Kyrie Irving, in his first game back after missing 11 games with a fractured left index finger, had 28 points and a season-high 11 assists.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For one frozen moment, all the air was sucked out of The Q on Tuesday night.

The Cavaliers' young phenom, Kyrie Irving, had the ball at the top of the key facing the Lakers mega-star, Kobe Bryant, and all 19,172 fans in attendance held their breaths in anticipation. For 20 seconds, Irving feinted left, then right, then back and forth, before putting up a 10-foot shot ... that Bryant promptly blocked.

Fans finally exhaled but it was less of a groan and more of a sigh of appreciation.

In the scheme of things, the play in the middle of the third quarter meant nothing in the Cavaliers' 100-94 victory. But it's the thing everyone who was there will remember -- including Irving and Bryant.

"Me and my teammates were talking about it," said Irving, who returned after missing 11 games with a fractured left index finger and led the Cavs with 28 points and a season-high 11 assists. "It just really reminded me of when Allen Iverson was playing against Michael Jordan. The whole crowd sat up. I got my shot blocked, but it was still a memorable moment for me, just seeing the crowd reaction. I was surprised myself."

Said Bryant, who led the Lakers with a season-high 42 points, "When we were matched up at the top of the floor, yeah, I could feel the whole building kind of get behind that. Defensively I tried to take a stand. He's a fantastic, fantastic, fantastic player."

C.J. Miles had a season-high 28 points for the Cavs, but he wanted no part of that play.

"Everybody on the floor was just watching them play -- and nobody had any intention of getting the ball in that play," said Miles, who started at shooting guard as rookie Dion Waiters missed his fifth straight game with a sprained left ankle. "You knew he was going to shoot it, and you knew Kobe was going to do his best to stop it.

"Kind of like one of those things you're waiting for it to happen, you want that moment to happen. And it's just great to see some guys who compete so hard go against each other."

Without Irving the past three weeks, the Cavs had been competing hard with nothing to show for it. Tuesday's victory snapped a five-game losing streak as the team improved to 5-17. Afterward, coach Byron Scott talked about Irving, Miles, Anderson Varejao's 20 points and nine rebounds, Tristan Thompson's 10 rebounds and Alonzo Gee making things tough on Bryant.

"As much as we talk about Kyrie, as much as we talk about some of the other individuals who had great games, defensively we were great, really, for 48 minutes," said Scott, who celebrated the victory with a smooch from his baby granddaughter, Kyla. "We played some of our best defense."

The Cavs held the Lakers to 41.3 percent shooting (31 of 75) and forced 19 turnovers. As a result, the Lakers lost their third straight game, their seventh in their last 10, to fall to 9-13. In spite of All-Stars Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash (the latter two are hurt), and former Cav Antawn Jamison, these Lakers are but a faded memory of the famed purple-and-gold, more like lavender-and-yellow at this stage.

"This is the most challenging stretch I've been in my 17 years stretch, for sure," Bryant said. "It's baffling.

"It's extremely, extremely frustrating. We just have to correct the issues we have. We can be completely two different teams. It's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I don't know if we're too old and it takes us a while to get started, or what. It's just two completely different teams."

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

C.J. Miles earned his first start of the season against the Lakers and had his most successful outing of the year, too, in scoring 28 points.

C.J. Miles started fast and never cooled off Tuesday against the Lakers, with his season-best 28-point performance fueled by a recent improvement in his all-around game in practice. Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- C.J. Miles would like to say he never lost confidence, but that wouldn't be true.

The Cavaliers swingman had to rely on encouraging words from his teammates to keep his spirits high through this first part of the season as he fell not only out of the starting lineup, but out of the rotation entirely. Miles, Cleveland's only off-season free-agent acquisition, missed six entire games simply because head coach Byron Scott didn't think he could help.

Gradually, however, that has changed. Scott saw Miles' play improve in practice. In his four most recent appearances, he hit 46 percent of his attempts, helping raise his woeful season average to 34.2 percent -- still the worst of his career.

So when he earned a starting nod Tuesday against the Lakers, it was for the improved play and the hope that Miles could return to what he once was for seven seasons in Utah before coming to Cleveland this season -- a solid scorer and contributor.

Scott's gamble paid off in the Cavaliers' 100-94 victory over the Lakers as Miles hit 10 of 18 attempts and scored 28 points, his season-high.

"It has been a tough year for him," Scott said. "But he stuck with it. He's worked his butt off in practice. The last three or four games, [we're] starting to see exactly what we got this summer."

It helped, Miles said, that Kyrie Irving happened to return for Miles' first start. Irving's ability to penetrate and pass opened up the floor, giving Miles a few extra seconds to set up his outside shots.

"I got a lot, a lot of good looks," Miles said. "Especially in the beginning, I was wide open. They both came from Kyrie penetrating and doing what he does; guys go help out and the floor is a little more spaced out. I catch the ball and guys are two steps away instead of one step now. And it's an easier shot, you've got a lot more time and can line it up. It just makes it easier when you can take your time every time you shoot it."

Irving didn't hesitate in passing to Miles, who hit back-to-back 3-pointers within the first two minutes of the game.

"I just really felt confident in the way he started the game and the way he finished it," Irving said. "That's what we need from him going forward."

Though Miles was relieved of the task of defending Kobe Bryant while the Cavaliers used their best on-ball defender, Alonzo Gee, Miles said the key to his improvement is playing defense. As Scott has focused on making sure players play defense -- and yanking them from the court when they don't -- Miles has learned that playing hard defensively allows him time to work on his offense.

"I'm just trying to be as solid as I can defensively so I can stay on the floor longer to give myself a chance," Miles said, "so I don't have to feel like I have to do everything in a short amount of time."

Said Scott: "He's been doing a really good job in practice of setting people up, making hard cuts and taking the shots when he's getting them. When he plays that type of role, he can be very effective for us."

Cuyahoga Falls gave No. 1 Shaker Heights all it could handle, but the host Raiders pulled away for their first victory, 69-62, on Tuesday. The Tigers, ranked 25th in The Plain Dealer Top 25, trailed by one at the half, then scored just 11 points in the third quarter as Shaker Heights (1-1) built a 46-39 lead heading into...

Cuyahoga Falls gave No. 1 Shaker Heights all it could handle, but the host Raiders pulled away for their first victory, 69-62, on Tuesday.

The Tigers, ranked 25th in The Plain Dealer Top 25, trailed by one at the half, then scored just 11 points in the third quarter as Shaker Heights (1-1) built a 46-39 lead heading into the fourth.

The Raiders' front line of 6-5 Kash Blackwell, 6-6 Rosel Hurley and 6-7 Esa Ahmad combined for 46 points. Blackwell had a double double with 20 points and 12 boards, and Hurley and Ahmad each scored 13.

Cuyahoga Falls (1-1) was led by Angelo Cugini, a 6-7 junior, who scored 19 points.

Gilmour 87, Padua 63 Senior David Linane's 30 points and four assists helped keep the Lancers unbeaten at 3-0. Gilmour raced to a 50-21 halftime lead, thanks to 10 second-quarter points by Linane. The 5-11 guard sank six 3-pointers.

Senior Tyler Ptacek had 24 points and four rebounds for Padua (1-2).

Max Hayes 78, Lincoln West 72 Hayes senior guard /forward Earl Holcomb led Hayes with 28 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Senior guard JaQuan Harris added 16 points and four assists for the Lakers (2-3, 2-1 Senate). For Lincoln West (1-3, 1-2), Shavon Rose scored 21 and Mark Stalla had 13, including a halfcourt shot at the end of the third quarter.

Collinwood 77, John Marshall 68 Trailing at halftime, 30-24, the Railroaders (1-2, 1-2) ignited for 31 points in the third quarter behind the 3-point shooting of Terrell Richardson and Maurice Scott. Darion Hall and Scott both finished with 25 points.

Martin Luther King 84, Whitney Young 30 Sophomore guard Anthony Carmon's 27 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals helped keep the Crusaders undefeated at 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the Senate. Teammates Maliek Maddox scored 19 points and Montell McCray added 11 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.

Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 50, Midpark 41 Mark Chrzanowski's 21 points paced the Bees (4-0, 2-0 Southwestern Conference).

Bedford 47, Youngstown Ursuline 35 The No. 19 Bearcats survived a cold-shooting first half that produced a 19-13 deficit. A 10-0 run in the third quarter put Bedford (3-0) on top to stay. Chris Carter hit two 3s during the surge and finished with a game-high 14 points, and teammate Carl Jeffrey added 12 points.

Andrews Osborne 103, Sts. John and Paul 13 AOA 6-7 senior forward Ege Ozcan led all players with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 steals as visiting Andrews (4-0) set a team scoring record.

The Indians need pitching prospects, and Choo was headed elsewhere. This is a good gamble for the Tribe because phenom Trevor Bauer in the deal.

1. Shin-Soo Choo was probably the Tribe's best position player. He is an outfielder on a team that needs outfielders. That's why on the surface, it seems silly to trade him to Cincinnati as part of a 3-way deal that brings the Tribe more pitching (always a good idea) and outfielder Drew Stubbs.

