The Buckeyes held the most grueling part of their winter conditioning program on Friday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State football held the most grueling portion of its winter conditioning workouts on Friday, it's annual "Valentine's Day Massacre."

What's the massacre? Glad you asked. Former Buckeye Pat Elflein explained what goes into it, and what makes it so tough last year. Read what he said here, or you can just watch the video below and see for yourself.

Ohio State's video team released a video of the workout on Friday evening.

The Buckeyes will continue winter conditioning leading up to the start of spring football on March 7.

Today we begin to unleash the human potential.#1Strong [?] pic.twitter.com/9TJQNijiQJ

-- Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) February 17, 2017

Guest celebrities-turned-players had a little smack talk for each other before hitting the court. Watch video

NEW ORLEANS -- Before the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game got underway inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Friday, the guest celebrity players had a little smack-talk and a lot of love for New Orleans as they prepared for tip-off. 

New Orleans' own Romeo Miller is a veteran on the Celebrity Game court, returning home for his third competition. 

"My mind-frame is a lot different. The last celebrity games I played in, I was like ... 'I should be in the NBA right now,'" Miller said, referring to his own run in Division 1 basketball at USC. "I didn't consider myself a celebrity, because my skills are too amazing. I'm like Russell Westbrook trapped in this body, you know. Now, it's no prisoners. All those other celebrities, they better watch out, because I'm not taking anything for granted."

Win Butler, the frontman for Arcade Fire and the MVP of the 2016 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, and his wife, Regine Chassagne, moved to New Orleans about three years ago. 

"It feels like a hometown game," he said. "I'm feeling loose. I've been to many games in the Dome. I'm not nervous in front of big crowds. I'm not nervous. I think I'll be OK."

The Cleveland Monsters are 0-2-0-0 on a seven-game trip.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Winger Jeremy Langlois scored two goals as the Rockford IceHogs defeated the Cleveland Monsters, 4-1, Friday night in Rockford, Ill.

The Monsters (23-20-2-4) have lost three straight, including the first two of a seven-game trip. On Wednesday in Rockford, they were blanked, 2-0.

The Monsters finished 4-4-0-0 in the eight-game season series.

The IceHogs (19-23-8-3) led, 2-1, after one period. They rocked the Monsters with two even-strength goals early.

At 2:57, winger Evan Mosey beat goalie Anton Forsberg at the backdoor for his fourth. At 5:24, Langlois trailed the play and punched in a rebound (No. 6) to make it 2-0. Forsberg entered ranked fourth in the AHL in goals-against average (2.19) and second in save percentage (.928).

Cleveland's problems continued at 6:52 of the first, when defenseman John Ramage was penalized for holding. During the first minute of the penalty, however, the Monsters caught a break when Rockford was guilty of too many men on the ice. The Monsters capitalized with winger Markus Hannikainen's power-play goal (No. 11).

Hannikainen, securing a rebound, lifted the puck over goalie Lars Johansson's left pad from a sharp angle.

The IceHogs stretched their advantage to 4-1 in the second. At 13:24, Langlois redirected a transition shot from the top of the left circle for his seventh. At 14:54, winger Spencer Abbott's blast from the high slot beat Forsberg (No. 12).

Through two periods, the IceHogs held a 35-18 advantage in shots.

The Monsters are at Iowa on Sunday afternoon.

Edwin Encarnacion said he doesn't care if manager Terry Francona wants him to play first base or DH. "Whatever the manager needs me to do, I'm ready for it."

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Edwin Encarnacion was in Goodyear, Ariz., on Friday and he didn't waste any time explaining what he was doing there.

"I think there were four or five (additional) teams that had interest in me, but I made the decision to come here because here I have the opportunity to win the World Series," Encarnacion told reporters at the Indians spring-training site.

OK, so the three-year $60 million contract the Indians gave Encarnacion might have had something to do with him trekking into the Arizona desert. But even the most loyal Indians' fans has to admit it has been a long time since the top slugger on the free agent market said yes to Cleveland because he felt it was the shortest path to baseball's top prize.

Encarnacion, however, watched from a front-row seat as the Indians beat his Toronto Blue Jays in five games to win the ALCS in October. Then he saw them take a 3-1 lead over the favored Chicago Cubs in the World Series only to lose in the 10^th inning of Game 7.

"They look great and they have great young talented players," said Encarnacion. "They will have a lot of opportunities to be in the World Series again and win it."

Manager Terry Francona was surprised when Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations, and GM Mike Chernoff told him they were close to signing Encarnacion. All along he felt Mike Napoli, who led the Indians with 34 homers and 101 RBI last year, would eventually re-sign.

But owner Paul Dolan pushed his chips to the middle of the table to get Encarnacion.

"I was surprised," said Francona. "I was surprised when I heard that this was potentially happening. At the time I was a little conflicted with Nap there. I always figured Nap would end up coming back, so I was a little conflicted.

"You can't feel like you do about a player and then (just turn it off) . . .There is no questioning Edwin's credentials, but that takes away nothing from Napoli."

Napoli, who led the Indians on and off the field, signed a one-year $8.5 million deal with Texas. Francona doesn't think his team will have a leadership problem after winning 94 games and it's first pennant since 2007.

"We have a lot of good leaders in there," said Francona. "When you have that special guy, I think as a manager or a coaching staff to get in their way is a mistake.

"It doesn't mean these guys have to do stuff that they're not used to doing. They're capable and equipped to be just fine. They've been through a lot together. All the things we'll talk about (Saturday before the first full-squad workout) on how we want to be as a team, they can do that. They've done it before and my guess is they'll do it again."

Last year Encarnacion hit 42 homers and tied David Ortiz for the AL lead with 127 RBI. Over the last five years, he's averaged 39 homers and 110 RBI per season. With the exception of last year when he struck out 138 times, he has not struck out 100 or more times since 2007.

Encarnacion, in his career, he has a .350 on base percentage and a .850 OPS.

This spring Encarnacion says he'll try hard to fit in with his new team. He declined to represent the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic so he could get to know his teammates.

"I'm going to try to do the best that I can do to get closer to my new teammates," said Encarnacion.

He said he's going to spend a lot of time with Carlos Santana, a fellow countryman from the Dominican Republic. Santana, the first player to call Encarnacion after he signed, is playing in the WBC.

"Santana and I will try to get together all the time because I want to feel like part of the family," said Encarnacion. "We knew each other before. I'm just going to try and get to know all my teammates."

Francona and Antonetti met with every position player Friday. Michael Brantley was first on the schedule and he was standing outside Francona's office at 7 a.m. Jason Kipnis was second at 7:10 a.m.

Encarnacion had his meeting as well. Like Brantley and Kipnis it was short. It's not like Francona told Encarnacion what he had to do to make the team. He's going to share first base and DH with Santana and do what he does at the plate.

"I can play first, I can DH," said Encarnacion. "Whatever the manager needs me to do, I'm ready for it. I work for that. I work to do whatever he wants me to do."

Kent State steps up with strong second half to take down the Akron Zips on the road, 70-67.

AKRON, Ohio -- Kent's State's hot and cold season hit a hot spot with a 70-67 road victory over rival Akron Friday evening in Rhodes Arena.

The victory snapped Akron's 30-game home win streak and kept the Zips from locking down the Mid-American Conference championship.

'I'm very proud of the way we could finish it out,'' Kent coach Rob Senderoff said.

Close games have been Akron's strength with its ability to close out games at the end. but Friday it was Kent State (15-12 overall, 7-7 in the MAC).

"We've been flirting with this all year,'' said Akron coach Keith Dambrot about the Zips who are now 22-5, 12-2.

Kent's Deon Edwin scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half of a game that was statistically the polar opposite of how both teams have played all season. Akron has been the 3-point powerhouse but only made 5-of-22 to Kent's 7-of-19.

"We didn't shoot the ball [well],'' Dambrot said. "When we've been beat by the opposition on the 3-line, we lose."

Akron's Isaiah Johnson was the struggling free throw shooter coming into the game, but kept the Zips in this one going 8-of-11 at the line on a night he scored 18 points.

But it was his one critical Johnson free throw miss with 29.9 seconds to play that kept Akron from a tie, and forced the Zips to foul. Kent's sophomore point guard Jalen Avery then hit a pair to give Kent a 3-point lead with 23.8 seconds to play.

The big plus for Kent was a 15-2 start to the second half that helped the Golden Flashes take a 43-38 lead holding Akron to 1-for-11 shooting in the process.

"It was one of our better halves (this year) when we take care of the basketball,'' Hall said.

The first half:  Daniel Utomi came off the bench with three 3-pointers to help Akron take a 36-31 halftime lead. Equally helpful was Akron center Isaiah Johnson going 4-of-6 from the line.

Meanwhile Kent's leading scorer, senior Jimmy Hall, was 3-for-10 shooting but sophomore Jaylin Walker had 10 points to help keep the Golden Flashes within range at the break.

By the numbers: It's the little things that keep Akron ahead of the pack in conference play. They are third in assists with 15.2 per game; No. 1 in assist/turnover margin at 1.5 per game and No. 4 in scoring defense holding teams to 73.9 points a game. Kent remains solid in rebounding, No. 2 in the MAC at plus 4.5 a game; No. 2 in blocked shots at 3.8 per game and No. 3 in free throw shooting at 73.3 percent a game.

Next up: Kent stays on the road next Tuesday at the hottest team in the league, Buffalo. The Bulls have won five straight, and now play four of their final five games at home. Counting Akron, Kent plays three of its next four on the road. Starting with its next game Tuesday at Bowling Green, Akron plays three of its next four on the road including games at Buffalo and at Kent State.

