Scott Kazmir didn't distance himself from Carlos Carrasco in the competition for the last spot in the Indians rotation despite a 10-5 victory over Seattle on Saturday.

Peoria, Ariz. -- Scott Kazmir and Carlos Carrasco each have one start left before the end of spring training. It sounds as if a decision will be made before then regarding who will be the Indians' fifth starter.

Manager Terry Francona said he'll meet with GM Chris Antonetti on Sunday after Antonetti returns from scouting college players. The Indians have the fifth pick in the country in the June draft.

"I think we'd like to get things in order as soon as we can," said Francona. "We'll meet with Chris and get things figured out."

Kazmir didn't distance himself from Carrasco in a 10-5 victory over Seattle on Saturday. He was battered for five runs on 13 hits in five innings. He struck out five and didn't walk a batter in 85 pitches.

The left-hander was saved by the ground rules at the Peoria Sports Complex. Two balls were hit above the center field fence, high off the batter's eye, but they did not count as homers.

Kelly Shoppach and Michael Dowd each were credited with a double on hits that would have been homers in any other park.

"It was awesome," said Kazmir. "I told Kelly, 'That's the longest double I've ever seen.' "

Kazmir has made six appearances this spring, including two B games. In all appearances, he's struck out 23, walked three and allowed eight earned runs and 29 hits in 21 innings.

Carrasco (2-1, 6.00) missed last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Whenever he gets back to the big leagues, he must serve a six-game suspension for throwing at Kansas City's Billy Butler in 2011. The suspension could influence the decision because the Indians open the season with 13 straight games.

If Carrasco made the rotation, he wouldn't be able to pitch until April 8 at the earliest. The Indians would have to carry six starters to cover Carrasco's first turn in the rotation on April 6 while he served his suspension.

"We have to get some clarity on the suspension first," said Francona.

MLB said earlier in spring training that Carrasco must serve the suspension, which should be all the clarity anyone needs.

"Besides what the scoreboard said, I thought it went well," said Kazmir of his start. "For the most part, my fastball felt really good early on. The game plan was to stick with that and build arm strength since I was going so deep into the game.

"It almost felt too good. I felt like I was overthrowing a little bit."

Said Francona: "I thought he looked OK. He just gave up a bunch of hits."

The Mariners opened the game with four straight hits and two runs off Kazmir. He came back with three scoreless innings, but gave up three runs on four hits in the fifth. Raul Ibanez hit a two-run homer.

"He stayed in his delivery, but he got a little tired," said Francona. "That's what happens in spring training."

Kazmir tried to stick with his fastball as much as he could, but there were times, especially in the first inning, when he had to deviate from the plan just to get outs.

"It is a competition," he said. "You have to try and find a happy medium. Especially now at crunch time. There are a lot of decisions to be made and one outing could make a difference."

Kazmir said he has not been told if he'll break camp with the Indians.

A child's eyes: Three-year-old Jacob Reynolds was at Goodyear Ballpark on Friday night when his father, Mark, hit a home run over the left field scoreboard. The ball traveled close to 500 feet.

"My son told me, 'You hit it and nobody caught it,' " said Reynolds. "He's starting to figure it out."

Reynolds tried to shrug off the homer as just another spring-training swing. But it meant more. Not only did it come against his old team, but off the pitcher, David Hernandez, whom the Diamondbacks acquired for Reynolds when they traded him to Baltimore in 2010. One more thing: He hit a 96 mph fastball.

"When you hit a ball like that, you don't feel it," said Reynolds. "Normally, eight times out of 10, you'll hit a ball and it will hurt your hands. You get a couple of swings here and there and you don't feel anything. That's what it was like. It felt good."

Testing, testing: Closer Chris Perez pitched in his first game Saturday since straining his right shoulder on Feb. 26. In an inning against the Dodgers Class A club, he allowed one run on two hits with one strikeout and one walk.

Perez threw 30 pitches, including 19 strikes.

After his outing, Perez Tweeted: "Great to get out there again. If the season started next week, I'd be ready. What's that? It does start next week?"

Tough game: Matt Carson was taken off the field on a cart in the fifth inning after sliding into the right field wall attempting to catch a triple by Seattle catcher Michael Dowd. Carson left the game with a cut on his forehead and strained neck.

Jason Kipnis (left elbow) and Yan Gomez (right hamstring) should be ready to play Sunday against the Cubs.

Finally: The Indians released nine players from minor league camp including SS Hunter Jones (11th round pick 2010), SS Tyler Cannon (12th round pick 2010), CF Mark Brown (19th round pick, 2010), LHP Daniel Jimenez (23rd round pick 2009), SS Evan Frazar (27th round 2011), LHP Kyle Petter (34th round in 2010), OF Mark Bradley (49th round 2010), RHP Luis Encarnacion (non-drafted free agent 2009), RHP Estevenson Encarnacion (non-drafted free agent 2010).

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Grand Rapids' defenseman Adam Almquist scored with 9.8 seconds left in overtime to give the Griffins a 5-4 victory over the Lake Erie Monsters.

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The Monsters should have been celebrating a home-and-home sweep of the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Instead, their goalie exited the ice spiking his helmet and flinging his blocker in disgust.

Defenseman Adam Almquist scored with 9.8 seconds left in overtime to give the Griffins a 5-4 victory on Saturday night at The Q. Almquist notched a hat trick.

Lake Erie (28-28-3-7) squandered a three-goal lead. It was unable to build fully on a 4-3 shootout victory at Grand Rapids on Friday night.

The Griffins, first place in the Midwest Division, improved to 37-21-3-3.

Almquist's blast from the right circle occurred as teammate Francis Pare made contact with goalie Calvin Pickard, who was outside the crease. Pare sealed off Pickard's right side as the puck zipped past. Once a goalie is outside the crease, it is the official's discretion as to whether interference should be called.

When no help came, Pickard blew a fuse or three. After spiking the helmet and shedding the blocker, he slammed his stick. Pickard was assessed a game misconduct for abuse of officials.

As expected, Pickard said after the game that he thought he was interfered with. But he kept his comments to a minimum.

"My emotions got the best of me," he said. "The officials made the call (for a goal), and there's nothing I can do about it."

With the score tied, 3-3, early in the third period, Monsters winger David van der Gulik swooped in from the left. Goalie Tom McCollum stopped van der Gulik's shot but did not secure the puck. van der Gulik pounced and notched his 18th. Grand Rapids tied it 65 seconds later, Almquist scoring from the edge of the right circle.

Both clubs created several quality chances the remainder of regulation, only to come away empty. van der Gulik was injured on a hit into the boards; his status is uncertain.

In the first 30 seconds of overtime, Andrew Agozzino took a shot that bounced off a teammate in the slot and clanged off the right post.

The game never should have gotten to OT. The Monsters, playing one of their best periods of the season, took a 3-0 lead in the first. They held a 15-6 advantage in shots.

At 2:14, Karl Stollery put the puck on the net. A Griffin fumbled the rebound and it squirted onto the stick of Luke Walker, who spun and beat out-of-position McCollum for his eighth.

Less than one minute later, Stollery commenced a rush with a pass from his knees. Geoff Walker made McCollum account for him, then found Mike Sgarbossa on the left side. Sgarbossa connected into a relatively open cage for his 19th.

With Lake Erie on the power play midway through the first, Agozzino's shot from the right doorstep kicked into the slot. The rebound goal, originally credited to Joey Hishon, went to Bill Thomas. Replays appeared to show that Hishon's shot clipped Thomas near the crease. Thomas leads Lake Erie with 21 goals.

The first period featured two fights that unfolded simultaneously. One of the combatants for Lake Erie, center Vincent Arseneau, made his pro debut. He had 106 penalty minutes in 50 games for Shawinigan of the QMJHL this season.

Against many clubs, a three-goal cushion with Pickard between the pipes is a sure thing. But the Griffins are not in first place by accident; they can score in bunches.

The Griffins turned the game on its head with goals at 1:27, 9:06 and 18:39 of the second. All came at even strength. The goal that tied the score, 3-3, occurred when Mitch Callahan whistled in a rebound past a screened Pickard.

Notable: Grand Rapids defenseman Brennan Evans played in his 700th pro game -- all in the AHL.

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

On Twitter: dmansworldpd

The Indians are thrilled Cabrera lost 10 to 15 pounds, reported to spring training early and seems not to have any issues about all the winter trade rumors.

View full size Indians All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, above, has struggled in the second half of the past two seasons. In an attempt to avoid that happening this season, Cabrera shed 15 pounds, and the Tribe traded for utilityman Mike Aviles to provide Cabrera more rest. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

ABOUT ASDRUBAL CABRERA

I wasn't surprised when Tribe manager Terry Francona insisted that Asdrubal Cabrera is "a very good [defensive] shortstop."

