Which school is the NCAA Tournament favorite?
The NCAA Basketball Tournament starts in three weeks, and so many things can change in terms of which team is the favorite to win it all. Right now, Duke is No. 1 in the current AP poll, followed by Ohio State, Kansas and Pitt.
But if the tournament started today, which school is the favorite?
The trade deadline is near and who knows what the Cavaliers will do.
The trade deadline is over at 3 p.m. on Thursday and what the Cleveland Cavaliers will do, if anything, is anyone's guess.
Should the Cavaliers stand pat, or should they load up on young players and draft picks?
News-Herald reporter Bob Finnan writes how some of the talk surrounds their $14.5 million trade player exception. That could involve Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace, a player they've discussed on and off for quite some time.
One thing they're talking about is trading veteran swingman Anthony Parker. They'd like Bulls center Omer Asik or Celtics center Semih Erden in return, but have been denied. They are now reportedly asking for a first-round pick for Parker.
The Cavs reportedly inquired about Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari, recently acquired in the Carmelo Anthony trade with the Knicks. They were told the Nuggets will likely hold on to the slick-shooting forward.
Parker and Powe
The future for Anthony Parker and Leon Powe is a mystery a day before the trade deadline. Will the Cavaliers trade either player or will they buyout each or both players?
Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com writes how Parker is the Cavs' top target of interest from teams around the league. And the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics have expressed interest in him, one league source said, but the Cavs want a player in return and not a low draft pick.
They have targeted Omer Asik from the Bulls and Semih Erden from the Celtics, but both
teams have been reluctant to part with either player. Asik is 7 feet tall, and Erden is listed at 6-11. Both were second-round picks in 2008.
The Cavs don't want to give Parker away for a low second-round pick this summer when they already own two second-rounders and believe they could purchase another if they really needed it.
Will they, or won't they?
Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto writes how the Cavaliers could make a trade by the deadline, and reporter Jodie Valade also writes about the possibilities for Anthony Parker. Marc Spears writes for Yahoo.com that the Atlanta Hawks are considering trading guard Jeff Teague and swingman Maurice Evans to Cleveland for guards Ramon Sessions and Manny Harris.
Kelly Pavlik says partying is over and it's now time for serious business.
After a series of injuries, fight postponments and a couple of losses, former middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik leaves rehab a new man and ready to resume his boxing career.
Vindy.com reporter Joe Scalzo writes how Pavlik, a Youngstown native, spent 60 days in the Ranch Recovery Center in Desert Hot Springs, Calif. Pavlik said his time in rehab gave him a chance to collect his thoughts and reorganize his life.
“I was having too much fun, put it that way,” he said of his drinking. “I’ve been pro for 10 years now and I have a lot of things going on in my life and boxing’s not going to be there for the rest of my life.
“It kind of got to the point where I said, ‘I’ve got to get organized now and start settling down and paying attention to what I have going on.’”
Pavlik hopes to fight at super middleweight on the undercard of the Manny Pacquaio-Shane Mosley fight on May 7 in Las Vegas.
Josh Tomlin won six games for the Indians last year as a rookie. Now he's trying to open the season in their rotation.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians in spring training in Goodyear, Ariz.
Feb. 23, day nine: Josh Tomlin threw batting practice Tuesday, will start Thursday's intrasquad game and start against Cincinnati in the Cactus League opener Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark.
It doesn't mean he's in line to start the season opener against Chicago on April 1 at Progressive Field. It doesn't even mean he'll be the fifth starter in the Indians rotation. It's just the natural progression of a starting pitcher in spring training.
Or as Tomlin puts it, "That's just the way things fell."
Tomlin last year was a combined 14-8 in Cleveland and Class AAA Columbus. He went 8-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 20 appearances, including 17 starts, at Columbus. In Cleveland, in his first taste of the big leagues, he went 6-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 12 starts.
The Indians promoted Tomlin on July 27 and he stayed in the rotation for the rest of the year.
"The biggest thing I learned last year was how hitters attack the strike zone
and how they approach me," said Tomlin. "For me I've got to throw first-pitch strikes and get ahead and stay ahead of hitters. I don't have overpowering stuff where hitters are just going to miss my mistakes."
Tomlin, 26, Anthony Reyes, Jeanmar Gomez, Aaron Laffey and David Huff are competing for the fifth spot in the rotation.
"I feel good about being in the mix," said Tomlin. "Competition is good for us. It's good for us to get out there and compete no matter where we start the season."
Tomlin throws a fastball (two and four-seam), cut fastball, change up and curveball. He struck out 123 in 180 1/3 combined innings last season.
New ink: Shelley Duncan reported to spring training with a new bride and a tattoo of a hawk on his left shoulder.
He and his wife, Elyse, were married on New Year's Eve.
"It was a beautiful wedding," said Duncan.
Duncan has a chance to make the club as an extra left fielder, first baseman and DH.