Spurred by Deuce Martin's 33 points, Clearview repeated as boys basketball champions of the Patriot Athletic Conference Stripes Division. They rallied from multiple deficits vs. Oberlin.

SHEFFIELD TWP., Ohio – Down 12 points early, Clearview coach John Szalay called a timeout and asked his players what was wrong.

They told him they felt rushed, but OK.

By overtime, they caught up to speed and celebrated another boys basketball conference championship with a 75-63 overtime win against rival Oberlin.

Led by senior guard Deuce Martin’s game-high 33 points, Clearview (17-3, 14-1) clinched the Patriot Athletic Stripes Division title and avenged a 13-point loss earlier this season to Oberlin (15-5, 12-3).

Half: Clearview 33, Oberlin 30. Deuce Martin leads @chsclipperhoops w/18. Not counting this one from @deucem2, who's cooking. pic.twitter.com/jqJSt3H4Aw

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) February 18, 2017

“The difference is our defense,” Martin said. “We’ve been pressuring everything. Practice goes crazy.”

Part of that push comes in practice from Sam Daniels, Martin said. The junior guard came off the bench to score eight points, including four in overtime. Senior guard Jamel Billings added 12, including vital plays that sparked the Clippers to a 13-1 run that ended the game.

“I felt the whole game it was going to be a hard-fought battle to the end,” said Billings, whose three-point play gave Clearview a 65-62 lead.

The speedy guard added a steal that pushed the lead to five, and it grew from there.

Just as they told Szalay when down 12-0 in the first quarter, they were OK.

“We run the same kind of a game, and it was a matter of who was going to get tired first,” Billings said.

The victory marked Clearview’s eighth in a row, but its gauntlet continues Tuesday with a nonconference game against Elyria Catholic — the No. 21-ranked team in the cleveland.com Top 25. Earlier this week, the Clippers scored a 76-67 win against PAC Stars Division winner Buckeye.

They will soon meet again with Clearview seeded fourth in the Division II North Ridgeville District and booked for a March 3 trip to Buckeye in the sectional finals.

On this night, Martin, Billings and Co. cut down their nets for a conference championship. They almost didn’t get to do it after facing deficits of 12-0 early and 54-49 late in the fourth.

“They refuse to lose,” Szalay said. “That’s the biggest thing. They say the right things in the huddle and to each other — and in the right way.”

On the other side, Oberlin coach Kurt Russell began to assess what is ahead for his team. The Phoenix won last year’s Division III Wooster District title and is the top seed in that tournament.

“The one thing about the tournament is you need some momentum,” Russell said, “and we can’t allow this loss to set us back.”

Senior forward Donald Johnson led Oberlin with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

Oberlin jumped out to a 12-point lead early. Donald Johnson w/4 pts, 4 reb. Devan Yarber has 8 pts, 6 reb. pic.twitter.com/fDvvqafy0Y

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) February 18, 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.

Check out Friday's boys basketball scores from around the OHSAA, courtesy of The Associated Press.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Check out Friday's boys basketball scores from around the state, courtesy of The Associated Press.

Akr. Coventry 77, Norton 56

Akr. Hoban 62, Parma Padua 53

Akr. Manchester 47, Navarre Fairless 42

Akr. SVSM 74, Massillon Jackson 72

Alliance 69, Alliance Marlington 42

Apple Creek Waynedale 62, Dalton 59, OT

Arcanum 68, Lewisburg Tri-County N. 52

Archbold 76, Delta 38

Arlington 52, Vanlue 40

Ashtabula Edgewood 79, Ashtabula St. John 44

Ashville Teays Valley 66, Circleville 50

Athens 75, Nelsonville-York 47

Atwater Waterloo 56, Rootstown 54

Avon 67, Berea-Midpark 56

Avon Lake 61, Grafton Midview 44

Bainbridge Paint Valley 58, Piketon 57

Batavia 60, Norwood 53

Batavia Amelia 62, Mt. Orab Western Brown 42

Batavia Clermont NE 63, Felicity-Franklin 59

Beaver Eastern 88, New Boston Glenwood 48

Bellbrook 55, Eaton 48

Bellefontaine 45, New Carlisle Tecumseh 35

Beloit W. Branch 69, Can. South 62

Berlin Center Western Reserve 54, Lowellville 38

Bethel-Tate 41, Williamsburg 35

Blanchester 56, Georgetown 51

Bloomdale Elmwood 46, Tontogany Otsego 28

Brookville 46, Monroe 40

Brunswick 66, Euclid 59

Bryan 62, Hamler Patrick Henry 56

Cambridge 69, Philo 55

Camden Preble Shawnee 56, Milton-Union 45

Can. McKinley 70, Warren Harding 61

Canfield S. Range 48, New Middletown Spring. 44

Carey 84, Bucyrus 60

Carlisle 60, Day. Northridge 52

Celina 79, Lima Shawnee 60

Centerville 56, Huber Hts. Wayne 53

Chardon NDCL 43, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 40

Chillicothe 62, Wilmington 56

Chillicothe Huntington 58, Williamsport Westfall 43

Chillicothe Unioto 68, Chillicothe Zane Trace 46

Cin. Anderson 36, Cin. Turpin 34

Cin. Christian 78, Hamilton New Miami 38

Cin. Hills Christian Academy 62, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place 59

