By Dave Mistretta, Times Correspondent
Monday, January 16, 2012

Cold conditions: Water temperatures are trying their best to stay above 60 degrees. Once temperatures drop to the 50s, the metabolism of most fish slows, and this is when things can really get tough for fishermen.

Slow it down: At this time of year we are in no rush to hit the water at daybreak. Allow the sun to heat things up a bit. Our trips will often leave at 8 or 9 a.m. More light and warmth are key for any success at this time.

Warmer waters if you head west: Travel further from shore for the best results. At 10 miles from shore you will notice water temperatures start to creep up. A 30-mile jaunt (85 to 90 feet) will reward you with 60-degree temperatures and much more cooperative game fish. During our past few trips, amberjacks and red grouper have been the best bet for bringing home dinner.

Another note: Watch for large tripletail for the next few months. They can be spotted at the surface, clinging to any large floating object. Navigation buoys, floating sea grass and crab trap buoys will often hold this interesting fish.

Dave Mistretta captains the Jaws Too out of Indian Rocks Beach. Call (727) 439-2628 or visit jawstoo.com.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Monday, January 16, 2012

The fall has come so quickly, so suddenly, like a slip from a high wire, like a plunge from excellence to irrelevance. One minute this was a pretty good team, and the next, it was awful.

Perhaps you have witnessed such a drop before.

Just like that, the defense cannot stop anyone. Just like that, the penalties are out of hand. Just like that, the players are worn down mentally and physically. Just like that, yesterday's promise has become today's pestilence.

Just like that, a team cannot measure up to last season's overachievement.

Egad. The Tampa Bay Lightning has become the Tampa Bay Bucs.

And doesn't your head hurt all over again?

The return to the basement has happened so fast. Only a few months ago, the Lightning was one period away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals, and it felt as if a franchise has repaired itself. A new direction had been set, and while few people expected the Lightning to make it back to the conference finals again, it is fair to say that most of us expected the team to be, well, better than this.

Last place in the conference.

Most goals allowed in the league.

Also, oh-for-2012.

Just asking, but did anyone let Barry Melrose near the water cooler? Len Barrie? Art Williams? What in the name of Kokusai Green is going on here?

"We knew it was going to be a tougher year,'' said coach Guy Boucher. "We never expected it to be this tough. That comes from the circumstances that came about after the season started.''

On every team, in every league, with every sport, there are circumstances. Good franchises, deep franchises, are able to overcome them. The Lightning have not been.

For one thing, goaltender Dwayne Roloson has struggled beyond all imagination. It is as if the 42-year-old Roloson borrowed 10 years so he could play so well last year, and now, the timekeeper has called in the loan. With interest. Roloson is currently 71st in the NHL with an .880 save percentage. That's trouble that most teams would struggle to overcome.

Is it age? Is it focus? Is it the defense in front of him? Maybe it's all of it. Regardless, when a goaltender's play drops so dramatically he changes from an answer to a question, it's tough for any team to overcome.

As wobbly as Roloson has been, his defense hasn't helped him. Look at it like this: Before the season, you probably thought defense was one of the problem areas on the Lightning. Now, take away Mattias Ohlund and Victor Hedman, and there isn't enough protection in front of Roloson.

The result is that the other defensemen are overworked and underproductive, and the lamp on the net flashes like a stoplight, and the losing streak continues. Meanwhile, Boucher admits the struggle has caused a mental strain on his team.

"The minute we get a penalty, you can feel it,'' Boucher said. "Phewww. It just deflates real, real fast and we dig ourselves a grave. It's a heavier load lately because things have not turned our way. The players know we're depleted. It just piles onto the heaviness.''

Perhaps the success of last year allowed Tampa Bay — and maybe even the Lightning front office — to think it was ahead of where it was in the building process. Before last year, after all, the Lightning was a mess of a franchise, and fixing it was never going to be quick nor easy.

The man in charge of the repairs, general manager Steve Yzerman, sat halfway up in the bleachers Monday, watching his team as it practiced. No, he admits, he did not anticipate a season such as this one.

"I wouldn't use the word 'frustrated,''' he said. "Maybe disappointed. And determined to get to where we need to be. I want us to be good every year. I want us to be a Stanley Cup contender.

"I believe in what I do.''

And does he still support the coach?

"Absolutely,'' Yzerman said. "The players are still playing hard.''

In hockey, that's most of the battle. Besides, Boucher is only in his second year, and he won two playoff series in his first. He shouldn't be under any pressure. That said, even with the injuries, it's not too much to expect this team to finish better-than-last, is it?

Boucher will tell you that the first time he met Yzerman, he bought into a long growing process. This year hasn't changed the vision. It has, however, affected the standings. Also, it has tested the patience of those who expected more.

Last year, when the Lightning was a surprising success in the playoffs, it was easier for fans to share that vision. This year? It's a little more of a struggle. There is nothing like underachievement to drive a fan crazy. And if the Lightning is good enough to come back to tie Pittsburgh at 3-3, how can it be bad enough to lose 6-3?

"We've had a lot of obstacles,'' said Lightning forward Steven Stamkos. "We didn't have a good start, and we've had a lot of injuries and a lot of games on the road. I don't want to use that as an excuse, but those are the facts.

