CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Wednesday Sports News Update, 01/18/2017.

Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica

"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"

We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing

Because it's all about you!!!

"Sports Quote of the Day"

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." ~ Anatole France, Poet, Journalist and Novelist

TRENDING: Vinnie Hinostroza, rookies pace Blackhawks past Avalanche. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).   

TRENDING: Accolades keep pouring in for Bears' 2016 rookie class. (See the football section for Bears News an NFL updates).

TRENDING: After loss to Mavs, Wade says Bulls 'keep putting (their) hand on the hot stove every day'. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates). 

TRENDING: Cubs meet President Obama in unforgettable, symbolic White House visit: ‘They said this day would never come’. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

TRENDING: Who is NASCAR’s best in the last 100 Cup races? (See the NASCAR section for racing news and team updates). 

TRENDING: 2017 NCAA Associated Press Basketball Rankings, 01/16/2017. (See the NCAABKB section for college basketball news and game updates).

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Vinnie Hinostroza, rookies pace Blackhawks past Avalanche.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

When you were younger, you always wanted to play your best in front of your parents. Whether that was their motivation or not, the Blackhawks’ rookies did that on Tuesday night.

The Blackhawks rookies accounted for five goals, including Vinnie Hinostroza’s game-tying and game-winning goals in the third period, as the Blackhawks came back to beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-4 on Tuesday night. The Blackhawks, playing the first game on their dads trip, remain in second place in the West. They’re tied in points with the Minnesota Wild but the Wild still have four games in hand.

Tanner Kero had two goals and an assist and Nick Schmaltz, playing in his second game since being recalled from Rockford, had a goal and an assist. Brent Seabrook also scored and Marian Hossa recorded his 600th, 601st and 602nd career assists.

The Blackhawks made line changes to try and spark their offense, especially their top line. But as coach Joel Quenneville always says he’ll take the goals from anyone. On Tuesday, those goals came from the rookies playing on the Blackhawks’ third and fourth lines.

“Good response,” Quenneville said. “We were looking for some scoring from other guys, talking about secondary scoring, and tonight they produced all the goals. Fun night for them and a great third period and comeback for us.”

The Blackhawks needed every bit of that third period, considering their second period was so awful. From bad clearing attempts to pucks not put deep enough in the Avalanche zone, the Blackhawks made mistakes and the Avs capitalized. Colorado scored three goals in the second period, including two in 63 seconds, to take a 4-3 lead after two.

Then came the third period and Hinostroza. His speed is his best asset, and that speed was evident when he chased down a loose puck, got himself a breakaway and scored the tying goal 5:10 into the third period.

“Yeah I thought I would [catch it],” Hinostroza said of that loose puck. “I just saw it flying through the air and thought, ‘this could be a breakaway,’ so I just started trying to skate fast.”

Hinostroza scored what would be the winning goal 3:01 later. Kero added the empty-net goal with 10.6 seconds remaining in the game. Kero’s second goal came off a feed from Jonathan Toews who, despite his goal-scoring struggles this season, passed this chance to the rookie.

“It was a great play, a smart play,” Quenneville said of Toews. “We all know how unselfish he is and he made the right play. He’ll take a point.”

Schmaltz looked great to start this game, scoring his second goal of the season to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead. Schmaltz was tentative in his first time up with the Blackhawks, but he didn’t look it in this one.

“I think it’s just trying to get better every game, trying to be responsible defensively and then show off our skill in the offensive zone and play the style of puck-possession game and making plays and getting pucks and bodies to the net,” Schmaltz said of the rookies. “I thought we did a pretty good job tonight.”

The Blackhawks were looking for more scoring with their line changes. They got it from the area they probably weren’t expecting but again, it doesn’t matter who does it.

“For the young guys to chip in, it’s nice,” Hinostroza said. “Hopefully we can keep going forward."

Five Things from Blackhawks-Avalanche: Great night for the rookies.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Well, that was a wild one, wasn’t it?

We’ll spare you the gory-to-glorious details (most of which are in the game story, anyway). So instead, let’s just get to the Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ 6-4 victory over Colorado.

1. Great night for the rookies. The Blackhawks’ newest players were their most prolific players on Tuesday night. Vinnie Hinostroza had two goals. Tanner Kero did too, and added an assist. Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist. All of these experiences are great learning curves for the Blackhawks’ youth, and coach Joel Quenneville likes how they’re progressing, not just with scoring but with their overall games. “That’s the part that’ll make them better players and us a better team is playing the right way defensively, being responsible, putting the puck in good areas and going hard to the net.”

2. Top line still too quiet. Line changes were made but the results remained the same, especially for the Blackhawks’ top trio. Ryan Hartman and Richard Panik were up there with Jonathan Toews in this one, but still nada. The three had a combined three shots for the game. Many of you have asked if Toews is still dealing with that back injury. On Tuesday morning he said, “no, it’s been really good, actually.” Still, there’s something up with a top line that, regardless of combination, just can’t get anything going.

3. Terrible second period. The Blackhawks came out of the first in great shape and with a 2-1 lead. But things got messy in the second period. Be it the inability to clear or get the puck deep in the Avs’ zone, the Blackhawks made mistakes. The Avs capitalized, scoring three goals in the second including two in a 63-second span. Outside of Tanner Kero’s goal, the Blackhawks had a forgettable second period. The Avalanche outscored them 3-1 and outshot them 8-4 in the second.

4. Faceoffs lost. The Blackhawks did not do well in this department, winning just 23 percent of their faceoffs. It didn’t cost them the game but they certainly need better nights than they got on Tuesday.

5. Corey Crawford gets through it. Crawford was stellar prior to his appendectomy but hasn’t been at that level since. Quenneville said he considered pulling Crawford during this one but decided to keep him in. Quenneville’s still happy with his goaltending – again, the Blackhawks aren’t where they are right now without it this season. But he said Crawford could be better than he was on Tuesday.

Blackhawks to honor Roenick with "One More Shift".

By Chicago Blackhawks Media Relations

(www.chicagoblackhawks.com)

The Chicago Blackhawks will host their third edition of "One More Shift," an ode to past alumni that allows fans to recognize them one more time as they skate on the ice, when they host Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, Jan. 22.

Former Blackhawks forward Jeremy Roenick will be the third honoree to join the 2016-17 team on the ice during the anthem after the starting lineup has been announced on Sunday. In addition to skating on the ice in full gear, in-arena elements will also feature Roenick and the era he played in. Blackhawks Ambassador Denis Savard was the first alumni honored with "One More Shift," followed by Steve Larmer.

Roenick played eight of his 20-year National Hockey League career with the Blackhawks and currently ranks ninth in team history in points (596), seventh in goals (267) and 13th in assists (329). Chicago's first-round pick (eighth overall) in the 1988 NHL Draft, his 107-point efforts in 1992-93 and 1993-94 and 103-point effort in 1991-92 share fifth and rank 10th in Blackhawks history, respectively, among single-season scoring leaders. Roenick notched 77 points (35G, 42A) in 82 Stanley Cup Playoff games with Chicago, including 22 points (12G, 10A) in 18 postseason games to help the Blackhawks reach the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals.

After spending eight seasons with Chicago (1988-96), Roenick went on to play for the Arizona Coyotes (1996-2001, 2006-07), Philadelphia Flyers (2001-04), Los Angeles Kings (2005-06) and San Jose Sharks (2007-09), finishing his career with 1,216 points (513G, 703A) in 1,363 regular-season games and 122 points (53G, 69A) in 154 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Roenick's 513 career goals rank fourth all-time among American-born skaters. He also played for Team USA at the 1998 Olympics and 2002 Olympics, collecting a silver medal in 2002 in Salt Lake City. Roenick was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Accolades keep pouring in for Bears' 2016 rookie class.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The 2016 NFL Draft could be one that will define Ryan Pace's tenure as GM of the Bears.

Just last week, Jordan Howard became the second rookie running back in Bears franchise history to be named to the Pro Bowl since Gale Sayers in 1965.

The PFWA released their 2016 All-Rookie Team on Tuesday, and Bears center Cody Whitehair, linebacker Leonard Floyd and Howard all made the list.

Howard, the Bears' fifth round selection (150th overall) out of Indiana, set the rookie franchise record with 1,313 rushing yards on 252 carries and 6 touchdowns. Howard also had 29 receptions for 298 yards and one receiving touchdown.

Floyd, the No. 9 overall selection out of Georgia, registered 33 tackles, 7 sacks and 9 quarterback hits in 12 games.

Whitehair, a second-round pick out of Kansas State, started all 16 games at center for the Bears after spending the majority of the preseason at guard.

The Bears (tied with the Chargers) had the second-highest number of selections behind the Kansas City Chiefs.

Check out the complete 2016 PFWA All-Rookie Team below:

Offense

QB – Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
RB – Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys; Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears
WR – Sterling Shepard, New York Giants; Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
TE – Hunter Henry, San Diego Chargers
C – Cody Whitehair, Chicago Bears
G – Joe Thuney, New England Patriots; Laremy Tunsil, Miami Dolphins
T – Jack Conklin, Tennessee Titans; Taylor Decker, Detroit Lions

Defense

DL – Joey Bosa, San Diego Chargers; DeForest Buckner, San Francisco 49ers; Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs; Yannick Ngakoue, Jacksonville Jaguars
LB – Jatavis Brown, San Diego Chargers; Leonard Floyd, Chicago Bears; Deion Jones, Atlanta Falcons
CB – Vernon Hargreaves III, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville Jaguars
S – Karl Joseph, Oakland Raiders; Keanu Neal, Atlanta Falcons

Special Teams

PK – Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints
P – Riley Dixon, Denver Broncos
KR – Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
PR – Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
ST – Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

Bears the odds-on favorite to land Tony Romo.

By Jacob Infante, Cover32

(Photo/Cover 32)

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: the Chicago Bears have no clear answer at quarterback. They have no starting-caliber player on the roster. They’re also picking high in a year with a fairly weak draft class. Mitch Trubisky is the only player that would be good value at #3, but he may be gone when the Bears pick. One thing that they could do is find a veteran stopgap and develop a second or third-round pick. According to sports betting website Sports Insights, Chicago is the favorite to land one of the biggest stopgaps out there.

Sports Insights tweeted the betting odds regarding where Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will end up next year. The Bears received the highest odds with +200. While what happens to Romo is a mystery, it’s interesting that Chicago is the odds-on favorite.

For those who weren’t aware for some reason, Romo injured his back in the preseason. He lost his starting job to rookie Dak Prescott, who led the ‘Boys to a 14-2 record. Romo was relegated to being a backup, which leads us to the scenario we’re in now. The four-time Pro Bowler believes that he still has a spring in his step, and that he can start at an NFL level. Given his résumé, he is a fairly attractive option for any team that needs a starting quarterback for one or two years.

The Bears don’t have a set long-term starter at QB at the moment, so Romo is definitely worth a look. They can easily sign (or trade for) him while drafting someone like Patrick Mahomes on Day 2. In following this strategy, they can also improve their defense with their first-round pick. Even if the Bears choose not to sign Tony Romo, a stopgap quarterback isn’t a bad idea. General manager Ryan Pace isn’t one to reach for positional need, so this would be true to what he believes in. This approach to the quarterback spot could end up benefitting Chicago in the long run.

The post Bears the odds-on favorite to land Tony Romo appeared first on Cover32.

Bears challenged to replace coaches involved in three all-rookie selections.

By John Mullin 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

As a sign of good things to come, three Bears were selected to the NFL's all-rookie teams. But there's a negative thread running through the honors of linebacker Leonard Floyd being named to the rookie defensive team, and the selections of center Cody Whitehair and running back Jordan Howard to the rookie offensive team.

The concern lies not in the players or the personnel department under GM Ryan Pace that designated them for drafting. It is in the fact that the position coaches for all three rookie standouts are all gone from the staff of coach John Fox.

Finding talent is difficult enough. Developing it is the crucial next step in the football process, and what was evident in the rookie years of Floyd, Whitehair and Howard was that each developed into NFL-grade players with some very solid coaching.

Offensive line coach Dave Magazu was not brought back, reportedly in favor of former Miami Dolphins assistant offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn, as reported by Sirius XM radio and Sporting News.

Stan Drayton, who coached Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott at Ohio State, then Howard this year, left for the University of Texas.

Outside linebackers coach Clint Hurtt appeared to be exiting for the New York Jets, although sources report that the deal may not go through.

Coaches can't create talent but they can certainly foster and maximize it. Replacing the mentors of their three top rookies from arguably the best draft class since 2004 (Tommie Harris, Tank Johnson, Bernard Berrian, Nathan Vasher) now becomes a talent search in its own right.

Cautionary quarterback tales for Bears as playoffs move along.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Watching the playoffs from a safe distance since the Bears aren’t in them, you see things that make you think… .

Watching the Atlanta Falcons demolish the Seattle Seahawks might have raised a gee-what-if moment, as in what if Falcons coach Dan Quinn, the presumptive first choice of GM Ryan Pace to succeed Marc Trestman, had ended up directing the Bears instead?

