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1.31.2011

Redlegs And Volquez Agree To Deal

By:  Cooper Ledford


The Cincinnati Reds have a long streak of avoiding arbitration, and they extend that streak as they ink Dominican RHP, Edinson Volquez for a 1-year, $1.6 Million deal.


Edinson Volquez missed the majority of the 2010 season as he was out recovering from Tommy John's Surgery.  


In the 12 games the 27-year-old played in last season, he went 4-3, with a 4.31 ERA.  His best season was in 2008, as he went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA.  That season was his first year as a Red, as he came from Texas in the Josh Hamilton trade.  In '08, Volquez also got a trip to the All-Star Game.


The Reds hope that Edinson is near the top of their rotation during the season, is fully recovered, and has a good season.

Bengals Fire Bratkowski

By: James Walker



The Bengals fired offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski on Monday, Mortensen reports. There has been speculation about coaching changes for weeks, and Cincinnati finally made a significant move at the conclusion of the Bengals' staff coaching in the Senior Bowl. Cincinnati had a lot of weapons on offense but mostly underachieved during an abysmal 4-12 season.

Several questions come to mind now that Bratkowski is out.

First, what does this mean for quarterback Carson Palmer, who demanded a trade and threatened to retire? Is a coaching change enough to convince him to stay? Also, who will be Bratkowski's replacement and will tailback Cedric Benson return? Benson and Bratkowski butted heads this season, and Benson said he wouldn't re-sign unless Bratkowski was out.



Note from Coop: Okay, about the picture, I would have gotten a real picture of him, and one not poking fun at him, but as a Bengals fan, I have had enough, and that picture seemed to fit him well.

SWO BB POLL

Coop's Top 25

1.) Ohio State                                          
2.) Kansas
3.) Texas
4.) Pittsburgh
5.) San Diego State
6.) Connecticut
7.) BYU
8.) Notre Dame
9.) Duke
10.) Kentucky
11.) Purdue
12.) Villanova
13.) Missouri
14.) Georgetown
15.) Louisville
16.) Texas A&M
17.) Minnesota
18.) Syracuse
19.) Wisconsin
20.) Utah State
21.) Washington
22.) Arizona
23.) Vanderbilt
24.) Xavier
25.) West Virginia
--------------------------------------------------------------
Coop Also Considered...
North Carolina, Florida, Illinois, Florida State, Duquesne

Jeremy's Top 25

1. Ohio State
2. Kansas
3. Texas
4. Pittsburgh
5. San Diego State
6. UConn
7. Missouri
8. Kentucky
9. Notre Dame
10. Villanova
11. Purdue
12. BYU
13. Louisville
14. Washington
15. Georgetown
16. Texas A&M
17. Minnesota
18. Wisconsin
19. Xavier
20. Arizona
21. Utah State
22. Temple
23. West Virginia
24. Tennessee
25. Memphis

1.29.2011

West Virginia Beats Bearcats



CINCINNATI -- John Flowers scored 16 points and led a second-half run that rallied West Virginia to a 66-55 victory over Cincinnati on Saturday night before a rare capacity crowd that came to reminisce about Bob Huggins.
The Mountaineers (14-6, 5-3 Big East) are 1-1 without leading scorer Casey Mitchell, a senior guard suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules.Joe Mazzulla added 16 points, helping to make up for his absence.
Cashmere Wright
UC's Cashmere Wright had 24 points
in the Bearcats loss to WVU.
Huggins coached at Cincinnati for 16 seasons before he was ousted in 2005. The Bearcats (18-4, 5-4) haven't been back to the NCAA tournament since. Huggins improved to 3-2 against his former team.
With Cincinnati's second capacity crowd of the season watching, West Virginia dominated the boards 42-30 and gave the Bearcats their first home loss of the season. Cashmere Wright led Cincinnati with 24 points, 20 of them in the second half.
The Mountaineers drove to the basket for layups or fouls and went 24 of 30 from the line. Mazzulla was 10 of 12, helping West Virginia hold on after it pulled ahead by 14 in the second half.
Huggins had an emotional homecoming two years ago. The school handed out signs saying "Thanks Huggs" and played a pregame videoboard tribute left Huggins in tears. Then, the Bearcats pulled out a 65-61 win.
There were no supportive signs or tear-drawing tributes for his return on Saturday, but no less interest. The Bearcats sold out for only the second time in two seasons -- crosstown rival Xavier drew the only other capacity crowd. Otherwise, the Bearcats have been playing in a half-empty arena.
Huggins got a standing ovation when he walked onto the court before tip-off. He went behind the benches and embraced a few longtime supporters.
The game quickly got an angry edge.
There were a dozen lead changes and two technical fouls in a fast-paced first half, which ended with West Virginia ahead 33-27. Cincinnati freshman forward Justin Jackson got a technical foul for shoving Kevin Jones in the back with 3:30 left in the half. Bearcats coach Mick Cronin motioned for Jackson to leave the floor, which he did for the rest of the half.
Fifty-six seconds later, Cronin appeared to be calling for a timeout when he also got a technical foul. He angrily yelled, "What? I didn't say anything!" and had to be pulled away from the referees by one of his players.
Wright got Cincinnati moving in the second half, scoring 10 of the Bearcats' first 11 points. His back-to-back 3s from the top of the key put Cincinnati ahead 38-37.
That's when West Virginia took control. Flowers had a putback, a 3-pointer and a three-point play during a 19-5 run that put West Virginia ahead to stay 57-43 with 5:43 to go. The Bearcats never got closer than 11 again.

