Kent State is turning away from its mini-back era toward bigger tailbacks.

View full sizeThomas Ondrey / The Plain DealerAt 5-10 and 205 pounds, St. Edward's Terrell Bates should help provide a bigger impact to the Kent State running game after signing a letter of intent to join the Golden Flashes in 2011.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The first indications of a new direction for Kent State football will not be seen until the Golden Flashes open the 2011 season Sept. 3 at Alabama.

But first-year coach Darrell Hazell's first recruiting class does give an offensive hint of changes to come. KSU, which finished 5-7 overall and 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference last season, is turning away from its mini-back era toward bigger tailbacks.

That, in turn, would indicate a greater emphasis on improved offensive line play and production inside the opponent's 20. All three areas have been offensive shortcomings in recent seasons.

"We've got some good-looking guys, some big guys who can hump it up in there," Hazell said of his new tailbacks. "That was certainly a concern of ours and something we wanted to address."

Hazell signed 18 players, including three tailbacks who all appear to pack a punch. St. Edward High product Terrell Bates is 5-10, 205; and Cincinnati Colerain's Trayion Durham is 6-1, 240. Last season, only one KSU tailback weighed as much as 195.

Bates helped St. Edward to a 15-0 season and the Division I state championship, rushing for 1,369 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Durham is a consensus three-star recruit, the highest grade on KSU's list. He finished with 1,096 yards rushing last season and 15 of his 38 career touchdowns. Durham was listed as one of the top three fullbacks in the nation on various recruiting Web sites, but a 4.5 40-yard dash time would make him plenty fast enough to play tailback in the MAC.

"He's 240 right now and could probably carry another 10 pounds," Hazell said.

During recruiting, Hazell privately talked about "Wisconsin tailbacks," a clear reference to what he watched as an Ohio State assistant coach. Translation: He is seeking big powerful tailbacks similar to what the Badgers use to play power football in the Big Ten.

Now he has his own, including Tristin Boykins, a 6-foot, 188-pound tailback from Centerville.

"All three are big thick backs who can make people miss as well," Hazell said.

Kent picked up several other local talents, including Kent Roosevelt quarterback Evan Shimensky, Solon wide receiver Chris Humphrey, Buchtel defensive back Chevin Meadows and Orange defensive lineman Nate Terhune, who set a school record with 16 sacks last season.

KSU recruiting class

Players listed with Ohio high schools, or hometown if out of state

Terrell Bates RB 5-9 205 St. Edward; Jason Bitsko OL 6-4 260 Huber Heights Wayne; Tristin Boykin RB 6-0 188 Centerville; Josh Boyle ATH 5-10 165 Venice, Fla.; Trayion Durham RB 6-2 240 Cincinnati Colerain; Chris Humphrey WR 6-1 175 Solon; Joe Kenn LB 5-10 205 Gilbert, Ariz.; C.J. Malauulu LB 6-1 235 Oceanside, Calif.; Jeremy McCoy WR 6-2 189 Marion-Franklin; Chevin Meadows CB 5-11 185 Buchtel; Andre Parker LB 6-1 215 Ruckersville, Va.; Kyle Payton TE 6-3 245 Hilliard Davidson; Anthony Pruitt DE 6-3 270 Groveport Madison; Evan Shimensky QB 5-11 182 Kent Roosevelt; Luke Smurthwaite QB 6-2 190 Grove City; Devante' Strickland SS 6-2 215 Marion-Franklin; Jordan Tarver QB 5-11 195 Stone Mountain, Ga.; Nate Terhune DE 6-4 230 Orange.

Trevon Harmon believes he was destined to play basketball for the Cleveland State Vikings.

View full sizeTim Harrison / Special to The Plain DealerTrevon Harmon was planning to attend Cleveland State as a high school star in Southern California three years ago, but the Vikings' dogged recruiting of the shooting guard paid off -- and Harmon is glad to be in Northeast Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Some things just happen. Some things are destined.

Trevon Harmon believes he was destined to play basketball for the Cleveland State Vikings.

"I truly believe, in my case, things happened for a reason," Harmon said of the recruiting experience that brought him from Pasadena, Calif., to Cleveland.

Harmon had never been here before. But the dots that connected Harmon to Cleveland are many.

While attending the 2008 NCAA Tournament, CSU assistant coach Jason Gee got into an argument with a waiter in a restaurant. A longtime Pasadena basketball coach who had seen Harmon play, Gamal Smalley, happened to be at the restaurant and overheard the exchange. He approached Gee and complimented him on how he had handled the situation. They talked, and Smalley said to Gee, "Hey, I've got a kid you might want to see."

Soon after, Gee was in California on a recruiting trip and made the 90-minute drive from Los Angeles to Pasadena.

"I hate traffic and I hate long drives, but I had the time, so I went," Gee said.

He liked what he saw, but Harmon was on the radar of Pac-10 schools, with Arizona State and Oregon State among his strongest suitors. Harmon averaged 28.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 8.9 assists in high school.

"When my coach mentioned it to me, I'm like, 'Who's Cleveland State?'" Harmon recalled.

So he wasn't initially feeling the Vikings, even as Gee was putting on the recruiting press.

"He never, ever lost contact with me," Harmon said. "It was special. There are a lot of coaches out there who are going to feed you a lot of nonsense just to get you to their school, but he cared. We stayed in contact. He sent my mom mail. He sent my grandmother mail. He sent my sister mail.

"It was crazy, and I still had the Pac-10 coaches coming to me. But he stayed with me."

Then, toward the end of his senior year at Pasadena High School, things became "weird," as Harmon says.

As the recruiting deadline came around, he discovered he needed an extra English class to be eligible for a scholarship. "I took a night school course, and got a B. I thought I was set," he said.

But then it was determined the class didn't count for a whole credit, only half. Harmon was shocked. The Pac-10 schools started walking away, or tried to get him to go to prep school or junior college.

"The only one that stuck with me was Cleveland State," he said.

Teenagers doesn't just typically leave the sunshine of California for Cleveland with little more than a travel brochure as a reference. Yet Harmon's desire to get his college basketball career going made getting on the plane easier. "I was ready to play Division I basketball," he said.

So telling friends and family he was headed to the small time instead of the big time was not disappointing for him.

"Once I told them I signed with Cleveland State, they kind of gave me that hesitation, that look: 'Why did you pick Cleveland State,?'" Harmon said. "I told them it was for my best interest. Everything happens for a reason."

Still, the transition from West Coast to Lake Erie's North Coast wasn't easy. The lifestyle change took some time to adjust to. And then there was the weather.

"To come from L.A. to a smaller city, the culture is so much different," Harmon said. "You got this cold wind. That's what really had me worried. I'm the kind of person, I can get sick easy. It's not the snow, it's the wind. We're right by the water, so walking to practice, that wind coming off the lake ... but I adjusted to it.

