with 13 tackles and one sack.

* Rodjay Burns, cornerback: Played in seven games, finishing with one tackle and a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown against Bowling Green. 

* Jonathon Cooper, defensive end: Played in six games, finishing with six tackles and one sack.

* Keandre Jones, linebacker: Played in six games, finishing with four tackles.

* Demario McCall, running back: Played in six games, finishing with 49 carries for 270 yards (5.5 avg.) and three touchdowns. 

* Binjimen Victor, receiver: Played in five games, catching four passes for 64 yards (16.0 avg.) and one touchdown.

* Antonio Williams, running back: Played in one game, carrying six times for 28 yards against Rutgers.

True freshmen who didn't play (12):

* Dwayne Haskins, QB

* Jake Hausmann, TE

* Tyler Gerald, OL

* Luke Farrell, TE

* Malik Barrow, DT

* Tuf Borland, LB

* Kierre Hawkins, TE

* Wayne Davis, CB

* Gavin Cupp, OL

* Jack Wohlabaugh, OL

* Drue Chrisman, P

* Jahsen Wint, SAF

The last year of Cleveland sports delivered moments and memories unlike anything in the last half-century. And that makes the inaugural cleveland.com sports awards -- well, we hope they become a yearly tradition -- as competitive and prestigious as any fan of the city's teams could imagine. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Come one, come all to the red carpet. Don't forget sunglasses to shield your eyes from the camera flashes or your phone to capture a snapshot of every prominent Cleveland sports figure.

The last year of Cleveland sports delivered moments and memories unlike anything else seen near Lake Erie in the last half-century. And that makes the inaugural cleveland.com sports awards -- well, we hope they become a yearly tradition -- as competitive and prestigious as any fan of the city's teams could imagine.

OK, so Indians manager Terry Francona couldn't attend our awards show. He is recovering from hip surgery, after all. We didn't even bother inviting Draymond Green. And LeBron James had prior commitments.

Still, this should be a spectacle, if only because the Cavaliers provided a healthy serving of history last summer. The Indians and Browns nearly did, too, just in two drastically different ways.

In one calendar year, we watched a city celebrate the end of a 52-year major professional championship drought and nearly earn the right to celebrate twice in a five-month span. We watched an unforgettable NBA Finals comeback, one fueled by Golden State's bravado, James' superiority and Kyrie Irving's timeliness. We watched the Indians march -- well, technically "limp," though they breezed past Boston and Toronto -- to a 3-1 advantage in the World Series, before the Cubs stormed back for their first title since the advent of the Model T. We watched the Browns teeter on the brink of infamous futility, before a narrow victory on Christmas Eve steered the franchise away from the potential of an 0-16 campaign.

In the end, we served as spectators to perhaps the most eventful year in Cleveland sports history.

And to properly chronicle what we witnessed, we asked you to offer some feedback to determine the winner of each of our eight categories.

This week, we'll unveil the winner of each piece of hardware (no, really, we have an actual, tangible cleveland.com sports award). Doug Lesmerises, Bud Shaw and Zack Meisel will serve as the presenters and we'll look back at the nominees for each category before each dramatic revelation. (We also have sealed envelopes, a podium and a microphone -- this is the real deal, folks.)

Here is the presentation schedule for the first annual cleveland.com sports awards.

Tuesday

The Believeland Best Moment of the Year

The Impact Decision of the Year

Wednesday

The Art Modell Memorial Villain of the Year

The #GPODAWUND "Only In Cleveland" Moment of the Year

Thursday

The Quote of the Year

The Trolling Moment of the Year

Friday

The LeBron James Player of the Year

The Unbelievable Team of the Year

Cleveland Browns have to look at keeping players away from free agency. They also need to take a real hard look at their quarterback situation.

BEREA, Ohio -- Scribbles in my Cleveland Browns notebook while listening to the postseason press conference on Monday:

1. Keep their own players. That was the first thing Jimmy Haslam mentioned when the owner spoke to the media Sunday after the Browns 27-24 loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Haslam mentioned three things the Browns must do: the others were draft better and wisely use free agency.

2. Most Browns fans know Jamie Collins and Terrelle Pryor are the key players heading into free agency. I believe it will be hard to keep both. Once players come close to the open market, they and their agents usually prefer to see what offers come their way.