Cin. Hughes 60, Cin. Shroder 49

Cin. Indian Hill 64, Reading 35

Cin. La Salle 57, Cin. St. Xavier 44

Cin. Madeira 37, Cin. Mariemont 27

Cin. Moeller 53, Cin. Elder 35

Cin. Mt. Healthy 62, Trenton Edgewood 54

Cin. NW 44, Harrison 43

Cin. Oak Hills 43, Fairfield 25

Cin. Princeton 57, Hamilton 45

Cin. Purcell Marian 58, Hamilton Badin 53

Cin. Summit Country Day 70, Cin. Seven Hills 32

Cin. Walnut Hills 61, Kings Mills Kings 51

Cin. Withrow 49, Milford 33

Cin. Woodward 61, Cin. Aiken 52

Cin. Wyoming 78, Cin. Deer Park 38

Circleville Logan Elm 60, Baltimore Liberty Union 36

Clarksville Clinton-Massie 73, Lees Creek E. Clinton 57

Clayton Northmont 71, Miamisburg 54

Cle. Benedictine 77, Mentor Lake Cath. 55

Cle. Cent. Cath. 85, Louisville Aquinas 62

Cle. Hts. Lutheran E. 67, Cle. E. Tech 61

Cle. St. Ignatius 82, Massillon Washington 55

Cle. VASJ 69, Garfield Hts. Trinity 42

Clyde 80, Castalia Margaretta 77, 2OT

Collins Western Reserve 56, Norwalk St. Paul 51

Cols. Bexley 53, Gahanna Cols. Academy 48

Cols. DeSales 49, Cols. Ready 39

Cols. Grandview Hts. 84, London 46

Cols. Hamilton Twp. 69, Amanda-Clearcreek 43

Cols. St. Charles 49, Cols. Hartley 46

Cols. Upper Arlington 75, Dublin Coffman 57

Columbia Station Columbia 77, Rocky River Lutheran W. 54

Columbiana 56, Leetonia 48

Columbus Grove 42, Bluffton 39

Continental 62, Kalida 52

Convoy Crestview 72, Harrod Allen E. 55

Copley 89, Kent Roosevelt 38

Corning Miller 63, Crown City S. Gallia 43

Cory-Rawson 68, Arcadia 50

Crooksville 60, New Lexington 48

Cuyahoga Falls 58, N. Royalton 52

Cuyahoga Falls CVCA 53, Massillon Tuslaw 36

Day. Christian 60, Yellow Springs 46

Defiance Ayersville 70, Hicksville 38

Delphos St. John's 60, New Bremen 41

Dover 46, New Philadelphia 34

Dresden Tri-Valley 60, Zanesville Maysville 57

Dublin Scioto 71, Dublin Jerome 69

Eastlake N. 70, Mayfield 56

Elmore Woodmore 49, Fostoria 42

Elyria Cath. 79, Parma Hts. Valley Forge 55

Fairview 64, Brooklyn 36

Findlay Liberty-Benton 67, Pandora-Gilboa 63

Frankfort Adena 44, Southeastern 43

Fremont Ross 53, Oregon Clay 41

Ft. Recovery 86, Minster 82, 4OT

Gahanna Christian 76, Delaware Christian 71

Gallipolis Gallia 81, Portsmouth 57

Gates Mills Gilmour 69, Gates Mills Hawken 50

Geneva 62, Kirtland 46

Genoa Area 54, Rossford 34

Glouster Trimble 67, Stewart Federal Hocking 25

Goshen 51, New Richmond 36

Granville 52, Pataskala Watkins Memorial 42

Greenfield McClain 57, Hillsboro 45

Greenwich S. Cent. 69, Ashland Crestview 56

Grove City Cent. Crossing 83, Galloway Westland 74

Groveport-Madison 51, Sunbury Big Walnut 37

Hamilton Ross 60, Oxford Talawanda 53

Hanoverton United 69, Columbiana Crestview 52

Hartville Lake Center Christian 95, Ravenna SE 58

Haviland Wayne Trace 61, Defiance Tinora 36

Heath 66, Utica 43

Hilliard Davidson 60, Marysville 52

Holgate 46, Edgerton 41

Hudson WRA 61, Cle. John Adams 53

Huron 74, Vermilion 59

Ironton 55, Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant 47

Jackson Center 62, Houston 40

Jamestown Greeneview 78, Mechanicsburg 34

Jefferson Area 85, Girard 71

Jeromesville Hillsdale 62, Doylestown Chippewa 55

Johnstown-Monroe 60, Johnstown Northridge 45

Kenton 71, Lima Bath 55

Kettering Alter 68, Day. Chaminade Julienne 49

Kettering Fairmont 62, Beavercreek 53

Kidron Cent. Christian 50, Loudonville 41

Lakewood St. Edward 82, Cle. JFK 26

Lancaster Fairfield Union 61, Bloom-Carroll 41

Leavittsburg LaBrae 77, Warren Howland 60

Lebanon 68, Springboro 64

Leipsic 59, Bascom Hopewell-Loudon 37

Lewis Center Olentangy 64, Powell Olentangy Liberty 58

Liberty Twp. Lakota E. 58, Cin. Colerain 40

Lisbon David Anderson 59, Salineville Southern 42

Logan 53, Vincent Warren 46

Lorain 74, Bedford 34

Lorain Clearview 75, Oberlin 63

Louisville 70, Carrollton 41

Loveland 38, Cin. Glen Este 35

Lucasville Valley 45, McDermott Scioto NW 35

Malvern 82, Newcomerstown 49

Manchester 51, Sardinia Eastern Brown 48

Mansfield Christian 47, Lucas 43

Mansfield Sr. 56, Lexington 53

Mansfield St. Peter's 106, Danville 67

Mantua Crestwood 81, Middlefield Cardinal 45

Maple Hts. 78, E. Cle. Shaw 47

Maria Stein Marion Local 74, New Knoxville 60

Marietta 80, Zanesville 67

Mason 65, Cin. Sycamore 56

McArthur Vinton County 96, Wellston 57

McConnelsville Morgan 57, New Concord John Glenn 53

McDonald 92, Sebring McKinley 54

Medina Buckeye 56, LaGrange Keystone 38

Medina Highland 54, Barberton 41

Mentor 61, Elyria 49

Middletown Fenwick 58, Day. Carroll 53

Milford Center Fairbanks 44, Spring. Cath. Cent. 41

Millersburg W. Holmes 64, Bellville Clear Fork 58

Millersport 54, Granville Christian 44

Minerva 64, Salem 52

Mogadore 59, Garrettsville Garfield 50

Mogadore Field 53, Ravenna 35

Monroeville 53, Plymouth 52, OT

Montpelier 91, Edon 51

Mowrystown Whiteoak 59, Seaman N. Adams 56, OT

Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 55, McComb 49

Mt. Vernon 62, Mansfield Madison 51, 2OT

N. Bend (Cleves) Taylor 64, Cin. Finneytown 55

N. Can. Hoover 52, Can. Cent. Cath. 36

N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 66, Mineral Ridge 55

N. Ridgeville 59, Lakewood 50

N. Robinson Col. Crawford 58, New Washington Buckeye Cent. 51

Napoleon 66, Bowling Green 54

New Albany 76, Cols. Franklin Hts. 59

New London 92, Ashland Mapleton 90, 2OT

New Madison Tri-Village 46, Ansonia 45

New Paris National Trail 54, Bradford 45

New Riegel 53, Fostoria St. Wendelin 46

Newark 85, Canal Winchester 45

Newark Licking Valley 47, Hebron Lakewood 33

Newton Falls 66, Youngs. Liberty 59

Oak Harbor 69, Port Clinton 60

Oak Hill 58, S. Webster 51

Oberlin Firelands 54, Sullivan Black River 42

Old Fort 55, Tiffin Calvert 45

Olmsted Falls 46, N. Olmsted 45

Ontario 55, Norwalk 42

Oregon Stritch 43, Gibsonburg 28

Ottawa-Glandorf 45, Elida 34

Painesville Riverside 67, Chardon 53

Parma 68, Bay Village Bay 64

Parma Hts. Holy Name 90, Parma Normandy 66

Peebles 68, Leesburg Fairfield 58

Pemberville Eastwood 76, Millbury Lake 35

Peninsula Woodridge 71, Akr. Springfield 31

Perrysburg 71, Maumee 45

Pickerington Cent. 75, Gahanna Lincoln 64

Pickerington N. 61, Grove City 48

Piqua 35, Troy 34

Pitsburg Franklin-Monroe 54, Casstown Miami E. 43

Poland Seminary 55, Canfield 53

Pomeroy Meigs 61, Bidwell River Valley 50

Portsmouth Clay 84, Willow Wood Symmes Valley 49

Portsmouth Notre Dame 68, Portsmouth Sciotoville 60, OT

Proctorville Fairland 64, Chesapeake 26

Reedsville Eastern 59, Racine Southern 56

Reynoldsburg 58, Lancaster 42

Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington 59, Lynchburg-Clay 50

Rittman 60, Smithville 49

Riverside Stebbins 64, W. Carrollton 59

Russia 46, Ft. Loramie 45

S. Point 70, Ironton Rock Hill 51

Sandusky 64, Tiffin Columbian 63

Sandusky Perkins 50, Milan Edison 45

Sandusky St. Mary 60, Kansas Lakota 45

Shaker Hts. 72, Medina 66

Shekinah Christian 58, Groveport Madison Christian 47

Shelby 55, Bellevue 54

Sherwood Fairview 51, Antwerp 37

Sidney 62, Greenville 60

Sidney Fairlawn 77, Anna 60

Solon 93, Strongsville 63

Spencerville 49, Delphos Jefferson 46, OT

Spring. Emmanuel Christian 51, East Dayton Christian School 35

Spring. NE 65, London Madison Plains 57

Spring. NW 68, Lewistown Indian Lake 55

St. Bernard Roger Bacon 55, Cin. McNicholas 44

St. Henry 55, Rockford Parkway 46

St. Paris Graham 52, Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan 47

Stow-Munroe Falls 51, Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 39

Streetsboro 66, Lodi Cloverleaf 45

Sugarcreek Garaway 48, Berlin Hiland 47

Swanton 64, Liberty Center 46

Sycamore Mohawk 48, Morral Ridgedale 40

Sylvania Northview 51, Sylvania Southview 48

Tallmadge 68, Richfield Revere 53

Thomas Worthington 51, Worthington Kilbourne 31

Thornville Sheridan 60, Zanesville W. Muskingum 44

Tipp City Bethel 81, Newton Local 46

Tol. Bowsher 99, Tol. Woodward 38

Tol. Christian 81, Northwood 52

Tol. Emmanuel Baptist 62, Lakeside Danbury 56

Tol. Maumee Valley 66, Tol. Ottawa Hills 61

Tol. Rogers 59, Tol. Start 57

Tol. St. Francis 64, Tol. Cent. Cath. 60

Tol. St. John's 54, Findlay 48

Tol. Waite 70, Tol. Scott 58

Tol. Whitmer 77, Lima Sr. 74

Trotwood-Madison 88, Springfield 73

Troy Christian 63, Franklin Middletown Christian 42

Twinsburg 56, Macedonia Nordonia 52

Union City Mississinawa Valley 54, Covington 51

Uniontown Lake 79, Youngs. East 45

Upper Sandusky 96, Bucyrus Wynford 56

Urbana 52, Spring. Shawnee 40

Van Buren 64, N. Baltimore 51

Van Wert 49, Defiance 48

Van Wert Lincolnview 68, Ada 39

Vandalia Butler 60, Tipp City Tippecanoe 58, OT

Versailles 70, Coldwater 56

W. Chester Lakota W. 41, Middletown 38

W. Liberty-Salem 55, N. Lewisburg Triad 30

W. Unity Hilltop 68, Pioneer N. Central 55

Wadsworth 57, Hudson 48

Wapakoneta 71, St. Marys Memorial 35

Warren JFK 59, Youngs. Valley Christian 50

Washington C.H. Miami Trace 61, Washington C.H. 49

Waterford 81, Belpre 42

Wauseon 53, Metamora Evergreen 20

Waverly 73, Minford 59

West Salem Northwestern High School 53, Creston Norwayne 50

Westerville N. 69, Lewis Center Olentangy Orange 47

Westerville S. 73, Westerville Cent. 44

Westlake 57, Amherst Steele 46

Wheelersburg 75, Portsmouth W. 55

Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 71, Holland Springfield 37

Wickliffe 64, Perry 45

Willoughby S. 74, Chagrin Falls Kenston 60

Wooster 69, Ashland 60

Wooster Triway 55, Orrville 52

Worthington Christian 66, W. Jefferson 49

Xenia 66, Fairborn 60

Youngs. Mooney 42, Austintown Fitch 40

Youngs. Ursuline 59, Massillon Perry 56

Zanesville Rosecrans 59, Uhrichsville Claymont 45

Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley 50, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 48

Parkersburg South, W.Va. 92, Lisbon Beaver 59

Linsly, W.Va. 62, Beverly Ft. Frye 48

Bellaire St. John 72, Valley Wetzel, W.Va. 66

Cadiz Harrison Cent. 63, Weir, W.Va. 53

Cameron, W.Va. 65, Bellaire 64

Clay-Battelle, W.Va. 63, Woodsfield Monroe Cent. 45

E. Liverpool 54, Belmont Union Local 35

Hundred, W.Va. 83, Beallsville 69

Paden City, W.Va. 52, New Matamoras Frontier 40

Sarahsville Shenandoah 68, Bridgeport 55

St. Clairsville 66, John Marshall, W.Va. 55

Steubenville Cath. Cent. 65, Magnolia, W.Va. 60

Wintersville Indian Creek 51, Brooke, W.Va. 40

Jeff Cohen is out as vice chairman and Nathan Forbes, while maintaining his title has lost influence with Gilbert and is spending very little time on Cavs business, multiple sources with knowledge of the Cavs' ownership structure told cleveland.com.

NEW ORLEANS -- Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert had two vice chairmen on his leadership team. Now, he has a half of one.

