Who's Staying, Who's Leaving

Howie Lindsey
CardinalSports.com

After Louisville's 64-52 loss to No. 3 seed Michigan State in the Elite Eight Sunday, the locker room was a somber place to be. The top questions pertained to what happened in the game, but there were also questions about who would be heading to the NBA and who wouldn't. CardinalSports.com's Howie Lindsey spoke with Earl Clark and others.

"It's tough that this is my last college game," Clark said after the game. "I definitely wanted to get to the Final Four. I really thought this was the year because we were playing so great."

Clark was dejected after the game, but didn't seem to shed tears like seniors Andre McGee and Terrence Williams did.

"I don't know how to feel. It's over, but it hasn't hit me yet," Clark said. "When I wake up tomorrow and I don't got no practice, you know, and I can't come together again with these guys and play again, it'll be rough."

Clark, who finished with 19 points and five rebounds against Michigan State, said that this year's final game feels a lot different than last year's loss to North Carolina in the Elite Eight.

"Last year I was just a young kid, and I didn't know where I was going," Clark said. "Now I know that I am leaving."

Earl didn't know that he was leaving last year, but he almost was. He declared for the NBA Draft a few weeks after the season, before eventually pulling out of the draft to come back to Louisville for his junior season.

"I'm just ready, you know?" Clark said. "I know what I am doing and I am not looking back."

Clark also discussed what happens now for him.

"I'm going to take a couple of days off to let my body rest because I am just a little worn down," he said. "I am going to go through the process again, but this time I am really going to do it. We'll see what happens."

At one time, Louisville freshman center Samardo Samuels was thought to be a candidate for a one-and-done stay in college. But the Gatorade National Player of the Year and McDonald's All-American wasn't as effective during the Big East season and ended the season averaging 12.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He had a remarkable freshman season, but it wasn't enough to qualify for entry into the 2009 NBA Draft.

After the game, Samuels talked about what he'll be working on throughout the summer to improve for next season. He wasn't alone, teammate and fellow freshman big man Terrence Jennings said he's going to be working on his complete game in preparation for stepping into the starting role at center next season.

Always part of the transfer rumor mill, junior guard Edgar Sosa said he's also coming back, "I'm most definitely (returning."

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Xavier Henry Awaiting Calipari’s Decision

Written By: Adam Zagoria (Zagsblog.net)

Xavier Henry is waiting to hear from John Calipari before he makes his next move.

The 6-foot-6 Henry, a shooting guard out of Putnam City (Ok.) High, is part of Calipari’s star-studded recruiting class at Memphis that also includes unsigned 6-10 center DeMarcus Cousins. But if Calipari takes the eight-year, $35-million deal on the table from Kentucky, Henry could ask out of his Letter of Intent.

“We came because of the style of basketball and the way the coach coaches,” said Carl Henry in a phone interview. “I haven’t talked to my sons. Knowing them, they would probably want to leave.”

He added: “We already signed and coach has to give us a release. He said he would give us a release.”

Carl is the father of both Xavier, currently in Miami for the McDonald’s All-American Game, and C.J. Henry, who is at Memphis but is not on athletic scholarship.

“[Calipari] is supposed to be making his decision today,” Carl Henry said. We haven’t heard today what he’s going to do. He said he’s going to give us a call and let us know.”

Asked what he thought Calipari would end up doing, Carl said: “I think I would go to Kentucky. You get a deal like that, I think I would go to Kentucky. That’s what they’re in it for. They’re in it to make money. Memphis matched it, so if he leaves he’s leaving for the prestige of Kentucky. If he stays, he stays.”

Memphis AD R.C. Johnson said in a statement that the school had given Kentucky permission to speak with Calipari.

“We have given Kentucky permission to talk with John (Calipari) about their position,” Johnson stated. “However, I will tell you that we are elated with the job John has done as our head coach and we will do everything in our power to retain his services at Memphis.”

Carol Dennis, the mother of Memphis commit Nolan Dennis, a 6-5 wing out of North Richland Hills, Texas, told the Memphis Commercial Appeal her son had a clause that would allow him to leave if Calipari did.

Carl Henry said he didn’t know if Xavier had a similar Letter of Intent and isn’t sure if his son would want to go to Kentucky.

“I don’t know unless I talk to him,” he said.

Kansas was Xavier’s other finalist before he opted for Memphis in the fall. Kansas is expecting a commitment from Brooklyn Lincoln guard Lance Stephenson, but he opted to delay his announcement from Tuesday.

Cousins has committed to Memphis but has not signed a Letter of Intent and could follow Calipari to Kentucky. Otis Hughley, Cousins’ coach at Mobile (Ala.) LeFlore, was not immediately available for comment.

Point guard John Wall of Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God visited Duke this weekend but is said to be leaning toward Memphis or Kansas. If Calipari went to Kentucky, he could follow as well.

Carl said the Henry family would know by Thursday what Xavier planned to do.

“Coach is supposed to call me today,” he said. “We won’t know until Thursday what Xavier is going to do.”

Now Lance Won’t Announce This Week (Zags Take)

Written by:Adam Zagoria (Zagsblog.net)

Amazingly, this Lance Stephenson Saga still isn’t over and apparently won’t end at the McDonald’s All-American Game.

Lance Stephenson Sr. called the McDonald’s PR people Monday night and told them his son wasn’t yet ready to announce his college decision. The 6-foot-5 Stephenson was expected to announce for Kansas today at media day.

“Following [Monday night's] POWERADE Jam Fest, the McDonald’s All-American Games staff learned that Lance Stephenson will not make his college decision at media day, Tuesday, March 31 at 11:45 a.m. or during the game on Wednesday, April 1 at the BankUnited Center in Miami,” the statement read.

Stephenson will still be at media day to answer questions, however.

This marks the second time Lance has delayed his announcement. He was originally supposed to do it March 21 at Madison Square Garden, but held off.

Who knows what this means? Maybe Lance had a last-second change of heart and is now considering Maryland or St. John’s? Maybe he is waiting to see if John Calipari takes the Kentucky job and what impact that has on Memphis recruits Xavier Henry (signed) and DeMarcus Cousins (not signed), as well as John Wall, who is reportedly leaning toward Memphis?

Maybe Lance wants to see what Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich are doing before committing to Kansas?

Stay tuned for more later today

Summers bypasses senior year for NBA

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Georgetown junior DaJuan Summers is skipping his senior year and declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft.

Summers is "in the process of choosing an agent," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said Monday in a statement issued by the school.

"We wish DaJuan all the best in his future endeavors, wherever they may take him," Thompson said. "He informed me that he is closing the book on his college career and focusing fully on the opportunity to play professionally."

Summers averaged a team-leading 13.6 points for the Hoyas this season, along with 4.1 rebounds.

Georgetown was ranked as high as No. 9 in the AP Top 25 poll after beating Final Four participant Connecticut in January. But the Hoyas dropped 12 of their final 16 games, including a loss to Baylor in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament, to end up 16-15 this season.

The 6-foot-8, 236-pound Summers leaves Georgetown tied for 29th in team history with 1,129 points.

He averaged 11.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in his 101-game college career.

Calathes to declare for NBA draft

Written By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

Florida guard Nick Calathes will declare for the NBA draft but will not hire an agent, leaving open the option to return for his junior year.

Calathes met with Florida coach Billy Donovan on Monday to discuss the situation.

The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 17.2 points, 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game last season and was the only player in the nation to average at least 15 points, five rebounds and six assists.. He also had 1.9 steals per contest for a Florida team that went 25-11 last season.

Stephenson is not "Ready"

Written By: The Baltimore Sun

The college basketball world will have to wait a little longer for the culmination of Lance Stephenson’s recruitment.

Stephenson was scheduled to announce his college choice today, but the McDonald’s All-American Game public relations staff released this statement regarding his decision.

“Following [Monday night's] POWERADE Jam Fest, the McDonald’s All-American Games staff learned that Lance Stephenson will not make his college decision at media day, Tuesday, March 31 at 11:45 a.m. or during the game on Wednesday, April 1 at the BankUnited Center in Miami.”

According to the New York Daily News, Stephenson’s delay might not change his assumed destination.

Sources still strongly expect Stephenson to choose Kansas, one even adding that he's "99.9% sure" the Coney Island product will join the Jayhawks and pass on St. John's and Maryland. Sources believe Stephenson will choose a college if he is academically eligible and not follow prep star Brandon Jennings and play in Europe.

SI.com’s Kevin Armstrong wrote an extensive profile on Stephenson yesterday, which touched on the Maryland-Under Armour issue.

Asked whether the interlacement of company and school would influence his college choice, Stephenson, who has worn the Nike sneakers of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in the playoffs, said, "I just want to play ball." In his own words, his father made a stronger statement about Under Armour, telling The Washington Post, "The sneaker sucks."

Griffin, Hansbrough lead AP first team

Pictured: Dejuan Blair 6'7 soph. Pitt (Big east)

Written By: Associated Press

Blake Griffin and Tyler Hansbrough spent a lot of time together on the court last weekend and were back together Monday as the top vote-getters on The Associated Press' All-America team.

Griffin, the sophomore forward from Oklahoma who led the nation in rebounding, was the only unanimous selection for the team. Hansbrough, the consensus player of the year last season as a junior, repeated as a first-teamer the day after his Tar Heels beat the Sooners 72-60 to advance to the Final Four.