3. Picking between Collins and Pryor is easy for me. I'd pay Collins. He has been a good linebacker for four NFL seasons. He wants to be paid. The Browns have oodles of salary cap cash. Pay him.

4. I bet Collins would be a top-five pick if he were in this draft. The No. 5 pick in the 2016 draft was cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who signed a four-year, $23 million deal -- $15 million guaranteed -- with the Jacksonville Jaguars. That's for an unproven player.

5. That's why a four-year deal in the $10 million to $12 million annual range for Collins is not excessive, especially when the Browns have the cash to spend. At the age of 27, he should be in his prime.

6. But the real work for the Browns is signing players before they reach their free agent seasons. That was the mistake they made with Alex Mack. He was interested in signing an extension after his third season -- the first year NFL rules allowed him to do so. The Browns didn't make a move to do that.

7. That led to the star center becoming a free agent in 2013. The Browns made him a transition player. Jacksonville gave him an offer sheet. It was a mess and he was ready to go when the door opened in 2015.

8. Because the Browns kept changing front offices, they weren't thinking ahead. Veteran Joe Thomas mentioned this Monday. He talked about how the Browns have allowed too many viable NFL players to leave via free agency because they didn't sign them to early extensions.

9. Some of the names of good players who walked out: Jabaal Sheard, Buster Skrine, T.J. Ward -- all after the 2013 season. Browns fans know about the exodus last March: Mitchell Schwartz, Travis Benjamin, Craig Robertson, Tashaun Gipson and Mack.

10. There are other players. I'm not going to dwell on all the names. The only one from 2015 who bothered me was Schwartz, because he is a durable right tackle with above-average ability.

11. Three names: Chris Kirksey, Joel Bitonio and Jamie Meder. All are eligible to sign extensions in the off-season. None are free agents yet. They are what Thomas called "middle-class players," the kind very important to a team. Kirksey and Bitonio have Pro Bowl potential.

12. It's imperative that the Sashi Brown front office not only work on retaining Collins and perhaps Pryor. But they also must sign up the better young players now while they are still on their rookie contracts.

13. I do believe Brown and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta have all the data on when it's best to sign players -- and certainly waiting until free agency opens in March is not a good time. So let's see what they do.

14. There will be no significant additions to the football operation. I thought it was odd when there was a report coach Hue Jackson wanted to bring in someone.

15. Jackson has a lot of influence when it comes to picking quarterbacks and other roster issues. He is the most experienced football man in the group. The others are player personnel director Andrew Berry, Brown and DePodesta. It's in his interest to keep that position, not add someone else.

16. Jackson had a strong voice in the signing of Robert Griffin III. He obviously liked Cody Kessler in the draft. Remember the "trust me" comment about the rookie from USC.

17. To be fair to Jackson, once the decision was made to trade down and not select a quarterback at No. 2 -- finding a quarterback wasn't easy.

18. I checked the list of free agent QBs available in 2016. Sam Bradford was the best, and he re-signed with Philadelphia. Other names: Brock Osweiler, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chase Daniel, Brian Hoyer, Matt Cassel, Brandon Weeden, Michael Vick and Griffin. Not much there.

19. Kirk Cousins is the big free agent name. But Washington won't let him go. He'll be re-signed, or Washington will use the franchise tag on him. Other names include Mike Glennon, Geno Smith and Hoyer. Veterans who may be released -- Jay Cutler, Colin Kaepernick and Tyrod Taylor.

20. Trades are more likely, which is why you hear the Jimmy Garoppolo rumors. It's hard to find quarterbacks, period.

Some of Jackson's in-game decisions set off debates among fans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - You can say Hue Jackson's first season as head coach of the Browns resulted in just one win. But fans got more than that.

They got to see how Jackson reacts to certain situations, how he tries to be different on offense, and how he takes risks. With that in mind, we've collected nine in-game decisions that - for better or worse - defined Jackson's first year with the Browns:

Week 1: Fake punt vs. the Eagles

Trailing the Eagles 7-0 early in the second quarter, the Browns faced fourth-and-5 at their own 41-yard line. But instead of punting, the Browns tried to catch the Eagles off guard. It didn't work. With punter Britton Colquitt and long snapper Charley Hughlett both on the field and lined up to the left of the offensive line, Cameron Erving sent a snap directly to Duke Johnson. But Johnson was under pressure from the start and the play went nowhere. The Eagles took over and ended a short drive with a field goal and a 10-0 lead.

