Peyton Hillis has had more agents than the Secret Service.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrowns running back Peyton Hillis.

Peyton Hillis has played music chairs with his agents. Jimmy Sexton represented Hillis when he came into the league. Hillis fired Sexton after last season and hired Kelli Masters.

Hillis fired Masters and hired Kennard McGuire. Last week, Hillis fired McGuire.

Now, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Hillis plans to re-hire Sexton, who has since joined CAA.  Per the source, Ben Dogra of CAA also will be involved in the representation.

Once official, Sexton and Dogra will likely work with the Browns in an effort to extend an expiring contract.  Next Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET, Hillis will hit the open market, absent a new deal with the Browns.

Though Hillis fairly can be viewed as a bit kooky after his misadventures of the past year, the fact that Sexton would take Hillis back suggests that there’s still a chance to turn his career around.

Cleveland Browns

Mary Kay Cabot writes on Cleveland.com about Scott Fujita paying teammates.

More on Scott Fujita paying his former teammates on the New Orleans Saints.

Robert Griffin III or Matt Flynn for the Cleveland Browns (WFNY)?

Here's the latest mock draft on how Cleveland will make a deal for the No. 2 pick (drafttek.com).

Should we worry about Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez’s rough spring training debuts? Can Shelley Duncan win the job in LF? The Plain Dealer's Tribe beat writer Paul Hoynes answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

View full sizeChuck Crow/The Plain DealerCan Shelley Duncan prove to the Indians that he can be the everyday left fielder?

What are some position battles we should keep an eye on? Should we worry about Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez’s rough spring training debuts? Can Shelley Duncan win the job in LF?

The Plain Dealer's Tribe beat writer Paul Hoynes answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

Among other topics discussed:

• Thoughts on Kevin Slowey's first spring start.

• Updates on Grady Sizemore and Chris Perez's injuries.

You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right.

Be sure to follow Paul on Twitter.

Peyton Manning's landing spot could have a tremendous impact on the Browns' quarterback situation, including which teams they'll be bidding against to trade up to No. 2 with the Rams.

AP fileIn this Jan. 30, 2007, file photo, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, left, chats with Colts owner Jim Irsay during media day for Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Peyton Manning's release by the Indianapolis Colts today could have a tremendous impact on the Browns' quarterback situation.

Several of the teams reportedly interested in Manning were also expected to be in on the bidding for Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, particularly the Washington Redskins.

The Browns (No. 4)  and Redskins (No. 6) are believed to be the frontrunners to trade up with the Rams at No. 2 to draft Griffin.

The Redskins will make "an aggressive effort" to sign Manning, according to the Washington Post. If the Redskins sign Manning, the Browns would have a much better chance of pulling off the trade with St. Louis, which has had talks with multiple teams, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

According to nfl.com's Jason LaCanfora, the teams most interested in Manning include the Cardinals, Dolphins, Jets, Seahawks and Redskins.

It remains to be seen if the Browns will pursue Manning, but he's expected to choose a contender with a lot of weapons, his former coach Tony Dungy told NFL Network today.

If the Dolphins land Manning, the Browns and other teams would have a better shot at former Green Bay quarterback Matt Flynn, who will become an unrestricted free agent Tuesday. If the Dolphins don't sign Manning, they will be the frontrunner for Flynn, whose new head coach, Joe Philbin, was his offensive coordinator in Green Bay.

If Washington ends up with Manning and Miami with Flynn, the Browns would likely have the edge in trade talks with the Rams. That's because the next teams interested would likely be Kansas City at No. 11 and Seattle at No. 12.

So even if the Browns don't toss their hat into the ring today, they'll be keeping a close eye on where Manning ends up.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has been reporting that the Rams would like to have a deal in place for the No. 2 pick by the time free agency starts Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Cinesport video

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Plain Dealer Ohio State reporter also talks about what Urban Meyer's football offense may look like in 2012. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Plain Dealer reporter Elton Alexander, who is standing in for Branson Wright and Chuck Yarborough.

The Big Ten men's basketball tournament gets into gear Thursday in Indianapolis. Which team do you think will walk away with the title? That's the question in today's Starting Blocks poll.

Today's guest on SBTV is Plain Dealer Ohio State reporter Doug Lesmerises, who says Indiana is a team he will be watching as a threat. Doug also talks about what the best-case scenario is for Ohio State this weekend.

Switching to football, Doug discusses his interview last week with Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, and what he thinks Meyer's offense will look like in the fall.

SBTV will return Thursday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio --  Tournament victories need not be pretty. Having the word  "advanced'' next to the school's name is what matters.  The Central Michigan women's basketball team did not play an aesthetically pleasing game Wednesday afternoon, but coach Sue Guevara was not going to complain publicly.  The Chippewas, behind Crystal Bradford's 17 points and 11 rebounds and Jessica Green's second-half microburst, defeated...

CLEVELAND, Ohio --  Tournament victories need not be pretty. Having the word  "advanced'' next to the school's name is what matters.

 The Central Michigan women's basketball team did not play an aesthetically pleasing game Wednesday afternoon, but coach Sue Guevara was not going to complain publicly.

 The Chippewas, behind Crystal Bradford's 17 points and 11 rebounds and Jessica Green's second-half microburst, defeated Ohio, 58-55, in a Mid-American Conference women's tournament second-round game at The Q.

 The fifth-seeded Chippewas (18-14) will play No. 4 Miami (21-8) in a quarterfinal today.

 "We survived,'' Central Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "That's all I can tell you: We survived. Our kids gutted it out. We get to play (today), and we're looking forward to it.''

 The second half unfolded in fits and starts. As soon as one team appeared ready to take control, the other would charge.

 Ohio held a 45-40 lead with 11:20 left, then Green got hot. She scored the game's next eight -- on three layups and two free throws -- to give CMU a 48-45 advantage with 9:57 remaining.

 "My shots hadn't been falling, but my teammates told me to keep my head up,'' Green said. "I did.''

 CMU led, 56-53, with two minutes left when Jas'Mine Bracey made a layup. After Ohio misfired, Bradford, a 6-foot freshman from Detroit, dropped in a follow with one minute left.

 Ohio's 3-point attempt in the final seconds barely drew iron.

 "This was a good win for a young team in tournament time,'' Guevara said.

  The score was tied, 31-31, at halftime. Bradford led all scorers with nine but went 3-of-9 from the field.