Jeff Cohen is out as vice chairman and Nathan Forbes, while maintaining his title has lost influence with Gilbert and is spending very little time on Cavs business, multiple sources with knowledge of the Cavs' ownership structure told cleveland.com.

Both men, Cohen and Forbes, are maintaining their small ownership stakes in the team right now, and a source was unaware of any immediate plans on Gilbert's part to buy either of them out.

The two were "extensions" of Gilbert within the Cavs, according to one source, offering input on major trades and organizational decisions presented to Gilbert by general manager David Griffin.

Griffin, often credited with building a roster that won the 2016 Finals and is pushing for its third straight trip to the Finals this season, is in the final year of his contract. A source said what's happened with Cohen and Forbes has no impact on Griffin's contract.

Cavs minority owner Jeff Cohen, right, posed with GM David Griffin when the team won the 2014 NBA Draft Lottery. Kathy Willens, Associated Press 

But there are now fewer voices in the room when it comes time to make Cavs decisions. Gilbert always had the final say -- it is his call to spend the roughly $130 million the Cavs are spending on player salaries this year -- but he no longer has Cohen and Forbes in his ear.

As an example, according to two sources, Forbes helped Griffin convince Gilbert to fire coach David Blatt in the middle of last season because players were not responding to him, even though the Cavs were in first place in the East and were coming off a Finals appearance.

The two largest shareholders are Gilbert, who owns a majority, and former majority owner Gordon Gund, who is not involved with Cavs decisions at all. Gilbert bought the team from Gund in 2005 for $325 million. It's now worth $1.2 billion, according to Forbes Magazine.

Gilbert has made changes in leadership structures in his mortgage and real-estate companies in recent weeks, too, and Cohen was a part of one. Cohen and Steve Rosenthal both left Gilbert's Bedrock LLC real-estate firm and are now working together at Rock Cos., a real-estate firm they co-founded.

Cavs minority owner Nathan Forbes.Rock Gaming LLC

The Cavs declined comment on Cohen and Forbes. Cohen declined comment and Forbes, a managing partner of The Forbes Company, a national developer, did not return multiple messages seeking comment.

Both Cohen and Forbes are listed on the board of directors for Gilbert's gaming company, JACK Entertainment.

Earlier this month, Bill Emerson was moved out as chief executive of Quicken Loans, though his transition was characterized as a promotion. He's now vice chairman of Rock Holdings, parent company of Quicken.

All of this is under Gilbert's empire.

Fans have gotten to know Cohen and Forbes as the tall bald guy (Cohen) and the tan guy with sandy blonde hair who often sat next to Gilbert at games for the past two seasons. They were on the stage when the Cavs won Game 7 of the Finals, but neither has been seen lately around The Q.

On a podcast, Channing Frye asked both Irving and Richard Jefferson whether they believe in the existence of aliens. But Irving went a different direction, asking the group if they believe the Earth is actually round before Irving ultimately answered his own question.

NEW ORLEANS -- And the winner for strangest story to come of out All-Star weekend goes to...Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving. 

Well, technically the comments that sent Twitter into frenzy and had the city of New Orleans buzzing came before Irving even arrived for All-Star festivities, as he shared his belief that the Earth is flat. 

The comments came during the Road Trippin' Podcast with Cavs sideline reporter Allie Clifton and Cavaliers' Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye. 

Oftentimes during the podcast, which has become more popular as fans get taken behind the scenes of life in the NBA, the banter moves away from basketball. 

Frye asked both Irving and Jefferson whether they believe in the existence of aliens. But Irving went a different direction, asking the group if they believe the Earth is actually round before Irving ultimately answered his own question.

"This is not even a conspiracy theory," Irving said during the podcast. "The Earth is flat. What I've been taught is that the earth is round. But if you really think about it from a landscape of the way we travel, the way we move and the fact that, can you really think of us rotating around the sun and all planets aligned, rotating in specific dates, being perpendicular with what's going on with these planets?"

And even after the jokes since, Irving isn't backing down. 

ESPN's Arash Markazi caught up with Irving Saturday night and let him know he was trending on Twitter. 

"I just found that out," Irving said while laughing. "I think people should do their own research, man. Then hopefully they will either back my belief or they will throw it in the water."

When Irving was asked about whether he's seen the pictures of Earth, being told that it is, in fact, a circle, he responded saying, "I've seen a lot of things that my educational system has said was real and turned out to be completely fake so I don't mind going against the grain in terms of my thoughts and what I believe."

Kyrie Irving was trending on Twitter today because he believes the Earth is flat. I asked him about it. pic.twitter.com/ODe9aP9qmK

-- Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) February 18, 2017

"Just keep on doing what you're doing because you're doing it well and I love watching you play," Erving told cleveland.com during a private event Friday afternoon. Watch video

NEW ORLEANS -- NBA legend Julius Erving has spent time getting to know Kyrie Irving in the last two years and while he hasn't given him advice recently, Erving knows exactly what he would say to the 24-year-old All-Star whose style has been criticized at times.

"Just keep on doing what you're doing because you're doing it well and I love watching you play," Erving told cleveland.com during a special event Friday evening.

Dr. J, who appeared at Pepsi's Uncle Drew pop-up shop while sporting one of Uncle Drew's snapback leather hats, has become a big Irving fan -- and the praise didn't stop there.

"I think he's success-driven, not ego-driven. That's very important because you have to have an ego to play the game, but if you're just driven by your ego your ego can be deflated in one fell swoop," he said. "Obviously, he's the heir apparent to LeBron (James) with the Cavaliers and I think the stage is set for him to just finish out what he needs to do to go to the Hall of Fame. I mean, he's already got a foot in the door."

Whoa. Talk about high acclaim. Sure, it's early, but dig into Irving's resume and it becomes easier to understand why one of the all-time greats would think that.

NBA Rookie of the Year. Four-time NBA All-Star. Olympic gold medalist. NBA champion. And he's accomplished it all in just six NBA seasons, some of which were cut short because myriad injuries.

About eight months ago, Irving etched his name in the NBA history books, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute, propelling the Cavaliers to an NBA championship and winning an epic Game 7 against the record-setting Warriors.

It's clear that many are starting to take notice and Irving's list of admirers continues to grow by the day. Fellow All-Star Jimmy Butler said during Friday's Media Day that Irving is the one player not already on the Bulls that he would like to play alongside. He praised Irving's work ethic, pointing to that as the trait that stands out most.

The basketball skills aren't too shabby either.

"When I watch him play I see that he's a guy who has no limitations, he's supremely confident and he's skilled beyond belief," he said. "When he has those one-on-one situations and he gets low and he's handling the ball, there's nobody on the planet who can stay in front of him. You know he's going to get open, whether he can consummate the play and put the ball in the hole or not, sometimes it goes and sometimes it doesn't. But fortunately for him and for Cleveland, most of the times it does."

Erving also pointed to the youngster's modesty, something he learned by spending time with Irving, getting to know the person behind the slick dribbling, clutch shooting and magical finishes near the rim.  

"He's very humble, yet very determined and focused and very talented," Erving said. "I think he has proven in a short period of time that he's smart, he's articulate and he's the type of leader whose worthy of having followers.

"He's the type of inspirational talent who is worthy of having fans. He's proven himself in that regard and I think he will continue to do so."

The Buckeyes have four games remaining in the regular season, beginning Saturday against Nebraska. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State basketball is back home on Saturday to host Nebraska in the second game of a home-and-home with the Cornhuskers. Here's everything you need to know before tipp-off:

GAME INFORMATION

Who: Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-14, 5-8 Big Ten) at Ohio State Buckeyes (15-11, 5-9).

When: Saturday, 6 p.m.

Where: Value City Arena (18,809).

TV: Big Ten Network, with Jeff Levering and Stephen Bardo on the call.

Latest line: Ohio State -5.

Series record: Ohio State leads the all-time series against Nebraska 14-3. The Buckeyes have won the last four, including a 67-66 win in Lincoln on Jan. 18. Nebraska has never won in seven previous trips to Columbus.

PROBABLE STARTERS

Nebraska: G Glynn Watson (6-0, Soph., 14.0 ppg); G Tai Webster (6-4, Sr., 17.8 ppg); G Evan Taylor (6-5, Jr., 4.9 ppg); F Michael Jacobson (6-9, Soph., 6.4 ppg); C Jordy Tshimanga (6-11, Fr., 4.9 ppg).

Ohio State: G C.J. Jackson (6-1, Soph., 4.6 ppg); G Kam Williams (6-2, Jr., 10.4 ppg); F Marc Loving (6-8, Sr., 12.6 ppg); F Jae'Sean Tate (6-4, Jr., 14.0 ppg); C Trevor Thompson (7-0, Jr., 10.6 ppg).

GAME NOTES

* Ohio State is riding a two-game losing streak, including a 74-66 loss at Michigan State on Tuesday night. Nebraska is coming off an 82-66 win over Penn State on Tuesday night.

The Buckeyes are 3-3 at home in Big Ten play, while the Cornhuskers are 2-4 on the road in Big Ten play, including wins at Indiana and Maryland.

Can Ohio State point guard JaQuan Lyle get on a roll late now that he's back with the team?Charlie Neibergall, Associated Press 

* Though the Buckeyes are coming off back-to-back losses, coach Thad Matta feels his team competed at the level they need to in losses at Maryland and Michigan State. Finding that effort level in successive games has not come easy for Ohio State this season. That it happened two games in a row might be a sign that they've turned a corner in that regard.

That's probably too little, too late for a team looking destined for the NIT, but it's something the Buckeyes are trying to build off of.

