Reds Thumped By Tribe

By:  Cooper Ledford


Today, it was the 2nd Spring Training game for the Reds, as they were playing host to the Cleveland Indians.  Well, uh, the Reds lost 12-0.  I am glad it was not on TV, it was pretty ugly.  But, it is just spring.  Here are some notes from the game. 

• Bronson Arroyo started the game, and looked strong, as he went 2 innings, allowed 1 hit, and 1 run.  He got the loss, but still looked pretty good.
• Dontrelle Willis pitched, and did not look all that good.  He went 2 hits, and gave up 2 runs, but both were un-earned.
• Chapman pitched, and had a hard time finding the strike zone.  He went 1 inning, walked 3, and fanned 2.
• Cordero went 1 inning and gave up 1 run.
• Bill Bray looked good as he had a 1,2,3 inning in his only inning of work.
• Sappelt looked good again for Cincy, as he had 2 hits in 2 AB's.  

Tomorrow, the Regular Reds will be back at it, as they travel to Tempe, Arizona, to take on the Angels at 3:05 PM ET, and that game will actually be on MLB Network.  The other Reds, the ones competing for a spot, the minor leaguers, they will go and take on the A's at 3:05 PM ET.

Reds And Phillips Talking About Extension

Reds 2B, Brandon Phillips says
"It would be nice to be here [Cincinnati]
for the rest of my career."

By:  Cooper Ledford


The Cincinnati Reds and Second basemen, Brandon Phillips, have been talking about a contract extension.  At least that's what the Cincinnati Enquirer says.  But, this may not be the Reds idea, it may be B-Phil's idea, with the help of his agent.

“That’s what I want,’ he said. “I want to stay here. I love it here. Love the city of Cincinnati. I love the fans. The Reds gave me a second chance to come here and live my dream. I’ve been blessed. I want to give back to the city. I want to be the type of person Barry Larkin was to the city. It would be nice to be here for the rest of my career.”


So, Phillips wants to stay in Chili Town (Sorry Gold Star, I think I just stole that from you, but don't worry, I like you better than Skyline--well not really, I am just saying that), but after the Reds have invested so much money in Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, and Bronson Arroyo, will they be able to afford him.  I dunno about you, but that quote sounded like he might just take a hometown discount.  They might need to save money for younger guys and plan for their future.  The guy is on the backside of his career, but then again, he had a nice 2010 season, and looks like he is 20 years old.  I mean, by no means is he the 30-30 man he used to be, but he is still a great all-around player.


We'll see what happens with Brandon Phillips.  The Reds plan to talk about this deal through Spring Training, but I doubt we'll see a deal done this season.  I think the Reds will wait and see how he does this season, and then talk up a deal.

SWO BB POLL

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

Reds Win In Spring Opener

By: Jordan Bastian 

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Reds officially began their quest for a second straight National League Central crown on Sunday, opening their Spring Training slate against a familiar foe under a bright blue Arizona sky.

They trumped the Indians -- Cincinnati's neighbors to the north -- with a two-run rally in the ninth, leading to a 7-6 victory in the first game within this year's Battle of Ohio. Cincinnati and Cleveland will face each other three more times during Cactus League play this spring before meeting six times during Interleague Play in the regular season.

Corky Miller's RBI double off Indians pitching prospect Alex White put the Reds ahead for good.

"We looked pretty good," Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. "We played good defense, ran the bases well and had some timely hitting. Our young guys came back and won it for us late."

Cincinnati broke through with the game's first run in the fifth inning, when outfielder Jay Bruce sent a towering fly ball to left field. Cleveland's Travis Buck misplayed the ball for an error that allowed Bruce to reach second base. Bruce then stole third and scored on a groundout by Jonny Gomes to put the Reds ahead, 1-0.

The Indians countered in the sixth inning, when Jason Donald -- the front-runner for the vacancy at third base -- doubled to left field off Reds pitcher Carlos Fisher. Donald advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and later scored on an RBI single off the bat of shortstop Adam Everett, tying the game at 1.

In the seventh inning, the Tribe broke through for five runs off Reds pitcher Donnie Joseph to push to a 6-1 lead. The outburst was highlighted by a two-run home run by outfielder Ezequiel Carrera. That followed a two-run double for Tribe prospect Lonnie Chisenhall, who projects to open the season at third base for Triple-A Columbus.

"Joseph got roughed up a little bit," Baker said. "He was probably a little nervous. He left some balls down over the heart of the plate after he got a little wild. Other than that, everybody looked pretty good."

