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Softball: Chamberlain moves to 10-0 but coach looks for improvement

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Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

TAMPA — Following a pivotal district game in which his club was short on offense and mental focus, veteran Chamberlain coach Bob Diez was short on tact.

Diez insists the Chiefs' record (10-0, 8-0 Class 5A, District 9) is the only thing unblemished about them today, as evidenced by Tuesday's 2-1 triumph against Sickles (13-5, 6-2).

Sophomore pitcher Rachel Dwyer sealed things, forcing Gryphons No. 3 hitter Megin Eskew to ground out to third with two out and two on in the seventh. But other than Dwyer escaping a tight jam or two? Well, Diez had to dig for positives.

"We've got a decent record, but I'm going to tell you, we've stolen games," Diez said. "Now we played pretty good defense and my pitcher keeps us in the game and stuff … but what did we get? One hit? Two hits?"

Actually, it was five, coming against Gryphons lefty Nichole "Noodle" Lewis. Fortunately for Diez, Dwyer (five hits, four strikeouts, four walks) was equally effective.

With two out and the bases loaded in the third, Dwyer fanned cleanup hitter Mya Anderson, who entered with a .509 average and was coming off a six-RBI game Friday against Freedom. Sickles would put a runner on second in the fifth and sixth, but came away empty both times.

"That was a great job by Rachel to get out of that (third inning), and I think that kind of calmed (us) down a little bit," Diez said. "But we just let them stay in the game, so they get second and third winds."

The Gryphons' final, furious gasp arrived in the top of the seventh, just after Chamberlain added an insurance run the previous inning on Jennie Cook's single that scored courtesy runner Andrea Aaron.

Freshman Giselle Anderson — Mya's younger sister — singled, and No. 9 hitter Kaitlyn Ficarrotta followed with a one-out infield hit two batters later. After Brittany Johnson's single loaded the bases, Chelsey Armstrong hit an RBI-grounder to second before Dwyer retired Eskew to end things.

"We had our moments, we started figuring things out late in the game," said Gryphons coach Phil Giarrizzo, whose club stranded eight baserunners. "We had runners a lot of times in key positions and they were able to get out of it."


UCLA, Michigan State to wage matchup of big men in NCAA Tournament

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

TAMPA — The biggest matchup in Thursday's second round, quite literally, will be in the post during the final game between UCLA and Michigan State.

The Spartans have center Derrick Nix, 6 feet 9 and 285 pounds, but he'll be undersized compared to UCLA freshman Joshua Smith, who is 6-10 and 305.

"I don't know if Nix has ever played against anybody that dwarfs him," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said Sunday night. "But that's going to happen in this game."

Nix, who weighed as much as 340 pounds in high school, averages 2.7 points off the bench in 8.3 minutes per game, but Izzo said he'll play more Thursday, knowing UCLA can't have all five players running up and down the court all the time.

Smith has put up big numbers as a freshman, averaging 10.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

"If those two get in the key, there better be some reinforcement in the key," Izzo joked.

SINGLE-SESSION TICKETS: Tickets for this week were initially only available in an all-sessions book at $231 each, but organizers will put single-session tickets on sale this morning at 9 at a cost of $77 per two-game session.

WHO WILL BRING MORE: The rivalry between Florida and Kentucky should continue all week, though the two SEC schools are in separate regions of the bracket. The first question is, which fan base will have a greater presence in the St. Pete Times Forum?

And while Florida has the higher seed — Kentucky beat the Gators in Sunday's SEC championship — the oddsmakers think the Wildcats are more likely to win it all in the next three weekends. VegasInsider.com has Kentucky as a 15-to-1 shot to win the NCAA title, while Florida is set at 20-1.

As for the rest of the Tampa teams, West Virginia is a 35-1 shot and UCLA and Michigan State are both 60-1.

JUNGLE KARMA: Perhaps UC-Santa Barbara's most outspoken alum is sports radio host Jim Rome, who often brings up the Gauchos on his nationally syndicated show.

"Trust me, UC Santa Barbara was the ONE team (Florida coach) Billy Donovan was praying CBS didn't flash beneath him," he wrote Sunday at Twitter.com/jimrome. "Anyone but the Gauchos. Ask him. Do it."

DOESN'T MATTER: Fifth-seeded West Virginia had to wait two days longer than most of the NCAA field to find out who they'll be playing at 12:15 Thursday, but waiting for Tuesday's Clemson-UAB game had the unintended benefit of forcing the Mountaineers to focus initially on themselves.

"Last year we had, I think, five or six days to prepare for Duke. And I thought that was too many days," senior guard Joe Mazzulla told the Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette. "We got away from what we wanted to do and we really concentrated on them for five straight days. I think this is better for us, where we focus on us. It's almost like a regular-season game, where you have a day and a half to prepare for them."

Softball: Durant's Giovenco comes through in clutch

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Steve Lee, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

PLANT CITY — Durant's Nikki Giovenco is developing a penchant for late-game heroics in key district games.

Last week, she drove in the only run of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 1-0 win over Riverview. In Tuesday's game against Class 5A, District 8 rival Newsome, the Cougars leftfielder made a diving catch to thwart a potential run in the top of the eighth before legging out an infield single in Durant's 1-0 win.

"I always get up with runners in scoring position," Giovenco said. "Somehow, I always pull it out."

Giovenco, who robbed Felecia Heaser on a shot that surely would have scored Catie Lytle, who hit a two-out single for Newsome in the top of the eighth, shared the spotlight as Durant rallied in the bottom of that inning. Brooke Freeman doubled off the centerfield fence, advanced to third on Giovenco's infield single and scored on Olivia Cuellar's chop hit down the third-base line.

Cuellar bunted the ball foul on a suicide squeeze attempt one pitch before her clutch hit. She squared up to bun again, but pulled back and chopped the ball down the line to score Freeman.

