LeBron James knows Kevin Love has plenty of value for the 2016-17 Cleveland Cavaliers.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- OneUp Sports called to ask about Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love, and Cleveland Cavaliers unofficial CEO LeBron James' spot in the middle.
LeBron no doubt would like to play with close friend Anthony, whom the New York Knicks evidently don't want anymore. But LeBron also is smart enough to realize that Anthony-for-Love is not the wise play.
Get the latest updates and analysis from the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 51 against the Indiana Pacers.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday in Game 51 of the 2017 NBA regular season.
Follow along in the comments section as Joe Vardon and Chris Fedor bring you observations and analysis throughout the game.
Make sure to follow Vardon and Fedor on Twitter.
Game 51: Cavs (35-15) vs. Pacers (29-22)
Tipoff: 7 p.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM 1100 AM; 87.7 FM (ESP).
Cavs probable starting lineup: LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, DeAndre Liggins, Kyrie Irving.
Pacers probable starting lineup: Paul George, Jeff Teague, C.J. Miles, Thaddeus Young, Myles Turner.
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LeBron James opposes President Trump's executive order banning travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries, telling The Hollywood Reporter that it's a divisive policy.
INDIANAPOLIS -- LeBron James opposes President Trump's executive order banning travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries, telling The Hollywood Reporter that it's a divisive policy.
"I am not in favor of this policy or any policy that divides and excludes people," James told the magazine. "I stand with the many, many Americans who believe this does not represent what the United States is all about. And we should continue to speak out about it."
A source close to James confirmed the report to cleveland.com. Trump has said the ban was meant to keep the country safe from terrorists trying to get into the U.S.
James, 32, has been an outspoken critic of the Republican president, before and after his November election. He was among the Cavs who did not stay at the Trump SoHo hotel in New York over the weekend, even though it was the team's hotel for their game against the Knicks.
Federal courts have placed Trump's travel ban on hold, and the administration is fighting to have it restored.
James gave the interview to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the airing of the NAACP's Image Awards ceremony (Feb. 11). James won the Jackie Robinson Award.
Midway through the period, Irving stole the ball away, sprinted up the court, got pushed, stumbled and somehow spun the ball of the glass for the and-1 layup.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After scoring 16 points in the first half against Indiana on Wednesday night, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving sparked the Cavaliers' third quarter rally, scoring buckets in a variety of ways.
He hit a few midrange jumpers to open the quarter before his latest highlight.
Midway through the period, Irving stole the ball away, sprinted up the court, got pushed, stumbled and somehow spun the ball of the glass for an ultra-difficult and-1 layup.
He's just #KYRIDICULOUS!! That's too much sauce [?] pic.twitter.com/07TbKDtC49
-- Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 9, 2017
(h/t @Cavs)
The Cavs outscored the Pacers, 40-18, in the period.
Ohio State moved to 15-10 (5-7 Big Ten) with a win over Rutgers on Wednesday night.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Stringing anything good together over successive games has proved extremely difficult for the Ohio State basketball team this season.
So of course a game against last-place Rutgers coming off a big win at Michigan wasn't as easy as it could have been. The Buckeyes saw a double-digit second-half lead evaporate, but held on for a 70-64 win on Wednesday night at Value City Arena.
Rutgers was dealt what should have been a big blow with 4:49 left in the second half when point guard Corey Sanders fouled out. He had a team-high 17 points, and spearheaded a Scarlet Knights comeback that cut Ohio State's lead down from 12 to a 50-50 tie with 9:03 left.
But even without Sanders, Rutgers hung around.
Ohio State turned the ball over on an inbounds play, which led to a put-back basket for Issa Thiam to tie the game at 62 with 1:24 left. Kam Williams answered on the other end with a 3-pointer while getting fouled to put the Buckeyes up 66-62 with 1:05 left, but still Ohio State had to sweat.
Jae'Sean Tate missed a pair of free throws with 37.5 seconds left, which led to Deshawn Freeman's layup on the other end that cut Ohio State's lead to 64-62 with 26.1 seconds left. Marc Loving and C.J. Jackson iced the game with free throws in the final 30 seconds.
