ESPN: Yost becomes Offensive Coordinator at Missouri

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Dave Yost, a longtime offensive assistant at Missouri, will be the Tigers' offensive coordinator next season.

Yost replaces Dave Christensen, who was hired as coach at Wyoming earlier this month. Christensen will stay with the school until after the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29 against Northwestern.

Yost has been quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator the last 12 seasons under Gary Pinkel, the last eight at Missouri.

"I'm excited about having David take over the offense," Pinkel said in a statement. "He's already had a huge role these past few years, much larger than people probably realize, in terms of game planning and calling plays."

ESPN: White Sox sign Cuban infielder

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The Chicago White Sox agreed to a $10 million, four-year contract Friday with Cuban infielder Dayan Viciedo.

Viciedo will receive a $4 million signing bonus and be paid $1 million in 2009, $1.25 million in 2010 and 2011 and $2.5 million in 2012. He will join a team that already has two Cuban players in Alexei Ramirez and Jose Contreras.

The 19-year-old Viciedo played three seasons with Villa Clara in the Cuban League, batting .296 with 32 home runs and 123 RBI in 233 games.

He is expected to compete for playing time at third base with Josh Fields and perhaps Wilson Betemit, who was acquired in a trade with the Yankees and agreed to a $1.3 million, one-year deal Thursday. Joe Crede is a free agent, but the White Sox are not expected to re-sign him.

"My best defensive position is third base. It's the position I've always played and the position I feel most comfortable in," Viciedo said through a translator during a conference call.

But Viciedo said he also would be willing to try the outfield, if that's what the White Sox needed.

The White Sox would like Viciedo to drop some weight before spring training starts in February. He said he currently tips the scales at 246 pounds and plans on being down to 230.

"I don't have any doubt that I can get there," he said.

The White Sox freed up dollars in a couple of trades, sending Nick Swisher to the Yankees in the Betemit deal and shipping right-hander Javier Vazquez to the Braves for prospects.

Whether Viciedo starts the season with the major league team or in the minors could depend on how well he plays in spring training and how quickly he gets acclimated to new surroundings at such a young age.

He said Ramirez's success was a motivation for him and the two would start working out together in Florida before spring training.

Ramirez batted .290 with 21 homers, including a major league rookie-record four grand slams, and 77 RBIs. He finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting to Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria.

"Cuban baseball I feel is good baseball," Viciedo said. "With what he did, I feel I can also be successful."

The White Sox also agreed to a one-year deal with outfielder DeWayne Wise for $550,000 and avoided arbitration. Wise batted .248 with six homers and 18 RBIs in 57 games last season, his first with the White Sox after signing as a minor league free agent March 5.

ESPN: UCLA's Howland Gets 300th Win

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Josh Shipp and Jrue Holiday scored 14 points each and UCLA (No. 14 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) routed DePaul 72-54 in the John R. Wooden Classic doubleheader Saturday, giving coach Ben Howland his 300th career victory.

Darren Collison added 10 points and five assists and Nikola Dragovic had 10 points for the Bruins (6-2). Freshman walk-on Tyler Trapani, Wooden's great-grandson, got into a game for the first time this season with 1:29 remaining. He missed his only shot, a 3-pointer.

Howland improved his career mark to 300-146, including stints at Northern Arizona and Pittsburgh.

Mac Koshwal had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Blue Demons (4-4) in the teams' first meeting on a neutral court since 1980, when the Bruins defeated DePaul in the NCAA tournament a year after the Blue Demons surprised UCLA to reach their only Final Four.

Dar Tucker, the Blue Demons' leading scorer, had 11 points after not starting for the first time this season because of "attitude issues," according to coach Jerry Wainwright.

DePaul got no closer than 13 points in the second half on a 3-pointer by Jeremiah Kelly with 10:22 remaining.

The Bruins quickly built their lead back to 20 on consecutive baskets by Shipp.

The Bruins outscored the Blue Demons 22-8 to end the half with a 35-19 lead -- their largest. UCLA got balanced scoring, including 10 points from its bench in the spurt.

UCLA improved to 8-3 in 12 Wooden Classic appearances, including 8-0 as a ranked team.

Wooden watched the Bruins in person for the first time this season, albeit from a suite in a wheelchair instead of his usual seat among the fans. At 98, he doesn't get around as well since a fall in February broke his left wrist and collarbone.

A smiling Wooden waved both hands to acknowledge a prolonged standing ovation late in the game. He made a move to get up from his chair, but thought the better of it as the crowd laughed.Wooden was wheeled onto the court to present the trophy to the Bruins.

Wooden was wheeled onto the court to present the trophy to the Bruins.

Saint Mary's defeated San Diego State 67-64 in the opening game for the second consecutive year.

ESPN: Sam Bradford wins Heisman Trophy

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Sam Bradford's biggest score: the Heisman Trophy.

Oklahoma's amazingly accurate and quick-thinking quarterback won the Heisman on Saturday night after guiding the highest-scoring team in major college football history to the national championship game.

A year after Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman, Bradford became the second and kept the Florida quarterback from joining Archie Griffin as the only two-time winners.

Bradford, who leads the nation in touchdown passes with 48, received 1,726 points. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was second with 1,604 and Tebow -- who received the most first-place votes -- was third with 1,575 points.

The only other time the margin between first and third was smaller was 2001, when Nebraska's Eric Crouch beat out Florida's Rex Grossman and Miami's Ken Dorsey.

ESPN: Auburn hires Chizik

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Iowa State coach Gene Chizik has been hired as the next football coach at Auburn, Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said in statement.

"Gene [Chizik] confirmed for me today that he is accepting the head coaching position at Auburn, Pollard said "I'm disappointed for our Iowa State fans and student-athletes that he has chosen to leave our program after only two seasons.

"I understand that it [Auburn] is a dream job for him, but the timing and the way it played out has been hurtful and disappointing. Although this is a significant set back, we will get through the challenge because the Iowa State University athletics program is far greater than one person."

A former Auburn defensive coordinator, Chizik will succeed Tommy Tuberville, who resigned following 10 seasons. The hiring was first reported by several media outlets, including AuburnUndercover.com, the Birmingham News and the Mobile Press-Register.

Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs has not confirmed the hiring.

"I think that if everything continues to go well in the next few days, we'll have the process narrowed down pretty well," Jacobs told reporters after landing in Auburn on a university jet. "We'll just go from there."

Asked if he had hired Chizik, Jacobs said: "We're just still working through the deal."

Jacobs was on the plane with university President Jay Gogue and other athletic department officials, reportedly returning from a trip to Memphis, where Chizik's agent, Jimmy Sexton, is based. A couple of dozen fans greeted the plane and some of them heckled the Auburn officials for apparently choosing a coach with a losing record.

An Auburn spokesman said no announcement was scheduled and an Iowa State spokesman also said he couldn't confirm the reports. Sexton declined to comment. Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard was out of town and unavailable for comment, spokesman Steve Malchow said.

Chizik is 5-19 in two seasons at Iowa State after stints running the defenses at Auburn and Texas. He coached the nation's top scoring defense in 2004 in his third and final season with the Tigers. That defense allowed just 11 points a game and Auburn went undefeated.

Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard had acknowledged on Friday in a statement that he was aware Chizik had met with Auburn officials and was a serious candidate for the job.

Before coming to Iowa State to replace Dan McCarney, Chizik was one of the hottest defensive coordinators in the country. He led teams at Auburn and Texas to a 28-game winning streak over two-plus seasons before losing in 2006 to Ohio State while at Texas. He was Frank Broyles national award winner in 2004 and served as the coordinator on Texas' 2005 national championship team.

But he's gone just 5-19 in two seasons at Iowa State -- including a 2-10 mark in 2008. The Cyclones went winless in Big 12 play this season, and their win total has dipped in each of the past three seasons.

