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"Sports Quote of the Day"

"Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be" ~ George Sheehan, Physician, Athlete and Author 

TRENDING: Blackhawks finish six-game road trip vs. tough opponents. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

TRENDING: No offseason for Bears as coaches begin assessment period. (See the football section for Bears news an NFL updates).

TRENDING: Chicago Bulls Vs. Golden State Warriors, 02/08/2017. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).

TRENDING: 'De-peat': Cubs believe their defense can keep winning championships. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

TRENDING: USGA increases U.S. Open purse to record $12 million. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago Blackhawks Vs. Minnesota Wild, 02/08/2017. (Blackhawks look to 'answer the call' vs. the Wild)

By Tracey Myers

The Minnesota Wild have proven a foil to the Blackhawks lately. Whether it’s been indoors or outdoors, the blowout victory of the come-from-behind variety, the Wild have stymied the Blackhawks in all of their regular-season outings the past season and a half.

Now, they meet again on Wednesday night. Is this a measurement-stick game? Maybe. A critical game? Certainly. The Blackhawks’ biggest test is on this road trip right in front of them. And if the Blackhawks want to get back atop the Western Conference standings, they have to beat them.

“It’s not, you have to catch them or it’s a failure,” Brian Campbell said. “But our goal is to make the playoffs and have the highest seed possible, so to get that we’re going to have to catch Minnesota.”

The Blackhawks will either trail the Wild by four points or six when they meet on Wednesday night — Minnesota faces the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. Regardless, the Blackhawks know the Wild have set the new standard and they have to play their best hockey to measure up to it.

“If we look back to the week where we played these guys and Washington a few nights before that, everyone was talking about those being some pretty big tests and we didn’t really answer the call at that time,” Jonathan Toews said. “It wasn’t our best, the way we were playing. The way we’re playing on the road right now going into [Wednesday’s] game, we can really get excited for this game and try to redeem ourselves with a solid road effort.”

You could compare the Wild’s current roll with the one they had in the second half of the 2014-15 season, but this Minnesota team seems different. As coach Joel Quenneville said, these Wild are deeper and, “have more balance up front. Four lines that are looking like they could score and make plays and are trying to score more.”

“They have balance, a back end and are strong in the net. We’re having trouble beating them in the regular season,” Quenneville said. “It’s a huge game for us, probably at this stage, for sure, our most important game. You want to finish first, you want to win as often as possible, you want to push the team ahead of you if you’re not there. but certainly there’s a gap there we’re looking to close.”

The Blackhawks’ 3-2 loss to the Wild on Jan. 15, a game they led 2-0 before Minnesota came back, apparently has stuck in the craw of some players.

“I think a lot of the guys still feel bad about that last game, so we’ll be pumped to play them,” Dennis Rasmussen said. “It’s a big game for us. We want to be first in the division and we want to get [one] back for the last time.”

Despite the Blackhawks’ recent up and downs and the Wild’s consistent play, the gap between the two isn’t so big. It’s certainly not insurmountable. The Wild have set the regular-season benchmark. The Blackhawks want to match it.

“You look across the league, [teams like] Columbus, Washington and Minnesota that get on those hot streaks and eventually they set the new standard where they have a ton of confidence and, even when they’re not playing so well, they’re finding ways to win,” Toews said. “Obviously they’re a tough team to beat right now, so that’s something we’ll be ready for.”

Road Ahead: Blackhawks finish six-game road trip vs. tough opponents.

By #HawkTalk

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Blackhawks are 2-1 in their last three games and will finish the second half of their six-game road trip beginning on Wednesday in Minnesota.

As of Monday, the Wild are the Western Conference leaders with 73 points and have three less games played over the Blackhawks, who have 69 points. 

The Blackhawks will then head to Winnipeg, where the Jets have had the Blackhawks' number all season, followed by Edmonton to battle Connor McDavid's Oilers. 

Joel Quenneville smart not to break up Blackhawks' second line.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

For a while, the second line of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane was very quiet. Considering what that trio has done over the last year or so, it was surprising.

Maybe defenses were catching onto them. Maybe defenses were just zeroing in on them; with so much flux and inconsistency with the Blackhawks’ other lines, it was easy to see that happening. So entering the Blackhawks’ final two games of the Ice Show Trip the inevitable question arose: was it time to break up the second-line band?

“I still think there’s always something there,” Quenneville said at the time. “It’s a lot for the opponents to be concerned with to try and prevent. You get a little bit of a feel good whether they get one goal or a couple of scoring chances again and could be ignited quickly. For a year and change that line’s been the best in the game. We know it has a lot of capabilities.”

Lo and behold, the last two games that line has started generating points again, be it as a line or as part of the Blackhawks’ power play. Five points against the Arizona Coyotes. Five more points against the Dallas Stars. Kane has two goals and an assist in his last two games. Panarin broke his nine-game goal-less skid on Thursday and has three points in the last two contests. Same for Anisimov (three assists). Couple that with the scoring threats and you understand why Quenneville was hesitant to break them up.

What’s the biggest complaint when the Blackhawks go through line changes? That they usually happen too often. Players don’t have a chance to develop any chemistry. Well, those three had plenty of chemistry from the first moment they were thrown together. That’s why even when things don’t go swimmingly, you give them some time to figure it out.
The Blackhawks have gone through a lot of changes over the past few seasons.

Quenneville has done well in tinkering when necessary, and much of it has been necessary. So when you do get three that work well together you stick with it. The second line wasn’t broken. There was no reason to fix it.

BRIEFLY

• General manager Stan Bowman said last week that he wasn’t surprised that Ryan Hartman and Vinnie Hinostroza had adapted to the Blackhawks as well as they had. He cited the time the two spent in Rockford for their smoother transition to the Blackhawks. Still, Hartman’s goal total has been a pleasant surprise to Bowman. “Ryan’s production is a little ahead of schedule,” he said of Hartman, who now has 12 goals following the Blackhawks’ 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars. “He’s on pace for almost 20 goals, and that’s a lot for a rookie. Hopefully he keeps that pace up.”

• Speaking of Hinostroza, expect him to be back in the lineup soon. Hinostroza was a healthy scratch in the last two games, as coach Quenneville was looking for more reliable defensive game. But Quenneville said there’s no plan for Hinostroza to head to Rockford. “We don’t expect him to be out too much longer here,” Quenneville said on Saturday afternoon.”

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! No offseason for Bears as coaches begin assessment period.

By Chris Boden

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

So now that the Bears' staff is more than a week removed from its Senior Bowl experience, and now that the Super Bowl and the latest Patriots parade is over, what now? The NFL, for the most part, is off the radar for the next three weeks until coaches and executives gather in Indianapolis for the Scouting Combine.

But Super Bowl XX champion Bear Tom Thayer says while news cycle will slow down, it might be the most important time for teams throughout the league, including the Bears, to zero in on the strengths, weakness, and ceilings of the players they have. That while also ramping up whom they'll pursue when free agency begins March 9 as draft evaluations continue.

"The Pro Personnel Department will investigate the free agents and the college scouts will do their due diligence with the draft-eligible players that are coming out," Thayer told me during Monday night's "Bears All Access" radio show on 670 The Score. 

"But the position coaches — this is the first time they can actually take the game film, slow it down, watch it with a real critical eye. Because when you're going through 16 games, you don't really have a long time to dwell on the past game tape because you're already game-planning for your next opponent.

"(The position coaches) are watching every single play - six, eight, ten times per play to get a real critical evaluation... the positives and negatives of each player. This is when the coaches earn their money because you don't otherwise have the luxury of sitting in that room and watching tape slowly. And when you have a new offensive line coach like Jeremiah Washburn, he's gotta come in and learn about every one of his players. He has to do a strict evaluation of their performances, but he also has to learn things about each one of these guys: What are they like in the first quarter? The fourth quarter? What are they like in Tampa Bay's hot weather? In the cold weather? Those are the things you start learning about your talent."

Sounds...fun? Maybe questionable for some of us, but if you talk to just about any coach at any level, they absolutely love their time breaking things down on film, individually, and scheme-wise.

So then I asked Thayer about the changes in the assistant coaching staff this offseason and how it affects some of the Bears' most promising young players. Washburn takes over a group in which Cody Whitehair excelled as a rookie. Jordan Howard's position coach, Stan Drayton, is off to Texas, replaced by Curtis Modkins. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio absorbs more of outside linebackers coach Clint Hurtt's (Seattle) role in developing Leonard Floyd. And Kevin White and Cam Meredith will have their third position coach in as many years in the wide receivers' room after Curtis Johnson returned to New Orleans.

"I don't think that'll affect them because the key is Vic Fangio is still here, and Dowell Loggains is still here, so the new guys still deliver the messages of their coordinators," Thayer said.

"The terminology is going to be constant. The scheme is going to be the same. It'll be more about Vic Fangio teaching the new position coaches about the defense and how he wants it coached. Dowell Loggains is going to have to teach his new coaches the terminology, and pass along techniques he wants taught.

"I don't think it's going to be quite a hurdle for the players because it's not about Adam Gase-to-Dowell Loggains, when some terminology changed between those two," Thayer continued. "I think the key element here is the consistency in the language. For any player, that's the most difficult thing to learn."

The former standout guard provided an example in his favorite position group to continue his point.

"It's like asking you to learn French, and in three months, go to France, speak it fluently, and communicate. That's the same thing with terminology changes in offensive football.

"The length of the play-call is so difficult that if you don't understand every aspect and how it pertains to you, and the checks if (the defense) doesn't show what you expect, that 'This is what we're going to go to,' and have everyone understand that. You may have a half-second of notification for everyone to get through that communication process as well."

Could Bears overlook Josh McDaniels factor and repeat QB mistake with Jimmy Garoppolo?

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Bears once thought they knew more than Josh McDaniels did, about Jay Cutler. If the Bears have targeted a No. 2 quarterback that McDaniels, Bill Belichick and the Patriots are willing to turn loose, do they AGAIN think they’re quarterback-smarter than McDaniels?

The Bears buzz around New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo started quite some time ago (when is there NOT some sort of buzz around the Bears and “quarterback?”) and is now going to increase in volume as the 2017 league year — and free agency and trading window — open in March.

Trading for the largely untested Patriots’ backup would constitute addressing the Bears’ quarterback concern. But “addressing” is not the same as “solving,” and the Bears have been undone once before with a short-sighted infatuation with a quarterback just because of apparent NFL “credentials.”

But there was a reason why Cutler was made available, just as there would be a reason or several why Garoppolo, whom the Patriots thought enough of to invest a second-round draft choice in a few seasons ago.

One common “reason” that Cutler and now Garoppolo presumably have been available is McDaniels, the incoming Denver Broncos coach who ousted Cutler and New England offensive coordinator tasked with mentoring Garoppolo and Tom Brady, the latter both before and after his stint in Denver.

Meaning: McDaniels may not be a fit as a head coach, but he does know something about what an elite quarterback should play and act like. He was quick to dump Cutler, and as the highest-ranking offensive coach under Belichick, McDaniels is intimately involved in any decision regarding Garoppolo.

If the Bears are good with Garoppolo, then they are addressing their quarterback situation with a second-round draft choice, which Garoppolo was and has thrown exactly 94 NFL passes (albeit, without an interception). If that were the stated plan this upcoming draft, the reaction would be ... not good.

The instant love gush over Cutler after the 2009 trade was bizarre, if only because he had little record as a winner and a Pro Bowl as his credential. (Never mind that, to cite Georgetown legend John Thompson, “Pro Bowl” isn’t a distinction won; it’s given by vote.)

What makes the infatuation with Garoppolo particularly amusing, is that Garoppolo was a decent quarterback at Eastern Illinois — 61 percent completions, but with pedestrian rates of 63 percent and INT rate of 3 percent (118 TD’s, 51 INT’s). Against Ohio Valley Conference competition. Really?

Just for comparison purposes, of course: But Deshaun Watson completed 67 percent of his Clemson passes (every year, 67-plus percent), with an INT rate of 2.7 percent. Against ACC competition. And then there’s the National Championship thing...

Jimmy Garoppolo? It Could work. But brining in another quarterback that Josh McDaniels is OK with going forward without? Really?

Will Bears consider Berry, Adams?

By Larry Mayer



Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.

I know that it's likely for the Chiefs to resign Eric Berry to a long-term deal. However, in the unlikely scenario that Berry is available, could you envision the Bears signing him and then also drafting Jamal Adams to create the most feared backend in the NFL?

Jose C., Orlando, Florida

Bears general manager Ryan Pace has vowed to bolster the secondary with playmakers this offseason and the two players you mentioned are the top safeties with expiring contracts (Eric Berry) and in the draft (Jamal Adams). So I’m sure that Pace and his staff will thoroughly evaluate both players. But like you said, I just can’t imagine the Chiefs not signing Berry to a long-term extension. He’s a complete safety who has had two very good seasons since beating cancer in 2014. Adams, meanwhile, was a physical impact player at LSU, where he was named first-team All-American. The good news for the Bears is that NFL analysts are reporting that there’s quality depth in the draft in the secondary. So even if Berry and Adams don’t become Bears, there seems to be other options to upgrade the position.

Can you think of any quarterback that went from being a backup with one team to an All-Pro starter with another team? I can’t. There are a ton of backup quarterbacks that become successful starters.  However, none of these guys change teams. So I don’t think that Jimmy Garoppolo is the answer, especially if it's going to cost the Bears a first-round pick.