  Both teams seemed nervous at the outset. The game's first basket did not come until 17:19 remained, when Bracey sank a jumper in the paint.

  Ohio did not score until 15:51, Alesia Howard's jumper pulling her team within 4-2.

  The Chippewas asserted themselves midway through the half. They took a 21-11 lead on reserve Jalisa Olive's 3-pointer with 7:59 left.

  Ohio rallied behind freshman Mariah Byard, who scored eight points in the final seven minutes, including two 3-pointers. Teammate Tenishia Benson made a short jumper in transition with one second left to tie it.

 The Bobcats are coached by Semeka Randall, a former standout at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights.

 To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com; 216-999-4664
 On Twitter: dmansworldpd

Manning and Irsay each paused frequently, fighting tears and their voices shaking, as they appeared together at a news conference at the Colts' team complex.

Associated PressDuring a Wednesday news conference in Indianapolis, Colts owner Jim Irsay (right) embraces quarterback Peyton Manning after announcing that the team will release Manning.

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Peyton Manning's record-breaking run as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts ended Wednesday, when owner Jim Irsay announced the team would release its best player.

"We all know that nothing lasts forever," Manning said. "Times change, circumstances change, and that's the reality of playing in the NFL."

Manning and Irsay each paused frequently, fighting tears and their voices shaking, as they appeared together at a news conference at the Colts' team complex. It was an unusual and awkward scene, two men whose NFL lives have been so closely intertwined, standing side-by-side in jackets and ties as they told the world they were splitting up.

"This has not been easy for Jim," Manning said, "and this has certainly not been easy for me."

The 35-year-old Manning will become a free agent, and is expected to generate interest from a half-dozen or so NFL clubs, provided he's healthy. Manning is coming off a series of operations to his neck and missed all of last season when his team's record, not coincidentally, plummeted to 2-14.

Indianapolis needed to cut him this week to avoid paying him a $28 million bonus, although both Irsay and Manning insisted the decision was not really about money. The Colts are widely expected to begin moving on by taking Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft.

Irsay repeatedly used the word "rebuilding" and acknowledged: "We're definitely a few years away."

Manning won't retire and hopes to be playing in the NFL at the start of next season.

Still, he said Wednesday: "I'll always be a Colt. I always will be. That'll never change."

The announcement was made in a room at the Colts' complex normally reserved for celebratory news conferences, such as the hiring of a new coach or general manager — two other major steps Irsay took recently. The room is lined with banners honoring some of the team's greatest stars, including, of course, Manning himself, flanked by Pro Football Hall of Famer members Eric Dickerson and John Mackey.

Clearly, this was not an easy goodbye for Manning. He even got choked up while discussing all of the Colts employees he'll no longer be around, pausing to collect himself while noting: "We've got the greatest equipment guys in the world."

Manning forever will be thought of around these parts as No. 18, the quarterback who led the Colts to an NFL championship, barking out signals while waving his arms at the line of scrimmage to change a play after reading the defense — something he did as well as any QB.

He'll be remembered, too, for his record four MVP awards, his 50,000 yards passing and his 200 consecutive starts. Most of all, Manning will be the guy in the horseshoe helmet who turned around a franchise and transformed a basketball-loving city into a football hotbed that hosted the Super Bowl a month ago.

And during that Super Bowl week, the hottest topic of conversation was Peyton Manning, not his younger brother Eli, who wound up leading the New York Giants to the title.

Arizona, Miami, Tennessee, Washington and the New York Jets all have been rumored as possible destinations now; Manning's former offensive coordinator in Indianapolis, Tom Moore, worked for the Jets as a consultant last season.

"There will be no other Peyton Manning," Irsay said, adding that he hoped Wednesday's joint appearance would serve to "honor incredible memories and incredible things that he's done for the franchise, for the city, for the state."

This marks the end of a remarkably successful marriage between a player and team.

After being a No. 1 draft pick himself, Manning started every meaningful game for 13 seasons in Indianapolis — 227 in a row, including the playoffs — and took the Colts from perennial also-ran to one of the NFL's model franchises and the 2007 Super Bowl title.

In the two decades predating his arrival, the Colts won 116 games, one division title and made the playoffs three times. With Manning taking snaps, the Colts have won 150 games, eight division titles, two AFC championships and the franchise's first league championship since moving from Baltimore in 1984.

Indianapolis broke the NFL record for most regular-season wins in a decade (115), and tied Dallas' mark for most consecutive playoff appearances (nine).

Manning is one of just four players to reach 50,000 yards passing, one of three with more than 350 TD tosses, and one of two quarterbacks with more than 200 starts in a row. He broke all of the franchise's major career passing records, previously held by Hall of Fame quarterback John Unitas.

In 2009, Manning led the Colts to the cusp of NFL history with a 14-0 start, fueling talk of an unbeaten season.

But it has been mostly bad news ever since.

The Colts pulled their starters against the Jets and lost the final two games that season. Indy then wound up losing to New Orleans in the Super Bowl. During the offseason, Manning had the first of his neck operations.

Then, after making an early playoff exit in the 2010 season, Manning underwent another neck surgery to repair a damaged nerve that was causing weakness in his throwing arm.

When the nerve did not heal as quickly as expected, Manning had two vertebrae fused in September, an operation that forced him to miss a game for the first time in his NFL career. There are still questions about the strength of Manning's arm.

But given all that he's accomplished, there are sure to be new suitors.

"I'm throwing it pretty well. I've still got some work to do; I've got some progress to make," Manning said. "But I've come a long way. I've really worked hard. I can't tell you the hours and the time I've put in."

Cinesport video

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Manager Manny Acta likes the way prospect Chen-Chang Lee bounced back after a blown save.

Chuck Crow, Plain DealerChen-Chang Lee makes good impression.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Prospect Chen-Chang Lee showed manager Manny Acta a little of what makes him tick as a pitcher on Tuesday against Kansas City when he saved the Indians' 3-2 victory over Kansas City. It made an impression.

In the Cactus League opener against Cincinnati on Saturday, Lee started the ninth inning with a 6-5 lead, but allowed a one-out homer to Todd Frazier that tied the game. The game ended that way because both teams agreed not to play extra innings.

On Tuesday, Lee allowed a leadoff single in the ninth, but retired the next three batters for the save.

"I thought it was very important that he did that," said Acta. "Those are the type of things you start looking for right away. How is he going to react the next time out?"