Chizik's defense regressed in every major statistical category this season. The Cyclones worsened from 65th to 111th nationally in total defense, 93rd to 110th in scoring defense, 44th to 95th in rushing defense and 91st to 115th in total defense.

Their struggles were particularly apparent in the Big 12 game, which has become one of the nation's highest-scoring conferences in the last several seasons. The Cyclones allowed at least 28 points in every conference game this season and at least 422 yards of total offense. Iowa State also had allowed 28 points in 14 of 16 conference games under Chizik.

Iowa State currently has a 10-game losing streak which ranks tied for the second longest in FBS football with SMU. Washington has the longest at 14 games.

But the Iowa State program has traditionally struggled in the latter stages of the Big Eight and Big 12 conferences. The Cyclones had 17 non-winning seasons in a 19-year period before Dan McCarney took them to five bowl games during a span of six season from 2000-05. McCarney was let go after a 4-8 record in 2006.

Iowa State has never notched an outright conference championship in the 117-season history of the progam. The Cyclones shared Missouri Valley Championship titles as co-champions in 1911 and 1912.

ESPN: Temple upsets Tennessee

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Temple students dressed for an upset, wearing Santa Claus hats and white beards and some even held signs that read "Merry Christmas!"

Dionte Christmas, the reason for all the marketing puns, went out and showed the Temple faithful 'tis might be the season to be jolly. He made them all forget about waiting for presents under the tree to celebrate. Each of his big baskets were reasons the fans could carouse on the court.

Christmas scored a season-high 35 points, including three straight 3-pointers during a game-changing stretch that helped Temple upset No. 8 Tennessee 88-72 on Saturday.

Owls fans stormed the court in a wild celebration for coach Fran Dunphy's biggest win in three seasons.

"We played about as good as we could play," Dunphy said. "Everything just came together."

Christmas delivered with a sensational second half when he hit six of his seven 3-pointers for the Owls (5-3). He made 10 baskets in the second half, holding back the nipping Volunteers and turning this into a rout.

"I didn't think I'd get the looks I got today," Christmas said. "I usually don't get that many good looks. Fortunately, I was knocking them down."

Tennessee (6-2) never led in the game, but cut the deficit to four midway through the second half. Christmas then hit three 3s that stretched the lead to 15 points.

Sergio Olmos had five blocks and a career-high 19 points, including two baskets during Temple's 8-0 run to start the game, while Ryan Brooks had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

"It was a huge game. I was just feeling great," Olmos said. "I was feeling like I could jump more than I ever could."

Tyler Smith led the Volunteers with 17 points and Bobby Maze had 15.

The Volunteers were just the sixth top 10 team to play at the Liacouras Center since 1997 and left to chants of "Overrated!" from the raucous crowd. Tennessee's other loss came to then-No. 9 Gonzaga in November.

"There was something special going on," Dunphy said. "You felt like we were prepared."

The Owls raised a banner before the game celebrating their A-10 tournament championship, then went out and scored the first eight points. Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl called a quick timeout to calm his team and they would tie the score at 15 before falling behind for good.

"Our reputation is we're a team that plays hard and today I don't think we played that hard," Pearl said.

Christmas, a 6-foot-5 guard with a knack for explosive games, kept the upset hopes alive with a 3 to start the second half. He also scored the next six points to stick Temple's lead at 14. Christmas went 7-for-14 from 3-point range and 12-of-22 from the field.

Then came the big run. The 38 percent 3-point shooter buried 3 in a row during a 17-6 run that also saw him hit a free throw when Pearl was whistled for a technical. The normally staid arena was almost filled to the rafters and got about as loud as its ever been when Christmas hit the third 3.

"He can do that. He can get on fire like that," Dunphy said.

Christmas was so hot, he said he thought every shot he attempted would go through the hoop. He certainly had to impress the 19 NBA teams that sent scouts.

"They got a real show of what an NBA 2 guard can do when he gets going," Pearl said.

The Volunteers had nothing left. Christmas -- trying to win three straight A-10 scoring titles -- hit 3-pointers Nos. 6 and 7 and made it 82-59.

All Pearl and his players could do was listen to those derisive chants.

"We're ranked too high," Pearl said. "We have a long way to go."

The Owls knocked off a top 10 team for the first time since former coach John Chaney led them to a win over No. 6 George Washington in the 2006 Atlantic 10 tournament. He retired at the end of that season and Dunphy left Penn to succeed him. Dunphy got the Owls into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001 last season and now has a win he hopes can build to another tourney bid.

"Whether or not it's a watershed moment for us or not will be determined later on," he said.

MLB.com: Farnsworth, Royals Agree to Deal

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The Royals' rebuilding of their bullpen now appears complete.

Kyle Farnsworth passed his physical Friday and the Royals announced on Saturday that they had agreed to terms with the right-hander on a two-year deal that includes a club option for 2011. The deal is believed to be worth around $9.25 million.

The signing of Farnsworth, in addition to the club inking right-hander Doug Waechter earlier this week, helps to replenish a bullpen that was depleted this offseason when the Royals traded two of their right-handed setup men -- Ramon Ramirez and Leo Nunez.

Farnsworth, 32, is now expected to join left-hander Ron Mahay as the primary setup men for closer Joakim Soria. He also gives the Royals a power-throwing righty, having amassed 738 strikeouts in his 735 career innings.

The right-hander is coming off a season in which he posted a combined 2-3 record with one save and 4.48 ERA in 61 games for the Yankees and the Tigers. Over his 10-year career with the Cubs, Tigers, Braves and Yankees, Farnsworth's overall record is 30-48 with 27 saves and a 4.47 ERA.

MLB.com: Tribe sign Wood

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Wood looked good, and the Indians have their closer.

Kerry Wood passed the physical he took in Cleveland on Thursday, and the Indians announced Saturday that they have signed the right-hander to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. The two-year guarantee is believed to be worth nearly $20 million, and the option is a club option with a vesting mechanism.

Finding a closer became the Indians' top offseason priority, and it will likely be their lone free-agent investment of great monetary significance. The Tribe took advantage of a surprisingly deep closer's market to get Wood, who had reportedly been seeking a three-year, $30 million guarantee.

Though the 24-year-old Jensen Lewis saved 13 games down the stretch in '08, the Indians simply weren't comfortable handing the job to the youngster going forward. Their rationale is that a more experienced, proven arm in the ninth-inning role can have a stabilizing effect on the rest of the bullpen, which was an area of great concern last season.

"To have a legitimate closer with experience and dominant stuff would be an ideal scenario for us heading into Spring Training," general manager Mark Shapiro said earlier this week. "We would have the makings of a good 'pen."

Enter Wood, who saved 34 games in 40 opportunities with the Cubs last season -- his first as a closer and his second as a reliever. Wood went 5-4 with a 3.26 ERA, 84 strikeouts and 18 walks in 66 1/3 innings over 65 appearances. He told reporters his arm responded well to the move to relief work.

Wood's arm has given him plenty of trouble over the years, and that crippled what was once a very promising starting career.

Wood, an Irving, Texas, native, captured the attention of baseball fans when, at 20 years old, he struck out 20 Astros batters in just his fifth Major League start. He struck out more than 200 batters in four seasons from 1998-2003, including a National League-leading 266 in '03.

But Wood had Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery in 1999 and missed that entire season. In 2004, he strained his triceps and missed two months. And in 2005, he underwent shoulder surgery that limited him to just four starts the following season.

The move to the bullpen in '07 caused a renaissance, of sorts. Wood went 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in 22 relief appearances down the stretch, helping the Cubs clinch a playoff berth. In Spring Training of '08, he beat out Carlos Marmol and Bob Howry for the Cubs' ninth-inning job and went on to become an NL All-Star selection.