Maurice, Jacksonville, Florida

I agree that there haven’t been a ton of quarterbacks who’ve gone from a backup with one team to a successful starter with another. But it’s important to consider that promising young quarterbacks rarely if ever switch teams, and when they do it’s usually because the original club has a future Hall of Famer as their starter. Like Tom Brady for instance. Another example is Matt Hasselbeck, who spent his first three seasons as Brett Favre’s backup with the Packers before becoming a three-time Pro Bowler with the Seahawks. I have no idea what type of career Jimmy Garoppolo is going to have, but I don’t think that the past history of other quarterbacks provides any indication either.

Which Bears player has rushed for the most yards in a post-season game?

Frank L., Elmhurst, Illinois

Thomas Jones holds the Bears record for most yards rushing in a playoff game with 123 yards (and two touchdowns on 19 carries) in a 39-14 win over the New Orleans Saints in the 2006 NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field. Jones followed two weeks later by rushing for 112 yards on 15 attempts in a 29-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI.

Las Vegas not confident in the Bears' chances of winning Super Bowl LII.

By CSN Staff 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Apparently the NFL oddsmakers didn't talk to Alshon Jeffery when they set their Super Bowl LII odds.

Bovada released its initial Super Bowl LII odds one day after the Patriots' historic comeback in Houston over the Falcons, and the Bears are listed at 100:1 to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy next year in Minnesota. Only the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns (150:1) have worse odds.

The long odds are certainly warranted considering the Bears went 3-13 last season and haven't had a winning season since 2012. In fact, the Bears haven't been above .500 at any point in the season since Week 3 of the 2014 season.

The team with the worst record to win the Super Bowl the following year was the 1999 Rams, who went 4-12 (in 1998) before winning Super Bowl XXXIV the following season.

Don't tell any of this to Jeffery, who told this to reporters after the Bears' Week 17 loss to the Vikings: "I guarantee you we are going to win the Super Bowl next year."

If you believe in Jeffery (who will be a free agent this offseason) you can make a pretty penny on the Bears right now. The better bet is to save your money and let the rebuilding process begin at Halas Hall. Last year the Bears were 40:1 to win Super Bowl LI.

Check out the rest of the odds below:

New England Patriots: 5/1

Dallas Cowboys: 9/1

Green Bay Packers: 9/1 

Pittsburgh Steelers: 12/1 

Atlanta Falcons: 14/1 

Denver Broncos: 16/1 

Minnesota Vikings: 16/1 

Oakland Raiders: 16/1 

Seattle Seahawks: 16/1 

Carolina Panthers: 25/1 

Indianapolis Colts: 25/1 

Kansas City Chiefs: 25/1 

New York Giants: 25/1

Arizona Cardinals: 33/1 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 33/1 

Baltimore Ravens: 40/1 

Detroit Lions: 40/1 

Houston Texans: 40/1

Cincinnati Bengals: 50/1 

Miami Dolphins: 50/1 

New Orleans Saints: 50/1 

Philadelphia Eagles: 50/1 

Tennessee Titans: 50/1 

Washington Redskins: 50/1 

Buffalo Bills: 66/1 

Jacksonville Jaguars: 66/1

Los Angeles Chargers: 66/1 

Los Angeles Rams: 75/1 

New York Jets: 75/1 

Chicago Bears: 100/1 

Cleveland Browns: 150/1

San Francisco 49ers: 150/1

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Chicago Bulls Vs. Golden State Warriors, 02/08/2017.

Scores & Stats

The Golden State Warriors looked less than dominant in their last game and had three full days off to figure out what went wrong and get their emotions back under control. The Warriors, who have not lost back-to-back games since April 2015, look for a better effort when they host the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr was ejected in the third quarter at Sacramento on Saturday and fined $25,000 for verbal abuse of the officials, but his tirade failed to adequately fire up the players as they went on to suffer a 109-106 overtime loss to the Kings, ending the latest winning streak at five straight. "It was one of the worst games we've played all season," Kerr told reporters after the loss. "We had no purpose. The ball didn't move. I didn't even recognize our team out there (Saturday). Maybe we were due for one." Not many teams can score at the same pace as the Warriors, but the Bulls are making an effort to improve their pace with an average of 119.5 points over the last four games - three wins. "I think we've done a better job lately of listening to the coaches on the game plan," Chicago guard Dwyane Wade told reporters. "I think we've executed our game plans phenomenally. The ball has moved around good and I think guys are more comfortable."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSN Chicago, CSN Bay Area (Golden State)

ABOUT THE BULLS (26-26): Chicago was without All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler in the last two games and Wade took it upon himself to step up with 31 points on Monday, including a jumper with 13 seconds left that gave the Bulls the lead for good after they squandered a 27-point cushion. "You want to come through every time for your team," Wade told reporters. "It's a lot of different reasons, you got some guys who grew up watching you do it and you want to show them you still can do it. ... And then, too, it's just what I love. I love to be able to come through in the clutch." Butler (bruised heel) remains questionable for Wednesday.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (43-8 ): Kevin Durant suffered through his worst game of the season on Saturday, scoring 10 points on 2-of-10 shooting, and is 4-of-27 from 3-point range over the last four contests. "I just gotta be more aggressive, I've got to shoot more," Durant told reporters after Saturday's setback. "I was trying to make the right play, but sometimes just got to break it off and go score. Just be aggressive and make a play. Felt like I was just swinging it through, screening." While Durant is struggling, Stephen Curry is surging, averaging 34.3 points in three games last week to take Western Conference Player of the Week honors.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Bulls PG Michael Carter-Williams is averaging 22 points on 19-of-30 shooting in two games while starting in place of Butler.

2. Warriors SG Klay Thompson left the team this week to be with his family following the death of his grandfather and is questionable for Wednesday.

3. Golden State crushed Chicago 125-94 on Jan. 20 behind 25 points and 11 assists from Curry.

PREDICTION: Warriors 120, Bulls 108

Dwyane Wade saves Bulls from disastrous loss, scores 31 in win over Kings. (Monday night's game, 02/06/2017).

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

A sleepless night for Dwyane Wade, courtesy of Trevor Ariza stripping him of the ball and chance to be the hero in Houston two nights ago led him to a second chance three nights later.

A second chance, it should be noted, that didn’t seem likely considering a half hour before Wade had his moment in “the moment” as the Chicago Bulls held a 27-point lead over the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter.

But unlike last Friday night, Wade did more than rise to the occasion and bring the Bulls back to .500 with a 112-107 win at Golden 1 Center, as he literally saved the Bulls from a soul-crushing disaster that could’ve very well derailed the baby steps they’ve made in recent days.

“It was in my mind. The guys knew it, everyone knew it,” Wade said. “I kept telling them, if I’m in a position tonight, I’m redeeming myself. It’s uncharacteristic for me to get stripped twice like that. I wanted that game-winner in Houston and they hit the ball away, so I couldn’t sleep very well the last couple of days.”

After DeMarcus Cousins couldn’t complete a 3-point play that would’ve given the Kings their first lead of the game, Wade snatched the rebound and trudged upcourt for some personal redemption as Matt Barnes stood in his way this time instead of Ariza.

So he walked Barnes down to the right wing and nailed a pull-up jumper with 13 seconds left to put the Bulls up two. Then he added some extra flavor to the finish as the Kings had a shot to send the Bulls reeling with a three-pointer, as he darted into the passing lane for a pass intended for Cousins, finishing it off with a two-handed dunk with 10 seconds left.

Not bad for a guy who was being taunted by the crowd as “too old” while he took his rest in the first quarter.

“You wish I was on your team,” Wade shot back.

It was redemption of a different kind as Wade was bailed out by the officials in their earlier meeting on a similar play when he missed a dunk in the closing seconds but Cousins was called for a controversial foul when Cousins’ hand barely grazed Wade’s back.

He left no doubt this time, completing a 31-point performance where he was arguably his most efficient of the season, making 12 of 18 shots to go along with six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a game-saving steal.

Finding gold early against Arron Afflalo, Wade got easy scores on the block early which enabled him to get into a rhythm and produce his fifth 30-point performance this season.

“Dwyane’s been in this position a lot through the course of his career,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “One of the reasons he’ll be in the Hall of Fame one day is because of his ability to close games and play clutch, not be afraid of the big moment.”

“He made an unbelievable shot and followed it up with a great steal.”

It seemed unlikely the Bulls would need Wade to dust off his cape when they led by 27 with 4:13 in the third when Jerian Grant hit a three and it seemed the Bulls’ biggest problem was figuring out how to divvy up minutes between Grant (13 points, 4-5 shooting) and Michael Carter-Williams, who scored 21 with four assists and six rebounds in another start as the Bulls were without Jimmy Butler (right heel contusion).

“Michael was great all night, he really set the tone for us offensively,” Hoiberg said. “He got us out playing with pace.”

Wade didn’t feel uncomfortable taking on the extra workload with Butler out but he knew he had to be more economical with his usage.

“The guys look for me to score more, coach calls a lot of plays for me,” Wade said. “So I kind of take the Jimmy role from that standpoint, and obviously that’s what I’m used to. I’ve just got to do it in 30 minutes and not 38. But it’s a comfortable game for me, and it’s coming in early and playmaking.”

The Bulls’ ball movement was crisp early even before taking the 82-55 lead, as they assisted on their first 14 field goals, playing solid defense on the Kings and frustrating the All-Star Cousins, who torched the Bulls for 40 at the United Center.

Taj Gibson took the assignment of guarding Cousins and bothered him all night, not allowing the big man to get a rhythm and creating an atmosphere of frustration—although Cousins’ blowup toward the end of the third seemed to ignite the Kings later.

Cousins, who was ejected with one second half as he could no longer keep it together, finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds and five assists but only made five of 16 shots from the field.

From a gameplan execution standpoint, it looked similar to the Bulls’ win in Oklahoma City last week when they led nearly wire to wire, as they were finding Robin Lopez (17 points) and Taj Gibson (13 points) inside for scores against a lagging defense.

Perhaps ignited by a skirmish at the end of the quarter involving Gibson, Rajon Rondo and associate coach Jim Boylen with Cousins and Matt Barnes where it looked like Cousins shoved Boylen, they found new life and had the Bulls seeing double.

Ty Lawson scored a quick 10 in the first several minutes of the quarter, then back-to-back triples from the two Kings combatants, Barnes and Cousins, cut the lead to 107-105 with 56 seconds left.

They gave up six triples in the fourth quarter after allowing just five in the first three quarters, as Lawson scored 22 off the bench and Barnes 19.

“I think the big thing is continuing to play the right way,” Hoiberg said. “Early in the game we had been moving the ball, I think it got stuck a little bit in the second half when they got on that run. You have to realize what made successful, how you got that big lead.”

Panic didn’t necessarily set in, although one can imagine if the feeling of “here we go again” was setting in for the Bulls.

“I was like, ‘Yes!’ I wanted to redeem myself. I wanted the ball,” Wade said.

For a long while, it looked as if Butler’s prudence was the right decision.

Then it looked like they needed to send in the bat signal for their All-Star.

They did, but Wade happened to be the one to answer.

CUBS: 'De-peat': Cubs believe their defense can keep winning championships.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Joe Maddon is the kind of self-promoter and free-association thinker who can use a West Wing media stakeout to plug his restaurant in Tampa, Fla. The Cubs manager name-dropped Ava after President Barack Obama's final official White House event honoring the World Series champs.

Maddon isn't quite Pat Riley, who filed for a "Three-Peat" trademark as coach of the "Showtime" era Los Angeles Lakers and kept cashing in while running the Miami Heat. But Maddon does have a few ideas about marketing and messaging, whether or not this becomes a ubiquitous T-shirt in the clubhouse.

"If we catch the ball and pitch the ball like we did last year," Maddon said, "we shall 'De-peat.'"

Cubs officials knew they had a good team with a chance to win it all in 2016. But if you told them after last year's Super Bowl that they would win 103 games and survive three playoff rounds, the assumptions would have been that a thumping American League-style lineup bludgeoned opponents, an elite starting pitcher moved to Chicago at the trade deadline and a deep bullpen owned October the way the Kansas City Royals did in 2015.

The Cubs couldn't have done it without "Bryzzo Souvenir Co." or Dexter Fowler's "you go, we go" routine or Ben Zobrist's clutch hitting or Kyle Schwarber's dramatic return in the World Series. But Maddon's run-prevention point is that the Cubs truly thrived as a pitching-and-defense unit, even if flashier aspects of their games and personalities generated more attention.

"You could argue it was the single element at which we excelled the most," team president Theo Epstein said of the athletic, versatile group that led the majors in defensive efficiency. "It's not always obvious. I think some of our guys were so good that it was obvious.

"But it can be a subtle thing, and it really supports your pitching staff over the long season. And it wins you a ton of games without it being the obvious reason why you won. You just have to look a little deeper."

Defensive metrics can be incomplete or misleading, but look at these spreads as a baseline. The Cubs led the majors with 82 defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs, while the Houston Astros finished second at 51. The Cubs also posted a 73 Ultimate Zone Rating on FanGraphs — the San Francisco Giants ranked second at 47.7 and wound up as the only other team that graded out higher than 36.5.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo and outfielder Jason Heyward won Gold Gloves, with Rawlings also naming pitcher Jake Arrieta and shortstop Addison Russell as finalists at their positions. The Fielding Bible recognized Rizzo's steady presence and tarp-jumping, balance-beam flair and gave playoff star Javier Baez an award for multi-position excellence.