Durant coach Matt Carter called for the chop after the suicide squeeze bid went awry.

"It just didn't work," he said of the bunt attempt. "It's tough to do it twice in a row."

Durant improved to 9-0, 7-0 in 5A-8 with its seventh shutout of the season while Newsome fell to 6-2-1, 3-2.

The game remained scoreless through seven thanks to stellar pitching by Durant's Lauren Wolfe and Newsome's Bailey Schinella. Wolfe struck out 10 and Schinella fanned nine.

"She pitched a great game and that's what you've got to have," Carter said of Wolfe, who scattered four hits. "And our defense is tough. That's the backbone behind Lauren."

Baseball: Gaither gets complete effort as Jefferson suffers first loss

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David Rice, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

TAMPA — Gaither handed Jefferson (9-1) its first loss of the season Tuesday night with the best hitting performance of the Cowboys' season in a 10-5 victory.

Gaither finished with 14 hits as seven players got more than one hit.

"Everybody got a little piece of the pie tonight," Gaither coach Frank Permuy said. "We've been grinding out close games so it was good to get the bats going tonight. We've been working hard on hitting and trying to jell offense and defense together into a solid package."

Junior pitcher Alex Milne turned in a crucial performance for the Cowboys (8-1), giving up three runs in four innings while striking out four. It took close to 100 pitches to get through the four innings as Milne had to battle his way out of difficult situations.

After allowing a home run in the second inning that tied the score at 2, Milne kept his head down and continued to work.

"This win is really good for us as a team," Milne said. "It just reinforces that mentality of never give up. After I gave up the home run I just tried to stay calm and work on the next hitter. That's the only thing I could control."

With a busy schedule of games coming up for his team, Permuy is hoping the offense is coming alive at a crucial moment in the season as the Saladino Tournament approaches.

"Hopefully we're unloading the bats at the right time and we can keep it going," Permuy said. "It takes some luck to win the Saladino, but hopefully we can stay hot. The pitching has been good all year; we just need the bats to go along with it like they did tonight."

No-hitter for Phoenix: Brenden Rivera hit three home runs and combined with Riley Crispell on a no-hitter as Brooks-DeBartolo defeated host Lakeland Sonrise Christian 30-0. Adam Eggnatz homered twice, and Javier Reynoso and Torey Jordan also went deep for Brooks.

Baseball: Middleton jumps on chances to rally past Strawberry Crest

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Eduardo A. Encina, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

TAMPA — After one time through the Class 4A-9 district schedule, Middleton coach Vernon Slater knows what kind of team he has this season — one he believes possesses a lineup that can match up top to bottom with any other in the league, but is prone to costly errors in the field that have already cost the Tigers wins.

But in Tuesday night's district contest against Strawberry Crest, it was the Tigers who took advantage of their opponents' miscues, using an error-filled seven-run bottom of the sixth inning to beat the Chargers at home for a comeback 10-6 win.

Coming off a pair of blown leads in losses to district foes Jesuit and Jefferson last week, Slater called Tuesday a "make-or-break game."

"I was never worried about us being out of the game because even though we started out defensive-wise slow, we were still putting the ball in play," Slater said. "We were hitting them hard. I just thought it was a matter of time. If you keep hitting the ball like that, something is bound to happen."

Middleton (6-3, 6-2 Class 4A-9) rattled off 12 hits but needed help from the Chargers (7-3, 6-3), who botched a popup in foul territory with two on and two out leading 6-4.

That was the second chance Middleton needed. Two batters later with the bases loaded, another missed infield popup, combined with a throwing error to home plate, scored three runs on one play.

The Tigers would get back-to-back hits and draw three more walks to score three more runs in the inning. Middleton sent 13 batters to the plate against four Strawberry Crest pitchers in the frame.

"We got some breaks," Slater said. "That was a huge break for us, but we answered at the plate. They had a couple plays that took them out, but that's baseball. Things like that happen."

Middleton starting pitcher Durin O'Linger (2-2), one of five Middleton hitters to have multiple hits, allowed just one hit after Ty Cherry's home run in the third that gave the Chargers a 4-1 lead.

The first four batters in Middleton's lineup — Eric Comstock, O'Linger, Dexture McCall and Demetre Taylor — were a combined 9-for-14 with seven runs scored.

"I trust our bats, but that was exceptional what happened tonight," O'Linger said. "Usually we fall behind like what happened tonight, but we don't come back.

"It says something different about this team this year. It's something about the atmosphere. We're going to win and everybody thinks that."

Softball: PHU's Sabol turns in solid outing vs. Seminole

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Chris Girandola, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, March 15, 2011

SEMINOLE — It wasn't exactly the opponent Kerry Kachuk wanted in his first gig as replacement coach, but after Palm Harbor University dispatched Seminole in a 2-0 victory Tuesday, it will suit him just fine.

"It was a nice win, but it will be nice when (PHU coach Chuck Poetter) gets back," said Kachuk, who is at the helm for two games since Poetter was ejected in the Hurricanes' contest against Dunedin last week.

PHU junior pitcher Taylor Sabol made things easy for Kachuk as the left-hander held the Warhawks to two hits in the complete-game victory.

"It's probably one of the best games I've pitched this year," said Sabol (9-3), who had five strikeouts. "Part of it has to do with how my catcher is playing. We have a great connection and I trust all the calls she makes."

PHU sophomore Claire Hamilton has emerged as an efficient catcher in helping the Hurricanes (12-3) build a six-game winning streak.

With Sabol and Hamilton keeping the Seminole bats at bay, Jess Adams was instrumental at the plate in both of the Hurricanes' runs.

In the fourth inning, Adams doubled to deep rightfield off Seminole sophomore right-hander Jennie Sittloh with one out then scored when Anna Stamas dropped a single just beyond the right side of the infield.

In the sixth inning Vanessa Fernandez led off with a single, moved to third on a single by Adams then scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Mariah Connolly.