With Marmol ready to assume the closer's job, the Cubs went in a different direction this winter. They acquired Kevin Gregg from the Marlins as a setup man to Marmol, essentially marking the end of Wood's tenure with the Cubs, which had begun when they took him with the fourth overall pick in the 1995 First-Year Player Draft.

One underrated benefit to signing Wood is that the Indians don't have to give up a Draft pick to do so. Fearing Wood, who was a Type-A free agent, would accept a one-year contract at a salary determined by an arbitrator, the Cubs did not offer him arbitration this winter, thereby forfeiting their right to Draft pick compensation.

As it became clear Francisco Rodriguez, the top closer on the open market, would be signing with the Mets earlier this week, the cuffs loosened on the closer's market, and the Indians made a heavy push for Wood at the Winter Meetings.

When it came to wooing Wood, the Indians had the benefit of their new Spring Training facility in Goodyear, Ariz., which is not far from Wood's Scottsdale home. They also had the benefit of special assistant to baseball operations Jason Bere, who is one of Wood's closest friends.

News of Wood's impending signing generated a buzz among Indians fans this week, because Wood is not just the club's highest-profile free-agent signing during the Shapiro era, but also the club's first hard-throwing closer since the days of Jose Mesa.

ESPN: Cheeks out in Philly

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The slumping Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday became the fifth NBA team to make a coaching change this season, deciding they had to fire Maurice Cheeks despite extending his contract twice in the past year.

As reported by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, citing sources, Cheeks was informed of his dismissal Saturday morning after the Sixers suffered their eighth loss in 10 games Friday night at Cleveland and dropped to 9-14.

The move was expected to be officially announced by the Sixers later Saturday, with Smith reporting that assistant general manager Tony DiLeo will replace Cheeks on an interim basis. Philadelphia hosts the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

NBA coaching sources told ESPN.com the Sixers were determined to give Cheeks every chance to halt Philadelphia's slide after picking up his option for this season in February, extending his contract again in September and spending big money in the offseason to sign Elton Brand away from the Los Angeles Clippers and re-sign Andre Iguodala.

But the Sixers appeared to be sliding further and further away from the high expectations generated by Brand's arrival, falling into their current 2-8 funk after a brief uptick in November that nudged their record to 7-6. T.J. DiLeo, Tony's son, is a guard for Temple and he said after the Owls' 88-72 win over No. 8 Tennessee that he was excited his father had a chance to coach.

"I think it's unfortunate for Mo, he's a great coach, but my dad is ready to step in," DiLeo said. "This caught us by surprise. We had no idea." DiLeo said he hadn't talked to his father yet, but noticed one missed call from him on his cell phone. Sources said that the firing happened now because removing Cheeks -- whose contract is guaranteed through next season -- was the easiest way for management to shake things up. After Friday's 88-72 road loss to the Cavaliers, Iguodala provided a worrying glimpse of the team's psyche, telling reporters: "We didn't have the mental toughness down the stretch. We kind of gave in. I'm not saying that as a team we didn't play hard, but we didn't execute and we didn't get the stops we needed."

Sources close to the situation say that Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski, while planning for DiLeo to coach the team for the rest of the season, will explore the possibility of a reunion with Eddie Jordan, who was fired by the Wizards on Nov. 24 after a 1-10 start.

It remains to be seen whether Stefanski -- who worked with Jordan in New Jersey -- can hold off until after the season to hire the full-time replacement for Cheeks he wants most, or if he will decide he has to move quickly in spite of the additional expense.

Cheeks is a Sixers legend who started at guard for the club's championship team in 1982-83 and posted a 122-147 record in three-plus seasons as coach in his return to Philadelphia. A second-half surge last season was enough to take the Sixers into the playoffs with a mark of 40-42, but the bar had been raised significantly after Philly extended Detroit to six games in the first round and then signed Brand.

The Sixers, though, have struggled to integrate Brand offensively with the holdovers from last season that thrived in a frenetic, up-tempo system Cheeks employed to mitigate Philadelphia's lack of outside shooting.

Sources say that Cheeks had been urged by his bosses to keep trying to push the ball -- on the premise that Brand, as a former All-Star, could adjust to anything and would eventually find his niche -- but the Sixers have clearly lacked cohesion at both ends. Brand also missed two games recently with a hamstring injury.

The other coaches fired this season, in addition to Cheeks and Jordan, were Oklahoma City's P.J. Carlesimo on Nov. 22 with a record of 1-12; Toronto's Sam Mitchell on Dec. 3 with a record of 8-9; and Minnesota's Randy Wittman on Monday with the Wolves at 4-15.

MLB.com: Bucs sign Vazquez to 2-year deal

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The Pirates on Friday finalized a two-year contract with free-agent infielder Ramon Vazquez that had been in the works for several days.

Vazquez, 32, reportedly will earn $4 million in the deal and is Pittsburgh's first Major League free-agent pickup since the end of the season. He spent the past two seasons as a backup infielder for Texas and -- for now -- projects to the same role in Pittsburgh, though that could change if discussions at the Winter Meetings turn into a trade of shortstop Jack Wilson.

Whatever Vazquez's role, the Pirates are banking that his career year in 2008 was no fluke. He got exactly 300 at-bats in each of his two Rangers seasons but had much better results in Year 2, boosting his batting average and on-base percentages from .230 and .300 to .290 and .365, and his RBIs from 28 to 40.

"He's a nice Major League option for us," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said Friday night after attending an event with season seatholders. "He can play second, short and third as a backup man or potentially as a regular if one of our guys were to get hurt or if we were to make a move.

"He certainly is more than capable of hitting right-handed pitching and if we complement him with the right guy we could have a pretty good platoon there. For the immediate future, we think he supplies us with some quality Major League depth, and that's important."

A left-handed hitter, Vazquez batted .310 (78-for-252) with six home runs off right-handed pitchers last season. He also hit .353 (49-for-139) with runners on base.

In eight big league seasons with five teams, Vazquez is a .257 hitter with 21 home runs and 160 RBIs. He has experience at all four infield positions but mostly has appeared in the field as a shortstop, playing there in 247 games, including 183 of his 446 career starts.

According to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette blog post, Vazquez received a $250,000 signing bonus and will earn a $1.75 million salary for 2009 and a $2 million salary for 2010.

He temporarily filled Pittsburgh's 40-man roster, but that changed at midnight ET when the team non-tendered pitcher Denny Bautista, leaving one open spot.

MLB.com: Rays ship Jackson to Tigers for Joyce

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The Rays addressed the need to improve their offense Wednesday night, when they traded right-hander Edwin Jackson to the Tigers for left-handed-hitting outfielder Matt Joyce.

"We think he's an above-average defensive right fielder with plus power," said Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. "We like what he brings to our club and like the years of control that we have, and feel like he'll help us for many years to come."

The big unknown is whether the Rays improved their offense for the 2009 season or for the future.

"It's not clear yet how it's going to play out," Friedman said. "He provides depth for us. It certainly doesn't take us out of the running for a DH/right-fielder type. But it does give us great depth in the event we're not able to acquire one.

"For us, we always have to keep one eye on the present and one eye on the future. And so, while we expect this trade will impact us in 2009, we think it also will pay dividends for us down the road. And we have to be mindful of those out years as well to remain competitive in the American League East. And this trade was exactly in line with that."

The Rays control the 24-year-old Joyce for six years and he also has options, which means if he's not ready for primetime, they can send him back to the Minor Leagues to gain experience without running the risk of another team claiming him.

"We didn't want to trade Matt Joyce," Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "He has some pop. It just so happens we're deeper in the outfield than most other positions we have."

Joyce, who is a Tampa, Fla., native, was a surprise for the Tigers after an early season callup from Triple-A Toledo. He batted .252 with 16 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs and 33 RBIs over 92 games in Detroit, including the final three months. He has followed with a strong winter-ball performance for Mexicali in the Mexican Winter League, batting .291 with eight doubles, eight home runs and 25 RBIs.

