This is the eighth of a weekly series projecting the top draft prospects in the eyes of several NBA draft experts.

View full sizeAllen J. Schaben / Los Angeles TimesArizona's Derrick Williams saw his Wildcats eliminated by Connecticut in the regional finals, but his stock for the NBA draft continues to rise.

This is the eighth of a weekly series projecting the top draft prospects in the eyes of several NBA draft experts. This week's list is courtesy of Allen Moll of The Hoop Doctors and his 2011 NBA Mock Draft can be found at thehoopdoctors.com

1. Derrick Williams, SF, Arizona: Perhaps no one player's draft stock has risen during the NCAA Tournament like Williams, who is a multi-talented big man with above-average athleticism, and the perfect all-around game. He can dominate the paint, rebound at a high rate, led the nation in FT attempts, and shoots above average from behind the arc.

2. Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke: After returning in the NCAA Tournament from a toe injury that limited him to just eight regular season games, the fabulous freshman proved why he is the top PG prospect by scoring in double figures in every game, including a go-ahead jumper against Michigan and scoring 28 points in a season ending loss to Arizona. He can score at a high level, play excellent defense, and has uncanny ability to find the open man. A five-star floor general.

3. Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State: Although he has pledged to return for his sophomore season, he arguably remains as the most ready NBA prospect. Has a bevy of low post moves, can shoot out to 15-20 feet, and has the potential to be an elite rebounder. He won't block many shots but holds his own as a front-court defender and is a rarity in that he is a big man that shoots a high percentage from the foul line.

4. Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina: While he disappointed for most of the first half of the season, last year's top-rated HS prospect has adjusted nicely over second half. Has prototypical size, strength, and game-changing ability from the SF position and has a knack for scoring. A surefire lottery selection.

5. Perry Jones, PF, Baylor: Despite being declared ineligible at regular season's end, Jones has the athleticism that makes scouts drool. Still only 19, he has arguably the most upside of any player in the lottery. Standing 6-11, with long arms, Jones is a rare physical specimen that runs the floor and is capable of beating his man off the dribble with a terrific first step. Has great hands and a soft touch, which makes him an incredible finisher around the basket.

6. Enes Kantner, PF, Kentucky: Measuring 6-10 with shoes on and sporting a 7-1 wingspan, he and Sullinger are the best low-post players. Has a bit more range on his jump shot that extends to the 3-point arc, which makes him an excellent pick-and-pop threat at the next level. Will remain a top-10 pick despite being ineligible this past season.

7. Donatas Motiejunas, C, International: After withdrawing his name from the 2010 draft, he has added 15 pounds of muscle to his 7-foot frame and blossomed into one of the best scoring big men in European basketball at age 20. He is comfortable with his back to the basket yet shoots a high percentage from the perimeter and gets to the FT line at an amazing rate. Best international prospect available.

8. Kemba Walker, PG, Connecticut: Easily the most exciting player this season. Has elite-level scoring ability and blazing speed to go with pinpoint passing. Has developed the game-changing skills and shot-making abilities to carry a team. Despite concerns over his size, projects as a scoring PG. Comparisons to Allen Iverson are inevitable.

9. Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky: Has come on strong of late to lead UK back to the Final Four. The next great PG prospect under Calipari, following Rose, Evans, and Wall. Has good physical attributes, including an impressive mid-range game that extends well beyond the 3-point arc. His passing skills are still a work in progress, but is already an amazing on-ball defender who has shown a knack for taking and making the big shot in his short career. He's probably a better shooter and defender than a distributor, but he's only 18.

10. Terrence Jones, SF, Kentucky: His individual game has slipped a bit from some outstanding early season production. One of the most athletically gifted players in the draft behind an amazing skill set for a 6-8 player. Is as comfortable from the perimeter as with his back to the basket. Excellent as a help defender, is adept with both hands, seems to like dunking in traffic.

Guard Shelvin Mack scores 24 points and forward Matt Howard nets 17 as the Bulldogs advance to Monday's title game against either Kentucky or Connecticut. Butler lost title game last season to Duke, 61-59.

Associated Press Butler's Shawn Vanzant (front) and Chase Stigall (33) after the Bulldogs defeated VCU, 70-62, in a national semifinal game.

Butler's Bulldogs will play against either Kentucky or Connecticut for the men's college basketball national championship on Monday night in Houston.

Butler (28-9) made all the big plays in the late going to defeat Virginia Commonwealth, 70-62, in the first game of Saturday night's national semifinal doubleheader.

Kentucky (29-8) and Connecticut (30-9) play for the other championship game berth in tonight's second game.

Butler, out of the "mid-major" Horizon League -- which includes Cleveland State -- also got to the national title game last April. The Bulldogs lost to Duke, 61-59, as Gordon Hayward's shot from near midcourt rimmed out at the buzzer.

Hayward is now with the Utah Jazz, but Butler continues to amaze.

Guard Shelvin Mack led the Bulldogs with 24 points, including 10 straight as Butler built a 54-47 lead with 8:54 left. Mack hit two 3-point shots during his surge.

VCU cut the Butler lead to 61-57 on a 3-pointer by Jamie Skeen with 2:34 to go.

Butler forward Matt Howard, though, scored on a putback with 57 seconds left, and in the next 22 seconds, he and guard Shawn Vanzant each sank two free throws for a 67-57 Bulldogs' lead with 35 ticks to go.

Skeen led VCU (28-12) with 27 points and guard Brandon Burgess scored 15. Howard finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, and Vanzant netted 11 points.

Butler guard Zach Hahn scored all of his eight points, including two 3-pointers, during a key stretch of the second half. Hahn finished his outburst with the Bulldogs leading, 44-43, and 12:22 left.

VCU's Rams, like Butler a "mid-major" team, stunned analysts by winning five games -- including a "First Four" contest -- to get to their first Final Four.

One more look at spring training in the Arizona desert.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerThe Indians have everything they could want at their Arizona spring base -- plenty of room for the major- and minor-league players, modern facilities, comfortable weather -- everything but fans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Some thoughts after spending 44 days in the Arizona desert.

• The more things change, the more they stay the same. When the Indians trained in Tucson, Ariz., from 1947 through 1992, they were the only team in town. It made for long trips to Phoenix and beyond to play Cactus League games.

Teams coming to Tucson often didn't bring their star players because they didn't want to make the long bus ride. It was among the reasons the Tribe left for Florida in 1993. The main reasons was because the late Dick Jacobs, who owned the team at that time, thought he could land a sweet real estate deal in Florida that never materialized.

Now the Indians are back in Arizona in a spanking new facility in Goodyear that is about a about a 25-minute drive west of downtown Phoenix. While there is certainly no shortage of teams to play, with easy and convenient travel between sites, the Indians haven't drawn many fans. They projected attendance at 65,000 paying customers for this spring and drew an estimated 48,000.

Why?

"People are saying we're the new Tucson," said a team official. "We're the last stop on the spring-training trail [in Phoenix]."

Tucson went through its first spring without big league spring training. Arizona and the Rockies left after last year and now share a new facility at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale. The two teams played in front of near capacity crowds all spring.

Fifteen teams train in the Phoenix area.

• The Indians aren't facing Adam Dunn for the first time. They saw him a lot in interleague play. What they didn't do was get a good look at him this spring.

If they had, Fausto Carmona wouldn't have thrown him nearly as many strikes as he did in Friday's opener. Dunn hit a two-run homer and a two-run double in three at-bats against Carmona on the way to a 15-10 victory.

• Manager Manny Acta said one of the off-season goals was to improve the defense. Two veterans, Orlando Cabrera and Adam Everett, were signed to help with the necessary repairs.

Cabrera, 36, is moving from short to second. It took time, but by the end of camp he looked much more comfortable. He twice made plays where he took a hard one-hop shot off his body, directed it into the air, caught it and threw to first. One runner was out, one runner was safe.

"That's his play," said Acta. "He centers the ball in his body."

Everett, 34, is another regular shortstop changing roles. He made the club as a utility infielder, making good plays and showing a strong arm all over the infield.

"Not many guys can play defense like him," said Acta.

• Watched Cincinnati's Aroldis Chapman face the Indians in the late innings in one Cactus League game. The Cuban defector throws well over 100 mph and it was hard to follow his fastball, but Shelley Duncan and Lou Marson both hit solid singles off him.

"When he throws his off speed pitches, he can be devastating," said Acta.

• Best baseball name seen this spring: Brandon Belt, young first baseman for the Giants. Belt belted a home run off Josh Tomlin that is probably still going.

He made the Giants as their starting first baseman after hitting .282 with three homers and 13 RBI in camp.

• Russell Branyan, an Indian three times over, can still hit. Branyan made the Diamondbacks' opening day roster by hitting .429 (24-for-56) with five homers and 21 RBI in spring training. He had a .768 slugging percentage and a .492 on-base percentage.

The drawback? They don't have a DH in the NL, which means Branyan is going to have to play first base. His stay at first base last year for the Tribe still is the source of nightmares.

Now the nightmares will belong to Kirk Gibson.

Stat-o-matic

Familiar enemy: The Angels' Torii Hunter homered against Kansas City on Thursday to give him 27 overall against the Royals.

Stylish opening: Rickie Weeks became the first Brewer ever to hit a leadoff homer in the season opener.

Long time coming: Clayton Kershaw, told on the last day of the 2010 season that he'd be this year's opening day starter for the Dodgers, struck out nine in seven scoreless innings to beat the Giants on Thursday.

The list: Ten facts from Friday's 15-10 loss to Chicago at Progressive Field:

1. Indians are 57-54 on opening day.

2. They have lost three straight opening days by a combined score of 30-11.

3. They have lost eight of their last 12 openers.

4. They have opened against Chicago six times in the last seven years.

5. Chicago is 4-2 in those games.

6. Chicago's 15 runs Friday were the most ever allowed by the Tribe on opening day.

7. Indians are 15-14 in season openers vs. Chicago.

8. Indians are 0-3 vs. Chicago's Mark Buehrle on opening day.

9. Indians have sold out 18 straight openers at Progressive Field.

10. In 1901, Chicago beat the Cleveland Blues, 1-0, on opening day. The Blues later became the Indians.

Where’s my AK-47? Until last week Evan Longoria was known as a third baseman with a sweet swing who made a funny commercial with New Era Caps over the winter about chasing someone who stole his Tampa Bay Rays hat.

Doubt if there will be a new one made about Longoria chasing the guy who stole his AK-47 assault rifle. Robbers made off with $56,000 in property, including Longoria’s weapon, when they broke into the spring-training residence where Longoria and teammates David Price and Reid Brignac were staying.

A sheriff’s official in Charlotte (Fla.) County told the St. Petersburg Times that Longoria’s assault rifle is “perfectly legal.” When asked about the weapon, all Longoria would say is that it’s a “personal item.”

Tribe talk: "Opening day reminds me every year that I fulfilled my dream of reaching the big leagues. I also reminds me every year than we should be thankful for the American soldier, who allows us to play every year in front of packed houses and in peace in America." -- Indians manager Manny Acta.

As bad as things have been this season in Cleveland, the situation in Detroit might actually be worse.

View full sizeDuane Burleson / Associated PressThe friction between Pistons head coach John Kuester (left) and guard Richard Hamilton is only the most public issue for a once-proud franchise struggling through a woeful season.

NEW YORK -- The Cavaliers have three straight games coming up against Central Division foes Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit. But has any division become more irrelevant than the Central?

Not that long ago, Central Division games were classic battles between nasty teams that didn't like each other. As recently as 2005-06, it was considered the strongest division in the NBA when all five teams made the playoffs.

