Mitch Trubisky started only 13 games at North Carolina. Will he fizzle in the NFL like the inexperienced Mark Sanchez did? These and other questions answered in Hey, Mary Kay! Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Hey, Mary Kay!

Hey, Mary Kay: When I look at Mitch Trubisky, I wonder if you are getting Mark Sanchez. Looks the part, good in a limited number of starts, failure in the NFL. -- Tim, Alexandria, Va.

Hey, Tim:  I'm also concerned about only 13 starts at North Carolina, but I just talked to one high-level NFL personnel executive this week who believes the Browns would be smart to draft Trubisky No. 1 overall and that he's got more upside potential than Carson Wentz. If the Browns see it that way, they'll take him No. 1. He won't last until No. 12, so if they want him, they'll have to grab him. In that scenario, they'd want a veteran who could start games until he's ready.   

Hey, Mary Kay: What do you make of Myles Garrett saying he wants the Cowboys to trade up with the Browns and take him at No. 1?  -- Ben Jones, Macon, Ga.

Hey, Ben: Garrett said Saturday night that the video "was supposed to be a joke,'' but he's still a player from a big-time football school speaking directly into an ESPN camera. In all of the drafts I've covered, I never remember a top prospect directly asking to be traded away from the team picking first -- in jest or not. I also think this is different than him saying he wants to play for his hometown team, like Trubisky did.

Garrett had already stated that he doesn't want to play for a cold-weather team, so that's two strikes against him. But from everything I've gathered, I don't believe the Browns were poised to hand in the card with his name on it anyway. Maybe that will change with new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams on board, but this won't be the dealbreaker if they go in another direction.

Hey Mary Kay: With all this talk about QBs and defensive ends in the first round, why is there no talk of offensive linemen? Who would you say has been the Browns' best 1st round pick since 1999? Joe Thomas? What would you say is the biggest difference between the Browns and the Dallas Cowboys? Can you name a season that the Browns did not have an injured QB? Yes, if everyone comes back healthy, we will have a good offensive line but don't you think the Browns need quality depth to protect a QB, sustain a running game and keep the defense on the sidelines? If you were a QB would you want to come to the graveyard of QBs? -- Rusty Meyers, Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina

Hey, Rusty: I do think the Browns need to bolster the offensive line, but I don't think they should use either of their first two picks on an O-lineman. I think the line will be okay if Joel Bitonio and John Greco return from their foot surgeries, if Cam Erving works out at right tackle and if the Browns can groom or find a good center. I think they should use one or both of their first-round picks on a quarterback or a good pass-rusher such as Alabama's Jonathan Allen.

Hey, Mary Kay: Why not offer the Patriots the second-round pick and Josh Gordon for Jimmy Garappolo? Josh needs a change of scenery, Bill Belichick has proven track record with helping troubled players, and Tom Brady wouldn't mind throwing to the second coming of Randy Moss. -- Brad Norton, Westlake, Ohio

Hey, Brad: Josh is currently out of the NFL while serving an indefinite suspension for violating the substance abuse policy again. The Browns still have his rights, but he's technically not in the league right now. He must go through the reinstatement process and appeal to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who probably won't be in any hurry considering his chief concern is another relapse. But Gordon went to rehab this time, which should count for something. It would be a shame to see all of that talent go to waste. I would trade the No. 12 pick to New England for Garoppolo, and more if necessary.

MLB and the Players Association are considering ways to make a baseball game go faster. One consideration is to make the intentional walk automatic. It makes sense, but it would also be changing the game because a lot can happen while those four supposedly unhittable pitches are being thrown. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The free pass. The intentional walk. Four wide pitches signaled from the dugout to put a dangerous batter on base rather than pitch to him in a pressure situation.

How long does it take to lob four pitches from the mound to the catcher standing off the plate? Forty seconds, 50 seconds, maybe a little longer?

MLB and the Players Association are considering a number of proposals to make the game go faster. Letting a team automatically declare an intentional walk is one of them.

It is a cosmetic move. One that would have negligible affect on the pace of play. But it would be easy to install, a foot in the door for other changes such as raising the strike zone.

One question. If this happens, how will Bryan Shaw be remembered?

If the original intentional walk is pushed into the dustbin of history before the start of this season, Shaw will be the last big league pitcher to issue an old-school intentional walk. It happened in the 10^th inning of Game 7 of the World Series. In fact, Shaw issued not one, but two intentional walks in that inning in which the Cubs scored twice to win their first World Series since 1908.

Do you think Cubs and Indians fans were worried about the pace of play in that particular inning? Do you think anyone was complaining that the game, which clocked in a 4 hours and 28 minutes, was dragging a bit?

Did anyone in Chicago or Cleveland turn off their high definition, wide screen TVs and call it a night because it was boring to watch Shaw throw four balls to Anthony Rizzo with one out, pinch-runner Albert Almora on second base and the score tied, 6-6? Ben Zobrist followed with a double just past a diving Jose Ramirez at third for a 7-6 lead.

One more time manager Terry Francona called for an intentional walk from Shaw with Rizzo on third, Zobrist on second and first base open. Shaw walked Addison Russell to set up a double play at any base, but catcher Miguel Montero singled for a 8-6 lead in what proved to be the winning run.

Is it unfair to pick the last inning of the seventh game of the World Series to point out the drip-by-drip drama that would be lost without MLB's original version of the intentional walk? Sure it is.

But during the long regular season, the intentional walk, from time to time, has put a jolt in the game. Here are a couple of moments from Indians' history.

In 1993 catcher Lance Parrish was nearing the end of a successful career that saw him go to eight All-Star Games and win three Gold Gloves. The Indians signed him after the Dodgers had released him.

In the ninth inning of 6-6 game against the Twins at the Metrodome on July 28, Parrish entered the game at catcher. There were no outs, runners on second and third and Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett was at the plate. Eric Plunk was in the process of intentionally walking Puckett when one of his pitches glanced off Parrish's glove as Chuck Knoblauch scored the winning run from third.

Parrish, charged with a passed ball, was released two days later.

On July 26, 1995, Chili Davis of the Angels hit a grand slam off the Tribe's Dennis Martinez to ruin El Presidente's 9-0 start to the season. In Davis next at-bat, Martinez went to a full count. Catcher Tony Pena stepped out from behind the plate and called for an intentional walk with first base open.

Davis relaxed and Pena slipped behind the plate as Martinez threw a strike right down the middle to retire him. That kind of stuff isn't going to happen when a team can just automatically wave a hitter to first base.

It's hard to mess with the perfect game. From Ty Cobb in 1907 to Miguel Cabrera in 2006 and Gary Sanchez last year, hitters have been swinging during intentional walks and doing damage. To take that surprise element away - not to mention the trickery of Martinez and Pena and the frustration of Plunk and Parrish - is to hurt the game.

Urban Meyer is only a few weeks removed from assembling the best-rated class in Ohio State football history, but now the Buckeyes are completely engaged in trying to do it again in 350-some days.

Wooster College basketball coach Steve Moore now ranks No. 2 all-time in Division III coaching victories.

WOOSTER, Ohio -- There are times when Steve Moore seems to be auditioning to be the nicest, most boring man in the world.