AP All-America First Team

Joining them on the team were players from schools with little All-America history, sophomores DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh, James Harden of Arizona State and junior Stephen Curry of Davidson.

Griffin, who averaged 21 points and 14.3 rebounds while shooting 63.5 percent from the field, became college basketball's image for toughness when he returned from a concussion only to drive headlong onto the scorer's table.

He received 71 first-team votes and 335 points from the same national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Balloting was done before the NCAA tournament.

Hansbrough, a unanimous pick last season along with Kansas State's Michael Beasley, got 50 first-team votes and 304 points. This is the fourth straight season the 6-foot-9 forward received All-America recognition. He was a third-team pick as a freshman and was on the second team after his sophomore season.

Blair is Pittsburgh's second first-teamer, joining Don Hennon in 1958. Curry, who led the nation in scoring, is Davidson's second as well. Fred Hetzel was Davidson's first first-teamer in 1965.

Harden is Arizona State's first AP All-America.

Griffin, the Big 12 player of the year, is the third Oklahoma player to be selected and the first since Stacey King in 1989. Wayman Tisdale of the Sooners was a three-time All-America from 1983-85.

"When Coach [Jeff] Capel started recruiting me, he talked to me a lot about changing the culture of this program and getting it back to a place where guys like Wayman Tisdale and Stacey King and those guys came to play," said Griffin, a native of Oklahoma City. "It's definitely an honor."

Hansbrough, who is in his second straight Final Four with the Tar Heels, is the third North Carolina player to repeat. He joins Phil Ford (1977-78) and Michael Jordan (1983-84).

"Those are some of my favorite Carolina players. To be up there with them -- that's special," Hansbrough said. "I never dreamed of that when I came here."

Blair, who was third in the voting with 294 points, averaged 15.6 points and 12.2 rebounds, was the only postseason All-America player not to be on the preseason team. One of the best offensive rebounders in recent years, Blair became a fan favorite when he was often caught smiling during games.

"That's pretty big. That's total," the 6-7, 265-pound sophomore said when told he made the team. "I worked hard, and the hard work paid off. It's pretty cool just to be up there with those guys and to be talked about."

Harden, who received 290 points, was the Pac-10 player of the year after a sophomore season that saw him average 20.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 35.8 minutes. He led the Sun Devils to their first NCAA bid since 2003 as they posted consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in 28 years.

"There have been a lot of great players in this program and to be the first to get this is quite an accomplishment," Harden said, adding it's all part of making the Sun Devils a national program. "That's the reason I came here, to help get the respect and hopefully we can keep it up."

Curry became an overnight star in Davidson's run to the round of eight last season, and he backed it up with a junior season that saw him lead the country in scoring while making the transition to point guard.

He averaged 28.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists as the Wildcats won the Southern Conference regular season title but lost in the tournament and didn't make the NCAA field.

"It was difficult to go from being a scoring threat to someone who creates for others, but my teammates helped me in my transition and made my job easier," said Curry, who received 288 points. "It was a tough challenge, but I met it head on and worked hard to be the best point guard I could be."

Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet led the second team with 238 points and was joined by three other juniors, Ty Lawson of North Carolina, Luke Harangody of Notre Dame and Jodie Meeks of Kentucky, along with senior Jerel McNeal of Marquette.

The third team had seniors Terrence Williams of Louisville, Toney Douglas of Florida State and Sam Young of Pittsburgh, along with juniors Sherron Collins of Kansas and Gerald Henderson of Duke.

McDonald's: Sunday & Monday Rundown

Written By Evan Daniels
Scout.com Recruiting Analyst


CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- For the second day in a row the McDonald's All-American's practiced and for the second consecutive day Keith "Tiny" Gallon impressed us.


2009 Checklist

Keith Gallon, C – He’s known as “Tiny” and compared to what he was a year ago, the 6-foot-9 big man is just that. He says he’s lost over 70 pounds and is clearly in the best shape of his life. The Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill standout should be proud of the effort he’s put in to get in shape. He’s more mobile, nimble and powerful than he has been in the past. We are expecting a good showing from during the big game.

Michael Snaer, SG – A strongly built, burly two-guard, Snaer showed why many have him ranked so high. During practice on Monday, Snaer attacked the rim and used his strength and toughness to score once he got there. He also showed off his spot-up jumper during the West’s scrimmage session.

John Henson, PF – There’s a possibility that Henson is the best long term prospect in this game. He appears to be pushing 6-foot-10 and his length is a hindrance for the opposition. Despite the lack of strength he gets his hands on a lot of shots and today in a scrimmage he had a big block on Mason Plumlee and a few plays later stripped Gallon. We are also impressed with how confident he’s become handling the ball, as he was looking to push the break.

Maalik Wayns and Peyton Siva, PG – Both East point guards were pushing the ball up the floor every chance they got, so it was fun watching them go at it. Siva is more athletic and a better shooter, while Wayns attacks the rim a little bit. Wayns showed off his impressive vision in transition, while Siva showed how to finish in traffic as he rose up on a fast break and flushed one home.

Tommy Mason-Griffin, PG – For a few minutes during the West’s scrimmage, Mason-Griffin really had it going. He’s tough to contain off the dribble because of his speed and ability to handle the ball so low to the ground. He’s also capable of getting his shot off, and showed an ability to bury jumpers off the bounce, as he hit an 18-footer and a pair of pull-up threes on three straight possessions.

David Wear and Travis Wear, PF – The twins out of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei have guarded each other for majority of the past two days. As has been stated plenty of times in the past, their games are identical and they each have an impressive skill set. The go-to move is usually a jump hook if they catch it on the block, but they are very capable shooters to 18-feet.

Ryan Kelly, PF – It appears that Kelly has grown since we last laid eyes on him. On Sunday and Monday he had the jumper working, and although his team didn’t do much scrimmaging, if he got a good look he usually buried it. Kelly spent time playing on the wing and even guarded Dominic Cheek at times. His development over the past two years has been incredible too watch, and he seems to improve every time out.


News & Notes

Unfortunately it looks unlikely whether Wally Judge will be able to play in the game on Wednesday. The Kansas State commit suffered a tough fall on Sunday and has a bruised spine. He was seen wearing a neck brace today.

Lance Stephenson is still not here. The top 10 wing played on Saturday and was scheduled to fly to Miami on Sunday, but missed his flight, and has now missed the first two days of practice.

The Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln standout is scheduled to announce his college decision on Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. He will choose from a list that includes Kansas, St. John’s and Maryland.

The Powerade Jam Fest, which will include a dunk contest, three-point contest and a skills competition will be Monday evening and televised on national television.

The game itself will be played Wednesday evening. The boys action tips off at 8:00.

2008-09 RealScout.net CHSAA All City Teams

RealScout.net CHSAA Player of the Year
SG Durand Scott 6'4 Rice (Sr.) Miami (ACC)

Its been a long time coming for durand scott. Always overshadowed and under appreciated by the media. Looked over for past rice stars Kemba Walker, Edgar Sosa, Dorvell Carter, Jordan Henriques, Curtis Kelly, Chris Fouch, and Lamont "Mo-Mo" Jones. Scott mad a name for himself this season, winning the CHSAA Title.

Scott played the point thru center in his 4 year varsity career. Headed to Miami in the fall, Scott is sure to become a big time college player in his ACC First Season


RealScout.net Coach of the Year
Mo Hicks (Rice High School)

One of the city's most respected coaches. Coach hicks should be in the college guiding some team to a long tournament run. Instead he produces d1 talent at an alarming rate. His players are well prepared for the next level. Rice is the toast of NYC and one of the nations top teams every year.

RealScout.net Rookie of the Year
PG Dashawn Suber 5'11 Rice (Frosh.)

Suber has been on the map since the age of 9. He came into Rice this year debating if he should play varsity or Frosh. Making a smart decision, he decided to play freshman. Winning the CHSAA title over a stacked Xaverian Clippers and putting up huge numbers and clutch shots all season.

Like last years RealScout.net Rookie of the Year (Jermaine Saunders Rice), Suber has a great future ahead of himself. This lefty will be the most talked about soph in the chsaa next season, remember you heard it here first.



RealScout.net CHSAA All-City 1st Team
PG- Russ Smith 6'1 Molloy (Sr.)
SG-Sean Johnson 6'2 Christ the King (Sr.)
SF-Jayvaughn Pinkston 6'5 Loughlin (Jr.)
SF- Rasheem King 6'4 Xaverian (Sr.)
SF- James Stukes 6'5 Rice (Sr.)


RealScout.net CHSAA All-City 2nd Team
PG-Chaz Williams 5'8 Ford (Sr.) Hofstra (CAA)
PG-Mike Alvarado 6'0 All Hallows (Jr.) Manhattan
SF-Jermaine Saunders 6'5 Rice (Soph.)
PF-Sidiki Johnson 6'7 St. Rays (Soph.)
PF-Kamari Murphy 6'7 Ford (Soph.)


RealScout.net CHSAA All-City 3rd Team
PG-Corey Edwards 5'9 Christ the King (Soph)
PG-Jamel Fuentes 6'1 Xaverian (Sr.)
PG-Johnathan Williams 6'3 Rice (Sr.)
SF-Maurice Barrow 6'5 Christ the King (Jr.)
C-Kadeem Jack 6'9 Rice (Jr.)