Buckeyes Survive Northwestern

Alex Marcotullio, Jared Sullinger
OSU's Jared Sullinger had 21 points
in the Bucks win over NW, Saturday.
EVANSTON, Ill. - No one could have blamed Thad Matta for letting out a sigh of relief. Top-ranked Ohio State's coach expected a difficult time against Northwestern, and that's exactly what the unbeaten Buckeyes got Saturday night.

They also found a way to capture their 22nd straight victory, thanks to a late steal from veteran David Lighty and a tie-breaking free throw from freshman star Jared Sullinger to pull out a 58-57 victory over the short-handed and determined Wildcats.

"We're going to celebrate our wins," Matta said. "What an incredible basketball game. I think we had some spurts, but give Northwestern credit. They got a rhythm going."

Once again it was Sullinger coming through for the Buckeyes. Northwestern had a chance to take the lead, but Lighty stole a pass near the basket with 17 seconds to go. And the Buckeyes then worked the ball into the 6-foot-9, 280-pound Sullinger.

He was double-teamed throughout the game and in this instance, once he got the ball to go up near the basket, he was fouled. With Northwestern's student section trying to distract him with waves and screams, he hit the rim with his first attempt and swished the second.

"That's what I want. If they double me or guard me one-on-one, it's going to be good for us. Because I can kick it out," Sullinger said.

After three timeouts, Northwestern got a long attempt from Drew Crawford that hit the backboard.

"It was very physical down there. I thought Jared kept his composure and handled himself really well," Matta added. "I knew we'd get a pretty good look. ... He's hit some big shots and made some big free throws."

Sullinger finished with 21 points and Aaron Craft had 13 points for Ohio State.

Leading by only two at the half, Ohio State (22-0, 9-0 Big Ten) pulled out to a 13-point lead in the second half with a 14-4 run.

But Northwestern, playing without leading scorer John Shurna because of a concussion, came back behind senior guard Michael Thompson, who led the Wildcats with 16 points -- 13 in the second half.

Thompson's 3-pointer with 3:51 left capped a 21-7 run as the Wildcats took a 55-54 lead and the crowd at Welsh-Ryan Arena erupted.

"I stayed confident throughout," Thompson said, looking to the rest of the season. "There is a lot to take away from this game."

Ohio State's Jon Diebler -- No. 5 all-time in the Big Ten in 3-pointers made -- hit one for his first basket of the game to put the Buckeyes right back in front 57-55.

Thompson then sailed through the lane and the 5-foot-10 guard floated the ball into the basket for a tie with 1:31 left.

After an Ohio State turnover and then a foul, Northwestern retained possession and tried to set up a go-ahead shot. But Lighty foiled it.

"It's discouraging, disappointing," Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. "Because you want to get the last shot in that situation. Or a shot. And we didn't."

Northwestern (13-8, 3-7) fell to 0-16 all-time against top-ranked teams.

Thompson's 3-pointer with 7:53 left cut the lead to nine, and Ohio State's Dallas Lauderdale was called for an intentional foul on the play near the basket. Davide Curletti made 1 of 2 free throws and the Wildcats retained possession with JerShon Cobb hitting a 3-pointer. The seven-point possession made it 51-46 with just a little more than seven minutes remaining.

It was a sequence that got Northwestern back in the game. The Wildcats were successful most of the night with their deliberate pass-and-cut offense that would often take the shot clock down to the final seconds.

"They're going to get backdoor layups. They're going to hit some 3s," Matta said

"But it's in between of trying to wear them down a little bit. And fortunately we did that."

Northwestern won the boards, despite the absence of the 6-8 Shurna, 31-20 and had 14 on the offensive end. Ohio State shot 57 percent for the game and Sullinger was 7 for 12 from the field.

Shurna, who averages 19 points, sat on the bench in warmups with a boot on his left ankle that had been sprained earlier this season.

The Buckeyes, meanwhile, have now matched the second longest winning streak in school history.

In 2006-07, Ohio State also won 22 straight, counting tournament games, before losing in the NCAA championship game. The 1961-62 team was victorious in its first 22 games. The longest Buckeyes win streak was 32, spanning two seasons from 1959-60 (last five) to 1960-61 (first 27).

