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Cleveland Cavaliers victims of age, attrition and scheduling: Bill Livingston (photos)

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The Cleveland Cavaliers' aging roster does not fare well in the second of back-to-back games. Injuries hurt even more.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Cavaliers' offense against Dallas was so bad it needed only Anderson Varejao to lope out to the right side of the key and run the pick-and-roll with LeBron James.

In an almost unwatchable second half of offensive predictability and stagnation, the Cavs, in the second of back-to-back games, almost took fans back to the days when the flame sputtered out under coach Mike Brown.

The difference is that the Cavs played much better defense under Brown.

The other option to the loop of endless pick-and-rolls by James and Varejao, oops, make that Channing Frye, was for Good Kyrie Irving to dance to the rim to the music of Allen Iverson and the Ankle Breakers and make layups off angles that would test a pool hustler.

Alternatively, Bad Kyrie would use up most of the shot clock dribbling to little effect and force up a desperate fallaway against the shot clock.

The leading culprits for this loss were age, attrition and the absence of a ball-handler other than James or Kyrie Irving.

Age

The Cavs are an older team, as coach Tyronn Lue has said, which fares poorly in back-to-backs. They are 0-6 in the second of such games when the second is on the road. The games are unavoidable, given arena availability difficulties.

Playing at a fast pace, which was largely abandoned in the ugly second half in Dallas, either is not creating enough early offense, or it is leaving the players --  who travel on private jets and stay in the best hotels -- too tuckered out to get back on defense at a clip that suggests commitment to purpose. The defense has been an open door.

Attrition

The Cavs don't have J.R. Smith as his broken thumb mends. Smith is missed for the explosive effect of his streak shooting and the momentum of his "911 shots" in shot-clock emergencies.

Iman Shumpert, however, has scored in double figures in seven of the past nine games and is shooting an excellent 26-for-52, 50 percent, in Smith's 3-point role in those games. Shumpert is probably a better defender than Smith.

Love

What this game showed was the importance of the injured Kevin Love, who missed the game with back spasms.

Love can play inside and out, creating more floor space. Frye, whose 11 fourth quarter points kept the game at least mathematically interesting, only puts the ball on the floor reluctantly and does not play as big as his height at the rim.

Love, the often overlooked third wheel of the Big Three, is having an All-Star season, but it might be best for him to miss the game and rest his back. Neither Frye nor Richard Jefferson should be expected to provide Love's routine double-double in points and rebounds.

Anthony?

It is hard to see how the Cavs would be better without Love.

James might be like a kid on a sleep-over with a chum if the Cavs traded Love for his old friend Carmelo Anthony. But that's only an emotional response, not a basketball reaction. It already is a trade offer the Cavs say they rejected.

If you think the Cavs' offense was stagnant in Dallas, wait until the ball goes to Anthony and stays there, as if it had been tossed into a tar pit.

Absence of a back-up point guard

The Cavs have a handful of back-to-backs left, which will test their thin roster. This week they are auditioning point guards for a backup role, a roster problem James has decried.

The favorite if he is mobile after an ACL repair is Mario Chalmers, who hit a famous shot for Kansas in the NCAA Tournament and was a James teammate in Miami.

James likes playing with guys he can count on to have his back in back-to-backs.


Olympian Charles Conwell Jr. expects to make pro debut this year: Boxing Report 2017: (photos)

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Cleveland Heights Olympian Charles Conwell Jr. expects to make his pro boxing debut this year: Boxing Report 2017

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Some of the top amateur and pro athletes and teams were honored last week during the 17th annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards.

The best amateur athlete award went to Olympic boxer Charles Conwell Jr., an 11-time national champion, two-time USA Boxing national champion, a national Golden Glove champ and a participant in the 2016 Rio Olympics last summer.

"I thought I was just invited to attend because I didn't have any idea that I would win," Conwell Jr. said. "It was a great event ... much bigger than I imagined. Winning the award shows that my hard work is appreciated and means I should continue to work hard."

Conwell Jr. signed with David McWater's Split T Management after the Olympics. He's still waiting to make a deal with a promoter before his first pro fight.