"I do think we're playing with a higher competitive spirit," Matta said. "We still have those moments where we shoot ourselves in the foot, from the standpoint of really locking in and capitalizing on those moments we have is what the next step is for our team. If the energy and effort are gonna be there, we have to seize the opportunities that are in front of us."

* Buckeyes point guard JaQuan Lyle returned to the team in time for Tuesday's game against Michigan State after missing the game against Maryland. He played 28 minutes, finishing with 10 points, five assists and seven rebounds.

Lyle was away from the team for five days while dealing with a family emergency. He was also recovering from an ankle injury at the time.

"We have to get him in shape," Matta said. "He's not in good enough shape right now. Really a two week stretch with the ankle, he's just been limited. He practiced yesterday and practiced well. We gotta find a way to continue to build his conditioning to get him back to where it was."

* Ohio State has been above or near 40 percent on 3-point shot attempts in four of its last five games, but the Buckeyes still seem hesitant to pull the trigger on open shots late in tight games. Often passing up on those shots has made things harder for the Buckeyes on the offensive end.

Maybe they can find some openings to shoot against a Nebraska defense that's last in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage defense (42.9 percent) in Big Ten play.

"We called a play the other day for a guy in a crucial part at Maryland, and he didn't shoot it," Matta said. "I didn't get many plays called for me in college, but you can bet your (butt) I was gonna shoot it regardless of what happened. I don't know. I thought we did pass up some decent opportunities. JaQuan had one, I think he shot-faked 19 times, and then drove in and threw it away. I don't know. I wish I had an answer for that."

* Ohio State enters the weekend at No. 63 in the RPI, which normally would put a team on the NCAA Tournament bubble. But the Buckeyes are lacking quality wins, with a 2-9 mark against the RPI top 50. A win over Nebraska (80th in RPI) wouldn't be a resume builder, but Ohio State can't lose again this regular season to give itself a chance to play for an NCAA Tournament bid in the Big Ten Tournament.

PREDICTION

Bill's pick: Ohio State 72, Nebraska 67. The Buckeyes can't lose again, and they seem to understand (finally) the urgency of their situation. They're coming off two chances for huge wins that ended in disappointment, and talked about how their backs were against the wall in those games. I'm curious to see now how to come out now knowing that they're likely headed for the NIT again. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they come out the right way and get a win they should have.

Last year Carlos Santana and Rajai Davis carried the load in the leadoff spot for the Tribe. Santana is back this season, but Davis signed with Oakland. What does that mean for the top spot in the lineup?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here or Tweet him at @hoynsie.

Hey, Hoynsie: Who do you think is going to bat leadoff for the Indians this year? -- Ron Raeburn, Lorain.

Hey, Ron: Last year Carlos Santana (85 starts) and Rajai Davis (69 starts) owned the leadoff spot. Coco Crisp and Jose Ramirez were a distant third with two starts each.

Well, Davis and Crisp are gone. Santana certainly didn't do anything to prove he couldn't handle the job -- 19 homers, 41 RBI, 67 walks and a .385 onbase percentage -- so I imagine he'll be back there against most right-handers.

If manager Terry Francona sticks with the same script from last year, he'll have to find someone to leadoff against lefties so he can drop Santana into the middle of the lineup. He'll have some options with switch-hitters Francisco Lindor and Ramirez.

@hoynsie How will the Tribe go about managing innings and workload in the Spring for Miller with the WBC coming up? -Todd from Parma

-- Todd Nyerges (@Todd_Nyerges) February 17, 2017

Hey, Todd: Indians' pitchers who were extended in the postseason last year, guys like Corey Kluber, Josh Tomlin, Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw, will probably pitch some simulated games early in the Cactus League season before facing big-league hitters.

Andrew Miller came to camp on a faster track. He had to get ready for the World Baseball Classic. Team USA plays its first game on March 10 against Colombia at Marlins Park. So he's been on a much more aggressive throwing program.

The Indians have been working with him on ways to enhance his conditioning to get ready for the WBC. If Team USA gets knocked out of the tournament early, perhaps Miller can get some down time before the start of the regular season on April 3. If Team USA goes deep into the tournament, the Indians will have to build in some recovery time for him late in camp or during the early part of the regular season.

@hoynsie what's your outlook on Yan Gomes? Justin slippery rock

-- Justin Vaughan (@JVaughan95) February 17, 2017

Hey, Justin: I think Gomes will have a good season as long as he can stay healthy. Knee, shoulder and hand injuries have hurt him the last two years.

Francona said something a couple of days ago that made a lot of sense. He said Gomes understands himself as a hitter. He knows he's not going to have a high  onbase percentage, but that he can do damage with his power on pitches down in the zone.

Former Tribe manager Charlie Manuel always said to players, "Know thyself, son." If Gomes can stay on the field, that knowledge, and the fact that he's turned the page on a tough 2016 season, is going to help him.

Hey, Hoynes: If Michael Brantley isn't ready for opening day, what is the outfield going to look like? -- Bobby D., Erie, Pa.

Hey, Bobby: The Indians open the regular season April 3 against Texas so it depends if the Rangers start lefty Cole Hamels or righty Yu Darvish. Let's say Darvish gets the start.

The Indians could go with Tyler Naquin in center and Lonnie Chisenhall in right. In left field they could start switch-hitter Abraham Almonte, Austin Jackson, if healthy, or Brandon Guyer.

They could also use Ramirez, another switch-hitter, in left field. The Indians, however, seem set on him staying at third. Depending what utility man makes the club, Michael Martinez, Erik Gonzalez or Yandy Diaz could play left field.

@hoynsie I have a bad feeling about Michael Brantley's future - do you share that same fear? James in Chicago, IL

-- James Lotz n (@SirMixaLotz) February 17, 2017

Hey, James: The Indians are concerned, just like you and other fans.

I talked to President Chris Antonetti on Thursday and he's been impressed with the work Brantley has put in. But until Brantley proves he can swing the bat productively against all kind of pitches, game in and game out, no one knows for sure how far his right shoulder can be pushed.

@hoynsie Hey Hoynsie,do you see #Indians making any moves to add more outfield help, thanks Kevin from Ellenton Florida

-- Kevin Kvasnok (@KevinKvasnok12) February 17, 2017

Hey, Kevin: It's possible, but I think they'd like to sort through the outfielders they have in camp now. Unfortunately, Jackson is still hobbled from last year's surgery on his left knee, but they should be able to get a look at him in mid to late March because camp started early to accommodate the World Baseball Classic.

The coaching staff will also get a closer took at prospects Greg Allen, Bradley Zimmer and Diaz. Brantley's availability will play a role in what they do or don't do as well.

Hey, Hoynsie: Will Jose Ramirez get as many at-bats (and have as many lost batting helmets) as he did last year? -- Steph Henneman, Gottingen, Germany.

Hey, Steph: Ramirez worked overtime last year -- 565 at-bats, 152 games and only Zack Meisel knows how many lost batting helmets. In the postseason, he played 15 more games with 56 at-bats.

If Ramirez stays healthy and productive, he should easily top 500 at-bats in 2017. Velcro or a chin strap would cut down on the lost batting helmets.  Gonzalez, Martinez and Diaz, who are competing for the utility job, would spell Ramirez at third.

@hoynsie Do you think the Indians need one more key player to win it all? If so, What position/ Player. and Why. Blake Elkins, Aurora, IL

-- Blake Elkins (@blake_elkins87) February 17, 2017

Hey, Blake: I think they've done a good job of strengthening the roster with the signings of Edwin Encarnacion and Boone Logan. Those two signings showed that ownership believes the team is on the cusp of something big.

It means, at least from the outside looking in, if they need a boost at the trading deadline the front office will be empowered to get it done. They certainly did that last year.

Stemming from fans coveting Uncle Drew gear, the website UncleDrew.com launched Friday, an ideal tipoff to All-Star weekend.

NEW ORLEANS -- On Thursday afternoon, the day when many were arriving for NBA All-Star festivities, Pepsi unveiled the latest short in the Uncle Drew series featuring Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving. 

That was just the beginning of Uncle Drew's New Orleans takeover.

"With fresh and exciting content, Pepsi will look to reignite the courtside excitement around Uncle Drew and continue its legacy of rewarding fans with fun, exciting and authentic moments in pop culture and sports," said Aziel Rivers, Director of Pepsi Marketing. "With the availability of brand new Uncle Drew merchandise on UncleDrew.com, we are really able to show the evolution of the Uncle Drew brand which keeps fans connected at multiple touch points both on and off the screen."

In large part because of fans demanding Uncle Drew gear, the website UncleDrew.com launched Friday, an ideal tipoff to All-Star weekend.

The site, which is now the digital one-stop-shop for all things Uncle Drew, gives fans a chance to purchase merchandise, get behind-the-scenes footage of the cast's character transformations and watch all the Uncle Drew episodes.  

In New Orleans, as Irving prepares for the 3-Point contest Saturday night and also Sunday's game, fans were able to stop by the pop-up shop at famed restaurant Daisy Dukes on Chartres Street for the ultimate Uncle Drew experience, courtesy of Pepsi.

Chris Fedor, cleveland.com 

The space, modeled after the pizza joint from the recent ads with JB Smoove ("Angelo") and Baron Davis ("Louis"), had a number of items available to buy, including the leather brim snapback hat, the "fundamentals" tee and "it's all about buckets" hoodie -- all items that reference memorable quotes from the ads.

There was a special menu, featuring Uncle Drew's pizza (pepperoni, mushrooms and olives), the Drew burger, Louis' shrimp po' boy combo and Angelo's gumbo.   

So what's next for Uncle Drew? What's next for Irving, as his brand continues to grow? 

A starring role in a full-length feature film.