Indians starter Josh Tomlin, who is vying for the fifth spot in Cleveland's rotation, allowed no runs and one hit in two innings of work. The right-hander needed just 17 pitches to quiet Cincinnati's bats, ending with one strikeout and five outs via grounders. Lefty Aaron Laffey -- also a rotation candidate -- logged one scoreless frame.

"We saw a lot of good things today," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "Tomlin came out as usual and threw strikes and made things easy for himself. Some of the guys swung the bat well, especially some of the young kids late in the game."

The Reds sent left-hander Matt Maloney -- a bullpen candidate -- to the mound as Sunday's starter in place of Edinson Volquez, who sat out due to visa issues. Maloney worked two innings, striking out two and allowing no runs. Righty Sam LeCure followed with four strikeouts in two scoreless relief frames.

Back to-back homers by Dave Sappelt and Chris Valaika cut the Indians' lead to one in a four-run eighth.

Reds up next: It will be Cincinnati's Cactus League home opener when they meet the Indians again at 3:05 p.m. ET on Monday at Goodyear Ballpark. Bronson Arroyo, a 17-game winner last season, will make his debut, but undoubtedly there will be a lot of interest in Aroldis Chapman. The left-hander is slated to follow Arroyo and make his first relief appearance of the season. Dontrelle Willis will also see his first game action in a Reds uniform. Also scheduled to pitch are Francisco Cordero, Jose Arredondo, Nick Masset and Bill Bray.

Buckeyes Thump Indiana

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Deshaun Thomas, last year's Indiana Mr. Basketball, came out of a slump with 22 points to lead No. 2 Ohio State past Indiana 82-61 on Sunday.
Thomas scored all the points during a 14-3 first-half run that spanned 3:36 and turned the game into a rout. He had managed just 13 points in his last seven games.
William Buford added 15 points and Jon Diebler and David Lighty each had 11 for the Buckeyes (27-2, 14-2 Big Ten), likely to ascend to No. 1 next week after top-ranked Duke lost at Virginia Tech on Saturday night. The defeat was Indiana's sixth in a row to Ohio State.
Verdell Jones III had 14 points for the Hoosiers (12-17, 3-13), who have lost six in a row and remain the only Big Ten team without a road win this season (0-10).
Jared Sullinger, leading Ohio State in scoring (17.8) and rebounding (9.9), picked up two fouls early and was limited to five points and seven rebounds in just 13 minutes.
The victory helped Ohio State maintain a one-game lead in the Big Ten with two games remaining - at Penn State on Tuesday night and home against Wisconsin on Sunday. It was Wisconsin that hung the first loss on the Buckeyes on Feb. 12 in Madison.
Ahead by 15 at the break, the Buckeyes scored 13 of the first 17 points against the Hoosiers in the second half and rested many of their top players the rest of the way.
Thomas, who Indiana coach Tom Crean had tried to recruit after he had verbally committed to Ohio State, was the story for the Buckeyes in the first half. He gave them a lift after starters Sullinger, Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale each picked up two fouls.
Indiana, which hasn't beaten a Top 25 team on the road in more than nine years, led 8-7 after Derek Elston scissored through the lane for a layup at the 16:35 mark, but didn't score again for almost 8 minutes, until Elston scored again on a short jumper.
Then Thomas took over, hitting two foul shots, then swishing back-to-back 3-pointers. He took an assist pass from Lauderdale for another bucket inside, then spun in a reverse layup and ended the run with another reverse move off glass.
The Buckeyes led 38-23 at the half, with Thomas totaling 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, his only miss coming on a shot behind the arc.
Indiana never seriously threatened in the second half.
The Hoosiers' Victor Oladipo and Ohio State's Aaron Craft collided while going for a loose ball with 12:33 left. Oladipo went to the Indiana bench but later returned.
The victory gave Ohio State 19 home victories this season, a record in the program's 112 seasons. The Buckeyes are 36-1 in Columbus over the last two seasons.
Sullinger hit two free throws early to become only the fourth Ohio State freshman to score 500 or more points in a season, joining current NBA players Michael Redd (658), Kosta Koufos (534) and Greg Oden (501).
Indiana was playing consecutive games against top-10 teams for the first time since 2004. The Hoosiers lost on Wednesday night to No. 8 Purdue, 72-61.

Xavier Completes Season Sweep Of Dayton

Tu Holloway had 26
points in Xavier's win
over Dayton, Sunday.