It's usually when you first meet the Wooster College basketball coach.

You wonder, "This is the guy who just won his 700th game at Wooster, a guy with the second-most victories (795) in the history of Division III basketball?"

Moore looks like someone you'd expect to live next door to Mr. Rogers in his neighborhood.

"You need to see him in the gym," said Dan Fanelly, a senior from Green High School, and Wooster's leading scorer averaging 18 points per game.

Fanelly began telling stories.

Like the time Moore didn't think his team was playing tough enough defense during practice. The Scots had a drill where players worked on taking charges.

"Coach jumped right in and took," said Fanelly.

And went splat on the court.

"Right there," said Doug Cline, the Wooster assistant coach, pointing to a corner of the gym.

That's where Moore wanted to demonstrate how his team needed to hit the court to grab a loose ball. Instead, he crashed into a wall. He was a bit shaken up, but nothing much hurt, except possibly his pride.

It could have been worse.

"Several years ago, I tried to show them how to go for a loose ball," said Moore. "I swore I broke my arm."

He said it in the tone of voice of a man who would be describing how he stopped at the store on the way home for bread and milk.

PASSION, FIRE AND DECENCY

"On the court, he is so passionate," said Spencer Williams from Orange High, a 15-point scorer for the Scots.

A junior, Williams recalled a game where Moore was so upset at the half that he threw his jacket and kicked a trash can.

"The assistant coaches ducked," said Williams, laughing.

Moore almost never swears. He doesn't attack his players personally. He is not a junior version of Bob Knight, another coach with Wayne County roots.

He just wants the game played the right way.

"He is one of the all-time great coaches and we know that," said Fanelly. "When you talk to him, he's one of the most humble people you ever meet. He is a very kind man, just a good person."

That's what you discover after spending some time with Moore -- his inherent decency.

His anger will flare. The temperature in the room or the practice gym can soar. But he does it in a way that doesn't belittle his players.

In a recent game at Oberlin, Moore went into a defensive stance, his eyes wide, moving his feet, sweating and demanding his guys "play with fire."

He was wearing a suit at the time.

"I love playing for him," said Williams.

On a whiteboard in the Wooster dressing room, this was written: IF YOU GO FAST, YOU GO ALONE ... IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR, GO TOGETHER.

That's how he coaches.

FINAL SCORE: 15-6

Moore is 64 years old. He began his college coaching career before there was a shot clock, before the 3-point shot.

In his rookie season as a head college coach (1981-82), Moore's Muhlenberg Mules were playing a far more talented Dickinson College team.

Dickinson played a tight zone. Moore wanted to bring them out to play man-to-man. So he ordered his players to hold the ball.

The Mules stubbornly stood outside the zone, passing the ball around.

Dickinson stayed in the zone. Right before the half, a Muhlenberg player fired a shot and made it.

Muhlenberg had a 2-0 lead at half. It was 6-4 late in the game before Dickinson finally won, 15-6. That game set several Division III records for fewest points and shots in a game. They will probably stand forever unless the shot clock disappears.

"We had try something," said Moore. "They had drilled us by 30-some points earlier."

Actually, the final score was 77-53, but the game wasn't even that close.

This year's Wooster team is averaging 85 points per game. In 2005-06, the Scots scored 98.2 points a game.

"Coach adapts to his talent," said Cline.

30 YEARS AT WOOSTER

Moore has spent three decades at Wooster, winning everything except a Division III national title.

He has been to the Division III Final Four three times, losing in the 2011 Finals.

Last season, his Scots were 24-8 and went to the Elite Eight of Division III.

Moore has never had a losing season at Wooster. His team has the highest winning percentage (.838) since 2000 in all of college basketball, any NCAA division.

This season, his Scots are 16-6 overall, 13-2 in the North Coast Athletic Conference. They have won 10 in a row.

Once he arrived in Wooster in 1987, Moore said he's never thought about coaching anywhere else.

Assistant coach Bruce Martin has been with Moore for 23 seasons. Cline played four years for Moore and has been an assistant for 21 seasons.

Cline has turned down Division III head coaching jobs to stay with Moore and at Wooster.

This school, this level of basketball has a hold on these coaches.

WHY HE STAYS

"I like Division III because you coach some exceptional young men," Moore said. "Wooster is a special place. There's great community support. I've been able to coach so many good players and people."

Moore has not had any real interest in coaching at the Division I level. He knows that Division III is non-scholarship. He and his assistant coaches worked with some others to renovate the locker rooms several years ago.

"We did grunt work putting in the new wooden lockers," he said.

Moore's office is cramped, and has pictures drawn by his grandchildren above his desk. It's not a place designed to impress recruits or their parents.

It's pure, no-frills basketball. He's in no rush to retire.

"I still get the butterflies before games," he said. "I still don't sleep much after we lose. I still enjoy the players."

The only Division III coach with more victories than Moore (795) is Franklin & Marshall's Glenn Robinson (927).

"He's still coaching," said Moore. "I coached against him when I was at Muhlenberg."

Robinson is 72 years old. He has been Franklin & Marshall's head coach since 1971 and has a 15-6 record this season.

Moore is not thinking about history, just coaching.

"I want to keep impacting the lives of my players," he said. "At this level, that's really your job."

Charles Barkley takes bigger hit in two-week old feud with Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For about two weeks now, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Charles Barkley of TNT have been trading verbal barbs.

It started with Charles calling LeBron whiny after LeBron made several comments about the needs of the Cavaliers' roster. LeBron responded by pointing out several of Charles's misadventures over the years.

There seem to be two camps of thought on the feud. In one camp are Barkley's supporters, who think he was doing his job as a talking head.

In the other camp are the LeBron supporters, led by other NBA players who believe Charles has spoken out of turn for too long and deserves some verbal payback.

Crowquill, by Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow, appears three times a week on cleveland.com.

They survived for so long and weathered so much and came so close that their clubhouse had been prepped for a champagne bash of unparalleled proportions. If there's a team on the hunt for a second chance, it's this one. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nick Swisher was three years ahead of his time.

The oft-animated, oft-injured outfielder handed out red T-shirts in the Indians' clubhouse upon arrival to Goodyear, Arizona for spring training in 2014. The tops read "Unfinished Business," a slogan representing the club's hunger after a brief, three-hour postseason cameo (by the league's standards, not Kenny Lofton's) the October prior.

That same theme seems to fit the 2017 Indians to a tee, though maybe not on a T. They participated in 176 games last year (and 30 spring exhibition affairs). They played into the 11th month of the calendar for the first time in the team's 116-year history.

They survived for so long and weathered so much and came so close that their clubhouse had been prepped for a champagne bash of unparalleled proportions.

In the end, after the Indians' 1,616th inning of the season, the plastic sheets came down. The championship decals were removed. Their 3-1 World Series lead quickly faded as the Cubs stormed back to capture their first title in more than a century on Cleveland's home turf.

For the players, the pain was tangible. The dream was right in front of their eyes, playing out for the wrong team in blue, on the infield, in the rain.

Minutes after the rubble was cleared away, Cody Allen spoke about wanting to jet off to Goodyear to start anew. At Tribe Fest, Francisco Lindor said he'd let reporters know if and when he ever gets over the final act of his first experience on the grand stage.