UK Gets Revenge Against UGA




Doron Lamb led Kentucky with 19 points.
UK's Lamb had 19 points,  helping the 'Cats beat UGA.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky coach John Calipari knows his team can take a punch. Now he knows it can deliver one, too.
Doron Lamb scored 19 points, including a couple of crucial baskets to halt a late Georgia rally, and the 14th-ranked Wildcats avenged a loss to the Bulldogs three weeks ago with a 66-60 victory on Saturday.
Playing with the kind of aggressiveness they lacked when Georgia "mushed" - as Calipari put it - them on Jan. 8, the Wildcats (16-4, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) did the bullying when it mattered to stay hot on Florida's heels in the crowded SEC East.
"Coach is always talking about being tougher, being more active on the court," Lamb said. "We did a great job today, but coach wants us to do way better."
Not that Calipari was complaining after watching his team harass Georgia star Trey Thompkins into a miserable day. Thompkins lit the Wildcats up for 25 points in the first meeting but finished with just nine points on 2 of 10 shooting in the rematch.
"(We) were really zoned in on how we had to play to make it tough for (Georgia)," Calipari said. "They beat our brains down there. We
were physical until the second half."
By then Kentucky led by 15 points and even a bout with lethargy late in the second half didn't stop the Wildcats from extending their winning streak at Rupp Arena to 29 straight - the second-longest active streak in the country.
Dustin Ware led Georgia (14-6, 3-4) with 18 points, but the Bulldogs shot a season-low 37 percent (21 of 57) to lose for the third time in four games. Coming off an emotional double-overtime loss to Florida on Tuesday, coach Mark Fox worried about his players suffering a letdown.
It came early. The Wildcats never trailed and needed just over 5 minutes to build a 10-point lead that ballooned to 15 at the half.
"Kentucky came out of the gates so strong we just had to play catch up the whole night," Fox said. "We just couldn't finish enough plays to get back in it."
Calipari said he hoped the Wildcats had spent the three weeks since Georgia's dominating victory developing the kind of toughness needed to compete for a conference title.
The Bulldogs pushed the Wildcats earlier this month doing whatever they wanted in the lane and playing the kind of physical defense that left Kentucky rattled.
Calipari brought in longtime friend and mentor Larry Brown this week to give him someone to bounce ideas off of and to lend his players advice. The Hall of Fame coach told the Wildcats to not wait for the Bulldogs to come to them.
They didn't. With Brown watching from the front row, Kentucky attacked relentlessly in the first half, particularly junior forward Darius Miller, who raised Calipari's ire for being too timid when he got in the lane in the earlier loss. Miller finished with 14 points and went to the free throw line seven times.
At one point, teammate Josh Harrellson practically tackled Miller in celebration following one foray into the lane when Miller was fouled trying to dunk.
"That's the reason we lost to them down there, not playing tough enough going to the rim," Miller said. "We all just made a conscious effort to finish today, to play through the bumps."
They did until the end. Though Georgia never got closer than six points in the second half, Kentucky had trouble putting the Bulldogs away. The Wildcats struggled to make free throws (16 of 25) and let Georgia's pressure force a couple of ill-timed turnovers late.
Still, the Wildcats had enough to remain undefeated at Rupp Arena under Calipari, thanks in part to the steady play of Lamb. He made 7 of 11 field goals, including consecutive buckets midway through the second half that gave Kentucky a 57-45 lead and blunted Georgia's momentum just enough.
The Wildcats cleared out for Lamb on both baskets and he had little trouble getting free for a 15-footer from the right corner and a nifty little 10-footer in the lane.
"It was my play, I just wanted to be there, be aggressive," Lamb said.
Ware did his best to keep Georgia in it but received little help. Gerald Robinson added 12 points, but Travis Leslie missed all seven of his shots from the field and finished with five points.
Though Kentucky did a much better job of guarding Thompkins than it did earlier in the month, he still had opportunities to make things interesting late. Yet he missed four straight shots in the closing minutes when the Wildcats appeared to be teetering.
"My teammates need me to score and when I'm not making shots it hurts our team and I understand that," Thompkins said.
Fox refused to place blame at the feet of his two stars.
"Those two kids have made so many plays for us and been very consistent, and I think the combined for 2-17 tonight," Fox said. "You have to credit Kentucky's defense first. But they've been so good they deserve to try and play through a tough night. We just couldn't get either one of them going."
Kentucky has won four out of five to pull within a half-game of SEC East-leading Florida. Not bad for a team Calipari says still has a ways to go.
"We can be pretty good and you saw it today," he said. "And then, all the stuff that we need to get better at, I've got on tape. I can show them. And we still won." 

Tu Nets 33, Xavier Thumps Richmond

Holloway became the 48th Musketeer to score 1,000 points in their career
Tu Holloway had a career-high
33 points in XU's win over Richmond.
Tu also now has over 1,000 points in his
college career.


By:  Cooper Ledford


The five top dogs in the Atlantic 10 are: Xavier, Duquesne, Temple, Dayton, and Richmond.  The Musketeers had already beaten Dayton and Temple, and will play the Dukes of Duquesne on the 13th of February, as for Richmond, well, they were playing them today.  Richmond was 15-6 overall, and 5-1 in A-10 play, while Xavier was 14-5 overall, and 6-0 in A-10 play.  This game was in Virginia at the Robins Center, which is a very tough place to play.  Xavier was able to pick up the win, in blow-out fashion, as they won, 85-62.  


Xavier's has many road games on their upcoming schedule, as they play 4 of their next 6 games away from the Centas Center.  Why am I saying this?  Well, because if they can win at Richmond, they should be able to win majority of the other road games.  The one place that stands out is a non-conference game, as they travel to Georgia to take on the Bulldogs on the 8th.  That could be the only road loss in the next few games.  


Anyways, back to the game, Xavier's Tu Holloway lead the way with 33 points, a career high, and also now has over 1,000 points in his college career, also, he was 3 rebounds away from a double-double, as he had 7 boards.  Holloway played a lot of the game, 37 minutes, as did Dante Jackson.