Don’t spend a lot of time on that one. This isn’t quite GM Phil Emery deciding on Trestman over Bruce Arians, which earns some richly deserved second-guess time. And it’s not quite accurate to declare that John Fox wasn’t Pace’s first choice, because Fox did become that first choice when he somewhat unexpectedly came free from the Denver Broncos.

More to the relevant point, however, is that Quinn inherited Matt Ryan (not Jay Cutler) as his quarterback effected something of a breakthrough for the Falcons because of what he did having little to do directly with Ryan.

Ryan became “great” this season because Quinn, who has a deep defensive pedigree that included two distinguished stints with Seattle, turned the Atlanta defense into something ferocious. Ryan was 1-4 in playoff games before Saturday in very large part because the Falcons had given up 28, 28, 24, 48 and 30 points in Ryan’s five postseason games. Ryan didn’t have to throw-throw-throw this year because his teams weren’t behind; his total attempts this season (534) were the fewest of his last seven seasons.

So would the Bears have been better off with Quinn than Fox? Only if Quinn brought Russell Wilson with him from Seattle.

Jimmy Garoppolo the answer to the Bears’ quarterback quest? Consider carefully because those who do not learn from the mistakes in history are condemned to repeat them.

Ryan Pace is obviously right in placing the code-red priority on addressing his quarterback situation. And it increasingly difficult to envision a workable scenario other than Brian Hoyer signed as a veteran starter (more on that another time), Connor Shaw or Matt Barkley (probably not) as a No. 2, and a draft choice.

One reason was on display Saturday in New England, and a cautionary reason at that. Call it an object lesson.

The Texans cast their lot with Brock Osweiler to the tune of $72 million, their thinking being that he was a franchise answer based on his resume consisting of precisely seven starts (one against the Bears) with a really good Denver team in 2015. But Osweiler, who’d already been benched for a late-season week, was further exposed in the double-digit loss Saturday to New England, a game in which Osweiler threw 3 interceptions to dig a fatal hole for the Texans and a defense among the NFL’s elite even without J.J. Watt.

Like the Bears were with Jay Cutler’s contract in 2015 and 2016, the Texans are stuck for massive ($19 million for Osweiler) guaranteed money before next season even gets here. The cries for Houston to eat the deal have already started.

But the overriding lesson lies in expecting a backup, even a basically OK one, to somehow be more than he was with his previous team.

Notably, Brady proved what he was in 2001 when Bledsoe was injured and Brady guided the Patriots into the postseason, so effectively that Bill Belichick made the decision, as Jason Garrett did in Dallas between Dak Prescott and Tony Romo, to stay the course with the No. 2. He knew exactly what he had in Brady.

Others were victims of false hope/hype.

And the constant seems to be a mysterious assumption that if the guy is No. 2 to a pretty good quarterback, then HE must be a really good quarterback.

Scott Mitchell (behind Dan Marino), Matt Cassel (behind Brady), Matt Flynn (behind Aaron Rodgers), Kevin Kolb (behind Donovan McNabb), Chad Henne (behind Chad Pennington), Ryan Mallett (behind Brady), Osweiler (behind Peyton Manning) – all backups who gave enough of a tantalizing tease for some hopeful team to gamble – and lose, big.

Probably just a coincidence here, but Cassel, Mallett and now Garoppolo all back/backed up…yeah, THAT guy.

One epic exception is Drew Brees, whom the New Orleans Saints acquired as a free agent after the San Diego Chargers decided their future lay with Philip Rivers. But Brees is memorable for precisely that reason, that No. 2’s going on to greatness are easy to remember because they are so rare.

Pace was on the pro personnel scouting side of things with New Orleans when the Saints made the Brees move. Unlikely he would be a knee-jerk follower of something he was involved with that worked once.

But stranger, and worse, things have happened in the NFL.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... After loss to Mavs, Wade says Bulls 'keep putting (their) hand on the hot stove every day'.

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Dwyane Wade sounded every bit like a frustrated 35-year old father when talking about the repeated ills and so-called growing pains of his Bulls, as they surrendered yet another game against a sub-.500 team.

Sometimes it's the New York Knicks whom the Bulls are offering temporary refuge. Or maybe the Minnesota Timberwolves as they are all-too-generous to roll out the welcome mat for returning figures to Chicago.

Tuesday it was the Dallas Mavericks, the second-worst team in the Western Conference, who stormed into the United Center and escaped with a 99-98 win, courtesy of Wesley Matthews' triple with 11.7 seconds left followed by him locking down Jimmy Butler on the ensuing possession.

Wade was forced to take a contested 21-footer that went awry, but the Bulls' ills went far beyond the last two possessions, when the Mavericks exploited their strategy yet again.

"Either you learn the lesson or figure out," Wade said. "Keep putting your hand on the hot stove every day.

"We just gotta figure out not to put our hands on that stove. And understand when we come in the kitchen, that stove is hot, don't touch it. As I continue to say, this is a very young team and they have to play in these games and have to go through these moments. The one thing you want, whether it's this year or next year, is to not make the same mistakes."

The Bulls are apparently insistent on touching the stove and keep burning themselves, the most recent time with the confusion or the bad strategy in defending the Mavericks' final offensive possession.

Deron Williams found himself with Nikola Mirotic defending him off a switch from Jimmy Butler. Not the quickest afoot, Mirotic gave Williams an easy path to the basket and Wade was the backside help, not wanting to leave Matthews on the wing for a triple.

But with the bench commanding Wade to help, Williams easily found Matthews for an open 3 as Wade had no help for his man. With the Bulls up two, one could see how Wade didn't want to leave Matthews.

"I'll have to go back and watch, but it looks like Deron got downcourt, Wade went over to help and we didn’t rotate accordingly," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "We obviously need to do a better job of staying in front of the other end."

Mirotic was supposed to be brought back slowly in his return from strep throat, but he played the entire fourth quarter and 22 minutes overall, having lost eight pounds with his illness that had him miss four games.

Their issues were game-long and have been seasonlong as the Mavericks were supposed to absorb a shellacking from a Bulls team that felt a 25-point beatdown in Texas last month.

Instead, they would've been happy with settling for an escape when Butler rose up over his college teammate Matthews for a 20-foot wing jumper with 22.8 seconds left.

Butler nearly added a triple-double and clutch moment to his growing resume with 24 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds but was dogged by Matthews all night, the defender who wouldn't give him airspace, went chest-to-chest and even earned a technical foul when he felt Butler exaggerated some contact in the third quarter.

"He took away my space, wouldn't let me get to my spot," Butler said of Matthews. "Good for him. I should've did something different."

Wade missed 13 of his 21 shots, scoring 17 with five rebounds on his 35th birthday.

With scoring at a premium, Robin Lopez had a season-high 21 points being guarded by Dirk Nowitzki — and they were necessary considering the Bulls were without Taj Gibson (ankle injury) and Doug McDermott couldn't repeat his 30-point showing from Sunday in Memphis.

Rick Carlisle has long been regarded as one of the top strategic coaches, and though he doesn't have the usual personnel from the Mavericks' salad days, he had enough tricks up his sleeve to throw the Bulls off.

Six Mavericks scored in double figures, led by Harrison Barnes' 20 points and Seth Curry's 18, as Barnes, Matthews and Curry combined for eight triples — spreading the Bulls out and picking them apart defensively.

The Mavericks started Nowitzki at center, going to an almost all-small lineup. And though Lopez scored 14 points in the first half, trying to feed him seemed to take the Bulls out of it in the second half.

The energy was tardy to the party, as they shot just 41 percent in the first half but woke up a little in the third quarter — continuing their all-too familiar trend of half-hearted efforts against lesser teams.

And it looks like the ever-optimistic Wade is dishing out some realism, probably something that comes with the perspective of turning 35.

"You can't keep getting stressed out or frustrated. We've been going through this all year. We'll get back in in the morning.

"Once you realize who you are, you're better off. I sleep better at night. Once we want to be a better team and start winning games, we will. I'm not mad, I'm not frustrated, I'm not stressed. Just taking the hits."

NBA Insiders Notebook: Durant, Warriors handle pressure to win quite well.

CSN Staff 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

AN ARENA NEAR YOU – Welcome to another edition of the CSN Insider notebook where you can find trade rumors, injury updates and all the news that's fit for the internet in one location.

This week also marks the official halfway point of the NBA season, a time to reflect on how teams have handled the sometimes-heavy burden that comes with lofty expectations.

When you talk about expectations in the NBA, nobody has a greater burden – not even the defending champs in Cleveland – than the Golden State Warriors.

They were a title contender going into the summer. After adding Kevin Durant, they became the odds-on favorite in just about every jurisdiction outside of Cleveland.

Our CSN Bay Area Insider Monte Poole gets us up to speed on how Durant has dealt with the out-of-this-world expectations that he and the Golden State Warriors have dealt with this season and have fared quite well. They have an NBA-best record of 34-6 in games played through Sunday.

Durant, Warriors handle pressure to win quite well

From the time Kevin Durant became a free agent last summer and left the Thunder to sign with the Warriors, he has contended with the gigantic weight of expectations.

He has responded in spectacular fashion, leading the Warriors in scoring while shooting 53.7 percent from the field, including 39.3 percent from beyond the arc. He also leads the team in blocked shots, ranking just outside the NBA's Top 10 in that category.

Asked recently about his mindset for marquee games in which the entire planet tunes in -- such as Warriors-Cavaliers -- Durant said they bring no more of a burden than that which he already faces. "My grandma and my mom watch me every night, so I've got to play," he said. “When they watch me, that's more pressure than anything else."

Durant added that he hears from both after most every game. He also listens, because his mother, Wanda Pratt, knows him better than anyone.

One more reason, perhaps, that upon receiving his MVP trophy in 2014, Durant famously referred to Pratt as “the real MVP." – by Monte Poole

CENTRAL DIVISION

Rondo Back in the Rotation?

As the Rondo turns.

Is he in the rotation or is he out?

Apparently he's in and back being productive for the Chicago Bulls as he was pressed into duty when Jimmy Butler was out with injury and Dwyane Wade was out with rest, among other personnel earlier this week in Washington, D.C. Tuesday night.

Before his resurgent 12-point, six-assist and three-steal performance against the Wizards, he revealed the communication between himself and the Bulls about his benching hasn't been plentiful.

He said head coach Fred Hoiberg didn't say a whole lot, but one assistant coach whom Rondo refused to name said Rondo needed to be saved from himself. "They said they were saving me from myself, I've never heard that before in my life," Rondo said.

For now, Rondo is a backup to Michael Carter-Williams and knows he's on his third strike in terms of behavior, having transgressions in a few other stops, meaning he knows he'll be out of the league if he acts up again.

It doesn't mean this is the end of the Rondo/Bulls soap opera by any stretch.

 – by Vincent Goodwill

Monroe quieting talk of being an offseason bust

After a slow start to the season, Milwaukee Bucks big man Greg Monroe was panned as a busted free agent experiment as he signed with the up-and-coming franchise two years ago.

Jason Kidd moved him to the bench and sat him for long stretches, seemingly because of his low energy in the early weeks of the season. And with the low-post big man seemingly going out of business in today's game, it seemed like Monroe would have a hard time fitting in virtually anywhere as his name was on the trade block.

But somewhere along the way, he's made himself more than valuable to the Bucks as they ride the energy of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker, increasing his scoring and rebounding every month since November.

He's playing nearly 30 minutes a game in January and is finishing better around the rim, shooting 54 percent with a Player Efficiency Rating of 22.5 while averaging 15.7 points and scoring in double figures in all seven games this month.

He has a player option at the end of the season and one has to wonder if he'll decide to stay in Milwaukee as opposed to finding a better situation—although the money will be plentiful across the board. – by Vincent Goodwill

Turner joins elite class of young big men

It's easy to forget Myles Turner in Indiana as one of the rising sophomores in the NBA
After all, he's playing in Indiana and the Pacers have a star in Paul George, who cemented his standing as a franchise-leading talent with Nike releasing the “PG1" shoe while the Pacers were in Mexico City this week.

But even in smaller markets, there should be room for more than one star as Turner is making his case to be in the same mold. Not yet an All-Star but he's raising his level of play.

Putting up 25 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks against the Brooklyn Nets places him in an exclusive category: Only Turner, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Davis have had those numbers as a 20-year old in a game in the last 20 years. – by Vincent Goodwill

Detroit's Caldwell-Pope a keeper?

Detroit Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is seemingly moving up the internal pyramid in Detroit to a near-untradeable status.

Although he's missing time with a Grade 2 left rotator cuff strain, the restricted free agent to be is so valuable to Stan Van Gundy that he's apparently moved past point guard Reggie Jackson on that list, trailing only Andre Drummond according to a report from ESPN.

Jackson's return from injury hasn't put things together the way many believed, and Caldwell-Pope's growth has gone noticed regardless.

Shooting 40 percent from 3 while being one of the league's best perimeter defenders, along with nearly doubling his assists from last season (3.0 from 1.8 last season) while maintaining the same 14.5 scoring average he had last year, it's easy to see why he's one of the more underrated shooting guards in the league.