"But we just haven't played good enough to win. We can say we deserve a better fate, but if we don't win games, it's not good enough.''

Not good enough. That pretty much sums it up this year, doesn't it?

Boucher has an analogy he likes to use. Teams in the NHL, he says, are Ferraris. If things get out of balance, they don't run properly.

Last year, maybe the Lightning was a Ferrari. This year, it's a Studebaker.

For heaven's sake, can someone please trade it in before next year?

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 16, 2012

USF women vs. No. 21 DePaul

When/where: 7; USF Rec Center, Tampa

Radio: 1010-AM

Records: DePaul 15-3, 3-1 Big East; USF 10-8, 2-2

Notable: USF has opened Big East play with two road wins and two home losses, both to ranked opponents. … DePaul averages 8.5 3-pointers and 77 points, so there should be plenty of scoring. … USF is getting 16.3 points per game from guard Inga Orekhova, who joined the team three games ago, pushing her ahead of guard Jasmine Wynne (16.1) for the team scoring lead. … DePaul has guard Anna Martin, who is scoring 19 per game and hitting 46 percent of her 3s; Keisha Hampton is at 16.6 points per game. … DePaul lost 60-52 at a Providence team comparable to USF, but the Bulls have to keep up with the Blue Demons shot for shot. … Win here, and USF has matched its total of conference wins from all of 2010-11.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

Times staff
Monday, January 16, 2012

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 16, 2012

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 16, 2012

TAMPA — Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier said he does not regret anything he did or tried to do Sunday to Penguins star Evgeni Malkin.

Not jumping Malkin from behind or the sucker punch he threw to Malkin's face at the end of a scrum.

It was justified payback, Lecavalier said, for what he believes was Malkin's attempt in the third period of a 6-3 Pittsburgh victory to go for his knees while ducking a Lecavalier check.

"I thought he went a little low on the hit," Lecavalier said Monday at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. "Sometimes there's confrontations on the ice. It's heat of the moment. It just happens."

It was Lecavalier's first comments about the incident that resulted in him getting 14 minutes in penalties — four for boarding and a 10-minute misconduct — that removed him from the game with 7:49 left and the Penguins up 5-3.

Lecavalier left the arena Sunday without speaking to reporters, creating speculation he ducked them so as not to say anything inflammatory or that could be misinterpreted.

But Lecavalier said the situation was more innocent.

"There's nothing behind that," he said. "The game was over and I was dressed. I just left. I didn't think anything of it. I didn't leave to say I was running away from something. I really didn't."

Still, Lecavalier is the team captain. So it is his job to, you know, deal with the media — a task he never has protested — especially with his team losing seven straight games and him trying to beat up one of the league's stars.

The dustup was big news around the league. There were headlines in newspapers in the Tampa Bay area and Pittsburgh. It was discussed for several minutes between periods of NBC's national telecast of the Rangers-Canadiens game.

Analyst Mike Milbury called Malkin's move "dangerous."

But the view from on and off the ice apparently is different.

"I can see why," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said of the fuss. "It's Malkin and Vinny. But my first initial thought was it went right by me."

"It's a minor incident," general manager Steve Yzerman said. "It's not a big deal. What's (Lecavalier) going to say? You're hoping he says something good. You want to get a good quote. I'd rather he say nothing than give you guys a headline."

Besides, added Yzerman, who for 20 years was captain of the Red Wings, Lecavalier, captain or not, had no obligation to speak to reporters about the incident.

"We play 82 games in the regular season, all through training camp, every day in practice, these guys are available. It's a minor incident. I don't think he needs to comment on it."

Lecavalier did for about five minutes after Monday's practice.

He said it did not immediately flash through his mind that Malkin, playing for Russia, was suspended from a semifinal game at the 2006 Olympics for trying to kick Canada's Lecavalier in the head during the quarterfinals.

Told Malkin said he simply tried to duck out of the way of Lecavalier's check on Sunday, Lecavalier said:

"Yeah, ducking out of the way and you get the guy's knees. I agree to disagree. Nothing happened. I didn't get hurt. My knees are fine. I just thought it was (a low hit) and he doesn't, so we can leave it at that."

NOTES: Wing Dana Tyrell, who sustained a lower body injury against the Penguins, will not play tonight against the Bruins, Boucher said. … Forward Trevor Smith was called up from AHL Norfolk, where he had a team-best 44 points.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@tampabay.com.

Times wires
Monday, January 16, 2012

MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal sat in his hotel room in "unbelievable pain," his right knee cracking and his leg cramping. He wondered if he'd be able to play his first-round match at the Australian Open.

He already had plenty on his mind going into the year's first Grand Slam tournament. There was his ailing shoulder and his spat with Roger Federer over player conditions on the tour, a rare clash between these respectful rivals that has since been smoothed over.

After hours of medical tests and treatment, Nadal decided to play but was "scared" when he took the court against qualifier Alex Kuznetsov. Judging by the score line, the outcome looked matter of fact: Nadal won 6-4, 6-1, 6-1, but it was anything but that for the 2009 Australian Open champion.