There were two other Muskies in double-digits, Kenny Frease, and Mark Lyons.  The Big Ken had 19 points, along with 6 boards, and Lyons had 14 points.  


The Spiders had 4 players in double-figures: Harper, Geriot, Anderson, and Brothers.  


A big reason why the X-Men won this game was their rebounding.  XU out-rebounded Richmond 41-25.


So, Xavier wins 85-62, and go to 15-5, 7-0 in the A-10, while Richmond falls to 16-6 and 5-2 in the A-10.  Xavier just might get into the top 25, you never know, they will at least receive a decent number of votes.  


Up next, the Musketeers will go to Charlotte, North Carolina, to take on the 49ers.  That game is Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET and you can catch it on FS Ohio.  

What The Games Mean Today

By:  Cooper Ledford

I am going to say what the games mean today for the SWO Sports Teams, so without further ado, here they are:

#1Ohio State @ Northwestern (6 PM ET, ESPN2): Ohio State is the last unbeaten team in the nation.  They have beaten some very good teams, and are coming off of a great win against a tough Purdue team.  OSU silenced the doubters with that win, can they stay unbeaten, or will the Wildcats pull the upset?

#14Kentucky vs. Georgia (4 PM ET, ESPN):  UGA is a very good team, that's why they were able to beat UK earlier this season by 7.  This time, UK is in Lexington, so they should have the advantage.  The Wildcats will be looking for revenge on the Bulldogs, while UGA is coming off a tough loss to Florida in 2OT, they will be looking to rebound.

Cincinnati vs. West Virginia (8 PM ET, FS OHIO):  Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers come to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats.  Bob Huggins was of course a former UC head coach, and the 'Cats would love to scratch him and the rest of a tough WVU team.  Cincinnati might have the advantage, as they have a better record, look like a better team, and are playing at home.  For the first time in a while, I feel like UC could take down WVU.

Xavier @ Richmond (NOON ET, ESPN2):  This is a crucial time for XU, as they are playing quite a bit of road games in the near future.  The one they are playing today is perhaps the toughest.  The Spiders are a great team, a team, like Xavier, made the NCAA Tournament last season.  If Xavier can play as good of a game as they did last week versus Temple, maybe a bit better since they are on the road, they should be able to get the win.  The Musketeers last game was against George Washington, as XU pulled away with a close win.  They need to improve a bit if they want to beat the Spiders.  This would also be a big win for the Muskies, as they would remain perfect in the Atlantic 10, and would receive even more votes to be ranked.



1.27.2011

UC Beats Scarlet Knights


Rashad Bishop (File Photo)
Rashad Bishop Had 20 points
in UC's win over Rutgers.

CINCINNATI (AP) - Rashad Bishop matched his career high with 20 points and led a late run that swept Cincinnati to a 72-56 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday night.
Bishop made a 3-pointer and a fast-break dunk that completed an eight-point run and put the Bearcats (18-3, 5-3 Big East) in control with 3:23 to go.Yancy Gates added 11 points and 12 rebounds for Cincinnati, which has won its last 13 home games - its best streak in six seasons.
Jonathan Mitchell scored 20 points for the Scarlet Knights, who failed in their attempt to win back-to-back Big East road games for the first time in 11 years.
Rutgers (12-8, 3-5) scored only 26 points in the second half against the Big East's toughest defense.
Rutgers had won its last two games, including a 66-60 victory at Seton Hall that put the Scarlet Knights in position to make a couple of breakthroughs in Cincinnati. They hadn't won three straight Big East games since the 2003-04 season, and hadn't won back-to-back road games in conference play since 1999-00.
They've had no success lately against the Bearcats, who have won the last five in their series.
Cincinnati pulled out to an early five-point lead, but couldn't get much out of its full-court press. The Bearcats have a deep bench - they substituted four players at one timeout - and are at their best when forcing turnovers. Rutgers was ready for it.
The Scarlet Knights had only four turnovers in the first half and shot 50 percent from the field against one of the nation's stingiest defenses. Cincinnati leads the Big East and is fourth nationally, allowing only 56.5 point per game.
Mitchell's 3-pointer and three-point play put Rutgers ahead 18-15. Dane Miller made a 15-foot fadeaway and a tip-in that gave Rutgers its biggest lead, 26-20. Dion Dixon's two free throws and 3-pointer highlighted a closing run that put the Bearcats up 31-30 at halftime.
Cincinnati's pressure started paying off in the second half.
The Bearcats didn't score for the first 4 minutes, 33 seconds, missing five field goals and a pair of free throws. Sean Kilpatrick's 3-pointer broke the slump and started a seven-point run that included a technical foul on Rutgers coach Mike Rice for arguing a call.
The Scarlet Knights turned it over seven times in the first 10 minutes, helping Cincinnati pull ahead 45-36 on Larry Davis' putback following a steal.
After Rutgers cut it to three, Bishop helped the Bearcats pull away. He hit a 3-pointer from the left wing and had a fast-break dunk that made it 60-48 and gave him 20 points.

Xavier Beats GW, Remains Perfect in A-10


Tu Holloway, along with
Mark Lyons, had 22 points
in Xavier's win over GW.

