Marcus Keene began his career at Youngstown State where he led the Penguins in scoring as a sophomore. Now he's a junior at Central Michigan and leading the nation in scoring. Watch video

MOUNT PLEASANT, Michigan -- Marcus Keene of Central Michigan has made himself a marked man this season, leading the NCAA in scoring at 29.8 points a game.

With the 5-9, 175-pound guard as the catalyst, the Chippewas have one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation. They will play at Kent State on Saturday at noon (CBSSportsNet) in the M.A.C. Center in a pivotal Mid-American Conference game.

Keene's story is unique in many ways. He was so lightly recruited out of San Antonio, Texas that the best Division I offer he could get was over 1,000 miles away at Youngstown State.

After his sophomore season, when he led the Penguins in scoring at 15.6 points a game, Keene decided to transfer.

In most transfer cases, particularly from long distance, the choice is to get closer to home. In a state with 23 Division I basketball teams, that should not have been hard, particularly for a player averaging double figures. But the state of Texas turned its head a second time.

"I tried to go back home, but no Texas team wanted me," Keene said earlier this week after a victory over Bowling Green.

But Central Michigan wanted him. And by chance, former Texas AAU foe Braylon Rayson was already playing for the Chippewas. After making sure CMU had no qualms about having a pair of 5-9 shooters in the backcourt, Keene moved nearly another 500 miles to be the offensive catalyst for a team that fires at will, now led by two half-pint guards.

"I asked them about playing with two guards my size before I came here,'' Keene said. "Coach (Keno Davis) said no problem. We can do what hasn't been done before."

While Keene never had a 30-point game with the Penguins, he's already had 11 with Central Michigan. If he does finish the season as the nation's leading scorer -- and currently no player is within five points of his average -- Keene will become the second player in MAC history to do so.

In 1963-1964, Howard (Butch) Komives from Bowling Green led the nation, averaging 36.7 points a game. (Before Akron joined the MAC, Joe Jakubick led the Zips and the nation in scoring in 1983-1984, averaging 30.1 points a game).

The Chippewas flat out like to score, averaging 89 points a game, which is fifth-best in the country. And they can lure the opposition into trying to match them.

In two non-conference games with Green Bay, the teams combined for 146 and 154 shot attempts. MAC games against Akron, Toledo and Miami led to a combined 128, 142 and 124 shot attempts. CMU is coming off a BG game that had 147 shot attempts and 104 rebounds.

All the while, the focus was on Keene.

"We wanted to be physical with him, crowd him as much as possible,'' BG coach Michael Huger said. "We did not want to give him space, and never a steady diet of the same thing, defensively."

And still he posted 28 points.

Keene is not a gunner, shooting a very respectable 46.5 percent from the field, 38.9 percent on 3-pointers and 81.4 percent on free throws. He has the green light to shoot when he wants and from where he wants. The moving maroon 'C' logo at midcourt extends in both directions. Keene has taken his share of 3-pointers with his feet on color.

"I really don't have a range,'' he told the media earlier this season. "When I cross halfcourt and I have that rhythm, I feel comfortable shooting it."

The Kent game was moved from a 7 p.m. start for TV, which means a likely smaller crowd to see the shooting show Keene and the Chippewas deliver.

As the leading scorer in the nation, one would think the crowds would be swelling to see him as the season wears on. But just last week, after Keene notched 50 points at home against Miami before 2,708 fans at McGuirk Arena, only 2,578 showed up three nights later to see him drop his 28 on the Falcons.

Indeed, since Dec. 10 at Illinois (13,045), Keene has played before a crowd of more than 3,000 just once. Kent might top that because Keene is returning to the area and could have some fans from his Youngstown State days.

"Yeah, I got a few old friends coming down for that (Kent) game,'' Keene said of his first appearance in Northeast Ohio since playing for the Penguins. "I'll have some of my family there."

Since Keene departed the Buckeye state, some extended family has actually moved to Ohio to live. So no matter what size the crowd is, for a road game, it will at least be friendlier than most.

Did you know: You have to go back 65 years to find the only NCAA Division I scoring leader to play for a national champion -- Clyde Lovelette at Kansas averaged 28.6 points a game in 1952 and had 33 points in the title game win over St. John's.

It has been 57 seasons since the only other scoring leader played in the Final Four -- Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson.

Only 17 times in 78 years has the NCAA scoring leader actually played in the NCAA tournament. LSU's Pete Maravich was a three-time scoring champion who put up averages of 43.8, 44.2 and 44.5 points a game but never played in the NCAA Tournament.

Steph Curry and Davidson advanced to the Elite Eight the year before he became the NCAA scoring leader. The year he led the NCAA (2008-2009) in scoring, Davidson played in the NIT.

The lowest scoring leader was Tyler Harvey (2014-2015) at 23.1 points a game ... The highest scoring leader was Maravich (1969-1970) at 44.5 points a game. That, by the way, was before the 3-point shot.

The Buckeyes (13-8, 3-5 Big Ten) have 10 games remaining with still a shot of making the NCAA Tournament.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State basketball is now in a mad jumble of teams in the middle of the Big Ten. That's not a bad place to be.

Maryland (18-2, 6-1), Wisconsin (17-3, 6-1), Northwestern (17-4, 6-2) and Purdue (17-4, 6-2) have separated themselves somewhat from the pack. We're entering a weekend in which six teams are 3-5 in conference play. Another three teams are 4-4.

That's nine teams well within striking distance of the No. 5 spot in the Big Ten standings. If this is going to be a league that gets somewhere between six and eight NCAA Tournament bids, basically everyone (sorry, Rutgers) is alive. That includes the Buckeyes.

* BRACKETOLOGY: CBS' Jerry Palm has Ohio State as last team in

Somehow Ohio State, which started 0-4 in Big Ten play, is in a spot where it can play its way into March Madness just a few weeks after it looked like its season was lost. Don't be fooled. This is a fragile situation, but there's a path that ends with the Buckeyes avoiding the NIT (or worse) for the second straight season.

