Veteran guard's return sends rookie Kemba Walker back to Charlotte bench, but he's impressed Byron Scott.

View full sizeThomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerTristan Thompson drives around fellow rookie forward Bismack Biyombo for a first-quarter basket Tuesday night at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Charlotte coach Paul Silas got point guard D. J. Augustin back for Tuesday's game against the Cavaliers at The Q after missing three games with tendinitis in his right knee.

That meant rookie Kemba Walker returned to the bench. Walker, the No. 9 pick in the 2011 draft, has started a total of 21 games in place of Augustin, and Cavs coach Byron Scott has seen him develop throughout the course of the season, although he made just seven of 27 shots in his two games against the Cavs.

"I think he has progressed pretty nicely," Scott said of Walker, who finished with 20 points for Charlotte on Tuesday, 16 in the second quarter. "I think Paul's probably pretty happy with the way he's played this year. He's a fighter. That's the one thing when I see Kemba play that I recognize. He's a young guy who's out there fighting any time he's out there on the floor.

"He's another one of these guys we look at as a fast break waiting to happen when he gets his hands on the ball. Transition-wise, you really have to get back and get in front of him.

"I've never thought of him as a pure point guard. The games I've watched of Charlotte as of late I wouldn't say he's turning into that, but he has a pretty good idea of what a point guard is all about -- trying to find his teammates."

Spider Man: Donald Sloan was discussing the fact that he had missed just two games in the past eight seasons because of an injury.

"I'm kind of old school," the guard said. "I just throw dirt on it and keep playing."

One game was last year in the D-League because of a twisted ankle. The only game he missed before that was in his junior year at Seagoville High School in Dallas because of a -- spider bite?

Sloan pointed out the scar just above his left knee where doctors finally cut open the spot where he was bitten by a brown recluse spider, causing his left thigh to swell to almost twice its normal size. Sloan said he had played in spite of that.

What kind of coach lets a kid keep playing with that kind of injury?

"He was old school, too," Sloan said, laughing.

Summer plans: The NBA announced the return of the summer league in Las Vegas for 2012. It was a casualty of the lockout last summer. The Cavs have not determined who might play for them, although rookies Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Sloan could be possibilities. ... Another situation yet to be discussed will be Anderson Varejao's desire to play for Brazil in the Olympics. Varejao has maintained he wants to return from his fractured right wrist before the end of the season, but if that doesn't happen, things could get dicey.

The Cavs wouldn't let Zydrunas Ilgauskas play in the Olympics in 2008 because of his injury history.

Bring back Luke? Scott said the Cavs really weren't close to bringing back Luke Harangody from their Canton D-League affiliate, in spite of all the injuries. Harangody did take in Tuesday's game.

"The main thing was perimeter guys," Scott said. "Our perimeter guys were going down like flies. It wasn't that big a deal as far as bringing Luke in. I thought Luke was having a good time down there and winning and [making the] playoffs."

Harangody has become the Charge's leading scorer as the team prepares for the playoffs in its first season. Scott admitted the Cavs considered the impact losing Harangody would have on their affiliate.

"If they weren't affiliated, we would've had no problem taking him back," he said.

Five Cavaliers reach double figures as the team surpasses its 2010-11 win total as stretch of seven games in nine days begins.

View full sizeThomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerCleveland's Tristan Thompson (right) squares off with Charlotte's D.J. White for a rebound in the first half of Tuesday's game at The Q. Thompson had six points and seven rebounds in the 103-90 victory.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- So much for his predictions.

After watching newcomer Lester Hudson score 23 points on Friday in Toronto and 26 on Sunday in New Jersey, Cavaliers coach Byron Scott was asked what he expected of Hudson on Tuesday against Charlotte in The Q.

The coach smiled and said, "29, I guess."

Hudson only had 25, but he led a strong bench effort that enabled the Cavs to rest their starters and cruise to an easy 103-90 victory before a crowd that included Indians manager Manny Acta and players Josh Tomlin, Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley and Aaron Cunningham, who walked across the street after their game with Chicago was postponed.

"I'm a little disappointed that he missed a couple of shots that would have gotten him to 29," Scott said of Hudson after the game.

"It would have been great," Hudson said when told of his coach's prediction. "I just had 25. The big thing is, we won. It's great for me, a great feeling. I just want to come through. If I'm on the floor and I have an opportunity to make a play for my team and my teammates, I want to come through for our team."

All kidding aside, Scott is thrilled with how Hudson is performing.

"The young man's playing great basketball, and he's doing it all in the system, which is great," Scot said as his team improved to 19-36, winning at home for the first time since March 11. "He's not taking bad shots or anything. He's not forcing anything. He's doing an excellent job on the defensive end as far as rebounding for a guard. He's really getting in there and helping out our bigs. But, obviously, tonight again he got it going offensively and made the best of the situation."