Williams led Ohio State with 23 points, which matched his career high. Trevor Thompson had 15 points and 13 rebounds. Tate had 11 points, but he didn't score in the second half. Ohio State was again helped by a good night at the free throw line, finishing 19-for-25 from the stripe.
What it means
Ohio State (15-10, 5-7 Big Ten) just needed to win. A loss would have been the likely kill shot to the Buckeyes' fleeting postseason hopes -- that's NIT or NCAA Tournament -- so they avoided that disaster. There are six games remaining, with the next two key road games at Maryland on Saturday and at Michigan State next Tuesday.
Buckeyes banged up in first half
Loving suffered a cut above his right eyebrow after falling to the floor fighting for a rebound, had to get stitches and missed more than eight minutes of the first half. Jackson, who started for the second straight game, appeared to injure his right hand or wrist while driving to the basket, and missed the final 3:24 of the half.
Both played in the second half, but Ohio State was without two starters for long stretches of the first half.
Still, Ohio State led 33-27 at the break.
The Buckeyes' lead grew to 11 when Micah Potter put back a miss with a dunk to give Ohio State a 27-16 lead with 6:10 left. They had a chance to take a double-digit lead at the half for the first time since Dec. 20, but after a timeout JaQuan Lyle tripped while driving to the basket, which led to a turnover and a basket for Rutgers to end the half.
What's next?
The Buckeyes play the first of back-to-back road games on Saturday at Maryland. Tip-off from College Park is set for 4 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPN.
Kyle Korver set season highs in points (29) and 3s (eight) while becoming the seventh-best 3-point shooter in NBA history in the Cavs' win over Indiana.
INDIANAPOLIS -- LeBron James had missed the Cavs' last two road games against the Pacers, which both ended in losses.
Order was restored Wednesday night with James on the court, as Cleveland picked up a 132-117 win over red-hot Indiana for its fourth consecutive victory and sixth out of seven.
James scored 25 points to go with nine assists. Kyle Korver had what was easily his best game as a Cav with a season-high 29 points on eight 3-pointers off the bench. Korver, who shot 10-of-12 overall and 8-of-9 from 3-point range, needed five 3s to pass Jason Kidd (1,988 3-pointers ) for seventh on the NBA's all-time list, which he reached in the third quarter.
As an aside, the third period is when this game changed. Trailing by six at halftime, the Cavs demolished the Pacers 40-18 in the third and led 97-81 when it was over.
That was the first time Cleveland had outscored an opponent by that many points in a quarter since April 13, 2015 against the Pistons.
Speaking of over, the Pacers' seven-game winning streak came to an end. The Cavs also stopped Washington's seven-game winning streak Monday night.
Kyrie Irving posted 29 points on 12-of-22 shooting with seven assists. Kevin Love added 14 points and 10 boards.
The Cavs (36-15) played without starting shooting guard Iman Shumpert (sprained left ankle), who will also miss Thursday night's game in Oklahoma City that will end Cleveland's four-game road trip.
DeAndre Liggins started for Shumpert and scored eight points. Jordan McRae played 14 minutes off the bench and added six points.
Former Cavalier C.J. Miles led the Pacers with 23 points. Paul George and Jeff Teague both added 22.
James was 9-of-16 from the field and grabbed six rebounds in 38 minutes. The Pacers got as close as seven points in the fourth quarter and James played the first 10:28 of the period, which could put his status for Thursday's game in peril.
Coach Tyronn Lue speculated Wednesday morning that a heavy workload for James against the Pacers may force him to the sidelines against the Thunder.
With 2:48 left, James drove into the lane and fired a wrap-around pass out to Korver for his seventh 3-ball. The next possession, Korver connected on his last 3 on a pass from Irving.
With nine assists, James snapped a personal streak of three games with at least 10 dimes.
"I just tell my teammates if I pass them the ball then they've got a shot," James said. "I'm trying to put it on time, on target. All they gotta do is catch and shoot or catch and drive, or catch and lay, catch and dunk. I try to engage their defender, once I see their defender just give me a small stare, then I feel like my offensive player has the ability to get a shot off.