He's coming off his most productive year in the big leagues, hitting .231 (53-for-229) with 10 doubles, 11 homers and 36 RBI. He was the Tribe's top pinch hitter, batting .317 (6-for-21) with five RBI. He also hit .264 (23-for-87) with five homers and 14 RBI against lefties.
As for the tattoo of the hawk, Duncan said, "It's a red tail hawk. They're beautiful birds."
Quotable: GM Chris Antonetti on what is the determining factor on whether a prospect is ready for the big leagues: "Ultimately, they have more control over when they'll be ready for the major leagues than we do."
Here's the schedule for today: MLB umpires will meet with Manny Acta and his coaching staff to go over rules and interpretation of rules for the upcoming Cactus League season and regular season. Pace of game, as usual, will be a topic of discussion as well.
What's ahead: The Indians will play intrasquad games Thursday and Friday. . . On Saturday the Baseball Assistance Team (BAT) will meet with players. BAT helps former players in need. . .MLB security will meet with the players on Monday to tell them how to avoid trouble and the people who are trying to separate them from their money.
Given past silence surrounding Indians injuries, WFNY can't help but be concerned with the latest on Grady Sizemore.
In reading some of Jordan Bastain’s work over this past weekend, I started to get the nagging feeling that Grady Sizemore isn’t anywhere near being fully recovered from last season's microfracture surgery. He’s running at 50%, not yet working laterally, and avoiding stopping and starting aggressively.
So I decided to come out and ask Jordan directly—well, as directly as a guy can pose a question from 2,000 miles away to a person he's never met. I tweeted. What are the odds Grady starts the season on the DL?
Here’s the response:
“I'd put it at 80/20 odds for DL/Opening Day right now. RT @WFNYJon: Gut feeling that Sizemore starts the season on the DL?”
You read that right. Jordan is estimating an 80% likelihood that Grady won’t crack the opening day lineup, and won’t join the team until mid-April at the earliest.
And that bummed me out. I miss Grady, and I know he has to contribute significantly to our team if we’re going to see much improvement in the standings this season.
But I also tried to think about this rationally. Opening day rosters don’t really mean all that much, right? After all, in 2007 the opening day lineup included Josh Barfield and Andy Marte. Mike Rouse made a pinch hit appearance (seriously). The Indians won 97 games that year, and came within one game of the World Series.
Last year, all the buzz was about Russell Branyan being handed an everyday job at first base. We only learned later that his back would prohibit his ability to join the team (and ruin the world). But he ended up playing well enough for the Tribe front office to flip him to the Mariners for two decent-ish prospects.
Opening day rosters don’t matter, right?
Well. Yeah, kinda. What still gives me some pause is how small issues have a tendency to metastasize in retrospect. We all remember how Pronk’s shoulder issues started: just a little sore. Adam Miller’s career-threatening finger issues started with a “minor setback”. Both Anthony Reyes and Hector Rondon were suffering from “tired arms” before being shut down for major surgeries.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not time to panic over Grady. Even if he misses the first few weeks of the season, there’s no reason he can’t still have a major impact on the club in 2011.
But, as an Indians fan, I’ve seen a few weeks turn into a few years. Given that the organization has been fairly guarded in the past regarding player health issues, I don’t like the sounds I’m hearing right now. They must be worried if they’re already implying that Opening Day might be long-shot.
And I’ll admit it: I am too.
Troy Smith's time may be over in San Francisco.
Troy Smith's time with the San Francisco 49ers is probably over, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
New coach Jim Harbaugh was asked about Smith's future.
"Like everybody, I don't want to get into each specific guy. But that's also my job to evaluate the same with everybody."
Harbaugh always cites "accuracy" high on the list of attributes he wants from his quarterback. Troy Smith completed 50.3-percent of his passes. Also, Harbaugh's brother, John, released Troy Smith prior to the start of the regular season last year and decided to stick with just two quarterbacks (Joe Flacco and Marc Bulger) on his Baltimore Ravens roster.
CSU coach says some strange events put Vikings in position to earn the regular-season title and host the Horizon League Tournament. Watch video
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to today's special edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Branson Wright.
March Madness is nearly upon us. Which team do you see as the favorite to win the 2011 NCAA Tournament? Cast your vote in today's Starting Blocks poll.
Chuck and Branson asked today's guest, Cleveland State men's basketball coach Gary Waters, for his thoughts, but did not let him pick his own team. Coach Waters says he thinks Ohio State is a quality team that has a chance to make a deep run.
As for his 23-6 Vikings, Waters says some strange events over the last week have put his team in a position to finish atop the Horizon League regular-season standings. If CSU wins games at the Wolstein Center on Thursday against Milwaukee and Saturday against Green Bay, it will lock up the Horizon League regular-season title and earn the right to host the HL Tournament semifinals and finals, which would kick off three weekends of exciting college basketball in Cleveland.
Coach Waters also talks about Vikings guard Norris Cole, his efficiency with the ball and his ability to keep teammates involved; and why staying in college usually pays off for future NBA players.