"While I'm waiting for a promotional deal, I'm still in the gym," said Conwell Jr., a graduate of Cleveland Heights High School. "Once that is done, I hope to make my debut this year. I'm not sure when that will be but the goal is have my first fight sometime in 2017."

Conwell Jr., who fought as a middleweight in amateurs, will fight at welterweight as a pro.

Live boxing

Battle In the Ballroom 20 begins at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Historic Slovenian National Ballroom (6417 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio) with a 10-bout card. Tickets are available through Kincaid-Godhard Promotions box office at 440-223-7409, at www.proboxingohio.com, or at the door on fight night.

The list of bouts, in no particular order, is below:

  1. Christian Juresic (Eastlake) vs. Bryan Gedeon (Lakewood)
  2. Adam Marino  vs. Greg Mcqueen (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
  3. Tony Hairston (Euclid) vs. Larry Davis (Cleveland)
  4. Robbie Taylor (Atwater) vs. Luke Groves (Zanesville)
  5. Charles Hereford (Eastlake) vs. Justin Beasley (Adrian, Mich.)
  6. Eriz Pozun (Wickliffe) vs. Andre Mercado (Cleveland)
  7. Elvis Torres (Cleveland) vs. Ben Jackson (Winchester, Va.)
  8. Marcello Senegal (Lorain) vs. Chuckie Bizzarro (Erie, Pa.)
  9. Hector Chirinos (Cleveland) vs. Carl Polk (Cleveland)
  10. Devin Mercado (St. Ignatius High School) vs. Jamall Norris (Zanesville High School)
  11. Alice Vitiello vs. Courtney Benning (Canton)
  12. Armond Richards (Cleveland) vs. Cedric Johnson (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
  13. Lah Htoo (Lakewood) vs. Garrett Davidson (New Philly, Ohio)

Quick jabs

This week in boxing history

Feb. 4, 1989: Mark Breland knockouts out Seung Soon Lee in the first round to regain vacant WBA Welterweight Title.

Boxing schedule

8 p.m., Thursday (PBC on FS1/Fox Deportes):

8 p.m., Friday (Estrella TV):

  • Joshua Franco vs. Victor Pasillas, junior bantamweights
  • Hector Tanajara Jr. vs. Baltazar Ramirez, lightweights

11 p.m., (UniMas):

  • Felix Verdejo vs. Oliver Flores, lightweights
  • Christopher Diaz vs. Efrain Esquivias, featherweights
  • Nestor Bravo vs. Daniel Bastien, lightweights

Puppy Bowl XIII: Fast facts and 10 puppies to watch

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Why watch seven and a half hours of Super Bowl pregame when you can watch adorable puppies frolicking in a stadium and sort of playing football.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: Tipoff time, TV, radio and streaming information

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

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers play Game 48 of the 2016 NBA season Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Here's how to watch, listen and stream the action online.


What: Cleveland Cavaliers (32-15) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (19-29).
Where: Quicken Loans Arena.
When: 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN; Fox Sports Ohio.
Radio: WTAM 1100 AM; 87.7 FM La Mega; ESPN Radio.
Online: Watch ESPNFoxSports Go.

Minnesota notable: The Cavs have beaten Minnesota four straight times (by an average of 17.5 ppg) after the Wolves went 5-2 in the previous seven meetings.

Cleveland notable: In his last 7 games, LeBron James has posted 5 double-doubles (2 triple-doubles) and is averaging 25.6 points on .580 shooting, 9.4 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 40.1 minutes.

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.

Meet the top 15 Ohio football prospects in the Class of 2018

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Here are the top 15 Ohio high school football prospects in the Class of 2018 according to 247Sports.com.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Game 48 preview

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The Cavs (32-15) host the Minnesota Timberwolves (19-29) at 7 p.m. before heading out on a four-game road trip. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavs (32-15) host the Minnesota Timberwolves (19-29) at 7 p.m. before heading out on a four-game road trip.


Last meeting: This is the first game between teams this season; Cavs swept the two games last year.