Baseball: Dunedin pounces on East Lake early as Clarkson tosses no-hitter

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Basil Spyridakos, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

EAST LAKE — The sequel is rarely better than the original, and there is no exception with the much-anticipated rematch between the top teams in Class 5A, District 11.

After losing by one run to East Lake last month Dunedin overpowered the Eagles, scoring five runs in the third inning and cruising to a 15-0, five-inning victory Tuesday night.

"Our goal every inning is to try to put pressure on their pitcher," Dunedin coach Tom Hilbert said. "We had a very good night tonight offensively. It was our best pregame batting-practice all year, and we took it right into the game."

Mike Clarkson, who improved his record to 5-0 and threw his first career high school no-hitter, overshadowed the Falcons' hit parade. Clarkson struck out seven and kept his ERA unblemished at 0.00.

East Lake (9-4, 4-3) couldn't overcome early miscues. With two out in the first, Casey Turgeon reached first base after being hit by a pitch and Clarkson followed by drawing a walk.

Jordan Savinon ripped a triple to the outfield, scoring both and giving Dunedin (11-1, 5-1) an early 2-0 lead.

The Falcons crossed the plate four more times in the second inning. Michael Tipton tomahawk chopped a two-run bomb followed by another two-run homer by Turgeon, making the score 11-0 after three innings.

"(The first meeting) showed us that we have to play hard every inning of every game," said Tipton, who finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs.

Clarkson struck out the side with 12 pitches in the bottom of the third. Third baseman Kyle Kunnen came up with the biggest play of the game.

"After his last at-bat, (Kunnen) came into the dugout and he was upset because he hasn't been hitting the ball," Clarkson said. "And I just talked to him telling him, 'You can't take your bat on the field because it's going to effect your fielding ability. Make up your at-bats with your defense.' "

After the speech, Kunnen dove and caught a hard, low liner for the first out in the fourth inning preserving the no-hitter.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers pull down player banners from Raymond James Stadium

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Quarterback Josh Freeman had a banner year, but his image has been removed from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

In fact, the team had oversized pictures of eight Tampa Bay Buccaneers taken down this past weekend. Because of the NFL lockout, the league has discouraged teams from using the likenesses of players for marketing purposes.

Some of the banners featured the marketing slogan "Unite and Conquer," which will be replaced. It's likely the team will want to promote different stars.

But the timing of the banners being removed and the lockout is not coincidental. "All things pointed to now being the time," Bucs spokesman Jonathan Grella said.


Tampa Bay Rays' Jeremy Hellickson feels 'great,' will make start Sunday

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Tampa Bay Rays RHP Jeremy Hellickson said he feels "great," one day after being bothered by a blister on his right ring finger during his start against the Florida Marlins.

Hellickson pitched 1-2/3 innings, giving up a run and two walks before reaching his pitch count of 39. He said he felt the blister during the second inning, and though he didn't think the blister affected him too much, other than maybe the grip on his fastball, he has it bandaged now and plans to make his next start Sunday.

He also felt a little ill afterwards, saying it was mostly a headache, likely from the sun.

"I'm not really sure what it was, it's just one of those things I don't get sick too often," Hellickson said. "But I feel great today."

NCAA Basketball individual session tickets go on sale today

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

If you were hoping to get a chance to watch the Florida Gators play in the NCAA Tournament, but weren't interested in buying tickets for every game, you may be in luck.

Beginning today at 9 a.m., you will be able to purchase tickets to individual game sessions. Individual sessions are $77 per seat, and include two games within each session.

Tickets for all six games on March 17 and March 19 remain on sale at a price of $231, which include the two sessions on Thursday and one session on Saturday.

Tickets are available at the McDonald's Box Office at the St. Pete Times Forum, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800.745.3000.

Bass fishing Tampa Bay Rays pitchers Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann end up in pond scrum

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By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors Editor
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

PORT CHARLOTTE

Wade Davis doesn't waste time with a postgame shower and shave. Daylight is burning, and he's hot on the trail of a 5-pound bass. "I've got it dialed in," the Rays pitcher says as he climbs into the cab of his Ford pickup. "I sneak out for a few hours after a game and catch a few fish. It's pretty much guaranteed." Davis, 25, grew up fishing the ponds and lakes of Central Florida. He knows bass about as well as he knows baseball. Maybe better. "Half the battle is finding the fish," he says as he fires off a text message to pitching pal Jeff Niemann. "That's the good thing about fishing ponds — they're not as big as lakes."

Niemann answers right away. "He went home to take care of his dog," Davis says. "Mind if I stop at Walmart?"

Davis goes straight to the fishing section. He has been there a hundred times. Spinner­baits, crankbaits, topwater plugs? Not today. He goes right to the plastic worms.

His routine hasn't changed much since his days at Lake Wales High School. Everywhere he has played (New York, Carolina, Florida) he has gone head-to-head with the best in the game — brown trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass. You name it, he has caught it.

"I've fished anywhere and everywhere," he says. "If I am driving down the highway and see a pond, I'll make a note of it, come back after work and see if it has any fish."

A professional athlete such as Davis could fish with the best guides in the business. Instead, he's sneaking around golf courses, hunting "hawgs" like some 10-year-old who has lost a lure to a monster bucketmouth and is determined to get it back.

"You a mono man?" Davis asks as we pull up to the gated community where fishing pal Niemann rents a house during spring training.

Before the answer, Davis switches lanes and follows a local in before the guard can yell "Stop!" hoping the gate doesn't strip the paint off his F-150.

"We're in," he laughs and weaves through the streets, eyeing pond after pond, until he stops in front of Niemann's place.

The pitcher saunters out, spinning rod in hand, and ushers his dog back inside. "He's mad because he can't go," Niemann, 28, says.

Pond fishing is dangerous business. No place for a dog. There are gators in these fishing holes, and they like nothing more than a nice canine snack before bedtime.