Lee, 25, was a combined 6-1 with one save and a 2.40 ERA in 44 relief appearances last season at Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus. He struck out 99, walked 23 and allowed 53 hits in 71 1/3 innings.

When you hear a manager, coach or player say "it's still early' after a poor result in spring training, remember, nothing gets forgotten. Someone somewhere in the organization is keeping track. That's why it was important to see Lee bounce back on Tuesday.

"Granted, it's only spring training," said Acta. "He blew a save. I can say that. A lot of the veteran guys can probably take it that way, but when it's a kid like that coming into camp, he probably thinks that every pitch and every out count and that he's getting evaluated on every one of them.

"In certain ways, you are. We're not evaluating his stuff, but if he came in there and walked the ballpark because he was afraid of giving up another homer, we would have taken that into consideration."

The Indians signed Lee in 2008. He was born in Peng-Hu County, Taiwan.

Acta thinks the 5-11, 190-pound right-hander can help the Indians at some point this season. Lee throws from a low three-quarter arm angle, and he throws hard. The Indians clocked him between 90 mph and 98 mph last year.

"I like his arm angle and his ability to keep the ball down there with that velocity," said Act. "With that sweeping slider, I'm sure it's not comfortable to anybody to stand at the plate and handle him.

Injury report: Rafael Perez (left shoulder) played catch at 120 feet Tuesday. . .Prospects Tyler Sturdevant and Austin Adams are both dealing with sore right shoulders. They share the same locker. Perhaps it's cursed.

Today's lineup:

Indians -- CF Michael Brantley, 2B Jason Kipnis, RF Shin-Shoo, C Carlos Santana, 1B Casey Kotchman, LF Fred Lewis, 3B Jack Hannahan, SS Juan Diaz, LHP David Huff.

Diamondbacks: SS Willie Bloomquist, 2B Aaron Hall, RF Justin Upton, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, LF Jason Kubel, 3B Ryan Roberts, CF Gerardo Para, C Henry Blanco, RHP Trevor Cahill.

Next: Frank Herrmann, Hector Ambriz and Joe Smith are scheduled to follow Huff today against Arizona. . .Shelley Duncan's two homers ties him for the Cactus League lead. He's second with six RBI. . .Ubaldo Jimenez will face Dan Haren of the Angels in Tempe, Ariz. on Thursday. . .On March 13, Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish is scheduled to face the Indians at Goodyear, Ariz. when Texas visits. The Rangers spent over $100 million to acquire Darvish this winter.

In this episode of "30 Minutes of Pure Rage" with Tribe closer Chris Perez, he updates us on his injury and when he may be back to 100%. He also gives his take on the performance of Shelley Duncan so far this spring and Grady Sizemore's injury.

View full sizeAP Photo/Jae C. HongTribe closer Chris Perez gives us an update on his injury and when he could be back to 100% during his weekly chat on cleveland.com with Glenn Moore.

Listen to the sixth edition of “30 Minutes of Pure Rage” with Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez, heard only on cleveland.com.

Chris and Glenn Moore talked about his injury and updates us on his status. He also talks about Grady Sizemore's injury and not having him available for the next few months.

Other topics discussed:

You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right. The chat is live every Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

Be sure to also follow Chris Perez on Twitter.

"Good luck to Jason- I really hope he sticks and finds a spot on this team. I had the pleasure of watching him play for the U of A down here in Tucson. He can really mash and put some numbers up if he gets the chance. I like the idea of him in a super utility role if that's what it takes for him to get regular at bats." - tucsontribe

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerOne cleveland.com reader would like to see Jason Donald hold a utility spot because of the many positions he can play.

"Good luck to Jason- I really hope he sticks and finds a spot on this team. I had the pleasure of watching him play for the U of A down here in Tucson. He can really mash and put some numbers up if he gets the chance. I like the idea of him in a super utility role if that's what it takes for him to get regular at bats."

Crystal Bradford has 17 points and 11 rebounds in second-round win; CMU will play Miami in Thursday's quarterfinals.

CMU photoCrystal Bradford

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Tournament victories need not be pretty -- as long as the word "advanced" is next to the school's name.

The Central Michigan women's basketball team did not play an aesthetically pleasing game Wednesday afternoon, but coach Sue Guevara was not going to complain publicly.

The Chippewas, behind Crystal Bradford's 17 points and 11 rebounds and Jessica Green's second-half microburst, defeated Ohio, 58-55, in a Mid-American Conference women's tournament second-round game at The Q.

The fifth-seeded Chippewas (18-14) will play No. 4 Miami (21-8) in a quarterfinal today.

"We survived," Guevara said. "That's all I can tell you: We survived. Our kids gutted it out. We get to play (today), and we're looking forward to it."

The second half unfolded in fits and starts. As soon as one team appeared ready to take control, the other would charge.

Ohio held a 45-40 lead with 11:20 left, then Green got hot. She scored the game's next eight -- on three layups and two free throws -- to give CMU a 48-45 advantage with 9:57 remaining.

"My shots hadn't been falling, but my teammates told me to keep my head up," Green said. "I did."

CMU led, 56-53, with two minutes left when Jas'Mine Bracey made a layup. After Ohio misfired, Bradford, a 6-foot freshman from Detroit, dropped in a follow with one minute left.

Ohio's 3-point attempt in the final seconds barely drew iron.

"This was a good win for a young team in tournament time," Guevara said.

The score was tied, 31-31, at halftime. Bradford led all scorers with nine but went 3-of-9 from the field.

'''The Bobcats are coached by Semeka Randall, a former standout at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights.

Greene was MAC Player of the Year last season. Akron's Alex Abreu and Zeke Marshall were named to the second-team. Earlier this week, Marshall was named the league's defensive Player of the Year for the second straight time.

Associated PressKent State forward Justin Greene (with the basketball) is a first-team all-MAC player for the second straight season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kent State Golden Flashes forward Justin Greene has been named to the Mid-American Conference all-conference first-team for the second straight season.

Greene, a 6-8 senior forward and the MAC Player of the Year last season, was among the players to earn all-conference honors that were determined by league coaches' votes, and announced today.

The MAC regular season champion Akron Zips were represented on the second-team by sophomore guard Alex Abreu and junior center Zeke Marshall.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Akron players received two individual awards: Marshall earned MAC defensive Player of the Year honors for the second straight season; junior forward Quincy Diggs earned the Sixth Man of the Year award.