Joyce won't be handed the right-field job.

"We have Gabe Gross, who we like," Friedman said. "We've got Fernando Perez, who we like. We have different guys, but adding that power, adding a player like Matt gives us a little more comfort in the event we're not able to land a bat that we're targeting.

"And I think it was kind of a classic two-team trade, both teams trading from some surplus to address some areas of need. And it remains to be seen how things will play out for the rest of the winter, but we're happy to have him on board and look forward to him contributing for many years."

Jackson, 25, went 14-11 with a 4.25 ERA last season. Over parts of six Major League seasons, Jackson is 25-30 with a 5.15 ERA. He was acquired from the Dodgers in a five-player trade on Jan. 15, 2006. Jackson established a career high in innings pitched (183 1/3) and tied his career high with 31 starts. In short, Jackson gave the impression that he was moving closer to realizing his vast potential. But the Rays' deepest area of talent in the organization is in their starting pitching.

"He'll be one of our five [starters]," Dombrowski said. "I think the Tampa club was one of the few clubs who had an excess of pitching. They have a lot of depth starting pitching-wise -- not only the people that the nation's seen, but within their system."

Friedman said the Rays did not head into the offseason thinking they needed to trade a pitcher.

"It was more with the specific names we were targeting, people tended to gravitate toward our pitching," Friedman said. "For us to get a deal done for a player we liked, it became abundantly clear that we were going to have to use our pitching to do that.

"Edwin Jackson was a big part of our turnaround. It wasn't something that we were out seeking to do. But you have to give up talent to get talent."

Now the question needs to be answered regarding who will take Jackson's spot in the rotation. It's logical to jump to the conclusion that top prospect David Price will be the guy, but Friedman would not exclude the possibility of others winning the job, citing the likes of Jason Hammel, Jeff Niemann and Mitch Talbot.

"We'll have competition now for the fifth spot," said Friedman.

Joyce attended Armwood High School in Tampa then played three seasons at Florida Southern College before the Tigers selected him in the 12th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. Following the 2007 season, he was named the No. 7 prospect and best defensive outfielder in the Tigers organization by Baseball America.

MLB.com: D-backs sign lopez

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The D-backs landed themselves a second baseman when they agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $3.5 million with free agent Felipe Lopez on Thursday.

According to an industry source, the agreement is pending a physical, which Lopez is expected to take on Friday.

D-backs officials declined to confirm or deny the agreement, with assistant general manager Peter Woodfork saying the club does not comment until a deal is completed.

Lopez would take the place of free agent Orlando Hudson, who is expected to sign elsewhere.

The 28-year-old Lopez hit .283 with a .343 on-base percentage last year with the Nationals and Cardinals. A switch-hitter, he can play any position in the infield and has also played both corners in the outfield.

Lopez made $4.9 million last season. He hit just .234 before being released by the Nats on July 31. Less than a week later, the Cardinals signed him and he hit .385 for the Redbirds.

ESPN: D-backs trade for Schoeneweis

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3766083

The New York Mets traded left-hander Scott Schoeneweis to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, cutting loose one of the most maligned members of last season's shaky bullpen.

Schoeneweis went 0-3 with a blown save and a 5.40 ERA in September as New York collapsed down the stretch for the second straight year. He became the third Mets reliever to be traded this week, joining Joe Smith and Aaron Heilman.

New York, which had 29 blown saves in 72 chances last season, overhauled its bullpen at the winter meetings by signing free-agent closer Francisco Rodriguez and acquiring J.J. Putz from Seattle. Smith went to the Indians and Heilman was dealt to the Mariners in the three-team deal that put Putz and reliever Sean Green in New York.

Schoeneweis was 2-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 73 games -- including 1-4 with a 4.66 ERA after the All-Star break.

"We feel that Scott will help balance our bullpen," Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes said in a statement. "Given his success against left-handed hitters over the last several seasons, he provides us another weapon late in games."

The 35-year-old Schoeneweis limited lefty batters to a .178 average (18-for-101) last season.

New York agreed to pay $1.6 million of Schoeneweis' $3.6 million salary for 2009 and acquired right-hander Connor Robertson from the Diamondbacks. Robertson, who came over to Arizona in the Dan Haren deal, was 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA in six games this year.

Schoeneweis was implicated in a 2007 ESPN.com report that said he received six shipments of steroids in 2003 and 2004. Schoeneweis declined comment at the time of the report and the commissioner's office said there was insufficient evidence to penalize him for any violation of the sport's drug agreement with the players' association.

Schoeneweis, a survivor of testicular cancer, is 45-55 with a 4.91 ERA and nine saves in 10 major league seasons.

Also Friday, the Mets decided not to offer 2009 contracts to right-hander Ambiorix Burgos and infielder Argenis Reyes. Both became free agents.

Burgos, who spent last season on the disabled list following elbow ligament replacement surgery, is awaiting trial for a hit-and-run accident that killed two women in the Dominican Republic. He is accused of abandoning the victims and fleeing, charges that can carry six months to two years in prison.

Arizona didn't offer 2009 contracts to infielder Chris Burke, outfielder Jeff Salazar, catcher Robby Hammock and left-hander Wilfredo Ledezma. Salazar hit .211 in a career-best 90 games this year.

ESPN: Blue Jays sign Clement

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3765237&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines

Former All-Star right-hander Matt Clement agreed Friday to a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and was invited to spring training.

He went 13-6 with a 4.57 ERA in 32 starts in his All-Star season in 2005 with the Boston Red Sox. Clement has not pitched in the majors since 2006 because of shoulder problems.

The 34-year-old Clement is 87-86 with a 4.47 ERA in nine major league seasons with San Diego, Florida, the Chicago Cubs and Boston.

Clement signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with St. Louis last winter, but was released after 16 minor league appearances, including four starts.

Clement believes he can get back to the major leagues and make a contribution for the Blue Jays.

"I wouldn't be signing a contract with someone if I didn't think I could," Clement said on a conference call after his contract was finalized. "I have three sons and a wife, I'm not going to chase the dream just because I was there before."

Yahoo Sports: Capitals web editor will play backup goalie

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Capitals-Web-editor-will-play-backup-goalie-agai?urn=nhl,128812

Pretty amazing story coming out of DC tonight: With Jose Theodore out with a hip flexor, the Washington Capitals are turning to Web site producer Brett Leonhardt as their emergency backup goalie tonight for Brent Johnson against the Ottawa Senators.

Brett, who at 6-7 is aptly nicknamed "Stretch" around the Capitals staff, is scheduled to take warm-ups and will be on the bench for the start of the game. Simeon Varlamov, one of the Capitals' top goaltending prospects, is expected in town tonight and could relieve Leonhardt of backup duties during the first intermission.

Something important to consider: Johnson is battling a nagging hip problem, and almost left the team's last game against Boston.

Leonhardt is a former Div. III goalie with Neumann College Knights, and Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post reports the Caps had to get the NHL's permission for this to happen and that Brett signed an amateur tryout contract to make this happen.

The Caps tell us Leonhardt's going to wear No. 80. Go win those bar bets, DC fans.

Daily Orange: Marrone hired as Syracuse coach

http://sports.dailyorange.com/?p=2439

New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Marrone will be introduced as the next Syracuse football head coach at a 2 p.m. press conference today, the school announced this morning, ending a 26-day national search.

Marrone, a 1991 graduate of Syracuse, played on the offensive line at SU from 1983-85. He is the first alumnus to serve as Syracuse head coach since Reaves H. Baysinger in 1948.

“When I went into coaching, I always prepared myself for this,” Marrone said in a statement. “This has been the job I have always wanted.”