"I was homesick for a while. I could not practice or work out while they were getting through the NCAA rules and stuff. So I was just in my room. It was a long process and a tough experience, but the way it has turned out now, I couldn't ask for anything more."

By the second semester of his freshman year in 2008-09, Harmon was eligible and would be a key bench contributor as the Vikings won the Horizon League Tournament and advanced to the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

As a sophomore, Harmon stepped into the starting lineup and became the defensive specialist against opposing point guards and a 3-point-shooting threat. Now a junior, Harmon said his career has settled in. He is averaging 13.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game.

"Tre has been our most consistent player all season," coach Gary Waters said -- high praise considering that Horizon League MVP candidate Norris Cole is in the same backcourt.

Harmon has scored in double figures in four of his last six games. Next up is Wednesday night's first-place Horizon League showdown against Valparaiso at the Wolstein Center. In CSU's loss at Valpo on Jan. 9, Harmon dropped 21 points on the Crusaders, all in the second half.

"This season has been big for me," Harmon said. "My first two years I've been trying to be consistent. Now, I've been making sure I've been consistent, both on and off the court -- being a good teammate, being a good leader.

"Cleveland was the farthest place I had ever been. It was tough. Coming up here just off faith, it was scary. But I'm glad I did it."

Spring hasn't sprung, but it has to be getting closer when the Indians equipment truck leaves for spring training. The truck heads west Friday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This winter can't last forever, right?

One of the sure signs that the snow will eventually stop and the ice will melt takes place Friday when the Indians' equipment truck leaves Progressive Field for Goodyear, Ariz., to prepare for spring training.

Indians pitchers, catchers and injured players report to Goodyear on Feb. 15.

As recently as last week, at least a dozen players were already taking advantage of the Indians' pristine training facility in the Arizona desert. If they're escaping the kind of weather that's gripped the greater Cleveland area this winter, it's hard to blame them.

Tony Amato, the clubhouse and equipment manager, will oversee the packing of equipment.

Indians pitchers and catchers will have their first workout Feb. 17. Position players report a day later and the first full-squad workout is Feb. 20. The Indians play Cincinnati in the Cactus League opener at Goodyear Ballpark on Feb. 27.

In-game updates as the Cavaliers attempt to end their losing streak against Indiana.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerAntawn Jamison battles with Indiana's Josh McRoberts for a rebound during the first half of Wednesday night's game at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Notes and observations from the Cavs' game against the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night at The Q:

Third quarter update: Pacers 89, Cavs 87. BIg news in the third quarter was that the Cavs held an 85-84 lead for the first time since the first quarter at Boston, four games ago. But Pacers scored next five on a jumper by Tyler Hansbrough and a 3-pointer by rookie Paul George. It's the closest quarter they've played in quite some time, but it remains to be seen if they can pull out a victory.

Halftime update: Pacers 59, Cavs 54. After their slow start, the Cavs got back into the game thanks to 10 points from Manny Harris, whose 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left closed the gap to five.

Cleveland's offense improved marginally from the first quarter, but the difference was they decided to play some defense instead of letting the Pacers drive to the hole unabated.

In the second quarter, Indiana made just 9 of 26 shots, 34.6 percent.

First quarter update: Pacers 35, Cavs 25. The Cavaliers got off to a horrible start, missing their first 10 shots and falling behind, 12-0. Mock cheers erupted from the tiny crowd -- I know, that's an oxymoron -- when Ramon Sessions made two free throws with 8:33 left.

Christian Eyenga hit a 12-footer with 8:09 left for Cavs' first basket, making it 14-4. Ugh. The Cavs were briefly within 28-23 before Pacers closed out quarter on 7-2 run, including a 3-pointer by Darren Collison at the buzzer.

New-look Pacers made 13 of 19 shots, 68.4 percent, with 16 points in the paint. Same old Cavs hit 9 of 24 shots, 37.5 percent.

Cavs starters: F Christian Eyenga, F Antawn Jamison, C J.J. Hickson, G Manny Harris, G Ramon Sessions.

Pacers starters: F Danny Granger, F Josh McRoberts, C Roy Hibbert, G Mike Dunleavy, G Darren Collison.

Injuries: Daniel Gibson (bruised left quad), Leon Powe (right knee surgery), Anderson Varejao (torn tendon, right foot) and Mo Williams (left hip flexor strain) are out for Cavs. Brandon Rush (sprained right ankle) is out for Pacers.

Inactives: Powe, Varejao and Williams for Cavs. Rush, Lance Stephenson and Solomon Jones for Pacers.

Officials: Dick Bavetta, Curtis Blair and Tony Brown.

Three things to watch

1. The Cavaliers have got to come out aggressively and try to match the physicality of the Pacers or they're going to be fighting another uphill battle all night.

2. Can they do anything to stop Danny Granger, or will he go off on them again? He's averaging 29.3 points per game in the three Pacer victories this season.

3. Will Indiana coach Frank Vogel earn his first road victory on the heels of his first victory at home?

Pacers hope for improved results with a new head coach on the bench.

View full sizeMichael Conroy / Associated PressPacers interim coach Frank Vogel was an assistant to head coach Jim O'Brien for eight seasons before O'Brien was fired by Indiana last week.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- New Indiana coach Frank Vogel had lunch with Pacers center Roy Hibbert on Wednesday, and several fans stopped to ask Hibbert for his autograph, completely ignoring the coach.

"I may as well have been the ballboy," Vogel said. "That's fine with me."

Vogel, 37, was named coach of the Pacers on Sunday, when veteran Jim O'Brien, his mentor, was fired. Vogel is in his 14th NBA season and had been an assistant for eight seasons with O'Brien in Indiana, Boston and Philadelphia. He was the Celtics' head video coordinator under Rick Pitino and served as an advance scout for the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards (2006-07).

Vogel played three seasons at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., before transferring to Kentucky, where he became a student manager and, later, a video coordinator.

The Pacers won his inaugural game at home on Monday, and Pacers announcer Clark Kellogg noticed profound changes in Vogel's style as compared to O'Brien's.

"I think he's looking to organize and simplify the things the guys do," said Kellogg, the former St. Joe's and Ohio State star who also emceed the halftime ceremony honoring the Cleveland Pipers, former U.S. congressman Louis Stokes and the late John McLendon.

"Philosophically you'll see more of a traditional lineup in terms of size. You won't see as much small-ball. You'll also see a lot more pick-and-roll action, playing to Darren Collison's strength. You'll see Roy Hibbert look to get the ball a lot deeper in the post than he was in the passing-game offense, where Jim O'Brien was utilizing his passing skills at the elbows.

"You'll see a little more traditional front-line approach and more directly putting the responsibility of the team's success and ownership in the hands of the players. Not that Jim didn't, but I think it will be a lot more direct with Frank."

Vogel said O'Brien has been supportive, but he admitted he was still a little nervous before just his second game as head coach -- and first road game.