What Jackson said: "There were some guys that needed to be in the game a little sooner than what they were. We did not get that communicated properly throughout. Again, I have the veto to say, 'OK, let's not do this,' and I did not call it off soon enough."

via GIPHY

Week 3: Using Terrelle Pryor as read-option QB vs. the Dolphins

The NFL took notice of Pryor in Week 3. He caught eight passes for 144 yards, but it was his use at quarterback that got the most attention. Pryor was 3-of-5 passing for 35 yards and also rushed four times for 21 yards, including 3-yard touchdown run that started the Browns' fourth-quarter rally.

What Jackson said: "I know what Terrelle is capable of doing and what he can and what he can't do. I just tried to maximize our opportunities on offense with him and to maximize his ability because he has a lot of talent."

via GIPHY

Week 3: Deferring the OT kickoff vs. the Dolphins

Cody Parkey missed a field goal to win it at the end of regulation, but the Browns won the overtime coin toss. Then they surprisingly decided to kick off. While the Dolphins were forced to punt, they gained enough ground - and got a 47-yard punt - to pin the Browns at their own 9-yard line. The Browns gained four yards and punted, setting up the Dolphins with great field position to win the game.

What Jackson said: "I thought our team on defense was hot. We stopped them the time before, and I thought we could stop them again, which we did. I just didn't think the punter was going to unleash one like he did that pinned us way back there. I thought I played it the right way, but I thought we would have better field position than what we did."

Week 4: Giving fullback Malcolm Johnson his first career carry in the red zone vs. the Redskins

The Browns led 20-17 late in the third quarter and looked in position to add more points after a 14-yard catch and run by Isaiah Crowell. But on first-and-10 at the Redskins 16-yard line, with Crowell getting a breather on the sideline, Johnson got the handoff and fumbled. The Redskins recovered, setting up a drive that resulted in the go-ahead touchdown.

What Jackson said: "I know everybody wants to make a big point about the fullback here carrying the ball and it was his first carry. It was his first carry in a game. Got it, but I trust Malcolm."

via GIPHY

Week 6: The timing of the 2-point conversion attempt vs. the Titans

The Browns scored a touchdown with 2:10 to play against the Titans, cutting their deficit to 28-19. Instead of kicking an extra point, the Browns tried a 2-point conversion, and Cody Kessler's pass to Ricardo Louis was incomplete. The Browns recovered the ensuing onside kick and scored a touchdown and kicked an extra point, but were unable to recover the next onside kick.

What Jackson said: "(Going for two when they did) gives you a better idea of what you are going to need within the next possession. We went for it. You make it, and it is 21-28, right? That is what it would have been. Obviously, then you don't. Now, you know you are going to have to kick the field goal and now onside kick."

Week 7: Using Kevin Hogan as read-option QB vs. the Bengals

Hogan was signed to the practice squad shortly before Week 1. He was added to the active roster in Week 6 and found himself on the field a week later against the Bengals. Although he ended up attempting 24 passes, mostly after Cody Kessler was injured, Hogan's original task was to attack the Bengals with his legs. He rushed seven times for 104 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown in the third quarter that cut the Bengals' lead to 21-17.

What Hogan said: "(Jackson) is always looking for another opportunity to make some more yards, another opportunity to get a touchdown. He is always looking for ways to be creatively different that will help our offense grow. Every week, we look forward to him coming up with something that is a unique package that the opponent hasn't seen going into this game."

via GIPHY

Week 9: Using unbalanced formations

Jackson did this throughout the season, often shifting his lineman back to their regular positions before snapping the ball. Perhaps the best outcome was against the Cowboys in Week 9. With linemen and receivers split wide on each side, Kessler had three linemen and Crowell in front of him. The play resulted in a 44-yard catch and run for Crowell, setting up a field goal and giving the Browns a 3-0 lead.

via GIPHY

Week 10: Replacing Kessler with Josh McCown vs. the Ravens

Kessler started and was 11-of-18 passing for 91 yards and a touchdown. The Browns led 7-6 at halftime, but Jackson pulled Kessler for McCown after the Ravens went ahead 13-7 in the third quarter. McCown was 6-of-13 passing for 59 yards and two interceptions. He was also sacked three times and lost a fumble as the Browns lost 28-7.