Published reports out of Chicago on Thursday night had Marrone, 44, accepting the job before the Saints lost to the Chicago Bears in overtime, 27-24.

His hire ends a whirlwind of a search for Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross. At first, another SU graduate, Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall, appeared to be Gross’ No. 1 pick. But Edsall repeatedly denied interest in the position. Lane Kiffin, who Gross knew from his time at Southern California, took the job at Tennessee. Oregon offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was named head coach in waiting by the Ducks after Syracuse showed a great deal of interest in him.

And until Thursday, East Carolina head coach Skip Holtz seemed to be the odds-on favorite. Gross spent three days with Holtz in New York City for the College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. On Thursday afternoon, Holtz issued a statement through East Carolina that he was no longer interested in the position.

That’s when Marrone emerged as the leader, an unlikely scenario at the beginning of the search.

He’s never been a head coach at any level. Marrone has spent the last three years with New Orleans as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Before that, was the offensive line coach for the New York Jets from 2002-05. His last college job was in 2001, when he coached the tight ends and tackles at Tennessee.

Because of that, Marrone will likely face the same questions his predecessor, Greg Robinson, did. Robinson was fired on Nov. 16 after going 10-37 in four years as SU head coach. Robinson came to Syracuse in 2005 with an NFL pedigree and limited recent collegiate experience. Robinson, just like Marrone, had never been a head coach.

But Marrone has roots at Syracuse that Robinson did not. That, along with his extensive experience recruiting the south as a collegiate assistant at Georgia Tech, Georgia and Tennessee, will be what Marrone relies on in the beginning.

Marrone is the school’s 28th head coach and fifth since 1949.

ESPN: Yanks sign Burnett to 5-year, $82.5 million

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3765754

Free agent right-hander A.J. Burnett has reached preliminary agreement on a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the New York Yankees.

Burnett's agreement was confirmed by the office of his agent, Darek Braunecker, The Associated Press reported.

While Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Braunecker are still negotiating final contract terms, the deal is expected to be complete once Burnett passes a physical.

Burnett, who turns 32 in January, will join CC Sabathia at the top of a revamped starting rotation in New York. The Yankees agreed to terms on a seven-year, $161 million contract with Sabathia earlier this week.

"I can sense the excitement and the confidence that's spreading around the entire organization about what we're getting done and what we may get done still," Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner told The Associated Press Friday before Burnett's decision became known. "A rising tide lifts all boats, and the confidence and the excitement right now among the team and the organization is contagious."

The Yankees made a late charge to beat out the Atlanta Braves for Burnett, who went 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA in 35 starts with Toronto this season. Burnett won 10 of his last 12 decisions. He set career highs in wins, strikeouts (231) and innings (221 1/3).

New York is still looking for one more starter, and Cashman left the winter meetings in Las Vegas this week to meet with longtime Yankee Andy Pettitte.

In December 2005, Braunecker and his agency, Frontline Athlete Management, negotiated a five-year, $55 million deal for Burnett that included an opt-out clause after three seasons. It was the first opt-out provision ever in a pitcher's contract.

Between the money that Burnett earned in Toronto and the guaranteed $82.5 million that he's scheduled to receive from the Yankees, his contracts will amount to $113.5 million over eight seasons. The addition of Sabathia and Burnett as free agents -- combined with Chien-Ming Wang's expected return to full health from a foot injury -- gives New York a top of the rotation that can stack up with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka in Boston.

Burnett and Sabathia combined to go 35-20 with a 3.34 ERA this season. Yankees starters, in contrast, posted a 59-53 record with a 4.58 ERA. That includes the first 20-win season by Mike Mussina, who recently retired.

Although Burnett's numbers haven't always matched his talent, some scouts and front-office people think he made significant strides this season as the No. 2 starter in Toronto behind Roy Halladay.

Burnett also has a strong track record within the American League East. He's 20-5 with a 3.29 ERA against New York's divisional opponents in Tampa Bay, Boston, Baltimore and Toronto.

ESPN: Orakpo wins Lombardi, Hendricks Awards

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3761352

HOUSTON -- Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo won the Rotary Lombardi Award on Wednesday night, the first Longhorn to take home the trophy in 24 years.

Orakpo is the first Houston native to win the Lombardi, awarded by the city's Rotary Club to the nation's top college lineman or linebacker. He's the third Texas player to win it, and the first since offensive tackle Tony Degrate in 1984. Texas defensive tackle Kenneth Sims won it in 1981.

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Orakpo already won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded by the Charlotte Touchdown Club to the nation's top defensive player, and was the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year. Orakpo finished the regular season with 10.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.

Orakpo beat out Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis, USC linebacker Rey Maualuga and Alabama offensive lineman Andre Smith. At a banquet before the announcement, the other finalists practically conceded the award to Orakpo, who played at nearby Lamar High School.

"They've been saying, 'Give the award to 'Rak' already,'" Orakpo said. "It's just fun to be out here. I started my career here in Houston and for a major collegiate award to be presented in Houston, it's a 1-2 combo. You can't beat that."

The Longhorns (11-1) face the Buckeyes (10-2) in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 5, but Orakpo said he's still upset that Texas won't get to play for the national championship three days later. The Longhorns beat Oklahoma earlier in the season, but the Sooners will face Florida for the title because they finished ahead of Texas in the Bowl Championship Series standings.

"It was very unfortunate, but we have to move on," Orakpo said.

Maualuga can relate. An early loss to Oregon State ruined Southern Cal's championship hopes and the Trojans (11-1) will play Penn State (11-1) in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

"We can't show how good we are when we can't play teams like Florida or Alabama or Texas," said Maualuga, the Pac-10's Defensive Player of the Year. "Hopefully, down the line, there's a playoff system. As for now, we're just happy we get to play in the Rose Bowl."

The 6-4, 330-pound Smith, the only junior among the Lombardi finalists, told Orakpo that he thought the Longhorns earned the right to play in the BCS championship. The Crimson Tide (12-1) will face Utah (12-0) in the Sugar Bowl after losing to the Gators in Saturday's Southeastern Conference championship.

"If we would've handled our business like we were supposed to, we wouldn't have put ourselves in that situation," Smith said. "We just have to live and learn with our mistakes and capitalize the next time."

Orakpo is the first player from the Big 12 to win the Lombardi since Oklahoma defensive tackle Tommie Harris in 2003. A player from the SEC or Big Ten had won the last four.

The Lombardi Award was initiated by Houston's Rotary Club in 1970. The award originated shortly after its Hall of Fame namesake -- Vince Lombardi -- died of cancer.

About 500 college coaches, former finalists and media members voted for the annual award. The Rotary Club doesn't release a breakdown of the votes.

Orakpo said about half a dozen family members attended Wednesday night's announcement. His parents were in Nigeria on business, he said.

Also Wednesday, Orakpo won the Ted Hendricks Award, honoring the nation's top defensive end. He's also a finalist for the Lott Trophy, which honors the nation's top defensive IMPACT player by considering athletic performance and personal character.

ESPN: Mobley forced to retire

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3762828

New York Knicks guard Cuttino Mobley retired from the NBA on Thursday because of heart disease that he said has gotten worse.

Mobley said doctors told him he faced significant risks if he kept playing. The 11-year veteran said by walking away now, he could live a long life.

Mobley, 33, announced his decision at a news conference at the Knicks' training center, where he confirmed he has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The condition causes the heart muscle to thicken, making it harder to pump blood, and he said he had no choice but to end his career.

"The specialists I've seen made it clear that my heart condition has gotten worse and I couldn't continue to play professional basketball without putting my health and life in serious danger," Mobley said. "As much as I want to keep playing in the NBA, I have no choice but to follow the advice of my doctors and step away from the league."

