The Browns' off-season moves -- and the upcoming draft -- keep this week's mailbag full of familiar topics.

View full size Alabama's Dee Milliner has received plenty of attention at the top of the mock drafts, and the Browns are certain to be one of the interested franchises. Michael Conroy, Associated Press  

Hey, Mary Kay: With the Browns signing Paul Kruger, Desmond Bryant and Quentin Groves, how do you think that will impact what they do with the No. 6 draft pick? -- Mike Gerace, Bay Village

Hey, Mike: I think it opens up all sorts of possibilities, including drafting Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner or trading down a few notches and picking up a second-round pick. The Browns no longer have to take a pass-rusher at No. 6, but I wouldn't be surprised if they still land one there, such as Georgia's Jarvis Jones. They've said they're not focusing on quarterback, but they haven't found one yet in free agency, so you never really know.

Hey, Mary Kay: How does a quality receiver like Anquan Boldin from Baltimore only justify a sixth-round draft pick from San Francisco? I get 6 million a year, but the market is even higher this year for WR. -- Marie Chiarucci, Hudson

Hey, Marie: The cash-strapped Ravens were either going to cut Boldin or trade him, so they were happy to take what they could get. Apparently, no one was willing to give up more for a 32-year-old receiver heading into the final year of his contract.

Hey, Mary Kay: Would the Browns be interested in acquiring Denver Broncos DE Elvis Dumervil should he want to leave over the team's desire to trim his current salary? -- Jay Dexter, Toledo

Hey, Jay: The Broncos had to release Dumervil Friday after his agent faxed paperwork six minutes late for the pay cut from $12 million to $8 million. Dumervil fired his agent on Saturday, and now might have to wait five days to hire a new one, so this could drag on. The players union is also looking into the situation. Several teams are already hot after Dumervil, including the Ravens, according to the Baltimore Sun. But with the Browns doling out $40 million to pass-rusher Paul Kruger and another $34 million to defensive lineman Desmond Bryant, I doubt they'll pursue Dumervil.

Hey, Mary Kay: With free agency just around the corner, I hope Phil Dawson somehow, someway re-signs with the Browns. It doesn't sound like it will happen. Knowing this, who are the best kickers in the 2013 draft and where are they expected to be chosen? -- Brian Damon, McCook Lake, S.D.

Hey, Brian: Haven't heard a word from the Browns or Dawson's camp. Joe Banner declined to comment on Dawson until "that situation finalizes itself." Dawson's Cleveland-based agent, Neil Cornrich, has been mum. Some of the best kickers in the draft are Florida State's Dustin Hopkins, Oklahoma State's Quinn Sharp and Florida's Caleb Sturgis.

Hey, Mary Kay: The Browns' free-agent targets are outside linebackers/pass rushers and corners. If they lock up those positions it really opens up the first-round pick. You think they would consider boosting the three-man front in this situation with Star Lotulelei or Sharif Floyd? A six-man rotation of Lotulelei, Taylor, Rubin, Wynn, Hughes, and Kitchen looks mighty appealing if we can lock up our back seven needs in free agency. -- Alan Castillo, San Diego, Calif.

Hey, Alan: Generally when you break the bank on a certain position in free agency, you go in another direction with the top pick. I don't really expect them to draft Lotulelei or Floyd. But we don't know the tendencies of this new regime yet, so nothing can be ruled out.

Hey, Mary Kay: What are your thoughts on the Browns bringing in Vince Young to compete with Brandon Weeden? Young has proven that he can win in this league and he would probably be cheap to sign. Also, why would the Browns go after DE's in free agency when they have a ton of young linemen like Billy Winn? -- Howard Jr., McDonough, Ga.

Hey, Howard: I doubt the Browns would sign Young, because Banner already did so once in Philadelphia and it flopped. Young coined the phrase "Dream Team" in 2011 that put pressure on the club, and he went 1-2 in his three starts. Young swears he's changed, but I can't see Banner going down that road again.

Hey, Mary Kay: This is the fourth time I have asked a question without getting an answer so here goes: Why won't the Browns re-sign Phil Dawson? If you don't know, say so if I don't get an answer this time I will give up and forget about writing any more. -- Donald Pasqualetti, Reading, Ohio

Hey, Donald: I'm sorry I haven't answered your questions. My friends at Cleveland.com send me a bunch every week and I haven't seen one from you. I apologize. I don't know what's going on with Dawson because everyone associated with this issue has gone underground on it. Hope to know something soon. Keep 'em coming Donald!

Hey, Mary Kay: Is there any progress to report on the Browns' efforts to extend the contracts of their own players, e.g. Joe Haden, T.J. Ward, Alex Mack? -- Mike Egan, McAllen, Texas

Hey, Mike: Nothing yet. They're focusing on signing free agents first.

Hey, Mary Kay: With the new regime, has the scouting department been completely overhauled? -- Doni Rogers, Dallas, Texas

Hey, Doni: Not yet, but I expect to see some changes after the draft. Banner will most likely want to bring in some of his own people and I'm sure some of the existing guys will get some opportunities.

Hey, Mary Kay: If Geno Smith is still available, do you really think the Browns will draft him? -- Angelo Costanzo, Cleveland

Hey, Angelo: I don't think Geno Smith will still be there at No. 6, but I think they should look long and hard at him just in case. I've liked a lot of what I've seen and heard so far, and think he's a quarterback you can build your team around. Even NFL Network's Mike Mayock has bumped him up into his top 10 after originally having him 20-32. Smith's extensive work with former NFL quarterback Chris Weinke has helped his footwork, etc.

-- Mary Kay

It appears Daisuke Matsuzaka has reached the end of the road as far as making the opening day starting rotation.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Daisuke Matsuzaka's chances of making the Indians' opening day rotation have apparently come to an end.

Matsuzaka pitched three innings in a minor-league game against Milwaukee on Saturday. He allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Velocity wise, Matsuzaka topped out at 91 mph, but threw mostly 88-89 mph.

Afterward, manager Terry Francona hinted strongly that Matsuzaka was running out of innings and time.

"We've got to figure out what to do going forward," said Francona. "Because of the setback and coming into camp without throwing bullpens, he's only out to three innings.

"We're starting to run out of innings. We're going to have to sit down and figure this out and we will."

Matsuzaka left Monday's game against the Angels with a cramp in his right calf after pitching just one inning. Last season, he struggled following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2011. The Indians signed Matsuzaka, 32, to a minor-league deal in February and invited him to camp. If he made the club, he'd make $1.5 million.

If Matsuzaka is not going to make the roster, the Indians must offer him his release by March 26. Or they can offer him a $100,000 retention bonus. If they do, and Matsuzaka accepts it, he would go to the minors with the ability to opt out of the deal in June if he's not on the big-league roster.

When asked if Matsuzaka would go to the minors, Francona said, "I'm not ready for that conversation yet."

Matsuzaka, Matt Capps and Jason Giambi are the only players in camp eligible for a retention bonus.

He's got a job: Francona said he told reliever Cody Allen that he made the team about a week ago because he wanted him to relax and just get ready for the season.

"He came to camp very prepared because he knew he'd have to compete for a job," said Francona. "In the one game we saw him, he was competing so much that he had a runner on second with two out and he kept throwing breaking ball after breaking ball after breaking ball.

"Chris [Antonetti], [pitching coach] Mickey [Callaway] and me got together after the game and said, 'We've got to tell this guy he's on the team,'" said Francona. "The next morning we said, 'If we tell you that you're on the team, will you just get ready for the season?' It was all in fun, but there's so much to like about him."

Allen pitched his way through three different levels of the Tribe farm system to reach the big league last year. He was just the second member of the 2011 draft to reach the big leagues. Trevor Bauer beat him when he was promoted by Arizona last season.

"All he needs is experience and he'll get that quickly," said Francona.

Allen struck out 80, walked 24 and allowed 24 earned runs in 68 1/3 innings at Class A Carolina, Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus last year.

Ouch: Catcher Yan Gomes is expected to miss "three to four days" with a sore right hamstring. He suffered the injury running out a double Friday against Milwaukee.

Lou Marson, who missed most of the week with the flu, caught Friday night against the Giants.

He's back: Vinnie Pestano, who stumbled in the sixth inning of Team USA's elimination loss to Puerto Rico Friday night, rejoined the Indians for Saturday night's game.

Pestano gave up two runs, on two hits and two walks in a 4-3 loss to Puerto Rico. He beat himself up on Twitter after the game, but Francona said, "I think he'll be OK. I think he just really cares."

Finally: Closer Chris Perez threw 15 pitches off the mound Saturday. It's the first time he's worked off the mound since straining his right shoulder Feb. 26 against Kansas City. ... Friday night's sellout between the Indians and Giants was the first since 2005 at Goodyear Ballpark.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

The Cavaliers stayed with the Spurs during a good, old-fashioned shootout, but lacked a closer as Kyrie Irving missed his third game with a sprained left shoulder.

San Antonio -- As close as they might come, as hard as they might play and as well as they might shoot, the Cavaliers still do not have their Mr. Fourth Quarter.

They are without All-Star Kyrie Irving, the point guard who sat at home as his Cava liers took on the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night at the AT&T Center.

And without him, they lack a closer, someone who can pull Cleveland through a close game. So while the Cavaliers came close Saturday night, they predictably stumbled in the end, again, falling 119-113 to the Spurs. The Cavaliers (22-44) lost their second straight, and have lost six of their past eight.

The Spurs outscored the Cavaliers, 28-23, in the decisive fourth quarter, and Kawhi Leonard had 10 of his 24 points in that period. The Cavaliers held a 103-102 edge with 5:03 left, but San Antonio scored eight straight to pull away for good.

"We've got to find out ways to close out games without [Irving] right now," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said.

"A lot of that's just not going to be give it to one guy, give it to Dion [Waiters] and get us the points. It's going to have to be a lot of ball movement, and it's going to have to be a number of guys who step up to the plate."

Even without Irving -- and the Spurs without their All-Star point guard, Tony Parker -- the game turned into a good, old-fashioned Texas shootout. That was a surprising turn of events for the typically defensive-minded Spurs, but some of that might have had to do with San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich getting tossed from the contest with 6:33 remaining in the second quarter.

Popovich was aggressively arguing a charge called on Boris Diaw when he told referee Ed Malloy he made a "terrible call" -- albeit, with some more colorful language added. But the up-and-down, fast pace already had been established, and not much defense would appear until the final moments.