Like I always tell Channing (Frye), I tell Kyle now: Listen, I know you got a look."
With 16 3-pointers as a team, the Cavs have nailed at least 12 in 10 of their last 11 games. Entering play Wednesday, they were averaging 14.5 3s per game since Jan. 19.
Cleveland is 26-3 this season when scoring at least 110 points.
NEXT: The Cavs conclude this four-game road trip Thursday at 8 p.m. against the Oklahoma City Thunder.Ohio State basketball simply needed a win on Wednesday night against Rutgers, but it didn't come easily. Watch video
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State didn't lose. That's not really giving the Buckeyes credit for anything, just acknowledging that they avoided disaster.
They needed to beat Rutgers on Wednesday night. They did. In that, they weren't going to impress anyone. Rutgers is the last-place team in the Big Ten, and though the Scarlet Knights are vastly improved under first-year coach Steve Pikiell, this was still a game Ohio State couldn't lose.
What the Buckeyes really could have used, though, was something more decisive. Something that could have been a real mark of progress after a nice win on the road at Michigan over the weekend. Of course progress has not come easily for this team this year.
So instead Wednesday's win was a struggle with a lot more bad than good. Watch the video here to hear cleveland.com's Bill Landis break down Ohio State's 70-64 win.
Retiring John Carroll basketball coach Mike Moran received a plaque from cross-town rival Baldwin Wallace on Wednesday, and then his team delivered a victory.
BEREA, Ohio -- John Carroll coach Mike Moran was honored by the Baldwin Wallace basketball program prior to Wednesday night's Ohio Athletic Conference game between the crosstown rivals.
Moran is stepping down as the Blue Streaks' coach at the end of the season. As is his character, he accepted the plaque and kind words from Baldwin Wallace coach Tom Heil with grace and gratitude. And then, as is Moran's habit, he watched his team win.
"One thing about our conference -- we have a great camaraderie," Moran said after John Carroll's 75-67 victory, its 12th win in its last 13 games. "And it's very competitive.
"(Being recognized) means a lot to me. It truly does. It's nice. I don't know what to say."
Guard-foward Matthew Csuhran hit five 3-point shots and finished with 19 points as the Blue Streaks improved to 15-6. They're 12-3 in the OAC. Marietta and Ohio Northern have 13-2 conference records.
Point guard David Linane and guard Ryan Berger scored 15 points each for John Carroll, and forward Doug Caputo totaled 11 points and eight rebounds.
Moran, who began coaching soon after his graduation from Xavier University in 1973, is in his 25th season at John Carroll. His teams have a 466-231 record and have earned NCAA Division III national tournament bids 12 times. The Blue Streaks advanced to the Final Four in 2004. Moran coached Villa Angela-St. Joseph to two state championships in his 11 seasons at the Cleveland high school. He plans to stay on as John Carroll's golf coach.
The Blue Streaks played one of their better defensive games of the season, as their man-to-man defense held the Yellow Jackets to 32 percent shooting.
"We were delighted," Moran said. "We came in at halftime and had given up only 28 points. We're getting better at that. They're tough. Tommy Heil does a great job. You see how hard they play."
Guard Jay Battle scored 16 points and made all four of his 3-point shots for Baldwin Wallace (10-12, 5-10), but his teammates were 7-of-38 from long distance. Forward Mike Kaminski netted 12 points.
"Coach Moran does a great job," Heil said. "Their identity is that they play so hard ... how hard they defend, how hard they go to the glass.
"We're capable of shooting it in, but whether it was their defensive intensity or us rushing it a little, we struggled with it."
John Carroll led, 38-36, early in the second half, but went on a 20-7 run for a 58-43 lead with 7:30 left.
Caputo and forward Simon Kucharewicz, both working inside, scored seven and six points, respectively, during the rally and Csuhran canned a 3-pointer.
"What helped us is that we pushed the basketball," said Linane, one of the OAC's premier playmakers. "When we get a little relaxed, we don't play as well. Our game is to run, push it and shoot it."
