Las Vegas oddsmakers have Northern Illinois a touchdown favorite, and just about every pundit and stats geek agrees.

Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch prepares to throw during a walk-through Thursday at Ford Field in Detroit. Carlos Osorio, Associated Press

DETROIT, Mich. — A Kent State victory tonight in the Mid-American Conference championship game could land the Golden Flashes in a BCS bowl game.

So how is it that Kent is the clear underdog against Northern Illinois?

Las Vegas oddsmakers have NIU a touchdown favorite, and just about every pundit and stats geek agrees.

A clue to the Huskies being favored may be their offensive efficiency. NIU converts better than 40 percent of its possessions into touchdowns.

Want more? The two teams had six common opponents, each going 6-0. NIU's average margin of victory was 24 points (43-19), Kent's was 14 (36-22). NIU's defense is No. 49 nationally, Kent is No. 75. The NIU offense ranks 29th while the Golden Flashes' offense ranks 51st. Surprisingly, NIU's special teams rank higher (38) than Kent (76).

The 'X' factor: Northern Illinois head coach Dave Doeren is well aware his team is favored, and like most coaches, knows the stats to back that up. Yet while football is not known as a sport of overriding intangibles fueling wins and losses, Doeren said what makes Kent dangerous is that it might be the exception to the rule.

"They are riding a wave that hasn't been ridden in 40 years," he said. "They feel invincible. And that's a feeling you get maybe once in a lifetime."

Tidbits: If this were 2014, under the new BCS playoff and bowl deal, Kent would be sitting pretty as one of the 16 teams in a major bowl, assuming the rankings stayed as they are now. In 2014, the highest-ranked team from the five-conference cluster of the MAC, Mountain West, Conference USA, Sun Belt and Big East will automatically get a spot. . . . While Doeren has a financial incentive in his contract for getting the Huskies to a BCS bowl game, Kent coach Darrell Hazell does not, though he does have incentives for both getting to a bowl game, and for winning one. "It never came up in negotiations on either side," Kent Athletic Director Joel Nielsen said.

Even with the Huskies solidly favored, tonight's game at Ford Field in Detroit may be the most anticipated league showdown in years.

Kent State's Dri Archer has 1,337 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns this season, and averages nearly 10 yards per carry. Courtney Saco, AnnArbor.com

DETROIT, Mich. — Not since 2003 has the Mid-American Conference Championship football game featured two nationally ranked teams. But it can be argued that no title game in MAC history has featured two stat-stuffing players like Kent State slotback Dri Archer and Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch.

Never has the MAC's title game featured two undefeated division winners with identical records (11-1, 8-0). Kent is No. 17 in the BCS rankings and No. 18 in the AP Top 25, NIU is No. 21 in the BCS and No. 19 in the AP.

"I do think that Northern and Kent present a great matchup in the championship game," Ball State coach Pete Lembo said. Lembo's Cardinals lost to NIU, 35-23, and to Kent, 45-43.

Even with the Huskies solidly favored, tonight's game at Ford Field in Detroit may be the most anticipated league showdown in years. The winner has a chance to finish among the top 16 of the BCS rankings, which would mean a spot in a major bowl game -- most likely the Orange Bowl -- plus the big payday that comes with it.

Lynch and Archer, who had just one Division I scholarship offer each coming out of high school, are a big reason for such anticipation.

Two of the most exciting players in the conference, the redshirt juniors were afterthoughts around the league when the season began.

This will be NIU's third straight trip to the MAC title game, but its least expected because Lynch was a 6-0, 215-pound unknown replacing record-setting quarterback Chandler Harnish.

Archer barely played his first two seasons at Kent, then was academically ineligible last season because of a mistake by Kent's academic department. Yet both have been season-long highlight reels.

Lynch's game is in your face, a game of power in strength and will. In the Huskies' two biggest games of the season, a 35-23 victory over Ball State and a 31-24 win over Toledo, Lynch was up close and personal. Trailing Ball State, 23-21, with less than five minutes to play, Lynch threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to put the Huskies ahead, then had a 71-yard touchdown run to put the game away. Of NIU's 509 yards of total offense, he accounted for 402.

Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch has rushed for 100 yards or more in his past 10 games and might be a Heisman Trophy candidate next season. Carlos Osorio, Associated Press

"Because of the diversity of their running attack, and ability to run the quarterback effectively, it's almost like defending an option team," Lembo said. "But when you attack the box against them, Lynch can really throw it."

Against Toledo, Lynch either ran or passed on 66 of 78 plays, accounting for 407 yards passing and 162 rushing. Lynch has rushed for 100 yards or more in his past 10 games. While Lynch is not among the favorites for the 2012 Heisman Trophy, he is sure to be among the early leaders in 2013.

"He's really good," Kent State coach Darrell Hazell said. "He's special. You have to account for him every single play. He's so quick, and he likes to run the ball. And he is tough."

No team this season has found a way to either contain Lynch, or make the conference MVP one-dimensional. He has averaged 363.4 yards of total offense per game. He does what he wants, when he wants.

"He loves to run the football, he loves to hit between the A and the B gap, and he hits it hard," Hazell said.

If Lynch's strength is his power, Archer's is speed. Until being slowed the final game of the season with a tender ankle, Archer was on target to become the first player in NCAA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards and average 10.0 yards per carry. He has 1,337 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns, but is now "down" to 9.7 yards per carry.

While Archer's 4.21 40-yard-dash speed speaks for itself, what is even more impressive is his ability to shift gears. He has returned three kickoffs for touchdowns this season, but teams stopped kicking to him after the fifth game of the season and he was still named MAC Special Teams Player of the Year, even though he had only 15 touches on kickoff returns.

On his 74-yard touchdown run against Bowling Green, he shifted gears three times. First, at the line of scrimmage when he cut to the sideline; second, when he broke a tackle and cut to midfield, and third, when he again turned upfield and sprinted to the end zone.

Equally impressive was Archer's 98-yard kickoff return for a TD against Eastern Michigan, the last team to kick directly to him. Archer was nearly tackled in a cluster of players while making a cut, but he touched his hands to the turf to regain his balance, made a quick move then cruised to the touchdown.

"It was a fabulous play," EMU coach Ron English said. "We knew going in he was a time-bomb ticking. The play he made reinforces the fact you should not kick to him."

"Archer is an absolute difference maker in this league," Lembo said. "We saw it first hand. He took a kickoff [99 yards] back against us that was huge."

Archer's ability to return kicks has caught the eye of Desmond Howard, a Cleveland native and former Heisman winner at Michigan. He said the fact that teams no longer kick to Archer speaks volumes.

"That is a tremendous compliment to his talents," Howard said. "I mean, you can't get a bigger compliment. That opponent is saying we want to keep the ball totally out of your hands. Because we can't stop you. We don't want to slow you down, or limit your touches, or keep you on one side of the field. We know you can hurt us, so we want to eliminate you completely from the equation."

That will be easy for the Huskies to do with Archer, at least when it comes to the kicking game. But Kent's challenge is more daunting because Lynch touches the ball on every snap. And he hasn't been stopped yet.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253

Scouting the area's women's college basketball teams for Division II and III.

Baldwin Wallace coach Cheri Harrer wants to get her team back to the top of the Ohio Athletic Conference. PD file

Previews for Cleveland-area Division III and Division II women's basketball teams:

OHIO ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

BALDWIN WALLACE

Head coach: Cheri Harrer (450-163, 23rd year)

Key returnees: Jessica Lairson (11.3 ppg., 3.9 rpg., 43 steals), Jessica Carpenter (11.1 ppg., 2.7 rpg., 36 three-pointers), Nancy Coulter (6.7 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 57% FG's), Audrey Smolik (6.2 ppg., 2.2 rpg.), Lexi Rohrbach (5.7 ppg., 4.4 rpg.), Natalia Simovic (5.3 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 40 blocks), Rachel Rossman (3.9 ppg., 114 assists), Shari Mangas (3.1 ppg., 39 assists, 15 three-pointers), Megan Frisina (2.4 ppg., 15 three-pointers)

Backcourt: Rachel Rossman (Olmsted Falls) has started 80 consecutive games at the point and has 226 career assists. Jessica Carpenter (North Canton Hoover) and Jessica Lairson (Louisville) both return as All-OAC players and can play guard or forward. Audrey Smolik (Strongsville), Shari Mangas and Megan Frisina add depth and strength as will Div. II transfer Amber Boyd (Regina).

Frontcourt: The 6-0 Coulter is a returning starter and could team with 6-1 Simovic (Normandy) on the inside or Harrer could start 5-11 Lexi Rohrbach. 5-10" sophomore Laurel Thomas (Canton Central Catholic), 6-1 freshman Marissa Hellisz (Normandy) and 6-2 Sam Hamar add height and depth.

Outlook: Harrer's goal is to win back the OAC title and return her team back to the Div. III Tournament where it has advanced 11 of the past 17 national tournaments and won 12 OAC titles. She has both the strength and depth to make a run at both goals this winter.

Schedule: Nov. 16-17 at Franklin (Ind.) Tournament; Nov. 16 vs. Ohio Wesleyan, 8; Nov. 17 consolation/ championship, 1 or 3; Nov. 20 at Case, 7:30; Nov. 26 at Wittenberg, 7:30; Dec. 5 at Ohio Northern, 3; Dec. 8 at Capital, 4; Dec. 15 WILMINGTON, 3; Dec. 19 at Mount Union, 7:30; Dec. 22 OTTERBEIN, 3; Dec. 28-29 at Hope (Mich.) Tournament; Dec. 28 vs. Bluffton, 5:30; Dec. 29 at Hope (Mich.), 3; Jan. 2 CARNEGIE MELLON (Pa.), 7:30; Jan. 5 at Marietta, 3; Jan. 9 at John Carroll, 7:30; Jan. 12 at Muskingum, 3; Jan. 16 HEIDELBERG, 7:30; Jan. 19 CAPITAL, 2 (SportsTime Ohio DH); Jan. 23 OHIO NORTHERN, 7:30; Jan. 26 at Otterbein, 3; Jan. 30 MOUNT UNION, 7:30; Feb. 2 at Wilmington, 3; Feb. 6 JOHN CARROLL, 7:30; Jan. 9 MARIETTA, 3; Feb. 13 at Heidelberg, 7:30; Feb. 16 MUSKINGUM, 2 (STO DH)

JOHN CARROLL

Head coach: Kristie Maravalli (137-189 – 14th season)

Key returnees: F Hilary Liwosz (8.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg), G Allie Lustig (7.9 ppg, 5.2 apg), F Missy Spahar (15.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg), G Beth Switzler (7.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg), F/C Meghan Weber (3.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

Backcourt: Allie Lustig led the OAC in assists per game last season in her first full year as a starter. She also led the league in minutes played, so finding a capable back-up will be a primary goal heading into the season. With an experienced floor like Lustig, the continued development of shooting guards like Beth Switzler will be expedited.

Frontcourt: John Carroll will rely on its three most veteran forwards to shoulder the load on both ends of the floor. 2011 OAC Rookie of the Year and two-time all-league performer Missy Spahar headlines the group that also includes the team's most improved player last year in Hilary Liwosz, and one of its top rookies from a year ago in Meghan Weber.

Outlook: There are no seniors on this year's roster, but John Carroll has a more experienced group than it would appear. Three starters return as do four of the top five scorers from a year ago. If this nucleus can stay intact and healthy, Kristie Maravalli will field a team that will compete against the upper echelon in the rugged Ohio Athletic Conference. A year ago, depth was an issue for the Blue Streaks. In 2012-13, that issue appears to have been remedied. The key for John Carroll may very well be how soon it can acclimate an accomplished group of freshman to the college game and integrate them into the rotation

Schedule: Nov. 16 Allegheny Greg Richards Memorial Tip-Off Tournament vs. Waynesburg, 1; Nov. 17 Allegheny Greg Richards Memorial Tournament vs. TBD, 1 or 6; Nov. 20 at Oberlin, 7; Nov. 20 vs. Case, 7:30; Dec. 1 at Carnegie Mellon, 1; Dec. 5 at Mount Union, 7:30, Dec. 8 vs. Ohio Northern, 3; Dec. 15 at Capital; Dec 17 vs. Heidelberg, 7:30; Dec. 20 vs. Lakeland at Wisconsin Dells Trn, 5:30; Dec. 21 vs. Ashford vs. Lakeland at Wisconsin Dells Trn,, 3; Jan 2 at Muskingum, 7:30; Jan. 5 at Wilmington, 3; Jan 9 vs. Baldwin-Wallace, 7:30; Jan 12 vs. Marietta, 3; Jan. 16 at Otterbein, 7:30; Jan 19 at Ohio Northern, 3; Jan. 23 vs. Mount Union, 7:30; Jan 26 vs. Muskingum 3; Jan 30 at Heidelberg, 7:30; Feb 2 vs. Capital, 3; Feb 6 at Baldwin-Wallace, 7:30; Feb. 9 vs. Wilmington, 3; Feb 13 vs. Otterbein, 7:30; Feb 16 at Marietta, 3.

UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION/PRESIDENTS ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

CASE WESTERN RESERVE

Head coach: Jennifer Reimer (64-61, 6th year at CWRU; 221-163, 17th year overall)

Key returnees: Evy Iacono (12.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.7 apg), Erica Iafelice (5.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.1 spg), Marissa Miles (3.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg), Emily Mueller (4.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.7 bpg)

Backcourt: Iafelice (Hoover) at point guard and Iacono at the two have started all three seasons in their careers. Iafelice was All-University Athletic Association last season, while Iacono is a two-time All-UAA honoree. Sophomores Amanda Germer (1.4 ppg), Brooke Orcutt (5.0 ppg) and Rachel Beaty (3.2 ppg) all saw significant time as freshmen and should contribute more this season.

Frontcourt: Miles is a two-year starter on the wing, and Mueller is expected to start at center as a three-year letterwinner. Sophomores Berit Eppard (5.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Erin Reynolds (1.3 ppg) each saw time last season. Freshman Laura Mummey (Hudson) is also expected to compete for significant minutes.

Outlook: The Spartans have to replace the graduated Erin Hollinger (Chardon), but balance, experience and depth are expected to fill the void. CWRU has four winning campaigns in five seasons under Reimer and is expected to feature four seniors in the starting lineup.