"We had one good quarter, decent quarter of defense -- the fourth quarter," Popovich said. "Up until that point, it was embarrassing defense."

Losing Popovich meant the Spurs were minus two of their floor generals; point guard Parker missed his seventh game with a sprained left ankle.

Without the two All-Star point guards, it might have been a more disorderly game, a contest in which the 51-16 Spurs had a clear advantage over the Cavaliers. "They've still got star power," Scott said. "Still, to me, they play better than any team in the league. I don't know if they're the most talented, but they do play as a team better than anybody in the league."

But the scrappy Cavaliers came out firing from all angles on the court, and scarcely missed. Rookie shooting guard Dion Waiters nailed his first five attempts, backup Wayne Ellington sank 8-of-13, total, and the Cavaliers finished by hitting 50.6 percent, overall.

The problem was, the Spurs kept pace. They ran the floor with the spry Cavaliers, and they made just as many outside shots, hitting 57.7 percent. And their physical style of play resulted in a handful of Cavaliers injuries: Luke Walton suffered a bloody nose, Marreese Speights needed stitches on his right cheek for a deep gash and Waiters emerged with a puffy lip from a hard foul.

The Spurs dominated the interior, too, with Tim Duncan having an authoritative outing that included 30 points and 12 rebounds. Rookie Tyler Zeller began the game strong, but foul trouble limited him late and held him to six points and five fouls. Tristan Thompson, playing against his childhood idol, Duncan, managed just eight points on 3-for-12 shooting, and eight rebounds.

"Tim saved us," Popovich said. "He obviously carried the whole night for us. He was great." Despite all that, somehow the Cavaliers managed to avoid their typical third-quarter letdown, outscoring San Antonio, 29-25, in that period.

But in the fourth quarter, there was no Irving, and no go-to playmaker for the Cavaliers. "For most of the game we played pretty good," Scott said. "We just came up short."

Watch game highlights:

In a powerhouse performance, the Zips shut down Ohio and head to the NCAA tournament.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The big man was dancing.

"We're gonna cut down the nets, we're gonna cut down the nets!" yelled Zeke Marshall.

Akron's shot-blocking artist of a center seemed as giddy and stunned as the 12,102 fans at Quicken Loans Arena by the Zips' 65-46 victory over Ohio in the finals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

Not only did the nets come down, but now the back-from-the-basketball dead Zips are heading to their third NCAA dance in five years.

"We cranked it up," said Demetrius Treadwell, the tournament MVP.

They also shut down Ohio.

How about this? Akron was without starting point guard Alex Abreu (arrested nine days ago on drug charges) and facing an opponent with regular season conference MVP B.J. Cooper at the point. Zips freshman Carmelo Betancourt outscored Cooper.

OK, it was 5-3 ... but who saw that coming? Betancourt is averaging 1.9 points this season. Who could imagine the MAC's second-best 3-point shooting team would be 1-of-20 from beyond the arc?

That's what Akron's defense did to Ohio.

Cooper was 0-of-8 from the field, 0-of-6 on 3-pointers. One of the meaningful moments came when Cooper bolted down the court with a layup in mind and only Betancourt to beat. The freshman from Puerto Rico stood much taller than his 5-11 frame and drew a charge.

Zips coach Keith Dambrot used one tall player after another on the 6-foot Cooper, five different athletes, none shorter than 6-5. When Cooper slipped by, here came the 7-foot Marshall with a wing span long enough to touch the Milky Way.

Marshall had 10 points, nine rebounds and was credited with only two blocks. But Ohio coach Jim Christian said his team missed "at least six wide-open layups."

That's because the Bobcats feared Marshall. Or because they knew Treadwell (13 points, 10 rebounds) was ready to jump over or run through anyone trying to score inside. The Zips had a 44-27 domination on the boards. They may have set an arena record for floor burns as they almost tackled loose balls.

In the second half, the Zips held Ohio to 17 points on 5-of-27 shooting. As Christian said, "When you miss so many shots and have a cold streak like that, you also can lose your mind defensively."

After Abreu was suspended indefinitely, Dambrot said the team suffered "an emotional rupture." They healed as the game went on, shattering Ohio's confidence.

"The scarecrow came back to life," said the coach.

Keep in mind that the Zips lost, 64-63, to Ohio in the finals last season, something that gnawed away at the players.

"When we saw [Ohio] make the Sweet 16, it hurt even more," said Marshall. "We had a chip on our shoulders because we thought that could have been us."

Even more amazing, the Bobcats had a 25-16 lead in this game after the first 13 minutes. They were in front, 29-26, at the half.

"No one could ever picture us going out like this," said Cooper. "We knew everything they'd do, and they knew everything we'd do."

When it meant the most, the Zips did everything better. That includes the grit and concentration needed to re-tool the team to replace Abreu, beat rival Kent State on Friday (62-59) and then demolish Ohio 24 hours later.

"This is our best [tournament] win by far," said Dambrot, who has had the Zips in the finals in each of the last seven years. Treadwell held up the MVP trophy on the court, but said, "This is a team effort." You could see in his fierce eyes that he meant it.

There was Chauncey Gilliam coming off the bench to share scoring honors with Treadwell (13 points each). There was senior guard Brian Walsh with not only eight points, but seven rebounds. Betancourt had just one turnover. Nick Harney had 11 points and spent some time at point guard.

"Did I know we'd [win by 19 points] ... no," said Dambrot. "But I knew we'd compete. I knew we had some tough guys on this team. And I knew we'd defend."

They won their 26th game against only six losses, reminding everyone why they had a 19-game winning streak earlier.

Dambrot said, "You know, we are a good team."

They proved it when it meant the most.

See Plain Dealer videos recorded Saturday night inside Mentor’s locker room of the Cardinals’ postgame celebration after their regional championship win over Shaker Heights, as well as a video of Cardinals coach Bob Krizancic’s halftime speech to his team. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Mentor coach Bob Krizancic was screaming at his players before they even reached the floor to finish...

Mentor boys basketball players celebrate their Division I regional final win over Shaker Heights on Saturday at Cleveland State. The Cardinals will play No. 1 Columbus Northland in a state semifinal Friday in Columbus. - (Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer)

See Plain Dealer videos recorded Saturday night inside Mentor’s locker room of the Cardinals’ postgame celebration after their regional championship win over Shaker Heights, as well as a video of Cardinals coach Bob Krizancic’s halftime speech to his team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Mentor coach Bob Krizancic was screaming at his players before they even reached the floor to finish Saturday's Division I boys basketball regional final against Shaker Heights at Cleveland State.

“Brody, make sure they warm up like they're going to win!'' Krizancic yelled at co-captain Brody Nelson as the team emerged from the locker room at halftime with a 17-point lead.

It was a silly thing to say, really, but given Mentor's frightening history against Shaker, it was appropriate.

Mentor blew 17-point leads in two regular-season losses to their league rival.

The Cardinals didn't blow it Saturday. Mentor flew past Shaker Heights, 76-56, for its second regional championship and trip to the state final four in front of a 3,793 fans at the Wolstein Center.

“Everyone was saying, 'Omen! Omen! I said, 'Don't tell me that crap,'' Mentor coach Bob Krizancic said of the 17-point lead. “We were bound and determined to play to win.''

The eighth-ranked Cardinals (23-5) play No. 1-ranked Columbus Northland at 5:15 p.m. Friday at Ohio State. The other state semifinal Friday matches No. 3 Cincinnati Walnut Hills (27-1) against unranked Toledo Rogers (20-7), which Brecksville in overtime.

Krizancic's Mentor teams have long been are known for their shooting prowess, often making up for a lack of athleticism or size, but this team is different. The Cardinals are big, athletic and their defense caught Shaker Heights off guard. Mentor's last four tournament opponents averaged 51 points.

“Past Mentor groups have had very skilled players that know the game very well, but our athleticism and our size have helped us out a lot on the defensive end,'' senior guard Jeff Foreman said.

Shaker Heights (20-7) fell behind early and didn't panic, but was unable to make a run. Fast-breaks were met head-on, and its young big men had limited touches.

“We've always had it in us to be able to respond, and we didn't respond tonight,'' Shaker coach Danny Young said. “The better team won.''

Shaker Heights opened the third quarter with three 3-pointers in the first four minutes, but Mentor drilled five 3s in the quarter, three by Conner Krizancic (17 points) and two by Caleb Potter (13 points).

Krizancic punctuated one 3 with a fist-pump and a yell as Shaker called timeout.

“It was amazing feeling,'' he said. Foreman scored 14 points and directed the offense with seven assists.

Junior forward Brandon Fritts had nine points, seven rebounds and five assists. He set an early tempo driving to the hoop, scoring or dishing to an open wing man.

Shaker senior guard Mel Leach scored 15 points and sophomore Esa Ahmad had 13.

An unsung key for Mentor was Brody's defense against the 6-7 Ahmad, who was held eight points under his average. Ahmad had 22 points in the second half of Shaker Heights' win against Mentor in February.

“He's an outstanding player and has so many assets to his game. I tried to make him catch it out as far as I could and not let him get anything in the post down low because I'm beat at that point,'' Brody said. “I think I did alright.''

Mentor took a 58-36 lead into the fourth quarter and was able to play its subs the final two minutes of the game.

The normally stoic Krizancic, who finally discarded his trademark cup of water and enveloped each player with strong hugs.

“That feeling is phenomenal,'' Krizancic said. “The last minute or two, you see it on our kids' faces. There's nothing like it.''

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

In a Plain Dealer survey of 20 Big Ten players at the Big Ten Tournament, Burke got 10 1/2 votes and Oladipo 7 1/2, while Cody Zeller and Jared Berggren each got one.

Trey Burke (12, driving against Minnesota's Julian Welch) earned the admiration of his Big Ten peers for his work leading the Wolverines all season. Paul Battaglia, Associated Press  

CHICAGO – The players think the Big Ten coaches and media got the Big Ten Player of the Year right. But it was close.

In a Plain Dealer poll of 20 players at the Big Ten Tournament, two players from every team except Northwestern and Iowa (sorry guys, didn't get to you after those tough losses), Michigan's Trey Burke received 10½ votes compared to 7½ for Indiana's Victor Oladipo. And Indiana big man Cody Zeller and Wisconsin big man Jared Berggren each got one.