Now only Chicago is guaranteed to appear in the postseason, while Indiana is hanging onto the eighth -- and last -- seed by its fingernails. The Pacers turned things around after firing coach Jim O'Brien earlier this season.

Injuries derailed the promise of the Milwaukee Bucks. After making the playoffs last year followed by a productive summer that netted Drew Gooden, Corey Maggette and Earl Boykins, some (including me) picked Bucks coach Scott Skiles as the favorite to win the NBA coach of the year. The Bucks have rebounded somewhat, but in all likelihood, they'll be watching the playoffs.

Of course, things in Milwaukee are better than they are in Detroit and Cleveland, where the Pistons and Cavs have fallen off the map. As bad as things have been this season in Cleveland -- and we don't need to go through all that -- the situation in Detroit might actually be worse.

For years, the Pistons were considered a model franchise. Even if you didn't care for their physical basketball, there was no arguing with the team's success. In the past decade, Detroit won six division titles, reached the Eastern Conference finals six times and the NBA Finals twice, winning a championship in 2004 under Larry Brown.

Their games were sold out, and their fans were passionate.

Now that has all changed. The fans aren't coming. The team is struggling, and the players revolted against coach John Kuester earlier this season. No wonder it is taking so long to sell the team after the death of owner Bill Davidson.

The low point came in late February, when seven players skipped a morning shootaround in Philadelphia. Austin Daye, Richard Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey and Chris Wilcox were fined. Tracy McGrady, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace reportedly had personal or medical reasons for their absences. Kuester, who was beloved by players as Mike Brown's top assistant in Cleveland, played only the six players who took part in the shootaround in a 110-94 loss. Joe Dumars, the Pistons' president for basketball operations, backed Kuester, prompting talk that both he and the coach could be gone at the end of the season.

Since that ugly incident, Kuester and Hamilton reportedly have straightened things out, and Hamilton has returned to Detroit's starting lineup after being out of the rotation for part of the season.Washington coach Flip Saunders, the former Cuyahoga Heights High School star, coached the Pistons from 2005-08, and is still in touch with people in Detroit.

"It's always a difficult situation when you have players or teams that have been elite and are on the downside," he said. "You don't want to accept it. It's a very difficult situation when you change direction. If you wait too long ... it takes years in order to come back."

As for the Central Division, Saunders said, "It's totally changed. That's what happens in this league. The league has changed -- 10, 12, 14 years ago it was tough to build quickly through the draft. Now what can happen is, if you have the right draft, in two or three years you can go and you can build quick. That's because the league has become so young. You've got young players playing against young players, so you can make the jump."

The Cavs -- and the Pistons -- hope he's right.

Crawford, normally a shooting guard, moved to point guard for the game and registered his first triple double with 21 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

"I just wanted to make sure that we played team basketball," Crawford said. "I didn't feel like I had to do that much. I just wanted to get the team involved and pick my spots."

Crawford had a spectacular second half, with 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, the most memorable of which came after he blocked Baron Davis on one end, spun around him, raced the length of the court and fed a bounce pass between his legs to Andray Blatche for a slam early in the third quarter.

"I knew it was going to come," Blatche said of the pass, "but I didn't know how it was going to get there. It was very impressive, his confidence is high and he's playing great basketball. I've always thought he was a great player."

Named the Atlantic 10 player of the year by The Sporting News, Crawford, a Detroit native, actually was drafted by New Jersey, then traded to Atlanta as part of a deal for Damion James. Washington acquired him with Mike Bibby and Maurice Evans in the trade that sent Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong to Atlanta.

Cavs coach Byron Scott always liked Crawford.

"He can score," Scott said. "Jordan's a natural born scorer. When he's on the floor, you've got to pay attention to him at all times. ... He's a guy who can get his own shot."

The last word: From former Cavaliers coach Paul Silas, now coach of the Charlotte Bobcats, saying there was no longer any extra incentive to beat the Cavs: "If you asked me about five years ago, I would have wanted to beat the hell out of them."

The regular season may be winding down, but speculation on the June draft and the 2011-12 roster is never ending.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerWith the Cavaliers expected to have considerable interest in drafting a young point guard, Daniel Gibson could be one of several veterans with uncertain futures on the team.

Hey, Mary: Do you see the Cavs trading Ramon Sessions if they are able to draft Kyrie Irving, or should they keep Sessions and Baron Davis and go after a scoring shooting guard or small forward? -- Tony, Richmond Heights

Hey, Mary: It has become obvious that the Cavs will be targeting a point guard in the draft, be it Irving, Knight, Walker or Fredette. This does however alter a roster that is already full of point guards. Which ones are most likely to go -- Gibson, Davis or Sessions? -- Chris Zanon, Canton

Hey, Tony and Chris: I don't think it's out of the question that the Cavs would draft a point guard and keep Baron Davis and Ramon Sessions -- especially considering Davis' age (32 on April 13) and injury history. Right now, the plan is for Davis to be the starter and mentor the newcomer. I don't think they necessarily see Daniel Gibson as a point guard. Nagging injuries aside, they've always been firmly in his corner. But depending on their draft choices and any other free agents or deals, it does seem as if either Sessions or Gibson might not make it. That's a long way away, though, and a lot can happen before training camp.

Hey, Mary: Didn't the Cavaliers draft a Russian center a couple years ago and who is playing in Europe? I thought the name was something like Khan. What is his status? -- Tom Cepek, Aurora

Hey, Tom: Sasha Kaun, the 6-11 CSKA Moscow center and former University of Kansas star, was traded to the Cavaliers by the Seattle SuperSonics after they made him the 56th pick in the 2008 NBA draft. He had knee surgery last November at the Cleveland Clinic but returned to his CSKA team in Moscow, suffered another injury and missed a lot of time. Depending on his recovery, it's not out of the question that he be invited to training camp next season, but I'm not sure he can make the team.

Hey, Mary: In a podcast last week, you mentioned that you went over the roster and were surprised how many of the current players on the roster you would expect back for next year. Can you share those observations with us? -- Rich Smith, Columbus

Hey, Mary: With four draft picks next year and a youth movement, I can't see Parker on the Cavs next year. I won't ask why they didn't trade him. What about Joey Graham? Does he have another year on his contract? Is there a buyout? I can't see him on the team next year. -- Steven Susko, Los Altos, Calif.

Hey, Rich and Steven: It might be easier for me to tell you who I don't see back, starting with Alonzo Gee, Joey Graham and, possibly, Ryan Hollins, although he went a long way toward redeeming himself against Miami. The names that might surprise some people include Baron Davis (see above), Antawn Jamison and Anthony Parker. While the first two likely will continue to play a big role on the floor, the Cavs love the leadership Parker brings to the locker room. He may have other options, but I don't think it's out of the question that the Cavs offer him another contract. Youngsters Semih Erden, Christian Eyenga, Luke Harangody, Manny Harris and Samardo Samuels will have to fight for spots with any new draft choices.

Hey, Mary: Why doesn't Manny Harris play more regular minutes in the rotation? Every time he has played meaningful minutes (more than 20) his stats show double-figure scoring and at least five boards and five assists. Playing Anthony Parker, Alonzo Gee and Boobie Gibson ahead of him makes no sense. Why don't the Cavs find out now if he can play and be a part of the future instead of waiting until after he leaves, ala Shannon Brown? -- Tom, Akron

Hey, Tom: The Cavs think they've got a handle on what Harris can do. He was forced to play more minutes than they would have liked because of injuries and while he did have some good games, he also was inconsistent, especially defensively. He also needs to work on his decision making. Depending on what happens with the rest of the roster, Harris is not a lock to make the team next season, but you are right that someone in the league likely will take a chance on him.

Hey, Mary: Would the Cavs look at UNC soph John Henson, 6-10 and still growing, as a second-round pick should he last that long? -- Darryl Holmes, Texas

Hey, Darryl: Given the Cavs' stated desire to get bigger, I think everyone is under consideration at this point.

Walker has been the NCAA Tournament's breakout player, boosting his draft stock considerably.

View full sizeHarry E. Walker / MCTKemba Walker may or may not actually hit six feet in stature, but his game has grown on NBA scouts.

This is the eighth of a weekly series profiling top players who could be available to the Cavs in this year's NBA Draft on June 23. The draft lottery to determine the order is May 16.

Name: Kemba Walker

College: Connecticut

Position: Guard

Ht/Wt: 6-1/172

Born: May 8, 1990

Hometown: Bronx, N.Y.

Scouting report: According to probasketball draft.com, a classic point guard with a quick first step and a steady jumper. Good leaping ability, has closer mentality. Great court vision and simply a playmaker. But he's smaller than his listed height, might not even be 6 feet.

Projection: Early- to mid-first round, his stock has risen throughout his play this March.

Fast breaks:

• Won the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's top point guard.

• AP All-America player, averaging 23.9 points, 4.5 assists, 5.3 rebounds per game.

• Helped UConn capture the Maui Invitational Tournament title with victories over Michigan State and Kentucky, scoring 90 points in 99 minutes and earning MVP honors.

• Has three siblings, Sharifa Nesbitt, Akil Nesbitt and Keya Edwards. Family originally is from the Caribbean; his father was born in Antigua, and his mother is from St. Croix.

• Is also an accomplished dancer, he has performed three times at the Apollo Theatre. His father, Kenya, credits Kemba's dancing as a child to his smooth abilities and movement on the court.

• A sociology major, he's on pace to graduate in summer 2011.

Jason Bacashihua made 21 saves, Ben Walter scored his 22nd goal of the season, and the Monsters snapped a two-game losing streak

TORONTO, Canada -- Jason Bacashihua made 21 saves, Ben Walter scored his 22nd goal of the season, and the Monsters snapped a two-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over the Marlies on Saturday in Toronto.

Lake Erie stands third in the AHL's Western Conference North Division, one point behind co-leaders Hamilton and Manitoba.

In earning his third shutout of the season, Bacashihua stopped five shots in each of the first two periods and 11 in the third.

Walter's first-period goal came on the power play at 13:37. Julien Brouillette and Shawn Belle had the assists.

David Van der Gulik potted an empty-netter with six seconds left in the game for the final margin.

Lake Erie (41-27-3-5), which has won nine of its past 11 games, was in position late Saturday to clinch the first playoff berth in franchise history.

The Monsters would have clinched a postseason spot on Saturday if Abbotsford had lost to Grand Rapids in regulation, but the Heat won, 1-0.

Uncertainty for the 2011 season is the dominant theme from this week's mailbag for beat writer Paul Hoynes.

View full sizeChris Carlson / Associated PressMatt Laporta hasn't quite won over many Indians fans, who are already looking for backup plans at first base.

Hey, Hoynsie: Who would be our first baseman if it was decided that Matt LaPorta needs extra seasoning to finish his development? Why not let him go back to the outfield and let Michael Brantley be the fourth outfielder until Grady Sizemore is traded? -- Carly Treston, Twinsburg

Hey, Carly: Why drag Brantley into this? He didn't do anything wrong.

Brantley is the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter. Sizemore is on the disabled list. If you moved LaPorta to the outfield and benched Brantley, who is going to play center field?

The Indians could send LaPorta to the minors. He has an option left, but he's 26. He hasn't spent a boatload of time in the minors (242 games, 884 at-bats), but the Indians feel he's ready to produce in the big leagues.

The first basemen behind LaPorta include Shelley Duncan and Travis Buck. Brantley has even spent time at first base in the minors. Jordan Brown and Chad Huffman could help at Class AAA Columbus. Former No.1 pick Beau Mills is still at Class AA Akron, but losing traction.

Nick Johnson, providing his right wrist responds to three operations within a year's time, could help as well.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why in these past few years did the Tribe not bring Omar Vizquel back? We're still stocked with a collection of mediocre utility infielders. Did Omar not want to return? -- Kasey Harmon, Garfield Heights

Hey, Kasey: There were a variety of reasons the Indians and Vizquel never hooked up. Most were money related.