Schedule: Nov. 16 Otterbein (neutral), 8; Nov 17 Wesley (neutral), 4; Nov. 20 Baldwin Wallace, 7:30; Nov. 24 at Kenyon, 2; Nov. 25 at Denison, 2; Nov. 28 at John Carroll, 7:30; Dec. 8 at Wooster, 4; Nov. 20 Washington & Jefferson, 6; Dec. 29 at Ohio Wesleyan, 6; Dec. 30 Westminster, Mo. (neutral), 2; Jan. 2 Heidelberg, 6; Jan. 5 at Carnegie Mellon, 4; Jan. 11 at NYU, 6; Jan. 13 at Brandeis, 2; Jan. 18 Emory, 6; Jan. 20 Rochester, 2; Jan. 25 Chicago, 6; Jan. 27 Washington-St. Louis, 10; Feb. 1 at Chicago, 7; Feb. 3 at Washington-St. Louis, 3; Feb. 8 NYU, 6; Feb. 10 Brandeis, 2; Feb. 15 at Emory, 6; Feb. 17 at Rochester, 2; Feb. 23 Carnegie Mellon, 3

NORTH COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

HIRAM COLLEGE

Head coach: Andrea Preston (37-92, sixth year at Hiram)

Key returnees: Calysia Smyers (4.6 ppg.), Chelsea Kovach (7.6 ppg.), Samantha Morford (4.5 ppg.)

Backcourt: Seniors Calysia Smyers (Akron/Coventry) and Chelsea Kovach (Lakewood) will be the leaders of the backcourt this season. Smyers leads all returning players in scoring from a year ago averaging 6.5 ppg. Kovach averaged 6.4 ppg. and was amongst the team leaders in three-point shooting at 36.1 percent. Other key players to watch in 2012-13 include sophomore Kelsey Koskinen (Madison), junior Marisa Thomas (Lorain), sophomore Larissa Davis (Cleveland Heights) and freshman Chrissy Robinson (Franklin).

Frontcourt: Sophomore Samantha Morford (Jefferson) will be the leader up front for the Terriers. As a freshman, she led all forwards in scoring at 4.5 ppg. with a team-best 48.6 shooting percentage. Joining Morford will be senior Brenna Host (Seven Hills/Normandy) who averaged 2.0 ppg. last year. In addition, look for freshman Christy Griffin (Middlefield/Cardinal) to compete for playing time.

Outlook: The Hiram College women's basketball team will return two starters and 12 letterwinners in 2012-13. Hiram ended the 2011-12 season with a 9-17 overall record and qualified for the conference tournament. This year, the women's basketball team was picked to finish seventh in the conference.

Schedule: Nov. 16 vs. Pitt-Greensburg (Pa.) – Bluffton Tourn., 8; Nov. 17 vs. TBA – Bluffton Tournament, TBA; Nov. 24 @ Westminster (Pa.), 2; Nov. 25 @ Thiel (Pa.), 2; Nov. 28 @ Carnegie Mellon (Pa.), 6; Dec. 1 @ Wooster, 2; Dec. 5 Oberlin, 6; Dec. 8 Kenyon, 2; Dec. 12 Heidelberg, 7:30; Dec. 15 @ Bethany (W.Va.), 2; Dec. 29 Marietta, 3; Dec. 30 Penn State-Behrend (Pa.), 3; Jan. 4 @ Wittenberg 5; Jan. 5 @ DePauw, 1; Jan. 9 Wooster, 6; Jan. 12 @ Kenyon, 2; Jan. 16 Ohio Wesleyan, 6; Jan. 23 Allegheny, 6; Jan. 26 @ Denison, 1; Jan. 29 @ Oberlin, 7:30; Feb. 1 Wittenberg, 6; Feb. 6 @ Allegheny (Pa.), 6; Feb. 9 @ Ohio Wesleyan, 2; Feb. 16 Denison, 2.

OBERLIN COLLEGE

Head coach: Kerry Jenkins (24-80, fifth season at Oberlin)

Key returnees: Allison Gannon (13.5 ppg, .460 FG %, 6.3 rpg), Christina Marquette (12.8 ppg, 2.5 apg), Allison Anderson (15.1 ppg, 6.3 apg in '10-11), Malisa Hoak (7.1 ppg, 4.4 apg).

Backcourt: Sophomore guard Christina Marquette takes the court after being named NCAC Newcomer of the Year and D3hoops.com Great Lakes Region Newcomer of the Year in 2011-12. In her first season at Oberlin, Marquette led the team in three-point field goal percentage (.313). Marquette's free throw percentage of .856 was a team high, as well as second best in the conference. Junior point guard Malisa Hoak will also look to build on a breakout season of her own after the native of Toledo, Ohio, finished last year with a NCAC-best 4.4 assist per game average. In addition to assists, Hoak also led Oberlin in steals, averaging 1.8 a game. Rounding out the talented backcourt is Allison Anderson, who is returning to the hardwood after a season-ending injury in 2011-12. The senior from Springfield, Illinois is a former NCAC Newcomer of the Year. In Anderson's sophomore year, her most recent full season of play, she led the conference in steals (2.9 per game), assists (6.9 per game), and minutes played (37.9 per game). Anderson also finished the 2010-11 season with a .346 field goal percentage from beyond the arc.

Frontcourt: The 2012-13 Yeowomen feature junior forward Allison Gannon who finished last season leading Oberlin in points (352), points per game (13.5), and field goal percentage (.460). The Shelburne, Vermont, native had a breakout year in 2011-12 and looks to continue her role in leading the Yeowomen this year. In the paint, senior center Ellen Neumann will look to lead Oberlin's rebounding and post-play. Neumann's defense down low will prove to be essential in the Yeowomen's success in 2012-13. Junior Lillian Jahan looks to support that defensive effort, as well, rotating between the guard and forward positions. Jahan is also expected to contribute on offense coming off of a sophomore season where she averaged 4.5 points and 1.2 assists a game.

Outlook: The Oberlin College women's basketball team enters the upcoming 2012-13 season with a returning cast of seven Yeowomen from last year's team as its looks to make its way into the group of the conference's elite and improve on last season's 6-20 record.

Schedule: Nov. 15 Kalamazoo College 7:00 p.m.; Nov. 17 at Goshen College (Ind.) 3:00 p.m.; Nov. 20 John Carroll University 7:00 pm; Nov. 23 at California Institute of Technology 3:00 p.m. PST/6 p.m. EST; Nov. 24 at Occidental College3:00 p.m. PST/6 p.m. EST; Nov. 27 Bluffton University 7:30 pm; Nov. 29 Otterbein College 7:00 pm; Dec. 1 Wittenberg University 2:00 pm; Dec. 5 at Hiram College 6:00 pm; Dec. 8 Allegheny College 6:00 pm; Dec. 10 Olivet College 7:00 pm; Jan. 2 Adrian College 7:00 pm; Jan. 4 Ohio Wesleyan University 7:30 pm; Jan. 5 at Kenyon College 7:30 pm; Jan. 9 at Allegheny College 6:00 pm; Jan. 16 College of Wooster 7:30 pm; Jan. 19 DePauw University 1:00 pm; Jan. 23 at Denison University 6:00 pm; Jan. 26 at Wittenberg University 1:00 pm; Jan. 19 Hiram College 7:30 pm; Feb. 1 at College of Wooster 7:30 pm; Feb. 2 at Ohio Wesleyan University 5:00 pm; Feb. 6 Kenyon College 6:00 pm; Feb. 9 DePauw University 1:00 pm; Feb. 13 Denison University 6:00 pm.

DIVISION II

GREAT LAKES INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Head coach: Bob Booher (76-106, 8th year at LEC; 205-158 overall in 13 years)

Key returnees: Jackie Murray (2.3 ppg., 38 assists), Sarah Wojciechowski (2.2 ppg., 48.3% 3-pts), Jodie Jindra (3.7 ppg., 3.2 rpg. in 2010-11)

Backcourt: Sophomore Jackie Murray (St. Vincent-St. Mary) moves into the starting role at the point after playing in all 27 games as a freshman. She averaged 2.3 points and tied for third on the team with 38 assists last year and made four starts. She'll likely be joined in the backcourt by freshman Shelby Carpenter, a two-time league player of the year during a stellar four-year career at Miami Valley High School. Senior Sara Wojciechowski (Waterloo) will look to provide an offensive spark off the bench as the team's top three-point shooter. She connected on 48% of her attempts from beyond the arc last year and ranks in LEC's top-10 all time in that category. Freshman Sami Narducci (North Royalton) could also see time along with junior Kiarra Jones (Lutheran East). Out on the perimeter, freshman Karleigh Weichler has emerged as the starter in preseason camp. However, she'll receive plenty of competition for time from junior Chrissy Delaney who scored 4.0 points and grabbed 2.1 rebounds in 12 minutes a game as a sophomore. A couple other first-year players, including Ali Gagne (Cortland Lakeview), Katie McNally (Rocky River) and Skylar Hebert could all see time there along with redshirt junior Chloe Irish (LaGrange), who is healthy after working her way back from injury that cost her most of her first two seasons on campus.

Frontcourt: The Storm got a big boost up front near the end of the summer with the transfer of one of the top rebounders in Division I to Painesville. Senior Ashar Harris averaged 10.1 points and 11.3 rebounds in three seasons at Morehead State (Ky.) and was DI's third-leading rebounder in each of the past two seasons. She enters the year with 920 career points and 1,029 rebounds in her career and has 35 double-doubles at college basketball's top level. Redshirt sophomore Jodie Jindra is back after missing all of last season with a leg injury. She made 12 starts as a freshman and averaged nearly four points a game. 6-1 freshman Kaeding Skelton is also expected to see plenty of time in the post.

Outlook: The Storm's roster looks considerably different than it did a year ago, as eight seniors graduated off of last season's 16-11 (10-9 GLIAC) team that qualified for the GLIAC Tournament for the first time. Fourteen newcomers, including 13 freshmen, fill out this year's roster. However, the addition of Harris and return of Jindra up front give the Storm a presence down low as the relatively young backcourt and perimeter group matures and gels. Lake Erie opens the season with five straight home games.

Schedule: Nov. 13 Seton Hill 7; Nov. 24 Pitt-Johnstown 1; Nov. 26 Ursuline 7; Nov. 29 Ferris State 8; Dec. 1 Grand Valley State 3; Dec. 9 @ Wayne State 3; Dec. 17 Lake Superior State 8; Dec. 19 Northwood 3; Dec. 30 @ Cleveland State (Exh) 2; Jan. 3 @ Michigan Tech 7:30; Jan. 5 @ Northern Michigan 3; Jan. 10 @ Malone 8; Jan. 12 @ Walsh 3; Jan. 17 Hillsdale 8; Jan. 19 Findlay 3; Jan. 24 at Tiffin 8; Jan. 26 at Ohio Dominican 3; Feb. 2 at Ashland 3; Feb. 7 Malone 8; Feb. 9 Walsh 7; Feb. 14 at Hillsdale 8; Feb. 16 at Findlay 3; Feb. 21 Tiffin 8; Feb. 23 Ohio Dominican 3; Feb. 27 Notre Dame (Ohio) 7; March 2 Ashland 3

MALONE

Head coach: Jason Mishler (12-15, second year at Malone)

Key returnees: Lindsy Snyder (13.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg), Sydnee Penn (9.9 ppg, 64 assists), Selana Reale (7.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg).

Backcourt: Junior Sydnee Penn and freshman Selana Reale all started and saw significant minutes in the Pioneers backcourt. Myers was second on the team in scoring averaging 13.1 ppg, Penn was third in scoring at 9.9 ppg while leading the team with 64 assists and Reale was the most dangerous three-point threat, hitting 37% of the time from behind the three-point line. Add sophomore Division I transfer Logan Pastor, who played in 29 games as a freshman at Bowling Green, to the mix and you get a very dynamic, formidable group. Mishler also expects senior Trisha Seilhamer, who battled a broken hand last season, to play a key role in many areas as well as senior Cindy Netti. A quartet of freshmen in Audrey Myers, Chandler Burch, Leslie Raifsnider and Emily Marsh will provide Mishler with incredible depth at the guard position.

Frontcourt: Sophomore Lindsy Snyder will lead the Pioneer frontcourt after being named 1st Team All-OIC and All-NCCAA East Region as a freshman. She led the team in scoring and rebounding a year ago at 13.8 ppg and 9.0 rpg. Joining Snyder in the paint will be junior transfer from Clark Community College Deborah Simmers, sophomores Sarah Bardall and Alyssa Brandon and freshman Tara Schaffter. Like Snyder did at Malone, Simmers led Clark Community College in scoring and rebounding, averaging 18.1 ppg and 6.9 rpg. Bardall and Brandon saw time in all 27 games as freshmen and Mishler is expecting big things from Schaffter.

Outlook: The Pioneers' 12-15 record last season was a big improvement from the previous year's 8-22 mark. The program appears to be on the upswing and the addition of transfers Logan Pastor and Deborah Simmers should only help this year. Competition will be more difficult as they enter their first year in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) but this is probably the best team Malone has fielded in quite some time. The Pioneers were selected to finish 7th in the 8th team South Division by the GLIAC coaches in the preseason poll.

Schedule: Nov. 10 @ Ursuline, 2; Nov. 17 @ Saint Joseph's (IN), 2; Nov. 20 Akron Wayne, 8; Nov. 29 Michigan Tech, 8; Dec. 1 Northern Michigan, 3; Dec. 6 @ Lake Superior State (MI), 7:30; Dec. 8 @ Northwood (MI), 3; Dec. 15 Saginaw Valley State (MI), 3 Dec. 19 Wayne State (MI), 8; Dec. 28 Grove City (PA)-@ Quicken Loans Arena, 2:30; Jan. 3 @ Ferris State (MI), 8; Jan. 5 @ Grand Valley State (MI), 3; Jan. 10 Lake Erie, 8; Jan. 12 Ashland, 3; Jan. 17 @ Tiffin, 8; Jan. 19 @ Ohio Dominican, 3; Jan. 24 Hillsdale, 8; Jan. 26 @ Findlay, 4; Feb. 2 Walsh, 3; Feb. 7 @ Lake Erie, 8; Feb. 9 @ Ashland, 3; Feb. 14 Tiffin, 8; Feb.16 Ohio Dominican, 3; Feb. 21 @ Hillsdale, 8; Feb. 23 Findlay, 3; Mar. 2 @ Walsh, 3

NOTRE DAME COLLEGE

Head coach: Katie Hine (16-14, second year at NDC, 40-46 overall in four years)

Key returnees: Danielle Ledrich (10.4 ppg, 91.7% FT), Lauren Macer (10.3 ppg).

Backcourt: Senior Lauren Macer (Twinsburg) returns for her fourth season at Notre Dame, and is the veteran in a diverse, if untested, backcourt. The versatile guard averaged 2.3 steals per game while notching double figures in points 15 times year ago. She will be counted on to provide leadership and an all-around presence at both ends of the floor. Fellow senior Jacki Harrison played just eight games a year ago, but she'll likely see more minutes in the NDC backcourt rotation. Junior Danielle Ledrich can score from the outside and at the free-throw line, where she went 44-of-48 (91.7 percent) last year. Courtney Clark (Brecksville) is a junior guard who has been a steady performer from beyond the 3-point arc; Celine Mangan (Cleveland) was a standout at St. Joseph Academy, and she'll likely be in the mix as well.