RealScout.net CHSAA All-City 4th Team
PG-Rashawn Stores 5'10 All Hallows (Sr.)

SG-Eric Klingsberg 6'4 Holy Cross (Sr.)
SG-Scotty Arias 6'2 Rice (Jr.)
SF-Jin Hong 6'7 Molloy (Sr.)
SF-Trevon Hamlet 6'7 Loughlin (Sr.)



RealScout.net CHSAA All Frosh Team
(Yes All 8 of them)
PG- Trey Dickerson 5'8 Christ the King
PG-Melvin Johnson 6'1 Rice
SG-George Davis 6'1 Molloy
SG-Brian Bernardi 6'2 Xaverian
SF-Omar Calhoun 6'4 Christ the King
SF-Nkereuwem Okorro 6'4 St. Raymond's
PF- Daniel Dingle 6'5 St. Raymond's
PF Shakell Kemp 6'4 Xaverian

Sherrod Wright on the Mason Visit; Tobias Harris Earns MVP of Class A Final

Written by: Adam Zagoria (Zagsblog.net)

Sherrod Wright took an official visit to George Mason from Thursday-Saturday and said he’s been getting the most love from George Mason and Central Florida.

“Central Florida and George Mason are showing me the most,” said Wright, the 6-foot-4 wing from Mount Vernon (N.Y.) High.

Wright said he wasn’t certain whether he would take a visit to Central Florida April 9, or if he would visit any other schools.

“I should be planning one but I’m not sure,” he said. “We didn’t set one yet.”

Wright said he also hears from Seton Hall and Hofstra, but not as much.

“I’m just hearing them out basically,” he said.

As for the Mason visit, it went well.

“It was good,” he said. “I really enjoyed it. I played a couple fullcourts with the team. I met the team. I met the academic adviser, the head of the Engineering department. I’m thinking about majoring in that or Communications.”

Wright said he also likes Mason’s style of play.

“I like how they play,” he said. “They have a run and gun offense. They play three guards. They get up and down. I”ll most likely play the two.”

He said he plans to pick a school “where I feel comfortable, where I trust the coaches, where I’m sure they’re going to push me to my limit.”

He hopes to make that decision by the late signing period beginning April 15.

“I’ll probably decide by April 15th,” he said.


HARRIS NAMED MVP

Tobias Harris scored 27 points and added 15 rebounds to earn MVP honors as Long Island Lutheran routed Jamesville-DeWitt 68-51 in the Class A final Saturday at the New York State Boys Basketball Federation Tournament of Champions.

Achraf Yocoubou added 16 points for Long Island Lutheran (19-8), and Alshwan Hymes scored 17 points for Jamesville-DeWitt (27-2).

It was the fifth Federation title for Lutheran (19-8) and the first since 1997. Jamesville-DeWitt finished at 27-2.

Syracuse-bound guard Brandon Triche scored just eight points on 2-of-11 shooting with ‘Cuse head coach Jim Boeheim looking on.

Long Island Lutheran led 37-23 at halftime. Jamesville-DeWitt used an 11-0 run in the third quarter to cut the lead to eight, but Lutheran countered with a 10-0 run, including a three-point play by Harris that put the game out of reach.

Jamesville-DeWitt’s only lead came with the score 2-0 nine seconds into the game.

Lebron Set to Make History in Cleveland

CLEVELAND (AP) - LeBron James ran over an unsuspecting referee. The Cleveland Cavaliers flattened another record.

James scored 24 points with 12 assists while orchestrating Cleveland's show on and off the floor as the Cavs made more history with a 102-74 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, hitting the 60-win mark and extending their winning streak to a franchise record 12 straight.

The Cavs, who earlier this week surpassed the club mark for wins in a season, trailed 35-20 in the first quarter and 49-47 at halftime.

But Cleveland, flexing its defensive muscle, then outscored Dallas 30-11 in the third quarter, 55-25 in the second half and by an astounding 82-39 margin from the 10:13 mark of the second quarter on to improve to a league-best 35-1 at home.

''We just take care of business,'' James said.

On the way to Cleveland's largest margin of victory in 56 games over Dallas, James plowed over official Derek Richardson. He popped right up, but the collision knocked the wind out of the 6-foot-8, 260-pound superstar.

''Flagrant-2,'' James said with a laugh. ''They should have kicked him out.''

Cleveland is the 61st team to win 60 games in the regular season.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 for the Mavericks, who came in with a three-game lead over Phoenix for the No. 8 playoff spot in the West. Dallas was held to a season-low in points.

''Every game's tough,'' Dallas coach Rick Carlisle. ''This (Cleveland) is a championship-caliber team. You can't have any letdowns at all. Our letdown in the third quarter really cost us. We don't have a lot of time to mope. We have a lot of important games coming up this week. We're going to have to regroup.''

Mo Williams added 22 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas 14 and Joe Smith had his best game since returning to the Cavs, adding 12 points with 13 rebounds and was Cleveland's only consistent player in the first half. Smith also made his first 3-pointer since re-signing with the Cavs.

''Joe has given us a lift since he's put on a Cavaliers uniform,'' James said.

Jason Kidd , who missed Dallas' previous game with a sore back, had nine points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Kidd also volunteered to guard James, his U.S. Olympic teammate, in the first half and later wondered if it was a bad idea.

''He almost had a triple-double in the first half, so I don't know how much that worked,'' Kidd said.

The Cavaliers, who trailed by 15 in the second quarter, didn't need long to turn things around and run their record to 25-4 against Western Conference teams.

James fed Ilgauskas for three straight jumpers as Cleveland outscored Dallas 10-1 in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The Mavericks couldn't get anything going against Cleveland's suffocating defense, and when James pulled up and knocked down a 3-pointer, the Cavs were ahead 71-56 and on their way to win No. 12 in a row.

On Cleveland's next trip, Williams pulled up for a 3-pointer that missed. But before the shot bounced off the rim, a retreating James didn't see Richardson and fell over him near midcourt. James crashed hard to the floor and laid there for several moments as Cleveland fans quieted and his teammates gathered around.

''I just lost my breath,'' he said. ''It don't matter how big you are, if somebody catches you and you're running full speed like that ... I just stayed down and tried to catch my breath.''

He soon popped to his feet, and it wasn't long before James was dancing on Cleveland's sideline during a timeout and mugging for the camera as the Cavs' reserves finished off the Mavericks.

Following player introductions, James and his teammates held a mock baseball game with Williams hitting an imaginary home run. With James as their ringleader, the Cavs, now 20-2 since the All-Star break, recently began staging elaborate pregame productions.

It's all in good fun, and no team is having more fun than the Cavs right now.

James was asked if this was the best time he's ever had on the floor.

''Not yet,'' he said. ''I had way too much fun playing with the guys in high school. We won state championship after state championship. It's starting to get there.''

Kidd is impressed with everything about Cleveland.

''Their record speaks for itself,'' he said. ''They are the best team in the NBA right now.''

Picture of courtesy of si.com

North Carolina rounds out Final Four

Terry Foster / The Detroit News

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Midway through the second half, North Carolina forward Danny Green clanked a tomahawk dunk off the back of the rim and the ball soared to midcourt, causing a bit of embarrassment for the senior.

Teammates laughed. Green blushed.

Other than that mishap, Green and the Tar Heels were nearly perfect during a 72-60 victory over Oklahoma in the South Regional final Sunday before 17,025 mostly powder blue-clad fans at the Fed Ex Forum.

UNC advances to a record 18th Final Four and will play Villanova at 8:47 p.m. Saturday. Michigan State and Connecticut will play at 6:07 p.m.

North Carolina (32-4) had too many weapons for Oklahoma's one-man gang to handle. Green (18 points, three rebounds) is like icing on the cake. If he plays well, the Tar Heels say they are impossible to beat. When he is off, there is enough talent to keep the machine flowing.

But Green was on early and the wild card trumped the Sooners.

With Tyler Hansbrough hampered by early foul trouble, Green stepped up early. When he cooled down, Ty Lawson (19 points, five assists), Deon Thompson (10 points) and Wayne Ellington (nine points) made big plays.

North Carolina didn't even need All-American Hansbrough, who finished with just eight points and six rebounds.

The Tar Heels possibly ended the college career of Blake Griffin, who faced a number of double teams, spies and traps and finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds. The problem is he was held scoreless for the first 8 ½ minutes of the game and Oklahoma's guards were shut down for much of the game.

Tony Crocker, Willie Warren and Austin Johnson combined for just 24 points and three assists. Much of that came when North Carolina was in command of the game. Willie Warren scored just four in the first half, but finished with 16. Oklahoma missed its first 14 attempts from 3-point range and was 2-for-17 for the game.

Oklahoma trailed by as many as 19 points but used a late run to make the score more respectable.

The Tar Heels now return to familiar ground. They beat Michigan State, 98-63, at Ford Field in December.

North Carolina comes to town with the best credentials of any of the Final Four teams. The Tar Heels won a Tournament-record 100th game (100-39) and their coach, Roy Williams, is in his seventh Final Four (with Kansas and UNC).