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in people under 30 years old and was linked to the deaths of former Boston Celtics forward Reggie Lewis and Loyola Marymount star Hank Gathers.

The Knicks acquired Mobley last month from the Los Angeles Clippers -- a trade that may ultimately have saved his life. An EKG during his physical showed an irregularity with the heart, which Mobley already knew existed. The Knicks decided to perform an MRI exam, which revealed the more serious condition that previously had gone undetected.

Mobley then saw four specialists around the country, who performed additional tests and provided him literature about the disease that convinced him to stop playing.

"The doctors said to not chance it and I feel as though they're right, having an 8-year old son, having a long life ahead of me, it's the smart thing," Mobley said. "It's a tough thing to swallow, but things in life happen, but you have to keep going."

Mobley averaged 16.0 points in 11 seasons with the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings and Clippers. He was expected to become the Knicks' starting shooting guard after the Nov. 21 trade.

The Knicks could have voided the deal because of the health concerns but waived the physical requirement because the trade allowed them to move Zach Randolph's contract, freeing salary cap space for the summer of 2010.

"I thought this would be the perfect trade with him in it, but I would never put a player out there that's at the risk that he would be at," Knicks president Donnie Walsh said.

"None of this is as important as somebody's life. None of it. Period," Walsh said. "So I'm glad that we had a doctor that put him through tests that showed it, because the risk was there."

Walsh said he wasn't sure yet what options the Knicks had to fill the vacant roster spot and would begin researching it Friday.

Mobley said he'd thought about the scene of Gathers collapsing on the court during a game and said it factored into his decision.

"Say if you were to play, the worry, the worrisome of people watching you, if you were to fall, or it's just an elbow or just an ankle, that's scary. And then every single day just being scared for you, I think that's a selfish thing, also," he said. "Even though you love something so much, and I am in love with basketball, but sometimes you have to get a divorce."

College Sports: Leach Things They Should 'Quit Giving' Heisman

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/12/leach-weighs-in-on-harrells-exclusion.html

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach - surfacing, kind of, after a week of silence during contract negotiations - did not mince words on quarterback Graham Harrell's exclusion from the Heisman ceremony Saturday in New York.

"If Graham is not invited to the Heisman, they ought to quit giving out the award," Leach said in a statement released by the school. "It is a shameless example of politics ruling over performance. The other guys are deserving, but he has earned a place alongside them."

ESPN: Mets get J.J. Putz in 3-way 12-player deal

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3761556

The New York Mets overhauled their much-maligned bullpen with two big moves Wednesday, obtaining J.J. Putz from Seattle as part of a three-team, 12-player trade that gives them a set-up man for new closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Hours after completing a $37 million, three-year contract with Rodriguez, New York dealt seven players -- six to the Mariners and one to Cleveland -- to get three back in a huge swap at the winter meetings.

"All I kept on hearing in the streets of New York when you go get bagels in the morning was, 'Omar, please address the bullpen,'" Mets general manager Omar Minaya said. "Well, to all you Mets fans, we've addressed the bullpen."

New York shipped reliever Aaron Heilman, outfielder Endy Chavez, lefty Jason Vargas and three minor leaguers to the Mariners for Putz, center fielder Jeremy Reed and reliever Sean Green in the first trade by new Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik.

Promising outfielder Franklin Gutierrez was sent from the Indians to Seattle. Cleveland got reliever Joe Smith from the Mets and 23-year-old second baseman Luis Valbuena from the Mariners.

"It helps all of us," Zduriencik said.

An All-Star in 2007 when he saved 40 games, Putz was 6-5 with a 3.88 ERA and 15 saves in 23 chances last season when he missed long stretches with rib cage and elbow injuries. But Minaya wasn't concerned about the pitcher's health, saying New York had a scout at his final game of the season and Putz maintained a 98-99 mph velocity.

"It's about winning championships," Minaya said. "I've always said it's about the team and putting teams first and going for that ring. To win, you've got to sacrifice yourself."

Before the trade was announced, Putz's agent, Craig Landis, said the right-hander wanted to remain a closer. But Minaya said he spoke with Putz, who was excited about his new team and role.

"It's a new challenge and I'm excited about it," Putz said, according to the Seattle Times. "I'm going to a new team that's going to be very competitive. Frankie's a great closer and with Sean Green going as well, we should have a great bullpen."

The Indians had been interested in acquiring Putz before nearing a two-year contract with free-agent closer Kerry Wood, who needed to take a physical before that deal could be finalized.

Once the Indians closed in on Wood, the three-team trade came together quickly.

"We dealt from an area of depth," Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro said, referring to his club's young outfielders.

The key to the deal for Seattle was Gutierrez, who batted .248 with eight homers and 41 RBIs. A skilled defender, he played right field in Cleveland because the Indians have All-Star Grady Sizemore in center.

"That's one of the things that we wanted to do is make our defense stronger," Zduriencik said. "I think it's helped us shore up our prospect status."

Zduriencik said it was uncertain who would close for Seattle and too early to determine what role Heilman would have.

Heilman was inconsistent in his set-up role with the Mets and would prefer to be a starter. He was 3-8 with a 5.21 ERA last season and was among the bullpen culprits as New York folded in September for the second straight season.

When Billy Wagner got hurt, the rest of the relievers struggled as they tried to adjust to different roles.

"We've proven that sometimes, unfortunately, one closer is not enough," Minaya said.

Smith, a submarine-style right-hander who gets plenty of grounders, was 6-3 with a 3.55 ERA.

"Joe Smith clearly goes right in the major league bullpen as a guy we've had long-term interest in," Shapiro said. "A different look, complements our 'pen well. We think he can be an important part of the back end of a 'pen."

The three minor leaguers New York sent to Seattle were first baseman Mike Carp, right-hander Maikel Cleto and outfielder Ezequiel Carrera.

Putz will earn $5.3 million next season, and the Mets inherit an $8.9 million option for 2010 with a $1 million buyout. New York had 29 blown saves in 72 chances this year, and its 4.25 bullpen ERA ranked 13th in the NL.

"To get one closer like Frankie would have been a good winter. I think to get two guys like this is a great winter," Minaya said.

ESPN: Suns, Bobcats in 5-player Deal

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3760914

The Phoenix Suns jettisoned two familiar players to Charlotte, and got the Bobcats' leading scorer in exchange.

In the latest move in their ongoing makeover, the Suns traded Raja Bell and Boris Diaw to the Bobcats on Wednesday as part of a deal for Jason Richardson.

Rookie point guard Sean Singletary also went to Charlotte, while the Suns got small forward Jared Dudley and a 2010 second-round draft pick.

"We felt like we needed to shake things up a little bit," Suns general manager Steve Kerr said in a telephone interview. "We wanted to add a great scorer in the backcourt to give us better balance to take some of the pressure off of Steve [Nash]."

The 6-foot-6 Richardson is a two-time NBA slam dunk champion and an accomplished 3-point shooter who is averaging 18.7 points this season and 18.8 for his pro career.

"When you try to get better, you're going to lose some assets," Charlotte coach Larry Brown said. "We're losing a pretty darn good player and the way Phoenix is trying to make their team, they just added an unbelievable piece."

Bell, a first-team all-defensive team selection in 2006-07 and second team last season, had made it clear he was not happy with the Suns' switch from coach Mike D'Antoni's high-flying style to the more deliberate approach of new coach Terry Porter. He's averaging 9.4 points this season.

The versatile Diaw had seen his playing time dwindle behind Amare Stoudemire. The Suns still liked the Frenchman's skills but not his salary. He is getting $9 million this season and has three more years on his contract.

"I think it's going to be a little bit of a shock to those guys when you start a season and you have a legitimate chance to win a championship and all of a sudden go with a team that's trying to go and find an identity and get better," Brown said.

Dudley, a 6-foot-7 second-year pro, started seven games for Charlotte this season.