Frontcourt: Erin Entinghe (Avon) is a 6-foot-1 source of veteran minutes in the post. She's a junior and is the elder statesman of an otherwise-young core of talented frontcourt players brought in by second-year Head Coach Katie Hine. Sophomore Molly Ritz is an agile and aggressive defender who averaged 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest in 2011-12. She and Entinghe will likely be joined by freshmen Harley Adler and Lexi Hassing (Brook Park).

Outlook: The Falcons went 9-2 over their last 11 games in 2011-12, with an up-tempo offense and a ball-hawking defense built to create turnovers. That surge lifter NDC to a 16-12 overall record. The 2012-13 season marks the program's first as a full-fledged member of NCAA Division II. The Falcons will play an independent schedule this season.

Schedule: Nov. 9 @ Ohio Dominican L; Nov. 12 @ Le Moyne (N.Y.), L; Nov. 17 Clarion (Pa.), 2; Nov. 19 @ Ohio Valley (W. Va.), 6; Nov. 21 Findlay, 6; Nov. 24 @ Southern Indiana, TBA; Nov. 25 vs. Bellarmine (Ky.), TBA; Nov. 28 @ Lock Haven (Pa.), 5; Dec. 1 Wilberforce, 1; Dec. 5 Gannon (Pa.), 5:30; Dec. 19 @ Walsh, 5:30; Dec. 29 @ Seton Hill (Pa.), 2; Jan. 5 @ Trevecca (Tenn.), 2; Jan. 8 @ Central State, TBA; Jan. 9 @ Wilberforce, 6; Jan. 12 West Virginia Tech., 2; Jan. 19 @ Cedarville, 2; Jan. 26 Urbana, 2; Jan. 31 @ Salem (W. Va.); Feb. 2 @ West Virginia Tech, 2; Feb. 9 Central State, 2; Feb. 14 Salem, 6:30; Feb. 19 @ Urbana, 7; Feb. 23 Cedarville, 2; Feb. 27 @ Lake Erie, 7; March 2 Trevecca, 2.

URSULINE

Head coach: Shannon Sword (0-0, first year as a head coach at any NCAA level)

Key returnees: Katie Cappello (15.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg), Laura Campbell (14.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Brianna Woods (4.6 ppg, 5.5 apg)

Backcourt: Sophomore point guard Brianna Woods is back to handle the point guard duties. Last season, she showed a knack for finding teammates and already ranks eighth in program history in career assists after just one season. If she repeats her performance from last season (133 assists), she would move into second on the Ursuline all-time assists list with two full years of eligibility still remaining. Junior Katie Cappello (GlenOak) had an all-everything year in 2011-12 and scored 425 points, the third most in a single-season in program history. She led the team in scoring and rebounding while shooting 50.3% from the field.

Frontcourt: The frontcourt is senior-laden with Laura Campbell and Dee Erazo leading the charge. Campbell is a prolific scorer and can draw defenders away from the basket as she shot almost 33 percent from three-point range last season. Erazo averaged just over 12 minutes per game last year but will begin her final season as a starter. Junior Natalie Cook (Norton) was second on the 2011-12 team in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and will crash the boards hard.

Outlook: After the Arrows finished 6-21 a season ago, an entirely new coaching staff was brought in. Aside from Sword, former Toledo standout Jessica Williams and Jackie Thiel, an all-conference selection at Alaska-Anchorage, have come to Pepper Pike to serve as assistant coaches. Ursuline has a tough schedule and will play six of its first seven games on the road. Despite the offseason changes, UC returns 10 letter winners from the 2011-12 team and adds talented freshmen Andrea Hubbard (St. Vincent-St. Mary) and Autumn Jones to the mix.

Schedule: Nov. 10 Malone, 2; Nov. 14 at Findlay 5:30; Nov. 17 at Walsh, 1; Nov. 21 at Gannon, 7; Nov. 26 at Lake Erie, 7; Nov. 28 at Indiana University-Pennsylvania, 7; Dec. 4 at Ohio Valley, 6; Dec. 8 Carlow, 2; Dec. 15 Clarion, 2; Dec. 19 Ohio Valley, 6; Dec. 29 at Saint Leo, 4; Dec. 30 vs. Shorter at Saint Leo (Fla.) Classic, 2; Jan. 8 at Urbana, 7; Jan. 15 Cedarville, 6; Jan. 19 Trevecca Nazarene, 2; Jan. 23 at Salem International, 6; Jan. 26 at Trevecca Nazarene, 2; Jan. 31 at Wilberforce, 5; Feb. 5 Central State, 6; Feb. 9 Urbana, 2; Feb. 12 at Carlow, 7:30; Feb. 16 at Cedarville, 5:30; Feb. 21 Salem International, 6; Feb. 23 at Central State, 2; Feb. 27 Ohio Dominican, 6.

WALSH

Head coach: Laurel Wartluft (105-80, 7th at Walsh) (333-312, 24th yr overall)

Key returnees: Maggie Berry (6-0, Jr., St. Joseph's) 6.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 64 a, 42 st., Tara Gallupe (6-0, Jr.) 5.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, .571 FG %, .635 FT %, Tracy Payne, G, 5-4, Sr., Danville, OH/HS) 11.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, .783 FT %,43 a, 42 st., 2nd-team All-AMC, OIC

Backcourt: Tracy Payne (Danville) is Walsh's lone senior and will start at the two-guard. She led the Cavs in scoring (11.3) last year and is a leader. The point guard will be either sophomore Audrey Badovick or Shawnee State transfer Kassidy Hardgrove (Minerva). Badovick lettered in a reserve role last year, but has shown promise in the preseason. Hardgrove has a years' experience under her belt on the collegiate level and has also played well. Also look for freshman guard Lydia Corle (Green) to see plenty of action, along with sophomore Alyssa Jones (Louisville).

Front Court: Juniors Maggie Berry and Tara Gallupe bring a lot to the table upfront. Berry is a scoring threat from three-point, while also being a fine shot blocker. Gallupe may be the best inside scorer and rebounder. Freshman Victoria Harris will also challenge for a starting spot. She is athletic and can also score and rebound.

Outlook: Walsh finished 14-17 overall and 10-4 in their final year in the American Mideast Conference. Walsh is in provisional year three in the NCAA ll membership process and in their first year in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Cavs are not eligible for post season play this year. Laurel Wartluft returns seven letter winners and two starters from last year. The Cavs have plenty of new faces to mix in with the veterans. Walsh knows the transition from the NAIA to NCAA ll is a challenge, but Wartluft expects the Cavs to be competitive.

Schedule: Nov. 1 at Cleveland State (EXH) 7; Nov. 13 OHIO MID-WESTERN 7; , Nov. 17 URSULINE 1; Nov. 29 NORTHERN MICHIGAN 8; Dec. 1 MICHIGAN TECH 3; Dec. 6 at Northwood 8; Dec. 8 at Lake Superior 3; Dec. 17 SAGINAW VALLEY 7;, Dec. 19 NOTRE DAME 1; Dec. 29 GANNON 1;, Jan. 3 at Grand Valley 8; Jan. 5 at Ferris State 3; Jan. 10 ASHLAND 8; Jan. 12 LAKE ERIE 3; Jan. 17 at Ohio Dominican 7:30; Jan. 19 TIFFIN 3; Jan. 24 FINDLAY 8; Jan. 26 at Hillsdale 3; Feb. 2 at Malone 3; Feb. 7 Ashland 7:30; Feb. 9 at Lake Erie 3; Feb. 14 OHIO DOMINICAN 8; Feb. 16 at Tiffin 3; Feb. 21 at Findlay 8; Feb. 23 HILLSDALE 3; Feb. 27 WAYNE STATE 8; Mar. 2 MALONE 3

- Compiled by the colleges' sports-information departments.

Plain Dealer Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed preview the Browns game Sunday against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Colesium. Watch video

Highlights include the Mid-American Conference football championship game -- Kent State vs. Northern Illinois, with a possible BCS bowl game at stake.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV and radio sports listings

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

7 p.m. MAC championship, KENT STATE vs. Northern Illinois (in Detroit), ESPN2; AM/640, FM/92.3

8 p.m. Pac-12 championship, UCLA vs. Stanford, WJW

GOLF

9:30 a.m. Nedbank Challenge (tape), Golf Channel

3 p.m. World Challenge, Golf Channel

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

11 a.m. D-VI final, Newark Catholic vs. Marion Local, SportsTime Ohio

3 p.m. D-IV final, St. Clairsville vs. Clinton-Massie, SportsTime Ohio

7 p.m. D-II final, Toledo C.C. vs. Trotwood-Madison, SportsTime Ohio

10:30 p.m. Centennial (Calif.) at Vista Murrieta (Calif.), Fox Sports Ohio

MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

6:30 p.m. Tennessee at Georgetown, ESPN

7 p.m. Georgia at South Florida, ESPNU

8:30 p.m. Syracuse at Arkansas, ESPN

9 p.m. DePaul at Auburn, ESPNU

HOCKEY

7:30 p.m. AHL, San Antonio at LAKE ERIE MONSTERS, AM/1220

7:30 p.m. NCAA, Boston College at Boston U., NBCSN

8 p.m. NCAA, OHIO STATE at Michigan State, Big Ten Network

8 p.m. NCAA, Vermont at Maine, CBSSN

10 p.m. NCAA, Wisconsin at Denver, NBCSN

NBA

7:30 p.m. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS at Atlanta, Fox Sports Ohio; AM/1100

10:30 p.m. Denver at L.A. Lakers, ESPN

Previewing Cleveland-area Division II and III men's college basketball teams.

Coach Mike Moran and his up-tempo Blue Streaks will try to run to the top of the OAC this season. PD file

DIVISION III

OHIO ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

JOHN CARROLL

Head coach: Mike Moran (366-186 -- 21st season)

Key returnees: G Ryan Angers (3.2 ppg, 1.6 apg), F Kyle Hubbard (8.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg), C Kenny Janz (3.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, .667 FG%), F Regan Sweeney (1.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg)

Backcourt: Gone is 2012 OAC Player of the Year Corey Shontz, and he is just the tip of the iceberg. Also gone are 1,000-point scorer Joe Meyer and three-point sharpshooter Michael Hartnett. Only point guard Ryan Angers returns in what will be a completely rebuilt unit

Frontcourt: The strength of the team will be in the post as Kenny Janz and Kyle Hubbard give John Carroll a potent 1-2 punch. Hubbard is the most accomplished scoring threat on the roster and is also a solid free throw shooter (career 79 percent). Janz made two out of every three shots he took last year and also blocked 23 shots. Small forwards Regan Sweeney and David Hendrickson give the Blue Streaks options as Sweeney attacks the rim while Hendrickson is the top three-point shooter back from a year ago.

Outlook: Mike Moran has rebuilt before, and he will be rebuilding again this year with only seven players back from last year's roster. With over 350 wins and ten league titles in his 20 previous seasons, his rebuilding projects do not tend to take long. A strong recruiting class featuring plenty of local talent will help offset some of the graduation losses (eight seniors departed from last year's 18-7 team that shared the OAC regular season title). John Carroll may hit some bumps in the road early, but will look to peak by February.

Schedule: Nov.16 vs. Grove City at Behrend Tip-Off Tournament, 6; Nov. 17 Behrend Tip-Off Tournament vs. TBD, 1 or 3; Nov. 24 vs. Birmingham Southern at CNU/Point Plaza Invitational, 2; Nov.25 CNU/Point Plaza Invitational vs. TBD 2 or 4; Dec. 1 at Heidelberg, 3; Dec. 5 vs. Mount Union, 7; Dec. 8 at Ohio Northern, 3; Dec. 15 vs. Capital, 2; Dec. 22 vs. Muskingum, 2; Dec. 28 vs. College of Wooster at Kiwanis Classic, 2; Dec. 29 vs. Geneva at Kiwanis Classic, 2; Jan. 5 vs. Wilmington, 2; Jan. 9 at Baldwin-Wallace, 7:30; Jan.12 at Marietta, 3; Jan. 16 vs. Otterbein, 7; Jan. 19 vs. Ohio Northern, 2; Jan. 23 at Mount Union, 7:30; Jan. 26 at Muskingum, 3; Jan. 30 vs. Heidelberg, 7; Feb. 2 at Capital, 2; Feb. 6 vs. Baldwin-Wallace, 7; Feb. 9 at Wilmington, 3; Feb. 13 at Otterbein, 7:30; Feb. 16 vs. Marietta, 2.

BALDWIN WALLACE

Head coach: Duane Sheldon (112-148 overall, 47-55, 5th year at BW)

Key returnees: Kyle Payne (14.2 ppg., 5.3 rpg.), Kevin Krakowiak (14.0 ppg., 45 three-pointers), Ben Umbel (7.5 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 96 assists, 60 steals), Jaron Crowe (6.3 ppg., 65 assists, 26 treys), Tyler Ferrell (6.9 ppg., 4.5 rpg.), Grant Fairhurst (7.4 ppg., 53 three-pointers), Chris Ameen (7.0 ppg., 4.2 rpg.), Aaron Selmek (4.8 ppg., 3.2 rpg.)

Backcourt: Look for 6'3" Umbel, an Academic All-OAC pick a year ago, and Crowe (Mentor) to start in the backcourt with 6'5" Krakowiak (Holy Name), an All-OAC choice, to start at the wing/ small forward. Junior 6'3" transfer Justin Roth (Parma Senior) will see action at the point with Fairhurst subbing for Krakowiak at shooting guard. Junior Brandon Schmidt (Wellington) and 6'7" junior Skyler Simpson can back up at the small forward.

Frontcourt: Payne, the OAC Freshman of the Year in 2011, stands 6'6" and returns as a 2-time All-OAC player. Ferrell, his high school teammate at Brunswick, stands 6'7" and joined Payne in the starting lineup last year as a transfer. At 6'6" Ameen (Walsh Jesuit), who started as a freshman and is a two-time Academic All-OAC player, is joined by the 6'8" Selmek and 6'5" senior Sean Rothermel to give BW strength and depth.

Outlook: The Yellow Jackets were picked by the OAC Coaches to finish second this season. Sheldon has the depth both in the back and frontcourt to make a run at the OAC regular season title. A total of 12 lettermen return and the addition of Roth will make an even bigger difference. BW finished fifth in the OAC last season but beat each of the top four teams. The Jackets open the scheduled at home against defending PAC champ Bethany (W.Va.) and then play defending NCAC champ Wooster.