Hudson, who started the season in China and then played with Austin in the NBA D-League, signed his first 10-day contract on March 30 after the Cavs lost Daniel Gibson for the season with a torn tendon in his left foot. The next day, rookie Kyrie Irving sprained his right shoulder, and a week after that Anthony Parker bruised his sternum.

Hudson, who signed his second 10-day contract on Monday, has taken advantage, much as fellow D-Leaguer Jeremy Lin did in New York.

"The Linsanity thing I thought was similar to what's going on right now with Lester," Scott said when asked to name another player who had this kind of impact. "I think he's just playing great basketball."

Equally important on Tuesday was that Hudson and fellow newcomers Donald Sloan and Luke Walton teamed with Omri Casspi and little-used Semih Erden to break open the game -- just what the team needed at the start of a stretch in which it plays seven games in nine days.

Senior citizens Anthony Parker, 36, and Antawn Jamison, 35, scored 19 and 17 points, respectively, to stake the Cavs to a 72-71 lead after the third quarter, but the reserves broke things open with a 23-4 run to start the fourth. Casspi finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Sloan had four points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals. Walton had three points, four assists and three rebounds, and Erden added two points and seven rebounds.

"The second unit tonight I thought was fantastic," Scott said. "I had no idea they were going to play as well as they played when they came in. They played great together, shared the ball. Lester hit some shots. Omri hit some shots. Semih did a good job of rebounding the ball. I was hoping they could hang in there and close the game out, and they were able to do that.

"It was perfect to win the game this way and be able to have those guys sit in the fourth quarter."

Gerald Henderson scored 21 points for Charlotte, which lost its 13th straight game to fall to 7-49.

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Baugh is ranked as the No. 114 prospect in the 2013 class by Rivals.com, and had offers from Arizona State, Florida, Miami, Cal, Washington and UCLA.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State added an eighth oral commitment for 2013 and continued to expand its recruiting reach under Urban Meyer by snagging four-star California tight end Marcus Baugh on Tuesday, with the pledge reported by Scout.com and other recruiting sites.

Of the 18 players recruited since Meyer was hired, 10 in the 2012 class signed in February and eight in this class are from Ohio. Baugh joins St. Louis running back Ezekiel Elliott and Toledo safety Jayme Thompson among the most recent additions.

Baugh is ranked as the No. 114 prospect in the 2013 class by Rivals.com, and the 6-4, 200-pounder also had offers from Arizona State, Florida, Miami, Cal, Washington and UCLA, among others. He is the seventh of the eight players who have said they will attend Ohio State to be ranked among the top 150 recruits in the nation by Rivals.com.

Cornerback Cameron Burrows is No. 7; cornerback Eli Woodard No. 28; athlete Jalin Marshall No. 41; offensive lineman Evan Lisle No. 83; defensive lineman Billy Price No. 130 and safety Jayme Thompson No. 146.

New scoreboard: Ohio State is working on how fans view the Buckeyes. On April 23, the Monday after the spring football game, Ohio State will start a $7 million project to replace its 11-year-old scoreboard with a large, high-definition screen. Ohio State said it should be completed by early August. The home opener is Sept. 1 against Miami of Ohio.

The new scoreboard will be 42 feet by 124 feet compared to the current 30 by 90 model. The sound system also will be renovated, with 25 speakers added on each side of the scoreboard. The 223 televisions in public areas of the stadium will be replaced with high-def screens.

With the second pick in the first round, the Washington Redskins select....Who do you say? This is the second pick -- by voting in a poll -- made by the fans in Cleveland.com's fans' mock draft.

Associated PressBaylor quarterback Robert Griffin III has a strong arm, can extend plays with his athleticism and has a strong knowledge of the game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns and NFL fans, it's time for you to say who all of the teams should pick in the first round of the draft on April 26.

From today through April 22, via polls, we're asking you every day to make first-round picks for each of two teams. The polls go up on cleveland.com at approximate 12-hour intervals, around 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. each day. We list 10 prospects for you to pick from in each poll.

On April 23-24, you'll be asked to make the picks for each of three teams (at approximate eight-hour intervals), completing the 32-pick first round.

You have already made the first pick, with the Indianapolis Colts selecting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. 

The second pick in the first round of the draft belongs to the Washington Redskins. The Redskins finished the 2011 season with a 5-11 record. They made a trade with the St. Louis Rams to acquire the pick.

The Redskins' primary needs include quarterback, the offensive line and at safety.

Continue to check The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com for Browns and NFL coverage. The Minnesota Vikings will go on the fans' mock draft clock on Wednesday morning, followed by the Browns on Wednesday night.

Cavs woes at home can be tied to a lack of effort on the defensive end.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It has been a month since the Cavaliers won their last home game _ a 118-107 victory over the Houston Rockets on March 11. They'd lost six in a row at home, so it certainly was different for the crowd to finish the game standing and cheering and covering in confetti and streamers.