First, the two obvious paths: Don't lose again in the regular season, or win the Big Ten Tournament.

A more realistic path: Find a way to go 7-3 in the final 10 Big Ten games, and 6-4 doesn't mean you're dead.

The path Ohio State must avoid: Going winless in the four games remaining that could give its NCAA Tournament resume a boost.

Marc Loving and the Ohio State Buckeyes have a path to the NCAA Tournament. Paul Vernon, Associated Press 

The Buckeyes (13-8, 3-5) need to add some quality wins to their resume. The lack of those and a pile of bad losses -- both blowouts to top Big Ten teams and inexcusable non-conference Ls -- kept them out of the NCAA Tournament last year. This year, Ohio State has one awful loss, a weird non-conference game against Florida Atlantic, and its best win is the one it just got over Minnesota.

Better luck in a two-point loss at Virginia, or in a one-point loss to Purdue would have changed the resume, but there are still opportunities out there.

* RELATED: 5 things Ohio State can build on from Minnesota win

Among Ohio State's 10 remaining games are two against No. 22 Maryland, a road game at Michigan State and a home game against No. 15 Wisconsin. Those are three current top 50 RPI teams. The Buckeyes need wins in these games -- not all of them, at least two would be ideal -- but they can't afford a finish that includes four losses here.

Ohio State would get to 20 overall wins and double-digit conference wins with a 7-3 finish. That would also guarantee a win in one of those four games. That won't be easy, but it's not impossible. That kind of finish, and the Buckeyes may not need more than one Big Ten Tournament win to get into the NCAA Tournament. 

Even a 6-4 finish (which would mean a .500 record in Big Ten play) could put Ohio State in a spot where it wouldn't necessarily have to win the Big Ten Tournament to get a bid. As long as that's the right kind of 6-4 finish. It can't be 6-4 with the four losses being to Maryland twice, Michigan State and Wisconsin. That results in an average resume.

Here's Ohio State's schedule the rest of the way:

* Jan. 28 at Iowa (11-10, 3-5)

* Jan. 31 vs. Maryland (18-2, 6-1)

* Feb. 4 at Michigan (14-7, 4-4)

* Feb. 8 at Rutgers (12-9, 1-7)

* Feb. 11 at Maryland (18-2, 6-1)

* Feb. 14 at Michigan State (12-9, 4-4)

* Feb. 18 or 19 vs. Nebraska (9-11, 3-5)

* Feb. 23 vs. Wisconsin (17-3, 6-1)

* Feb. 28 at Penn State (11-10, 3-5)

* March 4 vs. Indiana (14-7, 4-4)

"The opportunity to play in an All-Star Game is a wonderful experience," said Alomar, a six-time All-Star. "The opportunity to play in an All-Star Game in your own ballpark is even better." Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jim Thome thought it was the All-Star Game. Sandy Alomar thought the birthday socks did the trick.

The two Indians icons couldn't agree on the catalyst of the Indians' 1997 run, but one thing is indisputable: It was a magical season for the Tribe, even though it ended in a Game 7 heartbreak.

The Indians will host the All-Star Game again in 2019, sources told cleveland.com earlier this week. The news of the event has sparked memories of the 1997 exhibition. Alomar's two-run shot to the left-field bleachers lifted the American League to victory on that July night in downtown Cleveland. Thome was the Indians' other All-Star representative.

"The opportunity to play in an All-Star Game is a wonderful experience," said Alomar, a six-time All-Star. "The opportunity to play in an All-Star Game in your own ballpark is even better."

Thome and Alomar assisted in honoring Mike Hargrove, their former manager, on Thursday night at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards. Hargrove, Cleveland's skipper from 1991-99, merited the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Thome grounded out in his only plate appearance in the 1997 All-Star Game, the fifth ever hosted by the Indians. Four batters later, Alomar punched a Shawn Estes offering into the seats to break a 1-1 deadlock.

"I didn't play the game looking for awards or for trophies. I play the game to win," Alomar said. "To have a chance to win the All-Star Game and deliver, it was surreal. It was a surreal moment for me."

Alomar captured the game's Most Valuable Player award.

"To watch a teammate, a guy you roomed with, do what he did was just so special," Thome said.

The Indians entered the All-Star break that year with a 44-36 mark. They struggled to put away the AL Central, but they ultimately won their third straight division crown with an 86-75 record.

Of course, once October arrived, the team took off, eliminating the Yankees and Orioles with a slew of drama-filled victories. Thome thinks the All-Star Game aided the cause.

"I think it brought everybody together in the city," Thome said. "Watching our guys perform great was very special. I really believe it set the bar high."

Alomar traces it back to Aug. 27, when the team decided to honor Thome on his birthday by sporting high socks, a trademark of the slugger. 

"It was your socks, Jimmy," Alomar said to his teammate. "It was your birthday that turned it around, not the All-Star Game."

That will remain up for debate. In a couple of years, a new generation of players will have a chance to craft their own hometown All-Star experience. There's no debating that it'll be a welcome opportunity.

"I think it's going to be a great spot to host it and the fans will love it," Thome said. ... "Being retired now and thinking back at those moments, those are the things that really stand out. When you're playing, you're in the grind. You're trying to get better. You're trying to go through the roller-coaster ride, your hitting slumps, the peaks. Now, reflecting back and coming here, it's special to see those moments happen and go, 'Wow, I was a part of that. I got to share that.'"

Cleveland.com sports columnists Doug Lesmerises and Bud Shaw discuss what the Cavs can do to get their mojo back as part of the video debate series, Prepare for List Off. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavs have lost their edge. 

Losing to San Antonio and Golden State is one thing. Losing to the New Orleans Pelicans minus Anthony Davis followed by a loss to the Sacramento Kings at home is quite another.

LeBron James apparently would like to see owner Dan Gilbert spend more money for reinforcements. He's unhappy the Cavs are only 14-strong and -- among other things -- haven't filled the last roster spot.

On the day they made the Kyle Korver trade, James made the point of saying what the Cavs really need is a backup point guard.

The organization wants to make the most out of that spot, whether it go goes to a point guard or a more versatile playmaker.