When I mentioned Cabrera led all American League shortstop in errors (19), and that various metric-rating systems rated him with below-average range, Francona countered that metrics are "a work in progress."

Francona will rarely say anything negative about a player . . . period. He said as much in his book, "Francona: The Red Sox Years," written with Dan Shaughnessy.

The Indians are thrilled Cabrera lost 10 to 15 pounds, reported to spring training early and seems not to have any issues about all the winter trade rumors.

It seems Cabrera has been around forever, but he's only 27. He has made All-Star teams in each of the past two seasons, averaging 20 homers and 80 RBI while batting .271.

But his declining defense and weight problems were concerns. His numbers have fallen in the second half of the past two seasons, when he's hit a combined .290 (.834 OPS) before the All-Star break and .248 (.698) after.

When the Indians discovered they were able to make the Trevor Bauer deal without parting with Cabrera, they began to think about keeping Cabrera and having Mike Aviles as a super utility player.

Aviles has been a regular shortstop in Kansas City and Boston. The Tribe has not had a backup shortstop they trusted for a few seasons.

Cabrera played 151 and 143 games over the past two seasons. The idea is for him to receive more rest (thanks to Aviles) and that may help him in the second half of the season.

Francona also told me Cabrera "really knows how to play." He said with the improved lineup "and better hitters behind him, he'll get better."

Cabrera will hit second, between Michael Bourn and Jason Kipnis. He's hitting .267 this spring, and has been solid in the field.

There are still some teams looking for shortstops, so it's possible Cabrera could be traded -- especially if the season goes poorly. But for now, the rumors have stopped.

ABOUT THE TRIBE SWINGING AWAY . . .

Michael Brantley was excited when allowed to swing at a 3-and-0 pitch in Thursday's game. The result was a three-run homer.

"When you have a guy who can hit a fastball, I like to let him loose on 3-and-0," said Francona. "Put him in position to do some damage."

Last season, the Tribe had 116 at-bats that ended after a 3-and-0 pitch. There were 111 walks, and they were 0-of-5 when they swung away.

From 2010 to '12 (under former Manager Manny Acta), the Indians were 1-of-11 when guys swung at a 3-and-0 pitch. It was the fewest hits of any AL team in that span when the count was 3-and-0.

The point being -- Acta wanted his players to take the pitch and draw the walk, which usually happened.

Francona managed the Red Sox from 2004 to '11. In that span, Boston was 40-of-76 (.526) on 3-and-0 pitches. That was tops in the American League. Of course, Boston had some great hitters and it made sense for him to allow them to swing.

I asked Francona if seeing a player pop out on a 3-and-0 pitch is frustrating. He said not enough to stop being an aggressive manager and allowing his guys to swing.

So look for more green lights when the count is 3-and-0.

View full size Kellen Davis had 19 catches and eight drops for the Bears last season. Davis was targeted for passes 44 times. Nam Y. Huh, Associated Press  

ABOUT THE BROWNS . . .

1. While Kellen Davis played 91 percent of the snaps for the Bears last season, I doubt the Browns consider him the answer at tight end for 2013. Davis is a strong blocker. He had only 19 catches (eight drops) for the Bears last season. To put that in context, Greg Little led the Browns with nine drops. Little was targeted on 84 passes, Davis 44, according to Pro Football Focus.

2. In case you were wondering about drops, here are the drop totals of some other Browns: Trent Richardson (five), Josh Gordon (five), Owen Marecic (four), Ben Watson (three), Jordan Cameron (two) and Travis Benjamin (two).

3. I find it hard to believe the Browns won't draft a tight end. Right now, they have two free agents (Gary Barnidge and Davis) who combined for 25 catches last season. A third candidate is Cameron, who caught 20 passes last season. The Browns think Cameron has the potential to become a good pass-catching tight end, but no member of this trio seems capable of making a major impact.

4. The Browns' past two signings -- Davis and defensive back Chris Owens -- are on modest one-year deals. They add depth. Fans become frustrated because they want impact players . . . but it seems the Browns will have to make that happen in the draft.

5. They signed two free agents expected to start -- linebacker Paul Kruger and defensive lineman Desmond Bryant. But the other players are iffy when it comes to even starting.

6. Davis started for the Bears, but he's not the pass-catching tight end the Browns want. Quentin Groves (43 percent of the snaps) was a pass-rush specialist at linebacker for Ray Horton in Arizona, and he'll probably do the same for the Browns. Owens played only 24 percent of the snaps with Atlanta as an extra defensive back. Barnidge played 13 percent of the snaps in Carolina.

7. It's unrealistic to expect a lot from Owens, Davis, Barnidge and Groves. The key is for the Browns' coaching staff to put them in spots where they can help the team. In the meantime, the search for a starting cornerback and other key positions continues.

ABOUT THE BROWNS AND GENO SMITH . . .

Will the Browns draft Geno Smith?

I doubt it.

OK, probably not.

But there is a hint of doubt . . . that maybe, just maybe, they will take the West Virginia quarterback . . . and the Browns have yet to add another quarterback . . . well, that makes you wonder.

CEO Joe Banner said at the NFL Scouting Combine that he didn't believe the team would take a quarterback at No. 6.

But what if they have changed their minds?

That's exactly what the Browns want . . . for NFL teams who like Smith to think there is at least a chance the Browns might draft him.

So they have an individual workout set for Smith. They also want everyone to know the team is doing a lot of research on Smith.

Given that the Browns don't have a second-round pick, it's not hard to imagine that they will try hard to make other teams believe there is a chance of them drafting Smith.

And that may help set up a trade for a second-round pick as a quarterback-starved team pays a big price to move up to No. 6.

Unless the Browns fall in love with Smith themselves . . . which I doubt.

But I admit I'm not sure, because it seems they do want to add another quarterback at some point.

ABOUT PHIL DAWSON . . .

I wrote two columns about why the Browns should keep Phil Dawson, so I'm not going to reheat old hash.

Dawson signed a one-year, $2.25 million deal ($1 million guaranteed) with San Francisco. It's apparent the Browns didn't make the Pro Bowl kicker an offer.

Here's the problem: The Browns need a kicker.

Here's the bigger problem: Dawson is a tough act to follow. He made 23 of 25 field goals last season. He was 14-of-15 on field goals of at least 50 yards the past two years.

Dawson is 38, but he can still kick. It's not as if he had a bad year and the Browns decided it was time to find someone more productive. This puts even more pressure on the "Kicker To Be Named Later." Because when he misses one (and he will), most of us will say, "Phil woulda made it."

The Cavs are 3-3 in games this season when they have at least a 20-point lead. The Cavs have blown leads of 27 points and 26 points this season. Tony Dejak, Associated Press  

ABOUT THE CAVS . . .

1. The Cavs are 3-3 in games this season when they have at least a 20-point lead. The rest of the league is 332-11, according to ESPN stats. The Cavs have blown leads of 27 points -- the largest in franchise history -- and 26 points. The inexperience of the roster is part of it, but so is the defense.

2. From the Cavs' outlook, the biggest disappointment (aside from all the injuries) is opponents' .476 field-goal percentage, which is last in the NBA. A year ago, the Cavs were a horrible defensive team -- and the goal was to make some type of progress.

3. But the numbers are discouraging. They allowed 100.2 points per game last season, it's 101.8 this season. Opponents' field-goal percentage was .467 last season . . . this season, it's .476. My only major criticism of Byron Scott and his coaching staff is that there has been zero progress on the defensive end of the court. I know Scott cares about defense. I know he works his team hard on that area of the game. I don't know enough in terms of defensive schemes to explain why things keep going wrong . . . but they do.

4. At the end of the season, the Cavs need to talk to Scott about adding a defensive coordinator, or at least changing the system. General Manager Chris Grant must then add a player who brings a real defensive presence. It can't be all on the coaching staff, but they must make some real changes when it comes to X's and O's.

5. It's unrealistic to expect this roster to win. The goal this season was to get the young players plenty of experience. My preseason story began that the Cavs would "be fortunate to win more than 26 games this season." So they sort of are on track.

6. The season has turned into a mess, mostly because of injuries. The Cavs haven't said anything, but it seems doubtful Kyrie Irving (shoulder) will return. Dion Waiters is out with "loose cartilage" in his knee, and it wouldn't be a shock if he needed some type of minor surgery. Nothing has been said on that front, but loose cartilage often leads to at least arthroscopic surgery. Anderson Varejao (leg surgery, blood clots) has played only 81 games over the past three years.