Even Indians manager Manny Acta and a few of his players took in the game after theirs was postponed across the street at Progressive Field.

The Cavs improved to 10-18 at home, just one game better than their 9-18 record on the road.

Why, exactly, they've struggled so much at The Q remains a mystery. Coach Byron Scott admitted on Tuesday noon that it was too late to try to switch anything up this season, with just five home games left. The team has held its pre-game shootarounds at its practice facility all season, and it may switch to The Q for next season.

But that's just a psychological move. For whatever reason, the Cavs just haven't played as hard at home, especially defensively. Even newcomers Lester Hudson and Donald Sloan know that everything starts at the defensive end if the Cavs are going to have any success.

Sloan and Hudson teamed with reserves Omri Casspi, Luke Walton and Semih Erden to hold the Charlotte Bobcats to just 38.9 percent shooting in the fourth quarter (7 of 18) on Tuesday and that made all the difference.

OK, it was the Bobcats, the worst team in the league. Things will be a little different when the Indiana Pacers visit The Q on Wednesday night.

But the fans would certainly appreciate a repeat performance as far as the defensive effort is concerned. Far to many times recently, there has been no such effort, and that's what's to blame for their struggles at home.

Hopefully, the young Cavs will learn what it takes from Tuesday's victory.

MINOR-LEAGUE REPORT AAA Columbus Clippers Clippers 5, Indians 4 1B Russ Canzler (.143) singled in pinch runner Chad Huffman in the bottom of the 12th inning to lead Columbus to victory in the International League game. Chen Lee (2-0, 4.50 ERA) worked two scoreless innings for the win, striking out one. RF Trevor Crowe (.429), 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (.333)...

MINOR-LEAGUE REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 5, Indians 4 1B Russ Canzler (.143) singled in pinch runner Chad Huffman in the bottom of the 12th inning to lead Columbus to victory in the International League game.

Chen Lee (2-0, 4.50 ERA) worked two scoreless innings for the win, striking out one.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerMatt LaPorta is hitting .346 with three homers and five RBI in six games for Class AAA Columbus.

RF Trevor Crowe (.429), 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (.333) and LF Matt LaPorta (.346) homered for the Clippers.

AA Akron Aeros

Curve 6, Aeros 1 Host Altoona scored six runs in the fourth inning off Akron starter Eric Berger (0-1, 13.50) to win the Eastern League game.

Berger gave up six runs in four innings, striking out five.

Advanced A Carolina Mudcats

Blue Rocks 3, Mudcats 2 Brett Brach (0.00) tossed 5-1/3 scoreless innings for Carolina, but the Mudcats were shut down by visiting Wilmington in the Carolina League game.

1B Jesus Aguilar (.381) hit his first home run for Carolina.

A Lake County Captains

Loons 5, Captains 4 Lake County pounded out 10 hits but fell to host Great Lakes in the Midwest League game.

CF LeVon Washington (.450) had three hits for the Captains, while Lakewood's Alex Lavisky went 2-for-3 to raise his batting average to .375.

Lynn Sherr's charming "Swim" is a book-length love letter to her favorite sport. But for her, like for most avid swimmers, it's much more than exercise. It's an activity that's restorative to both body and psyche.

PublicAffairs, 212 pp., $25.99

Lynn Sherr's charming "Swim" is a book-length love letter to her favorite sport. But for her, like for most avid swimmers, it's much more than exercise. It's an activity that's restorative to both body and psyche. After a good pool session, I feel like I've had a meditation and a massage.

"At one level it's purely sensual: the silky feeling of liquid on skin; the chance to float free, as close to flying as I'll ever get," writes Sherr, who was an ABC News reporter for more than 30 years. "Swimming stretches my body beyond its earthly limits, helping to soothe every ache and caress every muscle. But it's also an inward journey, a time of quiet contemplation . . . I find myself at peace, able -- and eager -- to flex my mind, imagine new possibilities, to work things out without the startling interruptions of human voice or modern life . . .

Have I mentioned that I'm a Pisces?"

Sherr frames her book around training for a race across the Dardanelles, the strait separating Europe from Asia in western Turkey. Lord Byron helped elevate the swim into an athletic milestone in 1810.

Just shy of 60, Sherr wanted to expand her aqueous horizons beyond the tranquil pools, gentle lakes and East Coast ocean stretches she knew. She took on the Dardanelles' swift currents, stinging jellyfish and giant tankers to compete with 431 other swimmers.

She managed to finish the 4-mile swim in just over an hour and 24 minutes, first in her age group. (She cheerfully admits that she was the only swimmer in her age group.)

