Cleveland State had to sweat out nearly the entire National Invitational Tournament Selection Show on Sunday.

Finally, on the final bracket of the NIT and the very last pairings announced, CSU was unveiled as the No. 2 seed.

CSU will host No. 7 Vermont, the America East regular season champions, Tuesday at the Wolstein Center. Tip off is 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN3.com.

"I am ecstatic for the young men in our program because they have been given the opportunity to play in the postseason and have earned the right to play a home game this week," CSU coach Gary Waters said in a press release. "The Wolstein Center has been very good to us this year and I look forward to meeting Vermont on Tuesday."

Tickets go on sale Monday morning at the Wolstein Center box office starting at 10:00 a.m. Prices are $20 for seats between the baselines, $10 for endzones and $5 for students.

If the Vikings (26-8) defeat the Catamounts (23-8) they will host the winner of the Dayton-College of Charleston game in the second round.

It's CSU's fourth appearance in the NIT and first since 2008. CSU is 2-3 all-time in the NIT.

Browns president Mike Holmgren has gone on the record and pegged Colt McCoy the starting quarterback for the 2011 season (NFL lockout pending). The soon to be second year quarterback played admirably his rookie season, completing over 60% of his passes for over 1,500 yards and six touchdowns. McCoy didn’t entirely escape the mistakes that usually plague young quarterbacks as he threw nine interceptions, but overall, McCoy managed the team and the game-plan well and gave hope to a team that hasn’t had consistency at the quarterback position in years.

So if the Browns are so excited about their young quarterback, why are they looking so closely at Cam Newton?

According to NFL.com, the Browns will be one of eight teams that will hold a private workout for Newton. The former Auburn star and reigning Heisman trophy winner is considered one of the top two quarterbacks in this year’s draft alongside Blaine Gabbert from Missouri.

If Cleveland were to draft Newton, they’d have to ignore the pressing need for help at the wide receiver and defensive line positions and use their first round pick to get him (assuming Newton is still on the board). And if they pass up on guys like A.J. Green, Marcell Dareus or Nick Fairley, I might literally set myself on fire. But Holmgren has said that taking a close look at the quarterbacks in this year’s class is something he intends to do.

"Oh, I'm going to talk to them... I like to watch the quarterbacks, anyway, you know,” Holmgren said. “But those fellas probably will be drafted pretty high. But I think we have to talk to them all. We'll probably bring them in, do our work and see what happens."

Holmgren has come out and said he intends to draft a quarterback this year, but he likely won’t use the Browns first round pick to get one.

So why hold a private workout for Newton? Probably because quarterbacks to Holmgren are like feet to Rex Ryan. Let the man enjoy his fetish.

Cleveland State senior guard Norris Cole has been named one of five finalists for the 2011 Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the top point guard in the nation.

The other finalists were Jimmer Fredette of BYU, Nolan Smith of Duke, Jordan Taylor of Wisconsin, and Kemba Walker of Connecticut.

"This is a big honor for myself and my teammates because it reflects the sacrifices that this team made during the summer and off-season to improve and it honors the success that we have had this year," Cole said in a press release. "To be considered as one of the five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award shows that a player from a mid-major school can compete at the highest of levels as long as he works hard."

The winner will be announced on April 1 with the award presentation coming at the Final Four on April 4 as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Class Announcement.

Cole, the 2011 Horizon League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, led the HL in scoring (21.6), steals (2.2) and free throw percentage (.853). He was also second in assists (5.3) and seventh in rebounding (6.0).

On Wednesday, Cole was selected to the District 12 First Team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and is now eligible for the State Farm Coaches' Division I All-America team.

Have you ever run out of things to do at work? Have you ever run out of things to do at work but pretended to be really busy so your boss wouldn’t put anything new on your plate? Have you ever just slightly adjusted something you’ve done at work and presented it to your boss as if you did something completely new and that it took you forever to do it, even though all you did was highlight some sentences and change the title of your TPS report to TPS breakdown.

I feel like this is how Mel Kiper Jr. lives everyday of his life. I feel like he sits behind his closed door at ESPN headquarters with a sign that reads, “Do NOT Interrupt, Working on Mock Draft 53.0”. In reality, he’s laying on the floor, pantsless, eating chocolate pudding and watching whatever is on HGTV. I say “HGTV” because a man with hair that elegant is a man who cares about his home and garden, thank you very much.

Recently, Kiper slipped his pants on, walked to his editors office and slammed down a slightly altered copy of his “Mock Draft 2.0”, titled “Mock Draft 3.0”, and then rushed back to his office because his DVR is on the fritz and he didn’t want to miss the ending of Roses Roses Roses. His editor read the Mock Draft, squealed in delight, then published it on ESPN.com for all the “insiders” to read.

In his latest, Kiper writes that the Browns will have to decide between drafting A.J. Green, the dynamic wide receiver from Georgia, or DaQuan Bowers, the explosive defensive end from Clemson. Green is widely considered the top receiver in this class despite a strong combine from Julio Jones, and the consensus among “experts” is that Bowers is the top defensive end coming out.

