PubSub results for Notre Dame

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2010-03-10 00:14:26 GMT

Foothills Bears 2007 European Tour

Washington Examiner Site Feed

2010-03-09 20:45:10 GMT

Notre Dame wants to remain independent in football, but that might not matter if the Big Ten and Pac-10 decide to expand and create sweeping changes to major college sports.

Washington Examiner Site Feed

2010-03-09 18:00:46 GMT

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick says the possible expansion of the Big Ten could create changes in major college football that force the Fighting Irish to give up their football independence.

Fanhouse NCAA Football Blog

John Walters — 2010-03-09 16:29:00 GMT

Filed under: Notre Dame, Daily Domer

Is Notre Dame, an institution that for the longest time did not accept invitations to bowl games (and not just in seasons in which it finished 6-6), an institution that for the longest time did not accept female students, and an institution that in football has been forever fiercely independent, finally beginning to seriously consider joining a conference?

On Tuesday in New York City, Fighting Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick met with a few reporters and conceded that, in terms of current conference realignment rumors, "You can each come up with a scenario that would force our hand."

Such a scenario has two overriding factors: money and brand relevance. Beginning this season ESPN and its partner ABC will have the television rights to the four BCS bowls and the BCS Championship Game through 2014 (ESPN will air the BCS title game from 2011-2013 and ABC, which will retain exclusive control of the Rose Bowl, will air the 2014 BCS championship game from Pasadena). As Disney influence over college football continues to expand, Swarbrick must consider how Notre Dame's exclusive contract with NBC to air Fighting Irish home games (which runs through 2015) impacts his program.

Currently, Big Ten schools receive $22 million annually in television money, according to a recent report on ESPN's "Outside the Lines." Notre Dame, through its contract with NBC, receives about $15 million. That's correct: Indiana and Purdue both earn nearly 50 percent more in television money than fellow in-state program Notre Dame, even though the Irish dwarf both schools in terms of national interest.

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Card Chronicle

cardscott5 — 2010-03-09 23:21:16 GMT

Wes Johnson of Syracuse was named the Big East Player of the Year. I'm really surprised it didn't go to Scottie Reynolds. Syracuse also cleaned up as Jim Boeheim won the Big East Coach of the Year.

In other awards, Lance Stephenson of Cincinnati won the Big East Rookie of the Year. Tim Abromaitis of Notre Dame won the Big East Nerd, er, Scholar Athlete of the Year, which somehow was won by West Virginia players the last 2 seasons.

NBCSports.com: Sports

2010-03-09 18:36:37 GMT

USATODAY.com Sports News

2010-03-09 18:28:00 GMT

At the end of the last century, Notre Dame came close to giving up its football independence and joining the Big Ten before its trustees decided ...

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Bret Feddern — 2010-03-09 22:38:46 GMT

The Big Ten Conference has the world of college football completely captivated with the possibilities of expansion.

Several schools have been named-dropped in the media since conference commissioner Jim Delaney announced the expansion study back in December.

Some big-name schools like Texas and Nebraska have been heavily discussed as possible expansion targets, as have some smaller schools out of the Big East conference, like Rutgers and Pittsburgh.

Notre Dame is a school that's always been mentioned in expansion chatter, as well. It is likely the most desired school on the Big Ten's wish list, but is never given much consideration in discussions due, in part, to the school having walked away from expansion negotiations twice in the past.

Now it appears as though the Fighting Irish might be giving up their fight for football independence.

The NY Times is reporting that Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick has opened the door of interest for Big Ten with recent comments he made concerning conference expansion possibilities. With the Big Ten and the Pac 10 considering expansion, Swarbrick suggests the university is now having to give the idea more thought.

"What if realignment impacts the shape of the BCS?" Swarbrick hypothetically asked the NY Times .

As ESPN blogger Adam Rittenberg points out , by going public with its expansion study in December, the Big Ten sent out signals around college athletics that major changes might be on the horizon.

Notre Dame is one of only a handful of universities in college football not affiliated with a conference. While in some sports they are a member of the Big East, in football, Notre Dame has maintained its independence.

That independence has helped the program maintain its own television contract with NBC that's rumored to net around $9 million a year.

The contract with NBC might not be lucrative enough to stop the school from accepting an expansion invite, though. With major conference shifts being discussed in every corner of media, Notre Dame is claiming their hand might be forced.

"The Big East has been a great conference for us," Swarbrick said. "If there is a fundamental change to the Big East, what does that do?"

Major conference shifts aside, the money might be a more motivating factor. The revenue potential from the Big Ten Network is far beyond what the NBC contract could provide.

With the NBC contract, Notre Dame can only make a set amount of money. With the Big Ten Network, the potential is there for more because the network pays out based on a percentage of income.

According to a report on the New Times website , each school received over $11 million in 2007. In 2008, each school received roughly $22 million.

With the way revenue is increasing for the Big Ten Network, adding a school like Notre Dame would likely boost income to a point where teams would still see an increase in that amount even after an additional team was added to the share. Notre Dame would be foolish not to seriously consider an offer, should one be extended.

The Big Ten has given no hints about what schools it might be after, or how many schools are in consideration, but that doesn't stop the Blogosphere and Twitterverse from discussing the possibilities. Those possibilities seem to have caught Swarbrick's attention.

"You have such an interesting media environment here. It’s having such an impact on people," Swarbrick added. "I've been in and around this business for 29 years now. This is as unstable as I’ve seen it."

A down economy tends to make things unstable, and the Big Ten seems to be in a great position to take advantage of that instability.

The Quad

By THE NEW YORK TIMES — 2010-03-09 17:16:04 GMT

The Times's Pete Thamel and Kevin Armstrong, along with Zach Hillesland, a former Notre Dame forward, will provide analysis and updates throughout the day.

The Dagger - NCAAB - Yahoo! Sports

Jeff Eisenberg — 2010-03-09 16:39:45 GMT

Our conference tournament previews continue with the Big East, which will put at least seven teams into the NCAA tournament with Notre Dame, Seton Hall and Connecticut trying to add to that list.

Big East Tournament

Date: March 9-13

Site: Madison Square Garden

First round
No. 9 South Florida vs. No. 16 DePaul
No. 12 Connecticut vs. No. 13 St. John's
No. 10 Seton Hall vs. No. 15 Providence
No. 11 Cincinnati vs. No. 14 Rutgers

Second Round
No. 8 Georgetown vs. USF/DePaul
No. 5 Marquette vs. Connecticut/St. John's
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. Seton Hall/Providence
No. 6 Louisville vs. Cincinnati/Rutgers

Quarterfinals
No. 1 Syracuse vs. 8/9/16 winner
No. 4 Villanova vs. 5/12/13 winner
No. 2 Pittsburgh vs. 7/10/15 winner
No. 3 West Virginia vs. 6/11/14 winner

Favorite: Syracuse (28-3)

Contenders: Pittsburgh (24-7), West Virginia (24-6), Villanova (24-6), Marquette (20-10), Louisville (20-11)

Did you know: South Florida has never won a Big East tournament game, falling in the opening round last year and failing to qualify the previous three seasons.

Outlook: Syracuse is the top seed and favorite, but the intrigue is further down in the draw. Connecticut needs at minimum a semifinal run to play itself back into at-large consideration, while Seton Hall and Notre Dame also may have to win a game or two to feel confident about their at-large chances. The Irish should be particularly intriguing to watch since they will be working Luke Harangody back into the rotation off the bench after the team won four straight to end the regular season essentially without him.

In The Bleachers - A College Football Blog and Podcast

michael.felderjr@gmail.com (Michael Felder) — 2010-03-09 21:33:52 GMT

Allen Kenney from Bloguin Partner "Blatant Homerism" stops by the show for a little spirited debate about the two highest rated quarterbacks in this year's NFL Draft. Kenney takes the side of man who quarterbacked his Sooners, the Heisman winning Sam Bradford while your host Michael Felder fires the shots for Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen.

There are plenty of salvos launched from both side as Kenney uses one of Felder's NFL guru's criteria to downgrade Clausen as he champions for Bradford. Michael brings up his favorite argument against Bradford; we'll call it the Heupel, Hybl and White effect.

This debate will rage until the draft in April and this is just the first in a series of battles over which matters more for NFL success; comfort in running a pro system or prolific college statistics.

To listen to the show click here or subscribe to one of the methods listed below.

If you want the podcast you must subscribe to the Feedburner,but if you want to subscribe to the blog please use the New RSS Feed.This is for iTunes to be able to archive the shows. You can also search for "In The Bleachers" on iTunes and subscribe to the podcast that way.

Got a question? Email it in to InTheBleachers @ GMAIL (dot) COM

Hit us up on Twitter @InTheBleachers!

ChicagoNow

nickshep10 — 2010-03-09 20:38:13 GMT

Theo Riddick, Notre Dame's primary kickoff return man in 2009 will join its receiving corps in 2010. Find out here why its a smart move for both parties...

ChicagoNow

nickshep10 — 2010-03-09 20:49:17 GMT

Notre Dame seems just about set to play a 2012 contest at Soldier Field in Chicago...who could some potential opponents be and why should we want to see them? Find out here...

Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7

Ralph D. Russo — 2010-03-09 18:02:28 GMT

Swarbrick: Expansion could force ND into move NEW YORK ? Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick says the possible expansion of the Big Ten could create changes in major college football that force the Fighting Irish to give up their football independence. The Big Ten and Pac-10 have both said they are exploring the possibility of adding ... Original article on : Notre Dame AD says conference expansion could force Irish to give up football independence.

FANTASY FOOTBALL - Google Blog Search

info@cffinsider.com (Alex Esselink) — 2010-03-09 20:13:27 GMT

College Fantasy Football Player News: Is Notre Dame getting the itch?

Japan Times: Sports

2010-03-09 20:12:00 GMT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Tina Charles, Maya Moore and the latest Connecticut Huskies dynasty now has its own place in the record books.
Charles scored 16 points and Moore added 11 to help top-ranked Connecticut win an NCAA record 71st straight game — a 59-44 victory over No. 6 Notre Dame on Monday night in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.

College Gridiron 365 Blog» Orlando Sentinel – College Gridiron 365 Blog

andrea adelson — 2010-03-09 19:11:38 GMT

Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick has insisted that his school will not be a part of an expanded Big Ten, or any other conference for that matter. But on Tuesday, he seemed to change his tune. On Tuesday morning in New York, Swarbrick said the possible expansion of that league and/or the Pac-10 could force the [...]

Boston.com -- Latest sports news

Ralph D. Russo, AP College Football Writer — 2010-03-09 18:00:25 GMT

The Quad

By PETE THAMEL — 2010-03-09 18:34:20 GMT

With the Big Ten and the Pacific-10 considering expansion, Notre Dame is being forced to explore options for its future that include giving up its indepedence, he said.

College Gridiron 365 Blog» Orlando Sentinel – College Gridiron 365 Blog

andrea adelson — 2010-03-09 14:25:55 GMT

A registered sex offender who played at Abilene Christian had a good performance at the NFL Combine. Is that enough for him to get drafted despite his past? Is Chicago up next for Notre Dame? Tennessee QB Matt Simms has been cleared for spring practice and will be competing for the starting job. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez’s job [...]

NYT > Sports

By PETE THAMEL — 2010-03-09 18:54:16 GMT

With the Big Ten and the Pacific-10 considering expansion, Notre Dame is being forced to explore options for its future that include giving up its indepedence, he said.

ESPN.com - College Football

Associated Press — 2010-03-09 18:26:16 GMT

Stories for All

AP — 2010-03-09 18:00:05 GMT

NEW YORK -- Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick says the possible expansion of the Big Ten could create changes in major college football that force the Fighting Irish to give up their foot

Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Riazat Butt — 2010-03-09 16:30:00 GMT

Why are America's culture wars being played out on the campus of this Catholic university?

With one of the 15 biggest endowments in the US and a spot in Newsweek's 25 "new elite Ivies" the University of Notre Dame has plenty to be cheerful about. But events on the northern Indiana campus have once more exposed the uneasy relationship between the university's Catholic foundations and progressive elements of the student body and society at large. A cartoon published in the Observer, one of several college newspapers, depicted a conversation between two characters.