 So GM David Griffin is waiting for teams to come to grips with their slim playoff hopes. Veterans who can help will likely be bought out and made available when that happens.

In the meantime, the Cavs are allowing opponents an unhealthy number of points. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are playing big minutes. Nobody seems particularly happy.

Is it the doldrums of January, the realization that there's miles to go before a two-month playoff run even begins?

So what can be done to help the Cavs get back on track? We talked about it as part of our video debate series, Prepare for List Off.

Hear us out and come back and tell us who got it right.

ACC teams look to avoid upsets while No. 2 Kansas and No. 4 Kentucky try not to lose two straight: College Basketball 2017 weekend preview, schedule, TV, scoreboard. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's an absolutely huge weekend for teams in the AP Top 25 men's basketball poll, considering five of the top eight -- No. 1 Villanova, No. 2 Kansas, No. 4 Kentucky, No. 6. Florida State and No. 8 UCLA -- have already lost once this week.

The ACC, in particular, could see some real separation in the standings, considering No. 17 Duke is already below .500 in ACC play going into its game at Wake Forest. Meanwhile, unranked Georgia Tech could become a very strong NCAA Tournament bubble team if it can upset No. 14 Notre Dame, as it has already upset No. 9 North Carolina and No. 6 Florida State.

Also take a look at No. 2 Kansas at No. 4 Kentucky on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN). One of those two teams is about to have a two-game losing streak.

There are several key games on Sunday as well, with No. 1 Villanova looking to rebound vs. No. 12 Virginia (1 p.m., FOX) and No. 7 Arizona hosting dangerous Washington (3:30 p.m., FOX).

In the Horizon League, Cleveland State is at Youngstown State on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN3). In Mid-American Conference games Saturday, Kent State plays host to Central Michigan and the nation's leading scorer, Marcus Keene (noon, CBS Sports Network), while league-leading Akron entertains Buffalo (7:30 p.m., ESPN3).

You can get previews, stats, updates and live scores all weekend on our College Basketball Scoreboard.

AP TOP 25 SCHEDULE

Saturday

No. 2 Kansas at No. 4 Kentucky, 6 p.m., ESPN
No. 3 Gonzaga at Pepperdine, 10 p.m., ESPN2
No. 5 Baylor at Ole Miss, 6 p.m., ESPN2
No. 6 Florida State at Syracuse, noon, ESPN2
No. 9 North Carolina at Miami, 1 p.m., CBS
No. 10 Oregon at Colorado, 9:30 p.m., PAC Net
No. 11 Butler vs. Georgetown, 8 p.m., CBSSN
No. 14 Notre Dame at Georgia Tech, noon, ESPNU
No. 15 Wisconsin at Rutgers, noon, BTN
No. 16 Creighton vs. DePaul 2:30 p.m., FS1
No. 17 Duke at Wake Forest, 3 p.m., ESPN
No. 21 St. Mary's at Santa Clara, 11 p.m.
No. 22 Maryland at Minnesota, 2 p.m., BTN
No. 23 South Carolina at Missouri, 8:30 p.m., ESPN3
No. 25 Florida at Oklahoma, 2 p.m., ESPN

Sunday

No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 12 Virginia, 1 p.m., FOX
No. 7 Arizona vs. Washington, 3:30 p.m., FOX
No. 13 Louisville vs. N.C. State, 1 p.m., ESPN
No. 19 Cincinnati vs. South Florida, 4 p.m., CBSSN
No. 20 Purdue at Nebraska, 4:30 p.m., BTN
No. 24 Xavier at St. John's, 6 p.m., FS1

A morning news conference. Then the City Club is hosting a talk with Indians manager Terry Francona before select members of the Indians are available to the media later in the day.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's hard to believe, but baseball season is fast approaching -- as evidenced by Friday and Saturday filled with Indians activities.

The Indians have three events Friday and you can follow them all on cleveland.com's social media accounts. See below on how to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

First is a news conference at 10:15 a.m., where the Indians are expected to announce that they will host the 2019 MLB All-Star Game.

Friday at noon, Indians manager Terry Francona and GM Mike Chernoff will be sitting down for a talk at the City Club. We'll be there, streaming the talk live on our Facebook page.

Following the talk, the Indians will host a media availability Friday from 2:30 to 4:30, where we'll again be streaming interviews with select players on Facebook. We'll also be posting pictures and video of the event from our Twitter account, as well as our Instagram account. 

Details on each triple double by LeBron James during his NBA career, which started in 2003. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Here are the details for each of LeBron James' triple doubles, both with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat.

He has had 63 triple doubles - 47 in regular season games and 16 in the playoffs. All but 14 of these games have come while playing for the Cavs.

He is averaging 28.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 11.3 assists in the triple-double games. And James' teams are 48-15 in these games.

This list includes five games during the 2016-17 regular season. The most triple-doubles James has had during a regular season is seven, in both 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Super Bowl LI advertisers are ramping up the marketing stunts in order to stand out from the crowd during the big game.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lady Gaga is reportedly entertaining an unusual twist on her Super Bowl halftime show, which -- though it's not confirmed -- she could perform from the roof of the stadium. If that comes to pass, she won't be the only one making a big play for attention this year.

Advertisers from first timer 84 Lumber to veteran Hyundai are ramping up the marketing stunts in order to stand out from the crowd during the big game. Some will air live ads, or at least teasers for their campaigns; one will even shoot its commercial during the game. Others are deliberately courting controversy.

Super Bowl LI, in which the Atlanta Falcons will take on the New England Patriots, is expected to be the biggest live TV event of the year.

THE WAR FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Every year, more than 30 advertisers vie to create the most-remembered 30 to 90 seconds of the Super Bowl by stuffing commercials with celebrities, slapstick humor and cute animals.

But now that so many ads get pre-released online or teased ahead of the game, advertisers have a harder time making a lasting impression. And with more than 110 million people expected to tune in on Feb. 5 and 30 second spots going for around $5 million, they need to scramble hard.