Individual skills combined with a sophisticated scouting-and-game-planning system helped Kyle Hendricks evolve into a Cy Young Award finalist and an ERA leader and make Jason Hammel a 15-game winner. Compare the Cubs' rotation ERA (2.96 ERA) to the next-best team in the National League (the Washington Nationals at 3.60) and the NL average (4.28).

"Once you get there, you never really want to go backwards on defense," Epstein said. "Once you're there, it's such an important part of your identity and a big part of the backbone of your pitching staff."

The Cubs put their money where their mouth was last winter, giving Heyward the biggest contract in franchise history and not even necessarily making the highest bid with that eight-year, $184 million megadeal.

"Jason Heyward is the best outfielder I've ever seen," said Dave Martinez, who played 16 seasons in the big leagues and has worked as Maddon's bench coach since 2008. "It's incredible to see him, the way he moves. We never have to tell him where to play hitters or when to move in counts. He does it.

"It was almost like having two center fielders out there. We had a tough time with Dexter, at times, moving. When Heyward was out there and Heyward moved, Dexter moved with him.

"Look, granted, everybody knows he didn't have a great year hitting. But what this guy
brought every day to our clubhouse (was) irreplaceable."

Paying a complementary player like a middle-of-the-order superstar might have foreshadowed this offseason, when teams appeared to prioritize youth, defense and overall contributions, perhaps undervaluing home runs and the intimidation factor within a lineup.

It can't all be supply-and-demand dynamics and luxury-tax concerns when the Cleveland Indians can swoop in just before Christmas and sign Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year, $60 million contract and Jose Bautista essentially returned to the Toronto Blue Jays for the qualifying offer he rejected in November. Mark Trumbo blasted 47 homers last season and had to circle back to the Baltimore Orioles in late January for a three-year, $37.5 million deal.

The entire industry saw a Cubs Way blueprint that will now be banking on: the Albert Almora Jr./Jon Jay combination being a defensive upgrade over Fowler in center; that Heyward-led alignment compensating for Schwarber's learning curve in left; Baez taking on a more prominent role after his breakout performance during the playoffs; Maddon tailoring lineups around matchups and Zobrist and Kris Bryant's unique flexibility; and Miguel Montero mentoring Willson Contreras behind the plate.

During a Cubs Convention panel last month, Maddon said he's been studying the Seattle Mariners team that won 116 games in 2001 — without getting to the World Series — and then finished in third place in the AL West with 93 victories in 2002.

"They came crashing back to reality, and a big part of that was their defense faltered the next year," Maddon said, shifting his focus to hitting coaches John Mallee and Eric Hinske, who were sitting on the same stage inside a hotel ballroom in downtown Chicago. "So for me, this spring training, I know you love offense and it's on the back of the baseball cards. It's wonderful, it's beautiful, all that stuff. However, really, the sexy part of the game to me, John and 'Ske…"

Hinske then interrupted his boss: "Wait, you can't win if you don't score, Joe."

"I know that," Maddon said, turning his attention back to the audience. "He likes to use the word 'score' a lot."

Maddon also understands that fielding shouldn't go into slumps and knows firsthand that defense can win championships. That will be part of the overall message when pitchers and catchers officially report to Arizona next week: "The part that's repeatable — we got to do it."

Cubs' mound options expansive.

By Phil Rogers

(Photo/chicagocubs.com)

Club expects 39 pitchers at Spring Training.

It's a good thing that they have large meeting rooms at the Cubs' complex in Arizona.

When their pitchers gather for the first meeting of Spring Training, there will be almost enough of them assembled to fill a 40-man roster. And that's despite the fact that the Major League staff currently has zero vacancies.

Thirteen pitchers -- nine holdovers from the World Series and newcomers Wade Davis, Brett Anderson, Koji Uehara and Brian Duensing -- are in line for introductions at Wrigley Field on April 10, when the Cubs once again celebrate their victory in Game 7 last November. Yet they are set to have 39 pitchers in camp.

Yes, 39. Catchers will be busy.

Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta, John Lackey, Mike Montgomery, Carl Edwards Jr., Hector Rondon, Justin Grimm, Pedro Strop, Anderson, Davis, Uehara and Duensing are known quantities. Anderson and Duensing must show they're healthy and on track but in general these guys have the luxury to pace themselves toward April. 

But that hardly means camp will be dull, as there are lots of intriguing storylines lower on the depth chart. Here's a clip-and-save breakdown of those guys, by their purpose in camp:

Rule 5 guy

Caleb Smith, a live-armed lefty from the Giants' organization, has struck out 13 per nine innings but never pitched above Class A. The Cubs don't seem to have any place to put him, but they liked him enough to pay the Brewers to select him for them in the draft of unprotected Minor Leaguers. Since Smith can't be sent out without being offered back to San Francisco, he'll be in a one-of-a-kind situation in camp.

First responders

RHP: Jim Henderson, Fernando Rodriguez, Felix Pena, Williams Perez, Jake Buchanan and Seth Frankoff.

LHP: Jack Leathersich and David Rollins.

Henderson and Rodriguez might be the most important depth guys in the group of pitchers going to camp without jobs. Henderson saved 28 games for Milwaukee in 2013 and is healthy again after a battle with shoulder injuries that limited him in '14 and '15. Rodriguez made 90 appearances for Oakland the past two seasons. His four-seam fastball averages 94 mph with deception and life, giving right-handed hitters fits.

Pena, a holdover from the Jim Hendry regime, made his Major League debut last season. He flashed the same ability to use his fastball-slider combination to get strikeouts that he had shown the past two seasons in Double-A and Triple-A. Pena is capable of throwing multiple innings.

Perez, signed recently to a Minor League contract, was dropped by the Braves after making a combined 31 starts the past two campaigns. He'll enter his age-26 season most likely working alongside Buchanan and Frankoff in the Triple-A rotation. Buchanan won a start for the Cubs in September, throwing five scoreless innings in Cincinnati. Frankoff did a nice job this winter as a starter in Venezuela.

Leathersich is a lefty with upside who could step in when there's a need. The Cubs like him enough that they claimed him on waivers from the Mets in 2015 while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Rollins, who made 31 appearances with Seattle the past two seasons, is this year's Where's Waldo? guy. He was the object of five waiver claims this offseason -- from the Mariners to the Cubs, the Cubs to the Rangers, the Rangers to the Phillies, the Phillies to the Rangers and finally back from the Rangers to the Cubs. So Rollins is in demand, anyway.

Next wave

RHP: Eddie Butler, Jose Rosario, Duane Underwood Jr. and Pierce Johnson.

LHP: Rob Zastryzny.

Zastryzny is the first pitcher drafted by Theo Epstein's Chicago regime to reach Wrigley Field, and he looked comfortable in a Major League uniform. He's more about pitchability than stuff and a fast start at Iowa could make him a candidate for a midseason promotion.

No one in camp is more interesting than Butler, who qualifies as the 7A starter after being acquired from Colorado in a minor trade earlier this week. He was the 46th overall pick of the 2012 Draft and was a highly regarded prospect with the Rockies, but he couldn't crack the combination to the safe at Coors Field.

You hear about pitchers who are better after Tommy John surgery, and Rosario looks like one of them. He missed 2015 while recovering from surgery and turned in a terrific performance last season, when he was used exclusively in relief.

Underwood, 22, should return to the Double-A rotation this season, which isn't really behind schedule. But the hype about him isn't what you'd expect for a second-round Draft choice. Johnson was the second player drafted by Epstein in Chicago, after Albert Almora Jr., and carried big expectations coming out of pitching-rich Missouri State. He's had a hard time staying healthy and pitching effectively and is entering a make-or-break spring and season.

Medically cleared

RHP: Conor Mullee, Ryan Williams, Aaron Brooks and Andury Acevedo.

LHP: Zac Rosscup and Manny Parra.

Rosscup was acquired in the Hendry trade that cost the Cubs future Rays ace Chris Archer. Rosscup made 61 appearances for the Cubs in 2013-15. He's coming back from arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder last May and intent on working his way back into a role as a late-inning neutralizer of left-handed hitters.

Williams, a product of East Carolina University, has pitched more effectively than anyone else in the Cubs' system since being drafted in the 10th round in 2014. His 2.29 career ERA includes his work at Iowa last season, before shoulder tightness stopped him after nine starts. Williams is an important guy to get healthy. 

Mullee, who was waiver-claimed from the Yankees, has had a tough time staying healthy. He was having a breakthrough season at age 28 when numbness in his hand shut him down last summer. Brooks was seen as rotation depth after being acquired from Oakland, but he must answer questions about a hip injury. Acevedo likewise had created excitement as a potential bullpen piece before knee surgery ended his 2016 season in April. 

Parra, a veteran who has started and relieved, missed last season after Tommy John surgery.

Eye openers

RHP: Casey Kelly, Maikel Cleto, Daniel Corcino, Jhondaniel Medina and Dylan Floro.

LHP: Gerardo Concepcion.

More than Anthony Rizzo, Kelly, 27, was seen as the key to the Adrian Gonzalez-to-Boston trade by San Diego. A first-round pick of the Red Sox in 2008, Kelly is a Tommy John survivor. Cleto has an arm you love (fastballs in the range of 97-99 mph), but Major League hitters have rendered him ineffective by making him throw strikes. 

Once compared to Johnny Cueto as a prospect for the Reds, Corcino worked as a Double-A reliever for the Dodgers last year after a series of injuries in 2015 lowered expectations for him. Medina, who turns 24 next week, is the youngest guy on this list. He pitched effectively for four seasons in the Pirates' system as a right-handed reliever, but he never escaped the shuttle between Altoona and Indianapolis. 

Concepcion made three Major League appearances over the course of a five-year, $6 million contract, and he timed them well enough to receive a World Series ring. Good work if you can get it.

Cubs revamping closer, leadoff spots in '17.

By Carrie Muskat

(Photo/chicagocubs.com)

After the Cubs won the World Series in 1907, they reported to Spring Training in '08, using the West Baden Springs (Ind.) Hotel as their base. The '07 championship was the franchise's first, and the Cubs would repeat in '08, meeting the Tigers for the second straight year in the World Series.

With the Cubs coming off their first championship since then, what will be the difference for the team heading into 2017? The obvious answer is that they're the defending champs, and the target that manager Joe Maddon asked them to embrace in '16 will be even larger.

As far as the Cubs' roster goes, the biggest changes in 2017 affect the start and the finish of the game.

This season, the Cubs will have a new leadoff man after Dexter Fowler signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with their rivals, the Cardinals. Fowler set the tone, sparked by Maddon's "You go, we go," message before every at-bat. The center fielder ranked sixth in the National League in on-base percentage (.393) and was tied for 23rd in runs scored (84).

Kyle Schwarber, healthy after tearing two ligaments in his left knee in the third game of the regular season, is a possible option to lead off for the Cubs, who also could insert Ben Zobrist into the No. 1 spot. Zobrist ranked second on the Cubs in on-base percentage (.386) behind Fowler.

Albert Almora Jr. and new addition Jon Jay were projected to share center field. Almora is coming off a rookie season in which he batted .277 in 47 games, while Jay batted .291 in 90 games with the Padres this past season. Neither has the on-base numbers that Fowler does, and one of them could wind up batting ninth if Maddon decides to insert the pitcher in the No. 8 spot in the lineup.

The other change is the closer. In late July, Aroldis Chapman replaced Hector Rondon as the Cubs' closer when the hard-throwing lefty was acquired from the Yankees. Chapman has rejoined the Yankees, signing a five-year, $86 million contract, and even though Rondon returns for 2017, it's now Wade Davis' job to save games for the Cubs. Chicago traded outfielder Jorge Soler to the Royals for Davis in early December, and the right-hander will be reunited with Maddon, who was his manager in Tampa Bay from '09-12.

Last season, Davis completed 27 of 30 save opportunities and posted a 1.87 ERA in 45 games. He did miss time with a right flexor strain, so Maddon will have to see how much of a workload he can put on the right-hander. With Rondon back as well as Pedro Strop, Koji Uehara, Carl Edwards Jr., and Justin Grimm in the bullpen, Maddon will have other options, depending on the situation.

One other notable change in 2017: The bullpens at Wrigley Field will be under the bleachers and not along the foul lines. Here's hoping none of the relievers are claustrophobic.

The West Baden Springs Hotel no longer exists, and the site is now the French Lick (Ind.) Resort, which flew a "W" flag during the World Series to support the Cubs. Maybe Maddon will have the team stop by for good luck.

Spring Training begins on Feb. 14, with pitchers' and catchers' workouts at Sloan Park in Mesa. Full-squad drills get underway on Feb. 17.

WHITE SOX: Report: Nationals discussing a trade for White Sox closer David Robertson.

By JJ Stankevitz

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

White Sox pitchers and catchers report to Camelback Ranch in eight days, but Rick Hahn & Co. may not be done dealing.

Hahn made it clear at SoxFest last month that the White Sox are continuing to have discussions with other clubs about trades that would bolster the team's rebuilding efforts. Left-hander Jose Quintana will grab most of the headlines after the White Sox hauled in highly praised returns for starter Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton, but another name emerged this week. 