Akron senior forward Nikola Cvetinovic and Kent State senior guard Michael Porrini made third-team all-MAC.

Kent State guards Carlton Guyton, a senior, and Randal Holt, a junior, made honorable mention.

Other MAC honors announced previously this week include: Buffalo's Mitchell Watt, Player of the Year; Eastern Michigan's Rob Murphy, Coach of the Year; Toledo's Julius Brown, Freshman of the Year. 

Kent State (20-10) plays a MAC Tournament quarterfinal game on Thursday at Quicken Loans Arena, against the winner of tonight's game between Western Michigan (13-19) and Northern Illinois (5-25).

Akron (21-10), as the regular season champion with a 13-3 league record, earned byes to play in a semifinal game on Friday. 

All-MAC first-team

Mitchell Watt, Buffalo

Javon McCrea, Buffalo

Justin Greene, Kent State

Julian Mavunga, Miami

D.J. Cooper, Ohio

All-MAC second-team

Zeke Marshall, Akron

Alex Abreu, Akron

Jarrod Jones, Ball State

Austin Calhoun, Bowling Green

Rian Pearson, Toledo

All-MAC third-team

Nikola Cvetinovic, Akron

Scott Thomas, Bowling Green

Trey Zeigler, Central Michigan

Darrell Lampley, Eastern Michigan

Michael Porrini, Kent State

Honorable mention

Randal Holt, Kent State

Carlton Guyton, Kent State

Ivo Baltic, Ohio

Walter Offutt, Ohio

Curtis Dennis, Toledo

Flenard Whitfield, Western Michigan

All-freshman team

Aaron Adeoye, Ball State

Austin McBroom, Central Michigan

Brian Sullivan, Miami

Abdel Nader, Northern Illinois

Julius Brown, Toledo

As the March 15 trade deadline nears, contenders probably remain interested in Varejao, even though he's sidelined with a fractured wrist. Links to more Cavs stories.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerIt's very difficult to replace the energy and skills of Cavs center Anderson Varejao.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers (13-23) visit the Nuggets (22-17) tonight in Denver.

The Cavs carry a six-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, the NBA's March 15 trade deadline approaches. Center Anderson Varejao, currently sidelined with a fractured wrist, no doubt remains a player of interest for contending teams. It's fairly certain Varejao would be ready for playoff action -- in fact, he could return to the court a few weeks prior to the postseason.

The Cavaliers would demand much in return in any trade involving Varejao. It is, in fact, considered unlikely that they would deal him.

Still, you never know.

Rick Noland, writing for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina County Gazette, makes a case for the Cavs to keep Varejao:

Because Varejao is still relatively young (29), capable of playing multiple positions (power forward and center), extremely active (first in the league in offensive rebounds per game) and has a great contract (signed through 2014-15), a ton of teams are likely to inquire about him, even though it will be somewhere between a week and three weeks until he’s ready to play.

If the Cavs are going to trade “Wild Thing,” it better be a deal that totally knocks Grant’s socks off, otherwise they’ve created a glaring hole in the middle.

Noland writes that Ryan Hollins, Semih Erden and Samardo Samuels have failed to take advantage of their opportunities to play in Varejao's place. He also writes: 

Sure, Varejao has now suffered serious injuries each of the past two seasons. Some would argue his reckless style makes him an accident waiting to happen, but the foot injury he suffered last season and the broken wrist that is currently sidelining him could have happened to anyone.

Varejao provides so many intangibles and is also still improving on his tangible production — the eighth-year pro was averaging career highs in scoring (10.8) and rebounding (11.5) before getting hurt — so I think he should be in Cleveland for years to come.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Cavaliers coverage includes Tom Reed's story that the Cavs have struggled in the pivot without Anderson Varejao; Mary Schmitt Boyer's report that the Cavs rookies get their first taste of Denver's mile-high altitude; Reed's Cavaliers Insider; and more.

Cavs post-ups

The Cavaliers search for leaders. By Scott Sargent for the blog "WaitingForNextYear."

Cavaliers vs. Nuggets game notes from nba.com.

Cavs-Nuggets game preview by Conrad Kaczmarek for the blog "Fear the Sword."

Disappointing results for coach Byron Scott in the attempts to replace Anderson Varejao. By Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

A brand new 2012 NBA mock draft from NBADraft.net. The Cavs get the eighth, 33rd and 38th overall picks -- with No. 33 the New Orleans Hornets' second-rounder, courtesy of the Miami Heat as part of the sign-and-trade deal involving LeBron James in 2010.  

Another mock draft, this one on mynbadraft.com.

Cavaliers notes by Bob Finnan for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

Cavaliers notebook by Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Former Cav LeBron James has signed on to promote Dunkin' Donuts in China, Taiwan, India, and South Korea, writes Jessica Chou for thedailymeal.com.

Hannahan hit his internal mute button and let his bat do all the talking Wednesday in the Indians' Cactus League victory over Arizona.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerJack Hannahan delivered a grand slam in the third inning Wednesday as the Indians breezed past Arizona, 10-2, in Scottsdale, Ariz.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Jack Hannahan tried to keep his mouth shut and his bat active Wednesday against Arizona at Salt River Fields. He succeeded.

Hannahan, competing for Lonnie Chisenhall for the third base job, hit a grand slam in the third inning as the Indians beat the Diamondbacks, 10-2, in a Cactus League game. Hannahan, along with several players from both teams, wore microphones during the game. MLB Network used the sound as part of its broadcast.

"No, I'm not a big fan of the microphone," said Hannahan. "I felt better that there was a union guy in the TV booth to approve everything that went over the air, but you don't need a microphone to play baseball."

Hannahan said he forgot about the mike when the game started and stayed silent on his trip around the bases after the slam.

Manager Manny Acta said the race for third won't be settled until the end of camp. Hannahan is in the big leagues because of his defense, but Acta feels he's a better hitter than his reputation suggests.

"He had a better approach last year than the year before in Triple-A when he tried to hit for power so much," said Acta. "He was staying up the middle and going the other way."

Hannahan hit .250 (80-for-320) with 16 doubles, two triples, eight homers and 40 RBI in 110 games last year. He hit .368 (28-for-76) from Aug. 13 through the end of the season. In the race for third, Acta says he knows what Hannahan can do. Chisenhall is the wild card.

"He's going to have to convince us he's the guy," said Acta. "That's plain and simple. Lonnie is competing with himself. That's what it is.