So this year, marketers are turning to stunts.

"It used to be, 'We need a Super Bowl spot.' Then, it was, 'We need a Super Bowl spot and program,'" said Mark DiMassimo, CEO of ad agency DiMassimo Goldstein in New York. "Now, it's we need a Super Bowl stunt or event. It needs to be newsworthy, social and surprising -- and it needs to be much bigger than 30 seconds."

GOING LIVE

Snickers said Wednesday it will air a live Super Bowl ad in the third quarter starring Adam Driver ("Star Wars: The Force Awakens"). The Mars brand will also live stream the set of the commercial for 36 hours ahead of the spot.

"The actual ad is only part of the equation," said Allison Miazga-Bedrick, a Snickers brand director, who promises "over 30 hours of original content" streamed live leading up to the game.

Similarly, Wix -- an Israeli website hosting service-- turned to Facebook Live and YouTube Live on Jan. 17 to debut teasers for its Super Bowl ad. The teaser -- which was prerecorded and only streamed live -- starred Israeli actress and model Gal Gadot, who plays Wonder Woman in her own film later this year, and the English actor Jason Statham ("The Fast and the Furious").

The company said it's the first time a Super Bowl campaign has been launched live.

BETTING ON REJECTION

First-time Super Bowl advertiser 84 Lumber pulled a vintage ad stunt when the company went public with claims that Fox rejected its original ad because it was too "controversial."

The Pennsylvania building materials supplier bought a 90 second ad during the game -- a huge commitment for a regional brand. But Amy Smiley, the company's director of marketing, said its first ad was rejected because some of its imagery, including a border wall that supposedly prevented people from working in the U.S., steered too close to political rhetoric about the Mexican border from President Donald Trump.

Fox declined to comment, ensuring that 84 Lumber got plenty of press well ahead of the game.

SHOOTING ON THE FLY

In perhaps the biggest gamble, Hyundai is teaming with director Peter Berg ("Deepwater Horizon") to actually film a 90-second ad while the Super Bowl is underway. Hyundai said the ad will show "off the field" moments captured during the game, and will air right after the contest ends.

Traditionally, ads that air before or after the Super Bowl itself aren't very successful at drawing eyeballs. But the on-the-fly aspect of this ad could make it hard to ignore.

"The challenge for all of these companies is, 'How do you stand out?'" said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University. "As a result we're going to see this year people try some very curious approaches."

Dean Evans, Hyundai's chief marketing officer, said the shoot-during-the-game approach is all about buzz.

"We wanted to test ourselves," Evans said. "We thought we would have to do it in a new and nontraditional way to really show the U.S. public that we're back in the game."

Here's where to watch, listen and stream the Cleveland Cavaliers' game vs. the Brooklyn Nets tonight.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers play Game 45 of the 2016 NBA season Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. Here's how to watch, listen and stream the action online.

What: Cleveland Cavaliers (30-14) vs. Brooklyn Nets (9-36).
Where: Quicken Loans Arena.
When: 7:30 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Ohio.
Radio: WTAM 1100 AM; 87.7 FM La Mega.
Online: Fox Sports Go.

Brooklyn notable: Two of Brooklyn's five 40-point quarters this season, and their two highest scoring fourth quarters of the season, have come in their two meetings with the Cavs this season.

Cleveland notable: The Cavs are 9-2 in their last 11 contests against Brooklyn, and have won the last seven games against them at Quicken Loans Arena.

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

Browns head coach Hue Jackson is vowing to solve the quarterback riddle once and for all, while also stretching himself even thinner on offense.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Browns head coach Hue Jackson leaves no doubt he expects to be the point man in the quarterback search.

He called finding a quarterback "my baby."

"We're going to find him, I promise you that," Jackson told reporters at the Senior Bowl where the Browns staff is coaching the South team.

"I think it's imperative. That's my job. That's what I came to Cleveland for."

Jackson's opinion should count heavily. But the Browns need a smart, calculated organizational consensus because taking a QB high (where good QBS always go) might require passing on a great talent at another position of great need.

Someone asked Jackson if there were a leader in the clubhouse in the QB search.

"I'm the leader in the clubhouse," he said.

Failing to add "Trust me" this time.

* Jackson said he will assume some of Pep Hamilton's duties after Hamilton decided to join Jim Harbaugh at Michigan.

"We're kind of set up to weather that situation with myself being the primary playcaller on offense and involved with the quarterbacks," said Jackson.

If you watched the Browns go 1-15 last year and thought one clear fix could be Hue Jackson stretching himself even thinner as a head coach, you're getting your wish.

* Browns' All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas made it clear he prefers the Browns take a pass rusher at No. 1 over a quarterback.

I guess it's one thing to miss at No. 22 (Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden, Johnny Manziel), another to miss at No. 1 overall.

Those three QBs came after the Browns picked a player higher in the first round (Thomas, Trent Richardson, Justin Gilbert.)

Missing on only two of three.

Feel better?

* Thomas' point isn't that you should never take a QB No. 1. It's that you shouldn't reach there when you have a much better chance of finding an impact player at another position.

In theory that's sound. (I'd take Myles Garrett or Jonathan Allen in this draft at No. 1).

In practice, if the Browns don't find a quarterback some season soon, the leader in the clubhouse won't be Hue Jackson.

* Clemson coach Dabo Swinney's take on quarterback Deshaun Watson - likening him to Michael Jordan - is obviously ridiculous.

But Watson's college career wouldn't be the first to get oversold at the pro level.

I remember one college quarterback who set a NCAA-record of 134 TD passes over two 5,000 yard seasons. His completion rate was over 70 percent.

The Browns even invited Graham Harrell to a mini-camp under Eric Mangini.

After he went undrafted.

* One take on LeBron James criticism of the Cavs organization is that he thrives on conflict and controversy.

I've even seen someone call his latest public airing "brilliant."

If the Cavs get out of their funk and sign a roster reinforcement or two (which is likely) James might get credit for calling attention to a problem.

If they fall in the playoffs, he can say he sounded the alarm as far back as January.