On the tournament's eve Sunday, Nadal used a Spanish language news conference to criticize Federer for holding back while letting others "burn themselves" in the push for changes on the tour.

Third-seeded Federer started his bid for a 17th major title with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 win over Alexander Kudryavtsev. He then just as quickly batted away any notion of a simmering feud with Nadal. Ever the statesman, Federer conceded that players differed on ways of resolving certain issues and "things are fine between us."

"We can't always agree on everything," he said. He also praised Nadal for maturing into a leader.

Nadal has been dealing with a sore shoulder for months and has indicated he will take time off next month to let it heal. But he surprised everyone when he walked onto Hisense Arena with a heavily taped knee Monday.

After his opening victory, he disclosed — saying it was to avoid any mystery — that he'd felt a "crack" and later experienced "unbelievable pain." He said he tried to stretch his leg but he had no movement in his knee.

Tests attributed the problem to a pinched tendon, and he said he should be fine for his next match after a day off.

Defending champion Kim Clijsters beat qualifier Maria Joao Koehler 7-5, 6-1 and didn't seem troubled by the hip spasms that caused her to retire during the Brisbane International semifinal. Li Na, who lost to Clijsters in last year's Australian final, defeated Ksenia Pervak 6-3, 6-1.

Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki had to wait until the last match on Rod Laver Arena to get her tournament under way and test the left wrist she hurt in Sydney last week. She wasted little time dispatching Anastasia Rodionova 6-2, 6-1.

"I got a bit nervous about my wrist, but I am happy I could play full out tonight," she said.

Times wires
Monday, January 16, 2012

MELBOURNE, Australia — Anyone who didn't know Novak Djokovic won three of the four Grand Slam titles last year only had to look at his shoes.

That's if his emphatic first-round win today at the Australian Open wasn't evidence enough.

Djokovic started his Australian Open defense with a 6-2, 6-0, 6-0 win over Paolo Lorenzi, wearing a pair of red-white-and-blue shoes with images of his three major trophies on the sides and a Serbian flag on the heels.

He gave up an early break but immediately broke back at love as he won the next 17 games, saving a break point in the opening game of the second set.

"It was a great performance for (my) first official match of the 2012 season," said the top-ranked Djokovic, whose only loss at a Grand Slam last year was in the French Open semifinal.

On the women's side, second-ranked Petra Kvitova and No. 4 Maria Sharapova advanced with lopsided wins.

After surrendering her opening service game with a double fault, Wimbledon champion Kvitova won 12 consecutive games in a 6-2, 6-0 win over Vera Dushevina.

Kvitova underlined her growing stature on the tour by breaking her Russian rival's serve three times in each set.

Sharapova won the first eight games of a 6-0, 6-1 win over Gisela Dulko in her first match since returning from a left ankle injury.

The 2008 champion needed just 58 minutes for the win and the only game she lost was on her own serve. She then saved three break points in the last game before serving out the match.

Rafael Nadal, who lost his No. 1 ranking and six finals to Djokovic last year, wondered if he'd even be able to play his first-round match at the Australian Open on Monday after his right knee cracked and cramped and caused him "unbelievable pain" on the eve of the tournament.

After hours of medical tests and treatment, Nadal decided to play but was "scared" when he took the court against qualifier Alex Kuznetsov. Judging by the score line, the outcome looked matter of fact: Nadal won 6-4, 6-1, 6-1.

Third-seeded Federer started his bid for a 17th major title with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 win over Alexander Kudryavtsev, showing no signs of a back problem that forced him out of a Doha tournament this month. He then batted away any notion of a feud with Nadal. Federer conceded that players differed on ways of resolving certain issues and "things are fine between us … We can't always agree on everything."

Defending champion Kim Clijsters and French Open winner Li Na also advanced Monday along with top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki.

Times wires
Monday, January 16, 2012

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The debate over Tim Tebow's worthiness as an NFL quarterback will undeniably continue in the offseason.

What's not in doubt is his status as the Broncos' starter.

The team called the former Florida star the incumbent at Monday's season-ending news conference.

"Well, I think Tim's earned the right to be the starting quarterback going into training camp next year," boss John Elway said to start a 40-minute news conference in which 24 of 47 questions were about Tebow, the former Heisman Trophy winner.

"I think he made some good strides this year," Elway said. "He obviously played very well against Pittsburgh and played very well in a lot of football games."

And exceedingly poorly in plenty of others.

That's why Elway, a Hall of Famer who rejoined the team a year ago as chief of football operations, has pledged to personally work with Tebow this offseason to polish his passing game and help him become a better quarterback.

He has a willing pupil in Tebow, who said his offseason goal was "to work pretty hard and try to get a lot better."

Tebow is the Broncos' only quarterback under contract for 2012.

DRIVER DECISIONS: As stunned Packers cleaned out their lockers, receiver Donald Driver knew he might be packing up for good.

Driver, the franchise's all-time leader in catches and yards receiving, has a year left on his contract and says he'd prefer to stay. But he will turn 37 next month on a team with a youth-first philosophy.

"I don't make any decisions," Driver said. "This is a business, and if they decide to go a different route with the young players, then I've got to go do what I want to do."

Driver said he has no intention of retiring.