"Seeing the response that it's gotten has been awesome, not only from kids but just across the world, it has been awesome," Irving said in an interview on ESPN Radio. "Really a fun-filled environment when I'm doing that and I enjoy every minute of it.

"Now that we're coming out with a movie I'm just thinking about the possibilities. We're just trying to create history and become a great basketball movie that it just won't be as cliche of Uncle Drew is getting back on the court and going to find his players. It will be some twists in there, which I'm excited to present to you guys."

Conceived, developed and produced by PepsiCo's in-house content creation arm, Creators League Studio, the film will extend the Pepsi brand beyond the bottle.

"Today's consumers want to live the brand as much as consume it, and the tremendous success we've had with the Uncle Drew franchise is a perfect example of how we're building ecosystems around our flagship brands," said Lou Arbetter, General Manager of Creators League Studio. "Pepsi and Kyrie Irving are looking forward to expanding the Uncle Drew universe."

The film release date is unknown, but Irving said he has talked with teammate LeBron James, who had a role in "Trainwreck," about the amount of hours that goes into making a movie.

Who knew an older man played by Irving who masks his immense basketball skills before showing up others in local pickup games would grow into something this big? 

First an ad -- "Chapter 1" of Uncle Drew -- that has become the most-viewed basketball-related video in YouTube history, having been watched more than 47 million times. Then more chapters, starring other NBA players (Kevin Love, Ray Allen and Nate Robinson). Now a website, with a plethora of fun and popular merchandise, and a pop-up store at the center of the NBA universe this weekend. Soon, a movie.

"I think I can get more enjoyment from being behind the camera, but being in front of it is also awesome," Irving said during Friday's All-Star Media Day. "Getting to act and become an alter ego and it's just a beauty, and, you know, playing another role."

Irving has always been into the arts. He says he will have a behind-the-scenes role in the film, which is expected to include other NBA players. He won't, however, be helping with the script.

"I'm not into writing," he said. "I'm behind directing and producing, so watching all those hours and hours of outtakes and chopping it up and all of that, I think I should just add co-director and let them direct it."

In his short time in the NBA, Irving has racked up sponsorships with Nike, Pepsi, AK and Mountain Dew. As of three weeks ago, the 24-year-old point guard had the NBA's fourth most-popular jersey, behind Stephen Curry, James and Kevin Durant.

While his star continues to shine on the hardwood -- appearing in his fourth All-Star Game in six years this Sunday -- Irving has become a luminary off it as well.

"I think it's the way he carries himself on and off the court," NBA legend Julius Erving, who appeared at the Uncle Drew pop-up shop and even sported one of the hats for photo ops, told cleveland.com of Irving's popularity. "He's very humble, yet very determined and focused and very talented.

"You know, talent -- the cream comes to the top in every scenario. The challenge is whether you can stay there or not so I think he has proven in a short period of time that he's smart, he's articulate and he's the type of leader whose worthy of having followers.

"He's the type of inspirational talent who is worthy of having fans. He's proven himself in that regard and I think he will continue to do so."

It was a rocky marriage for the Buckeye and the team that created the Bro-hio section at Progressive Field. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In his introductory press conference at Progressive Field before the 2013 season, Nick Swisher uttered the word "excited" 16 times.

The Indians introduced the man who had signed a four-year contract, a rare dip into free-agent waters for an oft-reluctant organization. And at the tail end of that four-year period, the Indians hosted the World Series at that same ballpark.

Swisher was nowhere to be found.

The Ohio State product was exiled to Atlanta in August 2015, an unceremonious exit from a team that had committed $56 million to him just 31 months earlier. The Braves ended up releasing both Swisher and Michael Bourn -- the two will be forever linked in Indians lore -- the following March.

Swisher spent the 2016 campaign in small towns with the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, far from the bright lights and capacity crowds he craved. He stepped away from the game midway through the summer.

On Friday, he officially announced his retirement, in a letter on The Players' Tribune titled "The Dream Is Over, Baby!" Swisher revealed that he'll serve as a studio analyst for Fox Sports for the upcoming season.

During his three seasons in Cleveland, Swisher posted a .228/.311/.377 slash line, with 32 home runs and 273 strikeouts in 272 games. From 2005-13, he totaled at least 20 homers and 20 doubles in each season.

He appeared in no fewer than 148 games from 2006-12. When he arrived in Cleveland, though, he struggled to stay healthy. Swisher underwent surgery on both knees in August 2014. He played in only 30 contests in 2015 before the Indians dealt him and Bourn to the Braves.

Cleveland absorbed Chris Johnson's cumbersome contract in return for the two veterans. The Indians are still paying Johnson's $9 million salary for 2017.

It was a rocky marriage for the bubbly Buckeye and the team that created the Bro-hio section at Progressive Field. Swisher did aid the Indians' cause during their September surge in 2013, a frantic finish that vaulted the club into the American League Wild Card Game.

The Indians fell short against the Rays, however, and by the time Terry Francona navigated his club back to the postseason, Swisher was in a different uniform.

Catch up on boys basketball around Cleveland, following a night of buzzer-beaters and tightening conference championship races.

LORAIN, Ohio – Deuce Martin took a dribble and two steps before hoisting a shot from three-fourths the court’s length. His shot swished through the net, but was waved off.

No matter, Martin still had 33 points while leading Clearview’s 75-63 overtime win Friday against Oberlin.

The performance helped Clearview win the Patriot Athletic Conference Stripes Division title in a matchup of two teams on the cusp of the cleveland.com boys basketball Top 25. Like a year ago, Clearview has a league crown against its rival.

Oberlin hopes that — like last year — it again turns into a long postseason run.

BEAT THE CLOCK

While Martin’s shot before halftime didn’t count, a few did elsewhere.

None bigger than Jayvon Graves’ 3-pointer that gave No. 2 St. Vincent-St. Mary a 74-72 win at state-ranked Massillon Jackson.

Graves scored 32 points and senior point guard Jon Williams added 18. Logan Hill led Jackson with 18 points, while Kyle Young added 14.

We was the underdogs but look what happened🤔😈 #TheShot #Gametime 💯 pic.twitter.com/As4QqaADPi

— Jayvon Graves✨ (@JayGravess23) February 18, 2017

BEAT THE CLOCK, PART II

Sha’Mar Latham’s last-second shot at Warrensville Heights helped the Tigers shock No. 18 Cleveland Heights.

Latham scored 13 points, while center Daquan Henderson had 14 for Warrensville Heights (7-13), which has served as Cleveland Heights’ home for Lake Erie League game this season.

Junior point guard Yahel Hill and senior forward Jaylen Harris each had 14 points for Cleveland Heights, which played without junior forward Tyreke Smith. They have lost three straight games, including the last two on buzzer-beating shots.

CONFERENCE CHASES

Clearing up the conferences races with a week to go in the regular season.

• Clearview and Buckeye clinched PAC division titles. Led by Justin Canedy’s 18 points, Buckeye won the Stars Division with a 56-38 win against Keystone.


• No. 16 Mentor is in control of the Greater Cleveland Conference, following its 61-49 win against No. 8 Elyria and No. 19 Medina’s 72-66 loss at Shaker Heights. The Cardinals own a half-game lead on Elyria, which still has games next week against Shaker Heights and Solon. Mentor is at Medina on Feb. 24 with a chance to clinch at least a share of the GCC.

Manning Trubisky’s 22 points were vital in the Cardinals’ win Friday.

• No. 23 Stow leads the Suburban League National Division after a 51-39 win at No. 25 Brecksville. The Bulldogs have a half-game lead on No. 22 Wadsworth.


• Avon and Avon Lake remain in the Southwestern Conference lead following Avon’s 67-56 win at Berea-Midpark. Sophomore guard Ryan Maloy’s 17 points and Ryan Bertrand’s 14 were vital to the Eagles. The effort also earned Avon coach Kevin Sapara his 100th victory. Three days earlier, Avon Lake scored a 65-62 win at Olmsted Falls after the week began with four teams tied atop the SWC. Three teams — Berea-Midpark, Olmsted Falls and Westlake — are still just a back behind the leaders with a game left.

• Brush wrapped up the Western Reserve Conference with its second win against Madison, this one a 63-55 victory in Lyndhurst. Brush also honored Alec Kornet, a hockey player who died Tuesday night.

.@BigFive_ punctuates a 63-55 @BrushAthletics win over @BlueStreaksMHS with a one-hand slam as the Arcs win the WRC crown pic.twitter.com/jwLSiLkF2F

— Nate Barnes (@NateBarnes_) February 18, 2017

• No. 14 Holy Name and No. 21 Elyria Catholic will share the Great Lakes Conference following their victories Friday night.

Conference champs! 90-66 over Normandy - great job guys, more to come! 17-3, 11-1 @HNGreenwave #hnboyshoops pic.twitter.com/iaOF73MerS

— Holy Name Boys Bball (@HolyNameHoops) February 18, 2017

• No. 17 Ellet took the Akron City Series crown with a 61-44 win against Buchtel. A.J. Gareri scored 25 points to lead the Orangemen.

RELATED: District seeding takeaways.

CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY’S SCOREBOARD

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Elyria Catholic's Dorian Crutcher is the cleveland.com Player of the Week following two 20-point games that helped the Panthers score wins against Rocky River and Bay. Crutcher received 476 votes, 47.5 percent of the 1,002 that voted in the weekly “Game Balls” contest.

Crutcher, who was featured this week on NEOSpotlight.com, is leading EC in scoring. The Panthers share the Great Lakes Conference lead with Holy Name are will be the No. 2 seed in the Division III Garfield Heights District behind top-ranked Villa Angela-St. Joseph.

WHAT’S AHEAD

Here is a look at Saturday’s games, wrapping up the final full weekend of the regular season, plus a lookahead to next week.

