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Men's basketball: Florida at Mississippi State preview

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Friday, January 25, 2013

. FAST FACTS

Tonight: No. 8 Florida at Mississippi State

When/where: 8; Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Miss.

TV/radio: ESPN2; 620-AM

Records: Florida 15-2, 5-0 SEC; Mississippi State 7-10, 2-3

Notable: The Gators have a seven-game winning streak on the line. UF is 5-0 in the SEC for just the fourth time (previously in 1961, 2003 and 2007). Mississippi State is in its first season under Ricky Ray and has lost its past three, but the Bulldogs are 5-2 at home. "They are very aggressive, they play very hard," UF coach Billy Donovan said.

Antonya English, Times staff writer


Men's basketball: USF vs. Notre Dame preview

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, January 25, 2013

. FAST FACTS

Today: USF vs. No. 24 Notre Dame

When/where: Noon; Sun Dome, Tampa

TV/radio: Ch. 28; 98.7-FM, 1010-AM

Records: USF 10-8, 1-5 Big East; Notre Dame 15-4, 3-3

Notable: Notre Dame captain Scott Martin (knee) is out. The Irish are the Big East's best shooting team in conference play at 46.8 percent; USF (37.8) is the league's worst. Senior G Jawanza Poland (10.8 ppg) is a point from taking USF's scoring lead from junior Victor Rudd (10.9), who is 2-for-10 on 3-pointers in the past two games.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

Women's basketball: USF vs. Marquette preview capsule

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, January 25, 2013

. FAST FACTS

USF women vs. Marquette

When/where: 6; Sun Dome, Tampa

TV/radio: BHSN; 1010-AM

Records: USF 13-5, 2-3 Big East; Marquette 10-8, 2-3

Notable: USF senior G Andrea Smith is the Big East's top scorer in conference games (23.2 ppg) and is 29-for-30 at the line in conference play (96.7 percent). Freshman F Alisia Jenkins is second in the league with 9.8 rebounds per conference game.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

Willie Taggart works to overcome late USF Bulls recruiting start

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By Greg Auman, Times staff writer
Friday, January 25, 2013

TAMPA — It took a month to evaluate the recruiting options, to carefully craft a staff of assistants. But in the last week, new USF football coach Willie Taggart has built a significant surge of momentum heading into the final 12 days before national signing day.

Taggart's Bulls have picked up six oral commitments since Sunday, luring Bradenton Manatee defensive tackle Derrick Calloway out of a Louisville commitment and picking up some of the area's top remaining prospects in Countryside defensive end Mike Love, Northeast's Auggie Sanchez and Hillsborough linebacker Nigel Harris.

"I feel good about the whole excitement at University of South Florida football, and I think it's only going to get better," Taggart said this week, unable to speak about individual recruits due to NCAA rules. Oral commitments are not binding, and national signing day is Feb. 1.

Taggart came to Tampa with a reputation as a top recruiter — the big week has pushed USF up to the top 50 in national rankings — and with a strong finish, the Bulls could have the highest-rated class in the Big East. Five of the six most recent oral commitments are on defense, who were likely impressed by defensive backs coach Ron Cooper's time at LSU and the NFL background of new coordinator Chuck Bresnahan.

Calloway has been perhaps the biggest splash, pulled away from Louisville coach Charlie Strong just weeks after the Cardinals routed Florida in the Sugar Bowl. There was a built-in advantage in that Taggart starred at Manatee himself, but Calloway's position coach said that's likely overrated, given Calloway only came to Manatee in 2011 after moving from California.

"A lot of people think, 'Oh, you're from Manatee, you're biased about Willie,' " said Steve Gulash, who played with Taggart on a state championship squad at Manatee 20 years ago. "I'd love for Willie to coach every kid I've ever coached. Only because I know what he's about, where he's from. … You realize he's a dynamic young coach. He may have great success, he may have great failure. What I know is when you're an aggressive recruiter and you tell the truth, that tends to have success."

The question is how well can Taggart close out his first recruiting class, which still has key unfilled needs at quarterback and running back. Winter Park's Asiantii Woulard, who had twice orally committed to USF under Skip Holtz, only to re-open his recruiting both times, just visited Clemson and is scheduled to visit UCLA, so the Bulls might face tough odds. It could be the only quarterback the Bulls sign is Fort Lauderdale University's Michael White. They may look for a transfer over the summer.

Running back is a priority in these final scholarships, with several prospects in play — DeLand's JoJo Kemp, another early USF commitment who went back on the open market, chose USF over Tennessee for an official visit this weekend, and the Bulls are bringing in Stafon McCray from Kissimmee Osceola, where he rushed for more than 3,200 yards and 45 touchdowns the past two seasons.

Another potential local coup would be Jesuit tight end Travis Johnson, who was scheduled to visit Rutgers this weekend until he changed plans to visit USF, the day after a home visit from Bulls coaches.

Taggart arrived late in the process for this class, conceding that relationships are often forged a year or more before signing day. He has found success, especially in the immediate area, and has a chance to build on that first class over the next two weekends.

"Ever since I was a little kid, I always told my mom I wanted to go to USF," said Kissimmee defensive back Hassan Childs, who orally committed Sunday.