"What's the easiest way to turn a fruit into a vegetable?"

"No idea."

"A baseball bat."

The original had "Aids" as the punchline instead of "a baseball bat" but the paper felt it was inappropriate to make fun of those suffering from the illness and rejected this version of the cartoon. This editorial intervention failed to prevent the ensuing outcry – the assistant managing editor stepped down and the paper apologised for the "cruel and hateful" comic strip. It said "hurtful language" was still present among some circles and that such comments should not be made at all: "We will not allow our pages to be a forum for such hatred. Publishing commentary that seems to encourage or support hate against fellow human beings is inexcusable. We must look to promote instead a culture of acceptance and support for all."

Testing these ideals earlier this month was a column from regular contributor, Professor Emeritus Charles E Rice. The Observer turned it down, claiming it exceeded the word count and that the language was a cause for concern. What Professor Rice said – however disagreeable and objectionable one may find it – is an accurate reflection of church teaching on homosexuality. Indeed, Benedict XVI could not have said it better. The Observer, still reeling from the comic strip controversy, saw the column as an expression of hurtful language. Rice refused to restrict his presentation of Catholic doctrine and says he will no longer write for the Observer. Though it garnered fewer headlines, this spat as another illustration of the challenges facing the university while also highlighting and the disconnect between the Catholic hierarchy and ordinary Catholics.

Of course the most famous example Notre Dame's struggle over its identity is Obama's visit to the campus last May, when he received an honorary degree and delivered a commencement address. At the heart of this debate is how Catholic the university wishes to be. A strict adherence to doctrine risks excluding students from its desire to be "a bellwether institution in the pursuit of truth and knowledge". Ignoring its religious heritage alienates those drawn to the college precisely because of this ethos. Official Catholicism is not well known for its ability to compromise, but the college could do worse than to remember its mission to provide a forum where "through free inquiry and open discussion, the various lines of Catholic thought may intersect with all the forms of knowledge found in the arts, sciences, professions, and every other area of human scholarship and creativity."

Riazat Butt

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DaBears - Chicago Bears Message Board and Fan Blog Site

dabears54 — 2010-03-09 11:54:02 GMT

*NFLPA Q&A; with Matt Forte* *By *Neil Hayes (http://blogs.suntimes.com/notredame/)on March 8, 2010 3:05 PM The NFL Players Association website...

Women Talk Sports | Latest News and Blog Posts

2010-03-08 19:45:00 GMT

As the University of Connecticut takes the court in tonight's Big East semi-final game, everyone will be talking about "the streak". With a win over Notre Dame, Geno Auriemma's squad will have 71-consecutive victories. A women's college basketball record that will break it's own 70-game streak from 2001-2003. You cannot deny their greatness and sheer domination in the sport of women's basketball. I even had a recent debate about how many Division I men'steams this current UConn squad could beat. Personally, I think that number would be fairly impressive. But today I want to share the love and give some pub to the only other undefeated women's team in the 2009-10 season - the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nebraska is known for it's prowess on the football field, or even the baseball diamond, but never on the hard-court. This year is different. This year head coach Connie Yori has taken her team to unimaginable heights - perfection. The Huskers are batting 1.000, with a 29-0 regular season record, 16-0 in one of the toughest conferences in the land. This undefeated record is even more impressive when you consider the conference as a whole on both the men's and women's side. You all know men's powerhouse Kansas and their lengthy legacy. Most have heard of the Oklahoma women's program led by Sherri Coale, who have twice made it to the Women's final for in the aughts, including a title game loss to Connecticut in 2002 or the Baylor Bears who took the crown in 2005. Yet, this marks the first time - ever - for a conference men's or women's program to have an undefeated regular season. Some impressive statistics for the team: they're leading the conference in scoring offense, averaging 76.0 points per game hitting 45.3 percent of their field goals, their scoring margin is +14.9 points. This team truly plays as a team, averaging 13.6 assists per game and is also boasting the lowest assist-to-turnover ratio in the league (1.10). Senior Kelsey Griffin, their on-court leader, is averaging 21.4 points per game which places her second behind Oklahoma State's Andrea Riley and a league-high 10.6 rebounds per game. What is remarkable about this is Griffin took a redshirt season last year due to injury that required two surgeries with the last being in June 2009. She didn't even return to playing full-court basketball until September. Not only is Griffin's comeback remarkable, but as is the team's. In 2008-09, Nebraska finished with a 15-16 overall, 6-10 Big 12 record which was only good for 9th in the conference. The preseason polls (not that I believe them anyway) had Nebraska in the 39th spot in the AP and unmentioned in the USAToday/Coaches poll. Quite a far cry from the current 3rd-place spot in both. OK - everyone can go back to marvelling at Connecticut, as it is well deserved. Just don't forget that there is another school playing to perfection too this year.

Yardbarker: College Basketball

2010-03-09 12:05:41 GMT

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This preview is the first of a four part series leading up to the 57th edition of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this part, we will examine the noon matchup on Thursday of #8 seed Boston College Eagles and the #9 seed Virginia Cavaliers. We will also take a look at how well the winner will matchup with the #1 seed Duke Blue Devils on Friday at noon.

Click through for more details...

The first game of the 2010 ACC Tournament is between #8 Boston College with a record of 15-15 (6-10) and #9 Virginia, who is 14-15 (5-11). This is a game between teams that have both experienced a bad stretch of games. Boston College has won only 3 of their last 9 games while Virginia has lost 9 straight games after starting the conference year with a surprising 5-2 record.

Boston College won the only matchup between these two teams 68-55 on March 3rd. Corey Raji led Boston College with 18 points and 9 rebounds while Sylven Landesberg led UVA with 13 points and 3 assists.

Boston College will win if....they can field a team and not forfeit the game. With Sylven Landesberg and Calvin Baker both out for Virginia, it will seemingly be very difficult for Virginia to win the game. In all seriousness though, the Eagles need Joe Trapani to continue to play at a high level as he has throughout the year (14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds). Reggie Jackson has come on as of late and provided a fantastic spark for Al Skinner. The critical player very well could be Tyler Roche, who has scored 30 points twice this year when filling in for Trapani. If Roche has more than 15 points this game will not be close at all.

Virginia will win if...everything on the floor goes their way and then some. This team is in a complete free fall. After winning their first 5 of 7 games in the ACC they have lost 9 in a row and haven't been competitive in some of them (5 of those 9 losses have been by double digits). To make matters worse, their superstar Sylven Landesberg is academically ineligible for the rest of the season because he thought class at Virginia wasn't as important as sleeping. Mike Scott and Sammy Zeglinski will have to step up big time for the Wahoos to have a chance. Virginia is coming off a well played game at home against Maryland, so maybe Tony Bennett can conjure up some magic and get Virginia into the second round against Duke.

BSD Predictions

WakeJake- BC 72-60

MRickman- BC 70-62

BJohnston- BC 64-49

RaJohnston- BC 72-60

Average: BC 70-58

Our writers thought that Boston College would be too much for the Virginia Cavaliers, especially without Baker and Landesberg. Al Skinner has experienced some good success in the ACC Tournament and they should move on to Friday with relative ease unless something unexpected happens.

Whoever is lucky enough to advance to face the #1 seed Duke Blue Devils on Friday certainly has their hands full. Duke is playing for a #1 seed in the Big Dance and no matter who they face on Friday, should advance to the semi-finals on Saturday. Duke has won 8 of the past 11 ACC Tournaments and it is no secret that if they win this year the ACC Tournament may be renamed the Duke Invitational.

Led by the three headed monster of Nolan Smith, Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler, Duke is very difficult to defend on the inside, but especially the outside. The 52 ppg for this threesome is the second most in the country only behind Notre Dame's three players. Coach K has dominated the ACC Tournament in recent years and this year will probably be no different with a relatively easy path to the finals on Sunday.

Boston College will more than likely be the team that will face them on Friday and, to have a chance to stay in the game, will need monster games from likely Roche, Trapani and Jackson. Biko Paris will have to take care of the ball better than he has been lately. On defense, they cannot allow any of the three players to get open shots early from the outside because it could be over quickly if they do. Rebounding will be critical as well, because with the Plumlees and Zoubek coming on strong Duke, has been getting more than one look at the basket.

If UVA makes it through Boston College on Thursday, I have no idea what they will do about the size inside for Duke. The Wahoos don't really have anybody that can battle inside with Zoubek and the Plumlee brothers. They would need to lockdown with their packline defense and not allow Duke to get good looks at the basket.

I think it is fair to say that neither Boston College nor Virginia has a very good chance at beating Duke because they will have already played one game the day before and they are also on the wrong side of a large talent discrepancy. I have seen Duke with 91% odds on several publication to advance to Saturday, and I do not disagree.

BSD ODDS to win ACC Tournament:

Duke - 61%

BC/UVA - ~1%

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NYT > Sports

By DAVE CALDWELL — 2010-03-09 04:16:33 GMT

SacBee -- Sports

2010-03-09 08:00:00 GMT

TODAY

COLL. MEN'S BASKETBALL

So. Florida vs. DePaul 9 a.m. ESPN2

Connecticut vs. St. John's 11 a.m. ESPN2

Troy vs. North Texas 4 p.m. ESPN2

Seton Hall vs. Providence 4 p.m. ESPNU

Wright State vs. Butler 6 p.m. ESPN

IUPUI vs. Oakland 6 p.m. ESPN2

Cincinnati vs. Rutgers 6 p.m. ESPNU

COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Arkansas L.R. vs. Mid. Tenn. 11 a.m. ESPNU

Oral Roberts vs. S. Dakota St. 1 p.m. ESPNU

Connecticut vs. West Virginia 4 p.m. ESPN

NBA

Kings at Portland 7 p.m. CSNCA 950, 1140

Toronto at L.A. Lakers 7:30 p.m. NBATV

NHL

N.Y. Islanders at Philadelphia 4:30 p.m. VS

SOCCER

Arsenal vs. Porto 11:30 a.m. CSNBA

WEDNESDAY

COLL. MEN'S BASKETBALL

Georgetown vs. TBA 9 a.m. ESPN

Marquette vs. TBA 11 a.m. ESPN

Notre Dame vs. TBA 4 p.m. ESPN

Robert Morris vs. Quinnipiac 4 p.m. ESPN2

Louisville vs. TBA 6 p.m. ESPN

Big Sky Conf., Teams TBA 6 p.m. ESPN2

Oregon vs. Washington St. 8 p.m. CSNBA

COLLEGE MEN'S LACROSSE

North Carolina at Duke 4 p.m. ESPNU

COLLEGE WOMEN'S LACROSSE

Towson at Johns Hopkins 1 p.m. ESPNU

NBA

Utah at Detroit 4:30 p.m. NBATV

Toronto at Kings 7 p.m. CSNCA 950, 1140

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Joe Willett — 2010-03-08 22:18:12 GMT

This article was originally published at TheDailyCub.com , my blog covering the Chicago Cubs throughout the season.

This is going to be the first in a four-part series breaking down four positions for the Chicago Cubs.

Part one is going to be break down the Chicago Cubs’ pitching, after this article I will be taking on the infield, outfield, and bullpen.

The Cubs have been known for having solid starting pitching, and this season should be no different. Here is the expected rotation:

1. Carlos Zambrano
2. Ted Lilly
3. Ryan Dempster
4. Randy Wells
5. Tom Gorzelanny
Others who could start games: Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija, Carlos Silva.

Who Needs to Step Up : Carlos Zambrano

Who Could be the Biggest Surprise : Randy Wells

Looking at what each of these pitchers did last season, the Cubs are seemingly set at the top of their rotation. None of the top four pitchers had an ERA above 4.00.

However, the Cubs supposed ace of the staff, Carlos Zambrano, was, if anything, the fourth-best starting pitcher for the Cubs last season.

His ERA was fourth highest among the five expected starters, and he was just one strikeout away from being third in strikeouts, instead he was second with 152. He also finished fourth in WHIP.

But although the Cubs don’t have a legit ace, they also don’t give opposing teams a break, as none of their pitchers are exactly bad either.