"I like monofilament," Davis proclaims. "I don't think the fish can see it as well as that braided line."

Niemann shakes his head. He has a spool full of that new techno-line that looks good but tangles at the hint of a breeze.

Davis laughs and cuts his buddy, all 6-foot-9 of him, some slack. After all, he's from Texas, and everybody knows that those Lone Star boys stock their lakes with Florida bass because they don't know how to grow their own.

"You boys looking for fish?" a man in a golf cart asks as Davis pulls over to scope out a drainage ditch. "Try that pond down on the left."

Davis and Niemann don't know what to think.

"We're used to getting kicked out of every place we fish," Niemann says. "That guy was actually nice."

The players take the man at his word and try the 5-acre pond. Niemann and Davis cast in silence. The fish aren't biting.

Then fellow pitcher James Shields pulls up in a truck that looks like it has seen its share of four wheeling through the California desert.

"What's up?" Shields asks as both men hook up. "See, I brought you luck."

Shields sees a ripple in the water and points. "Cast there," he says as Niemann obliges.

A 4-foot alligator sees the lure and mistakes it for food. "Oh, no!" Shields yells as Niemann hooks the gator. "Now what do you do?"

He can't cut the line because it might get wrapped around a branch or log and doom the gator to a slow, agonizing death by starvation.

"You are going to have to bring it to shore and unhook it," I inform him.

"I'm not doing it," Niemann announces.

"Either am I," Shields echoes.

Since an outdoor writer's finger is worth a fraction of that of a major-league pitcher, I volunteer to climb into the water and unhook the beast. Armed only with a sweaty towel from the back of Niemann's pickup, I square off to battle the angry reptile. Luckily, before I lose any digits, the lure comes loose. A disappointed Shields climbs back in his truck and heads home.

"Don't waste your time here," advises a woman in another golf cart. "Come fish at my place. We stock the pond."

At first, Niemann and Davis suspect a trap. The hospitality seems a bit suspicious.

"What is this place, Pleasantville?" Niemann asks. "Are they going to make us dinner, too?"

The two men pull up at the house down the street. The sun is hanging low on the horizon. It's the bottom of the ninth, and Davis knows that it's time to put up or shut up.

The Florida boy scans the shoreline and smiles. "I like those cattails," he says. Davis casts along the weedline and works the worm, slow and deep. Then he feels a bump.

Full count, but he has got that bass right where he wants it. One more cast, a little to the outside. Strike! The reel screams. The game is his.

"Now that's a bass," he says.

Matteo Manassero, Peter Uihlein take different paths to Transitions Championship

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By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

PALM HARBOR — They have taken different paths to the first tee of today's Transitions Championship. Matteo Manassero, a 17-year-old Italian, decided to turn professional last May and joined the European Tour. Peter Uihlein, a 21-year-old from Bradenton, decided to postpone a professional career for a college education.

This is the first time they have been in the same field. It will likely not be the last.

Manassero burst into the golf world when he won the British Amateur in 2009 as a 16-year-old. That same year he finished tied for 13th at the British Open. And last April he became the youngest player to ever make the cut at the Masters. He was a week shy of his 17th birthday.

In May, Manassero made the easy decision to turn pro in time for the Italian Open. His decision was justified in October when he won the Castello Masters in Spain. He is the youngest ever to win a European Tour event.

But before all this success, Manassero was thinking about staying an amateur.

"There was a thought," Manassero said. "I wasn't immediately thinking about turning professional before playing well in the British Open. Then I thought I was turning professional. That was the right decision.

"Before that I was thinking about coming (to the United States) and playing some college golf, which I think is a great preparation for professional life."

Which is exactly what Uihlein chose to do.

Like Manassero, he grew up in a golfing family. His father, Wally, is chief executive officer of Acushnet, a parent company of Titleist. He attended the Pendleton School, a college prep school in Bradenton run by IMG Academies.

His stellar junior career included a win in an American Junior Golf Association tournament on Innisbrook's Copperhead Course (site of this weekend's event) and a New Year's Invitational win in 2009 at St. Petersburg Country Club.

But Uihlein spurned turning pro to attend Oklahoma State. He is one of the Cowboys' top players, and he won the 2010 U.S. Amateur championship. That earned him a spot in the Masters, where he will be paired with last year's champ, Phil Mickelson.

"I never thought about turning pro," said Uihlein, a junior economics major. "(Former Oklahoma State player) Rickie (Fowler), he's the exception. For me personally, I feel like I'm doing the right thing: going to school for four years and playing it out from there.

"Life is not really a sprint, it's a marathon. That's the thing that I had to focus on most."

Manassero and Uihlein have different focuses this week. Manassero is currently 55th in the Official World Golf Rankings. He needs to be in the top 50 after next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational or he will not qualify for the Masters.

He isn't sure if he can win the Transitions Championship, but he needs a good finish to keep his Masters hopes alive. He will also play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

"My expectations, I'm not thinking about much," Manassero said. "I'm thinking about having a good week, and I'm focused on getting in the Masters. Four good scores here are going to help a lot."

Uihlein doesn't have to worry about the Masters because he is already in. This week is all about tweaking his game and having fun.

"I just want to see where I match up and what I need to work on," Uihlein said. "I feel like my game is pretty good coming in. I'm just going to try to have some fun and enjoy it and really not have that many expectations.''

The expectations are down the road for Uihlein. For Manassero, the expectations are already high. His challenge is to keep up with older, stronger players. But he has been doing that since he was 10 years old.

"I'm getting longer (off the tee),'' Manassero said. "When I turned professional last year, I wasn't quite ready on that sense. I'm getting much better now. I've done some very good training, and I feel that I'm gaining some yardage and some power in my swing. I will never be a long hitter. I just want to gain some yardage that will definitely help me."