CINCINNATI - Xavier (14-5, 6-0 A-10) remained unbeaten in the Atlantic 10 with a 81-74 win over George Washington on Wednesday night at XU's Cintas Center. There were 16 lead changes and 14 ties before Xavier was able to take control with 4:52 left in the game.
Junior Tu Holloway and sophomore Mark Lyons paced the Musketeers with 22 points apiece. Holloway finished with five rebounds and four assists, and he remains just four points shy of reaching 1,000 points for his career.
Junior Kenny Frease contributed 14 points and a game-high seven rebounds. Senior Danté Jackson added nine points, six rebounds, and tied his career high dishing out seven assists.
George Washington (10-10, 3-3 A-10) opened the second half with a Dwayne Smith three-point shot and a Joseph Katuka free throw to extend the lead to 44-39 less than a minute into the frame. Xavier would battle back and tie the game, 46-46, on a Jackson three from the right wing.
After Frease tied the game on a lob pass from Holloway, Xavier took a 53-51 lead on another lay-up by Frease. George Washington wasted little time in tying the game only seconds later. Lyons followed with a lay-up of his own to give the lead back to Xavier, 55-53, with 9:54 remaining.
The Colonials again responded quickly by attacking the rim, drawing a Lyons' foul, and sinking both free throws. Following a Musketeer turnover, Tony Taylor scored on an old-fashioned three-point play giving George Washington the three-point advantage, 58-55.
Holloway then went on a 9-0 run, attacking the rim and converting an old fashioned three-point play of his own to tie the game. He then knocked down a pair of three-point shots to put Xavier up 64-58 with 7:24 left in the contest.
George Washington would claw back and tie the game at 64 with just over five minutes remaining. But, a Lyons' three from the right corner would give the Musketeers the lead for good. Xavier would push the lead out to as many as nine points with 1:22 left in the game.
Xavier connected on 25-of-55 (45.5 percent) field goal attempts from the floor, including 9-of-23 (39.1 percent) from three-point range. The Musketeers also went 22-of-28 (78.6 percent) from the charity stripe. George Washington connected on 44.2 percent (23-of-52) of its field goal attempts and made a blistering 55.6 percent (10-of-18) of its three-point attempts and 94.7 percent (18-of-19) of its free throws.
Xavier won the rebound battle, 32-30. The Musketeers also had more points in the paint (30-18), points off of turnovers (24-15), and second chance points (27-10).
George Washington led by one point at the break, 40-39, in a back-and-forth first half affair that saw seven ties and 13 lead changes. The last of which came on an Aaron Ware jumper with three seconds remaining on the clock.
During the first frame, Xavier shot 14-of-33 (42.4 percent) of its field goals and 7-of-8 (87.5 percent) free throws. The Colonials shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the floor and a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Xavier held advantages in rebounds (18-13), second chance points (11-9), points in the paint (18-12), and points off of turnovers (11-9).
In the first half, Lyons led the Musketeers with 10 points. Holloway added nine points and four rebounds and Frease chipped in with eight points. Ware and Tony Taylor led the Colonials with eight points apiece in the first frame.
The Colonials were led by Taylor with 21 points and Ware with 14 points and six rebounds.
The Musketeers will head to Richmond, Va., for a clash with the Richmond Spiders on Saturday at 12 p.m. Xavier leads the series 11-4. Last season, the two teams split the contests as Xavier beat Richmond, 78-76, in double overtime during the regular season and lost 89-85 in overtime of the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

1.26.2011

Buckeyes Roll Over Purdue



COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - If this was a big test, then No. 1 Ohio State aced it.
William Buford
 had 19 points, Jared Sullinger added 17 and No. 1 Ohio State played almost flawlessly in rolling past No. 12 Purdue 87-64 on Tuesday night.

Jon Diebler had 13 points and a career-high eight rebounds, Deshaun Thomas added 13 points, David Lighty scored 10 points andAaron Craft had 11 points and six assists for Ohio State (21-0, 8-0 Big Ten), which ran its record to 62-4 all-time when atop the polls.
The Buckeyes and No. 4 San Diego State (20-0) are the only unbeaten teams remaining in Division I.
JaJuan Johnson had 22 points for Purdue (17-4, 6-2).
Ohio State, which shot 55 percent from the field and hit 11 of 19 3-pointers, used an 11-0 first-half run to take control and never let up.
The victory puts the Buckeyes up by two games in the Big Ten. After several close calls in conference play, they had yet to really blow out a team. They chose a high-profile game against a quality opponent to do just that.
Ahead by 20 points at halftime after shooting 57 percent from the field and making 6 of 9 3-pointers, they kept it up even as Purdue turned up the pressure in the second half.
Late in the shot clock, with the Boilermakers scrambling to get back in the game, the 6-foot-9 Sullinger even tossed in a 3 to the delight of a near-capacity crowd of 17,556.
Another 3 by Buford and a power move inside by Sullinger swelled the lead to 61-36 after the opening 5 minutes of the second half. The Buckeyes led by as many as 31 points before substituting throughout the final 10 minutes.
About all Purdue had going for it was Johnson, who came in leading the Big Ten in scoring at 20.9 points a game. He had over half his team's points midway through the second half.
E'Twaun Moore added 16 points for the Boilermakers.
The Buckeyes evened the all-time series at 82 wins apiece.
Ohio State dominated from the outset, building the lead to 22 points at one point in the opening half. They hit five of their first six 3-point attempts, running off 11 straight points over one 4-minute span.
Coach Matt Painter called three timeouts trying to stem the Ohio State tide in the opening 20 minutes, to no avail.
Following routine, Dallas Lauderdale started for the Buckeyes but was replaced by Craft at the first media timeout. From there to the end of the first half, the freshman was brilliant. He had nine points, five rebounds and four assists - although he did falter when he was knocked to the court on a layup with 6 seconds left. He didn't leave the offensive end of the court as Purdue hurried down but failed to score.
Diebler hit two 3s, Buford hit two more and Thomas, another freshman, added to the surge with seven points.
The Buckeyes led 46-26 at halftime after shooting 57 percent from the field, including 6 of 9 on 3-pointers.
A small contingent of Purdue fans in one block high in the upper deck began a ''Let's go, Boilers!'' cheer late in the half, with their team down by 20. Ohio State's fans responded by pointing to the scoreboard.
Before the game, the crowd was entertained by a video featuring the off-key singing of Craft, Diebler and Sullinger. The fans roared at the end, possibly out of relief that the song was over.