Schedule: Nov. 17 BETHANY (W.Va.), 3; Nov. 20 WOOSTER, 7:30; Nov. 24 ALLEGHENY (Pa.), 7; Nov. 28 at Case, 7:30; Dec. 1 at Alma (Mich.), 5; Dec. 5 OHIO NORTHERN, 7:30; Dec. 8 at Capital, 2; Dec. 15 at Wilmington, 3; Dec. 17 OLIVET (Mich.), 7:30; Dec. 20 MOUNT UNION, 7:30; Dec. 29 at Kings (Pa.), 1; Jan. 2 at Otterbein, 7:30; Jan. 5 MARIETTA, 3; Jan. 9 JOHN CARROLL, 7:30; Jan. 12 at Muskingum, 3; Jan. 16 at Heidelberg, 7:30; Jan. 19 CAPITAL, 4; Jan. 23 at Ohio Northern, 7:30; Jan. 26 OTTERBEIN, 3; Jan. 30 at Mount Union, 7:30; Feb. 2 WILMINGTON, 3; Feb. 6 at John Carroll, 7:30; Febv. 9 at Marietta, 3; Feb. 13 HEIDELBERG, 7:30; Feb. 16 MUSKINGUM, 4

UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION/PRESIDENTS ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

CASE WESTERN RESERVE

Head coach: Sean McDonnell (75-150, 10th year at CWRU)

Key returnees: Austin Fowler (15.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg), David Thompson (11.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.6 bpg), Julien Person (7.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 10 bpg), Jordan Dean (6.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Dane McLoughlin (10.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 40 3-pt)

Backcourt: Dean at point guard and Person at the two each started all 25 games as freshmen. Dean was named University Athletic Association Rookie of the Year. Junior guard Tim Chung is also back after missing all of last season. Chung averaged 8.0 ppg with 48 three-pointers as a freshman in 2010-11. Sophomore Ken Gibbons (2.3 ppg, 1.4 apg) adds depth.

Frontcourt: Fowler, the team captain, starts on the wing as a two-time All-UAA selection. Fowler has 810 points and 353 rebounds in just two seasons at CWRU. The 6'9" Thompson anchors the frontcourt and ranked third in the UAA in both rebounding and blocks as a sophomore. McLoughlin, one of the UAA's top rookie scorers last winter, is expected to move into the starting lineup. Sophomores Brian Klements (Willoughby South) and Connor Edel (Revere) each bring size and athleticism in the post and are expected to contribute this season.

Outlook: A year after fielding one of the youngest lineups in the nation, the Spartans hope their experience and depth will lead to a significant improvement in the UAA Standings and a shot at the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.

Schedule: Nov. 16 Bluffton, 8; Nov. 17 Stephanie Tubbs Jones Memorial Tournament Championship/Consolation Game; Nov. 20 at Denison, 7; Nov. 25 at Kenyon, 4; Nov. 28 Baldwin Wallace, 7:30; Dec. 1 at Oberlin, 4; Dec. 5 Allegheny, 7; Dec. 9 at Kalamazoo, 2; Dec. 21 Hiram, 6; Dec. 28 Alma, 8; Dec. 29 Albion, 6; Jan. 5 at Carnegie Mellon, 6; Jan. 11 at NYU, 8; Jan. 13 at Brandeis, 12; Jan. 18 Emory, 8; Jan. 20 Rochester, 12; Jan. 25 Chicago, 8; Jan. 27 Washington-St. Louis, 11; Feb. 1 at Chicago, 9; Feb. 3 at Washington-St. Louis, 1; Feb. 8 NYU, 8; Feb. 10 Brandeis, 12; Feb. 15 at Emory, 8; Feb. 17 at Rochester, 12; Feb. 23 Carnegie Mellon, 5

NORTH COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

HIRAM

Head coach: Steve Fleming (71-85, 7th year at Hiram)

Key returnees: Aaron Stefanov (14.0 ppg.), Alan Sheppard (12.5 ppg.), Justin Wisniewski (128 assists)

Backcourt: Junior guard Aaron Stefanov (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) and senior Alan Sheppard (Wadsworth) will be two of the main players in the backcourt this season. Stefanov led all returning players last season in scoring averaging 14.0 ppg. while shooting 41.8 percent overall from the floor. He was the top three-point threat leading the team in triples made (74) and attempts (186). Sheppard averaged 12.5 ppg. last winter and was amongst the team leaders in field goal percentage (43.6 %) and free-throw percentage (89.1 %). Also expected to make an impact will be senior Justin Wisnewski (Macedonia/Nordonia). Wisniewski led the team in assists a year ago (128) and was the Division III Statistical Champion in turnover-to-assist ratio (4.27).

Frontcourt: Senior Steve Zivoder (Garrettsville/Garfield), a 6'6" forward, will be the returning "big man" with the most playing experience from last season's team. He averaged 3.8 ppg. and 2.7 rpg. alternating between a starter and backup role. Junior 6'8" forward Chris Zurowski (Medina) and senior 6'6" forward Justin Lonis (Mentor/Perrysburg) should also see increased playing time. Also expect 6'5" freshman Riley Moore (Grafton/Midview) and 6'5" freshman Emmanuel Noya (Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit) to compete for playing time.

Outlook: The 2012-13 Hiram College men's basketball team will feature a roster that has experience and a balance of veterans and youth as the Terriers look to rebuild after the loss of standout Jamaal Watkins who graduated last spring. Hiram posted a 14-12 record in 2011-12 and qualified for its ninth appearance in the NCAC Tournament. This winter, the Terriers were picked to finish eighth in the conference.

Schedule: Nov. 24 Mount Union, 3; Nov. 28 @ Denison, 8; Dec. 1 @ Notre Dame (Ohio), 4; Dec. 5 Oberlin, 8; Dec. 8 @ Youngstown State, 7; Dec. 15 Waynesburg (Pa.), 3; Dec. 17 Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 7:30; Dec. 19 Westminster (Pa.), 7:30; Dec. 21 @ Case, 6; Dec. 28 @ D3hoops.com Classic vs. Hendrix (Ark.), 9; Dec. 29 @ D3hoops.com Classic vs. Ramapo (N.J.), 11; Jan. 4 @ Wabash (Ind.), 8; Jan. 7 @ DePauw (Ind.), 3; Jan. 9 Wooster, 8; Jan. 12 Kenyon, 4; Jan. 16 Ohio Wesleyan, 8; Jan. 19 @ Wittenberg, 4; Jan. 23 Allegheny (Pa.), 8; Jan. 26 @ Wooster, 7:30; Feb. 2 Denison, 4; Feb. 9 @ Ohio Wesleyan, 3; Feb. 13 @ Oberlin, 8; Feb. 16 Wittenberg, 4.

OBERLIN

Head coach: Isaiah Cavaco (30-123, seventh year at Oberlin)

Key returnees: Andrew Fox (13.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg), Geoff Simpson (10.0 ppg, 1.5 apg), Emmanuel Lewis (4.5 ppg, 1.2 apg)

Backcourt: In the backcourt the Yeomen will look to group of players to replace four-year starter Josh Merritt at the point guard position. Junior Emmanuel Lewis, who made 20 starts a season ago, appears to be the frontrunner for the spot as he is the most experienced group of the bunch. The Lambertville, New Jersey, native averaged 4.5 points and added 1.2 assists per contest last winter. Sophomore's Jesse Neugarten and Mile Gueno will also see valuable minutes off of the bench. Neugarten averaged 5.1 points, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game as a rookie. Gueno is regarded as the best scorer out of the trio as he has the ability to come off screens and hit open shots. He played in 24 games and averaged 13 minutes per game as a freshman.

Frontcourt: Lone senior from Tempe, Arizona, Andrew Fox leads the way for the Yeomen. One of the top players in the league, Fox enters the season needing just three points to reach 1,000 for his career. The 6-foot-3 swingman was the only player in the NCAC to average a double-double last season with 13.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. For his efforts he was tabbed as All-NCAC Honorable-Mention selection. Fox is joined by Geoff Simpson at the small forward position. The southpaw from Simsbury, Connecticut, finished third on the team in scoring with 10 points per game in 2011-12. He started 24 of 25 games and scored in double figures 12 times, but if Oberlin is going to make some headway it will need even more from him this season. The man in the middle is slated to be freshman Randy Ollie. The Evanston, Illinois, native brings a much-needed presence to Yeomen's frontcourt. At 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, Ollie should do a good job of controlling the paint while increasing the team's rebounding ability. Fellow rookie Jack Gorland along with sophomore Seth Flatt will also see time inside.

Outlook: The Oberlin College men's basketball team returns just one senior, but this young team is still blessed with talent and experience needed to make a push up the ladder in the North Coast Athletic Conference and improve off of last year's 7-18 record.

Schedule: Nov. 17 at Hanover College 5:00 pm; Nov. 18 at Earlham College 3:00 pm; Nov. 24 at Franciscan College 4:00 pm; Nov. 25 Wooster 7:30 pm; Nov. 28 Kalamazoo College 7:00 pm; Dec. 1 Case Western Reserve University 4:00 pm; Dec. 5 at Hiram College 8:00 pm; Dec. 8 Alma College 3:00 pm; Dec. 10 Denison University 8:00 pm; Dec. 12 Grove City College 7:30 pm; Jan. 3 at Elmira College 3:00 pm; Jan. 7 Wittenberg University 7:30 pm; Jan. 9 at Allegheny College 8:00 pm; Jan. 12 at Yale 2:00 pm; Jan. 16 at Kenyon College 7:30 pm; Jan. 19 DePauw University 3:00 pm; Jan. 20 Wabash College 3:00 pm; Jan. 23 at Denison University 8:00 pm; Jan. 26 at Wittenberg University 3:00 pm; Jan. 30 Allegheny College 7:30 pm; Feb. 2 at Ohio Wesleyan University 3:00 pm; Feb. 6 Kenyon College 8:00 pm; Feb. 9 at DePauw University 3:00 pm; Feb. 13 at Hiram College 8:00 pm; Feb. 16 Wabash College 1:00 pm.

DIVISION II

GREAT LAKES INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

LAKE ERIE

Head coach: Cliff Hunt (100-90, Eighth Season)

Key returnees: Rich Austin (12.2 ppg., 6.2 rpg.), Riley Thomas (10.3 ppg., 2.6apg.), Tom Parker (4.7 ppg., 2.4 apg.)

Backcourt: The Storm backcourt returns a trio of juniors that were key contributors last season. Two-year starter Riley Thomas averaged 10.3 ppg. and 2.6 apg. in 2011-12. He also led the team with 36 three-pointers. Nate Tait averaged 8.9 ppg. as well as 32 steals in his first season for the green and white while Tom Parker averaged 4.7 ppg. and 2.4 apg. Redshirt sophomore Jamil Dudley came off the bench last year to average 7.0 ppg. and pulled of highlight reel dunks The Storm add three incoming freshmen guards-Eric Matheson, A.J. Henson, and Andy Bosley.

Frontcourt: Junior Rich Austin returns to the power forward spot after averaging 12.2 ppg. and 6.2 rpg. last season. He will be joined down low by Simms, who is returning from a season ending injury. Simms averaged 8.0 ppg. and 6.6 rpg. and shot with 50% accuracy as a freshman in the 2010-11 season. The two are joined by senior Jordan Baker, who averaged 3.6 ppg. and 2.0 rpg. last season. Lake Erie also adds three freshmen to the front court in Roy Alexander, Darin Lewis and Steve Walczak.

Outlook: After finishing last season 10-16, the Lake Erie College men look to grow as Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contenders in 2012-13. The Storm return four starters from last year's team, as well as redshirt junior Garrick Simms who missed all last season. Six incoming freshmen will add a youthful energy to the veteran team.

Schedule: Nov. 14 Point Park 7:30 pm; Nov. 20 @ Notre Dame (Ohio) 7:30 pm; Nov. 24 Slippery Rock 3:00 pm; Nov. 29 Ferris State 5:30 pm; Dec. 1 Grand Valley State 1:00 pm; Dec. 9 @ Wayne State (Mich.) 1:00 pm; Dec. 12 @ Salem Int'l 4:00 pm; Dec. 17 Lake Superior State 6:00 pm; Dec. 19 Northwood (Mich.) 1:00 pm; Jan. 3 @ Michigan Tech. 5:30 pm; Jan. 5 @ Northern Mich. 1:00 pm; Jan. 10 @ Malone 1:00 pm; Jan. 12 @ Walsh 1:00 pm; Jan. 17 Hillsdale 6:00 pm; Jan. 19 Findlay 1:00 pm; Jan. 24 @ Tiffin 6:00 pm; Jan. 26 Ohio Dominican 1:00 pm; Jan. 3:0 @ Saginaw Valley 6:00 pm; Feb. 2 @ Ashland 1:00 pm; Feb. 7 Malone 6:00 pm; Feb. 9 Walsh 5:00 pm; Feb. 14 @ Hillsdale 6:00 pm, Feb. 16 @ Findlay 1:00 pm; Feb. 21 Tiffin 6:00 pm; Feb. 23 Ohio Dominican 1:00 pm; March 2 Ashland 1:00 pm.

MALONE

Head coach: Tim Walker (43-44, fourth year at Malone, 154-152 overall in ten years)

Key returnees: Isiah Elliot (13.2 ppg, 4.3 apg), Cory Veldhuizen (13.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg), Che Richardson (9.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

Backcourt: Junior Isiah Elliot is the top returning scorer from a year ago, when he averaged 13.2 ppg and a team-best 4.3 apg. He was named 2nd team All-NCCAA East Region and 2nd team All-OIC (Ohio Independent Championship) for his play but Walker expects even bigger and better things from Elliot in 2012-13. Elliot will be joined in the backcourt by a rotation of guys including sophomore Michael Shull, who gained valuable experience as a freshman, averaging 6.7 ppg and being named to the All-OIC freshman team. Walker will also lean heavily on the experience of seniors Kyle Lodermeier and Josh Miller, coupled with the youth of freshmen Jason Miller, Stephen O'Daniell III and Christian Graves to solidify his backcourt. Che Richardson is a leading candidate to lock down the three position, a position of strength for the Pioneers. The junior guard battled concussions for a large portion of the season last year but still managed to make the All-NCCAA East Region 3rd team after averaging 9.3 ppg and a team leading 5.6 rpg in 21 contests. He will be pushed hard for minutes by junior forwards David Goodwater and junior college transfer from Niagara County Community College, Vince Kazmierczak, both provewn scorers at the collegiate level.

Frontcourt: Senior forward Zach Bates and junior forward Cory Veldhuizen return to solidify the frontcourt. In 23 starts last season, Bates averaged 8.9 ppg to go along with 3.8 rpg. Veldhuizen ranked third on the team in scoring and second on the team in rebounding, averaging 13.0 ppg and 5.2 rpg, joining Richardson on the NCCAA East Region 3rd team. The big man also displayed an ability to stretch the defense, connecting on a team best 42.4% of his attempts from behind the arc. Junior forward Shane Maier brings varsity experience to the forward position as well. The Pioneers will also look to junior Daniel Wise, sophomore Zach Wasson and freshman Brian Stone to increase the team's depth in the post and add toughness to the interior.