Manassero says he is having fun in his first year as a professional, despite the fact that he isn't able to obtain an Italian driver's license until he turns 18. His father, Roberto, is in town this week to drive him around. But when he turns 18 in April, Manassero knows one of the first things he will do.

"I'm going to buy a BMW," he said.

Uihlein is old enough to do what he wants, and right now he's right where he wants to be.

"I love it in Stillwater," Uihlein said. "I'd stay there more than four years if I could.''

Florida Gators preview

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

NCAA EXTRA

Game 3 6:50 p.m.

No. 2 Florida vs. No. 15 UC Santa Barbara

ROSTER

No. Player Pos. GP Min Pts Reb

0 Jaime Sernia F 25 20.4 8.0 4.4

3 Jordan Weiner G 21 21.2 5.5 1.7

10 Kyle Boswell G 20 11.1 2.6 0.5

11 Justin Joyner G 29 27.5 3.7 2.0

20 Will Brew G 29 15.0 2.3 1.1

21 James Nunnally F/G 31 32.9 16.4 5.7

24 Christian Peterson F/G 16 6.0 0.4 1.6

25 Lucas Devenny F 23 7.0 0.6 1.3

32 Jon Pastorek F 31 21.0 4.4 4.2

33 Orlando Johnson G/F 31 33.2 21.1 6.3

41 Seth Kamphoefner F 2 1.5 0.0 0.0

43 Troy Leaf G 28 9.2 2.2 0.9

55 Greg Somogyi C 31 14.0 4.6 3.0

Best wins: A 64-56 victory over No. 1 seed Long Beach State in the Big West Tournament. The victory gave the Gauchos an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Worst losses: A 68-60 loss to a North Dakota State team that finished 14-15. A 26-point loss at San Diego State.

About the school

Location: The school sits on 1,055 acres of the California coast, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Enrollment: 21,108

Famous alumni: Media personality Jim Rome, Oscar-winning actors Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow; six-time MLB All-Star Michael Young.

ROSTER

No. Player Pos. GP Min Pts Reb

1 Kenny Boynton G 33 32.7 14.1 1.5

4 Patric Young F/C 33 18.1 3.3 3.7

5 Scottie Wilbekin G 33 17.0 2.7 1.5

11 Erving Walker G 33 32.6 14.4 3.0

15 Will Yeguete F 28 7.2 1.3 2.7

20 Kyle McClanahan G 7 18 0.6 0.4

23 Alex Tyus F 32 24.3 8.7 5.5

24 Casey Prather G/F 32 6.5 1.2 1.1

25 Chandler Parsons F 32 33.8 11.5 7.8

32 Vernon Macklin F/C 33 24.4 11.3 5.5

33 Erik Murphy F 29 11.0 4.3 2.4

*34 Cody Larson F - - - -

* Redshirt this season

Best wins: The Gators defeated then-No. 6 Kansas State in December and also defeated Florida State, Xavier, Tennessee and Vanderbilt on the road.

Worst losses: The Gators went on the road to Orlando to face UCF and former UF assistant coach Donnie Jones on a neutral site and left town with a stunning 57-54 loss to a team that eventually finished 19-11 and is playing in the College Basketball Invitational tournament. Four games later, Florida suffered a 71-68 overtime loss to Jacksonville — at home. The Gator players now say that was the turning point in the season.

About the school

Location: Gainesville

Enrollment: 52.112

Famous alumni: Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, football coach and former Heisman winner Steve Spurrier, television reporter Forrest Sawyer, actor Faye Dunaway, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Jim McGee, Marshall Nirenberg (Nobel Prize winner in medicine and physiology), Hugh Wilson (creator of WKRP in Cincinnati).

Antonya English, Times staff writer

Florida Gators' Chandler Parsons stays course, becomes a star

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By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

TAMPA — During the lost years, back when Chandler Parsons was busy being a disappointment, all of this seemed very far away.

He didn't get it, if you want to know the truth. He had arrived on campus with all the answers, and he did not listen, and he did not learn. He was one of those entitled players, certain that his stardom was predestined, and by golly, Parsons wasn't going to have to break a sweat to accomplish it. He was stubborn, and he was exasperating, and, for a while, he was less than anyone expected him to be.

That was before Florida coach Billy Donovan offered to hold the door open for him to leave.

From that point on, excellence was born, and a program and a player begin to reclaim their reputations.

For Parsons, and for the Gators, the comeback began then, in the aftermath of a heart-to-heart (or boot-to-buttocks, if you prefer) conversation between a frustrated Donovan and a frustrating Parsons. It was then that the player began to reclaim his reputation, and then that the program began to do the same.

Now, they share success, Parsons and the Gators. Parsons has been the SEC player of the year, and Donovan the SEC coach of the year, and together, they have earned the No. 2 seed in the Southeast bracket of the NCAA Tournament. These days, news conferences sound like one of those Academy Award speeches where everyone thanks everyone else and dismisses the hard times.

Ah, but it wasn't always like that. For a long time, Parsons was an untamed colt, refusing to buy into Donovan's system, barely paying attention to defense. He was a shooter, and he was sure that was going to be enough to succeed.

The thing about college basketball, however, is that the easier a player thinks it will be to be a star, the harder it becomes. In the case of Parsons, it was a turbulent journey.

At the end of his freshman year, for instance, Donovan locked the practice facility on his team to point out that they weren't the players who had earned the championship trophies. Donovan wouldn't even let the players use their practice uniforms.

"That was unbelievable," Parsons said. "Having to go to practice at high schools or at Florida gym in your own basketball shorts, maybe no shirt, three times a day and doing your own laundry. It was miserable. But it really made us tougher, and it got us more together."

A year later, however, Donovan and Parsons had a meeting. Maybe Florida wasn't the right place for Parsons, after all, said Donovan.