And it'll be easy to see that's music to Rich Paul's ears as Caldwell-Pope should garner plenty of attention in restricted free agency this July. – by Vincent Goodwill

PACIFIC DIVISION

Cousins in line for $200 million deal?

DeMarcus Cousins is in line for a major extension this summer and it appears that he and the Kings front office are on the same page. Max money as a designated player will yield Cousins more than $200 million over five years. The two-time All-Star loves Sacramento and he can get $80 million more staying put than heading elsewhere once the new CBA comes into effect July 1. … Sacramento continues to struggle through their early season schedule, going 1-4 to start their seven game homestand coming into Sunday. … After mixing and matching lineups all season long, Garrett Temple and Anthony Tolliver have started the last three games for the Kings alongside Darren Collison, Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins. Head coach Dave Joerger has refused to say whether the move is permanent or not. – by James Ham

Booker heating up for the Suns

Devin Booker dropped in 39 points against both the Mavs and the Spurs, giving him seven 30-point nights on the season. Booker struggled with his shot early in the season, but over the five games, he's shooting 17-for-28 (60.7 percent) from behind the arc. … After losing to the last place Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, the Suns snuck up and bit the San Antonio Spurs Saturday night to improve to 13-27. … T.J. Warren started the season with a fury, but since returning from a minor head injury 14 ago, he's struggled, averaging just 10.6 points per game. – by James Ham

Ingram improving, slowly but surely

After a strong start to the season, the Los Angeles Lakers have essentially become what we thought they were: a lottery-bound club whose best days are clearly ahead of them. The same can be said for their prized rookie Brandon Ingram.

The No. 2 overall pick in last June's NBA draft has had his share of ups and downs like most rookies. But lately he's showing signs of being that impactful, versatile player that the Lakers envision can lead them back into the postseason.

He's averaging 8.1 points per game this season which includes 13 games scoring in double figures. Of those 13 games, five have come this month with a handful of games in January still left to be played.

It's an encouraging sign for both Ingram and the Lakers, each knowing their best is yet to come. – by A. Sherrod Blakely

Big Ticket reunites with Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce

When Doc Rivers left Boston to assume head coaching/front office responsibilities with the Los Angeles Clippers, most assumed that Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett would come aboard, too.

Well the gang is all back together, although this probably isn't how any of them envisioned their reunion.

The last piece of the puzzle came together earlier this month when the Clippers hired the now-retired Garnett to be a consultant who primarily will work with the team's big men.

Garnett spent 21 years in the NBA, six of which were with Rivers in Boston which included an NBA title in 2008. – by A. Sherrod Blakely

NORTHWEST DIVISION

Westbrook turns heads, turns the ball over...a lot

Russell Westbrook continues to ring up the triple-doubles. The All-Star point guard continues to lead the league in scoring at 30.8 points per game along with 10.7 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game. On the downside, he picked up his third game this season with 10 or more turnovers and he's averaging 5.4 miscues per game for the Thunder. … Cameron Payne is back on the court after missing the first half of the season with a foot issue. He's struggled through the first four games, but playing yourself back into NBA shape is a tall task in the heart of the schedule. … OKC isn't an elite team in the Western Conference at the midway point of the season, but they are in the mix with the Grizzlies, Clippers and Jazz in a crowded second tier. – James Ham

Ezeli out for the season following knee surgery?

Festus Ezeli, the injured center who has yet to play a game for the Blazers, on Friday made his rounds around the locker room saying goodbye to teammates after Orlando's 115-109 victory.

Later, a source within the team said Ezeli would not accompany the team on the trip, but is scheduled to rejoin the team when it returns after its Jan. 22 game at Boston.

Agent Bill Duffy said the absence was not for a knee surgery. Ezeli in December indicated he is considering a surgery on his left knee that could potentially end his season.

Ezeli in July was signed to a two-year, $15 million contract, with only this season's $7 million salary guaranteed. He had a procedure on the left knee in August and was scheduled to return in mid-October. He returned in the preseason and participated in two practices before he suffered swelling, forcing him back to the sidelines.

Ezeli, 27, was signed after an injury-riddled career in Golden State. He missed the 2013-2014 season recovering from right knee surgery and last season he missed 36 games recovering from left knee surgery. – by Jason Quick

Report: Hood's knee injury not season-ending

To see the way Rodney Hood's right knee buckled on him over the weekend, the Utah Jazz were bracing themselves for the worst. Few teams have endured the onslaught of injuries like this franchise has in recent years.

As gruesome as the injury looked initially, the Jazz got a bit of good news in that there was no structural damage to his hyperextended right knee which means he will return to action at some point this season.

"It's unfortunate, for sure, and unlucky," Jazz forward Gordon Hayward told reporters on Saturday. "Hopefully, he has a speedy recovery. He's a big piece of what we do. It sucks to see anybody go down."

Hood is definitely out for Monday's game against Phoenix, but has not been ruled out for Utah's game at Dallas on Thursday. – by A. Sherrod Blakely

SOUTHWEST DIVISION

Spurs seek to round up a few more road wins

San Antonio has lost 2-of-3, but they continue to pace just behind the Warriors for the NBA's best record at 31-9. The Spurs will play 12 of the next 18 on the road with the rodeo coming to town, but they never seem to stumble during this portion of the schedule. … Patty Mills missed his first game of the season against the Suns, sitting with a calf injury. The veteran point guard has played a huge role off the bench for the Spurs this season, averaging 10.1 points and 3.5 assists in 21.9 minutes per game as Tony Parker's primary backup. … Kawhi Leonard sits behind Golden State's Kevin Durant and Zaza Pachulia in the Western Conference All-Star game fan voting for frontcourt players with 630,766 votes. He's a shoo-in for the midseason festivities which take place in New Orleans next month.- by James Ham

McDaniels on the move again?

In his third NBA season, K.J. McDaniels already has played for two teams, the Sixers and Rockets, and a third team may be on the horizon. According to Marc Stein (http://www.espn.com/blog/marc-stein/post/_/id/4886/marc-steins-picks-for-nba-all-star-starters), if the Rockets make a deal McDaniels could be the trade target.

McDaniels is averaging 3.0 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.1 assists in 8.9 minutes per game. He has played just one minute the entire month of January.

Two years ago the Sixers traded McDaniels to the Rockets at the deadline. – by Jessica Camerato

Mavs on a roll with healthier Nowitzki

Don't look now but here comes Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks!

They face the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday with a chance to win three in a row, something they have not been able to do up to this point in the season. Few teams have been besieged by injuries as much as the Mavericks have this season, especially Dirk Nowizki who has been limited for long stretches this season with a right Achilles injury.

But the last couple of games – both Dallas wins – Nowitzki has looked more like his old self instead of just looking well, old. In his last two games, the future Hall of Famer has averaged 17.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 66.7 percent (6-for-9) from 3-point range. Those statistics are all better than what he has done overall this season. Getting to the playoffs is still highly unlikely for the Mavericks, but at least they are playing more competitively. – by A. Sherrod Blakely

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Thomas-Schroder beef alive and well

After last season's playoff series with the Atlanta Hawks, it was clear to us who witnessed it that Isaiah Thomas and Hawks guard Dennis Schroder weren't exactly BFFs. The level of disdain between the two is even larger now after Schroder told reporters following Atlanta's 103-101 loss to Boston that Thomas made disparaging comments about his mother.

Thomas said Schroder's comments were a “100 percent lie and he knows that."

But Thomas wasn't done.

He acknowledged that he does trash-talk on the floor, but it stays centered around the game of basketball, adding that he never brings a player's family into the conversation.

"I don't even know his mom; to curse at her like he said I did or whatever he's lying about," Thomas said. “From this point on, I don't want to even talk about Dennis Schroder. He's not even on the level that I'm trying to be on and I'm not even focused on him anymore."

Ouch.  

It's hard to say otherwise when you consider Thomas is even better this season than he was a year ago when he was named to his first all-star team. And in the 103-101 win over the Hawks, Thomas had a game-high 28 points which included the game-winning shot.

Schroder had four points on 2-for-11 shooting and was on the bench when Thomas put the Hawks away for good.

Needless to say, when these two meet again in Boston on Feb. 27 … get your popcorn ready because it's on folks! – by A. Sherrod Blakely

Sullinger return near?

Toronto's prized free agent pickup Jared Sullinger who has been out all season following foot surgery, is back to practicing in a limited capacity.

But when will he play again?

It looks like it won't be any time soon.

Because of the long lay-off, Sullinger's conditioning needs a lot of work right now. And remember, even when he wasn't out with an injury his conditioning was a concern when he was in Boston. "My main focus is just trying to get my legs back under me," Sullinger, a former Boston Celtic, recently told reporters. “I feel like everybody else is in tip-top shape and I'm just lagging. I can't keep up with (rookie center Jakob Poeltl) off the dribble, so, I got a lot of work to do." – by A. Sherrod Blakely

Knicks handling of Rose's Miami incident a thorny issue

The Knicks' week got off to a bizarre start when Derrick Rose went AWOL from Monday's game against the Pelicans. As the team struggled to contact him, Carmelo Anthony described the uncertainty of Rose's whereabouts as “a scary situation to be in." (http://nypost.com/2017/01/11/carmelo-it-was-scary-playing-with-derrick-rose-missing/)

Rose explained he left New York for Chicago because of a family issue. The Knicks fined Rose $200,000 for his sudden absence. The organization came under criticism after team president Phil Jackson did not address the media the night of the incident, as well as the fact Rose was fined and not suspended.

Rose started in the following game and scored 25 points in a loss to the Knicks. – by Jessica Camerato

Embiid hopes social media presence propels him to All-Star Game

Joel Embiid admitted a frame of mind that garnered a wild “I know the feeling" response on social media.

"In the back of my head I think, ‘This is going to backfire at some point,'" Embiid said of tweeting (http://www.csnphilly.com/philadelphia-76ers/joel-embiid-i-think-i-kind-represent-twitter-nba) . “But before that day comes, I'm going to keep on going."

Embiid has been active on Twitter to boost All-Star voting during his standout rookie season. He currently ranks fourth behind Kevin Love in the Eastern Conference frontcourt by 16,000 votes. The 22-year-old has over 522,000 followers and recently received the support of Triple H after saying the WWE legend was his favorite wrestler.

"I think I kind of represent Twitter in the NBA," Embiid said. “I like to think all the Twitter people, I represent them. But I never thought I would have this type of influence. I'm just trying to be me. If people enjoy it, that's great." – by Jessica Camerato

Lin remains out for the Nets with hamstring

With a healthy roster, we knew the Brooklyn Nets would struggle to win games. But seeing them without their key offseason pickup Jeremy Lin only adds to what has been a disastrous season in Brooklyn.

Lin has missed all but 12 games this season dealing with a strained left hamstring injury. It remains unclear when he'll return to action this season for a Brooklyn Nets team that's sinking further and further to the bottom of the NBA ocean floor with few indications of rising up to be competitive, let alone win more games this season.

This group plays hard all the time, but that ‘good try, good effort' brand of basketball can only take you so far.

And the worst part about it for the Nets is that unlike most teams that stink, you get a high draft pick at the end of the season which to some degree makes all that losing worth it.

Not Brooklyn.

As part of the 2013 trade they made with Boston to acquire Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry, it included a slew of draft picks as well as the right to swap some picks. So the Nets could conceivably wind up with the number one overall pick this year and have to swap it with the Celtics (25-15) whose first-round pick this year will likely be somewhere in the 20s.

It's been that kind of season for the Nets. Even when they can potentially win, it's really a loss waiting to happen. – by A. Sherrod Blakely

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

Porter's hip injury a problem again

For the second time this season Otto Porter has had to leave a game because of an inflamed/strained right hip, an injury that delayed the start of his rookie season in 2013.

Likely to be among the end-of-season finalists for the NBA's most improved player, Porter left Saturday's game late in the third quarter with the Philadelphia 76ers and didn't return. In November, he didn't return after a game vs. the Phoenix Suns but didn't miss playing time beyond that.

"I want to make sure I stay on top of it and make sure it doesn't get out of hand," he said.

Porter's hip was first injured during mini-camp, going into Las Vegas summer league play after he was drafted No. 3 overall. His time there was cut short because of his right hip and he didn't make his regular-season debut until 18 games in.

Porter's hip has never required surgery and he's usually able to return to action after resting. The recurrences could interrupt what has been a stellar season under new coach Scott Brooks, with career-highs of 14.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 53.5% overall shooting and 42.9% three-point shooting – by J. Michael

Heat thinking playoffs?

All of the injuries have contributed to the Heat having just 11 wins at the halfway point of their season.

Somehow, they're still talking playoffs because they're one good stretch of basketball from thrusting themselves back into the picture.

"You together eight wins in 10 games, all of a sudden you look up, with the way the East has been shaping up this year, you can be right back in the hunt," said guard Tyler Johnson. “Just figure it out."

Coach Erik Spoelstra called a 1-5 West coast road trip “tangible progress" nonetheless. – by J. Michael

Payton to disappear from Magic's roster soon?

