Highlights include NCAA Tournament Final Four and the Indians at Tampa Bay.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV sports listings

ARENA FOOTBALL

8:30 p.m. San Jose at Arizona, CBSSN

AUTO RACING

1:30 p.m. Kroger 250, Speed Channel

5 p.m. Grand Prix of Alabama qualifying (tape), NBCSN

10 p.m. SummitRacing.com Nationals qualifying (tape), ESPN2

11:30 p.m. STP Gas Booster 500 "Happy Hour Series" (tape), Speed Channel

BASEBALL

1 p.m. Lansing at LAKE ERIE CAPTAINS, AM/1330 (radio)

2:05 p.m. Binghamton at AKRON AEROS, AM/1350 (radio)

3:30 p.m. N.Y. Yankees at Detroit, WJW

7 p.m. Kansas City at Philadelphia, MLB Network

7 p.m. Chicago Cubs at Atlanta, WGN

7:10 p.m. CLEVELAND INDIANS at Tampa Bay, SportsTime Ohio (TV);  AM/1100, FM/100.7 (radio)

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Noon Liberty vs. Coastal Carolina, ESPNU

3:30 p.m. Oklahoma at Texas, Fox Sports Ohio*

8 p.m. Missouri vs. Georgia, ESPNU

*-Broadcast will end at 5 p.m.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

3 p.m. Nebraska spring game, Big Ten Network

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

3 p.m. Missouri vs. Alabama, ESPNU

GOLF

1 p.m. Texas Open, Golf Channel

3 p.m. Texas Open, WKYC

5 p.m. Kraft Nabisco Championship, Golf Channel

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL

1 p.m. National Invitational final, ESPN

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL

11 a.m. National Invitational final, ESPN

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS LACROSSE

7 p.m. North Canton Hoover at Mentor (tape), TWCS

HORSE RACING

6 p.m. Wood Memorial, Santa Anita Derby, NBCSN

MEN'S NCAA TOURNAMENT COLLEGE BASKETBALL

6:09 p.m. Final Four, Louisville vs. Wichita State, WOIO (TV); FM/92.3 (radio)

8:49 p.m. Final Four, Michigan vs. Syracuse WOIO (TV); FM/92.3 (radio)

MEN'S COLLEGE GYMNASTICS

8 p.m. Big Ten individual championships, Big Ten Network

MEN'S COLLEGE LACROSSE

11 a.m. Colgate at Lehigh, CBSSN

Noon OHIO STATE BUCKEYES vs. Hobart, Big Ten Network

5 p.m. Syracuse vs. Princeton, ESPNU

MOTORSPORTS

8:30 p.m. Supercross, Speed Channel

NHL

4 p.m. Edmonton at Los Angeles  NHL Network

7 p.m. Boston at Montreal, NHL Network

10 p.m. Calgary at Vancouver, NHL Network

NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE

6 p.m. Philadelphia at Rochester, CBSSN

SOCCER

7:30 a.m. Premier League, Southampton at Reading, ESPN2

5 p.m. MLS, Philadelphia at COLUMBUS CREW, Fox Sports Ohio

7:30 p.m. MLS, Real Salt Lake at Colorado, NBCSN

TENNIS

1 p.m. Family Circle Cup semifinal, ESPN2

WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT COLLEGE BASKETBALL

3 p.m. WNIT final, CBSSN

By Garrett Miley, National Desk Peruse the Syracuse roster and you’ll see talent from top to bottom with names like Michael Carter-Williams, CJ Fair, and James Southerland. One name you won’t see this season is Fab Melo. After academic issues, the former Syracuse big man decided to turn pro and enter the NBA draft following last season. Melo never...

By Garrett Miley, National Desk

Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams walks on the court with Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim during practice the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game against Michigan, Friday, April 5, 2013, in Atlanta. Syracuse plays Michigan in a semifinal game on Saturday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Peruse the Syracuse roster and you’ll see talent from top to bottom with names like Michael Carter-Williams, CJ Fair, and James Southerland. One name you won’t see this season is Fab Melo.

After academic issues, the former Syracuse big man decided to turn pro and enter the NBA draft following last season. Melo never made it to the Final Four during his two-year stint at Syracuse, partially because of those academic issues, which made his ineligible for the NCAA tournament last year. 

He’s spent most of this past season in the league’s developmental league for the Maine Red Claws. Chris Carlson of The Post-Standard has more:

While Dave Matthews and Ludacris play in Atlanta as part of the weekend's festivities, the hottest tickets in Erie are to see country singer Justin Moore and opening weekend for the minor league baseball team.

Erie is a far cry from Atlanta, a different world than the Final Four.

"I wanted to play in the Final Four, of course I wanted to," Melo said. "I wanted to play in the tournament. It just didn't happen. I moved on. Let it go. Got to let it go. My life is playing professional basketball now."

» While the Michigan Wolverines are known to be a more high octane offensive attack than the Orange this season, Mike Waters of The Post-Standard says there is one Syracuse player to keep your eye on this weekend:

Michael Carter-Williams had two incredible games at the NCAA East Regional in Washington, D.C. In the Sweet 16 against Indiana, Carter-Williams scored a career-high 24 points. He also had four steals and only one turnover. In SU's Elite Eight game against Marquette, Carter-Williams had 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists, five steals and, again, just one turnover.

Syracuse forward James Southerland practices for a second-round game of the NCAA college basketball tournament in San Jose, Calif., Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Syracuse plays Montana on Thursday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

And while Syracuse’s zone gets all of the attention, Donna Diota of The Post-Standard says that the offensive attack of the Orange is key to taking down Michigan:

But lost in all the zone obsession is the idea that Syracuse will need to score points against the Wolverines when the teams meet at approximately 8:49 p.m. Saturday in the Georgia Dome.

Michigan ranks No. 1 nationally in offensive efficiency in Ken Pomeroy’s advanced stats. The Wolverines shoot 49 percent from the floor and 39 percent from 3-point range. In their four NCAA Tournament games, they have outscored their opponents by an average score of 79-63. To put that into perspective, Syracuse, in its four-game NCAA Tournament ride, has outscored opponents by an average score of 66-46.

“Obviously being able to score is going to be paramount, especially against a good offensive team,” SU assistant coach Mike Hopkins said. “They score a lot and they’ve got good shooters.”

» Bud Poliquin’s story on how former Syracuse star guard and now assistant coach Gerry McNamara has watched endless Michigan game tape gives some insight to the sleepless nights of Final Four coaching staffs:

Asked how much sleep he’d gotten as a result of his video overload, McNamara sort of shrugged.

“I have my son with me now, too,” he responded, referencing Little Gerry, a toddler. “So not a whole bunch.”

Nevertheless, McNamara pressed on because NCAA Tournament responsibilities trump slumber every time.

“It’s a combination of everything,” he said. “I’ll give initial impressions. Then the assistant coaches and I will get together and talk and go over a game plan, and they’ll relay the messages I was able to take in the film and convey it to their groups. Then I relay my information to my guards. And all this stuff funnels back to Coach (Jim Boeheim). It’s not information overload. It’s just what we need to do.”

» The return of James Southerland just before the tournament sparked Syracuse’s postseason run. His three point shooting gives his team a much needed dimension, especially against the high powered Wolverines. His teammates have more on that and some of the matchups against Michigan:

By Garrett Miley | National Desk In the week leading up to today's Final Four showdown with Syracuse, Michigan players faced an endless barrage of questions about the mighty Syracuse zone. The Orange have allowed just 45.8 points per contest in the tournament, but as Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com explains, Michigan is less than impressed: Tim Hardaway Jr.'s not...

By Garrett Miley | National Desk

Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. works with a ball during practice the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game against Syracuse, Friday, April 5, 2013, in Atlanta. Michigan plays Syracuse in a semifinal game on Saturday. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Tim Hardaway Jr.'s not buying it.