2. Most fans know the problem with Choo is that he's represented by hardball agent Scott Boras, who almost always leads his players into free agency. Choo will be on the open market after 2013, so the Reds are "renting" him for a year. That would have been the case if Choo had remained here.

3. So made it sense to trade Choo, especially since the Indians were able to secure one of the minors top pitching prospects -- Trevor Bauer. He was the nation's top college player in 2011. The Indians loved his stuff when scouting him at UCLA. Even better is Bauer was a rocket in the Arizona farm system, having a 12-2 record between Class AA and Class AAA with a 2.42 ERA, 157 strikeouts in 130 innings.

4. Bauer reached the Majors at 21, was slammed around (6.06 ERA) in 16 innings for Arizona. The Diamondbacks supposedly don't like his training techniques and say he's stubborn. Some of that was said by the Cardinals when they gave up on Chris Perez, who became an All-Star closer with the Tribe.

5. The fact is the Tribe was going to lose Choo soon. And the fact is the Indians have no pitching prospects at the upper levels of the minors with Bauer's ability -- at least, not after trading Drew Pomeranz and Alex White to the Rockies for Ubaldo Jimenez.

6. And yes, the fact is Bauer is a pitching prospect, and lots can go wrong with a pitching prospect. But he's a prime prospect, and I wanted the Indians to deal for him the moment he was on the open market.

7. Relievers Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw add experience and depth to the Tribe bullpen. The 29-year-old Albers pitched for Terry Francona in Boston. These pickups allow the Indians to deal Chris Perez, if there is an attractive offer. They can pitch the middle innings (along with Joe Smith and others) as Vinnie Pestano moves up to closer.

8. Then they also picked up Drew Stubbs, a hot prospect once upon a time. He can run -- at least 30 steals in the last three seasons. He can play well in center because of that speed. He even can hit lefties (.276, 821 OPS) for his career. But combine this guy with free agent Mark Reynolds, and the Tribe has added two players who make Russell Branyon look like a contract hitter. Talk about extreme strikeouts. If they both are in the every day lineup, that will be painful to watch.

9. Speaking of watching, the Reds want Choo to replace Stubbs in center. They will regret that move, because one reason the Indians were able to deal for Choo was that he struggled in center for Seattle. He also was inconsistent last season for the Tribe in right. Stubbs and Michael Brantley will give the Indians superb speed in the outfield, regardless of who plays center.

10. The other Tribe players traded -- Jason Donald, Lars Anderson and Tony Sipp -- are not much of a loss. They also kicked in $3.5 million to the Reds to make this 3-way deal go through.

11. There were three key players in the deal: A) The Reds wanted Choo. B) The Tribe wanted Bauer. C) Arizona wanted Didi Gregorius, the Reds' top shortstop prospect. All three teams came away with the deal with their main target.

12. Yes, this trade is a bit of gamble, but I like it. Choo was leaving. The Indians did add three pitchers who should be on the big league roster all season -- and probably longer.

13. Yes, they still need outfielders. Yes, Nick Swisher would be nice as a free agent pickup. And yes, they still have Asdrubal Cabrera and Perez available for trade. So maybe, just maybe, they aren't done.

Highlights include Cavaliers at Indiana.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV and radio sports listings

GOLF

9 p.m. Australian PGA Championship, Golf Channel

2 a.m. Johor Open (tape), Golf Channel

MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

7 p.m. Savannah State at OHIO STATE, Big Ten Network

9 p.m. UW-Green Bay at Wisconsin, Big Ten Network

NBA

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

8 p.m. Dallas at Boston, ESPN

10:30 p.m. San Antonio at Utah, ESPN

The Indians traded Shin-Soo Choo, Jason Donald, Tony Sipp and Lars Anderson and acquired four players in return in a three-team deal with the Reds and Arizona.

New Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer, who was the third pick in the 2011 amateur draft from UCLA, struck out 200 batters in 156 minor-league innings and pitched four games in the big leagues for Arizona last summer. AP file  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians on Tuesday night received four players in a three-team, nine-player trade with Cincinnati and Arizona.

Here's how the deal breaks down:

• The Indians received outfielder Drew Stubbs from the Reds and three pitchers from Arizona: right-hander Trevor Bauer, the third pick in the 2011 amateur draft, and relievers Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw.

• The Reds received Shin-Soo Choo, Jason Donald and $3.5 million from the Indians.

• Arizona receives shortstop Didi Gregorius from the Reds, and Tony Sipp and Lars Anderson from the Indians. The Diamondbacks preferred Gregorius over Asdrubal Cabrera because they can control him for six years. Cabrera can be a free agent after 2014.

"We think the four players we've acquired will not only impact the 2013 season at the major-league level, but will impact us for years to come," said GM Chris Antonetti.

During last week's winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn., the Indians and Diamondbacks discussed various forms of a three and four-team deal. Texas, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Kansas City were involved at one time or another. Tuesday night they got the deal done.

Bauer, 21, should immediately help the Indians' tattered rotation. He made his big league debut this summer and went 1-2 with a 6.06 ERA in four starts. Bauer started the season in the minors, going 12-2 with a 2.42 ERA in 22 starts at Class AA Mobile and Class AAA Reno.

There were reports that Arizona's front office grew disenchanted with Bauer because of his unique conditioning and pre-game warmups. The Indians have liked Bauer since he was at UCLA and are familiar with his tendencies.

"He's a young pitcher with a ton of potential," said Antonetti. "He has a chance to pitch at the top of the rotation. He went through the minors league quickly and still has some developing to do, but we expect him to impact our team in 2013 whether it's at beginning of the season and during it."

Said Arizona GM Kevin Towers, "If the fastball command is there with the repertoire of pitches that he has, there is no doubt in my mind he is going to be a successful major-league pitcher."

Drew Stubbs, a solid defensive outfielder, has 110 big-league stolen bases in four seasons with the Reds, but has struck out 588 times in 2,004 at-bats. AP file  

Stubbs, 28, hit .213 (105-for-493) with 13 doubles, two triples, 14 homers and 40 RBI in 136 games last year. He stole 30 bases in 37 attempts and scored 75 runs. He was the Reds' starting center fielder and had a big contact problem, striking out 166 times. Stubbs finished fifth in the National League in strikeouts.

The Indians reached agreement with Mark Reynolds on Sunday on a one-year $6 million deal. Reynolds struck out 159 times last season with Baltimore to finish seventh in the American League. Stubbs and Reynolds should create quite a breeze at Progressive Field next season.

Antonetti said he's happy with the play of Michael Brantley in center field, but wouldn't say where Stubbs will play. The Indians have openings in left and right field following Choo's trade.

"We'll see how the off-season plays out before making a decision," said Antonetti, who is negotiating with free agent outfielder Nick Swisher, among others, to potentially play one of the corner positions.

Stubbs' best season with the Reds was 2010 when he hit .255 (131-for-583) with 19 doubles, six triples, 22 homers and 77 RBI. He stole 30 bases in 36 attempts. Last season he spent most of his time hitting second.

The Reds drafted Stubbs, a right-handed hitter, with their first pick in 2006. He's eligible for arbitration this winter, but can't be a free agent until after the 2016 season.

Albers, 29, split the 2012 season between Boston and Arizona. He was 3-1 with a 2.39 ERA in 63 relief appearances. He posted an 1.80 over his last 11 appearances. Left-handers hit just .207 against him.

Shaw, 25, spent most of the 2012 season in the Arizona bullpen. He went 1-6 with two saves and a 3.49 ERA in 64 relief appearances.

"They're two hard throwing relievers who give us depth in the pen," said Antonetti.

Shaw has been clocked as high as 97 mph, while Albers has topped out at 96 mph.

Shin-Soo Choo, making sliding catch in right field last season, could be headed to Cincinnati. Kathy Willens, Associated Press  

Choo, 30, can be a free agent after the 2013 season. Scott Boras, Choo's agent, has turned down several contract extension offers over the last few years. The actions convinced the Indians long ago that Choo was headed elsewhere as soon as he filed for free agency.

The Reds plan to use Choo in the leadoff spot and in center field. Choo hit well in the leadoff spot for the Tribe, but has played little center field in the big leagues.

Choo hit .282 (169-for-598) with 88 runs, 43 doubles, two triples, 16 homers and 67 RBI last season. As a leadoff hitter, Choo hit .310 (124-for-400) with 33 doubles, 12 homers, 42 RBI and 68 runs in 99 starts.

In 24 games against the Reds, Choo is hitting .351 (33-for-94) with nine doubles, three triples, seven homers and 16 RBI.

"It was very tough to trade Choo because of what he's meant on and off the field to this organization," said Antonetti.

Donald, who played several position for the Indians last season, hit .202 (25-for-124) with two homers and 11 RBI last season. He's 28.

Sipp, 29, has been a big part of the Indians bullpen for the last four years. The left-hander went 1-2 with a 4.42 ERA in 63 appearances last season. He struck out 51, walked 23, but allowed 27 earned runs on 47 hits in 55 innings.

The Indians acquired Anderson from Boston last season at the trading deadline. He did not get promoted to the big leagues.