Hey, Hoynsie: Okay, it's only spring, but Travis Buck has been very exciting to watch. I think he has to start until Grady Sizemore is ready. This is a developmental year, right? We already know what Kearns' ceiling is. Shouldn't the team give Buck a shot? -- Steve Alex, Gainesville, Fla.

Hey, Steve: Buck is going to get a long look in April. The Indians want to make a decision on him before Sizemore comes off the disabled list.

Hey, Hoynsie: Please give us some hope. Does this team with Fausto Carmona, Carlos Carrasco, Chris Perez, Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley, Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis, along with others, remind you of the 1992 and 1993 teams? Please tell us there is hope, not just a bunch of hype. -- Bob Gorman, Denver

Hey, Bob: I think there is hope, but not the kind that arrived in Cleveland in the early 1990s. That wave was dominated by hitters. The current Indians have a better chance at being a team with dominant pitching.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why are Indians always trying to convert players to first basemen? Ryan Garko, Chris Gimenez, Andy Marte, Victor Martinez, Carlos Santana, Matt LaPorta and Travis Buck. What is the Shapiro/Antonetti logic? -- Betsy Rose, Dayton

Hey, Betsy: Maybe they got a good deal on first basemen gloves?

Hey, Hoynsie: I recently read the power ratings in Sports Illustrated and they predicted that the Indians could trade Fausto Carmona and an if-healthy Sizemore to get better prospects then what they currently have. Would this not be the final straw for Indians fans if this were to happen? Could you continue to write for this team after another devastating "rebuilding" transaction? -- Eliot C, Cape Coral, Fla.

Hey, Eliot: There has been a lot of "final straws" piled on the backs of fans by this ownership and management group. The fans, granted not as many as in years past, keep coming back.

Not so sure the Indians would trade Carmona and Sizemore, but their track record is not exactly a good one for holding onto their best players.

As for me continuing to write if such trades were made, Eliot, let's get one thing straight -- I write to eat. I eat because I like it. Therefore, I will keep writing regardless of what the Indians do.

Hey, Hoynsie: With a strong spring training, Fausto Carmona really seems to be shaping up and stepping into the role of being a No. 1 starter. To what do you attribute this? Were you giving him pointers over margaritas out in Arizona? -- Abbey Rocke, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Hey, Abbey: Carmona had a bounce-back year last season and has continued to build on it. Through his work with Julio Rangel and Dr. Charles Maher on the mental side and pitching coach Tim Belcher on the physical side, he's established a routine that has made him a much more consistent pitcher. Throwing more strikes than balls helps as well.

As a pitcher, Carmona has worked extremely hard to get better. His between start routine is exhausting.

Regarding margaritas, I try to avoid them at all cost after an unfortunate run in with the worm at the bottom of a tequila bottle many years ago.

Hey, Hoynsie: I don't understand the rules regarding the 40-man roster. If Jason Donald is placed on the DL and we put Jack Hannahan on the 40-man roster, do we need to clear a spot on the roster or does he take Donald's spot until Donald recovers? -- Joe Eversole, Pelham, Ala.

Hey, Joe: When a player is put on the 15-day disabled list, he doesn't lose him spot on the 40-man. When the Indians added non-roster players Travis Buck, Jack Hannahan, Adam Everett and Justin Germano to the 40-man last week, other moves were necessary.

Jayson Nix was traded to Toronto. Jensen Lewis was put on waivers and outrighted to Class AAA Columbus and Trevor Crowe and Jared Goedert were placed on the 60-day disabled list. If a player goes on the 60-day disabled list, as opposed to the 15-day DL, it creates a roster spot.

-- Hoynsie

Kemba Walker scored 18 points Saturday night to help Connecticut keep its remarkable postseason run going.

View full sizeEric Gay / Associated PressAlex Oriakhi and Connecticut withstood Kentucky's second-half rally to earn their ticket to the national championship game Monday night against Butler.

HOUSTON -- When it's win or go home, nobody's better than Kemba and the kids.

Kemba Walker scored 18 points Saturday night to lift Connecticut to its 10th straight victory since finishing off a .500 regular season, a 56-55 win over cold-shooting Kentucky that moved the Huskies a victory away from their third, and most improbable, NCAA title.

Walker, a quick-handed junior from the Bronx, added seven assists and six rebounds to help UConn (31-9) extend a winning streak that started with a five-wins-in-five-nights leg-drainer at the Big East tournament and now includes five more at the tournament that really counts.

The third-seeded Huskies -- lowest seed left in a tournament that has been as unpredictable as any in history -- will face No. 8 Butler, a 70-62 winner over 11th-seeded VCU in the first semifinal, on Monday.

"We've got a heck of a challenge on Monday night, but the fact that we're playing Monday night, that's beautiful," Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said.

This one was not pretty on either end.

Fourth-seeded Kentucky (29-9) shot 33.9 percent for the game and went 5:39 without a point late in the second half. UConn wasn't much better, but Walker, Alex Oriakhi and Shabazz Napier all made baskets to turn a 48-48 tie into a 54-48 lead with 2:29 left.

DeAndre Liggins made a 3-pointer for the Wildcats to cut the deficit to three, and Kentucky had its chances. But Brandon Knight, one of John Calipari's three sensational freshmen, barely drew iron on a 3-pointer. After Kentucky got the rebound, Liggins drew a foul but only hit one of two free throws.

Kentucky forced one more turnover and went for the win, but this time, it was Liggins whose 3-pointer was short. Napier made two free throws to make it 56-52, then Knight ended the game with a 3-pointer at the buzzer -- a meaningless make and a cruel close to what has otherwise been a remarkable season for Calipari and Co. -- Kentucky's first trip to the Final Four since winning it all in 1998.

"It's an amazing feeling," Walker said. "It's a little surreal right now, but hopefully we can bring it back to Storrs."

Speaking of amazing, UConn is peaking at the right time. The Huskies, a freshman-filled team that lived down to expectations by going 9-9 in their conference, haven't lost since they fell to Notre Dame to close the regular season on Feb. 5.

UConn wasn't nearly as dominating here in Houston as in its 84-67 victory over Kentucky in November at the Maui Invitational. But a win's a win, and nobody does it better than UConn when it's all-or-nothing. Counting that relatively low-key get-together on the island, the Huskies are 13-0 in tournament games this season.

Walker is the sparkplug for Calhoun's team. Kentucky did a decent job containing him with its zone, which forced the Huskies to be more patient and look for second options. Jeremy Lamb was the most obvious one. Lamb, whose father Ronaldo made a game-winning shot to knock Calhoun out of the tournament when he was coaching at Northeastern in 1984, had 12 points, including a fancy scooping layup with 2:29 left to put the Huskies ahead by six.

The mailbag is overflowing with questions about roster moves and possible choices this month.

View full sizeLynne Sladky / Associated PressIs Andrew Luck worth another win-starved season for the Browns? One fan thinks perhaps, but doesn't get any support from Tony Grossi.

Hey, Tony: Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but would Mike Holmgren consider the upcoming season a transitional year for the Browns and attempt to set himself up for a run at Stanford QB Andrew Luck? Holmgren was never a strong McCoy supporter and even publicly wavers on him now. He hired a new coach who has never held that position before. He's authorized a complete rebuild and re-scheme of the defense when both player movement and off-season activities have been shelved for the time being.

Luck supposedly carries a scouting grade similar to that of Manning and Elway and is a West Coast guy, a la Holmgren. This isn't suggesting Holmgren would purposely build a team to lose games, but would it be outside the realm of reasonable thought to consider he understands his fall-back position and has acted accordingly? -- Leslie Marchak, Sagamore Hills

Hey, Leslie: Nobody can lay a path that guarantees drafting Luck in 2012. What if he has a career-threatening injury? What if he changes his mind and decides to pursue a career in business? What if the draft is deemed an antitrust violation and all college players enter the NFL as free agents? Also, your characterization of Holmgren not being a strong supporter of McCoy is off base. Holmgren is McCoy's biggest backer.

Hey, Tony: If the NFL doesn't figure out the labor situation by the draft, can teams only trade picks this year for other picks this year? Or can they creatively trade "future considerations" like baseball does? -- Chris Zanon, Canton

Hey, Chris: Only draft picks can be traded. These can include future draft picks. But future considerations will not fly.

Hey, Tony: What happens if the lockout ends and all parties agree on the first week of September? How many practice days will elapse before the first regular-season game? Do you think there will be a three-week period for rookie evaluation and team practices before the start of meaningful games? That could mean even if the lockout ended the first week of September, it could be October before we had a real game. -- Nathan Cornell, Minneapolis, Minn.

Hey, Nathan: If the lockout ends the first week of September, I am sure the start of the season will be delayed by a few weeks. If that is the case, the season will be shorter -- as in 1982 and 1987 -- and ticket-holders would be refunded for unplayed games. The exact timetable of a season re-start can not be determined at this point.

Hey, Tony: I believe Dane Sanzenbacher will become a star in a pass-first offense in the NFL. While his 40 time is similar to Brian Robiskie's, he showed much more explosion with the Buckeyes. Is he a good fit for the Browns in the later rounds? -- Aaron Howell, North Canton

Hey, Aaron: Any receiver who 1) catches the ball and 2) accelerates for yards after the catch, is a good fit for the West Coast offense. He doesn't necessarily have to be from Ohio State to qualify.

View full sizeJohn Bazemore / Associated PressAre there any sure things in the draft? Georgia receiver A.J. Green seems to be one of the safest selections available.

Hey, Tony: With all of the gaping needs we have, is there really any way to be upset for drafting the best available player at one of those needs? Of those players, who do you feel will be the biggest potential to bust? -- Vin, Akron

Hey, Vin: I keep hearing that A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson and Von Miller are the safest picks in the top 10. That would make all the others potential busts.

Hey, Tony: Concerning the salary cap ... what happens when a NFL team doesn't use all of its available cap space? Is it true that some NFL owners write off player salaries and other expenses as business losses? -- Shaylin Butler, Pemberton, N.J.

Hey, Shaylin: When there was a cap, there is nothing that says a team must spend to the cap limit. Typically, teams leave room for unforeseen circumstances, such as a star player being lost for the season. Saving room gives such teams flexibility to fill such needs. My answer to your second question is owners write off all appropriate expenditures for tax purposes.

Hey, Tony: With no free agency, I see this as the perfect year to trade down in the draft and get extra picks. If either of the top QBs is still available, I think we should be able to get a second round pick and stay in the top eight or a second and a fourth and stay in the top 12. -- Chris Crandall, Fort Myers Beach, Fla.

Hey, Chris: Yes, I do believe the climate is right to trade down. In my opinion, moving to No. 12 would be too far. Ideally, they would drop one to four spots, at most.

Hey, Tony: I know you reported Josh Cribbs may be used as a receiver, but what are the chances that he's used as a running back? The Browns need someone along with Hillis and Hardesty and Josh is big with breakaway speed in the open field. -- Steve Bohnenkamp, Geneva, Ill.

Hey, Steve: I -- and many others -- have long advocated Cribbs as a third-down back as a means of getting the ball into his hands more easily and quickly. I understand there would be a need to hand him the ball, too, but I would never consider him a full-time back. The precise plans for Cribbs by the new coaching staff are stymied by the owners lockout.

Hey, Tony: Given that it's unlikely Pat Shurmur will utilize the Wildcat and that Josh Cribbs is so exciting and explosive a player, why wouldn't they use Cribbs like the Eagles, running an offense of similar style, use DeSean Jackson? -- David Cavallo, Washington, D.C.