“He's my favorite player in the Big Ten,” Michigan State's Derrick Nix said while casting his vote for Berggren, Wisconsin's 7-footer who made second team All-Big Ten. “He's humble. I think he's a pretty cool guy and he can fill it up. Make sure he knows that, too.”

The rest of the voting came down to the basic argument anyone considering the question had this year. Do you go with Burke driving the Michigan offense, averaging 19.2 points and 6.7 assists per game, or Oladipo's two-way game, as he was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year while averaging 13.7 points for the conference champ?

“They got it right with Trey Burke,” Illinois' Brandon Paul said. “He carried his team and he's hard to guard and he leads.”

With players not allowed to vote for their teammates (otherwise everyone would), Indiana appreciated Burke, too.

“It's just the way he attacks and he draws a lot of guys, and then he can kick it to them,” Indiana point guard Yogi Ferrell said of Burke, while the Hoosiers' Will Sheehey voted for Burke as well.

For Michigan, Nik Stauskas cast the lone vote for Zeller, while Tim Hardaway Jr. went with Oladipo.

“Whoever is runner-up behind Trey Burke. I'm not putting any names out there,” Hardaway said, before some prodding got a vote. “I say Victor Oladipo, he really deserves it, besides that windmill dunk against us at the end of the game.”

Oladipo apologized after that 81-73 win over Michigan for a dunk at the buzzer.

Hardaway kept jokingly clearing his throat while talking about Oladipo, but he clearly respects his game.

“His anticipating skills are incredible, boxing out, getting offensive rebounds, just being an animal out there on the court,” Hardaway said. “It's great just to see him improve his game every year. You can't fall back on him because he'll shoot threes. You can't get up on him because he'll take it to the basket. He's just an all-around player.”

“He can get to the rack at will, and he plays defense for 94 feet, tough, for the whole game,” said Minnesota's Rodney Williams, while Michigan State's Adreian Payne chose Oladipo as well.

“The jump that he made was crazy,” Nebraska's Dylan Talley said. “Last year he was strictly defense, and this year he does everything.”

But Burke raised his game the same way.

“Michigan has great guys, but without Trey Burke, a lot of those guys don't get shots,” Ohio State's Lenzelle Smith Jr. said. “A lot of their points and offense come from Trey penetrating, and the defense pays so much attention to Trey coming off pick and rolls, it's hard to rotate out on those other guys.

“A lot of people would give it to Victor Oladipo, but take take Victor away from Indiana and Zeller is still Zeller and (Jordan) Hulls is still Hulls and Christian Watford is still Watford. But take Trey away from Michigan and that causes a lot of problems for those guys.”

Ohio State's Sam Thompson voted for Oladipo though, and a lot of teammates differed on their votes. Minnesota's Williams went with Oladipo, but Trevor Mbakwe chose Burke. Nebraska's Talley picked Oladipo, but Ray Gallegos went with Burke. Purdue's Terone Johnson picked Oladipo, but D.J. Byrd picked Burke.

But two of the Wisconsin Badgers playing in Sunday's title game, Mike Bruesewitz and Berggren, both went with Burke.

“He had over 15 points in every Big Ten game, so the consistency there is just incredible, especially the way Big Ten teams play defense,” Berggren said.

“Burke was great, Oladipo was great, Zeller was great, (Deshaun) Thomas was great,” Bruesewitz said. “But Trey Burke did so much for his team. He's really leading some young bucks, and they were really good all year. But there's a lot of good players. The league was so good.”

Maybe that's why Penn State's Jermaine Marshall couldn't choose. He split his vote between Burke and Oladipo. But for any voter, it was hard to go wrong.

A Browns secondary in need of improvement figures to be the next big target of the team's off-season efforts.

View full size Buster Skrine has shown some promise as a third cornerback for the Browns, but it seemed nearly certain that the team will look for another starter at corner during the off-season. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Whether you're wearing the green or not, there's always plenty of NE Ohio sports to discuss.

About the Browns ...

1. After the first week of free agency and adding two linebackers along with a defensive lineman, the Browns have several needs. But perhaps their biggest are in the secondary -- a cornerback and a safety. They have no one to start across from cornerback Joe Haden, unless you happen to belong to the Buster Skrine Fan Club. The Browns believe Skrine may have a role as nickel or dime back when there are extra receivers on the field -- but not as a starter.

2. The draft buzz circles around Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner. I've seen mock drafts with him going as high as No. 2. Maybe Milliner will fall, or perhaps they like someone else. But the reason an aging Sheldon Brown played so much last season -- 79 percent of the snaps -- is the lack of depth at cornerback. Brown is not returning, and the team needs a major upgrade.

3. T.J. Ward is in the final year of his contract and I've not heard anything about extending him. He's considered a viable starting safety, but he's not a big playmaker with only three interceptions in 38 NFL games. There is some concern about his durability, as he's missed 10 games in the past two years. His strength is defending the run.

4. The previous coaching staff thought Tashaun Gipson was a candidate to start at safety in 2013. He started three late-season games. There's also Usama Young, who seems rather mediocre. Once upon a time, the previous coaches liked Eric Hagg, but he did little with early season playing time.

5. So they need a cornerback and a safety. They also need an offensive guard, although I hear that may come from the draft rather than free agency.

6. Not sure if the Browns are really serious about free agent tight end Fred Davis. I do know they are concerned about his Achilles injury, suffered at mid-season and required surgery. He also has had some discipline and attitude issues -- he was suspended for the final four games of 2011 after flunking a drug test. He doesn't seem to fit with the new approach, especially as the team wants durable players. But they have looked into Davis.

7. The Browns did sign Carolina backup tight end Gary Barnidge, but they must keep shopping.

8. While the team talks about Jabaal Sheard playing a fair amount of outside linebacker in the new 3-4, there are questions about how he'll make the adjustment from a 4-3 defensive end. It's a real challenge for many players. I see him as a pass-rushing specialist, rather than a guy often on the field.

9. Perhaps the Browns will trade (or even cut) a defensive lineman, but I like the signing of Desmond Bryant. I like the idea of six defensive linemen. Guys do get hurt. The usually-reliable Ahtyba Rubin missed three games and most of a fourth with a calf injury. Phil Taylor missed eight with an injury. The projected starters are Bryant and Rubin at the ends, Taylor at nose tackle. The backups are Billy Winn, John Hughes and Ishmaai'ly Kitchen.

10. After signing Kaluka Maiava ($6 million for three years, $2 million bonus), Oakland now has more players (Maiava and Coye Francies) from the 2009 Browns draft than the Browns do -- Alex Mack is the only survivor.

View full size Ryan Mallett has gotten plenty of attention in talk show rumors and Browns chat boards, but it's hard to see how the Browns could actually acquire him -- if they wanted to do so, says Terry Pluto. AP file  

About the quarterbacks ...

Maybe Ryan Mallett will end up wearing an orange helmet. Maybe he'll be the player to challenge Brandon Weeden for the starting job -- but as of now, I doubt it.

I base this on what I heard out of New England. While Mallett (four passes in his NFL career) would love to play elsewhere if he can start, the Patriots are reluctant to part with him. Though it seems as if Tom Brady will play forever, he will be 36 by opening day and had knee surgery in 2008. Coach Bill Belichick wants a viable backup in case something happens to Brady.

He also loves draft picks, something the Browns don't want to trade. Mallett to the Browns seems like a long shot. The Browns have checked out Mallett, as they did veteran free agent Jason Campbell. But Campbell is expected to stay in Chicago.

Campbell is 31. He has a 31-40 record in 71 NFL starts. In the past three seasons, he's 11-8 with 21 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. He started once in 2012 for the Bears.

Yes, they could bring in Campbell, and he could challenge Weeden. But the Browns also know Campbell is just a bandage. Why not see if Weeden can develop?

Ryan Fitzgerald was cut by Buffalo, but he is more a Colt McCoy scrambler than the deep thrower preferred by the new coaching staff.

Brian Hoyer is a tendered restricted free agent, meaning any team must give up a second-rounder in 2013 (the Browns don't have one) to sign him away from Arizona. Derek Anderson reportedly is staying in Carolina. Kevin Kolb flopped in Arizona and is available. I know, I yawned, too.

Hey, there's always Brady Quinn, right? He's available.

OK, you have the idea. The field is thin. I like Thad Lewis better than some of these options.

While CEO Joe Banner said he didn't think there was a quarterback worthy of the sixth pick in the draft -- maybe the Browns will change their mind and suddenly swoon over Geno Smith or Matt Barkley. Or maybe they like someone lower in the draft.

But right now, they seem interested in working with Weeden, especially when he is in town next month for a minicamp. If he performs poorly, things could change. Or he could impress.

View full size Ubaldo Jimenez has demonstrated sharper control so far this spring. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

About the Tribe ...

1. The Indians are trying to not oversell what is happening with Ubaldo Jimenez, because it is spring training. Also because he's throwing 90-92 mph, down from his 95 mph average in 2010 when he won 19 games. He is not the same guy who was an All-Star that season. But the Tribe is encouraged by only two walks in 13 spring innings. A year ago, Jimenez led the league in wild pitches, was second in walks and had a 9-17 record with a 5.40 ERA.

2. The Indians are hoping Jimenez can return to the form of 12-12 (3.99) in 2008, or 15-12 (3.47) in 2009. He actually had three solid seasons (2008-10) before his collapse the last two years. He has been diligent, working with new pitching coach Mickey Callaway. Will it pay off? No one will know until he makes several regular season starts.

3. The Tribe traded top pitching prospects Alex White and Drew Pomeranz to the Rockies for Jimenez. White has since been traded to Houston, where he has a 6.97 ERA (17 hits in 10 innings) this spring. Pomeranz has a 4.50 ERA for the Rockies and probably will open in the rotation. But Pomeranz is not throwing much over 89 mph. So far, this trade hasn't worked out for anyone.

4. Justin Masterson has had a strong spring. The stats have him at 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA without a walk in 8 innings in Cactus League games. His last start was five shutout innings (no walks) in a 'B' game. Masterson was fifth in the league in walks, second in wild pitches last season. Like Jimenez, Masterson has been working on his control. New manager Terry Francona is very upbeat about Masterson having a good year.