What Jackson said: "I made a switch at quarterback because I felt we needed a spark. I wasn't playing musical chairs.''

Week 14: Calling a flea-flicker from the end zone vs. the Bengals

Down 13-0 to the Bengals and backed up at their own 2-yard line in the second quarter, the Browns decided to get creative. It didn't work out. Robert Griffin III's flea-flicker pass as snow fell was intended for Pryor, but the Bengals intercepted and eventually turned it into a field goal.

What Jackson said: "That was disappointing. We took a shot and shouldn't have. I made the call, so I take responsibility for that.''

via GIPHY

Parity from top to bottom in Mid-American Conference men's basketball leaves little room for missteps among the league favorites, Ohio University, Akron and Eastern Michigan.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference basketball race begins this week with the preseason favorites -- Ohio University, Akron and Eastern Michigan -- still at the top of the charts.

But there are contenders -- Buffalo, Central Michigan, Toledo -- that come with question marks and upside. And a trio of wild cards -- Ball State, Northern Illinois and Kent State -- that offer intrigue.

Individually, the leading scorer in the nation resides in the MAC -- Central Michigan's Marcus Keene (30.7 ppg) -- and four players enter MAC play averaging impressive double/doubles: Steve Taylor, Toledo, 15.9 points/11.5 rebounds; Jimmy Hall, Kent, 17.7/11.2; James Thompson, EMU, 14.3/11.0 and Antonio Campbell, OU, 18.0/10.1.

Here's a quick look at the teams as conference play begins:

THE FAVORITES

Ohio University (8-3): The interesting thing about the three favorites -- OU, Akron, EMU -- is that they play each other home-and-home as West Division EMU has double crossover games against OU and Akron of the East. The Bobcats also have an early stretch of four road games in a five-game swing, which will test defending MAC Player-of-the-Year Antonio Campbell and Co.

That is followed by home games Feb. 4 and Feb. 7 vs. Akron and Central Michigan that are must wins. The flip side, after Feb. 7 they have just one game with a favorite the rest of the season. Playing Miami and Bowling Green three of the final five games is a nice cushion.

Akron (10-3): The emergence of 6-4 sophomore Jimond Ivey has made the Zips a complete team, and Ivey a potential MAC Player of the Year. Akron has the size, perimeter scoring and now Ivey's diverse athleticism, which clearly puts the Zips in step with the Bobcats. Akron, the defending MAC champ, also plays the bulk of its key games early.

Akron does have back-to-back home games Jan. 17 and 21 vs. OU and EMU, also likely must wins. Akron's finish is dicier than Ohio's as three of the final five will be against rival Kent State and Buffalo. Those two teams are a contrast in style with Akron -- physical vs. finesse --and both could be in the fight for a coveted MAC Tournament bye.

Eastern Michigan (8-5): The Eagles combine one of the most veteran rosters in the MAC with arguably the deepest and most talented. Consistency, however, has been an ongoing issue. Double crossover games with Akron and Ohio will test 6-9 sophomore James Thompson IV and Co.

Eastern hangs its hat on a 2-3 defense, which is rare around the MAC, but has a roster filled with the long rangy athletes that make it work. If the Eagles can have a winning record in their crossovers, and not get tripped by any of the high-scoring 3-point shooting teams in the MAC West, EMU could end with the regular-season MAC crown.

THE CONTENDERS

Buffalo (6-7): The Bulls have won two straight MAC Tournaments, but have no regular season titles. Buffalo's roster is as deep as Eastern Michigan's, albeit with some youth. But like EMU, the Bulls seem to take a game or two off during the season leaving them scrambling for a tournament bye. Senior swingman Blake Hamilton is key with his ability to play any position except center at a very high level.

Central Michigan (10-3): The Chippewas score in bunches, and score a lot. You definitely have to score to beat them, but they will let you. Almost exclusively perimeter generated on offense, with very little interest in defense. Central Michigan walks in the gym with the leading scorer in the country in PG Keene. The challenge is matching that firepower with your own, and a little more defense.

