By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

DAYTON, Ohio — Victor Rudd has opened USF's past two games with a combined 16 points in the first five minutes, and he hopes for more of the same when the Bulls face California in tonight's first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament.

"I was aggressive in the first five minutes in the Villanova (Big East tournament) game, and when we came out against Notre Dame, I felt I should be just as aggressive," Rudd said Tuesday. "It makes me play better down the stretch, because I know I can do things, instead of waiting for something to happen."

Rudd scored 10 in the first 4:13 as USF built a 12-2 lead against Villanova, and he hit two 3-pointers in the first five minutes against Notre Dame. He finished with 13 and 16 points, respectively, his best two-game total in nearly two months. And he's going back to his roots against Cal, having played high school basketball in Los Angeles and his first college season in the Pac-12 with Arizona State.

"They were No. 1 in the league and we were No. 2. They beat us twice, so we didn't get the split with them," he said. "They played hard. That's something they're coached to do. It was a tough battle, so I'm looking for it to be tough again."

Cal coach Mike Montgomery remembers Rudd not only as a recruit but as an opponent — he scored seven points in eight minutes as a Sun Devils freshman in two losses to the Golden Bears during the 2009-10 season.

"We watched Victor in high school. He was at Arizona State. We know all about him," Montgomery said. "He's very, very talented, can score it in bunches, and that's a tough matchup. He's taken the majority of the 3s for them."

Rudd hit four 3-pointers in the loss to Notre Dame, but before that, he had gone 13 games with no more than one 3-pointer. He's 5-for-10 beyond the arc in his past two games.

FAMILIAR FACE: USF assistant Steve Roccaforte joined the Bulls this season after being head coach at Lamar, which is also in Dayton and playing tonight against Vermont. Lamar senior Anthony Miles said he was hoping to see his old coach and wished him luck.

"That's my guy. That's our coach. He's the one who came and got us to come to Lamar," Miles said. "So we are excited to see him. We're happy for him the things they did in South Florida."

BULLS in WNIT: For the seventh time in nine seasons, USF is in the Women's NIT and opens at home Thursday against Florida Atlantic in the USF Rec Center. The Bulls (17-15) are one of 12 Big East teams in the postseason, including eight in the NCAA Tournament field. Win Thursday, and USF faces the winner of Stetson and Florida International. The Bulls won the tournament in 2009.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

GAINESVILLE ­— Florida opens spring football camp today. The Gators are coming off a disappointing 7-6 season, and have tons of questions surrounding second-year coach Will Muschamp's program, and uncertainty at key positions —most notably quarterback. As the Gators prepare to begin their rebuilding effort, here are five keys for spring football success.

1. Find a starting quarterback

John Brantley is gone, and what returns are two sophomores with varying experience. Jeff Driskel was viewed as the heir apparent at fall camp last year, but an ankle injury the week leading into what would have been his first start (due to Brantley's injury) derailed him the rest of the season. Jacoby Brissett played in eight games and completed 18 passes, Driskel played in five with 16 completions. "Jeff and Jacoby will split reps and we'll name a starter when we're ready," Muschamp said. "Whether that's spring, summer, fall camp, I don't know. We want to name a starter, but we're going to do what we need to do to win games. If we have to play both guys, we'll play both guys." New offensive coordinator Brent Pease said he prefers to find one to emerge and take over.

2. Find an offensive identity

Florida has a new offensive coordinator and offensive line coach to help revamp an offense that ranked in the lower part of the SEC last season. Pease takes over for Charlie Weis, having directed a high-powered offense at Boise State. He said on Tuesday that a good portion of the spring will be spent on discovering just what type of players he has and what they are capable of doing. That, he said, will determine what kind of offense the Gators will have. Pease believes offenses are built on a foundation of five keys: a pounding run attack; an explosive passing game; creativity and creating stress points in the defense and what it has to adjust to; eliminating turnovers; and great quarterback play.

3. Find big-play receivers

For all the criticism of Brantley last season, most agreed part of the Gators' problem lack of a big-play receiver. That put stress on the running game and made the offense one-dimensional, a "critical'' issue according to Muschamp, who believes Quinton Dunbar, Andre Debose and Frankie Hammond can become that type of receiver.

4. Establish depth

The Gators were so thin on both lines last season due to injuries and lack of quality players that Muschamp said by the end of the year it was hard to run practice drills. The Gators have to develop more reliable players on the offensive line and expect improvement from several young players who saw significant playing time on defense.

5. Improve mental, physical toughness

The Gators were minus-12 in turnover margin last season, 113th in the nation. And they struggled late in games last season to get opponents off the field and get the offense the ball back. So Muschamp and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn want a tougher team this season. "I think the off season program was the first step in that, and that's what you're trying to do," Quinn said.

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

One day after referring to three African-American NFL players as "monkeys,'' WDAE 620-AM morning host Dan Sileo is no longer employed by the station. WDAE program director Steve Versnick would not use the word "fired,'' but said Tuesday that, "Dan Sileo is no longer with WDAE. We wish him the best.''

Versnick had no other comment. Sileo did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Sileo's controversial remark came Monday when he was talking about the possibility of three free agents — Cortland Finnegan, Vincent Jackson and Jonathan Vilma, all of whom are African-American — joining the Bucs. Sileo, who is white, said, "If they got those three monkeys, I'm good. I'm ready, man. I'm ready. I want those guys. Those guys are great players.''

At first, it appeared as if Sileo, 49, would not be punished.

Late Monday, WDAE issued a statement apologizing for Sileo's remark and saying, "He absolutely meant no disrespect to the players and he is sincerely embarrassed and upset that his off-the-cuff remarks might be taken as hateful, disrespectful, or in any way racist.''

In a Twitter message to the Times early Tuesday, Sileo said, "I didn't even realize I said it 'til someone told me.''

Sileo, who had been with the station since 1998, hosted the show as usual Tuesday morning, but by the afternoon, he was out.

Versnick said the search for a new morning host is underway. Rock Riley will host the 6 to 9 a.m. show today.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Bald move of the day

The list of players joining manager Joe Maddon in shaving their heads Thursday to raise funds for pediatric cancer (pcfcutforacure.org) is over 25. Maddon is pleased with the turnout, and said they will benefit as well with "a galvanizing effect with us as a group." Also in the works, a way for "fan involvement."

Bald reaction of the day

Maddon said it originated with Lightning star Vinny Lecavalier, who told our Damian Cristodero: "Obviously when Joe accepted it was huge for the cause. … To bring in the Rays and everybody in the community, it's just a great feeling."

Precautionary move

With David Price pitching for the first time since his towel incident, manager Joe Maddon said they'd check the dugout supply. "You never know that the Orioles may have thrown a little extra towel hardener in there of some kind, or they may have attached some velcro to the towel to really tug and pull," he said. And if they were playing the Red Sox? "It would be BYOTs in Boston."