"We really like Jared Dudley as well," Kerr said, "so our efforts to get younger and to add versatility and energy were important to us."

The 32-year-old Bell came to the Suns as a free agent in 2005 and thrived under D'Antoni's up-tempo system, gaining notoriety when he was suspended for a 2006 playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers after throwing Kobe Bryant to the floor.

But Bell didn't like the coaching change or the new system. Nash was a tough sell, too, and his adjustment has been made more difficult, the Suns believe, by the lack of a major scoring threat at the other backcourt position.

The deal marks a continuation of Kerr's change in Phoenix's makeup. The big move came in a trade that brought Shaquille O'Neal from Miami late last season. Richardson will move into Bell's starting spot, with Leandro Barbosa backing him up.

"He averaged 20 a game for us this year without a true post game," Brown said about Richardson. "When you put him with Shaq, who can pass the ball and commands double teams, and Stoudemire as well, and you got a guy like Steve Nash, they got a pretty formidable weapon."

Trading Richardson is the first major move for the Bobcats since Larry Brown took over as coach -- and comes less than two years after managing partner Michael Jordan acquired Richardson in a draft-night deal with Golden State.

"I've watched Jason for a long time," said Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins, who also was with Richardson in Golden State. "Just watching him grow, he grew from where he started to where he is today with his ability to score the basketball.

"You know it's tough, but Jason was very good about it, very professional about him going to Phoenix. We wish him nothing but the best. He was very good for us."

Diaw will help with Charlotte's biggest problem, and Brown's biggest complaint: its thin frontcourt. Diaw could start right away for struggling Sean May at power forward.

"We needed to become bigger," Higgins said.

Bell provides Charlotte with another wing player, while Singletary could serve as the No. 3 point guard behind Raymond Felton and rookie D.J. Augustin. Brown has requested another consistent point guard.

But Richardson's offense will be missed from a team that entered Wednesday last in the league in scoring.

"You have opportunities now for other guys to develop," Higgins said. "Some guys are going to have different opportunities. We'll figure it out as we go on."

Golden State made Richardson the fifth pick overall out of Michigan State in the 2001 draft. He played six seasons for the Warriors, averaging a career-best 23.2 points in 2005-06. He was traded to Charlotte in June, 2007, in a financially motivated move by the Warriors. His contract runs through the 2010-11 seasons.

The 6-8 Diaw averaged 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists in place of the injured Stoudemire in 2005-06. Diaw was rewarded with a five-year, $45 million contract extension in October of 2006.

The Washington Post: Wizards Complete Three-Team Trade

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2008/12/wizards_close_to_deal_for_mike.html

The Wizards, New Orleans Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies have completed a three-team trade.

The Wizards have acquired guards Javaris Crittenton (Memphis) and Mike James (New Orleans). The Hornets get Antonio Daniels from the Wizards and a conditional draft pick from Memphis that was initially acquired from Memphis in exchange for the draft rights to Juan Carlos Navarro on August 16, 2007. New Orleans also receives a conditional second round pick from Memphis.

The Wizards have waived PG Dee Brown to make room on the roster. Brown, who was signed to a partially guaranteed deal before the season, started 11 games but has recently seen his playing time reduced.

Daniels was at Verizon Center for practice today but was pulled off the court a short while ago. He is under contract for $6.2 million this season and $6.6 million next season.

Crittenton was a first-round pick of the Lakers last year (19th overall) and was sent to Memphis in the trade involving Kwame Brown and Pau Gasol. The Wizards liked him going into the 2007 draft and may have taken him had Nick Young not been available at 16.

James is a scoring point guard who fell out of the New Orleans rotation after winning the backup job to Chris Paul in training camp. He is owed $6.0 million this season and has a player option for next season worth $6.46. (He's not opting out of that.)

Not sure what this whole thing says about the Gilbert Arenas situation. I'm hearing from sources close to Arenas that he could be back on the court by mid-to-late January but neither Arenas nor the team has set a firm timetable.

A news conference is scheduled at 1 p.m. at Verizon Center. More updates after that.

ESPN: McCoy, Bradford, and Tebow are Heisman Finalists

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3760910

Tim Tebow will go for two against a pair of talented quarterbacks from the Big 12 when the Heisman Trophy is handed out Saturday night.

Sam Bradford from Oklahoma and Colt McCoy from Texas joined Tebow as Heisman finalists announced Wednesday.

The last time all the Heisman finalists were quarterbacks was 2001, when Nebraska's Eric Crouch won the award and QBs held the first six spots.

Tebow, the rugged and multitalented junior from Florida, was the first sophomore to win the Heisman last year and is trying to become the second player to win it twice.

Archie Griffin won the Heisman as a junior in 1974 for Ohio State and again in 1975.

Tebow's Gators will play Bradford and the Sooners in the BCS national championship game Jan. 8 in Miami.

"It's a good thing I don't have a vote," Bradford said while attending an event with Tebow and McCoy in Orlando, Fla., where numerous college football awards will be handed out Thursday night. "I couldn't decide. It's just an honor to be one of the guys going up to New York."

Tebow became the first college football player with 20 touchdown passes and 20 rushing touchdowns in 2007, carrying a Florida team that finished 9-4.

This season, Tebow's stats were down, but his play has still been stellar. He is fifth in the nation in passer rating (176.7) with 28 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. He hasn't been asked to run as much this season, but still has 564 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns.

Most importantly, the Gators are 12-1 and a victory away from their second national title in three seasons.

"Tim is a winner," Florida coach Urban Meyer said during a news conference in South Florida with Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops to promote the national title game. "He wants to win. He's motivated like all of us are. But he's a team-first guy. That's why statistically he might not have the Star Wars stats like he had a year ago. However, he won 12 games. And if he could have either-or, he's going to take 12 wins and the chance to hold that crystal ball."

Tebow made a strong final case to win another Heisman, leading Florida's 14-point fourth quarter and comeback 31-20 victory in the Southeastern Conference title game against Alabama last Saturday.

As a former winner, he also has a vote.

Tebow said 1996 Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel suggested he not tell people what he did with his vote.

"I'm taking his advice," Tebow said.

Bradford has directed the highest scoring team in major college football history, leading the nation in passer rating (186.3) and TD passes (48) while throwing for 4,464 yards.

The Sooners have scored 702 points and became the first college team in 89 years to reach 60 points in five consecutive games when they won the Big 12 title game 62-21 over Missouri last Saturday.

"Players just follow him because of his commitment to them and how tough he is and how important the team is to him," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said.

McCoy, who had the imposing task of following Vince Young as Texas' starting quarterback, has turned out to be a multiple threat much like his predecessor.

McCoy set a major college record with his 77.6 completion percentage, breaking the mark set by Daunte Culpepper for Central Florida, and is the Longhorns' leading rusher with 576 yards and 10 touchdowns. Texas finished 11-1, with a victory against Oklahoma.

"If you're going to play quarterback in our league, you better be able to put a lot of points on the board," McCoy said. "There are just so many good offenses in this league."

That victory wasn't enough to get McCoy and Texas into the Big 12 or national championship game instead of the Sooners.

Heisman organizers generally invite three to five players, based on vote totals.

Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell was surprisingly not invited to the ceremony, to be held at the Sports Museum of America in downtown New York for the first time.

Harrell, the latest in a long line of prolific passers to run coach Mike Leach's Air Raid offense, leads the nation with 4,747 yards passing and has thrown 41 touchdown passes. He also led Texas Tech to a school-record 11 victories and a tie for first in the Big 12 South with Texas and Oklahoma.

BCS Guru: BCS Championship Oklahoma vs. Florida

http://bcsguru.blogspot.com/2008/12/bcs-championship-florida-vs-oklahoma.html

How sure is the Guru? Let me put it this way: I wouldn't bet my kid's college money on it. But I would bet yours.