7. So it's ridiculous to even consider firing Scott. He's helped Tristan Thompson make major improvements from his rookie season. In fact, I find myself saying, "Run more plays for the guy, he is scoring inside." Never thought those words would come from my mouth.

8. Irving became an All-Star in his second season, and it's clear he has a strong relationship with Scott. Waiters was much better in the second half of this season -- and Scott had an impact on him. Scott has squeezed production out of Luke Walton and Shaun Livingston, two guys whose careers appeared over. Wayne Ellington and Mo Speights are playing the best ball of their careers since the trade to the Cavs.

9. The Cavs' offense ranks 16th at 97.5 points per game. That's up from 93.0 a year ago. There are times when you can see the ball and player movement Scott has long been preaching.

10. The young player having the hardest time is Tyler Zeller, averaging 7.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in 26 minutes per game, shooting only 43 percent. Most rookie big men struggle, and there are nights when he seems either passive or physically overwhelmed. Since Feb. 1, he's averaging 7.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and shooting 41 percent. He seems to be wearing down. Being asked to start at center (because of Varejao's injury) is too much for him right now. But like Thompson, he could take a significant step forward next year.

Ben Speas, from Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, scored 13 minutes into the second half to lead the Columbus Crew to a 2-1 victory over D.C. United on Saturday.

WASHINGTON — Ben Speas scored 13 minutes into the second half to lead the Columbus Crew to a 2-1 victory over D.C. United on Saturday.

Josh Williams also scored to help Columbus win for the first time win in Washington since 2010, and snap D.C. United's 17-match home unbeaten run, during which they won 13 matches and drew four.

Speas is a graduate of Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in Cuyahoga Falls. He played for the University of Akron's national championship team in 2010 before transferring to North Carolina.

Speas scored a goal in the second half of the 2011 national championship game, giving North Carolina a 1-0 win over UNC-Charlotte.

Columbus has won two of its first three road matches, during a season-opening stretch where it will play five of seven away from home.

Rafael Teixeira scored in his club debut for D.C. on a sensational volley, but couldn't prevent United's first home defeat since the 2012 season opener against Kansas City.

Goalkeeper Bill Hamid made seven saves to keep United in it, including several of the sensational variety.

But shortly after a Hamid made two saves to keep it tied, Speas put Columbus ahead after the goalkeeper failed to hold Federico Higuain's free kick. The rebound eventually fell to Speas, who struck from the edge of the penalty area.

Lionard Pajoy and Dwayne De Rosario both nearly leveled it in the 72nd minute for United, only to be denied by Columbus goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum.

Otherwise, D.C.'s pressure rarely translated to clear chances, as Gruenebaum finished with four saves.

Columbus opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Williams reached Tyson Wahl's curling free kick and headed beyond a stranded Bill Hamid. Teixeira tied it 7 minutes with a sensational half-volley from 35 yards out that dipped out of the reach of the diving Gruenebaum.

D.C. United's Nick DeLeon left the match in the 30th minute with an apparent injury to his right leg.

  BEYOND THE RIM

VASJ's Demonte Flannigan slams home two points during the Vikings' state title game victory. - (Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer)

BEYOND THE RIM

By the numbers

10: Defensive rebounds by VASJ senior Demonte Flannigan in the Vikings' 87-63 victory over Leipsic in the Division IV state championship game.

16: Number of points in the paint -- out of 20 total -- scored by VASJ in the first half.

17: Number of assists by VASJ point guard Duane Gibson in the two games played in Columbus.

Obvious statement of the day

"They're pretty good. Ha ha. You already knew that." -- Leipsic coach Scott Maag on VASJ.

Ouchie of the day

Watterson guard Cody Calhoun suffered a bloody nose against SVSM and it was badly swollen after the game. "It kinda hurts. I'm sure it's going to hurt a lot tomorrow, but that's all right. I'm a state champion," he said.

Chant of the day

"Thank you, seniors" -- By the VASJ student section to Demonte Flannigan, Duane Gibson Jr., and Patrick Mastalski as they were taken out of the game by head coach Babe Kwasniak.

Quote of the day

"Division IV would have been a great tournament if VASJ hadn't been invited to the party." -- Unidentified coach referring to the apparent evenness of Troy Christian, Lancaster Fairfield Christian and Leipsic.

By Josh Verlin | National Desk Eight teams advanced to the Sweet 16 on Saturday, and just as several teams are establishing themselves as real threats to win the national championship, several players are asserting themselves as stars who show up on the biggest of stages. Here are the best (mostly) individual performances from an entertaining day of basketball:...

By Josh Verlin | National Desk

Eight teams advanced to the Sweet 16 on Saturday, and just as several teams are establishing themselves as real threats to win the national championship, several players are asserting themselves as stars who show up on the biggest of stages.

Here are the best (mostly) individual performances from an entertaining day of basketball:

Michigan forward Mitch McGary (4) drives against Virginia Commonwealth in their third-round game of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Auburn Hills, Mich., Saturday March 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)





 

Mitch McGary, Michigan

The Stats: 21 points, 10-of-11 shooting (90.9 percent), 14 rebounds

The Story: McGary played a big role in Michigan’s 78-53 win over Virginia Commonwealth. The 6-foot-10 freshman forward set new career standards in both points and rebounds, easily surpassing his 6.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg averages. While Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr.’s ability to break the famous VCU “Havoc” press certainly helped set up several of his opportunities, McGary’s ninth double-digit effort of the season and third in his last four games loomed large.

Adreian Payne, Michigan State

The Stats: 14 points, 7-of-14 shooting (50.0 percent), 10 rebounds

The Story: Payne didn’t lead his team in scoring – freshman guard Gary Harris had 23 points in 25 minutes – but he made his points count in the Spartans’ 70-48 win over Memphis. The 6-10 junior scored 10 of his 14 points during a second-half stretch that turned a five-point Michigan State advantage into a 52-37 lead with 9:05 remaining; the Spartans would cruise from there to put the Tigers away.

Russ Smith, Louisville

The Stats: 27 points, 7-of-15 shooting (46.6 percent), three rebounds

The Story: Smith, a junior guard, continued his stellar NCAA Tournament, following up a 23-point effort at North Carolina A&T with this game-high effort in the Cardinals’ 82-56 win over Colorado State. The All-Big East first teamer hit 4 of his 7 3-pointers and 9 of his 10 free throws to propel Louisville on to the Sweet 16, and is now averaging 21.6 ppg in postseason play this year.

Mark Lyons, Arizona

The Stats: 27 points, 12-of-17 shooting (70.6 percent), three assists

The Story: The Xavier transfer is making the most of his final NCAA Tournament appearance in his only season at ‘Zona. He was effective from inside and out, hitting half of his six 3-point attempts, but didn’t get to the free-throw line once – somewhat surprising considering the 6-foot-1 guard led the Wildcats this season in free-throw attempts (136). Like Louisville's Smith, he has 50 points in his two games in the tournament.

Oregon's Damyean Dotson (21) engages the crowd during the final seconds of Oregon's 74-57 win over Saint Louis on Saturday. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)





 

Damyean Dotson, Oregon

The Stats: 23 points, 8-of-12 shooting (75.0 percent), three rebounds

The Story: Dotson was instrumental in stretching the Saint Louis defense in Oregon’s 74-57 win, helping the Ducks became the first lower seed to win on Saturday. The 6-foot-5 freshman, a 31.1 percent 3-point shooter on the season, hit 5 of his 6 threes as his team went 8 of 11 on treys. Dotson came into the game averaging 16.8 ppg over his last five, shooting 53.3 percent (16 of 30) from three in that span.

Vander Blue, Marquette

The Stats: 29 points, 9-of-15 shooting (60.0 percent), four steals

The Story: Speaking of guys having good weekends, how about Vander Blue? The 6-4 junior guard hit the game-winning layup in Marquette’s one-point win over Davidson in the second round and followed that up by scoring 19 points in the second half on Saturday to help the Golden Eagles overcome an eight-point halftime deficit in a 74-72 victory over Butler. His final points, with 1:29 remaining, came on a 3-pointer that tied the game at 69; the Golden Eagles would make 5 of 6 free throws in the final 90 seconds to clinch the win.

Ron Baker/Cleanthony Early/Fred Van Vleet, Wichita State

The Stats: 45 combined points, 14-of-24 shooting (58.3 percent), 14 rebounds

The Story: The Shockers became the first team to knock off a top seed with a 76-70 victory over Gonzaga, and they wouldn’t have been able to do so without the stellar performance of these three bench players. Baker and Early each went 4-of-6 from 3-point range while Van Vleet made two of his four attempts from distance, including the clincher with 90 seconds left on a broken play. With only 12-seed Mississippi and 13-seed La Salle left in the West region’s top half, the Shockers suddenly become the favorite to advance to the Elite 8.