-- MIKE PETICCA, Special to The Plain Dealer
The last time Tyronn Lue sat LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love from the same game, he called it a "forfeit" after the fact. It's about to happen again. Watch video
INDIANAPOLIS -- The last time Tyronn Lue sat LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love from the same game, he called it a "forfeit" after the fact.
Welp, prepare for forfeit no. 2 for the Cavs this season.
Lue said there was a "good possibility" that James, Irving, and Love would all sit Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Cleveland has won four straight and six of seven, and will play its third game in four nights Thursday.
The Cavs beat the Indiana Pacers 132-117 Wednesday night.
"When we're playing good like this guys might want to play so we'll see how they feel," Lue said.
Don't be fooled by that line, if you have tickets for the game or were looking forward to settling in for the 8 p.m. tip on TNT (what do you think Charles Barkley will have to say about this?). Lue said "it's a good possibility, could be," when asked point blank if all three would sit together, and, "I'm not 100 percent sure right now."
James scored 25 points in 38 minutes. He hasn't missed a game since Dec. 26 at Detroit. Irving scored 29 points in 34 minutes and Love added 14 points and 10 boards in 34 minutes -- both have missed games recently because of minor injuries.
"We know what we got. We know what we're doing," James said. "If Coach Lue decides to sit us, that's fine. We'll be ready to go the next game if he decides to sit us."
After the Thunder, the Cavs' next game is at home against Denver Saturday night.
Lue and the Cavs were criticized nationally for sitting the Big 3 from the same game Dec. 14 in Memphis. James, Irving, and Love didn't even make the trip out of Cleveland.
The Cavs lost that night to the Grizzlies by eight. Lue apologized to aggrieved Memphis fans, but otherwise the Cavs' organization shrugged off the criticism. Its long-stated goal is to be healthy and ready for the playoffs, a regular-season game here or there be damned.
If Cleveland's Big 3 sits again, the Cavs will be without four starters against Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. Iman Shumpert (left ankle sprain) was already ruled out.
If so, the Cavs would have eight available players.
And the Thunder's last game was Monday.
Forfeit.
The Cleveland Monsters scored at the end of regulation then got an overtime goal from Jamie Sifers to defeat the Iowa Wild on Wednesday, 2-1.
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Jamie Sifers scored in overtime to lift the Cleveland Monsters to a 2-1 victory over the Iowa Wild in an American Hockey League game Wednesday in the Wells Fargo Arena.
The Monsters trailed the entire game and had been held scoreless for 11 periods over four games against Iowa before Dean Kukan broke the ice, scoring on a power-play with just 1:08 left in regulation and setting up overtime.
Sifer's goal followed just 1:45 into OT to give the Monsters the win and snap Iowa's franchise-record six-game winning streak. The Monsters are now 22-18-2-3, in fifth place in the AHL Central Division, while Iowa is 24-19-4-2, just ahead of the Monsters in fourth place.
Prior to Kukan's goal, the last time the Monsters scored vs. Iowa was in the first period of a 2-1 shootout loss on Dec. 16. Iowa blanked Cleveland in two consecutive games last weekend at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Wild had been idle since Saturday's 1-0 win over Cleveland, while the Monsters had a Tuesday night game in Milwaukee before traveling to Des Moines.
Iowa scored on a power play just 1:18 into the game, Zack Mitchell scoring with Dillon Heatherington off for tripping.
Brad Thiessen stopped 17 of 18 shots to improve to 1-3-1, while Iowa's Alex Stalock stopped 32 of 34 shots. Cleveland had a 33-17 advantage in shots during regulation and each team had one shot in overtime.
Recall: The Columbus Blue Jackets recalled right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand for the third time this season Wednesday, this time on an emergency basis. Bjorkstrand currently leads the Monsters with 14 goals this season and ranks tied for third on the team with 23 points in 35 games. He had two goals in Tuesday's 4-1 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals. In five appearances for Columbus this season, Bjorkstrand has one assist.
Up next: The Monsters return to Quicken Loans Arena this weekend to face the Manitoba Moose on Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. ... The Monsters begin a seven-game road swing on Feb. 15 at the Rockford IceHogs.