Cavs fast fact: Iman Shumpert has scored in double figures in seven of his last nine games and is averaging 12.8 points while shooting 51 percent from 3-point range during that stretch.

Cavs injuries: Kevin Love (lower back), J.R. Smith (right thumb surgery), and Chris Andersen (torn right ACL) are out.

T'Wolves fast fact: They've won five out of their last six, but lost four straight to the Cavs.

T'Wolves injuries: Nikola Pekovic (right ankle) is out.

Probable starters:

Cavs

F LeBron James (25.6 ppg; 8.0 rpg; 8.5 apg)

F Richard Jefferson (5.3 ppg; 2.3 rpg; 0.9 apg)

C Tristan Thompson (7.3 ppg; 9.6 rpg; 0.8 apg)

G Iman Shumpert (8.0 ppg; 2.8 rpg; 1.6 apg)

G Kyrie Irving (24.4 ppg; 3.4 rpg; 5.7 apg)


T'Wolves

F Andrew Wiggins (22.1 ppg; 4.3 rpg; 2.5 apg)

F Gorgui Dieng (10.7 ppg;7.6 rpg; 2.0 apg)

C Karl-Anthony Towns (23.0 ppg; 11.9 rpg; 3.1 apg)

G Zach LaVine (19.1 ppg; 3.4 rpg; 2.9 apg)

G Ricky Rubio (8.3 ppg; 4.0 rpg; 8.1 apg)

Lynn Bowden, a four-star ATH from Youngstown, reportedly earns an Ohio State offer, sticks with Kentucky

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Bowden committed to Kentucky on Jan. 14 and stayed true to the school that had been recruiting him longer.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State wasn't supposed to have any surprises on National Signing Day, but there was something surprising. 

Apparently the Buckeyes offered four-star athlete Lynn Bowden of Youngstown (Ohio) Warren G. Harding late in the process. And Bowden, who was committed to Kentucky, ended up staying with the Wildcats. 

Rated the No. 4 athlete in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Bowden is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound prospect who played quarterback at Harding but fits in multiple places at the next level. 

Bowden committed to Kentucky on Jan. 14 and stayed true to the school that had been recruiting him longer. 

When Ohio State actually offered Bowden remains unclear -- it was never reported -- so it's not an indication of how the Buckeyes expect to do with the three recruiting announcements yet to happen on National Signing Day. 

Ohio State's Malik Hooker has surgery, will miss NFL Combine

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Hooker had surgery on Tuesday for a torn labrum and a hernia, according to reports.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Ohio State safety Malik Hooker has been widely projected as a top-15 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. He just suffered a setback that might affect that.

Hooker had surgery for a torn labrum and a hernia on Tuesday, according to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller. According to Miller's sources, Hooker played through those injuries with the Buckeyes toward the end of the 2016 season.

The surgery will keep Hooker from participating in the 2017 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. It's still possible for Hooker to attend the combine and do interviews, but he won't be working out.

Hooker made the jump to the NFL after one season as a starting safety at Ohio State, earning unanimous All-American status and quickly rising up NFL Draft boards.

Miller had Hooker projected as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft in his latest mock draft.

According to WalterFootball.com, Hooker's recovery time will take four to six months.


Browns Josh McCown, Andrew Hawkins to appear on race relations panel during Super Bowl week

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The town hall will take place on Friday in Houston.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins and quarterback Josh McCown were part of a group of athletes who visited Washington D.C. back in November to discuss race relations and police violence. Their activism will continue this week in Houston.

Hawkins and McCown will take part in a town hall on Friday on athletes and activism titled "From Protest to Progress: The Power of Sports to Improve Race Relations." The event is being put together by RISE, The Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality and runs from 4:30 until 7 p.m. EST at the Mickey Leland Public Affairs Building on the campus of Texas Southern University.

Other panelists include Michael Bennett of the Seattle Seahawks, Lions wide receiver Anquan Boldin, Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins as well as former Browns, Benjamin Watson, now with the Ravens, and Johnson Bademosi, now with the Lions. You can find a full list of panelists here.