Hey, David: If you mean getting the ball quickly into Cribbs' hands, I'd agree. But Jackson also runs a lot of longer, vertical routes, which I don't think are Cribbs' strong suit. I believe the Eagles' deep passing game last year was among the league's best.

Hey, Tony: How does the compensatory picks help the competitive balance in the NFL? It seems like the haves continue to benefit significantly more than the have nots. It requires that you actually have talent that someone else wants. The NFL makes it extremely difficult for bad teams to change their fortunes. What are your thoughts? -- Greg Potts, Massillon

Hey, Greg: You've hit on the one aspect of the NFL's system that, in fact, does benefit the "haves" for precisely the reason you state. In just about every other aspect, the league gets criticized for penalizing the good teams (tougher schedule, lower draft position, "Final 4" and "Final 8" free agency rules, etc.).

Hey, Tony: Troy WR Jerrel Jernigan seems like exactly what the doctor ordered for the Browns' offense. But he's probably not good value with their choice in the second round, and probably gone by the third. What do you think? -- Scott, Brunswick

Hey, Scott: Jernigan is a small (5-9) receiver with elite speed who was extremely productive. I've seen one service rate him No. 3 among receivers and project him to go no later than the second round.

Hey, Tony: All the talk about drafting a QB looks wrong to me. The Browns have 4 QBs on the roster now. Starter Colt McCoy, backup Seneca Wallace, old pro Jake Delhomme and Jarret Brown. What I read about Brown is that he has a gun for an arm. He sounds very raw but that will change with team activities. What is your take on Jarret Brown? -- Pat Gillis, Dayton

Hey, Pat: I have no take on Brown until I see him play. It doesn't matter how many QBs a team has on its roster. If it doesn't have one capable of taking it to the Super Bowl, the position is still one of need. The Browns have to decide if McCoy can take them to a Super Bowl. At present, they think he can.

View full sizeRick Wood / Milwaukee Journal SentinelIn Tony Grossi's rankings, Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt is one of the 10 top players available in the first round.

Hey, Tony: I really enjoy your mock drafts. With the current labor situation, I believe the Browns should take the best player available. We do not know who will even be on the team next year and there is no ability to sign a free agent. Who do you think are the 10 best players available? -- Nick Brown, Pershing, Ind.

Hey, Nick: I think the top 10 players available are these, not in any particular order: A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Patrick Peterson, Marcell Dareus, Nick Fairley, Von Miller, Cam Newton, Prince Amukamara, Da'Quan Bowers and J.J. Watt.

Hey, Tony: If the NFL institutes a rookie wage scale with the new CBA, what effect would it have on the league's competitive balance? It seems teams like the Browns, Lions, and Bills always have high draft picks and a lot of salary cap tied up in unproven rookies. -- Andy Hummel, Wooster

Hey, Andy: It depends on the rules of the rookie wage scale. I haven't seen a definitive plan. Rookie contracts haven't affected the salary cap because the old system had a first-year rookie cap built inside the overall team cap. The problems arise after the first year when the roster bonuses and salary escalators kick in. The biggest reason for a rookie wage scale would be to cut back on the huge cash signing bonuses and future guarantees that rookie contracts now routinely include.

Hey, Tony: I was surprised at the number of fans who want to upgrade the offensive line. Not a bad thing, but while Tony Pashos is injury prone, Floyd Womack has played great for two years and I thought Billy Yates was very good till he was injured. How do you see the OL this year? -- Irish Dog, Perry

Hey, Dog: I tend to agree with you, though I would point out that both Womack and Yates are unrestricted free agents and we have no idea of their future. I think the overriding priority for the offense can be summed up in one word -- touchdowns -- not a particular position.

Hey, Tony: Let's assume the best case scenario that Montario Hardesty is fully recovered from injury and he and Peyton Hillis make a great 1-2 combo. The Browns will still be very thin at running back. With the top picks likely to go to defense, are there any free-agent running backs you feel might be good signs for the Browns to add depth or versatility? -- Rich Smith, Columbus

Hey, Rich: There are always running backs waiting for their phone to ring. There's also a few dozen left undrafted. It's premature to speculate on veteran backs who will be free agents because of this crazy labor timeout.

Hey, Tony: Does The Plain Dealer uses Wunderlich tests in screening prospective sports writers? What was your score? I know that my OU degree always outshined any test scores, after they asked, "where is that located." -- Ron Scheurer, Mansfield

Hey, Ron: I took the Wonderlic one time in the painfully slow period during one Browns draft in the 1980s. I think my score was 30. But I'm much smarter now and would be willing to take it again.

Hey, Tony: Did Phil Dawson sign his tender? -- Bob Steward, Erie, Pa.

Hey, Bob: Dawson did not sign his franchise tender before the NFL lockout brought a total shutdown to all player transactions.

Hey, Tony: Terry Pluto stated that we currently do not have any defensive ends for the 4-3. I know we need both/everything (defensively speaking) but why is tackle slightly more paramount than end? -- Eric Cook, Glendale, Ariz.

Hey, Eric: Who said tackle was more important than end? Depends on the coach and his scheme. Look at this way: In the four-man front, the end's primary responsibility is to rush the passer. That puts a higher premium on the end position. The only bona fide starting defensive line player currently on the roster is tackle Ahtyba Rubin.

Hey, Tony: If the labor lockout continues beyond the draft, would you consider trading 2012's first round pick for Kevin Kolb? -- Chris Crandall, Fort Myers Beach, Fla.

Hey, Chris: No.

View full sizeTracy Boulian / The Plain DealerIf Josh Cribbs emerges as a significant contributor as a wide receiver, does that eliminate the Browns' need at the position?

Hey, Tony: With better coaching and a new receiver-friendly system, are our present receivers, including Josh Cribbs, good enough to warrant not taking a receiver in the draft? -- Mike Greenlee, Saint Paris

Hey, Mike: You might argue against taking one in the first round, but they've got to take one soon after.

Hey, Tony: I've always been curious about the behind-the-scenes moves needed to pull off a draft day trade. Say the Redskins want to move up a couple spots to the Browns' No.6 position to grab a QB. What is the general strategy? Will they try to make the deal early on the clock? Will they wait to try to gain leverage? Will the Browns tell them if other teams are interested in the spot too? If so, will they reveal the teams? Will they talk a few days in advance? -- Zack Hill, Arlington, Va.

Hey, Zack: All of that is possible. I've known the Browns to rearrange a draft-day trade the day before the draft and also known them to pull one off with their time on the clock winding down. Most times teams don't reveal whom they intend to take. But in the case of the Browns' trade with Baltimore in 2006, Ozzie Newsome told Phil Savage he wanted Haloti Ngata and Savage said he could have him for a sixth-round pick. Tsk, tsk.

Hey, Tony: The Browns have stated they will refund my 2011 season ticket purchases when games begin to cancel. Has anyone stated anything about PSL contracts and how they might be affected? I will not be planning to renew if one single game is cancelled. They can bank on it. -- John Moore, Waukegan, Ill.

Hey, John: I don't believe PSL contracts are affected by canceled games. My question about PSLs is this: If you don't renew your season tickets, don't you effectively blow the money you invested in the PSLs? Nice racket, huh?

Hey, Tony: It is a given the defensive line needs a lot of help, and this is a deep D-line draft. But with the league being quarterback driven these days, don't the Browns have to take A.J. Green, if he is still there, to ensure the growth and development of Colt McCoy, and then use remaining picks on the likes of a Christian Ballard, Marvin Austin, or Drake Nevis to solidify the defensive front? -- Matt Krystofik, Dayton

Hey, Matt: That's one line of thinking, yes.

Hey, Tony: My wife and I pride ourselves in being in our seats before kickoff. With the new kickoff rule maybe we should enjoy one more beverage before getting to our seats. Pretty soon games will look like controlled scrimmages. Don't you think there should be some sort of trade off for a non-returnable kickoff? -- Dale Galbraith, Barberton

Hey, Dale: My answer was to spot a touchback at the 30-yard line, which would greatly reduce the incentive to kick the ball out of the end zone. Coaches griped about a 25-yard spot and the 20-yard spot was retained. To me, it's a terrible rule, but we'll see how it works out.

Hey, Tony: The general thought is that it would be best to draft a defensive lineman at No. 6 as this is the greatest need; selecting a quarterback would be crazy. Since last season it seemed almost impossible to go three or four games with the same quarterback because of injury, what is so bad with taking the best quarterback at 6? If we are on the fourth-string guy by game seven, maybe picking a quarterback does not sound so bad and of more value than any linemen at that point. -- Chuck McDermott, Columbus, Ind.

Hey, Chuck: To me, the only way the Browns should take a quarterback at No. 6 is if they feel he is more qualified than Colt McCoy to take the team to the Super Bowl. If they are unsure, they shouldn't take him.

Hey, Tony: Can Green Bay use the draft format to their advantage by not making their pick on the first day? They will then have almost a full day to listen to offers to trade draft positions. They will still be on the clock when things pick up the next day and, as long as they get their pick in as soon as the draft resumes, have lost nothing. -- Steve Yates, Rochester, N.Y.

Hey, Steve: I honestly don't know if that's allowable. My best hunch is that the round is not complete until a 32nd selection, and that the owner of the No. 33 pick -- New England -- would be allowed to leapfrog Green Bay and make a selection. But that is a guess. Since the NFL chopped up the draft over three days, there are some "what ifs" that have not been answered, such as the one you present.

Hey, Tony: Though I am very much pro-player, I am also aware NFL athletes often choose to wear as little protective padding as possible. Given the safety discussions, perhaps it is time to research/release data on the correlation between concussions and those not wearing mouthpieces. Seems one sees more mouthpieces on NCAA basketballers than in NFL mouths. -- Mark Leonard, Charlotte, N.C.

Hey, Mark: Making mouthpieces mandatory has been long advocated by former Browns tackle Doug Dieken. I have heard him ask this question to coaches and league officials and each time the answer is a blank stare. When the league talks incessantly of concussion safety measures, it never, ever, brings up mandatory mouthpieces. And yet studies have shown mouth guards help prevent concussions.

Hey, Tony: I've never been overly impressed with Josh Cribbs the receiver, but he is (was) a force on special teams not only in the return game and covered kickoffs and punts very well usually leading in special teams tackles. I know there hasn't been talk of it, but do you think he could benefit from a switch to defense and possibly play safety? In my opinion he would make much more of an impact. -- Jamey Majoros, Concord

Hey, Jamey: Former coach Eric Mangini talked for two years of experimenting with Cribbs at safety -- for emergency purposes, not for a full-time switch -- but nothing came of it. Myself, I think Cribbs' skills are better suited as a third-down receiving threat out of the backfield.

Hey, Tony: With Wade Phillips transitioning the Texans' defense into a 3-4, is there any chance the Browns could pursue some of their defensive linemen? Amobi Okoye is still only 23 and adding an end like Da'Quan Bowers could jump start our move to the 4-3 while allowing us to explore other options, namely receiver and right tackle, in the later rounds. -- Tom Mitro, Orlando, Fla.

Hey, Tom: Okoye is an enigma. He had a decent rookie year but has regressed ever since. I'm sure when the labor impasse is resolved, the Browns will aggressively pursue defensive linemen on other rosters. Because of the age, as you stated, he should be looked at.

Hey, Tony: If the CBA agreement is not settled, will trades be allowed during the draft? -- Frank Kovach, Johnstown, Pa.

Hey, Frank: Trades can involve only present or future draft choices. No players.

Hey, Tony: The player association is telling rookies not to participate on draft night, so that they wont shake hands with owners. It's a spit in the owners' faces -- the guys that will be signing their pay checks! What's up with that ignorance? -- Mike Love, Merritt Island, Fla.