Richard Solomon, Cal

The Stats: 22 points, 7-of-12 shooting (58.3 percent), 13 rebounds

The Story: The only losing player who earned a mention, Solomon set new career highs in both points and rebounds as Cal fell 66-60 to Syracuse in the final game of the day. A 6-foot-10 junior, Solomon picked up his third double-double of the season while tying his career high in minutes (34) despite playing with three fouls for most of the second half.

By Josh Verlin | National Desk A frenzied first week of the 2013 NCAA Tournament continued Saturday with Gonzaga becoming the first No. 1 seed to fall. We scoured the box scores and stat sheets to find the most telling figures of the day. So, without further ado, here are Saturday's numbers to know: 2.9: Seconds remaining for Butler’s...

By Josh Verlin | National Desk

A frenzied first week of the 2013 NCAA Tournament continued Saturday with Gonzaga becoming the first No. 1 seed to fall. We scoured the box scores and stat sheets to find the most telling figures of the day. So, without further ado, here are Saturday's numbers to know:

The Marquette bench reacts after a basket in the second half of a third-round NCAA college basketball tournament game against Butler, Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

2.9: Seconds remaining for Butler’s final shot against Marquette. That the Bulldogs even had a chance for a game-winning shot was fairly remarkable considering that they were down four points with four seconds remaining. A layup from Andrew Smith off a full-court pass was followed by a Marquette turnover, allowing the Bulldogs to inbound the ball near their own basket with 2.9 seconds remaining on the clock. The ball wound up in Smith’s hands, but the center was unable to get off a good shot as the Golden Eagles escaped with a 74-72 victory.

7,12: Trey Burke’s turnovers, Michigan’s total turnovers. Things either went really well or really poorly for Trey Burke on Saturday afternoon. One of the best point guards in the country, Burke had his worst turnover day of the season when he coughed it up seven times against VCU’s “Havoc” defense. However, his Wolverines teammates combined for just five additional turnovers to pick up the slack. Michigan won comfortably, 78-53, with Burke chipping in seven assists.

7:43: Time it took for Harvard to score its first bucket. By the time Siyiani Chambers hit a 3-pointer nearly eight minutes into the Crimson’s game against Arizona, it only cut Harvard's deficit to 12. The Wildcats would lead by as many as 21 in the first half and cruise to a 74-51 victory thanks to a suffocating defense that held the Ivy League champions to 16 of 58 (27.6 percent) overall, Harvard’s worst shooting performance of the year.

20.0: Memphis' offensive rebound percentage. Because they only allowed Memphis to grab nine of their 45 misses, Michigan State won the rebound battle 41-25 in their 32-point third-round victory. Memphis had been the 44th-best team in the nation this season in rebound margin (+4.7/game), the same ranking as their usual offensive rebounding percentage (36.1 percent, according to KenPom.com). By keeping the Tigers off the boards, the Spartans were able to cruise to an easy victory; the fact that the Spartans held their opponents to just 29.7 percent (19 of 64) from the field didn’t hurt either.

30: Feet (approx.) of Fred Van Vleet’s game-clinching 3-pointer. The 5-11 freshman made easily the biggest shot of his collegiate career on Saturday, draining a deep 3-pointer from the right wing with the shot clock running down to give Wichita State a 70-65 lead over top-seeded Gonzaga with 1:32 remaining. The Shockers would go on to pull the upset, knocking off the Zags (76-70). A reserve guard, Van Vleet had only attempted 38 3-pointers on the season, though he’d hit 8 of his last 13 spanning back 12 games.

Colorado State forward Greg Smith, front right, loses control of the ball as he drives past Louisville forward Stephan Van Treese on Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

30.1: Colorado State’s turnover percentage. This was quite a day for high-intensity defense, with Louisville’s staunch press second only to VCU’s in forcing turnovers nationally. The Cardinals got the Rams to give it up 19 times out of 63 possessions, nearly twice the rate that Colorado State had turned it over this season (16.8 percent). Louisville, meanwhile, only committed nine turnovers, allowing them to take 14 more shots (and make 12 more) than CSU.

32: Syracuse’s bench minutes. The Orange took care of business in a 66-60 win over 12th-seed California in the final game of the night, but it took 40 minutes from starting guard Brandon Triche, 39 from C.J. Fair and 38 from Michael Carter-Williams. DaJuan Coleman, who played 15 minutes in Syracuse’s tournament-opening win over Montana, was absent from the rotation; Trevor Cooney (11.9 mpg) only saw one minute of court time and Jerami Grant (14.9 mpg) got seven minutes of action. Only Baye Keita, who scored 11 points in 24 minutes, really provided any support off the bench.

74: Points scored by Oregon. The Ducks were on target against a normally staunch Saint Louis defense, hitting 58.8 percent of their shots and 8 of 11 3-pointers. The 74 points allowed by the Billikens tied a season high for a regulation game as Oregon pushed the tempo to over 70 possessions per team, becoming the first double-digit seed of 2013 to advance to the Sweet 16.

Highlights include NCAA Tournament basketball, led off by Ohio State vs. Iowa State. The Indians play an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV sports listings

AUTO RACING

Noon Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, NBCSN

2:30 p.m. Auto Club 400, WJW

BASEBALL

6 a.m. Philadelphia vs. Baltimore (tape), MLB Network

9 a.m. Oakland vs. San Francisco (tape), MLB Network

1 p.m. Tampa Bay vs. N.Y. Yankees, MLB Network

4 p.m. Cincinnati vs. Texas, MLB Network

4:05 p.m. CLEVELAND INDIANS vs. Chicago Cubs, SportsTime Ohio; AM/1100

8 p.m. Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh (tape), MLB Network

BULL RIDING

8 p.m. Ty Murray Invitational, CBSSN

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Noon Penn State at Indiana, Big Ten Network

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

1:30 p.m. Baylor at Texas, Fox Sports Ohio

3 p.m. Auburn at Alabama, ESPNU

CYCLING

1 a.m. (Monday) Criterium International, final stage (tape), NBCSN

GOLF

9 a.m. Malaysian Open (tape), Golf Channel

12:30 p.m. Arnold Palmer Invitational, Golf Channel

2:30 p.m. Arnold Palmer Invitational, WKYC

5 p.m. Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic, Golf Channel

7 p.m. Kia Classic, Golf Channel

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL

6:30 p.m. Lorain County All-Star Game, AM/1320

MEN'S TOURNAMENT COLLEGE BASKETBALL

11 a.m. NIT, ESPN

Noon NCAA, OHIO STATE BUCKEYES vs. Iowa State, WOIO

2:30 p.m. NCAA, Temple vs. Indiana, WOIO

5 p.m. NCAA, North Carolina vs. Kansas, WOIO

6 p.m. NCAA, Minnesota vs. Florida, TNT

7 p.m. NCAA, Florida Gulf Coast vs. San Diego State, TBS

7:30 p.m. NCAA, LaSalle vs. Mississippi, TRUTV

8:30 p.m. NCAA, Illinois vs. Miami (Fla.), TNT

9:30 p.m. NCAA, Creighton vs. Duke, TBS

NBA

7 p.m. Chicago at Minnesota, WGN

NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE

5 p.m. Rio Grande Valley at Fort Wayne, CBSSN

NHL

7:30 p.m. Washington at N.Y. Rangers, NBCSN

SOCCER

11 a.m. Dallas Cup, Coritiba vs. Fulhan FC, TWCS

1:30 p.m. Dallas Cup, Eintracht vs. L.A. Galaxy, TWCS

4 p.m. Dallas Cup, Tigres vs. Fluminese, TWCS

7:30 p.m. Dallas Cup, Man U vs. Club America, TWCS

TENNIS

11 a.m. Sony Open, Tennis Channel

WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Noon NCAA, Navy vs. Kentucky, ESPNU

Noon NCAA, ESPN2

2:30 p.m. NCAA, ESPN2

5 p.m. NCAA, ESPN2

7:30 p.m. NCAA, ESPN2

Nerlens Noel was averaging 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.4 blocked shots per game before he tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

One interesting college player we won't be seeing in the NCAA men's basketball tournament is Nerlens Noel, the lanky freshman center from Kentucky who was averaging 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.4 blocked shots per game before he tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee 24 games into the season.

Some still see the 6-11, 216-pounder as the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft because of his marvelous athleticism and 7-4 wingspan. His loss is probably the main reason the Wildcats didn't make the NCAA Tournament and then lost to Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT.