If there's a team on the hunt for a second chance, it's this one.

Sunday's sunrise signals the dawn of that fresh opportunity. Pitchers and catchers are technically scheduled to arrive at the team's complex in Goodyear, but much of the roster reported much earlier. Edwin Encarnacion, Terry Francona's shiny new toy, said he'll appear on Wednesday, a day before the scheduled report date for position players.

They'll all spend about seven weeks beneath the blue Arizona sky, as each player, coach and fan counts down the minutes until Opening Day.

This doesn't seem to be a team content with last year's feats, especially after it watched its 3-1 advantage evaporate. It helps that the front office didn't stand pat over the winter, with Encarnacion, Boone Logan and Austin Jackson joining the fold.

The financial stamp of approval from ownership can go a long way, too. At last, the Indians are flirting with the middle of the pack in payroll, rather than near the bottom, where they tried to convert a few coins into a silver and gold trophy.

Dolan, on spending: 'There's no better time than now'

There are no longer any secrets, no sneaking up on the competition. When Andrew Miller enters in the sixth inning, there will be less jaw-dropping and head-scratching. When Ryan Merritt takes the mound, there will be less name-learning and breath-holding.

Only one objective remains, and though it's a tall task and a long journey, the Indians have at least familiarized themselves with the path that can take them there.

The 2014 Indians barely sniffed postseason contention. They made a last-gasp attempt at a wild card berth in September, but it wasn't to be taken seriously. Swisher's T-shirts had a short shelf life.

This group figures to have more staying power. The Indians' work toward a brighter finish begins now, in the desert, under the sun.

It's officially baseball season.

The 2017 OHSAA dual team state wrestling tournament is Sunday at Ohio State’s St. John Arena.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 2017 OHSAA dual team state wrestling tournament is Sunday at Ohio State’s St. John Arena. Get live updates from all three rounds right here in this post.

The Twitter window below will display updates from teams and media from Northeast Ohio and around the state competing at the fifth-year event.

Quarterfinal rounds are at 11 a.m. and 1:15 p.m., followed by semifinals 3:30 p.m. and finals 7:30 p.m.

Check back later for results and video highlights with reaction.

A Twitter List by mgoul

LeBron James is featured in a new Nike ad campaign for equality launching today with a 90-second commercial set to air tonight during the Grammys and again during next weekend's NBA All-Star game. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James is featured in a new Nike ad campaign for equality launching today with a 90-second commercial set to air tonight during the Grammys and again during next weekend's NBA All-Star game.

The central theme of the commercial -- which stars James but also features Kevin Durant, Serena Williams, actor Michael B. Jordan, and singer Alicia Keys -- is that the equality and fairness prevalent in major professional sports should transcend into broader society.

The voice over in the commercial says "if we can be equals here," referring to a basketball court, then James says "we can be equals everywhere."

Nike took out ads in major newspapers across the country. James' face stretches down the back of the Sunday Plain Dealer's sports section as part of the campaign.

Joe Vardon 

This is the latest advertising campaign laced with politics. There were several launched during the Super Bowl last week; apparent, thinly veiled criticisms of the Trump administration's immigration policies.

There is no mention of President Trump in the Nike ad, but a black woman wearing a Muslim hijab stares into the camera during a portion of the commercial.

James criticized Trump's attempted travel ban in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published last week. 

Nike 

Iman Shumpert (sprained left ankle) wants to play again before the All-Star break, but what's the rush?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Neither Iman Shumpert nor his coach proclaims to know if Shumpert will play again before the All-Star break.

But Shumpert is thrilled to know he should be OK for the games immediately following it, after spraining his left ankle so badly last week that he needed crutches and a walking boot to get out of Washington's Verizon Center.

"Probably the most swelling I've ever had on anything besides ACL and getting my knee drained," Shumpert told cleveland.com, before the Cavs beat Denver 125-109 on Saturday at The Q. It was Shumpert's third consecutive missed game. "When I saw it swell up like that, it wasn't a pretty situation. But the swelling went down pretty fast. So I've been gettin ready all day and all night, make sure that swelling gets out."

Shumpert, Cleveland's starting shooting guard since Jan. 13, is enjoying his finest season with the Cavs and among the best of his six-year career. He's averaging 7.8 points, and shooting career bests from the field (.428) and the 3-point line (.402).

Shumpert, who battled through the 2015 playoffs with a groin injury, said if this was the postseason "I would've played the next day" after the injury, which occurred Feb. 6. As it is, the Cavs play Tuesday in Minnesota and again Wednesday at The Q against Indiana, and then that's it until Feb. 23 when the season resumes after the All-Star break.

"I would love to play before the All-Star break," Shumpert said. "I'm not trying to sit out, but I'm also not going to lie to to myself, try to push through something when it's not completely healed. Just want to get through this next part of the season healthy."

If Shumpert doesn't play until Feb. 23, that would mean he's out until the trade deadline. The players who've filled in for Shumpert -- DeAndre Liggins and Jordan McRae -- are two players the Cavs could consider trading as they look to address vacancies on the bench at point guard and the post.

Remember, J.R. Smith is the Cavs' usual starter at shooting guard, but he broke his thumb Dec. 20. Liggins initially took over for Smith and struggled mightily on offense, then gave way to Shumpert.

Liggins couldn't play Thursday because a tooth problem, so the Cavs were down three shooting guards in a loss to the Thunder. Liggins was solid Saturday against the Nuggets, scoring nine points to go with five rebounds and five assists.

"I mean, he played well tonight," Lue said, almost begrudgingly, of Liggins. "He gave us a good lift playing 22 minutes with Shump and J.R. out. He came in and did a nice job for us."

Kevin Love will not play Tuesday because of a knee injury and next Sunday's All-Star game could be in jeopardy.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kevin Love will not play Tuesday against his old team in Minnesota and his All-Star status could be in jeopardy because of some left knee pain.

The Cavs announced Sunday that Love complained of soreness during their 125-109 win over the Nuggets Saturday night. He underwent an MRI Sunday. The team did not announce the results, but said Love would not play against the Timberwolves in Minnesota Tuesday night -- where he played for six seasons until the Cavs traded for him in 2014.

The Cavs said Love would undergo furth treatment and evaluation has necessary. So, stay tuned.

Love scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds Saturday. He battled food poisoning and a lower back injury in January, which cost him most of the seven games he's missed. He said the lower back issue was under control. The knee is a whole new thing.

The All-Star Game is in one week. Love, who is averaging 20 points and 11.1 rebounds, was selected as a reserve for the East.

This leaves the Cavs with just two big men for at least one game -- Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye. Coach Tyronn Lue could choose to start Frye next to Thompson, which is what he did when Love missed a home game against the T'Wolves on Feb. 1. Or he could consider going smaller with either James Jones, who's started for Love before, or newcomer Derrick Williams.

The Cavs practice Monday, where there could Ben plenty of updates. Iman Shumpert has missed the last three games with a sprained left ankle.