"If he convinces us that he's ready to be the guy for us, then we'll make the decision. That's what I mean when I said we know what we have in Jack."

Three-inning mark: Lefty David Huff became the first Indians pitcher to go three innings this spring. He allowed two runs and earned Wednesday's win.

"He was very aggressive with his fastball," said Acta.

Huff batted twice, striking out and walking. Indians pitchers are under orders not to swing to avoid injury this spring.

"We were tracking, but it was fun standing in there and trying to look dangerous," said Huff. "My folks sent me a text and told me to 'stop smiling.' I was smiling the whole time."

Huff, Jeanmar Gomez, Kevin Slowey and Zach McAllister are competing for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Right track: Prospect Chen-Chang Lee showed Acta a little of what makes him tick as a pitcher on Tuesday when he saved the Indians' 3-2 victory over the Royals.

In the Cactus League opener against Cincinnati on Saturday, Lee started the ninth inning with a 6-5 lead, but allowed a one-out homer to Todd Frazier that tied the game. On Tuesday, Lee allowed a leadoff single in the ninth, but retired the next three batters for the save.

"I thought it was very important that he did that," said Acta. "Those are the type of things you start looking for right away. How is he going to react the next time out?"

Injury report: Rafael Perez (left shoulder) played catch at 120 feet Tuesday. ... Prospects Tyler Sturdevant and Austin Adams are both dealing with sore right shoulders. They share the same locker. Perhaps it's cursed.

Next: Shelley Duncan's two homers ties him for the Cactus League lead. He's second with six RBI. ... Ubaldo Jimenez will face Dan Haren of the Angels on Thursday in Goodyear. ... On March 13, Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish is scheduled to face the Indians at Goodyear when Texas visits. The Rangers spent over $100 million to acquire Darvish this winter.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

The essay details his experiences and emotions since suffering a season-ending broken wrist Feb. 16 during a game at St. Ignatius.

View full sizeThomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerA grandmother's wisdom helped Tyree Gaiter overcome the pain and the disappointment of a season-ending injury before the start of the playoffs for Cleveland Heights.

(Editor's note: Cleveland Heights senior starting point guard Tyree Gaiter wrote an essay for The Plain Dealer titled "Tyree's High School Ending." The essay details his experiences and emotions since suffering a season-ending broken wrist Feb. 16 during a game at St. Ignatius. Gaiter, who has endeared himself to fans by playing much larger than his 5-foot-5 frame, remains hopeful of receiving a college basketball scholarship. He will be on the bench Thursday, assisting coaches and encouraging teammates, as his team faces Garfield Heights in a district semifinal at Solon.)

Tyree Gaiter

Special To The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The evening of February 16 was a shocker for me. We were playing St. Ignatius with less than one minute to play in the fourth quarter. All I remember was stealing the ball at halfcourt, pushing the ball to the basket, getting my steps together to jump in the air. The next thing I remember was falling hard on the floor. As I attempted to turn and get myself up, I looked at my arm. It didn't feel right, nor did it look right.

My teammate Kojo Lockhart tried to help me but then he, too, noticed my arm and asked "Hey man what's wrong with your arm? What is that?" I looked to the crowd, saw my family members and next thing I know my aunt, LaToia Gaiter, was placing a "Tiger Nation" towel over my arm. She said, "Don't look at that." I was then escorted out the gym.

The Confusion

I was lying in the locker room at St. Ignatius thinking to myself, "This can't be real! Did I really see what I thought I just saw? Why me? When can I play again? Why didn't the defender just give me the lane?"

An off-duty physician (Dr. Cooper) came in the room, looked at my arm and before I knew it, he pulled my hand slowly over my wrist to reset my bone. I remember screaming and then asking my mom, LaTonya Gaiter, "Are we still winning?" She quickly ran out of the room and started giving me reports of the score as she stood between the gym doors and me.

She also told me that she made contact with two of my teammates, Najeeb Johnson and Lockhart. They asked her if I was OK. She told them, "Yes, but we have to take this victory, or Ty will not be OK." When I heard her voice again, we had won, 63-58.

The Reality

The next minutes were the worst. Dr. Cooper stated that I would probably need four to six weeks to recover. My world and my dreams were coming to an end. I was so appalled. The state championship game is scheduled for the end of March and I will not have time to recover. "God, what can I do?" I thought to myself.

Many staff members, coaches, trainers, even the player who collided with me, all came to say how sorry they were that this had happened.

My grandmother, Carolyn Gaiter, who had been at my side awaiting the EMS staff to arrive, now had to escort me across the gym floor and outside to the ambulance. The pain in my wrist became very severe, as was the pain in my heart that my high school basketball days were coming to an end. I watched as the swelling increased and my arm started to look like the size of a leg. I was checked into the hospital and later visited by my teammates and my coaches. I could not hold back the tears. I felt I was letting my team down by not being able to play.

The Day After

We had a home game scheduled for the following night. You wouldn't believe how bad my wrist hurt that next day! No prescribed pills could take away the pain from my wrist or the pain I had inside of me. I just sat on the sideline looking at my life flash before me. I could not believe that I had already played my last game in this gym and it wasn't even senior night. I cried again.

My grandma said to me later that night, "Ty, you've done all you could and needed to do. Your last home game was played against Shaker Heights and you and your teammates won the most talked-about game of the year. You scored 26 points that game and you only needed 20 to be in the 1,000 points club. Your team lifted you up onto the shoulders of teammates after the game to show how much they cared about you and how important you were to them. What a way to end."

Moving Forward

I still would like for my teammates to go to Columbus and bring home the state championship trophy.

My goal is to receive a scholarship and attend a Division I (or any four-year) college and play basketball to the best of my ability. I also desire to play professional basketball.

My broken wrist is just a minor setback for me at this time. I will be calling my trainer, Bob Nance, and I will work even harder to rebuild the strength in my right arm, in addition to making my left arm stronger.

I have received so much support from family, friends, fans, my teammates and coaches, my high school, the community of Cleveland Heights and all around. I knew my family loves me, but I did not quite know how much others loved and cared about me too.

I want to say thank you again for the outpouring of prayers, love and support my family and I have been receiving. I have put God first and I know he has gotten me this far in my life, so he will continue to guide me to greater successes.

MLB's "all-audio" telecast of the Indians-Diamondbacks provided an inside look at baseball, at least as it's played in spring training.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jason Kipnis sang Adele.