1.24.2011

SWO BB POLL

1.) Ohio State
2.) Pittsburgh
3.) San Diego State
4.) Connecticut
5.) Duke
6.) Texas
7.) Kansas
8.) Villanova
9.) Syracuse
10.) BYU
11.) Purdue
12.) Texas A&M
13.) Missouri
14.) Kentucky
15.) Notre Dame
16.) Minnesota
17.) Wisconsin
18.) Vanderbilt
19.) Illinois
20.) Washington
21.) Georgetown
22.) Florida State
23.) Louisville
24.) Florida
25.) Michigan State
-----------------------------------------------------
Coop Also Considered:
Cincinnati, Arizona, Xavier, Georgia, Utah State, and Duquesne 

1.23.2011

Palmer Wants To Be Traded

Bengals QB, Carson Palmer, wants to be traded.
By:  Cooper Ledford


ESPN reports that Bengals QB, Carson Palmer, wants to be traded, or he'll contemplate retirement.  


The 31-year-old has 4 years left on his $97 million extension he signed in 2005.  


The Bengals had no comment on this issue, but Chad Ochocinco did, as he tweeted "Carson Palmer demands a trade? Last person demanded a trade in Cincy was crucified by the media n had to win the fans back. how will this go?" 


Wanna know my opinion on this?  Good, here it is: Carson Palmer is not that great of a QB, if he got traded it would be to someone like Carolina or someone like that, a place that is not that great.  A good team like the Patriots, Jets, Saints, Packers, or a team like that, would have no interest in someone like that.  But, I do think the Bengals need a new QB, they should try to see who they could get out of him, if they can get someone good, then trade him.  If not, let him retire and go and look for a new QB better than him.  Heck, maybe Brett Favre will get better and come to Cincinnati!

1.22.2011

Wildcats Pick Up First SEC Road Win


Kentucky's Brandon Knight had 23 points,
helping the Wildcats pick up their first SEC
road win of the season.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Brandon Knight scored 23 points and No. 12 Kentucky held off a late South Carolina charge for a 67-58 victory Saturday night.
The Wildcats (15-4, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) spent much of the week dealing with the fallout from last Tuesday's loss at Alabama.
Kentucky's 16-point lead slipped to 61-56 with 1:16 left, but Doron Lamb hit four consecutive foul shots and the Wildcats escaped with their first victory at the Colonial Life Arena in three years.
Darius Miller added 18 points for Kentucky.
Sam Muldrow tied his career high with 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Gamecocks (12-6, 3-2).
Kentucky hadn't fared well at South Carolina the past few seasons and its 68-62 loss here a year ago was one of last season's most talked-up stunners.
Those Wildcats had just reached No. 1 for the first time in seven years and, a few hours before tip-off, took a congratulatory call from President Barack Obama for their fundraising efforts for Haitian earthquake victims.
It all seemed too much for that group, who featured the NBA's top draft pick, John Wall, and fellow first-rounder, DeMarcus Cousins.
The newest Wildcats also entered this game with days of distractions after Calipari was caught on camera swearing at Jones during a timeout in the loss to Alabama.
But this time, Kentucky and especially Jones, thrived when they hit the court.
Jones, making his first start in four games, threw down an electrifying assortment of jams and dunks in the first half as Kentucky pulled away.
He had two straight power jams to give the Wildcats a 10-5 lead. Jones had another one-handed flush to make it 20-12 with 11:06 before halftime. He appeared to roll his ankle after his final dunk that put Kentucky up 30-20 and was briefly looked at on the bench. Jones returned to action moments later.
South Carolina struggled to keep up. Its own stellar freshman, point guard Bruce Ellington, played just 8 minutes with foul trouble.
The Gamecocks went more than 7 minutes without a field goal during one stretch.
Knight seemed to ice things with eight consecutive points that pushed the Wildcats' lead to 61-45 before South Carolina's final run.
The Gamecocks struggled to get good shots against Kentucky, finishing 16 of 51 (31 percent). They were just 2 of 15 on 3-pointers.
South Carolina's top scorer, Ellington, shot 2 of 7 and scored four points, almost 11 off his season average.