Both players would address a huge need for a Browns team that lacks explosive play-making ability in the passing game as well as a decent pass rush to compliment a promising secondary.

Any comments or criticism you have for Kiper can be emailed to LOLIGetPaidToDoNothing [at] Espn.com.

From the OSU Athletic Communications office:

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Officials with the Ohio State University and Department of Athletics will be available at 7 p.m. Tuesday (3/8/11).

E. Gordon Gee, Ohio State University president, Gene Smith, vice president and director of athletics, and Jim Tressel, head football coach, will address the media at the Jack Nicklaus Museum (2355 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210).

The availability will be streamed live on www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com.

---

The press availability will be to respond to media reports yesterday that Tressel was aware as early as April, 2010 of the NCAA violations disclosed in December that resulted in five game suspensions of five OSU players. More details on the TCF message boards  http://bit.ly/gYxJwn

Around the Farm takes a look at how Indians prospects throughout the system are performing, and will be a regular feature here on Hitting the Fan once the season starts.  It's not meant to be in-depth analysis, but a quick snapshot of the previous day's games from Columbus on down through Mahoning Valley and the complex leagues.  You're not going to see Carlos Santana, Choo or Fausto in this space, because those guys are pretty well set in their roles for the big league club.  That being said, let's see how some of our prospects are doing in major-league action so far this spring...

Drew Pomeranz, SP: 3 IP, 5 K, BB. Pomz has been one of the more impressive players so far in limited action.  Anyone who was listening to the game on Sunday heard Tom Hamilton absolutely gushing over the young lefty. His power curve made some major league hitters look pretty silly, and he's been able to control it with just one walk.  He's still likely ticketed to start the season in Kinston, but has the potential to move through the system at least as quickly as 2009 1st round pick Alex White.  Expect him to throw about 150 innings in 2011, and top out as high as AAA Columbus if he keeps this up.  Don't get too carried away with his performance so far though; Pomz was a little inconsistent for Ole Miss last year, and could easily go out and walk 3 batters in his next outing.  Not saying I don't believe in the kid's talent, just reminding everyone to keep their expectations realistic.

Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B: 7-15 (.467), 2 HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K. The Chiz is slugging an even 1.000 so far this spring, and has been as impressive as any position player on the roster.  He's still an extreme longshot to make the opening day roster as he is not on the 40-man and the Indians would like to see him get some more at bats against left handed pitching in the minors before bringing him up to Cleveland.  But he's certainly making an impression on both Indians brass and fans with both the bat and the glove so far this spring.

·     Chad Huffman, OF: 8-14 (.571), HR, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 4 BB, SB, K. Huffman is fighting for a spot on the opening day roster, and is putting up some solid numbers in the early going.  With both Sizemore and Crowe unlikely to be healthy for opening day, Huffman has a real shot to break camp with the club.

·     Vinnie Pestano, RP: 3 IP, 6 K, HBP. Pestano is a contender for the final spot in the bullpen, and has been lights-out so far this spring.  Averaging 2 K per IP will tend to get peoples attention. 

·     Ezequiel Carrera, OF: 8-22 (.364), HR, 7 RBI, 7 BB, 3 SB, 5 K: Zeke has been showing off top of the order skills, with 7 BB and 3 SB in addition to the healthy .364 average.  He's getting on base at a .517 clip, and is another option for the opening day roster as a backup OF.

·     Nick Weglarz, OF: 2-7 (.286), HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K. To no one's surprise, Wegz is hitting for power and getting on base.  He's probably not in the mix for the opening day roster, but could be called up from AAA Columbus at some point this year if he can just stay healthy.

·     Cord Phelps, INF: 2-9 (.222), 2B, RBI, 3 BB. Phelps has been making contact (0 K) and getting on base (.417 OBP).  His bat remains solid; the issue is where he will play in the field, and how much.

·     Alex White, SP: 3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 4 K, 2 BB.  Roughed up a little in his first outing, White bounced back with a better outing his 2nd appearance on the hill. 

·     Nick Hagadone, RP: 2 IP, K, 2 H, BB, HBP. With his combination of age and stuff, Hagadone could move quickly if he can show better command this season. 

·     Jason Kipnis, 2B: 2-13 (.154) HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K. Despite the less than stellar results, scouts are raving about Kip's hitting ability in AZ.  He launched a long HR early on, and hasn't done a whole lot since.  He'll join The Chiz in the middle of the Columbus lineup this year, and could accompany him to Cleveland at some point as well.

·     Kelvin De La Cruz, SP: 4 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 K, BB. Healthy this year, De La Cruz could re-establish himself as one of the top SP prospects in the system. 

·     Zach Putnam, RP: 2 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 3 K, BB. Another arm that has an excellent shot at pitching in Cleveland at some point in 2011, Putnam has been touched up for two HR so far this spring.

·     Chun Chen, C: 0-4, 2 RBI, K. One of my favorite prospects, Chen got an invite to big league spring training with no shot at making the big league club. Enjoy him at AA Akron this year, as he should be a fun guy to watch hit.  Still needs to make strides in his defense, but the opportunity to work with Sandy Alomar in big league camp should be a fruitful one.