Toledo (7-6): The Rockets have some inside-out firepower with senior PF Steve Taylor and senior PG Jon Williams. Toledo is not as bad as CMU defensively, but it is not that good, either. Kent and Bowling Green crossovers are not daunting, but the Rockets need to improve defensively to be in the race.

THE WILD CARDS

Ball State (9-4): The Cardinals aren't the most talented offense and don't have the biggest lineup, but led by PF Franko House, they have enough of both to be a threat. It's been a month since the Cardinals lost a game, so winning is becoming a habit.

Kent State (8-5): The issue for KSU is eight players on the roster have never played a MAC game. And no player has played in every MAC gym. For the most part Kent has no idea what it's getting into or how to come out of it. Chemistry must be at a high level to balance that. With senior Jimmy Hall, Kent has the talent to leap over several teams.

Northern Illinois (8-5): Like Kent, the talent is on hand, especially on the perimeter. But putting it all together seems to be a challenge. Playing three of first four on the road will say a lot about where the Huskies stand in the race.

THE REST

Western Michigan, Bowling Green and Miami are all good enough to beat any team, but arguably short of talent, size and/or perimeter firepower to hold up over the 18-game season. WMU may have the best PG in the league in Thomas Wilder. ... BG showed last season it can go on a run. ... Miami is historically stronger later in the season.

From Dwayne Cohill's 39-point performance to Josh Hufstetler's emotional return, here are some of the top boys basketball performances to ring in the new year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – From heartfelt returns to a triple-double, here are the top boys basketball performances from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.

Readers may vote for the cleveland.com Boys Basketball Player of the Week with this installment of Game Balls. Voting is open until noon Thursday.

Dwayne Cohill, Holy Name: The Green Wave needed every bit of his 39 points to edge North Royalton, 66-65, in the championship game of the host Bears’ holiday tournament.

Kyle Goessler, Brunswick: The sophomore guard finished with 19 points, knocking down four 3-pointers to win Brunswick holiday tournament MVP honors in the Blue Devils’ 62-50 title game win vs. Padua.

Josh Hufstetler, North Olmsted: A senior guard, Hufstetler provided an emotional performance on Dec. 30 in his first game back after the death of his mother. Hufstetler scored 33 points on 11-of-15 shooting with five rebounds, four blocks, three assists and two steals.

Keith Jackson, Cleveland Heights: A 6-foot-4 junior guard, Jackson had his best shooting performance against New Day Academy at the Scholastic Play By Play Classic. His 17 points included five 3-pointers. Jackson grew about 4 inches since last season, coach Jeremy Holmes said, and has provided the Tigers with an outside shooting threat that gives them a new dimension.

Marreon Jackson, Garfield Heights: A week after scoring a career-high 42 points against Westerville South, Jackson provided a triple-double in the Bulldogs’ convincing 63-36 win against Brecksville at the Play By Play Classic. The Toledo commit had 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Jack Korsok, Mentor: The senior guard provided 28 points in an 87-68 win at Barberton, then helped his team follow the next day with a 91-70 win against Bay. The Cardinals start 2017 with a 5-0 record.

Kevin Peterson, Padua: The Bruins advanced to the finals of the Brunswick holiday tournament with a win vs. Marysville and 27 points from Peterson. The 6-5 junior forward converted 4-of-6 shots behind the 3-point arc, knocked down 7-of-8 free throws and had four assists, plus three rebounds. He had 11 points in a title game loss to the host Blue Devils.

Brian Roberts, Copley: A junior guard, Roberts scored a career-high 46 points to lead the Indians’ 92-86 win against Firestone. Copley is 6-0 to start the year. Roberts has had his share of big games already, including 35 in his first start against Barberton and 33 vs. Tallmadge. He is averaging 30.5 points.

Tommy Schmock, St. Edward: An all-tournament team performance from Schmock in San Diego helped the Eagles finish third. The senior point guard is a Findlay commit scored 27 points Friday in the third-place game vs. Redemption Christian Academy.