"If the zone was unbeatable, then they would be 39‑0," he said. "We're just going to go out there, play our game, not worry about what they're going to do, and just play Michigan basketball."

Syracuse has offered up some bold talk so far in Atlanta, but Michigan's not blaming the Orange for it.

It's the Final Four, Burke says. They should be confident.

But Michigan's pretty confident, too. And Saturday, the Wolverines plan on showing that.

"If you're not confident in the Final Four, you shouldn't be here," Burke added. "I don't blame them. We'll play them (Saturday).

"We'll be ready."

• It turns out that playing basketball is not Michigan freshman forward Mitch McGary's only talent. He's also a skilled ... unicycler? Baumgardner delves into McGary's quirkiness, both on and off the court:

Yes, he did once deliver newspapers on a unicycle when he was a kid. Yes, he can still ride one if he wants. Yes, it's strange -- but that's OK.

McGary's a bit strange, too.

Anyone have a problem with that?

"I had a sack of newspapers I'd put on shoulder, I'd ride the unicycle and stop at every mailbox, hold myself up and put the paper in," Michigan's budding freshman sensation said Friday. "It was about 80 papers or so.

"I just thought it was something unique."

McGary and "unique" are starting to go hand in hand at Michigan.

Michigan's Nik Stauskas picks up a ball during practice of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game against Syracuse, Friday, April 5, 2013, in Atlanta. Michigan plays Syracuse in a semifinal game on Saturday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• Another freshman that is turning some heads this postseason is the Wolverine’s Nik Stauskas, even if Syracuse’s C.J. Fair doesn’t know his name. MLive.com's Kyle Meinke explains why Stauskas is the key to Michigan beating the Syracuse 2-3 zone:

Michigan will have to hit shots, and that is why Stauskas -- the team's best 3-point shooter -- is so vital to the team's chances.

"Nik’s provided us with a third or fourth scorer, if you will," assistant coach Bacari Alexander said. "Any time you lock in on guys like Tim Hardaway, Trey Burke, and you have a guy like Stauskas rise to the occasion, it gives us a multi-faceted attack that is required against defenses that are this good."

Make no mistake, star point guard Trey Burke remains the most important player offensively against Syracuse. But there won't be any isolation, Burke's favorite play, in this one.

When he drives, there will be defenders waiting for him, and they will collapse, and he will need places to kick the ball.

Stauskas is one of those guys, and he needs to be ready to catch and shoot before the zone can adjust. Even if it's from a few feet beyond the 3-point line, something Michigan has practiced specifically this week.

• Video: Watch Baumgardner, Meinke and MLive.com colleague Josh Slagter discuss tonight's matchup between the Wolverines and the Orange and make their predictions:

By NANCY ARMOUR | AP National Writer ATLANTA — Half a world away from home, in a country where he knew no one and didn't speak the language, Gorgui Dieng would hole up in his bedroom and cry. "It was very hard for me, I'll be honest with you," he said. "I wasn't scared, I was just frustrated. I...

By NANCY ARMOUR | AP National Writer

Louisville's Gorgui Dieng shoots during practice for their NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game against Wichita State, Friday, April 5, 2013, in Atlanta. Louisville plays Wichita State in a semifinal game on Saturday. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)





 

ATLANTA — Half a world away from home, in a country where he knew no one and didn't speak the language, Gorgui Dieng would hole up in his bedroom and cry.

"It was very hard for me, I'll be honest with you," he said. "I wasn't scared, I was just frustrated. I can't talk to anybody, you don't understand what anyone is saying."

No one would have blamed Dieng if he'd given up, returned to his family and friends in Senegal. But he had come to the United States with a dream, and he refused to let it go. Four years later, the skinny, once-silent teenager is fluent in his new language and culture. Louisville is playing in its second straight Final Four in large part because of its center, and a fat NBA paycheck is likely only a few months away.

"I was a boy," Dieng said Friday. "And now I can say I'm a man."

Top-seeded Louisville (33-5) plays Wichita State (30-8) tonight in the first national semifinal.

Dieng's road here has been a difficult one.

His older brothers built a basketball court near their house, and kids all over the neighborhood were soon flocking there for pick-up games. But Dieng, then 6 or 7, had little interest.

Soccer was his sport, and he had no desire to waste his time with a game he saw as "soft."

"I thought it was a dumb sport," he said. "I said, 'No, I don't want to play that game.'"

Once he started playing, though, Dieng was hooked. He shot up in his early teens — he's now 6-foot-11 — and by the time he was 16, people were telling him he'd have a shot at a college scholarship if he moved to the U.S. So in 2009, when he was 19, Dieng left his family and moved to West Virginia to attend Huntington Prep.

That's where he caught the eye of Louisville coach Rick Pitino.

Dieng was raw, for sure, just 190 pounds and still trying to grasp the terminology of the game. But Pitino saw the potential.

"He struggled a little bit in the beginning, because he goes from being able to say hello and goodbye to me in late November to seeing him again late February and being semi-fluent in English. That's pretty incredible," Pitino said. "He's highly intelligent and picks up things quickly and knows what you mean."

Dieng's first task was to get stronger. He's put on nearly 50 pounds, and now weighs 245.

The next challenge was to develop his game. His size alone makes Dieng a threat around the basket, and he had 56 blocks his freshman year. But Pitino wanted him to do more than gobble up rebounds and get easy points on put-backs.

"I said, 'Gorgui, we'll work on your mid-range jump shot,'" Pitino said. "He takes it from not having a good mid-range jump shot to being flat-out great. Everything he does — he doesn't believe in being good. If he's going to master something, he wants to be great at it."

Dieng set a Louisville record with 128 blocks last year. But he also averaged nearly a double-double with 9.1 points and 9.1 rebounds. This year he's averaging 10.2 points and 9.5 rebounds. Despite missing seven games early in the season with a broken wrist, Dieng has 78 blocks, 10 in the NCAA tournament alone.

As impressive as those stats are, they don't give the full picture of Dieng's importance to the Cardinals.

Dieng missed the championship game at the Battle 4 Atlantis with what turned out to be the broken wrist, and Louisville lost to Duke 76-71. When the teams met again last weekend in the Midwest Regional final, Dieng was back in the line-up.

Louisville bulldozed the Blue Devils, 85-63, despite losing Kevin Ware to that awful broken leg.

"He's one of the best players in the country," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "It helps their defense to have a great rim protector, because they hit you with different types of defenses, and you can be even more aggressive knowing that your basket is protected. I think any team in the country would love to have him.

"But then, offensively, he's improved," Krzyzewski added. "He can hit free throws, can make buckets inside and can hit from 15 feet.

"His game has really expanded. He's a terrific player."

So much so that Pitino doesn't expect to have him on his team next year.

Dieng is only a junior. But Pitino has already told his center he needs to test the NBA waters when the season is over, and he had Dieng participate in senior night in case he doesn't return to Louisville.

"I think Gorgui Dieng is going to make a roster," said Pitino, who said Dieng and Russ Smith have improved more than almost any other players he's coached.

Whenever Dieng does leave, Pitino and his teammates will miss the person as much as the player.

He has come a long way from that boy who used to weep in his bedroom. Oh, he still misses his family, his friends and, of course, the food in Senegal.

But he's comfortable in his new country now. And very glad he stuck it out.

"Things happen for a reason," Dieng said. "I was very blessed to come to this country."

Final Four lists from the teams in college basketball's championship weekend, courtesy of AL.com.

By Jon Solomon | AL.com

There's not a sillier mascot in the Final Four than Otto the Orange. (Photo by the Syracuse Post-Standard).

Then there were four. Two of them have Hall of Fame coaches (Louisville and Syracuse). One of them hasn't been here since a fateful timeout call it didn't have 20 years ago (Michigan). And one is a Shocker in name only (Wichita State), joining the trend of mid-majors crashing the party. Welcome to the Final Four.