Elfrid Payton was supposed to be the next Gary Payton, or that was one of the most common comparisons made with the point guard. Unfortunately, that was because of how he looked in 2014 Orlando summer league.

That's not the same as NBA. Now with reports swirling about the Magic aggressively pursuing the ball-dominant Goran Dragic of the Miami Heat, it makes sense.

The Magic already parted with his on-and-off backcourt starting mate Victor Oladipo before the season. Payton's 11.9 points and 5.8 assists this season are career highs. He shoots less than 30% from three.

The previous coach, Scott Skiles, didn't believe in the duo and current coach Frank Vogel likely sees it the same way. A backcourt with two players who can't shoot in today's NBA means a team can't succeed. – by J. Michael

Cubs meet President Obama in unforgettable, symbolic White House visit: ‘They said this day would never come’.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

A "Let's go, Cubbies!" chant started at 1:38 p.m. on Monday when the team walked into the East Room. One minute later, a voice from above announced: "Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States." 

"They said this day would never come," Barack Obama said once he got in front of the podium. "Welcome to the White House, the World Series champion Chicago Cubs."

With those words that still sound weird more than two months later, Obama began his last official event at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., rolling through a speech that lasted almost 22 minutes and delivering a powerful message on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"Sometimes people wonder: 'Well, why are you spending time on sports?'" Obama said. "Throughout our history, sports has had this power to bring us together, even when the country's divided. Sports has changed attitudes and culture in ways that seem subtle, but ultimately made us think differently about ourselves and who we were.

"It is a game and it is a celebration. But there's a direct line between Jackie Robinson and me standing here. There’s a direct line between people loving Ernie Banks and the city being able to come together and work together."

As Washington prepares for Donald Trump's inauguration – with the neighborhood turning into a maze of risers, fences and barricades – this became a parting gift from the White Sox fan in chief to all the Obama staffers and alumni who love the Cubs and are now facing life after the White House.  

"Listen, I made a lot of promises in 2008," Obama said, "and we managed to fulfill a large number of them. But even I was not crazy enough to suggest that during these eight years we would see the Cubs win the World Series.

"But I did say that there's never been anything false about hope."

After a searing election, Obama stood front and center in between Cubs board members Laura Ricketts (a Hillary Clinton superdelegate) and Todd Ricketts (Trump's pick to be deputy commerce secretary). With a booming voice and some good speechwriting, Obama commanded a room filled with Hall of Famers (Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins, Ryne Sandberg) and Illinois politicos (Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Sen. Dick Durbin, Rep. Mike Quigley, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, senior White House advisor Valerie Jarrett).        

Obama mentioned how his administration had hosted at least 50 championship teams in the Oval Office. Until the Cubs showed up, FLOTUS hadn't participated in any of those ceremonies, but she did make time for a private meeting with the group that ended the 108-year drought for her hometown team.    

"The last time the Cubs won the World Series, Teddy Roosevelt was president," Obama said. "Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison (were) still alive. The first Cubs radio broadcast wouldn't be for almost two decades. We've been through World Wars, the Cold War, a Depression, the space race and all manner of social and technological change.

"So the first thing that made this championship so special for so many is the Cubs know what it's like to be loyal and to persevere and to hope and to suffer and then keep on hoping.

"It’s a generational thing (that) Michelle is describing. People all across the city remember the first time their parents took them to Wrigley, their memories of climbing onto their mom and dad's lap to watch games on WGN.

"That’s part of the reason, by the way, why Michelle wanted to make sure Jose Cardenal was here, because that was her favorite player. Back then, he had a big Afro and she would describe how she would try to wear her hat over her Afro the same way.

"You could see (it in) the fans who traveled to their dads' gravesites (and) wore their moms' old jerseys to games (and) covered the brick walls of Wrigley with love notes in chalk to the departed fans whose lifelong faith was finally fulfilled."       

Obama gave shoutouts to David Ross – "we’ve both been on a yearlong retirement party" – and "my fellow 44, Anthony Rizzo." Obama congratulated newlyweds Kris and Jessica Bryant and described how chairman Tom Ricketts met his wife, Cecelia, in the Wrigley Field bleachers "about 30 years ago, which is about 30 years longer than most relationships that begin there last."

Obama turned toward groovy manager Joe Maddon, who wore a black turtleneck and an olive coat, and said: "Let's face it, there are not a lot of coaches or managers who are as cool as this guy. Look how he looks right now."

"He used costume parties and his shaggin' wagon," Obama said. "He's got a lot of tricks to motivate. But he's also a master of tactics and makes the right move at the right time, when to pinch-hit, when to pinch-run, when to make it rain."

The no-shows included Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and John Lackey, but 22 players stood behind Obama. Dexter Fowler – the first African-American Cub to play in the World Series and now a St. Louis Cardinal – brought Obama a personalized pair of Air Jordans. The group photo included guys from Puerto Rico (Javier Baez), Venezuela (Miguel Montero and Willson Contreras), Cuba (Aroldis Chapman) and the Dominican Republic (Pedro Strop) who will be remembered together forever.

Before Obama exited the stage and the Cubs went to visit the wounded warriors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the president delivered a final thought.

"Sports has a way of sometimes changing hearts in a way that politics or business (can't)," Obama said. "Sometimes it's just a matter of us being able to stay relaxed from the realities of our days. But sometimes it also speaks to something better in us.

"When you see this group of Cubs – different shades, different backgrounds, coming from different communities and different neighborhoods all across the country and then playing as one team and playing the right way and celebrating each other and being joyous in that – that tells us a little something about what America is. And what America can be."

President Obama on Joe Maddon: 'Not a lot of coaches or managers who are as cool as this guy'.

By CSN Staff

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

As one of the cooler presidents ever, President Obama knows cool when he sees it.
The president talked about numerous members of the Cubs during the team's visit to the White House on Monday, but he only offered the "cool" label to manager Joe Maddon, who most folks can agree is probably the coolest person to ever manage the Cubs.

"Let's face it, there are not a lot of coaches or managers who are as cool as this guy. Look how he looks right now," Obama said, pointing out Maddon's non-traditional suit. "That's cool."

The president also praised Maddon's unique style, with his themed road trips and visits from zoo animals, as well as his on-field prowess, throwing in a joke about something the skipper couldn't control during the World Series.

"He's got a lot tricks to motivate. But he's also a master of tactics and knows how to make the right move at the right time: when to pinch hit, when to pinch run, when to make it rain in Game 7 of the World Series. It was masterful."

Maybe President Obama really does admire Maddon's style. Or maybe he's just extending his bromance with Vice President Biden to other famous Joes.

The time Addison Russell froze up after getting a text from Eddie George.

By JJ Stankevitz

 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Plenty of Cubs fans surely were star-struck to meet Addison Russell at Cubs Convention last weekend. But the 22-year-old All-Star shortstop has a shortlist of people he would be amazed to meet, too. 

Russell reveres President Barack Obama, on Friday the outgoing Commander-in-Chief's work in the community when talking about getting to visit the White House. So on Monday, Russell got to check off meeting one of the people on his list. "There's probably about three people that I would be star-struck by, and (Obama's) one of them," Russell said. 

One of those three spots is "open," Russell said. The other member of that list is former Ohio State and Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George. 

Russell wears his No. 27 because of George, who wore that number during his career in which he made four Pro Bowls and rushed for over 10,000 yards and 78 touchdowns. Prior to the 2016 season, George sent Russell and autographed Titans helmet inscribed with good luck message.

After the season, Russell said George texted him seeing if the newly-crowned champion had time to chill. Few things rattled Russell last year — he became the youngest player to hit a grand slam in the World Series when he blasted one in Game 6 against the Cleveland Indians last November — but getting a text from George did. "I couldn't text back," Russell said. "It was nuts. I waited four days because I was thinking of what back to say."

Even the most famous athletes still get star-struck. Russell's been lucky enough in the last few months to meet and hear from two of the people who bring out that sense of awe in him. "Just to come in contact with people like that, it just makes me smile," Russell said. "It definitely gets me in the mood of getting better, and that's the goal this year, is getting better." 

WHITE SOX: Kopech hits 110 mph in offseason workout.

By Michael Clair

(Photo/MLB/Cut4)

When the White Sox acquired Michael Kopech as part of the package for Chris Sale, they knew they were getting a pitcher with a blazing fastball. According to MLB Pipeline, Kopech sits at 96-98 mph and can even hit triple digits. 

They probably weren't expecting 110 mph, though. 

Now, sure, he wasn't throwing off a mound, but a) it's Jan. 17, so still a month away from when pitchers and catchers report; b) it was still 7 mph faster than any throw to catch a runner at the plate this year; and c) it's still 110 mph! Plenty to dream on there, Sox fans. 

White Sox trio lands on MLB.com's Top 10 RHP prospects list.

By Scott Krinch

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The White Sox farm system has taken a complete 180 over the past calendar year.

Gone are the days where the White Sox would be lucky to land a single prospect in Top 100 prospects lists.

After undergoing an overhaul that saw franchise cornerstones Chris Sale and Adam Eaton shipped out for a bundle of prospects, the White Sox are soaring up MLB farm system rankings.

As they will each day until the end of the January, MLBPipeline will release baseball's Top 10 prospects at each position.

To kick off the countdown, the Top 10 right-handed pitching prospects were released on Tuesday, and to no surprise the list is White Sox heavy.

Lucas Giolito (No. 3) and Reynaldo Lopez (No. 10), sent to the White Sox from the Nationals in a blockbuster deal for Eaton, both cracked the Top 10 list. 

Michael Kopech, who was a key piece along with MLB.com's 2016 top overall prospect Yoan Moncada in the White Sox haul from the Boston Red Sox for Sale, came in at No. 4 on MLBPipeline's rankings.

Check out what MLB.com's Mike Rosenbaum had to say about each White Sox pitcher below:

3. Lucas Giolito, White Sox
The prized right-hander of last year's class, Giolito saw his stock wane over the course of the season and especially in the big leagues, where apparent mechanical issues resulted in diminished velocity and hindered his control. He's shown the ceiling of an ace in the past, with the ability to command a mid-to-upper 90s heater, a knee-buckling curveball and a fading changeup, and now has renowned pitching coach Don Cooper on his side after joining the White Sox as part of the offseason Adam Eaton blockbuster deal. 

4. Michael Kopech, White Sox
Kopech began the year on the disabled list with a broken hand but made up for the time lost with dazzling performances in the Class A Advanced Carolina League and, later, in the Arizona Fall League. Acquired in the Chris Sale trade in December, the 20-year-old hits triple digits with ease and backs it up with a plus slider and a promising changeup. As he continues to make developmental strides, Kopech will move quickly in 2017. 

10. Reynaldo Lopez, White Sox
Overshadowed by Giolito headed into last season, Lopez proved the more effective of the duo in the big leagues before joining him in the offseason trade to Chicago. A more consistent and linear delivery resulted in improved strike-throwing ability for the 23-year-old righty, who can miss bats with his well above-average fastball, excellent curve and improved changeup.

Ironically, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Tyler Glasnow and Houston Astros pitcher Francis Martes, two players who have been rumored to be involved in their respective team's talks with the White Sox for starter Jose Quintana, made the Top 10 list on Tuesday.

Heading into the 2016 season, shortstop Tim Anderson (No. 38) and pitcher Carson Fulmer (No. 42) were the only two White Sox prospects on MLBPipeline's Top 100 list.

At the very least the White Sox will double that number in 2017 with the three aforementioned pitchers and Moncada.

Golf: I got a club for that..... Power Rankings: 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge.

By Will Gray

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

The 2017 fantasy golf season heads to the mainland this week, as the PGA Tour travels to California for the CareerBuilder Challenge. A field of 156 players will tackle a three-course rotation that includes the Stadium Course at PGA West.

Be sure to join the all-new Golf Channel Fantasy Challenge to compete for prizes and form your own leagues, and log on to www.playfantasygolf.com to submit your picks for this week's event.

Jason Dufner won this event last year in a playoff over David Lingmerth. Here are 10 players to watch in Palm Springs:

1. Bill Haas: Haas is always a name to watch, but his solid start to the new season that includes four straight top-20 finishes has him topping the table. Haas has won this event twice (2010 and 2015) to go along with a runner-up in 2011 and a T-9 finish last year.

2. Patrick Reed: Reed quietly got off to a nice start with a T-6 finish in Kapalua, and it was only two years ago that he peeled off three straight rounds of 63 en route to victory in Palm Springs. A week off in between should have helped him boost his energy levels.

3. Charles Howell III: Howell was high on this list last week in Honolulu and tied for third, and there's reason to keep him on the board for another week. The veteran has now compiled four straight finishes of T-15 or better and his record at this event includes a playoff loss in 2013 and a T-11 finish last year.

4. Zach Johnson: Johnson broke out of a mini-slump with his T-6 finish at the Sony, and his record in Palm Springs has had plenty of highs. The veteran finished T-8 in 2012 and T-3 in 2014, results that indicate back-to-back missed cuts the past two years may have been aberrations.