"The thing about Coach Donovan, he challenges players," Parson said, grinning at the memory. "There was a time in my career he really put my back against the wall. I had to make a change and buy into his system, or I could have taken the easy way out and gone somewhere else. I think he said, 'If you don't change your ways, I don't think this is the right place for you. Basically, you can start looking somewhere else.'

"I told him I want to stay, and that I was going to change. I'll do whatever it takes for our team to win. I respect coach for trying to get the best out of me. Him pushing me the hardest got me to where I am today."

Where Parsons will be today is at the St. Pete Times Forum, leading his team into the NCAA Tournament. After all, Parsons has always been a mirror of his team. They have been disappointing together, and they have been embarrassed together, and now, they have one final run in them.

Parsons is one of the most versatile players in the tournament. He is stronger than he was, he can shoot, he's a fierce rebounder and he can handle the ball like a guard. But the best attribute Parsons has is resiliency. Not many players overcome those "be good or be gone" conversations.

"Chandler had a lot of skill and a lot of ability and a lot of talent," Donovan says. "I just never, ever thought he utilized it the right way. There were some things I was trying to get across to him to help him understand, to grow and get better as a player.

"I don't want to say he was reluctant. He was never reluctant, and he was always respectful, but he thought he had a lot more answers at 18 that he realized he didn't have.

"I don't think he ever really understood what it was all about."

Parsons thought it was going to be easy. Looking back, Parsons admits that now. He signed with Florida after the Gators had won two national championships, and he thought he would fit in and have the same impact he had in high school.

Instead, it takes 10,000 jump shots and tons of iron moved in the weight room and endless conditioning to become a star.

Sometimes, it also takes the right approach.

Say this for Parsons. Eventually, he figured it out. Eventually, he made Donovan glad he stayed.

Older brothers raised UCSB's Orlando Johnson following the deaths of six family members

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By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

TAMPA — Deaths have been so frequent in Orlando Johnson's life that each passing of a family member has served as something of a milepost on his personal trail of tears.

But Johnson's road took a detour that ultimately has brought him to — of all places — the NCAA Tournament, where, today, he'll lead the University of California-Santa Barbara in a game against heavy favorite Florida.

The six family members he lost before even reaching his teens cannot be there for him today. But the two older brothers who lovingly dropped everything to raise him from the age of 11 will be in the stands at the St. Pete Times Forum to watch the young man they helped mold.

"They stopped their (lives) and took me on," said Johnson, a junior forward who leads the Gauchos with 21.1 points per game.

"I just don't know how they did it. They were able to adjust. I'm glad I can pay them back by being here today and (giving) them an opportunity to keep seeing me play."

This story could have had a far different ending. Johnson, who grew up in Seaside, Calif., never knew his father. His mother died when he was an infant. When he was 6, the house in which he lived with 10 relatives burned down, killing four of them. The grandmother who then took him in died five years later.

If not for the initiative taken by older brothers Robbie Johnson and Jamell Damon, both in their 20s at the time, more tragedy could have followed.

"Without those guys, man, I probably see myself bouncing around from foster homes and just doing the wrong things," Johnson said. "Growing up at (the) time where I was living in Seaside, it wasn't really good out there. The people I was growing up around got into the wrong things and a lot of them are not even living today. … I don't think I'd be the same person."

Johnson's memories are sporadic. He was much too young when his mother died to remember anything about her. But he recalls his tight relationship with his young cousin who wanted badly to tag along with Johnson and another family member the day the fatal fire broke out.

"We went everywhere together," he said. "It was weird for us to be apart. … I just pray and I'm thankful I'm here today. I know they're looking down on me."

His cousin's name was Angel.

Anyone who has watched Johnson play the past two seasons at UCSB knows the sort of player he is. Johnson was the Big West player of the year in 2009-10 and this season was named tournament MVP for the second straight time. In leading the Gauchos to the Big West tournament title last week, Johnson averaged 28.3 points and shot 51.9 percent from the field.

The tragic events that shaped Johnson's life have made him nothing if not driven. On Wednesday, before taking the floor for practice, he recalled a story from high school that seems just as inspirational today as it was then.

"I had this football coach in high school," he begins. "I'll never forget this. He said, 'Why do you want to keep playing basketball? You're a D-III player at best. … You're not going to be able to get that Division I scholarship. You might as well just stick to football.'

"I just remember saying to myself, 'Man, I'm going to get this scholarship and prove these people wrong.' "

Johnson quit the football team entering his senior season. By then, he had 13 Division I basketball offers. Clearly, there's something special about the way this kid responds to challenges.

"I don't think Orlando gets fazed," coach Bob Williams said. "The bigger the game, the better he has played."

They don't get much bigger than tonight's against Florida. But with a clutch assist from his two older brothers, Johnson already has overcome much more than a few Gators.

"A lot of people around the country might not believe in us," he said. "That's fine. The guys in this locker room, as long as they believe in what we've been doing all season, as long as they keep fighting, we'll have a chance."


NCAA Tournament games in Tampa unlikely to sell out

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

TAMPA — Despite a draw that includes fan favorites Florida and Kentucky, today's NCAA Tournament second-round games at the St. Pete Times Forum are unlikely to be sold out.

Organizers put single-session tickets on sale Wednesday, and when the box office closed, there were about 14,000 tickets sold for today's early two-game session and about 15,000 sold for the night games. The Times Forum has a capacity of 20,000 for basketball games.

A strong walk-up crowd is still possible, and the attendance should be in line with opening-round games in 2008, when the first-day sessions drew announced crowds of 15,920 and 15,328.

Tickets are still available for today's games and Saturday's session. The cost is $77 per two-game session or $231 for a book for all six games. If Florida and Kentucky both advance, Saturday's session should outdraw the 2008 second round, which drew 14,504 to the Times Forum.

READY TO RUN: Ben Howland teams are perhaps best known for their focus on defense, but UCLA's players say they shouldn't be seen as a team that can't push the ball at a higher tempo.