The Packers also face a decision on cornerback Charles Woodson; the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Woodson, 35, is due a $4 million roster bonus in the offseason.

MARTZ RETIRES: Mike Martz, 61, the former Rams coach who was Chicago's offensive coordinator the past two seasons, said he's retiring from coaching.

BEARS: The team interviewed Patriots director of pro personnel Jason Licht for the general manager job vacated when Jerry Angelo was fired.

RAMS: The team was scheduled to introduce Jeff Fisher as coach today, having finished contract details. Reports indicated Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams agreed to join St. Louis in the same role.

FAN SHOOTING: Authorities say an argument over Saturday's 49ers-Saints game led to the shooting of two men in suburban Atlanta. Gwinnett County Police charged Donald Ray Ayro, 31, with assault after 30-year-olds Christopher Middleton and Corey Adams were shot in an Applebee's parking lot in Duluth, Ga. Middleton was shot in the abdomen and was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center in critical condition. Adams had a minor graze to the head and was treated on the scene.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 16, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays struck a one-year, $1.35 million deal with reliever J.P. Howell but went into Monday night facing the potential of four arbitration hearings if agreements aren't reached by today's 1 p.m. deadline.

The remaining eligibles include two of the Rays' top players: centerfielder B.J. Upton, who is in line to make $6.5 million to $7 million; and lefty starter David Price, expected to get around $4.5 million.

Also in play are starter Jeff Niemann (likely in the $2.5 million-$3 million range) and reliever Burke Badenhop (around $1 million).

Teams and players are set to exchange figures this afternoon, and under Rays policy that marks the end of negotiations to avoid a hearing, which would be next month.

The Rays do it that way for a reason. Actually, two: To facilitate a deal, since most don't happen until a deadline looms, and to avoid settling at what they consider an artificial midpoint between the submitted figures, which can be millions apart. If a case goes to a hearing, the arbitrators pick one of the figures.

The Rays are 4-0 in hearings in the six years under executive vice president Andrew Friedman but would rather avoid a process that can be uncomfortable for both sides.

Howell, who came back in May after missing 2010 due to shoulder surgery, got a slight raise from last year's $1.1 million salary, plus the chance to make another $50,000 based on innings pitched. Howell was 2-3, 6.16 in 46 games.

"I'm extremely pleased to have this deal done," Howell said. "It's been a pleasure through this three-year arbitration (eligibility). The goal in day one of camp for me, and I'm sure everyone in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, is to never, ever lose focus of our process. Our process can win championships, and that's the goal."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 16, 2012

The Rays struck a one-year, $1.35 million deal with reliever J.P. Howell Monday but went into this morning facing the potential of four arbitration hearings if agreements aren't reached by the 1 p.m. deadline.

The remaining eligibles include two of the Rays' top players: centerfielder B.J. Upton, who is in line to make $6.5 million to $7 million; and lefty starter David Price, expected to get around $4.5 million.

Also in play are starter Jeff Niemann (likely in the $2.5 million-$3 million range) and reliever Burke Badenhop (around $1 million).

Teams and players are set to exchange figures this afternoon, and under Rays policy that marks the end of negotiations to avoid a hearing, which would be next month.

The Rays do it that way for a reason. Actually, two: To facilitate a deal, since most don't happen until a deadline looms, and to avoid settling at what they consider an artificial midpoint between the submitted figures, which can be millions apart. If a case goes to a hearing, the arbitrators pick one of the figures.

The Rays are 4-0 in hearings in the six years under executive vice president Andrew Friedman but would rather avoid a process that can be uncomfortable for both sides.

Howell, who came back in May after missing 2010 due to shoulder surgery, got a slight raise from last year's $1.1 million salary, plus the chance to make another $50,000 based on innings pitched. Howell was 2-3, 6.16 in 46 games.

"I'm extremely pleased to have this deal done," Howell said. "It's been a pleasure through this three-year arbitration (eligibility). The goal in day one of camp for me, and I'm sure everyone in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, is to never, ever lose focus of our process. Our process can win championships, and that's the goal."

Times wires
Monday, January 16, 2012

Bill Mott won his third Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding trainer Monday, and for the third straight year, a female was crowned Horse of the Year: Havre de Grace. Following Zenyatta in 2010 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009, she ran away in five of seven races, beating the boys in the Woodward.

Mott swept the top two Breeders' Cup races.

Other highlights: Animal Kingdom, 3-year-old male; Ken and Sarah Ramsey, owner; Adena Springs Farms, breeder; Acclamation, older male; Hansen, 2-year-old male; Cape Blanco, male turf.

Times wires
Monday, January 16, 2012

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Dion Waiters had 16 points and Scoop Jardine 12 points and 10 assists as No. 1 Syracuse beat Pittsburgh 71-63 on Monday night to open with 20 straight wins.

The Orange (7-0 Big East) set a school record for consecutive victories to start a season and gave coach Jim Boeheim win No. 876, tying him with Kentucky's Adolph Rupp for fourth place all-time in Division I. North Carolina's Dean Smith is third with 879.

Boeheim extended his Division I record for 20-win seasons to 34.