If that's what's meant by 'brilliant" I guess it qualifies.

But seems like a low bar.

* My favorite line from LeBron's public airing:

"I'll be 33 in the winter."

He said that on January 23.

Twenty four days after turning 32.

* Tyronn Lue says the Cavs "have enough on this team to win a championship."

If everything goes right and the Spurs lose along the way, and Draymond Green gets suspended for serial groin punching, Lue's take might even be true.

* The only way to make a trade for Carmelo Anthony look like an easy assimilation for the Cavs would be a deal for Rajon Rondo.

* Via Yahoo's Ball Don't Lie blog, two-time "Jeopardy" champ Loren Lee Chen has twice bet sums in Final Jeopardy that seem to jab at the Golden State Warriors.

Once he bet $301. Another time he bet $739.

The Warriors lost a 3-1 lead to the Cavs in the NBA Finals after a best-ever 73-9 regular season.

The champ doesn't say whether he's a Cavs' fan.

Or a Thunder fan still miffed Kevin Durant joined the Warriors as a free agent.

Either way, that's a true Daily Double in the category of "Snark." 

* Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant says Giants' receiver Odell Beckham is "extremely misunderstood."

It's no surprise if other people want to wait for a second opinion.

* Oklahoma City's Enes Kanter is expected to miss six to eight weeks. He fractured a bone in his forearm after punching a chair on the Thunder bench during a win over the Mavs.

Russell Westbrook was so distracted by the loss of Kanter and what it might mean to Oklahoma City's playoff chances, he only scored 45.

* Bernhard Langer issued a statement after Donald Trump - according to witnesses -- told a group of Senate and House leaders the German golfer had witnessed potential voter fraud in Florida.

The New York Times explained it this way:

"[Mr. Langer] was standing in line at a polling place near his home in Florida on Election Day, the president explained, when an official informed Mr. Langer he would not be able to vote.

"Ahead of and behind Mr. Langer were voters who did not look as if they should be allowed to vote, Mr. Trump said, according to the staff members -- but they were nonetheless permitted to cast provisional ballots."

Langer's statement:

"The voting situation...was told to me by a friend. I then relayed the story in conversation with another friend, who shared it with a person with ties to the White House.

"From there, this was misconstrued. I am not a citizen of the United States, and cannot vote."

If not for being a quadruple bogey, this "account" of voter fraud could've been an ace.

 * Since 2010, coaches in first games against Bill Belichick are 3-22.

Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is not only looking for flaws in the Patriots leading up to Super Bowl LI but the odds say he could also use some "alternative facts."

Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe look back on three days in Mobile, Alabama in our podcast.

MOBILE, Ala. -- Senior Bowl practices have wrapped up here and all that's left is the game on Saturday. Mary Kay Cabot and I are on our way out, but not before we record one more podcast for the road.

In this edition, we talk about Hue Jackson and Gregg Williams making practice competitive on Thursday. We also talked about Joe Thomas' comments about reaching for a quarterback. Then we got into the topic of former Browns players playing in this year's Super Bowl, a narrative that Browns fans will hear a lot over the next week.

Listen via SoundCloud below or Subscribe to the cleveland.com Sports podcasts channel on iTunes (click the link or search cleveland.com Sports podcasts).

Listen to previous Browns podcasts on our Browns Soundcloud channel or on iTunes.

The Browns' leading tackler received a positive response from voters.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Don't look now, but you might be creating a Browns a defense, Building Blocks voters.

In an overwhelming sign of support, linebacker Christian Kirksey was confirmed as a part of the Browns future, garnering a team-high 95.7 percent of the yes vote in our latest question to readers.

This was the eighth time we'd asked readers to decide whether a player on the current roster is a building block for the future of Cleveland football or not. Kirksey became the fourth building block, with a 67 percent approval rating required to earn block status. Kirksey joins fellow linebacker Jamie Collins (80.6 percent) and defensive tackle Danny Shelton (89 percent) on the defensive side, while receiver Terrelle Pryor remains the only offensive building block so far after getting 92 percent.

Here's what some of you had to say about Kirksey, the 24-year-old who led the Browns and ranked third in the NFL in tackles last season.

TheFlukeChronicles: I'm sorry but this is a dumb poll, every player has some kind of value and it's all based on their salary and/or draft slot. Kirksey is a keeper right now based on his rookie deal. Now, where does he fit in Williams 4-3? No one knows. He's too light to play MLB.

wvucpa: Kirksey is not a great player, but is certainly a very good player that I would like to see in the starting lineup for many years to come. So yes, he is a building block.

David_King_390: A good example for not judging a draft for a couple years. And a very good example of Joe Thomas' middle class players that every team must have.

ABB2016: A building block is a player that you build your team around. In this case, you build your defense around. Just like Shelton, Kirksey is a good but ordinary player and not a building block. Last year's draft in particular lacked any "building blocks."

dogsoup: Kirksey is rare on our team, i.e.. someone with speed who can actually tackle. 

GermanDawgPound: Kind of an easy question? If he isn't we are really hurting.

Accepted Browns Building Blocks

* Terrelle Pryor

* Jamie Collins

* Danny Shelton

Rejected Browns Building Blocks

* Cameron Erving

* Joe Haden

* Isaiah Crowell

* Cody Kessler

"I think all 14 guys have a working relationship with our owner," James said of Dan Gilbert. "It's not about me and it's not about him, so, it's a non issue." Watch video

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- LeBron James and the Cavs' front office are obviously in an awkward place.

So it goes for James and majority owner Dan Gilbert.

"He's the owner of the team, I'm one of the players on the team," James said after shootaround Friday, in preparation to play the Brooklyn Nets. "I think all 14 guys have a working relationship with our owner. It's not about me and it's not about him, so, it's a non issue."

James has been critical of the front office for its roster management and questioned the organization's commitment to winning a second championship. And, related or not, the Cavs have lost six of eight. Fun times in title town.

The latter part of that infuriated Cavs executives, including Gilbert, who look at a league-high payroll of roughly $130 million, the lucrative contracts awarded to James and some teammates as evidence of his investment in winning, and $54 million in luxury tax penalties paid after the 2016 championship.