DAYTON, Ohio - The No. 25 Xavier Musketeers visited hostile UD arena and picked up a victory against A-10 rival the University of Dayton Flyers, 66-62 Sunday afternoon. Junior guard Tu Holloway led all scorers as XU completed the regular season sweep on UD.
Holloway had 26 points off 8-of-17 shooting, including going an almost perfect 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. Holloway also grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists. Jamel McLean was 5-of-6 from the floor for 11 points. Mark Lyons chipped in 10 points and four assists.
With the win, the Musketeers move to 22-6 on the season and 13-1 in Atlantic 10 action. The Flyers drop to 19-10 and 7-7 in conference action. This was the third-straight conference game that UD has dropped.
Xavier finished the contest shooting 46.0 percent from the floor compared with 41.1 percent from Dayton. The teams were consistent from the free throw line, with XU going 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) and UD going 8-of-11 (72.7 percent). The Musketeers won the battle of the boards 34-31 and points in the paint 32-22. The Flyers bested the Musketeers in points off turnovers (21-14), second chance points (12-8) and fastbreak points (15-5).
The Flyers came out hot in the second half, scoring the first seven points to cut Xavier's lead to 37-32. UD would get within five of XU four more times within the half, unable to surpass the barrier until going on a 7-2 run to tie the game at 59-59 with a little under two minutes left in the contest.
Holloway was fouled with under a minute and a half and gave XU the slight two point lead, 61-59. Holloway then came back on the Musketeers' following possession and hit a critical trey to give Xavier the 64-59 advantage with 41 seconds left. Xavier would hold on for the rest of the game.
Dayton's Chris Johnson led the way for the Flyers early, scoring 14 of his 22 points in the first frame. He got two quick treys early to give UD the slight 6-2 advantage. That is when the Musketeers went on a 14-2 run to lead 16-8 with 14 minutes left in the first half. The Flyers had 13 turnovers which the Musketeers capitalized on by scoring 12 points.

The closest the Flyers would come in the first was five, but the Musketeers surged on to lead by as many as 13 points. The score at halftime saw the Musketeers up on the Flyers, 37-25. XU was 48.3 percent from the field, while UD went 9-of-25 for 36.0 percent. Dayton shot 60 percent from three-point land, connecting on six treys in the first half, while Xavier went 2-for-10.
Johnson led the way for Dayton with 22 points off 6-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-8 from behind the arc. UD's leading scorer Chris Wright, who averages 12.8 points per game, was held scoreless until the 15:18 mark of the second half. Wright would finish with 11 points.
Xavier will play its final home game on Wednesday, March 2 against the Charlotte 49ers. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center. 

UC Huskies Defeat UC Bearcats

CINCINNATI (AP) - Don't get Kemba Walker riled.
Walker scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half, after a courtside fan took to taunting him, and 14th-ranked Connecticut snapped out of its slump by beating Cincinnati 67-59 on Sunday.
The Huskies (21-7, 9-7 Big East) were coming off back-to-back losses, including an overtime defeat at Marquette on Thursday without coach Jim Calhoun. The 68-year-old coach was with his family in New Hampshire after the death of his sister-in-law.
UConn hadn't dropped three in a row all season and came out with a little extra determination against Cincinnati (22-7, 9-7), which was on a hot streak.
The Huskies led for all but 29 seconds.
"We basically had to act like we had something to prove," said Shabazz Napier, who had 11 points and six assists. "We got a lead and kept on going with it."
Walker, who leads the conference in scoring at 23 points per game, had only nine when a fan sitting courtside started taunting him. Walker made three consecutive baskets that built Connecticut's lead to 11 points, then smiled at the fan as he went down the court.
"I missed a shot and he said, 'Chris Paul wouldn't miss that shot,"' Walker said, referring to the New Orleans guard. "That's all right. I came down and made the next one. It was fun."
Jeremy Lamb added 17 for the Huskies, who went 10 of 19 from behind the 3-point arc. Cincinnati set its defense to deny Walker, leaving openings on the perimeter.
"They were so worried about me, the other guys were able to get shots and they took it to them," Walker said.
Yancy Gates had 14 points for Cincinnati, which has lost three of its last four home games. The Bearcats had won their last three overall, including victories over Louisville and Georgetown that put them in position to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since Bob Huggins was coach.
Bearcats players spent an hour and 45 minutes in the locker room afterward, talking about their lost opportunity before meeting the media.
"Everybody was kind of disappointed in our overall play," Gates said. "It wasn't how we've been playing lately. We've worked hard to put ourselves in this position. We're not in bad position, but we should have been more focused on the opportunity we had."
Their guards couldn't keep up with the inspired Walker and company.
"Our guards got as outplayed as you possibly could today," coach Mick Cronin said.
Walker got rolling against the league's stingiest defense when a fan sitting in the courtside seats started taunting him in the second half. Walker made a 3-pointer from the top of the key a few seconds later, turned and smiled at the fan as he ran down the court. He had a steal for a fast-break score, then made another jumper for a 56-45 lead and said something to the fan, who wouldn't taunt him again.
It was a rough week for Calhoun, who took responsibility Friday for recruiting violations. The school was put on three years' probation, lost scholarships and received recruiting restrictions. Calhoun got a three-game suspension that he will serve at the start of the 2011-12 Big East season.
Calhoun referred to the emotional week and praised his young players for coming through.
"I've had some very good teams over the last few years," Calhoun said. "This is one of my favorite teams of all time."
The Huskies appeared to be in trouble when Walker picked up his third foul with 16:37 to go and Cashmere Wright made both free throws for a 33-32 lead, Cincinnati's only one in the game. It didn't last long.
The 3 got UConn back ahead. Roscoe Smith and Napier made shots from behind the arc during a 12-2 run that gave the Huskies their biggest lead, 47-37, with 12:18 to go. Then Walker made his three consecutive shots to put UConn in control the rest of the way.
The long-range shooting was quite out of character. Connecticut ranks 12th in the Big East, making 33.5 percent of its 3-point attempts.