It was the seventh straight loss for Pittsburgh (11-8, 0-6). The Panthers were coming off a stunning 62-39 home loss to Rutgers on Wednesday, their fewest points in a regulation game since a 53-30 loss to Temple in 1969.

Ashton Gibbs, Cameron Wright and Lamar Patterson all scored 10 for Pitt, which had beaten Syracuse five straight times and had won 13 of the past 16 meetings.

Kris Joseph and Brandon Triche both had 12 points for Syracuse, and Fab Melo had 10 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks before fouling out in the final minute.

Talib Zanna and John Johnson had nine points each for the Panthers.

The Orange's last home win against the Panthers was 67-65 on Feb. 1, 2003. Syracuse's last win over Pitt was 65-61 in the 2006 Big East tournament championship game, and its last victory during the regular season was 49-46 in overtime in February 2004 at the Petersen Events Center.

Pitt trailed 48-34 with 15:10 left when Jardine hit from the right corner and flashed a smile as he headed back up court. The Panthers came back as they worked the shot clock looking for openings in the Syracuse zone. A 3-pointer by Johnson as the shot-clock buzzer sounded and Dante Taylor's reverse layup had them within nine points in less than two minutes.

A 3 by Waiters boosted the lead back to nine, but Johnson hit another 3 and Zanna scored four straight to move Pitt within 53-49 with 8:36 left.

Syracuse responded quickly. Waiters drove and dished to Joseph on the wing for an open 3, and after Johnson missed from long range for the first time in the game, Waiters swished a 3 from the left wing and the lead was back to 10.

NO. 5 MISSOURI 70, TEXAS A&M 51: Reserve Michael Dixon had 18 points and helped spark a 17-0 first-half run as the host Tigers (17-1, 4-1 Big 12) snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Aggies.

NO. 21 MARQUETTE 74, NO. 23 LOUISVILLE 63: Darius Johnson-Odom scored 19 and DaVante Gardner added 17 points and six rebounds for the host Golden Eagles (15-4, 4-2), who won their third straight Big East game. The Cardinals (14-5, 2-4) have lost three of their past four conference games.

IOWA: Athletic director Gary Barta said coach Fran McCaffery went too far when he slammed a chair to the court during last week's blowout loss at Michigan State. He added in a statement that he completely supports the second-year coach.

AP POLL: Illinois moved in at No. 22 and Saint Mary's, Calif., at No. 24, its first appearance this season. Gonzaga and Seton Hall dropped out. Syracuse was a runaway No. 1 for the sixth straight week.

Women

NO. 3 UCONN 86, NO. 24 UNC 35: Bria Hartley had 17 points as the host Huskies (15-2) handed the Tar Heels (12-5) the worst loss in school history.

NO. 8 MARYLAND 68, VIRGINIA 61: Laurin Mincy scored 20, and the host Terrapins (17-1, 4-1 ACC) bounced back from their first loss of the season.

AP POLL: No. 23 Kansas State entered for the first time since the final poll of 2009, and Penn State rejoined the poll at No. 22. Gonzaga and South Carolina dropped out a week after entering. Baylor remained the unanimous No. 1.

Times wires
Monday, January 16, 2012

LAWRENCE, Kan. — T-Rob and Tyshawn gave Baylor more than it could handle, and Kansas more than enough.

Thomas Robinson had 27 points and 14 rebounds, Tyshawn Taylor matched a career high with 28 points and the seventh-ranked Jayhawks rolled to a 92-74 victory Monday night, ending the third-ranked Bears' perfect start and proving once more that the road to the Big 12 title goes through Kansas.

Travis Releford and Elijah Johnson added 11 points each for the Jayhawks (15-3, 5-0), who won their 16th straight at Allen Fieldhouse and 10th in a row at home over the Bears. Kansas is 17-2 against them all-time.

A trendy pick to end the Jayhawks' seven-year stranglehold on the conference, Baylor (17-1, 4-1) had been riding the longest winning streak in school history to its best start ever.

It came undone in one of college basketball's top venues.

Perry Jones III scored 18, Quincy Miller 17 and Quincy Acy 14, but the long and lean Bears were dominated in the paint and had no answer for the combination of Robinson and Taylor, one of the best inside-outside tandems in the nation.

Robinson, a national player of the year candidate, overpowered the Baylor front line with an array of rim-rattling dunks and short-range jumpers. Taylor hit four 3-pointers and doled out six assists in another stellar all-around performance.

The outcome left No. 1 Syracuse and No. 12 Murray State as the only undefeated teams in Division I.

Facing its fourth top-10 opponent of the season, the veteran Jayhawks swarmed the younger Bears with pressure from the opening tip, making life miserable on both ends of the court.

Robinson provided the early boost, scoring eight of his 12 first-half points within six minutes. The run included a one-handed dunk off an alley-oop feed from Taylor that generated a roar inside Allen Fieldhouse.

NO. 1 SYRACUSE 71, PITT 63: Dion Waiters had 16 points and Scoop Jardine 12 points and 10 assists for the host Orange (20-0, 7-0 Big East), which set a school record for consecutive victories to start a season and gave coach Jim Boeheim win No. 876, tying him with Kentucky's Adolph Rupp for fourth place all-time in Division I. North Carolina's Dean Smith is third with 879.