Knee injuries are tricky things. Just ask guard Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, who has yet to return from a torn left ACL suffered in the first round of the NBA playoffs last year.

Chronic knee problems are something else all together. Just ask former Ohio State center Greg Oden or disappointing Philadelphia center Andrew Bynum.

Yet in spite of a history of knee problems that have kept Oden out of the league since 2009, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft envisions returning to the league as soon as next season -- perhaps even with the Cavaliers. Bynum turned out to be a complete bust after the Sixers traded for him last season. He has not played a single game in Philadelphia and recently announced he would have season-ending surgery on both knees. (Can you have season-ending surgery if your season never started?)

Of the three, Noel certainly has the highest upside. Medical advances have made ACL surgeries more successful, and one injury isn't nearly as troublesome as a career full of them. But it's possible all three could be in the NBA next season, which just goes to show how starved the league is for athletic big men and true centers.

--Mary Schmitt Boyer

"Do both" is Thad Matta's solution against one of the best offenses the Buckeyes have faced this season.

DAYTON, Ohio - Ohio State's defensive gameplan for Sunday is both an impossibility and a necessity, and the kind of thing you don't argue with Thad Matta about when it's NCAA Tournament time.

“Do both,” is what Matta calls it, a basic philosophy about both helping on defense and sticking with your own assignment that morphed out of his principles and has been his edict for as long as he can remember.

In short, against a team like No. 10 seed Iowa State that will space the floor with five shooters and rain threes, it's the idea of each OSU defender being in two places at once.

What?

“Hey, it's hard on us, too,” OSU guard Aaron Craft said Saturday, noting the incredulity expressed during a locker room discussion of the gameplan. “Do both is just as hard as it sounds.”

But as much as Iona's high-scoring offense in the NCAA opener Friday, won by Ohio State 95-70, turned out to be a sheep in wolf's clothing, Iowa State is much more the wolf. The Buckeyes genuinely believe the Cyclones (23-11) could be as skilled on offense as any team they've seen all year, and if “do both” degenerates into “do sometimes,” or “do one because you're tired or not focused” No. 2 seed Ohio State (27-7) could become the latest upset victim in the West Region.

“They want to spread you out and drive the ball and get you to help and kick it out for a 3-point shooter,” assistant Jeff Boals said, “and if you over-rotate or over-help, and the wrong guys are shooting, you're in trouble.”

For the Buckeyes it's also a “KYP” game, “Know Your Personnel,” which means understanding who can be left open for a moment and who can't. There are about five Cyclones that can't.

If you dropped the Iowa State 3-point shooters into the Big Ten season stats, they'd rank first, second, fourth, sixth and 13th in 3-point percentage.

Sixth man Tyrus McGee has made 93 3-pointers, Chris Babb has 64, point guard Korie Lucious 63, Will Clyburn 40 and freshman center Georges Niang 37. And Niang is shooting better than 50 percent out there. As a team, Iowa State is 334 of 899 on threes (37.2 percent).

Deshaun Thomas leads the Buckeyes with 67 3-pointers, while Lenzelle Smith, with 46, is the only other Buckeye with more than 30. Overall, they are 206 of 582 on 3-pointers (35.3 percent).

The Cyclones beat Kansas State and twice lost to No. 1 seed Kansas in overtime. But the Buckeyes probably hold an edge in defense, physicality and overall talent, so they can't get lured into a 3-point shooting contest, which always serves as the ultimate equalizer for the underdog.

Ohio State is a 7-point favorite.

“We've had good games and bad games and good possessions and bad possessions with that. It's really easy to take a shot when you think you're open,” Craft said, “but when you miss, it fuels the other team. That's when we've got to relax and settle down and if they take a three and make it, then we've got to find a way to make them work on defense.”

The Cyclones feature a smaller lineup, with the 6-7 Niang the tallest player, and that means the Buckeyes could throw out their smaller lineup, with 6-7 Thomas at center surrounded by perimeter defenders Craft, Smith, Shannon Scott and Sam Thompson, a lot.

That lineup has served the Buckeyes well this season.

“They've got that undersized 5 man, so I feel like I'll match up with him,” Thomas said.

That means Thomas has to defend as well. The Buckeyes must be ready to switch a lot on screens, and at other times fight through screens and not go under them, which would allows shooters brief breathing room.

“We've got guys who shoot the ball two steps behind the 3-point line, three steps behind,” Lucious said. “Even if you play good defense, you might have a slipup for two seconds and one of our guys gets open. That's a crusher. It's been happening all year for us.”

Ohio State also must keep the Cyclones from speeding up. Notre Dame's slowdown zone was no match Friday night in Iowa State's 18-point win Friday, but Ohio State is much better equipped to deal with Iowa State's style.

Head coach Fred Hoiberg, a 10-year NBA player and four-year NBA front office exec, employs an offense he brought from the pros, with sets that lead straight into a motion offense when it doesn't work. The players are free and confident – much like the way Matta encourages the Buckeyes to play – and feed off the playmaking of Lucious, a transfer from Michigan State.

“Everything's a quick hit,” said Iowa State assistant Cornell Mann, a former defensive specialist while playing at Akron in the mid-90s. “Fred has his NBA touch and he loves to take advantage of mismatches. With our shooters out there, we're hard to guard, and if we can get out and run, we're really hard to guard.”

Meanwhile, what the Cyclones fear is Ohio State's intensity, with Mann acknowledging that if the Cyclones don't match it, they're done.

“They spend more energy playing defense than they do on offense. That's Coach Matta being really smart and really good,” Mann said. “Ohio State plays as hard as anybody I've seen all year.”

Iowa State knows it must handle Thomas, who was 8 of 12 Friday, and most avoid turnovers. Matta said the Cyclones reminded him some of Michigan, and the Buckeyes have harassed Trey Burke into some tough games in the past.

They've got to do that again. By doing both, and being in two places at once. Or at least appearing to be.

“Coach Matta always talks about getting in their vision,” Thompson said. “If they see you in the gap, if they think you're coming, even if it's for a split-second, it can buy your teammate a split-second and change the course of the game. We want to keep our heads on a swivel and we want to make guys feel us. We want them to think about us. We want them to know we know what they're trying to do. If we do that, we can win the game.”

By Garrett Miley | National Desk Sixteen teams go to battle today. Only eight will earn a berth in the Sweet 16. While Cinderella hopefuls like La Salle and Florida Gulf Coast try to shock the world (again), perennial tournament teams like Duke and Kansas will look to establish their dominance. Will more upsets throw the field into disarray?...

By Garrett Miley | National Desk

Sixteen teams go to battle today. Only eight will earn a berth in the Sweet 16. While Cinderella hopefuls like La Salle and Florida Gulf Coast try to shock the world (again), perennial tournament teams like Duke and Kansas will look to establish their dominance. Will more upsets throw the field into disarray? Or will the tourney's "elite" teams bring order to the bracket? Here are five things to watch:

Temple guard Khalif Wyatt (1) is trapped by North Carolina State guard Lorenzo Brown, right, and forward Richard Howell in the second half of a second-round game at the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 22, 2013, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)





 

 1. Khalif Wyatt vs. Indiana

After No. 9 seed Temple defeated No. 8 seed NC State behind 31 points from star guard Khalif Wyatt, they earned themselves a date with No. 1 seed Indiana at 2:45 p.m. today. All season long, the fate of the Owls has largely been decided by the play of Wyatt. Temple is 12-5 this season when the 6-foot-4 guard scores at least 20 points.

Wyatt will all but certainly be guarded by Indiana’s Victor Oladipo. Oladipo is one of the nation’s best defenders and among the most athletic players in the country. He’ll certainly have his hands full with the high-scoring Wyatt, but Oladipo and the Hoosiers must force someone other than Wyatt beat them.

2. Upset Battle

A No. 12 or No. 13 seed will be dancing into the Sweet 16 tonight after Ole Miss and La Salle – two teams that pulled off major upsets in the second round of play – go head-to-head. Ole Miss defeated Wisconsin on Friday in one of the 12-5 matchups that have become such fertile ground for upsets in recent years. Coach John Giannini and La Salle, meanwhile, have already won two games in the tournament, including a stunner over Kansas State, but Ole Miss could be the Explorers' toughest matchup yet.

The Rebels were seventh in the nation in scoring this year, averaging 78.2 points per game. The Explorers will need a better shooting performance out of senior guard Ramon Galloway if they hope to advance. Galloway shot just 6-for-15 from the floor in the Explorers’ 63-61 victory over K-State. They’ll need their full arsenal offensively to take down high-scoring Marshall Henderson and the Rebels.