Who is this Ray?

He is second cousins with a two-time MLB All-Star. He starred at Lake Wales High. He shot a bear with a crossbow during a trip to Toronto.

The dish

Rays vs. Marlins

When/where: 1:05 today; Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte

Tickets: Reserved seats $19-27, berm/boardwalk $9. Available through raysbaseball.com and Ticketmaster, at Tropicana Field and Charlotte Sports Park box offices, Tampa team store.

Gates open: 11 a.m.

Directions: Driving time from the bay area is 1½-2 hours. Suggested route: I-75 south to Exit 179 (Toledo Blade Road), go west 6½ miles (crossing U.S. 41) to El Jobean Road (S.R. 776), go right 2 miles, complex is on the left.

Parking: $10, lots open at 10:30

Rays information: Toll-free 1-888-326-7297 (FAN-RAYS)

Pitchers: Rays — Jeremy Hellickson, Fernando Rodney, Joel Peralta, Brandon Gomes, Bryan Augenstein, J.P. Howell; Marlins — Anibal Sanchez, Wade LeBlanc, Edward Mujica, Steve Cishek, Jose Ceda

On deck

Thursday: vs. Phillies, 1:05. Rays — Wade Davis; Phillies — Joel Pineiro

Friday: at Blue Jays, 1:05. Rays — Jeff Niemann; Jays — TBA

Saturday: at Pirates, 1:05. Rays — James Shields; Pirates — TBA

Upcoming schedule

All games 1:05 unless noted

March

18: Red Sox

19: Off

20: at Marlins

21: Yankees

22: at Pirates

23: Jays (7:05)

24: at Twins (3:05)

25: Marlins

26: at Twins

27: at Red Sox (1:35)

28: Pirates (7:05)

29: at Phillies

30: at Pirates

31: Red Sox

April

1: at Orioles

2: Twins*

3: at Twins

4: vs. Future Rays, 1:40, at Trop

* Value game, $2 off

Who is this answer: RHP Wade Davis.

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

PALM HARBOR — Things will be slightly different at Innisbrook for defending Transitions champion Gary Woodland. He hired swing coach Butch Harmon at the beginning of this year and has been tweaking his swing.

"I didn't really anticipate making a big swing change, but it's bigger than I thought," Woodland said. "It's more mentally tough than anything."

Woodland was optimistic after his tie for 29th last week at the WGC Cadillac Championship at Doral. Since his swing change in January, Woodland's goal has been to have things figured out by the Masters, which is in three weeks.

He says he can feel his game coming around, but it's a much different feeling than it was last year.

"Last year I was riding a lot of confidence and playing well," he said. "This year, we've been working with the golf swing a little more. I can hit more shots this year than I could last year, and last week was the first time I started making putts. To see putts go in the hole, now I know my swing is not too far away."

Sponsorship update: Andy Pazder, executive vice president and chief of operations for the PGA Tour, has no doubt there will be a tour stop in Palm Harbor next year.

"We're confident that when the 2013 schedule comes out this tournament will be right where it is, in the heart of the Florida swing," Pazder said. "We'll find the right fit with another company. We think we'll have success and we think we'll have it fairly quickly."

Transitions Optical is in its final year of a four-year deal. The 2013 PGA Tour schedule is usually finalized before Thanksgiving.

Glover back from injury: Lucas Glover has played in the Transitions Championship every year he has been eligible. But this year was hit or miss because of a sprained MCL in his right knee sustained while paddleboarding.

Glover tried to play in the season opener in Hawaii, but pulled out before the first round. He went more than a month without swinging a club before slowly getting back into golf shape.

What are his expectations?

"To win," Glover said. "I wasn't going to come back unless I could compete. I have no qualms about saying that. My goal was to be prepared to win on the week I come back."

Today: The pro-am begins with 7:45 a.m. tee times. The second wave tees off starting at 12:30 p.m. Notable pros include Luke Donald, John Daly, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

TODAY

USF men vs. California

NCAA Tournament first round

When/where: 9:10 p.m., University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio.

TV/radio: TruTV, 1010-AM, 620-AM.

Records: USF 20-13, 12-6 in Big East; Cal 24-9, 13-5 in Pac-12.

Notable: Cal was ranked for the first month of the season, peaking at No. 20 in the AP poll and No. 18 in the coaches' poll. … USF is very balanced in scoring. Leading scorer Augustus Gilchrist averages 9.6 points a game (lowest ever for a Bulls' leading scorer) and the No. 7 scorer, G Hugh Robertson, averages 6.8. One advantage for USF is a deeper bench; Toarlyn Fitzpatrick and Jawanza Poland average a combined 48 minutes per game and Cal gets only 28 minutes a game from its top two subs. … USF's Victor Rudd played against three Cal players — Allen Crabbe, Justin Cobbs and the injured Richard Solomon — in high school in Los Angeles. … Today's winner plays Friday night in Nashville against fifth seed Temple. Fans in ESPN.com's Bracket Challenge are picking the USF-Cal winner to beat Temple on 23 percent of submitted brackets.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

Times wires
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

KISSIMMEE — Domonic Brown showed again why the Phillies remain high on him, and why they remain frustrated.

Brown, 24, the former Pasco High standout who had a disappointing rookie season, hit a long homer to rightfield with one out in the 10th inning to give Philadelphia 4-3 lead over the Astros. He's 5-for-16 with two triples and a homer this spring and has yet to strike out.

"When he hits the ball on the nose, he moves it," manager Charlie Manuel said.

Defense was another matter. Brown, who moved to left from right last year, missed a cutoff man in the seventh, setting up a run. In the eighth, Brown broke in on Carlos Lee's line drive, and the ball sailed over his head for a double.

"I don't even like to talk a lot about his defense," Manuel said. "I like to put him out there, let him play and see if he can improve. I'm sure he thinks enough about it and he wants to do good."

Brown, certainly, hasn't given up hope.

"I'm just working to get better," he said. "I'm out there working day in and day out, getting those reads off the bat. It's a different angle. The more I play out there, the more comfortable I'm going to get."

WORKING ON CHANGE: Phillies LHP Cole Hamels pitched five innings in his third spring start and was satisfied with his changeup, which he used in every inning.

Jays: Positive sign

FORT MYERS — The Blue Jays got an encouraging three innings from LHP Brett Cecil, who slumped to 4-11 with a 4.73 ERA last year after going 15-7, 4.22 in 2010. Cecil pitched three scoreless, one-hit innings in an 8-2 win over the Twins.

"That's the best I've felt in spring training," Cecil said. "Got out of my delivery once, kind of slipped, but other than that, it was a pretty good day."

Cecil attributed his slump last season to a poor work ethic, something he has worked hard to correct this spring.