The Cleveland Monsters earned three of four possible points in two home games against the Manitoba Moose this weekend.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Center Dan DeSalvo scored in the fourth round of the shootout as the Manitoba Moose defeated the Cleveland Monsters, 2-1, Sunday afternoon in front of 11,494 at The Q.

The Monsters (23-18-2-4) had won three in a row. They did extend their point streak to five games. On Friday night at The Q, they defeated the Moose, 3-2, in a shootout that lasted four rounds.

Five of Cleveland's past seven games have been decided in overtime or shootout.

In Sunday's shootout, both teams scored in the first of three regulation rounds. Both teams missed in the second and third. After the Monsters missed in the fourth, DeSalvo snuck the puck inside the post past goalie Joonas Korpisalo.

Trailing, 1-0, the Monsters scored at 7:00 of the third period. Center Jordan Maletta fooled goalie Eric Comrie with a wraparound for his seventh. Credit Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jaime Sifers with the assists. The goal occurred after a Cleveland line change; Cleveland's top line had tired out the Moose and prevented its line change.

The Moose (19-23-3-3) opened the scoring midway through the first period. Winger Scott Kosmachuk's goal from the right point, assist Brandon Tanev, came on a power play that resulted from Jacob Graves' cross-check.

Manitoba finished the period 1-for-4 on the power play; the Monsters were 0-for-2.

At 9:47 of the second period, Monsters winger Brett Gallant received a match penalty for a check to the head. The Monsters, led by Korpisalo, bowed their necks and skated superbly on the protracted kill.

In regulation, the Monsters out-shot the Moose, 28-21.

In overtime, the Moose killed a penalty (too many men) for the final 1:56. The Monsters out-shot the Moose, 4-0, in OT.

The Monsters begin a seven-game trip Wednesday against Rockford.

Find out where Northeast Ohio boys high school basketball teams are seeded and placed for the upcoming OHSAA district tournaments.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — District boys basketball brackets were set Sunday around Ohio as coaches met to choose their slotting for the upcoming postseason.

Seeding was finalized Saturday based on coaches’ votes, which led to Sunday’s meetings at each district site for teams to choose their positioning on the bracket. The postseason begins Monday, Feb. 20 with sectional play.

Check back with cleveland.com this month for interactive brackets.

Look below for a sample of brackets shared Sunday on Twitter. Here are some takeaways from Sunday's finalized pairings.

TOUGHEST BRACKETS BY DIVISION

Division I Canton: A favorite to reach Columbus, Massillon Jackson, resides in this bracket. So does North Canton Hoover, which owns a 19-point win against St. Ignatius — the top-ranked team in the cleveland.com Top 25 and No. 1 seed in the Strongsville District. Oh then there’s unbeaten Copley and Wooster, plus Canton McKinley. A banner season in Stark County will be on display here.

Division II Stow: North Ridgeville also will be a grind with top-seeded Holy Name, Bay, Buckeye, Clearview and Padua. However, the Namers just lost by 22 points to Central Catholic. The Ironmen are the third seed at Stow, which is headed by Benedictine and Woodridge. The Stow District has three cleveland.com ranked teams as of last week.

Division III Garfield Heights: With the way Elyria Catholic is playing — 10 wins in its last 11 games — defending champion Villa Angela-St. Joseph will have challenges. The Vikings’ side of the bracket includes Beachwood, which VASJ upset in last year’s title game, plus MLK of the Senate League.

Division IV Orwell Grand Valley: This bracket includes defending state champion Cornerstone Christian, but it also has Warren JFK — once state-ranked — and Richmond Heights, which boasts 6-foot-9 E.J. Onu.

BEST SECTIONAL MATCHUPS

Revere at East Tech, Feb 28: Dean Rahas will take his ninth-seeded Minutemen, led by juniors Pete Nance and Samson Albert, into Cleveland to take on the fourth-seeded Senate League champions. This will be a sectional semifinal of the Division II Stow District.

North Olmsted at Berea-Midpark, March 1: With the way the Southwestern Conference race is going, two of its contenders are bound to meet up early — and perhaps often. Westlake travels to Avon Lake in another sectional of the Division I Elyria Catholic District.

North Ridgeville at Lorain, March 1: This Division I sectional semifinal is intriguing because it’s a rematch of last year’s district final at Elyria Catholic. Top-seeded Lorain opted for an extra home game instead of a first-round bye.

Clearview at Buckeye, March 3: This Division II North Ridgeville sectional final will pit two of the Patriot Athletic Conference’s top teams. The fourth-seeded Clippers face Oberlin this week in a game that should determine the PAC Stripes Division title. Third-seeded Buckeye is in charge of the Stars Division.

BRACKET SNAPSHOTS

Here are a look at some of the brackets, courtesy of coaches and administrators who tweeted or shared them. Click on links, where available, for OHSAA brackets.

Division I Alliance

Alliance DI bracket pic.twitter.com/VPuSdbzRsP

— ElletBoysBasketball (@ElletBoysbasket) February 12, 2017

Division I Strongsville

BK NEWS: The Wildcats draw the top seed in the Strongsville district of the OHSAA Division I Tournament, receive a first round bye #GoCats pic.twitter.com/BukonpsybT

— SIHS Sports (@SIHSSports) February 12, 2017

Division I Canton

Canton Division I sectional-district tournament bracket pic.twitter.com/wR9z1DtZLn

— Mike Popovich (@mpopovichREP) February 12, 2017

Division I Copley

Copley D1 draw. @medinahoops @jmackey22 @whsgrizzlies @medinaathletics @BHSGoBigBlue @AdamCestaro @HornetAthletic pic.twitter.com/o6BZg3AyGZ

— Todd Stumpf (@tstumpf22) February 12, 2017

Division I Elyria Catholic

pic.twitter.com/j5Rn7SEQDp

— Brett Larrick (@BrettLarrick) February 12, 2017

Division I Euclid

D1 Euclid bracket boys basketball pic.twitter.com/YRTHVmguK3

— Varsity Chalk Talk (@realchalktalk) February 12, 2017

Division I Solon

Tournament time let's go @mgoul @NEO_Spotlight pic.twitter.com/wcQ5jtuvLh

— Sonny Johnson (@sonnyjohnson32) February 12, 2017

Division II Canton

Canton Division II @OHSAASports boys basketball tournament draw pic.twitter.com/ZHrtzGt7bg

— Aaron Long (@CoachLong15) February 12, 2017

Division II Ashtabula Lakeside

D2 Lakeside District boys hoops pic.twitter.com/lCdGB7rTcB

— Varsity Chalk Talk (@realchalktalk) February 12, 2017

Division II North Ridgeville

Here we go #BYBK pic.twitter.com/bd7EWqh4pR

— Jared Shetzer (@BHSCoachShetz) February 12, 2017

Division II Stow

Tuesday February 28th the Bengals take on Ravenna in the sectional semi-final at home! pic.twitter.com/VtedPlcWLa

— BeneHoops (15-4) (@BeneHoops) February 12, 2017

Division III Garfield Heights

D3 Garfield Heights District pic.twitter.com/Bu30pEfD9x

— Varsity Chalk Talk (@realchalktalk) February 12, 2017

Division III Wooster

Here is the Wooster d3 bracket pic.twitter.com/loiAMzLEVK

— WellingtonBasketball (@DukesBasketball) February 12, 2017

Division IV Barberton

D4 Barberton District. ODCS travels to Central Christian 2/28. Winner faces #1 seed Lutheran East 3/3. @MJournalSports @ElyriaCTSports pic.twitter.com/tQxUeJvSys

— ODCS Patriots (@odcspatriots) February 12, 2017

Division IV Orwell Grand Valley

Time to #LevelUp pic.twitter.com/6QDnxFQ7Vx

— cca coach (@cca_coach) February 12, 2017

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Elyria's 31-27 loss to Massillon Perry in the semifinals of the OHSAA state wrestling dual team tournament means its focus shifts to the upcoming individual gauntlet.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – This was not how Elyria’s wrestlers wanted their season to end as a team.