But James is upset that the team chose to enter the season counting on three unproven, less expensive players -- rookie Kay Felder, DeAndre Liggins and Jordan McRae -- for minutes and depth instead of signing older, more experienced veterans for those spots.

The team also carried the dead contracts of Mo Williams and Chris Andersen for most of the season, for financial reasons (though Williams' contract was traded to Atlanta earlier this month), and the Cavs haven't filled their open roster spot in the nearly three weeks it's been open.

James spelled out those criticisms to cleveland.com, ESPN and the Akron Beacon Journal on Monday. General manager David Griffin is the architect of the roster, but it's Gilbert's money.

"There's always goofy votes," James said. "I mean, Donald Trump is our president." Watch video

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- With players having partial say in this year's NBA All-Star starters, the first time it's happened, there were a handful of strange votes.

Guys that haven't played a game because of injury received votes to start. Little-used Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Jordan McRae received a pair of votes while DeAndre Liggins also received a tally.

For some, it turned into a bit of a popularity contest and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently said players "made a mockery" of the process. 

But LeBron James, who voted for players he felt were most deserving, says those kinds of results are unavoidable.

"There's always goofy votes," James said. "I mean, Donald Trump is our president."

Speaking out about the election is nothing new for James, who introduced Hillary Clinton at a Cleveland rally in early November and endorsed her for president in early October. 

Shortly after Trump was elected, James expressed his hope for the future, sharing an inspirational Instagram message centered on faith and love despite being surprised about the results.

Prior to the Cavs' game against the New York Knicks, James declined to stay at Trump SoHo, the usual team hotel. 

"I'm not trying to make a statement," James said at the time. "It's just my personal preference. At the end of the day, I hope he's one of the best presidents ever for all of our sake -- my family, for all of us. But it's just my personal preference.

"It would be the same if I went to a restaurant and decided to eat chicken and not steak."

James also said earlier this season that he's unsure whether he would be willing to visit the White House if the Cavs win an NBA title with Trump in office. 

"We'll have to cross that road, I guess," he said. "We'll see. I would love to have to cross that road."

When the Cleveland Indians host the 2019 All-Star game, Progressive Field will be 25 years old. Hard to imagine that.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When the Cleveland Indians host the 2019 All-Star Game, Progressive Field will be 25 years old.

That fact was mentioned at Friday's press conference announcing Cleveland being the site of the 2019 game.

Twenty-five years old...

Or 23 years old when the Tribe opens the 2017 season...

Eighteen different ballparks have opened since the Indians moved into their current home...

Part of me still views it as "the new ballpark."

But it's not new.

By 2019, the Atlanta Braves will have moved into two different stadiums since what was then called Jacobs Field opened in 1994.

"The ballpark has really stood the test of time," said Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred.

I think about that whenever I walk into Progressive Field. It's still a wonderful place to watch a game.

The Dolans deserve a lot of credit for that.

The Tribe's owners have worked hard with the city and county to keep the ballpark in good shape.

In the last few years, the Indians put about $37 million worth of improvements into the stadium, and the Gateway Corporation added about the same amount.

Manfred mentioned how the city, county and Tribe all worked together to bring the 2019 game to Cleveland.

He also talked about wanting ballparks "to showcase the game ... Progressive Field is one of those."

Former Tribe president Mark Shapiro spent a lot of time on the ballpark remodeling project. Some fans didn't like removing seats from right field along with the accent on The Corner areas of the ballpark.

But the fact is a number of younger fans do like watching games in a sports bar setting. They enjoy being on social media during the game.

The reason the Indians are hosting the All-Star game in 2019 is partly because of the improvements made in the last few seasons.

And the ballpark remains a fun place to watch a game.

For that, the Dolans deserve a lot of credit.

"We're coming off the World Series almost-win," Dolan said. "With the core talent that we have in place, there's absolutely no better time to make that reach than now." Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Chris Antonetti mentioned the idea of acquiring Andrew Miller last summer, Indians owner Paul Dolan needed to hear a convincing sales pitch.

The price was four prospects, including a pair of former first-round draft choices, and Dolan was hesitant.

"That's not in our DNA, to give up that kind of talent," Dolan said Friday morning at Progressive Field.

What about awarding a 34-year-old free agent a guaranteed $60 million over the next three years? Does that match the organization's genetic code?

"I suppose contracts like [Edwin] Encarnacion are not in our DNA either," Dolan said, "but, it was the right time for us and we felt it was the right time to reach."

Encarnacion landed the most lucrative free-agent contract in team history. He'll earn $13 million this year, $17 million next year and $20 million in 2019, with a $25 million option for 2020 or a $5 million buyout, and a $5 million signing bonus spread over the first three years of the deal. The Indians also forfeited their first-round draft selection for this summer.

"There's no better time than now," Dolan said.

It helps that the Indians advanced to Game 7 of the World Series, the culmination of a postseason run that galvanized the fan base and spurred ticket sales. Dolan estimated that the team has increased its season-ticket base to 11,000 from 8,500 since the end of the 2016 campaign.

Antonetti, the Indians' president of baseball operations, admitted earlier this month that he didn't anticipate the club would be in the running for Encarnacion's services, which include the frequent placement of baseballs on the other side of outfield fences.

A handful of teams turned elsewhere for first-base help. Other clubs didn't match the length of the Indians' commitment, which will keep the slugger in Cleveland through at least his age-36 season.

Still, the process required weeks of dialogue between the front office and ownership. The Indians have long sported a low-end payroll. This sort of move didn't fit the organization's modus operandi.

"They are always looking for those kinds of opportunities," Dolan said. "More often than not, they don't manifest themselves into large free-agent signings, but we're always exploring where there's an opportunity to get value, and particularly when the value fits into the timing with the club."

It all circles back to the timing aspect. If this were a year ago or a year from now, the Indians might not have pounced.

Instead, they capitalized on a situation that unexpectedly fell into their grasp. They took a roster that proved championship caliber and improved it, albeit at a significant cost.

