One of Byron Scott's missions for this season is to find out what kind of a player the Cavaliers have in J.J. Hickson.

View full sizeLisa DeJong / The Plain DealerJ.J. Hickson's play has been sporadic for the Cavaliers this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The bright lights around LeBron James made many of his teammates feel like stars, especially those whose only NBA team was the Cavaliers with a two-time MVP in the same lineup. That was especially true of J.J. Hickson.

Think about the Cavs power forward, who played only one year at North Carolina State, then signed a contract that guaranteed him $2.7 million over the next two seasons.

All of that at the age of 19 before dribbling the ball once as a pro.

Last season, he averaged 8.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and started 73 games. Nearly all of his points were near the rim, be it on fast break or when James was double-teamed, leaving Hickson open.

Hickson received credit for his good games and seldom was blamed for a poor performance. What Hickson often heard was that former coach Mike Brown should play the 6-9 power forward more often.

Now James is gone.

Hickson was the one guy who was not going to be traded, the one Cavalier who is young and gifted enough to be an impact player. Handed a chance to start in front of veteran Antawn Jamison, Hickson discovered what life is like for most NBA players. The easy layups and dunks left town with James. The soft approach in the dressing room departed with Brown.

Byron Scott arrived and realized that Hickson has major work to do when it comes to maturity.

View full sizePDCavs coach Byron Scott is pushing J.J. Hickson to improve.

That's why Hickson was removed from the starting lineup six games ago.

"I told J.J. that it wasn't about blaming him for the losing streak," Scott said. "I changed the lineup [benching Jamario Moon and Hickson in favor of Daniel Gibson and Jamison] because we needed a new approach in a lot of areas."

When it was mentioned that Hickson claimed he didn't hear about the change until right before the game, Scott sighed. He explained that it was the day a blizzard hit Cleveland. He planned to talk with several players at length, but most were very late.

"Only Antawn got there early, so he knew about it in advance," Scott said.

As a starter, Hickson average 11.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and shot 46 percent from the field in 25 minutes. At times, Hickson seemed passive.

"I thought he needed to play with more energy," Scott said.

The coach also believed it was unfair to Jamison, forcing the veteran to play behind Hickson. Since returning to the starting lineup, Jamison is averaging 17.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in six games heading into Monday's game against Utah. More importantly, Jamison is helping his teammates with Scott's motion offense.

Too often, a confused Hickson sometimes just stands and watches on the wing. This player who led the Atlantic Coast Conference in rebounding as a freshman often has been passive on the boards in the pros.

"I had a talk with J.J.," Scott said. "I told him that I know he's mad at me. Well, take it out on the court. Force me to play him. I asked him if he wanted to play 15 minutes, or does he want to play 25 to 30 minutes? If he wants to play more, he needs to do three things -- rebound better, defend and run the floor. He can get a lot of easy baskets."

Scott saw Hickson do a belly flop for a loose ball and drive to the basket a few times early in the Utah game, drawing smiles from the coach on the bench. In his first six games as a substitute, Hickson has been so-so: 6.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 36 percent shooting in 17 minutes.

This is Scott's 11th season as a head coach. He knows that one of his main jobs this season is to develop the 22-year-old Hickson.

"He is going to play," Scott said. "But I want all my players to know that they are not entitled to 25-30 minutes. They shouldn't feel too comfortable. You have to earn your place in this league."

To reach Terry Pluto: terrypluto2003@yahoo.com, 216-999-4674

Cleveland -- Meet the Indians' new right-handed-hitting outfielder, same as the Indians' old right-handed-hitting outfielder. Austin Kearns is back. Kearns, who won a job with the Indians last spring training, has agreed to a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Tribe. He is the first free agent the Indians have signed to a big-league deal this winter. Kearns' deal...

Cleveland -- Meet the Indians' new right-handed-hitting outfielder, same as the Indians' old right-handed-hitting outfielder.

Austin Kearns is back. Kearns, who won a job with the Indians last spring training, has agreed to a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Tribe. He is the first free agent the Indians have signed to a big-league deal this winter.

Kearns' deal includes performance bonuses.

"We think he's a great fit," said GM Chris Antonetti. "He's a right-handed-hitting outfielder who can play all three outfield positions. He's smart, tough and plays the game the right way."

The Indians traded Kearns to the Yankees for right-hander Zach McAllister on July 30, one day before the non-waiver trading deadline.

Kearns hit .272 (83-for-301) with 42 runs, 18 doubles, eight homers and 42 RBI with the Tribe. He had an OPS of .773 -- .419 slugging percentage and .354 on-base percentage.

Overall, he hit .263 with 10 homers and 49 RBI. He had a .746 OPS, but played sparingly for the Yankees.

"We talked to some pretty good teams," said Kearns, concerning his off-season negotiations. "In the end, Cleveland was the place to come back to."

Kearns and his wife, Abbey, have a home in Westlake.

"Living outside of Cleveland definitely played a part in me signing here," said Kearns.

Last year, Kearns came to camp as a spring training invitee on a make-good deal. He won a spot on the club and earned $750,000 in base salary.

"I enjoyed playing here," said Kearns. "There are a lot of good guys on this team. Guys I've maintained relationships with. They have a lot of talented young guys on this team."

The Indians' projected starting outfield of Grady Sizemore, Michael Brantley and Shin-Soo Choo are all left-handed hitters. Kearns was primarily a left fielder last year, playing 91 games there.

Shelley Duncan, Trevor Crowe and Chad Huffman are the other right-handed-hitting alternatives among the outfielders. Crowe is a switch hitter.

The Indians must drop someone from the 40-man roster to make room for Kearns. They do not have to do that until MLB and the players association approve the contract.

He's back: Jayson Nix's winter ball experience has turned into a painful one.

He just returned to San Juan's lineup in Puerto Rico after getting hit in the head by a pitch and missing nine games. The Indians sent him there to sharpen his skills at third base, but he's played only eight games.

Nix is hitting .074 (2-for-27) with one RBI. He has eight strikeouts and one walk. If the Indians aren't able to acquire a third baseman, Nix is the leading candidate to open the season at the hot corner. Good reports: Antonetti said the Indians are indeed interested in Bartolo Colon and have been getting good reports from his winter ball exploits with Aguilas in the Dominican Republic.

Colon, 37, has reportedly lost close to 40 pounds.

The Indians have not talked contract with Colon or his agents. Colon broke into the big leagues with the Indians and was their No. 1 starter at one time. Finally: The Indians were not that interested in free-agent infielder Bill Hall, who signed a $3.25 million deal with Houston. Hall, a utility man, may have helped the Tribe at third.

UPDATED: Browns cornerback Eric Wright has been up and down this season, and now he's out -- with a knee injury for the final two games.

Mark Duncan / Associated PressCornerback Eric Wright will miss the final two games with a left knee injury.

Wright, who again hurt his left knee in Cincinnati, will be placed on injured reserve and miss the final two games of the season against Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

He limped through the locker room Monday with a brace on his knee, but is not expected to undergo surgery. "We'll know more later in the week," said coach Eric Mangini.

Wright hurt his knee in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 19-17 loss. He originally hurt it in a 24-20 loss at Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 21 and sat out the following week against Carolina, a 24-23 Browns win. But he came back the next week in Miami "because I wanted to be out there fighting with my teammates."