The Pioneers’ 31-27 loss to Massillon Perry in the semifinals of the OHSAA state wrestling dual team tournament means their focus shifts to the upcoming individual gauntlet. The individual sectional tournament begins Monday, Feb. 20.

Elyria, Brecksville and St. Edward qualified for the Division I quarterfinals, which began Sunday morning at Ohio State’s St. John Arena in Columbus. Brecksville lost to Mason in the quarterfinals, 39-21. St. Edward reached the finals to take on Perry in pursuit of its third state team title in the team tournament’s five-year history.

Lake Catholic also reached Columbus in Division II, falling to St. Paris Graham Local in the semifinals.

Only one team from Northeast Ohio entered final session of the day, and that did not sit well with the Pioneers. They split their 14 semifinal matches with Perry, but the Panthers accumulated the necessary points to advance.

“They had to go through a lot to beat us,” Elyria senior 182-pounder J.T. Brown said. “I don’t think our team has felt this bad before. For me, it’s going to transfer into fuel for the next couple of weeks until state.”

Brown won his match, 17-7, against Perry’s Zach Blackiston.

Heavyweight Kevin Vough, who closed the Pioneers’ semifinal with a 9-0 major decision against Matt Carrick, left Ohio State on Sunday sure they can bring plenty back to Columbus. The individual state championships are March 9-11 at Schottenstein Center.

“It got away from us, but at the same time it’s not over yet,” Vough said. “We can put at least seven guys on that podium at states.”

As for Lake Catholic, four-time state champion St. Paris Graham posed a difficult challenge.

A greater challenge considering the Cougars were without key wrestlers Hunter Ryan (120-pound junior) and Collin Langer (152-pound senior). Both qualified for last year’s state tournament as individuals.

“It’s tough to beat St. Paris Graham,” Lake Catholic coach Eric Lakia said. “We’ve got to continue to get better at wrestling. We have positives from being top four in the state.”

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

St. Edward claimed its second straight OHSAA dual team tournament championship and third in five years Sunday with a 39-24 win against Massillon Perry at Ohio State’s St. John Arena.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – St. Edward has the best Division I wrestling team in the state yet again.

The Eagles claimed their second straight OHSAA dual team tournament championship and third in five years Sunday with a 39-24 win against Massillon Perry at Ohio State’s St. John Arena.

The top seed in the Division I tournament, St. Edward reeled off six straight wins to open the championship round. That run carried the Eagles before pins by 195-pounder Dakota Howard and 220-pound Jared Campbell denied Perry’s hopes of pulling an upset.

Campbell, a two-time state finalist, flexed his biceps following his pin of Perry’s Adam Luster just 48 seconds into their match.

“Being able to seal it off and put up No. 33 is a great feeling,” Campbell said of the pin. “Bringing it back for the team is even greater.”

St. Edward was one of three Division I programs from Northeast Ohio to reach the state dual championships, which began Sunday morning with the quarterfinals. Brecksville exited at that stage, and Elyria lost to sixth-seeded Perry in the semifinals.

The Panthers upended No. 3 Cincinnati La Salle before their upset of No. 2 Elyria. Perry made its run with two-time state champion David Carr at 152 pounds and heavyweight Matt Carrick, a football standout.

St. Edward coach Greg Urbas left impressed with his team’s final foe.

“I know that I don’t know. I know that’s why they have the tournament,” he said. “You have the wrestle.”

Three of Urbas’ lightweights to start the night did just that.

Sophomore and defending state champion Bryce Andonian scored a pin with two seconds left in the opening period of his 120-pound match. Junior Matt Kazimir and senior Alan Hart followed with pins to set St. Edward on its way to a state title.

“That switched the momentum big time,” Hart said. “They beat Elyria, which they weren’t supposed to, and we thought we were going to have to deal with Elyria. Us getting those three pins, that really set the ball rolling.”

St. Paris Graham Local won its fifth state championship in Division II, while Milan Edison took the Division III crown.

The OHSAA announced 1,469 people attended the finals and 3,777 viewed all three sessions.

Both are records.

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Final round results from Sunday’s OHSAA dual team wrestling tournament at Ohio State’s St. John Arena.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Final round results from Sunday’s OHSAA dual team wrestling tournament at Ohio State’s St. John Arena.

DIVISION I

St. Edward 39, Massillon Perry 24

106: Angelo Rini (SE) def. Gavin Sampsel, 5-1.

113: Bryce Hepner (SE) def. Kyle Gruber, 6-3.

120: Bryce Andonian (SE) pinned Stone Tausch, 1:58.

126: Matt Kazimir (SE) pinned Darese Sparkman, 0:38.

132: Alan Hart (SE) pinned Mason Carpenter, 0:46.

138: Sam Dover (SE) def. Gary Define, 3-1.

145: Malachi Strickland (MP) def. Cade Hepner, 7-4.

152: David Carr (MP) def. Larry Grapo, 21-6.

160: Joe Koontz (MP) def. Nico Russo, 15-0.

170: Emil Soehnlen (MP) def. Vittorio Santillo, 13-5.

182: Zach Blackiston (MP) def. Tyler Stepic, 10-6.

195: Dakota Howard (SE) pinned Jarin Curtis, 4:38.

220: Jared Campbell (SE) pinned Adam Luster, 0:48.

285: Matt Carrick (MP) def. Luca Santillo, 11-1.

Semifinal scores: St. Edward 35, Mason 24; Massillon Perry 31, Elyria 27.

Quarterfinal scores: St. Edward 57, Dublin Coffman 16; Mason 39, Brecksville 21; Massillon Perry 40, Cincinnati La Salle 21; Elyria 60, Westerville North 11.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS.

DIVISION II

St. Paris Graham Local 48, Wauseon 9

106: Tanner Jordan (GL) def. Gavin Ritter, 3-2.

113: Dawson Show (GL) def. McKayla Campbell, 6-0.

120: Jordan Crace (GL) def. Nolan Ray, 6-1.

126: Jeffrey Thomas (GL) def. Jarrett Bischoff, 3-2.

132: Mitch Moore (GL) def. Hunter Yackee, 6-1.

138: J.D. Stickley (GL) def. Mauricio Barajas, 17-2.

145: Sandro Ramirez (W) def. Joey Sanchez, 3-1.

152: Xavier Torres (W) pinned D’artangan Spitler, 1:46.

160: Ryan Thomas (GL) pinned Andrew Bailey, 1:49.