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that the Washington Nationals are continuing to discuss a trade with the White Sox for closer David Robertson, who has two years and $25 million left on the four-year contract he signed in December of 2014. Robertson saved 37 games with a 3.47 ERA for the White Sox in 2016, though his walk rate rose above his nine-year career average (4.6 BB/9 in 2016, 3.7 BB/9 career) and his strikeout rate dipped below average, too (10.8 K/9 in 2016, 11.9 K/9 career).

The Nationals, though, have two internal hurdles to clear if they want to try to acquire Robertson. First, Rosenthal reported the club doesn't want to take on Robertson's hefty remaining salary, and second, Washington isn't keen on dipping further into their farm system after dealing away two top MLB.com 50 prospects (Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez) to the White Sox for Eaton. 

After the Eaton trade, Washington only has two players in MLB.com's top 100 prospects list: No. 8 outfielder Victor Robles and No. 60 right-hander Erick Fedde. The chances Robles will be traded are essentially zero, and the soon-to-be 24-year-old Fedde posted a 3.12 ERA with 123 strikeouts and 29 walks in 121 innings between Single-A and Double-A. 

What could push the Nationals, though, is a sense of urgency to win before superstar outfielder Bryce Harper hits free agency — and could command the biggest contract in baseball history — after the 2018 season. General manager Mike Rizzo whiffed on signing a closer in the offseason despite making strong offers to Kenley Jansen (who returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers) and Mark Melancon (who signed with the San Francisco Giants), so Washington certainly has an interest in acquiring a veteran closer.

But whether the Nationals are willing to pay the price to add Robertson — either in absorbing the 31-year-old's salary or with prospects — remains to be seen. 

Golf: I got a club for that..... Masters odds: Matsuyama now behind only Spieth.

By Will Gray

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

After his second victory of the season, Hideki Matsuyama saw his already-short betting odds for the upcoming Masters dwindle even further.

Matsuyama beat Webb Simpson in a four-hole playoff to successfully defend his title at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a victory that vaulted him past Justin Thomas atop the FedEx Cup standings. It also led the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook to trim Matsuyama from 15/1 to 10/1 to win the season's first major after opening with him at 30/1 in August.

The shift puts Matsuyama on equal footing with Rory McIlroy and Jason Day from a betting perspective, and leaves him behind only 8/1 tournament favorite Jordan Spieth.

In other changes, Sergio Garcia's odds fell from 50/1 to 40/1 after the Spaniard won in Dubai while Tiger Woods dropped from 25/1 to 50/1 after back spasms led him to withdraw from last week's European Tour event.

Here's a look at some of the betting favorites, with the Masters now just eight weeks away:

8/1: Jordan Spieth

10/1: Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy

12/1: Dustin Johnson

15/1: Justin Rose

20/1: Bubba Watson

25/1: Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas

30/1: Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed

40/1: Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm

50/1: Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, Brandt Snedeker, Paul Casey, Matt Kuchar, Tiger Woods

60/1: Zach Johnson, Charl Schwartzel, Matthew Fitzpatrick

80/1: Danny Willett, Daniel Berger, Gary Woodland, Jimmy Walker, Thomas Pieters

100/1: Jim Furyk, Lee Westwood, J.B. Holmes, Shane Lowry, Martin Kaymer, Emiliano Grillo, Byeong-Hun An, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Russell Knox, Tyrrell Hatton, Ryan Moore, Smylie Kaufman, Alex Noren

USGA increases U.S. Open purse to record $12 million.

By Will Gray

The USGA has announced a purse increase for the 2017 U.S. Open, bumping the prize money to $12 million and once again making it the most lucrative event in golf.

The announcement marks a hefty $2 million increase from last year's event at Oakmont, when Dustin Johnson took home $1.8 million from a $10 million purse. Last year The Players and PGA Championship both offered purses of $10.5 million, while the Masters had a purse of $10 million.

The increase also means that the prize pool for the season's second major has now doubled since 2003, when Jim Furyk won $1.08 million from a $6 million purse at Olympia Fields. The year before that, Tiger Woods became the first tournament champion to receive a check over $1 million.

Now the winner will receive more than $2 million when the tournament heads to Erin Hills in Erin, Wisc., for the first time.

Recently, the U.S. Open purse had increased from $8 to $9 million prior to the 2014 edition at Pinehurst, and again from $9 to $10 million prior to the 2015 event at Chambers Bay. This year's U.S. Open will be held June 15-18.

As part of the same announcement, the USGA also added $500,000 to the U.S. Women's Open purse, making the total prize money $5 million when the tournament heads to Trump National Bedminster this summer.

Mr. Worldwide: How Whan took the LPGA global.

By Randall Mell

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Mike Whan saw what the LPGA ought to embrace before anyone else did in this new, shrinking world.

Give him credit; his vision was transformative.

It’s really how the LPGA’s eighth commissioner turned what was perceived as the tour’s biggest weakness - too many emerging Asian players with unfamiliar names - into an asset.

With the LPGA preparing to go to Australia next week and then on to its first Asian swing through Thailand and Singapore, the tour’s international appeal will be on full display.

Rolex world No. 1 Lydia Ko will make her 2017 debut as the headliner at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, just north of her New Zealand home.

Rolex world No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn will be the featured attraction the following week, in her native Thailand.

Getting Whan to take credit for this sea change in thinking isn’t easy, given his habit of deflecting to his team, but if you push him . . .

“I started talking about being global the minute I got here, because I think I saw the future when a lot of other people were focused on the past,” said Whan, who is beginning his eighth year as the LPGA commissioner. “I still get people who remember the LPGA in 1985 and are wondering when it’s coming back. I see the front of the tunnel, and I’m not focusing on the back of the tunnel. The front side’s pretty lucrative.”

The LPGA's Korean TV contract is still the LPGA’s top revenue source, according to tour officials.

After Whan was hired late in 2009, he announced he wasn’t going to take over for 100 days. He spent that time studying the tour.

He calls it the “Listen, learn and lead” method.

What did Whan learn before officially taking charge on Jan. 4, 2010? That the tour had an archaic sense of itself.

Whan saw a business model based on the LPGA “trying to make a buck or two,” putting on mostly U.S.-based tournaments and collecting dues from tour and teaching members. That model, Whan believed, was actually “one of the barriers to really going faster.”

So Whan imagined remaking the way the tour thought of itself: “I remember saying to my board and my players, 'I don’t know if anyone realizes it, but we’ve moved past that model. We are a global television and media property. We are no longer a tournament and dues collecting company. We are a global media property and we have to figure out the key things we need to do to take that to the next level.

“'It doesn’t matter if we make or lose money on tournaments and memberships. That’s not really our business. Our business is to put on tournaments so we can create TV the world wants to watch, and create opportunities that are worldwide opportunities.’”

This reimagined business model helped rebuild the tour from a withering entity with 23 events and $40 million in prize money in 2011 to a more robust operation with 34 events with a record $67 million today. There were seven Asian-based title sponsors in 2011, and 14 today.

Charlie Mechem, the LPGA’s commissioner from 1990-95, said Whan focused quickly on the international challenges the tour presented after becoming commissioner.

“We talked quite soon after he accepted the job about this very issue,” said Mechem, whose reign ended three years before Se Ri Pak sparked the explosion of Asian interest in women’s golf. “I was impressed that Mike understood right away the enormous potential and untapped opportunity in Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Rather than turn his back on it, he embraced it, and I think he’s largely driven away the criticism that was being leveled at the time.”

Rob Neal, president of the LPGA Tournament Owners Association, remembers the concerns international growth brought to some segments of the North American tour and how Whan stepped so decisively into that issue.

“It took almost no time for Mike to come to the conclusion that the LPGA was, in fact, irreversibly international,” Neal said. “After he did all his research and talked to all the key constituents and considered all the different angles, he stood up like a good leader and just said, 'We are international. Get over it.' That really did kind of reset everyone’s thinking, so it was like, 'Quit fighting it. It’s happening, it will continue to happen, so let’s embrace it.'”

And Whan reached out to international businessmen, bringing them in to sponsor new American and international events. He also struck up more partnerships with international tours, creating more co-sanctioned events with the Ladies European Tour and Asian tours.

“We had five different major winners from five different countries last year,” Whan said. “We finished the year with the top five players in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings from five different countries. We had 45 different countries teeing it up at Q-School last year. We have rookies from India, Iceland, Ecuador and Belgium joining the tour this year. In the men’s and women’s Olympics, the six medalists were from six different countries. If there was ever a time to talk about how borderless the game is, this is it.”

This year’s LPGA season opener, the Pure Silk Bahamas Classic, was watched by 524,000 viewers, making it the most viewed regular-season LPGA telecast in Golf Channel history (this despite being tape-delayed).

While the leaderboard was American-dominated in the Bahamas, Whan says it almost doesn’t matter anymore. In fact, he says the “borderless” nature of the game is showing up more and more in LPGA viewership.

“In 2016, unique viewers of LPGA events were up nearly 40 percent on NBC and Golf Channel,” Whan said. “If you take out the Olympics, we’re still up nearly 30 percent. And that’s in a year when only two Americans won.”

Whan says despite those TV numbers, he still hears criticism that the reduced number of American victories is a stumbling block.

“I love it when the flags are shown on Golf Channel, and I hate it at the same time, because too often fans see a player as a flag, and she isn’t a flag,” Whan said. “She might be a twenty-something superstar. I love the fact that our players come from all over the world, but when you only see a flag, I think you miss something. It’s a matter of getting to know them, getting to know their personalities. These kids are hard to dislike.”

Whan sees there’s still work to do implementing his vision, but it’s only going to continue to expand opportunities to grow the women’s game.

“Our transformation into a global media property is still clearly in process,” Whan said. “It just takes time.”

NASCAR: Bump & Run: Which driver is next to score first Cup win?

By NBC Sports

(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

We all have opinions, and we all think we’re right. Of course, that isn’t always the case even though we don’t like to believe that.

Today debuts NBC Sports’ opinion forum, Bump & Run. Each Tuesday, our analysts and writers will give their take on the various topics of the day.

Feel free to join the discussion or vote in the polls with these throughout the year. We know you have an opinion on these subjects.

• Who is the next driver to get their first Cup win?

Nate Ryan: Ryan Blaney. He showed last year he has the ability (top fives at Kansas, Michigan, Chicagoland). Wood Brothers Racing’s move to a shop closer to Team Penske will ensure Blaney maximizes that potential this season.

Dustin Long: Austin Dillon. He placed in the top 10 in each of the four plate races, and his 13 top-10 finishes last year came at 10 different tracks, showing a versatility. Add crew chief Slugger Labbe’s gambling ways and this team could be celebrating this season.

Daniel McFadin: Chase Elliott is the closest to breaking through, and if he manages to do it in the Daytona 500, he’ll match Jeff Gordon in getting his first Cup win in his 42nd start.

Jerry Bonkowski: Chase Elliott has the best shot. He was impressive as a rookie, made the Chase, he just needed a win. That win — and maybe more than one — comes in 2017.

• Who is the top team at Ford with Stewart-Haas Racing moving over there this year?

Nate Ryan: Team Penske. Stewart-Haas Racing still has more cars, but Penske has them covered pound for pound with Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. Expect intrasquad competition between the organizations (which won’t be sharing much information) to be fierce, though.

Dustin Long: Team Penske’s two cars trumps Stewart-Haas Racing’s one and a half (Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch). Nate’s right. It could be just as interesting to see how well these teams get along.

Daniel McFadin: Until we have a healthy sample size after a few races, Team Penske will still be the top Ford organization. In the last three seasons its two-team operation has 25 wins, while Stewart-Haas and its four teams (with Chevy) had 17. 

Jerry Bonkowski: Team Penske, without a doubt. You can’t go against 27 combined Cup wins — including a Daytona 500 triumph — in the last four seasons in a Penske Ford. SHR will have success, but there could be a development curve getting adjusted to the new manufacturer. 

• Other than Jimmie Johnson, no other active driver has more than one Cup championship. Who will be the next to reach two series titles?

Nate Ryan: Brad Keselowski. He admittedly is obsessed with shaming the naysayers who point to his 2012 championship as a fluke. Through his smarts and sheer will, Keselowski will ensure his legacy is defined by the validation of being a multi-time champion.

Dustin Long: Joey Logano. Yes, he doesn’t have a title yet and five others have one championship each, but Logano’s time is now. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him win two of the next three or four titles.

Daniel McFadin: I see Brad Keselowski as the best chance to get another title. While it may not be this year, he tends to operate on the San Francisco Giants format of enjoying success every other season. Since his 2012 title, he’s won multiple races in 2014 and 2016.

Jerry Bonkowski: With the enhanced race format this season, strategy — and the crew chief that is best at adapting to the format (other than Chad Knaus) — will be more important than ever. I think one of the Busch brothers — Kyle (crew chief Adam Stevens) or Kurt (Tony Gibson) — will be the first to earn a second Cup crown of all drivers that currently have one title.

Ford boss states ‘commitment’ to Danica Patrick’s team amid SHR’s lawsuit vs. sponsor.

By Dustin Long

(Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

The head of Ford’s racing operation said Monday that “you have my commitment” that the performance of Danica Patrick’s car will not be affected by the team’s legal situation with its sponsor.

Stewart-Haas Racing filed a lawsuit against Nature’s Bakery, the sponsor of Patrick’s car, last week in North Carolina Superior Court. Stewart-Haas Racing seeks damages in excess of $31 million, claiming that Nature’s Bakery breached its contract by attempting to terminate the company’s deal with the race team last month. Nature’s Bakery is contracted to sponsor the team through the 2018 season.