Reds 1st Spring Training Game Tomorrow

By:  Cooper Ledford

As the Cincinnati Reds have been in Goodyear, Arizona, for a few weeks, they will start Spring Training games, tomorrow.  After practicing ground balls and fly balls for a few weeks, they are ready to play against the Cleveland Indians, a team that shares Goodyear Ball Park with the Reds.  The game tomorrow is at 3:05 PM ET.  

'Cats Beat Gators, Coach Cal Gets 500th Win

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Darius Miller scored a career-high 24 points and Brandon Knight added 16 points and six assists as No. 22 Kentucky surged past No. 13 Florida 76-68 on Saturday.
The Wildcats (20-8, 8-6 Southeastern Conference) won their 33rd straight home game and gave coach John Caliparihis 500th career victory in bouncing back from a difficult overtime loss to Arkansas on Wednesday.
Miller topped the career high of 22 set last week against South Carolina with the kind of dynamic, aggressive play Calipari has been searching for all season.
Kenny Boynton led Florida (22-6, 11-3) with 21 points and Chandler Parsons added 15 points and eight rebounds. But the Gators, who clinched a share of the SEC East title with a win over Georgia on Thursday night, couldn't keep up with the Wildcats in the second half.
Fighting for loose balls, crashing the offensive boards and trying to keep Parsons in check, Miller kept Kentucky perfect at home under Calipari and gave the Wildcats a much-needed confidence boost following another meltdown on the road against the Razorbacks.
Kentucky took control of a tight game with a 10-2 burst midway through the second half to get some breathing room at 58-49.
The Gators answered with a 3-pointer in the corner by Parsons and drew within 61-56 on a layup by Parsons, who appeared to be just fine in his second game back from a painful thigh bruise.
The Wildcats responded, as they always seem to do at home. DeAndre Liggins, who engaged in a spirited back-and-forth with Calipari in the first half, hit a 3-pointer and Doron Lamb added a runner to push Kentucky's lead to 66-56.
Kentucky's offense, however, stalled over the next 2 minutes as the Gators stayed close.

Enter Miller, who has been a puzzle at times during his up-and-down career but finally seems to be finding himself. He chased down a 3-point miss by Lamb shortly after checking back in with 4:51 to go. Kentucky reset and Miller moved to the top of the key. The Wildcats went inside to Terrence Jones, who kicked it back out to Miller. He calmly drilled the 3-pointer and stuck his tongue out briefly while hustling back on defense.
Calipari had chastised his team for being too passive, saying his players appeared to be content to watch and let others do the work.
It wasn't an issue on Saturday. Kentucky held a slight edge on the backboards and outscored Florida 11-1 on second-chance points.
Miller added five rebounds, three assists and three blocks and senior Josh Harrellsonhad six points and 12 boards in his penultimate home game.
Kentucky has been unbeatable at Rupp Arena under Calipari, but the Gators - who ended Xavier's 30-game home winning streak on New Year's Eve - hardly looked intimidated.
The Wildcats needed 13 points from Miller and 11 from Knight to take a 34-33 halftime lead as Jones battled foul trouble and the rest of Kentucky's six-man rotation proved ineffective.
Florida showcased its depth by getting contributions from whomever coach Billy Donovan threw out on the court.
There were seven ties and 10 lead changes in the half, but the Wildcats finally gathered themselves early in the second to breathe some much-needed life into their season.
The win also made Calipari the second coach in NCAA history to win 500 games in his first 19 seasons, joining North Carolina coach Roy Williams, who won 524 games in his first 19 seasons.
Calipari is 500-151 in 19 seasons at Massachusetts, Memphis and Kentucky.