Outlook: The Pioneers finished 12-15 last year and now enter their first year as members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in the NCAA Division II after previously competing in the NAIA. The Pioneers showed flashes that they can compete with the GLIAC schools last year, finishing 2-4 against them including a win over the NCAA Divison II #7 ranked Findlay Oilers. Walker will have to find a way to replace leading scorer from last season, Eric Coblentz (17.3 ppg) but are excited about the returning nucleus and a few transfers. Malone was picked to finish 7th out of 8 in the GLIAC's preseason poll.

Schedule: Nov. 10 Cincinnati Clermont, 7:30; Nov. 15 Notre Dame (OH), 7:30; Nov. 19 @ Southern Methodist (Texas-Exhibition), 9; Nov. 21 @ Missouri State, 8:05; Nov. 29 Michigan Tech, 6; Dec. 1 Northern Michigan, 1; Dec. 6 @ Lake Superior State (MI), 5:30; Dec. 8 @ Northwood (MI), 1; Dec. 15 Saginaw Valley State, 1; Dec. 19 Wayne State (MI), 6; Dec. 29 Penn State Greater Allegheny, 1; Jan. 3 @ Ferris State (MI), 6; Jan. 5 @ Grand Valley State (MI), 1; Jan. 10 Lake Erie, 6; Jan. 12 Ashland, 1; Jan. 17 @ Tiffin, 6; Jan. 19 @ Ohio Dominican, 1; Jan. 24 Hillsdale, 6; Jan. 26 @ Findlay, 2; Feb. 2 Walsh, 1; Feb.7 @ Lake Erie, 6; Feb. 9 @ Ashland, 1; Feb. 14 Tiffin, 6; Feb. 16 Ohio Dominican, 1; Feb. 21 @ Hillsdale, 6; Feb. 23 Findlay, 1; Mar. 2 @ Walsh, 1

NOTRE DAME COLLEGE

Head coach: Kevin Bille (126-145, 10th year at NDC, 126-145 overall in 10 years)

Key returnees: Marcquice Taylor (15.2 ppg, 3.5 apg), Eric Dummermuth (21.3 ppg, 11.0 rpg in 2010-11), Lawrence DeArmond (10.5 ppg, 69.4% FG).

Backcourt: Last year's leading scorer, Marcquice Taylor returns for his sophomore season, and is expected to start at one guard spot. Taylor had an incredible freshman campaign, with 15.2 ppg, and was the team leader in assists with 3.5 apg. The Falcons expect big things from Tyree Gaiter (Cleveland Heights), who is expected to be the starting point guard for NDC. Despite missing the final six weeks of his senior season, Gaiter was a First Team All-Lake Erie League selection and Third Team AP All-Ohio honoree after averaging 19.1 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.8 rpg and 3.8 spg. Sophomore swingman Lawrence DeArmond burst onto the scene in the second half of last season. DeArmond played in the final 11 games of the season, and averaged 10.5 ppg, and shot 69.4% from the floor.

Frontcourt: Two time NAIA All American Eric Dummermuth (Dover) returns to College Road for his senior season, after missing all but three games due to injury a season ago. Dummermuth, the school's all time leading rebounder, entered the season needing 374 points to become the all time leading scorer in NDC history. Over his career, he's averaged 20.0 ppg, and 10.3 rpg. Nate Ensz, like Dummermuth was limited last season due to injuries. The 6-foot-8 Goessel, Kansas, native, still played in 20 games, and averaged 7.6 ppg, and 5.4 rpg, while redirecting 28 shots along the way. One of the many new faces on the squad will be junior Geovonte Rose, a transfer from Mercyhurst Northeast JC. Rose, a Cleveland native, played locally at James F. Rhodes High School. In his final season with the Rams, Rose averaged 17.0 ppg, 2.5 bpg, 2.0 apg, 11.0 rpg and was named a Senate League All Star for the third time.

Outlook: The Falcons went 10-17 last season, and endured a number of injuries along the way. This season, the Falcons will have a number of new faces, but will also return a strong core of sophomores who contributed a great deal last year. The 2012-13 season marks the program's first as a full-fledged member of NCAA Division II. The Falcons will play an independent schedule this season, highlighted by a pair of match-ups against D-I opponents (Dec. 19 @ Cleveland State and Dec. 28 @ Buffalo).

Schedule: Nov. 9 Westminster (Pa.) W; Nov. 14 @ Malone, 7:30; Nov. 20 Lake Erie, 7; Nov. 26 @ Findlay 7:30; Dec. 1 Hiram, 4; Dec. 5 Mercyhurst (Pa.) 7:30; Dec. 8 @ Southern Indiana; Dec. 14 @ Gannon Tourney (Pa.), TBA; Dec. 15 @ Gannon Tourney (Pa.), TBA; Dec. 19 @ Cleveland State, 7; Dec. 28 @ Buffalo, 7; Dec.30 @ Mercyhurst, 3; Jan. 5 @ Trevecca (Tenn.), 3; Jan. 9 Salem International (W.Va.), 7; Jan. 12 Ohio Midwestern, 4; Jan. 17 @ Central State, 7; Jan. 19 @ Cedarville, 4; Jan. 22 Tiffin, 7; Jan. 26 @ Washington Adventist (D.C.), 7; Jan. 30 @ Urbana, 3; Feb. 6 Central State, 7; Feb. 13 Washington Adventist, 7; Feb. 16 @ Salem International, 3; Feb. 20 Urbana, 7; Feb. 23 Cedarville, 4; Feb. 27 @ Ohio Dominican, 7:30; March 2 Trevecca, 4.

WALSH

Head coach: Jeff Young (224-44, 9th year). Young has highest winning percentage (.836) of all active NCAA coaches.

Key returnees: Rian Burrell (13.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg,), Brad DuPont (9.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg.; HM All-AMC), Kenny Kornowski (18.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg), Ryan Vanderhorst (7.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg.), Jeff Copeland (5.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg.; AMC All-Freshman Team)

Backcourt: Starter Brad DuPont (Jr., Canton Jackson) returns at the point where he led the team in assists with 7.5 per game and 80 steals and averaged 9.2 points and 4.7 rebounds. Davonte Beard (So., Akron SVSM), a Division I transfer from Siena College (N.Y.), is expected to start at shooting guard. Beard played in 10 games at Siena and transferred after the first semester. Rian Burrell will start at small forward, but could easily slip into the backcourt. He averaged 13.9 ppg. as a freshman. Freshman Jesse Hardin (Warren Harding) will spell DuPont. Ryan Vanderhorst is a three-point threat who averaged 7.0 ppg. off the bench and shot 46% from behind the arc.

Frontcourt: Walsh has to replace 1,000-point scorers Ron Kinney and L.J. Sutton on the inside with 6'9" senior Kenny Kornowski (Smithville), who averaged 18.4 ppg. and 8.8 rpg. and shot 57% from the field when he was shelved with a knee injury after only 12 games. He is fully recovered from knee surgery and ready to pick up where he left off in 2011. Junior Hrvoje Vucic, at 7-1, a transfer from Valparaiso, is the tallest player in Walsh program history. He should strengthen the team's front line. Midland Texas CC transfer Jordan Walker is slated to see plenty of action. A 6-6 slasher, Walker, will see time as a starter and off the bench.

Outlook: Walsh finished 26-5 overall and 10-2 in their final year in the American Mideast Conference. Walsh is in provisional year three in the NCAA ll membership process and in their first year in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Cavs are not eligible for post season play this year. Jeff Young returns seven letter winners and three starters from last year, and has added two NCAA l transfers. The Cavs won eight straight AMC championships to close their association with the AMC and made seven straight NAIA National Tournament appearances, winning a national championship (2005) and finishing as runners-up (2010). Walsh knows the transition from the NAIA to NCAA ll is a challenge, but Young feels the Cavs are putting the pieces together to be competitive. Walsh enjoyed an impressive record of 11-1 at home last season. The team has won 59 of its last 60 at home.

Schedule: Nov. 12 ALLEGHENY 7; Nov. 20WILBERFORCE 7; Nov. 26 AKRON-WAYNE 7; Nov. 29 NORTHERN MICHIGAN 6; Dec. 1 MICHIGAN TECH 1; Dec. 6 at Northwood 6; Dec. 8 at Lake Superior 1; Dec. 17 SAGINAW VALLEY 6; Dec. 29 OHIO MID-WESTERN 4; Jan. 3 at Grand Valley 6; Jan. 5 at Ferris State 1; Jan. 10 ASHLAND 6; Jan. 12 LAKE ERIE 1; Jan. 17 at Ohio Dominican 5:30; Jan. 19 TIFFIN 1; Jan. 24 FINDLAY 6; Jan. 26 at Hillsdale 1; Feb. 2 at Malone 1; Feb. 7 Ashland 5:30; Feb. 9 at Lake Erie 5; Feb. 14 OHIO DOMINICAN 6; Feb. 16 at Tiffin 1; Feb. 21 at Findlay 6; Feb. 23 HILLSDALE 1; Feb. 27 WAYNE STATE 6; Mar. 2 MALONE 1

- Compiled by the colleges' sports-information departments.

The big game is Alabama vs. Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, with the winner going on to the BCS Championship Game to face Notre Dame.

Quarterback Aaron Murray and the Georgia Bulldogs stand in the way of Alabama's pursuit of a second straight national championship. John Bazemore, AP file photo

Today

No. 17 UCLA vs. No. 8 Stanford

What: Pac-12 Championship.

Kickoff: 8 p.m. at Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, Calif.

TV: WJW Channel 8.

Notable: UCLA is 9-3, 6-3 Pac-12. Stanford is 10-2, 8-1. Everything both programs have worked for all year is at stake: the Pac-12 championship and a spot in the Rose Bowl. The loser will likely land in the Alamo Bowl, as No. 6 Oregon (11-1, 8-1) -- with its only loss coming against North Division rival Stanford -- is expected to take the conference's other BCS spot. Watch UCLA's run offense against Stanford's run defense. Stanford leads the nation is rushing defense (71.3 yards), sacks (4.4) and tackles for loss (9.2) per game. The Cardinal held Doak Walker Award finalist and UCLA's career rushing leader, Johnathan Franklin, to 73 rushing yards in a 35-17 victory against the Bruins in the regular-season finale last week. Stanford and UCLA are the first opponents in major college football to play a regular-season finale and conference title game in consecutive weeks.

Saturday

Georgia Tech vs. No. 13 Florida State

What: Atlantic Coast Conference Championship.

Kickoff: 8 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.

TV: ESPN.

Notable: Tech is 6-6, 5-3 ACC. FSU is 10-2, 7-1 and is favored by 14 points. Georgia Tech qualified after Miami officials decided to skip the game in anticipation of NCAA sanctions. Florida State DE Bjoern Werner is a Nagurski Award finalist who wreaked havoc on opposing offensive linemen all season and was the top vote-getter on the ACC's all-conference defensive unit. Werner has 13 sacks and seven deflected passes, despite having frequently been double-teamed during the season. His ability to stop the run will be tested.

No. 14 Nebraska vs. Wisconsin

What: Big Ten Championship.

Kickoff: 8:17 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis.

TV: WJW Channel 8.

Notable: Nebraska is 10-2, 7-1 Big Ten. Wisconsin, the "home team," is 7-5, 4-4. Legends Division champion Nebraska, which won the teams' September meeting, 30-27, is playing for its first conference title since winning the Big 12 in 1999 and its first BCS bid since playing for the 2001 national championship in the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin gets to play for a third straight Big Ten championship by default since the teams ahead of the Badgers in the Leaders Division, Ohio State and Penn State, are ineligible. Wisconsin RB Montee Ball will do battle against the Nebraska defense. The Badgers' 1,500-yard rusher accounts for almost 35 percent of the team's offense. The Huskers held Ball to 2.8 yards a carry in the first game. But Ball has been on a roll lately, and Nebraska is without defensive line anchor Baker Steinkuhler due to injury.

No. 23 Texas at No. 7 Kansas State

Kickoff: 8 p.m. at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kan.

TV: WEWS Channel 5.

Notable: Texas is 8-3, 5-3 Big 12. Kansas State is 10-1, 7-1. K-State can claim its second Big 12 title and earn the league's automatic BCS bowl berth by beating the Longhorns, something they have done four straight times. In fact, the Wildcats could have both wrapped up by kickoff if Oklahoma loses to TCU earlier in the day. Kansas State QB Collin Klein will try to show Heisman Trophy voters that a disastrous performance in a loss to Baylor two weeks ago, which knocked Kansas State from the BCS title game, was merely an aberration during a remarkable senior season. Texas QB Case McCoy (Colt's brother), who started five times last season, is getting his first start of the year in place of David Ash, who is listed as questionable with a rib injury. McCoy has come on in relief of Ash twice this season.

No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Georgia

What: Southeastern Conference Championship.

Kickoff: 4 p.m. at the Georgia Dome, Atlanta.

TV: WOIO Channel 19.

Notable: Both teams are 11-1, 7-1 SEC heading into what is, in essence, a national semifinal game. The winner will face top-ranked Notre Dame in the BCS Championship Game in Miami on Jan. 7. Alabama is the defending national champion. The Bulldogs will have to find a way to give QB Aaron Murray enough time to throw and create running lanes for freshman backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. It won't be easy, with a youthful line that includes a freshman (right tackle John Theus) and a sophomore (center David Andrews). Georgia LB Jarvis Jones is a finalist for numerous national awards, including the Nagurski, Lombardi, Butkus and Bednarik trophies. The 6-3, 241-pound junior creates all sorts of havoc in the Bulldogs' 3-4 scheme, whether it's rushing the passer or dropping back into coverage.

-- Associated Press

No. 1 Mount Union vs. No. 9 Widener

What: Division III quarterfinals.

Kickoff: Noon at Mount Union Stadium, Alliance.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, delayed (Sunday at 5 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Monday at noon); WDPN AM/1310.

Notable: Mount Union is 12-0. Widener, from Pennsylvania, is 11-0 and won the Middle Atlantic Conference title and its automatic bid. The Pride is making its 13th playoff appearance. Mount owns a 72-14 first-round win against Christopher Newport (Va.) and a 55-13 second-round win against No. 15 Johns Hopkins (Md.). Widener senior quarterback Chris Haupt, who was a Gagliardi Trophy finalist a year ago, leads the offense and has completed 65.4 percent of his passes for 3,505 yards, with 36 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. His top target is sophomore Anthony Davis, with 58 catches for 1,130 yards and 16 TDs. The Purple Raiders have won a record 10 national titles. Mount senior safety Nick Driskill is one of 10 finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy given to the top all-around football player in NCAA Division III. Mount sophomore QB Kevin Burke (St. Edward) had a career-high 388 yards passing and matched a career-best with five touchdown passes against Johns Hopkins. The 388 yards are the most in a single game for a Mount Union signal-caller since Kurt Rocco threw for 406 against Heidelberg in 2009.