The loss spoiled the dreams of former Detroit Central head coach Oronde Taliaferro, who wanted to return home to help coach the Sooners (30-6) in his home town. He serves as an assistant under Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel.

Picture Courtesy of SI.com

Michigan State crushes overall No. 1 Louisville in NCAA Tournament

Pictured: Michigan State's Delvon Roe (l.) and Summers celebrate during win over Louisville

Written by: NYDailyNews.com

Michigan State beat the top-seeded University of Louisville Cardinals 64-52 to reach the Final Four of the men's college basketball tournament.

Goran Suton had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Michigan State, which trailed 34-32 in the second half before going on a 20-7 scoring run at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The Spartans were the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Regional behind Louisville, which was the top overall seed in the 65-team National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament.

"I take my hat off to my players," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said in a televised interview with CBS Sports. "They prepared so well the past day and a half. That was a great Louisville team. I didn't know if we could beat them, but I thought we had a chance." Michigan State (30-6) joins the University of Connecticut and Villanova at the national semifinals in Detroit and prevents the Big East Conference from having three schools in the Final Four. The last spot will be filled today as the University of North Carolina plays Oklahoma in the South Region final.

Michigan State is in the Final Four for the fifth time in the past 11 years, the most of any school in the nation over that span. The Spartans, whose last championship came in 2000, will next play Connecticut on April 4 at Ford Field. The national championship game is scheduled for April 6.

Louisville (31-6) had a 13-game winning streak snapped and becomes the second No. 1 seed to lose in this season's tournament. Third-seeded Villanova upset Pittsburgh 78-76 in last night's East Regional final.

Just two days after shooting almost 58 percent from the field in a 103-64 rout of Arizona, the Cardinals were held to 38 percent shooting by Michigan State. Earl Clark scored 18 points to lead Louisville, which shot 55.6 percent from the free throw line after hitting 93 percent against Arizona.

Lincoln Goes down

Written by: Adam Zagoria (Zagsblog.net)

The high school careers of Lance Stephenson and James Padgett came to an end Saturday…and Maryland coach Gary Williams was there to watch it.

James Stukes, an uncommitted 6-5 small forward, had 22 points and Miami-bound guard Durand Scott added 16 as Rice crushed two-time defending State Federation champion Lincoln 77-50 in a Class AA boys semifinal in Glens Falls, N.Y. Rice will meet Newburgh Free Academy on Sunday for the state championship.

Stukes, who decommitted twice from Robert Morris, will prep next year at South Kent (Conn.) and said he could still wind up at Robert Morris.

Stephenson, New York State’s all-time scoring leader, had 14 points, six rebounds and two assists for Lincoln and the 6-8 Maryland-bound Padgett posted 12 points and 10 boards.

As first reported here, the 6-5 Stephenson is expected to announce next week that he will play at Kansas, which lost to Michigan State Friday night in the Sweet 16. Maryland and St. John’s also made Stephenson’s final list.

Speaking of Kansas, guard Sherron Collins told the Topeka Capital-Journal that he plans to come back to campus for his senior season.

“What I’m saying right now is I’m coming back,” said Collins, who added that he is in fine shape financially and has the blessing of his family to return. “Coach [Bill Self] has to tell me something, if coach doesn’t tell me nothing, I’m coming back. Whatever he decides is what I’m gonna do.”

Collins said the addition of Stephenson could help Kansas win the NCAA championship.

“We could be a contender for a national championship next year,” Collins said. “Possibly win it.”

Stephenson shared the co-Mr. New York Basketball award with Syracuse-bound senior guard Brandon Triche of Jamesville-Dewitt. Stephenson broke Sebastian Telfair’s state career scoring record in February and has helped Lincoln win a record four straight PSAL championships.


WRIGHT ON THE GEORGE MASON VISIT

Sherrod Wright just finished up his official visit to George Mason and said he enjoyed it.

“It was good, I liked it,” the 6-foot-4 wing from Mount Vernon (N.Y.) High wrote in a text.

Wright spent Thursday-Saturday on the campus of the Virginia school.

Several other schools are also in the mix for Wright, including Hofstra, Seton Hall, South Florida and Central Florida.

He said he’s not sure what his schedule is going forward.

“I’m not sure yet,” he said.

The NCAA late signing period begins April 15.

Picture courtesy of fiveborsports.com

Freshman Kemba Walker's 23 points helps UConn outlast Missouri

Written BY Roger Rubin
NY DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

GLENDALE, Ariz. - They had mobbed one another and done a celebratory dance for their fans. The NCAA West Regional championship trophy had been lifted. Then the Connecticut Huskies filed off the court, leaving a message for the remaining teams hanging on the rims.

No, UConn did not cut down the nets after earning its third trip to the Final Four with an 82-75 victory over Missouri Saturday before 18,886 at University of Phoenix Stadium. It was a subtle, symbolic gesture.

"There was no reason to cut them down here," senior Jeff Adrien said. "We'll do that in Detroit, where it really matters."

Top-seeded UConn survived Missouri's "fastest 40 minutes in basketball" attack, but one could see from the fresh gashes on Stanley Robinson's chest and shoulders that it was no typical battle. Third-seeded Mizzou wore the Huskies down, but not out. And they found out that UConn has the one player built for their frenetic style of play: Kemba Walker.

The Tigers had no answer for the guard out of Manhattan powerhouse Rice High. When they pressed, Walker sliced through. When they trapped, he split their defenders on the dribble. And when it was over, the 6-1 guard from the Bronx had played his finest game as a collegian: his 23 points tied a career high and he added five assists, five rebounds and only two turnovers. He shot 7-for-9 from the floor and 9-for-10 on the line.

"He grew up today," said West Regional MVP A.J. Price, who scored 18 points Saturday. "He played like a man among boys. There were times he dominated the game. They couldn't pressure him. He was breaking through two or three guys and still had enough left in him to go down and finish the plays off."

"This is a perfect game for Kemba," coach Jim Calhoun said. "A full-court game, he wants that 95 feet. When he gets going 95 feet ... he's a pretty special player." Apparently Walker is so quick, Calhoun awarded him an extra foot.

Despite being dogged by reports alleging they violated NCAA recruiting rules, the Huskies (31-4) will meet the winner of Sunday's Midwest Regional final between Louisville and Michigan State on Saturday at Ford Field.

The Huskies built an early 13-2 lead and managed to hold the Tigers (31-7) at bay with 70% shooting for a 44-38 edge at the break. Walker made the difference in the game's last 20 minutes, when he had 14 of his points and was 4-for-4 from the line as UConn made all of its 10 free throws in the last 62 seconds.

Missouri trailed the entire game until J.T. Tiller fed Keith Ramsey for a layup and a 50-49 lead with 13:36 to play. With the score tied at 50 less than a minute later, Walker put the Huskies ahead for good by slicing in from the wing for a layup. His biggest basket might have been an off-balance, one-handed jumper in the lane with 2:11 to play that ended one of many Mizzou runs and made it 70-65. "It was definitely a big basket," said Walker, who was named to the all-regional team. "I think it was a heartbreaker."

Robinson had 13 points and four blocked shots; Adrien finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and Hasheem Thabeet added 13 rebounds for UConn. Thabeet, the Huskies' 7-3 center, bloodied a finger in a scramble for a loose ball in the second half, held a bandage to his right hand after the game, but said he should be good for Saturday's game. Matt Lawrence and Leo Lyons scored 13 apiece for Missouri, whose 21 NCAA Tournament wins are the second-most by a team that has never been to the Final Four. Only Boston College has more, with 22.

The Huskies are 2-for-2 on trips to the Final Four, winning titles in 1999 and 2004. Each of those years, they advanced by winning the West Regional in the state of Arizona.

Calhoun isn't bashful about his superstitions, either. He took the team for a tour of the Diamondbacks ballpark Friday and then out to dinner for Mexican food just as he had the night before the finals in '99 and '04. Calhoun joked that he would buy a house here and make sure he returns every five years.

"Coach has his things he likes to do. We have our things that we like to do," said Walker, who teared up after the final buzzer. "For me - and I think for everyone here - that's win. We're going to the Final Four and I almost can't believe it. Now all we want is to win there."

Scottie Reynolds' drive with :0.5 left lifts Villanova over top-seeded Pitt

Written BY Dick Weiss
NY DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

BOSTON - Scottie Reynolds was still clutching the game ball in the locker room Saturday night, long after his runner with half a second left lifted third-seeded Villanova to its first Final Four berth since winning it all in 1985.

And he wasn't about to let go.

"I'm going to hold on to that ball for a long time," the Wildcats' star junior guard said after Villanova's 78-76 victory over top-seeded Pittsburgh in the East Regional final. "I think they're going to take it, but they're going to have to wrestle me for it.

"After the game, I kept asking, 'Where's the ball? Where's the ball.' Our assistant AD Bob Steitz gave it to me. I've always seen Michael Jordan take the ball and run off the court after big games. I always wanted the ball if we advanced and I have it now."

Reynolds made a shot for the ages that will be replayed over and over again in highlight reels every March. He took a flip pass from Dante Cunningham near halfcourt and drove past multiple defenders into the lane, overcoming Gilbert Brown's hand in his face to drain the winner.

"Oh man, it's so many emotions going through my mind," he said. "It's something you think about as a youngster, advancing to the Final Four or winning the championship."