After facing Carlos Zambrano, they face Ted Lilly, who had a 3.10 ERA last season, struck out 152 batters, and had a WHIP of just 1.06.

However, Lilly likely won’t be back until some time in early May. He is trying to be able to be back in April, but the Cubs aren’t going to risk anything, and if he has to miss an extra two starts to make sure he doesn’t miss serious time, nobody will complain.

This opens up an opportunity for a few Cubs pitchers to try to jump in and take his place. Chances are that Carlos Silva, Jeff Samardzija, or Sean Marshall will be the fifth starter for the first month or so.

The Cubs don’t have an especially difficult schedule at the beginning of the season, so although Lilly coming back should be a priority, his health should be a bigger one.

Until Lilly comes back, Dempster will be directly following Carlos Zambrano in the rotation.

Last season, Demster’s stats dropped from his magical 2008, but he was still very impressive holding an ERA of 3.65 and a 1.31 WHIP while striking out 172 batters, leading all Cubs and finishing 15th in the NL.

Randy Wells was a big surprise last season, as he came out of nowhere to tie for the most wins on the Cubs with 12. He also lead all starters with an ERA of 3.05.

If Wells is even close to as good as he was last season, the Cubs will be greatly benefited during the absence of Lilly. However, last season was just his first full season pitching in the majors, but in about 10 major league innings before last season he didn’t allow a single hit.

The favorite for the fifth Cubs position when the rotation is healthy will likely be won by Tom Gorzelanny, who came to Chicago from the Pirates last season.

Despite his ERA being 5.55, he was able to find ways to win, going 7-3. If you look at Gorzelanny’s season last year, you will see amazing inconsistency.

However, when he was able to establish himself, he was outstanding. In every game that he was able to pitch more than five innings, he never allowed more than two runs and went 4-0.

If he can channel what he did in those starts where he pitched a high amount of innings, then the Cubs will be very pleased in the former Pirate.

When looking at the other players who could start games for the Cubs, there isn’t much talent to choose from. There is the amazingly overpaid Carlos Silva, who is consistently beyond horrible.

Silva belongs in Double-A at best, but his highly inflated contract could keep him floating between Triple-A and the majors.

Jeff Samardzija is another option, and the Notre Dame product has shown some good pitching chops. Although I prefer to see him in the bullpen, he could give some short-term relief as the fifth starter.

Sean Marshall has been good in flashes as a starter through a few seasons, but he has never really met his potential despite never really being bad. He hasn’t had an ERA over 4.50 in the last three seasons, and like Samardzija, could be a good short-term option.

Overall, the Cubs don’t have anybody that really stands out in their starting rotation, but they also have very few people who fall into the background.

Although they aren’t anything special, the starting rotation shouldn’t lose the Cubs too many games.

I’m Joe W.

The Seattle Times

2010-03-09 04:56:36 GMT

The top-ranked Connecticut Huskies made women's college basketball history Monday night — not that you would have known it by watching them. Tina Charles scored 16 points and Maya Moore added 11 to help UConn win an NCAA-record 71st consecutive game, a 59-44 victory over No. 6 Notre Dame in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Jeremy Clark — 2010-03-09 03:53:17 GMT

First Round

1. STL QB SAM BRADFORD – THEY WILL EITHER TRADE OUT OF THIS PICK OR TAKE BRADFORD. ALTHOUGH, CLAUSEN PROJECTS AS THE BETTER NFL QUARTERBACK

2. DET DT NDAMUKONG SUH – NO FUC*ING BRAINER!

3. TB DT GERALD McCOY – NO FUC*ING BRAINER!

4. WSH OT RUSSELL OKUNG – CHRIS SAMUELS’ RETIREMENT SET SHANNY’S REBUILDING PLAN BACK, AT LEAST A BIT. THE UPGRADE BY TAKING OKUNG IS GREATER THAN THE UPGRADE BY TAKING A QB TO REPLACE JASON CAMPBELL. ASSUMING THEY HAVE CAMPBELL, THEY WILL TAKE OKUNG.

5. KC S/CB ERIC BERRY – NO FUC*ING BRAINER! ARGUABLY THE BEST OVERALL, NFL READY PROSPECT IN THIS YEARS CLASS, THE CHIEFS ARE THRILLED HE IS AVAILABLE AT NUMBER FIVE. AN INSTANT STARTER ON MOST NFL TEAMS. PROBABLY AN ALL-PRO FOR YEARS TO COME. **POSSIBLE DESTINATION FOR TRADE-UP TARGETING CLAUSEN??

6. SEA QB JIMMY CLAUSEN – CALLED A MIX BETWEEN DREW BREES AND PHILIP RIVERS BY ONE ANALYST, CLAUSEN IS REGARDED BY MANY AS THE MOST NFL READY QUARTERBACK TO COME ALONG IN YEARS, POSSIBLY SINCE PEYTON MANNING.

PETE CARROLL LOST A HARD-FOUGHT, THREE YEAR LONG RECRUITING BATTLE TO CHARLIE WEIS FOR THE RIGHT TO COACH AND DEVELOP THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE, WHOSE OLDER BROTHERS RICK AND CASEY BOTH PLAYED DIV. 1 COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

NOW, AFTER HE SPENT THREE YEARS UNDER WEIS, CARROLL IS SITTING IN POSITION TO TAKE THE JUNIOR QUARTERBACK AND REBUILD THE SEAHAWKS AROUND HIM. **LOOK FOR SEATTLE TO MOVE DOWN, ESPECIALLY IF BOTH QB’S ARE GONE.

7. CLEV RB C.J. SPILLER – SPILLER IS A BIT UNDERSIZED, BUT HAS SHOWN THE ABILITY TO RUN BETWEEN THE TACKLES VERY EFFECTIVELY. HIS 4.28 40-YARD DASH AT THE COMBINE SOLIDIFIED WHAT MANY THOUGHT: SPILLER IS 2010’S TOP BACK. AFTER RELEASING JAMAL LEWIS, HOLMGREN IS POISED TO REUNITE THE CLEMSON PRODUCT WITH HIS FORMER TIGER TEAMMATE. **LOOK FOR CLEVELAND TO POSSIBLY MOVE UP, TARGETING CLAUSEN/BRADFORD.

8. OAK OT BRUCE CAMPBELL – WORKOUT WARRIOR. 6’5” 315 LBS. AND SHREDDED (FOR A BIG MAN)! THAT BEING SAID, I CAN’T FIND ANYONE, ANYWHERE THAT’S THINKS HE GAME FILM MATCHES HIS MEASUREABLES! THAT BEING SAID, AL DAVIS WILL TAKE HIM AND ALLOW THE MORE NFL-READY TACKLE PROSPECTS TO SLIDE DOWN A SLOT! THANKS AL!

9. BUFF OT BYRAN BULAGA – ALTHOUGH I THINK HE PROJECTS BETTER AS A RIGHT TACKLE ON A LONG-TERM BASIS, BULAGA WILL BE AN INSTANT STARTER AND ENORMOUS UPGRADE FOR AN UP-AND-COMING BUFFALO BILLS LINE. I THINK THAT OKUNG AND ANTHONY DAVIS WILL BE BETTER LEFT TACKLES IN THE FUTURE, BULAGA IS VERY NFL-READY, AS MOST KIRK-FERENTZ COACHED LINEMEN ARE.

THE BILLS ARE THRILLED HE’S HERE AND BRING SOME ATTITUDE AND STABILTY TO THE TRENCHES. **LOOK FOR BULAGA TO BE A POSSIBLE TARGET OF THE CHIEFS AT #5 AS PIOLI AND FERENTZ ARE FRIENDS AND FORMER CO-CORKERS. IF BULAGA AND ANTHONY DAVIS ARE GONE HERE, THE BILLS COULD GO WITH DAN WILLIAMS, NT, AND GET THEIR 3-4 ANCHOR.

10. JAX CB JOE HADEN – A PLAYER CAN IMPRESS ON AND OFF THE FIELD FOR 3-4 YEARS. SHOW OUTSTANDING MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ABILITY BOTH IN PERSON AND ON FILM. EVERY YEAR ONE OF THOS PLAYERS DOESN’T TEST WELL IN HIS UNDERWEAR, WITH NO PADS ON, NOT PERFORMING ANYTHING THAT IS WIDELY USED ON A FOOTBALL FIELD, AND FALLS IN THE DRAFT.

THIS YEAR IT'S JOE HADEN. WATCH HIS FILM. IN BUFFALO, WE SAW A LOT OF HIM THESE LAST FEW YEARS ON CBS AND ALL HE DID WAS SHUT DOWN THE OPPOSITIONS BEST PERIMETER WEAPON. HE PLAYS FASTER THAN HIS OFFICIAL 4.57, AND IF HE TESTS BETTER AT HIS PRO DAY, HE MAY MOVE BACK UP THE BOARD.

HE DOES, HOWEVER, RUN THE RISK OF RUNNING A SLOWER TIME AND FURTHER DAMAGING HIS STOCK. WHEREVER HE IS TAKEN, HE WILL BE A PLAYMAKER AND WILL BECOME A PRO-BOWL CALIBER CORNER. **I HOPE THEY TAKE TEBOW HERE!!!! HAHAHA

11. DEN LB ROLANDO McCLAIN – THE BRONCOS HAVE A HOLE ON THEIR LINEBACKING CORE, NEEDING ANOTHER ILB TO PLAY NEXT TO D. WILLIAMS. McCLAIN HAS TONS OF EXPERIENCE IN A 3-4 AND HAS THE ABILITY TO PLAIN BOTH INSIDE AND OUT. INSIDE MAY BE HIS BEST POSITION, AS HE DIDN’T APPEAR TO BE TERRIBLY FLUID THROUGH HIS LOWER BODY BUT HAS RAY LEWIS TYPE OF INSTINCTS!

**HADEN COULD ALSO BE A CONSIDERATION HERE, IF HE’S STILL ON THE BOARD. I KNOW MIAMI TOOK DEDENSIVE BACKS WITH HIS FIRST TWO SELECTIONS LAST YEAR BUT HE CONTINUES TO THINK THAT’S THE AREA IN NEED OF AN UPGRADE.

12. MAI NT DAN WILLIAMS – WILLIAMS IS A MONSTER IN THE MIDDLE OF A 3-4 SCHEME. NOT ONLY DOES HE HAVE THE SIZE, AT 6’2” 327 LBS, BUT HE CARRIES HIS WEIGHT IN HIS TRUNK. WILLIAMS IS THE KIND OF PLAYER THAT CAN ANCHOR YOUR DEFENCE FOR 15 YEARS AND THE LIKES OF BUFFALO, CLEVELAND AND KANSAS CITY MAY ONE DAY REGRET PASSING ON HIM.

MIAMI GETS A POTENTIAL STEAL AT #12 AND SPRINTS TO THE PODIUM TO GET HIM! **HADEN COULD ALSO BE A CONSIDERATION HERE, IF HE’S STILL ON THE BOARD. I KNOW MIAMI TOOK DEFENSIVE BACKS WITH HIS FIRST TWO SELECTIONS LAST YEAR BUT HE CONTINUES TO THINK THAT’S THE AREA IN NEED OF AN UPGRADE.

13. SF OT ANTHONY DAVIS – DAVIS PROJECTS AS THE BEST LONG-TERM LEFT TACKLE (SAVE OKUNG) IN THIS YEAR’S CLASS, ALTHOUGH HE MAY NEED TO SPEND SOME TIME AT RIGHT TACKLE UNTIL HE UNSEATS JOE STALEY. THE NINERS ALREADY HAVE AL DAVIS’S THANK-YOU CARD!

14. SEA OT TRENT WILLIAMS – ANOTHER THANK YOU CARD, THIS TIME FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, IS ON ITS WAY TO AL DAVIS! SEAHAWKS FANS ARE THRILLED WILLIAMS IS THERE, WALTER JONES’ REPLACEMENT IN NOW ON-BOARD.