What The Games Mean This Weekend

By:  Cooper Ledford

Kentucky vs. Florida (SAT, 4 PM ET, CBS)- The Wildcats are a very weak team on the road, but at home, they look like last year's team, as they look like the best team in the country no matter who they are playing.  UK has not lost at the Comfy Confines of Rupp Arena, but Florida is a good team.  Last time the Gators and Wildcats met up, UK lost by 2.  This time, I expect them to win the game for only 1 reason-it's a home game.

Cincinnati vs. Connecticut (SUN, NOON ET, ESPNU)- The Bearcats looked very good in their last game @ Georgetown, and now they play another good team in the Huskies.  The Huskies will be favored to win, but this is a home game for the 'Cats.  If UC can beat G'Town on the road, I think they could beat UCONN at home.  But, this is Big East Basketball, and nothing is for sure in that league.  If the Bearcats win, look for them to be ranked in the next polls.

Xavier @ Dayton (SUN, 1 PM ET, ESPN/ESPN2)- The Musketeers and Flyers will meet up, Sunday, as the A-10's most heated rivalry continues.  Dayton is having a down season, while Xavier is having a great season, but, as I just said, this is a rivalry game.  Dayton will have the fans behind them, and will be playing better than usual, as they would love to take down the top team in the A-10, the Xavier Musketeers.  But, Xavier has won other tough road games, like @ Richmond, and have played, and beaten, better teams than Dayton.  XU has already beaten UD once this year, back in January, as they won 81-76.  That was a close game at the Cintas Center.  So, by reading this paragraph, it sounds like Dayton might win, well yeah, they might, but I am picking the Muskies in a close game, like 5 or less.  That is just because they are an overall better team.

Ohio State vs. Indiana (SUN, 4 PM ET, CBS)- The Buckeyes are coming off of a nice win over Illinois, and are looking like they are back on track--well, if they ever really went off the track-- and should beat Indiana Sunday.  Indiana is not a very good team, as they are 10th place in the Big Ten, and have won only 12 games this season.  The Hoosiers could upset the Bucks, but I highly doubt that.  This is a home game for Ohio State, and they are a much better team than than Indiana, so they should definitely take down the Hoosiers.

UC Announces 2011 Football Schedule

By: Cooper Ledford

The University of Cincinnati Bearcats have announced their 2011 football schedule.  Two games will be at Paul Brown Stadium, and two games are scheduled to be on National Television.  So, with not further delays, here is the 2011 football schedule for UC.

 

2011-2012 SCHEDULE

Date	Opponent / Event	Location	Time / Result
Thu., Sep. 1	vs. Austin Peay	Nippert Stadium	TBA
Sat., Sep. 10	at Tennessee	Knoxville, Tenn.	TBA
Sat., Sep. 17	vs. Akron	Nippert Stadium	TBA
Thu., Sep. 22	vs. NC State	Nippert Stadium	8:00 p.m. ET
Sat., Oct. 1	at Miami (OH)	Oxford, Ohio	TBA
Sat., Oct. 15	vs. Louisville *	Paul Brown Stadium	TBA
Sat., Oct. 22	at USF *	Tampa, Fla.	TBA
Sat., Nov. 5	at Pittsburgh *	Pittsburgh, Pa.	TBA
Sat., Nov. 12	vs. West Virginia *	Paul Brown Stadium	TBA
Sat., Nov. 19	at Rutgers *	Piscataway, N.J.	TBA
Sat., Nov. 26	at Syracuse *	Syracuse, N.Y.	TBA
Sat., Dec. 3	vs. Connecticut *	Nippert Stadium	TBA

Some games that I am anxious to see is that September 10th game @ Tennessee, that game might be the toughest game of the season.  Tennessee is not a great team, but they are an SEC team, and that is in Knoxville, so an SEC road test for the 'Cats, that will be a tough game, but fun to watch.  The game against NC State will be good, NC State has a good program, and that will just be a good ACC vs. Big East Battle.  The games vs. all the Big East teams will be good as well, but the two I am worried about is against Pittsburgh, as that game is in Pittsburgh, and then the game in which they play host to WVU.  I will have predictions for the season when football season is closer.