Wright tweeted Monday night: "Overwhelmed by the support. Thank you. I'll be ok. Just needed more than two weeks to recover."

"I give Eric a lot of credit," Mangini said. "The last couple of weeks he's been coming back from an injury and it's been difficult. I wasn't sure whether he'd be back in that timeframe. He did a really good job of trying to get back and help out. It was important to him."

The injury capped a rough season for Wright, one in which he gave up three touchdowns to Anquan Boldin in a 24-17 loss to Baltimore on Sept. 26. Wright' has been judged by that game the rest of the season and took plenty of heat from fans and media. Ultimately, he lost his starting job to rookie Joe Haden on Dec. 5 in Miami, a 13-10 Browns win.

"He definitely had some ups and downs this season," Mangini said. "He was outstanding last season, so the person hasn't changed, the player hasn't changed. The important thing for him is to be able to come back from the injury and be as consistent as he can be at the high level that he's shown. He's played at a very high level. Last year, he was pretty much on his own all the time and he did a great job."

Question is, has he played his last down as a Brown? The four-year veteran's contract is up after this season and if Sunday was his last game, at least he went out as a part-time starter. Wright rotated with Sheldon Brown (shoulder) opposite Haden before going down.

"Sheldon was dinged up, so we were trying to give him some rest," Mangini said. "Those guys -- Sheldon and Eric -- were going to rotate through, so that really wasn't performance-based. They were both fighting through some things and we were trying to give them each a chance to contribute without the load being too heavy on either guy."

This week, Haden will get a chance to see if he fares any better against Boldin.

Gocong's take: Linebacker Chris Gocong offered this assessment of what went wrong defensively during Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Bengals, during which the Browns gave up 150 yards rushing to Cedric Benson:

"I'd say it almost felt like people were waiting for things to happen instead of making things happen," he said. "I wouldn't say that there was a lack of effort or anything like that. There was a sense of 'C'mon, somebody make a play.' "

He also felt like guys may have strayed from the scheme.

"I feel like a lot of it is guys trying to do too much and trying to make plays that aren't theirs and it becomes an opportunity for the other team," he said. "But it's not anything big."

He said he didn't watch highlights of his former team, the Eagles, pull of their fantastic finish over the Giants.

"I didn't watch any football last night," he said. "I wasn't in a very good mood."

Mangini on Colt's opinion: Mangini said he's not sure exactly what Colt McCoy meant about the Browns playing with a lack of intensity and energy at times.

"He's the quarterback, he controls a lot of the energy of the team or of the offense," Mangini said. "We all control that. So you're going to have to ask him what he meant."

Third-down run game: Mangini said the two areas the Browns obviously need to improve over the final two games are rushing offense and defense, and third-down offense and defense. Over the past two weeks, the run defense has given up 380 yards to tumble from No. 20 in the NFL to No. 25. It's not far off last year's final ranking of 28th. Also, the Browns have converted only 6 of 32 third-down opportunities over the past three games (19 percent). Conversely, the defense allowed the Bengals to convert 46 percent of their third downs, and over the past three weeks it's been 36.5 percent.

As a result, the Bengals had the ball for nearly 40 minutes. Still, Mangini doesn't think the third-down offense needs wholesale changes.

"I don't think it's other voices or other players or anything like that," he said. "You go in with the plan that you have. It's not wide-scale overhaul that you can put into this point. It's the ability to execute what we have called against that team effectively."

Easy, big fella: Mangini admitted that McCoy got away with risky throws two or three times, including one across his body to Brian Robiskie on a rollout.

"You want to have him look at the tape and say "OK, I dodged a bullet there, so the next time I'm faced with that decision, I don't make that same throw." I thought Josh [Cribbs] made a really nice play even on the fade ball, where the corner's playing high and Josh broke it up. It's a really smart play on his part. You don't want to throw that ball with the corner bailing like that. Colt's a really bright guy and does learn from his experiences, so if he's confronted with that again he'll make a different decision."

Robo too: Mangini complimented Robiskie for his first career TD, a 46-yard reception, but scolded him for holding the ball out dangerously at the end.

"I said, 'I wasn't happy with that, but I'm sure your dad [former Browns and current Falcons receivers coach Terry Robiskie] gave you an earful too,' and he said he did. But it was nice to see him get his first touchdown."

Not calling D: Mangini said he wasn't calling defensive plays when he was waving his hands on the sideline before plays. "I wouldn't do that to Rob," he said. "I have a ton of faith in him. There's run and pass keys and I felt pretty strongly, so I was more giving that. The call was the call. It was more signaling what I thought was coming."

Onside recovery: Mangini said it's hard to tell from the coaches films who actually recovered the onside kick. Browns linebacker Titus Brown thought he had it, but Browns defensive back Mike Adams said the official got it right, awarding it to the Bengals' Quan Cosby.

"I had it with one hand," Adams said. "It was the right call. It went through [Bengals linebacker] Brandon Johnson's legs, I saw it and I had it with one hand, and Cosby, he put both hands on it and he fell to the ground. I still had my hand on it, then Titus had his hand on it, but it was too late."

Sound familiar? Ravens running back Ray Rice rushed 31 times for 153 yards and a TD against the Saints -- almost the exact numbers Benson had against the Browns: 31 times for 150 yards and a TD. Rice also caught five passes for 80 yards and a TD. "He's a better back than [Benson] but we'll be up for the challenge," Adams said .

To reach this Plain Dealer Reporter: mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

Columbus -- Ohio State's coaching continuity was reaching an epic level -- for the past four seasons, the only coaching change had been quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels moving to an administrative role for health reasons and Nick Siciliano being promoted from within. This season, seven of the nine assistants had been on staff at least six seasons. That finally...

Columbus -- Ohio State's coaching continuity was reaching an epic level -- for the past four seasons, the only coaching change had been quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels moving to an administrative role for health reasons and Nick Siciliano being promoted from within. This season, seven of the nine assistants had been on staff at least six seasons.

That finally changed Monday with the announcement of OSU receivers coach Darrell Hazell as the head coach at Kent State. Hazell will remain with the Buckeyes through the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4. OSU athletic director Gene Smith said he had spoken briefly about the open position with head coach Jim Tressel, and he doesn't anticipate Tressel moving too quickly to fill the role.

"I think Jim will take his time and be deliberate," Smith said. "He does have some people in mind he wants to talk to, and I expect there will be some others."

Tressel has plenty of assistants with either direct connections to him or to Ohio State -- coordinators Jim Bollman and Jim Heacock, co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell, Siciliano, tight ends coach John Peterson and running backs coach Dick Tressel -- and the others at least have Midwest roots. Cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson, safeties coach Paul Haynes and Hazell all played college football in Ohio.

Hazell is the first coach to leave the staff for another job since Tim Beckman, now the Toledo head coach, departed after the 2006 season to be the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. The most recent assistant hired away as a head coach was defensive coordinator Mark Snyder, who left after 2004 for Marshall. Previous defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio left for Cincinnati after 2003. And now it's Hazell's turn.