15. NYG DE DERRICK MORGAN – MORGAN IS AN OUTSTANDING ATHLETE WITH EXCELLENT VERSITILITY. HE COULD CERTAINLY BE SELECTED HIGHER THAN THIS, CONSIDERING HIS ABILITY TO PLAY END IN BOTH 4-3 AND 3-4 ALIGNMENTS. HE HAS SPEED (4.70), STRENGTH AND SIZE (6’4” 270 LBS).

I THINK THE GIANTS WILL THAKE THE BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER AVAILABLE AND MORGAN IS JUST THAT, WITH McCLAIN OFF THE BOARD. **IF MCCLAIN IS THERE, THE GIANTS WILL RUN TO THE PODIUM, IN HOPES OF REPLACING ANTONIO PIERCE.

16. TENN DE/OLB JASON PIERRE-PAUL – BIGGEST BUST POTENTIAL IN THIS YEARS DRAFT (SAVE BRADFORD, ESPECIALLY IF HE GOES FIRST OVERALL). DON’T LIKE HIM; DON’T LIKE THE TITANS – PERFECT MATCH!

17. SF CB KYLE WILSON – WILSON OFFERS THE BEST COMBINATION OF SPEED/COVERAGE ABILITY/RETURN ABILITY IN THIS YEARS CLASS. HE WILL STEP INTO A PLAYMAKING ROLE AS SOON AS HE ARRIVES IN THE BAY, AND WILL HOPEFULLY BE EVERYTHING THEY HOPED TO GET OUT OF ‘PLAYMAKER’ NATE CLEMENTS.

18. PITT OT/G MIKE IUPATI – OVER 6’5” AND 331 LBS, IUPATI IS A NASTY PLAYER. HE BRINGS MENTAL AND PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS AND A BLUE-COLLAR MENTALITY. HE’S A PERFECT FIT IN THE STEEL CITY BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE LOCKER ROOM TO PREVENT HIM FROM TURNING INTO RICHIE INCOGNITO.

19. ATL S EARL THOMAS – WHILE TAYLOR MAYS HAS BETTER MEASUREABLES (SIZE, SPEED, THE “EYEBALL” TEST), EARL THOMAS WAS MORE CONSISTANTLY MAKING GAME CHANGING PLAYS ON THE FOOTBALL. HE HAS GOOD SPEED (4.48) AND OUTSTANDING INSTINCTS. THE FALCONS NEED ALL THE DEFENSIVE HELP THEY CAN GET AND THOMAS AT NO. 19 IS EXCEPTIONAL VALUE.

20. HOU S TAYLOR MAYS – SCOUTS HAD MAYS ALL OVER THE BOARD ON HIS 40-YARD DASH (4.24-4.41). EITHER WAY, THAT’S FREAKISH SPEED FOR A MAN 6’3” 234 LBS! MAYS IS AN OUTSTANDING ATHLETE WHO TOO OFTEN LOOKS FOR THE BIG HIT.

THE TROJANS DEFENCE LOST 5-6 PLAYERS TO THE NFL LAST YEAR (MAYS PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LEFT THEN TOO) AND CARROLL ASKED MAYS TO PLAY OUT OF POSITION TOO FREQUENTLY.

MAYES IS AN OUTSTANDING LEADER IN THE LOCKER ROOM AND WILL PATROLE THE TEXANS SECONDARY, STRIKING FEAR INTO THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS RECEIVERS.

21. CINN WR DEZ BRYANT – THE MOST TALENTED ALL-AROUND RECEIVING PROSPECT SINCE CALVIN JOHNSON, BRYANT CAN’T SEEM TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE. THERE HAVE BEEN RUMORS CIRCULATION THAT HE “ROLLS” 15-20 PEOPLE DEEP AND SOMETIMES REFERS TO HIMSELF IN THE THIRD-PERSON – BUYER BEWARE, OBVIOUSLY!

22. NE OLB BRANDON GRAHAM – ALL GRAHAM DOES IS PLAY IN THE OPPONENTS BACKFIELD. AFTER AN OUTSTANDING SENIOR BOWL WEEK, HIS STOCK HAS CONTINUED TO CLIMB. A TEAM LIKE THE STEELERS MAY TARGET HIM AT #18, BUT THE PATS ARE HAPPY HE’S AVAILABLE FOR THEM HERE AT #22.

23. GB OT CHARLES BROWN – NEED MEETS VALUE HERE FOR THE PACKERS. TED THOMPSON KNOWS THERE ARE ‘SEXIER’ PICKS OUT THERE, BUT WATCHING REPLAYS OF AARON RODGERS KILLED IN THE NFC PLAYOFFS HAUNT HIS DREAMS! THOMPSON QUIETS THE LAMBS BY TAKING THE FORMER TROJAN WITH TONS OF POTENTIAL.

24. PHILLY DE CAROLS DUNLAP – DUNLAP HAS TOP-10 PRODUCTION, GAME FILM AND MEASUREABLES. HE’S AVAILABLE FOR THE EAGLES AT #24 BECAUSE OF THE QUESTION MARKS SURROUNDING HIS MATURITY AND UNWILLINGNESS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. HE COULD END UP BEING REGGIE WHITE, BUT I DOUBT IT. ANOTHER BUYER BEWARE!

25. BAL OLB RICKY SAPP – SAPP PLAYED DE IN A 4-3 AT CLEMSON, BUT AFTER RUNNING A PAIR OF SUB-4.70’S AND IMPRESSING DURING POSITION-SPECIFIC DRILLS IN INDY, SAPP HAS MANY 3-4 COORDINATORS SALIVATING OVER HIS POTENTION. SAPP REMINDS ME OF ROBERT AYERS,

26. AZ OLB SERGIO KINDLE – KEN WISENHUNT IS THRILLED KINDLE IS AVAILABLE FOR HIM AFTER LOSING DANSBY TO FREE-AGANCY. KINDLE WILL CONTRIBUT IMMEDIATELY FOR THE CARDS, WHO MAY ALSO CONSIDER SAPP IF HE IS STILL ON THE BOARD.

27. DAL G/C MAURKICE POUNCEY – POUNCEY HAS BEEN COMPARD TO NICK MANGOLD BECAUSE OF HIS VERSITILITY AND ATHLETICISM. IF THOSE COMPARISONS HOLD TRUE, DALLAS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A DOMINANT LINE FOR YEARS TO COME, ALLOWING THEM TO UTILIZE ALL THREE OF THOSE RUNNING BACKS.

28. SD RB RYAN MATTHEWS – REPLACING L.T. IS GOING TO BE TOUGH ENOUGH, BUT HAVING TO REPLACE SPROLES PRODUCTION DURING THE SAME OFFSEASON WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR AJ SMITH. MATTHEWS IS A WELL ROUNDED BACK WHO HAS THE ABILITY TO BE ON THE FIELD ALL THREE DOWNS, ASSUMING HE CAN FAMILIARIZE HIMSELF WITH NFL-CALIBER BLITZ SCHEMES/PACKAGES.

29. NYJ LB SEAN WEATHERSPOON – AT 6’1” 240 LBS, HAS THE ABILITY TO PLAY INSIDE/OUTSIDE IN A 4-3 OR INSIDE IN A 3-4. REX RYAN WILL KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY USE THIS DEFENSIVE PLAYMAKER. THE JETS COULD ALSO LOOK TO UOGRADE AT DE, WHERE THE STARTERS ARE GETTING OLD!

30. MINN DT BRIAN PRICE – THE VIKINGS KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF STOPPING THE RUN. WITH SUSPENSIONS HANGING OF THE WILLIAMS WALL (POTENTIALLY) AND PAT WILLIAMS CONSIDERING RETIREMENT, CHILLY TAKES A PLAYER THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO PENETRATE AND COLLAPSE THE POCKET AS WELL AS GERALD McCOY.

31. IND CB KAREEM JACKSON – THE COLTS NEED HELP ALL OVER THE FIELD DEFENSIVELY, PARTICULARLY IN THE SECONDARY, WHICH COULD NOT PREVENT DREW BREES FROM COMPLETING PASSES. JACKSON IS REGARDED AS A VERY INSTINCTIVE PLAYER, WITH SPEED AND STRENGTH ENOUGH TO MATCH UP WITH SOME OF THE NFL’S TOP PERIMETER THREATS.

32. NO OLB JERRY HUGHES – WIDELY REGARDED AS AN ELVIS DUMERVIL-TYPE. STRONG, COMPACT AND FAST WITH AN OUTSTANDING FIRST STEP, THE SAINTS NEED TO PRESSURE THE QUARTERBACK, AND WITH SUSPENSIONS LOOMING OVER SMITH/GRANT, HUGHES MAY FIND HIMSELF IN THE BAYOU!

Second Round

33(1). STL WR GOLDEN TATE – DONNIE AVERY IS A DECENT #2 WIDEOUT, BUT PROBABLY BELONGS IN THE SLOT. THE RAMS WILL GET THEIR YOUNG SIGNAL-CALLER A WELL-ROUNDED WEAPON ON THE PERIMETER WHO ENJOYS BLOCKING, MAYBE A LITTLE TOO MUCH. THE NOTRE DAME PRODUCT HAS BEEN CALLED A HINES WARD-TYPE, WITH BETTER SPEED (4.41). A STEAL AT THIS POI NT IN THE DRAFT.

34(2). DET WR ARRELIOUS BENN – CALVIN JOHNSON IS SPECTACULAR…WHEN HEALTHY! BENN HAS FIRST ROUND ABILITY AND POTENTIAL, MAYBE TOP-10. SADLY, HIS QUARTERBACK PLAY AT ILLINOIS WASN’T VERY CONSISTENT FROM A PASSING STANDPOINT. BIG, STRONG AND DECEPTIVELY FAST, BENN WILL START IMMEDIATELY AND SEE PLENTY OF ACTION WITH MEGATRON ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE.

35(3). TB DeMARYIOUS THOMAS – 3 WR’S IN A ROW, I KNOW, BUT THIS WILL BE THE RUN. TOO BAD THE WR DEPTH WASN’T THIS PLENTIFUL WHEN THE BILLS TOOK HARDY IN THE SECOND ROUND A FEW YEARS BACK, THERE MAY NEVER HAVE BEEN A T.O. SHOW IN B-LO. THOMAS IS A PHYSICAL FREAK WHOSE BROKEN FOOT WILL BE A SETBACK, BUT HIS ABILITY WILL PROVE HE’S MORE THAN WORTHY OF AN EARLY SECOND ROUNDER.

36(4). KC CB PATRICK ROBINSON – HERE COMES A RUN ON CORNERS! WHILE CERTAINLY NOT TOP HEAVY, THE WAY IT WAS IN 2008, THERE IS PLENTY OF TALENT THROUGH ROUNDS TWO AND THREE. ROBINSON IMPRESSED AT THE COMBINE (4.45) AND AT NEARLY 6’ 190 LBS, HE’S GOT THE SIZE TO MATCH UP WITH #1 WR’S. ROBINSON ALSO CONTRIBUTES ON SPECIAL TEAMS, HAVING BLOCKED SEVERAL KICKS IN HIS SEMINOLE CAREER.

37(5). WASH RB JAHVID BEST – AT 5’10 200 LBS; BEST BLAZED A 4.43 IN THE FOURTY-YARD DASH. QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS DURABILITY MAY RAISE SOME FLAGS, BUT IF UTILIZED IN A BRIAN WESTBROOK FASHION, BEST CAN BE A TRUE GAME-CHANGER! THE FORMER GOLDEN BEAR WILL DO SOME REAL DAMAGE IN SHANNY’S ONE-CUT, ZONE-BLOCKING SCHEME!

38(6). CLEV CB DEVIN McCOURTY – 5’11” 193; SHOWED OFF GREAT SPEED, TURNING IN A 4.38 AT THE COMBINE, McCOURTY IS REGARDRD AS RAW, BUT WITH A VERY HIGH CEILING. CZAR HOLMGREN IS THRILLED McCOURTY IS STILL AVAILABLE, AFTER FLIRTING WITH THE IDEA OF TAKING HADEN IN THE FIRST ROUND.