"The butterflies I don't think will be gone until the end of the year; maybe never," Vogel said.

Injury updates: Mo Williams, who hasn't played for two weeks because of his strained left hip flexor, said he was getting close to returning to practice. He has been shooting and running on the underwater treadmill and was looking forward to running on the court, perhaps as soon as Thursday.

Leon Powe, who has been out since Jan. 7 with a torn meniscus in his right knee, also hopes to return to practice, perhaps as early as Thursday. He said his goal was to return for the Clippers game on Feb. 11.

Zero hour: The Cavs went 0-for-16 in January, their worst month ever. It was the 11th time they've gone winless in a month. The other big one was 0-for-11 in April, 1982, when they set the previous team record for consecutive losses in a single season and, combined with their 0-5 start the next season, the NBA record for consecutive losses.

They also went 0-for-9 in their first month of existence, October, 1970. They went 0-for-3 in October, 1984, 0-for-2 in October 1982, 1983, 2001 and 2003 and 0-for-1 in October, 1981, 1997 and 2007.

The last word: From Byron Scott, on what the Cavs can do against Indiana's Danny Granger, who's averaging 29.3 points in three games against the Cavs this season, "One thing I'd like to do is keep him in the locker room. he has been a killer for us."

He may not have been told so officially, but Colt McCoy is operating under the premise that he is the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter,
The Plain DealerColt McCoy thinks of himself as the starting quarterback of the Browns. His advice to Aaron Rodgers on how to beat the Steelers? Find Troy Polamalu.

DP: “Are you the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns?”

CM: “Well, I finished the season as the starting quarterback, so I hope so.”

DP: “Do you have a business card that says, ‘Colt McCoy – Starting Quarterback’?”

CM: “No, I don’t.  I just work hard every day, go to work, and know that I am the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.”

DP:  ”Now, you faced the Steelers twice.  If you’re going to pull Aaron Rodgers aside, and say, “Here’s something to keep in mind…” what would you say?”

CM: “First off you’ve got to trust your line that they’re going to block the front seven of the Steelers.  Sometimes that can be hard.”

CM: “You’ve got to find (Troy) Polamalu.   He was the defensive player of the year.  He’s all over. He jumps routes.  He does crazy things like jumping over the pile, or jumping over the line of scrimmage on the snap.”

DP:  ”Does it help looking and spotting his hair?”

CM: “(laughing) You can find him by the hair.  Sometimes he crouches down, trying to hide, but you can always see the hair.”

DP:  ”Are you more concerned by Polamalu than Harrison?”

CM:  ”Yes… For me, our gameplan was to trust the offensive line and then it was my job to find Polamalu.”

Good advice. And something to remember when the 2011 season rolls around. If you'd like to listen to the entire segment, click here.

Steelers' linebacker James Harrison is following in the footsteps of Jack Lambert and the NFL is rightly taking notice, Bud Shaw writes in his Spin column.

View full sizeDon Wright / Associated PressJames Harrison's determination to portray himself as a victim of an NFL gone soft would have more merit if the league hadn't repeatedly made its concerns about concussions and the long-term health of its players a priority this season, says Bud Shaw.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Some people need protection from the enemy -- themselves.

Somebody please tell Steelers linebacker James Harrison we saw this movie before when it was called the Jack Lambert Story. At least it was fresh then. It's silly now.

Ex-Kent State linebacker. Becomes an NFL intimidator. Feels picked on by the refs and the league office because they're attempting to protect defenseless players. Mocks the NFL for trying to turn football into two-hand touch.

"I don't want to hurt nobody," Harrison said from Super Bowl Media Day. "I don't want to step on nobody's foot and hurt their toe, I don't want to have no dirt or none of this rubber on the field fly into their eye and make their eye hurt, I just want to tackle them softly on the ground and, if y'all can, lay a pillow down where I'm going to tackle them so they don't hit the ground too hard, Mr. Goodell."

Where have we heard this before? Oh, right. The toothless Lambert telling Howard Cosell on Monday Night Football after a late hit on Browns' quarterback Brian Sipe (for one), "Quarterbacks should wear dresses."

Lambert talked of changing his jersey number so refs couldn't target him. Harrison claimed to be so upset by such unfair treatment he was going to retire.

Yes, this is the Jack Lambert Story with better dentistry. There's another twist. Lambert didn't know what we know now.

We know a lot more about concussions than we did when he was taking aim on Sipe. Or, to be fair, when Turkey Jones planted Terry Bradshaw. That makes it even more inexcusable for Harrison to dismiss the league's policing of shots to the head. He acts as if it's more evidence of what Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell called the "wussification of America." Rendell railed against postponing a NFL game because of a snowstorm. This isn't that. Concussions are debilitating.

Harrison is still bitter about getting fined $100,000 during the season for helmet-to-helmet hits and other cheap shots. His $75,000 fine for headhunting on a defenseless Mohammad Massaquoi was reduced to $50,000, but he still didn't get the message.

The league handed him a $20,000 fine for a shot on Saints' QB Drew Brees and $25,000 for another helmet-leading hit on Buffalo QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

That's not a linebacker being tough. Based on the number of fines in 2010 and what he said at the Super Bowl, it's being a slow learner.

Another guuuuut feeling backfires.

Steelers' offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who worked as Browns' OC under Butch Davis, was asked about the 2003 playoff game between the Steelers and the Browns.

"Our head coach lost the game," Arians told reporters in Dallas. "He called off the dogs on defense. You just don't let Tommy Maddox sit there and go against a prevent defense. He basically fired [defensive coordinator] Foge Fazio at halftime. Foge was blitzing. We had them beat. They knew we had them beat."

Wound, meet salt. Salt, meet wound.

SPINOFFS

View full sizeChris O'Meara / Associated PressIt's just coincidence that Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez will be playing the 2011 season in close proximity to retirement centers and nursing homes.

One other difference between Lambert's days and 2010: When Lambert went after Sipe in a 1983 game, the Browns went after Lambert. In a Sports Illustrated story, Pittsburgh coach Chuck Noll remembered one incident in particular. He called the Browns "criminal ... they kicked him where no young man should be kicked..."

Retaliation for cheap shots. What a concept.

A 1.5-pound burger big enough to roll up the sides pizza-like is the featured entree at Rulon Gardner's Burger Barn in Afton, Wyoming. ... Tell me, how again did an Olympic wrestling gold medalist show up on "The Biggest Loser" this season weighing 474 pounds. It just doesn't seem possible...

Welcome to National Football Signing Day, where the media makes 17-year-old high school seniors feel so important they instantly begin dreaming of the day when they can sell their autograph for discounted tattoos...

If Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey plays in the Super Bowl two weeks after suffering a high ankle sprain, the Browns need to boldly strike in the free-agent market and sign the Pittsburgh training staff to a long-term deal...