Hey, Mike: The NFLPA has since backed off on plans to ask for a boycott of the draft, ostensibly because of the avalanche of negative publicity the story received.

Hey, Tony: Did anything ever come of the investigation of the alleged incident with the 8-year-old boy and his dad getting roughed up after the Jets game? -- Joe Bailey, Newark, N.Y.

Hey, Joe: Not that I'm aware of.

Hey, Tony: More players seem to be speaking out about getting a raw deal this time. The players make a lot more money than the average fan. Owners are owners, they made their business and the owners are entitled to be successful without giving away a majority of the income they have earned. Do the players realize that this makes them look greedy and selfish and the general feeling is that fans are going to turn on players for being that way? Why doesn't anyone call the players out on being money-hungry parasites that need to learn their place -- that is below the owners, for that matter below the fans, not on top of the NFL. -- Matt R., Akron

Hey, Matt: To clarify one key point: the players simply want the same deal they have. The owners are the ones locking them out to force a new deal more favorable to them. The owners know their sport's revenue will multiply in coming years and they want to put a cap on the percentage of new growth shared with the players.

Hey, Tony: Normally rookies wouldn't be able to participate in team activities other than rookie OTAs until they've signed a contract. With the lockout in place can drafted rookies participate in organized player practices? If we drafted AJ Green, would he be able to practice plays with Colt and other players during the lockout? -- Jeremy Skatzes, Columbus

Hey, Jeremy: My gut feeling is no. Even if they were allowed, it might be ill-advised for them to participate because they will not be under contract. A twisted ankle or more serious injury might lead to a loss of money in their eventual rookie contract.

Hey, Tony: I'm a bit of an optimist. I am hopeful that the two Mitchells can contribute next season (assuming Jayme resigns). Am I mad? Also not being from Cleveland, who are their biggest rivals? -- Gerard Fitzgerald, Cork, Ireland

Hey, Gerard: I have a feeling Carlton Mitchell, the receiver, will be given a real opportunity to show his game. Jayme Mitchell, the defensive end, is unsigned, but was called the team's best pass rusher -- though he was unused -- by GM Tom Heckert. The Browns' biggest rivals currently are Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cincinnati. At various points in their history, they have had strong rivalries with Detroit, Dallas, the Giants and Denver.

Hey, Tony: If a rookie wage scale is put in place, how will the player's draft position factor in his salary, if at all? -- Dan Kubacki, Erie, Pa.

Hey, Dan: Details of the proposed rookie wage scale have not been disclosed.

Hey, Tony: How serious are the Browns about drafting Colin Kaepernick from Nevada? I understand they have a workout scheduled for him. With an arm like he has and his athleticism, he seems like he could be a good value pick. -- Glenn Studevant, Tucson, Ariz.

Hey, Glenn: He is an intriguing prospect who will garner enough attention, I believe, to be taken in the second round. He probably has the best arm in the draft, but needs work on a lot of facets of the position.

Hey, Tony: The NFL Players Union is officially decertified. Fine and good, as it allows the players to file the lawsuits that are now rampant in the news. However, when this mess is finally resolved, can the players re-activate their union at the snap of a finger?

If so, it seems the players have the best of all worlds: They can decertify themselves at a moments' notice, then turn right around and recertify themselves like nothing has happened. Seems to me that once they decertified themselves, that's their poison they choose. They shouldn't be allowed to flipflop back and forth. -- David Bowles, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Hey, David: I'm not schooled enough in labor law to totally understand why the union can recertify. It did so in 1991 because the NFL wanted it to and signed off on it. The owners want the players union to exist, because an agreement with a union allows the league to impose collectively bargained rules that may, in fact, violate antitrust laws. Recertifying the union is also beneficial to the players. Without a union, many of the rights and benefits the players now enjoy could be removed. For instance, without a union maybe teams negotiate benefits with star players, but not all players.

Hey, Tony: Have you made up a list of "I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole" for the upcoming draft? My list would include Jake Locker, Da'Quan Bowers, Cam Newton and Robert Quinn. -- Raymond Dumont, Foley, Ala.

Hey, Raymond: I have not yet made up my 10-foot pole list. Without the insider info on medical, character and arrest reports, it's hard to know exactly whom to avoid. Whereas, some veteran players' body of work in these areas are well-known.

Hey, Tony: Always enjoy reading your columns when I get the chance in Bronco country! How can Bowers not be a bust just like Courtney Brown? He was a "can't miss" and we took him No. 1 and was one of the biggest busts of all time! I could make the same argument for taking A.J. Green or Julio Jones because of "that kid from up north" in Braylon Edwards. If on the board, I'd take Patrick Peterson from LSU. He and Joe Haden could make the best tandem of CBs in the AFC North! -- Dave C, Denver by way of Mentor

Hey, Dave: You have a negative style of drafting. Don't take this guy, don't take that guy, etc. You eliminate so many players, you may not have any left to take at No. 6. As for Peterson, I offer this example: The best tandem of cornerbacks in the AFC North -- by far -- belongs to the Cincinnati Bengals. They finished 4-12 last year.

-- Tony

By Jim Utter, McClatchy Newspapers MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- It's not so much that Kevin Harvick is ninth in points after five Sprint Cup races that signals the potential of his season. Rather, it's how he and his Richard Childress Racing team have found their way back there that offers the best clue as to what could be to come....

By Jim Utter, McClatchy Newspapers

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- It's not so much that Kevin Harvick is ninth in points after five Sprint Cup races that signals the potential of his season.

Rather, it's how he and his Richard Childress Racing team have found their way back there that offers the best clue as to what could be to come.

Harvick is coming off his best year in the series -- three wins, a third -place finish in the standings and 41 points shy of his first series championship.

Expectations were high, but then reality set in.

There was a blown engine during the Daytona 500, a wreck at Phoenix, a speeding penalty at Las Vegas and another wreck at Bristol, Tenn.

Even with all of that, something funny happened on the way to Harvick's last-second win last weekend in Fontana, Calif. -- he and his No. 29 Chevrolet team discovered what they did during the first four races was just as important.

"In both races at Phoenix and at Bristol, both the team and I could have fallen apart and Kevin could have fallen apart," said crew chief Gil Martin. "Kevin's confidence right now, not just in the car but in the race team as a whole, is the highest it's ever been."

Because of that, there has been much good made from a litany of bad circumstances.

A wreck at Phoenix became a fourth -place finish, a respectable 17th was accomplished despite a pit-road speeding penalty at Las Vegas and a sixth -place finish erased the memories of another wreck at Bristol.

"When you come in and (the pit crew) just fixes whatever is wrong and you go back out and you dig yourself out of the hole and nobody gets wound up -- those are the things that a year and a half ago just wouldn't happen," said Harvick, who will start ninth in today's Goody's 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

"Everybody stays calm and everybody knows what they need to do and you just fix it and you move on. The circumstances haven't been great up until last week, but we've got some OK finishes out of them and that's what you have to do."

Even Harvick's win was an example of making the most of what circumstances offer.

It appeared Kyle Busch was well on his way to a win at Auto Club Speedway when Jimmie Johnson ran him down with three laps remaining to take the lead.

Johnson appeared to have his first victory of the season in hand until Harvick nudged him on the backstretch and then passed him in Turns 3-4 of the last lap. The final lap was the only one Harvick led.

"It's all about winning races and it's all about being around at the end of the year to have a chance to win a championship," Harvick said.

"For us last year was a good year for us to understand that we can race for the championship. Our team is championship material, and we've proved that week-in and week-out. Last year and this year we know it."

What the team has been able to accomplish in the face of adversity only reinforces Harvick's belief.

"At this particular point in the season we are definitely better than what we were last year for a lot of reasons. I think every day that our team spends together you learn a little something else about somebody else," he said.

Harvick's team has also learned a lot about its driver.

During his tenure at RCR, Harvick has never shied away -- even publicly -- from pointing out problems he felt needed to be addressed. That willingness to speak out has earned him the label of troublemaker by some.

"Maybe Kevin has been too outspoken in the wrong way, but his intentions were always about making the race cars better, which in turn makes the company better," said Martin.

"I think there is absolutely no doubt about what he's been able to do as a businessman with his own company. And there is certainly no doubt about his ability as a race car driver."

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Gary Player was already a major champion when he played the Masters in 1961. By the time the tournament ended, the South African had defeated Arnold Palmer and become the first international player to wear the green jacket. It also marked him as a rising star. "Confidence is a very, very big thing in this sport,"...

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Gary Player was already a major champion when he played the Masters in 1961. By the time the tournament ended, the South African had defeated Arnold Palmer and become the first international player to wear the green jacket. It also marked him as a rising star.

"Confidence is a very, very big thing in this sport," Player said by phone this month. "There is such a fine line that winning at Augusta like that meant an awful lot to me."

Player is now 75 and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first of his three Masters victories. The nine-time major champion will again lead Augusta National's par-3 tournament with the other members of the game's beloved "Big Three" of Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.

Player will also get to relish the long-ago Monday -- the final round was delayed because of rain -- when he stared down "Arnie's Army" with a magnificent up-and-down from the bunker on No. 18. It was a hole Palmer later double-bogeyed to finish a shot behind.

"Anytime you win a major, it means a lot for your career," Player said. "Winning at Augusta with President Eisenhower, Bobby Jones and people like that, it leads itself to a very special, special victory."

Player had won the British Open 1959, but had yet to fully establish himself with U.S. golf fans in the era when Palmer -- the "King" -- ruled. So when Player gave away his four-shot lead to Palmer on Augusta's punishing back nine with a double bogey on No. 13 and a bogey on No. 15, the "Army" couldn't wait to celebrate their hero's second straight Masters win and third in four years.

Player, though, wasn't through. He made three crucial pars, including one from the bunker alongside the 18th green, that left him a shot off Palmer's lead.

Palmer maintained that edge and was in good shape on the 18th with a solid drive in the fairway. That's when things went wrong, Palmer recalled. He said he was distracted before hitting his approach. The 7-iron landed in the right bunker.

"Where Gary got up and down from that same trap an hour or so earlier, I hit a poor sand shot that went over the green and down the slope on the other side," Palmer said.

A pitch and two putts later, Palmer took a 6, and Player was the Masters champion. Palmer says he long considered it one of his most crushing defeats.

"It was an incredible moment," Player said.

Player won twice more at Augusta National, in 1974 and 1978. With his last victory, the "Black Knight" became the oldest golfer, at 42, to wear the green jacket. That distinction was eclipsed by Nicklaus' rousing Masters triumph in 1986. Player was also the oldest person to make the cut at Augusta when he was 62 in 1998.

This time, granddaughter Savannah will caddy for Player at the par-3 event. Player also will host a charity event in Augusta April 10-11.

In addition, he plans to stop by his newest headquarters in South Carolina. Along with offices for the Gary Player Group, work is nearly complete on a signature course, The Cliffs At Mountain Park.

Player keeps a full schedule that has him traveling to courses and events around the world. He competes about five or six times a year, more than enough to keep him happy.

"I've had a feast," he says. "Now, I'm ready to get up from the table because I've had enough. There are so many other interests in life."

Besides being golf's worldwide ambassador, Player is actively involved in raising awareness on childhood obesity and urging fitness for people of all ages.

"The young people should be eating more vegetables and fruit," he said.

In all, Player competed 52 times at Augusta National. Few of them compared with that first victory.

Down the stretch, Player knew the fans were behind "their fair-haired boy in Arnold," he said. But Player said he was fortified by each cheer from "Arnie's Army."

Pressure, the 25-year-old Player learned then, was "not to be feared, it was to be loved and it has stuck with me ever since."

That first victory at Augusta National also helped Player in promoting the international side of golf, something he's being doing since.