COACHING PEDIGREES

1. Rick Pitino, Louisville

Career record: 662-239

Final Fours: 7 (1 national title)

Compensation: $5 million

This is Pitino's seventh Final Four trip, tying him with Roy Williams for fourth all-time. Only John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski and Dean Smith have more appearances.

2. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

Career record: 920-310

Final Fours: 4 (1 national title)

Compensation: $1.9 million

Boeheim has more Division I wins than every coach but Mike Krzyzewski. He joins Rick Pitino, Dean Smith and Krzyzewski as the only coaches to reach the Final Four in four different decades.

3. John Belein, Michigan

Career record: 672-402

Final Fours: 1

Compensation: $1.9 million

A basketball lifer, Belein reaches his first Final Four at the age of 60 after reaching the Elite Eight in 2005. He is the only active coach to have produced 20-win seasons at four different levels -- junior college, NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division I.

4. Gregg Marshall, Wichita State

Career record: 333-152

Final Fours: 1

Compensation: $1.2 million

Marshall reached the NCAA Tournament in seven of nine seasons at Winthrop. He took the Shockers from an 11-win team in 2007-08 to NIT champions in 2010-11, and now to the school's first Final Four since 1965.

Trey Burke reacts after his 3-pointer sends Michigan's Sweet 16 game vs. Kansas into overtime. (The Associated Press)

BEST PLAYERS

1. Trey Burke, Michigan. Will win some national player of the year awards as the country's best point guard and will be an NBA lottery pick.

2. Russ Smith, Louisville. Quick guard who harasses ball-handlers and is scoring at will in this NCAA Tournament.

3. Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse. Future NBA first-round pick, possibly as soon as June after his sophomore season.

4. Gorgiu Dieng, Louisville. NCAA champs often have a big man who dramatically impacts games at the rim offensively and defensively, and Dieng is that player.

BEST HOME STATES

1. New York. Louisville's Russ Smith and Kevin Ware; Syracuse's James Southerland, Brandon Triche and DaJuan Coleman; Wichita State's Cleanthony Early.

2. Ohio. Michigan's Trey Burke; Louisville's Chane Behanan.

3. Indiana. Michigan's Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary.

4. Maryland. Syracuse's C.J. Fair and Jerami Grant.

MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICANS

T-1. Louisville, 3. Peyton Siva, Chane Behanan, Wayne Blackshear.

T-1. Syracuse, 3. Michael Carter-Williams, Rakeem Christmas, DaJuan Coleman.

T-3. Michigan, 0. The Wolverines have some NBA prospects, but none were McDonald's All-Americans.

T-3. Wichita State, 0. Presumably the Shockers eat at McDonald's.

Give it up for Louisville's mascot, which once parachuted into a football stadium.

MASCOTS

1. Louie the Cardinal Bird. I'm a fan of any Cardinal mascot. Louie the Cardinal Bird, chosen because it's the state bird of Kentucky, has the classic red, black and yellow look. And the mascot gets extra props for once parachuting into a football game.

2. WuShock. Wichita State was once known as the Wheatshockers, as in they shocked (or harvested) wheat. Their mascot is WuShock, who is a cluster of wheat with arms and legs. Give Wichita State credit for originality.

3. No Michigan mascot. Michigan is one of the rare universities without a mascot. Seriously. AD Dave Brandon has said he's open to a mascot so kids can interact with one. Still, no mascot is better than ...

4. Otto the Orange. Syracuse's mascot is an example of how a good idea can go wrong. Otto didn't officially became the mascot until 1995 when Syracuse students campaigned for him. He's simply a giant orange with arms, legs and a hat.

BASKETBALL REVENUE (2011-12)

1. Louisville, $42.4 million.

2. Syracuse, $25.9 million.

3. Michigan, $9.9 million.

4. Wichita State, $5.1 million.

UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT

1. Michigan, 26,460.

2. Syracuse, 13,676.

3. Louisville, 12,038.

4. Wichita State, 8,309.

NCAA GRADUATION RATES

1. Wichita State: 90% overall, 100% blacks.

2. Louisville: 75% overall, 80% blacks.

3. Michigan: 64% overall, 57% blacks.

4. Syracuse: 58% overall, 43% blacks.

NCAA ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATE SCORES

1. Michigan, 1,000.

2. Louisville, 965.

3. Wichita State, 954.

4. Syracuse, 936.

MOST POPULAR MAJORS

1. Sport Administration at Louisville. Four Cardinals players in that major.

T-2. Child and Family Studies at Syracuse. Three Orange players in that major, plus three in the College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

T-2. Sociology at Wichita State. Three Shockers players in that major.

4. General Studies at Michigan. Two Wolverines players in that major.

In the eyes of the NCAA, Chris Webber's timeout that he didn't have never happened. Michigan vacated that 1993 Final Four appearance.

BASKETBALL NCAA MAJOR PENALTIES

1. Wichita State, 4. Postseason ban and scholarship reductions in 1982; two-year postseason and television ban in 1974; public reprimand in 1963; public reprimand in 1956.

2. Louisville, 3. Postseason ban in 1998 (later overturned on appeal); recruiting restrictions in 1996; two-year postseason ban in 1957.

T-3. Syracuse, 1. Postseason ban and scholarship/recruiting restrictions in 1992. Syracuse has currently been under NCAA investigation for four years and has received a letter of preliminary inquiry, according to CBSSports.com.

T-3. Michigan, 1. One-year postseason ban in 2003, vacated 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances and 1996 and 1998 NCAA Tournament trips, scholarship restrictions for four years, disassociation for at least 10 years with four players (including Chris Webber).

It was John Calipari's Final Four to win last year. Now it's his rival's turn. Rick Pitino will cut down the nets. (The Associated Press)

FINAL FOUR PICKS

1. Louisville defeats Wichita State. The Shockers must hit a bunch of 3-pointers to have any chance of pulling off the shocker. Louisville's spurts and defensive pressure will be too much.

2. Syracuse defeats Michigan. John Beilein is 0-9 vs. Jim Boeheim. Michigan will win if it's able to score often in transition. But here's betting it's a half-court game and that's trouble against perhaps Boeheim's best 2-3 zone ever.

3. Louisville defeats Syracuse. In the final year of the Big East as we know it, it's only fitting for Pitino vs. Boeheim on Monday night. Syracuse knows how to play Louisville. But Louisville knows how to win championships, with balance and tenacity.

4. Jim Nantz puns. This much I can guarantee: Jim Nantz will end Monday night with a horrible pun.

E-mail: jsolomon@al.com. Follow @jonsol  

After an impressive offensive showing in Toronto, the Indians were baffled Friday at Tropicana Field.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The fans got the pizza, the Indians got the crumbs and they were lucky to get that.

After an impressive offensive series to start the season in Toronto, the Indians were shut out on two hits Friday night by left-hander Matt Moore and three relievers in Tampa Bay's 2-0 victory at Tropicana Field.

Moore (1-0) struck out eight in six innings in his first start of the season, but the crowd of 16,019 really didn't get into the game until Joel Peralta struck out Asdrubal Cabrera to start the ninth. Cabrera was the Rays' 10th strikeout victim and it meant every fan in attendance received a certificate for a free pizza.

Rays pitchers finished the night with 11 strikeouts. It's the first such occasion in 2013, but they did it 61 times last year to set a big-league record.

The Indians had success against Moore last year when he was a rookie. Friday they had a couple of scoring chances early, but then they went blank. After Michael Brantley walked with one out in the fourth, the Indians never put another runner on base as the Rays recorded 17 straight outs.

• Final Indians-Rays box | Scoreboard | Standings

"Moore's velocity is down from last year," said Jason Kipnis. "Last year he was throwing 95 to 97. Tonight he was around 92 to 94, but he's smart and started using his off-speed stuff a little more.

"He wasn't throwing anything we hadn't seen. We just didn't take advantage of the opportunities when we had guys on base. That's why there's a game tomorrow."