She salts her race story with a compendium of all things aquatic, from esoterica -- like 18th-century horse-drawn "bathing machines" that allowed swimmers to be trotted out into the waves where they could frolic discretely -- to factoids about health: Swimming is excellent for overall conditioning, especially for the heart.

To be truthful, Sherr's retelling of swimming tidbits from centuries past can get a bit dull. I would much rather have heard more from contemporary swimmers -- from Olympian Dara Torres or amateurs such as 60-year-old Capri Djatiasmoro, who describes herself as a mermaid, or the author and neurologist Oliver Sacks, with whom Sherr trained in Curacao.

Sherr tucks in short profiles of several swimmers for whom the activity is a lifesaver, including Sara Widenhouse from North Carolina. Treated for a rare form of cancer, she told Sherr "when I was going through chemo, swimming counterbalanced the hours of being tied to a drip. It was like a prize, a dream that kept me going."

Once, I met a woman who had been in an accident that made walking difficult. But in the water, swimming in the next lane, she was as fast and sleek as a dolphin. When I commented on her speed and grace, her face lit up and she said, "I'm a completely different person in the water. I feel strong and confident."

What a wonderful transformation for her, I thought. And for all of us, really, who heed the siren call of the water.

Oh, and have I mentioned that I'm a Cancer?

Highlights include White Sox at Indians and Pacers at Cavaliers.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerJustin Masterson will start for the Indians against the White Sox today at 12:05. The game will be televised on SportsTime Ohio and broadcast on WTAM/1100-AM.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's sports TV and radio listings

BASEBALL

12:05 p.m. Chicago White Sox at INDIANS, SportsTime Ohio; WTAM/1100-AM

(Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Indians coverage)

1 p.m. Washington at N.Y. Mets, MLB Network

2:05 p.m. LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS at Great Lakes, WELW/1330-AM

2:10 p.m. Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, WGN

6:30 p.m. AKRON AEROS at Altoona, WARF/1350-AM

7 p.m. Miami at Philadelphia, ESPN2

NBA

7 p.m. Indiana at CAVALIERS, Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM/1100-AM

(Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Cavaliers coverage)

8 p.m. New York at Milwaukee, ESPN

10:30 p.m. Golden State at Portland, ESPN

NHL PLAYOFFS

7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, NBC Sports Network

8 p.m. Detroit at Nashville, CNBC

10:30 p.m. Los Angeles at Vancouver, NBC Sports Network

SOCCER

2:30 p.m. Premier League, West Bromwich at Man City, ESPN2

Parma native Jessica Eye will face Texan Anita Rodriguez at Bellator 66 at the I-X Center on April 20.

John Kuntz, The Plain DealerParma native Jessica Eye will face Texan Anita Rodriguez at Bellator 66 at the I-X Center on April 20.

Cleveland’s rising mixed martial arts star Jessica Eye will have to wait a while to avenge the only loss of her pro career. An ear infection has forced Aisling Daly to pull out of Bellator 66, scheduled for Friday, April 20, at the International Exposition Center.

Instead, Eye will face Texan Anita Rodriguez, 26, in a catchweight bout. Rodriguez, at 135 pounds, outweighs Eye by 9 pounds, but their records are similar: Eye boasts a 6-1 pro record, while Rodriguez is 5-2.

None of Rodriguez’s wins has come by knockout. She has three submissions via choke holds and two wins by decision.

Eye, 25, has twice knocked out opponents. Her other four wins have come through decision. Her loss to Daly was by a rear naked choke.

“Nothing changes in my mindset,” said Eye in a text message confirming the switch. “I am going in to win, whether it’s Aisling or not.”

Bellator 66 marks the first major professional mixed martial arts card in Cleveland. Headlining is a battle between former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and former DREAM lightweight title holder Shinya Aoki. Alvarez has a 22-3 record as a pro. He is looking to avenge one of those losses, which came against Aoki in 2008.

Aoki, who fights out of Tokyo, has a 30-5 record as a pro, and only one of those via knockout. He is known for his jiu-jitsu skills.

Eye is not the only Cleveland fighter on the card. Three of her StrongStyle Martial Arts and Fitness gym teammates will join her. One Brian Rogers, a special-education teacher in Kent and a former standout linebacker at Walsh University, will face Bruno Santos in one of two middleweight tournament semifinals at the I-X Center. Rogers is 9-3 as a pro; Santos is 13-0.

StrongStyle’s John Heiland and John Hawk also are on the card.

Five main events on the card, including the fight featuring Rogers, will air on MTV2. Preliminary bouts will stream on bellator.com at 10 p.m. EDT.

Tickets are $30 to $125 and can be purchased at the box office, online at bellator.com and ixcenter.com, or by phone at 1-877-772-5425.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

cyarborough@plaind.com, 216-999-4534

It only would’ve made sense to figure that Petrino would someday ditch the Razorbacks, and ditch them coldly. As it turned out, he ran his affiliation with the school—not to mention his career—into a roadside ditch, writes Steve Greenberg of Sporting News,

AP PhotoBobby Petrino's downfall went into motion when he and Jessica Dorrell tumbled to the pavement in a motorcycle accident.