Next: Winner advances to the national semifinals against the Mary Hardin-Baylor/Wesley winner Dec. 8. The time and location will be announced Sunday.

-- From staff reports

Cleveland State faces No. 20 Kansas tonight.

The CSU volleyball team. PD file

What: NCAA Tournament.

First serve: 7:30 p.m. tonight at Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kan.

Notable: CSU, champion of the Horizon League regular-season and tournament titles, is 23-6. KU (25-6) finished third in the Big 12. This is the Vikings' second NCAA appearance, the other coming in 2007. The Vikings dominated the Horizon League awards. Kara Koch was named Player of the Year, becoming the third Viking to earn the honor. Chuck Voss won Coach of the Year honors. Koch also earned a spot on the All-League Team, along with Marie Frease and Amanda Medvetz, while redshirt freshman Dayna Roberts was named to the All-Newcomer Team.

Next: Tonight's winner plays the Arkansas/Wichita State winner in a second-round match in Lawrence on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

-- From staff reports

Thomas says it's the fans who are suffering the most during the NHL lockout.

Born: June 20, 1983, Pittsburgh.

Ht./Wt.: 6-1, 185.

Acquired: Signed as free agent in July.

PD: You have played parts of six seasons in the NHL. Thoughts on the latest lockout?

BT: The previous lockout occurred during my freshman year of college, and it hurt as a fan to not watch hockey. Now as a professional, it's tough because it doesn't seem like the sides agree on much. The fans are the ones who suffer the most, obviously. You're hoping the sides can agree on something that makes everybody happy, but in the long run, I don't know if that's a possibility.

PD: You played for the Cleveland Barons of the NAHL in 2000-01 and 2001-02. Sum up the experience.

BT: It was a lot of fun. It seems like so long ago. I got to play with a lot of really good guys.

PD: Highlight of your hockey career to date?

BT: My first game in the NHL in 2006. I was undrafted. I played four years of junior hockey and went to school as a 21-year-old freshman. You always have those dreams and aspirations of playing in the NHL, but you have the reality that you weren't picked and you're kind of a late bloomer, so you're not sure it will happen. It makes it that much sweeter when you do get there. I was given a great opportunity. It was incredible to be able to say I played a game in the NHL.

PD: You debuted with the Phoenix Coyotes out of Nebraska-Omaha.

BT: I signed a contract with them two days after my last college game and was on a plane the next day. I think I played three or four days after my last college game. It was an eye-opening experience but very exciting.

PD: What was it like to debut for the Coyotes and coach Wayne Gretzky?

BT: I'd never met him. I'd only seen him on TV. He was an idol, so I was nervous and kind of scared to meet him. To have him talk to you knowing he's going to be your coach is awesome. I learned a lot from him.

PD: Did you ask for his autograph?

BT: (Chuckle) I'll admit, when I arrived, I really wanted his autograph, but I held off because I didn't want to look like a 12-year-old. At the end of the season, he was signing stuff for everybody, so I got in there and got one for myself.

PD: Did he sign Phoenix gear, or specific gear from any of his former teams?

BT: He had a bunch of sticks that he's never used. He told us we could have those, and he'd sign anything else we wanted. He was really good about it. I got two jerseys signed -- L.A. and Edmonton -- for a charity golf event. I kept the autographed stick.

PD: You had one goal in nine games with Phoenix that season. Describe the goal.

BT: We were at home playing Dallas. I think it was my fifth game, and we were on the power play. Shane Doan missed on a shot, then passed it to me and I scored off his pass. I remember it like it was yesterday. To have that feeling of scoring your first NHL goal is unbelievable. It's hard to describe what goes through you.

PD: Where is the puck?

BT: The Coyotes put together a plaque with pucks from my first game, first assist and first goal. It's somewhere in my parents' home.

PD: With the NHL in lockout, what is your main goal as a Monster at the moment?

BT: I want to do whatever I can to help the Monsters get to the playoffs. It's something every player should experience. There are only 16 teams, and as you move on, every game gets that much more exciting. There's more pressure, but it's a good type of pressure. There are fewer teams playing, so you get more scouts at the games. You get a chance to show what you can do.

PD: What is your assessment of the Monsters?

BT: We have a really good team with a lot of skill. It might look like we're young, but we have guys who have succeeded in whatever leagues they've played. We can get to the playoffs and do well.

PD: Summarize coach Dean Chynoweth.

BT: He demands a lot from his players -- and that's good. He's helping guys grow. He's put in a great system for us, one that enables us to use our speed and offensive ability.

PD: What made you want to sign here?

BT: The opportunity. This is a very honest team, a very fair team. Players who do well will see ice time. Players who do well will get called up. Everyone I know who has been through Cleveland or Denver has said good things about the people here.

PD: As a Pittsburgh native, are you a Steelers fan?

BT: (Chuckle) Yes. Cleveland fans are pretty intense. They take a lot of pride in their teams, which is good.

PD: How difficult was it to watch Charlie Batch mangle the game against the Browns last weekend?

BT: Fortunately, I didn't have to watch it because we were in Canada. We played Hamilton that afternoon. But I've been forced to hear about it.

-- Dennis Manoloff

Jimmy Haslam has been impressed with what he's seen from the Cleveland Browns since he took over in mid-October, saying "we're very close.'' Does that bode well for Pat Shurmur and Tom Heckert?

BEREA, Ohio — Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, in an interview with The Plain Dealer on Thursday, said he's encouraged by the progress of his new team and feels it easily could be 6-5 right now and in the playoff chase.

He also plans to stick with his vow not to make major staff decisions until after the season, and he's more certain than ever that he hired the right man to run the team in CEO Joe Banner, now that they've worked together for a while.

Haslam is also excited about the debut of the series "NFL Road Tested: The Cleveland Browns," which premieres Tuesday at 10 p.m. on the Travel Channel, in partnership with Dee Haslam's RIVR Media and NFL Films.

Here are some excerpts from a phone interview with Haslam from Washington, D.C.:

Q: What are your first impressions of your new team since you took over in mid-October?

A: I think we have better players and we're better coached (than last year). We're 3-8, but if you went back through the season, I could make a case where we could easily be 6-5. Dallas, Philly, Indy are all games I think we should've won. If we win those three games, we're 6-5 and in the hunt for the playoffs, right? We're very close. We weren't competitive against the Giants after jumping off to an early lead, but every other game we've been in in the fourth quarter. As you know, some of them have gone down to the last minute or two.

Q: So you're inheriting a pretty good on-field product.

A: I think we're directionally correct.

Q: Will you stick by your plan not to make any major staff decisions until after the year?

A: Absolutely. I think we've said that after every year, not just the first year, we'll sit down and evaluate everybody in the organization.

Q: Has coach Pat Shurmur strengthened his case with all of those close games and Sunday's 20-14 victory over Pittsburgh?

A: I don't think it's fair to comment one way or the other. I think Pat's working hard and the guys are playing hard. We've been in every game, we're playing hard, I think we're playing better, so I think we're making progress.

Q: How important is your evaluation of quarterback Brandon Weeden over the final five games?

A: Exceptionally important. All 53 players will be evaluated. But we all know quarterback is the most important position, so it draws more scrutiny. Brandon knows and understands that. He's got five games to go in this season and hopefully he'll continue to make progress and then we'll sit down and assess where we are at the end of the year.

Q: How's he looked to you so far?

A: I think Brandon's been up and down like most rookie quarterbacks. He's played some really good games and he's had some games that I'm sure he'd like to play over. We're catching the ball better than we were earlier in the year. I don't think earlier in the year we helped him a lot. But he's making progress.

Q: How much will his age (29) factor into the decision?

A: I don't think that factors in. We've got to determine, "Can Brandon play or not?" We wish he was 23 or 24, but we all know how old Brandon is. But he's still a rookie quarterback, it's still his first year in the league. The fact that he's going to be 30 next October will not factor into our decision. We'll look and see, "Can he take us to a championship level in the next three or four years?"

Q: Will you solicit opinions outside the organization on Weeden?

A: I think our organization is already asking opinions on a lot of our players and will continue to do so. A lot of the people here have had relationships for a considerable amount of time and I think we'll continue to play on those relationships as best we can.

Q: Would you like to see Colt McCoy play so you can make a decision on him too?

A: I think that's a call that Pat and Brad (Childress) will make, but there's not a finer person in the building that I've ever met than Colt McCoy. He's just a great young man and I think they'll make that determination here over the next four or five games. I met his dad (Brad McCoy) down in Dallas and I said, "Listen, you've raised one of the best young men I've ever met." I think anybody inside or outside the organization who knows Colt would say the same thing. He's a quality individual.

Q: Wouldn't it be tough to shake up the personnel staff with free agency and the draft coming in March and April?

A: We all understand how the NFL works in terms of the timing of everything and we'll make the decisions appropriately around those timetables.

Q: If you decide to hire new coach, would you help find candidate or would Banner drive that bus?

A: It would be presumptuous to even go down that road in terms of coaches.

Q: How do you feel about your in-game reactions being captured by the TV cameras, particularly at the end of the loss in Indy?

A: Listen, there was one great misunderstanding in the Indianapolis game. My disappointment was not at the fourth-down call, and I spoke to Pat immediately. My disappointment was that we didn't catch the pass that would've won the game. I was disappointed in that and told Pat that was terribly misunderstood. I'm a big fan like most people are in Cleveland and I want to see us win. When we don't win, and we make crucial mistakes that cost us the game, it's disappointing. I'm going to be disappointed and I'm probably going to show that emotion because we very much want to win. I think that's what the people of Cleveland want and expect, candidly. The only thing I felt bad about was that people interpreted it as though I was disappointed in Pat's call. You'll never see me second-guess one of Pat's calls.

Q: What about the TV report out of Memphis, Tenn., that you're trying to hire Jon Gruden to coach Tennessee and have offered him a piece of the Browns?

A: That was completely erroneous. I'm not involved with the University of Tennessee coaching search and our family is very happy with the ownership structure of the Browns.

Q: Are you more sure than ever that Banner is your man?

A: We are. Joe is smart. He's seasoned. He's extremely competitive. He's got great experience and I think he and I will work extremely well together and I'm very excited about the opportunity to bring a championship team to Cleveland.

Q: Have you initiated re-negotiation talks with iron-legged kicker Phil Dawson?

A: Those will all be discussed at the end of the year with the appropriate people at the appropriate stages of their contracts.

Q: Have you offered formal roles to Bernie Kosar or Jim Brown?

A: No, Bernie's a great Browns legend and icon in our area and he and I talk frequently. There's been no conversations about any formal role. I haven't talked to Jim in two or three weeks. He did call and congratulate us after the big Steeler win and I'm sure we'll be talking some in the future.

Q: Any progress on Stadium improvements?

A: We haven't had those meetings yet. We've been so busy with everything going on. We probably won't do that until the first of the year.

Q: What can fans expect from the Browns new travel series debuting on the Travel Channel Tuesday at 10 p.m.

A: I think particularly for Browns fans, which is generally one of the main reasons we agreed to do this, they'll find it very interesting, because it really is a behind-the-scenes look at an NFL team, everything from practice to meetings to conversations with coaches to time spent casually outside the building with players to travel. I haven't seen the final cut, but I think all football fans, particularly Browns fans, should find it very interesting.

Q: Is it at all like HBO's Hard Knocks?

A: I've described it as a softer version of Hard Knocks.

With that, Haslam boarded a plane and was off.

Right-hander Corey Kluber underwent surgery on his right knee Friday. He should be ready for spring training in late February.

Jack Hannahan, making a sprawling stop at third, became a free agent Friday when the Indians didn't offer him a contract for 2013. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians non-tendered Jack Hannahan on Friday, making him a free agent. Rafael Perez and Chris Seddon were also non-tendered after they'd been designated for assignment this week.

Hannahan made the Indians as a spring training invitee in 2011. He was the Tribe's Opening Day third baseman for the last two years. Former No.1 pick Lonnie Chisenhall is expected to replace him in 2013.

The Indians also announced that right-hander Corey Kluber underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Friday at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Rick Parker did the surgery to repair Kluber's damaged meniscus. He suffered the injury playing with his daughter at home in Jacksonville, Fla.

Kluber, expected to compete for a job in the starting rotation, should be ready to participate in spring training by late February. Pitchers and catchers report to Goodyear, Ariz., on Feb. 10.

Hannahan was one of eight Indians eligible for arbitration. The Indians had until midnight Friday to offer them contracts for 2013. Hannahan was the only one who did not receive an offer. Last season Hannahan made $1.35 million.

The seven Indians tendered contracts were Chris Perez, Justin Masterson, Shin-Soo Choo, Joe Smith, Tony Sipp, Mike Aviles and Lou Marson.

Hannahan, Rafael Perez and Seddon are free agents. Perez was designated for assignment Wednesday to make room for Nick Hagadone on the 40-man roster. Seddon was designated  Friday after the Indians claimed first baseman Mike McDade on waivers from Toronto.

The Indians, with Hannahan's departure, have 39 players on the 40-man roster headed into the winter meetings next week in Nashville, Tenn.

Hannahan hit .290 (18-for-62) with one homer and 14 RBI in April, but struggled with calf and back injuries after that. After being activated from the disabled list on June 14, he hit .225 (41-for-182) with one homer and 11 RBI for the remainder of the season.

Seddon went 11-5 with a 3.44 ERA at Class AAA Columbus. In 17 appearances with the Indians, he was 1-1 with a 3.67 ERA.

Kluber was 11-7 with a 3.59 ERA at Columbus before getting promoted. He went 2-5 with a 5.14 ERAS in 12 starts for the Tribe.

CANTON, Ohio -- Bayle Wolf ran for 220 yards and scored five touchdowns to lead Clinton-Massie to its first state football championship, 46-36, over St. Clairsville in Division IV on Friday. Wolf scored on a 9-yard run and 36-yard pass from Tyler Uetrecht in the first three minutes for the Falcons (15-0). They totaled 822 points this year, a...

Clinton-Massie's Bayle Wolf, left, runs in for a touchdown ahead of St. Clairsville's Dan Monteroso on Friday in the first half of the Division IV state title game. Clinton-Massie won, 46-36. - (Associated Press)

CANTON, Ohio -- Bayle Wolf ran for 220 yards and scored five touchdowns to lead Clinton-Massie to its first state football championship, 46-36, over St. Clairsville in Division IV on Friday.

Wolf scored on a 9-yard run and 36-yard pass from Tyler Uetrecht in the first three minutes for the Falcons (15-0). They totaled 822 points this year, a state record for any level.