"Winning the Masters proved that I could win in the USA, which was a huge help in reaching that goal," he said.

Baseball came back to Progressive Field on Opening Day after a long winter's nap, then promptly hit the snooze button, Bud Shaw writes in his Sunday Spin.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerOpening Day and the appeal of a much-loved legend helped fill the park on Friday. But after two lopsided losses, what's the incentive for the next 79 home games?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Build faith in the future (and maybe an in-park casino) and they will come?

Baseball gives a city its daily pulse as no other sport can. The challenge for the Indians is to not let the day-to-day beat turn into a throbbing headache for their customers.

All the possible target markets were in attendance on Opening Day Friday to see Chicago jump out to a demoralizing 14-0 lead. Not many -- a record-low 9,853 -- returned Saturday to see the Indians lose again, 8-3.

For a team that finished last in attendance in Major League Baseball a year ago, the trick is enticing as many people as possible to return without adding Charlie Sheen to the bullpen.

Here's the breakdown of Indians' fan groups and their probability of buying into what the Indians are selling:

There Because It's Baseball

Just inside the left-field gate, a fan carrying a "What A Great Feller He Was" sign invited people to take pictures with him. Probably somewhere in his collection he even has a ball not signed by Bob Feller.

He was among the loyalists who stayed in the bleacher area cheering for a ninth-inning rally. The Indians don't have to worry about this group. It's there, rain or shine or Luis Valbuena at third base.

A member of the same fan group watched Jack Hannahan go down swinging for the final out and calmly said in an early candidate for Understatement of the Year: "They're going to need some work."

Chances of returning: Excellent. Believes Lonnie Chisenhall really does need "seasoning."

There Because It's Opening Day

An older woman walks through Tower City toward Progressive Field. "I don't know who's pitching," she tells her friend. "I'm not familiar with the catcher." I hear the word "Columbus" but can't make out the rest.

Maybe she's come to find out how on earth it's possible Jack Hanna of the Columbus Zoo is in the lineup at third base.

Chances of returning: Probably won't be back unless there's a Maeve Binchy Book-Gift Basket Night.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerNo, Orlando Cabrera isn't signaling the start of the seventh-inning stretch, but unless the starting pitching does considerably better, there won't be that many folks insisting on being taken out to the old ball game.

There Because It's Opening Day But Too Mad At The Dolans to Buy In

Overheard conversation on the westbound Red Line after Friday's 15-10 loss: "Tickets are cheaper for the Indians than the Browns, but the other prices are the same. Absurd."

"But the hot dogs are bigger."

"No hot dog is worth $8."

"Maybe if the Dolans invested more in the team, you wouldn't mind as much."

"Yeah, maybe if they hadn't traded back-to-back Cy Young winners I wouldn't mind as much."

"All I know is 10 years ago it was a fun team to watch. Now it's minor leaguers."

Chances of returning: Will need three things to happen to return with any frequency.

1) Contention into the warm months.

2) A protracted NFL lockout.

3) Dollar Dog Night On Demand.

There Only Because Opening Day is a Party

A man in a Rastafarian hat, drinking a beer, watches another pitch fouled off in the bottom of the ninth. He turns to the guy next to him.

"How many fouls before it adds up to another strike?"

Chances of returning: Not coming back unless a cricket match is staged during the seventh-inning stretch. Or Ziggy Marley joins the July 11 stadium concert bill with Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and Jerrod Niemann.

Wears her affection (ahem) on her sleeve

On the RTA Red Line, a young woman let's everyone know she was asked to leave two downtown bars. Given the airport runway decibel at which she's speaking, and the fact that she just blew her nose into her bare hand, the consensus reaction is, "Only two? Well done, m'lady."

Chances of returning: Fortunately, not good, but bring the Sam's Club-size hand sanitizer just in case.

For some reason, she starts ranting about Ben Roethlisberger's off-field behavior. A serious discussion follows, not about the Indians' season, but about the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

"It was a good day for baseball," a nearby passenger says, finally changing the subject. "It would've been a absolutely glorious day for football."

After selling out the park Friday, the Indians couldn't reach 10,000 Saturday.

Work to do? You could say that.

SPINOFFS

Email received Friday night: "Why is [Matt] LaPorta still at first?" Thank goodness somebody called the Indians on an issue that had been dragging on for three full hours of the new season...

Jose Canseco wants to charge media and fans to talk to him. He has partnered with MyFanLine.com and will charge people $50 a minute for phone calls. What a dumb businessman. Don't tell him, but I'd pay $60 for him to stop talking altogether...

Former NFL quarterback Warren Moon defends Auburn's Cam Newton against criticism, saying, "There's no way a guy could be as successful as he's been ... and have all these different flaws that they're talking about right now..." Apparently, the name Tim Tebow does not ring a bell with Moon...

HE SAID IT

"Dennis [Rodman] has always been like a hero of mine." -- Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah.

So that explains it.

HE TWEETED IT

"Stand up for the truth, even if you have to fight an army" -- Jose Canseco, who sent his twin brother, Ozzie, to replace him in a recent boxing match.

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

(Triplets Edition)

Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery, Keith Olberman, George Will -- Marc

YOU SAID IT

(The Slightly Expanded Sunday Edition)

"Bud:

"After listening to the Barry Bonds' court testimony, it's clear the key to success for an aging home run hitter is having a hot girlfriend on the side. Any chance Mrs. Pronk would support such a plan?" -- Jim, Shaker Heights

Are you implying it wasn't really the flaxseed oil?

"Bud:

"Attendance at the Tribe's spring training games was sparse. Will attendance take a turn for the worse once the regular season begins?" -- Dr. Grinder

Saturday suggested as much. But the attendance issues are nothing that bring-your-own fireworks nights can't solve.

"Bud:

"Since you're the top prognosticator at the PD, could you tell us what date in April will the Indians be mathematically eliminated?" -- Harvey

Calling me a top PD prognosticator is like calling Yoji "Pop" Asano a top Idol contestant.

"Bud:

"When the Indians played the Columbus Clippers this week, was that considered an intra-squad game or a split squad game?" -- Josh, South Euclid

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.

"Bud:

"Is there a scenic pullover on the 480 bridge to view Cleveland sports?" -- Joe S.

Repeat winners receive a case of deja vu.

"Bud:

"From Mo Clarett to Terrelle Pryor to the seemingly daily revelations about recruiting violations, I am fed up with OSU football. That compliance officer has got to go!" -- Jim O, Chardon

Repeat winners also receive a five-week suspension.

Three talented infielders will attempt to work their way from Columbus to Cleveland this summer.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerAt Columbus, Cord Phelps may be a man without a regular defensive position, but that doesn't mean he isn't solidly in the Indians' long-term plans, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With the baseball season finally underway, Terry is talkin' ...

About the Tribe prospects...

1. If you look at the numbers of prospects Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis and Cord Phelps, it was Phelps who had the best season in the Tribe farm system in2010. Splitting the season between Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus, Phelps batted .308 (.825 OPS). In 66 games at Class AAA, he hit .317 (.892 OPS).

2. By comparison, Chisenhall batted .278 (.801 OPS) with 17 HR and 84 RBI, spending all last season at Class AA Akron. Kipnis split the year between Class A Kinston and Akron, hitting .307 (.878 OPS). Kipnis and Phelps are 24, Chisenhall is 21.

3. It makes sense that Chisenhall has been handed the third-base job at Columbus. The Indians have a Grand Canyon of a hole at third. Chisenhall has played it the last two seasons. The real question is who will play second at Columbus -- Kipnis or Phelps? The two 24-year-olds both bat left-handed.

4. The Indians have determined that Kipnis is the better long-range prospect, because they have handed him the job. Kipnis is a converted outfielder who made 23 errors in 126 games in his initial season at second. They consider him more athletic, more likely to become a star than Phelps.

5. So where do they play Phelps? They tried him at third in the Arizona Fall League, where he struggled with eight errors in 19 games. But he also hit .367. Even if they thought he had a future at third, they correctly believe Chisenhall is the superior prospect there.

6. Phelps was given the award for the organization's minor leaguer who "consistently hit the ball the hardest." He doesn't have the power of Kipnis or Chisenhall, with 14 HR in 1,065 career at-bats. The Indians have decided to play Phelps at shortstop, a spot he hasn't played since high school. He also will play a little second and third base -- and even some outfield -- but it will mostly be short.

7. One Tribe operative explained the Indians want Phelps in the lineup each day. They believe he can play second in the majors right now, if needed. But if he can play some other positions, he can be "a Ben Zobrist-type" -- referring to the Tampa super-sub who plays around the infield and outfield.

8. The question is how will Phelps handle short, a demanding position? Will it impact his hitting? Will it hurt his defense if he moves back to second? The Indians believe he's mentally tough enough. Phelps made the elite Stanford baseball team as a walk-on, then turned himself into a third-round pick by the Tribe in 2009. He was his class salutatorian with a 4.83 GPA at Santa Barbara High.

9. Phelps did impress Manny Acta in spring training, the manager telling me he'd have no problem bringing up Phelps if the Indians needed a second baseman right away.

10. Another reason Phelps is at short is the Tribe doesn't have any prospects at the upper levels of the farm system. Luis Valbuena is the other infielder set for short, which clearly is his worst position. The Indians are working on putting all three prospects on the fastest track possible to the majors, which means as many at-bats as possible at Class AAA. They want Kipnis staying at second, because he needs more work at the position.

11. Some fans wondered about Jared Goedert, who hit .283 (.890 OPS) between Class AA and Class AAA last season. He is on the 60-day disabled list with an abdominal injury. When healthy, he may play a lot of first base -- as the Indians will open with Jordan Brown and Wes Hodges there at Columbus. Goedert could play third if Chisenhall is promoted.

12. For Goedert, this is a key season. He will be 26 on May 25. He was not considered much of a prospect until last season, when he hit 27 homers. But he batted only .217 with 5 HR and 19 RBI in 184 Class AAA at-bats after the All-Star break. He also had 18 errors in 68 games at third base. He is a right-handed hitter with power, and the Indians do need that.

View full sizeAP photoWhen healthy, Nick Johnson has been an on-base machine in the big leagues over his nine seasons in the majors. The Indians believe his latest wrist surgery will allow him to help the team this summer.

About the Tribe...

1. Two years ago, Nick Johnson batted .295 (.402 on base, .810 OPS) in 353 at-bats for the Washington Nationals -- whose manager was Manny Acta. The Indians quietly signed Johnson last month, knowing that he was facing wrist surgery. They also know he has been on the disabled list 10 times since 2000. He played only 24 games in 2010 with the Yankees.

2. So what's the deal with the 32-year-old first baseman? Just that, he's a first baseman. The Indians want some depth in case Matt LaPorta fails. Johnson hopes his latest surgery finally cures his wrist problems, and could be playing by late May. By then, the Indians will know if LaPorta can take over first base.

3. Johnson is a career .270 hitter with only 91 HR in 2,611 big-league at-bats. But he draws a lot of walks, and the Indians love his career .401 on-base percentage. Even if LaPorta produces, they believe Johnson can be an asset. He is signed for $750,000 this season, with a $2.7 million option for 2012.

4. While David Huff and Jeanmar Gomez are the top of the line to be promoted from Columbus, the guy on the Clippers' staff who has made the biggest spring impression is Zach MacAlister. The 23-year-old right-hander came from the Yankees last year for Austin Kearns, who eventually re-signed with the Indians. McAllister was 9-12 with a 5.29 ERA in Class AA at the age of 22. In 2009, he had a 2.23 ERA and a 7-5 record in Class AA.