5. Carlos Carrasco (1-1, 7.88 ERA) seems fully recovered from his reconstructive elbow surgery. He was clocked as high as 96 mph, and averaged 90-92 mph. But he seems rusty after missing last season due to the elbow injury. He probably will open at Class AAA.

6. At some point this spring, the Tribe will approach Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley about contract extensions. Brantley can't be a free agent until 2017, Kipnis in 2018. Both signed one-year deals.

7. Scott Kazmir has been the talk of camp with his eight scoreless innings. He is throwing in the 90-91 mph range with a high of 93. That doesn't match his average of 93 mph when he was an All-Star in 2008. But in the past few seasons, he was in the middle 80s. That's why there is so much optimism.

8. The Plain Dealer will hold an Opening Day breakfast featuring Paul Hoynes, Dennis Manoloff, Mike McIntyre and me. It will be held at 7:30 a.m. on April 8, the day of the home opener. For information, go to plaindealer.com/homeopener or call 216-999-4028. There will be a hot breakfast buffet, door prizes and the price is $25 per person.

View full size Dion Waiters' ability to score and set up teammates will be tested in the remainder of a 2013 Cavaliers season that likely won't include Kyrie Irving. Lonnie Timmons III, The Plain Dealer  

About the Cavaliers ...

1. Assuming Kyrie Irving's shoulder injury ends his season -- a distinct possibility -- his NBA career will consist of 100 games over two seasons. In those games, he averaged 20.7 points, 5.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds and shot 46.7 percent. At the foul line, it's 85.7 percent. On 3-pointers, it's 40.7 percent. Those are All-Star stats.

2. Irving played only 11 games in his one season at Duke, a grand total of 303 college minutes. He missed 15 of 66 games last season with various injuries. This season he's played only 49 games. The ailments include a fractured finger, broken cheekbone, broken hand (playing in the summer), turf toe (at Duke), a concussion and the shoulder issue.

3. The words "injury prone" will likely be attached to his name. Every player hates that. Coach Byron Scott rejected it for one obvious reason -- he has to coach Irving. He wants the 20 year old to recover quickly and not be discouraged. But no matter what anyone says, the Cavs have to be concerned about his durability.

4. They must help Irving get stronger. They can cut his minutes. He averaged 30.5 as a rookie, 35.1 this season. They can suggest he drive a little less -- he takes a lot of hits at the rim. He's a superb outside shooter, so he can take long- and medium-range jumpers. All of his injuries are basketball related, so it's not as if he's in bar fights.

5. When it comes to Irving, the Cavs need to do two things: a.) Keep him as healthy as possible; and b.) Learn how to play without him. It seems there will be times when they simply have to win games minus their All-Star point guard.

6. Dion Waiters is the biggest key. The rest of this season is a chance for Waiters to really expand his game. While he will remain at shooting guard with Shaun Livingston starting at point, the fact is Waiters will often have the ball. He can set up the offense, and he'll also be called upon to score.

7. Before Jan. 1, Waiters shot 35 percent and averaged 13.4 points. Since then, it's 15.2 points and 45 percent. He fired up 80 3-pointers in November, and only 72 in 30 games since Jan. 1. He's learning to drive -- and not take off-balance jumpers -- or, at least, not as many. Waiters still makes rookie mistakes and has problems on defense, but the talent is obvious.

8. Irving's injuries also may open the door to drafting a guard, depending upon where they land in the lottery. The clear needs are for a small forward or a big man. But if the balls bounce the wrong way and the Cavs end up with a pick in the eight to 10 range, that's where they will find a guard.

9. Big men usually float to the top of the draft. The No. 1 selection may be Nerlens Noel, the 6-11 center from Kentucky (10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds) who is out for the year with knee surgery. He played 24 games, and has the makings of an elite defender. He is very raw, but he'll certainly be in the top three.

10. The Cavs also need guards because Daniel Gibson will be a free agent and not likely brought back. Wayne Ellington is a restricted free agent, and the team probably will try to re-sign him. Livingston is a free agent, and the market may determine if he signs elsewhere or returns on a short-term deal. They do have a $2.25 million option on C.J. Miles, and will probably keep the shooting guard.

Vinnie Pestano was crushed by Team USA's loss in the World Baseball Classic. The Indians' reliever took it hard. Many of us don't take it seriously, Bud Shaw writes in his Sunday Spin.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Coca-Cola once had a Classic product, too.

Poor Vinnie Pestano took to Twitter to beat himself up.

"Choked on the biggest stage of my career, let a lot of people down tonight, this is something I cared deeply about," the Indians' reliever Tweeted.

If it's any consolation -- and it's almost assuredly not -- Pestano didn't let down his teammates or his country. His teammates had been in those situations before, and not often in March. His manager, Joe Torre, did him no favors. And his country? America isn't living and dying with baseball in March. Any baseball. No matter how global. No matter if it calls itself a "classic."

What exactly is classic about mandated pitch counts for pitchers nervously lent to play for their countries? What's exactly classic about an arrangement where some of the best players opt not to participate while others (David Wright) miss WBC games with minor injuries at the insistence of their major-league teams?

"This wasn't just another game in March for me, this was a win or go home for my country and I failed," Pestano Tweeted.

There's a lot to like about a guy whose Twitter picture is the late artist Bob Ross, though I fear all the "happy little trees in a forest landscape" couldn't cheer up Pestano today. There's a lot to like about a guy who describes himself as "Professional Geek" on his Twitter feed ahead of "Pitcher for the Cleveland Indians" and adds, "I don't know either ... close your eyes and throw it has hard as you can."

Pestano was called into Friday's elimination game against Puerto Rico with Team USA trailing 1-0. He allowed a single to Indians' teammate Mike Aviles, then walked a batter to load the bases. Torre let him stay in to face left-handed hitter Carlos Rivera instead of going to lefty Jeremy Affeldt. Pestano walked him, then stayed in to pitch to Andy Gonzalez, who hit a two-run double.

Down 4-0, Team USA lost 4-3.

"Being someone that prides himself on pitching in big moments, this was unacceptable, gotta learn from it and be better for it in the future," Pestano Tweeted.

To fully forgive him, America would have to know what happened. Fact is, the biggest ripple out of the WBC was a fight between Canada and Mexico.

Joe Mauer talks to MLB Network on the USA loss

Some people want America to care just as much as players such as Pestano care. It's not happening anytime soon. My WBC-related email (the barometer of all things trending in our country) spiked only when Chris Perez came up with a tweaked shoulder in Indians' spring training. Then the majority of it pleaded with the Indians to keep Pestano home so as not to jeopardize the season.

That doesn't mean the World Baseball Classic is a bad idea. Bud Selig likes it as an event that can grow the game, expand horizons, bring countries together (am I missing any other cliches?). Managers such as Terry Francona don't want to discourage players from competing, but worry that competitive spirit will override caution and the calendar.

You can bet Francona was relieved when Perez decided not to compete after tweaking his shoulder. Francona was glad he didn't have to dissuade him. Perez made the call voluntarily, knowing the season is what it's all about.

Baseball people might debate how to improve on Team USA's 10-10 record in three WBC tournaments -- while the rest of America admits it's surprised to learn there have been three WBC tournaments.

The other countries where baseball reigns supreme -- the Dominican Republic first and foremost -- love the WBC in part because they can measure themselves against the United States (and like what they measure, as it turns out.) Fox Sports quoted former Indians' infielder Brandon Phillips saying, "You just see how everybody's passion is totally different than our country's."

Doubtful anybody has more passion about it than Pestano. Hopefully he finds a bigger stage one of these seasons and performs to his own expectations.

Anything in September and October will do nicely.

SPINOFFS

• John Elway called Elvis Dumervil's $12 million salary "out of whack" and implored the Broncos' pass rusher to take a cut for the 2013 season. Dumervil agreed, but the revised contract with his signature didn't arrive before the 2 p.m. deadline, reportedly because of a faulty fax machine.

So the Broncos, facing the prospect of paying him his $12 million salary, cut him.

I know what you're thinking. But the Pony Express no longer delivers on Friday.

Seriously, a fax machine?

• Bovada has put out odds on who will appear on the Madden NFL 25th Anniversary cover. Joe Montana and Barry Sanders are the favorites at 8/1.

If you're worried about Trent Richardson making the cover after the Peyton Hillis fiasco, Bovada gives him a 80/1 chance.If that still worries you, those are the same odds Bovada gives Chad Johnson.

• Headlines trumpeted Geno Smith's excellent Pro Day workout at West Virginia, during which he completed 60 of 64 passes against nobody.

• Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn ripped his alma mater, Oak Park Fenwick High School, in a public speech because the school fired his brother as basketball coach. Quinn claimed the firing was proof that Fenwick "lost its soul."

Being accused of losing your soul by an Illinois politician is -- like being called "overbearing" by a stage mom -- reason for serious reflection.

• "What would Ryan Lochte Do?" is the name of a new reality TV show on E! in which Lochte looks for love and tries to calm his coach's concern that he's letting celebrity status affect his training. The first show airs in April.

"It's hard to find someone to settle down with," Lochte says at one point.

Just your typical mild-mannered Olympian, looking for love

But so much easier to find a real relationship when you're dating on camera.

• The NFL has decided to get rid of the Tuck Rule that famously paved the way for the New England Patriots to defeat the Oakland Raiders in a playoff game that put the Pats on the path to a Super Bowl title.

"Tuck Rule? It's been 11 years, 1 month and 23 days ... but who's counting," was the response from Oakland that appeared on the Raiders' website.

Presumably dictated from the great beyond by a man in a track suit. And then successfully screened for F-bombs.

• Rapper Redfoo will compete in the USTA Northern California Sectional Qualifer in an attempt to play in the U.S. Open Tennis Championship. He is listed as Stefan Gordy on the pairings sheet.

I pride myself on learning something new every day. Today it's that Redfoo is not his real name.

• From ESPN.com's Mike Sando: The Arizona Cardinals paid Kevin Kolb $20 million over two seasons, during which he ranked 33rd of 38 qualifying quarterbacks in Total QBR.

Ryan Leaf thinks that's not getting your money's worth.

YOU SAID IT

(The Regular Sunday Edition)

"Hey Bud:

"Is it true that shortly after the Indians filmed the Harlem Shake in Halloween costumes, Albert Belle tried to run over a couple of the players in the parking lot with his SUV?" -- Terry Toaz, Macedonia

Ridiculous. That was something from Albert's youth. I believe he was driving a van.