UC Holds Off St. Johns

NEW YORK (AP) - In a game both teams really needed, Cincinnati overcame foul trouble while St. John's couldn't overcome poor free throw shooting.
A good old-fashioned Big East game came down to the final seconds and the 25th-ranked Bearcats were able to steal a road win, 53-51 over St. John's on Saturday.
The game came down to Yancy Gates' three-point play with 8 seconds remaining that made it 53-51.
"I knew I was getting the ball," said Gates, a 6-foot-9, 265-pound junior who averages 11.4 points and 6.7 rebounds. "Coach (Mick) Cronin called the play for me. I was trying to get as close a shot as I could. (Justin) Burrell played good defense. He didn't fall for my duck-in move and that's why I had to take the shot I did."
After being frustrated trying to back in on Burrell, he made a turnaround move to create space and banked it in as he was fouled.
"Burrell provided resistance on that play with his hands up," St. John's coach Steve Lavin said. "He forced a rough shot. Give them credit. It was not the fault of our players on that play."
The Bearcats (17-3, 4-3), the leading defensive team in the Big East at 56.7 points per game, came up with their biggest defensive possession of the game when they forced Dwight Hardy into a tough running shot with 3 seconds left and then St. John's missed a tip before the buzzer sounded.
"He got a look and had space to drive," Lavin said of Hardy's shot. "He's our best free throw shooter and I had faith in him creating and we even got a second shot off his miss."
Gates finished with 13 points and eight rebounds but was limited to 21 minutes because of foul trouble. He wasn't alone in that predicament. All the starters but one had at least two fouls in the first half but the Bearcats' bench came up big, finishing with 25 points, 21 in the first half when they took a 28-22 lead.
"They were huge," Cronin said of his reserves. "We're 17-3 and I don't know if the rest of country knows that. They've been big all year for us. In 19 of our 20 wins we've had the advantage with the bench and in some games it was decidedly in our favor. We're a team that's a sum of our parts. We have to win with team effort and team play."
The Red Storm (11-7, 4-4) took a 51-50 lead with 1:57 to play when D.J. Kennedy made one of two free throws. That was St. John's problem throughout the game as it went 12 of 26 from the line (46.2 percent).
After a Cincinnati turnover, Hardy, the second-best free throw shooter in the conference at 90.7 percent, missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 33.9 seconds to go.
"I'm a 90 percent free throw shooter and I should have made it," Hardy said of his only free throw attempt in the game. "Unfortunately I missed it short. I have to get more legs into it next time."
After timeouts by both teams, the Bearcats worked the ball around until Gates got it on the right side, backed in on Burrell and banked in a turnaround jumper as he was fouled.
"I wanted one or two and we got three there," Cronin said. "Because of the way they defended us tough I didn't want anything with more than one pass. I wanted the ball near the basket as tight as we could to Yancy. We tried two times to get it to him but St. John's pressure took us out of it. Burrell stopped him three times on that play but he refused to settle for an outside shot. He drew the contact."
Kennedy and Hardy both had 10 points for St. John's, which was outrebounded 39-25.
Cincinnati, which made six of its seven free throw attempts, had plenty of trouble with the Red Storm's various trapping defenses. They finished with 17 turnovers, well over the 10.5 they averaged coming in. Point guard Cashmere Wright almost matched that total by himself with eight. He finished with 10 points and four assists.
"I was riding him pretty hard the last few days," Cronin said of Wright, a sophomore point guard who leads the team with 3.7 assists per game. "He's got to be aggressive and he'll make mistakes. But if we want to become what we want to in this league he has to lead us."
Cincinnati finished 5 of 17 from 3-point range, while the Red Storm were 5 of 9.
Both teams came in having lost three of four games. This was the sixth of eight straight games against ranked teams for St. John's, which is 2-4 during that stretch.
"I knew we were laboring (at the foul line), but we were doing enough with our defense and shooting percentage," Lavin said. "That's what makes the loss so much more heartbreaking is they played so well and counterpunched and got good looks but came up with empty possessions by leaving points off the board."
The crowd of 5,602 was the first sellout at Carnesecca Arena since Feb. 22, 2009, against Seton Hall.

Xavier Beats Temple, Sets A-10 Record

Xavier's Tu Holloway put up 21 points, helping the Muskies
defeat Temple, 88-77
By:  Cooper Ledford


The Xavier Musketeers (12-5, 4-0 A-10) were hosting the Temple Owls (13-4, 3-1 A-10), Saturday.  Not only was Xavier sporting throwback jerseys from the 90's, and retiring Brian Grant's #33 jersey, but it was a match up between the two top dogs in the Atlantic 10.  Xavier had not beaten Temple since February 5th, 2009, as the final score was 83-72.  That was XU's last home game versus the Owls, and now, in 2011, they pick up a win 88-77, and go to 13-5 and 5-0 in the A-10, while Temple falls to 13-5 and 3-2 in the A-10.


Tu Holloway lead the way in points, as he had 21, he was also a board away from a double-double, as he had 9 rebounds.    