"Darrell and I had two talks about this since I've been here," Smith said. "Early on, he aspired to be a head coach, and I'm not surprised at all that he landed this one. . . . He's honest and forthright and never reactionary. He has a calm presence about him that makes it easy for people to relate to. I always felt comfortable that if Darrell has to work a room full of people, he'll do great."

Hazell was the assistant head coach at Ohio State in addition to coaching the receivers, making $257,000 in base salary plus a one-month bonus of more than $21,000 for a Big Ten title and another one-month bonus for reaching a bowl game. He'll have a base salary of $300,000 at Kent State. Hazell seemed to be both respected and liked by his players, and six of his receivers were drafted by the NFL in his six drafts since joining the staff, including three in the first round. He was part of the offensive game-planning, though Tressel made the final decisions.

"He has certainly been a difference-maker at Ohio State," Tressel said in a statement. "The Golden Flashes are starting a golden era led by Darrell Hazell. His Buckeye family wishes him every success."

Daniel Gibson has a regular-season career-high 29 points and is 7-for-8 on 3-pointers, but costly errors lead to the Cavaliers losing for the 11th time in their past 12 games.

After his team's Monday morning shootaround at The Q, Scott was talking about the efficiency of the Utah Jazz.

"Any mistake you make defensively, they will burn you," Scott said.

The Cavs found out the hard way in a 101-90 loss to the Jazz on Monday.

"I thought every little mistake we made, we paid for it [with] either a wide-open 3 or a layup or a dunk," Scott said after his team lost for the 11th time in 12 games to fall to 8-20. "We knew going into this game that we had to be totally focused in on that end of the floor to beat this team.

"I thought our guys were focused. I thought we played hard. But there were still too many mistakes defensively, and they took advantage of pretty much every one of them."

Forward C.J. Miles led the Jazz with 22 points, while forward Paul Millsap and guard Raja Bell added 19 points apiece as Utah improved to 20-9. Center Al Jefferson had 16 points and 13 rebounds, while guard Deron Williams had 17 points and 10 assists. The Jazz had 28 assists on 39 baskets.

More important, it was the 1,210th victory of coach Jerry Sloan's career, and he moved into a tie for third place all-time in the NBA behind Don Nelson (1,335) and former Cavs coach Lenny Wilkens (1,332.)

"I don't have any thoughts on it," Sloan said. "That's not how I ever played or how I've ever coached."

Cavs guard Daniel Gibson made remarkably similar comments after scoring regular-season career highs in points (29) and 3-point field goals made (7-for-8.)

"I'm not real big on personal things," said Gibson, who rebounded nicely from a 4-for-20 showing against the New York Knicks on Saturday. "If that results in a win, then I'm excited about it. But if we're not winning, then I just want to figure out what we need to do in order to win the next game."

One would think that what they might not want to do is keep hoisting 3-pointers. Of the Cavs' 72 shots on Monday, more than one-third (28) were behind the arc.

But Scott's Princeton offense is predicated on taking what the defense gives you, and the Jazz don't give you much.

"The way they play, they plug that paint up and they want you to shoot jump shots," Scott said. "We took what the defense gave us. I thought, at times, maybe we could have made the one extra pass or taken one more dribble to the paint to force them in a little bit more.

"But, again, it wasn't the offense. It was the fact that they did a pretty good job of carving us up on the defensive end. It's a part of our game that we've got to continue to work on."

The Jazz's dominance inside resulted in 10 more rebounds, 14 more points in the paint and 12 more second-chance points than the Cavs managed. Utah also hit 10 of 23 3-pointers, including five by Bell and four by Miles.

"It's very tough against that team, because they execute so well and they set screens," Gibson said. "So the whole time you're fighting to get through screens and get back to your man, and then at the end of a possession, they'll make one. Or if we had possessions where we'd get a miss, they would get an offensive rebound and then we'd have to grind out another possession. That wears you down."

The Cavs trailed at halftime, 49-44, but shot 29.2 percent in the third quarter (7-of-24.) Utah hit 52.6 percent of its shots (10-of-19) and led by 20 points early in the fourth quarter.

"You have to limit your mistakes when you're playing against the better teams in the league because they execute every time that you don't, and they'll make you pay," Gibson said. "You want to put your best game out there every night. We can win games if we get stops."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

With speculation that losses to the lowly Bills and Bengals will cost Eric Mangini his job, he remains confident the future is bright for the Browns.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerBrowns coach Eric Mangini's team has beaten two Super Bowl contenders this season, but is coming off back-to-back losses to two-win teams.

BEREA, Ohio — Despite speculation that back-to-back losses to two-win teams will cost Browns coach Eric Mangini his job, he remains confident his 5-9 team is poised for long-term success.

"I feel confident in the direction the team and the organization are heading," Mangini said. "I think it's apparent in the type of people that we brought in and the way we play. There's going to be some hiccups and growing pains along the road. But I'm confident in the coaches, and I believe in what we stand for and teach. I think that we've got a very bright future for this team and this organization."

Question is, will Mangini be a part of it? Heading into the game against the 2-11 Bengals -- a team that had lost 10 straight -- reports circulated, including on the NFL Network, that Mangini would need a strong finish to survive. Now it remains to be seen if solid games against the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in the final two weeks will be enough to convince team President Mike Holmgren to keep him.

The organization wanted Mangini to beat the dysfunctional Bengals and then come home and finish strong against the two other division foes. Has he already sealed his fate with the double-whammy against the 2-10 Bills and then the Bengals?

"Two weeks ago, we had won two games in a row, so at different points in the season different things have happened," Mangini said. "When you look at something in its entirety, you don't just look at the most recent past. I assume [Holmgren] will look at it that way. That's how I expect to be evaluated."

Mangini, who saved his job with a four-game winning streak at the end of last season, says he'll worry only about the next game and not what Holmgren will decide after the season.

View full sizeAPCornerback Sheldon Brown, left, defending Sunday against the Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco, says Browns players need to worry about their own jobs.

"What's important to me is that the guys continue to improve and that we play well as a team," Mangini said. "That's what I want for this group of guys, and everything else will handle itself."

If the Browns can pull it back together and beat the 10-4 Ravens and 10-4 Steelers, the body of work will consist of victories over some of the top teams in the NFL, including the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots, who've gone a combined 12-1 since the Browns beat them.

But the Ravens and Steelers will have plenty to play for in their games here. If they finish in a tie, the Steelers would win the AFC North by virtue of their better division record. The Ravens can win it outright by beating the Browns and Bengals and relying on the Steelers to lose to either the Panthers or Browns.

"We have a good group of guys and I expect that when we come back on Wednesday and put the plan in that they'll be ready to work," Mangini said. "We've got a great opportunity in the next two weeks, against the best two teams in the division, to go out and play them and play them well."

Most Browns, including cornerback Sheldon Brown and team captain David Bowens, are stressing that players should be playing for their own jobs and not Mangini's future.

"In these last games, you better have some good footage of yourself on tape because that's what they'll be looking at," Brown said. "You're better off pointing at yourself before you start worrying about what somebody else is doing."

Bowens said it's a misconception that he's strictly a Mangini supporter. "I'm a loyal player to whoever I play for," he said. "We'll all be judged on how we finish up in the face of not making the playoffs."

Brown, who's been a mentor to the younger players, said the front office will do what's best for the team, period.