39(7). OAK CB CHRIS COOK – THIS YEARS BIGGEST CORNER, AT 6’2” 212 LBS; MANY COMPARE COOL TO MIAMI DOLPHINS SEAN SMITH. COOK’S AT HIS BEST WHEN HE’S IN THE OPPONENTS FACE, USING HIS LONG REACH TO JAM AT THE LINE, THROWING OFF THE ROUTE’S TIMING.

40(8). SEA WR DAMIAN WILLIAMS – PETE CARROLL KNOWS WHAT HE’S GETTING OUT OF THE BIG (6’1” 197), STRONG (19 REPS) AND DECEPTIVELY FAST (4.47) FORMER TROJAN. WILLIAMS PROBABLY RUNS THE BEST ROUTES IN THE DRAFT, MAKING HIM A PERFECT FIT EARLY IN THE SECOND ROUND. HE WOULD PROBABLY BE A FAVORITE TO START OPENING DAY OPPOSITE TJ HOUSH, CONSIDERING HIS FAMILIARITY WITH SEATTLE’S OFFENSE.

41(9). BUFF NT CAM THOMAS – IT’S HARD TO FIND AN INTERIOR LINEMAN RISING UP THE BOARD FASTER THAN THE FORMER TAR HEEL. THOMAS WAS THE MOST DOMINAT DEFENSIVE LINEMAN DURING THE SENIOR BOWL AND THE BILLS ARE THRILLED HE’S HERE, AS THEY NEED AN ANCHOR FOR THE MIDDLE OF THEIR NEW 3-4. AT 6’4” 331 LBS; HE’S JUST THAT.

42(10). TB CB PARRISH COX – COX HAS FIRST ROUND ABILITY AND MANY MOCKS HAVE HIM GOING IN THE FIRST ROUND. HERE, HOWEVER; THE BUCS ARE GLAD HE IS AVAILABLE AND WILL AT LEAST BE THE NICKLE, AND COULD UNSEAT THE AGING RONDE BARBER OPPOSITE UP-AND-COMING A. TALIB.

43(11). MIA S CHAD JONES – JEFF IRELAND TOOK A RUN AT RYAN CLARK OF THE STEELERS THIS OFFSEASON, BUT FAILED TO LAND THE 30-YEAR OLD SAFETY. JONES IS A RUN STUFFING SAFETY WITH THE SIZE TO PLAY IN THE BOX AND GOOD ENOUGH SPEED (4.55) TO STAY WITH MOST TIGHT ENDS.

44(12). NE WR MARSHAWN GILYARD – AT 5’11” 187 LBS, GILYARD PLAYS FASTER THAN HIS 4.59 WOULD INDICATE. HE IS DYNAMITE AFTER THE CATCH, AND IF HE CAN IMPROVE HIS TIME AT HIS PRO-DAY, HE WILL VALIDATE THIS DRAFT SLOT.

45(13). DEN ILB BRANDON SPIKES – ALTHOUGH HE LAST ODEAL ATHLETIC ABILITY, SPIKES HAS THE SIZE (6’3” 250 LBS) AND INSTINCTS TO PLAY THE ILB IN DENVER’S 3-4. EXPECT AN IMPROVED DENVER DEFENSE TO BE EVEN BETTER NEXT YEAR WITH THE ADDITION OF NT D. WILLIAMS (FIRST ROUND), ILB/OLB ROLANDO McCLAIN (FIRST ROUND), AND JUSTIN BANNAN (UFA).

46(14). NYG OLB DARYL WASHINGTON – THE GIANTS MISSED OUT ON KARLOS DANSBY IN FREE AGENCY, AND BIG BLUE NEEDS A PLAYMAKER FROM THE LINEBACKER POSITION, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE LOSS OF ANTONIO PIERCE. WASHINGTON WILL PROVIDE PRESSURE OFF THE EDGE, TEAMING WITH A DOMINANT FRONT FOUR.

47(15). NE NT TERRENCE CODY - **RED FLAG** RUMOR HAS IT, SOME TEAMS HAVE TAKEN MT. CODY OFF THEIR BOARDS ALL-TOGETHER. HE CAN BE DOMINANT, BUT CONSTANTLY STRUGGLES WITH HIS WEIGHT (SOMETIMES AT 400+). WHILE HE DID SHOW UP AT THE COMBINE IN THE 354 LBS, SUDDEN, DRASTIC CHANGES IN WEIGHT ARE OFTEN TIMES ALARMING, RATHER THAN BENEFICIAL TO A PLAYERS STOCK (AARON MAYBIN, ANYONE? 250 LBS AT LAST YEARS COMBINE). BUYER BEWARE.

48(16). CAR S NATE ALLEN – THE PANTHERS DEFENSE HAS TAKEN SOME MAJOR HITS THIS OFFSEASON (PEPPERS, MARSHALL) – HERE THEY GET A PLAYMAKER FOR THEIR SECONDARY. ALLEN IS A WELL-ROUNDED SAFETY THE PANTHERS ARE HAPPY TO SEE HERE AT THIS POINT IN THE SECOND ROUND.

49(17). SF RB TOBY GERHART – AT 6’ 230 LBS, GERHART ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS SPEED IN INDY (4.5), BUT SCOUTS STILL SEE HIS AS TOO-UPRIGHT OF A RUNNER. HE WONT BE ASKED TO BE THE GUY YET IN SAN FRANCISCO, BUT SOMEDAY HE MIGHT. IN THE MEANTIME, HE WILL SPELL FRANK GORE, WHO WHEN HEALTHY, HAS BEEN GREAT.

50(18). KC OT CIRON BLACK – THE CHIEFS HOPED OKUNG WUOLD FALL TO THEM, AND CONSIDERED TAKING BULAGA IN ROUND ONE, BUT ARE THRILLED THE FORMER LSU TIGER IS AVAILABLE. BLACK IS PROBABLY BEST EQUIPPED AT A RT IN THE NFL, BUT CAN PLAY EITHER SIDE IF ASKED. AN OUTSTANDING RUN-BLOCKER, HE WILL NEED TO IMPROVE HIS FOOTWORK TO CONSTANTLY BEAT SPEED-RUSHERS AT THE NEXT LEVEL.

51(19). HOU RB BEN TATE – FOR A PLAYER WITH SUCH POWER AND LEVERAGE (5’10” 220 LBS, 4.44), TATE HAS SOME TROUBLE CUTTING AND CHANGING DIRECTIONS. MANY BACKS GET BY BECAUSE THEY ARE QUICKER THAN THEY ARE FAST, BUT THR OPPOSITE IS TRUE OF THE FORMER AUBURN PRODUCT. HE TIMED FAST AND IS A PRODUCTIVE THREE-DOWN BACK, BUT HIS SHAKY POSITIONAL DRILLS IN INDY MAY HURT HIM.

52(20). PITT CB/S DONOVAN WARREN – AT 5’11” 193 LBS, THE FORMER WOLVERINE CAME INTO THE SEASON MUCH HIGHER THAN THIS ON THE DRAFT BOARDS. HOWEVER, A SHAKY SEASON AND A PAIR OF 4.6+ TIMES AT THE COMBINE HAVE SCOUNTS THINKING WARREN MAY BE BEST SUITED TO PLAY SAFETY IN THE NFL – TIME WILL TELL.

53(21). NE TE JERMAINE GRESHAM – GRESHAM PROBABLY WON’T BE ABLE TO WORKOUT BEFORE THE DRAFT, AND IF HE IS IT MAY NOT BE ALL TOO IMPRESSIVE. HOWEVER; HE IS TOO GOOD A VALUE AT THIS POINT, ESPECIALLY FOR A NEW ENGLAND OFFENSE THAT LOST BEN WATSON AS AN UFA. IF A TRADE FOR GREG OLSEN TAKES PLACE, THE PATS WILL LOOK IN ANOTHER DIRECTION.

54(22). CINN RB DEXTER McCLUSTER – THE BENGALS NEED A HOME RUN HITTER IN THE BACKFIELD, REGARDLESS OF HOW WELL CEDRIC BENSON PLAYS FOR THEM. ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT TIME AS FAST AS HE PLAYS (4.56), HE IS STILL WELL-RESPECTED FOR A MAN HIS SIZE TO PRODUCE BETWEEN THE TACKLES, IN THE SEC.

55(23). PHI DT JARED ODRICK – THE EAGLES ADD SOME STARTER-CALIBUR DEPTH TO THEIR DEFENSIVE LINE HERE. ODRICK MAY END UP IN THE TOP-TEN COME DRAFT DAY, BUT TODAY SITS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SECOND ROUND.

56(24). GB DE EVERSON GRIFFEN – MANY THINK HE IS A TWEENER 3-4/4-3 GUY, BUT I THINK HE IS BEST SERVED IN A 4-3 AT DEFENSIVE END. HOWEVER, GREEN BAY IS COUNTING ON HIM BEING A BETTER 3-4 OLB THAN AARON KAMPMAN, AND HE MAY VERY WELL BE.

57(25). BAL WR JORDAN SHIPLEY – THE NEXT WES WELKER. 5’11” 193 LBS, AND QUICKER THAN FAST. SHIPLEY RUNS GREAT ROUTES AND ALWAYS FINDS THE SOFT SPOT IN ZONES. WILL BECOME HIS QUARTERBACKS GO-TO GUY ON THIRD DOWN AND IN CRUNCH TIME.

58(26). AZ OT RODGER SAFFOLD – RT LEVI BROWN IS BELIEVED TO BE SWITCHING TO THE LEFT SIDE, BUT WITH A SOUTHPAW READY TO GO UNDER-CENTER AND HIS STRUGGLES THERE IN THE PAST, BROWN MAY STAY RIGHT WHERE HE IS AND ALLOW SAFFOLD TO BE THE STRONG SIDE PROTECTOR ON THE LEFT SIDE.

59(27). DAL WR BRANDON LaFELL – JERRY JONES CONSIDERED, IF ONLY FOR AN INSTANT, MAKING A PLAY FOR BRANDON MARSHALL. HE WISELY WENT WITH AN O-LINEMAN IN ROUND ONE AND GETS HIS PERIMETER WEAPON IN ROUND TWO. WITH ROY WILLIAMS STRUGGLING TO SETTLE IN, LaFELL MAY SEE MORE PLAYING TIME THAN EXPECTED IN THE LONE-STAR STATE.

60(28). SD DL ARTHUR JONES – JONES CAN PLAY DT IN A 4-3 OR NT IN A 3-4. EITHER WAY, HE’S A STEAL AT THIS POINT IN THE SECOND ROUND. THE CHARGERS AND REBUILDING DEFENSIVELY, AND JONES WOULD LOOK AWFULLY GOOD OPPOSITE L. CASTILLO IN SoCal.

61(29). NYJ OT VLADIMIR DUCASSE – A PROJECT OT WITH A VERY HIGH CEILING. DUCASSE GIVES AN AGING NYJ LINE AN INFUSION OF YOUTH. PLAYS WITH A NASTY STREAK, WHICH REZ RYAN AND BRIAN SCHOTTENHIEMER LOVE. TOUGH, ROAD-GRADING RUN BLOCKER.

62(30). MINN TE ROB GRONKOWSKI – GRONKOWSKI, WHEN HEALTHY, HAS THE ABILITY TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING FROM THE TIGHT END POSITION. A STRONG, WILLING BLOCKER, GRONKOWSKI CAN ALSO STRETCH THE SEAM WHEN NEEDED. SHOULD PROBABLY GO HIGHER THAN THIS, BUT HEALTH CONCERNS CAUSE HIM TO FALL RIGHT INTO THE VIKINGS LAPS.

63(31). INDY CB DOMINIQUE FRANKS – INDY, WHOSE SUSPECT SECONDARY WAS EXPLOITED IN THE SUPER BOWL BY DREW BREES, CONTINUES THE MAKEOVER AT BACK WITH THE TOUGH CORNER FROM OAKLAHOMA. HE WILL TEAM WITH FIRST ROUNDER KAREEN JACKSON TO HELP SOLIDIFY THE COLTS DEFENSIVE PERIMETER.