Villanova (30-7) became the second Big East team to qualify for a spot in the Final Four, joining West Regional champion UConn.

The Wildcats will play the winner of Sunday's South Regional final between North Carolina and Oklahoma in the national semifinals on Saturday in Detroit.

This was a game that epitomized the Big East. It was an instant classic, with 10 ties and 16 lead changes, and looked like it was headed for overtime after Xaverian product Levance Fields drained a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining to tie the game at 76 after a sloppy inbounds play set up the Panthers for the opportunity.

Pitt had no timeouts left and neither did Villanova. The Panthers (31-5) pressured the inbounds pass, making it difficult for Reggie Redding to find an open man.

"It looked for a minute like they were having trouble getting it in," Fields said. "If it had been one more second it probably could have been a five-second call. At the last second, he was able to get the ball to Cunningham. I guess Jermaine Dixon (Pitt's best on the ball defender) turned the wrong way, which gave Scottie stepping room. Cunningham made a good pass to Reynolds."

Reynolds, who was selected the Regional's Most Outstanding Player, had the presence of mind to drive straight to the basket, absorbing some contact as he hoisted the decisive shot.

"We run that play in practice," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "And it never works."

This time, it did, with the clock showing zeroes. The officials reviewed the play and put 0.5 seconds back on the clock, giving Pitt one last chance. Fields' desperation heave from 70 feet hit the top of the backboard, sparking a wild celebration by Villanova.

Wright immediately ran over to hug his wife Patti and three children, then made his way over to the stands to embrace former Villanova coach Rollie Massimino, who coached the Wildcats to their only national title in 1985 and hired Wright as an assistant.

"He told me, 'I'm so proud of you.I'm so happy,'" Wright said. "He's emotional. I was emotional. He said, 'I love you' and I told him I love him. And it means the world to have him here."

Senior forward Dwayne Anderson led the Wildcats with 17 points, making a clutch three-pointer that gave Villanova a 71-69 lead with 1:42 to play. Reynolds had 15 points, while Cunningham added 14 points and five rebounds.

Sam Young scored 28 points for the Panthers, and 6-7, 265-pound sophomore behemoth DeJuan Blair had 20 points and 10rebounds.

The Pitt players, as expected, were crushed, and Panthers coach Jamie Dixon began to crack when he talked about Young and Fields, his senior leaders.

Wright could feel for him.

"This group earned this," Wright said. "We could have lost this game, but they still would have earned the right to be good enough to play in the Final Four, just like Pitt did. Pitt is good enough to be in the Final Four. We just happened to win the game."

As alum Dances, Curtis' run ends (Lance Named Co- Mr. Basketball)

As alum Dances, Curtis' run ends

Written BY Mark Lelinwalla
NY DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

GLENS FALLS - You can bet Curtis High School will be tuning in Saturday afternoon to see if Zaire Taylor (pictured) can help lead third-seeded Missouri to victory over top-seeded UConn for the right to go to its first NCAA Final Four.

Taylor, a Staten Island product and former star at Curtis, helped the Tigers upset second-seeded Memphis on Thursday night.

But while Taylor continues to try to thrive in the national spotlight, his high school alma mater fell way short of advancing to the New York State Federation Class A championship game in Glens Falls. Long Island Lutheran flattened Curtis, 67-42, Friday night in the Class A semis here at the Civic Center.

The Warriors got off to a slow start, and Lutheran made them pay, stretching them out on defense. Lutheran led 30-16 at halftime and 51-31 at the end of third quarter and was up by as many as 26 in the fourth. Hofstra-bound Curtis power forward Halil Kanacevic finished with only 10 points.

"Against a team this good," Curtis coach Richard Buckheit said, "there's no margin for error."

Despite the disappointing showing in Glens Falls, Curtis still has something to look forward Saturday: Taylor and Missouri against UConn.

"I know of Zaire and what he's doing," Kanacevic said. "It's the Curtis tradition."

LANCE STEP: Lincoln star Lance Stephenson was named co-Mr. New York Basketball, sharing the award with Jamesville-Dewitt senior guard Brandon Triche. Stephenson broke Sebastian Telfair's state career scoring mark in February and last weekend helped Lincoln become the first team in PSAL history to win four straight city titles.

JAMESVILLE-DEWITT 67, IONA PREP 55: CHSAA "A" Intersectional champ Iona Prep (28-1) scored the game's first seven points, but couldn't contain Triche, who scored 16 first-half points to lead the Red Rams (27-1) to victory in the state Federation "A" semifinals at the Civic Center

Port Chester C.Y.P. & Spring Fling 2009

Russ Smith (Rodney Abrams)

The start of the AAU/Club season's in full effect. Thursday I showed face at Portchester C.Y.P. and Friday's journey landed me in Hackensack for Playaz Spring Fling 2009 at FDU.

In Port Chester C.Y.P. Rodney Abrams Team coached by Coach Bilal showed up to westchester county with RealScout.net First Team combo guard Lamount Sammuels (Boys & Girls) as his 6th man.

JoJo Swift 5'10 (Nia Prep), Russ Smith 6'0 (Molloy), Chris Ranglin, Ashton Pankey 6'8 (St. Anthony's NJ), and Jordan Henriquez 6'11 (Winchendon Prep) rounded out the starting five. Playing against an always tough Long Island Lightning (Walsh) that was filled with All Hallows players.

All Hallows 2010 guard Mike Alavardo 6'1 (17pts) showed everybody in attendance that nyc does still have superior point guards.

Alvarado has given a early verbal commitment to Manhattan College. One, that will be tested by many other schools (I hate to say that), if he continues to dominate the way he has this season and going into this summer. He's easily a Big East/ACC Guard.

Despite, Alvardo's great (not good, great) floor game, Rodney Abrams won 68-61 with a high of 15pts from Smith.

The sleeper in the game was a soph named Davonne Henry. Henry a 6'4 high riser out of Bread and Roses HS in Manhattan. After doing my research I stumbled over his stats of 19.2ppg, and 11.6rpg on a 16-2 PSAL "A" team this season.

Henry scored a high of 28pts during a game against George Washington High.

While he didn't score a big amount maybe 4 or 6pts. I'm good at recognizing talent and Henry can turn into a D1 surprise someday.

Playaz Spring Fling 2009 @FDU
6'7 Sidiki Johnson Lightning 2011

On Friday, the areas Top 16-under prospects were dropping sweat at Jimmy Salmon's Playaz Spring Fling 2009 at FDU (Hackensack NJ).

Top Prospects on Display Friday:

6'7 Maurice Harkless LI Lightning (2011), 6'2 Mike Taylor Metro Hawks (2011), 6'1 Sterling Gibbs NY Panthers (2011), 6'1 Myles Davis Playaz Club (2011), 5'8 Myles Mack Playaz Club (2011), 6'7 Sidiki Johnson LI Lightning (2011), 6'7 Kamari Murphy LI Lightning (2011), 6'3 Jose Rodriguez NYABC (2011), 5'6 AJ Tutt 2 tha Rack (2011)

6'9 Joey Delarosa NYABC (2011), 6'9 Desmond Hubert Playaz Club (2011), 5'8 Daryl Lucky LI Lightning (2011), 6'2 Evan Conti Rising Stars (2011), 6'0 Kareem Canty MetroHawks (2011), 6'5 Terell Hunt NYABC (2011), 6'2 Terrance Curry NYABC (2011)

6'7 Angel Nunez NY Gauchos (2011), 6'5 Amile Jefferson Team Philly (2012), 6'3 Andre Horne Team Philly (2012) 6'5, Kyle Anderson Playaz Club, (2012), 6'1 Lebrent Walker LI Lightning (2012), 6'4 Nkereuwem Okoro LI Lightning (2012), 5'8 Jamel Torrence LI Lightning (2012), and Daniel Dingle 6'5 LI Lightning (2012), and Jordan Washington 6'7 2ThaRack (2013)


RealScout.net News & Notes

*NY Panthers had a 6'11 Soph from West Hempstead Long Island that looked interesting. He continued running up and down the court and was fazed by his lack of touches. He was Extremely active on the glass.

*It seemed as though there was a heads/tails effect in Friday's games. Either you knew your teammates or you didn't. Some teams looked comfortable and some didn't. Playaz Club, Team Philly, and Riverside Church come to mind. The benefits of not having to start with a entirely new team is good, but blending talented players together on a All-Star team is always welcome too.

That's not saying those teams don't have talent, they're great. But, they rarely add new players, so familiarity is the key to there success.

*6'7 Jordan Washington (NYC Top 8th Grade PF) played for "2 tha Rack" and was about 4 pts away from beating the Chozs by himself. He did have help from AJ (Antione) Tutt a small 5'6 guard, that played better than any pg in the 16u division.

*Lightning 16u (Gold) lost to an always good Jersey Shore Warriors program by 1pt. That Lightning team featured most of the 14under AAU National Champions.

*I left the metro hawks game tied at 14. 2010 big man Dominikas Milka (late birth) played for the Hawks.

*The Lightning 16u (Blue) won by 2pts against Gym Ratz. Jeavune Dawson 5'10 Satellite played well late.

*In the 16under division, The Team to beat is Playaz Club which on Friday looked unbeatable.