Jake McGee, Brandon Gomes and Peralta finished the job Moore started with a scoreless inning each.

Michael Bourn had the Indians' two hits. He beat out an infield single to start the game. Cabrera, acting on his own, bunted Bourn to second. Kipnis followed with a drive to center that splattered Desmond Jennings against the fence as he made a great catch. The inning ended when Nick Swisher flied out.

In the third, Mike Aviles walked and went to third on Bourn's double. Cabrera sent a sharp grounder to third with Aviles going on contact. Aviles was tagged out in a rundown, Bourn failed to reach third and Moore struck out Kipnis.

"I think their guy had something to do with us getting shut out," said manager Terry Francona. "Bourn leads off the game and gets on base. Kipnis hits a ball 402 feet, but it needed to be 403 feet. Then Moore got into the game.

"He had enough fastball where you have to respect it. Then he started flipping that breaking ball for strikes and that made him really tough."

Zach McAllister (0-1, 3.00) went six innings in his first start. He allowed four runs, two earned, six hits and struck out three on 103 pitches. He started the game with three scoreless innings and then started throwing high and wide. Catcher Carlos Santana was set up on the outside and McAllister was throwing to the opposite side of the plate.

"He was a little scattered, but he got it back," said Francona.

The Rays made it 2-0 in the fourth on a Ben Zobrist double and a ground ball by Yunel Escobar. It was 4-0 in the fourth on Zobrist's two-run double. Both runs were unearned because Aviles couldn't handle Jennings' hard grounder to third with two out. Aviles was playing in his first game of the year.

"The one thing I'm learning early with Zach is he competes almost to the point, where if there's an error behind him, he wants to pick up his teammates so bad he almost over-competes," Francona said.

Bourn, Santana and Aviles were the only Indians who didn't strike out at least once. Drew Stubbs whiffed three times.

The Indians opened the season by taking two out of three from Toronto at Rogers Centre. They scored 15 runs on 31 hits against the Blue Jays. All that meant nothing Friday night.

"We're only four games into this thing," said Swisher. "We've got a long row to hoe. There's only 158 more and isn't that exciting?"

By PAUL NEWBERRY | AP National Writer ATLANTA — Don't call these guys the Fab Five. Michigan's latest group of young stars is determined to leave its own legacy. Attacking Syracuse's suffocating zone defense in the first half with 3-pointers, crisp passing and a fearless attitude, the Wolverines advanced to the national championship game with a 61-56 victory over...

By PAUL NEWBERRY | AP National Writer

Michigan's Caris LeVert (23) reacts during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game against Syracuse, Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. Michigan won 61-56. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)





 

ATLANTA — Don't call these guys the Fab Five.

Michigan's latest group of young stars is determined to leave its own legacy.

Attacking Syracuse's suffocating zone defense in the first half with 3-pointers, crisp passing and a fearless attitude, the Wolverines advanced to the national championship game with a 61-56 victory over the Orange in the Final Four on Saturday night.

Michigan (31-7) will be going for its first national title since 1989 when it faces Louisville on Monday at the Georgia Dome. Syracuse (30-10) failed to complete an all-Big East final in the fabled league's last season before breaking up.

The Wolverines got sloppy in the second half and had to hang on at the end, winning despite a tough night for Associated Press player of the year Trey Burke. He scored only seven points.

That made for some nervous moments as Michigan got a little too conservative trying to run out the clock.

Trailing 58-56, the Orange had a chance to force overtime. But Brandon Triche was called for a foul when Jordan Morgan stepped in to take the charge with 19.2 seconds left.

After Jon Horford made only one of two free throws, Syracuse called timeout and set up a play. Curiously, the Orange didn't attempt a tying 3-pointer. Instead, Trevor Cooney drove the lane looking to put up an easier shot. But the ball was swatted away, Michigan saved it from going out of bounds and Morgan wound up taking a long pass the other way.

He threw down a thunderous slam with just over a second remaining to cap the triumph.

With Burke struggling (he made only one shot from the field all night), Michigan got an unexpected contribution off the bench from freshmen Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht.

LeVert scored eight points and Albrecht chipped in with six — all of them crucial after the Wolverines went cold in the second half and struggled to put away the Orange. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Wolverines with 13 points.

Of course, there's nothing unusual about Michigan getting big performances from first-year players. This team starts three freshmen — Glenn Robinson III, Mitch McGary and Nik Stauskas — which, of course, rekindled memories of the great Fab Five teams of the early 1990s.

These kids want nothing to do with the comparisons, saying they haven't done nearly enough to be mentioned in the same breath with a team that changed the face of college basketball.

Well, if the Wolverines can win their next game, they'll accomplish something that eluded the Fab Five: a national title.

Syracuse was looking to give 68-year-old Jim Boeheim another title, a decade after the Orange won it all in their last trip to the Final Four. Boeheim has no plans to retire, but his quest for a championship is on hold for another year.

The athleticism of Mitch McGary, one of four future NBA players on the Michigan roster, was a key to the Wolverines' victory over Syracuse.

View full size Michigan's Mitch McGary slams home two points against Syracuse. Charlie Neibergall, Associated Press  

ATLANTA -- Mitch McGary rebounded the ball off the rim of Michigan's basket and started down the floor. The freshman is sort of Michigan's Big Wheel, but his was not the flickering, jittering path of Trey Burke, the point guard and consensus national Player of the Year. McGary, more impressively, was using agility and court awareness unusual in a big man to create the same results.

McGary is 6-10, yet he was leading the fast break as deftly as he used to sling the news of the day onto porches in a boyhood paper route while riding a unicycle. That Michigan fast break ended with McGary's deft bounce pass to Tim Hardaway Jr. for a layup.

Big men who try to lead the break in traffic often wind up like Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas in a key moment of the regional final vs. Wichita State, losing the ball and watching it go the other way for a four-point swing in a game the Buckeyes lost by four points.

But McGary, the critical factor in Michigan's 61-56 victory over Syracuse in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament's Final Four Saturday night,  showcases the kind of athletic ability  Michigan has now. He is as balanced amid the chaos of life as a man who has bent a unicycle wheel by jouncing it off a curb and stayed upright. His father, by the way, promptly bought him a new unicycle with, as McGary said, "a four or five-inch wide wheel, an off-road thing."

McGary provides the presence around the rim that last year's undersized but game Wolverines team lacked. Only Zack Novak was usually in there, fighting for the ball.

McGary scored 10 points and needed only eight shots to do it. He grabbed 12 rebounds.  If he had some glitches at the foul line, making only two of six, he had company. Michigan was only 11 of 20 at the foul line.

Michigan was grittier and quicker to the ball, all the stuff the Wolverines could not do when they they were a finesse-oriented team that lived on the arc. The Wolverines outrebounded the long, rangy Orange, scored more second-chance, fast break and bench points, and retreated so swiftly on defense that 10 turnovers resulted in only 10 points.

All this meant that Michigan could survive without its savior, Burke, who shot just 1-for-8 and scored seven points.

In the first half, which ended with Michigan leading, 36-25, it seemed that the Wolverines' calling card, their shooting, would be enough to leave Syracuse's 2-3 zone  a smoking ruin. Spike Albrecht made a 3-pointer then from the speculative fringes of possibility, almost at the start of the sprawling Final Four logo at center court. Caris LeVert hit two more. If Michigan was going to make those kinds of shots, the Syracuse Zone of Death was on life support.

"You never know who the outlier is going to be, you never know who is going to come in and get it done," said Michigan coach John Beilein.

It says here the outlier in the grand scheme of things is McGary, who has dropped 20 pounds after renouncing sweets and who plays with a blue-collar toughness that belies the center-ring circus persona the unicycle gives him.

This was not pretty offense beating ugly, grabby defense. College basketball is a game of power and size. Basketball players have always been tall, but they possess width as well as length now. .