"I kind of took it for granted subconsciously, I think, not doing the extra stuff I should have been doing," Cecil said. "That's basically it, and I got kicked in the butt for it. "

Yanks: Reserve ailing

TAMPA — Yankees INF Eduardo Nunez felt discomfort in his right hand once again after taking batting practice and was scratched from Tuesday's game against the Red Sox.

Nunez hasn't played since he suffered a right hand contusion after being hit by an Austin Hyatt pitch on March 5 against the Phillies. Nunez was in manager Joe Girardi's original lineup but was replaced at shortstop by Doug Bernier.

"We just said, 'No, you're still sore, let's back off a little bit,' " Girardi said. "Because of where (the bruise is) at, you expect it to be somewhat sore. You expect it to go away, but sometimes things just take time."

NOVA SHARP: RHP Ivan Nova bounced back from a rough outing against the Blue Jays with four shutout innings. Nova allowed two hits, walked none and struck out three.

Times wires
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

PITTSBURGH — Syracuse will have to chase a national championship without starting center Fab Melo, who was declared ineligible for the NCAA Tournament.

The university announced Tuesday that the 7-foot Brazilian, who did not travel with the team to Pittsburgh for the second- and third-round games, won't take part in the tournament due to an eligibility issue. The school did not elaborate.

Melo missed three games this season, including one of the top-seeded Orange's two losses, because of an academic issue.

NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said Syracuse, not the NCAA, declared Melo ineligible.

Coach Jim Boeheim said the Orange will be "ready to play."

As he left the bus in front of the team hotel Tuesday, Boeheim at first said he had nothing to say. He then said that "all we can do is be ready to play with the guys we have."

"That's all we can do," he said. "There are injuries, things happen during a season. We'll be ready to play and we'll go play."

Melo's sudden ineligibility made waves in Las Vegas, where Cantor Gaming dropped Syracuse's chances of winning the title to 12-1 from 10-1 Tuesday morning, said Mike Colbert, Cantor's risk management director.

HENSON UPDATE: North Carolina coach Roy Williams said he probably won't know until Thursday whether John Henson will be ready for Friday's NCAA Tournament opener against the Lamar-Vermont winner.

Henson, the former Sickles standout, hurt his left wrist in a fall during the ACC tournament in Atlanta. The 6-foot-10 forward didn't play the final two games of the tournament, though he dressed for the championship game against Florida State.

"If I had to guess — and this is merely a guess — if the game were today he probably still would not play today," Williams said. "But we're being hopeful that he will be Friday."

DUKE: Coach Mike Krzyzewski said he hopes to have injured forward Ryan Kelly back on the practice court by Thursday. Kelly sprained his right foot during practice and missed the ACC tournament.

Around the nation

RICE OUT: Junior guard Glen Rice Jr. was kicked off the Georgia Tech team less than a week after a shooting incident outside an Atlanta nightclub led to criminal charges while Rice was already serving a suspension.

PAC-12: The conference tournament will be held at the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas next year.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T: Jerry Eaves was fired as coach after posting a 99-180 record over nine seasons.

SAMFORD: Coach Jimmy Tillette was fired after 15 seasons that included NCAA Tournament berths in 1999 and 2000. Tillette went 229-219 with the Bulldogs.

SMU: Coach Matt Doherty was fired after six seasons in which the high-profile former North Carolina coach failed to take the Mustangs to the NCAA Tournament. Doherty went 13-19 this season and 80-109 overall.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Coach Darrin Horn was fired after four seasons. The team posted fewer victories in each season under Horn, bottoming out at 10-21 and 2-14 in the league, its worst record in 20 years in the SEC.

UCLA: Athletic director Dan Guerrero said coach Ben Howland will remain in charge of the troubled program.

Times wires
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

NEW YORK — Centerfielder Curtis Granderson raising his glove, hoping to convince an umpire that he made the catch. Jim Thome twisting his body, trying to coax a liner to kick up chalk.

Those tricky calls aren't being farmed out to technology quite yet.

Major League Baseball said expanded replay is out for this year, with the goal now to put the extra looks in play for 2013.

Baseball had sought to increase video reviews this season to include trapped balls, fair-or-foul rulings down the lines and fan interference all over the ballpark.

The additional replay required the approval of MLB and the unions representing the umpires and the players.

"We weren't able to come up with an acceptable set of agreements between the three parties," MLB executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred said Tuesday. "We hope we'll be able to do it in time for the 2013 season."

Baseball began using replay in August 2008 to let umpires check potential home run balls. The new labor deal provided the opportunity to expand on that, though things will remain as is this season.

Postponing extra replay is fine with Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira.

"If they don't have it ready, I'd like for them to hold back. You don't want to change rules in the middle of a season," he said.

"I don't think it really matters either way, I really don't. I don't think it's going to change the game. But just overall you would like to have the same rules opening day as you have in the middle of the season and the playoffs."

DARVISH WILD: Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish walked four and gave up two runs in three innings against the Indians in his second spring start. Darvish, the former Japanese star, threw 29 balls in 61 pitches.

METS SAGA: Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax, a childhood friend of Mets co-owner Fred Wilpon, is among witnesses scheduled to testify at a trial next week to determine if team owners must give up millions of dollars they received from jailed financier Bernard Madoff.

A'S: Former Ray Manny Ramirez hit his first home run in an Oakland uniform, snapping an 0-for-8 skid.

NATIONALS: Rightfielder Bryce Harper, the top prospect who has been out nearly a week with a tight left calf, is expected to return to the lineup today.

ORIOLES: Outfielder Nolan Reimold returned to the lineup four days after being beaned by Rays right-hander Alex Cobb.

PADRES: Infield prospect Drew Cumberland ended his comeback bid and retired for a second time. Cumberland, 23, retired last summer after being diagnosed with a rare inner-ear condition.

ROCKIES: Left-hander Drew Pomeranz left after two innings with tightness in his right hip.

TIGERS: Right-hander Jacob Turner, a top prospect who is vying for the fifth starter's job, has been shut down for a few days because of a "dead-arm period," manager Jim Leyland said. Turner, 20, gave up six runs, five earned, in 12/3 innings Monday against the Mets.

TWINS: Pitchers Yeison Florentino and Ezequiel Zarzuela of the Dominican Summer League were suspended 50 games each under baseball's minor-league drug program.

Times staff
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Where to find truTV

TruTV, part of the Turner Broadcasting System, began showing NCAA Tournament games last year.

Both first-round games tonight, including USF's game against California, will be on truTV as will some other games during the tournament.

Turner Broadcasting and CBS own the rights to the NCAA Tournament and will air all games on CBS, TBS, TNT or truTV.

In the Tampa Bay area, truTV can be found on most cable systems and satellite providers: Bright House Ch. 55; Knology Ch. 73; Verizon Ch. 183; DirecTV Ch. 246; Dish Ch. 204.