St. Clairsville (14-1) rallied from a 19-0 deficit in its first title game. The Red Devils got within 39-36 as Matt Kinnick passed for 437 yards. The senior quarterback had scoring throws of 7, 76, 9 yards and 46 yards to Jerrid Marhefka.

Marhefka had nine receptions and a title-game record 272 yards.

Wolf intercepted a pass with 1:30 left to help preserve the win.

Punter Reggie Hodges is using Twitter to get Browns fans to vote Dawson into the Pro Bowl. Watch video

Browns kicker Phil Dawson has made all 21 of his field-goal attempts this season, including five of 50-plus yards. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio — Punter Reggie Hodges has taken to Twitter to get kicker Phil Dawson into the Pro Bowl for the first time in his 14-year career.

After discovering that the robo-legged Dawson isn't even in the top five among AFC kickers in fan voting for the Pro Bowl on NFL.com, Hodges urged fans on his Twitter account to right the wrong.

"CLEVELAND! @phil_dawson_4 isn't even in the top 5 in the fan votes?? Y'all voted [Peyton] Hillis to Madden cover! Get a real Brown to the Pro-Bowl!!" Hodges wrote.

He also wrote, "The homie @phil_dawson_4 is 21-21 on FG's this season. 5 from 40-49, 5 from 50+! Leads NFL in 50+ FG's made! Is this Pro-Bowl worthy? YEP!"

Dawson, who's made all 21 of his field goals this season and owns the NFL's longest active streak of 27 dating to last season, appreciates the gesture.

"I know he's having a lot of fun with it," Dawson said. "It's obviously something I wouldn't do on my own, so any help you can get is appreciated. We'll see what happens."

Hodges, who punts in the same howling winds and icy rain that Dawson kicks in at Cleveland Browns Stadium, thinks that should be taken into consideration.

"He's been doing it for 14 years, and he's been doing it in the worst conditions," Hodges said. "Browns Stadium is the toughest place in the NFL to kick -- by far. Chicago is a distant second. This place is unbelievable. Late in the year, our field gets chewed up, and through the course of a game, with the rain and snow, it's tough for him to find the right spot to kick off of, and to be 21-of-21 with five over 50 [yards], 5-of-5 from 40 to 49, that's incredible. Nobody's doing that."

The leading vote-getter among fans is Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski, who's made all 19 of his extra points and has missed only one of his 24 field-goal attempts -- a 64-yarder.

"Janikowski is having a great year, but he's kicking in California," Hodges said. "You get a little wind out there -- maybe."

Dawson admitted it would be nice to be recognized after all these years.

"It's not a make-or-break event to feel good about my career, but it's obviously been a goal for a long time," he said. "So to check the box, so to speak, would be meaningful, and with a family of five, free vacations are also a highly sought-after event, so it would be great to experience."

He acknowledged that going against Janikowski adds some intrigue.

"Not necessarily in the context of the Pro Bowl, but each and every week, I don't get an opponent across the line of scrimmage, so I try to compete against the guy I'm going against, and obviously, going against Sebastian is quite a challenge. He's one of the best there is."

Rounding out the top five in fan voting are Baltimore's Justin Tucker, New England's Stephen Gostkowski, Denver's Matt Prater and Pittsburgh's Shaun Suisham.

"Phil hasn't missed a kick all year," said fellow former Texas Longhorn Colt McCoy. "You know that if you get close to the 30, you can take care of the football because you're going to get three points. He's a safety net and he's reliable. Of all the games we've played in this year, the majority of them have been windy or rainy, or some type of weather element, and he's kicked in all of the conditions and done a phenomenal job."

McCoy said if all the kickers were polled, Dawson would be a lock.

"I don't understand why he hasn't made a Pro Bowl yet," McCoy said. "This team's behind him and he deserves it."

Said coach Pat Shurmur: "I think he's been a Pro Bowl-quality kicker for a very long time. I've got a great deal of respect for who he is and what he is as a player. I'm really glad he kicks for us. All of those accolades, he's very deserving of that."

Added Pro Bowler Alex Mack: "You look at his career, he's been incredibly successful, and this season, especially. I'm superstitious. I understand he's done really, really well, and I don't want to jinx him. But he's a true professional, great attitude, smart, he's had a great career and it would be great to see him in Hawaii."

Dawson, who has been given the franchise tag for the second year in a row, knows that anything can happen after the season and that a third straight franchise tag is unlikely due to the sky-high salary. But he won't think about that until the end of the season.

"My focus is on winning a game this Sunday," he said. "If we can go out to Oakland and get a win, I'm gonna feel great about that. All that stuff in this off-season will take care of itself."

His biggest concern is how many pairs of shoes to take to Oakland for the potential flood conditions.

"Honestly, I'm just going to have to show up Sunday and figure out a plan," he said. "The forecasts are all over the place. The consistent thing is, I keep hearing the word, 'torrential.' Where I come from, that means a lot. It may just be one of those fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of days."

Cribbs back: Josh Cribbs returned to practice after missing Wednesday and Thursday due to a pectoral/collarbone injury he suffered against the Steelers. He's questionable for the game but said he'll play in Oakland.

"He did everything he needs to do to be ready to go Sunday," Shurmur said.

Gipson ready: Rookie safety Tashaun Gipson is expected to start his first NFL game in the base defense in place of Usama Young, who's been ruled out with a concussion. Last week, Gipson started against Pittsburgh because the Browns opened in the nickel.

"I can't even fathom the words to say how excited I am. I'm excited for the opportunity and blessed to be part of the game plan," he said. "I definitely have jitters, but I go into each game with jitters. Just a little more this time."

He described himself as a "do-it-all safety.". . . Safety Eric Hagg is questionable with an illness, while safety Ray Ventrone has been ruled out with a calf injury. Cornerback Dimitri Patterson has also been ruled out with a high ankle sprain.

No McClain: The Browns won't have to contend with Raiders starting middle linebacker Rolando McClain, who was suspended by coach Dennis Allen for two games for conduct detrimental to the team. McClain made remarks this week about possibly being cut and wanting to play for a real team.

McClain, who's fourth on the team with 90 tackles, will be replaced by Omar Gaither, who has no defensive stats this season and one special-teams tackle.

"I know Omar from my days in Philadelphia," Shurmur said. "He's a fine player as well."

Safety T.J. Ward is supplying the Browns with a snarl and toughness at safety they haven't had since the days of Eric Turner in the 1990s. Watch video

Browns safety T.J. Ward upends the Steelers' Jonathan Dwyer, forcing a fumble during the Browns' 20-14 win Sunday. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

Growing up in the Bay Area, the dynastic San Francisco 49ers were Ward's team and safety Ronnie Lott was his man. But Tatum was the idol of his influential father, Terrell, a former college safety who taught his oldest son the importance of driving his hips through a ball carrier.

A copy of Tatum's autobiography, "They Call Me Assassin," sat on Ward's living-room table, and his menacing image was a staple in the NFL Films episodes the youngster enjoyed watching.

"I've seen that hit [Tatum] had against Minnesota's [Sammy White] in the Super Bowl," Ward said. "I knew about his coach, John Madden, and the Raider nostalgia and those Raiders teams being one of the most physical defenses in NFL history.

"A lot of those things you cannot even dare to do now. You would probably get suspended or kicked out of the league. I saw that -- and the way those guys played -- and since I started playing, that's who I modeled my game after."

Ward and the Browns visit the Raiders in Oakland on Sunday, and for the second time in two seasons, he gets the chance to play in the stadium where Tatum made receivers and running backs tread lightly when they were in his vicinity.

In his third season, Ward is supplying the Browns with a snarl and toughness at safety that they haven't had since the days of Eric Turner in the 1990s. ProFootballFocus.com, which ranks players at every position, rates Ward fourth among NFL safeties, largely on the strength of his run support and sure tackling and despite playing with a thumb that was surgically repaired Sept. 29.

"He is a thumper, a big-time hitter," said ESPN analyst Damien Woody, a former NFL offensive lineman. "T.J. is a safety that they can bring down in the box, and he's not afraid of contact."

Two weeks ago, Ward administered a concussive -- and fineable -- lick on Dallas receiver Kevin Ogletree, and last week he forced two fumbles in the Browns' 20-14 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ward has become a central figure on a big-play defense that's created 25 turnovers, seven more than last season, and shown improvement in recent weeks.

"He is very instinctive and he always seems to be around the football," said NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest, a former Browns and New England Patriots linebacker. "He seems to be getting more comfortable in reading quarterbacks, understanding schemes and knowing what to do. That allows you to play a lot quicker, and that's what I see him doing now."

Ward, 25, credits Browns veteran linebacker D'Qwell Jackson for emphasizing the importance of increased film study. The strong safety is investing more time in learning the game's nuances.

His first teacher and coach remains his biggest fan. Terrell Ward played at San Diego State and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 1980 NFL Draft. After his playing days ended, he returned to San Francisco and helped raise three kids who have all competed at the Division I college level. Tierra, 24, ran track at UCLA, while Terron, 20, is a sophomore running back at Oregon State.

But it's T.J. who's most like his 55-year-old father, the hard-hitting safety his old teammates dubbed, "Dirty Ward." Terrell coached his oldest son from his days in Pop Warner football through high school, where T.J. never lost a game at powerhouse Concord De La Salle.

"I was a pretty mean player," said Terrell Ward, who is a secondary coach at De La Salle. "T.J. plays with that same kind of meanness. He's not out to hurt you, but he wants to punish you."

Ward plays bigger than his 5-10, 200-pound frame. In his fourth pro game, he knocked out then-Cincinnati Bengals receiver Jordan Shipley with a helmet-to-helmet hit. That shot cost him $15,000. The NFL fined him $25,000 for the Ogletree wallop, citing him as a repeat offender. Ward has appealed.

Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron defended the Ogletree hit and doesn't want Ward changing his game because of it. The coaching staff admires his toughness, especially as he played through the pain of the broken thumb.

The safety didn't miss a game due to the injury, even as he confessed that the thumb ached so bad against the New York Giants on Oct. 7 that he tried to punch the ball out of a runner's arm rather than wrapping him up in the final minutes of a 41-27 loss. The play resulted in one of just two missed tackles this season, according to ProFootballFocus.com.

Ward doesn't have an interception this season -- he has two in his career -- but quarterbacks have completed just 47.6 percent of their passes with the Browns strong safety in coverage.

He considers himself an aggressive player but said he doesn't go out of the way to demonstrate it.

"I think if you try to intimidate, then you go outside of yourself," Ward said. "You have to be the player you are and let your play speak for itself. If you try to be intimidating, then it comes off as corny, inauthentic."

Ward seems to go through life wearing his game face. His father said he rarely smiled as a child, a trait that apparently holds true today. Teammates constantly tease him, Ward said, for his perpetual scowl.

Terrell said he expects about 50 friends and family members to attend Sunday's game. Ward is wearing his hair longer these days, and he resembles a throwback to those Raiders teams of the 1970s.

"He definitely has the nasty attitude," said Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown. "He's got the look, the hair, all that goes along with it. He enjoys the game and talks while he's playing. He probably could fit in at the Oakland Coliseum with all those crazy fans."

Alonzo Gee put in the rebound of an airball 3-pointer by rookie Dion Waiters at the buzzer to lift the Cavaliers to a thrilling 113-111 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night in Philips Arena.

ATLANTA, Ga. — Nine months ago, Alonzo Gee was in the same situation in the same arena -- and failed to make the play.

Friday night, Gee grabbed an offensive rebound off an airballed 3-point shot by rookie Dion Waiters and put it in with .3 seconds left to lift the Cavaliers to a surprising 113-111 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in Philips Arena.

It more than made up for him failing to score with an offensive rebound at the buzzer after a miss by Kyrie Irving in a 103-102 overtime loss to the Hawks here on March 21.

On Friday night, Waiters insisted his last shot hit the rim, but he might have been the only person in the arena who thought so. Gee admitted he thought it was going to go in.

"I had confidence he was going to make that," Gee said charitably. "He was in rhythm, and I just thought it was going in.

"Then when I caught it I was like, 'Oh, another opportunity.' Last year, I had the same kind of play, but I missed the shot. So it was good."

It was his first game-winner in the NBA, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The Cavs, 4-12, had lost four straight and 10 of 11.

'''They also had lost seven straight to the Hawks.

"It was a great feeling for me," Gee said. "We needed this win. It was very important for us."

As the final buzzer sounded, Anderson Varejao wrapped Gee in a bear hug and the Cavs swarmed around to celebrate. Gee got the game-winner, but there were many contributors.

Whereas coach Byron Scott ripped his team after Tuesday's lackluster loss to Phoenix by saying, "Anderson Varejao was fantastic, and everybody else sucked," he took it back Friday.

"Well, tonight Andy Varejao was again fantastic and everybody else didn't suck," he said, laughing.

Jeremy Pargo led the Cavs with 22 points, 10 in the fourth quarter. Waiters scored 21, though he made just 6 of 16 shots overall and 2 of 7 3-pointers.

Varejao had 20 points and 18 rebounds, his seventh straight double double, which set a Cavs record. Tristan Thompson tied his career-high with 15 rebounds as the Cavs outrebounded the Hawks, 49-28.

Daniel Gibson, who missed two of the past five games with a sore right elbow, played 27:33 on Friday and hit three big 3-pointers as the Cavs rallied from a 91-87 deficit early in the fourth quarter.

Josh Smith had 25 points and eight rebounds for the Hawks (9-5), who tied the game at 111-111 with a 3-pointer by Lou Williams with 13.6 seconds left, setting the stage for Waiters and Gee.

Scott joked that the play worked out just as he drew it up.

"It was like, 'We're going to clear it out,' " he said. "I guess I have to be a little more specific and say try to get to the basket. We had the matchup. When they first came out, I thought Devin Harris was going to guard him. When Devin went back to guard Boobie and DeShawn Stevenson came up, I was like, 'Great.' I thought it was a perfect matchup for us.

"Then he bailed him out by shooting a 3 that didn't touch anything. Luckily, Zo was there to rebound the ball and put it in."

Waiters said he would do the same thing again.

"I'm happy with the win," he said. "I wouldn't take the shot back at all. If I had a chance to do it again, I'd take the same shot."

Then he paused, smiled and said, "Maybe get a little bit closer."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

The Cavaliers' plan is to bring newly signed forward Kevin Jones along slowly.

Kevin Jones PD file

ATLANTA, Ga. — Cavaliers coach Byron Scott has a message for fans who think newly signed forward Kevin Jones is about to come to Cleveland and take Tristan Thompson's spot as the team's starting power forward: Relax.