NO. 5 MISSOURI 70, TEXAS A&M 51: Reserve Michael Dixon had 18 points and helped spark a 17-0 first-half run as the host Tigers (17-1, 4-1 Big 12) snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Aggies.

NO. 21 MARQUETTE 74, NO. 23 LOUISVILLE 63: Darius Johnson-Odom scored 19 and DaVante Gardner added 17 points and six rebounds for the host Golden Eagles (15-4, 4-2), who won their third straight Big East game. The Cardinals (14-5, 2-4) have lost three of their past four conference games.

IOWA: Athletic director Gary Barta said coach Fran McCaffery went too far when he slammed a chair to the court during last week's blowout loss at Michigan State. He added in a statement that he completely supports the second-year coach.

AP POLL: Illinois moved in at No. 22 and Saint Mary's, Calif., at No. 24, its first appearance this season. Gonzaga and Seton Hall dropped out. Syracuse was a runaway No. 1 for the sixth straight week.

Women

NO. 3 UCONN 86, NO. 24 UNC 35: Bria Hartley had 17 points as the host Huskies (15-2) handed the Tar Heels (12-5) the worst loss in school history.

NO. 8 MARYLAND 68, VIRGINIA 61: Laurin Mincy scored 20, and the host Terrapins (17-1, 4-1 ACC) bounced back from their first loss of the season.

AP POLL: No. 23 Kansas State entered for the first time since the final poll of 2009, and Penn State rejoined the poll at No. 22. Gonzaga and South Carolina dropped out a week after entering. Baylor remained the unanimous No. 1.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Monday, January 16, 2012

TAMPA — Skip Holtz's search for a new USF defensive coordinator has targeted Kansas State's Chris Cosh, and though no offer had been made Monday night, an announcement could come today.

Cosh, 52, spent the weekend in Tampa to interview for the job, attending the Bulls' postseason banquet Saturday night and spending time with players and assistant coaches. He has been Kansas State's defensive coordinator and assistant head coach the past three seasons, helping the Wildcats to a 10-3 record in 2011.

Cosh and Holtz worked together from 1999-2003 on Lou Holtz's staff at South Carolina, with Cosh as linebackers coach for four seasons then defensive coordinator in 2003. Current USF offensive coordinator Todd Fitch was on the same staff all five seasons. If hired, Cosh will have been a defensive coordinator in five of the six BCS conferences, having also held the title at Illinois, Maryland and South Carolina.

Holtz is seeking a replacement for Mark Snyder, who left last week after two seasons to take the same job on Kevin Sumlin's new staff at Texas A&M. Cosh, who would coach USF's linebackers as Snyder did, is the only candidate Holtz has brought in for an interview. Cosh would likely be the Bulls' highest-paid assistant, having made $290,000 last year at Kansas State. Snyder made $260,000 with the Bulls in 2011.

Reached by phone on Monday afternoon, Cosh declined to comment.

RENO BOUND: USF has completed its 2012 schedule with a fifth nonconference opponent, and the Bulls will travel to face Nevada in Reno in the second week of the season.

The Wolf Pack went 7-6 in 2011, losing to Southern Miss in the Hawaii Bowl after going 5-2 in their final season in the Western Athletic Conference. Nevada is scheduled to join the Mountain West starting with the 2012 season.

USF had to pick up a fifth nonconference game because TCU's decision not to join the Big East kept the league from having eight conference games. The Bulls already had four nonconference games in place, opening the season at home Sept. 1 against I-AA Chattanooga, traveling to Ball State on Sept. 22, hosting Florida State on Sept. 29 and traveling to face Miami on Nov. 24.

The schools have signed on to play a home-and-home series, with Nevada coming to Tampa in a future season. USF's 2013 schedule should be complete, so the Wolf Pack will likely come to Raymond James Stadium in 2014 or later.

Times wires
Monday, January 16, 2012

Joe Staley and Anthony Davis, the 49ers' starting offensive tackles, huddled at Staley's home Sunday to see if their NFC title game foe would be the Giants or the favored Packers.

It turned out to be the Giants, but not exactly the same team that lost 27-20 on Nov. 13 at Candlestick Park.

"They're playing at a much higher level," Staley said Monday. "Especially these last four or five games, they've done an outstanding job. And we (have) too, you know?"

Sunday's NFC final at Candlestick still will pit a pass-happy Giants team against a defensive-dominant 49ers squad, as was the case two months ago. But the Giants' defense and QB Eli Manning have made red-hot strides. The Packers committed four turnovers in Sunday's 37-20 defeat. Manning threw three touchdowns for a third straight game.

"Eli's not throwing many interceptions," said 49ers CB Tarell Brown, who had one of San Francisco's two interceptions against Drew Brees in Saturday's 36-32 division win over New Orleans.

Manning had nine touchdown passes, one interception and 953 yards as the Giants won three straight elimination games: 31-14 over Dallas to clinch the East, 24-2 over Atlanta in the wild-card round and Sunday's dethroning of Green Bay.

Manning had two passes intercepted in the Nov. 13 loss. His 40th attempt was knocked down by DL Justin Smith's right hand on fourth down with 34 seconds left.