SBTV will return Thursday with Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw as the guest.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Like much of the NBA, Cavaliers coach Byron Scott was stunned by the news of the New Jersey Nets acquiring All-Star point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz on Wednesday morning. "My initial reaction is, 'Wow,'' Scott said after the Cavs shootaround on Wednesday morning at Cleveland Clinic Courts in advance of Wednesday night's game...
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Like much of the NBA, Cavaliers coach Byron Scott was stunned by the news of the New Jersey Nets acquiring All-Star point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz on Wednesday morning.
"My initial reaction is, 'Wow,'' Scott said after the Cavs shootaround on Wednesday morning at Cleveland Clinic Courts in advance of Wednesday night's game against the visiting Houston Rockets. "That I didn't see that coming, whatsoever. So that was a little bit of a shocker.''
Mo Williams remains questionable with a sore right ankle. He twisted it against the Clippers and then tweaked it again early in the game against the Lakers. He did not practice Monday or Tuesday or take part in Wednesday's shootaround. Scott said Williams will come off the bench if he's able to play. Ramon Sessions will continue to start.
Wednesday's shootaround, by the way, was held at the team's practice facility. Before the Lakers game, the Cavs were forced to shootaround at the practice facility because the Monsters had an early game at The Q. After the Cavs beat the Lakers, the superstitious Scott didn't want to mess with a good thing.
"I made sure I wore the same sweatsuit, the same shoes, I told my wife to get the same socks out of the laundry,'' Scott said, laughing. "I've always been a superstitutious type guy. I told our coaches we were going to do this the rest of the week and see how it goes.''
Wins and attendance go hand-in-hand for the Tribe . . . and there could be a shortage of both.
Is it too early to start lamenting poor attendance at Tribe games? Nah.
Look, unless the Indians are this year's Cinderella team -- and there seems to be one every year -- 2011 is going to be a tough season for Cleveland.
Manager Manny Acta's roster is full of youth, prospects and place-holders (although to be fair, second baseman-designate Orlando Cabrera's history as a postseason good luck charm could make him more than that). If the pitching doesn't surpass expectations, they're going to be hard-pressed to top last season's 69-93 record.
That's not a good bingo at the turnstiles, especially according to David Simmons, writing for bizofbaseball.com. The Tribe drew only 1.39 million in 80 games last season. Two other teams were ranked lower in attendance -- Oakland and Toronto -- but the ranking is based on percentages of filled seats; the A's and Jays play in bigger parks.
And at the bottom of the league numerically ... again ... in attendance.The Indians were one game from the World Series in 2007. Since then they have traded away CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, Casey Blake, and Mark DeRosa in their rebuilding efforts. 2011 starters Michael Brantley, Carlos Carrasco, Justin Masterson, Carlos Santana, and Carlos Perez from those trades look to turn around their box office slump with former all-stars Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore. The schedule makers didn’t help the Indians this year with 9 weekday games against the Sox and Yanks. Plus, they’ll have double the amount of April games and lose another guaranteed sellout by hosting the Yanks on Independence Day. The team has cut season ticket prices to incentivize fans to come out this season. I predict the Indians will post similar attendance figures and less revenue this year as they look to be playing for 4th place in the Central.
The best part about all these predictions, though, is that until they actually come to fruition, they are just that: predictions. There is a reason "this is why they actually play the games" became a cliche.5th Place AL Central: The Indians won two more games than Kansas City last year, but I don’t think they will be able to hold off the Royals for fourth place this time around. The pitching staff exceeded expectations in 2010, and the Tribe still only won 69 games. It looks like another tough year lies ahead for Cleveland. The Indians are listed at +2500 to win the AL Central.
Dang it. Why does everything in Yankeeland always come back to a shot at Cleveland?The former Cy Young Award winner is 37, hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2009, and arrived at camp weighing 267 pounds. Unlike some of the other pitchers in baseball's heavyweight division, Mr. Colon is not tall. He carries all that weight at a listed height of 6-feet.
If he makes the Yankees rotation, Mr. Colon would join some exclusive company.
Only one other pitcher in big league history has ever made a start at a listed weight of 250 pounds or higher, and a height of 6-feet and lower, according to baseball-reference.com.
Garland Buckeye started games for the Cleveland Indians from 1925 to 1928 at 6-feet, 260 pounds. Of course, Mr. Buckeye was 30 in the last of those seasons, seven years younger than Mr. Colon. Also, that season didn't end well, with the Indians choosing to release Mr. Buckeye.
"We make it clear to them that they're probably not going to be contributing to this club on April 1," said (manager Manny) Acta, "but they have to be ready for April 15 or April 30. For the most part these guys are very good self-evaluators. They know when they need work on secondary pitches and other stuff."
And then we'll all live happily ever after."I said one of these years I'm not going to play anymore. I've seen guys when they get old and they beg for jobs. I want to go out on my own terms."
Cabrera said that may have been construed as saying he was going to retire after this season. But he said he wants to play next year.
"Especially if we win the World Series," he said with a smile. "Then I've got to come back."
What constitutes a successful season for the Indians? Will Grady Sizemore be in the lineup on opening day? Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.