Dave Pericak, Global Director, Ford Performance, declined to say if Ford would consider sponsoring Patrick’s car if needed, but reiterated Ford’s support for the team.

“What I can say is that you have my commitment and the commitment of Stewart-Haas Racing and everyone that is involved that (the legal issue) is not going to affect our ability to hit the track and run that car and run it the way it needs to be run,’’ Pericak said Monday on a teleconference with reporters.

“I don’t really want to make any additional comments given where we are in the whole situation, and it’s very unfortunate that we are going through it right now, but one way or another, I can just tell you that you will have that 10 car on the track and it will be ready to perform.’’

Nature’s Bakery sponsored Patrick in 27 points races last year and was scheduled to sponsor her car in a minimum of 25 races this season.

Stewart-Haas Racing stated in its lawsuit that the actions of Nature’s Bakery “set SHR up for a devastating loss of revenue just before the beginning of the 2017 race season; and rendered it nearly impossible for SHR to have any reasonable hope of mitigating its damages.”

Stewart-Haas Racing said in a statement after filing the lawsuit that “the litigation with Nature’s Bakery will not impact the organization’s on-track efforts.”

Officials from Nature’s Bakery have not responded to repeated requests for comment from NBC Sports.

Jeff Gordon will be eligible to be voted into NASCAR Hall of Fame next year.

By Nate Ryan

(Photo/Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

Jeff Gordon will be eligible to be voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame next year despite returning for eight races last season.

NASCAR Hall of Fame eligibility stipulate that a driver must be retired three years before being considered, which would have put Gordon on the ballot for the May 2018 vote before the four-time Cup series champion substituted for Dale Earnhardt Jr. last year.

NASCAR confirmed Tuesday that Gordon, who retired after the 2015 season from full-time competition, would be eligible for the Hall of Fame.

“Jeff’s eligibility status for the NASCAR Hall of Fame remains unchanged,” NASCAR spokesman Kurt Culbert said. “The unique situation in which he drove last year was as a substitute. As it stands, Jeff can be nominated in 2018 for the class of 2019.”

Gordon could become the first unanimous selection to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Tony Stewart, who retired after last season, will be eligible for the May 2019 vote for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

SOCCER: Dax McCarty criticizes Red Bulls front office, says Fire need to improve culture.  

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

There has been plenty of drama surrounding Dax McCarty's trade from the New York Red Bulls to the Chicago Fire.

On Tuesday, McCarty talked to local and national reporters via a conference call about his last couple weeks, which he described as a "whirlwind." McCarty got married, joined the U.S. national team for training camp and got traded to the Fire all within the span of a few days.

On top of that, McCarty has been vocal about his displeasure with how the Red Bulls handled the trade. He spoke for a half hour with reporters, giving bold responses on a number of different topics.

There's what McCarty said about how the Red Bulls handled the trade.

"I didn’t think they handled the situation in a very classy way."

There's McCarty's view on what he calls a losing culture that has plagued the Fire.

"From the outside looking in it looks like losing almost became accepted and a culture of losing with this club almost became the norm. From the front office, down to the players, down to the all the staff. It almost just seemed like they were indifferent about winning and that's crazy to me. That's insane."

There's McCarty offering an insight into the current drama within the Red Bulls regarding sporting director Ali Curtis' potential ousting.

"I don't think Ali Curtis had anything to do with the decision."

Saying that a team's sporting director didn't have anything to do with a decision to trade the team's captain is a huge bombshell to those in Red Bull land. McCarty said it was coach Jesse Marsch's decision and Marsch was the one who told him about the trade.

As for McCarty's view of his new club's brass, Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez and coach Veljko Paunovic flew out to speak with McCarty when he was in camp with the U.S. national team. Both sides have said the meeting went well and was productive, with Paunovic and Rodriguez saying they would be patient with McCarty amid all the emotional elements.

"It was a good meeting and I think for the most part they understood where I was coming from," McCarty said. "They respected the fact that I still needed a little bit of time to process everything and let it sink in, gather my emotions and my thoughts. I'm very happy that they gave me that time and they weren't bombarding me with all kinds of requests for me to do things and all that."

McCarty flew to Florida to join the Fire in preseason training on Monday night. Tuesday morning was his first training session with his new team.

The personal side of the trade has been the focus with both the timing and McCarty's reaction taking focus away from the business side. McCarty admitted he understood the trade from a business sense saying Sean Davis, who replaced him when he got injured against the Fire, "played fantastic" in his place last year.

Davis, 23, is younger and cheaper than the 29-year-old McCarty. With that in mind, McCarty said he "always knew it was a possibility" he could be traded, but still felt like he had earned the chance to have a say in a move.

"If you're moving a veteran player on a high salary for business reasons and you have players you think can step in and do the job that have lower salaries, that are younger that you need to get minutes to, I'm the first one to say it's a great move," McCarty said. "There's no player that's bigger than any club and that's something that I understand full well. I do think that if you're a club that preaches family and I do think if you're a club that preaches doing things the right way and trying to treat players the right way, then I don't think you go and trade a guy who you say that you relied on a lot and that is your captain behind his back without at least telling him that, 'Hey these are some possibilities, unfortunately we have to move you, do you have any say in the matter? You just got married, you have a wife. This is a big moment in your career.'

"I thought I at least earned that and I thought that it would have been hard for the Red Bulls to do that or say that to me because if something falls through they never know where my head will be, but I would have had a lot more respect for the way they handled the situation if that's how it would have gone down."

With his time with the Red Bulls now behind him, McCarty is focused on trying to turn the Fire around as much as he can, adding that in MLS all it takes is a couple moves to become a contender.

"I'm not the type of player that is going to be OK with being average and having another losing season and I guess that's part of the reason why they're bringing me in," McCarty said.

Premier League Power Rankings: Brokedown Palace.

By Nicholas Mendola

(Photo/Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)

The Premier League’s Bottom Six was thrown into insanity last weekend, leaving six teams within two points from slots No. 20 to 15.

But the slides aren’t limited to the PL lowlands, as Liverpool has plummeted down our power rankings after looking like title contenders for much of the season.

Here is the latest batch of Premier League power rankings…

TEAM	RANKING
	20 (18)		Crystal Palace: There are many questions for Big Sam to answer, and getting Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend going would help provide clues. Getting humiliated by former club Sunderland won’t help him get his mind right.
	19 (17)		Leicester City: When’s the last time a club still alive in the UEFA Champions League in February was 19th in any set of Premier League rankings?
	18 (20)		Sunderland: Thumping Allardyce had to feel amazing to supporters of the Black Cats.
	17 (15)		Bournemouth: It wasn’t too long ago Eddie Howe was headed to Arsenal and the Cherries were the darlings of England. Outscored 16-9 in last five matches.
	16 (16)		Middlesbrough: The last time Boro won a PL game, there were still eight more days to go before Christmas. That’s seven league games without a win.
	15 (19)		Hull City: The Marco Silva revolution looks quite real right now, and imagine how it will feel if the Tigers snare a point or more at stammering Arsenal on Saturday.
	14 (13)		Southampton: Battered at home by West Ham, Saints have to keep their eyes on the PL table and not just potential Wembley glory.
	13 (14)		Swansea City: Paul Clement is proving doubters wrong, and Gylfi Sigurdsson is really, really, truly good at striking a ball.
	12 (9)		Stoke City: Winless in three, granted against decent competition in Manchester United, Everton, and West Brom.
	11 (10)		Burnley: About as mid-table a team as you can find… which is fine given the goals of this season.
	10 (12)		Watford: Manager Walter Mazzarri must just be shrugging his shoulders right now; Who knows what you’ll get from the Hornets on a week-to-week basis, but they will work for it under captain Troy Deeney.
	9 (11)		West Ham United: Slowly, steadily approaching its level. Beat West Brom this week and find many new believers, Slaven Bilic.
	8 (6)		Liverpool: One win in 2017. One.
	7 (8)		West Bromwich Albion: Tony Pulis has done a job with this bunch, who is exceeding expectations in both form and style.
	6 (4)		Arsenal: Two-straight losses and a mainstay openly questioning his legendary boss in both players’ native land? Fun times, guys. Fun times.
	5 (5)		Everton: Boro and Sunderland are next. If the Toffees can handle their business, they’re a hair away from the conversation.
	4 (7)		Manchester United: Need more comfortable wins like the 3-0 victory at Leicester City.
	3 (2)		Manchester City: Gabriel Jesus, everybody.
	2 (3)		Tottenham Hotspur: You know that comfortable win we referenced in Manchester United’s space? One of those would be nice after four tight ones.
	1 (1)		Chelsea: They’re gonna win the league. They’re gonna win the league. You’re probably gonna believe us. You’re probably gonna believe us. You’re probably gonna be-lieeeeve us. They’re gonna win the league.

European Cups roundup: Barca into Copa final; Bayern reach semis.

By Andy Edwards

(Photo/Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

A roundup of Tuesday’s action in the Copa del Rey semifinals and DFB-Pokal quarterfinals…

Barcelona 1-1 (3-2) Atletico Madrid

Barcelona are through to their 39th Copa del Rey final, where they’ll play for their record 29th Spanish Cup triumph, following a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday (3-2 on aggregate). Luis Suarez fired Barca to a 3-1 aggregate lead just before halftime, at which point Luis Enrique’s side was cruising to a smooth, painless progression. Sergi Roberto was sent off in the 57th minute, though, as was Atleti’s Yannick Carrasco in the 69th minute, making the result all the more straightforward, or so we thought.

Atleti won a penalty in the 80th minute, only to see Kevin Gameiro’s effort glance off the crossbar and head for the stands behind the goal. Gameiro tapped home a brilliant ball from Antoine Griezmann three minutes later, though, to bring the visitors to within a goal of sending the tie to extra time. Luis Suarez was booked once in the 87th minute, then shown a straight red card for an elbow to the head of Koke in the 90th minute — which means he’ll be suspended for the final — forcing Barca to see out the game with nine men. That’s what we call making life unnecessarily difficult.

The Blaugrana will go into the May 27 final as massive favorites, as they’ll face the winner of Wednesday’s second semifinal second leg, between Alaves and Celta Vigo, which is currently all square at 0-0.

Bayern Munich 1-0 Wolfsburg

Douglas Costa scored the game’s only goal, as Carlo Ancelotti opted to field a full-strength side with critical Bundesliga games either side of Tuesday’s Cup quarterfinal. Philipp Lahm made his 501st appearance for the club — he was honored for his 500th, achieved over the weekend, prior to the game — and then it was reported by German newspaper Sport Bild that the 33-year-old will retire at the end of the season. Bayern are through to the semifinals, which puts them two games from (likely) sending the German legend out a double (at least) winner (again).

Hamburg 2-0 Kolk

Hamburg currently sit 16th of 18 teams in the Bundesliga (relegation playoff place), but they’re through to the semifinals of the German Cup after a 2-0 home win over Koln, which was capped off by the seventh goal of the season for U.S. national team striker Bobby Wood. (WATCH HERE) The last time Hamburg lifted a major domestic trophy, the date was June 20, 1987 (Cup).

Full DFB-Pokal scoreboard

Greuther Fuerth 0-2 Borussia Monchengladbach

FCA Walldorf 1-1 (4-5 PKs) Arminia Bielefeld

Roma keep Serie A title race going with 4-0 thrashing of Fiorentina.

Associated Press

(Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP)

Edin Dezko is going from strength to strength in his second season in Italian football, scoring twice as Roma beat Fiorentina 4-0 in Serie A on Tuesday.

Dzeko moved top of the goalscoring charts on 17 goals, more than double the amount he scored in a miserable first season with Roma.

It was the first time Dzeko has netted at least 17 league goals in a season since he scored 22 for Wolfsburg in 2009-10.

Federico Fazio and Radja Nainggolan scored the other goals as Roma moved back two points above Napoli into second spot, four points behind leader Juventus.

Team	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Home	Away	PTS
Juventus	22	18	0	4	45	16	29	12-0-0	6-0-4	54
Roma	23	16	2	5	48	21	27	11-0-0	5-2-5	50
Napoli	23	14	6	3	55	26	29	8-3-1	6-3-2	48
Lazio	23	13	4	6	41	27	14	8-1-3	5-3-3	43
Inter Milan	23	13	3	7	37	24	13	8-2-1	5-1-6	42
Atalanta	23	13	3	7	36	25	11	8-0-3	5-3-4	42
Fiorentina	23	10	7	6	38	33	5	5-6-0	5-1-6	37
AC Milan	22	11	4	7	32	27	5	7-2-3	4-2-4	37

Fazio also proved crucial at the other end, with a goalline clearance to deny Federico Chiesa in the 14th minute.

That was Fiorentina’s only real scoring chance as Roma began to take control.

Roma had several opportunities and should have taken the lead in the 29th when Nainggolan found an unmarked Bruno Peres with a delightful chipped pass, but the Brazilian defender incredibly fired over in one of the misses of the season.

The capital side did take the lead 10 minutes later following a brilliant Daniele De Rossi ball over the top which Dzeko controlled on his chest before turning and driving into the bottom left corner.

Who will make USMNT’s roster for World Cup qualifiers?

By Nicholas Mendola

(Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images)

With a pair of friendlies as rugged as the United States men’s national team’s scoreless draw with Serbia’s B-Team and 1-0 win over Jamaica, it’s difficult to judge who passed muster.