Austen Yarian, St. Ignatius: His double-double on New Year's Eve was vital to the Wildcats' 72-68 win vs. St. Vincent-St. Mary. Yarian scored 19 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and added five assists for their second straight win against a Northeast Ohio power. Earlier in the week, St. Ignatius beat Warren Harding.

As a reminder, coaches may submit Game Ball nominations each week by Monday evening.

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.

Resting superstars cheats fans in the NBA. College players skipping bowl games to protect their draft status cheat their teammates.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Sports must be getting a lot harder than they were in the old days.

In both the NBA and college football, rest over risk and caution over commitment are the new norms.

Dr. J and durabilty

Julius Erving missed 44 games in his first 10 years in the NBA.

LeBron James has missed 22 in the two-plus seasons since he returned to the Cavaliers. Eight in a row in 2014-15 were caused by the wear and tear of four straight NBA Finals appearances with the Miami Heat.

The rest of his absences have been for rest.

Two players, different backgrounds

LSU's Leonard Fournette and Stanford's Christian McCaffrey skipped their team's bowl games, fearing injury before they enter the NFL draft.

Of the two, McCaffrey, the son of Ed McCaffrey, who played 13 years in the NFL, has few money worries.

Fournette grew up in New Orleans, saw a cousin murdered, escaped the watery grave Hurricane Katrina made of the city, and could use the NFL money.

Skipping or staying?

One of the arguments supporting the no-play position is that coaches leave for better jobs, so why shouldn't players protect their own future?

At Ohio State, coaches have stayed through the bowl games - Tom Herman in 2014 in the College Football Playoff before leaving for a head coaching job in Houston and Luke Fickell in the CFP this year before leaving for Cincinnati.

On the player front, Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby's hamstring injury before the 2014 Orange Bowl certainly raised eyebrows. Roby would not have been an NFL first-round draft pick if Clemson's Sammy Watkins had laid his 200-yard receiving game against the Buckeyes on him.

The torn ACL suffered by Michigan tight end Jake Butt in the Orange Bowl is going to bring a chorus of support for sitting out bowl games.

The rebuttal comes from Greg McElroy of ESPN, citing Dante Fowler of Florida, who played in the obscure Birmingham Bowl and had 3 1/2 sacks against East Carolina. After being drafted high by Jacksonville, he tore his ACL in mini-camp. You can get hurt anytime.

Remember LeCharles Bentley's day as a Brown?

A dab o' loyalty

"I think if guys aren't committed and they're not all in, I'd rather know in the beginning than for guys to show up and go through the motions, because you work too hard," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "But I think if somebody was getting ready to play in a playoff and they would play, but they're not going to play in the Gator Bowl, I've got a problem with that. Why play the senior year? Just sit the year out? Because any game is big."

"This is a game of team and everybody's better because of the team," Swinney said. "I think that you always finish what you start. "

Memories then and now

Meanwhile, back at the Lazy CC Ranch, the Cavaliers excused James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love from their only trip to Memphis this season.

A generation ago, an NBA beat writer overheard a conversation between Erving and a teammate on the 76ers' trip to Kansas City.

"This is the last time we play here this season," said Erving. "Let's give them something to remember."

The memories these days can be like the Cavs of the Ted Stepien Era. When you look down the bench to find great players, nobody's there.

Travel then and now

James is 32 now. Conserving him for the playoffs led to his last missed game, at Detroit, one day after the emotional victory at The Q over Golden State.

Irving had a long summer with Team USA in the Rio Olympics.

Still, the team travels on private jets. The players have personal trainers, the best nutrition, the latest in treatment, and they play no more than two days in a row.

Back-to-back-to-back games were frequent in the days of commercial jet travel. Compressed schedules in the labor-troubled  1998-99 and 2011-12 seasons led to flurries of consecutive games.

Everyone lived to tell about it.

The changes that have happened

Erving talked about memories. These days, that's what a DVR is for.

Swinney talked about finishing what you start. These days, a nap is the biggest thing some players finish.

According to a report, Beck will run the offense at Texas for former Ohio State assistant Tom Herman. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The shakeup to Ohio State's offensive coaching staff has apparently already begun.

According to a report from Horns Digest, Buckeyes' quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Tim Beck is expected to join Tom Herman's staff at Texas as offensive coordinator. 