"Fans, you can calm down," Scott said before his team's shootaround at Philips Arena on Friday morning in preparation for the game against the Atlanta Hawks. "That's why we're not bringing Kevin up here. Kevin is a lot like in the situation of Alonzo Gee a few years ago. We see something in this young man that we feel if we nourish it and put him in the right situation, he can blossom into a very solid NBA player.

"Don't jump the gun too early, let the kid have his time up here and let him develop and let him get used to what we're trying to do. I'm looking forward to having him for the rest of the season, then also really seeing how he develops in summer league. That's how we're taking this thing. So relax a little bit."

Scott isn't sure when Jones will join the team. It probably will not be this weekend, one Cavaliers source said, but it likely will be sooner rather than later. That said, Scott said he might have a tough time finding minutes for Jones -- even with Thompson and the Cavs struggling.

"That's why I'm saying relax," Scott said. "He has a bunch of guys ahead of him right now. He understands the situation. This is an opportunity for him to come up here and learn, be in our system, play in the summer league where he's been in summer league for a year, then next year we'll see how he develops and go from there. It's a lot like Zo when we brought him in here. We had him and saw he had a lot of potential, then we were able to nurture that the next year and now this is what he's blossomed into."

Jones, a 6-8, 250-pound rookie forward from West Virginia, has played in three games this season with Canton and is averaging 27 points on 54 percent shooting and 13.7 rebounds in 41.3 minutes per game. He was one of three players on the Cavaliers' training camp roster who were released and then designated for assignment to the Charge, playing under an NBADL contract until the Cavs signed him Thursday after waiving forward Luke Harangody.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. AP

Been there, done that: Scott seemed stunned by NBA Commissioner David Stern's $250,000 fine of the San Antonio Spurs after coach Gregg Popovich sent stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and role player Danny Green home to rest for today's game against league-leading Memphis instead of playing in a nationally televised game at Miami on Thursday night.

"Wow, that's a lot of money," Scott said. "That was pretty steep. I still believe that Pop would still do the same thing. It's all about his players. I think he would do the same thing no matter what.

"This is not the first time this has happened. I think 20 years ago in L.A. we got fined for something similar."

In April 1990, Stern fined the Lakers $25,000 when coach Pat Riley rested Magic Johnson and James Worthy in a regular-season finale against Portland. Scott was hurt and already was back in Los Angeles. In 1985, then-vice president of NBA operations Rod Thorn fined the Lakers after Riley sat Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a regular season finale.

"I know a big fuss was made of it," Scott said of the 1990 fine. "It's not the first time, won't be the last."

Old friend: New Hawks General Manager Danny Ferry spent 10 years in Cleveland as a player and five as a general manager, with Chris Grant as one of his assistants, so he's pulling for the Cavs whenever they're not playing the Hawks.

"I want them to do well," Ferry said after practice on Thursday. "I want Chris to do well, specifically. Certainly, I think they are going in a good direction. You need to be lucky and good. Kyrie's injury situation in the last year and a half has been a challenge. But I think they're building their roster and growing as a team. For Chris, I want to see him do well. I think he's talented and hard-working. He was great to go to work with every day."

World AIDS Day: In recognition of World AIDS Day, all teams playing today, including the Cavs and visiting Portland, will wear red-and-white shooting shirts along with red headbands and wristbands, and coaches will wear red ribbons. The players will autograph and donate the shirts, along with 100 tickets to the game, to nonprofits that work with clients affected by AIDS to support fundraising efforts. Courtesy of the Cleveland Department of Public Health, AIDS Awareness wristbands will be distributed to fans in attendance, and eight non-profit agencies will distribute information about HIV and AIDS awareness on The Q concourse.

Fans will be able to purchase World AIDS Day shooting shirts at NBAStore.com with all proceeds benefitting (RED) supported grants of The Global Fund.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

MASSILLON, Ohio - Amir Edwards rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns Friday to help Toledo Central Catholic win its second Ohio state Division II high school football championship by beating defending champion Trotwood-Madison, 16-12. The 14-1 Fighting Irish held Trotwood-Madison running back Isreal Green to 56 yards on 14 carries 

Toledo Central Catholic quarterback DeShone Kizer celebrates a Fighting Irish touchdown in the second quarter against Trotwood-Madison in the Division II state football championship game in Massillon on Friday night. - (Associated Press)

MASSILLON, Ohio - Amir Edwards rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns Friday to help Toledo Central Catholic win its second Ohio state Division II high school football championship by beating defending champion Trotwood-Madison, 16-12.

The 14-1 Fighting Irish held Trotwood-Madison running back Isreal Green to 56 yards on 14 carries 

A year ago, Green had 326 yards and six touchdowns when the Rams won the title.

Trotwood-Madison finished 12-3. It got a pair of touchdown passes from Messiah Deweaver in the fourth quarter. He hit Ryon Lucas from 13 yards with 9:20 to play and connected with Demarcus Wilson from 24 yards with 2:38 left.

Toledo Central Catholic also won the title in 2005.

LAKEWOOD, Ohio — It's never easy for a team to record a victory at St. Edward. Just ask the members of the Cleveland Heights boys basketball team. The Tigers looked to be in command of the season opener Friday night when they held a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter.

St. Edward

LAKEWOOD, Ohio — It's never easy for a team to record a victory at St. Edward.

Just ask the members of the Cleveland Heights boys basketball team. The Tigers looked to be in command of the season opener Friday night when they held a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter.

But the Eagles found a way to flip the switch on all the things they were doing wrong and rallied for a 69-63 victory.

"I don't want to say the obvious, but it was a tale of two halves," St. Edward coach Eric Flannery said. "In the first half we wanted to be an up-tempo team, but then you realize how quick they are. What it really did was it got us out of position to rebound the basketball."

Cleveland Heights did a great job scoring off second and third shots to build their big lead. A 3-point shot by Delaunte Davis, a second-shot basket by Antonio Harper, and a fast-break layup and another layup by Camerin Cross on an inbounds play gave the Tigers a 48-34 lead with 3:32 left in the third quarter.

That's when the Eagles hit the switch. St. Edward finished the third quarter with a 14-4 run. A short jumper in the lane by Tony Vuyancih (19 points) cut the deficit to 52-48 at the buzzer.

St. Edward took its first lead since early in the first quarter when Vuyancih hit two foul shots for a 61-59 lead midway through the fourth.

A second-shot basket by Marsalis Hamilton (19 points, 13 rebounds) extended the lead to 63-59. Two foul shots by Royal Eddie and two layups by Tim Stainbrook in the last 30 seconds sealed the victory.

"In the first half we were being lazy," Hamilton said. "We weren't rotating fast enough [on defense]. In the second half we picked it up. We were communicating better. One of our keys was to get rebounds."

The first quarter was nip-and-tuck until the Eagles put together the game's first run. Vuyancih began a 10-2 run with a 3-point goal. A three-point play by Vuyancih after a steal and layup gave St. Edward a 14-10 lead. Kipper Nichols muscled a shot inside to finish the run and give the Eagles a 16-10 lead.

But the Tigers got right back in the game, finishing the quarter with a second-shot basket by Marcus Bagley and a 3-point goal by Donald Jones with two seconds left to cut the deficit to 16-15.

Cleveland Heights took control at the start of the second quarter, forcing turnovers and crashing the boards for offensive rebounds. A 3-point shot by Bagley, a follow-up by Jones and two foul shots by Dairyon Davis finished a 14-0 run by the Tigers, good for a 24-16 lead.

The Tigers led, 31-24, with 2:04 left in the first half when a 13-minute power failure caused the gym to go dark.

St. Edward could not lay claim to shooting the lights out at the time. They had just missed the front end of three consecutive one-and-ones and were 1-for-6 from the line in the half.

But like everything else, the Eagles got their free-throw shooting straightened out with the game on the line.

Bagley led Heights with 19 points. Jones scored 12.

"I thought we needed to play sort of a fast, frenetic, kind of crazy pace," Cleveland Heights coach Andy Suttell said. "For the first 21/2 quarters we were a very active team and we played the way we needed to play. In the last quarter and a half Ed's got the game in the tempo they wanted."

Bob Migra is a freelance writer in Westlake.

The Rampage shock the Monsters with four goals in the first and cruise to a 6-2 victory at The Q.

Lake Erie Monsters

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Monsters played hard and reasonably well in the second and third periods against San Antonio on Friday night. It didn't mean much, though, because of the mess they made in the opening 20 minutes.

The Rampage shocked the Monsters with four goals in the first and cruised to a 6-2 victory at The Q.

San Antonio improved to 6-10-0-3 with its second straight triumph after an eight-game winless skid.

The Monsters (10-8-1-1) slipped to 2-4-1-1 at home. They failed to build off a 4-1 victory at Hamilton last Sunday.

Records meant nothing in the first period, as San Antonio dictated the terms.

At 4:07, Lake Erie center Mike Sgarbossa was whistled for hooking. The Rampage converted the penalty into a goal, when defenseman Tyson Strachan beat goalie Sami Aittokallio from the point at 5:36. The Monsters gave San Antonio too much time to set up.

"We had a breakdown with our forwards on top," said Monsters coach Dean Chynoweth.

Jared Gomes made it 2-0 at 8:23 with his third goal, then Eric Selleck punched in a rebound at 13:09. Selleck's goal came on his team's ninth shot.

The Monsters nearly cut the deficit to 3-1. Mark Olver pressured goalie Jacob Markstrom but didn't have quite enough oomph to get the puck past him. Olver's rush was one of several legitimate opportunities for the Monsters, who drew iron on three shots.

A fortuitous bounce helped San Antonio push the advantage to 4-0 at 15:28. Greg Rallo's shot from the left caromed off a Monster's skate and into the cage.

"If you're going to check guys, you've got to get close to them," Chynoweth said. "We were standing around watching on a couple of the goals. It's a good lesson to learn."

Less than 30 seconds later, the Rampage committed a tripping penalty. It didn't take long for San Antonio, not Lake Erie, to apply pressure. A Rampage shorthanded shot hit the post.

Chynoweth replaced Aittokallio with Calvin Pickard to begin the second. Aittokallio gave up the four goals on 17 shots.

"I just thought we'd change it up to try to give us a little momentum," Chynoweth said. "Either way, you can't leave your goalie hung out to dry."

Geoff Walker gave Lake Erie hope at 6:49 of the second when he beat Markstrom. Walker's goal was the extent of the second-period scoring. San Antonio notched the first two goals of the third to erase all doubt.

The Monsters outshot the Rampage, 29-17, during the final two periods and finished with a 39-34 advantage.

The teams play each other this afternoon at The Q.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664

On Twitter: @dmansworldpd

Hazell almost gets his team to defy the odds in the MAC title game.

DETROIT, Mich. — Darrell Hazell, road warrior, came out of the Kent State locker room as if trumpets were sounding.

Arms pumping and legs gulping up the ground, the second-year Kent State coach led the Golden Flashes onto Ford Field for the Mid-American Conference's Championship Game against Northern Illinois looking like a sprinter after the starter's pistol sounded.

Oh, the places Kent State hoped to go!

The journey had begun in August, in the dog days, when Hazell, letting his team think at first that they were going to Cedar Point for a day of fun, took them to Oberlin College instead, there to work in isolation, there to get them used to depending only on each other in strange surroundings.

Kent State had seven road trips this season, and Hazell's message was the same as that of Gene Hackman with his measuring tape at Hinkle Field House in the basketball movie, "Hoosiers." The dimensions of the field stay the same."

"Nothing is bigger than your resolve. Nothing is out of reach if pursued on the dead run.

A victory over favored Northern Illinois, followed by a spill of BCS dominoes (namely Texas and UCLA) could have put the Golden Flashes in the Orange Bowl. Creamsicle-coated Orange Bowl scouts prowled the Ford Field press box before the game.

All night, in a 44-37 loss that included a frantic fourth-quarter comeback and two overtimes, Hazell's calm held the Golden Flashes together, despite their being widely outplayed. In the fourth quarter, KSU seemed to draft off their coach's will and his drive, and the Golden Flashes closed on front-running NIU, forcing an utterly unlikely two overtimes.

Spencer Keith, the ugly duckling quarterback in the game compared to Northern Illinois' Jordan Lynch, scrambled for a 5-yard score after hurling a 60-yard completion to fleet Dri Archer, the Flashes' only big playmaker.

The touchdown genie was out of the bottle, and Kent quickly scored again when defensive end Zach Hitchens ran 22 yards for a score off a botched handoff. Two TDs in 15 seconds. In the stands with fans wearing blue and gold, Christmas was arriving early.

Northern took the lead back with almost disdainful ease, but Keith, a senior who had to fight off challengers all through training camp, threw a third-and-long 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tim Erjavec to tie it again at 34 in the final 44 seconds of regulation.

At this point, it appeared that KSU and NIU might score another couple of touchdowns and put up some Mad MAC in the Thunderdome totals. (Well, make that at the Drizzledome. Attendance, with a BCS bid in the balance for Kent State, was only 18,132.)

Kent State fans will second guess a razzle-dazzle-frazzle play on third-and-1 at the NIU 5 in the first extra session. KSU ran a reverse -- Keith tossing to tailback Trayion Durham, who lateraled to Erjavec, who bounced the ball off the turf, then kicked it across the field. In a wild scramble, Kent recovered for an 11-yard loss. Both teams managed only a field goal in the period.

Hazell said the trickery was necessary. "We had trouble with the running game. We couldn't get them blocked," he said.

In the second overtime, trying to extend the game, Keith's fourth-down pass from the 9-yard line was intercepted in the end zone by cornerback Demetrius Stone.

So the sprint turned into a marathon and the marathon ended with the Orange Bowl turned to dust. Unfortunately, when it comes to glamorous holiday destinations, your quarterback is usually your tour guide.

Lynch was the dominant player in the game. He ran for 160 yards, his 11th straight 100-yard game, in the process breaking the one-season record of Michigan's Denard Robinson for rushing yards by a quarterback.

Lynch threw for 212 yards. He scored three touchdowns and threw for another. Hazell's only remaining metric for him was the comment, "He's a magician with the ball in his hand."

Lynch simply overpowered the MAC, which is a compliment given the BCS conference skins on the league's wall this season. He is good enough to go into his senior season as a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate.

KSU's only answer until the final minutes was Archer, who is sort of the MAC's John Glenn when he is in space. He was ninth in the country in scoring, first in kickoff returns. He probably has the fast-twitch muscular composition of a hummingbird.

The Flashes' opportunistic defense set up Archer's 15 yard scoring run on a misdirection play for the first score of the game. Only Oregon forced more turnovers in the FBS division.

All the stats except turnovers favored NIU, as did all the experience. It was the Huskies' third straight MAC title game and Kent's first.

Still, no yardsticks can really define a dream.

That of the Flashes died so hard because it was so big.

To reach Bill Livingston: blivingston@plaind.com, 216-999-4672

On Twitter: @LivyPD