Local basketball stars playing in Port Chester

Pictured: Sherrod Wright (Mt.Vernon)

By Kevin Devaney Jr.
The Journal News

The best endorsement Joe Bellofatto can annually make to draw crowds to the CYP tournament is to list the famous players who have participated over the last 62 years. Elton Brand, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Pearl Washington and Billy Cunningham are just the first that come to mind.

Watching this year's NCAA tournament, he could add a dozen more names.

"All four No. 1-seeded teams have a player on it that played for us," said Bellofatto, the tournament's organizer.

The 63rd CYP tournament will inevitably feature more of tomorrow's college basketball stars. The six-day, 12-team event begins tonight at Our Lady of Mercy School in Port Chester.

The action begins with two first-round games tonight and tomorrow. The championship game is Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

"We (marvel) at the players every year," Bellofatto said. "The players just get better and better every year."

Bellofatto couldn't disclose which players will be participating - partially because he never knows for sure until the teams show up.

Team Frenji and the MetroHawks expect to have the most talent. They met in last year's championship game, which the MetroHawks won. Frenji's roster included Mount Vernon standout Sherrod Wright, who expects to play this year. Wright played last season alongside Mookie Jones of Peekskill, Sean Kilpatrick of White Plains and Kevin Jones of Mount Vernon.

"This year's team will be just as strong," Frenji coach Tom Sampogna said. "We have some big names and even a few surprises thrown in, too."



Friday
New York Gauchos vs. Sportsgist.com, 7:15 p.m.
Teaches Hoops vs. FCIAC All-Stars, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday
NY Panthers vs. Lightning-Rodney Abrams winner, 7:15 p.m.
Team Frenji vs. CT Select-NY Mayhem winner, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday
NYABC vs. NY Gauchos-Sportsgist.com winner, 7:15 p.m.
Metro Hawks vs. Teaches-FCIAC winner, 8:30 p.m.

Monday
Saturdays winners, 7:15 p.m.
Sundays winners, 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday
Championship , 7:30 p.m.

Bad news doesn't hold back UConn: Huskies pound Purdue, roll to Elite 8

BY Roger Rubin
NY DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Plenty of teams have dealt with adversity this season. Few have responded the way Connecticut does. Every time the Huskies take a hit, they seem to answer with a great game.

The most recent episode was a report from Yahoo! Sports that UConn committed NCAA violations while recruiting former player Nate Miles, replete with documentation of illicit phone calls to a former team manager and professional agent advising the player.

The Huskies' response? A 72-60 victory over Purdue in the West Regional semifinals Thursday night. The top-seeded Huskies led from start to finish, but it wasn't a cakewalk like their first two NCAA Tournament games. The fifth-seeded Boilermakers twice came back from double-digit deficits to get within striking distance.

Down the stretch UConn pulled away behind senior point guard A.J. Price, who had 15 points. Purdue had closed an 11-point deficit to 42-38 with 11:48 to play. Price, the Amityville, L.I., product, scored or assisted on eight of the next 10 points as the Huskies got the lead back to 52-42 in less than three minutes.

In the final three minutes, Price was 5-for-6 from the foul line as UConn salted it away.

Craig Austrie led the way with 17 points for UConn and Hasheem Thabeet added 15 points. Robbie Hummel led Purdue (27-10) with 17 points.

UConn (30-4) advanced to Saturday night's West Regional final. It will meet the winner of Thursday night's semifinal between second-seeded Memphis and third-seeded Missouri.

Meanwhile, the Connecticut administration has already begun addressing the NCAA allegations made in the Yahoo! Sports account. The school will make a report and then a decision will come about whether further investigation is required.

There were a couple times when the Huskies looked like they might break Thursday night's game open, but Purdue never let it get that far. Coach Matt Painter's Boilermakers make an impression with their effort as they climbed back into the game.

UConn scored eight unanswered points early in the second half to go up 42-31. Purdue answered with a 7-0 run. When UConn went up 14-3 early, Purdue answered with two Hummel 3-pointers and closed to 16-11 and then 26-23 shortly before halftime.

UConn's loss in the six-overtime epic Big East quarterfinal against Syracuse wasn't enough to cost it a No. 1 seeding for the tourney; however, it all but assured that the Huskies would not have the good fortune of being assigned to the regional in Boston. While it limited the number of UConn fans that would be in attendance, being assigned to the West was considered a good omen in Storrs. In 1999 and 2004 - when UConn won national championships - it reached the Final Four with a win in Phoenix.

"I'm glad to be back out here in the West," coach Jim Calhoun said Wednesday. "There seems to be something about being out here in the warm weather."

Calhoun didn't seem himself appearing at the news conference Wednesday after news broke that the Huskies had allegedly committed NCAA violations in recruiting former player Nate Miles. He did his best to steer clear of commenting on the report - even calling it a "blog" on two occasions in a seeming attempt to diminish it - and move the discussion back to the game.

The topic he kept going back to was how the Huskies might stop Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore, the Boilermakers' leading scorer. As it turned out, Moore was far less of a problem than sharp-shooting Hummel.

Hummel had 15 of his points at halftime as the Huskies settled for a 30-25 edge after leading by as many as 13. UConn didn't help itself by missing six first-half free throws.

Memphis gets bell rung by Missouri

BY Roger Rubin
NY DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

GLENDALE, Ariz. - They leaned over and grabbed the bottoms of their shorts. Their chests heaved for air. The whistle that stopped the action was a welcome sound. Memphis hadn't looked this way all season.

The second-seeded Tigers found themselves in the ninth circle of Missouri's version of the "40 Minutes of Hell" attack that was pioneered by Arkansas and just couldn't tolerate it. Sure, Memphis had better talent, more future NBA draft picks and far greater hype. But Missouri had the better team.

Third-seeded Mizzou pressed, sprinted and fast-breaked its way to a 102-91 victory in Thursday night's late West Regional semifinal, a battle of two teams called the Tigers.

Missouri (31-6) will try for its first trip to the Final Four Saturday afternoon against Connecticut (30-4). The Tigers last played in a regional final in 2002, losing to Big 12 rival Oklahoma.

Memphis (33-4), last year's national runnerup, had its 27-game winning streak snapped and failed in its bid to reach a fourth straight Elite Eight.

"The tournament is about surviving and advancing," said Mizzou coach Mike Anderson, who learned under Nolan Richardson at Arkansas. "That's what our team is about: we survive and advance."

J.T. Tiller had 23 points on 10-for-16 shooting to lead five Missouri players in double figures. DeMarre Carroll tallied 17 points and six assists, Leo Lyons had 15 points and 12 rebounds, Zaire Taylor 14 points and Matt Lawrence 13 points. For Memphis, freshman Tyreke Evans scored a season-high 33 points, Robert Dozier 18 points and Antonio Anderson 19.

Evans, the superlative guard from Philadelphia who was the No. 1 high school recruit a year ago, is expected to decide soon whether to declare for the upcoming NBA draft.

The past two weeks, Memphis endured claims that it was overrated because it came out of mid-major Conference USA. The gaudy defensive statistics about Memphis might have been inflated because of lesser competition. Mizzou shot 53% from the floor and Memphis committed 26 fouls, resulting in 45 Missouri free throws.

Though it is only Anderson's third year with Missouri after a successful run as the head coach at Alabama-Birmingham, this team finally seemed to master the system at the end of the season. Seeded third in the Big 12 tournament, the Tigers rampaged through the tourney to become the No. 3 seed in the regional.

Memphis had to work hard to hold a 28-26 lead on a Roburt Sallie 3-pointer 7:54 before halftime. That's when Missouri's frantic pace began to take hold. Over the next five minutes, Mizzou outscored Memphis 17-5 to go up 43-33.

During the stretch, Memphis committed four of its six first-half turnovers - three resulting in Missouri baskets. In the run, Tiller had eight points and Lawrence six.

Mizzou was still ahead 46-36 just before the end of the half before Marcus Denmon hit a 50-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer. It deflated Memphis. And less than five minutes into the second half, Missouri had worked to its biggest lead, 64-40. A late Memphis charge got it within 96-90 but no closer.

"Marcus' shot sent us into the locker room with energy and brought us out of it with energy," Tiller said.

Smothering Villanova defense sends Mike Krzyzewski and Duke to mat

BY Dick Weiss
NY DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

BOSTON - Duke Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski tried his best to take some of the pressure off his players all week, telling them how thrilled he was they had advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in three years.

Maybe he sensed it would be the end of the line.

Third-seeded Villanova cruised by the second-seeded Blue Devils, 77-54, Thursday night to advance to the East Regional finals against fellow Big East heavyweight Pitt Saturday night.

Junior guard Scottie Reynolds, who had been nursing a sore knee and banged-up right wrist, led the balanced Wildcats (29-7) with 16 points. Senior forward Dante Cunningham (pictured) had 14 points and 11 rebounds for 'Nova, which outscored Duke 51-31 in the second half. The 'Cats, who built a 49-33 lead on a jump shot by sophomore point guard Corey Fisher, from the Bronx and St. Patrick of Elizabeth, N.J., with 12:25 left, finished off Duke with a dominant defensive effort. That against an always well-coached team that prides itself on offensive execution. 'Nova held the Blue Devils to just 26% from the field and limited Duke's best player, Gerald Henderson Jr., to just seven points.