Times staff

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

TAMPA — J.T. Wyman played only 29 games this season for AHL Norfolk and hasn't been with the Admirals since mid December. But the Lightning right wing keeps close tabs on his former teammates.

"Every game," Wyman said, "I'm stuck on the score blog checking how they're doing."

It is time well spent as Tampa Bay's affiliate, 42-18-3 and atop the Eastern Conference, is working on a historic winning streak.

Winners of 15 straight — tied for third longest in AHL history — the team needs two wins to tie the single-season record of 17 set in 2004-05 by Philadelphia. Three wins equals the league's longest streak ever, 18, by Syracuse, which won 15 straight to end the 2007-08 season and three to open 2008-09.

"The streak has taken on a life of its own," Norfolk coach Jon Cooper said Tuesday. "In a 76-game season you look for different ways to motivate guys. This is just a self-motivating factor to help us win hockey games."

"It's incredible, just a full team effort," LW Cory Conacher said. "It's awesome to see."

The Admirals go for their 16th straight win tonight against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Cooper could not put his finger on why things clicked but pointed to a 4-2 loss to Springfield on Feb. 5 in which Norfolk, which had been 18-0-1 with a lead after two periods, allowed three third-period goals to squander a 2-1 advantage.

It was Norfolk's fifth loss in eight games and dropped its record to 27-18-3. After the game Cooper held what he called a "passionate" video session.

"It was an eye-opener for the players and coaching staff we were getting away from what was making us successful," Cooper said. "We were taking shortcuts, we were cheating the game."

"It was a wake-up call," Conacher said. "All the guys whether they played or not were in the room just learning; get pucks in and make the hard plays, sacrifice your body when you have to and move your feet instead of taking obstruction penalties."

A team-building Super Bowl party followed and Norfolk hasn't lost since.

"We're staying disciplined and committed to the system," Conacher said.

Conacher leads the league with 31 goals and leads the team with 68 points, but he hardly is alone.

C Tyler Johnson has nine goals, 24 points during the streak and is plus-14. D Mark Barberio has five goals and 14 points, and goalies Dustin Tokarski and Jaroslav Janus have eight and seven wins, respectively.

"The guys have the will to win right now," said Tokarski, who on March 7 was called up to Tampa Bay. "It's fun to be part of and fun to keep watching them win."

MEDICAL MATTERS: C Vinny Lecavalier, out 11 games with a fractured right hand, said he is "hoping" to be stick-handling and shooting pucks this week and back in the lineup by late next week. … D Bruno Gervais (shoulder) is "close" to returning," coach Guy Boucher said.

MINOR MOVE: C Vladislav Namestnikov, the Lightning's 2011 first-round draft choice, signed a three-year, entry-level contract. Namestnikov, 19, selected 27th overall, has 22 goals, 70 points and 50 penalty minutes in 60 games for London of the junior Ontario league.

TICKETS: Thursday's game with Toronto is sold out but standing room tickets for $49.75 will be available at noon Thursday at the Tampa Bay Times Forum box office. Limit two per customer.

ODDS AND ENDS: Tokarski is the second goalie to get his first NHL win and point in the same game (Jason LaBarbera for the Rangers against the Capitals in March 2004). … The new Times Forum box office will open at 9 a.m. Thursday with ticket and merchandise offers. See tampabay.com/blogs/lightning for more details. … RW Brandon Segal and G Mathieu Garon (groin) also were scratched.

Gary Shelton, Times sports columnist
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

DAYTON, Ohio

There are times they play like a runaway stagecoach, frenzied and out of control. In those moments, when they seem to have lost directions to the basket, the USF Bulls can appear no more in control than if they were tumbling down a staircase.

And then the sleepy-eyed freshman takes over once again, and order is restored.

There are times they are ugly enough to make you bleed from your eye sockets, rough and raw. At such times, when the offense seems to be built around clanging the ball off the rim, the Bulls seem as if they might never score again.

And then the kid with the soft voice has the ball in his hand, and the turbulence stops.

He is 19 years old, less than a year out of high school, and already, Anthony Collins is the most essential Bull in the gym. There are point guards who are flashier, and there are point guards who score more. Certainly, there are point guards who are louder.

On the other hand, are there point guards who are more important to their teams than Collins? And how many of those are freshmen playing two seasons before they were supposed to make such an impact?

"He was a Christmas gift," USF coach Stan Heath said. "The first time he got the ball out there on the court in a game, and I saw how he ran the team, how guys responded to him, how he was able to read the defense and make plays, I knew we had something pretty special.

"Sometimes we talk about his passing and his ball-handling. But his defense and his toughness are just as good."

Are you still wondering how the Bulls finally made it back to the NCAA Tournament? Collins, that's how. Watch the Bulls when he is not on the court, and they can look a lot like a wrinkled shirt. Collins smooths everything out. He has a calmness, a maturity, that most point guards lack.

It was Collins, remember, who hit the clutch free throws to allow USF to beat Cincinnati. It was Collins who drove the length of the floor to beat Rutgers. It was Collins who scored 17 to beat Villanova in the Big East tournament. Lose any of those, and USF fans might be contemplating the NIT field today.

Instead, Collins will again be the key USF player tonight when the Bulls play Cal. Not bad for a guy who didn't play the first five games of the season.

"We're not here if not for him," Heath said. "There have probably been four games where he's been the difference. You don't expect that from a freshman."

Who did? Heath will tell you he expected this kind of impact from Collins … eventually. Maybe the year after next.

Remember, the Bulls were supposed to have Anthony Crater at the point, except he was dismissed from the team in May. They were supposed to have Lavonte Dority, except he quit the team in December. When Collins was hurt in the early season, junior college transfer Blake Nash got his shot. Nash is now a backup.

Of all of the options, the answer turned out to be Collins. Who knew? And if it was Collins who knew, he wasn't saying.

He is so quiet that it is easy to wonder if Collins has taken a vow of silence. Point guard can be a chest-thumping position, but even now, Collins speaks in whispers and cliches. Hey, he isn't on the debate team.

"Just look at him," Heath said. "He doesn't look the part. He looks like the 12-year-old kid down the street. He's such a nice kid. Then you watch him on the court. It seems like every game, we're going up against a guy … how in the heck are we going to stop him?

"Now, I don't even worry about it. I don't care who it is, who we're playing. I don't know how he does it. He doesn't look exceptionally quick. He doesn't look like he can jump or he's explosive. He just gets the job done."

Others have noticed, too. Cal coach Mike Montgomery calls him "the straw that stirs the drink," the old Reggie Jackson line.

"He's put us on his back for many a game," teammate Ron Anderson said. "Basically, right away he took over the game, took over the tempo and said he was going to be the general on the court."

He speaks? Yeah, on the court, Collins has a lot to say.