At a Tampa Bay Rays press conference introducing Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, Damon said he didn't think age would prevent him from being an everyday player. "My body is a temple," he said. Ramirez didn't say it publicly but his body, based on the drug that landed him a 50-game suspension in 2009, must be a fertility clinic...

Chad Ochocinco was asked the difference between Bengals' quarterback Carson Palmer wanting a trade and Ochocinco's previous demand to be moved. "The difference is I would be scrutinized." Yes, it's funny how those guys who go on every talk show to demand a trade and change their name as a publicity gimmick aren't allowed to just quietly go about their business in the off-season...

HE SAID WHAT?

"We saw the light at the end of the tunnel." -- fired University of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez.

Yes, Buckeyes' fans are breathing a sigh of relief now that a coaching change interrupted Michigan's improvement just when the Wolverines were returning to dominance.

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

Darryl Strawberry and Dino from the Flintstones. -- David Goldie, Solon.

Aaron Rodgers and actor Javier Bardem. -- Joan Kaluczky

YOU SAID IT

(The Expanded Mid-Week Edition)

"Bud:

"Any truth to the rumor that after his drubbing in the Australian Open, Andy Murray got an inspirational Tweet from Jay Cutler?" -- Jim, Shaker Heights.

No, Cutler is too busy trying to finish the Sudoku he started on the bench during the NFC Championship game.

"Bud:

"Manny Acta is optimistic about the upcoming season. Do you share in his optimism?" -- Bob

Yes. I, too, am optimistic there will be an upcoming season.

"Bud:

"LeBron may be on to something with his contraction idea. Any chance Toronto and Cleveland merge next year to form the Craptors?" -- Len H, Chicago.

I hesitated before deciding to use your entry. I guess I'm a sucker for high-brow humor.

"Bud:

"Is it too early to announce the 2010-11 pro and college coaches of the year? I nominate Brian Shaw and Tom Izzo -- for turning down the Cavs job." -- Carl T.

Good point. Remember when John Denver turned down the lead role in "An Officer and a Gentleman"? This wasn't anything like that.

"Bud:

"If Manny Acta can get the Indians off to a fast start, can the Tribe finish April with more wins than the Cavs?" -- Edward Aube

No. A lukewarm start will do.

"Bud:

"Regarding the question of when a major sports team in Cleveland will win a championship, is it true the Indians, Browns, and Cavaliers have made large donations to a secret genetics lab trying to produce pigs that fly?" -- Michael Bianchi, Put-in-Bay.

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection. Repeat winners need to think about how they're spending their free time.

New England's Bill Belichick easily his third NFL Coach of the Year award.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz,
The Plain DealerBill Belichick, right, picked up his third NFL Coach of the Year award tonight. His one-time protege, Eric Mangini, is looking for his third head coaching job, having been fired as head coach of the Browns after a second consecutive 5-11 season.

Colt McCoy is still bothered by the pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder suffered in the 2010 BCS title game.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer"I wasn't completely 100 percent healed," Colt McCoy told Dan Patrick on Wednesday, recalling his shoulder injury from last year's BCS title game. "There's some times it still bothers me."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Colt McCoy revealed Wednesday that he's still sometimes bothered by the pinched nerve in his right shoulder that he suffered in last year's BCS Championship Game against Alabama.

During a radio interview with Dan Patrick in Dallas, McCoy said "I'm still sort of recovering from the injury. I wasn't completely 100 percent healed. There's sometimes it still bothers me. I think an off-season of just completely focusing on healing my shoulder and getting it 100 percent will be good for me."

McCoy suffered the injury on the fifth snap of Texas' 37-21 loss to Alabama. It happened when he kept the ball on an option to the left and was stopped for no gain by lineman Marcell Dareus.

McCoy left the game and didn't return. A week later, in mid-January, he met with orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews and was told that he could expect a full recovery without surgery. Upon the advice of Andrews, McCoy didn't throw at the NFL combine, but said he was ahead of schedule and was confident he'd be 100 percent in a few weeks.

"I just had a nerve injury in my deltoid [muscle]," McCoy said at the combine. "It's not even actually my shoulder. And it's just a weird injury. Hard to describe, hard to explain.

"Only thing I can say is, there was no pain, there was never pain involved in the whole injury, the whole situation. It was just completely dead."

The first week of March, McCoy was declared 100 percent healthy and cleared to throw at his Texas Pro Day on April 1.

Before the draft, Browns President Mike Holmgren said his one concern about McCoy was arm strength, but not because of the injury.

McCoy, the Browns' third-round pick, never publicly mentioned the shoulder was bothering him. He got off to a slow start in camp, but by the time he was pressed into service as the starter Oct. 17 against Pittsburgh, he showed no ill effects from the injury. It was a high ankle sprain that caused him to miss time -- three games -- and not the shoulder. He wound up starting eight games, going 2-6.

McCoy told Patrick that he's excited about new coach Pat Shurmur and implementing the West Coast offense.

"I'm just excited about getting up there and learning our system," he said. "I need to get up there before the lockout 'cause once the lockout comes we can't talk."

Revisit OSU's 2010 football season with a Marvin Fong audio slide show.

Terrelle Pryor's foot injury expected to sideline the senior in the spring, giving his successors a chance to shine.

View full sizeChris Russell / Columbus DispatchBraxton Miller is already enrolled at Ohio State, but reporters got to see the Buckeyes' latest QB phenom show off his No. 5 jersey on Wednesday's signing day.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- One Ohio State starting quarterback is still on crutches. The other may have been at the Buckeyes' National Signing Day news conference in his new No. 5 jersey.

Terrelle Pryor and Braxton Miller are two of the highest-profile recruits of Jim Tressel's 10 years in Columbus, and for one season they'll be together, as Miller was one of 23 players to officially join the Buckeyes' 2011 recruiting class on Wednesday, a class that was ranked No. 3 in the nation by Scout.com and No. 10 by Rivals.com.

Miller enrolled at Ohio State for winter quarter, so he's been around the program and Pryor for a month.

"He's a cool dude to hang out with," Miller said. "I've just got to learn from the best."

Miller was the No. 34 overall player and No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in this class, according to Rivals, and the No. 36 overall player and No. 2 overall quarterback to Scout. In the Class of 2008, Pryor was the No. 1 player by both Scout and Rivals. Both are elite recruits, but they're not exactly the same type of player.

"Terrelle is a thicker guy, a stronger kid," quarterbacks coach Nick Siciliano said Wednesday. "Braxton is probably going to make more guys miss. Both are very similar from an arm strength standpoint. The ball comes out with Braxton a little bit faster. Terrelle is a longer delivery guy, and there's nothing wrong with that."

There is something wrong with Pryor's foot.

Already suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season, with an Ohio State appeal to the NCAA still to come, Pryor will also miss most or all of spring practice because of the surgery he had to repair ligaments in his right foot on Jan. 7.

Siciliano said Pryor is still on crutches and that if the Buckeyes had played another game after the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4, Pryor likely would have missed it.