Manny Acta watched an overmatched hitter strike out and said, "Blue Bayou -- Linda Ronstadt."

Third-base coach Steve Smith called a screaming liner in foul territory that threatened to decapitate base-runner Shin-Soo Choo, "Dodge Ball."

That inside look at your culturally aware and microphone-friendly Cleveland Indians came compliments of MLB Network, which wired select players, coaches, umpires and both managers for sound during Wednesday's game between the Indians and Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.

The "all-audio" telecast worked with help of a 14-second delay. It came complete with 70 open microphones on the field to give viewers a unique perspective on the game of baseball -- at least how the game is played during spring training.

How else would you find out that umpire Gerry Davis spent New Year's Eve in Paris? OK, so not every moment was riveting theatre, but MLB Network delivered in its promise to bring the game to life for viewers. You could hear players slide into bases. On a windy day, home runs sounded the part with the amplified crack of the bat.

Acta, whose team was involved in a couple limited trials last spring, called the concept a "cool idea." But he wasn't sure "guys are themselves" when they know whatever they say is being recorded, if not for the telecast then for posterity.

"It'll be archived either way it goes," said first baseman Casey Kotchman.

Kipnis either knew that and was hoping American Idol scouts would listen in or he forgot it when he sang an Adele song at second base.

"I like the concept a lot," Kipnis said earlier. "I don't think baseball needs to do it to attract an audience but I think it's cool to do it every once in a while."

Kipnis was one of the stars of the show, and not just for his singing voice or the two-run homer he hit off Arizona's Trevor Cahill. After Kipnis fielded a hard grounder in the second inning, he said, "I can open my eyes now. It's over."

His homer preceded a Choo liner that sailed out of the park in left center. "Oh my," said Acta. "That ball's smashed. Two iron."

The umps were part of the fun, at one point critiquing home plate ump Stephen Barga's strike three call. Viewers saw Michael Brantley run out to greet former Indians' pitcher Jensen Lewis, saying, "Hey roomie."

They heard Diamondbacks' second baseman Aaron Hill wish Carlos Santana a healthy 2012. After Indians' pitcher David Huff walked -- despite Acta's rule that pitchers cannot swing the bat when NL teams disallow the DH in spring games -- Hill said to Huff, "How bad did you want to swing in those last two at-bats?"

All in all, it was a refreshing way to watch baseball.

Some areas were off-limits. According to MLB's one-man booth Matt Vasgersian, who did a great job letting the broadcast breathe audibly, those areas included the pitching mound and the "back bench."

(Call me suspicious but I took that to mean the part of the dugout where the players talk about which sportswriters are most deserving of a wedgie.)

View full sizeGene J. Puskar, Associated PressJames Harrison isn't involved in the NFL's bounty controversy? Surely Roger Goodell needs to look into this.

SPINOFFS

While the Steelers have not been implicated in the bounty hunting system, I always thought the nunchucks and mace gave James Harrison away...

Browns fans can vote Joe Haden or Joe Thomas onto the cover of Madden '13. What could go wrong?...

For some reason Yale-educated Dick Jauron's proposed bounty system rewarding knockout hits with "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare" never got off the ground at any of his NFL stops...

Browns' linebacker Scott Fujita says he only facilitated payment to Saints' teammates for good clean plays. And helping old refs across the field in heavy post-game traffic...

Former major leaguer Lenny Dykstra was sentenced to three years in California state prison for grand theft auto and providing a false financial statement. Change that nickname of his from "Nails" to "Nailed."

Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times about Saints' hits on Brett Favre and Kurt Warner: "At the time, we thought we were watching a clean hit. Turns out, we were watching a hired assault."

Hired assault? Quick, somebody please declare a bounty on reckless exaggeration...

Charles Barkley says when he played in Philly there was a $5,000 bounty on a player who was shooting three-point shots when his team was blowing out the 76ers. Apparently there is none on a right-handed player shooting a left-handed free throw with seven seconds left with a two-possession lead in a playoff game...

Peyton Manning's legacy is beyond impressive. The only black mark on his resume? Never mastered the six-yard pass so integral to the West Coast offense on third-and-seven...

Manning and Colts owner Jim Irsay say circumstances and not money was behind their parting. Consider it $28 million worth of circumstances then...

Mike Tyson's one-man show in Vegas will take place at the MGM Grand. You couldn't make up the fact that it's the same casino where he bit off Evander Holyfield's ear in a 1997 match...

An unidentified dad got ejected from a state tournament girls' hockey game in Massachusetts for allegedly trying to blind the opposing goalie with a laser pointer, somehow giving Little League parents a good name...

Did you see that black mask Kobe Bryant wore for part of Tuesday's game to protect his broken nose? He took it off because he missed a bunch of shots, not because Hannibal Lecter threatened a lawsuit...

Not that Dwight Howard has made his hopes of being traded a constant topic of discussion, but it seems only appropriate that he now get dealt for the Lindbergh baby...

HE SAID IT

"She's suing my daughter and my aunt. I think the dogs are [getting sued] too." -- Deion Sanders on ex-wife Pilar suing him for $200 million in divorce proceedings.

No word on whether the goldfish are being sued posthumously.

View full sizeHe was often "Double Trouble," but in the best way, musically.

HE SAID WHAT?

"You have to be a punk to snitch [the Saints' bounty system] out. That's like giving a reporter an anonymous quote." -- Barkley, who would've put a bounty on the guy he claims misquoted him in his autobiography if not for the fact it was him.

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

Late Blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughn and Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett -- Bruce

YOU SAID IT

View full sizeAP fileIf he gives up too many doubles, he gets in trouble.

(The Expanded Mid-Week Edition)

"Bud:

"Was RG3 spotted looking at Bill Cowher's house in Strongsville?" -- Joe S

Your sources are way off. That was Peyton Manning looking at Jon Gruden's house in Strongville.

"Hey Bud:

"I understand the Saints were putting bounties on other teams' best players, but how did they manage to sneak into training camp and take out Reggie Hodges?" -- Mark, Rocky River

Peyton Hillis, double agent?

"Bud:

"I heard a rumor from an inside source that you are contemplating retiring and want to join your local police force. Is it true?" -- Vince Pacetti

My idea of being all that I can be is not the CIA, Army or police force. It's mall cop.