"The voice I think you're talking about is the voice of leadership, the voice of confidence, the voice of toughness," Heath said. "That's the voice our players and coaches hear when he's playing. The voice you hear up here is a shy kid from Houston who doesn't really want to be in the lights."

There is some of that to Collins, too. Heath tells the story of taking the team to an expensive restaurant while in Chicago. Collins studied the menu for a while, then turned to Heath and said "Coach … they don't have chicken fingers and fries."

That is Collins. Quiet. Simple. Essential.

Tonight, when the lights go on, USF needs him to speak loudly. Again.

USF 65, Rutgers 64 Jan. 1

Freshman point guard Anthony Collins hits a layup and is fouled, then makes the free throw with 12.7 seconds remaining.

m USF 65, Villanova 64 March 7

Collins' 17 points leads USF to a Big East tournament victory.

, USF 46, Cincinnati 45 Feb. 25

His two free throws with 3.2 seconds left clinch a huge win.

Times wires
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

colleges

tucker homer helps gators topple fsu 9-2

GAINESVILLE — In front of a record crowd of 6,005 at McKethan Stadium on Tuesday, No. 1 Florida beat No. 6 Florida State 9-2 to extend its winning streak to 14 games to match the school record.

The first of three regular-season meetings between the rivals snapped the Seminoles' streak of 10 straight victories and improved coach Kevin O'Sullivan to 5-0 at home in his tenure against FSU.

After FSU (14-2) scored two in the third, former Plant standout Preston Tucker (2-for-4) hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the inning to move the Gators (16-1) in front. Greg Larson got the win as the bullpen, led by a perfect three-inning stint by Steven Rodriguez, pitched 61/3 scoreless innings.

tennis

Nadal cruises into BNP quarterfinals

Rafael Nadal eased into the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open, beating countryman Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-4 in Indian Wells, Calif.

On the women's side, top-ranked Victoria Azarenka and No. 2 seed Maria Sharapova won in just more than an hour.

Granollers cracked a 132 mph serve during the match, but couldn't cover Nadal's quickness and touch.

Azarenka defeated Julia Goerges 6-3, 6-1 and second-seeded Sharapova routed Roberta Vinci 6-2, 6-1.

Azarenka moved on to play fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, who advanced when wild card Jamie Hampton retired with cramping trailing 3-6, 6-4, 3-0.

autos

Johnson crew chief loses appeal

The crew chief for five-time champion Jimmie Johnson lost his appeal challenging penalties for failing the opening day inspection at the Daytona 500.

The three-member committee heard testimony from Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR then ruled unanimously in favor of the sanctions against Chad Knaus.

NASCAR said Knaus presented a car that had illegally modified sheet metal between the roof and the side windows. Knaus said NASCAR made that determination with a visual inspection, the No. 48 Chevrolet never even made it to the templates at Daytona, and the car was used at all four restrictor-plate races in 2011.

Team owner Rick Hendrick said the team will appeal to the National Stock Car Racing chief appellate officer, and Knaus will work this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

"I don't accept it," Hendrick said. "Period."

Knaus was suspended six races and fined $100,000; Johnson was docked 25 points; and car chief Ron Malec was suspended six races.

ET CETERA

Iditarod: Dallas Seavey became the youngest winner of the trail sled dog Race. Seavey, who turned 25 during the race, was the first to reach Nome on Tuesday night. The nearly 1,000-mile race across Alaska began March 4 north of Anchorage for 66 teams. Ten have scratched. The previous youngest winner was the race's only five-time champion, Rick Swenson, who won his first Iditarod at the age of 26 in 1977.

Winter sports: Anja Paerson, an Olympic gold medalist in 2006 and seven-time world champion skier, plans to retire after this week's World Cup finals in Schladming, Austria, because of a string of injuries. Paerson, 30, won 19 medals at major championships — six at the Olympics and 13 at the worlds.

Times wires

Times wires
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

DAYTON, Ohio — So many things happened in those five final, furious minutes that Western Kentucky coach Ray Harper had trouble taking it all in.

"Wow," he said, his face still flush with March emotion. "I don't know where to begin."

How about with that finish?

The only team with a losing record in the NCAA Tournament got it started with a classic March comeback, and in front of a presidential audience. T.J. Price's three-point play with 33 seconds to go completed the Hilltoppers' rally from a 16-point deficit over the last five minutes for a 59-58 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday night.

President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron had front-row seats to see the tournament open with a ragged game that had an engrossing ending.

"It's a crazy feeling," said Derrick Gordon, who had 11 points. "That's the president of the United States coming to watch our game. We wanted to put on a show. Things didn't work our way for the first 35 minutes, but we came away with the W. I'm sure he liked what he saw."

He saw the longest of long shots somehow pull out another one.

The Hilltoppers (16-18) are the only squad in the 68-team field with a losing record. They played like it for most of the game, shooting 30 percent and turning the ball over 28 times as MVSU (21-13) appeared ready to run away with it.

After the buzzer sounded, Obama and Cameron headed out, fans still buzzing over what had happened.

"You could see that look in their eyes: 'We're going to do this,' " Harper said.

Western Kentucky moves on to play Kentucky, the top seed in the South Region, on Thursday in Louisville, an all-Bluegrass game for the second round.

BYU 78, IONA 72: Noah Hartsock scored 16 of his 23 in the second half to fuel the Cougars' incredible comeback from a 25-point deficit in Dayton.

Brandon Davies added 18 points and Damarcus Harrison 12 for BYU (26-8), which advanced to play third-seeded Marquette on Thursday in Louisville, Ky.

Iona (25-8) seemed assured of its first NCAA Tournament victory after dominating the first half and taking a 55-40 lead into the locker room. But despite 15 points and 10 assists by Scott Machado, the Gaels dropped to 0-8 in NCAA play.

NIT: Jordan Theodore scored 21, Herb Pope had 20 and host Seton Hall (21-12) snapped an 11-game losing streak in the NIT by holding off Stony Brook 63-61 in the first round, the Pirates' first win in the event since 1956. "We made an emphasis early to lead the way," said Theodore. "Guys understand it's postseason and me and Pope are going to lead and be at our best every night. That's why you see us being more aggressive than you've seen in the past. Me and Pope understand if we lose we're out, and our Seton Hall career is done. We don't want to lose. We want to go out with a championship."… Jarnell Stokes scored 13 and host Tennessee (19-14) beat Savannah State 65-51. … Chaz Williams scored 28, Sean Carter added 20 and visiting Massachusetts (23-11) outlasted Mississippi State 101-96 in double overtime. … Freshman Aaron White scored a career-high 25, sophomore Zach McCabe tied a career high with 20 and visiting Iowa (18-16) rolled past Dayton 84-75. … Drew Crawford scored 27, John Shurna added 23 and host Northwestern (19-13) held off Akron 76-74. Shurna hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:33 to play. … LaRon Dendy had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and host Middle Tennessee (26-6) beat Marshall 86-78.