"Sometimes he hurts a little bit real quick and then he gets over it and gets going," Siciliano said of Pryor getting his foot twisted late in the fourth quarter of the Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas. "I thought that was what happened. But he was hurt. He was really hurt."

Given that Pryor is already dealing with his suspension for selling memorabilia, his foot injury could actually work out for both Ohio State and Miller. The quarterback competition between senior Joe Bauserman, sophomore Kenny Guiton, redshirt freshman Taylor Graham and Miller that begins with 15 practices in spring football may be a little easier to evaluate without Pryor taking any of the snaps.

"The problem we'll have to confront is the reps, so that will be our challenge," offensive coordinator Jim Bollman said, adding that nothing will be settled in spring practice, but the foundation for the fall battle will be laid. "A guy like Braxton, it certainly wouldn't be fair to evaluate him totally after 15 practices, because it'll take him eight practices just to figure out the deal."

For now, Siciliano said Bauserman is the favorite and because Guiton has played so little and Graham not at all, they're in the same boat with Miller. He said the reps probably will be split evenly for the first 10 practices of the spring, then the quarterbacks who have done best will get longer looks for the final practices.

"I think it's going to be a wide-open deal," Siciliano said. "We need to find out who can play and the only way to do that is to throw it out there and see what happens."

While describing the quarterback recruits, with Glenville's Cardale Jones also part of the OSU class though he'll first attend prep school in the fall in order to be a year behind Miller, Siciliano talked about Miller's quiet and calming leadership, his ability to get up the field as runner and his quick hands that lead to his quick release.

Miller said he feels just like he did in middle school, getting ready to play as a high school freshman.

Head coach Jim Tressel said he has no idea how the competition might go, but he emphasized how important it is for Miller to get reps in the spring, something Pryor wasn't able to do as a freshman because he didn't enroll early. Bollman said the competition may not have a clear winner by the season opener, meaning more than one quarterback could play significant minutes.

"You're open to anything," Bollman said. "You're open to winning games and what it takes to win the football game."

One former high school quarterback star watching from the sidelines in April while another learns the ropes may help that cause.

The Ohio State coaches couldn't directly address it, but they clearly left the door open for John F. Kennedy's Chris Carter to still be a Buckeye at some point.

View full sizeGus Chan / The Plain DealerBy accepting a "grayshirt" season at a prep school or junior college, Glenville's Cardale Jones will wait a year before being able to accept a football scholarship from Ohio State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Four things about the Ohio State recruiting class.

1. After his Tuesday arrest, John F. Kennedy offensive lineman Chris Carter was not part of Ohio State's recruiting class Wednesday after being orally committed to the Buckeyes for nearly a year. But the Buckeyes have not closed the door on Carter eventually signing with them.

Jim Tressel can't specifically comment about players who haven't signed letters of intent, but he did reference a situation that he couldn't talk about and talked about the class having 23 players "at this point." It's fair to say that Ohio State was very surprised by the recent charges, and no decision about his future will be made until the potential legal issues are fully investigated.

2. Without Carter and Glenville's Aundrey Walker, who picked USC on Wednesday, the Buckeyes are thin on the offensive line. They signed three when offensive line coach Jim Bollman said the plan was to get four or five. Even with Firestone's Tommy Brown reporting early for spring practice, they'll have just 10 scholarship linemen in April. In the fall, at least two freshmen, if not more, should have a shot at the two-deep.

"We're going to need guys to come in here and help us, so there's plenty of opportunity for these guys for sure," Bollman said.

Bollman said he liked the natural strength of Brown and Shaker Heights' Antonio Underwood, something he said can take linemen years to develop. But those players are seen as projects, not immediate impact guys, by some recruiting analysts.

With starting left tackle Mike Adams facing a five-game suspension, starting right tackle J.B. Shugarts having a history of foot problems and Marcus Hall, a potential starter at guard, coming off a redshirt season created by academic issues, this wasn't a good year to come up short in offensive line recruiting.

3. Grayshirting can be unfair when schools offer a recruit a scholarship, then late in the game tell him to delay enrolling for a year, or grayshirt, because they're out of scholarships. But what happened with Glenville quarterback Cardale Jones, who got a late offer on the contingency that he go to prep school, should work out well for everyone.

"We thought they were the two best quarterbacks in the country and they both happened to be from our state," quarterbacks coach Nick Siciliano said of Jones and Braxton Miller, a headliner of the class. "So we felt like we had to go out and get both of them."

Bollman made the point that the Buckeyes don't even think of Jones and Miller as part of the same class. They didn't need two quarterbacks now, with three others already on the roster, but they just liked Jones a lot better than any quarterback they saw in the Class of 2012.

So though Jones is listed as part of this class now, he really will be a 2012 member if he comes next January as planned. Bollman admitted talking about grayshirting can he tough, but "it depends on how bad the guy wants to be a Buckeye. It's as simple as that."

Jones wanted that, and the Siciliano said the coaches also talked about it with Miller, who had been told he'd be the only quarterback recruit.

"We made sure he understood what we were thinking and why we were doing it," Siciliano said. "He's a team guy and that's why he's here. He understands it's about the team, and competition only makes him better."

4. Five-star linebacker Curtis Grant, who made a Signing Day decision to be a Buckeye, jumps off the screen on his high school game film with his size and speed. He certainly seems ready to compete for the two open spots at linebacker, and linebackers coach Luke Fickell said the opportunity created by the losses of seniors Ross Homan and Brian Rolle helped the Buckeyes get such a strong four-player linebacker group when they were only planning on taking two.

Grant is from Virginia, an area that Buckeyes don't often draw players from, but Fickell hopes Grant will help change that. He said players of Grant's ability without any connections to Ohio State may only choose the Buckeyes one out of 10 times, but that ratio is worth the effort.

The Cavs lose again and approach another milestone in basketball infamy.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerWith their last chance at victory on Wednesday thrown away, Jamario Moon can hardly watch the final seconds of the Cavaliers' 22nd consecutive loss ... a 117-112 defeat at the hands of Indiana at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Infamy is their next stop, although its alias will be Memphis.

The Cavaliers lost for the 22nd straight time Wednesday night, one short of the single-season NBA record. Friday night in Memphis, on the banks of the Mississippi, the snowball, like Old Man River, might jes' keep rollin' along.

Thirty-two of the last 33 times that the wine and gold have jogged onto the hardboards, they have left the hard way. After Indiana 117, Cavs 112 at The Q, it is not enough -- it is only nice -- to say that they played hard and got close. They had been losing by an average of 11.8 points per game. No other team is as high as a seven-point differential.

Yet a team that is not only bad, but destined to be mentioned with the worst ever, found a way to lose.

This time, they lost it early. The Pacers scored the first dozen points and once led by 17 in the second quarter. How such a bedraggled team is unready to play at home against a weak opponent is simply inexplicable.