64(32). NO DE GREG HARDY – IF HARDY HAD COME OUT LAST YEAR, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MID-LATE FIRST ROUND SELECTION. HIS STOCK TOOK A HIT, AFTER LOSING PERIA JERRY, ALONG SIDE OF HIM, BUT HE WILL FILL THE VOID LEFT BY THE RELEASE OF CHARLES GRANT NICELY.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Mike Casella — 2010-03-09 04:11:56 GMT

When Tim called me in 2006, I had no idea how prophetic his words would be.

"Go to YouTube and put in the name Tim Tebow," he told me. "This is the guy the Gators just signed. You're going to hear a lot about his guy."

The Tim who called me was not that Tim. He's a friend of mine and a long time Gator too.

I've since renamed him Captain Understatement.

What hasn't already been written about former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow? In the over thirty years that I've been following college football, I cannot think of another player who's been as analyzed, scrutinized, anatomized, and polarized as Tebow.

Even this Gator fan is tired of it.

So why this piece?

Is it an attempt to defend him? Nope. Couldn't do it.

To talk about his draft prospects? Don't think so. Not stat, list, nor NFL guru-ish enough to even pretend to try that out. I'd get slammed. Maybe just thinking out loud. On paper.

I guess I was thinking about that other Tim tonight and what he asked me to do years ago just prior to Tebow bursting on to the scene. Some might say, forced on to the scene. Almost forgot that he actually won a Heisman Trophy. Was that in this lifetime?

But also because I read an article on the Gainesville Sun website discussing that Tebow and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer coach Jon Gruden recently met and had a strategy and workout session. So that's what they call it nowadays.

According to the article, Gruden has also had similar sessions with Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen. Colt McCoy of Texas is scheduled to meet with Gruden later on in the month.

I wondered why?

Gruden claims to "love quarterbacks" and he believes that Tebow will be a success in the NFL.

Does Gruden know something we don't know? Or is he too coat-tailing in an attempt to enhance his future "draft" prospects?

Got to stay in sight you know.

Have you ever seen such a wide disparity between those who think he can play in the NFL versus those who don't so? There doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground.

Consistent with this whole polarization notion, I guess.

And notice too that I haven't even mentioned his eye-black messages, Super Bowl commercials, and his other saving graces.

My Jacksonville friends insist that unless the Jaguars draft Tebow, the franchise is doomed. Can't say that I follow them enough to know. But would an NFL team really draft a player more for his marketing appeal than his ability?

Never before have I seen so much attention to this whole NFL Combine thing either.

When did this become must see TV? Have I been asleep for the past, oh I don't know, ten years or something?

Maybe it happened at the same time Peking was becoming Beijing. Missed that one too. The game's passing me by.

Or is there some sort of not-so-secret conspiracy afoot to construct another media building to demolish in in front of our eyes as the skeletons are disinterred?

Now that would be some must see TV for you!

Maybe my Tim was on to something back when he told me that I'd be hearing a lot more about that other Tim. What he failed to predict, though, was that I'd be piling on too.

Sports News : CBSSports.com

2010-03-09 01:06:00 GMT

Tina Charles scored 16 and Maya Moore added 11 to help top-ranked Connecticut win an NCAA record 71st straight game -- a 59-44 victory over No. 6 Notre Dame on Monday night in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Paul Sievers — 2010-03-09 04:46:04 GMT

From March 6 through March 14, 33 conference tournaments will be played in Division I basketball. Thirty one of the 33 will fall into one of two categories:

1) A small conference playing a tournament on either a college campus or in a quarter-filled arena in a mid-sized city with teams playing their hearts out for the chance to appear in the NCAA tournament.

2) A “power conference” playing a tournament in a half-filled NBA arena with teams who don’t want to give too much away before the NCAA tournament.

The two exceptions are the ACC and Big East tournaments. I don’t know much about the ACC tournament other than it has a lot of tradition and many swear that it’s the greatest conference tournament in the land.

I’m not hear to say that the ACC tournament is better or worse than the Big East tournament, but having grown up around “the Beast” my whole life, I can tell you that every college basketball fan owes it to themselves to make a trip to the Garden during the first week in March.

There is no conference tournament quite like the Big East Tournament. Those who have been to it know exactly what I am talking about. For those who haven’t, allow me to explain exactly what you’re missing…

A Truly Neutral Court

The first Big East Tournament was held in 1980 at the Providence Civic Center. The next two seasons it was played in Syracuse and Hartford before it finally came to New York City in 1983. It has been played at The World’s Most Famous Arena ever since.

How it took the Big East until year four to move the tournament to New York is beyond me. No other city is built to host any other tournament the way New York is equipped to handle the Big East.

Of the 16 Big East schools, nine of them (St. John’s, Seton Hall, Rutgers, UConn, Providence, Villanova, Georgetown, Syracuse, and Notre Dame) have enormous alumni bases in New York City.

Of the seven schools that don’t have huge NYC alumni bases, Marquette and Louisville have great traveling fan bases while Pitt and West Virginia have some combination of a traveling fan base and NYC-based alumni to represent the schools well at the tournament.

That’s a whopping 13 of 16 schools well represented in the stands at this tournament. While Syracuse, UConn, and St. John’s probably have more pull than the rest of the field, just about every school has enough of a fan base to shout back.

With the fans of so many schools at the tournament, Madison Square Garden becomes as neutral a court as you will see during Championship Week.

An Educated Crowd

New York has always had the well justified reputation of a pro sports town. But ever since the Knicks and St. John’s have become national punch lines, the best basketball town on the East Coast has embraced Big East hoops.

Big East hoops is not just for the alumni of the schools anymore. Just about every Big East game can be seen on either ESPN or one of the local New York sports channels.

Aside from the fact that it’s New York and it’s my home, the Big East basketball coverage might be my favorite thing about living here. By the time the teams come to the tournament, the locals are familiar with all of the teams.

The local promotion of Big East basketball has caused a huge spike in attendance at the Big East tournament this decade. When I was in high school (1999-2003), my friends and I had very few problems finding tickets to any game we wanted. That’s no longer the case; just about every session has sold out since 2004 making it one of the most attended conference tournaments in the land.

Elite Teams Playing Legendary Games

Its been well documented just how good the Big East has been in basketball since the expansion to 16 teams back in 2005. When these teams come to New York with NCAA tournament bids and seeding on the line, they bring out the absolute best in each other.

Side Note: I’m amazed when sports writers, notably Tony Kornheiser, complain about the size of the Big East and try to argue that it was better when it was smaller. I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware that a lot of really good teams going head to head every night was a bad thing.

While the Big East tournament doesn’t have the same history as the ACC tournament, it’s certainly had its share of legendary games. No Big East fan can forget Ray Allen’s shot to beat Georgetown, or the three year war between Pitt and UConn in the finals from 2002 through 2004.

Last year’s six overtime epic between Syracuse and UConn not only went down in Big East tournament lure, it will forever be known as one of the great college basketball games of all time.

The six overtime game immediately became the most famous in a slew of famous Big East tournament games. While there’s no way that game will ever be topped, it has certainly whetted the appetite for basketball fans hoping that this year’s tournament will produce another legendary game.

The Saturday Night Finale

This is the most underrated part of what makes the Big East tournament so great. Every other major conference holds their title game during the day, usually a few hours before the brackets are released on Selection Sunday.

But as we have established, the Big East Tournament isn’t like others. Having a big game during the day in the city that never sleeps just seems like a bad way to make traffic even worse than it already is. It wouldn’t be right to hold the final at any time other than Saturday night.

The lead up to the Big East title game starts at the Midtown bars that afternoon as fans of the teams that lost in the semifinals drown their sorrows while scrambling to find buyers for their tickets to the title game.

After the murmurs of “you need tickets” subside, the local watering holes turn into impromptu pep-rallies for fans of the two teams participating in the title game as fans work themselves into a fever pitch over overpriced pints.

After the fans take in two hours of exhilarating basketball, the night is far from over. Fans of the losing team will immediately exit, usually going somewhere quiet to drown their sorrows.

Fans of the victors will usually move down to the court to watch their team cut down the nets. If you ever wanted to stand on the most famous court in the world, this is probably your chance, as the security guards will allow fans onto parts of the court as long as they don’t interfere with the team and the festivities.

After reviling in victory it's time for a night out in New York City, as if the night wasn’t exciting enough.

Then again any conference tournament is merely exciting enough; this is the Big East.

DaBears - Chicago Bears Message Board and Fan Blog Site

BULLITT — 2010-03-09 01:16:47 GMT

from PFT; *Irish will invade more NFL stadiums* Posted by Mike Florio on March 8, 2010 7:20 PM ET Notre Dame will soon be making a habit of...

SOX & Dawgs

Ian — 2010-03-09 03:14:10 GMT

In lieu of my normal recap since I’m still a little bit under the weather, I thought the next best thing was to provide video highlights. As you may know by now, the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 59-44 in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament. They’ll take on [...]

SOX & Dawgs

Ian — 2010-03-09 03:24:10 GMT

Here is the press conference after the UConn Huskies beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Big East Women’s Tournament Semifinals. Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Kalana Greene and Geno Auriemma were on hand for the Huskies to answer questions from the media.

SOX & Dawgs

Ian — 2010-03-09 03:31:36 GMT

After the UConn Huskies beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Big East Semifinals, Kalana Greene and Geno Auriemma talked about the win.First up is Kalana Greene:Second up is Geno Auriemma:

Latest Headlines - ABC 7 News

2010-03-09 04:35:03 GMT

Top-ranked Connecticut won its NCAA-record 71st consecutive game Monday... a 59-44 victory over No. 6 Notre Dame in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament.
from ABC 7 News

Sports News : CBSSports.com

2010-03-09 01:06:00 GMT

SI.com

2010-03-09 05:24:12 GMT

A record 71 straight wins, all by double digits. The No. 1 UConn women's streak continued as they beat Notre Dame 59-44. It's a epic run that is ripe for criticism, writes Richard Deitsch.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Dan Karell — 2010-03-09 02:13:43 GMT

After 44 days and 11 losses, the Indiana Hoosiers finally gave the Hoosier Nation a day to be happy about and excited for the future, with an 88-80 victory over Northwestern in OT.

Yes we know it was Northwestern. But this isn't any Northwestern team. The Wildcats have beaten Purdue, Illinois, Notre Dame, Stanford, and Michigan twice on their way to 19 wins so far this season, one of their most impressive.

But it was the Hoosiers who took the win on a Saturday afternoon at Assembly Hall, where the four seniors (Brett Finkelmeier, Tijan Jobe, Steven Gambles, and Devan Dumas) were honored after playing in their final home game.

Freshman guard Jordan Hulls scored eight three-point shots (good for second place in Indiana history for most threes in a game) on his way to 24 points.

Freshman forward Derek Elston, getting a rare start, validated it with an excellent effort, scoring 17 points and eight rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.

And in the final minutes of regulation, and the overtime period, there were four freshman and a sophomore on the court for Indiana, and they played like battle tested vets.

However it wasn't all good from the Hoosiers.

Northwestern's sophomore forward John Shurna scored a career-high 31 points on 12-of-21 shooting, including three three-point baskets and four free throws.

Also helping the Wildcats was junior guard Michael "Juice" Thompson's 25 points from seven three point shots, a layup, and two free throws.

Who would have thought that on a day when Northwestern would take 42 three-pointers, score 80 points, and force the Hoosiers to commit 17 turnovers, they would lose?

But that's just the kind of day it was, and for Indiana, it was about time that they rose to the occasion, and won.

The Wildcats came out firing, with Shurna scoring the first seven points of the game, and had a 7-3 lead over IU early.

But soon Indiana stormed back, with a couple of three's from Hulls, and some inside baskets from Elston, Jones, and Rivers.

Verdell Jones III, the sophomore guard for the Hoosiers, would miss a three-pointer at the end of halftime, but Indiana would go into the break up 34-28.

A nearly full crowd murmured in excitement, wondering if the Hoosiers could really win this game.

Again, Northwestern started the second half strong, and were up 51-47, with 11:40 left to play in the game.

From there, though, Indiana turned on the jets, going on a 12-3 run, which included two huge three-point shots by the aforementioned Hulls.