"I think a lot of people get caught up in trying to be a GM or president and forget they're just players," he said. "I've seen Eric Mangini win in this league, I've seen Mike Holmgren win and I've won with [general manager] Tom Heckert. I believe in the plan here."

Brown said he believes it's evident from the team's draft and free-agent acquisitions that the plan is working.

"With all of these great moves, why would I think that those guys up there don't know what they're doing?" Brown said.

He said it's crucial the Browns are still giving it their all.

"As a [nine-year vet] I've seen teams quit," he said. "We're still playing hard. It's easy to start pointing fingers, but this is a tremendous locker room. It's unreal, to be honest with you. I'm on my way out of the league, but I don't think there's another locker room that would be that way."

He said the Browns are on the verge of becoming an elite NFL team.

"The games we've lost are the ones where we've killed ourselves," he said. "But you are what your record says you are and there's no turning back. The only thing we can do is push forward and try to end on a good note."

To reach this Plain Dealer Reporter: mcabot@plaind.com,216-999-4670

Sabathia had hoped good friend Lee would join him with Yankees. As Indians, Sabathia and Lee won consecutive Cy Young Awards in 2007-08.

Associated PressCC Sabathia's hopes that Cliff Lee would join him with the Yankees ended when Lee signed with the Phillies.

CONCORD, California -- CC Sabathia hoped to be pitching alongside close pal Cliff Lee again next year, reunited in Yankees pinstripes.

Instead, Lee turned down an extra $30 million to return to the Philadelphia Phillies with a five-year deal that guarantees $120 million. Sabathia, having gone through the free agency process himself just two years ago before landing a $161 million, seven-year contract from New York, wasn't about to beg or bug baseball's biggest offseason prize.

As a father of four children ages 7 and under, Sabathia fully understands making a decision based on family, what feels right for the future and loyalty. In fact, the left-handed ace -- fully recovered from recent right knee surgery -- is back home in his native Bay Area for a whirlwind week of goodwill events to help his downtrodden hometown of Vallejo as part of his "CC's Christmas Caravan."

"I'm excited for him," Sabathia said Wednesday, while entertaining some 20 needy teens as they purchased clothes, shoes and athletic gear through his PitCCh In Foundation. "As part of the Yankee family and organization I'm disappointed. As a family friend, I'm happy he's in the place he wanted to be. You have to do what makes you happy and what's best for your family. It's a long time. Five years is a long time, seven years is a long time."

For years now, Sabathia has been giving back in the very place he grew up, including refurbishing his former Little League field and his projects this week. On Thursday, he and wife, Amber, and his mother, Margie, will visit a Victorian home in Vallejo they have helped make over. It serves as a clean and sober living environment for women recovering from alcohol or drug addiction.

While Sabathia now spends much of his time in New Jersey, he still has a home in nearby Fairfield.

"I grew up here. It's just a really tight, close-knit community," Sabathia said. "A lot of people have family roots there, and I'm one of them. I just feel like any chance I get to do anything I can for the kids, I'm there for them."

He helped 17-year-old Travis Smith-Fox, who is working to finish his GED, pick out a pair of charcoal gray shoes to wear for skateboarding. Each teen had $250 to spend.

After going 21-7 and finishing third in AL Cy Young Award voting, Sabathia had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in late October to repair a partially torn meniscus, the same procedure he had in 2006 when still pitching alongside Lee in Cleveland.

"I'm feeling good," Sabathia said. "I wasn't really worried about the surgery because I had it before. It was just swelling up on me after starts during the year, just achy pain that affected me while I was pitching."

Sabathia has lost 15 pounds from his 6-foot-7 frame through a tough offseason training program of cardiovascular workouts and weight training. His knee recovered in just less than a month after the procedure, so he is well into his full exercise program and playing light catch.

He hopes to lose an additional 15 pounds before the season starts.

"I'm turning 30 this year, getting a little older," he said, chuckling. "Hopefully it will take some pressure off my knee and extend my career."

Sabathia spoke to Lee several times during the free agency process and again after Lee's decision. The two plan to go fishing during spring training.

"Just knowing what it's like to go through that, you don't want somebody calling you all the time," Sabathia said. "He knew what the Yankees could offer and what New York would bring and that I loved it over there. We're pretty close. I didn't want to keep bugging him with it. Everybody was like, 'Did you make a pitch?' For what?"

With the season one-third over, has one Cavalier excelled more than the others despite the team's losing ways?

Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer Coach Byron Scott continues to search for Cavaliers who can play respectably game-in and game-out.

Cleveland, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are 8-20 going into tonight's game at Atlanta against the Hawks.

Of course, the Cavaliers were not expected to be contenders after LeBron James left them as a free agent for the Miami Heat. And, a gaping hole developed in the frontcourt with the departure of aging free agent centers Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Shaquille O'Neal to Miami and the Boston Celtics, respectively.

And, guard Delonte West -- who contributed little last season because of personal problems and injuries, but has undeniable talent -- went to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three-way trade brining the Cavs backup point guard Ramon Sessions and backup center Ryan Hollins. West has since been cut by Minnesota, signed by Boston and is now out with a broken wrist.

After a respectable 7-9 start, it seemed the Cavaliers might be competitive this season despite the overhaul which included Mike Brown's firing as coach and Danny Ferry's leaving as general manager.

But now, the Cavs have lost 11 of their last 12 games, many of them in blowout fashion.

Still, maybe one or two Cavaliers have generally played well, or at least better, than the other Cavs.

With the season one-third over, who has been the Cavaliers' best player?

If a coaching change is in the works, the Browns have never been so well positioned to make it work for them in 2011, Bud Shaw writes in his Spin column.

View full sizeLisa DeJong / The Plain DealerA coaching change for the Browns appears inevitable, and with team President Mike Holmgren running things in Berea, chaos is sure not to follow.

Change in Berea is not nearly as scary these days as consistency just for the sake of it.

If any city's football fans should know what constitutes "starting over," it's this city's.

Cutting ties with head coach Eric Mangini wouldn't be starting over, not with Mike Holmgren as president and Tom Heckert as general manager.

And certainly not with Holmgren in front of the cameras in January, saying, "I'd like to introduce the Browns' next head coach, a guy I think the world of, a guy who shares my offensive philosophy on how to win in the NFL in 2011, a man I've known all my life . . . even my wife loves this guy . . . give it up for . . . me!"

Holmgren should keep Mangini only if he believes the Mangini way is an expressway to the Super Bowl. I can't see how that's possible, but we'll see. I do know Holmgren has other options that didn't exist last year when he let things ride after that four-game winning streak to close the season. That winning streak, by the way, proved to be the launching pad to . . . oh, yeah . . . a 1-5 start.

View full sizePDAre Eric Mangini's days in Cleveland numbered?

Holmgren, Heckert, the availability of Jon Gruden and John Fox and -- quite possibly -- Holmgren's own unscratched itch to coach again make this potential transition unlike any other in the past decade.

Randy Lerner saw his father, Al, match a first-time head coach in Chris Palmer with an overmatched GM in Dwight Clark. Clark threw an arm over Palmer's shoulder at a news conference late in their second season and -- prophetically it turns out -- sang a few bars of "Side by Side." Prophetic because they were connected at the guillotine, even though Clark showed enough life for a while to serve as Butch Davis' floor mat.