Bearcats Pull Upset vs. Hoyas

Yancy Gates (34) had
17 points and 11 rebounds
in Cincinnati's win over
Georgetown, Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Cincinnati's NCAA hopes look quite secure after the school's first road win over a Top 25 team in seven years, while Georgetown's immediate future is suddenly very cloudy because of Chris Wright's broken hand.
Yancy Gates had 17 points and 11 rebounds Wednesday night, and the Bearcats held Georgetown to four field goals in the second half in a 58-46 win over the No. 11 Hoyas.
The win ended Cincinnati's 20-game road losing streak against ranked teams, their last win coming against then-No. 21 Marquette on Jan. 14, 2004.
It also moved the Bearcats (22-6, 9-6) into a tie for seventh in the Big East standings, which would be good enough for a first-round bye in the conference tournament, and gives another boost to the school's hopes to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in Mick Cronin's five seasons as coach. A loss would have dropped them to 11th in the conference.
"This win really helps our cause," Gates said.
Dion Dixon also scored 17 points, Rashad Bishop had 12, and the Bearcats played more zone than usual to stifle the Hoyas. Georgetown shot 25 percent from the field, its worst shooting game since at least the 1996-97 season.
But the scoresheet wasn't the biggest concern for the Hoyas (21-7, 10-6) - it was the condition of Wright's left, non-shooting hand. The senior point guard was hurt with 15:54 remaining when he lost possession in the paint and committed a foul as he reached for the ball. He had his hand wrapped and stayed in the game for another 30 seconds, then left and returned briefly before grabbing his hand in pain, forcing a stoppage in play and sending him to the bench for good with about 11 minutes to go.
Coach John Thompson III said he did not know which bone was broken or have an estimate for how long Wright might be sidelined.
"I think we have to see how he feels," Thompson said. "I don't know what it means."
The injury is potentially a serious blow to the Hoyas' hopes for a deep postseason run. Wright is averaging 13.1 points, second on the team behind Austin Freeman. He had been playing especially well for the No. 11 Hoyas recently, averaging 21.7 points and shooting 50 percent from the field over his previous three games. He struggled against Cincinnati even before he broke his hand, going 0 for 6 from the field and scoring just two points.
After he left the game for good, the Hoyas were unable to mount any sort of serious comeback threat.
"I just thought we were out of sync," Thompson said. "I thought we went through a phase where we started feeling sorry for ourselves, which we don't need to do."
The Hoyas have lost two of three. Instead of moving into third place in the Big East, which would be worth a double-bye in the conference tournament, they dropped into a tie for fifth.
Freeman broke out of his latest mini-slump to score 19 points for the Hoyas, but he was the only player with any degree of success against a Bearcats team that entered the game leading the Big East in scoring defense, allowing 58.7 points per game.
Overall, Georgetown shot 12 for 48, including 5 for 23 from 3-point range, a stunning display from a team that began the day shooting 49.7 from the field - second in the nation. The Hoyas were 4 for 23 in the second half.
The teams were tied at 26 at halftime, but the Hoyas missed their first eight shots of the second half and committed seven turnovers before finally making a field goal - Hollis Thompson's 3-pointer with 9:31 remaining. By then, the Bearcats had opened the half with a 17-3 run to take a 43-28 lead. Gates scored seven points during the run and was an offensive rebounding force who kept possessions alive.
Georgetown stayed as close as it did because of the game's free-throw discrepancy. The Hoyas made 17 of 20 from the line; the Bearcats took only two free throws in the first 35 minutes and finished 9 for 13 because Georgetown was forced to foul late.
Gates' three-point play put the Bearcats ahead 48-35 with 4:43 to play. Freeman's fast-break layup and Vee Sanford's 3-pointer got the Hoyas within eight, but Bishop banked in a 3-pointer as the shot clock was about to expire to restore a double-digit lead with 3:13 to play. Freeman looked exasperated, slumping his shoulders and rolling his eyes as the shot went in.
"I was surprised it went in, too," Bishop said. "When it went in, I was just happy. It gave us some breathing room after they made a couple of shots, got the crowd back into it, so that was a big play."

Kentucky's Problems Continue, Fall To Hogs In OT

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) - John Pelphrey stormed onto the court with a foot stomp and a hand clap.
The Arkansas coach then proceeded to dish out high fives to everyone he could find.