Florida Gulf Coast's Brett Comer (0), Dajuan Graf (35) and others celebrate their 78-68 win over Georgetown in a second-round game in the NCAA Tournament.
AP Photo

 3. Florida Gulf Coast back in action

The Eagles pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament so far when they took out No. 2 seed Georgetown on Friday night. Point guard Brett Comer and guard Sherwood Brown turned a lot of heads with their performances against the Hoyas, and FGCU will need more of the same from its backcourt against San Diego State.

The Aztecs have a high-powered backcourt of their own. Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tapley averaged 16.9 and 13.4 points per game, respectively, this season. Florida Gulf Coast does shoot better from the floor than that Aztecs (46 percent compared to 43.6 percent), but San Diego State has a slight rebounding advantage. The Eagles and Aztecs should make for a great game and a great storyline to keep tabs on all evening.

4. Powerhouse encounter

After nearly falling to Western Kentucky on Friday, Kansas faces former coach Roy Williams North Carolina tonight. A game featuring two heavyweight programs this early in the NCAA tournament is rare, but a down year from the Tar Heels earned them a No. 8 seed.

North Carolina blew a 20-point lead against Villanova on Friday but held on to knock off the Wildcats, 78-71. While UNC’s record was not up to par with Tar Heel fans' standards this season, Roy Williams’ team still had a good year statistically. UNC averaged over 17 assists per game and scored 77.2 points per game this season. The Tar Heels have the talent on their roster with players like P.J. Hairston and James McAdoo to pull off an upset of No. 1 seed Kansas, but only if they keep Jayhawks freshman sensation Ben McLemore in check.

5. McDermott vs. Plumlee

Creighton’s Doug McDermott is one of the most gifted scorers in the nation. His size (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) and unique skill set make McDermott tough for any team to defend. He scored 27 points and corralled 11 rebounds in Creighton’s 67-63 victory over Cincinnati on Friday.

Playing against Duke’s senior forward Mason Plumlee could be McDermott’s toughest test of the season. Plumlee can match McDermott in nearly every facet of his game and has a two-inch and 10-pound advantage over McDermott. The outcome of the one-on-one battle between McDermott and Pumlee will go a long way toward determining which of these teams lands in the Sweet 16 and which one heads home. 

By Josh Verlin | National Desk Another day, another dose of Madness in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Here's a look around the country at the national reaction to several of the day's more noteworthy results: • Saturday's biggest upset happened out in Salt Lake City, where West Region No. 9 seed Wichita State knocked off top-seeded Gonzaga, 76-70. As...

By Josh Verlin | National Desk

Gonzaga coach Mark Few glances up at the scoreboard late in the second half of a third-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 23, 2013. Wichita State won 76-70. (AP Photo/George Frey)





 

Another day, another dose of Madness in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Here's a look around the country at the national reaction to several of the day's more noteworthy results:

The anxious moments lasted until the final seconds.

The Orange committed two turnovers against No. 12 seed Cal’s desperation full-court press in the final two minutes. C.J. Fair’s long inbounds pass to Brandon Triche sailed over the Syracuse guard and out of bounds at the opposite end of the court.

But Cal couldn’t take advantage and the Orange had come West to defeat both Montana and California in order to head back East.

The Rams entered the game leading NCAA Division I by averaging 12.4 more rebounds per game than their opponents. The Cardinals outrebounded them 29-24.

The Rams ranked 12th in turnovers at just 10.9 per game. The Cards forced them into a season-high 20.

The Tribe lineup is so much better and the team has some tough cuts to make, just wish the starters were stronger.

1. Most of what I've been writing about the Tribe is very upbeat, because most of what I see is positive. While the 16-10 spring record is just that -- a spring record -- it's much better than 7-25 last season. In the lineup, there is Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Mark Reynolds and Drew Stubbs....consider that they have replaced Shin-Soo Choo, Casey Kotchman, Travis Hafner and Johnny Damon. Isn't that an upgrade?

2. But when writing that they probably should give the fifth spot in the rotation to Scott Kazmir, it's sort of like buying a baseball lottery ticket. His last full season in the Majors was 2010, when he was 9-15 with a 5.94 ERA for the Angels. The rotation is a major, major concern. When Brett Myers is assigned the No. 3 spot and he was a reliever all last season -- you know the Tribe is searching. We won't know much about the rotation until the games begin to count. Even Zach McAllister (5.02 ERA) and Justin Masterson (5.09) have been up and down this spring.

3. The positive is Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco (assuming he's sent to Class AAA) and Corey Kluber are at Class AAA. Odds are one of them can help at some point, all have very good arms. Carrasco's increased velocity is not just a spring rumor, but it's real. He's averaging 93 mph, sometimes hitting 95 mph. I saw it when sitting behind home plate and seeing the radar guns held up by the scouts in his last start. But his control is iffy, he still seems rusty after coming off elbow surgery.

4. My guess is Cord Phelps is headed to the minors, but the infielder is having a strong spring with a .383 average and three homers in 47 at bats. He has played second, third and first. But the Tribe has Mike Aviles and possibly Ryan Raburn as utility players. Phelps has hit .173 in 49 big league games spread over two seasons. He's a career .285 hitter (.812 OPS) in the minors and at 26, he probably is ready to help a big league team.

5. I doubt Zeke Carrera will make the Tribe. They don't need another outfielder whose main asset is speed. He's out of minor league options and that means he can be claimed on waivers if the Tribe tries to send him to the minors. Carrera has attacked spring training, intent on impressing someone. He's hitting .286 and has 11 steals in 13 attempts. He did hit .272 bin 48 games for the Tribe last season. He doesn't fit this team with an outfield of Michael Brantley, Drew Stubbs and Michael Bourn. But someone will want Carrera.

6. Jason Giambi hit his third homer of the spring Saturday. He's 6-of-29 with three homers and a double. His OPS is 882. My guess is he makes the team as Manager Terry Francona likes Giambi leadership and his power.

7. Shortstop Francisco Lindor joined second baseman Jose Ramirez to play Saturday, and they were dazzling. Most fans know about Lindor, the Tribe's top pick in the 2011 draft. The 20-year-old Ramirez was signed out of the Dominican Republic. He batted .354 at Class A Lake County last season. Granted, it was one big league spring training game, but Ramirez seemed to have the same physical gifts as Lindor. They combined to go 5-of-10.

8. Just after writing part of my Sunday notes about Asdrubal Cabrera being in better shape this spring, he was pulled out of Sunday's lineup with "mid back spasms".

Get game updates from Doug Lesmerises and Bill Livingston on Twitter as Ohio State looks to move on to the Sweet 16 as they take on the Cyclones of Iowa State.

Get game updates from Doug Lesmerises and Bill Livingston on Twitter as Ohio State looks to move on to the Sweet 16 as they take on the Cyclones of Iowa State.

• Game box score | Scoreboard | Preview

Tweets from @clevelanddotcom/ohio-state

The Big Ten still has the chance to make the Final Four a second conference tournament.

DAYTON, Ohio -- Four observations from an entertaining weekend.

1. I thought CBS, to some degree, tried to manufacture a controversy on a charge called against Iowa State that clearly was a crucial call, but really was another bang-bang block/charge interpretation, the kind that happens multiple times a game.

Will Clyburn made a layup with 1:41 left that would have given Iowa State a 3-point lead, but it was wiped away by a charge taken by Aaron Craft. Replays, which CBS focused on during and after the game, showed that Craft's heel was hovering over the line of the half-circle under the rim. A help defender in that circle can't take a charge. It's a block.

But it was really close. Still, the NCAA felt the need to issue a statement from officiating coordinator John Adams. He said he spoke with the ref who made the call.

“When asked, the official said he did not see the defender's foot over the restricted area line,” read the statement. “By rule, this is not a reviewable play.”

So that's that.

2. Çould the Big Ten send four teams to the Final Four? The Michigan-Kansas Sweet 16 game should be great, but if the Wolverines play like they did Saturday, they can roll with anyone. Michigan State has a tough road with No. 1 seed Louisville looming in the Midwest, and Indiana struggled with Temple on Sunday and now gets Syracuse. And then there are the Buckeyes and their broken West region.

But “not impossible” is one of the answers to that question.

3. Ohio State did not fall victim to what I've been calling the West Bracket Implosion, with the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds getting dumped early. But Iowa State got hit with it. The Cyclones lost their glue guy early when fifth-year senior Chris Babb, a good defender and shooter, went down with an ankle injury after landing on a Buckeyes' foot while finishing a drive. He didn't play in the second half and finished with five points in 15 minutes. Lenzelle Smith thought Babb's absence helped the Buckeyes.

It was the first real injury to a Cyclone starter this season. “What a time to have it, huh?” Babb said.