"Hey, Bud:

"When?" -- Tim, Twinsburg

I think I know where you're headed with this question. By stipulation of the contract offered by Jimmy Haslam, Mike Lombardi must appear in public within six weeks of Punsxsutawney Phil to keep the title of GM.

"Hey Bud:

"When you came here, were you only using Cleveland as a stepping stone? What happened?" -- Doug, Westlake

I vowed to some day find the car I lost in a pothole on Rocky River Drive in 1991.

"Bud:

"Considering the network, is FoxSports1 going to try and compete with ESPN by having 'Go Fish' tournaments and 'backwards' spelling bees as their fill programming?" -- John Harman, Parma

That's not fill program, that's gold.

"Bud:

"Can we expect to see Dennis Rodman on the new smash hit North Korean TV show 'Celebrity Dictator'?" -- Jim Corrigan, Fairview Park

We live in Cleveland, remember. We're just not that lucky.

"Bud:

"Is it true the original PD headline of the Blake Griffith-Serge Ibaka skirmish was 'Nuggets Beaten'?" -- Ike Holt, Broadview Heights

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

On Twitter: @budshaw

Attendance for Saturday night's championship game was 12,102.

View full size The presence of the Akron Zips helped draw big crowds to The Q on Friday and Saturday. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Yes, the current MAC Tournament format is competitively unfair with its excessive byes to the favorites and extended run of games for the underdogs. But there is no denying the end result this year produced big crowds for the semifinals and final as the two favorites, Akron and Ohio, had a showdown for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

There were 10,324 for the semifinals as Akron defeated Kent State and OU topped Western Michigan. Then, for the final, the lower bowl was full, leading officials at The Q to open the curtain in the upper bowl as 12,102 fans were on hand.

The best title game attendance in The Q was 14,106 in 2002, followed by 12,942 in 2008 and 12,172 in 2001. Kent State won the crown in each of those three years.

Still stunned: The surprise firing of Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon continued to be the talk of the MAC Tournament, as it is viewed in some corners as a huge loss to the league.

"Completely shocked," Akron head coach Keith Dambrot said.

Another coach, not wanting to be quoted, said: "He's got three years left [on his contract]. Who does that in the MAC? That AD's got to know he'll have one of the top two or three teams in the league next year. I heard the AD was going to extend him, not fire him."

And this goes beyond just Buffalo, as getting MAC players to tryouts on prestigious international USA Basketball teams, including UB's Javon McCrea, was a direct result of Witherspoon being well connected in USA basketball coaching circles.

"That is huge now, not just for Buffalo, but the league, and for recruiting," Kent head coach Rob Senderoff said.

Witherspoon's teams consistently had players from other countries who were very productive. And in a league where it is tough to find good post players, that is where Buffalo almost always had an edge.

The potential cloud this brings to UB is now the same one that has hovered over Toledo since it fired Stan Joplin; Ball State since it let Ray McCallum depart without a fight; and Eastern Michigan when it abruptly jettisoned Milt Barnes. They haven't been the same since.

'''"'"''""""

Still playing: Kent State (20-13) will continue its season, even after its MAC semifinal loss to Akron. The Golden Flashes will host a game in the CIT Tournament on Tuesday night at the M.A.C. Center, potentially against Fairfield (19-15). The Flashes last played the Stags of the Metro Atlantic Conference in the 2011 NIT Tournament.'

"They are a very good defensive team, so we will have to be ready for a tough home game," Senderoff said.

All Tournament: The All-Tournament team included tournament MVP Demetrius Treadwell and Zeke Marshall from Akron. Also on the team are Reggie Keely and D.J. Cooper from OU and Chris Evans from Kent State.

Take a look: Akron will hold an NCAA Tournament Selection Show Watch Party today at 5 p.m. at Rhodes Arena. Fans can sit on the west side of the arena to watch the 6 p.m. Selection Show broadcast on WOIO Channel 19 on the videoboard and additional projector screens located on the court. Concessions stands will be open and parking is free.

The men's basketball team, appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in five seasons and fourth time in program history (1986, 2009, 2011), will be on hand to watch with Zips fans.

Representatives from the Zips Athletics Ticket Office will be at the Rhodes Arena Ticket Office to assist those interested in requesting tickets for the Zips' NCAA Tournament contest.

From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. today, fans can request an order for NCAA Tournament tickets through the C.P. and Cornelia S. Chima Athletics Ticket Office via phone at 1-888-99-AKRON (25766). The ticket office located at InfoCision Stadium -- Summa Field (375 E. Exchange St., near Gate 1 at the southwest corner of the venue, at the corner of E. Exchange and S. Union streets) will re-open Monday at 9 a.m.

  Embrace of the day

Embrace of the day

Mentor coach Bob Krizancic shared a quiet moment in the postgame handshake line with Shaker Heights assistant Jim Cappelletti, the former longtime Cleveland Heights coach. "I told him, 'I relished the times that we talked and I learned a lot from you and I love you,' " Krizancic said.

Class move of the day

Shaker Heights' Kash Blackwell waited for Krizancic and Cappelletti to part so he could hug Krizancic and congratulate him. "I have so much respect for that young man," Krizancic said.

Brothers of the day

Cole Krizancic, a junior when Mentor reached the 2010 state semifinals, was at the game to watch his brother, Conner, do the same as a junior. "I saw my brother do it his junior year, and I was jealous and I wanted to do that, too," Conner said.

Cole plays at Ashland University.

The other brother connection didn't happen. Reigning Mr. Basketball Justin Fritts was not at the game to see his brother, junior Brandon Fritts. Justin plays for Wheeling Jesuit.

Stat of the day

With 10 points from junior forward Kade McClure, Mentor's bench outscored Shaker Heights' bench, 19-5.

By the numbers

2: Number of trips to the state semifinals for Mentor. It lost in the 2010 semifinals.

6: Shaker Heights assists.

7: Assists by Mentor guard Jeff Foreman (Mentor had 19).

12: Mentor 3-pointers.

17: Halftime deficit (38-21), equal to the leads Mentor lost in both losses to Shaker Heights.

1,000: Number of tickets each school sold.

3,793: Attendance.

  Behind the scenes

Behind the scenes

Dora Barlow, wife of Hathaway Brown coach Paul Barlow, was stuck in traffic for almost two hours because of an overturned semi on Interstate 71 but made it just in time for the opening tipoff of the Division II state final against West Holmes.

Tough as nails

Anna senior guard Erica Huber has suffered five broken noses, including two this season.

Welcome back

Hathaway Brown senior Lysette Roman scored 10 points in the tournament after sitting out last year to concentrate on soccer. She'll play soccer at Colgate.

By the numbers

1: Turnover committed by Hathaway Brown's Beth Brzozowski in the two final-four games.

6: Free-throw attempts by West Holmes.

34: Free-throw attempts by Hathaway Brown.

36: Straight postseason wins by Hathaway Brown.

41: Fouls called during the Division III state title game between Columbus Africentric and Anna.

49: Foul shots attempted in the Division III state final.

Familiar face

Alexa Hart was on the Africentric bench. The 6-2 junior sat out this season after transferring from Lake Ridge Academy.

Grow up

It's one thing when students in cheering sections try to distract the opposing player shooting foul shots by yelling, "Miss it!" but when parents/adults do it? Grow up.

Best name of the tournament

Anna senior Emily Watercutter.

Officially speaking

The following area officials worked state-tournament games: Frank Bova (Parma Heights), Althea Bufford and Clarissa Edwards-Wallace (Euclid), Joe Hewitt (Solon), April Largent (Olmsted Township) and Gerald Parks (Garfield Heights).

Father/daughter dance

Four head coaches at high schools' big dance had daughters playing for them. The fathers and daughter teams were: John and Amanda Cahill (Clyde); Dan, Morgan and Megan Liedtke (Fort Frye); Jack and Natalie Billing (Anna), and John and Jenna Burdette (Reedsville Eastern).

Daniels honored at half

Westlake's Art Daniels was given the Bob Arnzen Award at halftime of the Division II title game. The honor is named after the legendary boys coach at Delphos St. John's High School and is presented to basketball coaches who have dedicated 20 or more consecutive years of service to the same school.

On the money:

Twinsburg senior Damon Washington hit a basket from half-court to win a gas card worth $500 during a break between the third and fourth quarters of the Division I state championship game.

-- Bob Fortuna

Canton -- No matter how many times Charlie Brown had Lucy pull the ball away from him, he never had as bad a day as the Beachwood basketball team. The worst contestants on "Wipeout" have had better days.

Canton -- No matter how many times Charlie Brown had Lucy pull the ball away from him, he never had as bad a day as the Beachwood basketball team.

The worst contestants on "Wipeout" have had better days.

The Bison's season came to a sobering and disappointing end Saturday, when they lost to Leavittsburg LaBrae, 59-30, in a Division III regional final at Memorial Fieldhouse.

The Vikings from Trumbull County dominated from start to finish in winning the school's first regional championship and bringing an end to one of the best seasons in Beachwood history.

The Bison (23-4) won more games than any other team and became the first Beachwood squad to reach a regional final.

Junior Peyton Aldridge showed why he is a two-time Northeast Inland District Player of the Year, as the 6-7 forward/guard scored 14 points and had 18 rebounds and blocked seven shots in helping LaBrae raise its record to 24-3 heading into Thursday's state semifinal game against Versailles at Value City Arena in Columbus. Versailles defeated Cincinnati Roger Bacon, 56-53.

Playing in the middle of LaBrae's 3-2 zone, Aldridge made it virtually impossible for the Bison to penetrate past the foul line.

"We didn't shoot the ball well, but obviously, they had a lot to do with that," said Beachwood coach Jason Pecjak.

"With Peyton in the middle, we couldn't get to the rim and we couldn't make a shot from the perimeter. That's a bad combination."

Beachwood made just 7 of 50 field-goal attempts, firing blanks -- 0-for-24 -- on 3-point attempts. It was 17-0 at the end of the first quarter. The good news is that it made 16 of 19 free throws.

Juniors Julio Stevens and John Davis III led the Bison in scoring, with Stevens scoring 12 and Davis held significantly below his season average with nine points.

LaBrae also got 15 points each from 6-3 junior Marcell Richardson and 5-11 senior Carl Brown. With no one capable of matching Aldridge, the Bison were outrebounded, 50-29.