Gregorius, 22, made his big league debut last season. He hit .300 (6-for-20) with two RBI. He hit a combined .265 (133-for-501) with 21 doubles, 11 triples, seven homers, and 54 RBI at Class AA and Class AAA.

He played in the Arizona Fall League and drew a lot of interest from Arizona's scouts.

Gregorius was born in the Netherlands.

Youk to Yankees: The Indians tried hard to sign Kevin Youkilis, but when talks slowed, they turned to Reynolds to play first base. Youkilis, who played for Tribe manager Terry Francona in Boston, accepted a one-year $12 million deal from the Yankees on Tuesday. 

The Cavaliers travel on the road to face the Indiana Pacers as they try to win their second straight game. Get Twitter updates from Mary Schmitt Boyer (@PDCavsInsider) and Jodie Valade (@JodieValade). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

The Cavaliers travel on the road to face the Indiana Pacers as they try to win their second straight game. Get Twitter updates from Mary Schmitt Boyer (@PDCavsInsider) and Jodie Valade (@JodieValade) in the box below. Check out the in-game box score here. Read on for a game preview. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.

Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) and forward Paul George (24) walk off the court during a time out in the fourth quarter. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki  

(AP) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are bringing a 14-game division losing streak into a matchup with a team they haven't beaten much of late.
There is some hope for the Cavaliers since Kyrie Irving has returned heading into Wednesday night's road contest with the Indiana Pacers.

Good game for Weeden to continue to improve. Gordon could have a career game if weeden keeps his composure and the line keeps up the outstanding pass protection." - dawgtillIdie

Brandon Weeden and Josh Gordon could have huge numbers against Redskins' defense. Joshua Gunter/ The Plain Dealer  

"'The Redskins' pass defense is substandard, having allowed quarterbacks to complete 320 of 516 passes for 3,913 yards and 27 touchdowns.'

Good game for Weeden to continue to improve. Gordon could have a career game if Weeden keeps his composure and the line keeps up the outstanding pass protection."

Q: Hey, Tim: Has there ever been any discussion of holding the Ironman wrestling tournament at a venue that can accommodate more fans? The annual St. Edward-Blair Academy match-up would fall into the same category. -- Tom Rudar, Chardon A: Hey, Tom: The Walsh Jesuit Ironman was founded by former Walsh coach Bill Barger in 1994. Co-director Bob Preusse...

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy's Andy Dobben, right, is driven backward by Vince Turk in their 126-pound match last Friday at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament. Dobben won by pin. - (Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer)

Q: Hey, Tim: Has there ever been any discussion of holding the Ironman wrestling tournament at a venue that can accommodate more fans? The annual St. Edward-Blair Academy match-up would fall into the same category. -- Tom Rudar, Chardon

A: Hey, Tom: The Walsh Jesuit Ironman was founded by former Walsh coach Bill Barger in 1994. Co-director Bob Preusse said much thought has been given to using a larger venue, but the tournament is a fundraiser for Walsh and the school believes it would not make financial sense to rent a facility while losing or sharing concession revenue.

St. Edward's annual meet with Blair Academy of New Jersey rotates every year between the schools, although it was at a neutral site last year in Pennsylvania. While the Blair meet has seen some packed houses, it's not to the point where it needs to be held elsewhere.

Q: Hey, Tim: Last month's Division I All-Ohio football team had four QBs on the first team and a couple more on the second team. Shouldn't the best QB in the state be the first team QB, and the second-best QB be the second team QB? -- Ed Morgan, North Royalton

A: Hey, Ed: I couldn't agree more. There's no need to water down such a prestigious honor.

The Associated Press' Division I first team consisted of four linemen, four quarterbacks, four ends/receivers, three running backs and, my goodness, three kickers. While we're at it, let's bag the co-everything -- the sharing of player of the year and coach of the year honors. Pick one.

Go to cleveland.com/heytim to send questions to PD reporter Tim Warsinskey. You can follow Tim on Twitter and send questions to @TimsTakePD.

MAYFIELD, Ohio - Erin (Abbey) Wilson, a 1999 graduate of Mayfield, was a state champion in the 100 backstroke who went on to earn All-American honors at the University of Michigan. After earning a bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in marketing, Wilson moved to New York City and worked as an account supervisor at McCann Erickson, an...

Former Mayfield swimmer Erin (Abbey) Wilson lives in Chicago, where she works as an account director at an advertising agency. - (Special to The Plain Dealer)

MAYFIELD, Ohio - Erin (Abbey) Wilson, a 1999 graduate of Mayfield, was a state champion in the 100 backstroke who went on to earn All-American honors at the University of Michigan.

After earning a bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in marketing, Wilson moved to New York City and worked as an account supervisor at McCann Erickson, an international advertising agency. Among her responsibilities was working with cosmetics company L'Oreal.

"It was a great experience being able to work in New York City because it's the hotbed," said Wilson, 31. "The city itself is awesome and I like the energy it has."

Wilson was transferred to London and worked as senior account manager/account director for three years before she and her husband moved to Chicago two years ago.

She is an account director at TRIS3CT advertising agency. Her husband, Eric Wilson, also a former Wolverines swimmer, works as a business manager for JP Morgan.

"I love Chicago," said Erin. "We live just north of Lincoln Park, about 10 blocks away from Wrigley Field."

She remains connected to swimming. She competed on the record-setting, Masters Division 400 freestyle relay for the New York Athletic Club and has two triathlons under her belt.

"I missed being competitive so I figured doing triathlons would fill that void and also keep me in shape," she said. "Since swimming is the first part of triathlons, I get a pretty good start, and I've become a better runner and cyclist because of it."

Send suggestions on people or stories we should update for the weekly "Whatever happened to . . . ?" series to Metropolitan Sports Editor Kristen Davis at kdavis@plaind.com, or call 216-999-6163.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Two boys basketball players regarded as among the best in the state and five teams regarded as being among the best in the area. Not a bad smorgasbord for mid-December.

Medina's Madi Tata, top, and North Royalton's Alison Smolinski make claims for the ball during the host Battling Bees' 59-53 win Saturday. - (Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Two boys basketball players regarded as among the best in the state and five teams regarded as being among the best in the area.

Not a bad smorgasbord for mid-December.

That's what will be on display Saturday at Massillon Jackson for the Play4Cancer Shootout, a five-game showcase that features Westerville North's Jack Gibbs, Pickerington Central's Jae'Sean Tate and five teams in the top 18 of The Plain Dealer's Top 25.

Gibbs, a Rivals.com three-star point guard and ranked as the best point guard in Ohio by three scouting services, has made an oral commitment to Davidson. When the 5-11 senior takes the floor Saturday it will be a near anniversary of sorts. Last Dec. 16, Gibbs, who was averaging about 14 points a game, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and was through for the season.

Gibbs' absence might have cleared the way for Pickerington Central to win the Division I state title. Led by Tate, the 6-5 son of former Ohio State and Cincinnati player Jermaine Tate, the Tigers went on a postseason run that included victories over Canton McKinley in a regional final, Fairfield in a state semifinal and Toledo Whitmer in the title game. Tate, only a junior, committed to Ohio State in November.

It will be a challenge for Brunswick, ranked eighth, to find a way to stop Tate and Pickerington Central when those teams meet in the third game at 4 p.m. A similar challenge awaits fourth-ranked Villa Angela-St. Joseph when it meets Tate and Westerville North at 6 p.m.

Elyria and 17th-ranked Medina play the first game at noon, followed by No. 18 Beachwood vs. Massillon at 2 p.m. St. Edward, ranked second, will play the host Polar Bears in the final game.

Proceeds will be donated to the Bessler Scholarship Foundation. Bessler was the manager for Jackson's basketball program for 15 years before dying of cancer two years ago. Tickets are $10 for the entire day with re-entry privileges.

Making of a Namer: Sophomore Lawrynce Johnson continues to make a name for himself at Holy Name. The 6-0 guard, who averaged 10 points per game last year and is regarded by coach Jeff Huber as one of the top 10th graders in the area, poured in 58 points and had 15 rebounds, nine assists and 11 steals as the Green Wave beat Cloverleaf and lost to Normandy last week.

Panthers prowl: Senior Brian Dailey' free throw with little time remaining gave Manchester a 51-50 victory in overtime over Canton Timken last week. The free throw snapped Timken's winning streak in the Principals Athletic Conference at 68 consecutive games.

- Tim Rogers

Girls basketball

Steady gains: The Tallmadge girls basketball team has made great strides during coach Bill Johnson's short tenure.

The Blue Devils posted a 9-12 overall mark, 4-10 in the Suburban League during Johnson's first season before going 15-6, 9-5 a year ago and coming within four points of reaching the Division II state semifinals.

"We have a very strong junior class, many of whom played varsity ball my first year," said Johnson, whose team stood 4-0, 2-0 as of Monday.

Junior Kelsey Rice, a 5-9 point guard, became the school's career assist leader in its season-opening win over Streetsboro.

"She does a good job of distributing the ball, getting everyone involved," said Johnson. "And she's a good rebounder because of her long body."