"Everyone has a stereotype of us as a defensive team, but we can get up and down the court, too," said Reeves Nelson, a 6-foot-8 forward who averages 13.9 points for the Bruins. "We want to focus on defense, because when we get stops and we rebound the basketball, that drives our uptempo offense. One thing leads to the other."

Seventh-seeded UCLA (22-10) comes in averaging 70 points, 11/2 points ahead of its opponent, 10th-seeded Michigan State (19-14). But the Bruins have failed to reach 60 points in their past two games — 59 in a Pac-10 tournament loss to Oregon, 58 in an overtime win against Washington State. Tougher opponents have challenged UCLA with a fast pace: Villanova beat the Bruins 82-70, and Kansas edged them 77-76.

"We're going to try and run and they're going to try and run," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said, "so hopefully it'll be more up and down and not quite 3 yards and a cloud of dust that people would expect from a Big Ten team and a Ben Howland-coached team."

NO WORRIES: The St. Pete Times Forum canceled an NBA preseason game between the Magic and Heat in October due to an unsafe court surface from an improper cleaner being used, but organizers aren't worried about that happening this week. The NCAA now brings its own court for postseason games, as it did for the NCAA Women's Final Four in 2008, and the correct cleaners were used in preparing the floor for Wednesday's practice sessions, which went off without any problems from the eight teams in attendance.

IVY FAMILIARITY: You won't have to remind Kentucky of the dangers of playing an Ivy League team in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, the Wildcats faced Cornell in the round of 16 and found themselves up by just six points with 5:15 to play before hitting 9 of 10 free throws in the final 90 seconds for a 62-45 win.

"I think they're much like … Cornell last year. They make you defend the whole 35 seconds," guard Darius Miller said of Princeton. "We just have to be disciplined and watch their every move."

Kentucky coach John Calipari said he coached against Princeton and former coach Pete Carril when he was at Massachusetts, and he learned a lesson about defending the Princeton offense's signature back-door cuts.

"They put the sky cam over the top of the court so that you could see all the back doors and see it developing," Calipari said. "I was like the Washington Generals for Coach Carril so the country could see his back doors and all the other stuff. It's really hard to guard. … This team, they're dangerous because they play faster."

Transitions Championship marks Sergio Garcia's return to PGA Tour

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By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Upbeat Garcia

PALM HARBOR — This week at the Transitions Championship, Sergio Garcia is making his first U.S. appearance since the PGA Championship in August. Garcia, who hasn't won since fall 2008 on the European Tour, took 10 weeks off after the PGA, saying he needed a break from golf.

He has played six tournaments since his break, all in Europe. Garcia said he comes to Palm Harbor with his batteries recharged.

"I definitely feel like I want to be out there," he said. "That always helps. I can do better but at least if you're looking forward to it, it helps."

Garcia has won 20 times, seven of those on the PGA Tour, including the 2008 Players Championship. But his game has faded of late, which had dampened some of his excitement. "When you've been pretty much in the top 10 in the world rankings it's a little bit tougher to swallow, I guess," he said.

Garcia, 30, said he chose to make his 2011 U.S. debut at Innisbrook because of the tournament. "I have always liked this course," he said. "I think it's a great tournament, a very good, very challenging course. It's always been nice, and Florida is usually good weather."

Battered champ

Michael Bradley is a little tired, both mentally and physically, and though he'd probably rather be in Puerto Rico, after that he will take Palm Harbor. For the second time in three years, Bradley won last week's Puerto Rico Open. "I wish the tour was there every week," he said.

Bradley, 44, grew up in Brandon. His father was the head pro at Buckhorn Springs Golf Club from 1983-91. He lives in Lithia now and calls Bloomingdale Golfers Club his home course.

He feels a little extra pressure playing in front of family and friends. "I'm kind of a pleasing person, and I want to play well for them more than for myself," he said. "That's probably not good, but that's just me."

Deja vu

Jim Furyk was not playing well before last year's Transitions Championship. He ended up winning the event and having the best year of his career. He is not playing well again this year. Furyk has only one top 10 finish in six tournaments, which has him scratching his head.

"The start really isn't much different than last year," Furyk said. "It's obviously disappointing that I haven't been playing well. I'm a little baffled by it myself."

Woods to Bay Hill

Tiger Woods announced he will play the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week at Bay Hill in Orlando. Woods is a six-time winner at Bay Hill, including one stretch of four straight victories. He last won in 2009 with a birdie on the final hole, but did not defend his title last year while coping with the crisis in his personal life. He told ESPN that he believes he can still be the No. 1 player in the world. "When I get my swing dialed in?" Woods said, smiling in an interview.

Et cetera

Jeff Klauk, who says he is ill, and Fred Funk (chest cartilage issue) withdrew from the Transitions Championship. They are replaced by Richard S. Johnson and former UF golfer Billy Horschel. … Geoff Ogilvy's group won the Wednesday pro-am with 13-under 58. … Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz accepted a sponsor's exemption for the Nationwide Tour's South Georgia Classic in Valdosta next month.

Rodney Page, Times staff writer; Times wires

Tampa Bay Rays: Musical talents revealed, father-son reunion, B.J. Upton in ad campaign

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By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

New ad of the day

Rays CF B.J. Upton and brother Justin of the Diamondbacks are among five athletes featured in the New Era caps' national "Flagbearers" campaign.

Talent review of the day

Tuesday's annual team "talent show" provided laughs and entertainment, including a few songs (including Free Bird) from John Jaso (on guitar), Evan Longoria (drums) and Johnny Damon (some vocals). Chris Archer was a box of laughs, and Steve Vogt a solid emcee. The winner was minor-league OF Emeel Salem, who sang and played piano for an impressive medley. "We actually had some talent in the talent show," Jaso said. Added J.P. Howell: "He should seriously try out for American Idol."