PST’s Matt Reed picked four players he felt improved their stock during the friendlies, and it’s difficult to disagree with at least three if not all of them (I thought Benny Feilhaber was fine but benefited from how many critics wanted him to shove it in Jurgen Klinsmann’s face).

Now Bruce Arena turns his attention to pivotal World Cup qualifiers against Honduras and away to Panama in late March.

There are some big questions for Arena, perhaps none bigger than the one between the sticks. Tim Howard isn’t returning to training until March 4, and Brad Guzan is playing second fiddle to Victor Valdes at Middlesbrough. Nick Rimando started the Serbia friendly, while Luis Robles and David Bingham split the second game. Ethan Horvath and William Yarbrough also would like to hear their names called.

While it was great to see Chad Marshall get a look in the red, white, and blue, it’s unlikely he injected himself into the center back discussion with John Brooks, Geoff Cameron (assuming a return to health), Omar Gonzalez, and camp star Walker Zimmerman.

As for center mid, did Feilhaber do enough to move into the mix? Sebastian Lletget looked very good and Dax McCarty showed well. Toss in a nice night for Sacha Kljestan against Serbia, and the midfield is really crowded.

Theoretical 26-man call-up for March WCQs

Goalkeepers (4): Brad Guzan, Luis Robles, Nick Rimando, Ethan Horvath

Defenders (9): Fabian Johnson, DeAndre Yedlin, John Brooks, Steve Birnbaum, Geoff Cameron, Timmy Chandler, Omar Gonzalez, Eric Lichaj, Jorge Villafana.

Midfielders (9): Christian Pulisic, Sacha Kljestan, Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley, Alejandro Bedoya, Dax McCarty, Sebastian Lletget, Darlington Nagbe, Benny Feilhaber.

Forwards (4): Jozy Altidore, Bobby Wood, Jordan Morris, Gyasi Zardes

Outside looking in: Danny Williams, Graham Zusi, Matt Besler, Walker Zimmerman, Tim Howard, Lynden Gooch, Emerson Hyndman, Julian Green, Juan Agudelo, David Bingham, DaMarcus Beasley.

BONUS: An XI

Guzan

Yedlin — Cameron — Brooks — Johnson

Bradley — Jones

Wood — Kljestan — Pulisic

Altidore

NCAABKB: 2017 NCAA Associated Press Basketball Rankings, 02/06/2017.

AP

RANK	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS
1	Gonzaga (59)	24-0	1,619	1
2	Villanova (6)	22-2	1,565	4
3	Kansas	20-3	1,446	3
4	Louisville	19-4	1,411	6
5	Oregon	21-3	1,263	13
6	Baylor	20-3	1,255	2
7	Wisconsin	20-3	1,232	10
8	North Carolina	21-4	1,145	12
9	Arizona	21-3	1,136	5
10	UCLA	21-3	1,115	11
11	Cincinnati	21-2	876	14
12	Virginia	17-5	875	9
13	West Virginia	18-5	861	7
14	Florida State	20-4	839	15
15	Kentucky	18-5	741	8
16	Purdue	19-5	537	23
17	Florida	18-5	530	24
18	Duke	18-5	514	21
19	South Carolina	19-4	493	19
20	Saint Mary's (Calif.)	21-2	468	18
21	Maryland	20-3	326	17
22	Butler	18-5	285	16
23	Creighton	20-4	207	22
24	Xavier	17-6	144	NR
25	SMU	20-4	107	NR

Others receiving votes: Wichita State 38, Southern California 35, Notre Dame 33, Northwestern 11, California 3, Iowa State 3, New Mexico State 3, Monmouth 3, VCU 3, Oklahoma State 1, Vermont 1, Kansas State 1.

Bracketology: Villanova leads march to Madness.

By Dave Ommen

(Photo/Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

With the Super Bowl behind us, Selection Sunday awaits, along with the Madness of March.  Between now and then, college basketball is sure to provide us enough plot twists to hold our attention. Exhibit A is this past Saturday … when eight of the top 16 teams on the Seed List added a loss to their resume.  Meanwhile, teams along the cutline meander like a river without direction, and the bubble club numbers 30-plus members.  In other words, fasten your seat belt and enjoy what should be a wild four-week ride.

If you’re returning for the first time post-football, reigning NCAA champion Villanova remains entrenched as the overall No. 1 seed.  Regarding the rest of today’s No. 1 seeds, Selection Committee member value a team’s full profile over a single result (or two).  Although in a different order from last Thursday, Gonzaga, Kansas, and Baylor continue to lead the West, Midwest, and South regions.  That said, the margins for the Jayhawks and Bears are waning.

It would take hours of conversation and pages of words to wrangle through the bubble and the process in making the final decisions for at-large spots today.  From eight seeds on down, every resume has holes to fill and issues to solve ahead of Championship Week.

UPDATED: February 6, 2017

Regarding bracketing principles, can read them for yourself at http://www.ncaa.com. For example: teams from the same conference may now meet before a Regional final, even if fewer than eight teams are selected. The goal is to keep as many teams as possible on their actual seed line.

FIRST FOUR PAIRINGS – Dayton (First Round)

• Miami-FL vs. Arkansas | Midwest Region
• Seton Hall vs. Wichita State | East Region
• WEBER STATE vs. UC-DAVIS | Midwest Region
• MT. ST. MARY’S vs. NC CENTRAL | East Region

BRACKET PROJECTION …

EAST – New York		WEST – San Jose
Buffalo		Salt Lake City
1) VILLANOVA		1) GONZAGA
16) NC-CENTRAL / M.S. MARY’S		16) TX-SOUTHERN
8) Virginia Tech		8) Iowa State
9) Oklahoma State		9) Marquette
Indianapolis		Orlando
5) Maryland		5) Purdue
12) Seton Hall / Wichita St		12) AKRON
4) Kentucky		4) Duke
13) MONMOUTH		13) NEW MEXICO ST
Buffalo		Greenville
6) Notre Dame		6) SOUTH CAROLINA
11) MID TENNESSEE ST		11) NC-WILMINGTON
3) West Virginia		3) Virginia
14) BELMONT		14) FLA GULF COAST
Greenville		Sacramento
7) USC		7) SMU
10) Indiana		10) Kansas State
2) NORTH CAROLINA		2) OREGON
15) PRINCETON		15) NO DAKOTA ST
SOUTH – Memphis		MIDWEST – Kansas City
Tulsa		Tulsa
1) Baylor		1) KANSAS
16) SAM HOUSTON ST		16) WEBER ST / UC-DAVIS
8) Michigan State		8) Dayton
9) VCU		9) Minnesota
Milwaukee		Milwaukee
5) Florida		5) Butler
12) VALPARAISO		12) ILLINOIS STATE
4) CINCINNATI		4) WISCONSIN
13) VERMONT		13) NEVADA
Sacramento		Salt Lake City
6) Saint Mary’s		6) Creighton
11) Syracuse		11) Miami-FL / Arkansas
3) UCLA		3) Arizona
14) ARKANSAS STATE		14) E. TENNESSEE ST
Indianapolis		Orlando
7) Xavier		7) Northwestern
10) TCU		10) California
2) Louisville		2) Florida State
15) WINTHROP		15) BUCKNELL

NOTES on the BRACKET: Villanova is the No. 1 overall seed, followed by Gonzaga, Kansas, and Baylor.

Last Four Byes (at large): TCU, California, Indiana, Syracuse

Last Four IN (at large): Miami-FL, Seton Hall, Arkansas, Wichita State

First Four OUT (at large): Clemson, Michigan, Tennessee, Rhode Island

Next four teams OUT (at large): Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, Texas Tech

Breakdown by Conference …

ACC (9): NORTH CAROLINA, Louisville, Florida State, Virginia, Duke, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Miami-FL

Big 10 (7): WISCONSIN, Purdue, Maryland, Northwestern, Michigan State, Minnesota, Indiana

Big 12 (7): KANSAS, Baylor, West Virginia, Iowa State, Kansas State, TCU, Oklahoma State

Big East (6): VILLANOVA, Butler, Creighton, Xavier, Marquette, Seton Hall

Pac 12 (5): OREGON, Arizona, UCLA, USC, California

SEC (4): SOUTH CAROLINA, Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas

Atlantic 10 (2): VCU, Dayton

American (2): CINCINNATI, SMU

West Coast (2): GONZAGA, Saint Mary’s

Missouri Valley (2): ILLINOIS STATE, Wichita State

Mountain West (1): NEVADA

ONE BID LEAGUES: Monmouth (MAAC), Middle Tennessee State (C-USA), Arkansas State (SBELT), Princeton (IVY), Weber State (BSKY), Valparaiso (HORIZON), Sam Houston State (SLND), East Tennessee State (STHN), UC-Davis (BWEST), Akron (MAC), Florida Gulf Coast (ASUN), Belmont (OVC), UNC-Wilmington (CAA), Winthrop (BSO), NC-Central (MEAC), North Dakota State (SUM), New Mexico State (WAC), Vermont (AEAST), Bucknell (PAT), Mt. St. Mary’s (NEC), Texas-Southern (SWAC)

Forde Minutes: 11 teams that are red-hot ahead of rivalry week.

By Pat Forde

Mark Few’s Bulldogs are undefeated, but they face a potential test on Saturday. (Photo/Getty)

Greetings, immigrants from Gridworld. We have no travel ban here in College Basketball Land, so welcome. With the Super Bowl complete – and what a Super Bowl it was – you need to lock in on basketball season. Some of you haven’t paid a lick of attention until now, so The Minutes is here to help you catch up with a quick synopsis of what you’ve missed:

Duke and Kentucky started the season 1-2 and have taken turns staggering for different reasons. Neither currently resides in the AP top 10. Neither is winning its conference. Neither is likely to earn a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed.

Gonzaga is undefeated and No. 1 and nobody trusts the ‘Zags to make the Final Four. So, not much new there.

The ACC and Big 12 are deep and good. The Big Ten is deep and mediocre. The Pac-12 is not deep. The SEC is neither deep nor good (1-22 against the current RPI top 25 in non-conference play).

Officials are spending too much time at the replay monitor. Players with minor injuries are spending too much time writhing on the floor like soccer divas. Fans are spending too much time on the court (especially at St. Bonaventure, see below).

The NCAA will release its first-ever sneak peek at the top 16 seeds Saturday, copying the College Football Playoff formula to drive up discussion and interest. Among the most likely to be on the top seed line is the defending champion, Villanova, which has a reasonable chance to be the first repeat champ in a decade and just the second since 1992.

Now, let’s introduce you to 11 teams that are red hot at the moment:

WHO’S ROLLING, AND WHY

Florida (2). The roll: The Gators have won four straight by an average margin of 32 points. Obliterating pitiful Missouri and quit-on-the-job LSU is one thing; beating Kentucky by 22 is another – and that’s what Florida did Saturday. What’s changed: After a Jan. 21 home loss to Vanderbilt, coach Michael White had a two-hour meeting with his team that refocused the Gators on “getting back to basics.” That has translated to a renewed defensive intensity and a massive upgrade in rebounding – an increase in overall toughness, if you will. When Kentucky guard Isaiah Briscoe said Florida was soft right before the tip, he had the wrong guys – the old Gators. The new ones are anything but. Florida’s past four opponents are shooting 34.7 percent from the floor and have been out-rebounded by 68. The Gators out-rebounded the Wildcats, one of the nation’s better teams on the glass, by a staggering 54-29 count.

Syracuse (3). The roll: After a hideous first two months of the season, the Orange have won four straight to put themselves tied for fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 7-4 and budge into NCAA tournament consideration. Their past three games have been an upset romp of ranked Florida State, their first road win of the year (at North Carolina State) and another furious second-half rally to stun Virginia. It’s taken time – especially offensively – for Syracuse to cohesively blend two transfers and two freshmen into the usual short rotation. With the roles becoming more defined and Nebraska transfer Andrew White taking off (25.5 points per game during the winning streak), we’ll now see if Syracuse can capture winnable road games this week at Clemson and Pittsburgh.

Wichita State (4). The roll: Since losing at Illinois State on Jan. 14, the Shockers have reasserted themselves as the dominant team in the Missouri Valley Conference. They’ve won six straight, the most recent being a 41-point payback demolition of the Redbirds. Wichita has done it the usual way – with an ensemble cast that is locking up shooters, forcing turnovers and blocking out with missionary zeal on the defensive glass. It’s helped that sharpshooter Conner Frankamp has found his stroke as well, making 17 of 28 3-point shots during the current winning streak.

Cincinnati (5). The roll: They’ve won 14 in a row, making the Bearcats the last undefeated team in the American Athletic Conference. The difference between this Cincy team and most recent Mick Cronin editions is offensive efficiency – these Bearcats can actually score. They’ve put 80 or more on the board in regulation eight times during this winning streak, which is more than they did in any of the previous 10 entire seasons under Cronin. Cincinnati is making 54.3 percent of its 2-point shots on the year, nearly five percentage points higher than its previous best under Cronin. It is turning the ball over on just 15.7 percent of its possessions, also a Bearcats best in the Cronin Era.

Oklahoma State (6). The roll: The Cowboys have won five straight, three of them on the road, after wobbling off to an 0-6 start in Big 12 play. Point guard Jawun Evans is playing very well, averaging 18.4 points, 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals during the winning streak – and shooting an average of 7.6 free throws in that time as well. First-year coach Brad Underwood also has excavated sophomore Davon Dillard from the far end of the bench – he’d barely played for his first 1½ seasons in Stillwater, but has become an athletic X-factor of late. His ferocious dunk at West Virginia on Saturday was a shocking announcement of his arrival as a significant contributor.