The Cavs have not won since Dec. 18, 47 days ago. What does a win look like, anyway? Is it bigger than a breadbox? The thing came wrapped in confetti falling from the rafters, as I recall. Used to happen a lot, at least until the spring when the games really counted.

The Pacers pounded the Cavs to dust on the boards, with jumpin' J.J. Hickson getting special mention for all of three rebounds collected in almost 32 minutes of play. Along the way, he fielded a crucial, hard pass at close quarters from Ramon Sessions with his chin when the Cavs were down three in the last 15 seconds.

Taking it on the chin in the 33 games that remain, while statistically improbable, would leave the Cavs with an 8-74 record, the worst ever. The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers were 9-73.

It says here -- especially given the feeble current lineup, due to a spate of injuries, plus the players dealt away after last season, and the false savior who hightailed it out of town -- that this is the worst NBA team ever.

In 1972-73, the NBA was a smaller league with fewer jobs available. There were only 17 teams. Now there are 30. There were only 12 players on each roster then. Now there are 15. There were 204 playing NBA jobs then. There are 450 now.

A more skilled and competent player was the employment requirement in 1972-73, compared to today.

There was no developmental league then, either. Players who didn't make NBA teams lived a gypsy existence in the minor leagues, playing for around $100 a game if they won, $20 or $30 less if they lost.

The late Kresimir Cosic, a 6-11 center from Croatia, was winding up his collegiate career at Brigham Young in the early 1970s. A pioneer in the European invasion of American basketball, Cosic is now a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. People saw his mechanical play and acted as though he had bolts in his neck.

There was no effective overseas option for NBA players then. Players either won, or were out on the street.

"Those days are gone," said Cavs coach Byron Scott, who started alongside Magic Johnson on three championship Lakers teams. "A player on a minimum contract makes more money than I made on my first contract. The D-League doesn't pay that well. Overseas doesn't either unless you're one of the top players, and then you're farther away from home. I hope the players know that playing in the NBA is a privilege."

This is a younger Cavalier team than that Sixer squad. "That's the silver lining," said Scott, who has given more minutes to some players than they can handle, out of necessity.

Players were out on the street if they didn't win in the '70s. For that reason, they did anything to stay on rosters. Once, the late John Q. Trapp, a forward on the 9-73 Sixer team, was going to be pulled for a substitute. Trapp refused to go to the bench, nodding toward the stands, where an unidentifed cohort stood, opened his overcoat, and displayed a revolver. Trapp stayed in the game.

Another time, when Trapp was with the Lakers, rather than be fined for missing a team flight, he called in a bomb threat to the commercial airline the team used -- then bragged about his cleverness to Sixer employees.

Fred Carter, the MVP of that team (yes, they actually named one), said, "We were the universal health spa of the NBA. Everybody got better after playing us."

So Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough, listed as day-to-day, played against the Cavs. Denver's Nene returned earlier than expected, too. Nobody wants to miss being part of history.

It might be the only opponent the Cavs can beat.

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In their own version of the movie, Groundhog Day, the Cavaliers made the same sort of mistakes they've made over and over again whenever they get close.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ramon Sessions emerged from the shower, took a look toward the mob of reporters in front of his locker and sighed.

Even after 22 straight losses, the Cavaliers still are not used to having to explain what went wrong.

So Sessions cinched the towel around his waist a little tighter, took a deep breath and waded in front of the notebooks and microphones to explain how the team let a three-point lead with 3:32 left turn into a 117-112 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at The Q.

"There's no doubt, that one took a lot out of us," he said as the Cavs lost for the 32nd time in 33 games and extended the club's single-season record. They can tie the NBA's single-season record for consecutive losses on Friday at Memphis. Tying the NBA all-time record, which they already own, could come Saturday at home against Portland.

"When you lose games it hurts, period, and especially when you give yourself an opportunity to win the game, it hurts that much more," coach Byron Scott said as his team dropped to an NBA worst 8-41. The Cavs have not won in 2011. Their last victory came 46 days ago, 109-102 in overtime, to the New York Knicks in The Q.

They managed to take a lead for the first time since the first quarter at Boston four games ago. But they just don't know what to do with it.

In their own version of the movie, Groundhog Day, the Cavs made the same sort of mistakes they've made over and over again whenever they get close: Bad shots, bad passes, bad decisions.

The Cavs trailed, 113-112, when Anthony Parker drove and missed a five-footer that Mike Dunleavy rebounded. Parker fouled Danny Granger, who made two free throws with 17.1 seconds left.

"AP thought he had an opening, went to the basket," Scott said. "I don't know if he was fouled or not, but that's not the play we wanted at that particular time."

The Cavs took a timeout, and Sessions, who led the team with a season-high 25 points and nine assists, drove to the basket. The Pacers' 7-2 center Roy Hibbert stepped out to meet him, and Sessions whipped a hard pass toward J.J. Hickson, hitting him in the chest and neck area.

"I went up, and Hibbert came over toward the last minute," Sessions said. "It was a tough pass to J.J., probably I could have done a bounce pass or something else. He came up at the last minute. I was going to lay it up, I saw him coming and dished it off to J.J."

Said Hickson, "Tough pass, should've caught it. My intention was to go box out because I thought it was going to come off the side when he laid it up. But at the last minute I caught his eye, he caught mine. It was a tough pass, I just didn't catch it."

Scott sided with Sessions.

"It looked like it hit him right in the chest," Scott said of Sessions' pass. "I thought Ramon made the right play. He had the big coming to protect the basket, he threw it, JJ just lost the ball."

Granger recovered and was fouled by Sesssions, making two more free throws with 10.8 seconds left to cap off his 23-point night. That's actually fewer than the 29.3 points he'd averaged in the Pacers' first three victories against the Cavs this season. If the Pacers played the Cavs more, Jim O'Brien probably wouldn't have been fired.

Instead, Frank Vogel won his second straight as O'Brien's replacement and Indiana improved to 19-27, thanks in no small measure to a 49-32 edge on the boards, 16-6 on the offensive end.

Every team in the Big Ten is playing freshmen, but no conference coach wins with them like Thad Matta.

View full sizeChris Russell / Columbus DispatchJared Sullinger and the rest of Ohio State's precocious youngsters aren't given an excuse of the long collegiate season when fatigue looms. "To me, that's a sign of weakness, of softness," says OSU coach Thad Matta. "Those guys have to continue to bring it every day."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Seventeen freshmen are playing at least 15 minutes per game for Big Ten teams this season. Most of the teams that are playing a lot of them are losing.

Every Big Ten team except Minnesota has at least one freshman in its rotation, but only four teams have more than one -- Iowa (1-8 in the Big Ten), Michigan (3-6), Penn State (5-5) and the unbeaten No. 1 team in the country that with a 9-0 conference record leads the Big Ten race by three games.

Sure, Ohio State coach Thad Matta has a reputation for recruiting players and sending freshmen to the NBA, but don't forget what comes in between: winning with freshmen.