"Bud:

"As you fondly look back upon your career, has it ever been about the money?" -- Tom Hoffner, Broadview Heights

Always. The only time I didn't think about making money was when I covered Albert Belle and thought more about my funeral expenses.

"Hey, Bud:

"Is it true Sports Time Ohio offered Scott Fujita a reality series to be called 'Dawg the Bounty Hunter'? -- Pat

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

"Bud:

"Jonathon Vilma offered $10,000 to anyone knocking Brett Favre out of a game. My sources tell me the week they played the Browns it was all the change in his ashtray and an Arby's coupon." -- Joe, Medina

Repeat winners get investigated.

"Dear Bud:

"Laugh if you will (about the Hillis-CIA report), but if you want to remain anonymous, the Browns' backfield is a great place to be." -- Jim O, Chardon

Repeat winners also get an alias.

"Hey Bud:

"What was Peyton Manning thinking holding a major press conference without inviting Jim Gray to host it?" -- Bob H., Medina

And some receive a no-decision.

On Twitter: @budshaw

The Cavaliers look to snap their losing streak tonight in Denver as they take on the Nuggets. Get a preview and follow in-game updates from @pdcavsinsider on Twitter. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m.

The Cavaliers look to snap their losing streak tonight in Denver as they take on the Nuggets. Get Twitter updates from Tom Reed and Mary Schmitt Boyer @PDCavsInsider in the box below. Check out the in-game box score here. Read on for a game preview. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m.

View full sizeAP Photo/Chris SchneiderArron Afflalo and the Denver Nuggets welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight as the Cavs will look to snap their losing streak.

The new MAC Tournament format is unlikely to result in a second NCAA bid for the league. It lessens the overall tournament experience and stacks the draw.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerA year ago, Akron fans could enjoy the knowledge that their team's MAC Tournament title would keep rival Kent State out of consideration for the NCAA dance. The conference is trying to protect its top teams a little more this season, but that may not be the best strategy, writes Bill Livingston.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- March Madness is supposedly the great equalizer, the chance for the ragamuffins to give the big shots their comeuppance.

In fact, the supposedly level playing field is taking on more of a slant all the time, as mid-major conferences try to insulate their medium shots from league tournament upsets by the teeny-tiny shots.

Any groundskeeper could tell you that a level playing field is only a metaphorical concept anyway, because outdoor fields have a crown, or rise, in them, so they will drain better. Basketball courts don't run uphill, but tournament draws, including in the Mid-American Conference this year, certainly can be configured that way.

The MAC Tournament debuts a new format this season with two men's "quarterfinals" games on Thursday night. In the MAC's new math, the traditional four games needed for the quarterfinals get in the way of possible NCAA bids because of upsets -- which are the very stuff of March madness and basketball romance.

All men's games at The Q will be at night. The old Thursday afternoon q-final doubleheader was not big box office, but the games were instrumental in creating the feel of a tournament for the players. Shouldn't the players' experience count for something?

The quarterfinals in 2000, the MAC's first year in Cleveland, got the tournament off to a rip-roaring start. That year, the four games were decided by a total of six points. Nothing beat the word-of-mouth advertising that created.

Now Kent State, fourth-place in the regular season, and Ohio, the third-place finisher, come off double byes to face the survivors of two earlier playoff rounds in the, well, demi-quarterfinals. Winners advance to the semifinals, where regular-season champion Akron and runner-up Buffalo await. Both will be coming off triple byes through rounds one, two and the alleged quarterfinals and will presumably be well-rested and hopefully not that rusty.

Only one other mid-major conference, the Missouri Valley, holds its tournament at a neutral site. "Arch Madness," they call the games played in St. Louis in the shadow of the Gateway Arch. Like Cleveland for MAC schools, St. Louis is relatively accessible for MVC fans. The first round consists of two play-in games, then, unlike Cleveland, the two survivors and the six teams with byes play the quarterfinals.

The MAC's new format is a modification of that of the Horizon League, which offers byes into the semifinals for the top two finishers. The Horizon also puts early games at campus sites and kowtows to the form chart all the way by staging semifinals and finals at the home court of the highest surviving seed.

The MAC says the new format enhances the value of the regular season and better positions its best teams for the post-season. It really is nothing but an attempt to finagle a second NCAA bid, however.

The MAC hasn't had two teams go dancing since Wally Szczerbiak was one of the nation's top players as an archetypal late-bloomer at Miami. Kent State, which upset Miami in the 1999 MAC Tournament final, joined Wally World in the NCAAs. Since then, only the conference tournament champion has gotten a bid.

Ohio's upset of Georgetown in 2010 the league's lone NCAA Tournament victory since 2003. The Bobcats were seeded ninth for the tournament that year, although they had the league's third-highest RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), meaning aficionados knew Ohio was a dangerous team. Such a team would have to play three more MAC Tournament games to reach the semis under the new format.

NCAA at-large bids go only reluctantly to mid-majors. The programs that have invested in "infrastructure" -- facilities and coaching staffs -- get most of those bids. In the last five years, only 32 mid-majors have received at-large bids. Xavier and Brigham Young have snapped up five each. That leaves 22 for the roughly 250 other schools.

For those bids, it's easy to round up the usual suspects: St. Mary's, BYU and Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference; Xavier, Dayton and Temple in the Atlantic-10; Memphis and Tulsa in Conference USA; Wichita State and Creighton in the MVC; Butler (although not this year) in the Horizon; Old Dominion, Virginia Commonwealth and George Mason in the Colonial.

Akron, with a fine coaching staff led by Keith Dambrot, with fund-raising beginning for a new arena, seems to "get" what it really takes.

The new MAC Tournament format, however, doesn't. With its perks to the powerful and its uneven playing field, it has more in common with the BCS than the NCAA Tournament.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

Guard Mike Douglas scored 19 points to lift the Broncos (14-19) past the Huskies (5-26).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Western Michigan has the Mid-American Conference Tournament right where it wants it following a second-half demolition of Northern Illinois, 71-54, Wednesday night in the second round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at The Q.

The Broncos have their top two nemeses lined up, fourth-seed Kent State Thursday at 7 p.m., and with a win would play top seed Akron on Friday. WMU has played both teams nearly evenly for the past three seasons without a victory. There's no time like the present to snap that skid.

Guard Mike Douglas scored 19 points to lift the Broncos (14-19) past the Huskies (5-26).