With 3:24 left, IU led 69-61, and it looked as though the Cream and Crimson would finally stop the bleeding and end the 11 game losing streak.

However, the Hoosiers almost fully imploded, committing four turnovers, including three from Jones III, who also missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity.

At the same time, a layup from center Luka Mirkovic sandwiched between two three point baskets from "Juice" Thompson tied the game and sent it to overtime.

But in the five-minute extra period, it was all Indiana, who outscored Northwestern 19-11, helped by Mirkovic, Drew Crawford, and Alex Marcotullio all fouling out.

Twelve of the Hoosiers 19 points in overtime came from the line, where they shot 26-32 overall on the day, good for 81 percent. In contrast, Northwestern was just 9-15, which is 60 percent.

Also a good sign for Indiana was their dominance on the glass, where they picked up 41 rebounds, with 17 (yes 17!) on the offensive end. The Wildcats had 31 rebounds on the day, as well as 17 of them on the offensive glass.

Both teams meet up again on Thursday, this time at the Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Also it is interesting to note that both forward Tom Pritchard and guard Jeremiah Rivers did not start for Indiana, nor did they play any crucial minutes down the stretch of the game and in OT.

USCHO.com News

2010-03-08 06:00:00 GMT

Alaska forward Andy Taranto was the only unanimous selection to the CCHA All-Rookie Team. Taranto was selected as the league's rookie of the month twice and put up 12 goals and 31 points in CCHA play. He's joined on the rookie team by Nebraska-Omaha forward Terry Broadhurst, Michigan forward Chris Brown, Michigan State defenseman Torey Krug, Miami defenseman Joe Hartman and Notre Dame goaltender ...

SBNation.com - All Posts

Sean Keeley — 2010-03-09 03:21:20 GMT

Kevin Rivoli - AP

View full size photo »

What

The 2010 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament brought to you by New York Life

At Stake

An automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament seeding and for some the opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Tournament at all.

Where

Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

When

The tournament begins with four Opening Round games on Tuesday, March 9th at 12 p.m. ET and ends Saturday, March 13th, when the two remaining teams square off for the right to be called Big East Tournament Champion.

The Favorite

No. 1 seed Syracuse enters the Big East Tournament coming off it's best regular season in 20 years. The Orange were ranked No. 1 in the nation during the season for the first time since 1990 and for the first time ever in March. They enter the Big East Tournament as the No. 3 team in the nation and as close to a lock for a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament as possible. As long as they win at least one game in the BET, there will be no doubt. However the Orange don't seem interested in being simply handed hardware. They've got a chip re-affirmed to their shoulder thanks to Louisville, who beat them twice in the last few weeks. They'll want to remind everyone that they're not just a fancy defensive scheme. They really are the best team in the conference.

Other Contenders:

How much time do you have? The Big East is absolutely loaded with contenders and teams that can make a run in the tournament.

Not too long ago, 2-seed Pitt would have been more likely to end up a 7 or 8-seed. Then they won eight of their last nine and are pretty much on fire. The Panthers are also Big East Tourney tested having played in 7 of the last 9 championship games.

3-seed West Virginia is probably the most likely one. The Mountaineers are built for tourney time. All-Big East player Da'Sean Butler leads a ferocious attack and they can rebound with the best of them. WVU has never won the BET...they could be due.

Up until two weeks ago, everyone assume that Villanova was a lock for a NCAA Tournament one seed. Then they lost four of their last six and faded into the pack. The "forgotten" power in the conference, Scottie Reynold's boys could re-emerge just in time and get a little revenge on teams like West Virginia and Syracuse that beat them.

7-seed Notre Dame is officially Team Frisky and the one team no one wants to face right now. The Irish rattled off four-straight wins to close out the year, including at Georgetown and Marquette. That they did it without Luke Harangody speaks volumes...especially about Harangody's true value.

Names You Should Know

Scottie Reynolds, Villanova - The senior returned to Villanova to win a championship. He can help put the Wildcats back in contention for an NCAA Tournament one-seed by leading them to a BET championship first.

Andy Rautins, Syracuse - Wes Johnson gets the accolades and praise but Andy is Syracuse's real floor general. He's also an assassin from long range. If anyone is going to re-enact Gerry McNamara's legendary Big East Tournament antics, it's him.

Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia - The Mountaineer's leading scorer and emotional leader. No opponent's lead is safe when Butler has the ball.

Greg Monroe, Georgetown - The 6'11" sophomore averahed 16 points and 10 boards a game. He might be the difference between Georgetown losing early and crawling into the NCAA Tournament and making their case for a 4-5 seed.

Dominique Jones, South Florida - The Bulls are in the midst of their best Big East season and Jones is a big part of that. The Big East scoring leader averaged 23.2 points per game in the conference and also grabs plenty of rebounds.

Wesley Johnson, Syracuse - Seemingly out-east of nowhere, Johnson became a phenom for the Orange this year. He leads Syracuse in scoring and rebounding and is good for at least two or three "Oh my God" plays every game.

Lazar Hayward, Marquette - The Eagles are a forgotten team in the tournament but Hayward could remind folks real quick. He's a big reason why Marquette is going to the NCAAs this year after a rough start.

Schedule

Tuesday's Opening Round (all times Eastern)
Game 1: #9 USF vs. #16 DePaul (Noon)
Game 2: #12 UConn vs. #13 St. John's (2pm)
Game 3: #10 Seton Hall vs. #15 Providence (7pm)
Game 4: #11 Cincinnati vs. #14 Rutgers (9pm)

Wednesday's 2nd Round
Game 5: USF/DePaul Winner vs. #8 Georgetown (Noon)
Game 6: UConn/St. John's Winner vs. #5 Marquette (2pm)
Game 7: Hall/Prov Winner vs. #7 Notre Dame (7pm)
Game 8: Cincy/Rutg Winner vd. #6 Louisville (9pm)

Thursday's Quarterfinal Round
Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. #1 Syracuse (Noon)
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. #4 Villanova (2pm)
Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. #2 Pittsburgh (7pm)
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. #3 West Virginia (9pm)

Friday's Semifinal Round
Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner (7pm)
Game 14: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner (9pm)

Saturday's Championship Game
Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner (9pm)

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Sam Blum — 2010-03-09 04:29:42 GMT

For many teams, the Big East tournament isn't just a way to solidify a high seed. In fact, for most of them, it is to gain a spot in the Big Dance—a spot they wouldn't otherwise have gotten.

Teams not in the eight will all have to fight just to get into consideration. To win the tournament, they will have to win five games in five days—a near insane request.

However, this year, the field is wide open—and anybody still has a shot.

Teams to watch

Seton Hall

Seton Hall, probably the best sleeper team in the field, has an uncanny ability to make shots. The Pirates have the most clutch player in the Big East with Jeremy Hazell.

In fact, just a few close games separate them from a first-round bye. They have kept games close, losing only four games by double digits—only one of those by more than 20.

They have beaten great teams like Pittsburgh and Cornell—on the road.

The Pirates will have a local advantage, playing just a short 20 minutes away from their home court. They have a first-round match-up against Providence—a team they beat three days ago. A second-round game would be against Notre Dame—a team they beat, as well. A third-round game would be against Pittsburgh—a team they beat, too.

A win in all three of those games would be 100 percent a tournament bid. It is unlikely, but you can throw out odds come March Madness.

South Florida

Everyone has seemed to become a South Florida fan during the course of this season. The Bulls have seemingly beat all odds and now find themselves just a step away from an NCAA tournament bid.

They have beaten the likes of Virginia, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, and UConn. They started off conference play 0-4, but they fought back in to the standings, thanks to team leader Dominique Jones.

They have DePaul as their first-round match-up—a team not to be taken lightly. They will then have a date with Georgetown—a team they bested once before. A win Wednesday vs. Georgetown would probably be what decides if the Bulls are dancing or not.

If they somehow get to that quarterfinal game, they will have to fight Syracuse—the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament.

Look for South Florida to be a factor—the Bulls have come on of late after dropping a few tough games.

St. John's

It has been a tough year for St. John's. Tough probably wouldn't even describe it. After starting off the year red hot, the Red Storm have cooled down significantly, going just 6-12 in conference play.

However, never rule out home court advantage. St. John's plays on the Garden floor for half of its regular-season conference games—and usually does well.

St. John's has a pretty decent resumé, with wins over Temple, Siena, Louisville, and Notre Dame. They have good shooters with Malik Boothe, D.J. Kennedy, Dwight Hardy, and Paris Horne. They have extreme size and athleticism with Sean Evans and Anthony Mason Jr.

They mostly struggle with free throw shooting and playing well down the late parts of the second half.

If they can top UConn—and get the best of a very tough Marquette team—the Red Storm will at least be looking at a good NIT seed. They would need an additional win over Villanova—a team they nearly topped earlier in the year—to be able to get an NCAA bid.

Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7

AP — 2010-03-09 00:59:35 GMT

UConn wins NCAA record 71st straight game HARTFORD, Conn. ? Tina Charles, Maya Moore and the latest Connecticut Huskies dynasty now has its own place in the record books. Charles scored 16 points and Moore added 11 to help top-ranked Connecticut win an NCAA record 71st straight game ? a 59-44 victory over No. 6 Notre Dame ... Read this article on Gaea Times at : UConn wins NCAA record 71st straight game, surpassing own record with 59-44 victory over ND.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Thomas Delatte — 2010-03-09 02:57:09 GMT

This will be the first of many mock drafts for years to come. I have been doing much research and have compiled a list of what I think will be the first round of selections in the 2010 NFL draft.

1. St. Louis Rams - Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

This is a no-brainer for the first pick of the draft. The reason I would not take Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford is not because they aren't in need of a quarterback, it is because Suh is just that much better of a player. If you look over the past ten drafts and look at the quarterbacks taken first overall, you find names like David Carr, Michael Vick, Jamarcus Russell, and Alex Smith.

The Rams need a big time quarterback to run this offense but with a standout DT like Suh, it would be too tough to pass on a sure thing. After recently signing A.J. Feeley, they fill a minor need for one more year before they will be able to draft Andrew Luck from Stanford or Jake Locker from Washington in 2011.

2. Detroit Lions - Russell Okung, LT, Oklahoma State

After the trade for Corey Williams, the Lions do not need as much help on the D-line as before, thus pushing Gerald McCoy out of this spot.

They drafted their franchise quarterback last season but have not done anything to help protect Matthew Stafford's blindside and Okung will be a perfect fit for the Lions offense, which has the potential to have a breakout season.

The only chance of Detroit not taking Okung would be if the Rams take a quarterback and Suh becomes available to them.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

Ryan Sims is in the DT spot but must be removed quickly. He has done nothing since the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him sixth overall in 2002 and then was traded to the Bucs in 2007.

This spot in the draft could also be used for Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State because the Bucs could definitely use a No. 1 wideout for Josh Freeman to toss to; however, Bryant's issues with the NCAA dropped his stock dramatically.

The safe play here would be to take Gerald McCoy and toughen up a weak front line that has to play the Saints, Falcons, and Panthers twice every year.

4. Washington Redskins - Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

With the addition of Mike Shanahan, the Redskins finally have a head coach worthy of making them contenders in one season.

Jason Campbell's time is up. He has had four seasons to improve his decision making but it has not come. He might be in need of some coaching but some other team can handle that.

As for the Skins, the time is now and with Sam Bradford still on the board at this pick, it would be hard to pass on him. Mike Shanahan's run-heavy offensive style could be the reason they take a rookie quarterback in this slot because the pressure will be off him and he can learn the game and produce at a slower rate.

This could be the best pick in the draft!

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

The real need should be at quarterback but they spent a lot of money to get Matt Cassel and now have to manage to construct a winning team out of used car parts. He is not a terrible quarterback, but he is the third highest paid quarterback in the NFL ahead of Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Ben Roethlisberger, and those guys have won a few Super Bowls I think.

But this is about the draft and taking the best available; the Cheifs have to take someone to protect their franchise quarterback, so the pick here would be to take Bulaga and move Branden Albert over to guard and boast the left side of the line.

6. Seattle Seahawks - Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

This is one of those picks that is too good to pass up. If the Seahawks are fortunate to have Jimmy Clausen fall into their laps then they should take him and prepare for the second round.