Gonzaga (7). The roll: ‘Zags have won ‘em all. Period. And the last game decided by single digits was Dec. 3. Mark Few’s customarily diverse collection of talent – some foreign players, some transfers from Power Five schools – has completely dominated the West Coast Conference. If the ‘Zags get through a Saturday date in Moraga, Calif., (see below), they’ll almost certainly run the regular-season table and be on the brink of securing the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. With an abundance of frontcourt length, Gonzaga leads the nation in effective field-goal defense, allowing just 41.5 percent shooting.

Wisconsin (8). The roll: The Badgers have won seven in a row and 16 of their past 17, staking themselves to a one-game lead in the Big Ten over Maryland. It hasn’t exactly been a dominating run of late, with four of those seven wins coming by five points or less or in overtime. But Wisconsin is getting outstanding play from sophomore Ethan Happ, who has made 69 percent of his shots in the past three games and needs only to sharpen his foul shooting (50.5 percent for the year) to become an almost unstoppable force in the paint. The Badgers are playing the best defense in the league and the schedule sets up well for a strong finish.

Belmont (9). The roll: The Bruins (17-4) have won 13 straight, are 11-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference and have the longest road winning streak in the nation at nine games. They’ll get two more chances to add to that road streak this week, traveling to Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech. Coach Rick Byrd’s usual spread-the-floor-and-move-the-ball artistry has resulted in four players who have made 33 or more 3s this year, but Belmont is doing its best work inside with senior forward Evan Bradds (nine straight games scoring 20 or more).

Vermont (10). The roll: The Catamounts have won 13 straight and are 11-0 in the America East – and with only two remaining road games they seem a good bet to run the table in league play. This is strictly by committee – nobody averages 30 minutes per game, and the leading scorer checks in at 11.1 points per game. This is a veteran team with defined roles, playing inside-out and offensively attempting over 100 more free throws than the opposition. But, like Belmont, Vermont almost certainly must win its conference tournament to make the Big Dance.

New Mexico State (11). The roll: Twenty straight wins, eight of them in the Western Athletic Conference. If the Aggies can sweep Cal State-Bakersfield on Thursday, they’ll likely lock up a third straight WAC title. NMSU blasts the glass and blocks shots. First-year head coach Paul Weir wisely dialed back the minutes for star guard Ian Baker in a couple of blowouts last week, which should help him be fresh for the stretch run.

Louisville (12). The roll: It ended Monday night with yet another loss to Cardinal Kryptonite, Virginia, stopping a three-game streak of blowout victories. But this one came with a whole lot of extenuating circumstances – Louisville was down four players, two of them suspended (big man Mangok Mathiang and wing Deng Adel) and two of them injured (point guards Quentin Snider and Tony Hicks). Given that, the fact that Louisville led at halftime in Charlottesville was startling enough. The Cardinals could have three of those players back (everyone but Hicks) by Saturday against Miami and be ready for the stretch run. With Donovan Mitchell playing at a very high level and freshman V.J. King blossoming, Louisville is starting to show some needed star power.

ROBUST WEEK OF RIVALRY GAMES

There are several blood boilers on tap this week, as rivals old and new face off in games that could have significance well beyond bragging rights.

Michigan State-Michigan (13), Tuesday in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines (14-9, 4-6 in the Big Ten) are desperate for quality wins and have several opportunities down the stretch: Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Purdue and Northwestern are to come. But John Beilein’s team needs to get started toward an at-large bid against the Spartans, who have won the past five meetings in this series – most recently last week in East Lansing.

Georgetown-Villanova (14), Tuesday in Philadelphia. This one is for all the communion hosts, as the Augustinians (Villanova) take on the Jesuits (Georgetown). It’s also of towering importance for the Hoyas (13-11, 4-7), whose fleeting NCAA hopes pretty much demand at least a split of two remaining games against the Wildcats. Villanova, meanwhile, needs to keep winning to remain among the leading candidates for a No. 1 NCAA seed.

Princeton-Penn (15), Tuesday in Philadelphia. Historically, these are the two dominant programs in the Ivy League – Princeton has 24 NCAA bids, Penn has 23, and no other program has more than seven. Lately, the power has shifted toward Yale and Harvard, but Princeton is currently atop the league at 5-0 and has won eight straight games overall. The Quakers are in last place in the Ivy but have been competitive in almost every game; an upset here could make their season.

UNLV-Nevada (16), Wednesday in Reno. The Wolf Pack’s hostile takeover bid of a state dominated for decades by the Runnin’ Rebels could gain real traction this year, with Reno second in the Mountain West and rebuilding UNLV languishing in last. But nothing has come easily lately – the past six regular-season meetings have all been decided by six points or less or gone to overtime. Just to make sure everyone knows how big the rivalry is, Nevada is breaking out new uniforms – and even ran the design past the governor.

North Carolina-Duke (17), Thursday in Durham. The second-most-heated rivalry in college basketball (behind Louisville-Kentucky) resumes with both teams feeling better about themselves. The Blue Devils have been through a season of melodrama but have won three straight and got Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski back on the bench Saturday. The Tar Heels have won nine of their past 10, losing only to bipolar Miami. Duke’s inconsistent freshman class needs to show it has the maturity to handle the intensity of this game.

Purdue-Indiana (18), Thursday in Bloomington. There really are no easy games left for the injury-depleted Hoosiers (15-9, 5-6), which means they need to protect home court at all costs. Transfer guard Josh Newkirk has stepped up in the absence of James Blackmon Jr., but the biggest burden will be on center Thomas Bryant to combat the heft and length of Caleb Swanigan and Isaac Haas of Purdue. Last year was Indiana’s first win in the series since 2013.

Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s (19), Saturday in Moraga, Calif. If it weren’t for the Gaels, the West Coast Conference would be a complete bore for the ‘Zags. They’re 100-11 in the league in the past six seasons, and four of those losses have been against Saint Mary’s. The Gaels are legit this year, seemingly with the size and experience (although perhaps not the athleticism) to hang with Gonzaga. The game in Spokane wasn’t close, but this one should be.

Syracuse-Pittsburgh (20), Saturday in Pittsburgh. Two members of the Big East diaspora who have brought their rivalry to the ACC – but they’re going in different directions this year. While the Orange rebound is documented above, the Panthers are in last place and have lost eight straight. But they’re playing much tougher of late, losing at North Carolina and Duke by a combined 10 points. With four home games down the stretch, Pitt has a last chance to reverse course before the league tournament.

Cincinnati-SMU (21), Sunday in Dallas. This is a blossoming new-era rivalry between what have been the top two programs in the AAC – this year and over the course of the league’s existence. Four of SMU’s nine conference losses the past three seasons have been to the Bearcats. Every matchup but one has been decided by single digits. If Cincy captures this one, it will almost sew up the AAC regular-season title.

Virginia-Virginia Tech (22), Sunday in Blacksburg. This series has been a mismatch in Charlottesville, but not so recently at Cassell Coliseum. Buzz Williams got his first big win as coach of the Hokies last year at home, and nearly pulled off the upset there in 2015. Virginia Tech is working to remain on the right side of the bubble and secure its first NCAA tournament bid in a decade.

MONK LAUGHS IN DEFEAT, STATE OF KENTUCKY GOES CRAZY

First there was Crying Jordan (23).

Now will there be Laughing Monk (24)?

Standout Kentucky freshman Malik Monk was caught on camera chuckling in the final minute of a 22-point beating at Florida on Saturday night – a game in which Monk played quite poorly – and you can guess how that went over with the most passionate (and demanding) fan base in America. Incensed by a third loss in the past four games, Big Blue backers wasted no time getting mad online, demanding that Monk be benched or suspended (they stopped short of deportation).

Kentucky fans can be guilty of loving too much. And occasionally criticizing too much. This isn’t a federal case.

Monday on the SEC teleconference, Wildcats coach John Calipari provided both some context into the laugh and some insight into what he told Monk in the aftermath.

The Florida crowd had just mockingly serenaded Monk with a “Happy Birthday” song, since he turned 19 Saturday. That’s what prompted the laugh. Nevertheless, Calipari administered a lecture to his leading scorer.

“ ‘Do you understand you’re at Kentucky?’ “ Calipari said he told Monk. “That the camera is always on. The mic is always on. And it was a lesson for him.”

If the lesson simply is to remember to act disappointed during a loss, as opposed to actually being disappointed, that may not be the ideal education. Monk hasn’t shown signs of being a halfhearted competitor, but overall this is a team that hasn’t shown great maturity, chemistry or tenacity. When the going has gotten tough, the Wildcats haven’t shown the requisite toughness to thrive.

And thus when things go badly, Kentucky has to battle a suspicion in the minds of some fans that the one-and-done freshmen are more invested in their individual draft stock than program success. Calipari often says NBA draft day is the biggest day of the year for his program, but the fans don’t have to go along with that mindset. They aren’t laughing at much of anything right now.

JIM BOEHEIM AND THE ASTERISK

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim (25) won his 899th career game Saturday against Virginia. They celebrated it in the Carrier Dome as his 1,000th, because that’s what it would have been if Boeheim didn’t have 101 victories stripped as a result of widespread NCAA violations within his program.

(Far more widespread than Boeheim’s postgame reduction of the case to “extra benefits.” )

But the wins were vacated. There was a lot of breath expelled about the perceived silliness of retroactively vacating victories, but it’s actually a penalty with more teeth than some people want to acknowledge.

Why? Because it hits coaches right in the ego.

They keep track of victory totals. They know where they rank. They like their milestone wins. They care about their legacies.

Ask Calipari, Steve Fisher, Larry Brown and others how they feel about vacated Final Four appearances. Take those away, and it hurts.

THE BIG 12'S HOME-COURT SCRAMBLE

Over the weekend the Big 12 joined the SEC as the only high-major leagues to have zero teams undefeated at home. This is the first time that’s happened in the Big 12 since 2014, courtesy of three major upsets.

Kansas (26) was finally beaten in the Phog by Iowa State (27). Second-year coach Steve Prohm did what Mayor Fred Hoiberg could not in five tries – win in Lawrence. And pending a total collapse over the final eight games, it should have cinched the Cyclones’ NCAA tourney spot.

West Virginia (28) was shocked by Oklahoma State in Morgantown. The Mountaineers have won 17 straight at home against teams not from the state of Oklahoma. They have lost three in a row at home to opponents from that state.

Baylor (29) was beaten at home by Kansas State (30), one of those mystifying Baylor clunkers that this Bears team had scrupulously avoided until Saturday. The win propels K-State toward an NCAA bid, which in turn would greatly aid Bruce Weber’s job security. Last year Baylor started 17-4, then lost eight of its last 13. Is it happening again? The Bears were 20-1 through January, 0-2 thus far in February.

THE ORDEAL IN OLEAN

Not many games have ended as weirdly as Virginia Commonwealth (31) beating St. Bonaventure (32) in overtime on the road Saturday. In a nutshell, Bona lost out on its biggest win of the season when the home crowd and support staff lost its mind.

Matt Mobley hit what appeared to be the game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second remaining. But an ensuing confiscation of the game ball by a security guard plus a trespassing fan who ran into an official with what was supposed to be four-tenths of a second remaining resulted in a technical foul, a tying free throw by JeQuan Lewis and a subsequent VCU victory in OT.

As everything began turning to bedlam after the Mobley shot, the Rams showed some alertness. Doug Brooks went and grabbed the ball from the security guard while calling for a technical foul to be issued, and the VCU bench (most notably assistant Wes Long) lobbied for the “T” as well as the court was stormed. The officials listened and made the call.

The Atlantic-10 office issued a rather tortured explanation Sunday of why the “administrative technical” was the correct call.

That’s small consolation to the Bonnies, who lost a big one in a chaotic instant.

“Whatever [protocol] was in place, we didn’t have enough in place to prevent that from happening,” Bonaventure coach Mark Schmidt said.

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH A COACH

Each week The Minutes has a quick Q&A with a coach on a pertinent subject. This week’s interview subject: Texas coach Shaka Smart (33), whose second year in Austin has been a bit rocky (the Longhorns are 9-14, 3-7 in the Big 12). This week’s topic: starting over and building a program in a new location.

FM: What’s been the adjustment to getting things going here?

SS: Last year we had an older team. I thought those guys did a good job in one year of buying into what we wanted, but it’s almost like starting over. We lost all five starters and six of our top players. Not only are we young this year (the rotation is heavy on freshmen and sophomores), but we’re very immature. … We’ve learned some lessons the hard way with that, but I think these guys are making progress and will come out on the other side of it.

FM: You’re recruiting very well; how long, in a new place, does it take to piece together a program the way you want it?

SS: Every place is different. I think here, we should take a really significant step next year just in terms of culture, learning what really goes into success the way we want to do it. We’re trying to lay a foundation of that this year, but every few days you’ve got a game and you’re trying to win as well. When will it be all the way in place? A lot of it depends on personnel – what guys are here, how long they’re here.

FM: Along those lines, I asked (Texas Tech coach) Chris Beard (34) what he thought of (Texas star freshman) Jarrett Allen (35). He said, “Pro.” I asked, “Right now?” He said, “Yep.”

SS: I’m sure he would love that (laughter).