The event will also include the a report evaluating the reach and impact of, reaction to and outcomes of activist athletes in 2016 and issue recommendations for next steps and best practices.

The town hall will be broadcast live on SiriusXM's Business Radio powered by the Wharton School, channel 111 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST and streamed live on Facebook (@RISEtoWINorg).

Kevin Love tests out injured lower back, goes through drills following Cavaliers shootaround (video)

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Early Wednesday, after the team's shootaround, Love went through layup and post-up drills with assistant coach Phil Handy, working up a sweat and not showing any signs of being in pain. Watch video

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- While Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love has already been ruled out of Wednesday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves because of a sore lower back, it appears the All-Star could be inching closer to a return.

Early Wednesday, after the team's shootaround, Love went through layup and post-up drills with assistant coach Phil Handy, working up a sweat and not showing any signs of being in pain. 

An MRI taken Monday, one day after leaving the win against Oklahoma City early following his latest flare-up, showed no structural damage and his status for games beyond Wednesday is still unclear. 

Would LeBron James be OK with Lance Stephenson on the Cavs after the ear-blowing incident?

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Would LeBron James be OK with Lance Stephenson as a teammate, given their checkered history? Watch video

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Lance Stephenson once blew into LeBron James' ear...on purpose.

Now, Stephenson is trying out to join James on the Cavs today as a free agent.

Would James be OK with Stephenson as a teammate, given their checkered history? Stephenson tried to get in James' head by blowing in his ear during a playoff series between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers in 2014.

"I just want to win, man," James said. "That's all that matters to me. I got no personal problems with nobody."

Stephenson, Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich, and Jordan Farmar are among those trying out for the Cavs at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday as free agents. Cleveland has a roster spot open and the chance to create even more space; meanwhile James has asked for veterans who are versatile and can handle the ball.

James said "I think it's the coaching staff and the front office put this together," and added he was focused on Cleveland's game against the Timberwolves. Moving on.

Stephenson, at 6-5, is a wing who played in six games for the Pelicans this season. A groin injury cost him his job there.

Chalmers was James' teammate in Miami and was the starting point guard for both of the Heat's championship teams, but James seemed to say he wasn't pulling for Chalmers over the others because of their shared past.

Chalmers suffered a torn Achilles in March with Memphis and hasn't played since. He's averaging 9.0 points per game for his career.

"I got a history with all those guys except Jordan," James said. "I got a history with Lance too, obviously. I got a history versus Kirk, I played him in a lot of playoff series. And I got a history with Rio. So, hopefully at the end of the day, Rio is recovering from his Achilles tear. I hope he's been doing everything he needs to do just to get back on the floor. He loves to play the game."

In an article for the Players' Tribune, Chalmers said he couldn't do any basketball work for five months following surgery.

"I want to get back to the Finals," Chalmers wrote. "Once you know what it takes to get there, you can't play any other way."

How Urban Meyer pranked Baron Browning with a joke about the Los Angeles Rams

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Baron pranked Ohio State's coaches when he made his commitment. Here's how Urban Meyer got him back. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State linebacker Baron Browning likes to crack jokes. That's mostly harmless, but he made Urban Meyer sweat a little bit when Browning made his commitment to the Buckeyes.

The five-star linebacker from Texas, knowing that he was going to commit to Ohio State, texted Meyer and told him he was committing to Alabama. It was a joke. Of course Meyer didn't find it very funny until Browning's dad called with the good news, the real news, sometime after: Browning was going to be a Buckeye.

Good prank.

Meyer's revenge prank on Browning might have been better.

Meyer called Browning a few days later with a message: He was taking the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Rams.

Watch the video here to hear Browning describe how the whole funny scenario played out.

Channing Frye to start tonight for Cavs against Timberwolves

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Channing Frye will start for Kevin Love at power forward tonight in the Cavs' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, coach Tyronn Lue said. Watch video

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Channing Frye will start for Kevin Love at power forward tonight in the Cavs' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, coach Tyronn Lue said.

This will be Frye's third start this season. He is one of only two big men available on Cleveland's roster. Tristan Thompson is the Cavs' starting center and Love is out with a lower back injury.