·     Jared Goedert, INF: 0-4, R, 2 K. Goedert didn't really have an opportunity to get untracked in his quest to make the roster as a utility infielder, as an oblique strain will see him sidelined for at least the next two weeks.

According to a Yahoo! report, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel knew as early as April of 2010 that his players had committed NCAA violations by selling memorabilia to the owner of a Columbus tattoo parlor, Edward Rife. The report states that an unnamed source came to Tressel with information about his players and the possible rules violations, but neither Tressel or Ohio State investigated further into the matter.

If this report proves to be true, it could mean serious sanctions for Tressel. If a coach has information about his players and possible rules violations, he is contractually obligated to report it to the school for an investigation. This appears under the termination clause in Tressel’s contract, and although we’re very, very far from drastic measures being taken, it could be a bumpy road for the Senator if there’s validity to the report.

Back in December, Dan Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, Solomon Thomas and Terrelle Pryor were suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season for selling championship rings and “gold-pants” necklaces, which are gifts the players received with a victory over Michigan. Jordan Whiting was also suspended one game for receiving a discounted tattoo from Rife.

When news of the suspensions broke on December 23, Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith stated that the university had not become aware of the violations until December 8. With the Yahoo! report contradicting this, a future investigation is likely.

Ohio State is expected to release a statement addressing the report later today.

Courtesy of the Mid-American Conference

Cleveland, Ohio -- Today the Mid-American Conference announced that Kent State's Justin Greene and Head Coach Geno Ford have earned top honors for the 2010-11 men's basketball season. Greene was named Player of Year, while Ford was tabbed Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. The Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards were voted on by a 20-member MAC News Media Association panel.

Read more...

With the regular season coming to a close, the Big Ten passed out all-conference accolades and individual awards to players and coaches around the league. With multiple Buckeyes being considered for top honors, Monday night had the potential to be a great night for Ohio State. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes fell short in the conferences biggest individual awards -- losing the Big Ten player of the year and coach of the year to members of the Purdue Boilermakers. Here are your 2011 Big Ten individual award winners and All-Conference teams:

Player of the Year -- Jujuan Johnson, Purdue

Coach of the Year -- Matt Painter, Purdue

Freshman of the Year -- Jared Sullinger, Ohio State (Unanimous Selection)

Sixth Man of the Year -- Aaron Craft, Ohio State

Defensive Player of the Year -- Jujuan Johnson, Purdue

First Team All-Big Ten Selections (Coaches):

• Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
• Jajuan Johnson, Purdue (Unanimous Selection)
• E’Twaun Moore, Purdue
• Jon Leuer, Wisconsin
• Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin

Second Team All-Big Ten Selections (Coaches):

• Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
• Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota
• William Buford, Ohio State
• David Lighty, Ohio State
• Talor Battle, Penn State

Third Team All-Big Ten Selections (Coaches):

• Demetri McCamey, Illinois
• Darius Morris, Michigan
• Draymond Green, Michigan State
• John Shurna, Northwestern
• Michael Thompson, Northwestern
• Jon Diebler, Ohio State

*Multiple selections due to tie...

First Team All-Big Ten Selections (Media):

• Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
• Talor Battle, Penn State
• Jajuan Johnson, Purdue (Unanimous Selection)
• E’Twaun Moore, Purdue
• Jordan Talyor, Wisconsin (Unanimous Selection)

Second Team All-Big Ten Selections (Media):

• Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
• Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota
• William Buford, Ohio State
• David Lighty, Ohio State
• Jon Leuer, Wisconsin

Third Team All-Big Ten Selections (Media):

• Demetri McCamey, Illinois
• Darius Morris, Michigan
• Draymond Green, Michigan State
• Michael Thompson, Northwestern
• Jon Diebler, Ohio State

All-Big Ten Freshman Team (Coaches):

• Jereme Richmond, Illinois
• Melsahn Basabe, Iowa
• Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan (Unanimous Selection)
• Aaron Craft, Ohio State
• Jared Sullinger, Ohio State (Unanimous Selection)

All-Big Ten Defensive Team (Coaches):

• Delvon Roe, Michigan State
• Aaron Craft, Ohio State (Unanimous Selection)
• David Lighty, Ohio State
• JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
• Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin

The Buckeyes beat the Badgers into a bloody, unrecognizable mess last night. In fact, posters are popping up all over Madison with pictures of what the team used to look like with the caption, "Have you seen this team?"...

After Ohio State was done setting records and whatnot, the Big Ten released the 2011 tournament bracket.

The Buckeyes are the No. 1 seed and appear to have the easiest road to the Big Ten title game among the “favorites” (Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin). Ohio State is in the top half of the bracket and will face either Northwestern or Minnesota in the first game, and in the event that they win, they’ll have to beat either Michigan or Illinois to make it to the conference championship game.

On the other side of the bracket -- second seeded Purdue, third seeded Wisconsin and a still-alive-because-they’re-never-dead (OMG-ZOMBIES!!!) Michigan State team will battle each other in their road to the championship game.

The tournament tips-off this Thursday, March 10 in Indianapolis, Indiana (Conseco Fieldhouse).