Senior Leah Makuch and juniors Mary Ryan, Hallie Allen and Kristen Lightel round out the Blue Devils' nucleus but will it be enough to challenge Wadsworth, the league champ in 20 of the past 22 years?

"Their point guard, Rachel Goddard, is outstanding and the thing with Wadsworth, they know how to set the tempo and wear you down," said Johnson. "And I'm concerned with our depth right now."

Milestone point:Waterloo senior Jamie Willis scored her 1,000th career point during Saturday's Portage Trail Conference County Division victory over Windham.

Raining 3s: A total of 11 3-pointers were made during Chardon's 53-49 win over defending Premier Athletic Conference champion Eastlake North. The Hilltoppers were 7-of-21 while the Rangers made good on 4 of 17 attempts.

Stealing the show: Keishawna Burts collected 12 steals when Akron North defeated host Akron Garfield, 59-47, in a City Series game. Burts also accounted for 10 rebounds and five assists.

Jones' trey is huge: Senior Daija Jones' 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds remaining Saturday earned St. Joseph Academy a 55-52 win at Gilmour Academy in what was Greta Burry's first game back. The junior, who reinjured her ankle two days prior to the season opener against Lakewood, scored 17 points.

Whistle woes:Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy was whistled for 29 fouls, which resulted in four players fouling out, during its Principals Athletic Conference loss at Fairless. The Falcons were 34-of-46 (74 percent) from the foul line.

Brave new world:Berea's 67-47 victory over visiting Avon Lake on Saturday snapped its 50-game losing streak in the Southwestern Conference, and the Braves set a school single-game record with 12 3-pointers.

- Bob Fortuna

Wrestling

No. 1 bouncing back from No. 3: Wrestling coaches say the hardest medal to earn is third place for those who have to bounce back from a semifinal loss. St. Edward senior Dean Heil experienced that in excruciating fashion last week.

Heil, an Oklahoma State recruit, was ranked No. 1 in national polls at 138 pounds when he lost to No. 4-ranked Micah Jordan of St. Paris Graham in the Ironman semifinals Saturday. Jordan scored a last-second takedown to win, 6-5. Heil came back and won a consolation match and beat 10th-ranked P.J. Klee of Blair Academy to place third, 8-2.

"It was a rough weekend. I'd say it was one of the worst [tournaments] I've wrestled," Heil said.

"I was ranked No. 1 in the country and I had everything to lose, and obviously I lost a lot.

"I was able to bounce back and finish third, but I'm still dreading that loss. I was wrestling not to lose, which is basically the same as wrestling to lose the match. I've got a lot to learn."

In new rankings released Wednesday, Heil was dropped to No. 3 by IntermatWrestle.com.

Abounader out: Two-time state wrestling champ Domenic Abounader of St. Edward was held out of the Ironman last week because he sprained his ankle in practice. Coaches expect the Michigan recruit to miss Friday's dual at St. Ignatius, and he could return Dec. 22 for the Dvorak Tournament in Illinois.

Century city: Winning 100 career wrestling matches was pretty unusual at one time. It's still a lot of victories, but it's more common these days because wrestlers frequently wrestle 45 to 50 matches per season.

Winning 100 matches as a junior, however, is noteworthy. Beachwood's Ryan Harris became the Bison's 12th 100-win man last week as he and fellow junior Sammy Gross won titles at the Olentangy Liberty Classic. Wrestling at 160, Harris had four technical falls and a pin. Defending state champ Gross had three pins and a technical fall at 120.

On deck: The Hudson Holiday Tournament on Friday and Saturday includes Archbishop Hoban, Aurora, Brunswick, Buchtel, Chagrin Falls, Copley, Crestwood, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Maple Heights, Norton, Parma, Stow and Streetsboro. The North Canton Hoover Tournament features Brush, Coventry, Green, Highland, Kenmore, University School and Wadsworth.

- Tim Warsinskey

Swimming

Viking time: The 38th Viking Invitational will be held at Cleveland State's Busbey Natatorium on Saturday. More than 700 swimmers from about 65 schools are expected, with preliminaries at 8 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m. Diving will go from 1-5 p.m.

Teams include 14-time state champion Hawken, Magnificat, Solon, Strongsville, four-time champion University School, Walsh Jesuit and host St. Ignatius. State champion Cincinnati St. Xavier, Toledo St. John's, Cathedral Prep (Erie, Pa.) and Canisius (Buffalo, N.Y.) will also compete.

Good showing: Area swimmers had a nice showing at last week's prestigious Ned Reeb Memorial Invitational at Ohio State.

Walsh Jesuit senior Danielle Margheret won the breaststroke, with Bay junior Elizabeth Auckley second in the butterfly and third in the backstroke. Firestone junior Natalie O'Brien was fourth in the individual medley. Solon placed third in the 200 free relay.

On the boys side, St. Ignatius senior Derek Hren won the breaststroke and Nordonia junior Stephen Romanik took the diving competition. Orange sophomore Jack Nee showed his prowess in the sprints with a win in the 100 free and a second in the 50.

Walsh Jesuit sophomore Michael Reilman was second in the backstroke and Solon sophomore Christopher Guo was third in the individual medley.

In relays, St. Ignatius won the 400 free and was second in the 200 medley, with Solon third in that latter event. University School was third in both the 200 and 400 events.

Most of the competitors will be at the Viking Invitational.

- Joe Maxse

Hockey

Perseverance:Benedictine hockey coach Frank Malec has been making do with seven to nine healthy players. After winning the Parma Thanksgiving Tournament to open the season at 4-0, the Bengals have gone 2-6 as injuries have come into play.

Junior Tom Hongosh has 16 goals and 10 assists, with senior Mike Adamowski at 10 goals and 18 assists. Freshmen Joe Kolenic and Ron Moner have 13 and 11 goals, respectively.

The Bengals stand 6-6 overall and 0-2 in the Blue East Division of the Greater Cleveland High School Hockey League.

Big week: Bay senior center Jake Kirk is putting up big numbers, especially last week. In wins against Western Reserve Academy, Canfield and Garfield Heights, he totaled 18 goals and three assists. For the season, Kirk has 25 goals and four assists in seven games.

It's one reason the Rockets stand 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the Blue Central West Division. They went 5-22-1 and 1-11 in the division a year ago.

"We struggled last year," said Bay coach Rick Kirk, obviously proud of the play of his son. "We're excited about the great start. The kids have been terrific."

Another get together: St. Edward and St. Ignatius will meet for the first time this season Friday when they square off at Serpentini Winterhurst Arena in Lakewood at 6 p.m.

The Eagles wrecked the Wildcats' hopes for a record season when they knocked off their West Side rival, 3-2, in the district final at Brooklyn in March. It was the first loss for St. Ignatius after 39 victories.

The Eagles went 20-13-3 a year ago, but came up short in the state title game for the second straight year as Sylvania Northview prevailed for its first title. St. Edward has 11 state championships.

The Wildcats come in at 4-2-1, 0-0-1 in the Red North West Division. The Eagles are 5-5, 1-1.

- Joe Maxse  

LAKEWOOD, Ohio - To be the best, you have to beat the best. Edgar Bright Jr. has wrestled the best again and again for more than three years. It seems that every time St. Edward's wrestling team rolls into a big meet -- which is often -- Bright winds up front and center in an epic showdown against the...

St. Edward senior Edgar Bright Jr. works on his takedown during a recent practice. Bright, a Pitt recruit, won his first Ironman Tournament title last weekend but his ultimate goals are a state title and No. 1 national ranking. - (Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer)

LAKEWOOD, Ohio - To be the best, you have to beat the best.

Edgar Bright Jr. has wrestled the best again and again for more than three years. It seems that every time St. Edward's wrestling team rolls into a big meet -- which is often -- Bright winds up front and center in an epic showdown against the best wrestler in the room. The senior has lost most of those matches, including two epic state finals, in a wide variety of agonizingly close and dramatic outcomes (see side box to this story).

In each match, two things were clear: Bright is an immensely talented wrestler, and one who will come back for more.

The defeats did nothing to lessen his resolve because Bright exemplifies another wrestling axiom: In order to beat the best, you have to find a way to improve after losing to the best.

In his final season before heading off to the University of Pittsburgh on a wrestling scholarship, Bright's ardent goals still are to be ranked No. 1 in the nation and undefeated at 145 pounds. In light of his championship in last weekend's prestigious Ironman Tournament, it appears the future is indeed, quite bright.

"People have to learn to bounce back from losses and he obviously did, and he's obviously showing it after this past weekend," said St. Edward senior Dean Heil, Bright's workout partner and a two-time state champ.

Bright knows that to be No. 1 in the nation, he'll have to go undefeated, which is quite rare for a St. Edward wrestler because of the Eagles' brutal schedule. Bright is ranked No. 4 by two national polls and fifth by another.

"I've been second in a lot of tournaments and, in my heart, I feel people look at me and say I can't handle the big stage," Bright said. "I really think I can handle the big stage, so winning, taking first and being undefeated means a lot to me. I feel I can prove myself to everyone, prove that I can be No. 1."