There were 3 other Muskies in double-digits, Mark Lyons, Jamel McLean, and Kenny Frease.  Mark Lyons had 19 points, and a red-hot 1st half.  McLean had 16 points, and Frease had 11.


For the Owls, Scootie Randall had a great game, as he had 28 points, which made up for the lack of scoring by their star player, Ramone Moore, who finished with 10 points.  The other Owl that recorded double-figures is Wyatt, who had 19 points off the bench.  


So, with this win, as I said XU goes to 13-5 and 5-0 in the Atlantic 10, but they also set an Atlantic 10 record.  Xavier is now holds the A-10 record for consecutive home wins in conference play, at 35 in-a-row.


Next, the X-Men will host George Washington.  That game is Wednesday at 7:00 PM ET and will be on FS Ohio.  

Buckeyes Survive Illinois

By:  Cooper Ledford


The Ohio State Buckeyes (19-0, 6-0 Big Ten) were on the road, as they went to Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois.  The came to visit the Illinois Fighting Illini (14-5, 4-2 Big Ten).  On ESPN's College Gameday, everyone picked Illinois, but their pick was wrong.  The #1 Buckeyes went on to win 73-68, as they go to 20-0, and 7-0 in the Big Ten.  The Illini fall to 14-6 and 4-3 in the Big Ten.


Jared Sullinger had a great game, a double-double, as he had 27 points, 18 of them in the 2nd half, and had 16 boards.


The other Buckeye that was in doubles was Jon Diebler, as he had 15 points.  There were two Buckeyes that came in off the bench and got some points, those two were Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas.  Craft had 5 points, while Thomas had 8.  Thomas was a difference maker, he helped the Buckeyes go on an 11-0 run, after they were down by 8, and had two big three-pointers.


There were three Illini in double-digits, Richmond, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds.  The other two players came off the bench, as Tisdale had 15, and Davis had 11.


Ohio State should stay at #1 in the polls, and will next take on a tough Purdue team.  That game will be at Value City Arena in Columbus, on Tuesday at 9:00 PM ET.  You can catch it on ESPN. 

What The Games Mean Today

By:  Cooper Ledford

Today, all 4 of the SWO Sports basketball teams play (Ohio State, Kentucky, Cincinnati, and Xavier) here is what each of those games have a stake and what the games mean to the teams.

Ohio State @ Illinois (NOON ET-CBS).  The Buckeyes have looked a bit shaky as of late, they need to prove they are the best team in the Big Ten, stay unbeaten, and remain #1.

Kentucky @ South Carolina (6 PM ET-ESPN).  South Carolina has had their way with the Wildcats, and Kentucky has not looked great.  They have not won an SEC road game, and they need to rebound from a tough loss to Bama.  Kentucky has a lot to make up for and prove in this game.

Cincinnati @ St. Johns (4 PM ET-FS Ohio).  The Bearcats need to prove they can beat some good teams in the Big East.  They have lost to some good teams (Villanova, Syracuse, and Notre Dame).  St. Johns is a pretty decent team as they are 11-6.  Cincy needs to get back on track and win some games, starting with the game today.

Xavier vs. Temple (3:00 PM ET-ESPN2).  This is a match-up between the two top dogs in the Atlantic 10.  Xavier looked shaky in their last game vs. St. Bonaventure, but they pulled away with a win.  As long as they play like them selves, like they did versus Butler, Wake Forest, and other teams, they should be able to get the W.  Also, the game will take place in the Cintas Center, which is the home of the Muskies, this should give XU an advantage, the Cintas Center is one of the toughest places to play in the Atlantic 10 nation.

1.21.2011

Reds And Cueto Agree To Deal


The Reds were trying to work out a deal to avoid arbitration with right-hander Johnny Cueto. Turns out, they might have locked him up all the way through his first free-agent year.
Cueto and the Reds have reached agreement on a four-year, $27 million contract extension, according to a report on ESPNDeportes.com on Thursday night. The Reds did not confirm the report, which said the agreement is pending a physical examination, though the club did acknowledge that discussions about a multiyear deal with Cueto have taken place.
If the deal goes through, then Cueto would be the third arbitration-eligible player the Reds have locked in with a multiyear commitment this winter. Outfielder Jay Bruce signed a six-year, $51 million deal last month, and reigning MVP Joey Votto signed a three-year, $38 million contract earlier this week.
play video
Reds lock up Cueto
00:00:57
1/20/11: Johnny Cueto and the Reds reportedly agree on a four-year deal to avoid arbitration
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Cueto signing would leave right-hander Edinson Volquez as the last remaining arbitration-eligible player on the Reds' roster this winter. Both Cueto and Volquez made $445,000 last season. Arbitration hearings run from Feb. 1-21, but teams can still find middle ground with their eligible players in advance of a hearing.
Earlier this week, when arbitration figures were exchanged, Cueto had asked for $3.9 million for the 2011 season, with the Reds countering with a $3 million offer.
The 24-year-old Cueto, a native of the Dominican, went 12-7 with a 3.64 ERA last season. His wins total, ERA, innings pitched (185 2/3) and walks allowed (56) were all career-bests.
After signing with the Reds as an amateur free agent in 2004, Cueto made his Major League debut in '08. He has compiled a 32-32 record and 4.27 ERA in 92 starts over the last three seasons.