McGary is the biggest exhibit in the new millenial style of ball at Michigan. Because three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior start, these Wolverines draw comparisons to the Fab Five of the early 1990s. Although the Fabbers didn't play together until the 18th game of their first season a generation ago, they represented hip-hop style in their baggy shorts, black socks and trash talk; instant gratification in their fame as prodigies; and entitlement in their secret payoffs.

This is a much more likable Michigan team than the posturing Fabbers were. The only reference to those days that is occasionally made is to the mentoring of Burke by Jalen Rose, who was, behind only Chris Webber, the most memorable of the freshmen sensations of the 1992 NCAA Tournament. Webber was all about show and style. Rose was the one who wanted the ball in the tough spots.

"(Rose) told me to play hard. He led his team the way I've led this one," said Burke. "He said he was looking forward to watching us cut down the nets in Atlanta."

They are one game from doing that. The Fab Five got to two national championship games. They never cut the nets down. The new power generation of Michigan basketball gets its chance Monday night.

Before they get to the ladder, however, the Wolverines will have to get through the rugged terrain around the rim. They will have to follow the off-road trail, and McGary will probably have to blaze it for them.

By Josh Verlin | National Desk A strong performance by Wichita State for the first 32 minutes and an improbably-led comeback in the final eight by Louisville in the Cardinals' 72-68 win in the Final Four had the national media buzzing on Saturday night. Early in the second half it looked like Wichita State could win in a romp....

By Josh Verlin | National Desk

Louisville's Luke Hancock (11), Peyton Siva (3) and Stephan Van Treese (44) react after their win over Wichita State Saturday in Atlanta.

There is always a run coming from Louisville. It’s what their known for. It’s why they’re so successful. Once that press gets going, it snowballs. The Cardinals forced five turnovers in a seven possession stretch at one point, and that just so happened to coincide with their comeback.

But the spark that set the run off didn’t come from any of Louisville’s all-americans or future NBA Draft picks.

It came from a pair of guys that refer to themselves as the zone-busters in practice because of their ability to shoot.

The Shockers' Ron Baker grabs it, but Hancock reaches in and contests it. He gets his hands on the ball before Baker wrestles it away and gains full possession with about 6.8 seconds left. He begins to turn to pass the ball so it can be pushed up the court for the chance at the kind of exciting ending this tournament was built on.

Instead, Hess blew a painfully quick whistle claiming it was a held ball. The possession arrow – no jump balls in college – went to Louisville.

And that was the ball game. 

His senior teammate, Peyton Siva — the same Siva who Rick Pitino has called among the greatest men he's ever coached and a unique leader — spoke of Hancock's leadership. And here's the twist I love. If not for Jim Larranaga taking a job in Miami two years ago and leaving George Mason after 14 seasons, Hancock is with Louisville. He's probably with Mason, back at home after a run to the 2013 CBI finals.

And then you learn Hancock has endured ligament tears and his shoulders popping out of their sockets and it all seems so good. Players can usually only get redemption by way of big performances. Hancock had his share here.

Marshall was understandably emotional after the game, tearing up in the locker room and then nearly again in a postgame interview. 

"I'm not sure I've ever felt exactly like this,'' he said. "This one's especially hard because of the run we went on. We set a school record for wins and were in the Final Four for the second time in school history. This may be the most important basketball game that I'll ever coach. It's definitely the most important to date and it's probably the most important Wichita State has ever played in.'' 

The Kent State Golden Flashes gymnastics team had a season-low score in the regional meet in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

View full size Kent State's Nicole Radon competes in the floor exercise at the NCAA regional tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Hal Yeager, Associated Press  

Andrew Gribble

Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- The Kent State women's gymnastics team's season came to a disappointing close Saturday as the No. 23 Golden Flashes finished in last place at an NCAA regional championship at the University of Alabama.

The Golden Flashes had a score of 193.500, their lowest in a season that saw them average 195.391 in 11 meets before Saturday. That wouldn't be close to enough in a meet that included two of women's gymnastics' perennial powers and three of the top-15 squads in the country.

"It's disappointing because we felt like we competed better than maybe what our scores were like," said Brice Biggin, Kent State's coach of 22 years. "Unfortunately, that's what we have to go by. I told the girls sometimes it's not a fair sport."

Two-time defending national champion Alabama won its 28th regional in program history, scoring 197.400 to run away with the six-team meet.

Forced to count a fall because of stumbles by freshmen Nicolle Eastman and Katlin Isaacs, the Golden Flashes opened the meet with a score of 48.125 on the floor exercise. Junior Marie Case and senior Lauren Wozniak had scores of 9.750.

""""'"""Even though we're not going to be where we wanted to be and finish where we wanted to finish," said Biggin, "I'm still proud of the team with the way they handled themselves and carried themselves."

Andrew Gribble covers the University of Alabama for the Mobile Press-Register, Birmingham News and Huntsville Times.

Black River senior pitcher Dagmar Smith limited defending Division II state champion Keystone to an unearned run on six hits while striking out 10 in a 2-1 Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division victory Saturday in LaGrange. The Pirates' Megan Scott had three of their six hits, including a two-run double in the sixth inning.

Black River senior pitcher Dagmar Smith limited defending Division II state champion Keystone to an unearned run on six hits while striking out 10 in a 2-1 Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division victory Saturday in LaGrange.

The Pirates' Megan Scott had three of their six hits, including a two-run double in the sixth inning.

Keystone pitcher Emily Cornish walked one and struck out nine.

For Keystone, which earlier in the week became Ohio's first high school softball program to reach 800 wins, the loss snapped its overall win streak at 36 games and its conference win streak at 42.

Mentor 2, Eastlake North 1: The Cardinals won the Rangers' four-team invitational behind Allison Golic's four-hit, one-walk, 10-strikeout effort. Markanne Causey and Megan Massey had doubles for Mentor, while Heather Walker's single drove in both runs in the top of the second inning.

The Cardinals reached the final with a 6-3 win over Mayfield as Golic pitched a two-hitter with one walk and seven strikeouts. Lindsey Valvoda went 4-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored.

Independence 3, Fairview 2: Sophomore Victoria Sirna tossed a four-hitter with 14 strikeouts for the Blue Devils, and also hit a triple and drove in three runs.

Stow 8, Cuyahoga Heights 7: The Bulldogs edged Cuyahoga Heights despite being outhit, 9-7. Stow, which scored six runs in the fifth inning and the deciding run in the sixth, had winning pitcher Sadie Jones get two hits, score a run and knock in three.

Nordonia 5, Massillon 4: Grace Schmeiser's single, triple, two RBI and two runs led the Knights to victory, though they were outhit, 8-6, and committed three errors.

Brecksville-Broadview Heights 3, North Ridgeville 1: Sydney Kimball's RBI triple proved the game-winning hit for the Bees. Dani D'Anna hit a home run for Brecksville.

Orange 9-7, Chagrin Falls 0-6: The Lions swept the Chagrin Valley Conference crossover doubleheader as Leslie Sensibello gave up six hits and struck out eight in the opening-game shutout. Julia Papesch had three hits, including two doubles and an RBI, in the nine-inning nightcap, but it was Sensibello's RBI single which proved the difference.

Aurora 2, Archbishop Hoban 0: The Greenmen's Nicole Doyle allowed just one hit and struck out 16. Hannah Vitz's two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning provided the game's runs.

Baseball

Aurora 9, Louisville 6: The winning Greenmen were sparked by Jake Czerwinski's second- and fourth-inning doubles and a sixth-inning single. Matt Mihalik pitching the final 41/3 innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out one.

Gilmour Academy 12-4, Trinity 2-7: Gilmour pitcher Joe Regalbuto gave up two runs and struck out six in six innings to earn the opening-game victory. Zach Schlotter had four hits and three RBI. Jerid Dissauer pitched the complete-game win for Trinity in the nightcap, and also had two RBI.