Pelphrey had plenty of reasons for his emotional outburst after the Razorbacks fought off No. 22 Kentucky for a 77-76 overtime win on Wednesday night. The win was Pelphrey's first in four chances against his alma mater, and it snapped Arkansas' 10-game losing streak to the Wildcats.
"I know what it's like to be on the other side of the deal," Pelphrey said. "Every time you step on court, it's the largest crowd of the year. Everybody wants to measure themselves against those guys. I know that feeling.
"Our guys are going to be able to take this with them and they're going to talk about this for a long, long time."
Kentucky (19-8, 7-6 Southeastern Conference) led 76-75 in the final minute of overtime and had possession. However, Arkansas' Jeff Peterson picked off an errant pass and passed ahead to Marcus Britt, whose layup put the Razorbacks up 77-76 with 17 seconds remaining.
The Wildcats had several shots in the final seconds, but Brandon Knight's desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer went long. Kentucky fell to 1-6 on the road in conference play, with its last road win coming at South Carolina on Jan. 22.
"If you're not angry by this, like angry that this is happening and that we're going to stop this from happening, it won't change," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. " I know I'm angry."
Arkansas (17-9, 6-6) had lost four of five SEC games coming in. The Razorbacks started quickly, leading by as many as eight points in the first half, and got standout performances from Rotnei Clarke and Marshawn Powell.
Clarke led Arkansas with 26 points, hitting 11 of 12 free throws. Also, Powell had his best game of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Knight led Kentucky with 26 points, scoring 15 after halftime to help the Wildcats rally from a 34-32 deficit at the break.
Kentucky opened the second half on a 9-2 run to take a 43-37 lead after a DeAndre Liggins basket inside. The Razorbacks responded with a 10-0 run to go back up 47-37, with Clarke hitting seven straight free throws during the run.
The two teams settled into a back-and-forth affair after that, trading the lead seven more times. Knight put the Wildcats up 70-68 with a jumper in the final minute, but Arkansas' Julysses Nobles collected his own miss on the following possession and then drove in for a layup to tie it at 70.
Knight had a pair of open 3-point attempts on Kentucky's final possession in regulation, but he missed both to send the game into overtime.
"They felt good," Knight said. "I felt good shooting them, but they just didn't go down."
Knight connected on a jumper to give the Wildcats a 72-70 lead early in overtime. Powell answered at the other end for Arkansas, which had lost all three of its previous overtime games this season before Wednesday.
His putback of a Delvon Johnson miss tied the game at 72, but Terrence Jones put Kentucky back up with a putback of his own.
Nobles gave Arkansas its first lead of the extra period with an off-balance 3-pointer from the corner to go up 75-74, but Jones answered with a jumper.
Moments later, Britt deflected a pass by Knight that Peterson collected. He then looked ahead and found a streaking Britt for the game-winning layup as the Razorbacks improved to 15-2 in Fayetteville this season.
"It's huge," Clarke said. "I'm happy for our team, I'm happy for our coaching staff and happy for our fans."

X Scores 100, Beats La Salle, Tu Has Near Triple-Double

By:  Cooper Ledford


With Jeff Robinson scoring 22 points, and being the leading scorer for the Muskies, you would think he would be the star of the game, but that would be wrong.  Tu Holloway was the star (surprise-surprise), as he had 12 points, 15 assists, and 9 rebounds.  So a near triple-double, what is so special about that?  Well, had he gotten one more board, he would have had his second consecutive triple-double, that NEVER happens.  He had a chance, until there was 3 minutes left and Coach Mack took him out.  The crowd at the Cintas Center was not pleased, as they were chanting "We Want Tu!".  Chris Mack did not listen.  Anyways, XU beat La Salle, 100-62.


But, still a good outing for Tu Holloway.  Jamel McLean also had a good outing, as he had 12 points and 5 boards, Kenny Frease had 10 points and 9 boards, and Dante Jackson had 9 points.  Mark Lyons started on the bench today, as he was a bit shaken up I guess (I dunno for sure, I did not get to watch the game), but still managed to have 15 points.  Jay Canty added 10 points.  So 6 Muskies in double-figures.  Yep, that will get you 100 points.


La Salle was never in this game, I mean it was 1-0 at one point with X on top, but that was as close as it got. It was like 18-4 at one point, and 50-18, crazy.  The Musketeers out-assisted the Explorers 30-9, and out-rebounded them 34-22.  La Salle was only 19-53 from the floor, that will hurt ya too.


So, Xavier wins 100-64, go to 21-6, and 12-1 in the A-10, while La Salle falls to 12-16 overall, and 4-9 in the A-10.  


Up next, the 1st place Muskies will go up north to take on their hated rivals, the Dayton Flyers.  That game will be Sunday at 1:00 PM ET and will be on ESPN or ESPN2. 