170: Hunter Hyden (GL) def. Trent Davis, 9-6.

182: Gage Braun (GL) def. Aaron Harris, 20-4.

195: Kavan Sarver (GL) def. Tony Banister, 3-1.

220: Johnny Shafer (GL) def. Samuel Sosa, 17-5.

285: Khrizdon Van (GL def. Alex Sosa, 5-2.

Semifinal scores: St. Paris Graham Local 57, Lake Catholic 13; Wauseon 34, Carrollton 30.

Quarterfinal scores: St. Paris Graham Local 65, Washington C.H. Miami Trace 12; Lake Catholic 31, Mt. Orab Western Brown 30; Carrollton 34, Ashland 32; Wauseon 57, Woodridge 10.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS.

DIVISION III

Milan Edison 29, Massillon Tuslaw 25

106: Ray Adams (E) def. Jacob Kuhlins, 12-4.

113: Gabe Mina-Vazquez (E) def. Joe Gabbard, 15-3.

120: Dylan Burns (E) def. Brier Marthey, 7-3.

126: Connor Brennan (T) def. Trent Werner, 7-4.

132: Isaac Elliott (T) def. Max Wolfe, 11-4.

138: Brady Barnett (E) def. Brennan Shirley, 13-2.

145: Kyle Ryder (T) def. Alex Neuberger, 6-4.

152: Collin Mancuso (E) def. Stephen Skeens, 10-8.

160: Dalton Burns (E) def. Elvis Conkle, 7-5.

170: Jake Loar (T) def. John Neer (E), 14-4.

182: Joey Kasper (E) pinned Rylee Knox, 2:34.

195: Logan Hall (T) win via forfeit.

220: Sam Stoll (E) def. Crawford Hamrick, 7-3

285: Brayden Phillips (T) pinned Tim Straka, 3:42.

Semifinal scores: Edison 32, Mechanicsburg 31; Tuslaw 34, Oak Harbor 30.

Quarterfinal scores: Mechanicsburg 49, Bethel-Tate 25; Edison 42, Swanton 22; Massillon Tuslaw 61, Amanda-Clearcreek 13; Oak Harbor 54, Shadyside 18.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS.

In Episode 10 of Takes by The Lake, our cleveland.com sports podcast, Zack Meisel, Doug Lesmerises and political writer Henry Gomez talk about the crossover between sports and politics.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Sports and politics are colliding everywhere now. Donald Trump just had dinner with Bob Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots. The Super Bowl was barely over before the decisions of some Patriots not to make the eventual White House trip became news. Athletes and coaches are expressing their political views more and more.

So for Episode 10 of Takes by The Lake, our sports podcast from cleveland.com, our outstanding political writer, Henry Gomez, joined us to talk about the two worlds combining.

My question for him: Does anyone care what sportswriters think about politics? The Ringer recently wrote a story called, "The End of 'Stick to Sports,'" but I'll be honest. The last thing I want on Twitter is the political opinion of sportswriters who have no expertise on the subject.

Listen as Henry, Zack Meisel and I talk about sports figures who could be president, including LeBron James; what politicians really know sports and which don't; and whether sportswriters should jump into the political fray. 

There's some serious disagreement on that last subject.

Subscribe to our twice-weekly Cleveland sports podcast, which will drop every Monday and Thursday, on iTunes or SoundCloud.

If you missed our podcast last Thursday, we offered an Indians spring training preview with Zack and Paul Hoynes and talked about which major sports championship in the last year was the most exciting and meaningful.

The committee released its top 16 seeds over the weekend, and the Big Ten was left out.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The NCAA Tournament selection committee just knew.

A day after leaving the Big Ten completely out of the preliminary list of the top 16 seeds for the men's basketball championship, and leaving many wondering how Wisconsin didn't make the cut, the Badgers lost at home to Northwestern.

That's not a bad loss. Northwestern looks like a tournament-bound team itself. But that game summed up the Big Ten nicely a day after it was laid out by the committee that the league isn't quite up to snuff with the rest of the power conferences.

In the Big Ten, nobody is safe. That calls into question how safe its NCAA Tournament bubble teams should feel with few games remaining before the conference tournament.

Before losing to Northwestern on Sunday, Wisconsin was ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press top 25 poll, No. 23 in Rating Percentage Index (RPI), was 21-3 overall and had one loss since Thanksgiving.

That team wasn't good enough to be among the early top 16 NCAA Tournament seeds released by the committee on Saturday. That new TV ploy meant to drum up some excitement for March Madness, and provide some transparency into the selection process, also made it clear that the Big Ten has some work to do.

The Big Ten only had one team among the top 16 seeds in last year's tournament, so we're not exactly in uncharted territory. But that the perceived best team in the conference wasn't among the top 16 seeds on Saturday -- and then lost on Sunday --  says something.

A league that probably felt pretty confident that it would get at least six or seven NCAA Tournament bids was forced to reevaluate, and might have to sweat it out a little bit.

Of the top 16 seeds revealed on Saturday, five were from the ACC. The Big 12 and Pac-12 had three each, while two were from the SEC and two from the Big East. Gonzaga was the lone team from outside the major conferences to make the cut.

Big Ten teams in the RPI (as of Sunday, Feb. 13)

Wisconsin (21-4, 10-2 Big Ten) is certainly not a bad a team, and has a lot of markers of a very good one. But when you consider that the Badgers are first-place in the Big Ten while being second-to-last in the conference in strength of schedule (No. 76 overall), you see that they're good but not quite among the elite.

The three highest-rated teams Wisconsin has played this season according to the RPI are North Carolina, Creighton and Purdue. The Badgers lost all three of those games by an average of 11.3 points.

The only other Big Ten team with an argument to be in the top 16 is Purdue (20-5, 9-3), which has the best RPI rank in the conference at No. 19. But the Boilermakers' 5-3 record versus top 50 RPI teams wasn't enough to be in line for a No. 4 seed or better right now.

Why is the Big Ten lagging behind?

It's a strange question to ask when there's an argument for the league as a whole being stronger than it's been in some time. There's more balance within the league, but if you wondered if that was parity among mediocre teams, you might have your answer.

The Big Ten could end up being heavy on NIT teams, but light on NCAA Tournament teams. Here's a projection with five Big Ten teams in the NIT field.

But with that, here's the argument for the Big Ten being better as a whole than it was last year:

* The Big Ten has about the same number of teams in the  RPI top 50 this year (six) as it did last year (seven). The number of teams in the top 50 of Ken Pomeroy's advanced metric ratings (six) is also about the same as it was last year (seven).

* The Big Ten has 12 of the 14 teams in its league in the top 100 of the RPI, after having just eight last year. And there are 13 teams in the KenPom top 100, after 10 last year.

So what's going on here?

The bottom of the league is improved, but the lack of truly elite teams could hurt the Big Ten in the end. Last year there were five Big Ten teams in the KenPom top 25, two in the top 10. Right now there are two total in the top 25.

The league is in a weird place where it's a little tougher to win on a nightly basis, but there are also fewer chances within the league for real quality wins. Penn State jumping up from No. 119 in RPI last year to No. 67 in RPI this year is great for Penn State, but beating the Nittany Lions isn't going to put you in the tournament at a time when top-50 wins are gold.