When Randy Lerner overthrew King Butch, he vowed to embrace the separate seats of power model with the GM having final say. Problem was, Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage didn't merely prove dysfunctional as a team. Lerner came to see Savage as a bad match for the general manager's job.

The owner reversed himself by hiring Mangini, then delivering George Kokinis to an already compromised GM job.

Two years later, the Browns have never been better positioned for what looks and feels like inevitable change. Heckert's first draft and Holmgren's timely intrusion on behalf of Colt McCoy in the third round, along with some good free-agent pickups, are insurance against a step back next season.

The closest the Browns could come to starting over would be on defense if they scrap Rob Ryan's 3-4 to go with the 4-3.

But changing head coaches? It doesn't invite the chaos of the past decade. Not even close.

In fact, it gives Holmgren the opportunity to create an even more harmonious organization.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

But sometimes he has to fight a blind squirrel for it.

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis predicts Peyton Hillis won't run roughshod Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium the way he did against Baltimore early in the season.

"It won't happen again," Lewis said "A blind cat will find a meal every once in a while."

We'll see. As Al Gore once said, "A leopard can't change his stripes."

LET'S TALK FOOTBALL

And you thought it was the other kind of golden arches Rex Ryan had a thing for.

View full sizeAPJets coach Rex Ryan with his wife, Michelle (feet not pictured).

Jets coach Rex Ryan did not deny a Deadspin.com report showing videos of a woman who looks like Ryan's wife showing off her feet while a cameraman -- said to sound like Ryan -- talks to her.

Big deal. So what if he has a foot fetish. Could be worse. Do you prefer a coach with a foot fetish at home or a field-goal fetish on Sundays?

SPINOFFS

I think if videos of Josh Cribbs' feet showed up on Deadspin.com, we'd see why he shouldn't be trying to play with four dislocated toes. If you can't see that already just by watching his kick returns I mean. . . .

Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier won't put 41-year-old Brett Favre on season-ending injured reserve and said Favre could play Sunday despite a shoulder injury. I saw this exact plot the first time, when it was called "Weekend at Bernie's." . . .

The Saints ran the ball 10 times against Baltimore on Sunday and still used two running backs. The Browns can't give Peyton Hillis one carry off? Now I see why Jerome Harrison had to go. . . .

If they're not going to use Mike Bell, they should've traded for Patriots lineman Dan Connell. Then the two longest runs of the season could belong to a 6-4, 314-pound lineman and a punter. . . .

Eric Mangini stopped short of lamenting the loss of "gap integrity" against Cincinnati. In the past two games, the Browns have been outrushed, 380-164, so I'm not sure that's the sole issue unless those gaps of integrity are bigger than anything found in the House and Senate. . . .

HE SAID IT

"It's the 17th concussion we've had this year. I've been coaching now 35 years and I've seen five concussions in 35 years. Now the new thing is everybody has a concussion. If you walk out and slightly brush the door, you have a concussion. That's the way it is today." -- Louisville coach Rick Pitino, downplaying what medical experts warn is a serious issue among athletes.

Actually, there have been 18 concussions at Louisville this year, with Pitino's going undiagnosed until that statement.

View full sizeDarren Hauck / AP Rick Pitino: Duh.

YOU SAID IT

(The Slightly Expanded Holiday Edition)

"Bud: Who do you have in the 'San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl' tonight?" -- Tom Hoffner, Broadview Heights

Red, narrowly, over Candy Cane.

"Dear Bud: Is it true Rex Ryan prefers Dr. Scholl's to Victoria's Secret?" -- Michael Sarro

We'll know more about his preferences if next year he's coaching the only barefoot team in the Lingerie Football League.

"Bud: I heard the Indians are interested in signing Bartolo Colon. What, is Sid Monge not available?" -- Angelo, Cleveland

Monge is available. But at age 59, he missed the Indians' self-imposed cutoff for signing veteran hurlers by four years.

"Bud: If Cleveland ever has an actual professional sports team again, will you be forced to write a 'straight' column?" -- JC

Yes, but I'm within a decade of retiring so I'm not expecting that to happen.

"Bud: What do sportswriters at The PD want for Christmas?" -- Bob Jackson

I can only speak for the guys. An end to the annoyance of being hit on by supermodels.

"Bud: Given the dismal sports scene in Cleveland, will you open 'You said it' to home and gardening questions?" -- Peg Schmidt

First time "You said it" winners receive a T-shirt from the mental_floss collection.

"Hey, Bud: NFL 'get-back coaches' are a revelation to the ordinary fan. I hear The PD also has 'get-back coaches' but they are used in the cafeteria to maintain order among the sportswriters. -- Dr. Grinder

Repeat winners receive a very lightly used Abdomenizer signed by me.

Hillis might by a bit gimpy, but he insists he's feeling just fine during a season in which he's been responsible more than a third of the team's offensive production.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerBrowns running back Peyton Hillis ran for 144 yards on 22 carries against the Ravens in September.

BEREA, Ohio — On the first practice day of the 16th week, Peyton Hillis rested with a sore knee. He limped slightly in the locker room. Hillis and coach Eric Mangini downplayed the injury.

Both tried to ascribe Hillis' absence from practice as simply a day of rest. If that was the case, who could blame him?

The running back's 311 rushes and receptions and 1,598 total yards represent 38.5 percent of the Browns' offense. He has accounted for 34.6 percent of the team's first downs and 48 percent of its touchdowns.

Besides the physical workload, there's the strain of carrying the team's chances of winning on his shoulders in every game. That's got to take a toll.

"I feel great," Hillis said Wednesday. "It is a long season. It's tough on your body, but I think my body's holding up well. I don't see any differences from the beginning of the season.

"Especially at my age [24]. I still think I'm young. I don't think it's slowed me down at all."

Hillis has 252 carries and 59 receptions in the breakout season of his young career. In four years and 44 games at the University of Arkansas, he carried the ball 203 times and caught it 118.

"I'm sure it's totally different for him to have this kind of work, but he's one of the most well-conditioned guys that I've been around," Mangini said. "I think he relishes every chance he gets to continue to carry the ball and be productive."

Hillis figures to be the focal point of the Browns' offense again Sunday against Baltimore. Running the ball this time of year is what the Browns have preached and practiced all season. With their rival's division title hopes on the line, one thing you can count on is the Ravens not overlooking Hillis.

Which might have been the case in the first meeting in Baltimore on Sept. 26.

"Probably," Hillis said. "But whatever advantage we had in the first game, you can be sure we won't have this game."

Against an unsuspecting Baltimore defense, Hillis trampled the Ravens for 144 yards on 22 rushing attempts, helping the Browns to a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter. The Ravens prevailed, 24-17. After the game, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs gave Hillis respect and confessed he didn't know who he was, but does now.

Hillis' 144 yards are the most allowed by the Ravens to one back all season. Only Houston's Arian Foster (100 yards) and Carolina's Mike Goodson (120) hit triple figures on them. Hillis' 48-yard run also is the longest run yielded by Baltimore and the second-longest play from scrimmage against them.