4. Shannon Scott got lucky his technical foul didn't help end the Buckeyes' season. The mild-mannered sophomore made a great first-half play on a backcourt steal that led to a layup and a foul. But then he spun the ball at the ISU player who fouled him and was called for a taunting technical.

The layup put Ohio State ahead 14-9, but then two Iowa State free throws made it 14-11 and then Scott missed free throw. The technical was also his first foul, and then Scott wound up on the bench with a second foul with 10:28 left in the half, when the Buckeyes needed him.

“I made a mistake. I shouldn't be doing stuff like that,” Scott said. “But I got caught up in the moment. I can't be making dumb plays like that. I'll learn from it.”

By JIM O'CONNELL | AP Basketball Writer PHILADELPHIA — Florida Gulf Coast went from shocking the college basketball world to downright impressing it. And the Eagles were smiling the whole time. Playing loose and easy, little-known FCGU beat San Diego State 81-71 on Sunday to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA...

By JIM O'CONNELL | AP Basketball Writer

Florida Gulf Coast's Sherwood Brown, center, celebrates with teammates after their 81-71 win over San Diego State in a third-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 24, 2013, in Philadelphia. Florida Gulf Coast became the first No. 15 seed to make the Sweet 16. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)





 

PHILADELPHIA — Florida Gulf Coast went from shocking the college basketball world to downright impressing it. And the Eagles were smiling the whole time.

Playing loose and easy, little-known FCGU beat San Diego State 81-71 on Sunday to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

"We don't take ourselves too seriously," said Florida Gulf Coast coach Andy Enfield, whose players tossed him in the air and poured water on him in raucous celebration before his postgame interviews. "We try to have fun, get serious when we have to.

"Our goal was to make history and we did it."

The next opponent for the upstart state school will be the main campus, third-seeded Florida, on Friday night in the South Regional semifinal in Dallas.

"We tried to scrimmage them early in the season in the preseason, now we get our shot," Enfield said.

Bernard Thompson had 23 points and Sherwood Brown added 17 for FGCU, the 16-year-old school in just its second season being eligible for postseason play.

In its first-ever NCAA tournament game on Friday, the Atlantic Sun champion busted brackets everywhere with an upset win over No. 2 Georgetown, a game the Eagles took control of with a 21-2 run in the second half.

It went much the same way against San Diego State.

This time the run was 17-0 and Brown, who was saddled early in the second half with foul trouble, had eight of the first 10 points of it. When it was over the Eagles led 71-52 with 4:19 to play and the only decisions left were how the players and fans were going to celebrate.

After at least one basket, Brown opened his mouth and waggled his tongue at FCGU as he ran up court.

And after the game, the whole team joined in a bird dance that the players on the bench.

On the court, FCGU played like it had nothing to lose. And really, the Eagles didn't. Given their school's short history, nobody expected them to win a game at the NCAA tournament, let alone two.

Brett Comer, who didn't have as many lob passes for dunks as he did against the Hoyas, finished with 10 points and 14 assists, some of which resulted in dunks that had the crowd cheering and wanting more.

FGCU even unleashed another offensive weapon. Christophe Varidel, a native of Switzerland, hit two big 3s early for the Eagles and finished with 11 points after going scoreless against Georgetown.

Jamal Franklin had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Aztecs (23-11), who were trying to reach the regional semifinals for the second time in three years.

Xavier Thames' layup brought the Aztecs within 54-52 with 11:33 to play but the Eagles were off on their run about 90 seconds later. FGCU held San Diego State without a field goal for 7 1-2 minutes as it again pulled away again against a teams with much bigger national profile.

The Eagles shot 55.9 percent for the game (33 of 59), including going 7 of 18 from 3-point range.

The Aztecs finished at 44.3 percent (27 of 61) and were 8 of 23 from beyond the arc.

FGCU had one of its highlight plays in the first half when Comer flipped the ball up toward the rim and a flying Eric McKnight grabbed it for a one-hand jam with 8:50 to play that woke up the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center.

Suddenly it sounded a lot like Friday night, when the Eagles had several jams on lob passes that were a big part of the Georgetown upset.

Chris Perez, after his second straight injury-shortened spring, should be ready to answer the opening day bell on April 2.

View full size Chris Perez and the Indians expect the veteran closer to be available for the season opener April 2 in Toronto. "All things lean toward him being back, as long as there are no setbacks," says manager Terry Francona. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- All-Star closer Chris Perez has the shortened version of spring training down to a science. It's not by choice, but necessity.

After throwing one inning Saturday against a Class A team of Los Angeles Dodgers, Perez believes he'll be ready to close when the Indians open the season April 2 in Toronto. Manager Terry Francona feels the same.

"Chris is going to pitch Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and do a light bullpen Monday in Toronto," said Francona. "All things lean toward him being back, as long as there are no setbacks."

Perez's appearance Saturday was his first since he strained his right shoulder against Kansas City on Feb. 26. The injury cost him a spot on Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but Perez's real goal was to be ready for the regular season.

Last year, Perez made just three Cactus League appearances because of a strained left oblique muscle. He made the opening bell, went to the All-Star Game for his second straight year and recorded 39 saves, fourth most in the American League.

"It went well," said Perez of his Saturday appearance, in which he threw 30 pitches. "I feel as good as can be expected after three or four weeks off. I wasn't really worried about the results. I just wanted to make sure I felt well.

"Like I said a couple of days ago, the injury is gone. Now it's just a matter of trying to get big-league hitters out."

As for starting his second straight season after an abbreviated spring, Perez said, "Hopefully, we can score a lot of runs in Toronto so I can have a few more days to play with it."

The Indians open with a three-game series against the Blue Jays before flying to St. Petersburg, Fla., for a three-game set against the Rays. They open the home season April 8 against the Yankees.

"It's not optimal," said Francona of Perez's short spring. "There's a reason you have spring training. Saying that, as long as he's healthy, I think he'll be fine."

Bad back: Francona posted what could be the Opening Day lineup Sunday morning in the locker room, but it didn't stay intact long.

All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, batting second, was hitting in the batting cages when he injured a back muscle. He was scratched from the lineup and replaced by Mike Aviles.

"At this time of the year, it seemed silly to have him play through something like that," said Francona, adding that Cabrera could be ready to play by Tuesday.

Before Cabrera was scratched, here's the lineup that fans will be seeing a lot of this year: CF Michael Bourn (L), SS Cabrera (S), 2B Jason Kipnis (L), 1B Nick Swisher (S), LF Michael Brantley (L), C Carlos Santana (S), DH Mark Reynolds (R), 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (L), RF Drew Stubbs (R) and RHP Ubaldo Jimenez.

Sore, but OK: Matt Carson had a gash above his eye and strained neck, but he was up and walking around the Indians clubhouse Sunday morning.

In Saturday's game against Seattle, Carson slid head first into the right-field wall chasing a triple by Kyle Seager. He was carted off the field and taken for X-rays.

"They were negative," said Carson. "Really, I don't feel as bad as I thought I would."

The gash above his eye was closed by glue instead of stitches. It's the second encounter with an outfield wall this spring for Carson. He earned the nickname Crash Carson with the Oakland A's, and it's easy to see why.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

The Golden Flashes connected on just 27.6 percent of their attempts from the field and only 16.7 percent of their three-point tries.

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Kent State's season ended Sunday with a 73-59 loss at Loyola (Md.) in the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

The Golden Flashes (21-14) connected on just 27.6 percent of their attempts from the field (16-for-58) and only 16.7 percent of their three-point tries (3-for-18).

The Greyhounds (23-11) were led by Erik Etherly's 27 points. He was 17-of-19 from the foul line, and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Kent State seniors Chris Evans and Randal Holt (Glenville) each scored 13 points in their final game.

The Golden Flashes had advanced to the second round of the tournament with a 73-71 victory over Fairfield Wednesday night in Kent. Loyola is a Baltimore school that plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

By DOUG TUCKER | Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The last time La Salle advanced this far in the NCAA tournament there was no round of 16. The field was only 24 teams. Tyrone Garland banked home a scooping layup with 2 seconds left and 13th-seeded La Salle beat Mississippi 76-74 on Sunday, vaulting the Explorers to their...

By DOUG TUCKER | Associated Press

La Salle guard Tyrone Garland (21) shoots over Mississippi defenders for the winning basket during the second half of a third-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, March 24, 2013. La Salle won 76-74. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)





 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The last time La Salle advanced this far in the NCAA tournament there was no round of 16. The field was only 24 teams.

Tyrone Garland banked home a scooping layup with 2 seconds left and 13th-seeded La Salle beat Mississippi 76-74 on Sunday, vaulting the Explorers to their deepest run in the NCAA tournament since they played for the championship in 1955.