Afterward, Reynolds had his wrist wrapped in an ice pack. "It's just precautionary," he said. "I'll definitely play (tomorrow)."

And he may play before a mostly Villanova crowd. The Wildcats' fans filled the arena for the Duke game. "We like to call it 'Nova Nation," Cunningham said. "They're everywhere. It was great to see everyone yelling and screaming."

Forward Kyle Singler had 15 points and guard Jon Scheyer added 13 points for Duke (30-6), but this was Villanova's night and validated Jay Wright as one of the great young coaches in the country - a worthy successor to Rollie Massimino, who coached the 'Cats to their lone national championship in 1985.

"It's funny, the guys on our team right now, I just made this mistake a couple of weeks ago," Wright said. "I was referencing the national championship team and just in general said, 'How old were you when we won it?' And they looked at me and said, 'We weren't even born.'

"Our practice facility, when you walk in, there's a big screen where they play the song 'One Shining Moment' and they relive that run," Wright said. "And I hit the button every time I go in there, so everyone who is behind me looks at it. They see it every day."

Massimino was in the stands to watch the game. "They really play defense," Massimino marveled. "They're going to be tough to beat."

Wright, who has been to the Elite Eight twice since 2006, is building his own legacy. He will always be known for transforming role-playing seniors like Cunningham, Shane Clark and Dwayne Anderson into stars in the most powerful conference in the country.

"It's really exciting coaching these guys," Wright said. "You can see them getting better every day."

The first half against Duke was an ugly but determined defensive struggle. Anderson scored eight points for Villanova, which clung to a 26-23 lead at the break even though it shot just 10-for-29. The 'Cats actually led 26-19 after junior guard Reggie Redding made a pair of free throws with 2:58 to play. But Duke refused to fold, making up much of the deficit when Nolan Smith hit a jump shot and Henderson made a pair of free throws with 1:11 to play, his first points of the game.

Villanova, which shut down UCLA in last Saturday's second-round game, had similar success against Duke. Senior forward Shane Clark did a particularly good job on Henderson, who passed up to chance to play for hometown Villanova to sign with the Dukies. Henderson shot 0-for-5 in the half.

Pitt advances to Elite Eight on Brooklyn product Levance Fields' day

BY Dick Weiss
NY DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

BOSTON - Levance Fields has never been nervous taking big shots. He's been doing it ever since he started playing basketball at age 12 on the playgrounds of the projects in Brownsville.

Pitt's fearless 6-0 senior point guard from Xaverian High in Brooklyn created another highlight reel for himself Thursday night. First, he drained a deep NBA 3-point jumper with 50.9 seconds to play to give the top-seeded Panthers a one-point lead over fourth-seeded Xavier. He then scored on a breakaway layup after a steal from guard B.J. Raymond on the next possession to give Pitt the breathing room it needed for a 60-55 victory in the NCAA East Regional semifinals.

"I made a lot (of shots) since I arrived at Pitt," said Fields, the 2005 Daily News Player of the Year. "The one that took me over the top was that step-back three I hit to beat Duke in overtime at Madison Square Garden my junior year. That gave me ultimate confidence and I've never looked back from there.

"But that was the regular season. This is the biggest stage."

Fields felt torn between relief and excitement as Pitt (31-4) took a giant step toward the school's first Final Four, advancing to the the Elite Eight for the first time since 1974. But no one wanted to pop any corks yet. "We feel like we've been here before, even though we haven't," Fields said. "As good as this feels, we still haven't done nothing."

The Panthers have yet to click on all cylinders this tournament, but they have learned how to survive and last night found a way to get by a gritty defensive team from the Atlantic 10.

Senior forward Sam Young led Pitt with 19 points. Fields had 14 points, six assists and two steals.

Pitt's massive 6-7, 265-pound sophomore DeJuan Blair, who was limited to just two points and four rebounds in a nondescript first half, finished with 10 points and 17 rebounds.

"He's our horse," Fields said. "I told him at half, 'Don't get down on yourself.' He did a great job scoring in the second half. Guys would kill for a 10-and-17 game. For him, that's like mediocre."

This was hardly an artistic masterpiece. Pitt shot just 33.8% for the game and went through one stretch in the second half when it missed 10 straight shots. Xavier (27-8) shot just 32.8%. But the Musketeers, who led by eight at halftime and got 15 points from guard B.J. Raymond overall, still looked as if they might steal the game after guard Dante Jackson provided a 54-52 lead on a driving layup with 1:51 left.

Xavier had a chance to perhaps add to that lead after B.J. Raymond blocked a 3-point jumper by Jermaine Dixon, but forward Derrick Brown stepped out of bounds after hauling in a desperation pass into the offensive end. That gave Fields the opportunity to become a star for a second straight game.

Fields had stepped up in the final moments of a second-round victory over Oklahoma State on Sunday in Dayton, scoring on a driving layup and then making a clutch 3-pointer in the final 2:42.

This time, he came off a screen from Blair and created enough space for himself for his three.

"I thought the shot Levance Fields hit is all about the poise of senior point guards," said Xavier coach Sean Miller, who was a great one himself when he played for Pitt from 1988-1992.

"I never get tired of watching Levance take big shots," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "He's made them year after year. Our guys believe in him. And that's all that matters."

Michael Jordan son: Marcus Jordan sets sights on next level

Written By: Mike Helfgot
Special to the Chicago Tribune

Add Stanford and Butler to the list of teams pursuing Marcus Jordan, whose stock appears to be rising since he led Young to the Class 4A basketball championship last weekend.

The younger son of Michael Jordan -- his brother, Jeff, plays at Illinois -- has only one official offer, from Toledo. But Davidson, Oklahoma, Arizona State and Marquette have shown strong interest, according to Brian Davis, Jordan's summer-team coach since 7th grade and his representative in the recruiting process.

"My phone has been ringing off the hook since the weekend," Davis said. Jordan scored 22 points in Young's semifinal victory over Thornton and 19 in the championship-game win against Waukegan.

Davis cited two reasons why the unsigned senior hasn't been on more schools' radars for the late-signing period, which begins April 15.

"One, he is son of MJ," Davis said. "Yes, he is the son of the greatest player ever, but they don't know how to treat him -- how do we handle the situation? How do we get in touch with him? They just don't know how to recruit him.

"They figure he's too good for the mid-majors and they figure Michael is going to take care of it. He's stuck in limbo. If he had a different name than Jordan it would be simple."

The other reason?

"They don't know what position he plays," Davis said. "We see him as a combo guard, a 1 and a 2, and some want him to be one or the other. I look at him as a basketball player. He does anything he can to win."

Davis said Jordan will not follow the lead brother Jeff, who chose to walk on at Illinois rather than accept a scholarship to Valparaiso. Illinois has since given Jeff a scholarship.

"He wants to go somewhere that really wants him," Davis said. "He wants a scholarship off the bat.

"The kid is a winner. I don't see what these coaches are missing. If I was starting a team, he'd be the first player I pick."

Meyer's midweek report

Pictured: Jeronne Maymon (22)

Writtenby: Jerry Meyer
Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Analyst

The high school season is coming to a close, and some players are going home with a lot of hardware including Jeronne Maymon , who won both a state title and Wisconsin Mr. Basketball. National Recruiting Analyst Jerry Meyer takes a look at some award winners across the country in his midweek report.

Maymon impacts the game in a variety of ways. Marquette signee Jeronne Maymon finished off his high school career in fine fashion. Not only did the four-star forward take home Wisconsin's Mr. Basketball Award, he also took home a state championship.

Maymon certainly wasn't a one man show for Madison (Wisc.) Memorial High School.
2010 four-star guard Vander Blue actually garnered MVP honors of the DI state tournament, averaging just under 23 points per game over the course of the tournament.

In the state of Tennessee, 2010 five-star prospect Joe Jackson led Memphis to a AAA state championship with a tournament MVP effort which included a couple 30 point plus games. Miami signee Drew Kelly , however, upset Jackson for Mr. Basketball honors.

Like Maymon, Ole Miss signee Reginald Buckner finished off his senior season with a state championship and Mr. Basketball honors.

In Michigan, a lighter Derrick Nix claimed Mr. Basketball honors.

One of the most entertaining high school teams I've ever seen, Rialto (Calif.) Eisenhower High School overcame a triple-double effort by UCLA signee Brendan Lane to win the California DII state championship. Without a player over 6-foot-3, Eisenhower implements a wide open offensive attack based on penetrating and kicking the ball out and an intense all out pressure approach on defense.

The man in the middle of this constructive chaos is future Creighton guard Andrew Bock . Poised to enter the Rivals150 when it is reshuffled, Bock went for 17 points, four rebounds and three assists against a box-and-one defense in the championship game.


DECOMMITMENTS

2009 prospect Lamont Jones has had a strong season for national power Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy. A physical scorer, Jones has successfully made the transition over the year into being a high level point guard. Once committed to Virginia Tech, it now looks like Jones will be running the point for a different program after decommitting from the Hokies this week.

Iowa also lost a 2010 commitment this week. Marshalltown (Iowa) wing prospect Chanse Creekmur has opened up his recruitment.