5. Webb Simpson: Simpson finished T-13 last week, and he has a stronger record in Palm Springs than you might expect: five top-25 finishes in seven starts, including a T-7 finish in 2014. While he hasn't won since 2013, the former U.S. Open champ has shown a recent penchant for making the most of his brushes with the leaderboard.

6. Ryan Palmer: Palmer has done everything but win this event, with five top-20 finishes in six trips since 2011. That stretch includes a runner-up in 2014 amid three straight top-10s, and prior to last year's final-round 73 Palmer had broken par in 23 straight rounds in Palm Springs.

7. Jon Rahm: Rahm is due to break through at some point this season, and a course where birdies should fly by the bunches might prove to be just the venue. The Spaniard already has a pair of top-15 finishes this season and has previously thrived at other TPC courses, namely Scottsdale and Summerlin.

8. Emiliano Grillo: The reigning Rookie of the Year closed out last season in strong fashion, with finishes of T-26 or better in each of his last five official starts. While he hasn't played since the Bahamas, Grillo possesses the type of consistent game that should yield plenty of birdie opportunities this week.

9. Phil Mickelson: There's still a chance he won't play at all, but if he does then Mickelson deserves a spot among the possible contenders. The southpaw hasn't played since October and has had a pair of sports hernia surgeries since, but he's won twice here and came out of mothballs last year to finish T-3.

10. Jamie Lovemark: The long-hitting California product closed out 2016 with a T-6 finish and promptly opened 2017 by finishing T-4 at Sony. He also finished T-6 here last year despite a final-round 73 and has been knocking on the door of a maiden PGA Tour win for the last several months.

Sleepers: CareerBuilder Challenge.

By Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM

Adam Hadwin has eight top-10 finishes on his TOUR resume. (Photo/Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Kevin Streelman … It may have been the Chicago Cubs’ success in the playoffs and title in the World Series that contributed to the pep to his step in the fall, but there’s nothing against the rules about how a golfer is motivated and inspired. Furthermore, no one can take away his 4-for-5 with a T18 (Sanderson Farms) and T4 (Mayakoba) to launch his 10th season with a PGA TOUR card. Now back at it for the first time since the holiday break, he’s angling at piling on to a pair of T10s and a T11 (in 2016) at the CareerBuilder. Ranked second in GIR and T12 in par breakers here last year. Converging trends may not necessarily be as strong as he’d like them, but you know how eager he is to follow his beloved North Siders and Fly the W again.

Michael Thompson … The 31-year-old is no stranger to finding a rhythm in La Quinta. He finished last in greens in regulation in the 2016 edition but first in converting his minimal chances into par breakers (28) and second in total par breakers. He now arrives on a heater with a T13 at The RSM Classic and a T20 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. OK, so he’s simmering at just above tepid, but a good putter who’s scoring well can serve as a foreshock.

Martin Laird … It’s kind of tough to wrap your head around the fact that he’s making his 10th consecutive appearance in the tournament. He just turned 34 years of age but hasn’t missed a visit since his rookie season of 2008. The Scot has missed only one cut while countering with four top 25s, all in the last six editions. He connected with a stronger gear in the second half of 2016 that yielded six top 25s, including a T13 in his last appearance anywhere at Mayakoba. He’ll almost always rank among the best tee-to-green, so it’s a week when even the slightest of improvements in putting can push him over the top.

Adam Hadwin … It’s easy to forget, if not overlooked by younger golf fans and gamers, that the 29-year-old from Canada electrified the PGA TOUR as a non-member in 2011. He’s not a long hitter and, at just 5 foot, 8 inches, he’s not going to stand out in a crowd, but he’s building a solid career, albeit still devoid a trophy presentation at the game’s highest level. What he does well – really well – is putt. He flashed this skill in last year’s CareerBuilder Challenge en route to a share of sixth place. He entered the final round alone in third. More recently, he concluded the fall with a T10 at Mayakoba and a T11 representing his country in the World Cup.

Brandon Stone ... This week’s appearance at the CareerBuilder Challenge marks just his third on the PGA TOUR and first in a non-major. Already a winner on the European Tour this season, the South African is on the fast track to becoming a household name. Devoted fans of multiple levels of golf are keen to point out that the former University of Texas Longhorn was the NCAA Freshman of the Year in 2013. The 23-year-old sits 71st in the Official World Golf Ranking. If we’re being picky, his putting needs the most improvement as compared to the rest of his bag, but he’s already showing signs that he’ll navigate that learning curve without wobble.

Stock Watch: Spieth quietly on the rise.

By Ryan Lavner

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

RISING

Justin Thomas (+9%): In five starts this season the 23-year-old has already matched Rickie Fowler’s career win total on the PGA Tour. He’s a budding superstar with firepower to spare.

Jordan Spieth (+6%): Relegated (with everybody else) to the B flight over the past two weeks, it’s worth noting that Spieth’s iron play – a major point of emphasis this offseason – has been terrific so far this year. We’ll bet on his putter heating up.

Low scores (+5%): The #59Watch on social media has grown tiresome, but the spate of birdies and red numbers sure beats the alternative – these guys are the best in the world, so let ’em show why. Now, if they start dropping 61s at Torrey and Riviera …

Graeme Storm (+3%): It’s been a wild few months for the 38-year-old journeyman – he lost his card, regained it, and then outdueled Rory McIlroy for his first victory in a decade.

Toto Gana (+1%): The kid showed impressive resolve, stuffing his approach in the playoff after surrendering a two-shot lead with two to play at the Latin America Amateur. Augusta, here he comes.

FALLING

Web.com Tour (-1%): They’re back in the Bahamas this week. What could possibly go wrong?

Injuries (-3%): A body can handle only so much speed and strength. At this rate, the Tour is going to need a DL.

Playing captain Jim Furyk (-5%): He didn’t rule it out for 2018, which was no surprise, given his fierce competitiveness. It just won’t happen – too many distractions and, even more importantly, too many other good options.

Rory McIlroy (-8%): His preparations for the Masters took a significant hit when he suffered a stress fracture in one of his ribs. Sure, with the best treatment he could probably heal in a few weeks, but rib injuries can also linger for months. Bummer.

Masters odds for Thomas continue to shrink.

By Will Gray

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

If you're thinking about betting on Justin Thomas to win the Masters after a pair of wins to open the new year, you may be late to the party.

Thomas' odds for the season's first major continued to shrink in light of his Hawaiian double-dip, and as of Monday he is listed at 25/1 at the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook. When the casino opened Masters betting in August, Thomas was listed at 80/1 and he was available for 60/1 as recently as Jan. 2.

Those odds were trimmed to 40/1 after Thomas cruised to victory at Kapalua, and he is now listed with the same odds as Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler and Justin Rose. Thomas finished T-39 last year at Augusta National in his first appearance.

There's very little separation at the top of the betting market, with Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy co-favorites at 8/1 followed by Jason Day (9/1) and Dustin Johnson (10/1). Hideki Matsuyama, whose odds drifted as low as 12/1 after his flurry of late-season wins, has now settled back at 15/1 followed by Bubba Watson, Adam Scott and Tiger Woods at 20/1.

Chile's Toto Gana, who qualified for the Masters with his win Sunday at the Latin America Amateur Championship, opened this week at 1,000/1.

Golf-FedEx Cup rankings.

Reuters

1. (2) Justin Thomas (U.S.) 1614

2. (1) Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 1177

3. (3) Pat Perez (U.S.) 754

4. (4) Brendan Steele (U.S.) 648

5. (5) Mackenzie Hughes (Canada) 643

6. (6) Rod Pampling (Australia) 560

7. (7) Cody Gribble (U.S.) 481

8. (8) Russell Knox (Britain) 449

9. (13) Gary Woodland (U.S.) 411

10. (10) Luke List (U.S.) 382

11. (9) Scott Piercy (U.S.) 356

12. (39) Jordan Spieth (U.S.) 335

13. (11) Daniel Berger (U.S.) 330

14. (12) Brooks Koepka (U.S.) 316

15. (14) Patton Kizzire (U.S.) 300

15. Justin Rose (Britain) 300

17. (33) Jamie Lovemark (U.S.) 288

18. (15) Chris Kirk (U.S.) 281

19. (27) Charles Howell III (U.S.) 281

20. (16) Ryan Moore (U.S.) 279

21. (24) Bill Haas (U.S.) 277

22. (29) Chez Reavie (U.S.) 276

23. (17) Keegan Bradley (U.S.) 270

24. (18) Lucas Glover (U.S.) 266

25. (19) Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 258

26. (20) Anirban Lahiri (India) 241

27. (21) Paul Casey (Britain) 240

28. (22) Derek Fathauer (U.S.) 232

29. (23) Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 230

30. (25) Emiliano Grillo (Argentina) 219

NASCAR: Plan Ahead: 2017 NASCAR Schedules For Top Series, (All In One Place).

By Dustin Long

(Photo by Andrew Coppley - Pool/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Each day it gets closer to the when the roar of engines return in NASCAR’s national series.

To get you ready, here are the schedules for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, Camping World Truck Series, K&N Pro Series East and K&N Pro Series West all in one place.

Start times and TV networks are included for the Cup, Xfinity and Truck schedules to further help in your planning for the upcoming season.

Here is the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule:

2/18	Daytona International Speedway (The Clash) – 8 p.m. ET (FS1)
2/23	Daytona International Speedway (The Duels) – 7 p.m. ET (FS1)
2/26	Daytona 500 – 2 p.m. ET (FOX)
3/5	Atlanta Motor Speedway – 2:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
3/12	Las Vegas Motor Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
3/19	Phoenix International Raceway – 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
3/26	Auto Club Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
4/2	Martinsville Speedway – 2 p.m. ET (FS1)
4/9	Texas Motor Speedway – 1:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
4/23	Bristol Motor Speedway – 2 p.m. ET (FOX)
4/30	Richmond International Raceway – 2 p.m. ET (FOX)
5/7	Talladega Superspeedway – 2 p.m. ET (FOX)
5/13	Kansas Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
5/20	Charlotte Motor Speedway (All-Star Race) – 6 p.m. ET (FS1)
5/28	Charlotte Motor Speedway – 6 p.m. ET (FOX)
6/4	Dover International Speedway – 1 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/11	Pocono Raceway – 3 p.m. (FS1)
6/18	Michigan International Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/25	Sonoma Raceway – 3 p.m. ET (FS1)
7/1	Daytona International Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
7/8	Kentucky Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/16	New Hampshire Motor Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/23	Indianapolis Motor Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
7/30	Pocono Raceway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/6	Watkins Glen International – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/13	Michigan International Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/19	Bristol Motor Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
9/3	Darlington Raceway – 6 p.m. ET (NBSCN)
9/9	Richmond International Raceway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/17	Chicagoland Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/24	New Hampshire Motor Speedway – 2 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/1	Dover International Speedway – 2 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/7	Charlotte Motor Speedway – 7 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/15	Talladega Superspeedway – 2 p.m. ET (NBC)
10/22	Kansas Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/29	Martinsville Speedway – 1 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
11/5	Texas Motor Speedway – 2 p.m. ET (NBC)
11/12	Phoenix International Raceway – 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
11/19	Homestead-Miami Speedway – 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

Here is the 2017 Xfinity Series schedule:

2/25	Daytona International Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
3/4	Atlanta Motor Speedway – 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
3/11	Las Vegas Motor Speedway – 4 p.m. ET (FS1)
3/18	Phoenix International Raceway – 4 p.m. ET (FOX)
3/25	Auto Club Speedway – 4 p.m. ET (FS1)
4/8	Texas Motor Speedway – 1:30 p.m. (FOX)
4/22	Bristol Motor Speedway – 12:30 p.m. (FS1)
4/29	Richmond International Raceway – 12:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
5/6	Talladega Superspeedway – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
5/27	Charlotte Motor Speedway – 1 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/3	Dover International Speedway – 1 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/10	Pocono Raceway – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
6/17	Michigan International Speedway – 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/24	Iowa Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/30	Daytona International Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/7	Kentucky Speedway – 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/15	New Hampshire Motor Speedway – 4 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/22	Indianapolis Motor Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/29	Iowa Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
8/5	Watkins Glen International – 2 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/12	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/18	Bristol Motor Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/27	Road America – 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
9/2	Darlington Raceway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/8	Richmond International Raceway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/16	Chicagoland Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/23	Kentucky Speedway – 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/30	Dover International Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/6	Charlotte Motor Speedway – 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/21	Kansas Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
11/4	Texas Motor Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
11/11	Phoenix International Raceway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
11/18	Homestead-Miami Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)

Here is the 2017 Camping World Truck schedule (all races broadcast on Fox Sports 1 unless otherwise noted):

2/24	Daytona International Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET
3/4	Atlanta Motor Speedway – 4:30 p.m. ET
4/1	Martinsville Speedway – 2:30 p.m. ET
5/12	Kansas Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
5/19	Charlotte Motor Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
6/2	Dover International Speedway – 5:30 p.m. ET
6/9	Texas Motor Speedway – 8 p.m. ET
6/17	Gateway Motorsports Park – 8:30 p.m. ET
6/23	Iowa Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
7/6	Kentucky Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET
7/19	Eldora Speedway – 9 p.m. ET
7/29	Pocono Raceway – 1 p.m. ET
8/12	Michigan International Speedway – 1 p.m. ET
8/16	Bristol Motor Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
8/27	Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – 2:30 p.m. ET
9/15	Chicagoland Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
9/23	New Hampshire Motor Speedway – 1 p.m. ET
9/30	Las Vegas Motor Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
10/14	Talladega Superspeedway – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
10/28	Martinsville Speedway – 1:30 p.m. ET
11/3	Texas Motor Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
11/10	Phoenix International Raceway – 8:30 p.m. ET
11/17	Homestead-Miami Speedway – 8 p.m. ET

Here is the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Series schedule (TV dates and times on NBCSN to be announced at a later date):

2/19	New Smyrna Speedway
4/8	Greenville Pickens Speedway
4/22	Bristol Motor Speedway
5/6	South Boston Speedway 1
5/6	South Boston Speedway 2
6/3	Memphis International Raceway
7/1	Berlin Raceway
7/8	Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
7/15	New Hampshire Motor Speedway
7/28	Iowa Speedway
8/4	Watkins Glen International
9/2	TBA
9/16	New Jersey Motorsports Park
9/29	Dover International Speedway

Here is the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Series schedule (TV dates and times on NBCSN to be announced at a later date):

3/18	Tucson Speedway
3/23	Kern County Raceway Park
3/25	Irwindale Speedway 1
3/25	Irwindale Speedway 2
5/13	Spokane County Raceway
5/20	Orange Show Speedway
6/10	Colorado National Speedway
6/24	Sonoma Raceway
7/28	Iowa Speedway
8/12	Evergreen Speedway
8/26	Douglas County Speedway
9/30	Meridian Speedway
10/14	All American Speedway
11/4	Kern County Raceway Park

Who is NASCAR’s best in the last 100 Cup races?