That might not fit the club's DNA, but this isn't an exact science.

"We're coming off the World Series almost-win," Dolan said. "With the core talent that we have in place, there's absolutely no better time to make that reach than now."

Commissioner Rob Manfred said the Indians' bid for the 2019 All-Star game was by far the best MLB recieved. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The All-Star Game used to be awarded on a rotation basis. One year it went to an AL city, the next year it was an NL city. Nothing complicated about that.

But the rotation system has changed. Going back to 2015 at Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark, the All-Star Game will be played in a NL city for four straight years through 2018. Commissioner Rob Manfred obviously isn't a stickler for tradition, but even he recognized that he might want to put an AL city into the mix.

That's not the big reason why Manfred was in town Friday to award the Indians the 2019 All-Star Game, but it played a part.

"There are a lot of things that go into putting together a great All-Star Game bid," said Manfred. "Probably the most important single issue was the great partnership between the Indians, the city of Cleveland and the county.

"We felt that this particular bid showed a commitment throughout the community, not only the club, of making it a great event. I think that was probably the single most important factor."

As for breaking the streak of four straight NL cities hosting the All-Star Game, Manfred said, "I think it's important to award the city that had the best bid. Having said that, when you have multiple NL years in a row you start looking around and say, 'How good does that American League bid look?'

"Cleveland's bid was the best by far, but we're glad it was an American League city."

This will be the sixth All-Star Game held in Cleveland. No other team has held more All-Star Games.

Indians owner Paul Dolan said the economic impact of the game to the community is expected to be $60 million to $65 million. He said the 1997 All-Star Game at Progressive Field generated $40 million.

"When we gather in 2019 for the All-Star Game, it will be the 25^th anniversary of this ballpark," said Dolan. "We have spent a lot of energy and effort renovating it to make sure that it remains one of the great ballparks in the country.

"The reason why we have this ballpark, the reason why it is what it is, is because of the public-private partnership. It created this ballpark and continues to keep it among the highest levels of professional sports."

The All-Star Game will be a five-day event. Some of the highlights will be the Futures Game, showcasing some of the top young players in baseball. There will be a celebrity softball game, the Home Run Derby and the game itself.

The All-Star Game FanFest will be held at the Convention Center and be open throughout the event.

Mayor Frank Jackson, who attended the press conference, said the bid to get the All-Star Game has been in the works for the last couple of years.

"Beyond the money impact, it's more about the exposure you get," said Jackson. "Just like we got the exposure from the Rock and Roll induction ceremony and the RNC. Cleveland comes off in a great light.

"When that happens, it really creates an image about Cleveland. Then Cleveland becomes a destination. It's not just about the immediacy of the game and the week of the event. It's about the impact it has beyond that."

Starting this year, the winner of the All-Star Game will no longer determine home field advantage. From 2003 through 2016, the winner of the All-Star Game did determine home-field advantage for its league in the Fall Classic.

Manfred, when asked about the change that was agreed upon in the recent basic agreement, said, "I think the change has been very positively received throughout baseball. I think last year's World Series pointed that there was something uneasy about a team winning 103 games and not having home-field advantage. I'm confident that with or without this rule our All-Star Game will be a great competitive event."

You might remember that the Cubs and Indians played in the World Series last year. The Cubs, indeed, won 103 games during the regular season, but the Indians held home-field advantage because the AL won the All-Star Game. Corey Kluber, by the way the winning pitcher in that game, was at Friday's press conference.

Dolan, of course, could not let Manfred skate freely away from that statement.

"We liked the way that rule worked," said Dolan, drawing a laugh from the crowd.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football program will sign Haskell Garrett on Feb. 1 as part of its recruiting class for National Singing Day 2017. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football program will sign Haskell Garrett on Feb. 1 as part of its recruiting class for National Singing Day 2017. Here is an in-depth look at this member of the Buckeyes' recruiting class. 

Haskell Garrett

School: Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman 

Position: Defensive tackle  

Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 288 pounds

247Sports Rating: Garrett is a four-star prospect who is rated the No. 6 defensive tackle and the No. 70 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings. 

Other schools: Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Utah, Washington and many others. 

What's his deal? Ohio State receivers coach Zach Smith went to Las Vegas to check up on five-star wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey, but when he arrived at the school he also stumbled on Garrett and four-star quarterback Tate Martell. At one point, Ohio State had all three of those players committed in its 2017 recruiting class. Ironically enough, Garrett, who had no previous ties to Ohio State or Ohio, loved the Buckeyes from the beginning and was the first to commit. 

Garrett's Ohio State pledge came before he ever visited the campus, which happened with running back JK Dobbins as well. Once Garrett visited in the spring, he fell in love all over again and had a drama-free recruitment. 

How he fits into Ohio State's plans: There are two positions Urban Meyer hasn't gotten a five-star signed or committed during his Ohio State tenure: Tight end and defensive tackle. Tight end isn't a highly-rated position and there aren't a lot of five-stars there, so really, there has been a disconnect with recruiting defensive tackles.

When asked about that, Meyer said he didn't care about the ratings and he's really excited about the two coming in: Garrett and four-star Jerron Cage of Cincinnati (Ohio) Winton Woods. 

Garrett isn't a five-star, but he's rated the No. 6 player at the position in the country. Ohio State's defensive line is stacked in 2017, but he's going to be a major part of the defensive plans in two years. 

Projections for 2017: Ohio State's entire interior defensive line is coming back from last year. And of all position groups on next year's team, defensive line -- across the board -- is probably the deepest. That could explain why Urban Meyer is bringing in only two or three defensive tackles in the 2017 recruiting class.

Garrett is likely a redshirt candidate in a class that doesn't have any because it's just hard to imagine how he'll get on the field with the players in front of him. 

Player comparison: Darrion Scott was about the same size Garrett, but the projection is that the product of Gorman will play the same way. Garrett is a really big prospect and could grow well into the 300s and he's also very athletic. Scott, who was drafted in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft, was one of the most productive defensive tackles in Ohio State history, so the Buckeyes hope that projection comes to fruition. 