5. The Indians plan to start No. 1 pick (2010) Drew Pomeranz at Class A Kinston this season, with the hope of moving him quickly to Class AA Akron -- assuming he pitches well. It's the same strategy they used with No. 1 pick (2009) Alex White last season. The difference is the Indians may even advance Pomeranz to Class AAA by the end of the year. They believe he has more talent and pitches than White.

View full sizeRobert Willett / MCTA fast finish to his freshman season moved Harrison Barnes back to the top of many NBA draft lists -- something the Cavaliers are certainly very aware of, writes Terry Pluto.

About the Cavaliers...

1. They are looking for small forwards and point guards in the draft, especially with their two lottery picks. Like many teams, they were disappointed with how Harrison Barnes played early in the season with North Carolina. But the freshman finished strong and is the top small forward in the draft, according to many scouts.

2. There is a huge drop between Barnes and any other small forward. Arizona's Derek Williams (6-8, 241 pounds) is considered more of a power forward. Most scouts don't think he has the speed and athleticism to defend the athletes at the small forward spot in the NBA.

3. Kentucky small forward Terrence Jones faded in the NCAA tournament, and has dropped well behind Barnes. The Cavs must have a strong interest in Barnes, because they have no small forward of consequence. Consider Alonzo Gee and Christian Eyenga have started at that spot, and neither is a long-term answer.

4. Duke's Kyrie Irving remains the top point guard in the eyes of most scouts. There is a real debate about the next two -- Kentucky's Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker of UConn. Walker may not even be 6 feet tall, but he clearly has leadership skills and a knack for making clutch shots. The 6-2 Knight lacks Walker's pure speed, but the freshman has made huge shots in the NCAA tournament to lead Kentucky into the Final Four.

5. My guess is the Cavs would love to grab Barnes, and then come away with Knight or Walker with their second lottery pick. The real question will be if the Cavs get lucky and end up with the top pick -- do they take Barnes or Irving? Some scouts believe Irving is the next Chris Paul. But Barnes appears to be the only elite small forward prospect in the draft.

6. There has been discussion of Colorado's Alec Burks as a lottery pick. He is an athletic, 6-6 shooting guard, but seems very soft defensively.

7. The Cavalier who has blossomed is J.J. Hickson, averaging 15.5 points and 10.7 rebounds in 41 games since Jan. 1. Fans know Hickson was dueling with Byron Scott early in the season, but now it seems the coach has convinced the 22-year-old power forward/center to crash the boards consistently.

8. While the Cavs would have liked to have Jared Sullinger, they didn't feel a major urgency because they already have productive big men in Anderson Varejao, Antawn Jamison and Hickson for next season. Sullinger is expected to stay in school. The Cavs are hoping 7-footer Semih Erden plays before the end of the season, just to see if their high hopes for him are correct. They believe those four -- Hickson, Jamison, Varejao and Erden -- give real depth for the spot. And they also have been impressed by 6-9 Samardo Samuels, who could be very valuable.

View full sizeJoe Rimkus Jr. / Miami HeraldMiami's explosive Brandon Marshall is just one of several top-10 NFL wide receivers found somewhere other than the first round. That could reveal some of the Browns' thinking for this month's draft.

About the Browns...

1. Should the Browns take a receiver with the No. 6 pick? I've been against it, given there are a lot of mistakes made on receivers drafted high. Rather than go through different drafts, I took another approach -- let's consider the top 10 receivers (in terms of receptions) in 2010, and where they were drafted. All 10 receivers had at least 80 catches.

2. Two were drafted No. 3 -- Larry Fitzgerald (2004) and Andre Johnson (2003). No one else was in the top 10. Two of them were undrafted -- Wes Welker and Danny Amendola.

3. Three more were first-round picks -- Santana Moss (No. 16), Roddy White (No. 27) and Reggie Wayne (No. 30). So five of the top 10 were selected in the first round.

4. That's leaves three others: Brandon Marshall (119), Steve Johnson (224) and Marques Colson (252). They were fourth-round and lower selections. So we have five in the first round, one in the fourth round, two in the seventh, and two undrafted. That also means none in the second or third rounds.

5. My next step was to look at the drafts of Tom Heckert when he was in Philadelphia (2002-09). The Browns general manager took one receiver in the first round -- Jeremy Macklin (19 in 2009). He caught 70 passes this season. In 2008, he grabbed DeSean Jackson (49) in the second round, and he had 47 catches. His other second-round receiver was Reggie Brown (35 in 2005), who had a strong start in his pro career, but is now out of the league. His other recent receiver pick was Jason Avant (109 in 2006) and he had 51 catches this season.

6. So in seven drafts, Heckert has picked three receivers in the first two rounds: Macklin, Brown and Jackson. Only Brown would be considered a miss, given his lack of longevity. He did lead all rookies in receptions in 2005. He also found Avant in the fourth round of 2006, and he is valuable receiver.

7. This says Heckert can find receivers who fit the West Coast system. It's the same mission he has with the Browns. Does this mean he'll take a receiver at No. 6? The answer is a definite ... maybe. He certainly has a track record of finding good ones.

8. One of the Browns' draft goals is to keep the teams below them guessing. So they are looking at quarterbacks. They are talking about needing linemen as they switch to the 4-3 defense. President Mike Holmgren lists cornerback as the No. 2 need after defensive linemen. Obviously, they need a receiver. But looking at the top 10 receivers indicates no need to take one in the first round.

The Gladiators cannot complain about the NFL lockout, for it provided them receiver Troy Bergeron.

View full sizeGus Chan / The Plain DealerGladiators wide receiver Troy Bergeron catches a touchdown pass in front of Chicago's Vic Hall in the second half of Saturday's game at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Gladiators cannot complain about the NFL lockout, if for no other reason than it provided them receiver Troy Bergeron.

Bergeron was on the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad at the end of last season. When the lockout commenced in March, he received permission to play elsewhere. The former Arena Football League standout opted to sign with the Gladiators. He has resumed being an offensive force indoors.

Saturday night at The Q, Bergeron seemingly toyed with those across from him, catching 10 passes for 187 yards and six touchdowns as the Gladiators defeated the Chicago Rush, 55-48.

"Troy Bergeron went out there and torched us," Rush coach Bob McMillen said.

The Gladiators, who won their home opener in front of 8,305, tied the best start in franchise history. They went 3-0 in 2008. The Gladiators have defeated the defending ArenaBowl champion (Spokane Shock), runner-up (Tampa Bay Storm) and previously unbeaten Rush (now 3-1). The Gladiators did not qualify for the playoffs last season.

"It's a blessing to be 3-0," said receiver Robert Redd, who had six receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown. "We've got good chemistry on offense, defense and special teams. We'll keep believing in our coaches, they'll keep believing in us, and we'll ride this thing until the wheels fall off."

The way the Gladiators are playing, they figure to be fully functional for a while. But it won't be easy. After a bye this week -- their second and last -- the Gladiators play 15 straight weeks.

"Fifteen games is a long, long stretch of season," Gladiators coach Steve Thonn said. "I'm just glad we're 3-0 going into it."

Bergeron made early perfection possible with a variety of terrific plays against a quality pass defense.

"Troy is the type of receiver who can have that kind of game," Thonn said. "They played man [coverage] pretty much the whole night. When a team mans him up, he has a great chance to do some things. It makes play-calling easy -- just call his number."

Interestingly, Bergeron's best play came when his number was not called. The Gladiators led, 28-26, and faced a third-and-15 from their 11 late in the third quarter. Quarterback Kurt Rocco sidestepped pressure while moving to his left, then threw off his back leg down the right sideline to a wide-open Bergeron. Moments after Bergeron made a defensive back look bad inside the Rush 10, the Gladiators led, 35-26.

"I was really just a decoy," he said, "but they blew a coverage and Rocco scrambled a little bit and found me."

Bergeron entered with 12 catches for a team-leading 185 yards and seven touchdowns.

Rocco, a rookie from Mount Union, rebounded from interceptions on consecutive passes in the first quarter to win for the second time in two AFL starts. He was 21-of-37 for 320 yards and eight touchdowns.

"When a young quarterback throws two early interceptions, you kind of worry how he's going to be the rest of the game," Thonn said. "I thought he played great after that."

Rocco said: "I was a little rattled, but my teammates helped me regain my confidence. They told me to calm down, take a deep breath and go back out and play."

A defense that intercepted three passes picked up Rocco. Mike Bragg had two, including one off a deflection in the end zone.

Among those in attendance was locked-out Josh Cribbs.

Washington's 27 offensive rebounds on Friday night highlighted a Cavaliers' weakness.

John Kuntz, The Plain DealerThe Cavaliers have missed the rebounding and other qualities of Anderson Varejao (front, in front of Boston's Ray Allen). Varejao has missed more than half of the season with an ankle injury.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers play in New York this evening against the Knicks.

The Cavs (15-60) are 3-0 against New York (37-38) this season. That's an oddity, because they are 12-60 against the rest of the NBA.

The Cavaliers' problems, of course, include free agent departures last summer, injuries and a roster including several young players who are trying to simply establish themselves in the league.

Bob Finnan of the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal makes some points about the Cavs, who lost their last game, 115-107, at Washington on Friday night:

1. The Cavs need to get bigger and stronger up front. At least two 7-footers are needed. Those 27 offensive rebounds by the Wizards on Friday are stuck in my craw.

2. The Cavs need help at every position. Just draft some quality players and turn over this roster. At least half of the team needs to be sent on their way.

The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com's Cavaliers coverage includes columnist "Terry Pluto's Talkin;' " columnist Bill Livingston's commentary on Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert's "Not in our Garage!" twitter directed at LeBron James and James' entourage; Mary Schmitt Boyer's "Hey, Mary;" an NBA draft lottery watch, featuring Connecticut guard Kemba Walker, by Jodie Valade.

Post-ups

What the Knicks are thinking going into the game against the Cavs, by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.

A preview of the Cavaliers-Knicks game by Santosh Venkataraman for STATS and the Associated Press.

Cavaliers notes going into this evening's game, on NBA.com.

Coach Byron Scott and the Cavaliers want to win every game they can, and not worry about the draft lottery. By Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. 

NBA notes by Bob Finnan of the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal, including his commentary on how Cavs' veteran point guard Baron Davis would probably be a good mentor for Duke freshman point guard Kyrie Irving if the Cavs are able to draft him.

Kyrie Irving is likely to declare himself in for the draft, on SBNation.com, including a link to an ESPN.com report.

Miller, a two-year assistant to Thad Matta, has been associate head coach the last two seasons for older brother Sean Miller at Arizona.

Associated PressArchie Miller as a player at North Carolina State, warming up for a 2002 NCAA tournament game.

Archie Miller was hired as the University of Dayton's next coach Sunday, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

The move came less than a week after Brian Gregory left to take over at Georgia Tech.

Miller was expected to meet with the team on campus, then be introduced to the media later Sunday, according to the person, who was speaking on condition of anonymity because the university had not confirmed the hiring.

The 32-year-old Miller has been associate head coach the last two seasons for older brother Sean Miller at Arizona. He started his coaching career as an assistant under Herb Sendek, spending three years at North Carolina State and two at Arizona State. He was one of Thad Matta's assistants at Ohio State for two years before joining his brother's staff.

Miller takes over a program in transition, coming off two disappointing seasons.

The Flyers were picked to win the Atlantic 10 in 2009-10, when they had four starters and 10 of their top 11 scorers returning. They were erratic and lost a lot of close games under Gregory, finished only 8-8 in conference play and had to settle for an NIT berth. The Flyers beat North Carolina to win the NIT title and finish 25-12.

They were expected to be among the A-10's top teams this season, but had to settle for the NIT again. The Flyers lost to the College of Charleston 94-84 in the first round.