"We went down there earlier this year and we didn't get it done, we fell short," Giants WR Mario Manningham said. "But I think we're going to go back and watch what we did wrong and just come back and do the right things."

And the 49ers can still hear their fans' cheers from TE Vernon Davis' touchdown catch in the final seconds on Saturday as well as QB Alex Smith's earlier go-ahead TD run.

"Our fans turned that stadium into a fortress," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "That was as good as it can get."

SPOTLIGHT TIME: Tom Brady's sensational season, with the second-most yards passing in NFL history behind Drew Brees' record pace this year, was somewhat overshadowed. First Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, then the Saints' Brees — even Denver's Tim Tebow — got more headlines than the Patriots star.

But Brady took center stage against the Broncos in the division round with a playoff-record tying six touchdown passes in a 45-10 victory.

And Brady will be the focus again Sunday against Baltimore in the AFC title game.

"We know we have a big test next week," Ravens star LB Ray Lewis said. "Tom is playing excellent up there, and what they did to the Broncos … I think they sent a message to whoever was coming up there."

ODDS AND ENDS: This is the eighth time since 1982 that the Giants and 49ers are meeting in the playoffs, the sixth at Candlestick. The only other NFC title game meeting was in the 1990 season, when New York won 15-13 in San Francisco on their way to winning Super Bowl XXV in Tampa. … Ravens All-Pro S Ed Reed limped off at the end of Sunday's game against Houston after he landed awkwardly on his left ankle. Monday, coach John Harbaugh provided a positive update. "Ed looks like he's all right with the ankle," Harbaugh said. "Everything's come up okay as far as the X-rays."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The Tampa Bay Rays have reached one-year deals to avoid arbitration with LHP David Price and CF B.J. Upton.

Price got $4.35-million, Upton $7-million.

The Rays have announced the deals, and also that they signed RHP Burke Badenhop to a one-year deal for $1.075-million, but apparently are headed to arbitration with RHP Jeff Niemann.

The request figures from Niemann and the Rays should be available later this afternoon. It's worth noting that the Rays are 4-0 in arbitration cases under exec VP Andrew Friedman's six years, which indicates they pick their spots when they go to a hearing and they have been right about it.

Price's deal marks the largest one-year contract for a starting pitcher in his first year of salary arbitration. Dontrelle Willis also got $4.35-million following his 2005 season, though $1.2-million was deferred. Next highest is Jered Weaver, who got $4.265-million from the Angels following the 2009 season.

Price was 12-13 with a 3.49 ERA in a somewhat disappointing 2011 season (certainly compared to his 19-6, 2.72 performance the year before). He didn't win in his last six starts (going 0-2, 4.01), nor in his Game 2 playoff outing at Texas. This is the first of Price's four seasons of arbitration eligibility, and there likely will be at least discussions in the future about a multiyear deal. Price made $1.25-million last season, and exercised his right to void a $1.5-million salary for this season since he was eligble for arbitration as a "Super 2."

Upton is heading into his final season before free agency and coming off a solid season in which he hit .243 with 23 homers (one shy of his career high), 81 RBIs and 36 steals, though struck out 161 times. Upton made $4.825-million last season in a deal that avoided arbitration, and $3-million in 2010 when he went to a hearing (seeking $3.3-million) and lost.

By Stephen Nohlgren and Michael Van Sickler, Times Staff Writers
Tuesday, January 17, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Crowds won't start filling Tropicana Field for another 78 days, but the two men who most affect baseball's future in the region put it to some use Tuesday afternoon.

St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster and Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg held a much-anticipated sit-down for about two hours in Rays offices.

Foster declined to comment, saying he wanted to brief City Council members before making any public statements.

Sternberg characterized the meeting as "nothing dramatic'' but did offer one optimistic note:

He foresees "a nice improvement'' in attendance for 2012.

The Rays typically do not discuss season ticket sales, but "some sportswriters, misguided or not, think we have a great chance to have a very good team this year,'' Sternberg said. "We feel really good about it. We had a great finish last year. Our TV ratings increased dramatically in the last couple of months.''

Any such improvement does not change the team's determination to seek new stadium possibilities in Hillsborough County, Sternberg said. Nor did his meeting with Foster change the city's determination to stick to the Trop contract and forbid such discussions.

The meeting mostly touched on ways to improve marketing and communication, Sternberg said.

"You kind of do a tune-up every six months or so — a what's been bothering you, what's been bothering us?'' he said. "The city wants to know if they can help us promote the team, and we'd like to know what the city can do to help promote the team and work together in that vein.''

Several council members were pleased. Relations have been testy for 19 months, since Sternberg announced that he would not discuss new stadium sites in Pinellas County unless he can research Hillsborough sites as well.

"Just to have had an open door and have them sit down as adults and have a positive conversation on how we move forward is a plus,'' said council Chairwoman Leslie Curran.

Council member Steve Kornell re-emphasized his faith that St. Petersburg can support a successful team, taking a sideways swipe at Tampa Mayor Bill Buckhorn's statements that Tampa is waiting in the wings.

"Businesses all over the region should support the team by buying tickets, no matter what side of the bridge the stadium is located on,'' Kornell said. "It's a double message to say (baseball) is a regional asset only if it moves to our city. I hope the mayor of Tampa jumps onboard and helps us.''