Bright pauses, then adds with a serious look, "It makes me hungrier. You come back to practice [after losses] and work even harder. I listen to my coaches and fix what I have to fix. I critique what I need to do better, and what I should have done. I focus in on giving it more of an effort -- give it more than my all."

None of this surprises St. Edward coach Greg Urbas, who has seen a fearlessness in Bright since he became a freshman starter who seemed to be a magnet for high-profile matches.

"He's had unbelievable opponents and he went after all of them," Urbas said. "He's been on the big stage against guys who were nationally ranked and didn't hold back."

The resilience and drive are deep-rooted in Bright, perhaps in part because he's from a wrestling family. Well, not the entire family. Bright, who lives in Collinwood, is the youngest of Angela and Edgar Sr.'s six children. The rest are all girls, including his twin, Erica, who runs track for Collinwood.

"We don't look alike, we don't think the same way, we disagree a lot, but she comes to watch me wrestle. She supports me," Bright said of Erica, smiling. "My family motivates me more than anything. They always root for me. They are there to pick me up when I'm down."

St. Edward assistant coach John Heffernan credits Bright's father and uncle, Benny, for bringing Bright along slowly as a youth. Both Bright men wrestled on powerful Collinwood teams in the 1980s. Benny was a two-time state runner-up. They enrolled Edgar Jr. in the West Shore Wrestling Club at St. Edward, a feeder program for the Eagles.

"He got a lot better when he got to high school," Heffernan said. "He was always athletic as heck. He's really strong. He dad works a lot with his strength.

"Edgar is what I want our kids to be. I want them tough mentally and tough physically. He bounces back from losses and that's a big thing we want from our kids because of our schedule."

Bright is easy going, humble and intelligent off the mat, and will surprise teammates with a sharp sense of humor. On the mat, he accepts defeat and welcomes victory with equal graciousness.

Bright's father said the one thing his son might lack on the mat is the mean streak that made Benny Bright such a success.

"I told my son that if he had that in him, he'd be that much a better wrestler," Edgar Sr. said.

Heffernan said Bright reminds him of St. Edward's three-time state champ Mark Jayne, which is high praise.

Jayne was unbeaten as a senior, and went on to be a Big Ten champ and All-American at Illinois. Heffernan said both are "grinders," and that Bright is ahead of his time, wrestling a college style as a high school senior who just turned 17.

"He's has a better college style than I do right now," said Heil, who has committed to Oklahoma State. "He's a better hand fighter than I am. He's pretty tough on top and if he's not scoring, he has the mentality that he can kick you out and create scoring."

Bright also has a promising future as a freestyle wrestler.

Despite the state finals losses, Bright has scaled one very big mountain. He was the 2011 Cadet freestyle national champion (ages 15-16) at the USA Wrestling Championships in Fargo, N.D. He skipped the tournament last summer, but his coaches said he could have a future in the national freestyle scene. Bright's goal is to wrestle in the Olympics.

"He's got a good style for freestyle. He plays the edge, he's hard to score on and he's explosive," Heffernan said.

Bright's three state tournament losses -- for fifth place in 2010 and first place in 2011 and 2012 -- as well as a controversial loss in a big meet against Blair Academy last year, all came in overtime, and all were against wrestlers who now are at major college wresting programs.

"The biggest one was the Blair dual meet where we lost [the national championship,]" Heil said. "You hardly see Edgar cry. He's one of the kids who doesn't show emotion much, but after the Blair meet or the state finals, you could tell it hit him hard, and you could see he didn't ever want that to happen again."

Bright and those close to him feel like he made a statement at the Ironman last week.

"I think he turned the corner," said his father.

Unknown to many at the Ironman, Bright's physical toughness was on display all weekend. Suffering from a sprained ankle before the tournament, coaches nearly didn't let Bright wrestle until he implored them to let him at least give it a shot.

"He does have the desire," Edgar Sr. said. "One thing that always caught me by surprise about Edgar is his desire. He told his uncle, who was a two-time state runner-up, 'I'm going to be better than you.' Benny laughed. He's always pushing Edgar. He said, 'Yeah, you're going to be a three-time runner-up!' "

Bright's response to his uncle?

"We'll see about that."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

In three-plus seasons, St. Edward senior Edgar Bright Jr. has had an eventful career, frequently drawing the best wrestler on an opposing team or in a tournament field, and wrestling memorable matches that have gone down to the final seconds. Many of those matches have been crucial to St. Edward's fate. 2009-10

Edgar Bright of St. Edward, laying on the mat, suffered a tough defeat in the 2011 state final at 112 pounds to St. Ignatius' George DiCamillo, 3-1, on a takedown in sudden-victory overtime. - (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

In three-plus seasons, St. Edward senior Edgar Bright Jr. has had an eventful career, frequently drawing the best wrestler on an opposing team or in a tournament field, and wrestling memorable matches that have gone down to the final seconds. Many of those matches have been crucial to St. Edward's fate.

2009-10

Dual meet vs. Blair (N.J.) Academy: As a freshman, Bright nearly pulled off a major upset when he took then No. 1-ranked Evan Silver to the limit, but lost, 9-8. Silver now starts for Stanford.

State tournament, 112 pounds: Bright lost to Massillon Perry's Mitch Newhouse in a semifinal, 6-4, in sudden-victory overtime. In the match for fifth place, Bright lost to Wadsworth's Alfredo Gray, 2-1, in an overtime tiebreaker. Gray's victory helped Wadsworth beat St. Edward for the team title. Gray now starts for Kent State and Newhouse wrestles for Ashland.

2010-11

State tournament, 112-pound championship: Bright lost an action-packed final to St. Ignatius' George DiCamillo, 3-1, on a takedown in sudden-victory overtime. DiCamillo also won the state title in 2012 and now starts at Virginia.

2011-12

Ironman Tournament, 132 pounds: In a quarterfinal, Bright defeated Wadsworth's Kagan Squire, 5-3, in an overtime criteria tiebreaker near-fall. In the semis, Bright beat Alex Cisneros of Selma, Calif., in overtime. Bright lost the final, 5-2, to Randy Cruz of Bethlehem (Pa.) Catholic. Squire now starts for Ohio University, Cisneros wrestles for Cornell and Cruz starts for Lehigh University.

Dual meet vs. Blair Academy: A meet that would decide the national team championship between the country's top-ranked teams came down to the last match between Bright and Mark Gray at 138 pounds. In a controversial call, Bright was awarded a first-period takedown, then had it waved off. The match went into overtime criteria and Gray rode out Bright in the final 30-second period to beat Bright on criteria, 2-1. Blair won the meet, 27-22, and the national title. Gray signed with Cornell.

State tournament, 132-pound championship: Bright lost to Cincinnati Moeller two-time state champ Joey Ward, 3-2, on an overtime tiebreaker escape. Ward was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler and now starts for North Carolina.

2012-13

Ironman, 145-pound championship: Bright defeated Dayton Christian's Jacob Danishek, 3-2, and won his first Ironman title. Bright was in control the entire match.

Byron Scott coached David West in New Orleans, so he's not surprised West is leading the Pacers in scoring and rebounding.

Indiana forward David West (looking for a shot against Denver's Kosta Koufos) has provided a steady supply of points and rebounds for a Pacers team missing star Danny Granger. AJ Mast, Associated Press  

INDIANAPOLIS -- With All-Star Danny Granger still out with a sore left knee, power forward David West is leading the Pacers in scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.5 points and 8.6 boards a game.

Cavaliers coach Byron Scott is not the least bit surprised, having coached West in New Orleans.

"The one thing about DWest is that he's one of the smartest players I've ever had," Scott said before Wednesday's game. "His basketball IQ is off the charts. He knows how to get it to where he wants to go to. His basketball skills are some of the best in the league.

"For a big man his size, he can stretch it out to three. I don't think he's shot any threes since he's been here. If he has, it hasn't been many. But in New Orleans, we had it where he was able to knock down threes as well. He can post, mid-range game, can put it on the floor, pass, he does a little bit of everything.

"Nothing he does is real flashy. I think that's why he doesn't get all the attention he deserves, but he's very solid in every area of the game. That's just David. He's got an old-school type game, but he's very effective."

Injury updates: Rookie guard Dion Waiters (ankle sprain) missed his sixth straight game and there remains no timetable for his return. According to Scott's rules, Waiters must take part in a practice before he can play in a game.

With the Cavs off on Thursday after a back-to-back, Scott said the team's next practice would be Sunday or Monday.

"I'm anxious," Scott said. "I want the young fella to get back out there. ... But we're not going to rush it."

Forward Omri Casspi missed Wednesday's game with an upset stomach. Unlike Waiters, he traveled with the team, but stayed back at the hotel.

Seats are available: Single-game tickets for the second half of the season, beginning with Oklahoma City on Feb. 2 through the game against the NBA champion Heat on April 15, go on sale Friday at noon at cavs.com, charge-by-phone at 1-800-820-CAVS, in person at any Discount Drug Mart or in person at the Quicken Loans Arena box office.

Tube tops: Former Cavaliers LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal are featured in the most-viewed video on The NBA YouTube Channel (youtube.com/nba). The channel recently passed the one billion mark in videos viewed by fans, the first professional sports channel on YouTube to do so.