Was OSU bubble burst vs. Maryland?

So how many NCAA Tournament bids should the Big Ten be eyeing?

Wisconsin, Purdue, Maryland (21-4, 9-3) and now Northwestern (19-6, 8-4) should feel pretty confident about getting in. Minnesota (18-7, 6-6) is right there too at No. 24 in the RPI, but nothing is set for the Gophers yet.

Michigan (18-7, 6-6) and Michigan State (15-10, 7-5) are on the bubble, each with chances to add some decent wins. Michigan still plays Wisconsin, Minnesota, Purdue and Northwestern in its final six games. A tough stretch, but a path to play itself into the tournament. Michigan State has accumulated a lot of losses, but has a good strength of schedule (No. 16 overall) and still has games left against Purdue, Wisconsin and Maryland.

Indiana (15-11, 5-8) and Ohio State (15-11, 5-8) were probably knocked off the bubble this weekend with losses to Michigan and Maryland, respectively. Both lack quality wins -- Indiana is 3-7 versus the top 50 and Ohio State is 2-8 -- and each have just two opportunities remaining to get more top 50 wins in the regular season. That's probably not enough even if they were to win both.

If the Big Ten gets seven teams into the NCAA Tournament, that would be three straight years sending that many teams. That's far from a sure thing right now, and feels even less likely now that we have a slightly better idea of what the committee thinks of the conference.

Sending five teams for the first time since 2009-10 is still on the table.

Check out the top NFL safeties headed for free agency in 2017.

Cleveland Central Catholic scored a decisive boys basketball win vs. Holy Name and Dwayne Cohill, while St. Ignatius' second overtime win against rival St. Edward helped shape this week's rankings.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – No teams dropped from the cleveland.com boys basketball Top 25, and St. Ignatius remains at No. 1, but there is shuffling within the rankings.

Central Catholic rose six spots after a decisive win Saturday against Holy Name. Meanwhile, St. Ignatius kept its hold on the top spot after another overtime win — this time on the road in comeback fashion — against St. Edward.

All of it set up the district tournament seed voting and bracket selection, which took place Sunday.

RELATED: District seeding takeaways.

Now, here is how teams stack up regardless of division.

1. St. Ignatius (14-4)

Where they stand: The Wildcats wrapped up the top seed in the Division I Strongsville District with a second overtime win against rival St. Edward. Their resume includes a 22-point win against Columbus Northland, which was ranked fifth last week in Division I for its area by 270Hoops.com, plus a recent 24-point thrashing of Cleveland Heights.

Last week: Ranked No. 1, beat St. Edward, 75-72 in OT, on Feb. 10; beat Solon, 90-80, on Feb. 11.

This week: Friday vs. Massillon Washington, Saturday at Westerville South.

2. St. Vincent-St. Mary (13-4)

Where they stand: The Fighting Irish ride a seven-game win streak into this late-season stretch after one of their tougher games against rival Archbishop Hoban.

Last week: Ranked No. 2, beat Archbishop Hoban, 59-57 in OT, on Feb. 7.

This week: Tuesday at Walsh Jesuit, Wednesday vs. Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Friday at Massillon Jackson.

3. St. Edward (13-5)

Where they stand: Eagles coach Eric Flannery expressed disappointment in his team’s late-game execution, which came twice in overtime vs. St. Ignatius and on the road last month at STVM. Despite Friday’s loss, St. Edward remains third because of a 13-point win at fourth-ranked Lorain.

Last week: Ranked No. 3, beat Shaw, 79-33, on Feb. 7; lost to St. Ignatius, 75-72 in OT, on Feb. 10.

This week: Friday vs. JFK, Saturday at Central Catholic.

4. Lorain (16-2)

Where they stand: An eight-game win streak helped the Titans clinch the Lake Erie League with Saturday’s win vs. Shaw.

Last week: Ranked No. 4, beat Warrensville Heights, 82-47, on Feb. 10; beat Shaw, 93-48, on Feb. 11.

This week: Friday at Bedford, Saturday at North Ridgeville.

5. Archbishop Hoban (16-2)

Where they stand: Hoban quickly bounced back from that overtime loss at STVM behind Collen Gurley’s 30 points against Lake Catholic.

Last week: Ranked No. 5, lost to STVM, 59-57 in OT, on Feb. 7; beat Lake Catholic, 76-59, on Feb. 10.

This week: Tuesday at Canton Central Catholic, Friday vs. Padua.

6. Garfield Heights (15-4)

Where they stand: As point guard Marreon Jackson and Shawn Christian go, so will the Bulldogs. They combined for 36 points Friday to beat Lutheran East.

Last week: Ranked No. 6, beat Beachwood, 74-41, on Feb. 7; beat Lutheran East, 65-52, on Feb. 10.

This week: Tuesday vs. MLK.

7. Copley (18-0)

Where they stand: Copley wrapped up another Suburban League American Division crown. The Indians have been the area’s most consistent team despite massive turnover from last year’s 22-0 squad.

Last week: Ranked No. 7, beat Wadsworth, 69-60, on Feb. 7; beat Highland, on Feb. 10.

This week: Tuesday at Aurora, Friday vs. Kent Roosevelt.

8. Elyria (15-3)

Where they stand: Coach Brett Larrick’s Pioneers have won 10 of 11. Only a Keith Simmons last-second shot at Brunswick kept that from being 11 straight wins.

Last week: Ranked No. 9, beat Medina, 68-55, on Feb. 10.

This week: Tuesday vs. Strongsville, Friday at Mentor.

9. Cornerstone Christian (15-4)

Where they stand: Three of Cornerstone’s four losses are by six points or fewer. Consider them heavy favorites in Division IV.

Last week: Ranked No. 8, beat Gilmour, 80-70, on Feb. 10; beat Harvey, 88-55, on Feb. 11.

This week: Tuesday vs. Ashtabula Edgewood.

10. Benedictine (15-4)

Where they stand: Three of the Bengals’ four losses are in North Coast League play, which speaks of the league’s strength. Benedictine has bounced back from two straight losses with three straight wins by double digits.

Last week: Ranked No. 11, beat Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, 63-51, on Feb. 10; beat University School, 80-53, on Feb. 11.

This week: Friday vs. Lake Catholic.

11. Maple Heights (14-3)

Where they stand: There’s a new version of the Kardiac Kids in Northeast Ohio. Check Maple Heights’ comebacks this week against ranked foes. The Mustangs trailed both Brecksville and Cleveland Heights by double digits on the road.

Last week: Ranked No. 12, beat Brecksville, 64-63, on Feb. 7; beat Cleveland Heights, 85-84, on Feb. 10.

This week: Tuesday vs. Lutheran East, Friday at Shaw.

12. Villa Angela-St. Joseph (13-5)

Where they stand: Friday’s win against Warren JFK pulled the Vikings within a game of clinching the North Coast League White Division. They will be the top seed at Division III Garfield Heights, looking to win that district for a fifth straight year — going back to when it was Division IV (note the district and VASJ became Division III in 2014).

Last week: Ranked No. 14, beat Gilmour, 60-55, on Feb. 7; beat Warren JFK, 69-57, on Feb. 10.