Times wires
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

ORLANDO — Dwight Howard had 24 points and 25 rebounds, Jameer Nelson scored 25, including 12 in the fourth quarter and overtime, and the Magic rallied past the Heat 104-98 Tuesday night.

It was the eighth 20-20 game of the season for Howard and the 40th of his career.

The Magic, which trailed by 14 in the first half, has won three straight and five of six.

Dwyane Wade scored 28 and Chris Bosh 23 for the Heat, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. LeBron James added 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

The Heat visits Chicago tonight in a matchup of the East's top teams. Orlando goes to San Antonio for its final game before the trade deadline.

As the Magic tries to convince Howard, who can become a free agent in July, to stay in Orlando, Yahoo Sports reported that he has made up his mind to join the Nets at some point, though he doesn't appear to want a trade now.

Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy shrugged off an ESPN.com report that Howard had been told by team officials he could decide the fate of Van Gundy and general manager Otis Smith if he signed an extension.

"If anybody thinks I care about that …," Van Gundy said. "If they want to fire me to please somebody, fire me."

trade talk: The Bucks traded center Andrew Bogut and guard Stephen Jackson to the Warriors for guard Monta Ellis, forward Ekpe Udoh and center Kwame Brown. Bogut, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, has struggled with injuries. … The Bulls and Lakers have had talks about L.A. center Pau Gasol, the Chicago Tribune reported, but many obstacles exist. The Lakers want at least one top player and draft picks. … Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson said there are no plans to trade forward Josh Smith.

around the league: The league fined Bulls guard Derrick Rose $25,000 for criticizing officiating. After Monday's win over the Knicks, Rose said he's "got to be the only superstar in the league that's going through what I'm going through right now." Later in the day, Rose was not injured when his 2011 Bentley was struck from behind by another driver, who was cited by police in Chicago. … Dick Harter, the Charlotte Hornets' first head coach and an NBA assistant who also coached Penn to two NCAA Tournament appearances, died Monday in Hilton Head, S.C., at the age of 81. The cause of death was not known.

Magic 104, Heat 98, OT

MIAMI (98): James 7-20 3-3 19, Bosh 9-14 5-6 23, Anthony 1-1 0-0 2, Chalmers 4-13 0-0 10, Wade 12-22 2-2 28, Haslem 2-5 0-0 4, Battier 1-5 0-0 2, Cole 1-6 0-0 2, Pittman 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 3-5 0-0 8. Totals 40-91 10-11 98.

ORLANDO (104): Turkoglu 3-8 0-0 7, Anderson 6-11 2-3 16, D.Howard 9-13 6-18 24, Nelson 10-16 1-2 25, Redick 4-10 6-7 17, Q.Richardson 2-4 4-5 9, Davis 2-7 2-2 6, Duhon 0-2 0-0 0, Liggins 0-2 0-0 0, Harper 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-73 21-37 104.

Miami 27 29 17 21 4— 98

Orlando 30 15 27 22 10— 104

3-Point Goals—Miami 8-23 (Wade 2-3, Jones 2-3, James 2-4, Chalmers 2-8, Cole 0-1, Battier 0-4), Orlando 11-28 (Nelson 4-7, Redick 3-8, Anderson 2-5, Q.Richardson 1-2, Turkoglu 1-3, Liggins 0-1, Duhon 0-2). Fouled Out—Battier. Rebounds—Miami 44 (James 11), Orlando 61 (D.Howard 25). Assists—Miami 21 (James 8), Orlando 19 (Turkoglu 5). Total Fouls—Miami 30, Orlando 15. Technicals—Miami defensive three second, Q.Richardson, Orlando defensive three second. Flagrant Fouls—Q.Richardson. A—18,879 (18,500).

Pacers 92, Trail Blazers 75

PORTLAND (75): Wallace 1-4 3-4 5, Aldridge 5-15 7-9 17, Camby 0-0 0-2 0, Felton 2-8 1-1 5, Batum 3-11 3-4 9, Przybilla 1-1 2-2 4, Matthews 1-5 6-8 9, Crawford 2-7 4-4 9, N.Smith 3-3 2-2 10, Thomas 0-2 0-0 0, C.Smith 1-3 2-2 4, Babbitt 1-5 0-0 3, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-64 30-38 75.

INDIANA (92): Granger 4-8 1-2 11, West 5-10 0-0 10, Hibbert 4-9 0-0 8, Collison 3-10 2-2 8, George 5-9 0-0 11, Jones 2-6 0-0 4, Hill 5-9 0-4 11, Hansbrough 2-6 4-5 8, Amundson 10-11 1-2 21, Price 0-2 0-0 0, Pendergraph 0-0 0-0 0, Stephenson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 40-82 8-15 92.

Portland 15 23 14 23— 75

Indiana 19 29 27 17— 92

3-Point Goals—Portland 5-22 (N.Smith 2-2, Babbitt 1-3, Matthews 1-4, Crawford 1-5, Wallace 0-1, Aldridge 0-1, Felton 0-2, Batum 0-4), Indiana 4-11 (Granger 2-3, Hill 1-2, George 1-2, Price 0-1, Hansbrough 0-1, Jones 0-1, Collison 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Portland 44 (Przybilla, Wallace 6), Indiana 57 (West 10). Assists—Portland 5 (Felton 2), Indiana 24 (Price 6). Total Fouls—Portland 14, Indiana 25. Technicals—Indiana defensive three second. A—10,933 (18,165).

Raptors 96, Cavaliers 88

TORONTO (96): J.Johnson 3-5 0-0 6, Bargnani 8-15 3-3 19, A.Johnson 4-4 2-4 10, Bayless 6-13 4-4 20, DeRozan 1-6 2-2 4, Kleiza 3-8 0-0 7, Davis 3-6 2-6 8, Barbosa 7-14 0-0 17, Forbes 2-3 0-0 4, Gray 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 37-74 14-21 96.

CLEVELAND (88): Gee 4-8 7-7 16, Jamison 8-18 4-4 20, Hollins 1-3 0-2 2, Irving 5-17 3-4 14, Parker 1-3 2-2 4, Thompson 2-6 5-6 9, Sessions 6-9 4-6 16, Gibson 0-5 0-0 0, Samuels 1-5 0-0 2, Casspi 1-2 2-2 5. Totals 29-76 27-33 88.

Toronto 21 33 21 21— 96

Cleveland 22 24 19 23— 88

3-Point Goals—Toronto 8-19 (Bayless 4-7, Barbosa 3-8, Kleiza 1-3, Bargnani 0-1), Cleveland 3-15 (Casspi 1-1, Gee 1-3, Irving 1-4, Parker 0-1, Sessions 0-1, Jamison 0-2, Gibson 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Toronto 51 (A.Johnson 9), Cleveland 46 (Irving 7). Assists—Toronto 25 (Bayless 7), Cleveland 20 (Irving 7). Total Fouls—Toronto 29, Cleveland 22. A—14,203 (20,562).