"The biggest thing we've learned over time is to basically say, 'Here's what you need to be really good at,' and then we try to drill that and get them ready," Matta said. "I don't think it's magic with anything I say or do to bring these guys along, it's more of trying to fit them in as pieces of the puzzle and get them to take pride in what they're doing."

This season, OSU big man Jared Sullinger leads Big Ten freshmen in minutes and points (30.6 and 18), point guard Aaron Craft is third in minutes and ninth in points (28, 6.8) and forward Deshaun Thomas is 16th in minutes and fourth in points (15.9, 9.2 points).

Not every freshman experience has been perfect for Ohio State -- Kosta Koufos led the team in scoring during the NIT title season in 2007-08 but wasn't comfortable with the way Matta used him inside, and in 2008-09 B.J. Mullens sulked at times while coming off the bench. But from Jon Diebler to David Lighty to William Buford to these freshmen, most of the current Buckeyes knew they were going to come in and play.

"You put pressure on yourself because you want to impress the coaches, and I think Coach does a great job of not expecting us to play perfect, but he wants us to play hard," Diebler said. "I remember my freshman year, I was struggling and he always told me to keep trucking in practice and do what I'm supposed to do and good things will happen."

Lighty remembered having a turnover problem as a freshman and Matta telling him "calm down, don't worry about it and get it back on defense."

While coaching high school stars Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Daequan Cook, Sullinger, Koufos, Mullens and Thomas may not seem like much of a chore, Matta does seem to have an ability to let young players relax while learning his system on the fly. At the same time, he refuses to buy into the idea that freshmen hit a wall at this time of the year as they grind out a tougher college season.

"I don't hide behind the fact that freshmen do hit a wall, just not here," Matta said. "To me, that's a sign of weakness, of softness. Those guys have to continue to bring it every day."

Thursday, when the Buckeyes host Michigan, the Wolverines will be facing the same thing as the Buckeyes, as they play three freshmen -- Tim Hardaway Jr., Jordan Morgan and Evan Smotrycz -- in their regular seven-man rotation.

"You'll see it in practice and see in their bodies when they feel it wearing on them, so it's constantly reminding them that they're not alone in this," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "There are other freshmen going through the same thing right now, so just keep pushing through."

It's just that the other freshmen on the court tonight haven't lost yet.

Is it time to trade Antawn Jamison?

John Kuntz, The Plain DealerAntawn Jamison (4) is the Cavs' lone consistent scoring threat, with Mo Williams sidelined by injury.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are so bad, writes Mansfield News Journal reporter Chad Conant, that coach Byron Scott could trade in his clip board and start.

Conant also writes that the Cavaliers are so bad, that in order to win more than 15 games this season, they might need to drop down to the D-League for a month.

The Cavaliers have issues with too many injuries, and they have issues of playing too many young players. They also don't have any size inside.

So there's only one thing for the Cavaliers to do, writes Conant.

The Cavaliers need to trade Antawn Jamison. Today if possible.

No, he isn't a guy who will deliver a championship to a contender. Yes, he is the most productive player the Cavaliers have right now. But, where are they going with him that they won't go without him?

Deal him to a team looking to unload an expiring contract. Make it someone who will throw in a piece for the future in the deal. But, get Jamison out of this mess. He deserves better.

Conant says Jamison deserves better because he plays hard every night, and he's as productive as his current skill set allows.

The ill will the now-legendary missive from owner Dan Gilbert might have built in players around the league could be softened by a move like this too. If the organization shows it is willing to let a capable player on the downside of his career go because it's better for the player than the team, it could play pretty well.

This weekend, Silva faces the man who may be his stiffest challenge yet, former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort.

View full sizeDavid Kohl l Associated PressAnderson Silva has won his past 12 bouts.

To paraphrase legendary football coach Bum Phillips, "There's two kinds of mixed martial arts fighters: them that's been beat and them that's gonna git beat."

Anderson Silva has four losses in his storied career, so he clearly falls in the first category. The question, though, is whether the reigning UFC middleweight champion will ever be in the second category again.

For 12 consecutive bouts, Silva has either submitted, knocked out or outlasted every opponent UFC President Dana White has thrown against him. This weekend, he faces the man who may be his stiffest challenge yet, former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort.

Their fight tops the card of UFC 126 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas at 10 p.m. Saturday. It should be a great fight, considering the vast amount of experience between the two mixed martial artists, and the respect they have for each other.

Belfort praised Silva for the continual evolution of his skills as a fighter. That growth means studying tape of Silva's previous fights is a study in futility. As his title defenses indicate, such study has yet to provide an "aha!" moment for any of the 13 opponents who have been seeking for a weakness.

"He's an amazing fighter and he brings inspiration to all of us," Belfort said in a conference call with reporters. "He has all the tools -- ground, striking. I'm just honored to be fighting the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world."

Silva's toughness was evident in his last stint in the octagon, a victory over trash-talking Chael Sonnen. Turns out, the Brazilian fighter had suffered a rib injury during training and fought against the advice of his doctors, he said through an interpreter. Even after that fight, it took about eight weeks for the rib to heal, said Silva's interpreter and manager, Ed Soares.

Former Cincinnati math teacher Rich Franklin, on the undercard in a light heavyweight bout against Forrest Griffin, has lost to both men during his lengthy mixed martial arts career. You almost get a sense that he would like to be ringside watching the main event -- especially because Silva won the middleweight title he's defending Saturday night by beating Franklin in UFC 64 in 2006.

"They're similar because they're both Brazilian and they're both southpaw and they both have a win over me," said Franklin. "They're both effective strikers . . . fast, and they use good footwork and all that kind of stuff."

While they're both proficient on their feet vs. going to ground, they have different styles, Franklin said. "It's going to be interesting to see them coming to the ring if this ends up being a standup fight."

Franklin's bout should be just about as interesting as the title matchup. With their extensive records -- Franklin is 28-5-0 and Griffin is 17-6-0 -- each fighter should be savvy enough to take advantage of any mistake the other makes.

Franklin earned the fight against Griffin by beating Chuck Liddell last year, but it wasn't easy. An early flying kick from Liddell broke a bone in Franklin's left arm. Yet, he fought through it to knock out Liddell with seconds left in the first round.

The winner of the Franklin-Griffin fight could get a title shot against the victor of the UFC 128 bout between champion Maurcio Rua and Rashad Evans. That fight is set for March 19.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: cyarborough@plaind.com, 216-999-4534

The Cavaliers blew a great opportunity to end their losing streak.

Scott Shaw / The Plain DealerJ.J. Hickson

The Cleveland Cavaliers extended their losing streak to 22 games following their loss to the Indiana Pacers. The Cavaliers lost to a Pacers team in transition. The Pacers fired their coach Jim O'Brien a few days ago. The team, which came into the season with high expectations, are 10th overall in the East.