Ramon Galloway had 24 points for the upstarts from the Atlantic 10. The Explorers (24-9) played their third game in five days but showed no sign of fatigue.

In the round of 16 in Los Angeles on Friday, the Explorers will meet ninth-seeded Wichita State.

No. 12 Ole Miss (27-9) led 74-72 with 1:58 left but failed to reach the regional semifinals for the first time since 2001.

After Tyreek Duren's two foul shots tied it 74-all at the 1:07 mark, Mississippi star and team lightning rod Marshall Henderson missed an off-balance bank shot that would have given the Rebels the lead.

Henderson had 21 points in a game with 11 lead changes.

Duren had 19 points for La Salle and Tyrone Garland had 17. Murphy Holloway had 14 points for Mississippi, which fell one win shy of breaking the school record. Jarvis Summers had 12 and Nick Williams had 10 for the Rebels, who were a miserable 10 for 21 from the foul line.

In the frantic final seconds, Mississippi's LaDarius White missed from the top of the key and the ball scooted out of bounds while everybody went for the rebound.

The Rebels were given possession and Henderson's off-balance shot failed to draw iron. Before he could launch another try, the buzzer sounded, giving La Salle possession with 33.2 seconds left even though Henderson pleaded with an official, saying, "He took my hand off."

The Explorers brought the ball up court, with most everybody expecting Galloway to take the shot. But Garland worked his way inside and threw up a scooping bank shot over Reginald Buckner.

Jarvis Summers missed a desperation heave for Ole Miss.

Galloway, a 6-3 guard and the Explorers' lone senior on the starting five, played the entire 20 minutes of the first half and drilled 5 of 8 3-pointers while scoring 19 points.

Henderson's high, arching 3-pointer put the Rebels on top 20-18 but Garland, for the second time in the first half, stole a Mississippi pass and drove in, eventually getting a La Salle bucket. Duren's three-point play capped a 7-0 run and gave the Explorers a 25-20 lead.

Henderson's 3-pointer helped the Rebels tie it 25-all, then Galloway swished an unguarded 3-pointer and ignited a 10-3 La Salle run. Duren, after Galloway stole the ball in the Ole Miss backcourt, sank a free throw for a 35-28 lead.

Henderson missed his first three shots, but then began finding the touch and canned three 3-pointers, including one from the right side just ahead of the buzzer that sliced La Salle's lead to 40-38.

By Andrew Koob | National Desk Brackets $('.floatingSeries').css({'font-family':'arial,helvetica,sans-serif','font-size':'14px','line-height':'20px','color':'#333333','width':'255px','margin':'10px','margin-right':'0px','float':'right','border-bottom-color':'#dadada','border-bottom-style':'solid','border-bottom-width':'1px','padding-bottom':'2px'});$('.floatingSeries h3').css({'text-transform':'uppercase','color':'#363636','font-size':'30px','line-height':'28px','padding-bottom':'7px','border-bottom-color':'#363636','border-bottom-style':'solid','border-bottom-width':'4px'}); $('.floatingSeries ul').css({'list-style-type':'none','list-style-position':'outside','list-style-image':'none','margin':'0px','padding':'0px'});$('.floatingSeries li').css({'font-family':'arial,helvetica,sans-serif','font-size':'14px','font-weight':'normal','color':'#333333','font-weight':'bold','line-height':'20px','border-top-width':'1px','border-top-style':'solid','border-top-color':'#cccccc','margin':'0px','margin-top':'6px','margin-bottom':'6px','padding':'0px','padding-top':'6px','padding-bottom':'4px','color':'#333333','text-decoration':'none'});$('.floatingSeries a:link').css('color','#333333');$('.floatingSeries h3').css('margin-bottom','-6px'); Another day, another crazy slate of NCAA Tournament games. What did we take away from Sunday's contests? Here are 10 things that stood out: 1. Aaron Craft loves the spotlight How else can you explain the Ohio State guard taking a 3-pointer in an NCAA...

By Andrew Koob | National Desk

Temple guard Khalif Wyatt (1) is trapped by North Carolina State guard Lorenzo Brown, right, and forward Richard Howell in the second half of a second-round game at the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 22, 2013, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Another day, another crazy slate of NCAA Tournament games.

What did we take away from Sunday's contests? Here are 10 things that stood out:

1. Aaron Craft loves the spotlight

How else can you explain the Ohio State guard taking a 3-pointer in an NCAA Tournament game with the score tied and less than ten seconds remaining in regulation? That’s one of the “no...no...NO....YES!!!” moments if you’re a Buckeyes fan. But hey, everything worked out in the end and Ohio State is off to the Sweet 16 after a 78-75 win over Iowa State.

2. Watch for Wyatt in the NBA Draft

I’ve watched Khalif Wyatt play for the past four seasons and he has grown into something else during his tenure at Temple. I think he’ll end up playing overseas (he’s much too slow for the NBA), but all it takes is for one NBA team to fall in love with the kid. And I’m sure plenty of GM’s would want a guy who is as confident as Wyatt. His back-to-back 31-point performances in the tournament, including Sunday's valiant effort in the Owls' 58-52 loss to Indiana, sure didn’t hurt his cause.

3. Dunphy’s best coaching job

One more Temple thought: Owl coach Fran Dunphy has done a phenomenal job with this roster. This team is nowhere near as talented as past squads, but he got the most out of Wyatt (with whom he has clashed time and time again) and got past a couple of bad stretches from Scootie Randall and Will Cummings. Dunphy’s 3-15 record in the tournament (he suffered most of those losses as Penn’s head coach) simply doesn’t reflect his coaching success.

4. Craig Sager should not be allowed to operate heavy machinery

Then again, he probably shouldn’t be allowed to be on TV blinding people with those suits, either. But, seriously, whose bright idea was it to let that man operate a front-end loader during Sunday's broadcast?

5. You don’t want to go against Kansas

Jayhawks guard Ben McLemore, regarded as a top pick in April’s NBA Draft by many experts, shot 0-for-9 in the third-round game against UNC. No problem. Kansas still won by 12, thanks to Travis Releford and Jeff Withey. This team is scary good, and any one of their starting five can carry the scoring load.

Michigan guard Nik Stauskas (11) talks with guards Trey Burke (3) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) in the first half of a third-round game of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Virginia Commonwealth Saturday, March 23, 2013, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

 6. Naismith Award thoughts

The Naismith finalists were announced Sunday, with Michigan’s Trey Burke, Creighton’s Doug McDermott, Indiana’s Victor Oladipo and Georgetown’s Otto Porter named to the list. If I’m voting, I’m leaning towards Burke. In a rough Big Ten, Burke rose above the competition and carried the Wolverines to a No. 4 seed and Sweet 16 berth. Oladipo is a special player, but isn’t relied upon as heavily as Burke.

7. FGCU Highlight Reel

I’m convinced that a Florida Gulf Coast bucket doesn’t count unless it's a dunk, a 3-point shot or someone breaks a defender’s ankle beforehand. But even if that were true, the Eagles still would've won their matchup with San Diego State on Sunday.

It's hard not to love everything about this team. The dunks. The hype. The dancing white guys on the end of the bench. I obviously have my doubts about their chances against Florida in the Sweet 16, but damn are they fun to watch.

La Salle guard Tyrone Garland (21) shoots over Mississippi defenders for the winning basket during the second half of a third-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, March 24, 2013. La Salle won 76-74. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

 8. The Southwest Philly Floater

If you live in the Philadelphia area, expect T-shirts to be made out of Ty Garland’s explanation of his game-winning layup that capped La Salle's 76-74 win over Ole Miss. The Explorers are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1955 and you can tell how excited the players are, as evidenced by their post-game celebration. It’s certainly a magical ride for La Salle, and it’ll be fun to watch it continue against No. 9 seed Wichita State next weekend.

9. Swallow those whistles, refs

With 12 minutes left in the second half of Creighton vs. Duke, 32 fouls had been called. 32! Seven players at that point had three or more fouls. On one of the biggest stages for a lot of these guys, let the teams play and don't make the game about the officiating. I'd much rather watch a shootout than a game that ends with 10 walk-ons playing.

10. The best day of March Madness (so far)

Seriously, you couldn’t script a better day of basketball. Craft opens it with a buzzer-beater, then Indiana-Temple makes you hold your breath for 40 minutes. Oh, and FGCU and La Salle defy the odds to reach the Sweet 16. With apologies to the first three days of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday provided, by far, the most exciting basketball. It’s going to be tough to top, but with matchups like Kansas-Michigan and Louisville-Oregon yet to come, don’t expect the fun to stop just yet.