"No one's run the ball on us like that, not to that extent," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday on a conference call. "I just think he's very good. They've got a very physical offensive line, a downhill running attack that complements their line and Peyton very well. It's just good physical football. That's going to be tough for anybody to handle. We certainly didn't handle it well the first time we played."

Because of two key failures on Hillis carries on third-and-1 in successive losses to Buffalo and Cincinnati -- the first two stops in 12 attempts on third-and-1 all season -- there's been teeth-gnashing about what's gone wrong. Is Hillis wearing down? Are the plays too predictable? Could anyone possibly succeed running into a scrum of 11 defenders poised to stop him?

"I actually look at the last two weeks and see some of his better games, [based on] his average per carry [5.1 and 4.2]," left tackle Joe Thomas said. "I feel he's getting stronger as the season's going on."

Hillis doesn't buy the "too predictable" theory, either.

"No matter what play it is, we should get 1 yard," he said. "The more you play, any team, the more people pick up on your tendencies and calls on certain downs and distances. There comes a point in every game where . . . if they know you're running a play, you can still run it. To beat the defense down, you have to get to that point where you know you have the upper hand on them."

That's why Sunday's game should be a real challenge for Hillis, the offensive line and fullback Lawrence Vickers. The Ravens know what's coming -- that truck wearing No. 40.

Hillis' 1,129 yards rushing, 469 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns should merit strong consideration for Pro Bowl voting. He had a late surge to finish a close third to Foster and Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew in fan voting that closed Monday night. Only 10 players from all positions leaguewide -- AFC and NFC -- drew more votes than Hillis' 656,276.

Players and coaches throughout the AFC complete their ballots today.

Hillis isn't getting his hopes up about earning one of the three berths, however.

"Slim to none," he rates his chances. "A lot of good backs out there that have done just as good or better than I have. I guess it depends on my opponents, if they think I'm good enough to go, and the coaching staffs."

Too bad the voting couldn't wait until after Sunday's game. One more 100-yard game against the Ravens might seal their vote.

Coach Eric Mangini offers few details on what's ailing the quarterback, but says McCoy is expected to return to practice on Thursday

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerRookie QB Colt McCoy missed Wednesday's practice with an illness but is expected to practice Thursday.

BEREA, Ohio — Whatever is ailing Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy, he better get over it by the time the Ravens' attack-minded defense shows up Sunday.

McCoy was a surprise scratch from practice Wednesday when he arrived in the morning not feeling well. He was at the Berea facility during practice, but not outside with the team.

McCoy is expected back on the field today, coach Eric Mangini said through a Browns spokesman. Mangini was unable to provide details himself because he didn't know at the start of his morning news conference that McCoy was ill.

The Browns declined to specify the nature of McCoy's illness, saying only that he was sick.

On Sunday against the Bengals, McCoy completed 19 of 25 attempts for 243 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a stellar 132.6 passer rating. The 76 percent completion rate and rating were both the second-highest ever by a Browns rookie. He now has a 100-plus rating in two of his six starts.

"I've been encouraged by what Colt's done and get another chance to see what he can do here this weekend against an elite defense and the following week against an elite defense [Pittsburgh's]," Mangini said. "The most important thing for him is just worry about the next practice . . . and get to the game. That's been my experience with those guys is that they've got tremendous focus on the task at hand and they continue to improve."

Mangini stressed that the Ravens' 10th-ranked defense will be a tremendous test for McCoy, especially with safety Ed Reed back in the lineup. He missed the first meeting in September with an injury.

View full sizePDBrowns running back Peyton Hillis says the team needs to work harder to maintain its intensity throughout games.

"Those veteran defensive guys are savvy. This isn't like trying to look off a bunch of young guys. They've seen a lot of things and they do a good job with disguising coverages and they bring a lot of different pressure looks. It's great, it's a great test."

Moore on IR: Second-year tight end Evan Moore was placed on injured reserve (hip) and will miss the final two games. Moore sat out the past two games with the injury, which he aggravated Dec. 5 in Miami. Moore had 16 catches for 322 yards with one touchdown this season.

Injuries: The following Browns besides McCoy and running back Peyton Hillis (knee) were idle: Linebacker Eric Alexander (groin), Shaun Rogers (ankle, hip), Robert Royal (shoulder).

Lewis vows to stop Hillis: Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said Hillis won't have 100 yards against the Ravens this time. In the first meeting, Hillis ran for 144 yards and a touchdown.

"It won't happen again," Lewis told Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times. "I hope they understand that. We're not coming in there to overlook them or nothing and we definitely aren't coming in there to give him over 100 yards again. So hopefully they can buckle up all their chin straps and do whatever you need to do, but we're definitely coming in to play a very physical football game."

Hillis on complacency: Hillis expounded on his comments after the Bengals game that the Browns are on and off through the course of a game and sometimes seem to lack motivation.

"As a team, we need to pick it up a notch," he said. "We've got to know where we stand and what we need to do to win. All year we've been at that point where we do really good but we slack back down. We just have to get to a point where we're consistent with our play."

He said it's evident to him not just on the field but on the sidelines.

"You notice it sometimes, I even notice it in myself at times," he said. "But you've got to change that. You can't allow yourself to be complacent with your status on the field or off. You've got to go out there and want to play and win."

"Kent State should be very happy to receive two quality coaches in Freeman and Hazell. With a change in coaching and recruiting dynamics and a little time for them to assess what it is that they've inherited, they should do well. Our loss is Kent State's gain." - SenatorBuckeye

View full sizeMike Cardew | Akron Beacon JournalIt's been a long time since Kent State football has put a consistent winner on the field.

In response to the story Assistant coach Marcus Freeman follows Darrell Hazell to Kent State: Ohio State Buckeyes Insider, cleveland.com reader SenatorBuckeye thinks Kent State's new coaching staff should do well. This reader writes,

"Kent State should be very happy to receive two quality coaches in Freeman and Hazell. With a change in coaching and recruiting dynamics and a little time for them to assess what it is that they've inherited, they should do well. Our loss is Kent State's gain."

One cleveland.com commenter wrote a song expressing his feelings about the team.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter | The Plain DealerWhat kind of tune will Mike Holmgren be singing on January 3?

In response to the story North Division title chase means Baltimore Ravens won't take Cleveland Browns lightly, cleveland.com reader wcwoofer has a holiday song for the Browns. This reader writes,

"The record this year is frightful.
The draft might be delightful.
As for coaches, please, no mo!
Let 'em go, let 'em go, let 'em go!"

Scott says his Princeton offense would be more effective if it has a post-up player who draws attention from the movement of guards who control the pace of the game.

View full sizeJustin Graybill / AP/Sunday NewsSanta Claus might be too busy this week to deliver the Cavaliers a post-up player, but he has until Feb. 24 (the trade deadline) to help make one of coach Byron Scott's wishes come true.

And what Scott would like most of all to help the 8-20 Cavaliers is a dominant, back-to-the-basket, post-up player.

So would about 28 other NBA teams, of course. But Scott says his Princeton offense would be even more effective if it had a post-up player who drew attention from the movement of guards who control the pace of the game.

He didn't have a dominant big guy in previous coaching stops in New Orleans or New Jersey, but Scott has been dreaming of the day when he might.