"These kids put together a great season," Pecjak said. "We lost to a better team. There is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm real proud of them, and at the end of the day, that's what I told them. Hopefully we'll take some of this momentum into next season."

Carlos Carrasco was good Saturday night against the Giants, but it took minor leaguer Delvi Cid to pull off the victory with a two-out, two-run triple in the ninth inning.

Carlos Carrasco had his best outing of spring training Saturday night as he tries to stay in the running for the fifth spot in the rotation. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Right-hander Carlos Carrasco turned in his best start of the spring Saturday night with five strong innings and minor leaguer Delvi Cid hit a two-run triple with two out in the ninth to give the Indians a 4-3 victory over a split squad of San Francisco Giants in front of a sellout crowd of 11,023 at Goodyear Ballpark.

Carrasco struck out five and allowed two hits. He was so effecient he had to go to the bullpen and throw 15 more pitches to reach his required 70 pitches.

"That was by far his best outing," said manager Terry Francona. "He had five strikeouts and still threw only 55 pitches. He attacked the strike zone."

The Giants, trailing 2-1 in the ninth, rallied to take a 3-2 lead against Matt Albers and Joe Martinez. Roger Kieschnick knocked Albers out of the game with a leadoff double and scored to tie the game on a triple by Brock Bond. Ricky Oropesa gave the Giants the lead, 3-2, with a sacrifice fly.

Quincy Latimore started the Tribe's two-out game-winning rally in the ninth with a walk against Mitch Lively. Catcher Omir Santos followed with a single to right to move Latimore to third. Cid, who played at Class A Carolina last year, fell quickly behind in the count 0-2 before sending ball into the gap right center to score Latimore and Santos.

Cid can fly, with 199 steals to his credit in the Tribe's minor league system. He stole 32 last year.

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera gave Carrasco a 1-0 lead with his first homer of the spring, a one-out drive down the right field line in the first off Chris Heston.

The Giants made it 1-1 in the second on Oropesa's two-out single through the right side of the infield. Kieschnick, who opened the inning with a double, scored.

Jason Giambi, 42, trying to make the Indians as a non-roster player, broke the 1-1 tie with a homer over the left center field fence for a 2-1 lead to start the fifth. It was his second homer of the spring.

Carrasco, who missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, retired the last 10 Giants he faced.

"I felt very good," said Carrasco, in the running for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. "That was the first time I've gone five innings in a year and a half. The pitching coach (Mickey Callaway) told me just to throw the ball normal. . .nice and easy and keep the ball down. That's what I did tonight."

Center fielder Matt Carson, who has had a strong spring, helped Carrasco in the early going with two fine running catches.

He robbed Gregor Blanco of extra bases to start the game with a catch near the
left center field fence. In the third, Carson stole a hit from Jackson Williams as he banged into the center field wall. He came away limping, but stayed in the game.

Carson has hit four homers this spring.

Highlights include Ohio State vs. Wisconsin in Big Ten Tournament championship game, soon followed by NCAA Division I Tournament Selection Show. And, Indians' exhibition game against Cincinnati.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV sports listings

AHL

4 p.m. Toronto at LAKE ERIE MONSTERS, AM/1220 (radio)

AUTO RACING

7 p.m. Gatornationals (tape), ESPN2

12:30 p.m. Food City 500, WJW

BASEBALL

6 a.m. N.Y. Yankees (ss) vs. Atlanta (tape), MLBN

9 a.m. Kansas City vs. Chicago Cubs (ss) (tape), MLBN

1 p.m. St. Louis vs. Miami, MLBN

4 p.m. Chicago Cubs vs. Oakland, WGN

4:05 p.m. CLEVELAND INDIANS vs. Cincinnati, STO (TV); AM/1100 (radio)

9 p.m. WBC semi, Japan vs. TBD, MLBN

1 a.m. (Monday) Colorado vs. San Fran. (tape), MLBN

BULL RIDING

6 p.m. Table Mountain Casino Invitational CBSSN

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

Noon East Carolina at UAB, FSO

COLLEGE INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

7 p.m. NCAA championships, ESPNU

DODGEBALL

2 p.m. Ultimate Dodgeball Championship, FSO

GOLF

9 a.m. Avantha Masters (tape), Golf Channel

1 p.m. Tampa Bay Classic, Golf Channel

3 p.m. Tampa Bay Classic, WKYC

4 p.m. Founders Cup, Golf Channel

7:30 p.m. Toshiba Classic (tape), Golf Channel

MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

1 p.m. SEC final, Mississippi vs. Florida, WEWS

1 p.m. A-10 final, Virginia Commonwealth vs. Saint Louis, WOIO

1 p.m. ACC final, North Carolina vs. Miami (Fla.), ESPN

3:30 p.m. Big Ten final, OHIO STATE BUCKEYES vs. Wisconsin, WOIO, FM/92.3

6 p.m. NCAA Division I Tournament Selection Show, WOIO

MEN'S COLLEGE LACROSSE

3 p.m. Colgate vs. Michigan, ESPNU

NBA

3:30 p.m. New York at L.A. Clippers, WEWS

NHL

12:30 p.m. Boston at Pittsburgh, WKYC

7:30 p.m. Buffalo at Washington, NBCSN

SOCCER

1 p.m. MLS, Houston at Dallas, ESPN2

TENNIS

3 p.m. BNP Paribas Open, men's, women's finals, ESPN2

WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

11 a.m. MEAC final, Howard vs. Hampton, ESPNU

1 p.m. Horizon League final, Loyola (Ill.) vs. Green Bay, ESPNU

5 p.m. Northeast Conference final, St. Francis (Pa.) vs. Quinnipiac, ESPNU

With just over two weeks left before the Indians open the regular season April 2, here's a progress report on manager Terry Francona's club.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There are 16 days left before the Indians open the 2013 season against Toronto on April 2 at Rogers Centre. Before the 25-man roster is named, and players start double checking to see if they can find their passports, questions still need to be answered.

So consider this a progress report, one of those slips of papers wayward students use to get from their teachers in the middle of the grading period to take home to Mom and Dad, on the big issues facing manager Terry Francona's ballclub.

• What does it mean when 1) Francona is spotted zooming around camp on a red scooter and 2) appears in a video version of the Harlem Shake dressed as a baby with a white floppy bonnet?

Well, the guy knows how to have a good time and if he does indeed drive the scooter between his apartment and Progressive Field during the regular season, he should get credit for going green.

Is Francona too player friendly? "We all know there's a line you can't cross with him," said Justin Masterson.

View full size Justin Masterson has shown signs of sharpened control during the spring camp in Arizona. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

• What about Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez, the top two starters in the rotation who combined for 32 losses last year? Masterson is 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in three Cactus League starts with six strikeouts and no walks in 8 2/3 innings. He threw five scoreless innings in a B game as well.

Jimenez is 2-0 with a 5.54 ERA in four games. He's struck out nine, walked two and allowed 19 hits in 13 innings. He seems to have taken to his new delivery, but the Indians are still trying convince him that he doesn't have to overthrow to get people out.

• Will closer Chris Perez be ready for April 2? He threw 15 pitches off the mound Saturday for the first time since straining his right shoulder on Feb. 26. He's making progress, but his return date is still unsettled.

In the bullpen, five relievers have jobs: Perez (if healthy), Vinnie Pestano, Joe Smith, Rich Hill and Cody Allen. Francona, however, still isn't saying how many relievers he'll open the season with. The Tribe opens with 13 games without a day off and is considering carrying an extra arm.

Then again the last seven games of the streak are played in Cleveland, which usually guarantees at least one April postponement because of snow or rain.

Matt Albers, Bryan Shaw, Nick Hagadone, Scott Barnes, Matt Langwell and Matt Capps give Francona plenty of relief options if he goes with a 13-man staff.

• The rotation appears to be set with Masterson, Jimenez, Brett Myers, Zach McAllister and lefty Scott Kazmir. Daisuke Matsuzaka threw three innings in a minor-league game Saturday, but it sounds as if he's running out of time. Carlos Carrasco, Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer still have a shot, but are probably bound for Class AAA Columbus.

• The new outfield of Bourn, Michael Brantley and Drew Stubbs hasn't played a lot of innings together, but that should change in the coming days. Brantley missed time after getting spiked in his left forearm on Feb. 25.

Bourn, Brantley and Stubbs should be one of the fastest outfields in franchise history. They've shown flashes of what that can mean offensively and defensively. The outfielder who has been doing the most running has been Ezequiel Carrera, who has stolen eight bases in nine attempts and scored six runs despite hitting .207.

Carrera is out of options and probably won't make the team.

Terry Francona on feeling good about spring camp

• Catcher Carlos Santana is having a fine World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic, which is a good thing, because it seems as if he's been gone from spring training forever. Santana's absence, and Lou Marson's bout with the flu, has given Yan Gomes lot of time behind the plate. Gomes has shown he can hit, but his catching skills still need work.

Gomes injured his right hamstring Friday against Milwaukee running out a double, which probably punched his ticket to Columbus. The Indians want to find out if he can be an everyday catcher.

• Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera came to camp in great shape. He didn't lose much time to the WBC because of Venezuela's quick ouster and it appears he's going to hit second in Francona's lineup.

• It didn't make a difference in the final score, but when Mark Reynolds hit a monster ninth-inning homer Friday against Milwaukee, it demonstrated an element that has been missing from the offense -- late-inning thunder.

The Tribe lost the game, 4-3, but just the fact that Reynolds has that kind of game-changing power is refreshing. It's not only Reynolds, but Nick Swisher and Stubbs can do the same thing. It gives the Indians a chance to win a game in the late innings with one swing instead of stringing four singles together.

• Lonnie Chisenhall had a clear road to the third-base job this spring and he's not backing in. Chisenhall is hitting .419 (13-for-31) with four doubles, three homers and 10 RBI and has been decent defensively. Mike Aviles, Chisenhall's backup, like Santana has been lost to the WBC with Puerto Rico in the finals.

• The question of leadership and chemistry is always a dicey thing. How much it matters to a team's success or failure is matter of opinion. Just because Swisher signed the biggest free-agent contract in team history and has a personality that fills a clubhouse, doesn't mean he's the guy everybody goes to. The best thing about that is that Swisher knows it.

"The veteran leadership we've had so far has been better than I anticipated," said Francona. "Swisher, Reynolds and Jason Giambi are first in every drill. Our most enthusiastic games this spring have been when the veterans play and that's surprising."