He stood before the cameras one week ago, a sympathetic figure with road burn raging across his nose, cheeks and forehead. Clearly, it was too late for Bobby Petrino to save his face.

But—should the truth come out about the details surrounding Petrino’s motorcycle crash-and-dash—would it already be too late for him to save face with the University of Arkansas?

That’s one thing we’ll never truly know. Perhaps the only thing we’ll never truly know, if Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long’s transparency and candor on the evening of Petrino’s dismissal was a sign of things to come.

Long called Petrino, whom he hired in December 2007, misleading and manipulative. He accused the coach of believing himself to be bigger than the Arkansas program. He shed much-needed light on Petrino’s shady hiring of his young, beautiful mistress, Jessica Dorrell, who, as bad luck would have it, went down with the boss’ Harley hog on Highway 16.

But Long also suggested that Petrino might still be boss of the Hogs had he just come clean.

“He had multiple opportunities over a four-day period to be forthcoming with me,” Long said. “He chose not to.”

That, all of Petrino’s longtime critics would agree, is hardly surprising given his track record.

We don’t know what the state of the man’s marriage was. It would be naïve to simply assume that revelations of his affair came as a complete surprise to those closest to him. Maybe Petrino is—was—one of those very powerful men with occasional open secrets. Who knows? Why would we even want to know these things if we could?

We don’t want to know. But what we should’ve known all along is that it was only a matter of time before Petrino offended the vast majority of Razorback Nation.

Again, the track record. Petrino signed a 10-year, $25.6 million contract at Louisville in 2006 and honored it for less than six months before he high-tailed it to Atlanta. Eleven months after that, with appalling brazenness, he left the Falcons before their season was over to take the job in Fayetteville.

There were plenty of lies told in both cases.

So it only would’ve made sense to figure that Petrino would someday ditch the Razorbacks, and ditch them coldly. As it turned out, he ran his affiliation with the school—not to mention his career—into a roadside ditch.

Also into the ditch: Dorrell, both literally and figuratively. Was Petrino thinking of her health and safety, to say nothing of her feelings, when he dumped her off at her car on his way to the hospital? Hmm, tough one. We’re going to go with no.

And—no small matter—the Razorbacks’ 2012 national title hopes go into the ditch. Not going to lie here: Sporting News had been considering picking Arkansas No. 1 in our season preview. Not happening anymore because, well, we’re not that stupid.

Twitter blew up Tuesday night with a seemingly endless stream of Petrino-bashing. The funny thing is, this Petrino controversy won’t stand the test of time with college football’s other big-time coaching scandals.

We could tick off so many names of coaches who were egregiously careless with the truth—and put their programs at serious risk—that it actually isn’t funny at all. Some of them, like Jim Tressel, lost their jobs. Some, like Chip Kelly, didn’t. Others, like Pete Carroll, just got out of Dodge.

Petrino? The man who fired him said his misbehavior didn’t rise to the level of any NCAA violations.

Here and there in coming years, some Hogs supporters might find themselves wondering aloud: “Wait, did we really have to fire him?”

Yeah, Arkansas did. That’ll remain true even if the football program slips a notch or more.

Anyone crying Pig Sooey tears over the end of the Petrino era ought to listen closely to these words:

“We wanted a leader for our football program who would serve our student-athletes and our fans with class and dignity.”

They were spoken by Long at Petrino’s introductory press conference in 2007. They’ve since been openly mocked by the actions of a coach with a rather amazing lack of self-awareness.

A week ago, Petrino said he was lucky to be alive. Now, he’ll be lucky if he ever lands another major-college head coaching gig.

Karma's a ditch.

-- Steve Greenberg, Sporting News

Watch video with Sporting News' Russ Lande as he talks about his latest mock draft, which has the Browns taking two offensive weapons in the first round in RB Trent Richardson at No. 4 and QB Brandon Weeden at No. 22.

With Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin locked in at the top two selections and Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill stirring up a lot of discussion as a top 10 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, who will be the next quarterback to go?

In this week's next mock draft, we have Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden moving into the first round (at No. 22 overall to Cleveland) as the next QB to be selected.

Should that happen, the Browns will have a fascinating competition at quarterback: Weeden, a 28-year-old rookie, vs. 25-year-old incumbent Colt McCoy.

As the countdown to the draft continues, here's Russ Lande's newest mock.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Despite rumors that the Colts are considering Robert Griffin III, we have no reason to doubt our NFL sources, who say they will select Luck.