James, O'Neal and Dwight Howard staged an impromptu dance contest at the East All-Star team practice during 2007 NBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas. To date, the video has been viewed nearly 18.9 million times by fans to make it No. 1. James is featured in five of the top 10 videos on the channel, which now has more than one million subscribers and was the first professional sports channel to reach that mark.

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Griffin returned to practice on Wednesday and said his chances for playing are "really good."

BEREA, Ohio -- Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III practiced Wednesday, just three days after spraining his right knee, and it sounds increasingly likely that he will play Sunday against the Browns.

"I did enough to give myself the confidence to push it [today] and Friday," Griffin told reporters in Washington after practice.

The quarterback added that the chances of him playing in Cleveland are "really good."

"Sunday night, I thought there was probably no chance that I could play the next week," Griffin said. "Monday morning, I felt better about it."

Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson said the defense is preparing as if Griffin will be in the lineup. Defensive tackle Phil Taylor supplied the most succinct and comical commentary when asked for his approach to containing the multidimensional quarterback.

"Fire off the damn ball, whip the O-line [butt]," Taylor said.

Griffin was injured in the fourth quarter of the Redskins' 31-28 overtime win against Baltimore. Fellow rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins rallied Washington to victory, keeping alive its playoff hopes at 7-6.

Some media members, who watched the first portion of Wednesday's practice that was open to them, said Griffin favored his right leg slightly. He was listed as limited on the official injury report.

Griffin, an NFL co-leader in quarterback rating (104.2), said he plans to wear a brace on the knee. In a conference call, Redskins rookie running back Alfred Morris said he thought Griffin looked good in practice.

"You couldn't tell he had an injury," Morris said. "He may be a great actor."

The Browns are using Colt McCoy as the scout team quarterback this week to impersonate Griffin. Coach Pat Shurmur said he didn't consider using Josh Cribbs, a former college quarterback, adding that nobody on the Browns' roster could simulate Griffin's speed.

Cleveland finale? Cribbs will serve as the team's fourth captain in what could be his final home game as a Brown. The special-teams standout is a free agent at season's end.

"I've put a lot of thought into it," Cribbs said of Sunday being perhaps his last game in a Cleveland uniform at the stadium. "I'm going to give a little something extra special and try to put on a show."

Cribbs said he has had no negotiations with the Browns, but prefers to finish his career with the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State in 2005.

"I've got to get prepared for this game here and I've got what, three games left to show what I can do and how I'm still an asset to this football team and how I can be an asset to any football team," he said.

"I'm still going to be playing football. I'm not worried about that part. I'm sure it will be [sad], but not yet."

Cribbs leads Pro Bowl fan votes for punt returners in the AFC. The AFC and NFC all-star squads are based on the combined votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group's vote counts one-third toward determining the 43-man rosters.

"I really appreciate Josh for his toughness and in a sport like football, that's the highest honor," Shurmur said when naming him the fourth captain.

Benjamin honored: Rookie Travis Benjamin was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his 93-yard touchdown return on Sunday against Kansas City. He becomes the first Browns rookie to earn the honor since Andre' Davis in 2002.

Numbers game: Brandon Weeden has thrown for 3,037 yards this season. With three games remaining, he already has passed for the seventh-most yards by an NFL rookie. Indianapolis' Andrew Luck is the only rookie to throw for more yards (3,812) this season.

Locker-room prank: A Baylor golf shirt was hanging in Weeden's locker on Wednesday. Defensive tackle Taylor, who played at Baylor along with receiver Josh Gordon, was the culprit.

Griffin also played at Baylor, where he won the Heisman Trophy a season ago.

Brownies: The Philadelphia Eagles signed defensive tackle Ronnie Cameron, who was waived by the Browns on Monday to make room for tight end Brad Smelley, signed off the practice squad. ... Left tackle Joe Thomas is one of 10 NFL nominees for the 2013 Bart Starr Award, which reflects outstanding character and leadership on and off the field.

The Indians' trade is getting good grades around baseball, but the size of the payoff will depend on whether they can get pitcher Trevor Bauer straightened out, Bud Shaw writes in his Spin column.

New Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer was reportedly not fully embraced by his teammates in Arizona, but the power in his right arm clearly intrigued the Indians before Tuesday's trade. AP file  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians are getting such good marks for the Choo deal, what could possibly go wrong?

Trevor Bauer throws nine pitches. He likes to warm up wearing headphones. His idea of long-toss to get ready for a start is sometimes foul pole to foul pole -- a distance also known as Johnny Damon to Juan Pierre to Coco Crisp to Grady Sizemore.

An Arizona baseball writer watched him unleash a wild last warmup pitch in March -- something he says he likes to do for the fans -- and likened him to Happy Gilmore.

Chase Headley of the San Diego Padres told reporters this about him after facing Bauer for the first time: "He's unorthodox to say the least, as far as his mechanics, a lot of stuff flying at you."

Chosen as the third overall pick in the 2011 draft, Bauer was booed in his first home start this past season. That was after he shook off his catcher in his first start and a few months before he made Chris Perez's Tweets look as tame as the Pope's.

"Obama looked childish and petty tonight," Bauer Tweeted during a presidential debate in October. "I'm ashamed that he is commander and chief of this great nation."

Arizona Diamondbacks' managing partner Ken Kendrick told FoxSportsArizona that Bauer was "an interesting young man with a lot of individual traits." Not long after, the Diamondbacks decided those traits should be shared with the Indians.

The burning question about the Indians-Reds-Diamondbacks trade doesn't involve the best player involved – Shin-Soo Choo. The Indians had to trade him. By all appearances they got significant value back for a player who goes to Cincinnati as a one-year rental.

They did better than expected. I'll say it again, so there's no misunderstanding. They did well. But the question remains: why did Arizona give up on Bauer so soon after drafting him so high?

There was grumbling about his unwillingness to make adjustments and his odd-ball antics for one, but teams tend to live with that if the package includes everything else necessary to become a front-of-the-rotation starter. You'd hope the Indians weighed the unorthodox delivery and mechanics issues on the Ubaldo Jimenez Scale since that trade is so fresh in their mind and gave it the green light because the talent is too great to pass up.

If that's the case, Chris Antonetti will get good grades for this off-season. To ace it might require landing Nick Swisher but, overall, the Indians have filled some holes. Having offered Shane Victorino big money and having sent $3.5 million to Cincinnati along with Choo and Jason Donald, the Indians are spending freely. For them.

It's a welcome sight and possibly a first step in repairing the relationship with their fan base.

No one should chastise them for trading Choo. Once again, the measure will be what they received in return. Bauer is the centerpiece in that evaluation.

He had a pair of fairway victories in 2012, even if he looks a bit scruffy. John Kuntz, PD  

I don't know new Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway. But when he shows up in spring training to work with Jimenez, Bauer and Justin Masterson on smoothing out their mechanics and repeating their deliveries, my guess is he's going to find there's something he sorely needs and something he richly deserves.

A sense of humor and a raise.

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

(The Newcomer Edition)

Indians' first baseman Mark Reynolds and PGA golfer Hunter Mahan -- Dave Thomas, Malone, N.Y.

SPINOFFS

He's got power at the plate -- and probably in the tee box, too -- but tends to need a few mulligans on the diamond. AP file  

• The Australian PGA won't be returning to Clive Palmer's Coolum Resort, this year's site, in part because the eccentric owner insists on placing signage in the fairways and because he built a 26-foot replica T-Rex that stands between the ninth green and 10th tee.

Palmer has turned off the motion detector inside "Jeff," as the T-Rex is known, so that the dinosaur no longer roars when people walk by.

In related news, the New York Jets wish they could do the same when reporters approach Joe Namath after a loss. ...

• In handing down player suspensions in the bounty case, Roger Goodell depended in some part on notes of a meeting taken by former Saints assistant Mike Cerullo. In vacating the suspensions Tuesday, former commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Cerullo admitted his notes were "partially inaccurate."

That's a legal term the rest of us know as "wrong." ...

• Good to see Browns linebacker Scott Fujita vindicated. He asked the best question of all the parties involved in the bounty case when he shook hands with the commissioner in New York a few months back and said, "What the hell are you doing, Roger?" ...

• A league has never gone out of its way to sabotage one of its franchises and fan bases quite the way the NFL did in New Orleans this year. Worse, he did it in a year when New Orleans is the Super Bowl host city.

Asking the people of New Orleans to embrace the NFL now is like asking a jilted wife to throw a bachelorette party for her ex's 22-year-old fiance. ...

• The Houston Texans declared their matchup with New England a "statement game" and then lost, 42-14. At least Lions' defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is feeling better about Houston quarterback Matt Schaub's admonition that he is not "Texan worthy." ...

• Dancesport, also known as Ballroom Dancing, is a step closer to petitioning for inclusion in the Olympic Games.

C'mon, Mayans, we're counting on you. ...