What constitutes a successful season for the Indians? Will Grady Sizemore be in the lineup on opening day?
Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.
• Where will Orlando Cabrera fit in the Indians lineup?
• Who's the front runner for the No. 5 spot in the rotation?
• How will the Indians bullpen shake out in front of Chris Perez?
• Would a .500 season get fans interested in this team again?
You can download the mp3 or listen with the player below.
The Browns and Bengals both have an urgent need at wide receiver, as both did in 1973, to the Browns' chagrin. Lots of links to the Browns, the scouting combine and the draft.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Longtime Browns fans will remember the 1973 draft, when Cleveland and the Cincinnati Bengals both sought a big-play wide receiver.
The Bengals owned the 15th pick in the first round; the Browns, the No. 16 pick.
Paul Brown, the legendary coach who led the Browns through their first 17 seasons as a franchise before being fired by owner Art Modell following the 1962 campaign, was the Bengals' owner and coach on draft day, 1973. Brown and the Bengals decided to use their first-rounder to pick San Diego State wide receiver Isaac Curtis.
The Browns went next. They took Arizona State wideout Steve Holden.
Events played out as did most for the Browns from the early 1970's into the mid-80's.
Curtis played in four Pro Bowls and twice was named first-team all-NFL before he was slowed by injuries. Curtis caught 417 passes -- an impressive number during that era -- and more significantly, averaged 17.1 yards per reception. He caught 53 touchdown passes.
Holden's career numbers would have made for a nice season. He totaled 62 catches, averaging 15 yards, and scored on four of them.
Could history repeat itself 38 years later? CBSSports.com and NFLDraftScout.com comment on what each AFC team needs going into April's draft. The Browns and the Bengals went 5-11 and 4-12, respectively, in 2010.
According to CBSSports.com/NFLDraftScout.com, the top need for the Browns:
1. Wide receiver: Colt McCoy is going to need a target in the West Coast offense. A.J. Green from Georgia is a big one at 6-4, 215 pounds. The Browns pick sixth. The Bengals also need wide receivers and pick two slots ahead of the Browns. The Bengals could snatch Green before the Browns get the chance. Last year the Browns scored 13 touchdowns through the air.
Also on CBSSports.com and NFLDraftScout.com, Chad Reuter comments about this week's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
About another wide receiver whom the Browns and Bengals might consider in the first round, Reuter writes:
WR Julio Jones (Alabama)
It is possible Georgia's A.J. Green and Jones could both disappoint with their workout numbers because neither is a pure burner. But neither will drop out of the top dozen picks because of their skill sets (silky smooth running and excellent hands for Green, absolute power for Jones) and a huge drop in value from the top two to the rest of the WR class.
Plain Dealer Browns beat writers Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot will continue their Browns and NFL coverage from the combine in Indianapolis.
Grossi will write from Indianapolis later today. Cabot arrives there on Thursday.
Cabot reported on Tuesday that the Browns have designated veteran place-kicker Phil Dawson as their franchise player for the 2011 season.
Post patterns
Primary questions for each AFC North team, by James Walker of ESPN.com.
A scouting combine and draft preview on RotoWorld.com.
A new mock draft for the first round on SportingNews.com.
NFL Scouting Combine storylines, by Tony Pauline for SI.com and TFYDraft.com.
AFC North offseason team analyses, by Adam Caplan for FoxSports.com.
The top 32 draft prospects heading into the combine, by Pete Prisco for CBSSports.com.
A draft profile on Oregon linebacker Casey Matthews, the son of Browns linebacking great Clay Matthews, Jr., and the brother of Green Bay Packers star linebacker Clay Matthews, III. On the Dawgs By Nature blog.
Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburth Tribune-Review writes about Pittsburgh wide receiver Jon Baldwin, considered by some to be the third best wideout in the draft, behind A.J. Green and Julio Jones.
A pre-combine "Top 32 plus 10" by Rob Rang for CBSSports.com and NFLDraftScout.com.
Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports completes "The Shutdown 40," a ranking of the top draft prospects, with a profile of Louisiana State cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Going into the scouting combine, a look at the top 64 prospects, by Derek Harper for USAToday.com.
Watch live streaming video or listen to live streaming audio at 8 p.m. as the former Browns quarterback about his years here and answers your questions.
Right-hander went 20-11 with a 2.42 ERA last season, finishing behind Phillies' Roy Halladay in Cy Young award balloting.
JUPITER, Florida -- Adam Wainwright, a 20-game winner for the Cardinals a year ago and the runner-up for the Cy Young award, was being sent back to St. Louis on Wednesday for tests on his injured right elbow amid concern that he could be lost for the season.
General manager John Mozeliak said "things do not look encouraging" for the right-hander, who injured his elbow during Monday's bullpen session.
Mozeliak stopped short of saying Wainwright would need Tommy John surgery.
"I don't want to speculate, but obviously ligament damage, that's usually what it results in," he said.