By Dustin Long

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

One hundred Cup races is nearly three seasons. That’s a good way to look at how drivers and teams perform with driver contracts often lasting three years.

The numbers over the last 100 Cup races can prove interesting. Among some of the takeaways:

• Jimmie Johnson has 14 wins but only 33 top-five finishes. That means 42.4 percent of his top-five finishes are wins.
• Both Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick have 72 top-10 finishes in their last 100 races, meaning they have scored top 10s in 72 percent of these races. Harvick led the way with 52 top-five finishes, thus he’s averaging a top-five finish in more than 50 percent of his starts in the last 100 races.
• Kyle Busch‘s numbers are a bit lower than some because he missed the first 11 races of the 2015 season after his injury at Daytona in the season-opening Xfinity race. Still, he ranks toward the top in wins, top-five and top-10 finishes during this stretch.
• Brad Keselowski and Logano rank in the top three in wins, top fives, top 10s and poles in the last 100 races, showing the strength of Team Penske over this period.

Here’s a look at the numbers in the last 100 Cup races among active drivers. (Only drivers who have Cup confirmed rides for the 2017 season are included).

MOST WINS IN LAST 100 RACES

14 — Jimmie Johnson

13 — Joey Logano

10 — Kevin Harvick

10 — Brad Keselowski

  9 — Kyle Busch

  7 — Matt Kenseth

  6 — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

  6 — Denny Hamlin

  5 — Martin Truex Jr.

  3 — Kurt Busch

  1 — AJ Allmendinger

  1 — Aric Almirola

  1 — Chris Buescher

  1 — Kasey Kahne

  1 — Kyle Larson

MOST TOP 5s IN LAST 100 RACES

52 — Kevin Harvick

50 — Joey Logano

39 — Brad Keselowski

36 — Kyle Busch

33 — Jimmie Johnson

31 — Denny Hamlin

31 — Matt Kenseth

28 — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

23 — Kurt Busch

18 — Kyle Larson

17 — Martin Truex Jr.

13 — Jamie McMurray

MOST TOP 10s IN LAST 100 RACES

72 — Kevin Harvick

72 — Joey Logano

64 — Brad Keselowski

58 — Denny Hamlin

55 — Matt Kenseth

53 — Jimmie Johnson

52 — Kyle Busch

51 — Kurt Busch

44 — Martin Truex Jr.

43 — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

38 — Kyle Larson

38 — Ryan Newman

33 — Jamie McMurray

32 — Kasey Kahne

28 — Clint Bowyer

MOST POLES IN LAST 100 RACES

10 — Kevin Harvick

  9 — Joey Logano

  8 — Brad Keselowski

  6 — Denny Hamlin

  6 — Matt Kenseth

  5 — Kyle Busch

  5 — Kurt Busch

  5 — Martin Truex Jr.

  2 — AJ Allmendinger

  2 — Austin Dillon

  2 — Chase Elliott

  2 — Jimmie Johnson

  2 — Jamie McMurray

MOST DID NOT FINISHES (DNFS) IN LAST 100 RACES

14 — David Ragan

12 — Aric Almirola

12 — Landon Cassill

11 — AJ Allmendinger

11 — Kyle Busch

10 — Matt DiBenedetto

10 — Matt Kenseth

10 — Kyle Larson

10 — Danica Patrick

10 — Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

  9 — Trevor Bayne

  9 — Jimmie Johnson

  9 — Kasey Kahne

  9 — Paul Menard

5 drivers who could make first Chase.

By Tom Jensen

(Photo/Fox Sports - NASCAR)

With the start of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season less than six weeks away, it’s not too early to start making some prognostications about the upcoming campaign.

And to kick it off, we’re going to look at the five drivers who this season have the best chance of making the Chase for the first time in their respective careers. Here are our five top bets:

1. Ryan Blaney

The Wood Brothers Racing driver finished 20^th in points last year as a rookie in what is essentially a third Team Penske Ford. With a year under their respective belts, expect Blaney to improve in 2017 and expect the team to get better, too. Remember, last year was the first time the Wood Brothers ran a full Cup schedule since 2008. Blaney is also good on restrictor-plate tracks and the Wood Brothers’ last win came in the 2011 Daytona 500. Could their next won be in the ’17 500?

2. Daniel Suarez

It’s hard to rank Suarez and Erik Jones given that the two drivers will both be rookies this year and both will be piloting virtually identical Toyotas. Suarez gets the slight nod over Jones because Suarez will be driving for a veteran team and Jones will be in a start-up car. Still, it would not at all be surprising if both make it into the Chase.

3. Erik Jones

For the first time, Furniture Row Racing will field a second full-time car, and it may take Jones and the team a little time to get adjusted. But he’s a top talent on a top squad, so he should succeed. It’s all a matter of how soon and how much.

4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

There’s really only one question about Stenhouse and his ability to win: Will his Roush Fenway Racing Fords have enough speed for him to find Victory Lane, or will they continue to trail the front-running teams? Stenhouse can win if his cars are good enough. But they haven’t been so far in his career.

5. David Ragan

While it’s true that Ragan has only finished in the top 15 in points once in 10 full seasons of racing, he has one big factor in his favor: He’s really good at restrictor-plate tracks and has won the spring Talladega race and the July event at Daytona. Those two tracks will be his best hopes for Chase spots.

SOCCER: Fire trade for midfielder Dax McCarty.

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/USA TODAY)

Midfield has been an area of focus this offseason for Chicago Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez and another new addition to that group was added on Monday.

The Fire have traded $400,000 in general allocation money in return for midfielder Dax McCarty from the New York Red Bulls. Paul Tenorio of Four Four Two first reported the trade.

McCarty was an All-Star in 2015 and part of the league's Best XI that season when he had eight assists to go with a goal. Last season he made 26 starts for the Red Bulls and totaled three goals and had five assists.

"Since the middle of 2016, we made acquiring Dax our No. 1 priority," Rodríguez said in the club's press release. "We believe adding his character and leadership in the locker room, as well as his exceptional soccer abilities on the field, dramatically improves our team."

The last time McCarty played at Toyota Park was a 2-2 draw on July 31 when a Khaly Thiam tackle caused a fractured tibia, which forced McCarty to sit out a month.

McCarty got married on Saturday, which delayed his arrival to the current U.S. national team camp. McCarty's participation in national team camp means he will join the Fire's preseason already in progress. The final match of the camp is on Feb. 3 while the Fire are set to start preseason on January 23.

McCarty, 29, has spent the past five and a half seasons with the Red Bulls. He began his career by playing five seasons for FC Dallas and was with D.C. United for part of the 2011 campaign before being traded to the Red Bulls. As an 11-year league veteran and the Red Bulls' captain, McCarty adds leadership and experience which Rodriguez has prioritized this offseason.

The Fire already added a former MLS All-Star in midfield this offseason in Juninho. The pair could line up next to each other in the preferred 4-2-3-1 coach Veljko Paunovic used for most of last season. This also could potentially put Matt Polster's role with the team in question. As the roster stands now, the third-year midfielder would be competing for two veteran All-Star caliber midfielders who were brought in at a high price.

Not to suggest a position move is in the works for Polster, but he did split time between midfield and right back with the Fire in 2015 under coach Frank Yallop and played there for the U-23 national team in Olympic qualifying. Right back remains a position of need by Rodriguez's own admission.

The trade also adds further context to the Fire trading the No. 3 pick in the draft on Friday. The Fire swapped the pick for $250,000 in general allocation money from New York City FC and Tenorio is reporting the Fire will send $400,000 to the Red Bulls for McCarty. To add those two moves together, the Fire dealt the No. 3 overall pick and $150,000 of allocation money for McCarty.

Fire draft two Charlotte 49ers to close out draft.

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/USA TODAY)

The Chicago Fire drafted three players in the first two rounds of the MLS draft on Friday and added another two players in the draft's final two rounds on Tuesday.

The Fire selected two players out of Charlotte in the final two rounds. Midfielder Brandt Bronico went with the third pick in the third round, No. 47 overall, and defender Matej Dekovic was picked with the third pick in the fourth round, No. 69 overall.

Bronico was a key cog all four years at Charlotte. He was a three-time First-Team Conference USA selection and Conference USA Player of the Year as a senior. He totaled 25 goals and 23 assists in four years, including nine goals and five assists in 18 matches as a senior. He had eight goals and 10 assists as a junior.

Bronico also scored an eye-catching goal on the final day of the MLS Combine.

Dekovic is a defender born in Zagreb, Croatia. He was a First-Team Conference USA pick this fall while playing at left back. The Fire don't have much depth currently at outside back, but Dekovic's status as an international player will give him an uphill battle to make the team.

The Fire open preseason camp in six days on Monday, Jan. 23.

Premier League Power Rankings: Tight at the top… and bottom.

By Nicholas Mendola

(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Chelsea’s 7-point lead atop the Premier League table still feels relatively safe, even if Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United continue their table-surging form.

That makes a set of Power Rankings, designed to combine table situation with form, even tighter, and Spurs have really made life difficult for our rankers.

The bottom of the table is even closer, with four teams within a single point of the final spot of safety in the Premier League.

Here are this week’s rankings.

TEAM	RANKING
	20 (19)		Sunderland: “Hello darkness, my old friend. I’ve come to talk with you again.”
	19 (18)		Crystal Palace: Big Sam Allardyce has famously “never been relegated”, but at this point it looks like he may go down with a better squad than he’s had at a lot of other stops. We’ll see.
	18 (17)		Swansea City: Reinforcements are coming, but the back line is still wobbly.
	17 (20)		Hull City: Tigers looking a lot better under Marco Silva, even in a 2-0 EFL Cup semi loss to Manchester United.
	16 (15)		Watford: The Hornets have not won a league game since Dec. 10, its only PL win since mid-November.
	15 (16)		Middlesbrough: Aitor Karanka‘s side looks like a group that can beat the drop, but Boro needs to turn a draw into a win at some point soon.
	14 (11)		Southampton: Claude Puel‘s unit is struggling, losers of four-straight in Premier League play. Saints are, however, a result away from the EFL Cup final.
	13 (14)		Leicester City: The Foxes’ 3-0 loss to Chelsea feels worse than it is, as Leicester has looked better in recent weeks.
	12 (9)		Bournemouth: The 3-0 lead against Arsenal turned into a draw, and the Cherries backed it up with a 3-1 loss to Hull City. Down they go.
	11 (10)		West Ham United: The Dimitri Payet saga keeps the Irons from rising even higher in the Power Rankings. Michail Antonio is fantastic.
	10 (12)		Stoke City: The Potters haven’t made the leap to a top-end club, but continue to win most games they should.
	9 (8)		West Bromwich Albion: No shame in getting crushed by red-hot Spurs, though it may serve as a reality check for Tony Pulis and Co.
	8 (13)		Burnley: Three wins in four, with the outlier being a close loss to Man City. Enjoy the high life, Clarets!
	7 (6)		Manchester City: The mighty have indeed fallen, and how bad might it look after another match against Spurs?
	6 (7)		Everton: That win over Man City is going to linger for a while, and don’t forget the Toffees took care of Arsenal not too long ago. Six with a bullet?
	5 (4)		Arsenal: It remains hard to get a read on the Gunners, who are still aching for a statement win since back-to-back losses against Man City and Everton.
	4 (3)		Liverpool: The EFL Cup setback doesn’t push them in our rankings, but the Reds were second-best — not by a ton — to United on Sunday. That’s enough for a flip-flop.
	3 (4)		Manchester United: The better team in the draw against Liverpool.
	2 (2)		Tottenham Hotspur: Took everything in our power not to boost them, but a 7-point gap is a lot. Beat Man City this week and we’ll revisit the issue.
	1 (1)		Chelsea: Costa situation is a problem, but you wouldn’t know it from the steadied ship that ushered hosts Leicester to a 3-0 defeat.