2. Washington Redskins (from St. Louis): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

The Redskins' bold move pays off. They get the best quarterback in the draft and a dynamic personality who will energize the franchise.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, Southern Cal

For young quarterback Christian Ponder to develop, he needs to be comfortable in the pocket. Kalil will start from Day 1 at left tackle as Ponder's blindside protector.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

The best way to make Colt McCoy a better quarterback is to give him a strong, productive running game. Drafting Richardson gives the Browns the best running back to enter the NFL in a decade.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

Ronde Barber is nearing the end of a great career, and the Bucs need to find a replacement for him. Claiborne would instantly upgrade the secondary.

6. St. Louis Rams (from Washington): Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Our sources tell us the Rams' first choice is Richardson. But he is already off the board, so they grab Blackmon to give Sam Bradford an elite receiving weapon.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

The Jaguars haven't been able to generate an outside pass rush in recent seasons, and Coples would give them a strong, physical pass rusher. He also could slide inside in some alignments.

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

With their need for a quarterback, the Dolphins waste no time turning in their draft card on Tannehill after he slides to them.

9. Carolina Panthers: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Steve Smith resuscitated his career with the arrival of Cam Newton, but he could use some help on the outside. Floyd gives Newton another potent weapon.

10. Buffalo Bills: Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia

The Bills have struggled at left tackle since Jason Peters was traded to the Eagles in 2009. Selecting Glenn gives the Bills a strong, powerful tackle to protect Ryan Fitzpatrick's blind side for a long time.

....

AP PhotoWill the Browns roll the dice on Brandon Weeden at No. 22?

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta): Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

After passing on Ryan Tannehill with the fourth overall pick, the Browns make the bold move of selecting Weeden, who would be a top 10 pick if he wasn't 28.

Read Russ Lande's entire mock draft here, then post your comments below.

Russ Lande is a former NFL college scout and current NFL Draft Expert for Sporting News.

Get your Indians questions ready and join Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes today at noon as he talks Indians baseball. What are some of the positive and negative things about the first four games this year? Should we worry about the pitcher's velocity so far?We'll answer those questions and more.

Paul Hoynes answers your Indians questions on Wednesdays at noon.

Get your Indians questions ready and join Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes today at noon as he talks Indians baseball.

What are some of the positive and negative things about the first four games this year? Should we worry about the pitcher's velocity so far?

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Hoynsie's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in mp3 format.

Should the Big Ten coaches have a "gentleman's agreement" when it comes to recruiting?

Lynn Ischay | The Plain DealerUrban Meyer

Well it seems that Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has become the bad guy when it comes to the Big Ten, and football season hasn't even started yet.

An article in Sporting News painted the picture of Meyer losing control at Florida and concerns about his recruiting.

When it comes to recruiting, rumors have it that Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema complained that Meyer didnt' follow the  "gentleman's agreement" in the Big Ten not to recruit committed players.

The Indians hope to win the final game of their series against the Chicago White Sox this afternoon at Progressive Field. First pitch is at 12:05 p.m. Get game updates on Twitter from Paul Hoynes @hoynsie, Bill Livingston @livypd and Dennis Manoloff @dmansworldpd.

The Indians hope to win the final game of their series against the Chicago White Sox this afternoon at Progressive Field. First pitch is at 12:05 p.m. Get game updates on Twitter from Paul Hoynes @hoynsie, Bill Livingston @livyPD and dmansworldpd or click here for a live game box score. You can also download our Cleveland Indians app for Android to get Tribe updates on your mobile device. Read on for a game preview.

Indians lineup: Brantley CF, Cabrera SS, Choo RF, Santana C, Hafner DH, Duncan LF, Kotchman 1B, Kipnis 2B, Hannahan 3B, Masterson P.

White Sox lineup: De Aza CF, Morel 3B, Dunn DH, Konerko 1B, Pierzynski C, Ramirez SS, Fukudome RF, Viciedo LF, Beckham 2B, Danks P.

Note: Hit reload for latest Tweets

View full sizeAP Photo/Tony GutierrezChicago White Sox ace John Danks will face a struggling Indians offense this afternoon at Progressive Field.

With the third pick in the first round, the Minnesota Vikings select....Who do you say? This is the third pick -- by voting in a poll -- made by you in Cleveland.com's fans' mock draft.

Associated PressSouthern Cal's Matt Kalil is expected to be a premier NFL pass blocker at left tackle.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns and NFL fans, it's time for you to say who all of the teams should pick in the first round of the draft on April 26.

We started on Tuesday, and through April 22, via polls, we're asking you every day to make first-round picks for each of two teams. The polls go up on cleveland.com at approximate 12-hour intervals, around 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. each day. We list 10 prospects for you to pick from in each poll.

On April 23-24, you'll be asked to make the picks for each of three teams (at approximate eight-hour intervals) both days, completing the 32-pick first round.