The 29-year-old Wainwright began feeling soreness following the bullpen session. Trainers examined him Tuesday and Wainwright was scheduled to fly back to St. Louis to meet with team doctors on Wednesday.
"It appears to not be good," manager Tony La Russa said. "We'll see, though."
The news comes one day after the Cardinals learned utility infielder Nick Punto will miss eight to 12 weeks after incurring a sports hernia that will require surgery.
Wainwright's injury is much more significant. Losing him would leave a gaping hole in what looked to be a stable starting rotation heading into camp. Chris Carpenter, Kyle Lohse, Jaime Garica and Jake Westbrook have all undergone arm surgery during their careers.
The 6-foot-7 Wainwright went 20-11 with a 2.42 ERA last season, finishing behind Philadelphia's Roy Halladay in Cy Young award balloting while earning his first All-Star selection. His 2.93 ERA since 2007 trails only Halladay, and no National League pitcher threw more than Wainwright's 463.1 innings over the past two seasons.
La Russa said he doesn't believe the injury is related to the soreness Wainwright felt toward the end of last season, when he was shut down in September. He said it's more likely related to minor issues Wainwright suffered in 1998 and 2004.
"It was so strange because he had a great throw his first time out," La Russa said.
In 2009, Wainwright led the NL in wins (19), innings (233) and starts (34), winning a Gold Glove while finishing third in the Cy Young voting.
Should Wainwright be lost for significant time, La Russa expects to find his replacement at camp from a group that includes Ian Snell, Lance Lynn, P. J. Walters and reliever Kyle McClendon.
"We are not going to look outside the organization," La Russa said. "The answer is here."
St. Louis is also likely to look internally for Punto's replacement, giving Ramon Vasquez, Daniel Descalso, Tyler Green and Allen Craig some extra at-bats.
Punto was injured Saturday. A lifetime .247 hitter, he hit .238 in 88 appearances last season with Minnesota. He hit a career-high .290 and scored 73 runs in 2006 with the Twins.
"The expectation is that (Punto) is going to be back 100 percent with a lot of the season to go," La Russa said.
Division III Beavers had lost every conference game they had played since Jan. 23, 1985, three days after President Ronald Reagan's second inauguration.
PASADENA, California -- Caltech ended its 310-game conference losing streak in men's basketball Tuesday night, beating Occidental College 46-45 in its season finale.
Ryan Elmquist hit the go-ahead free throw with 3 seconds left for the Division III Beavers, who had lost every Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game they had played since Jan. 23, 1985.
"I hope that everyone who has participated in Caltech men's basketball is able to celebrate a little bit tonight," Caltech coach Oliver Eslinger said. "We still have goals and aspirations that we want to accomplish as a program, and this win is another step towards meeting these objectives."
Caltech is a famed private research university with a heavy emphasis on science and engineering. The school has just 950 undergraduates and doesn't give out athletic scholarships, but 31 alumni and faculty have won the Nobel Prize.
Caltech finished the season 5-20, its best record in 15 years. The Beavers went 0-25 last season and hadn't won more than one game in any of their previous eight seasons - but back in 2007, Caltech ended an NCAA-record 207-game losing streak with a victory over Bard College of New York.
The Beavers have a great sense of humor about their athletic struggles, but they still celebrated at the Braun Athletic Center after Occidental missed its desperation shot at the buzzer.
When Caltech won its last conference game more than 26 years ago, four-time NBA champion coach Gregg Popovich was running the bench at SCIAC rival Pomona-Pitzer.
Not everything is looking up athletically at Caltech: The women's basketball team finished its season 0-25, losing to Occidental 82-35 on Tuesday night.
--Associated Press
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(The Los Angeles Times reports on the Caltech victory, with a photo gallery and video)
Jazz get point guard Devin Harris, rookie forward Derrick Favors and two first-rounders. Also, Hornets reportedly bolster frontcourt by getting Carl Landry from Kings.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The New Jersey Nets have acquired All-Star point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz in exchange for rookie Derrick Favors and point guard Devin Harris.
The Jazz also will receive the Nets' first-round pick in 2011, which could be a lottery pick, and Golden State's 2012 first-round pick draft pick.
"We are very excited to add a player the caliber of Deron Williams to our roster," Nets general manager Billy King said Wednesday in confirming the blockbuster trade. "He is one of the premier point guards in the NBA, and his skill and talent level will bolster our franchise as we continue to build towards our goal of becoming a championship-caliber team."
The 6-foot-3 Williams was selected third overall in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft by Utah from Illinois. He is in his sixth NBA season and holds career averages of 17.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 35.6 minutes per game.
In 439 career games, including 406 starts, he has shot .466 (2,725-5,848) from the field, .358 (511-1,427) from three-point range and .808 (1,615-1,998) from the free throw line. In 44 career postseason games, Williams has averaged 21.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 1.2 steals 40.4 minutes, while shooting .458 (308-672) from the field and .796 (238-299) from the line.
Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor also confirmed the deal, saying it was a "win-win" situation for both teams.