So the Pacers were came into Cleveland giving the Cavaliers a prime opportunity to snap their losing streak. The Cavs are one loss away from tying the NBA record for consecutive losses.

It didn't happen, and now the Cavaliers travel to Memphis Friday, host Portland on Saturday and play at Dallas on Monday.

How many games will the Cavaliers win with 33 games left?

The lawyer for John F. Kennedy High School offensive lineman Christopher Carter said his client will not be charged after girls at his high school accused him of fondling them.

Lynn Ischay, PD file Chris Carter

Update: City officials say JFK football player Chris Carter's case is still under investigation

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The lawyer for John F. Kennedy High School offensive lineman Christopher Carter said he was told by detectives that Carter would not be charged with a crime following accusations that he fondled several girls at his high school.

Attorney Harvey Bruner said this morning he expected that Carter would be able to fulfill his life's dream and sign with Ohio State University today, since Carter was released from jail Wednesday night.

Bruner said he spoke with an OSU coach about the situation and that he gave the coach the telephone number of the police detective handling the case.

Carter was held in the jail on suspicion of sexual imposition since Tuesday afternoon when several girls said he fondled them under the ruse of measuring them for Junior ROTC jackets.

Cleveland police spokesman Sgt. Sammy Morris said in an e-mail at 5:26 p.m. Wednesday that Carter was being released pending further investigation by the sex crime unit.

He may have the opportunity to sign a letter of intent to play college football at Ohio State University, where he has said he wished to play. While Wednesday was Signing Day across the country, when high school senior football players traditionally choose their college or university, the ceremony was delayed in Cleveland because of the winter storm. 

Carter was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of fondling as many as eight girls while pretending to measure them for the uniforms.

Cleveland police said a 15-year-old girl told officers that Carter, 18, took her out of her classroom and into a room behind the JFK auditorium and told her he needed to measure her for the uniform.

"Once inside the room, [Carter] asked the victim to take off her sweat shirt and shirt so he could take her measurements," the police report said. "He cut off the lights. . . and stated 'I need you to take your bra off.' The arrested male than put his arms under her arms from behind and attempted to pull her bra up."

The girl told police she refused to cooperate and left the room. The girl reported the incident to school officials.

Police said Carter admitted that he had used the same ruse on other girls. Police asked him to give them the book that he used to record the measurements, and he turned it over.

"The book revealed more victims," the report said, noting there was measurement information for eight girls in the book.

Another victim told police that Carter stopped her in the hallway and asked her to come into a room where he "asked her to take her clothes off. The victim took off everything except her panties" and then he measured her, police said in the report.

Carter is a member of the high school's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, lawyer Bruner said.

Carter was taken to the police station on suspicion of misdemeanor sexual imposition. He was held overnight but released Wednesday pending further investigation.

The 6-5, 350-pound offensive lineman, has received an athletic scholarship offer from Ohio State University and gave the school his commitment after touring the campus. Neither Kennedy High nor Ohio State officials could be reached to comment on the status of the scholarship offer.

Last year, Carter described his commitment to Ohio State as the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

Many thought Glenville quarterback Cardale Jones and lineman Aundrey Walker would be college teammates, but they dashed that notion Wednesday when Jones decided to sign with Ohio State and Walker chose Southern Cal. "I've always wanted to be a Buckeye. I'm going to be given the opportunity to compete and that's all I ever wanted," said Jones (6-6, 225),...

Glenville's Aundrey Walker, right, choose USC over the Buckeyes. - (John Kuntz/The Plain Dealer)

Many thought Glenville quarterback Cardale Jones and lineman Aundrey Walker would be college teammates, but they dashed that notion Wednesday when Jones decided to sign with Ohio State and Walker chose Southern Cal.

"I've always wanted to be a Buckeye. I'm going to be given the opportunity to compete and that's all I ever wanted," said Jones (6-6, 225), who passed for over 3,800 yards and 40 touchdowns while rushing for 650 yards and 14 touchdowns the past two seasons.

But Jones' quest to compete with highly touted recruit Braxton Miller of Huber Heights Wayne will have to wait since Jones will grayshirt. Grayshirting is applied to a player who signs a letter of intent in February, but doesn't report in the fall. He delays entry to college until midyear and the NCAA five-year clock doesn't start ticking until the player enrolls as a full-time student.

"[Grayshirting] was mentioned all along, so it's no surprise," said Jones, who will attend a prep school before enrolling at OSU in January. "I don't know what prep school I'll attend, but the OSU coaches are looking into it right now as we speak."

Walker (6-5, 330) said his decision was pretty much made before he visited USC the weekend of Jan. 14.

"USC has always been my dream school," said Walker, who accounted for 17 knockdowns while blocking at a 91 percent efficiency, despite missing three games with a hyperextended knee. "The coaches showed me love and I feel they were real. My heart is with USC."

Walker is scheduled to debut at right tackle but was told he eventually will move to the left side.

"And the opportunity of playing early at USC was big," he said.

Linebacker/tight end Frank Clark signed with Michigan and all-purpose standout Shane Wynn chose Indiana.

Clark (6-3, 210) could end up playing safety for the Wolverines. "The coaches told me they're looking for players who can come in and help out immediately, and I feel I can do that. The new coaching staff is determined to bring the program back to where it was, and I want to be a part of that," he said.

Wynn (5-8, 160) considered Michigan, Hawaii, USC and Toledo.

"I want to play against some of my friends, and I like the fact that Indiana plays a spread offense," said Wynn, who averaged 62.6 yards on kickoff returns, 36.3 yards on punt returns and totaled seven touchdowns. He said he also will be used as a slotback.

Linebacker/center Andre Sturdivant said it wasn't fun deciding between Penn State and Toledo. When the 6-3, 265-pounder donned a Toledo cap, he also let out a sigh.

"This was tough because I liked both schools," said Sturdivant. "When you talk to a legend like Joe Paterno, it's going to leave an impression, but I was also impressed with [Toledo] coach [Tim] Beckman."

Tailback Robert Walton Jr. was the final Tarblooder who announced his choice on Signing Day, and he will join Sturdivant as part of the Rockets' class. Walton gained over 2,283 yards in three seasons.

"I feel I can contribute there early," said Walton.

— Bob Fortuna

Twinsburg hires football coach: Joe Schiavone was hired as head football coach at Twinsburg during the regular meeting of the school board Wednesday night.

Schiavone replaces Mark Solis, whose supplemental coaching contract was not renewed. Schiavone served as the defensive coordinator under Solis after initially being hired by former coach Al Hodakievic.

A graduate of Mount Union, Schiavone formerly coached at Benedictine. He has been with the school district for seven years and is head of the mathematics department.

— Tim Rogers

Tickets available: Tickets for tonight's showdown between Garfield Heights, the top team in The Plain Dealer's Top 25, and second-ranked St. Edward are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Garfield Heights. The game will be played after the junior varsity game, which tips off at 6 p.m.