You have already made the first two picks, with the Indianapolis Colts selecting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and the Washington Redskins picking Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. 

The third pick in the first round of the draft belongs to the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings finished the 2011 season with a 3-13 record.

The Vikings need help at several positions, maybe most notably at left offensive tackle and wide receiver, and in the defensive backfield. 

Continue to check The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com for Browns and NFL coverage. The Browns will go on the fans' mock draft clock tonight, around 10:00, with the fourth pick in the first round.

TWINSBURG, O. - The unsung hero during Twinsburg's two straight Division I girls state basketball title runs has found a home to continue her academic and athletic career.  Tigers senior guard Leah Fechko gave St. Francis (NY) her oral commitment on Monday and will sign a national letter of intent as soon as it arrives via mail.

TWINSBURG, O. - The unsung hero during Twinsburg's two straight Division I girls state basketball title runs has found a home to continue her academic and athletic career.

 Tigers senior guard Leah Fechko gave St. Francis (NY) her oral commitment on Monday and will sign a national letter of intent as soon as it arrives via mail.

 "Ohio Dominican offered me, too,'' said Fechko, who visited both colleges. "Ohio Dominican is Division II, St. Francis is Division I but that didn't factor too much in my decision.

 "St. Francis is about an eight-hour drive from my home but I really like the location and the campus, and it's going to be cool playing with (former Twinsburg teammate) Katie Fox again.''

 Fechko averaged 13 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.5 turnovers as a senior while playing all three guard positions.

 "I haven't declared a major yet, I'll play of the guard spots but I don't know how quickly I'll contribute,'' said Fechko, "but I'm thrilled.''

The once featured tailback position may fade out under Urban Meyer.

Lynn Ischay, The Plain DealerUrban Meyer

Changes were expected when Urban Meyer was hired as Ohio State's coach. Many of those changes were and are expected on offense.

OSU's traditional tailback made fade into the past under Meyer's direction.

Columbus Dispatch reporter Rob Oller wonders how the Buckeyes will be affected.

Meyer knows football is changing and he adapts to trends that take hold. He will tear down and clear away aging infrastructure that stands in the way of progress. And the standard running-back position is not progressive.

The NFL, with rules that crack down on defensive contact against quarterbacks and receivers, has become a game of pitch and catch. Bigger and faster defenders also shorten a tailback’s shelf life, and the result is that running back — at least when conducted as a one-man operation — no longer is the featured position.

Meyer will adjust, turning his tailbacks into multipurpose players, writes Oller. It will not seem like a sea change at first. The Buckeyes still will run their tailbacks, but the “November weather” offense on which the program was built gradually will fade.

More Ohio State Buckeyes

OSU adds another player to the 2013 recruiting class (Cleveland.com).

Big Ten football is not about the coaches (Columbus Dispatch).

This is how the Big Ten race could shape up next year (Cleveland.com).

The Buckeyes improve scoreboard (OhioStateBuckeyes.com).

 Notes and such on coaches from the Legends Division (ElevenWarriors.com).

Next season will be another good year for basketball (TheBuckeyeBlog.com).

Indians ace Justin Masterson faces White Sox lefty John Danks at 12:05 p.m.

PD FileJustin Masterson starts for the Indians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians play host to the White Sox today at 12:05 p.m. at Progressive Field. Indians right-hander Justin Masterson faces White Sox lefty John Danks.

Lineups:

White Sox -- 1. De Aza cf; 2. Morel 3b; 3. Dunn dh; 4. Konerko 1b; 5. Pierzynski c; 6. Ramirez ss; 7. Fukudome rf; 8. Viciedo lf; 9. Beckham 2b; and Danks lhp.

Indians -- 1. Brantley cf; 2. Cabrera ss; 3. Choo rf; 4. Santana c; 5. Hafner dh; 6. Duncan lf; 7. Kotchman 1b; 8. Kipnis 2b; 9. Hannahan 3b; and Masterson rhp.

Coming off the weather postponement Tuesday, the Indians stayed with Masterson, who started Opening Day on April 5. The White Sox stayed with Opening Day starter Danks on regular rest.

Nuggets:

*Masterson went 2-2 with a 1.61 ERA in four starts against the White Sox last season.

*Masterson owned the 17th-best home ERA in the American League last season at 3.25, but he went 4-5 in 19 appearances/18 starts. He received the league's 20th-lowest run support at home (3.63 per game).

*Jose Lopez is 9-for-25 (.360) against Danks. Shin-Soo Choo is 7-for-21 (.333) and Casey Kotchman is 6-for-16 (.375).

*A.J. Pierzynski is 8-for-23 (.348) against Masterson.

*Danks is 3-7 with a 4.79 ERA in 13 starts against Cleveland.

*Paul Konerko is tied with Luke Appling for second place on the White Sox' all-time total-bases list with 3,528. Frank Thomas leads at 3,949.