FM: But it’s the kind of thing where if you have him one more year, to play alongside what you’ve got coming in (heralded point guard Matt Coleman and three other quality recruits), it could be a difference maker. Have you had those kind of discussions with him?

SS: No. I asked him what he wanted out of this year and he said, “I want to have the best freshman year I can.” The conversations we have are about being in the moment and being the best he can on that day. He’s been awesome. He’s got the best GPA on the team, been great in the classroom. He’s learning how to approach practice with a level of competitiveness that’s different than high school. He’s been great.

FM: You were very selective about choosing a job after VCU. What was the biggest reason for that, and after almost two years does this feel like it’s definitely the right place?

SS: Wherever you are is the right place. When you have a program going and a culture in place, you have some momentum – of course you don’t bring that with you. We knew, looking at the roster, that in our second year we’d be very, very young. There’s a lot of things that went into our decision – it was a family decision, my wife was very involved – and sometimes it’s about timing.

UNDER THE RADAR LOVE

Every week The Minutes shines some light on a player from outside the power elite who is doing good work. This week: Justin Robinson (36), Monmouth.

The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Robinson was, like Central Michigan’s Keene, overlooked by many schools in recruiting because of his stature. But 1,791 points later, he is the career scoring leader at Monmouth and has led the Hawks to a second straight 20-win season – with more victories sure to come.

Robinson has scored 20 or more points in eight straight games, but he’s also distributing during this stretch (4.6 assists per game) rebounding remarkably well for his size (4.5 per game).

Last year the Hawks were beaten in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament and controversially denied an NCAA at-large bid. This year, at 20-5, Robinson is doing everything he can to lead Monmouth to the Promised Land.

COACH WHO EARNED HIS COMP CAR THIS WEEK

Chris Mack (37), Xavier. The Musketeers’ season was supposed to spiral into the tank when No. 2 scorer and leading assist man Edmond Sumner blew out his knee against St. John’s on Jan. 29. Two games and two two-point victories later, that hasn’t happened. Mack has gotten high-level play from leading scorer Trevon Bluiett and good production from the player who took Sumner’s place in the lineup, freshman Quentin Goodin, to keep Xavier’s season on track.

COACH WHO SHOULD TAKE THE BUS TO WORK

John Calipari (38), Kentucky. In the preseason, Cal billed this as a potentially great defensive team: “You have size, you have some strength, you have guards that can really … maul people, and I think we’ll have some shot-blocking.” Instead, this has been Calipari’s worst Kentucky team by a wide margin in terms of effective field-goal percentage allowed (47.8 percent) and lowest percentage of shots blocked (14 percent). The Wildcats don’t seem up for the grind required to stop good (or even adequate) offensive teams, especially on the road. There is, as always with so much youth, plenty of potential growth ahead – but will this team reach its potential in time to make a March run?

BUZZER BEATER

When hungry and thirsty in the great city of Austin, The Minutes encourages a meal at Hoover’s Cooking (39) near campus. Get the hot sausage plate with jalapeno creamed spinach side. From there, head to the spectacular downtown area and get yourself a 512 IPA (40). Thank The Minutes later.

NCAAFB: Five burning questions for the FCS

By CRAIG HALEY

(Photo/STATS/Yahoo Sports)

Football season never seems to end, even on the FCS level.

No sooner was James Madison getting sized for its national crown, and there were postseason all-star games and national signing day to capture attention.

The NFL Combine and pro days follow for some, and many others are moving toward spring practices. Onward it goes.

Even when there isn't action on the field, the talk off it keeps the appetite whet for football.

Here are five burning questions for the FCS this offseason:

Who's the top NFL Draft candidate from the FCS?

The answer was simple a year ago, North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz, who the Philadelphia Eagles plucked with the second overall pick.

This year, the top FCS pick is more wide open, although Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp had the early jump in pre-draft rankings, and is coming off a strong week at the Senior Bowl.

Still, this is a great year for defensive ends coming from the FCS, and scouts like the athleticism of Chattanooga's Keionta Davis, Villanova's Tanoh Kpassagnon and Youngstown State's Derek Rivers.

No FCS prospect has had a better postseason than Saint Francis free safety Lorenzo Jerome, who built on to his 18 career interceptions with four more pick and a forced fumble over two important all-star games - the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and Senior Bowl. He's also regarded for his ability on kickoff returns.

Who will say, "FC-Yes!"?

Ten FCS teams defeated FBS opponents this past season, tying for the fourth-most in a campaign. James Madison has a great chance to pull off a win on opening weekend when it visits an East Carolina squad that is coming off a 3-9 season.

Four of the top eight finishers in the final 2016 STATS FCS Top 25 aren't playing FBS opponents this season, although Richmond and Sam Houston State are kicking off the season against each other and North Dakota State and South Dakota State will meet in conference play.

There are plenty of marquee opponents for the ranked FCS teams, including The Citadel (national champ Clemson), Chattanooga (LSU), Samford (Georgia), Youngstown State (Pittsburgh), Eastern Washington (Texas Tech), Jacksonville State (Georgia Tech), North Dakota (Utah) and Charleston Southern (Mississippi State).

Some FBS programs that have lost to FCS opponents in recent years have matchups, including South Carolina (Wofford), Temple (Villanova) and Charlotte (North Carolina A&T).

Who has the most to prove?

It starts with Sam Houston State, but it basically stretches to the entire Southland Conference.

The conference was home to the only unbeaten teams in the last two FCS regular seasons - McNeese in 2015 and Sam Houston this past season - and both came up short in the playoffs. McNeese managed the No. 4 seed yet didn't win in the 2015 playoffs, getting bounced by Sam Houston. Despite being top-ranked to end the 2016 regular season, Sam Houston was seeded fifth and got mauled on the road in the quarterfinals, 65-7 by James Madison.

This could be a good season for the Southland. Sam Houston returns many key players and figures to start the year in the Top 5. Central Arkansas could be Top 15 again and Nicholls is on the upswing because many of last year's key players are underclassmen. McNeese, of course, is a consistent power.

What is the impact of the coaching carousel?

Five of the 16 FCS programs that have new coaches finished in the Top 25 last season, and two of the more interesting hires are moving up from lower divisions, Adam Dorrel from Division II champ Northwest Missouri State to Abilene Christian and Tom Arth from Division III John Carroll to Chattanooga.

New coaches usually energize a program in their first year. Few have done it better than what Mike Houston did at James Madison this past year, leading his first Dukes' team to a perfect season in CAA Football and the program's second national title.

The CAA is the most interesting conference for new coaches. It was known last year that Villanova's Andy Talley would be coaching his final season and longtime assistant Mark Ferrante would take over for this one. Talley handed over the program in good shape for this year.

The big turn of the coaching carousel came when Danny Rocco moved across the CAA from Richmond to Delaware. He's never had a losing record in 11 seasons as a head coach and is asked to revive the Blue Hens after their first back-to-back losing records since 1938-39.

Richmond needed only a day to fill its opening, replacing Rocco with the highly successful Russ Huesman from Chattanooga. He was the defensive coordinator on Richmond's 2008 national championship squad.

Which team is favored to win the national title, North Dakota State or James Madison?

Talk about two teams with a ton of motivation and talent. There's no right or wrong answer because they're both worthy of being the preseason No. 1.

It's easy to go with the defending champ, James Madison, which beat North Dakota State in the playoff semifinals to end its five-year run as national champion. The Dukes have the same Bison blueprint - a physical style of play, from a power run game to a swarming defense. Headlining the returnees is senior quarterback Bryan Schor, the 2016 CAA offensive player of the year.

But it's not easy to pick against NDSU, which might return more overall talent, and clearly on the defensive side. The Bison are fueled by the fact they aren't the defending champ.

Quarterback Easton Stick has many of his skills position players returning and the special teams will be outstanding. The big question is whether coach Chris Klieman's team will successfully replace three starters on the offensive line.

Again, no right or wrong answer here.

Tennessee officially hires Brady Hoke as new DL coach, adds Walt Wells as OL coach.

By Bryan Fischer

(Photo/Getty Images)

After a number of rumors and reports, Tennessee has officially hired former Michigan head coach and Oregon defensive coordinator Brady Hoke.

Vols head coach Butch Jones announced the move in a school release, which confirms that Hoke will be brought onto the staff as associate head coach/defensive line.

“We are excited to welcome Brady and Laura Hoke to the football family,” Jones said in a statement. “We feel extremely fortunate to get someone of Coach Hoke’s caliber that will continue to develop our defensive linemen while also providing expertise and experience to all of our players and coaching staff. He has an extensive track record of success as a head coach and on the defensive side of the ball. He will be a great fit to our entire organization.”

In addition to bringing on Hoke, Tennessee has also hired Walt Wells as the team’s new offensive line coach. The Nashville native joins the program after having previously served as assistant head coach/offensive line at Eastern Kentucky two seasons ago. He replaces Don Mahoney, who did not have his contract renewed by the program after struggles at the position in 2016.

Steve Stripling, who previously occupied Hoke’s position as defensive line coach the past four seasons, was named director of football program development.

The moves will no doubt add to a pressure-packed 2017 season for Jones and company in Knoxville.

Road to Derby: McCraken tops probables for Saturday's Sam F. Davis Stakes.

By Bob Velin

(McCraken winning The Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs. (Photo: Coady Photography)

The Road to the Kentucky Derby resumes Saturday as several Triple Crown hopefuls will break from the starting gate at Tampa Bay Downs in the 37th Sam F. Davis Stakes, a Grade III race for 3-year-olds on the 1 1/16-mile main track.

The $250,000 Sam F. Davis is a points race toward qualifying for the Run for the Roses on May 6 at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The top four finishers will collect points, with the winner receiving 10 points. Second place collects four points, third two points and fourth one point.

The Davis also is a prep race for the Grade II, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby on March 11. That race is worth 50 points to the winner.

Among the favorites expected to run in the Sam F. Davis Stakes are undefeated stakes winner McCraken, trained by Ian Wilkes and racing for the first time away from Churchill Downs, and No Dozing, trained by Arnaud Delacour.

No Dozing, who has won two of his four races, finished second to Mo Town in the Grade II Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 26 his last time out. The colt is the son of Union Rags, the 2012 Belmont Stakes champion.

McCraken, 3-for-3 lifetime, has been idle since winning the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 26, the final race of his 2-year-old campaign. Ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., McCraken is the son of 2004 horse of the year Ghostzapper.

McCraken is tied with six other horses for seventh place in the Road to the Derby standings with 10 points, while No Dozing has racked up five points, tied for 17th.

Also expected to run in the Davis is another undefeated colt, Fact Finding, trained by Todd Pletcher, who has won the Davis six of the last 11 runnings. Pletcher won with Destin in 2016.

Fact Finding, 3-for-3 lifetime, won his 2-year-old races by a combined 13 3/4 lengths, including a 7-length victory in the Dec. 10 Smooth Air Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. Fact Finding was scratched from last week’s Grade II Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream to run in the Davis.

Other likely Davis starters: Wild Shot, a Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes runner-up trained by George R. Arnold; Gerald Bennett-trained Chance of Luck, winner of the Inaugural Stakes on Dec. 3 and second in the Pasco Stakes on Jan. 21; and King and His Court, a gelding trained by Mark Casse and winner of the Coronation Futurity and Display Stakes as a 2-year-old at Woodbine in Toronto.

Two other 3-year-old colts expected to run: State of Honor, trained by Casse and the second-place finisher in the Coronation Futurity and the Jan. 7 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream, and Eoin Harty’s Six Gun Salute.

Royal Mo wins big: Royal Mo, idle since Nov. 27, scored an impressive 3 1/2-length win in Saturday’s Grade III, 1  1/16-mile Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita and stamped himself a top Kentucky Derby candidate. Ridden by Victor Espinoza and trained by John Shirreffs, the bay colt by Uncle Mo went the distance in 1:43.48.

“I was very happy with how he ran. ... , the pace, the fractions, having that horse (Irap, with Mario Gutierrez) outside of him, hooking him a little bit, so I think he showed a lot of character,” said Shirreffs, who also conditions recent Grade III Sham Stakes winner Gormley.

Asked what might be next for his two talented 3-year-olds, Shirreffs said, “You take it as it comes. Obviously, you don’t really want to run them together. We’ll just have to see how it goes. I haven’t spoken with Mr. (owner Jerry) Moss about that, so we’ll see.”

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, February 08, 2017.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1896 - The Western Conference was formed by representatives of Midwestern universities. The group changed its name to the Big 10 Conference. 

1936 - The first National Football League (NFL) draft was held. Jay Berwanger was the first to be selected. He went to the Philadelphia Eagles.

1950 - The Associated Press named Jim Thorpe and Baby Didrikson Zaharias the greatest male and female athletes of the first half of the 20th century.

1963 - Lamar Hunt, owner of the American Football League franchise in Dallas, TX, moved the operation to Kansas City. The new team was named the Chiefs.

1984 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke Wilt Chamberlains record of 12,681 goals. He scored 15,836 goals before retiring in 1989.

1991 - Roger Clemens signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox that paid $5,380,250 per year.

1996 - Charles Barkley became the 22nd player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points.

1997 - Scotty Bowman won his 1,000th NHL regular season game as a coach.

1997 - Mike Gartner (Phoenix Coyotes) became only the sixth player in NHL history to get 600 career goals and 600 career assists.

1998 - The first female ice hockey game in Olympic history was played. Finland beat Sweden 6-0.

2003 - Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) became the second fastest NHL player to reach 1,000 career assists.

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