Bucks Down Illini

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- David Lighty scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half and William Buford had all 17 of his in the first to lead No. 2 Ohio State past Illinois 89-70 on Tuesday night, an impressive bounce-back game after two recent losses for the Buckeyes.

Jon Diebler had 13 points, Aaron Craft 12 and Jared Sullinger 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Buckeyes (26-2, 13-2 Big Ten), who had lost two of three after winning their first 25 games.

Mike Davis scored 18 points, Mike Tisdale 14 and Jereme Richmond 11 for Illinois (17-11, 7-8), in dire need of more wins to make the NCAA tournament field. Demetri McCamey was held out of the starting lineup but had 15 points and six assists.

The Buckeyes never trailed after tying it 2-2, building a 15-point lead at halftime and then trading runs with the Illini.

Volquez To Start On Opening Day

By:  Cooper Ledford

Much to his surprise, the 27-year-old Dominican pitcher, Edinson Volquez, was named Opening Day Starter, by manager Dusty Baker.  It was expected that Bronson Arroyo would be getting the ball for the 1st game of the season against the Brewers, but Dusty will put Volquez as the No. 1 starter, behind him is Arroyo, followed by Cueto.

"I thought Cueto might be it, or Bronson for No. 1," Volquez said. "They're giving me the opportunity to be No. 1 and I'm excited. It's an honor. ... It surprised me when they told me. Those two guys just signed big contracts. I signed for one year. Pitching the first day is unbelievable."


Last season, Edinson had just 12 starts, went 4-3 with a 4.31 ERA.  In his last full season, 2008, he won 17 games and was selected to appear in the All-Star Game.  


With Edinson as the Ace, Bronson the 2nd starter, and Cueto 3rd, there are still 2 more spots in the rotation which are still open.  Travis Wood, Homer Bailey, and Mike Leake will be competing for one of those spots this Spring in Goodyear, Arizona.

SWO BB POLL

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

NOTE FROM COOP:  Ohio State is ranked #1 even though they lost because...Kansas lost, Texas lost, and Pitt lost.  But here is the difference: Kansas lost to K-State...not a ranked team, Texas lost to Nebraska...not a ranked team, Pitt lost to St. John's....not a ranked team, Ohio State lost to Purdue...a ranked team.

Bucks Fall To Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - E'Twaun Moore scored a career-high 38 points to lead No. 11 Purdue past No. 2 Ohio State 76-63 on Sunday, capping a week that saw the top four teams in the AP Top 25 lose a game.
Moore tied a career high with seven 3-pointers. He surpassed 2,000 points during a flurry of 13 in the final 3:49 of the first half, becoming the fifth player in school history to reach the milestone.
JaJuan Johnson added 13 points and six rebounds for Purdue (22-5, 11-3 Big Ten), which avenged an 87-64 loss at Ohio State on Jan. 25.
Jared Sullinger scored 25 points and Jon Diebler added 11 for the Buckeyes (25-2, 12-2), who have lost two of three after winning their first 24 games.
With losses in the past week by No. 1 Kansas, No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Pittsburgh, the Buckeyes entered the game in line to reclaim the No. 1 ranking they dropped after losing at Wisconsin on Feb. 12.
Instead, Ohio State now finds itself in a dogfight for the conference title. The Buckeyes, who could have all but sealed the championship with a win, now have a one-game lead with four to play.
Purdue shot 51 percent overall after hitting just 38 percent in the first matchup. The Boilermakers held the Buckeyes to 6-for-22 shooting in the second half.
Diebler entered the game one 3-pointer short of the Big Ten career record of 331 set by Penn State's Pete Lisicky from 1994-1998. Diebler tied the record on a feadeaway as the shot clock expired that gave Ohio State an 11-5 lead, and broke it on a shot from the right corner 1 minute into the second half.
Ohio State led 28-24 in the first half before Moore took over. He hit a 3-pointer, then scored on an acrobatic fastbreak layup to give Purdue the lead. He followed that with two more 3s to give the Boilermakers a 35-30 lead.
David Lighty's 3-pointer with 20 seconds left in the first half cut the lead to two, but Moore drained a jumper over Lighty in the closing seconds of the half to push Purdue's lead to 37-33. The Boilermakers forced nine turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
Moore found a streaking Terone Johnson with a behind-the-back pass, and Johnson's layup gave Purdue a 48-42 lead. Moore then made a long jumper to push the lead to 10 for the first time.
Ohio State hung around while Purdue took questionable shots. Sullinger drove for a powerful two-handed dunk and was fouled. His free throw cut Purdue's lead to 56-51.
Moore hit a fadeaway, then his sixth 3-pointer, to increase Purdue's lead to 61-53.