PL Playback: One from six; who are the title favorites?

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

MINI-LEAGUES EMERGING

We saw yet another weekend of dominance for the big boys in the Premier League (except for Manchester City) and the gap is growing bigger between the top six and the rest of the league.

Throughout the entire league there are now three “mini-leagues” which are taking shape in a six-eight-six formation.

Here’s a look at what I’m talking about…

1. Chelsea – 52 points
2. Tottenham – 45
3. Liverpool – 45
4. Arsenal – 44
5. Man City – 42
6. Man United – 40
7. Everton – 33
8. West Brom – 29 
9. Stoke – 27
10. Burnley- 26
11. Bournemouth – 25
12. West Ham – 25
13. Southampton – 24
14. Watford – 23
15. Leicester City – 21
16. Middlesbrough – 20
17. Crystal Palace – 16
18. Hull City – 16
19. Sunderland – 15
20. Swansea City – 15

The top six will, obviously, get plenty of the focus from here on out.

Apart from Chelsea still feeding off that incredible 13-game win streak there is little to separate the rest with just five points between second-place Tottenham and sixth-place Manchester United. The middle eight teams are all having “meh” seasons, apart from Burnley who are overachieving, while the bottom six all look destined for a relegation scrap in the closing four months of the campaign with Leicester City struggling to claw themselves away from danger.

This season it seems like the overachieving and underachieving is at a minimum. Things are almost back to normal, especially with the perennial powers, after the madness of the 2015-16 campaign.

Yes, the title battle will be intense as Chelsea will, inevitably, drop points along the way and Diego Costa‘s situation has given their title rivals a boost. However, the more intriguing factor could be which two teams miss out on the top four and qualification for the UEFA Champions League.

If Man City’s struggles continue and Pep Guardiola misses out, or if Jose Mourinho and Manchester United don’t push into the top four in the coming months, then those will be huge stories. Yet, it is tough to see any of the current top six dropping many points between now and the end of the season.

It will be a long, hard slog and with UEFA Champions League and Europa League action to kick off next month, along with FA Cup action for all of the top six, the games will come thick and fast.

Who can handle all of this and stay in the hunt?

Chelsea

Position: 1st

Points: 52

Biggest strength: No European action to contend with, 3-4-3 and a strong defensive unit. Antonio Conte has been here before with Juventus and has been influential in their rise to the top.

Biggest weakness: Temperamental stars (I’m looking at you Diego Costa) could go missing either figuratively or literally at any moment. Chelsea need to add a new striker in January to stop that from curtailing their title bid.

Tottenham Hotspur

Position: 2nd

Points: 45

Biggest strength: Harry Kane and Dele Alli are on another level right now but when you look across Spurs’ team, everyone is hitting form at the right time. Walker and Rose at wing-back is a great option to. This team has learned from their title challenge faltering last season and they are without doubt the biggest threat to Chelsea right now.

Biggest weakness: Europa League and injuries. Mauricio Pochettino has said he will go for Europa League success but if injuries start cropping up (Vertonghen could be out long-term) then he will change his mind.

Liverpool

Position: 3rd

Points: 45

Biggest strength: No European action. Plus, Philippe Coutinho has been out injured for almost two months and now looks ready to roll and re-energized. The front four have been so good all season.

Biggest weakness: Fatigue. Even with no added European action, EFL Cup and FA Cup games in recent weeks have shown Klopp’s methods could be too much. Remember how much Liverpool tired last season?

Arsenal

Position: 4th

Points: 44

Biggest strength: Endless talent in attack with Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and even Olivier Giroud now in top form. Skhodran Mustafi has been a huge boost in defense too.

Biggest weakness: Being Arsenal. Logic suggests that a slump is coming up in the second half of the season. Just because, Arsenal. Across the board there are few weaknesses though.

Manchester City

Position: 5th

Points: 42

Biggest strength: Star-studded attackers who can get them out of any mess. It is now time for Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva to turn up. Massive numbers in his squad also helps.

Biggest weakness: Defense. Claudio Bravo has had a nightmare in goal and City’s defense has been far from inspiring as Pep’s masterplan has stalled significantly. Bravo’s struggles has in-turn led to John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi and others crumbling. Pep will never change his philosophy and the way he wants to play. That could mean City pay a big price and finish outside the top four unless they improve drastically in defense.

Manchester United

Position: 6th

Points: 40

Biggest strength: Superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, plus Mourinho’s experience at grinding out wins.

Biggest weakness: Not finishing teams off and, again, the Europa League. Mourinho has and will continue to cut some deadwood from his squad. That means he will use plenty of the same players for EFL Cup, FA Cup and Europa League games. Can he balance this out to help United get right back in the top four mix? A title push seems out of the question now as they’re 10 points, but with nine wins on the spin in all competitions before the last game against Liverpool, they are in form and arguably have a better chance than Man City of overhauling that deficit.

KLOPP NOT CORRECT TO CALL OUT LONG BALL

Following Liverpool’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Sunday, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp took exception to United’s direct approach in the final 20 minutes of the game.

Let’s call it what it was. Mourinho went direct for the entire second half. Eventually it paid off when substitute Marouane Fellaini hit the post with a header and Zlatan Ibrahimovic stooped to head home the equalizer in the 84th minute, even if Antonio Valencia was slightly offside when the initial cross came in.

Klopp looked agitated, frustrated and annoyed afterwards as he told multiple news outlets that Liverpool “were the better team who had the better plan” plus kept slamming United for using long balls late on. He was probably also still smarting a little over the Joel Matip situation as he could be out for another month and Liverpool missed him once again at the heart of their defense. Matip’s height would’ve helped Klopp significantly with United’s direct approach late in the game.

Klopp won the tactical battle to start with as Liverpool lined up with a diamond formation in midfield and nullified the impact of Michael Carrick and Paul Pogba, but Mourinho changed things up and went direct, not allowing Liverpool’s high-press to catch out his defenders as they bypassed midfield. Mourinho did what he had to do to get a draw, just like he did at Anfield.

United actually played 89 long balls against Liverpool, more than any other team in any PL games in Week 21. Guess what? It worked. It wasn’t the best United will ever play but they now look much harder to beat even if Paul Pogba had a nightmare and their front three were largely kept quiet.

After the draw, Klopp was most likely just trying to make a point that although his side have not won any of their last four games in all competitions, they should still be admired. They should. The progress Liverpool has made under him in just over a year has been huge but United and Mourinho reminded him that there is more ways to score goals and get points than relying on Gegenpressing.

Zlatan summed it up best when describing how United got back into the game as a big derby ended honors even and both managers were upset with dropping points as Chelsea’s gap at the top grew.

WHAT NOW FOR GUARDIOLA?

Pep Guardiola has all but given up hope of winning the Premier League title in his first season in England.

Guardiola, 45, looked 10 years older when speaking post-game at Everton on Sunday as his side were hammered 4-0 by the Toffees in an inept display which showcased all of their weaknesses.

The much-lauded coach was supposed to turn City into not only the champions of England but also Europe. It’s not going to plan, at all, and especially in defense.

After he suffered his worst-ever league defeat as a manager, plus City’s heaviest league defeat since 2008, Pep was asked if their title bid was over.

“Yes. Ten is a lot of points,” Guardiola said. “The second one [Tottenham] is three points. We have to see. I spoke to my players the last three weeks or a month, forget about the table. Focus on the next game and try to do our best to win the games and after that at the end of the season we are going to evaluate how our level and performance was — how was the coach, how was the players and after we are going to decide.”

Although it may seem like too early for City — don’t forget, they were the preseason favorites who won their first 10 games in all competitions under Pep to start the season — to concede the title, it is perhaps telling that Guardiola is already looking resigned to just challenging for the top four.

He knows that if he stays with his passing philosophy out of the back that his team will be susceptible to fast, strong, counter-attacking teams like Everton. There are plenty of teams who deploy those tactics in the PL — Tottenham, Chelsea, Leicester to name a few — and have had great success doing it against City. Guardiola will never play like that and his style is something which led Barcelona and Bayern Munich to glory and often eviscerating English teams in the Champions League.

Guardiola’s team isn’t eviscerating anyone on a weekly basis in the PL right now. Right now, it’s the other way round.

When it clicks their style of play looks beautiful but City is too inconsistent and as soon as they go a goal behind they are lacking in confidence and crumble. Make no mistake about it, this is Pep’s biggest challenge of his managerial career but a country mile. He knows it. You can see it in his eyes. He knows he doesn’t possess the players, in defense at least, to carry out his style and he can’t do too much about it. He will never change his ideals no matter the intense criticism coming his way.

Right now, many would say he’s failing in the PL and at City. Big time. Yet, let’s give him until the end of the season because an appearance in the UCL semifinals and a runners up spot really wouldn’t be too disastrous. Yet with defending like this and Bravo conceding almost every shot which goes on target right now, those targets seem rather lofty and a long way off for this talented yet tainted City outfit.

What lies ahead for USMNT in January camp?

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

Bruce Arena’s reign as the new U.S. national team head coach is well under way and the veteran seems to be enjoying his second stint in charge after 10 years away.

The USMNT have been training in Carson, Calif. over the past five days and a pretty cool behind-the-scenes video of the opening day of training was released by U.S. Soccer (see above) to show how Arena has been getting on.

With 31 players currently in camp, Arena is enjoying himself (banter with DaMarcus Beasley and waxing lyrical about Jermaine Jones says as much) but he already has one eye on the two crucial 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and Panama coming up in March.

This camp will be key for the MLS-heavy contingent, with the likes of Chad Marshall, Benny Feilhaber, Dax McCarty and Juan Agudelo getting another chance to impress for the Stars and Stripes. So many youngsters have emerged from these camps in the past, with Kekuta Manneh, Keegan Rosenberry and Walker Zimmerman just some of the young talent looking to not only make their debuts but also become regulars in the USMNT setup.

Veterans Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Graham Zusi and others are all around and ready to prove their worth to the new boss too.

Below is a quick look at what lies ahead for his team during January camp (and beyond) as they prepare for two friendlies against Serbia and Jamaica to tune themselves up for the World Cup qualifiers when the European contingent will join the squad.

Training

• Jan. 11-28 – Carson, Calif.

Friendlies 

• Jan. 29 – Serbia in San Diego, Calif.
• Feb. 3 – Jamaica in Chattanooga, Tenn.

2018 World Cup qualifiers

• Mar. 24 – vs. Honduras in San Jose, Calif.
• Mar. 28 – at Panama in Panama City

NCAABKB: 2017 NCAA Associated Press Basketball Rankings, 01/16/2017.

AP

RANK	SCHOOL	POINTS	RECORD	PREVIOUS
1	Villanova (28)	1580	17-1	3
2	Kansas (32)	1562	16-1	2
3	UCLA (3)	1472	18-1	4
4	Gonzaga (2)	1433	17-0	5
5	Kentucky	1357	15-2	6
6	Baylor	1315	16-1	1
7	West Virginia	1185	15-2	10
7	Creighton	1185	17-1	8
9	North Carolina	1063	16-3	11
10	Florida State	964	16-2	9
11	Oregon	931	16-2	13
12	Louisville	900	15-3	14
13	Butler	823	15-3	12
14	Arizona	757	16-2	16
15	Notre Dame	748	16-2	20
16	Virginia	677	13-3	19
17	Wisconsin	644	14-3	18
18	Duke	614	14-4	7
19	Florida	405	14-3	23
20	Cincinnati	373	15-2	22
21	Purdue	309	14-4	17
22	Xavier	294	13-4	15
23	Saint Mary's (Cal.)	210	15-2	21
24	South Carolina	125	14-3	NR
25	Maryland	121	16-2	NR

Others receiving votes: TCU 29, Southern Cal 14, SMU 8, Nevada 7, Northwestern 7, UNC-Wilmington 6, Iowa State 5, Akron 14-3, Kansas State 1

Five things we learned: Duke’s a mess, Gonzaga’s a controversy, Baylor’s back.

By Rob Dauster

(Photo/Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

1. The ‘Is Gonzaga a No. 1 seed?’ controversy is coming whether you like it or not: Gonzaga improved to 17-0 this week, meaning that the Zags are now exactly halfway to entering the NCAA tournament undefeated on the season. The statement was made on Saturday night, when No. 5 Gonzaga hosted No. 21 Saint Mary’s and won by 23 points.