Former Knicks star Charles Oakley was escorted from his seats at Madison Square Garden and arrested after an altercation near team owner James Dolan.
NEW YORK -- Former Knicks star Charles Oakley was escorted from his seats at Madison Square Garden and arrested after an altercation near team owner James Dolan.
Oakley shoved security guards before they pulled him away from his seat behind the baseline during the first quarter of the Knicks' game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. Fans chanted "Oakley! Oakley!" in support of the popular power forward.
The 53-year-old Oakley played for the Knicks from 1988-98, helping them reach the NBA Finals, but has a poor relationship with the team because of his criticisms of Dolan, the Madison Square Garden chairman.
"Charles Oakley came to the game tonight and behaved in a highly inappropriate and completely abusive manner," the Knicks wrote in a statement on Twitter. "He has been ejected and is currently being arrested by the New York City Police Department. He was a great Knick and we hope he gets some help soon."
-- NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) February 9, 2017
Security was called to Oakley's seat after he was shouting at Dolan, sitting not far ahead in his usual seat in the first row behind the baseline. Oakley shoved one security official in the face, though neither he nor any other arena staff threw any punches or pushed Oakley back.
Charles Oakley was arrested at MSG following this altercation with security staff. https://t.co/GchTbhHHmT
-- Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 9, 2017
[?] : Ian Schafer (@ianschafer) pic.twitter.com/2RO0pvuS6a
The 6-foot-8 Oakley was a rugged enforcer playing alongside Patrick Ewing on the Knicks teams of the 1990s and has kept his tough-guy persona long after retirement, trading barbs with former rival Charles Barkley recently.
It happened Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers, as he buried a season-high eight 3-pointers en route to a 29-point night.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers -- and Kyle Korver -- had been waiting for that breakout game.
It happened Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers, as Korver buried a season-high eight 3-pointers en route to a 29-point night.
"I feel like I should have been shooting it better the last couple of weeks," he told reporters after the game.
Since arriving in a midseason deal, the sharpshooter has shown flashes of getting comfortable in the new system, entering the night making around 43 percent of his 3-pointers. But this was a different kind of show, launching and making from all over the court, whether he was defended well or not.
You can watch the highlights below, courtesy of the NBA's official Twitter handle.
All 8 of Kyle Korver's three-pointers, his most in a game since 2007!#DefendTheLand pic.twitter.com/FUscysxgay
-- NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2017
Following the game, Tristan Thompson congratulated Korver on his special night.
Congrats @KyleKorver aka White Lightning on becoming 7th all time in made 3's!!!!! [?] [?] [?]
-- Tristan Thompson (@RealTristan13) February 9, 2017
Here's what fans wanted to know following the Cavs' 132-117 win over the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night. Watch video
INDIANAPOLIS -- Here's what fans wanted to know following the Cavs' 132-117 win over the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night:
Also see:
LeBron, Korver lead way over Pacers.
Big 3 all may sit against OKC.
LeBron opposes Trump Muslim ban.
Adam Miller, Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor and Roberto Perez lead the Indians' 11-man party to World Baseball Classic in March. Watch video
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Like it or not, the World Baseball Classic is coming and the Indians are going to be well represented.
MLB announced the rosters Wednesday night of the 16 teams competing in the tournament that is played every four years. The Indians have 11 players scheduled to play.
Super reliever Andrew Miller will pitch for Team USA, managed by Jim Leyland. All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor, catcher Roberto Perez and right-hander Joe Colon are on Puerto Rico's roster. First baseman-DH Carlos Santana will play for the Dominican Republic, the defending champion. Third baseman Giovanny Urshela is on Columbia's roster. First baseman Chris Colabello, a minor league invitee, will play for Italy along with minor league lefty Luis Lugo. Infielder Tyler Krieger, a fourth round pick in 2015, is on Israel's roster.
Right-handers Ping-Hsueh Chen and Shao-Ching Chiang will pitch for Chinese Taipei. Former Tribe lefty Bruce Chen, the team's director of cultural development, is on China's roster.
The WBC starts on March 6 with Israel playing South Korea in Seoul. The championship game will be played March 22 at Dodger Stadium.