"We feel that we've addressed a current need at point guard with Deron's departure, as well as the future with draft picks and a big man," said O'Connor. "To do so we had to give up an All-Star, but we feel like this is a win for both sides."
The deal comes two days after the Nets failed to land Carmelo Anthony, who was acquired by the New York Knicks as part of a blockbuster deal with the Denver Nuggets.
Harris, a former All-Star point guard, and Favors, the No. 3 pick in the draft, were part of the package the Nets were offering the Nuggets all season for Anthony. The Jazz were a perennial contender with Williams, but his reputation took a hit when Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan retired one day after clashing with him during a game.
Sloan, reached Wednesday morning at his second home in Illinois, was aware of the trade but didn't want to say much.
"I have no reaction to what the Jazz are doing. We wish him well," Sloan said of Williams. "We wish the Jazz well. Good luck to Deron." Sloan then said he had to "go rake some leaves right now."
Williams was expected to be one of the headliners of the 2012 free agent class along with 2008 Olympic teammates Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, and the small-market Jazz could have faced losing him for nothing.
The Nets now hope Williams will sign a contract extension with them, which they can offer this summer. If so, he would become the face of their franchise when they move into their new arena in Brooklyn for the 2012-13 season.
New Jersey has been desperate to make its first score under new owner Mikhail Prokhorov. The Nets talked with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh last summer and when that failed they turned their attention to Anthony. They quickly bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on him with Williams, who is averaging 21.3 points and 9.7 assists.
The trade was a stunner on the day before the NBA's trading deadline. Williams was expecting to play with the Mavs in his hometown of Dallas when the deal was agreed to.
"Utah traded DWill??" Paul wrote on his Twitter page, adding hashtags with "EpicFail" and "notagoodlook."
Williams joins the exodus of top West players heading East, following Amare Stoudemire's move from Phoenix to New York and Anthony's deal to the Knicks.
The Jazz are only a half-game ahead of Memphis for the final playoff spot in the West and will have to try to hold on without their best player.
One Jazz season ticket holder reached Wednesday morning was surprised to see Sloan leave mid-season but was more stunned that Williams is now gone.
"I'm in shock. I can't even believe it," said Mark Christiansen, a Jazz season ticket holder since 1981. "Sloan was getting sick and tired of coaching ... but this is a surprise. I guess I can understand it. I don't think Deron was going to be here after next season. Deron decided he was going to be gone and the franchise decided he was going to be gone and they weren't going to get any value for him. But I was shocked. Now the Jazz are in some serious trouble in making the playoffs and they have a new coach who I think is going to be another Jerry Sloan."
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Also from Associated Press:
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – The Hornets and Kings have verbally agreed to a trade sending forward Carl Landry to New Orleans in exchange for shooting guard Marcus Thornton and cash considerations, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
The deal is pending league approval and is expected to become official before Thursday's NBA trade deadline, the person told The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because neither team has announced the trade.
The move gives the playoff-contending Hornets depth in the front court, but at the cost of a popular former LSU star who can score in a flurry.
With the Hornets hosting the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, Hornets coach Monty Williams held Thornton out of the morning shoot-around. Williams says he told Thornton to stay home because of a pending trade, and he was not expected to play against the Clippers.
Landry, meanwhile, sat out the Kings' loss in Miami on Tuesday night. The 6-foot-9 Landry, a fourth-year pro out of Purdue, has averaged 11.9 points and 4.8 rebounds this season. He was acquired by the Kings in the middle of last season but has started only 16 games this season while vying for playing time with rookie DeMarcus Cousins.
The 6-4 Thornton is averaging 7.8 points in 16.2 minutes per game in his second NBA season. While Williams cited NBA rules in declining to discuss the details of any pending trade, he was willing to talk generally about Thornton's role on the club this season and his improvement as a player.
"To me, Marcus and I have had a great relationship since Day One," Williams said. "He's improved in areas that don't show up in the stat sheet. To me, I feel good about that — him moving forward. There were some defensive lapses, but he wasn't the only one. ... Marcus is a guy who has value around the league and is going to play for a long time."
Apparently, the value that Williams spoke of is what made the Hornets feel compelled to part with him in order to improve their play inside behind starting power forward David West.
"Our bench has been one of the worst benches in the league," Williams said. "It puts a lot of pressure on our starters to get leads, maintain leads and try to pull out games. ... Your bench is vital to your team and it's an area where I've probably failed in rotations and things of that nature to put the right guys on the floor at the right time."
"I understand concern about the Dolans, but let's not forget that the Indians were one game from the World Series - which they likely would have won, given how the Red Sox swept right through Colorado - just a few seasons ago. The Dolans owned the team then, so it's not of the realm of possibility that the Indians will contend with them as owners. Sure, it may take a stroke of luck for everything to go right, but at least it looks like the Indians have enough talented young pitchers to start making things interesting." - Cleveland Still Rocks
In response to the story Grady's Maybes: Skepticism still surrounds Sizemore, cleveland.com reader Cleveland Still Rocks thinks it's not impossible for the Indians to win under the Dolans. This reader writes,
"I understand concern about the Dolans, but let's not forget that the Indians were one game from the World Series - which they likely would have won, given how the Red Sox swept right through Colorado - just a few seasons ago. The Dolans owned the team then, so it's not of the realm of possibility that the Indians will contend with them as owners. Sure, it may take a stroke of luck for everything to go right, but at least it looks like the Indians have enough talented young pitchers to start making things interesting."