Rockets 104, Thunder 103

HOUSTON (104): Parsons 9-16 0-0 21, Scola 6-17 6-6 18, Dalembert 4-10 0-0 8, Dragic 4-11 3-4 12, Lee 8-12 1-1 21, Patterson 5-12 2-2 12, Budinger 4-9 0-1 10, Flynn 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 41-89 12-14 104.

OKLAHOMA CITY (103): Durant 8-18 8-9 28, Ibaka 6-10 0-0 12, Perkins 2-5 0-0 4, Westbrook 7-18 5-6 19, Cook 1-4 0-0 2, Harden 5-12 4-5 16, Collison 2-3 0-2 4, Mohammed 5-8 0-0 10, Jackson 1-3 0-0 3, Ivey 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 39-84 17-22 103.

Houston 23 30 24 27— 104

Oklahoma City 22 31 20 30— 103

3-Point Goals—Houston 10-24 (Lee 4-7, Parsons 3-5, Budinger 2-4, Dragic 1-7, Flynn 0-1), Oklahoma City 8-23 (Durant 4-8, Harden 2-6, Jackson 1-2, Ivey 1-2, Cook 0-2, Westbrook 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Houston 42 (Dalembert 8), Oklahoma City 58 (Durant 12). Assists—Houston 25 (Dragic 7), Oklahoma City 22 (Harden 7). Total Fouls—Houston 17, Oklahoma City 16. Technicals—Dragic, Westbrook. A—18,203 (18,203).

By Damian Cristodero, Times staff writer
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

TAMPA — Just about every time Steven Stamkos sat on the Lightning bench Tuesday night, he saw the sign.

He wasn't looking for it, necessarily, but it was right in his line of sight, across the ice and in a corner of the lower level of the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

"I drove from Ontario to see Stamkos score 50" it read.

And what do you know? The NHL's brightest young star accommodated the visitor from his home province with two goals — 49 and 50 — in a 6-1 victory over the Bruins.

"It's special," Stamkos, 22, said. "That's the magical number in hockey. I was fortunate to do it once, and to do it twice is just as special."

And it puts him in special company as just the sixth player — with Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux, Alex Ovechkin and Joe Nieuwendyk — to reach the mark twice before age 23.

"It's pretty surreal," Stamkos said.

Stamkos' feat sucked a lot of oxygen out of the room, but it should be noted goaltender Dustin Tokarski made 33 saves for his first NHL win in his third start. He got his first point as well with an assist.

"It feels amazing," Tokarski, 22, said. "I'm kind of at a loss for words right now."

Tokarski had to be sharp in the second and third periods when the Stanley Cup champions outshot the Lightning 32-7 on the way to a 34-17 edge.

By then, though, Tampa Bay (32-30-7) led by four after a first period in which it outshot Boston 10-2 and got goals from Tom Pyatt, Nate Thompson, Ryan Shannon and Victor Hedman; the first three coming in 2:35 for a 3-0 lead 4:31 into the game.

Still, "We needed to push back," coach Guy Boucher said. "We kept saying it, press, stay in their face."

"It's human nature when you have that lead, guys tend to think more defensively," Stamkos said. "They did press at times and Dustin was great. He made some big saves."

That couldn't be said of Boston's Marty Turco and Tim Thomas. Thomas knocked in Stamkos' second-period wraparound. Turco looked awkward on Stamkos' 50th, a low, zippy wrist shot off a Marty St. Louis pass with 7:13 left in the third.

"Wild," is how Boucher described the bench after the goal.

Stamkos, the first Lightning player to twice score 50 goals, is 12 ahead of Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin in second place. With 13 more games he surely will pass the 51 he had in 2009-10, when he tied Sidney Crosby for the league lead, and perhaps Vinny Lecavalier's team-record 52.

But just to be sure, Stamkos joked about the person with the sign, "We should make sure he's back."

First—1, T.B., Pyatt 8 (Malone, Connolly), 1:56. 2, T.B., Thompson 9 (Hall, Wyman), 2:26. 3, T.B., Shannon 4 (Hedman, Tokarski), 4:31 (pp). 4, T.B., Hedman 4, 15:38. Penalties—Thornton, Bos (roughing), 2:54; Paille, Bos (slashing), 13:06; Thornton, Bos, major (fighting), 16:08; Commodore, TB, major (fighting), 16:08.

Second—5, T.B., Stamkos 49 (Purcell, Lee), 3:06. Penalties—Commodore, TB (tripping), 19:25.

Third—6, Boston, Caron 7 (Boychuk, Chara), 1:55. 7, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 50 (St. Louis, Lee), 11:43. Penalties—Tokarski, TB, served by Connolly (delay), 3:13; Hedman, TB (holding), 7:13; Seguin, Bos (high-sticking), 14:14. Shots—Boston 2-15-17—34. Tampa Bay 10-3-4—17. Power plays—Boston 0 of 3; Tampa Bay 1 of 3. Goalies—Boston, Turco 0-1-0 (12 shots-8 saves), Thomas (4:31 first, 5-3), Turco 0-1-0 (3:06 second). Tampa Bay, Tokarski 1-1-1 (34-33). A—19,204 (19,204). T—2:28.

Fast company

Steven Stamkos became just the sixth player to score 50 goals in a season twice before age 23 on Tuesday. And Stamkos just turned 22 last month. Here are the six who have pulled off the feat and the age they were at the end of their second 50-goal season:

* — With 13 games left

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

CHICAGO — The Bears acquired Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall from the Dolphins on Tuesday, the biggest move on the first day of free agency.

Chicago sent two third-round draft picks to Miami.

It's the first big move under new Bears general manager Phil Emery, who replaced the fired Jerry Angelo. It gives Jay Cutler the go-to receiver he sought since arriving from Denver three years ago and reunites him with one of his top Broncos targets.

Marshall had 81 catches for 1,214 yards and six scores last season and made the Pro Bowl for the third time.

The Bears also agreed to a one-year deal with quarterback Jason Campbell, who will back up Cutler. And special teams standout and linebacker Blake Costanzo said he received a two-year deal from Chicago.

BRONCOS FILE SUIT: Two Broncos are suing the league to overturn their drug suspensions, saying the league violated protocol in collecting urine samples from linebacker D.J. Williams and defensive lineman Ryan McBean, then refused to clear the players even after the collector was fired.

CHARGERS: Center Nick Hardwick, the team's most experienced offensive lineman, agreed to a three-year contract just before he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

COLTS: Receiver Reggie Wayne agreed in principle to a deal that could keep him with the club for the rest of his career, AP reported.