The T'Wolves start 7-footer Karl-Anthony Towns at center and the 6-11 Gorgui Deng at power forward. Frye is also 6-11, but he's mostly a perimeter player.

Frye is 7th in the NBA in 3-point percentage (.425) this season, and has particularly enjoyed sharp-shooting status over his career against Minnesota. According to the Cavs' game notes, Frye is shooting .500 (45-90) from deep in 27 games against the T'Wolves, his highest percentage against any team.

Frye scored 13 points with three 3-pointers and seven rebounds off the bench in Monday's loss to Dallas. 

Baron Browning says it's down to Ohio State, Florida State for 5-star DT Marvin Wilson

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"I talked to him this morning," Browning said. "I didn't really try to pressure him because I remember in one point in time I was in his shoes before I committed and I didn't want anyone pressuring me." Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Five-star defensive tackle Marvin Wilson of Bellaire (Texas) Episcopal had to run to his hotel room and hide from Ohio State commits who were recruiting him at the U.S. Army All-American Game in January. 

Wilson is down to his last few hours being a recruit. 

And apparently he's down to Ohio State and Florida State. 

That's at least what former five-star linebacker Baron Browning of Kennedale, Texas -- an early-enrollee at Ohio State who was one of the players recruiting Wilson at the Army game -- said on Wednesday. 

"I talked to him this morning," Browning said. "I didn't really try to pressure him because I remember in one point in time I was in his shoes before I committed and I didn't want anyone pressuring me. 

"I just text him, let him know, 'No recruiting talk, just your brother and I love you and regardless of where you go, we're always going to be brothers.'

"I feel pretty positive that we might get him today. But then there's a small half of me that's like, 'eh.' So I guess we'll see." 

Rated the No. 1 defensive tackle in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Wilson is announcing on ESPNU at 4:30 p.m. (ET). He's supposedly picking between Florida State, Ohio State, LSU, Oklahoma and USF.

It was surprising to hear Browning say that LSU was out of the mix, especially because a lot of people felt as if the Tigers were one of the teams in the driver's seat. 

Watch the video above for Browning's entire explanation and stay tuned with cleveland.com for Wilson's decision. 

Cleveland area's top football players in the 2018 recruiting class

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Looking past National Singing Day 2017 and to the 2018 class, there are plenty of standouts. Is Mentor's Tadas Tatarunas the next Mitch Trubisky?


LeBron James to receive NAACP Jackie Robinson Sports Award, says honor 'puts a lot of things in perspective'

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"To hear that it was the Jackie Robinson Award it just puts a lot of things in perspective," James said following shootaround Wednesday morning at Cleveland Clinic Courts. "So appreciative that they would even want me to be a recipient of the award." Watch video

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- LeBron James will receive another honor prior to Wednesday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, being selected as this year's recipient of the NAACP Jackie Robinson Sports Award.

"To hear that it was the Jackie Robinson award it just puts a lot of things in perspective," James said following shootaround Wednesday morning at Cleveland Clinic Courts. "So appreciative that they would even want me to be a recipient of the award."

Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the National Board of Directors for the NAACP, will present the award, which is given to individuals in sports for their high achievement in athletics and contributions in the pursuit of social justice, civil rights and community involvement.

"It just goes back to what Jackie meant," James said. "Not only playing the game that he played, but what he used that platform to do. To stand up and be the man that he was through those difficult times, for a bigger cause, for guys like myself that can be free and do whatever I want to do in this profession. To be able to walk and talk and say things that matter to me and hope that there is going to be change, he did it at a time where he wasn't even allowed. People said he wasn't allowed to speak up; you're not allowed to stand for what you believe in. You're not allowed because, these are the rules and this is how it was going to be. I just think he had a much bigger calling and obviously like I said I can sit here and be free and play the game I love, to be able to inspire so many people that's going to come after me, so it's a true honor.

"It's a true honor for guys like Jackie and Muhammad [Ali] to just have that vision, and if they was here today you could sit and talk to them and I guarantee it wasn't about them. It was about everybody that was going to come after them."