It takes six NCAA tournament victories to win the national championship. There's a decent chance the Buckeyes will seek the first two of the six in Cleveland.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State, with a 26-2 record and a No. 2 ranking in the country, is a favorite to earn a first seed when the NCAA national tournament brackets are announced on March 13.
The Plain Dealer's Mid-American Conference and Cleveland State beat writer, Elton Alexander, writes that college tournament play in March could be quite interesting for area fans.
Quicken Loans Arena, the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers, will host NCAA Tournament opening weekend games on Friday and Sunday, March 18 and 20.
Pat Forde writes for ESPN.com expects that Ohio State will be a No. 1 seed, win two games in Cleveland and get to the Final Four in Houston.
I have concerns about Ohio State’s depth, but not the quality of the six or seven guys Thad Matta plays. They’re talented, skilled, tough, experienced, athletic and versatile. They can go big or go small. They can pound it inside or shoot from deep.
Give the Buckeyes the Cleveland-Newark route to Houston and get out of their way. Unless they spit the bit late and relinquish the No. 1 overall seed.
Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes Buckeyes beat writer Doug Lesmerises' game story on OSU's 89-70 win over Illinois on Tuesday night; his "Four Things" on the Buckeyes-Illini game; Bill Livingston's column on Buckeyes guard and 2006 Villa Angela-St. Joseph graduate David Lighty.
Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com also writes about David Lighty.
Goodman lists college basketball's top 10 leaders, players who are team-oriented and, in Goodman's words, "flat-out 'get it.' " He writes that there is a "reason why all these guys' teams are successful."
Goodman lists the top leader as:
1. David Lighty, Ohio State
Not the most vocal guy in the world, but he's just the ultimate professional. He's seemingly been around in Columbus forever, and while he's never been the star, he's become a big-time leader who does absolutely everything necessary on and off the court to help his team win games. The 6-foot-5 senior averages 12.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, shoots 41 percent from deep and is one of the top defenders in the country.
"His freshman year he won 22 straight games, and this year he won 24 straight. He leads by example every year, and now he has taken these young guys and carried/taught this group to be where we're at. He's the ultimate guy of bringing it every day. Never has a bad one." — Ohio State assistant Brandon Miller.
Buckeye banter
John Kampf writes for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal that Illinois coach Bruce Weber thinks David Lighty should be a Big Ten MVP candidate.
Veteran players lead OSU past Illinois, writes Zac Jackson for FoxSportsOhio.com.
Ohio State notebook, by Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch.
Ohio State-Illinois game story by Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch.
A column about David Lighty by Micahel Arace of the Columbus Dispatch.
An Ohio State 2011 spring football preview and 2010 season review, on CollegeFootballNews.com and FoxSports.com.
Buckeyes freshman defensive lineman Joel Hale is trying to follow the example of veteran D-lineman John Simon, by Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch.
An early look at some of the Big Ten's top football games in 2011, a College Gridiron 365 feature carried on OrlandoSentinel.com.
Talks scheduled to resume Thursday as both sides work with federal mediator in hopes of averting a lockout before current labor deal expires on March 3.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- NFL Players Association executive committee members Brian Dawkins, Jeff Saturday, Mike Vrabel and Brian Waters participated in labor negotiations Wednesday, the sixth consecutive day of federally mediated talks between the league and union.
Denver Broncos safety Dawkins, Indianapolis Colts center Saturday, and Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Vrabel and guard Waters, along with former player Sean Morey, arrived in the morning at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, a U.S. government agency.
They joined NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and their respective negotiating teams for the talks that consumed 35 hours over the first five days. The mediation is scheduled to continue Thursday — making for a full week.
Also on Thursday, at the NFL's annual scouting combine in Indianapolis, the league is holding a meeting with general managers, coaches and other officials from all 32 teams.
"It's a normal part of the combine, which is always filled with meetings galore," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press after ESPN.com first reported about the GMs-coaches session. "There was such a meeting last year. It's not the first time."
Still, with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire next week, the NFL is expected to update attendees on the labor negotiations — although Goodell and general counsel Jeff Pash would be in Washington, not Indianapolis, on Thursday.
The union called off a meeting it was supposed to hold Thursday in Indianapolis with some player agents, citing the ongoing mediation. Instead, the NFLPA will host agents on Friday.
The four active players who showed up Wednesday in Washington, and Morey, are on the NFLPA's executive committee; at least nine of that panel's 11 members have been present at some point during the talks in the office of mediator George Cohen.
All participants have been abiding by Cohen's request not to discuss the talks publicly, and no details about what's been discussed have been revealed by either side.