After the season, starting freshman point guard Juwan Staten and reserve freshman guard Brandon Spearman decided to transfer. Staten started 34 games and averaged 8.5 points and 5.4 assists. Spearman started two games, averaged 11 minutes and scored 2.5 points per game.

Sean Miller spent five seasons as head coach at Xavier — one of Dayton's biggest A-10 rivals — from 2004-09 before moving to Arizona to rebuild the program, bringing his brother along as his top assistant.

Observers seemed to agree that Dr. Arthur Ting's testimony, contradicting that of a government witness, damaged the case against Bonds.

Associated PressBarry Bonds (front), on trial for perjury, leaves the federal courthouse in San Francisco on Thursday.

SAN FRANCISCO, California -- Over two weeks, prosecutors methodically worked to build a credible case that Barry Bonds lied to a federal grand jury in 2003 when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Then, on Thursday, prosecutors called Bonds' orthopedic surgeon to the stand.

They regretted it almost immediately.

Legal analysts, trial watchers — even attorneys on both sides — all seemed to agree that Dr. Arthur Ting's testimony was disastrous for the government's case against the greatest home-run hitter in major league history and a symbol of baseball's so-called steroids era. The question now is whether the prosecutors can still get a conviction when the trial goes to the jury, which could happen this week.

Ting hurt the prosecution because he directly and repeatedly contradicted the government's star witness, former Bonds business partner Steve Hoskins.

In the first week of the trial, Hoskins testified that the doctor told him a 1999 elbow injury Bonds sustained was caused by steroid use. But Ting denied saying that. Ting also denied Hoskins' claim that the two had 50 conversations about Bonds' alleged steroid use. Ting denied having even one such discussion.

Federal prosecutor Jeffrey Nedrow conceded soon afterward, in an exchange with U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, that Hoskins was "impeached heavily."

Ting was one of the last witnesses the government planned to call. Observers said prosecutors were making good headway with the jury until then.

"With any trial it's always the last impression that is the most important," Robert Mintz, a prominent Newark, N.J., defense attorney, said in a phone interview. Mintz and many others have been following the trial closely as it is covered by dozens of reporters who file frequent updates throughout the court day.

Like other experts, he reached for a sports analogy to make sense of the trial's sudden and dramatic momentum shift.

"It was the sports equivalent off coughing up the ball on the 5-yard line," said Mintz, a federal prosecutor before going into private practice. "Suddenly, the other team has a chance to win."

Ting's testimony obviously buoyed Bonds' team. Ting was even seen shaking the hands of a member of the former slugger's entourage sitting in the first row of the courtroom after he stepped down from the witness stand.

Bonds lead attorney Allen Ruby, usually gruff and deadly serious outside court during the trial, had a smile for reporters during a break in the proceedings after Ting's testimony. The usually inscrutable Bonds, too, had a wide grin at the end of the trial day Thursday.

When the trial resumes its critical third week Monday, the government's last witness — anti-doping expert Dr. Don Catlin — is scheduled to finish testifying. Court staff is expected to read a transcript of Bonds' grand jury testimony from December 2003, and then the defense will get to call its witnesses.

Bonds' lawyers still have work to do. Hoskins wasn't the government's only witness.

The hitter's former mistress, Kimberly Bell, told the eight-woman, four-man jury that Bonds once told her he used steroids. She also discussed in great detail the physical and behavioral changes she saw the slugger go through that prosecutors attribute to steroid use — including outbursts and threats against her.

Colorado Rockies first baseman Jason Giambi and three former players testified that Bonds' personal trainer, Greg Anderson, had supplied them with steroids and detailed instruction on how to use them.

However, none of the players testified directly about the relationship between Bonds and Anderson, who is in jail for refusing to testify at the trial. Illston admonished the jury not use the players' testimony as evidence that Anderson supplied Bonds with steroids.

Meanwhile, Bonds' attorneys portrayed the ex-mistress as a scorned lover seeking revenge and they caught her in a few inconsistencies. In particular, Bell admitted that she was exaggerating when she told the grand jury that Bonds' testicles had shrunk by half late in their relationship.

Many legal observers expect Bonds' legal team to call just a few witnesses because they say the case is breaking Bonds' way_ with one notable exception: count two of five in his indictment.

Bonds is charged with lying to the grand jury during his appearance in December 2003. He was called to testify what he knew about the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative. That grand jury ultimately indicted five men with connections to BALCO, including Anderson, on steroids distribution charges and related counts. All five pleaded guilty.

Three of Bonds' charges accuse of him of lying when he denied knowingly taking steroids and human growth hormone. Another count charges him with obstruction of justice.

Count two is the "needle charge" and legal observers say it's the government's best chance for a conviction. Bonds is accused of lying during this exchange before the grand jury:

Prosecutor: "Did Greg ever give you anything that required a syringe to inject yourself with?"

Bonds: "I only had one doctor touch me. And that's my only personal doctor."

Bonds goes on to deny that Anderson — or anyone other than Ting — ever injected him with anything.

After Ting's testimony Thursday, prosecutors called Kathy Hoskins to the stand. She is the sister of Steve Hoskins, and worked as Bonds' personal shopper for two years ending in 2003.

Hoskins testified that before a road trip in 2002, she saw Anderson inject Bonds in the belly button.

Hoskins came across as likable, down-to-earth and — most important — credible. She said Bonds told her the injection was "a little something, something for when I go on the road. You can't detect it. You can't catch it."

On cross examination, Hoskins tearfully denied she was trying to cover up for her brother, who she claimed unfairly entangled her in the case by falsely telling investigators she saw Anderson inject Bonds numerous times.

"He threw me under the bus," Kathy Hoskins said, referring to her brother.

University of San Francisco law professor Bob Talbot said Kathy Hoskins' performance may have saved the government's case. He theorized that jurors could easily become deadlocked on the steroid charges and decide to convict Bonds only of lying about injections.

Several other observers agreed.

"The defense has to figure out a way of dealing with Kathy Hoskins' remarks," Vermont Law School professor Michael McCann, a sports law expert who has been following Bonds' perjury trial closely. "They can't appear to treat such a sympathetic witness harshly."

Nevertheless, the consensus among lawyers sitting in on the trial and watching it from afar is that Bonds' lawyers have worked hard to put their client in the best possible position headed toward the last week of trial.

"Right now, the Bonds legal team is in control," McCann said. "I think they feel confident that the government was not successful in showing beyond a reasonable doubt that Bonds' is guilty. I expect they will present a modest defense."

Lefty plays final two rounds in 16-under par for first win since 2010 Masters.

Associated PressPhil Mickelson played the last 15 holes in 8-under par to win the Houston Open by three strokes.

HUMBLE, Texas -- Phil Mickelson outdueled Scott Verplank on Sunday to win the Houston Open, his first victory since last year's Masters.

The win moved Mickelson's world ranking to No. 3, while Tiger Woods dropped to No. 7. It's the first time Mickelson has been ahead of Woods in the rankings since the week before Woods won the 1997 Masters.

Mickelson shot a 65 in the final round to finish 20-under par, three ahead of Verplank (68) and second-round leader Chris Kirk (67).

Lefty is hoping he can repeat some history at Augusta this week. He's the last player to win the week prior to a Masters victory, capturing the BellSouth Classic in 2006 before earning his second green jacket. The Houston Open became the run-up event to Augusta in 2007.

Mickelson tied a course record in Saturday's third round, carding a 9-under 63 with nine birdies and no bogeys.

Mickelson began Sunday's fourth round with a birdie, but bogeyed the second and third holes -- his lone bogeys in the last two rounds. He then made birdies on eight of the next 13 holes before parring Nos. 17 and 18.

Orlando Cabrera hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning as the Indians defeated the White Sox before another small Progressive Field crowd.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerOrlando Cabrera begins his trot around the bases as Chicago's John Danks reacts to Cabrera's two-run homer in the sixth inning Sunday at Progressive Field. Cabrera's drive gave the Indians their first lead of the season and sparked a 7-1 victory.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Carlos Santana will make his money with the bat as a catcher, but he injected life into the Indians' season Sunday afternoon with his glove as a first baseman.

Santana, starting at first base for the first time in the majors, made a diving catch to trigger a triple play that helped the Tribe defeat the White Sox, 7-1.

Paid attendance of 8,726 is lowest ever at Progressive Field, breaking the mark of 9,853 set Saturday afternoon. The Indians salvaged the finale of a three-game series to open the season.They were outscored, 23-13, in the first two.

"I don't believe that you win or lose a division in the first two weeks, or even the first month," Tribe second baseman Orlando Cabrera said. "But getting the first win out of the way is really important."

Cabrera cracked a two-out, two-run homer off John Danks in the sixth inning to give the Indians a 2-1 lead. The Tribe scored two in the seventh and three in the eighth.

A strong case can be made that the Indians won it -- or Chicago lost it -- in the top of the fourth. The White Sox led, 1-0, with Carlos Quentin on second and A.J. Pierzynski on first and none out against Justin Masterson.

Alexei Ramirez, a power threat, bunted the first pitch foul.

"They had been kicking our butts the past two days, scoring a lot, so I was surprised to see the sacrifice there," Cabrera said.

As the next pitch was on its way, Ramirez squared again.

"I was like, 'Wow, they're still bunting,'" Cabrera said.

The runners were well on their way when Ramirez popped the second attempt down the first-base line. Santana, already pinching in at the urging of Cabrera, laid out to grab it. When Santana caught the ball, Quentin was at third and Pierzynski at second.

Santana flipped to Cabrera at first to double off Pierzynski. Then Cabrera stood with the ball and looked around.

"We were yelling to Orlando to go to second," catcher Lou Marson said. "I think everybody in the stadium was yelling it. You guys [reporters] probably were yelling, too."

Cabrera said: "Everybody was yelling at me, 'Second! Second!' I was like, 'Why?'"

Cabrera, who did not realize Quentin had reached third, tossed to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera at second to complete the 31st triple play by the defense in franchise history. The Indians have recorded three triple plays at Progressive Field. Asdrubal Cabrera has been involved in all three, including an unassisted gem May 12, 2008 against the Blue Jays.

The last time the White Sox hit into a triple play was April 22, 1978, at Toronto.

Santana's play did more than prevent a potential big inning for the opposition. "It's such an emotional play," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "It carries energy into the dugout and lifts everybody's spirit. You go from having first and second, none out, to one pitch and three outs."

Santana made playing first look routine, if not easy, the entire game. His body of work included a scoop of a throw in the dirt by Asdrubal Cabrera in the second inning.

"Carlos is very athletic," Acta said. "I can't see him struggling over there catching ground balls or throwing. It's just a matter repetition."

Oh, by the way: Santana had two hits in four at-bats as the cleanup hitter. He is 6-for-13 in three games. Acta said there is nothing mapped out as to when Santana will play first.

"It's going to be about Carlos and when we feel it's best to keep the catching gear off him," Acta said. "[Sunday] was the third day game in three days, and Monday was a day off, so we felt it was a good opportunity."

Santana loves to catch, but is more than willing to set up elsewhere.

"I feel comfortable at whatever position the manager puts me in," Santana said. "Left field, center field, right field -- I feel comfortable. Whatever I can do to help the team."

Santana appeared in 46 games for the Tribe last season after being recalled from the Class AAA Columbus Clippers. He made 40 starts at catcher and five at designated hitter. His season ended Aug. 2 because of a left-knee injury that required surgery.

Masterson (1-0) gave up the one run on seven hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out none. Riding his power sinker, Masterson threw 63 of 98 pitches for strikes.

"Justin stuck to his strengths," Marson said. "You can't get caught up in what the hitters' strengths are. He kept the ball down and made them put it in play."

Marson went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI as the Tribe snapped a six-game losing streak to the White Sox at Progressive Field.