Reunion of the day

Sean Rodriguez, above, got to spend a few minutes pregame with his father, John, a baseball lifer now managing a Class A team for the Cardinals, who share the Jupiter facility. "He got a little emotional because we were both on the field in uniform," Sean said.

Other guests of the day

Former Ray Greg Norton, now the Marlins' Triple-A manager, came over from the back fields to say hello, and manager Joe Maddon had a Lafayette College buddy and a former Boulder Collegians summer league teammate in the stands. There could be a big visitor tonight, with former NFL star Ed "Too Tall" Jones — a childhood friend of just-inaugurated HCC president Ken Atwater — invited to join the Rays for batting practice in Tampa.

Rays at Yankees

When/where: 7:05 tonight; Steinbrenner Field, corner of Dale Mabry and Martin Luther King, Tampa

Tickets: $17-$33, available via Yankees.com, Ticketmaster and at the stadium.

Radio: 620-AM

Rays information: Toll-free 1-888-326-7297

Pitchers: Rays — Chris Bootcheck, Mike Ekstrom, Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, Jake McGee; Yankees — Phil Hughes, Boone Logan, Romulo Sanchez, Luis Ayala

Heads-up

Expect most of the front- liners to play tonight and Friday, then get Saturday off.

Who is this Ray?

His father is a minor-league manager in the Cardinals organization. His brother was a catcher in Nationals system and is now a high-school coach. He hit in every spot in the lineup last season but cleanup. He came to the Rays in trade.

On deck

Friday: Red Sox, 7:05. Rays — Andy Sonnanstine; Red Sox — Tim Wakefield

Saturday: at Twins (Fort Myers), 1:05. Rays — Jeff Niemann; Twins — Nick Blackburn

Sunday: Orioles, 1:05. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson; Orioles — TBA

Upcoming schedule

21: Yankees, 7:05

22: at Red Sox, 7:05

23: Phillies

24: at Astros

25: Pirates

26: Orioles

27: at Pirates

28: at Yankees, 7:05

29: at Red Sox

30: vs. Blue Jays at Tropicana Field, 4:10

Who is this Ray answer: INF Sean Rodriguez

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

20: Orioles

Florida Gators seniors enter NCAA Tournament with a sense of urgency

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Florida coach Billy Donovan is always encouraging his players to "live in the moment," and nobody is following that advice more seriously than the Gator seniors. Remember, this is the group that came to town on the heels of Florida's back-to-back national titles, then spent their first two years of postseason play in the NIT. And when they finally made it to the NCAA Tournament last season, it was one and done. From that, the Gators said they've learned a valuable lesson: it's not just about getting to the Dance, it's sticking around that counts.

"The difference now is we've got three seniors," senior center Vernon Macklin said. "And once the game is over, we can't look to next year. It's over. So we told those (young) guys how the feeling is going to be if you lose, and you don't want that feeling. You want to keep playing as long as you can. There's definitely a huge sense of urgency. We're not just happy to be here.''

ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE: As the No. 15 seed, UCSB is considered the underdog, but "I think for us, we've just got to be going, 'Just believe,' " Gauchos guard/forward Orlando Johnson said. "We've been having this (slogan) on our wall just like the whole season, just talking about believing in what we do and each other. We've had some ups and downs this year, we know that, but we've never given up, and we've always had this, like, animal come out inside of us, which was calling at the last game (a 64-56 win over No. 1 seed Long Beach State in the Big West tournament). As long as we have that inside and we bring that out (today), then we'll be ready."

SO WHAT ABOUT BIG BLUE?: Kentucky fans are famous for their love of their team and huge following of their beloved Wildcats. Last weekend, Florida got a chance to see that first hand as Kentucky fans dominated the stands at the Georgia Dome during the SEC tournament. The Gators expect more of the same today but hope Florida fans will show up in droves for their game, as well.

"I'm sure it'll be a lot of Kentucky fans, but I'm definitely expecting a lot of Florida fans also," sophomore guard Kenny Boynton said.

Boynton said he hopes that if Kentucky fans stick around for the second session, SEC pride will kick in when the Gators play. "I'm not sure, but I honestly think they'll root for us," he said. "But I'm not sure."

NCAA Tournament game preview: West Virginia vs. Clemson

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

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Asked when he finally got to his hotel room after beating UAB in Ohio in an opening-round game late Tuesday night, Clemson senior forward Jerai Grant said he couldn't remember the exact time his head hit the pillow. "It was pretty late … or early," he said Wednesday evening, smiling at the whirlwind 24 hours that had passed in the quick turnaround before today's 12:15 p.m. game against fifth-seeded West Virginia at St. Pete Times Forum.

As part of the new "First Four" games in Dayton, Clemson didn't tip off with UAB until after 10 p.m., and after interviews, a fuel delay and a flight to Tampa, it was about 5 a.m. Wednesday when the Tigers got to their hotel. Coach Brad Brownell let his players sleep until noon, though he admitted that after watching West Virginia on his laptop during the flight, he only slept three hours.

"And it wasn't good sleep," he added, noting that the turnaround is much like a conference tournament, except that in that scenario, the next opponent is usually a team you've already faced and know well.

It seems cruel that the NCAA would hand Clemson the first of four games at the Times Forum, rather than an evening slot, but Brownell said he won't make any excuses. His seniors have been to the NCAAs all four years, but Tuesday was their first tournament win.

"I'm not going to talk about the negatives," he said. "Our mind set is that we should be fine, we should be fresh, should be ready to play. It's not ideal. We certainly wish maybe we were playing a night game and had a little more time. We basically have to wake up and play. We'll do what we've got to do."

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins wasn't sure which team he'd be playing until late Tuesday night, but he said today's players are energetic enough that the quick turnaround shouldn't be a major factor in the game's outcome.

"Kids today, they play at 2 o'clock and they go get a hamburger and french fries and a chocolate shake and they come back and play at 6," he said. "It's kind of a different breed of athletes, I think. I think they'll be fine."

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