After months of infrequent and sometimes contentious bargaining, the league and union have been communicating face-to-face since Friday.
They agreed to try mediation in a bid to find common ground before the current labor deal expires at the end of the day March 3. The union has said it believes team owners want to lock out the players as soon as the next day, which could threaten the 2011 season.
The league and union went more than two months without any formal bargaining until Feb. 5, the day before the Super Bowl. The sides met again once the next week, then called off a second meeting that had been scheduled for the following day.
The most recent CBA was signed in 2006, but owners exercised an opt-out clause in 2008.
The biggest issue separating the sides is how to divide about $9 billion in annual revenues. Among the other significant points in negotiations: a rookie wage scale; the owners' push to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 while reducing the preseason by two games; and benefits for retired players.
A top-flight quarterback, linebacker or other four-down player unavailable on the roster, the Browns use the franchise player tag for the first time in team history on their kicker, Phil Dawson.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After the dirtiest dozen years in a once-proud team's history, an era that included two winning seasons and one playoff game, the Browns have named as their first franchise player kicker Phil Dawson.
Dawson thought he was so gone as a free agent -- probably back to his native Texas, in hopes that jittery Jerry Jones might money-whip him as the latest final piece to the puzzle in Dawson's hometown of Dallas -- that he sold his Westlake home after the season ended. Now it will cost a prospective suitor two first-round draft choices to take on Dawson and his new $3 million contract. The Browns could sign him to a long-term deal, too.
For three years, Dawson had been angling for a new contract to no avail until Tuesday's decision to franchise him. It seems clear that not getting the deal done with a kicker who was adept in the formidable lakefront conditions late in the season is another unhappy result of so much regime change in the dysfunctional Browns franchise. Players coaches, tough-guy coaches, power game, West Coast offense, 3-4 defense and 4-3 defense -- the only constant has been convulsive change, as the Browns have gone back and forth on the pendulum.
So heavy after the season was the auld lang syne vibe that, in the wake of the traditional thumping by the Steelers in the final game, long snapper Ryan Pontbriand, who for nine years has been aiming for holders' hands so Dawson can kick field goals and (less often) extra points, posed for a farewell photograph with the kicker.
When Butch Davis was running the Browns, he spent a fifth-round draft pick on Pontbriand. College coaches often teach long snapping to their offensive linemen who otherwise are borderline NFL prospects in the hope that the added skill will earn them a roster spot in the pros. But, apparently, long snapping on the Pontbriandian scale of virtuosity cannot be passed up for an every-down player, nor can it be taught satisfactorily in training camp.
The Mike Holmgren regime can't be faulted for Pontbriand, who has actually done well. His low profile on the team is perfect for a position that draws attention only because of a low and away grounder or a high and outside whistler.
So, too, Dawson fared well. He has been the only kicker the Browns have ever had, at least since they returned. He was 23 for 28 last season on field goals and didn't miss an extra point, impressive figures in the difficult conditions. He got a lot of chances because former coach Eric Mangini loved field goals the way Davis loved his own draftees, which, in both cases, was beyond all rhyme or reason.
It speaks to the impoverishment of talent on the team that a kicker would be so important to be franchised. Then again, the Pittsburgh Steelers once put the franchise tag on Jeff Reed, who kicked himself out of the job by midseason in 2010. You may have seen his successor, Shaun Suisham, hitting a duck hook in the Super Bowl that missed by a pesky 10 or 15 yards.
Paying handsomely for kickers is usually avoided in the NFL. New England let Adam Vinatieri, one of the great clutch kickers ever, go to Indianapolis as a free agent, rather than franchise him. Dawson, by reason of playing for the Browns, has not often been involved in such high-stakes games. But with the labor uncertainty that is on the NFL horizon, keeping would-be free agents might be the way to go.
The retention of Dawson will be popular with fans. He is a personable man, has stayed the course and has been productive. Just last season, Dawson, a soccer-style kicker who uses his instep to strike the ball, passed Pro Football Hall of Famer Lou Groza to become the most prolific field goal kicker in Browns history. "The Toe" used a different part of his foot when he kicked.
He also played for what seems like a completely different Browns team, which had only the name and colors in common with those of today.
Follow Bill Livingston on Facebook and on Twitter @LivyPD
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A memorial service has been set for Heidelberg University junior Maggie Kesling, the daughter of Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin girls basketball coach Wally Kesling. A Celebration of Life will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Broadmoor School, 8090 Broadmoor Road, Mentor. The family welcomes attendance but will not be available to receive individual condolences.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A memorial service has been set for Heidelberg University junior Maggie Kesling, the daughter of Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin girls basketball coach Wally Kesling.
A Celebration of Life will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Broadmoor School, 8090 Broadmoor Road, Mentor. The family welcomes attendance but will not be available to receive individual condolences.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks contributions be made to in Maggie's name to Broadmoor/LCBDD/Deepwood, 8090 Broadmoor Road, Mentor, OH 44060. Maggie died Monday in an auto accident in Norwalk County.