Pete Carroll is going to be looking for a quarterback to mold into a NFL stud and what better player than Clausen. Clausen is a smart guy but his best quality is how to win with nothing around him. He makes good decisions and gets rid of the ball quickly. He has drawn comparisons to Kurt Warner.

7. Cleveland Browns - Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

Unless the Seahawks pass on Jimmy Clausen, this is the best pick for Cleveland. They should not have traded away the chance at Mark Sanchez but they did and now have to live with it and move on.

After cutting Jamal Lewis, Donte Stallworth, and trading away Corey Williams, the Browns are showing us that they are doing something productive for next season. Eric Berry has the biggest upside of any player in this great draft class. He is an Ed Reed clone and has the ability to make big plays on every play.

He will be a Pro Bowler after one season and the Browns can not pass on that chance.

8. Oakland Raiders - Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

Unless Al Davis hires a general manager to take over the personnel decisions, this is the pick they make.

Bruce Gradkowski will be the starter for next season and needs some help on the left side of the line. Success in the NFL is connected to protecting your quarterback; Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Ben Roethlisberger are examples of this idea.

Campbell is a 6'6" freak of an offensive tackle that can run the 40 yard dash in under 4.8 seconds. He is a quick and athletic guy and should be a great player for years to come as long as the Raiders do not give him a $200 million contract before he takes a snap (Darrius Heyward-Bay).

9. Buffalo Bills - Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

Their biggest need is at quarterback but they would have to get in line to sign a top prospect at that position. They would have to make a serious trade offer to Washington or Seattle to jump up and get that pick and that is not going to happen.

So in the meantime, they will be have to settle on Dan Williams, which would be ranked higher if Suh and McCoy weren't in the mix. He has size and will fit into the new 3-4 scheme the Bills will be switching to next season.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars - Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

I hate putting Tim Tebow this high on the draft board but the Jags are worried about selling tickets and the only way to do that is draft a hometown favorite that the entire state of Florida loves and will pay to see.

He is not a terrible quarterback but he is not a good one either.

He might not fail but he will not be successful.

In other words, he is not worth this pick and Jacksonville will be the laughing stock of the NFL if they go through with it. He does not have the decision making skills nor the footwork to be good in this offense. With the addition of Aaron Kampman, this decision just got clearer.

11. Denver Broncos - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

This is the pick for the Broncos. If they lose Brandon Marshall, they will need someone to fill in his shoes immediately and why not Bryant?

He got into trouble with the NCAA but that shouldn't affect his play-making abilities. He is an outstanding wideout and was a preseason Heisman candidate.

He compares to Chad Ochocinco in size and speed. He will not be the fastest at the next level but he can make plays and will draw attention from the opposition.

With Jabar Gaffney coming on strong to end the season, Denver might be able to nab Bryant and find a good way to utilize Eddie Royal finally.

12. Miami Dolphins - Jason Pierre-Paul, DE/OLB, South Florida

The Dolphins will be better next season without a doubt. 2009 was a fluke due to the injury of Chad Pennington.

Making an effort to contend for a championship next season, they cut Joey Porter, signed Karlos Dansby, and should have a couple more seasons from Jason Taylor. Bill Parcells is in a great spot in the draft, he would love to move up but they should be fine with picking Pierre-Paul.

J.P.P. is an athlete, plain and simple. If you don't believe me, check out his video on Youtube where he does about 40 back flips in a row. He played one season in NCAA D-1 and became a top prospect immediately.

He will be a perfect fit in the Dolphins defense.

13. San Fransisco 49ers - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

They could take Taylor Mays with this pick because he is still on the board, but they need to protect their quarterback first before drafting a safety. The right tackle position needs to be upgraded now before they do anything else and Williams is a great fit at this pick. He is a good pass protector and an excellent run blocker.

If the 49ers do not trade up, this will be the best pick.

14. Seattle Seahawks - Taylor Mays, S, USC

Two words...Pete Carroll.

15. New York Giants - Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers

The Giants need several players to fill holes on both sides of the ball but the best bet is to draft the guy that has the most talent. They need a DT and an ILB but the best player available for them is Davis.

He has had issues with work ethic and that is the only reason he is not the top pick in the draft. He could be the best LT in the league but it is all up to him. He has the size and strength to produce but we will have to wait and see.

In the meantime, the Giants can gamble on him and hope it works out.

16. Tennessee Titans - Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

Who would you rather take: A guy that could be good (Everson Griffin) or a guy that you know will be good but is not a powerhouse (Morgan)?

I take Morgan if I am Tennessee. They need a DE and Morgan is a all-around DE with many skills at that position. He has trouble dropping into zone coverage but he will have a great season with Tennessee.

17. San Fransisco 49ers - Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho

After selecting an OT in Trent Williams, the 49ers other big decision is whether to protect Alex Smith better or go a whole different direction. I think they will stick with Alex Smith and try to build around him by drafting another offensive lineman.

Iupati is a talented guard but needs polishing. A lot of the problems he has is fixable and can be improved upon. A lot of teams might want to move him to tackle because guard is not a big need in the top of the draft but if the 49ers deal with him correctly, he could be a Pro Bowl guard.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama

This is another easy decision. The Steelers 3-4 defense is a perfect place for McClain because he has already played the position and knows it well.

The transition into the NFL would be easier for him and the Steelers can spend more time teaching him other aspects of the NFL game instead of having to teach him how to play in the 3-4.

19. Atlanta Falcons - Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

This pick would be a gift for the Falcons. They need a DE more than any other position and Dunlap is a great player.

He is not rated high because of his work ethic but in the NFL, who knows. If you look at his size, he his big and bulky. The downfalls to his position is his ability to make a great play and then fall out for a series.

He can be a sleeper at this position if the Falcons decide to take another DE in the first round.

20. Houston Texans - Joe Haden, CB, Florida

Dunta Robinson is gone and they need a CB fast.

Why not take one of the best players available in the draft?

Joe Haden is the best CB in the draft and nobody else needs one more than the Texans, so they luck out and get him with this pick. Haden's 40 yard dash time was terrible, especially for a player that is supposed to be fast, but that time will improve with coaching.

He is very talented and we will see lots of him this season.

21. Cinncinati Bengals - Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame

Many people will question this decision after the Bengals recently picked up Matt Jones but let's face it, Jones is a decent receiver but is not a true No. 2 beside Chad Ochocinco.

Imagine this scenario: Carson Palmer at quarterback, Chad Ochocinco and Golden Tate at wideout and Cedric Benson in the backfield.

Tate is not the biggest or toughest of the available wideouts but he has glue in his hands similar to Larry Fitzgerald. He has nothing but potential and upside and will be one of my sleeper picks in this year's draft.

22. New England Patriots - Sergio Kindle, OLB/DE, Texas

Bill Belichick likes players that can play more than one position on defense. He is allowed to do more defensively when he has an multi-use linebacker, lineman, or defensive back to shift around and Kindle is just what he could use.

Kindle can help a weak pass rushing defense. He has the ability to play the OLB position and DE. He can move back and forth and maintain his speed, which at his size is fast.

The downsize for Kindle is his lack of physical play, but he can be guided by the Patriots staff to become another Adalius Thomas.

23. Green Bay Packers - Charles Brown, OT, USC

This pick could change on draft day but for now this is the best bet. The Packers have to support Aaron Rodgers more and this is a start.

Chad Clifton was re-signed but is injury prone and getting old. Brown brings a skill set that could have him play on any position on the offensive line. He is big and heavy and very hard to get around.

This pick is a gift to the Packers because I have Charles Brown rated higher on my draft board but due to other teams filling out needs, he slips to this spot. If he does get taken earlier than predicted, then expect the Packers to go after Earl Thomas or Kyle Wilson.

24. Philadelphia Eagles - Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan

The soap opera starring Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid, and the Philadelphia Eagles should come to a close this year, especially after cutting Brian Westbrook. McNabb should get traded to a team that he can be a part of rather than be THE TEAM.

With that being said, Graham is a beast. He is similar to Dwight Freeney in skill set and can play linebacker if needed. The Eagles have to fill a hole on the opposite side of the line from Trent Cole and Graham is a phenomenal choice. He gives them another player to double team, thus relieving pressure on Cole's side.

After his incredible performance in the Senior Bowl, this could be a no-brainer for the Eagles.

25. Baltimore Ravens - Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

Now that the Ravens have a serious No. 1 WR, they can spend this pick on the player they really want in Jermaine Gresham.

The only reason he was not looked at more closely by other teams is because of his season ending injury last season. He is going to be a great tight end and playing for a quarterback like Joe Flacco couldn't hurt.

26. Arizona Cardinals - Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB, TCU

Another team that will not benefit from drafting one player. This pick will not be the messiah or the leader of the new age Cardinals; this has to be a player that can fill a hole and add to a weak defense.

Jerry Hughes has talent but needs coaching to mold him into an elite player. He will only benefit from playing a lot in his rookie year regardless of how bad his stats are. He should be a starter on this team by Week Two.

27. Dallas Cowboys - Brian Price, NT, UCLA

The Cowboys are going to need a lot of things to go right this offseason, starting with the head coach position. It is time for a change and if Jerry Jones wants to win another Super Bowl, Wade Phillips is not your guy. He is a joke of a head coach and needs to be fired.

In the meantime, they need help at OG but their choice, Mike Iupati, is gone, so they need to fill other needs and nose tackle is the next one to fill. Brian Price is a strong, smart defensive tackle that lacks great speed but he will be a key player in the Cowboys defense next season.

28. San Diego Chargers - C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

The Chargers are looking to fill a big void now that LT is gone and Darren Sproles is just behind him.

Now they have to start with someone new and what better way to do this than with the best available RB in the draft. Spiller has the athleticism to be the next LT but could also wind up another Reggie Bush. Not that Reggie Bush is bad—he is not living up to expectations and is not an every down back.

Spiller is fast and can beat defenders in the open field but has trouble being powerful and running in the inside. If he is available at this pick it would be hard to pass him up.

29. New York Jets - Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida

The Jets have been busy upgrading their defense this offseason starting with the trade for Antonio Cromartie from San Diego.

The one position they need to improve on is at LB. They need to disguise a weaker secondary by getting a consistent rush defense to apply the pressure on quarterbacks like Peyton Manning.

Spikes would be a gamble at No. 29 with the chance to be a great pick up. He was a preseason All-American and had a chance to jump into the top 10 but is a bit out of place on plays. He could use a great rookie season under the wings of Rex Ryan and the NFL's No. 1 defense from last season.

30. Minnesota Vikings - Jevean Snead, QB, Ole Miss

Without knowing the status of Brett Favre, the Vikings will have to act as if he is done and begin to move on. Snead is a wild card at this spot but a much better one than Tim Tebow. He was a big choice to be one of the top chosen prior to a sub par season and he has the tools to win in the NFL but has to make better decisions.

31. Indianapolis Colts - Maurkice Pouncey, G/C, Florida

With Charles Brown no longer available at this spot, the Colts will find themselves taking a player that many believe can play any position on the offensive line. He is versatile and will fit in nicely under the wings of a Peyton Manning offense.

32. New Orleans Saints - Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State

The honeymoon is over! The Saints have brought home the most coveted trophy in all sports and now it is time to face the reality that repeating is even harder than winning the first one.

In the meantime, the biggest need for the Saints is at defensive end since cutting Charles Grant but without a valuable DE in this spot, they will need to go for a DT.

Odrick has the ability to improve. His weakness is that he is weak and needs to bulk up, but he is teachable. The Saints do not need a starter; they just need another DT they can turn to in times of need.

This Greg Williams defense is better when he can sub players in and out and move people around. This would be an excellent choice at the final pick in the first round.

Boston.com -- Latest sports news

2010-03-09 01:00:24 GMT

Top-ranked Connecticut has broken its own NCAA record for consecutive victories, winning its 71st straight game, 59-44 over No. 6 Notre Dame in the Big East tournament semifinals.

BIG EAST Headline News

2010-03-09 01:00:00 GMT

HISTORIC No. 71 - UConn Slides Past Notre Dame 59-44