Lindor is excited about representing his country in the WBC.
"It's an honor, a blessing," said Lindor at TribeFest. "I can't wait to wear my Puerto Rican jersey. I'm proud of my country. I want to represent it everywhere I go. That's the reason I pay - for Puerto Rico, for Cleveland for my family."
Puerto Rico has three big-league shortstops on its roster - Lindor, Houston's Carlos Correa and Javier Baez, who played second base for the Cubs last year. Lindor just smiled when asked who would play shortstop.
Perez will back up Yadier Molina, one of the best catchers in the big leagues. He's been working out with Molina this winter.
"It's an honor to be play for Puerto Rico and get to play with one of the best catchers in baseball," said Perez. "We have a lot of great catchers in Puerto Rico so to get selected to play is exciting."
Miller made 80 appearances and pitched a combined 83 2/3 innings last year in the regular and postseason. So the WBC presents an injury concern for the Indians because pitchers will be pitching in stressful situations earlier than usual.
Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, said steps have been taken to "ramp up' Miller and the other WBC participants earlier than normal so they're ready for the tournament.
WBC rules, with an eye toward protecting pitchers, allow each team to carry a designated pool of 10 pitchers. Two of those pitchers must be active for each round. Colon, who pitched for the Indians last year, is a designated pitcher for Puerto Rico. Those two pitchers can be replaced if a team advances to the next round.
Team USA starts pool play on March 9 at Marlins Park in Miami. Canada, the Dominican Republic and Colombia are in their pool. The Dominican, which won the WBC in 2013, returns nine players from that team including Santana. Last year he set career highs in homers and RBI.
Former Tribe catcher Tony Pena will manage the Dominican. Omar Vizquel, another former Indians player, will manage Venezuela. Edwin Rodriguez, the Tribe's Class A Mahoning Valley manager last season, will manage Puerto Rico.
The Cavs (36-15) play the Oklahoma City Thunder (30-23) on the final night of Cleveland's four-game road trip. This one's at 8 p.m. on TNT. Watch video
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Cavs (36-15) play the Oklahoma City Thunder (30-23) on the final night of Cleveland's four-game road trip. This one's at 8 p.m. on TNT.
Last meeting: The Cavs won 107-91 on Jan. 29 at The Q.
Cavs fast fact: None of the Big 3 may play tonight, but we couldn't rightfully decide who would start for Kevin Love or Kyrie Irving.
Cavs injuries: Iman Shumpert (sprained left ankle), J.R. Smith (right thumb surgery), Chris Andersen (torn right ACL) are out.
Thunder fast fact: Russell Westbrook's triple-double in the last game against Cleveland (20 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) was his first against the Cavs.
Thunder injuries: Enes Kanter is (fractured right ulna) is out.
Probable starters
Cavs
F Richard Jefferson (5.3 ppg; 2.4 rpg; .9 apg)
F Kevin Love (20.2 ppg, 11.1 rpg; 1.9 apg)
C Tristan Thompson (7.9 ppg; 9.6 rpg; .8 apg)
G DeAndre Liggins (2.9 ppg; 1.6 rpg; 1.0 apg)
G Kyrie Irving (24.3 ppg; 3.2 rpg; 5.9 apg)
Thunder
F Andre Roberson (6.6 ppg; 5.1 rpg; 1.0 apg)
F Domantas Sabonis (6.0 pp; 3.7 rpg; 1.1 apg)
C Steve Adams (12.1 ppg; 7.9 rpg; 1.2 apg)
G Victor Oladipo (16.0 ppg; 4.4 rpg; 2.5 apg)
G Russell Westbrook (30.9 ppg; 10.5 rpg; 10.2 apg)From UConn to Texas and many familiar names in between, don't expect to see any of them in the upcoming 2017 NCAA Tournament. Watch video
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It is amazing how many of the familiar names in college basketball, brand names, have no shot at making the 2017 NCAA Tournament, short of winning their respective league tournaments.
The most notable on the list are two teams that began this season in the Associated Press Top 25 poll -- UConn and Texas. Both are under .500 on the season, although UConn shows signs of climbing.