This week: Wednesday at STVM, Friday vs. Trinity.

13. Central Catholic (12-6)

Where they stand: The highest risers in the rankings, Central Catholic moves up after Saturday’s 89-67 win against Holy Name. The statement followed a two-point win vs. No. 6 Garfield Heights two weeks ago at The Q. The Ironmen have played one of the area’s toughest schedules, and this month it has paid off.

Last week: Ranked No. 19, beat Trinity, 100-53, on Feb. 10; beat Holy Name, 89-67, on Feb. 11.

This week: Friday at Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas, Saturday vs. St. Edward.

14. Holy Name (16-3)

Where they stand: Coach Jeff Huber might want to throw away the film from Saturday’s loss to Central Catholic. The Green Wave’s only setbacks came against the Ironmen, Elyria Catholic and Benedictine.

Last week: Ranked No. 10, beat Parma, 94-46, on Feb. 7; beat Valley Forge, 74-50, on Feb. 10; lost to Central Catholic, 89-67 on Feb. 11.

This week: Friday at Normandy.

15. Solon (14-6)

Where they stand: A loss to the area’s top-ranked team isn’t enough to push down Solon. The defending Euclid District champs were voted the top seed in that Division I district.

Last week: Ranked No. 15, beat Euclid, 84-81, on Feb. 10; lost to St. Ignatius, 90-80, on Feb. 11.

This week: Friday at Strongsville.

16. Mentor (13-5)

Where they stand: Bob Krizancic’s Cardinals and Solon are first and second in Euclid, and it might be too close to call. Mentor won their first meeting, 77-70. Solon took the rematch, 75-73. Flip a coin. They might meet for the Euclid District crown a second straight year.

Last week: Ranked No. 16, beat Shaker Heights, 83-74, on Feb. 10; beat Glenville, 62-35, on Feb. 11.

This week: Friday vs. Elyria.

17. Ellet (16-3)

Where they stand: The Akron City Series title game vs. Buchtel awaits Friday.

Last week: Ranked No. 17, beat Akron North, 88-27 on Feb. 8; Massillon Washington, 81-75, on Feb. 10.

This week: Friday vs. Buchtel at Firestone, Saturday vs. Green.

18. Cleveland Heights (11-6)

Where they stand: The Tigers might be the most talented team in the Division I Euclid District, but they need a strong close to the regular season for some momentum. Jeremy Holmes’ bunch has lost five of their last nine.

Last week: Ranked No. 13, lost to Maple Heights, 85-84, on Feb. 10.

This week: Friday at Warrensville Heights.

19. Medina (15-5)

Where they stand: The Bees drop just one spot after a loss at Elyria in which senior guard Luke Schaefer reached 1,000 career points. They are still in the thick of the Greater Cleveland Conference race with Elyria and Mentor — and they also own two wins against Brunswick.

Last week: Ranked No. 18, lost to Elyria, 68-55, on Feb. 10.

This week: Friday at Shaker Heights.

20. Brunswick (14-6)

Where they stand: Brunswick has won seven of eight. Other than the Medina loss, the Blue Devils have knocked off GCC frontrunners Mentor, Elyria and Solon.

Last week: Ranked No. 20, beat Strongsville, 52-38, on Feb. 10.

This week: Friday vs. Euclid.

21. Elyria Catholic (13-5)

Where they stand: Phil Kuchta’s Panthers have quietly been one of the area’s hottest teams. They have won 10 of 11 — just like city counterpart Elyria — and their only loss is to those Pioneers.

Last week: Ranked No. 23, beat Rocky River, 70-45, on Feb. 7; beat Bay, 82-67, on Feb. 10.

This week: Tuesday vs. Bedford, Friday at Valley Forge, Saturday vs. University School.

22. Wadsworth (13-5)

Where they stand: A seven-game win streak ended vs. undefeated Copley. The Grizzles are one of the Suburban League’s hotter teams in the National Division, but they need a win against Brecksville and help to capture a division crown.

Last week: Ranked No. 21, lost to Copley, 69-60, on Feb. 7; beat Twinsburg, 57-51, on Feb. 10.

This week: Tuesday vs. Brecksville, Friday at Hudson.

23. Stow (13-4)

Where they stand: The juniors continue to carry the scoring load for Stow. Guard Coryon Rice had 27 on Tuesday against Barberton, and forward Mason McMurray had 20 in an 11-point win Friday vs. Hudson.

Last week: Ranked No. 22, beat Barberton, 78-60, on Feb. 7; beat Hudson, 49-38, on Feb. 10.

This week: Tuesday at Cuyahoga Falls, Friday at Brecksville.

24. East Tech (15-5)

Where they stand: Warrensville Heights gave East Tech a push earlier last week. This week brings a Division II test against Orange, which plays in the same Stow District, and one of Division IV’s best.

Last week: Ranked No. 25, beat Warrensville Heights, 53-50, on Feb. 8.

This week: Tuesday vs. Orange, Friday at Lutheran East.

25. Brecksville (14-4)

Where they stand: Just like last year, the Suburban League National Division crown will be decided by Brecksville. Last year’s champs get Wadsworth and Stow this week.

Last week: Ranked No. 24, lost to Maple Heights, 64-63, on Feb. 7; beat North Royalton, 62-32, on Feb. 10.

This week: Tuesday at Wadsworth, Friday vs. Stow.

IN CONTENTION

Buckeye (14-3), Brush (16-3), Clearview (15-3), Oberlin (14-4), Olmsted Falls (14-5), Woodridge (19-1).

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

In Prepare for List Off, Bud Shaw and Doug Lesmerises discuss the coach they'd rather have in Cleveland - Jackson or Shanahan. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kyle Shanahan left Cleveland after 2014, his tenure as the Browns offensive coordinator lasting one season.

"When you get a feeling not everyone's going in the same direction, when you have that feeling, it makes it very tough to win. That was the feeling for a number of reasons that I had there," Shanahan said before the Super Bowl, according to this story from our Mary Kay Cabot.

After two seasons in Atlanta, Shanahan is now the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, the second-worst NFL team of the 2016 season.

The Browns have Hue Jackson, the head coach of the worst team of the 2016 season.

Would you swap them if you could?

Shanahan arrived in San Francisco, after his second-half play-calling as Atlanta's offensive coordinator helped blow the Super Bowl for the Falcons, with his hand-picked GM, John Lynch, who came straight from the broadcast booth.

That's a San Francisco franchise in more turmoil than the Browns, after scaring off Jim Harbaugh, then firing both Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly after one year.

"We're going to shoot guys straight and we're going to make those hard decisions," Shanahan said at his introductory news conference, according to columnist Tim Kawakami. "Every decision we make won't be based off perception, it won't be based off what gets people to like us the most, it's going to be based off of what's best for this organization and gives this place the best chance to win and I hope people can respect that and I believe players respect that.

"We'll shoot people honest and it will be very simple to understand why we make our decisions."

That's a coach thing to say. Would you want to be hearing it?

In this Prepare for List Off, Bud Shaw and I decide who would be better running the Browns, Jackson or Shanahan. Watch the video and then vote on who you'd pick, given the choice.