• Speaking of Giambi, 42, can he make the 25-man roster?

The answer, to date, is yes. But as Francona explained, the roster depends on one move leading to another move and another move beyond that.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

By Luke Meredith, Associated Press By Luke Meredith, Associated Press Kentucky, last season's national champion, headlines the list of teams set to compete in this year's NIT. The Wildcats aren't the only SEC team snubbed by the NCAA tournament selection committee. Alabama and Tennessee also missed the cut, marking the first time in 39 years that the Wildcats, Crimson...

By Luke Meredith, Associated Press

By Luke Meredith, Associated Press

Kentucky, last season's national champion, headlines the list of teams set to compete in this year's NIT.

The Wildcats aren't the only SEC team snubbed by the NCAA tournament selection committee.

Alabama head coach Anthony Grant will lead his team into the NIT this week.

Alabama and Tennessee also missed the cut, marking the first time in 39 years that the Wildcats, Crimson Tide and Volunteers were left out of the same NCAA tournament.

The Wildcats (21-11) and Crimson Tide (21-12) are No. 1 seeds in the NIT, along with Southern Mississippi and Virginia.

The Wildcats, who struggled to live up to lofty preseason expectations, went 4-4 in their final eight games without freshman star Nerlens Noel, who had his season ended early with a knee injury that required surgery.

Kentucky, which played in the last two Final Fours under fourth-year coach John Calipari, becomes the 20th defending national champion to be left out of the NCAA tournament field and first since North Carolina in 2010.

The Wildcats will play at eighth-seeded Robert Morris on Tuesday because Rupp Arena is unavailable to the Wildcats because the second and third round of the NCAA tournament is being played there.

Alabama was likely done in by late road losses at Florida and Ole Miss — which made a surprising run to the SEC tournament title. The Tide beat Tennessee in the conference tournament but lost a rematch with the Gators on a neutral court.

The Crimson Tide will play host to Northeastern at 8 p.m. CDT Tuesday. The game will be televised by ESPN2. If Alabama wins, it will meet the winner of a first-round game between fourth-seeded Stanford and fifth-seeded Stephen A. Austin. Also in Alabama's eight-team bracket are No. 3 Denver and No. 6 Ohio, plus No. 2 Maryland and No. 7 Niagara.

Southern Miss (25-9) lost in double overtime to Memphis in the Conference USA title game with an NCAA bid on the line. The Golden Eagles will host Charleston Southern on Wednesday.

Virginia (21-11), which was blown out by North Carolina State in the ACC tournament quarterfinals, hosts Norfolk State on Tuesday.

This Ohio State team has the best chance for a deep run since the Greg Oden/Mike Conley one-year wonders reached the championship game in 2007.

View full size Sophomore LaQuinton Ross, left, could be the key to how far Deshaun Thomas and the Ohio State Buckeyes advance in the NCAA Tournament. Charles Rex Arbogast, Associated Press  

CHICAGO -- Before the games begin that will dominate the water-cooler discussions and the sporting wagers, Ohio State coach Thad Matta looked at his players Sunday in the final minutes of the final NCAA Tournament prelude. Matta told them they had another gear, although the defensive effort had stripped all the mechanisms of execution on both sides.

Ohio State needed a lift beyond the dead legs that led to its atrocious 1-for-16 3-point shooting and to 3-for-18 misfiring by Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament final. Matta was probing, prodding, almost pleading for a reserve that somehow was untapped after all that each team had taken out of the other.

"There shouldn't be any secrets," Matta said, referring to Ohio State's favorable draw in the NCAA Tournament, although the comment certainly applied to the final stages of the Buckeyes' 50-43, grind-it-out victory over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament's championship game.

"You know me. Let's hoop," Matta said, meaning it came down to action, not reflection.

Leaning in to the huddle as the players sat in small folding chairs on the court, Matta said, "Somebody just make a play."

"Fortunately," he would say later, " 'Q' did."

Q is LaQuinton Ross, the sophomore "X factor" for the Buckeyes. On a team with only slumping shooter Deshaun Thomas as a guaranteed point producer, Ross hit some spinners in the lane that would have put a spider to shame. Out of the silken threads of his offense, he wove his way to seven points in the second half. It made the difference.

It might make the difference in the NCAA Tournament.

This Ohio State team, the second seed in the West Regional, has the best chance for a deep run since the Greg Oden/Mike Conley one-year wonders reached the championship game in 2007.

Last year's team would never have reached the Final Four if Syracuse's big man, Fab Melo, hadn't been made to stand in the corner for his lax academics. Still, the 2012 Buckeyes exceeded the accomplishments, if not the expectations, of the nation's 2011 top-seeded team.

Those Buckeyes wound up in "Beirut by the Turnpike" -- Newark, N.J. -- in a loaded bracket that featured North Carolina and Kentucky. Kentucky stunned Ohio State, in the Sweet 16. OSU's aspirations were not the most important ones to wither amid the blight and detritus of Newark, but its dream had dominated all that winter in Ohio.

No such murderers' row and dead-end itinerary awaits this March. The Buckeyes begin Friday in Dayton against Iona, whose teams are called the Gaels. This would be vibe-worthy if the clock could be turned back to St. Patrick's Day.

A potential Sunday game would be against the Notre Dame-Iowa State winner. Again, the time machine left the building without the Irish. With the Buckeyes' defense, it could be Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn freezing in the sights of Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk at the 2006 Fiesta Bowl all over again.

The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight would be in Los Angeles at Staples Center. The stars haven't aligned for the Lakers this season, but third-seeded New Mexico would bring former Indiana luminary Steve Alford, the Lobos' coach in an auld lang syne Sweet 16 matchup out of yesteryear. If the Buckeyes win that one, the top seed in the West, Gonzaga, which Ohio State beat in a tight game in the Round of 32 last year in Pittsburgh, might await in the regional final.

Gonzaga has the worst strength-of-schedule rating (97th, going into this weekend) of any top seed in years. The rebuttal to this is the mystical mojo the Jesuit school in Spokane can ride with the election of the first Jesuit pope, Francis, last week. Georgetown, Marquette and Creighton, which are, in order, second, third and seventh seeds, have the same hopes.

The  team to beat in the view of the Selection Committee is  overall top seed Louisville. Some of us remember when Cardinals coach Rick Pitino was the apostle of the arc, embracing the newfangled 3-pointer and riding his point guard at Providence, Billy Donovan, to a stunning Final Four appearance in 1987. A generation later, Donovan has two national championships at Florida to the well-traveled Pitino's one -- at Louisville's archrival, Kentucky. Is it time for Pitino to grow into the legend for which he was sized so long ago?

But the form charts probably won't hold. Last year, 15th-seeded Lehigh and Norfolk State beat respective No. 2s Duke and Missouri, and 13th-seeded Ohio bounced No. 4 Michigan. College basketball, because of the one-and-done rule for NBA eligibility, is a scrum of vulnerable teams knocking one another off.

So you are going to have to live with the stolen glimpse of streamed games in the workplace and choke back the cry of pain or exultation when a fluke bounce gives heartbreak or hallelujah one more crack at you. What, did someone reinvent the wheel while you were wrapped up in the agony/ecstasy of March Madness/Sadness? Your time was well spent.

March is the extra gear that carries you out of winter and into spring. It's the rooting life you have chosen, and if somebody nicknamed for the 17th letter of the alphabet makes a play and March goes out with a roar of triumph, well, you read it here first.

By Garrett Miley | National Desk It’s that time of the year again, and after the seemingly endless wait, Selection Sunday has come and gone and the 68-team field has been revealed. With parity in college basketball at an all-time high, it appears that the tournament field is wide open. Here's a look at reaction from around the country...

By Garrett Miley | National Desk

This
photo taken March 15, 2013, shows Louisville head coach Rick Pitino
gesturing to his team during the second half of an NCAA college
basketball game against the Notre Dame at the Big East Conference
tournament in New York. The Cardinals have shown that they a™re
comfortable being front-runners in their season-long quest to go further
than last year'™s Final Four appearance. Now, they enter the NCAA
tournament as the overall No 1 seed. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)





    

It’s that time of the year again, and after the seemingly endless wait, Selection Sunday has come and gone and the 68-team field has been revealed. With parity in college basketball at an all-time high, it appears that the tournament field is wide open. Here's a look at reaction from around the country after the field of 68 was announced this evening:

• You could have made a case for seven teams to be a No. 1 seed in this year's NCAA tournament, and all seven are probably deserving and worthy of that seeding. Paul Newberry of the Associated Press explains the top seeding selections:

The selection committee had its work cut out after five teams swapped the top ranking in The Associated Press poll, capped by the West Coast Conference champion Zags (30-2) moving to the lead spot for the first time in school history. Committee chairman Mike Bobinski said last week he thought as many as seven teams could be in the running for No. 1 seeds.

Of course, only four spots were available. It was No. 4-ranked Louisville (29-5) that was picked to lead the field after sharing the Big East regular-season title, then pulling off a stunning turnaround to beat Syracuse in the final of the conference tournament for its 10th straight victory. The Cardinals came back from a 16-point deficit early in the second half for a 78-61 romp.

• As always, many teams are extremely satisfied with their seeding chosen by the committee, while others are livid and confused at how they could be such a low seed. And as always, there are the bitter, devastated and disappointed snubs. Even in an expanded field of 68 teams, there appear to be more teams feeling snubbed than ever before.

Teams like Kentucky, last year’s champion, and Tennessee top the list of teams feeling unjustly passed over by the committee this year, but as ESPN’s Eamonn Brennan explains, the expansion to 68 teams makes these arguments of who got snubbed “invalid”:

It's hard to feel much sympathy for any of these teams. If your team was good, it would have gotten in the field. If it didn't, it wasn't. Simple enough.

That said, the bubble is always a matter of relativity. And relatively speaking, a handful of teams will be able to lodge legitimate complaints against the 2013 NCAA tournament selection committee.

• Oregon, a team that that won its conference tournament by defeating UCLA in the final, received a No. 12 seed and has to play a tough Oklahoma State team and freshman phenom Marcus Smart in the first round. However, John Canzano of The Oregonian thinks the Ducks should take the high road:

Oregon could spend the next 72 hours lamenting how disrespected its players feel. They could feel sorry for themselves. They could cry out for justice. Boosters and administrators could protest by griping and moaning. But all of that ends up missing the point.