The list does not stop there.
A close look at the conference standings reveals the majority of brand names lack one main ingredient. Over the last few seasons the NCAA has legislated, through its offensively dominated rule changes, the necessity for having a team full of perimeter shooters. Most of these programs have traditionally been known for size and athleticism. The times have caught up with most of them.
Indeed, the majority of these programs familiar for being annual fixtures in the NCAA Tournament field are just around, or under .500 on the season. Stanford, Arkansas, LSU, Tennessee, Temple, Pitt, Clemson, Georgetown, Ohio State, Michigan and Oklahoma are all struggling. Just last season Oklahoma had the Player of the Year in Buddy Hield and Michigan had several long rifles.
Not now, and it shows. The only exceptions to the rule, in the AP Top 25, would be West Virginia and Cincinnati.
Last season, Oklahoma and Texas combined to win 46 games. So far this season they total 18. Georgetown, UConn, Temple, LSU, Arkansas and others have almost always been identified with athleticism and muscle when it comes to basketball. But that does not win games anymore.
And there are other teams on the bubble. Michigan State will probably get in the NCAA Tournament, but the Spartans are far from a lock right now. The same can be said for Duke. Traditionally, both programs would be playing for high seeds at this point in the season, not just for a tournament berth.
It's a sign of the times worth watching.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were looking for depth behind LeBron James, and that led to the signing of Derrick Williams.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles in my Cleveland Cavaliers notebook about the signing of Derrick Williams:
1. The signing of Derrick Williams gives the Cavs a chance to add a veteran player for up to 20 days. They can give him two 10-day contracts before deciding if they want to keep him for the rest of the season. In the meantime, they can see if they like anyone better via trade. The trade deadline is February 23.
2. The 6-foot-8 Williams was the No. 2 pick in the 2011 draft. Former Cavs general manager Chris Grant picked Kyrie Irving over Williams. Talk about a franchise-changing decision. I wrote at length about that draft in my book, THE COMEBACK. Grant was sold on Irving, but there was a lot of debate around the NBA about Williams being the better player.
3. Williams has struggled finding a position. He is something between a small forward and power forward. Nor does he have one tremendous skill. The Cavs think he can be a decent role player as a backup to LeBron James -- an option to help give James more time off. Also, the Cavs worry about playing 36-year-old Richard Jefferson too much.
4. Williams signed a $4.6 million deal with Miami. He was averaging 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15 minutes a game. But he dropped out of the Heat rotation, and had played only 16 minutes in the last 10 games. The Heat tried to trade him, but found no takers. So he was cut, and the Cavs offered him a 10-day contract.
5. Williams is only 25. The Cavs are his fifth team in six years. He was shooting only .394 from the field this season, .200 from 3-point range. He started 11 games, averaging 6.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 17 minutes for the Heat. He was not playing well.
6. Last season, he had a decent year with New York, averaging 9.3 points (shooting .450) and 3.7 rebounds in 18 minutes a game. The Cavs want to see if he can fit into their team and play like he did for the Knicks in 2015-16.
7. It's a 10-day contract. I would have preferred Lance Stephenson to Williams, but I'm told the Cavs preferred Williams. Stephenson recently signed a 10-day contract with Minnesota. He had worked out for the Cavs last week.
8. Meanwhile, general manager David Griffin is continuing to shop for a backup point guard or anyone else who can help. It's obvious the deal for Kyle Korver is now paying off as Korver has adapted to the Cavs. Korver is averaging 10.6 points and shooting 48 percent both from the field and on 3-pointers in 15 games with the Cavs. He had 29 points in Wednesday's victory over the Indianapolis Pacers, tying his career high with eight 3-pointers and dishing out seven assists.
Ohio State will play its 2017 spring game on Saturday, April 15 at Ohio Stadium.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State announced on Thursday the time, and ticket info for its 2017 spring game at Ohio Stadium.
The Buckeyes will conclude spring practice with a scrimmage in Ohio Stadium on Saturday, April 15. The game will kickoff at 12:30 p.m. General admission tickets will cost $5, and go on sale Friday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m.