No. 1 St. Ignatius (15-4) at Westerville South (16-5), Saturday: The defending state champs have dropped from The Associated Press state poll after losses last month to Upper Arlington and Newark — by a combined three points — but that shouldn’t factor into this matchup that includes Ohio State-bound Kaleb Wesson and St. Ignatius’ Matt Davet and Austen Yarian.

No. 3 St. Edward (14-5) at No. 13 Central Catholic (13-6), Saturday: For the second straight weekend, the Ironmen welcome a cleveland.com-ranked team to Baxter Avenue. The Ironmen scored a convincing win last Saturday against Holy Name.

CLICK HERE FOR SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

No. 9 Cornerstone Christian (16-5) at No. 16 Mentor (14-5), Monday: The lone area game this night will mark the Patriots’ fifth against a Division I squad.

No. 10 Benedictine (16-4) at No. 1 St. Ignatius (15-4), Tuesday: A snow day pushed back this matchup from last month.

No. 13 Central Catholic (13-6) at No. 4 Lorain (17-2), Tuesday: These two met in the Earl Boykins Summer League title game. This one counts a little more as the second-to-last game in the regular season for both.

No. 21 Elyria Catholic (14-6) at Clearview (17-3), Tuesday: A matchup of two top programs in Lorain County will offer a tuneup before the Panthers head to the Division III Garfield Heights District and Clearview enters Division II North Ridgeville.

North Canton Hoover(16-4) at No. 2 STVM (15-5), Tuesday: A stiff schedule for the Fighting Irish continues after it stunned Massillon Jackson on the road.

CLICK HERE FOR TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

North Canton Hoover (16-4) at No. 6 Garfield Heights (16-4), Friday: Can the Bulldogs make a return trip to Cleveland State — and Columbus? This game could answer that question.

No. 18 Cleveland Heights (11-8) at No. 4 Lorain (17-2), Friday: This will not factor into the Lake Erie League crown. Lorain has already clinched that, but this will serve as a final tuneup before the Titans begin as the No. 1 seed in the Division I Elyria Catholic District and Cleveland Heights takes to the Euclid District.

No. 8 Elyria (16-4) at No. 15 Solon (15-6), Friday: The Comets are mathematically eliminated from the Greater Cleveland Conference picture, but they can spoil the Pioneers’ bid to catch Mentor.

No. 16 Mentor (14-5) at No. 18 Medina (15-6), Friday: Mentor can clinch its share of the GCC or Medina could force a tie, depending on what happens with Elyria’s last two games.

Massillon Jackson (18-2) at No. 17 Ellet (17-3), Friday: Two top seeds in their respective districts will meet up in Akron.

Olmsted Falls (15-6) at Avon (15-5), Friday: That wild Southwestern Conference race will finally reach its conclusion. Also on this night, Westlake is at Berea-Midpark while North Olmsted visits Avon Lake.

CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

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.

Look back at Cleveland Cavaliers competitors in the Slam Dunk, Skills Challenge and 2-Ball competitions at NBA All-Star Weekend.

Check out our video version of Mary Kay Cabot's weekly Q&A. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Somehow, some way the Browns are expected to address their quarterback position this offseason. It could be via trade, free agency, the draft -- there are plenty of options for them.

Cleveland.com readers have their usual batch of questions for Mary Kay Cabot and her Hey, Mary Kay! column, so we picked three of them for a video edition of her Q&A. Check out her answers to questions about drafting a quarterback past the first round, Myles Garrett's production and the possibility of going the free agent or trade route.

Why do so many draft experts have Myles Garrett ranked as the draft's top player? Is he really that good?

ABOUT MYLES GARRETT

I wanted to know why so many draft experts have Myles Garrett as the No. 1 pick.

ESPN's Mel Kiper writes: "Garrett ... clearly the No. 1 player in this draft class and would be an immediate help at a position where having an elite player on a rookie contract is like stealing."

ESPN's Todd McShay writes: "Garrett is the best pure pass rusher in the 2017 draft. He played through an ankle injury for much of this season and still finished tied for sixth in the SEC with 15 tackles for loss. He has a lethal combination of first-step quickness, bend power and hand-to-hand combat skills."

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah writes: "Overall, this is an elite talent with all-pro potential."

I called Dane Brugler (CBSsports.com). He is one of my favorite draft analysts, a product of Mount Union who comes from Warren, Ohio.

"I've had Garrett as my No. 1 prospect from the moment the 2016 draft ended, and it's never changed," he said. "He is the best talent in the draft."

I watched parts of a few games with Garrett. I was not overwhelmed by the 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive end from Texas A&M. Garrett had 8.5 sacks, but 4.5 were against Texas-San Antonio, hardly a football power.

THE BOSA COMPARISON

"Joey Bosa had only five sacks in his junior season at Ohio State," said Brugler. "But if you studied him on tape, you could see talent. He was being double-teamed, sometimes triple-teamed. Teams often ran away from him."

Brugler's point was Garrett received the same star treatment from opponents in 2016 as Bosa did in 2015. Teams ran plays in the opposite direction. They set up special pass protections. Bosa had 21 sacks in his first two seasons at OSU. It dropped to 5.0 sacks in 2015.

As a rookie, Bosa had 10.5 sacks in 12 games for the Chargers -- and that came after missing virtually all of training camp in a contract dispute.

"Over the last three years, only Tennessee's Derek Barnett had more sacks (33) than Garrett (31)," said Brugler. "You can't just go on sack numbers from last year. He played injured for about half the season."

Garrett suffered a high ankle sprain in a Sept. 24 game against Arkansas. He sat out the next week against South Carolina. Garrett played two games after that -- against Tennessee and Alabama.

"You could see he was only about 75 percent," said Brugler. "He played pretty well against Alabama (7 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss), but you also could see he wasn't at his best."

Garrett sat out two more games after the 33-14 loss to Alabama. He returned for the final three games of the season. In 2015, he played the final six games with his hand wrapped up because of thumb and wrist injuries. He had surgery after that season.

While Garrett has had some injury issues, he also has shown the willingness to play hurt.

THE CLOWNEY COMPARISON

In 2014, South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney was the No. 1 pick in the draft by Houston. In his first two seasons, he had 21 sacks.

As a junior, Clowney had only 3.0 sacks. He still impressed scouts with his athleticism.

"Clowney was probably more gifted than Garrett," said Brugler, "but in terms of health and other things, I like Garrett better."

Most scouts believe Garrett has a stronger work ethic and better attitude than Clowney displayed at the same stages of their careers. Clowney played only four games as a rookie for the Texans, suffered a major knee injury and had surgery. In 2015, he played but was still not 100 percent physically.

In 2016, he had 6.0 sacks and was named to the Pro Bowl and 2nd team All-Pro. So it took three years for Clowney to begin to fulfill his promise. Profootballfocus rated Clowney as "one of the game's best against the run." He was rated No. 3 overall, behind Von Miller and Michael Bennett.

GARRETT & ANALYTICS

Profootballfocus is the easiest analytics site to access. They rate Garrett as the top player in the draft. They have data such as Garrett beating blocks to pressure the quarterback 50 times this season. The impressive part is he did it 20 times to the outside, 20 times to the inside and "10 times with a bull rush."

The site also ranked him No. 3 among edge defenders against the run, an improvement over his first two seasons.

"He's a fit for any scheme," wrote Steve Palazzolo. "(He's) perfect for a Browns team that features one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL."

ABOUT THE BROWNS

1. Brugler said Alabama coach Nick Saban "absolutely gushes about Jonathan Allen." He is the 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive lineman for the Tide who just won the Lombardi Trophy. Brugler rates Allen as a "top five player." Saban said Allen can play in the middle of the line or as a defensive end.

2. Very few draft experts take Garrett's video about wanting to play for Dallas as a red-flag. Bruger said Garrett "is a good kid, a worker, people really like his character."

3. Brugler said the obvious about quarterback being the most important position. He believes pass rusher is right behind quarterback. That's why he ranks Garrett so highly for the Browns and anyone else.

4. I'm still not sure about Garrett. The injury issue bothers me, although it does explain the drop in production. I also was horribly wrong about Bosa as a pro, as I recently confessed in a story.

5. Nick Foles appears headed to free agency. He was a backup to Alex Smith in Kansas City. He played two games, completing 36 of 55 passes for 3 TDs without an interception. He did a decent job as a "game manager," the conservative style favored by the Chiefs.

6. Foles has had a career with some nice high spots such as his 2013 season with 27 TDs vs. two interceptions in Chip Kelly's hurry-up offense in Philadelphia.

7. Since 2013, he is 11-9 as a starter, 23 TDs vs. 20 interceptions. He struggled with the Rams in 2015, 4-7 as a starter. It's hard to get very excited about him, but he will have several teams interested. There are so few even mediocre quarterbacks available as free agents.

Several teams have been asking the Cavs about trading for Iman Shumpert. The Cavs want to make a deal, but not with Shumpert.

ABOUT CAVS TRADING IMAN SHUMPERT

1. If the Cavs want to make a significant trade, a player with real value is Iman Shumpert. Teams are looking for athletic wing players. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Shumpert can play shooting guard and small forward. He fills a need for a lot of teams. Of course, he also fills a need on the Cavaliers.

2. I was concerned about Shumpert heading into this season. He struggled in 2015-16, shooting .374 overall and .295 on 3-pointers. Those were career lows, just like his 5.8 scoring average. He had several minor injuries that led to missing 28 games. He was not much of a factor in the playoffs, averaging 3.3 points.

3. Shumpert dedicated himself to improving his outside shot, and it shows. He's shooting a career-high .425 from 3-point range. The Cavs asked him to concentrate on defending and making 3-point shots from the corner. He's done that.