Track

Harvey Relays: Woodridge edged the host Raiders, 67-65, for the boys team title as Anthony Thurman, Tomas Pyle, Nick Gaspro and Kyle Spreitzer ran a 1:43.53 in the 800-meter sprint medley, one of four first-place efforts turned in by the Bulldogs.

Matt Wojcik joined Sam Scourfield, John Harry and Alex Frederick to win the 4x800 relay in 8:51.35. Tim Faiken, Spreitzer, Wojcik and Frederick won the distance medley in 11:14.82, while Andrew Stewart led the 1,600 field in 4:57.31.

Geneva defeated Harvey, 82-61, to win the girls championship. Harvey was victorious in the 4x100 relay as Chelsea Rice, Alexis Daniel, Hannah Britton and Jordyn Kelley ran 53.25. Rice, Kelley, Daniel and Brianna Jones then won the 4x200 relay in 1:54.50.

SJA Jaguar Invitational: Walsh Jesuit had three first-place finishes to total 175.5 points and win the boys crown. Alex Csorba, Wil Nouse, Nick Ondracek and Jordan Shepherd ran 8:25.00 to win the 4x800 medley, and Crissean Caver, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Dowdell and Chris Lawhorn won the 4x200 in 1:37.65. Cole Francetic and Dowdell cleared 13-6 and 11-0, respectively, to finish 1-2 in the pole vault for the Warriors.

Twinsburg Invitational: Nordonia's girls won, 104-96, over the host Tigers thanks to five first-place finishes. Emily Kotnik, Jaylah Sirca, Dana Risley and Malerie Mysza kicked it off for the Knights by winning the 4x800 relay in 10:41.68. Tierney Crawley, Nina Jackson, Sabrina Kozsey and Kayla Shine won the 4x200 in 1:31.42 before Crawley won the 400 in 1:02.20, Regina Rudder beat the 1,600 field with a clocking of 5:35.53 and Risley and Sirca finished 1-2 in the 3,200 with respective efforts of 12:19.19 and 12.21.50.

Boys lacrosse

University School 16, Toledo St. Francis 11: Clark Jones accounted for four of the Preppers' goals and goalie Liam Ganzhorn had 13 saves.

Girls lacrosse

Chagrin Falls 13, Rocky River 4: Kate Mackin had four goals to lead the Tigers.

Boys volleyball

Stow 3, Green 0: Peter Rebuck's 10 kills and Kevin Rossi's six aces powered the Bulldogs.

Brunswick 3, North Royalton 2: Jack Ellis, Nick Suboyu and Clayton Ferrell had 15, 11 and 10 kills, respectively, in the Blue Devils' win.

By Andrew Koob | National Desk Michigan let Syracuse back late in the game Saturday night, but was able to hold off the Orange to continue dancing into Monday night's national championship game against the Louisville Cardinals. Here’s how the Wolverines took down Syracuse 61-56 for a shot at their first title since 1993: 1. Point Distribution While Naismith...

By Andrew Koob | National Desk

Michigan players including Time Hardaway Jr., right, and Nik Stauskas (11) celebrate after defeating Syracuse in their NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game on Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. Michigan won 61-56. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Michigan let Syracuse back late in the game Saturday night, but was able to hold off the Orange to continue dancing into Monday night's national championship game against the Louisville Cardinals.

Here’s how the Wolverines took down Syracuse 61-56 for a shot at their first title since 1993:

1. Point Distribution
While Naismith Award winner Trey Burke quietly had a consistent game (seven points, five rebounds and four assists), the Wolverines got great performances from their other three high-profile players in Tim Hardaway Jr., Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary. The three combined for 33 of Michigan’s 61 points while shooting 41.9 percent from the field.

2. Key Passes for Michigan
Michigan’s passes were on point the entire night, collecting 17 assists on 21 made field goals. McGary, Burke and Hardaway were the one’s setting up their teammates, dishing out a combined 15 assists among the rest of the Wolverines squad.

3. Bench Production
While it was the starting five that stole the show, the impact that Michigan’s bench certainly can’t be overlooked. The Wolverines’ bench stepped up in a big way, scoring 21 points and shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc (courtesy of guards Spike Albrecht and Caris LaVert) when their numbers were called.

4. Disappearance of Southerland
Can someone put a missing persons report out? James Southerland never showed up to the Georgia Dome. The senior forward went 2-of-9 from the field, with his only field goals coming with just under two minutes left in the game, including his only three-pointer, which pulled Syracuse to within one point. Southerland came into the game averaging 13.5 points, shooting 45.6 percent from the floor.

5. Last Possession Play-Calling
There are two plays that are astounding: Brandon Triche drives with 25 seconds left on the clock and Trevor Cooney with a contested two-point shot, down three with 16 seconds left in the game. Really? Those are the plays you come up with out of timeouts? “We were trying to get James (Southerland),’’ Boeheim said. “They switched on it. Trevor had no choice. That was it. He had no choice. He did the best he could in that situation.’’

By Scott Branson | National Desk Two of Louisville's starting five didn't score a single point against Wichita State on Saturday, yet the Cardinals survived to play in Monday's national championship game. Slippery senior guard Peyton Siva finished with just seven points on a woeful 1-of-9 shooting, including an 0-for-5 shooting night from beyond the arc. Six-foot-11 center Gorgui...

By Scott Branson | National Desk

Louisville's Luke Hancock (11) shoots against Wichita State's Cleanthony Early (11) during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Louisville's Luke Hancock (11) and Louisville's Tim Henderson reacts to play against Wichita State during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

By Josh Verlin | National Desk Now that we know who the combatants will be, here's a look at all the basics for Monday's national championship game: Teams: Louisville Cardinals (34-5, 14-4 Big East) vs. Michigan Wolverines (31-7, 12-6 Big 10) TV: CBS Tipoff: 9:23 pm EST Location: Georgia Dome — Atlanta, Ga. COACHES Louisville: Rick Pitino, 27th year...

By Josh Verlin | National Desk

A Michigan fan cheers before the first half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game against Syracuse Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)





 

Now that we know who the combatants will be, here's a look at all the basics for Monday's national championship game:

Teams: Louisville Cardinals (34-5, 14-4 Big East) vs. Michigan Wolverines (31-7, 12-6 Big 10)

TV: CBS

Tipoff: 9:23 pm EST

Location: Georgia Dome — Atlanta, Ga.

COACHES

Louisville: Rick Pitino, 27th year overall (661-235, .737), 12th at Louisville (309-111, .736)

Michigan: John Beilein, 21st year overall (415-259, .616) , 6th at Michigan (122-84, .592)

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

Louisville: Russ Smith (Jr., G), Peyton Siva (Sr., G), Wayne Blackshear (So., G/F), Chane Behanan (So., F), Gorgui Dieng (Jr., C)

Michigan: Trey Burke (So., G), Nik Stauskas (Fr., G) Tim Hardaway, Jr. (Jr., G), Glenn Robinson III (Fr., F), Mitch McGary (Fr., F)

MATCHUP TO WATCH

Russ Smith vs. Trey Burke. Two of the most electric scorers in the entire country, Smith and Burke will go head-to-head for the first time in their respective careers with a national title on the line. Smith, a 6-foot-1 junior, is averaging 25.0 points per game in the tournament, though his 6-of-17 shooting performance (for 21 points) against Wichita State in the Final Four was his worst of the NCAAs. Burke, the consensus National Player of the Year, only scored seven against Syracuse — his second single-digit performance of the tournament after scoring at least 10 in every other game this year. If both can shake off their sub-par Final Four outings, America could be in for a treat on Monday night.