• After Arizona lost, 58-0, to Seattle, the father of Cardinals' wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald killed the team in a Tweet: "Definition of team quitting 9 losses in a row. 9th loss 58-0. Injuries handling of offense worst in NFL. Adrian Wilson and Darnell Dockett situations"

Quitting is the worst thing you could say about the Cardinals next to accusing them of actually trying in a 58-point loss. ...

• In the meantime, former NFL quarterback Vince Young sent a Tweet to Larry Fitzgerald, saying, "You know I can help tell coach."

Problem solved. ...

• Divorce proceedings reveal the extent of Allen Iverson's financial issues, or at least what he's claiming. He owes $860,000 to a jeweler. His monthly expenses include $10,000 on clothes and $10,000 on groceries and house items.

And $5,000 on restaurants, because a man cannot be expected to stay home and eat caviar every night. ...

SPIN QUIZ OF THE WEEK

Manny Pacquiao's mother blamed his loss to Juan Manuel Marquez on her son:

a) Cutting corners in training;

b) Taking his opponent lightly;

c) Dropping his guard; or

d) Leaving the Catholic church.

Answer: d

"Since the Protestant pastors came into his life, he has not focused on boxing," she said.

Or apparently keeping a glove up when he turns the other cheek.

HE TWEETED IT

"Blame the idiots calling the shots" -- Braylon Edwards, defending Jets quarterback and former teammate Mark Sanchez last week.

Tuesday, the Jets acknowledged the truth of what he said by signing him for the rest of the season.

SARCASM OF THE WEEK

"My favorite part of the fine email from the NFL -- they end it with 'sincerely'. It's the little touches that let you know they care." -- Vikings punter Chris Kluwe after the league fined him $5,250 for writing "Vote Ray Guy" on his 50th Anniversary Hall of Fame uniform patch.

YOU SAID IT

(The Expanded Midweek Edition)

"Mr. Bud:

"Will I be able to use my Flying J card to buy Browns playoff tickets at the local truck stop?" -- Bubba, Kiln, Miss.

According to makeNFLplayoffs.com, the Browns have a 3.0 percent chance of getting a wild-card berth. Or roughly twice the chance of a "You Said It" reader getting a date.

"Hey Bud:

"Any truth to the rumor the Indians are trying to persuade Roger Dorn out of retirement?" -- Dan, Bay Village

No, but if the stories of Trevor Bauer's warmup routine are true, Charlie Sheen will play him in Major League III.

"Bud:

"If Peyton Manning really drives a Buick, are you in a Fiesta or a Yugo?" -- John McEllen

My financial advisor believes a Segway is the best fit for me at this time.

"Bud:

"Will the NFL follow the NBA's lead and fine Mark Sanchez for flopping?" -- Jim Corrigan

They don't yet fine players for bad years, but give Roger Goodell time.

"Hey Bud:

"When the world ends next week, and I'm in hell, will your Spin column be expanded to a whole section and published on a daily basis?" -- Bob H, Medina

No. You'll have to settle for a 24-hour loop of Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless debating the chemical makeup of brimstone.

"Hey, Bud:

"If the Browns ever make the playoffs, will we have to worry that the coach will leave for a better job with a SEC school?" -- George Nehlsen, Stow

Only if it's Nick Saban.

"Bud:

"Was last year's lack of effort by Peyton Hillis an attempt to position himself for a future Sportsman of the Year Award?" -- Chas K

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

On Twitter: @budshaw

C.J. Miles had 28 points, 23 in the first half, but he and the Cavaliers cooled off dramatically in the second half of a 96-81 loss at Indiana.

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana --

The trouble for the Cavaliers started right before halftime Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Reserves Luke Walton, Samardo Samuels, Donald Sloan and Daniel Gibson, along with starting power forward Tristan Thompson, pushed the Cavs' lead over the Indiana Pacers to 16 with 3:39 left, but as soon as coach Byron Scott sent his starters out to finish the half, the bottom fell out.

"You could see it," said one of those starters, C.J. Miles, who led the Cavs with 28 points, 23 of them in the first half. "We got lax."

Indiana closed the first half on a 9-0 run and opened the second with another 9-0 run to take control of the game and send the Cavs to a 96-81 loss that dropped their record to 5-18. It was quite a comedown after the big victory over the Lakers on Tuesday night at The Q and a wild first quarter that saw Miles score 16 points while making 4 of 5 3-pointers.

"From about the three-minute mark of the second quarter, it all changed," a grim Scott said. "From that point on, we just weren't here. It's as simple as that. I thought we did a good job when we started the game."

"But once Indiana started to be a little bit more aggressive . . . I think our guys just caved in to it.

"Winning in this league is very hard, and I thought we just caved in to the pressure they were giving us and we just stopped playing. Period. That's how we got our butt kicked."

The Cavs were playing their fourth game in six nights, their second set of five straight back-to-backs. They are 0-7 on the second night this season. But it looked as if they were going to change that trend when Miles got off to such a hot start. He had 23 points by halftime after making 5 of 6 3-pointers, 6 of 11 field goals overall, and 6 of 6 free throws. Thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Gibson, the Cavs made 7 of 8 3-pointers (87.5 percent) for the first time since Nov. 28, 2009, when they made 7 of 8 3-pointers in the first half against Dallas.

However, Miles made only 2 of 7 shots the rest of the game for five points. In the second half, the Cavs -- minus an ailing Omri Casspi and injured rookie Dion Waiters -- scored 23 points, which is a record low for a Pacers opponent, and made just 8 of 41 shots, a nippy 19.5 percent. During the Pacers' 18-0 run, the Cavs were scoreless for four minutes as Indiana concentrated on taking the ball out of Kyrie Irving's hands. The most life the Cavs showed was when Thompson was called for a flagrant foul after throwing an elbow with 9:38 left in the game.

"They got up and showed a sense of urgency and a lot of energy and we didn't match it," Miles said. "We let them take us out of stuff we were doing that we did so well in the first half. We responded in more of a panic. We started rushing things. In the first half, everybody was patient. We screened for each other. We passed it. In the second half, we got rushed and everybody tried to make a big play."

Miles was asked if, after beating the Lakers and building a big lead against the Pacers, the Cavs had a sense of invincibility -- of being better than they are.

"I felt like there was," he said. "I talked about it after the game. Coming in here today, you could see that in the first half, guys were confident, guys were doing what we do, playing the same way we did [Tuesday]. We've just got to figure out how to put that foot on their neck. We've just got to lock in. It comes from playing. A lot of guys haven't learned how to play yet."

It was a disappointing homecoming for rookie Tyler Zeller, whose parents and brother -- IU star Cody Zeller -- were in the crowd. In addition, fans from his hometown of Washington, Indiana, had purchased two suites for the game. But Zeller was in foul trouble from the start and finished with eight points and three rebounds in 18 minutes before fouling out with 3:28 left.

In foul trouble the entire game, Zeller played just 17 minutes and "It's always fun to be able to come back and play a game in front of the people who watched you play a lot in high school," Zeller said, "although it's not the outcome that I wanted."

There is an arms race going on in the AL Central and the Indians are trying to keep pace.

Trevor Bauer is the first answer provided to several questions involving the Indians' 2013 pitching staff, but he's not likely to be the last in a busy off-season throughout the American League Central. AP file  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Chris Antonetti's off-season targets to improve the Indians, at least the ones made public, have been mostly hitters.

What do Shane Victorino, Nick Swisher, Kevin Youkilis, Mark Reynolds and Drew Stubbs have in common? They're all position players who can swing the bat and have been pursued by Antonetti. Reynolds and Stubbs just so happen to be the only ones who are now property of the Indians.

Mostly that's because of how the free-agent market has unfolded. Every team goes into the off-season with a shopping list, but rarely do they get to methodically cross off the items in order from A to Z. Filling the holes on a roster is like filming a movie. Scenes are shot out of sequence and cut and spliced into their proper place when the movie is finished.

What the Indians are really trying to do this winter surfaced Tuesday night in their three-team, nine-players deal with Cincinnati and Arizona. The Indians' haul from the trade was three pitchers and Stubbs. The key arm in the deal belonged to right-hander Trevor Bauer, Arizona's No.1 pick in 2011.

Bauer, 21, is a starting pitcher and the Indians need starters badly because the balance of power in the AL Central in 2013, despite the presence of Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, will be decided on the mound.

Two-time defending champion Detroit has Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Max Scherzer, Drew Smyly and Rick Porcello in the rotation. If they are able to re-sign free agent Anibal Sanchez, or replace him with another starter, they will be even stronger. Detroit's rotation went 63-51 with a 3.76 ERA, second best in the American League, last season.

The second-place White Sox have Jake Peavy, Chris Sale, Gavin Floyd, Jose Quintana and John Danks. Danks is recovering from a capsule tear in his shoulder and could be ready for spring training. Chicago's rotation went 60-52 with a 4.15 ERA last year. They were ranked seventh in ERA.

The rotations of the Indians, Kansas City and Minnesota, the other three teams in the Central, were disasters. The Royals went 47-69 with a 5.01 ERA followed by the Indians' 48-76, 5.24 and the Twins 39-75, 5.40. The Indians and Twins finished 13th and 14th, respectively, in ERA.

How bad were they really? The opposition hit .283 against the Royals starters, .284 against the Indians and .291 against the Twins.