Council member Karl Nurse said the Rays and city officials should concentrate more on getting light rail than on where a new stadium should be built.

"This is like a relationship gone sour,'' Nurse said. "You need something you can work on together.''

Sternberg's outlook for the 2012 season, plus recent business moves by the team, contrast with the run-up to the 2011 season.

Last year, the Rays cut their payroll by 40 percent to $41 million and talked frequently about how the team could not afford popular free agent players like Carl Crawford and Carlos Peña.

This year, they have said the payroll could grow to $60 million, and already have acquired one significant free agent, former Baltimore Oriole Luke Scott.

"I'm an optimistic fella,'' Sternberg said. "I think the expectations coming into last season probably weren't as great as they had been for the previous couple of years.''

As for marketing issues, Sternberg seemed sensitive to a recent report — via Pinellas County Commissioner Susan Latvala — that Foster thought the Rays had purposely sandbagged their marketing efforts to depress attendance.

Foster has vehemently denied that allegation, but Sternberg said he "had to defend'' the Rays' marketing efforts during his meeting with the mayor.

In the next sentence, though, Sternberg struck a different note, saying Foster "thought we were doing a fine job marketing. I don't want to put words in his mouth.''

Times staff writer Marc Topkin contributed to this report.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 17, 2012

TAMPA — It probably seems counterintuitive to many Bulls football fans, given their disappointing 5-7 record in 2011, but USF actually made the biggest improvement in total offense of any I-A school.

USF's offense improved by 123.4 yards per game from Skip Holtz’s first season in Tampa, jumping from 106th nationally to 31st — a statistic that is both encouraging and confounding to Bulls coaches.

"You dive in and say, 'Why did we not win more games when offensively, we were that much more explosive?' " Holtz said last week. "You're right there. We just weren't able to finish it off."

Football success isn't ultimately measured in yards, of course, but in points and wins. And USF stands out among the most improved teams in total offense as the one unable to translate it into a better record.

Of the nine teams that increased their total offense by 100 yards or more, USF was the only one not to improve its record. The other eight got better by an average of 3.5 wins from 2010; USF won three fewer games. USF's average scoring increased by 5.2 points, less than half the scoreboard improvement for schools like Houston (plus 11.5) and Baylor (plus 14.2).

"We're the only team in the country to lose three games on the final play of the game," Holtz said. "Things that take the air out of your lungs. We had the lead or were tied in the fourth quarter of 10 of the 12 games."

USF was outscored 64-14 in the fourth quarter and overtime of its first six losses, failing to score after the third quarter in four of those. Injuries played a role, but Holtz said "the disappointing part" of the struggles was a dropoff in pass defense, which dropped from 24th nationally to 84th in passing yards allowed.

Over the holiday break, Holtz and his staff focused on watching the second half of the losses, trying to identify what went wrong at the end of games and what can be done to avoid the same.

"After you lost about four of them, late in the game, you almost felt like when you had the lead late in a game, it became a 'Oh, no, we have the lead late,' " Holtz said. "I think that's partly what happened. You have a young, inexperienced team and you don't have a lot of senior leadership that's going to take over a game at the end."

USF won't have that excuse in 2012. After losing just six senior starters, the Bulls may have as many as 13 seniors starting this fall, including key players such as QB B.J. Daniels, RB Demetris Murray, DT Cory Grissom and LB Sam Barrington.

"I think this senior class is extremely motivated. I think they're embarrassed for where we are from a win-loss standpoint, that we weren't able to close the door," Holtz said. "So much of that is experience. … It is more than just talent that it takes to win."

THIS AND THAT: Holtz has lost defensive grad assistant Byron Thomas, who is following defensive coordinator Mark Snyder to Texas A&M to serve in the same role. He worked with USF's defensive backs in 2011. … Softball opened practice Monday, and coach Ken Eriksen is encouraged by his team's potential after it missed the NCAA regionals the past three seasons. "They've got a great opportunity to make a lot of noise nationally this year," Eriksen said.

Greg Auman can be reached at auman@tampabay.com and at (813) 226-3346.

By Jackie Otto, Times Correspondent
Tuesday, January 17, 2012

What's hot: This past weekend left the bay chilled and the fish seeking deeper, warmer water. Sheepshead are not affected by colder water and will stay close to rocks, pilings and docks. Small offerings with downsized hooks and lighter lines help in hooking these bait-stealers. Trout are easing off the flats into muddier bottoms. Offer them a small, soft plastic worked slowly on the bottom. Redfish have spread out and are harder to find.

Techniques: Downsize your tackle as the cooler waters are crystal clear (as long as the wind is calm) because of the low temperatures not allowing algae to grow. Use No. 1 hooks, 15-pound leader, 10-pound main line, and rod and reel that match this tackle.

Tips: Sheepshead bait of choice are pieces of shrimp the size of a nickel, fiddler crabs or oysters. Redfish prefer cut, fresh pinfish just soaked on the bottom. Trout have been hitting top water and small, soft plastics with an eighth-ounce jighead.

Jackie Otto can be reached at (727) 518-7637 or jackieotto@msn.com.