FALCONS: The team agreed to terms on new deals with backup quarterback Chris Redman and third receiver Harry Douglas.

49ERS: The team signed former Broncos defensive back and returner Perrish Cox, who was acquitted on sexual assault charges in Colorado this month, to a two-year contract.

JAGUARS: Safety Dwight Lowery agreed to a four-year contract. The team also signed versatile backup linebacker Russell Allen to a three-year contract.

JETS: The team agreed in principle with linebacker Bryan Thomas, a 10-year veteran who will remain its longest-tenured player.

PACKERS: The league suspended defensive end Mike Neal without pay for the first four games of the 2012 regular season for violating policy on performance enhancing substances.

PANTHERS: Linebacker Thomas Davis agreed to forego an $8 million signing bonus and take a pay cut to return, AP reported. Davis, who has had three torn ACLs in three years, will take a base salary cut from $2.25 million to $700,000.

REDSKINS: The team agreed to terms with receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan and re-signed defensive end Adam Carriker.

SAINTS: The players' union wants the league to delay announcing any punishment for the team's bounty program until it can conduct its own investigation, NFLPA spokesman George Atallah said. … Receiver Marques Colston agreed to a five-year contract worth about $40 million.

SEAHAWKS: Defensive end Red Bryant agreed to terms on a new contract. Terms were not released.

TEXANS: Owner Bob McNair wants to re-sign outside linebacker Mario Williams and he's not interested in pursuing Peyton Manning. Williams, who missed most of last season with a torn chest muscle, officially became an unrestricted free agent.

CAP SPACE: The $46 million in total salary cap reductions for the Redskins and Cowboys over the next two seasons will go to other teams.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers introduced the three newest pillars of their organization this afternoon, holding a spirited press conference at One Buc Place with free-agent pickups Vincent Jackson, Eric Wright and Carl Nicks.

While each traveled different roads to Tampa, they all opted to join the Buccaneers for similar reasons – besides the combined $140 million in contracts they garnered.

This is a trio that has bought into the Bucs' intentions to show rapid improvement after last season's 4-12 campaign.

"It's very appealing to us," Jackson said of the opportunity. "It's an opportunity to do something special. If we didn't believe that it could happen here with the guys that they have, we probably would've been happy to stay where we were at. But Coach (Greg Schiano) called me yesterday right on time. He said, 'We're going to start this thing.' We're all hungry to prove something. I can't wait for that first ball to be kicked off."

Nicks, who the Bucs made the NFL's highest-paid guard with a $47.5 million deal, was energized by the team's seeming intent to make a push for a big season.

"Right when I got off the plane (on Tuesday night), I checked my phone and I saw that they had signed Jackson," Nicks said. "I said, 'Okay, they're doing something here.' We're all kind of starting fresh. To be a part of something that's eventually going to be great is a good feeling. And to know that I'm a building block, it's a good feeling. It's humbling and it makes you hungry and it makes you want to work. I look forward to the challenge."

For Eric Wright, who the Bucs flew in from the West Coast on a chartered jet along with Vincent Jackson, has big plans with the Bucs.

"You get to know people (around the league) and they all say the same thing: It's a team you want to play for and it's an organization that you want to be a part of," Wright said. "Everybody has one goal and that's to win. I want to help them win and I'm here now, so that's exactly what we're going to do."

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Robinson Chirinos is sidelined with a concussion, suffered earlier this week when he took a foul tip off his mask.

Manager Joe Maddon said he isn't sure when Chirinos will return to game action, but they're monitoring him each day. The injury could definitely impact Chirinos' chances of making the Opening Day roster, as he's competing with C Jose Lobaton, C Chris Gimenez and C Stephen Vogt for the second catcher spot.

Chirinos has hit .143 in seven games this spring.

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Today, the Bucs look faster. They look stronger. They look infinitely more interesting.

More than anything, however the Bucs look more serious than they have in years.

If you are going to cheer anything about their latest shopping excursion, start there.

Vincent Jackson.

Carl Nicks.

Eric Wright.

And who's next?

For the Tampa Bay Bucs, this has been one of the finest weeks in years. After years of pleading from their fans, they have gone to the wallet, and they have added a sensational wide receiver, a superb offensive lineman and a very good defensive back.

This is the kind of week than can start to restore faith. This is the kind of the week that can improve an image. Yes, this is the kind of week than can sell tickets.

And bully for the Bucs.

Let's be honest. This may not work out. It didn't pay off for the Eagles, and it never has for the Redskins. Free agency is like panning for gold, except that the gold goes to the new employees, and it can be difficult to tell what effect a few million dollars in the wallet can have on a team. A lot of players have been worth two cents on the dollar after a big contract.

On the other hand, the Bucs are a much, much more talented team today than a few days ago. Josh Freeman should be more dangerous when he drops back to pass, and the holes should be wider when LeGarrette Blount starts to run, and the secondary should be better in a division filled with quarterbacks and wide receivers.

The Bucs needed an offseason like this. Hey, no one has ever argued against the idea of building through the draft, but there were far too many holes from those awful drafts in the early 2000s to fill through one aspect of talent evaluation. This has a chance, at least, to be the kick-start the Bucs need.

To be honest, the Glazer family needed an offseason like this, too. Just glance at the empty stands, and you could tell how much momentum had been lost. Once, the Glazers seemed willing to invest in winning. Lately, that hasn't been the impression.

This week, however, has made good on Joel Glazers' promise to spend what it takes to produce a winner. Remember when the Bucs fired Raheem Morris? As hard as it was to defend Morris, and it still is, the front office deserved some blame, too. There wasn't enough talent. Now, there is more.

So where else? The Bucs could use a linebacker. Maybe two. They could use a running back. A safety. A right tackle. A tight end. For now, they are better.

You know who got better this week? Freeman got better. Mike Williams, who should see less doubling, got better. Blount got better. Connor Barth, who should be kicking more extra points, got better.

You know who else got better? Greg Schiano got better, and so did his chance of winning. Coaches need players. That's never been a secret. Schiano now has better chess pieces to move around.

You know who else got better? The Bucs' front office, which has more options as it goes into the upcoming draft. It seems you can scratch Justin Blackmon off the Bucs' list of possibilities, doesn't it? Don't be so quick to erase Morris Claiborne, however. If he's still the value at the position, the Bucs should still be interested.

On the other hand, the Bucs have just added flexibility, too. If they are not sold on, say, running back Trent Richardson, they can entertain thoughts of trading down for extra picks. Maybe that gets them a linebacker and a tight end. Or a safety and a running back. The more strength a team has, the more creative it can be in the draft.

It's odd. Even in the offseason, the Bucs have always been the loudest debate in the room. In recent years, that seems to have lessened

For the Bucs, this is a step toward taking back the buzz. The team has found its wallet. It has gained your attention. Good.

On the other hand, has anyone seen a good linebacker looking for work?