BY THE NUMBERS

Points per game: Louisville 73.6, Michigan 75.2

Average scoring margin: Louisville 16.2, Michigan 12.6

Rebounds: Louisville 37.5, Michigan 35.1

Average rebound margin: Louisville +3.7, Michigan + 3.1

FG percentage: Louisville 44.5, Michigan 48.5

3-point percentage: Louisville 32.8, Michigan 38.5

Average turnover margin: Louisville +6.1, Michigan +2.8

Action includes Indians at Tampa Bay and the Cavaliers' home game against Orlando.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV sports listings

AUTO RACING

12:30 p.m. STP Gas Booster 500, WJW

2 p.m. Legacy Indy Lights 100 (tape), NBCSN

3 p.m. Grand Prix of Alabama, NBCSN

11 p.m. SummitRacing.com Nationals (tape), ESPN2

BASEBALL

1:30 p.m. Lansing at LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS, AM/970 (radio)

1:40 p.m. CLEVELAND INDIANS at Tampa Bay, SportsTime Ohio (TV); AM/1100 (radio)

2 p.m. Seattle at Chicago White Sox, WGN

2:05 p.m Binghamton at AKRON AEROS, AM/1350 (radio)

8 p.m. L.A. Angels at Texas, ESPN2

BULL RIDING

1 p.m. Make Something Great Invitational (tape), WOIO

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Noon Florida State vs. Miami (Fla.), ESPNU

2 p.m. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES at Minnesota, Big Ten Network

4 p.m. Cal vs. Arizona, ESPNU

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

1 p.m. Marshall at Houston, Fox Sports Ohio

3 p.m. Baylor at Oklahoma, ESPN

CYCLING

8 a.m. Paris-Roubaix, NBCSN

GOLF

1 p.m. Texas Open, Golf Channel

3 p.m. Texas Open, WKYC

5 p.m. Kraft Nabisco Championship, Golf Channel

MEN'S TOURNAMENT COLLEGE BASKETBALL

12:30 p.m. Division III final, CBSSN

4 p.m. Division II final, WOIO

MOTORSPORTS

3 p.m. MotoGP World Championship, Speed Channel

11 p.m. MotoGP Moto2 (tape), Speed Channel

NBA

1 p.m. New York at Oklahoma City, WEWS

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

6 p.m. Orlando at CLEVELAND CAVALIERS, Fox Sports Ohio (TV); AM/1100 (radio)

9 p.m. Dallas at Portland, NBATV

NHL

12:30 p.m. St. Louis at Detroit, WKYC

4 p.m. Dallas at San Jose, NHL Network

7:30 p.m. New Jersey at Buffalo, NBCSN

SOCCER

5 p.m. MLS, New York at Chicago, ESPN2

TENNIS

1 p.m. Family Circle Cup final, ESPN2

WOMEN'S NCAA TOURNAMENT COLLEGE BASKETBALL

5:30 p.m. Final Four, Louisville vs. Cal, ESPN (TV); FM/92.3 (radio)

8 p.m. Final Four, Notre Dame vs. UConn, ESPN (TV); FM/92.3 (radio)

By Scott Branson | National Desk It was a long night of basketball as both Final Four pairings went down to the wire. In the end, Louisville and Michigan prevailed and will play for the national championship on Monday night. Here are 10 thoughts and observations from an exciting Final Four Saturday: 1. Ware Watch Despite suffering a severely...

By Scott Branson | National Desk

Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams (1) Michigan's Trey Burke ( 3) and Syracuse's James Southerland (43) vie for a loose ball during the first half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)





 

It was a long night of basketball as both Final Four pairings went down to the wire. In the end, Louisville and Michigan prevailed and will play for the national championship on Monday night.

By Andrew Koob | National Desk Syracuse’s NCAA tournament run came to a halt in the Final Four, as a slow start against the Michigan Wolverines doomed the Orange in Saturday's 61-56 loss. Wolverine forward Mitch McGary was a thorn in the side of the Orange all night, scoring 10 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out six assists....

By Andrew Koob | National Desk

Syracuse’s NCAA tournament run came to a halt in the Final Four, as a slow start against the Michigan Wolverines doomed the Orange in Saturday's 61-56 loss.

Wolverine forward Mitch McGary was a thorn in the side of the Orange all night, scoring 10 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out six assists. McGary's performance continued his impressive star turn in this tournament and sank Syracuse's title hopes, writes Mike Waters of Syracuse.com:

The 7-foot freshman proved to be the key to Michigan’s 61-56 victory over the Orange.

McGary helped the Wolverines crack Syracuse’s zone defense from the inside-out. He posted at the free throw line where he buried soft jumpers. He found Glenn Robinson III underneath the basket for an easy dunk. He whipped passes to 3-point shooters Spike Albrecht and Tim Hardaway Jr.

• While McGary’s performance was a big story coming out of the game, three fouls that doomed the Orange’s comeback hopes in the final two minutes of the game were just as important. Syracuse.com's Hank Domain recounts those three calls, most notably the questionable charging call on Brandon Triche, with reactions from analysts Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr:

:19.2: With Syracuse trailing 58-56, Brandon Triche drives to the basket and gets called for a charge. Jordan Morgan takes the charge. It's Triche's fifth foul.

Kellogg and Kerr initially agreed with the call, but wavered.

"On second thought, on that replay it was a little closer than I thought," Kerr said. "You could make the case either way ... toughest call in the book."

» Complete Syracuse basketball coverage from Syracuse.com

• The matchup between Syracuse guard Michael Carter-Williams and Michigan guard Trey Burke generated a great amount of interest building up to the game. However, the matchup that intrigued so many turned out to be a dud, as Syracuse.com's Nate Mink writes:

Carter-Williams, who entered the Final Four playing some of his best basketball all season, scored just two points and had just two assists to his five turnovers. He picked up two fouls in a 30-second span with less than two minutes remaining, fouling out with the Orange down six.

At West Virginia his best players were names like Joe Alexander and Kevin Pittsnoggle, Tyrone Salley and Mike Gansey, far from Syracuse's brand names ... With what may have been Michigan's finest flock of freshman since the Fab Five, Beilein finally had enough talent, probably much more, to match up with the Orange.

This Syracuse club that had begun the season without four starters from the year before — and still bolted to an 18-1 record … and then won seven of eight heading to this town and this 2013 Final Four — is done at 30-10. And, yes, it should be applauded. Moreover, it should feel proud of itself.

Mike Aviles was acquired with catcher Yan Gomez from Toronto for Esmil Rogers on Nov. 3.

View full size Mike Aviles was traded twice over the winter -- once for a manager -- but he takes it as a career compliment. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Five questions with new Indians utility man Mike Aviles, who was acquired with catcher Yan Gomes from Toronto for Esmil Rogers on Nov. 3.

Q: You grew up in the Bronx and list Yankee Stadium as your favorite ballpark in the Indians media guide. Do you prefer old or new Yankee Stadium?

A: Old Yankee Stadium. I went to a lot of games there as a kid. My aunt would get tickets from her brokerage firm and we'd sit all over the place. I got my first hit at old Yankee Stadium.

Q: When you were a kid, did you ever sit with the Bleacher Creatures at Yankee Stadium and chant the names of the Yankees starters when they took the field?

A: Once I went to college, we went to a couple of games and sat in the bleachers. But when you're a kid, you definitely don't want to be in the bleacher section. It gets a little rowdy at times.

Q: You were traded twice this winter, once from Boston to Toronto for manager John Farrell and the second time to Cleveland for Esmil Rogers. How did it feel to get traded for a manager?

A: I took it as an honor. I knew how much the Red Sox valued John Farrell as a coach, a manager and as a person. For them to trade me for him, I felt it was an honor because I knew how much they valued him.

Q: Kansas City drafted you in the seventh round in 2003. Is it true they only offered you a $1,000 signing bonus?

A: They didn't offer it, that's what I got. I was a senior in college so there was nothing else I could do. I took it and said I'm going to prove I'm worth more than one thousand bucks. It was frustrating at the time, but it was either that or get a job. Well, I don't really want to work. I'd rather play baseball and work at that.

Q: You made Kansas City's opening day roster in 2009, but injured your right elbow and needed Tommy John surgery. What was it like coming back form that?