In addition to James' numerous accomplishments on the court, the press release points to his influential charity work, including the "Wheels for Education" program and "Akron I PROMISE Network," both of which support inner-city students with the programs, support, and mentors they need all the way through graduation.

In partnership with The University of Akron, James has guaranteed college educations for thousands of Akron Public School students that complete the foundation's programs and meet certain academic and philanthropic criteria.

The press release also notes James' successes in the entertainment industry through his production company, SpringHill Entertainment, which produces NBC's newest game show, "The Wall," among other shows.

Highlights from Wednesday's on-court pregame ceremony will air during the 48th NAACP Image Awards hosted by Anthony Anderson on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017

Some of the past recipients of the award include the Harlem Globetrotters, Anita DeFrantz, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Sugar Ray Leonard, Eddie Robinson, Michael Jordan and Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown.

"Just look at what Jackie, Muhammad, Bill Russell, Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and Jim Brown and Oscar Robertson and all those guys had to go through just to play the game that they love," James said. "They sacrificed themselves for athletes like myself today to have a platform to be able to speak out on things we're educated about. I don't talk just to talk. I'm educated on what I speak about, I'm passionate about what I speak about, but those guys sacrificed everything.

"People are going to have their comments about certain things, but if you're comfortable talking about certain issues then do it. If not, then don't do it. But for me, I come from an educated mind, I come from a passionate background and like I said, those athletes paved the way for guys like myself."

Thayer Munford, a 4-star OT from Massillon, announces he has signed with Ohio State

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Four-star offensive tackle Thayer Munford of Massillon (Ohio) Washington announced his signing with Ohio State on National Signing Day.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Everyone thought it was going to happen earlier, but timing doesn't really matter because the letter is in. 

Four-star offensive tackle Thayer Munford of Massillon (Ohio) Washington announced his decision to sign with Ohio State on Wednesday -- National Signing Day -- to become member No. 21 of the Buckeyes 2017 recruiting class.

Rated the No. 28 offensive tackle in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Munford's spot became available when Ohio State got involved with him late after losing a commitment from four-star Jake Moretti of Arvada (Colo.) Pomona. Moretti flipped to Colorado in November. 

Munford took an official visit to Ohio State late in the process without a scholarship offer, then spent the last two weeks under the radar. He didn't even report that Ohio State offered him a scholarship. 

Though Ohio State has been considered the front-runner to land the 6-foot-6, 320-pound prospect, Munford's decision was unknown until he officially became a Buckeye on Wednesday morning. He chose the Buckeyes over scholarship offers from Kentucky, Iowa, Pittsburgh and others. 

Munford is the third offensive lineman in Ohio State's class, joining five-star prospects Wyatt Davis of Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco and Josh Myers of Miamisburg, Ohio. 

Kent State surprises by landing two quarterback recruits

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Kent State has added two quarterbacks among its new recruits, expecting to sign at least 20 players by the end National College Signing Day 2017.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There were some positive surprises for Kent State on Wednesday as high school players officially signed their national letters of intent on National Signing Day 2017. Kent went strong on offensive linemen, signing five. But the surprise was the addition of at least two quarterbacks instead of one.

As expected, quarterback Dick Crum (6-3, 210) from Midview High made it official he will be a Golden Flash.

But Kent also got the services of Will Phillis III out of Hilliard Bradley High near Columbus. Phillis (6-4, 225) was the Ohio Division I Offensive Player of the Year. He passed for 6,117 yards and 59 touchdowns in his career with 2,508 yards and 27 of the TDs coming his senior season.

"They are both really good players, but kind of different,'' coach Paul Haynes said. "One guy (Phillis) can wing it all over the place. Crum, he is more the athletic type that we've had recently. We wanted to recruit two different style guys in this class at that position and I think we did that. Both of these guys have a lot of talent."

Crum was a prolific three-year starter at Midview, leading his team to a pair of conference championships, three straight playoff appearances and three playoff victories.

Crum also set school records for passing yards in a season (3,323), passing yards in his career (8,366), touchdown passes in a game (8), touchdowns in a season (39) and passing touchdowns in a career (101). He also set school marks in rushing yards for a season (1,378) and rushing yards for a career (3,268).