"I've watched teams that have post-up guys and I know what a post-up guy can do as far as this offense," he said. "When you get a good post-up guy, this offense runs even better. Then you have somebody who's a threat that's hard to double because of the movement and spacing."

Barring an opportunity to snag one of the few back-to-the-basket players in the league (Orlando's Dwight Howard probably isn't available), Scott wouldn't mind another dominant perimeter player, a la Chris Paul whom he had in New Orleans or Jason Kidd whom he had in New Jersey. Wish Lists are all about dreaming big, after all.

"Most teams in this league that have a lot of success have either a big-time post up player or a big-time player," Scott said. "Either one. Either a dynamic post-up player or a perimeter player who's pretty damn good. One of those two."

Waiting for shots to fall: If it seems like the Cavaliers' offense hasn't been working, it's not because Cleveland players haven't figured out Scott's Princeton offense.

View full sizePDJ.J. Hickson has been playing some at center this season instead of at his usual power forward position.

After 28 games, Scott expects there to still be growing pains. But not to the extent that the Cavaliers have endured during their 10-game losing streak, when the Cavaliers shot better than 43 percent just once -- in a 117-97 loss to Philadelphia when they hit 50 percent of their attempts.

And not to the point where the Cavaliers are 29th of 30 NBA teams with a .424 field-goal percentage.

"We're getting great shots, we're just not knocking them down on a consistent basis," Scott said. "I think some of that is because some guys just aren't used to movements and setups to get those shots. It's 28 games into the season, I expected us to still struggle with it a little bit. We're doing a much better job getting shots, we're just not finishing off making shots."

And at center. . .: Entering the season, the Cavaliers had two centers -- Anderson Varejao and Ryan Hollins. Scott said he didn't anticipate playing J.J. Hickson and Antawn Jamison together. Changing the starting lineup and limiting his bench, however, has meant Hickson is receiving time at center instead of solely at power forward.

"If I want to stay at the rotation I have now, then I do feel more comfortable with him playing backup four and five," Scott said. "With the rotation being at eight, nine guys, I think it affords me the ability to play him at both positions and for him to have success at both positions."

Dribbles. . .: Scott often will take his players on in games of HORSE or other shooting drills, but says his days of playing full-court basketball are long behind him. Why? "Conditioning is the biggest part," he said. "Forty-nine years old is the second-biggest part. Those two right there are probably enough." . . . Hickson, who grew up in nearby Marietta, Ga., said he only needed 12 tickets for friends and family at the Hawks game.

No Larry Brown: NBA coach Larry Brown parted ways with the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday, but Gilbert is not interested in bringing him to the organization in any capacity, according to an NBA source.

Gilbert, a Michigan native, has long had respect for the 70-year-old Brown. Soon after Gilbert bought the Cavaliers in 2005, his initial coaching target was the one-time head of the Detroit Pistons, Brown. Brown had won an NBA title with the Pistons in 2004, and is the only coach to win both an NCAA and NBA title.

Gilbert wound up hiring another Brown -- Mike -- but never wavered in his respect for Larry Brown. At the time, rumors circulated that Gilbert hoped to bring Brown on as a team president. He didn't, but has continued to praise Brown as one of the master coaching minds in the game.

Atlanta guard Joe Johnson leads the Hawks to a 98-84 victory, sending the Cavaliers to their 12th loss in 13 games.

ATLANTA — Strictly by the tape measure, Cavs guard Daniel Gibson surrenders 5 inches to Atlanta's Joe Johnson. That meant the 6-7 Hawks shooting guard stood about a head taller than his 6-2 defender Wednesday night at Philips Arena. That's enough distance to see open teammates, and enough space to send up jumpers without much to contest his attempts.

When it comes to accolades, Gibson trails Johnson by four All-Star selections. In career shooting percentage, Johnson holds a 44.2 to 42.1 advantage.

And in back-breaking 3's, Johnson has the edge, too. At least he did Wednesday when he knocked in back-to-back 3's in the fourth quarter to seal Atlanta's 98-84 victory over the Cavaliers. The loss is Cleveland's 12th in 13 games, its second in a row and drops the team to 8-21.

Johnson led the Hawks with 23 points, 14 of which came in the second half when Atlanta broke open what had been a close game and held on tight for the win.

When Cavaliers coach Byron Scott made changes to the starting lineup to include three guards -- 6-1 Mo Williams, Gibson and 6-6 Anthony Parker -- he knew there would be nights like this. That is to say, nights when the Cavaliers are dwarfed by their opponents, particularly in the backcourt.

Against the Hawks, the height disadvantage called for a game plan that Scott referred to as "junk it up." That meant some zone, some double-teaming, lots of scrambling and, in general, just trying to outwork the Hawks.

It worked, for the most part, until the third quarter when the Hawks hit nine consecutive shots to start the quarter and increased their lead from three to 69-56.

Still, the Cavaliers kept pace with the Hawks, and by the fourth quarter had battled to within seven points, trailing, 83-76, after a Ramon Sessions layup with 7:14 left.

That was when Johnson found his way open amid the Cavaliers "junk," when the Hawks' screens set him free and the Cavaliers' defensive rotations were a step slow. Johnson hit back-to-back 3's to open the Atlanta lead to 91-78 and stomp any Cleveland hopes for a comeback.

"That's what great players do," Scott said. "Joe's not an All-Star and one of the better players in this league for nothing. When they needed some shots, some big shots, he seemed to make the timely ones. That's what great players do."

Gibson wasn't even defending Johnson on those 3's, but praised the way Johnson found open space amid the Cavaliers' defense.

"Joe's a great player," Gibson said. "I could be 6-9 and you're not going to stop him from scoring."

The Cavaliers' best effort in slowing Johnson still allowed him to hit 9 of 17 attempts, while the Hawks shot 50.6 percent overall. For the Cavaliers, forward Antawn Jamison countered with 23 points on 10-for-16 shooting, with seven rebounds. Mo Williams had 18 points and 11 assists for his fourth consecutive double-double, and center Anderson Varejao had 13 rebounds while battling through hip pain that required him to wear a heating pad strapped to his body whenever he sat on the bench.

Even in the loss, Scott praised the Cavaliers' hustle, rattling off the names of big-time players like Johnson who have performed well against Cleveland in recent losses: Miami's Dwyane Wade, Indiana's Danny Granger and Utah's Deron Williams.

"Those guys are difference-makers," Scott said. "The last four-five games we've been beat by big-time players. Joe was the one tonight who came through big for them when they needed it. Again, that's what All-Star players do. We're frustrated, obviously, with the losing. But we continue to battle and that's all we're going to ask for."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jvalade@plaind.com, 216-999-4654

The Zips make 13 3-pointers in a 72-56 win at the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic.

McNees went 4-of-9 from 3-point range while Brett McClanahan, who scored 13, was 3-of-5 for the Zips (7-4).

Also for Akron, Alex Abreu had 11 points, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, along with seven assists. Darryl Roberts added 10 points for the Zips.

Akron attempted 29 3-pointers and went 16-of-17 from the free-throw line.

Tyshawn Patterson led the Hatters (3-8) with 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Ridge Graham added 10 points and 12 rebounds for Stetson, which went 2-of-9 from 3-point range.