Fans can purchase tickets for the 2017 spring game here. You can also get tickets in person at the OSU Athletics ticket office, or by calling 1-800-GOBUCKS.
There will also be a limited number of club seats available for $15.
Parking for the game is free.
Children under the age of 6 get into general admission areas for free, as do Ohio State students with an OSU ID.
Last year, 100,189 fans attended Ohio State's spring game.
The Buckeyes will open 2017 spring drills on Tuesday, March 7.
Take a look back at some of Charles Oakley's most infamous NBA fights
At least three Patriots players are declining an invitation to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl win.
At least three Patriots players are declining an invitation to the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl LI win. Defensive back Devin McCourty told TIME he's not going because "I don't feel accepted in the White House." Trump's supporters are criticizing McCourty and others for being unpatriotic and disrespectful to the office of the President. What do you think?
PERSPECTIVES
Three players from the Patriots have publicly stated they will not be visiting the White House with their team.
The Pro Bowl linebacker Dont'a Hightower became the latest to bow out when he told ESPN on Wednesday, "Been there, done that," having visited with a championship Alabama team.
Tight end Martellus Bennett told reporters after the Super Bowl that he would not go: "It is what it is," he said. "People know how I feel about it. Just follow me on Twitter." The outspoken Bennett had joked that he might move to outer space after Donald J. Trump was elected.
The Pro Bowl safety Devin McCourty, a team captain, told Time magazine: "Basic reason for me is I don't feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices, I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't."
This isn't the first time that an athlete has skipped a visit to the White House. In fact, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady skipped meeting Obama back in 2015.
So the 6-foot-6, 275-pound tight end who moonlights as an offseason author won't go visit Trump because he doesn't need to. Bennett and McCourty follow in the footsteps of a long line of athletes of many shades and political affiliations. The narrative of this era suggests that Bennett and McCourty, both African-American, be compared to Trump BFF Tom Brady, who passed on Barack Obama's invite after he'd won his fourth Super Bowl in 2015, citing something "personal," which apparently meant working out in Foxborough and hanging out at an Apple Store.
The fact is that it's the player's choice, and in the past, people were not so widely criticized for skipping out on meeting the President -- Obama or others.
This is Donald Trump's presidential term, yes, but this is not a nation under autocracy and, as nightmarish as things may seem, it is not solely Trump's America. Bennett and teammate Devin McCourty, Americans who have issues with Trump, can do as they please, with no need to fulfill some overrated obligation to hang out on Pennsylvania Ave. McCourty even told Time Magazine that he wouldn't feel "accepted" at the White House.
Trump's supporters are up in arms over the fact that the players aren't going. They see this as the players injecting their personal politics into sports and it's just disrespectful.
@FoxNewsInsider @Patriots @WhiteHouse Act like immature babies. Why did you all capitulate to the horrible Obama who abandoned Chicago?
-- CelesteExDem, FNP-BC (@CelesteMontoy19) February 7, 2017
To the left, nothing is outside of politics--the media is now pressuring New England Patriots not to attend a Trump White House reception
-- Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) February 8, 2017
two new england patriots will not visiting the white house it is a honor to meeting the president no matter who it is
-- Colby Crider (@CriderColby) February 8, 2017
It's disrespectful these patriots that won the Super Bowl are saying they won't even go to the White House. Absolutely disrespectful
-- Garrett Vanderford (@TheRealVandy14) February 7, 2017
@MartysaurusRex not going to the White House is disrespectful. You represent the Patriots, not your personal views.
-- Joseph (@_4GodAndCountry) February 7, 2017
#respect Two New England Patriots say they will refuse Trump's White House invite https://t.co/46BmFF1Uo7
-- Mariana Cabral (@aminhabola) February 8, 2017
@CNNPolitics Flash back 2 years ago... no one seemed to care https://t.co/g3gGfhMfNB
-- Grueny (@grueny21) February 8, 2017
@CNNPolitics These guys did their job to win the Superbowl. They are off the clock now and have a right to honor their own principles.
-- Susan MacDonald (@SUMAC2016) February 8, 2017
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