The game was much closer than the final score – a late-run from the Zags and foul trouble for Jock Landale were the culprits in the end – but it was a statement nonetheless. Saint Mary’s is really good, and Gonzaga dispatched them with little trouble. It more or less confirms what we already knew: there is a very real chance that the Zags can go undefeated during the regular season, and it is a virtual certainty that ‘Is Gonzaga really a No. 1 seed?’ will be one of the biggest talking points on Selection Sunday.

Think about it: How many more games will the Zags actually lose? Their trip to Saint Mary’s is going to be tricky, BYU is certainly dangerous and they’ll likely face one of those two teams in the WCC title game. Throw in the fact that every road game they play is the biggest game of the year for their opponent, and I’ll set the over/under for Zag losses at 2.5; worth noting: KenPom projects Gonzaga to be favored in every game they play.

Let’s think about this in a best-case scenario: The Zags will enter Selection Sunday with neutral site wins over Iowa State, Arizona and Florida, but a clean sweep of Saint Mary’s. That will, in all likelihood, be the totality of their top 50 wins. The Selection Committee is going to have to compare that profile to the profiles of Villanova, Kansas, Kentucky and the eventual ACC champion, not to mention fellow west coast powerhouse UCLA.

If Gonzaga ends up going 34-0, they’ll be an automatic No. 1 seed, or at least they should be. But if they lose a game or two?

That’s when this will become interesting.

And even if the Zags don’t lose a game, there will still be people saying they don’t deserve to get a top seed.

2. Duke is a total mess right now: Twice in the last week and for the third time this season, Duke went on the road in ACC play and took a loss in a game that never felt like it was all that much in doubt. On Tuesday, the Blue Devils lost by 16 at Florida State in a game where they gave up 88 points. On Saturday, they lost by nine at Louisville, giving up 78 points to the offensively-challenged Cardinals.

And that’s where their issues begin. On defense, particularly in ball-screen defense. Harry Giles III just doesn’t look like he quite understands where he has to be and when he has to be there yet, while Marques Bolden, in Amile Jefferson’s absence, is playing behind both Chase Jeter and Javin DeLaurier. Offensively, the issues they’ve had with point guard play are really coming to the forefront, as Grayson Allen, for all his ability, is an attacker, not a facilitator, at heart. Jayson Tatum is a super-skilled scorer, but he lacks a feel for the game to the point where Duke has actually looked like a better team with him on the bench.

The Blue Devils lack toughness. They lack a killer. They get pushed around. And their leaders – Coach K on the bench and Jefferson on the floor – are both currently on the mend.

At what point do we start questioning if, not when, Duke can turn this thing around?

3. Xavier has their own problems: The Musketeer’s issues have less to do with ability than they do with the fact that this team lacks résumé wins. As of this moment in time, Chris Mack’s club may not have a win over an NCAA tournament team. They beat Clemson who can’t beat anyone in the ACC. They beat Utah before Utah had David Collette and Sedrick Barefield eligible. They beat Wake Forest (whatever) and Northern Iowa twice (they stick this year).

There are still plenty of good wins left for them to get – Creighton twice, at Cincinnati, Xavier at home, Butler at home, the Big East tournament – and this team is good enough to get some of them, but it’s worth noting that, as of today, Xavier’s tournament profile is not good.

4. Maybe Baylor wasn’t the best team in the country after all: It was fun while it lasted for the Bears, as No. 1 Baylor went into Morgantown and learned what Press Virginia is all about. They committed 29 turnovers in a 21-point loss. And frankly, if you were paying attention, the result shouldn’t have been all that surprising. Yes, Scott Drew’s club got beaten worse than we thought, but they were also a team that earned that No. 1 ranking because of the way that the voting is done, not necessarily because they were the best team in the country.

5. New Mexico and Colorado State do not like each other: New Mexico and Colorado State got into a couple of different altercations on Saturday in UNM’s win at Colorado State. It started in the pregame, where a reporter for the Albuquerque Journal reported that CSU players were talking trash to UNM players about the job status of the Lobo coaches. During the game, a hard-screen set by a UNM player resulted in a near-brawl, one where UNM assistants Chris Harriman and Terrence Rencher were ejected for leaving their bench.

After the game is when things really got interesting. The Journal reporter published video of a verbal altercation outside the arena between Rencher and CSU player Emmanuel Omogbo. Omogbo, who was held back by CSU head coach Larry Eustachy, claimed that Rencher started the altercation, and Eustachy’s wife, Lana, accused him of laughing when he was told of the tragedy Omogbo has lived through; his parents and two two-year old sisters died in a house fire last year.

UNM strongly denied that those allegations were true, and their account was supported by the Journal reporter. It turned into a big deal this weekend, largely due to the fact that it was a coach and a player that got into it …

… and because it was on video.

And that was where the real damage was done.

Dust-ups like what happened in and around that building on Saturday happen more than you think, particularly in the gyms where both teams have to leave the floor through the same tunnel. In this incident, a 22-year old coming off of a chippy home loss lost his temper. It happens. Rencher didn’t raise his fists or raise his voice, essentially responding to the player by saying, “Keep it moving, you don’t want these problems.”

Neither man covered himself in glory, and neither of them did anything that was all that bad.

It was a situation that was diffused pretty quickly, never escalated into any type of violence and only became ‘a thing’ because it was captured on video.

These two teams play again in mid-February. Hopefully this will be the last time we have to talk about it until then.

2017 McDonald’s All-Americans announced.

By Scott Phillips

(Photo/Jon Lopez/Nike)

Rosters for the 2017 McDonald’s All-American game were announced on Sunday night as the game is headlined by Kentucky (four) having the most committed prospects in the game for the second consecutive season. Duke and UCLA also have two All-Americans each while seven players remain uncommitted.

Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Miami, Michigan State, Oregon, USC, Washington and Western Kentucky all have one McDonald’s All-American each.

The 40th McDonald’s All-American game is scheduled for March 29 at the United Center in Chicago.

Here are the rosters for the East and West:

EAST

Mohamed Bamba, 6-foot-11, Westtown School (West Chester, PA) — undecided

Wendell Carter, 6-foot-9, Pace Academy (Atlanta, GA) — committed to Duke

Trevon Duval, 6-foot-3, IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) — undecided

Quade Green, 6-foot-1, Neumann Goretti High School (Philadelphia, PA) — committed to Kentucky

Kevin Knox, 6-foot-8, Tampa Catholic High School (Tampa, FL) — undecided

Nick Richards, 6-foot-11, The Patrick School (Hillside, NJ) — committed to Kentucky

Mitchell Robinson, 6-foot-11, Chalmette High School (Chalmette, LA) — committed to Western Kentucky

Collin Sexton, 6-foot-3, Pebblebrook High School (Mableton, GA) — committed to Alabama

Lonnie Walker, 6-foot-4, Reading High School (Reading, PA) — committed to Miami

P.J. Washington, 6-foot-8, Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV) — committed to Kentucky

Kris Wilkes, 6-foot-7, North Central High School (Indianapolis, IN) — committed to UCLA

Jarred Vanderbilt, 6-foot-8, Victory Prep Academy (Houston, TX) — committed to Kentucky

WEST

DeAndre Ayton, 7-foot-0, Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, AZ) — committed to Arizona

Brian Bowen, 6-foot-7, La Lumiere School (LaPorte, IN) — undecided

Troy Brown Jr., 6-foot-7, Centennial High School (Las Vegas, NV) — committed to Oregon

Jaylen Hands, 6-foot-3, Foothills Christian High School (El Cajon, CA) — committed to UCLA

Jaren Jackson, 6-foot-11, La Lumiere School (LaPorte, IN) — committed to Michigan State

Brandon McCoy, 6-foot-11, Cathedral Catholic High School (San Diego, CA) — undecided

Charles O’Bannon Jr., 6-foot-6, Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, NV) — committed to USC

Michael Porter Jr., 6-foot-10, Nathan Hale High School (Seattle, WA) — committed to Washington

Billy Preston, 6-foot-10, Oak Hill Academy (Mount of Wilson, VA) — committed to Kansas

Gary Trent Jr., 6-foot-5, Prolific Prep (Napa, CA) — committed to Duke

M.J. Walker, 6-foot-5, Jonesboro High School (Jonesboro, GA) — undecided

Trae Young, 6-foot-2, Norman North High School (Norman, OK) — undecided

Conference breakdown of McDonald’s All-Americans

Pac-12: 6

SEC: 5

ACC: 3

Big 12: 1

Big Ten: 1

Conference USA: 1

Undecided: 7

NCAAFB: Frank Beamer headlines class of new CFP selection committee members.

By Zach Barnett

(Photo/Getty Images)

Now three years into the new system, the College Football Playoff’s selection committee roster is beginning change.

Gone are Barry Alvarez, Condoleezza Rice and Lloyd Carr (Carr had already stepped down for health reasons), and in are Ohio State AD Gene Smith, Robert Morris University president Dr. Chris Howard and former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, which the CFP made official on Tuesday.

Additionally, Kirby Hocutt had his 2-year stay on the committee extended through the 2017 season, and Bobby Johnson will stay through 2018. Hocutt and Johnson stepped in when Oliver Luck stepped away after taking a job with the NCAA and Archie Manning stepped down due to health reasons. Hocutt will again serve as committee chairman in 2017.

With Rice leaving, the CFP will consist entirely of men for the first time in its history.

“Frank, Chris and Gene will each bring a wealth of knowledge to the selection committee,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in a statement. “All three played college football.  And they will continue the CFP tradition of committee members with high integrity and a passion for college football.

“We are also delighted that Kirby will return as chair. He did a tremendous job of leading and facilitating the committee’s deliberations, and he was also an excellent representative with the media and public.  Likewise, we are pleased that Bobby accepted our invitation to return. He is an excellent evaluator of teams and brings a valuable coach’s perspective.”

Smith has served as Ohio State’s AD for 12 years and served on a wealth of NCAA committees in that time, including a run on the Men’s Basketball Selection Committee.

“This is a tremendous honor and privilege to be appointed to this committee,” Smith said in a statement. “The sport of football has given so much to me and I feel extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to be able to give back.”

Howard is a former Air Force player who was named the inaugural Campbell Trophy winner as the nation’s top scholar-athlete in 1990. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in politics from the University of Oxford and an M.B.A. from Harvard. Howard became the president of Hampden-Sydney College in 2009 — he was among the youngest college presidents in the country at the time — and took over at Robert Morris in 2015. Also a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Howard earned a Bronze Star for distinguished service in Afghanistan.

Beamer, of course, is a future College Football Hall of Fame coach who walked away from the game with 280 total victories and a 238-121-2 mark while serving as Virginia Tech’s head coach from 1987-2015. In addition to winning or sharing seven conference championships, seven top-10 finishes and an appearance in the 1999 BCS title game, Beamer shepherded the Hokies from a Division I-AA independent to the ACC.

“College football has been my life’s work, and I’m really humbled that I can still contribute to the game in this role,” Beamer said in a statement. “Hopefully the rest of the committee will be interested in my perspective. To join a group with so many great minds and such a diverse range of experience, I just want to pull my weight. The committee has an important role, and I’ll do everything asked of me to help rank the best teams in America for the right to compete for the national championship.”

College football records highest-ever scoring season in 2016.

By Zach Barnett

(Photo/Getty Images)

The average college football team topped 30 points per game for the first time in the game’s history, according to data compiled and released by the NCAA.

The typical team scored 30.04 points per game this fall, busting the record of 29.7 points per game per team set last fall. The Big 12 led all conferences with an average of 33.58 points per game. Western Kentucky led all teams with 45.5 points per game.

Consequently, the 2016 season also set the record for the longest average game time in FBS history.

As Dennis Dodd for CBS Sports notes, this is the seventh time since 2000 the average scoring record has been broken. That same record was broken 19 times in the previous 63 seasons.

This season also saw records broken for average total offense (417.5 yards per game), yards per play (5.83), yards per pass attempt (7.39) and touchdowns per game (3.82).

However, teams did average 182.99 rushing yards per game, the highest number since 1979.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, January 18, 2017.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1886 - The Hockey Association was formed in England. This date is the birthday of modern field hockey.

1951 - The NFL passed a rule that said that a tackle, guard or center was not eligible to catch a forward pass.

1958 - Willie O'Ree made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins. He was the first black player to enter the league.

1967 - The NHL held the All-Star Game at midseason for the first time.

1969 - Ted Williams was appointed manager of the Washington Senators.

1976 - The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 in Super Bowl X. The CBS telecast was viewed by an estimated 80 million people.

1985 - Mary Decker broke a world, indoor record when she ran the women’s, 2,000-meter race in just 5 minutes and 34.2 seconds.

1996 - Baseball owners unanimously approved interleague play for 1997.

1998 - The Boston Celtics retired Robert Parrish's #00.

2002 - Two NHL records held by Bobby Hull were broken in a game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Capitals. Luc Robitaille scored his 611th career goal and Brett Hull scored his 99th game-winning goal. Robitaille's goal gave him the most goals of any left wing in NHL history and 10th place on the career NHL goal list. Brett Hull's goal moved him into third place on the game-winning goal list.

*****************************************************************

Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.