Beck joined Urban Meyer's coaching staff before the 2015 season, coming to Columbus from Nebraska and inheriting the most publicized quarterback competition ever between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. In Beck's two years, it appeared the Buckeyes' quarterback play slipped, and there seemed to be inconsistencies in play calling duties among Beck, Meyer and co-offensive coordinator Ed Warinner. 

According to the report, Beck will have control of the offense at Texas while also coaching the quarterbacks. The report also said Herman was interested in hiring Beck to be his coordinator at Houston. 

As a recruiter, Beck helped Ohio State keep strong ties in Texas after Herman's departure and was a big part of the Buckeyes' landing quarterbacks Tate Martell and Emory Jones. Beck, an Ohio native, is a former Texas high school football coach.

Beck was one of the few offensive assistants who made himself available in the locker room after Ohio State was shut out by Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. Meyer said after getting shut out for the first time in his head coaching career that he would take a hard look at the offensive setup.

Asked if he thought he'd back with the Buckeyes in 2017, here's what Beck said:

"I don't know, that's Coach Meyer's decision," Beck said. "I thought I worked really hard and feel good about it. We didn't finish the way we wanted to, obviously. We didn't play a very good game all the way around offensively, and I'm a big part of that.

"I'm one of the leaders of the offense. With that being said, bullets get shot at me and I've got to do a better job and I understand that."

Ohio State must shake up offensive coaching staff

Welcome to the cleveland.com 2016 Sports Awards. Watch as we unveil the winner of our first of eight categories -- the Best Moment of the Year. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Some years the best moment in Cleveland sports could easily be introduced with an old familiar refrain: wait until next year.

Not this time around. Not by a longshot.

 There was much to recommend 2016 as one for the ages in Cleveland sports.

So much that the roll call of nominees in the cleveland.com's inaugural Sports Awards"Best Moment" category lasted longer than the Boston Red Sox in last season's playoff matchup against the Indians.

The nominees included a great high school moment, a shot and block that led to the city's first title in 52 years and memorable freeze frames from two other championships that shouldn't go unrecognized.

One happened on the hockey rink, the other in the Octagon - evidence of just how rich and diverse 2016 really was in Cleveland sports.

The Indians, too, were as well represented as you might expect for a team that overcame injuries and long odds and wasn't vanquished until extra innings of Game 7 of the World Series.

The nominees included a great play from the regular season at Progressive Field and another moment in Game 7 against the Cubs that no one will ever forget.

We arrived at the winners in our eight categories by asking you to offer some feedback.

Doug Lesmerises and Zack Meisel,  red carpet naturals, help me recount the nominees and unveil the award winners in a series of videos we fully expect will bring out the paparazzi the next time we're seen in public.

Our first category: Best "Believeland" Moment of the Year.

(And, no, it's not that moment when I showed up with a bow tie but thank you for your consideration.)

The Browns front office joined head coach Hue Jackson in saying there are better days ahead. How about good days? Great days? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - As bold, inspirational pronouncements go, Browns' chief strategist Paul DePodesta's suggestion that 1-15 is a better brand of awful because it's a milepost on the road to better days is not the most comforting rallying cry.

The question shouldn't be whether 2016 was "enroute to something better" as DePodesta said in Monday's oddly upbeat post-mortem. I mean it had better be. How could next year be worse?

The pertinent question is whether the suffering was a temporary side effect of a bitter pill necessarily swallowed to feel not just better but good or even great about the future health of Browns' football.

You tell me. Did this season indicate something good is around the corner?

Until the Browns identify, draft, sign, procure in any way possible game-changing talents -- quarterback comes to mind -- the brilliance of their plan is in the eye of the planners.

 DePodesta mentioned the Dallas Cowboys going 1-15 under Jimmy Johnson and the 49ers finishing 2-14 in Bill Walsh's first year. Yep. That happened.

Those particular turnarounds featured Hall of Fame talent at quarterback. The first two stabs at filling the position here were Robert Griffin III and Cody Kessler.

That's all we can say for now. Oh, and that Hue Jackson looks unconvincing in the role of Johnson and Walsh.

Did anyone expect the Browns to fix everything in one season? Absolutely not. Did things have to get markedly worse to get dramatically better? Why?