Tomlin time: Pitcher versus batter is a chess game played on a 60-foot, 6-inch board. Each tries to anticipate the other's upcoming moves to maximize strategic impact.

Sometimes, though, one side can over-think things. Instead of playing to strengths, too much weight gets placed on counter measures.

 Indians right-hander Josh Tomlin admitted that he probably concerned himself too much with what White Sox hitters were thinking Monday night. The result was a season's debut in which he gave up four runs on seven hits in five innings of a 4-2 loss.

 In the first inning, in particular, Tomlin said he gave too much stock to what he figures is underlined in the opposition scouting report: Throws strikes early in count, usually four-seamers or cutters.

 "I'd never faced the White Sox, but they had to know I like to get ahead right away,'' Tomlin said. "I thought they'd be looking for the first-pitch fastball, so I changed my approach, especially to the lefties. I tried to throw stuff in the bottom half of the zone, away, in order to get a swing-and-miss or bad contact.''

 Two White Sox lefties didn't bite. Leadoff batter Alejandro De Aza took a ball, got the count to 2-1, then homered to right. Four batters later, A.J. Pierzynski took two balls, then hit a two-run homer to right.

 Both homers came off fastballs.

 "Basically, I adjusted too quickly,'' Tomlin said.

 Tomlin finished with one walk and, thanks to a nasty cutter, seven strikeouts.

 "The strikeouts surprised me, because I'm not that type of pitcher,'' he said. "Striking out guys means I'm throwing more pitches than I should be. I'd rather go eight innings and strike out one or two than five innings and strike out seven.''

 Tomlin threw 95 pitches against the White Sox.

 Homer happy: As a strike thrower who does not overpower hitters, Tomlin was not overly concerned about having allowed 24 homers in 165 2/3 innings last season.

 Nor was he going to fret over the two long balls Monday -- but for a different reason.

 "I'm not worried about those because, when I went and looked at the video, the pitches were right down the middle,'' he said. "They were bad pitches, and they deserved to be hit out. The times you might wonder what's going on are when your best pitches are getting hit all over the place.''

 Tomlin's 12-7 record and 4.25 ERA last season showed that the homers did not derail him. Fifteen  were solo shots.

 "I didn't want to get caught up in the total, but, obviously, I came into this year with a goal to reduce it,'' he said. "I'd tried to work on a sinker in the offseason, but that really didn't work out. So it's going to come down to making better pitches with the ones I already have. It didn't happen against the White Sox.''

 Tomlin said that more than a few of his homers last season came on hanging changeups.

 "You can't be giving up homers on your fourth-best pitch,'' he said.

 MLB.com reporter Jordan Bastian writes how Tuesday's postponed game due to inclement weather works out just fine for the Tribe. "For our guys," Indians manager Manny Acta said, "just based on that first series that we had, I guess it would be OK to have one more day off." As of right now, there is no makeup game officially...

AP FileManny Acta

 MLB.com reporter Jordan Bastian writes how Tuesday's postponed game due to inclement weather works out just fine for the Tribe.

"For our guys," Indians manager Manny Acta said, "just based on that first series that we had, I guess it would be OK to have one more day off."

As of right now, there is no makeup game officially scheduled for the ballgame, though Acta noted that it would likely come during Chicago's return trip to Cleveland on May 7-9. If that is the case, and the club's squeeze in a doubleheader, the Indians could potentially face a stretch of 21 games in 20 days to open the month.

"We'll have to pay the price in May," Acta said.

Over the first four games of this season, the Indians have hit .153 as a team and have limped to a 1-3 record out of the gates, writes Bastian. In that sense, the day off might have come at a good time for the club. Then again, Cleveland already had five scheduled off-days in the month of April.

More Tribe news

Justin Masterson will start for the Tribe today (Cleveland.com).

Signing Santana and Cabrera is like the old days (Ohio.com).

3Up and 3Down sports show (CantonRep.com).

Philip Humber will skip his turn (Chicago Sun-Times).

Tribe and White Sox postponed on Tuesday, now they're ready to play (The News-Herald)

The Sox would like to leave with a win today (Chicago Tribune).

"Without a error free effort and some timely hitting the offense just can't support the pitching. Todays shakey pitching by Masterson and Wheeler/Perez blowing up in the 6th, spelled the end for the Tribe." - ncarolinafan

View full sizeChuck Crow/The Plain DealerIt's been a frustrating start to the 2012 season for Tribe hitters, including Carlos Santana.

"Without a error free effort and some timely hitting the offense just can't support the pitching. Todays shakey pitching by Masterson and Wheeler/Perez blowing up in the 6th, spelled the end for the Tribe.

The Indians have to hit on all cylinders to compete. Any short comings from Offense, Defense, or Pitching leaves little chance of hanging a W."