A: For me it was definitely a blessing in disguise. It taught me how to take care of my body. Ever since then I've started to eat healthier and I really got into having a healthy lifestyle. I had to because the injury showed me you can get hurt and everything you've worked hard can be gone in a heartbeat.

The moment snuck up on Terry Francona on Tuesday night and hit him hard. He was back managing in the big leagues, right where he wanted to be.

TAMPA, Fla. -- It hit him Tuesday night during a double dose of national anthems. Somewhere between "Oh say can you see" and "Oh, Canada" Terry Francona said "Whoa, what have I got myself into here?"

After a year away, he was back managing in the big leagues. He'd gone through eight weeks of spring training, managed 35 Cactus League games, but that still didn't prepare him for the weight he felt just before the Indians opened the season against Toronto.

"I wasn't expecting it," said Francona. "It was like 'Bam.' They gave me this responsibility. People I care about. I don't want to let them down."

He thought about the 25 players on the roster and his coaching staff. He thought about all the other players, staff members and scouts he'd gotten to know since signing a four-year contract in October to manage the Tribe.

"What hit me was how much I already like these guys and how much I don't want to let (GM) Chris Antonetti down," said Francona. "It hit me and hit me kind of hard. I got nervous and it didn't go away."

View full size "I love doing this," Terry Francona (with Tampa Bay's Joe Maddon on Friday) says of managing. "Sometimes it kills you, but I don't want to do anything else. That's the best way I can put it." Chris Zuppa, Tampa Bay Times  

Francona didn't sleep Monday night. He said he may have nodded off between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., but he wasn't sure. This just wasn't opening day nerves, this is what managing does to Francona. It was the same after Tuesday's 4-1 victory. Francona went back to his hotel room, but sleep wouldn't come.

"I tried to sleep. I couldn't," he said. "About 3:30 a.m., I got hungry and ordered a club sandwich. It's just the way it is.

"I napped. I need to get a better system, but after 30 years I guess I'm not going to figure it out."

It's not like Francona is new to this. He's managed in the minors, winter ball and in the big leagues for 12 years. The Indians are his third big-league job. He'd love it to be his last, but there are few perfect unions in the big leagues.

It ended badly for him and the Red Sox in Boston in 2011. After eight years, two World Series titles and five trips to the postseason, he parted ways with the organization. People told him to take a year off to gain perspective.

"I used to laugh when people said that," said Francona, who interviewed with the Cardinals. The job went to Mike Matheny and perspective was forced upon Francona.

"I probably wasn't a realistic candidate, and they hired a great guy, but if they would have offered me the job, I would have taken it," said Francona. "But stepping back was probably good for me."

He worked as a baseball analyst for ESPN in 2012. He liked it. Made a lot of new friends and, in his own words, "was treated like royalty." But he couldn't stop thinking about managing.

"It's like I'm addicted," he said. "It's funny, I've been telling everybody that I took the year off to get perspective. ... I have no perspective.

"I love doing this. Sometimes it kills you, but I don't want to do anything else. That's the best way I can put it."

After the Indians beat Toronto in the opener, they did it again Wednesday, this time going into extra innings for a 3-2 victory. Thursday they lost, 10-8. Francona was the same after each game with reporters. He gave good, insightful quotes, but they were tempered by the reality that this is just getting started and that no one can really knew how it will end.

Winning World Series titles in 2004 and 2007 gives Francona a certain worldliness. He's a proven commodity in a business where that means a lot. A reporter asked if that gives him a certain amount of confidence when coming into a new job.

"I don't feel like I ever had to prove myself," he said. "Just do the best I can. When I got hired in Boston, I used to get it all the time back in Philadelphia. It was, 'why did they hire this guy?' I didn't change as a person. We had better players.

"I felt I did the best I could in Philadelphia. There were things I was really proud of there. It didn't show up in our record."

For Francona the sleepless nights have just begun. He'll try to catch up on an off day when he has nothing else to do. Or he'll wait for the off-season.

Right now, he couldn't be happier.

This week in baseball

Baseball is a game of threes. Three strikes and you're out and three outs in each half of an inning. Here are two more sets of threes to consider from last week in baseball. All stats are through Friday.

Three up

1. The Braves hit six home runs in their first two games after hitting 49 to lead the National League in spring training.

2. Baltimore's Chris Davis has 11 homers over his last 11 games going back to Sept. 26.

3. When the Giants receive their World Series rings Sunday at AT&T Park, they will wear gold jerseys and caps to commemorate their second championship in three years.

Three down

1. Reds outfielder Ryan Ludwick dislocated his right shoulder sliding into third base in Monday's season opener and will miss three months following surgery.

2. Roy Halladay struck out nine in 3 1/3 innings Wednesday against Atlanta, but needed 95 pitches to do it in a 9-2 loss.

3. After leading the big leagues with 25 spring victories, the Royals lost two of their first three games in the regular season.

Stat-O-Matic

Oh, so close: Texas right-hander Yu Darvish is the first big-league pitcher to lose a perfect game as late as 8 2/3 innings since Detroit's Armando Galarraga on June 2, 2010 against the Indians.

Pop at short: Baltimore's J.J. Hardy leads all big league shortstops in homers since the start of the 2011 season with 53. Asdrubal Cabrera is second with 42.

Open it up: CC Sabathia made his 10th opening day start, five for the Yankees, five for the Indians, Monday at Yankee Stadium in an 8-2 loss to Boston. He's 1-2 with a 5.80 ERA in openers.

Throwing strikes has been an issue for Bauer in the last two seasons, even in the minors where he was successful.

1. While the four walks to open the game was a sign of nerves for Trevor Bauer, you also can see why the Tribe believes Bauer needs more time in the minors. And yes, why Arizona was willing to trade its top pitching prospect in the Shin-Soo Choo Deal. Bauer walked seven in five innings, allowing three runs in what became a 6-0 loss in his first Tribe start.

2. Here's a shocker: I thought Bauer was failing to get the first pitch over the plate. I thought wrong. He threw strikes on 16-of-23 first pitches. By comparison, Tampa winning pitcher Alex Cobb was 15-of-27 on first pitch strikes. In his strong debut last Wednesday, Ubaldo Jimenez was 13-of-21 first pitch strikes.

3. So the issue for Bauer wasn't strike one. It was what happened after that. On the rest of his pitches, he was 43 strikes, 39 balls.

4. Last season, control was an issue with the Diambonbacks, as Bauer walked 13 in 16 1/3 innings. He was a short big league tryout covering four appearances. But even in the minors, he was 12-2 with a 2.42 ERA, but he had 61 walks in 130 innings (4.2 walks per nine innings). He also fanned 157.

5. Bauer has a fastball that averaged 92 and can reach 95. He has five different pitches...or maybe six. He spends his life thinking about pitching and different ways to train, etc. In his final season at UCLA, he led all college pitchers in strikeouts and complete games.

6. Bauer is only 22, and his talent is obvious. The Tribe absolutely made the right move trading for him, especially since the deal also brought them Drew Stubbs, Bryan Shaw and Matt Albers for Choo (who is headed to free agency after the season). But Bauer was to "re-program" himself...to use one of his words...to get the ball over the plate. And yes, that may mean being open to some coaching. I really do like his changeup and hard slider.

7. But the Tribe's real problem is not hitting. I can tell you that Tampa Bay has a strong staff. Last season, the Rays had a team ERA of 3,19...the lowest in 40 years in the American League. Or that all three starters the Tribe will face this weekend are from the Rays' farm system: Alex Cobb, Matt Moore and David Price. But how about scoring a run?

8. I'm concerned about Cody Allen, because he pitched poorly in last two outings of spring training. He had a 6.48 ERA in Arizona. In his first two outings with the Tribe this season, he's allowed six hits and three walks (and a hit batter) in three innings. They sent Nick Hagadone (0.83 ERA in spring training) to the minors instead of Allen. Maybe those two pitchers should be switched, with Allen in Class AAA. Allen has only 98 minor league innings.