Why he's important to the best class in Ohio State history: Not only is Garrett a highly-ranked player at a premium position, he comes to Ohio State from a high school that's going to be very important to Meyer moving forward. Garrett was the first to commit from Gorman, and if it becomes an Ohio State pipeline, the defensive tackle is going to be very important to that. 

Highlights: 

What we've written about Garrett:

* Bishop Gorman is the high school version of Ohio State: Why the Buckeyes feel at home in Las Vegas

* Dexter Lawrence is the 5-star DT Ohio State hasn't landed

* Watch 4-star DT and Ohio State commit Haskell Garrett give a tour of Bishop Gorman's athletic center

Hue Jackson wants no part of Hard Knocks coming off 1-15, and the Browns won't volunteer for the HBO series. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Hue Jackson endured so many hard knocks last season that he wants no part of the HBO series Hard Knocks this season.

"Oh my God, I'm not interested in that,'' Jackson said after the South team practice on Thursday. "I'm interested in just coaching our team and getting our team better.''

Jackson is so against it that the Browns won't volunteer for it this season. And if he has to, he'll lobby against it.

The Browns are one of eight teams eligible for the series, which provides an all-access behind-the-scenes look into a team during training camp, including players' personal lives, training-camp battles and meetings with coaches. The other teams are the Ravens, Titans, Colts, Eagles, Bears, Saints and Bucs.

Coming off the 1-15 season --  the worst in franchise history -- Jackson wants to focus on righting the ship and not having it chronicled for all the world to see.

He knows all too well what Hard Knocks is like, having been on it with the Bengals in 2013. And Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams just appeared on it last year with the Los Angeles Rams.

Teams have three exemptions from Hard Knocks:

• They have a first-year head coach.
• They've made the playoffs in either of the last two years.
• They've appeared on the show in the last 10 years.

The NFL can force an eligible team to participate if no one volunteers. One of these days, the Browns are going to have to relent.

They turned it down in 2014, Johnny Manziel's first season, using Mike Pettine's rookie head coach exemption.

The NFL approached them again in 2015, but they met with officials at the NFL Annual Meeting that year and outlined the reasons they didn't want to do it, including Manziel's well-documented substance-abuse issues.

"When we decided not to volunteer for Hard Knocks, we discussed everything that was involved with it,'' Pettine said at the time.  "That was certainly something we needed to consider.  It's obvious that he would be a point of attention.''

Pettine, who was on Hard Knocks in 2010 with the Jets, saw ups and downs with it.

"The negatives, it's hard to be yourself,'' he said. "If you're not thinking about your job and you're thinking about something else, for even an instant, then it's a distraction. When guys are different, guys that can't handle it, they act different, play to the camera. I see that as a potential negative.

"And the positives are, maybe the same thing. Guys know there's a camera around and something they do can wind up on the show.''

The Browns would certainly be compelling. They have an exuberant coach in Jackson and now a high-energy defensive coordinator in Williams. At the Senior Bowl, the two put on a show, trash-talking each other over who was scoring or being stopped.

"You see it be contagious with the players. That's what we want," said Williams. "We want the players to see that we're never going to apologize for competing."

As for the back-and-forth between him and Jackson, he said, "I don't know whether you can print this or not, but we're going to s---talk, we're going to get after it and we want them to know there's hard things about daily practice, but when we can make it fun, let's make it fun.

"Then when they start talking more than we're talking, Hue and I can back up and let them go. But they have to have an example first, and we're going to try to do that as much as we can."

The Browns also have the No. 1 pick in the draft, which would make for good theater, especially if they take a quarterback.

But Jackson, who's still recovering from 1-15, wants the only Hard Knocks during training camp to be the ones between his offense and defense.

It will be his first since coming to Cleveland. And this time he was voted in by Eastern Conference coaches who have recognized the statistical leap he's made in his third year with the Cavaliers. Watch video

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- When Kevin Love was named an All-Star reserve Thursday night, he was eating dinner, not even watching the big reveal on television.

That's when he received a text from one of the members of the Cleveland Cavaliers' communication team.

"Texted me and told me that I'd made it," Love said following Friday morning's shootaround, ahead of their game against the Brooklyn Nets. "Not the greatest way in the world, but I'll take it. Wasn't like my agent calling or I watched the show."

Love will be making his fourth appearance in the annual showcase of the league's best players. It will be his first since coming to Cleveland. This time he was voted in by Eastern Conference coaches who have recognized the statistical leap he's made in his third year with the Cavaliers.

"I think I was really able to play my game this year and Ty (Lue) has done a great job of putting us in the right spaces to be effective," Love said. "I think there's something to be said for starting and the fan vote and the player vote and media as well. But coaches also goes a long way."

The 28-year-old power forward is the only player in the East averaging at least 20 points (20.5 ppg) and 10 rebounds (11.0 rpg). He is shooting 37.6 percent from 3-point range in 39 games.

Love will join teammates LeBron James, the oldest player to make the game, and Kyrie Irving in New Orleans.

"After the names were announced last night I was looking at the teams," Love said. "There's the West that seems to be really big with a ton of centers and then we have a bunch of not little guys but point guards. It's interesting to see. I'm sure I'll be out there with a bunch of different lineups and there's a lot of great players on both sets of teams."

One of those players is Love's former college teammate, Russell Westbrook, who is averaging a triple-double this season and could become the first player since Oscar Robertson to accomplish that feat if he can keep up his torrid pace in the season's second half.

Despite his gaudy numbers, Westbrook made the West squad as a reserve, missing out on one of the two starting backcourt spots.

"It's so tough because you only get two guards out of that loaded Western Conference," Love said. "It's a toss-up between those guys. But I agree with all he's done this year I was pretty surprised. I know I'm a little biased because he's my guy, but he's been almost unprecedented this year."

Following Thursday's announcement, James shared his excitement over Love making the team. 

Congrats @kevinlove!! Well deserved. #AllStar[?]

-- LeBron James (@KingJames) January 27, 2017