With the top four seeds all given byes until Thursday, a small gathering welcomed Western and Northern Illinois under the new tournament format. NIU, on the road for its last three games, did not even bring its band or cheerleaders.

The Huskies kept pace for much of the first half, but the Broncos began to inch away with a 3-pointer and layup producing a 26-22 lead with 3:17 to play. Brandon Pokley's third 3-pointer of the half was the margin of difference at halftime, 31-28.

WMU went on a 14-9 run to start the second half, capped by Demetrius Ward's drive across the lane for a layup and 45-37 lead. Another Ward layup and 3-pointer from Douglas pushed the lead into double digits, 50-38. It continued to grow from there.

Stern took a break from a skiing vacation to take in the Cavaliers' game against Denver on Wednesday night.

View full sizeJack Dempsey, Associated Press"I think Dan is going to be more prudent in his reactions, but I'm very happy for him," NBA Commissioner David Stern said of Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert before Wednesday's Cavaliers-Nuggets game in Denver. "He cares deeply about the team and the community and he wants to put on a good game."

DENVER -- NBA Commissioner David Stern says he's a fan of Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert. Really.

"I like Dan a lot," said Stern, who took a break from a skiing vacation to take in the Cavaliers' game against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night at Pepsi Center.

That might sound a little surprising, given that Gilbert sent Stern a blistering email when he thought Stern was going to permit the league-owned New Orleans Hornets to trade All-Star Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers. Gilbert likened most of the teams in the league to the Washington Generals, perpetual losers to the Harlem Globetrotters.

Stern says he never saw the email the night Gilbert sent it, and the deal was never done. So when Gilbert called the commissioner to give him a heads up that Yahoo! Sports had obtained a copy of the email and written a story about it, it was news to Stern.

"Yahoo had gotten it out," Stern recalled. "I saw it at 6:30 a.m. when my cell phone rang. It may have been 6:45. I had finished up the board meeting that Thursday, I was on my way down to a press conference when I, as the owner representative, determined that the Hornets would not enter into the trade that was being proposed, and having just been through a relatively bruising meeting of the board, I went home.

"I don't sleep with my phone at the bedside so I had to go running into the next room to pick it up and there it was. 'Hi, Dan.'"

Stern can joke about it now.

"In my pastoral role, I've suggested that he should always do a first draft and then put it in a drawer for a while or show it to his wife before he lets it go, but other than that, you've got to love him -- and, actually, because of that, you've got to love him," Stern said.

"I think Dan is going to be more prudent in his reactions, but I'm very happy for him. He's so committed to Cleveland and I think that's the well from which these communications spring. He cares deeply about the team and the community and he wants to put on a good game."

Given a new collective bargaining agreement and increased TV ratings, attendance and merchandise sales, Stern thinks the Cleveland and Denver franchises have rebounded from the losses of LeBron James in free agency (2010) and Carmelo Anthony, who forced a trade to New York in February 2011.

"Kyrie [Irving] is a keeper and they are exciting their fan base, which is always a good thing when you lose a star of the magnitude of LeBron, so the system is working both ways," Stern said. "In the case of Denver moving a player of Carmelo's talents and All-Star caliber and to get back the talent they got back was a win-win in that case, and Cleveland was the beneficiary of the draft."

Texas ties: Rookie forward Tristan Thompson spent part of Tuesday night at the home of former Texas teammate Jordan Hamilton, a rookie with the Nuggets. The two watched the Lakers-Pistons game.

Hamilton was Texas' No. 1 option last season, but he has played just 13 games this season. Daniel Gibson, another Texas alum, says Hamilton's turn will come.

"Jordan Hamilton was a great shooter, a great player for the school," Gibson said. "At this level, I've seen so many guys with great talent that it took a while for it to fit in. I think it's just a matter of getting into the right spot. Timing is everything."

Chardon invite: The Cavs donated more than 4,000 tickets to Sunday's home game against Houston to Chardon High School students and faculty, the Chardon Police Department and first responders in the wake of the shootings that killed three students and injured two others last month.

Players, including Anderson Varejao, Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker, Irving, Gibson, Omri Casspi, Ramon Sessions and Thompson, donate tickets to local charities and youth groups for every game and designated the Chardon police and first responders for this game.

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Some quick impressions as the postseason gets started with opening-round play on Thursday.

View full sizeAP fileGiven a likely significant homecourt boost from fans in Indianapolis, the Hoosiers might be a surprise winner of this week's Big Ten Tournament.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Some quick impressions as the postseason gets started with opening-round play on Thursday.

Wants it most: No. 1 seed Michigan State. Spartans' coach Tom Izzo called Sunday's loss to Ohio State, which gave his team a three-way share of the regular-season title instead of the outright crown, one of the toughest of his career and told fans afterward that this week Michigan State is going to "go win our championship back." The Spartans' NCAA seeding also will be affected by the season-ending ACL tear of freshman starter Branden Dawson if they don't show they're the same team.

Needs it most: No. 7 seed Northwestern. The Wildcats are squarely on the bubble for an NCAA bid and need at least a win over No. 10 Minnesota and probably a second victory over No. 2 Michigan.

Team to watch: No. 5 seed Indiana. The Hoosiers, who have never won the tournament, come in on a four-game winning streak. They were 1-1 against each of the top three seeds -- Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State -- but 0-1 against looming quarterfinal opponent No. 4 Wisconsin. Indiana lost just once at home this season, and with fans fired up by this bounce-back year, Indianapolis could feel like a homecourt.

Final prediction: No. 5 Indiana over No. 2 Ohio State Big Ten Conference Tournament

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

First Round

Thursday

Iowa vs. Illinois, 11:30 a.m.

Indiana vs. Penn State, 1:55 p.m.

Northwestern vs. Minnesota, 5:30 p.m.

Purdue vs. Nebraska, 7:55 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Friday

Michigan State vs. Iowa-Illinois winner, Noon.

Wisconsin vs. Indiana-Penn State winner, 2:30 p.m.

Michigan vs. Northwestern-Minnesota winner, 6:30 p.m.

Ohio State vs. Purdue-Nebraska winner, 9 p.m.

Semifinals

Saturday

Michigan State--Iowa-Illinois winner vs. Wisconsin--Indiana-Penn State winner, 1:40 p.m.

Michigan--Northwestern-Minnesota winner vs. Ohio State--Purdue-Nebraska winner, 4:05 p.m.

Championship

Sunday

Semifinal winners, 3:30 p.m.