The confluence of events worked out just right for the Florida Gators on Saturday, which should secure them a place in the BCS title game. Oklahoma's spot was never in doubt as the Sooners raced to an early lead against Missouri and kept pounding away.

What worked out for Florida is that its victory over Alabama was hard-fought, which gave the impression that it defeated a stout, undefeated, No. 1-ranked team, as opposed to a fraudulent pretender. Also, OU's victory over Missouri, while impressive and record-setting, seemed pedestrian by comparison because the Tigers' defense was so atrocious that it might as well not have shown up.

All that should add up to a preponderance of first-place votes for the Gators, helping them to make up whatever deficit in the computers against Texas, which will be left out at No. 3. The Guru projects at least a 100-point gap between Florida and Texas in the Harris Poll and probably a 40-50 point lead in the Coaches Poll. Taken together, they should override whatever residual lead that the Longhorns might have in the computer rankings.

If Hawaii defeats Cincinnati in the last regular-season game of 2008, Florida's place in the title game will be cemented.

As for Oklahoma, the crushing victory over Missouri was sufficient to keep enough first- and second-place votes for the Sooners in the human polls, allowing them maintain a comfortable cushion after adding in their superior computer ratings. There should be no concern about their being jumped by Texas in the BCS standings.

Texas's only national title hopes now rests with the Associated Press. But with the Fiesta Bowl's decision to invite two-loss Ohio State to face the Longhorns, their chances dimmed considerably. Currently, Texas is 8 points ahead of Oklahoma in the AP poll. Should Texas maintain that lead going into the bowls and the Sooners defeat Florida in the BCS title game, the Longhorns might try to make a claim for the AP crown - by virtue of their head-to-head win over the Sooners. But it's doubtful that the AP voters would buy into that now since all they can prove is beating a perennially overrated Buckeyes team.

The Fiesta Bowl's decision only reinforces that the nature of the bowl games remains unchanged. It's never about bringing together the best matchups - the BCS title game notwithstanding - but it's all about bringing the most bucks and the highest TV ratings. Even though Texas-Utah made for a more compelling game, the bowl opted to play safe by picking Ohio State.

With all that in mind, here are the Guru's BCS bowl projections:

BCS Championship: No. 1. Oklahoma vs. No. 2 Florida

Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Texas vs. No. 10 Ohio State

Sugar Bowl: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 6 Utah

Rose Bowl: No. 5 USC vs. No. 8 Penn State

Orange Bowl: No. 12 Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech

And the rest of the rankings projections, with the Cincinnati-Hawaii game pending:

No. 7 Texas Tech, No. 9 Boise State, No. 11 Texas Christian, No. 13 Oklahoma State, No. 14 Georgia Tech, No. 15 Georgia.

CBS Sportsline: Sooners Take Big 12 With Blowout of Mizzou; BCS Title Game Next?

http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAF_20081206_MO@OK

By the time Mossis Madu sprinted into the end zone in a half-empty stadium, Oklahoma was done making its point.

Here's what Sam Bradford and the high-scoring Sooners wanted to drive home: They belong in the BCS championship game.

The No. 4 Sooners did that with a 62-21 blowout of No. 19 Missouri for the Big 12 title Saturday night.

Taking advantage of an opportunity many felt it didn't deserve, the highest-scoring team in major college football history romped to a third straight conference crown and became the first to reach 60 points in five consecutive games in 89 years.

"We were tired about hearing everyone talking about how we didn't deserve to be in the game," said Bradford, who passed for 384 yards and two touchdowns. "It was a big motivator for us.

"I don't see how we could not be No. 1 tomorrow."

No need to worry, two is just as good. And if all goes accordingly Sunday, Oklahoma (12-1) will be in the top two of the Bowl Championship Series standings, looking at a title game matchup against No. 2 Florida on Jan. 8 in Miami.

Touted as the best two conferences in college football this season, it seems appropriate their champions will play for the national title.

For Oklahoma and coach Bob Stoops, it'll be their fourth appearance in a BCS national championship game. The Sooners won their first try in 2001 against Florida State, but have lost their last two -- to LSU after the 2003 season and to Southern California after the 2004 campaign.

The Sooners' losing streak in BCS games overall is four, taking some of the luster off a coach who earned the nickname "Big Game Bob" early in his tenure.

No one would argue with Big 12 Bob, though. Stoops improved to 6-1 in the conference title game. No other Big 12 team has won more than two in the 13-year history of the league.

This one was over by halftime. By then Bradford had already put up Heisman-worthy numbers, with 240 yards and two TD passes, and the Sooners led 38-7. Along the way they zoomed past Hawaii's NCAA record 656 points set in 2006.

The Sooners kept trying to put up more points until the end. Soon after Bradford threw an long incompletion into the end zone, Madu dashed 37 yards for the final points with 3:33 left.

Chase Daniel and Missouri (9-4) never really had a chance and for the second season in a row, they lost the Big 12 title game to Oklahoma.

"This one hurts the worst," said Daniel, who threw two interceptions and lost a fumble while throwing for 255 yards and three TDs. "My senior year, we can't get it done, and too many turnovers on my part. You can't win a game against a team like that turning the football over."

Oklahoma became the first team to score at least 60 in five straight games since Tulsa in 1919, according to STATS LLC.

"Sam Bradford again is just sensational," Stoops said. "The defense really stepped up. We had a huge lead before they gave up anything in the second half."

Even Boomer and Sooner, the white ponies who pull the Boomer Schooner around after OU scores, cut out early. They took a short trot after Jimmy Stevens kicked a 30-yard field goal that made it 41-7 with 9:00 left in the third quarter and called it a night.

Bradford, injured non-throwing hand and all, didn't have it that easy. He was still playing in the fourth quarter and finished with a Big 12 championship game record for yards passing and completions (34).

"We were in a championship game and we were going to play to the end," Stoops said.

Expect the sophomore Bradford to be in New York next Saturday when the Heisman Trophy is handed out, along with fellow Big 12 quarterbacks Colt McCoy of Texas and Graham Harrell of Texas Tech.

Maybe, Texas can beat Oklahoma in that competition. Surely it won't make it any easier for the Longhorns to watch the Sooners, a team they beat in October 45-35, play for the national title.

Oklahoma and Texas finished in a three-way tie for the Big 12 South title with Texas Tech, but the Sooners' victory over Texas Tech, combined with Tech's win against Texas, made head-to-head moot. According to Big 12 rules, the poll voters and computer ratings used by the BCS were left to break the deadlock, and the Sooners got the nod.

"Everybody has their opinion, some are different than others," said Stoops, who has done his best to avoid getting drawn into campaigning for his team the way Texas coach Mack Brown has. "That's a pretty convincing win. If that doesn't make a statement ... then you'll find a reason why it wasn't good enough."

Texas fans have done all they could to remind anyone paying attention about their team's victory in Dallas, setting up websites, handing out signs and flying banners from planes - including one over Arrowhead Stadium before the Big 12 title game that read "Enjoy the BeatByTexas.com Bowl."

Yes, the Longhorns also beat Missouri in the regular season, 56-31.

But it wasn't enough to combat the Sooners' dominance. Since losing to Texas, Oklahoma has won seven straight games by a combined score of 419-205.

The numbers were staggering again Saturday night. The Sooners put up 627 yards, Chris Brown and Madu, the third-stringer playing because DeMarco Murray injured his knee on the opening kickoff, each ran for more than 100 yards and three scores. The defense, led by linebacker Travis Lewis, held Missouri 24 points below its average and forced three turnovers.

"Hopefully, the people who watched this game tonight, we made an impression on them," said Lewis, who had 13 tackles.

What's working for the Sooners these days?

"Everything," Stoops said.

No way to argue about that.