GATORADE STATE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Gatorade released its state players of the year this week. Here is a rundown of the players named state players of the year:

Jordan Swing Alabama
Ryan Hanley Alaska
Corey Hawkins Arizona
Fred Gulley Arkansas
Michael Snaer California
Bud Thomas Colorado
Greg DeSantis Connecticut
Paul Reynolds Deleware
Ian Hummer D.C.
Brandon Knight Florida
Derrick Favors Georgia
Pi'I Minns Hawaii
Josh Fuller Idaho
Matt Vogrich Illinois
Jordan Hulls Indiana
Harrison Barnes Iowa
Perry Ellis Kansas
Jon Hood Kentucky
Matt Derenbecker Louisiana
Tom Knight Knight Maine
Christian Webster Maryland
Nate Lubick Massachusetts
Ray McCallum Michigan
Mike Bruesewitz Minnesota
Andre Stringer Mississippi
Alec Burks Missouri
Josh Huestis Montana
Elliott Eliason Nebraska
Anthony Marshall Nevada
Alex Oriakhi New Hampshire
Mike Gilchrist New Jersey
Lucio Luttrell New Hampshire
Brandon Triche New York
Ryan Kelly North Carolina
Joe Hanstad North Dakota
C.J. McCollum Ohio
Xavier Henry Oklahoma
E.J. Singler Oregon
Maalik Wayns Pennsylvania
Jay Jeannotte Rhode Island
Milton Jennings South Carolina
Tony Fiegen South Dakota
John Jenkins Tennessee
Tommy Mason-Griffin Texas
Tyler Haws Utah
Clancy Rugg Vermont
Keith Gallon Virginia
Peyton Siva Washington
Aaron Dobson West Virginia
Ben Averkamp Wisconsin
Michael Dietz Wyoming

Curry to transfer from Liberty

Associated Press

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Seth Curry, the high-scoring younger brother of Davidson star Stephen Curry, says he is transferring out of Liberty to seek a higher level of competition.

Curry, 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, led the nation's freshman with a 20.2 scoring average.

Liberty went 23-12 this season, finishing with an 88-65 loss to James Madison on Monday night in the CollegeInsider.com tournament. Curry scored eight points in the loss.

"This is a difficult decision that I have reached after close consultation with my family and others close to me," he said in a statement released through the school.

He said the decision "is based on my desire to develop as an athlete to the fullest of my potential and take advantage of new opportunities that may be available to me in a higher-rated conference."

There was no indication in the release whether Curry has already decided where to transfer, and the school said Curry would not have any additional comment Tuesday.

Coaches at other schools are not permitted to comment on potential transfers.

Liberty coach Ritchie McKay said he's disappointed with Curry's decision but understands and does not fault him for seeking to play against a higher level of competition.

Like his brother, who is one of the best-known players in college basketball, the younger Curry splashed onto the scene as a scorer.

He scored 23 and 18 points in his first two college games and then had 26 as the Flames won 86-82 at Virginia, just their second victory in eight games in the series.

His season high of 35 points also came on the road, leading the Flames to a 91-80 victory at Virginia Military Institute before the largest crowd in VMI's history.

Kicks of The Week "Nike Zoom LeBron VI (LA Edition)"

Nike Zoom LeBron VI (LA Edition)
The start of another NBA basketball year would not be the complete without the release of another LeBron James signature model. And, the Nike Zoom LeBron VI is arguably the cleanest model we have seen. It was designed to perform on the court and look good off of it.

The features include a full-length Zoom Air bag, double stacked heel for impact protection, a blue/brown - blue colorway, and superior stability. Nike also implemented signature LeBron details throughout the sneaker to give it a personal touch.

Price: $199.00 @ Sneakerhead.com

"MoMo" De-Committs AGAIN!

Pictured: Mo-Mo 1st Headed to L'ville

By Dave Telep
Scout.com
National Recruiting Director

Combo guard Lamont Jones is no longer committed to Virginia Tech. The standout guard from Oak Hill Academy by way of New York, de-committed from Virginia Tech on Tuesday.
For “MoMo,” who is 38-0 this season with Oak Hill, the decision to rescind his commitment stemmed from not enough information the first time around. “It felt like it was a premature decision," Jones said. It’s a lot of pressure and I didn’t know (Oak Hill would) be national champs and play for a championship. There’s a lot of pressure right now and I want to make sure I’m making the right decision.”

Jones said he hadn’t thought about a league preference and hasn’t had time to give thought to a school list. “I’m looking for a family and somewhere that’s going to accept me for who I am. (Tech) was a great situation, they took some heartbreaking losses. I can go in there and bring a lot to the table. But, it was a little early and I didn’t know what to expect. No disrespect to anybody, I just want to make sure I’m making the right decision.”

Jones, who was once committed to Louisville, will play for a shot at the national title in 10 days and then participate in the Jordan Game. Upon conclusion of the season, it’ll be visitation time.

“This is just to make sure that I’m making the right choice. Virginia Tech was my only official visit. I never took an official visit to any other school. There may still be opportunities out there that I haven’t seen yet.”

Jones should quickly become a commodity for programs looking to add scoring punch to their backcourt profile.

Gilchrist drops up 16 points and 15 rebounds in TOC Finals!

Gilchrist on Defense

Photo NJ.com

Written BY The Star Ledger (NJ.com)

It has endured Dexter Strickland’s bum knee, Michael Gilchrist’s sore ankle and, most recently, Paris Bennett’s busted nose.

And that’s not to mention the 12-game absence of transfer Kyrie Irving to start the season or the sadness that enveloped the team only weeks ago when the brother of coach Kevin Boyle died after a long fight with cancer.

Yet through all the nicks and bumps, the ice packs and tissues, St. Patrick was able to conduct itself throughout the season as one big, unified, happy family. Healthy it was not, yet it continually overcame those issues with togetherness and an abundance of talent.

St. Patrick ended its season last night with its talented team intact and with all of those previously out-of-action stars playing a major role against a Newark Science Park team that was typically scrappy and fearless but considerably overmatched in the end.

Irving, the slick junior guard from Montclair Kimberley Academy, scored 26 points, Gilchrist had 16 points and 15 rebounds and Strickland added 14 points to help St. Patrick, No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, pull away from an eight-point halftime lead to defeat No. 8 Science Park, 73-57, for the NJSIAA/ShopRite Tournament of Champions crown at the Izod Center.

Senior guard Rameel Johnson turned in a proud performance in his final game for Science Park, scoring a career-high 30 points and pulling down eight rebounds. Teammate Amir Gilliam finished with 10 points as Science Park fell in the T of C final for the second straight year.

St. Patrick, ranked No. 4 nationally by USA Today, captured its third T of C crown in the last four years and its fifth overall. That gives seniors Bennett, Strickland and Dean Kowalski the rare honor of having claimed three T of C championships in their high school careers.

``We have depth in our program, so we can withstand injuries to a degree,’’ Boyle said. ``We’ve also beaten some good teams despite our injuries. But defense has been the staple in our program. It keeps us in the mix. It’s going to keep us in every game.

``We’ve tried to build a tradition here that if someone’s hurt or someone’s not here, we’re supposed to win. We’re supposed to find a way.’’

Bennett’s status was uncertain until yesterday morning when he was cleared to play with the broken nose he sustained Friday night during St. Patrick’s 66-40 semifinal-round victory over Lenape. He started the game with a protective mask, but ripped it off after missing the game’s first shot. The 6-6 George Mason-bound senior was not his customarily rugged self on all possessions, but he finished with nine points and four assists and helped St. Patrick wear down feisty Science Park with its depth and its size.

Science Park (30-2) attempted to pressure St. Patrick (30-3) in the second half, but was foiled by the Elizabeth team’s fluidity and poise in transition. Science Park had cut its deficit to 37-34 on a 3-pointer by Gilliam with 4:54 left in the third quarter, but then St. Patrick opened a period-ending, 15-3 run led by Bennett, Strickland and Gilchrist with four points each.

``I thought we didn’t have the energy in the first half,’’ Boyle said. ``I kind of got on them at halftime, but then changed gears and got positive. I think it helped us that Science pressed. We had a turnover the first time, but then it seemed like we got eight layups. I thought their pressing got us into the game.’’

Science Park once again fell short in the big game -- it faded in the second half last year against St. Anthony -- but left with its head high for the effort.

``We don’t mind being the Buffalo Bills. If we keep coming here (to the final), we’ll get one,’’ Science Park coach Milt Gaylord said. ``They’re a good team. We played very hard and we hung in there against one of the best teams in the country. They had a distinct height advantage.

``Getting here shows how hard we worked as a program. You want to be competitive, and getting here helps the program and gives the program a face.’’

St. Patrick’s breezed through the first quarter with almost effortless ball movement through its opponent’s zone, while Science Park seemed to have to labor for every opportunity.

But Science Park has never been afraid of hard work. It’s what it had to do just to survive after losing nine seniors and four starters from the team that fell to St. Anthony in the 2008 T of C final.

St. Patrick built a 19-14 lead in the opening quarter by shooting 8-of-15 from the floor and getting 10 points from Irving on 4-of-5 shooting. And while St. Patrick was getting its points with crisp passing around and through the zone, Science Park was attacking the lane with dribble penetration any chance it had. It produced seven of its 14 points from the foul line in the quarter and had 10 of its 23 first-half points from the line.