4. In 15 starts, he's averaging 9.7 points and shooting .454 from 3-point range. He is having the best season of his 6-year NBA career. Shumpert is only 26, so he's in his prime. Here's his contract situation:

2016-17: $9.6 million.
2017-18: $10.3 million.
2018-19: $11 million (player option).

Remember, this is a league where Matthew Dellavedova signed a 4-year, $38 million deal with Milwaukee. It's amazing what many of these guys are paid.

ABOUT SHOOTING GUARD

1. J.R. Smith (thumb surgery) is out until March at the earliest. I heard early April. No matter, the Cavs don't have a lot of depth at shooting guard if they trade Shumpert.

2. They have Kyle Korver, who has become a major asset. But Korver is a free agent at the end of the season. The Cavs do have his "Bird rights," meaning they can exceed the salary cap to keep him. Korver will be 36 on March 17. He's in great condition and is more than a superb shooter. He is a very smart, unselfish basketball player. Those skills are valued by the Cavs and fit well with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

3. Korver has been an outstanding addition by General Manager David Griffin. Korver is averaging 11 points, shooting 51 percent from the field and 3-point range in 25 minutes a game.

4. If the Cavs traded Shumpert and then lose Korver in free agency, they would be in trouble at shooting guard. The Cavs really like Shumpert and have been impressed with how he promised to improve his game and did just that. As of now, there are no serious trade talks involving Shumpert.

5. Baseball fans will like this: Part of Smith's rehabilitation from thumb surgery is throwing a baseball with physical therapist George Sibel at Cleveland Clinic Courts. The ball is obviously much smaller than a basketball. It's a way to build up strength in the thumb.

ABOUT POSSIBLE TRADES

1. In the Internet/24-hour cable news era, there is a sense the Cavs are taking forever to do something. But consider Griffin adding Derrick Williams and Korver so far. Those have been very impactful moves in helping the bench.

2. The Cavs also expect Kevin Love (knee surgery) and Smith to be ready for the playoffs. The team will probably struggle in the next month with those two starters out, but the real focus is on the playoffs.

3. The trading deadline is Thursday, so Griffin can still do something else. He made a deadline deal for Channing Frye last year.

4. The Cavs like Lou Williams (Lakers), who is averaging 18.4 points and 3.1 assists. He is under contract for the next two seasons at $7 million annually. So far, talks have not progressed because they can't seem to find a combination of players/salary cap room to make it work.

5. The Cavs have a $4.3 million trade exception that expires Monday. Utah has dropped point guard Shelvin Mack from the rotation. The Butler product is a solid reserve, averaging 7.3 points, shooting .440 (.360 on 3-pointers). He makes $2.5 million. I'd love to see the Cavs find a way to deal for Mack and use the exception. Mack is a free agent at the end of the season.

ABOUT ANDERSON VAREJAO

If the Cavs want to sign a veteran big man who probably will not play any meaningful minutes, Anderson Varejao can return to the team Monday. He has been on the market since Feb. 2, when the Warriors waived him. The 6-foot-10 Varejao is now 34. He has not been the same player since suffering a major Achilles injury in 2014.

He played only 92 minutes for the Warriors this season, shooting 5-of-14 from the field. Varejao was one of my favorite all-time Cavaliers, but he would do little for them now. He'd take the place of Chris (Birdman) Andersen, who barely played before he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Also, Tyronn Lue doesn't like to play big lineups, part of the reason the front office has not rushed to add a backup center.

The Cavs are waiting to see if certain players are bought out and become free agents. Andrew Bogut is probably on their radar screen, and the veteran center (now with Dallas) would be more attractive than Varejao. But it doesn't appear Bogut will become available.

Varejao is not completely out of the picture, but he'd be a fallback position for the Cavs.

The Cleveland Indians have already sold 1 million total tickets and 12,000 season tickets.

ABOUT TRIBE FAN INTEREST

Yes, fans are starting to seriously buy into the Tribe. Consider the following:

1. If the Indians don't sell another ticket, they will already draw slightly more than 1 million fans this season.

2. They didn't have 1 million in ticket sales in 2016 until Memorial Day weekend.

3. They are close to 12,000 season tickets, up from about 8,000 a year ago.

4. Within four weeks of signing free agent Edwin Encarnacion, the Indians sold $3 million worth of tickets.

That's just some of the information I picked up recently after a conversation with Brian Barren, the new Indians president of business operations. Barren has been with the Indians since 2014, and was a vice president of sales & marketing before his recent promotion.

Tribe owner Paul Dolan had been serving as team president after Mark Shapiro left for the Toronto Blue Jays in September 2015. Dolan now has two team presidents with distinct responsibilities -- Chris Antonetti runs the baseball operation, Barren is in charge of business.

"The key is for us to work together, and Chris has been great about that," said Barren.

The two men stay out of each other's territory. Antonetti and General Manager Mike Chernoff assemble the roster and handle the baseball matters. But when the Indians were looking at acquiring Andrew Miller in a trade last July, that meant adding $3 million in payroll. The business department was able to supply Dolan and Antonetti with data on how ticket sales were trending, projected income for the rest of the season. It helped ownership decide to bring on Miller and his contract.

That's how the two sides work together -- baseball is a business. It's a combination of dollars and common baseball sense.

Along with the Miller deal, ownership gave the green light to smaller in-season trades for Brandon Guyer and Coco Crisp. That added about another $1 million to the 2016 payroll.

Without the late-season acquisitions, it's doubtful the Tribe would have reached the World Series.

LEAP OF FAITH

That's how Barren characterizes the ownership decision to sign Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year, $60 million contract. Encarnacion averaged 39 HR and 110 RBI in the last five seasons for Toronto. It's the largest contract in franchise history.

The Indians also signed reliever Boone Logan to a contract worth $6.5 million. The payroll will rise from about $95 million to about $130 million this season -- the largest in team history.

"We have 21 of 25 players who were in the World Series expected to be back," said Barren. "We have the Manager of the Year (Terry Francona) and the Executive of the Year (Antonetti). We want to continue to grow the fan interest in the team."

1. The Indians drew 1.6 million fans last season. That ranked 28th out of 30 teams.

2. That was up from 1.4 million fans in 2015, when the Tribe was 81-80 and never in any race for the postseason.

3. While attendance is one number, even more important is revenue -- how much money is coming in? That was up quite a bit from 2015, although it's nearly impossible to come up with those stats. Teams zealously guard their revenue totals.

Here are some facts:

1. The Indians have sold out the lower bowl (about 18,500 seats) for most of the 2017 weekend games during the summer. The bleachers, family deck and club suites are considered part of the lower bowl.

2. Group sales are up 50 percent from a year ago. The Indians believe the group sales are beginning to grow as opening day approaches.

3. Even the total of 8,000 season tickets for 2016 is a bit deceiving. The Indians sold a lot of pro-rated season tickets during the season, especially as the playoffs became a real possibility. That did show fans were starting to embrace the team.

4. "Our partial season tickets (20-to-40 game plans) have tripled," said Barren. "That's a very good sign."

HOME FIELD MATTERS

1. The Indians were 23-11 when they had at least 20,000 fans in the stands in 2016.

2. Their home record of 53-28 was the second best since the team moved into what is now Progressive Field -- trailing the 54-18 mark in the strike-shortened 1995 season.

3. When the ballpark opened in 1994, there were 130 suites. That was when fans wanted suites. It's totally changed. The new ballparks for the Mets have 49 suites, the Yankees have 56. The Indians have cut their total to 72.

4. Many fans (mostly younger adults) love the Corner Bar area down the right and left field lines. The Indians can accommodate about 1,000 fans with a $13 District Ticket that includes a free beverage at the game.

5. As Barren said, "A lot of us grew up with a scorecard and a No. 2 lead pencil. That has changed as many fans now follow the game on their phones."

ABOUT THE MARKET

Cleveland is the smallest big-league market with teams in the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball. It is ranked as the No. 18 media market.

The Indians are in the same type of market as the following: Tampa Bay (No. 14), Pittsburgh (No. 23), Baltimore (No.27), Kansas City (No. 31), Milwaukee (No. 34) and Cincinnati (No. 35).

Some fans compare Cleveland to Detroit, but the Detroit market (No. 11) is larger and has a wider reach. Tiger games are broadcast in Marquette, about eight hours from Detroit in the Upper Peninsula.

I don't have the numbers, but the Indians business side wants to outperform those other teams in their market size in terms of ticket sales, groups, etc.

THE ROYALS COMPARISON

In 2014, the Royals had about 9,000 season tickets. They surprised baseball by going from a wild-card team to the World Series. The next season, their season ticket total rose to about 13,000. It's possible the Indians could approach that level.

A season ticket number often is a combination of plans. For example, four 20-game plans will equal one season ticket. The team plays 81 home games.

That's why the math is tricky and why baseball doesn't make its season ticket totals public. Teams have different ways of counting them.

Some other things:

1. Monday is the last day to buy a season ticket that includes Opening Day.

2. The deadline for 6-packs on sale is Feb. 24.

3. March 6 is when single game tickets go on sale -- at 10 a.m., online only.

4. The real indication of what the Tribe could draw will come from single-game demand. Obviously, they will draw more than the 1.6 million of last season.

5. In 2014, the Royals drew 1.9 million fans as they reached the World Series. That rose to 2.7 million in 2015 -- and they went back to the World Series. Last season, the Royals had an 81-81 record, and they drew 2.5 million.

6. A good start in 2017 would also add more demand for single game tickets. That's what happened to the Royals in 2015. On May 15, they were 23-13 and on their way to a 95-67 season.