Haynes said the offensive line is a constant need to be addressed.

"Our (offensive line) numbers went down after last year, and we have a few others that could graduate early and may not choose to play. So we'll always take three or four."

2017 Kent State Football National Letter of Intent signees:
  • Sam Allan, C/DT, Portage Central High School, Portage, Mich.
  • Dustin Crum, QB, Midview High School, Grafton, Ohio
  • Eddie Brecht, OL, Lapeer High School, Lapeer, Mich.
  • Cam Landis, G/DT, Cathedral Prep, Erie, Pa.
  • Cepeda Phillips, LB, Detroit King High School, Detroit, Mich.
  • Rodney Jolicoeur, DB, Village Academy, Delray Beach, Fla.
  • Isaac Vance, RB/DB, Mayfield High School, Las Cruces, N.M.
  • CJ Burress, DB, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, Ga.
  • Nate Monnin, DE/TE, Piqua High School, Piqua, Ohio
  • Zayin West, DL/OL, Manchester High School, Richmond, Va.
  • Amari Jenson, LB, Ypsilanti High School, Ypsilanti, Mich.
  • Elvis Hines, DB, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (Enrolled for spring semester)
  • Jonathan Moore, RB/WR, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Fla.
  • Will Phillis, QB, Hilliard High School, Hilliard, Ohio
  • Garrah Farah, WR, New Castle High School, New Castle, Pa.
  • Kesean Gamble, RB/MLB, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • AJ Musolino, QB/S, Struthers High School, Struthers, Ohio
  • Anthony McKay, DT, Monterey Peninsula College, Calif. (JC transfer)
  • Donte Ross, WR, Antelope Valley College, Calif. (JC transfer)

Ohio State football: Live updates from Urban Meyer on National Signing Day 2017

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Ohio State signed its 2017 recruiting class on Wednesday. See what Meyer has to say about the newest batch of Buckeyes.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer will discuss his 2017 recruiting class, the best on paper that he's signed since coming to Columbus, during a news conference on National Signing Day.

Meyer is expected at the podium around 2 p.m. Updates from Meyer will appear in the comments section below.

Make sure you're keeping up with Ohio State and other happenings around Northeast Ohio in our National Signing Day live blog.

Here's a look at Ohio State's entire 2017 recruiting class.

Akron Zips lean on local talent in small football signing class

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Six of 13 football players signed by the Akron Zips on National Signing Day 2017 are from the Akron area.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Akron Zips are not expected to have a large class of football recruits for today's National Signing Day 2017, but the list will have its share of area talent, including defensive back Reggie Corner Jr. from Canton McKinley High.

Coach Terry Bowden will release his official list of recruits at a 4 p.m. fan and media session. But as of midday, the Zips were up to 13 signees, including seven from the Akron area.

Here is the early list of Akron players signed. Check back for updates and the final list with comments from Bowden.

2017 Akron Football National Letter of Intent Signees  

  • Eric Bentley, DL, Akron, Ohio, St. Vincent-St. Mary High
  • DeAndre Brimage, DL, Akron, Ohio, East High
  • Dustin Burkhart , WR  Akron, Ohio, Coventry High
  • Hunter Corne, OL, Dunnellon, Fla., Dunnellon High
  • Zaire Jacobs, DB, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., St. Thomas Aquinas High
  • Nick Johns, QB, Leesburg, Va., Gonzaga High, Virginia, Northeastern Oklahoma Junior College (transfer, already enrolled)
  • Alex Ramart, QB, Richmond, Texas, Foster High
  • Jordyn Riley, DB, Citra, Fla., North Marion High
  • Jemarulin Suggs, RB, Akron, Ohio, East High
  • Malik Wooldridge, WR, Akron, St. Vincent-St. Mary High
  • Reggie Corner Jr., S, Canton, Ohio, McKinley High
  • Jeffrey Lubin, DB, Hollywood, Fla., South Broward High
  • Kobie Booker, TE, Barberton, O., Barberton High
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