The Royals and Twins have taken steps to improve. The Indians' acquisition of Bauer was their first attempt to keep pace, but Antonetti knows they need to do more.

"We would like to continue to try and improve our starting pitching," the Tribe's general manager said. "We felt we accomplished a portion of that Tuesday, especially for our future. But we still need to fortify it."

For the last two years Kansas City has had one of most dangerous lineups in the big leagues. Pitching, however, let them down. GM Dayton Moore has gone all out this winter to try and change that.

In the biggest trade of the off-season, Moore acquired right-handers James Shields and Wade Davis from Tampa in exchange for outfielder Wil Myers, Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year, right-hander Mike Odorizzi, left-hander Mike Montgomery and third baseman Patrick Leonard.

The Royals think Shields will be the No.1 starter they've been missing. He's expected to be followed in the rotation by Davis, Ervin Santana, Jeremy Guthrie, Bruce Chen or Luke Hochevar. Moore traded for Santana after last season and re-signed free agent Guthrie to a three-year, $25 million deal.

Twins GM Terry Ryan acquired Philadelphia right-hander Vance Worley for outfielder Ben Revere and is close to signing free-agent Kevin Correia. Lefty Scott Diamond could be the No.1 starter. Nick Blackburn and Liam Hendricks are expected to fill out the rotation. Worley underwent elbow surgery in September, but should be ready for spring training.

Ryan received Worley and pitching prospect Trevor May for Revere. He sent outfielder Denard Span to Washington for Alex Meyer, another minor-league starter.

The Indians' rotation has three healthy bodies in Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez and Zach McAllister. Corey Kluber (right knee) and Carlos Carrasco (right elbow) should be ready to compete in spring training. Bauer, meanwhile, could fit nicely into the fourth or fifth spot.

Josh Tomlin (right elbow) will probably miss the season, while David Huff and Jeanmar Gomez provide depth, but the Indians will need more starters than that to get through the season. They have talked to a number of free-agent starters. Edwin Jackson and Francisco Liriano are two on their list.

Antonetti, however, made it clear that the only way the Tribe's rotation is going to take a real step forward is by the pitchers already in it to improve. That would require big bounce back years from Masterson (11-15, 4.93) and Jimenez (9-17, 5.40). They're going to need plenty of help from Bauer as well.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

For the 14th straight time, Ohio State dominated a non-conference foe at home by at least 20 points.

Ohio State center Evan Ravenel scored 11 points with nine rebounds in 17 minutes of Wednesday's Buckeye romp over Savannah State in Columbus. Jay LaPrete, Associated Press  

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After Saturday's win over Long Beach State, Ohio State center Evan Ravenel talked to former teammate Jared Sullinger, now with the Boston Celtics. It wasn't just to say hey.

Ravenel said Sullinger called to cuss him out after his nine-minute effort yielded two points, one rebound and four fouls. So on Monday, Ohio State's lone senior asked for a meeting with his coaches and sat down with assistants Dave Dickerson, Jeff Boals and Chris Jent for what he called a heart-to-heart.

Ravenel didn't know if something off the court was keeping him from playing his best and playing his role. He and the coaches talked. They watched tape. They figured out that the solution wasn't difficult.

"I've just got to play with energy," Ravenel said after he looked like a different guy in Wednesday's easy 85-45 win over Savannah State. "If I play with energy, I'll play like I did today."

What Ravenel did against the Tigers was score 11 points, one off his career high, and grab nine rebounds, which was a career high, in 17 minutes. Coach Thad Matta said the Buckeyes need guys to be who they are and take pride in whatever that is, "and Rav had that sense about him."

"I hope we can continue to expect that from him," Matta said.

The Tigers (5-5) were small and overmatched, outrebounded, 48-21. But the No. 7 Buckeyes (7-1) aren't going to find the answers to the big questions in games like this. For the 14th straight time, Ohio State dominated a non-conference foe at home by at least 20 points. The big answers won't come until hosting Kansas on Dec. 22 and the start of Big Ten play in three weeks.

But working out the little things is what these December games are about. If Ravenel, starting consistently for the first time in his fifth year of college basketball, has figured out who he is and what he's supposed to do, then this 40-point blowout wasn't in vain.

"I told [the coaches] what I wanted out of myself and out of the team, and they told me what I could bring to the team and what I needed to do to make that happen," Ravenel said. "And playing hard and playing with energy, that's what I have to do. It's not go shoot a thousand shots, it's not do a million ball-handling drills.

"It's not always going to be perfect. But if I play hard and play with energy, good things happen."

Ohio State is still fairly new to the world of having Deshaun Thomas as its No. 1 option, but Thomas carried the load easily with 21 points in the first half before missing his only two shots of the second half and finishing with 22. LaQuinton Ross continued to find his role as offense off the bench, adding 13 points in 26 minutes, and backup point guard Shannon Scott scored 12 points and had four steals.

Freshman walk-on Jake Lorbach from St. Edward saw his first action as a Buckeye and scored his first point, making one of two free throws with 45 seconds left.

Starting point guard Aaron Craft missed all four shots in a scoreless game, but had six assists and two steals. He's averaging 5.2 points and shooting 24 percent in his last five games. He averaged 17 points and shot 50 percent in the first three games of the season.

Matta isn't worried.

"I've got no problem with Aaron," Matta said. "Yeah, I want him to score more, he wants to score more and our team needs him to score more. But that's going to come back for him, no doubt in my mind."

That will be an issue the Buckeyes can focus on for the rest of the month. After this night, they think they can check one thing off their list. Ravenel isn't ever going to be a major scoring threat or a dominant defensive force. He took two charges Wednesday and said he's never been a shot blocker, which is why he's tried to take charges his whole career.

But the Buckeyes don't need him to be a star. They just need Ravenel to give them more than he had been recently. They need the energy to always be there.

"In previous games I think my focus was on what I wanted for myself and my own personal goals," Ravenel said, "and with a team like this, it's selfish of me to want to do that. And thinking about myself, I wasn't playing my best basketball. And when I think about the team instead of thinking about myself, this is the outcome I get and I'm going to continue to do that for the rest of the year."

TWINSBURG, Ohio -- Perhaps the time is right for some comparisons, as in, how good is Twinsburg's girls basketball team? In a match-up of the area's top two teams Wednesday, the host Tigers left no question as to who is the area's best, throttling No. 2 Solon, 57-37, to up their record to 6-0. Thus far, Twinsburg has faced...

Twinsburg’s Char-dell Dunnigan protects the ball from Solon defenders Jordan Bekelja, left, and Alexis Gray in the match-up of the top two teams at Twinsburg High Wednesday. - (Tim Harrison, Special to The Plain Dealer )

TWINSBURG, Ohio -- Perhaps the time is right for some comparisons, as in, how good is Twinsburg's girls basketball team?

In a match-up of the area's top two teams Wednesday, the host Tigers left no question as to who is the area's best, throttling No. 2 Solon, 57-37, to up their record to 6-0. Thus far, Twinsburg has faced nothing but undefeated teams and has dispatched every one rather handily.

The very idea of comparing the Tigers to their recent past is perhaps unfair. They won the last two Division I state championships, they haven't lost to a team from Ohio since the end of the 2009-10 season (now 52 in a row) and they were led by All-American Malina Howard, now playing for Maryland.

"It's hard to compare with two state championships," said coach Julie Solis. "The kind of basketball that we play is different."

That difference is in the eyes of the beholder.

"They're very different this year, more guard-oriented," Solon coach Trish Kruse said. "But when I look at them, I see the same team. They're very talented."

"They're aggressive; they're physical; they outplay you; they outwork you."

Silky-smooth Ashley Morrissette led Twinsburg with 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting. The senior also had six steals, five rebounds and three assists. Junior Baleigh Reid added 12 points, Brooke Smith had eight points and four assists and Mercedes Hobbs had six points and eight rebounds.

• Check out The Plain Dealer's photo gallery of this game.

"There's really no comparing this year's team to the past teams," Morrissette said. "The past two years, we had an experienced group that had been playing together since middle school. Most of the players on this team were on the bench for much of their careers. That's why I'm so proud of this team."

The Tigers made it clear from the start that the Comets were going to have to overcome wilting defense in order to win the game. With Kristen Confroy hitting three 3-pointers, Solon was down by just five, 21-16, with 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter.

However, with Morrissette scoring on a variety of jumpers and fastbreak layups, the Tigers finished the half on an 11-4 run, making it 32-20 at the intermission. By the end of the third quarter, it was 50-28.

"I was very pleased with the team effort," Solis said. "Great teams have that in itself-- a team, not individuals."

With Xavier recruit Martha Thompson struggling with foul trouble in the first half and being held to five points overall, the Comets were forced to turn to Confroy for their offense. The junior had 11 of her team-high 15 points at halftime but was forced to play 31 minutes and ran out of gas in the second half.

It wasn't until two minutes were gone in the third quarter that somebody other than Confroy or Thompson hit a field goal -- sophomore point guard Jordan Bekelja, who finished with 11 points.

Joe Magill is a freelance writer in Auburn Township.