In order to believe the decision makers learned from their mistakes in what even they admit was a rushed first attempt, it would help if they admitted to some instead of selling what they're selling.

The worst season in Browns' history seems almost fine by them if only because players continued to work hard and attitudes remained good.

Beyond that, they say they have the right people in place. Trust us, as Jackson once famously said about drafting Kessler.

Joe Thomas is a believer in the Browns future (again); wants them to keep their own.

"Unacceptable," Jimmy Haslam called the season minutes after a ridiculous loss in Pittsburgh. OK, now we're on to something.

A few seconds later, though, he went out of his way to say he couldn't be more pleased with his head coach and front office. Really? Not even a little more pleased? A smidgen more?

How can those two statements co-exist?

The Browns are losing their fan base. They need to stay upbeat, no doubt, but it would also be in their best interest not to come off sounding delusional.

We've seen and heard delusional before. At best it sabotages fan confidence. At worst, you risk looking like you think your customers are dumb enough to believe everything you tell them.

Sashi Brown said Monday every draft pick in 2016 showed why he was selected. Seriously.

DePodesta said passing on Carson Wentz was right for the Browns. OK. I'll listen to that. Why?

"We are really happy about the players that we ended up with in that transaction, and in fact, two key players from that transaction we don't even know what their names are yet," DePodesta said. "We are picking them in 2017 and 2018. It is sort of far from over."

Yes, it's far from over. It's also ridiculously premature to reference "key players" before, you know, they even have names.

Hue Jackson, who began the season talking about "chasing greatness" ended it by saying 2017 won't be a repeat of 2016.

"We are not going 1-15 (again)," he said. "No, or I'll be swimming in the lake over there somewhere. That is not happening. I just know me too well. I know me and I know these guys too well.

"We are not going 1-15 next year, OK? You can write it if you like. Hue Jackson said it. We are not."

Like I said, bold.

GLENADLE, Ariz. -- Dwayne Haskins had a College Football Playoff towel wrapped around his head and headphones covering his ears when the locker room opened after Ohio State's loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl.  That didn't mean he was going to sit in his locker and sulk.  Players were quiet, some had tears in theirs eyes, which was...

GLENADLE, Ariz. -- Dwayne Haskins had a College Football Playoff towel wrapped around his head and headphones covering his ears when the locker room opened after Ohio State's loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. 

That didn't mean he was going to sit in his locker and sulk. 

Players were quiet, some had tears in theirs eyes, which was understandable given Ohio State had just been knocked out of the College Football Playoff. 

The season was over. Some careers ended. And the Buckeyes, who were two games from a national title four hours earlier, were instantly back to square one. 

Haskins, a true freshman quarterback who redshirted, could have sulked. Nobody would have blamed him. 

Instead, he walked around the locker room patting guys on the back, hugging them, giving hi-fives and sending a general message to the locker room: "We're definitely going to be back." 

That's what a quarterback is supposed to do. 

Even one who didn't play. 

"I just feel like as a quarterback, you're always supposed to keep your teammates high, whether it's a win or a loss," Haskins told cleveland.com. "Especially with the older guys that I worked to get better on the scout team and the older guys on the offensive side who taught me a lot, I just felt like it was the right thing to do."

Though it's unclear whether J.T. Barrett will return next season to be Ohio State's starting quarterback for the fourth-straight year -- he said he was leaning toward coming back -- Haskins feels as if his time to be this team's quarterback is coming soon. 

A former four-star quarterback from Potomac, Md., Haskins will eventually have to win a heated quarterback battle. It could be in the fall with a head-to-head clash with Joe Burrow, or it could be the following year with Borrow and five-star quarterback Tate Martell of Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman. 

Cocky and talented: Is Haskins OSU's version of Deshaun Watson?

But reports of how he's done in practice indicate that he has an impressive arm and led Ohio State's scout team to touchdowns against the Buckeyes first-team defense, which most team's couldn't do with their starters. 

It was tough for Haskins to struggle to move the football against Clemson. 

"It happens for a reason," Haskins said. "I'm not playing this year for a reason and J.T. is the guy for a reason. I know he's unhappy with what happened and we're all unhappy with what happened, but we definitely have a lot to work on."