The Zips, who never trailed, made 10 3-pointers in the first half and led, 42-27, at intermission. Akron's lead never sank below 10 in the second half.

Amanda Schroeder has 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Yellow Jackets.

GREEN, Ohio — With one of its key starters missing, Wadsworth's girls basketball team was looking for someone to step up Wednesday and Robyn Rotterschmidt stood tall. The Ashland recruit gave Wadsworth (5-2, 4-0) its first win at Green since the 2006-07 season in a game where the squad needed every second to outlast the Bulldogs, 48-47.

GREEN, Ohio — With one of its key starters missing, Wadsworth's girls basketball team was looking for someone to step up Wednesday and Robyn Rotterschmidt stood tall.

The Ashland recruit gave Wadsworth (5-2, 4-0) its first win at Green since the 2006-07 season in a game where the squad needed every second to outlast the Bulldogs, 48-47.

"We talked about second chances and relying on each other down the stretch," Grizzlies coach Andrew Booth said. "When you're down three with Logan [Pastor] on the other team, you might be in trouble, but we found a way."

Actually, the 6-1 Rotterschmidt found a way.

Down one with 18 seconds left, the Grizzlies' Sharlee Bailey drove the right side of the lane, but her shot found iron.

Rotterschmidt (team-high 11 points, four rebounds) trailed on the play and was there for the putback with 7.1 seconds left.

"I was ready," Rotterschmidt said. "I knew I had to come in and be a leader. This win feels great. To win at their place, this is really big and shows us a lot."

Up by seven at two different points and without starting guard Christy Cingel (concussion), the Grizzlies trailed, 47-44, at the 1:14 mark of the fourth quarter.

But Bowling Green recruit Pastor and Erika Rector missed the front end of one-and-ones to breathe life into Wadsworth.

Taylor Woods (11 points, team-high seven rebounds, three assists) cut it to one with 38 seconds left to set up Rotterschmidt's heroics after Rector's miss at the free-throw line.

"You have to make free throws," Green coach Lynn Wess said. "You have to make layups. It's the little things."

The Bulldogs had one last shot to win it, but Pastor's 40-foot heave at the buzzer was off the mark.

Playing in her first significant action since a back injury, Lydia Corle led Green with 16 points, while Morgan Jackson finished with 12 and Pastor had 10.

The lead changed hands 13 times as the teams took turns going on runs.

"This one's pretty big with the way the league is going to shake out," Booth said. "It was so intense that the game was a little ragtag."

Green (4-3, 3-1) will get its chance for redemption Feb. 2 at Wadsworth.

Brad Bournival is a freelance writer in North Royalton.

The 6-9 freshman comes off the bench to deliver a career-high seven rebounds and a career-high seven points.

View full sizeLonnie Timmons III / The Plain DealerCleveland State fans support the team during the second half of the Vikings' win against South Florida on Wednesday at The Wolstein Center.

The 6-9 freshman came off the bench to deliver a career-high seven rebounds when boards were hard to come by for the Vikings, who were outrebounded, 49-26. He also scored a career-high seven points.

"We told him we were going to use him tonight," CSU coach Gary Waters said.

Ndaye's emergence at power forward gives the Vikings a counter to starting power forward Tim Kamczyc, who is much more effective against quicker perimeter players than bangers like those the Bulls used.

By the numbers: Kenpom.com is one of a myriad RPI sites that equate the top basketball teams around the country. While most sites have Cleveland State ranked among the top 15 teams in the nation going into its game with South Florida, Kenpom.com had the Vikings ranked 70th.

However, the site projects CSU's season and has coach Waters' team ending with a respectable 25-5, 14-4 record. The site projects CSU to lose only two Horizon League games, both against Butler, but the Vikings' final record apparently includes some upsets.

Looking at Kenpom.com's game-by-game projections, the three most likely upsets for the Vikings are at Valparaiso, at Illinois-Chicago and at Wright State. In all other HL games, the Vikings are projected to have a 65 percent chance or better of winning, including 10 games in which the projections are 80 percent or higher.

What about Butler? Kenpom.com has the Bulldogs (6-4, 2-0) rated higher (RPI 38) than CSU, albeit with a worse record. The site projects the defending HL champs to finish at 21-7, 16-2. A check of the Bulldogs' game-by-game projection has them going undefeated in the league. The upset probabilities are at CSU and at Wright State with a 76 percent chance or better of winning the rest.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253

Jeremy Montgomery adds 12 points as the Vikings improve to 13-1 on the season.

View full sizeLonnie Timmons III / The Plain DealerCleveland State's Norris Cole, left, had 25 of his 27 points in the second half for the Vikings.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Jeremy Montgomery held down the offensive fort in the first half for the Vikings, then joined Norris Cole for a second-half offensive explosion that lifted Cleveland State to a 69-62 men's basketball victory over the Big East South Florida Bulls before 4,711 Wednesday night at the Wolstein Center.

Montgomery scored nine of his 21 points in the opening half while Cole sat the bench in foul trouble. But with Cole delivering 25 of his 27 points in the second half, the Vikings (13-1) were able to offset a whopping 49-26 rebounding mismatch with the Bulls (6-7), who also got 10 blocked shots.

CSU's saving grace was getting the Bulls to commit 25 turnovers, many of them leading to easy layups. The Vikings go into the holiday break with an impressive 13-1 record.

"Our guard play really struggled," South Florida coach Stan Heath said. " [CSU] wouldn't let us get it across.

South Florida was certainly long, but Cleveland State physically matched up in size far better on the court than it did in the program, particularly when 6-9 freshman Ludavic Ndaye (seven points, seven rebounds) entered the game early on.

Ndaye's work on the boards helped the Vikings stay close, trailing 9-7, despite only making three of their first 14 shots.

View full sizePDCleveland State's Josh McCoy steals the ball from South Florida's Mike Burwell during the first half.

South Florida turnovers, many of them unforced, also kept the Vikings close. The Bulls had six miscues eight minutes into the game. But as the subs began to rotate in and out of the game, it became clear rebounding was going to be a major factor.

"You look at these statistics you'd say we don't win this game," CSU head coach Gary Waters said. "But I thought we fought, we got loose balls and we got steals [14]."

And they got big games out of Montgomery and Cole.

Montgomery, the Vikings' big-game playmaker, stepped up. Driving to the basket for layups or pull-up jumpers, then knocking down a big 3-pointer were key in a 9-5 run that allowed the Vikings to earn a 22-22 tie. South Florida, despite 13 turnovers and 38.5 percent shooting, led the Vikings at halftime, 26-24. That set the stage for Cleveland State's triumph.

"They could have went up big on us," Waters said of the Bulls. "I thought he [Montgomery] took over, and he had to."

Cleveland State, which only made 1 of 9 3-point attempts in the opening half, made two quick ones after intermission to loosen things up, and shot 48.6 percent overall in the second half. Much of that work was done by Cole. South Florida led, 41-36, before a Cole 3-pointer stopped the run.

It was the start of personal 8-0 run to give CSU another lead, 44-43, as once again the turnovers started taking their toll on South Florida. With the time starting to dwindle, plus Cole in a scoring groove, the Vikings started to inch away.

"That kid can play at any level, any gym, anywhere," Heath said of CSU's 6-2 guard.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253