This is a beautiful opportunity. Oregon is on the big stage, with everyone watching, finally. What the Ducks most need to do is go prove the committee wrong and win two huge basketball games in San Jose. Do that, and when you win 26 games next season, your campaign won't be looked upon as a nice little streaky run from a basketball team at a football school.

• When examining the 2013 bracket, there are some clear potential Cinderellas and bracket busters. Mid-majors have the ability to destroy your office pool bracket and make you look foolish to your co-workers. One team that Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports sees as a dangerous, under-the-radar team is VCU:

The Rams' "Havoc" defense has led to six NCAA tourney wins the past two years, and more should be on the way this season. No coach is better at infusing his players with confidence than Shaka Smart.

• Mid-majors always surprise the country in March, and these teams usually have relatively unknown players that break out come tournament time. As Matt Norlander of CBS sports explains, names like former Davidson star Steph Curry come to mind. Norlander provides some insight into who could be this year’s Curry and mentions South Dakota State’s guard Nate Wolters:

The senior point guard for the Jackrabbits has gone from an unknown commodity to a cult figure in college basketball. He's now projected as an NBA draft pick. Earlier this season, he scored 53 points, the most of any player in college hoops in four years. He keeps the ball on a yo-yo and has a smooth game. Can kill a team with his deft play and deep shooting. As those in the know like to say, Naters Gonna Nate.

• Some teams enter the tournament on a bit of a skid after playing well at the start of the season. Michigan enters the tournament having gone just 6-6 in its last 12 games in a deep and difficult Big 10 conference. The Wolverines at one point in the season were looking at a potential No. 1 seed, but were given a No. 4 seed by the tournament committee. Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com comments on the seeding given to the Wolverines and looks down the road at their potential matchups:

In earning a No. 4 seed, Michigan was seen as no higher than the 13th-best team in the tournament. Four-seeds are given to the teams rated No. 13-16.

Should Michigan advance past South Dakota State in its second round game, the Wolverines would play the winner of No. 5 Virginia Commonwealth and No. 13 Akron.

Kansas is the No. 1 seed in the South Region, followed by Georgetown as the No. 2. Florida earned the No. 3 seed in that region, sliding in above Michigan.

More reaction:

• Michigan State is a No. 3 seed and is playing close to home.

• Dana O’Neil of ESPN.com writes what the selection committee got right.

• The Mountain West conference earned respect from the selection committee this season, according to Doug Lesmerises of The Plain Dealer.

• Lesmerises also examines which players will break out during this year’s tournament.

• According to David Jones of PennLive.com, No. 9 Temple vs No. 8 NC State is one of the more intriguing first round matchups. 

VCU coach Smart was an Akron assistant to Dambrot, and had the Zips boss in his wedding. More Akron and Ohio State story links.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Sixty-eight of the nation's 347 Division I basketball teams are part of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, and the Akron Zips and Ohio State Buckeyes are among them.

The Mid-American Conference champion Zips (26-6), a 12th seed, play the fifth-seed Virginia Commonwealth Rams (26-8) -- the team better known to some as VCU --  in a South Region game on Thursday in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

The Big Ten Tournament champion Buckeyes (26-7) are the No. 2 seed in the West Region. OSO plays the 15th-seed Iona Gaels (20-13) on Friday in Dayton.

VCU coach Shaka Smart was an assistant to Akron coach Keith Dambrot for a couple seasons.

Dana O'Neil, for ESPN.com, writes some first impressions on the NCAA Tournament field and pairings, including:

Poor Shaka Smart.

When ESPN set up Akron and VCU in a BracketBuster game in 2011, both he and Zips head coach Keith Dambrot prayed it would be the last time.

So much for that.

In Auburn Hills, Mich., Smart and Dambrot will go head-to-head once more and this time it’s a legit bracket buster.

The two are coaching best friends. Smart considers Dambrot a mentor. The two spent three years together at Akron, and Smart was Dambrot’s right-hand man after he was named head coach. Dambrot was even in Smart’s wedding.

Now one will have to beat the other.

“It will be strange for sure," Smart said via text message.

Zips and Buckeyes tournament story links

VCU loses its Atlantic 10 Conference tournament final, but gets an at-large bid and a No. 5 seed and will play Akron in an NCAA Tournament game. (By Paul Woody, Richmond Times Dispatch)

In a challenging season, Akron's Zips get ready for yet another challenge -- playing Virginia Commonwealth in the NCAA tourney. (By Ryan Isley, More Than A Fan)

A preview of the South Region, with a focus on Akron and Virginia Commonwealth. (By Zac Jackson, FoxSportsOhio.com)

A South Regional preview. (By Jeff Goodman, CBSSports.com)

Akron would love to be remembered after the tournament as a "Cinderella team." A slideshow of the top 10 Cinderella teams of the past 20 years, including the 2002 Kent State Golden Flashes at No. 7 and the 2011 VCU Rams at No. 3. (foxsportssouthwest.com)

South Regional analysis, and capsules on the South Regional teams, including Akron and VCU. (By Steve Berkowitz, USAToday.com)

South Regional analysis and a quick look at each team. (Yahoo! Sports)

The NCAA rankings of the 68 teams in its tournament. (FoxSportsOhio.com)

A preview of the West Region, which features Gonzaga and Ohio State as the top two seeds. (By Jeff Borzello, CBSSports.com)

Ohio State doesn't have to travel far to being NCAA Tournament play. (By Rob McCurdy, Mansfield News Journal)

Iona's players and hundreds of supporters gather to learn that the Gaels play Ohio State. (By Faye Murman and Ken Schachter, Newsday)

Dayton not only gets to host First Four games on Tuesday and Wednesday, but a strong second- and third-round field that includes Ohio State. (By Doug Harris, Dayton Daily News)

West Regional analysis, and capsules on the West Regional teams, including Ohio State. (By David Leon Moore, USAToday.com)

West Regional analysis and a quick look at each team. (Yahoo! Sports)

Iona's Gaels are excited about playing in the NCAA Tournament and looking forward to playing Ohio State. (By Mike Zacchio, The Journal News)

By Eddie Pells, Associated Press A look at the NCAA men's tournament, the 68-team free-for-all that begins Tuesday and ends three weeks from now at the Final Four in Atlanta:  1. WHO'S NUMBER 1? Well, we won't know who the NCAA champion is until the Final Four is over on April 8. But the four No. 1 seeds heading...

By Eddie Pells, Associated Press

A look at the NCAA men's tournament, the 68-team free-for-all that begins Tuesday and ends three weeks from now at the Final Four in Atlanta:

Let the Madness begin!

 1. WHO'S NUMBER 1?

Well, we won't know who the NCAA champion is until the Final Four is over on April 8. But the four No. 1 seeds heading into the tournament: Louisville, Kansas, Indiana and Gonzaga. The Cardinals are the overall top seed.

2. INTRODUCING THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS ...

If you want to find last year's national champions, don't look in this bracket. After losing six players from its title team last year, Kentucky finished 21-11 and wasn't among the 68 teams in the tournament.

3. PICKING A WINNER ...

Peyton Siva and Louisville are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Associated Press

Louisville is where the smart money is going — the early 9-2 favorite in Vegas to win it all. But in order to guarantee picking the winner of all 67 games, you'd have to fill out more than 9 quintillion brackets. That's a 9, followed by 18 zeros. If you used one sheet of paper for each bracket, all that paper, according to one mathematician, would not fit inside the universe.

4. YAY FOR THE LITTLE GUY ...

But, please, don't call Gonzaga a little guy. Yes, it's the small Jesuit school in Spokane, Wash., undergrad enrollment 4,900. But this is a basketball powerhouse. The Bulldogs — better known as the Zags — have been in the tournament 15 years straight and made the Sweet 16 five times since 1999. They're led by 7-foot center Kelly Olynyk, who is widely regarded as one of the top players in the country. Oh, and remember the Butler Bulldogs, the team that made the national final in 2010 and 2011 with enrollment 4,500? They're seeded sixth in the East and their mascot, Blue II, is retiring after the season.

5. WHO-C-L-A?

Even with the loss of freshman star Jordan Adams, did any team in the bracket get a worse deal than UCLA? The Bruins, regular-season champions in the Pac-12, got a sixth seed in the South Region and have a tough matchup against Minnesota in their opening game. (Viewers responding to an unscientific ESPN poll Sunday night called that matchup as the most likely to produce an upset.) All part of a bad day for the conference, whose tournament champion, Oregon, was seeded 12th. Could've been worse, though. The Pac-12 put five teams in the tournament this year. Last year, this "Power Conference" only put one team, Colorado, in the hunt for a national title.

6. BIG EAST FAREWELL ...

Back in the 1980s, the Big East helped make basketball what it is today, with players like Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin, coaches such as John Thompson and Lou Carnesecca, and its league tournament at Madison Square Garden. After this season, the conference as we know it will be history thanks to massive realignment that has overtaken college sports over the last few years. But the conference certainly isn't going quietly. Led by top overall seed, Louisville, the Big East placed eight teams in the tournament, more than any other league.

7. SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY ...

The St. Louis Billikens, No. 4 seed in the Midwest region, are wearing black ribbons on their jerseys with the word "Coach" emblazoned over them. They're honoring former coach, Rick Majerus, who died in December. The entertaining, portly coaching lifer made a career out of delivering basketball wisdom or a restaurant review with equal aplomb. His best run at March Madness came in 1998 when he led Utah to the title game.

8. GET YOUR TICKETS ...

There's a possible second-round matchup brewing in Salt Lake City between Arizona and New Mexico, two programs with some of the best-traveling, rowdiest fans in the country. It's a short flight from Tucson and Albuquerque to SLC. This will be among the toughest tickets to get in the first week.

9. BIG TEN POWER ...

The Big Ten was widely viewed as the best conference in basketball this season. Ohio State, Michigan State or both have made the Final Four in eight of the past 13 seasons. The Buckeyes, on a roll after winning the conference tournament Sunday, are seeded second in the West, while Tom Izzo's Spartans are third in the Midwest.

10. NAMES TO WATCH, THIS YEAR AND NEXT ...

You could see any of these players in the Final Four this year — or the NBA next year: Trey Burke (Michigan), Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), Ben McLemore (Kansas), Cody Zeller (Indiana).