View Greg Auman's blog at blogs.tampabay.com/usf.

Sports in Brief

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Times wires
Friday, January 25, 2013

Cycling

Armstrong will talk doping but not to U.S. reps

An attorney for Lance Armstrong told the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency the cyclist will cooperate with efforts to "clean up cycling" but not necessarily by talking to it.

In letters exchanged this week between Armstrong's attorneys and the USADA and obtained by the Associated Press on Friday, the USADA requested Armstrong testify before it by Feb. 6. But attorney Tim Herman wrote Armstrong can't accommodate that schedule. Instead, Herman's letter read, Armstrong will appear before a "truth and reconciliation" commission the International Cycling Union announced the creation of on Friday.

Cyclists will be offered a chance to confess to doping without fear of penalty in the UCI's attempt to uncover the full scale of drug use in the sport. There is no timetable for testimony to start.

Meanwhile, Britain's Bradley Wiggins said he is convinced Armstrong doped when he returned to cycling in 2009. Armstrong admitted he doped while winning the Tour de France seven times but denied doing so when he finished third in 2009.

Wiggins, the 2012 champion who finished fourth in 2009, based his suspicions on watching the American during the mountain stages.

"I can still remember … watching the man I saw on the top of Verbier in 2009 to the man I saw on the top of Ventoux a week later when we were in doping control together," Wiggins said. "It wasn't the same bike rider. "

Armstrong was not available for comment.

Baseball

A-Rod could miss 2013, GM says

Yankees GM Brian Cashman said 3B Alex Rodriguez could sit out all of 2013 with a left hip injury. Rodriguez, 37, had surgery last week. The team said it expected him back around the All-Star break. But Cashman said "there's no guarantee … because of the serious nature of the surgery."

Et cetera

Soccer: England's governing body has charged Chelsea's Eden Hazard for kicking the ball boy during Wednesday's League Cup semifinal. The move could add to his three-game ban for getting a red card. He has until Tuesday to respond.

Media: Rachel Nichols is leaving her reporting job at ESPN to work for CNN and Turner Sports. She will anchor a new weekend CNN sports program beginning later this year.

Figure skating: Jeremy Abbott earned 84.10 points despite not trying a quadruple jump to win the short program at the U.S. championships in Omaha, Neb. The three-time champion leads Joshua Farris by three points entering today's free skate. Meryl Davis and Charlie White earned 79.02 points in the short dance. The 2010 Olympic silver medalists lead Madison Chock and Evan Bates by 8.22 and are almost assured of their fifth U.S. title today. Joanna and William Hubbart, who train at the Tampa Bay Skating Academy in Oldsmar, won the juvenile pairs title. The siblings took third last year.

Times wires

Florida State women down Georgia Tech

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Times wires
Friday, January 25, 2013

TALLAHASSEE — Chelsea Davis made 10 of 13 shots and had 23 points Friday to lead No. 22 Florida State to a 76-71 victory over Georgia Tech.

The Seminoles (16-3, 6-2 ACC) secured their fourth straight win with a 15-3 run after trailing 65-60 with 7:35 left. Alexa Deluzio's three-point play gave them a 69-68 lead at the 4:12 mark before two baskets by Davis and one by Deluzio put FSU ahead 75-68. "In the last five minutes, they didn't score," FSU coach Sue Semrau said. "Part of that was our rebounding and our focus."

The Seminoles, who were averaging 48.3 percent from the field, third nationally, shot 52.7 percent (29-of-55) against the Yellow Jackets.

NO. 19 UCLA 73, ARIZONA 57: Atonye Nyingifa had a season-high 20 points and Kari Korver scored a career-high 14 for the host Bruins (14-4, 5-2 Pac-12), who snapped a two-game skid.

NO. 6 STANFORD 65, UTAH 44: Chiney Ogwumike scored 23 to lead the host Cardinal (18-2, 7-1 Pac-12).

MEN: UCLA is looking into a Gucci backpack that freshman Shabazz Muhammad was seen carrying Thursday, USA Today and Yahoo Sports reported. The backpack is worth at least $900. The swingman and Bruins' top scorer missed three games this season because of an NCAA investigation into illegal benefits.

FOOTBALL: New data on academic fraud at North Carolina showed athletes made up nearly half of the enrollments in 172 bogus classes in the African studies department and accounted for nearly half of 512 suspect grade changes in that period, the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., reported.

WOMEN'S HOCKEY: Host Minnesota beat Wisconsin 2-0 for its NCAA-record 33rd consecutive game unbeaten, all victories. The Golden Gophers are 25-0 this season. Wisconsin had two 32-game unbeaten streaks.

Lightning emphasizing 'defense first'

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Friday, January 25, 2013

TAMPA — It's the defense, stupid.

Guy Boucher didn't say it quite like that, but the Lightning coach was clear the season hinges on players being better without the puck. Not just the defensemen, the entire team. He called it a "defensive transformation."

"We have the offense," he said Friday. "It's a whole team mentality and philosophy we want to progress with now. It's got to be defense first." It is not a new concept for Boucher. D Eric Brewer said, "I don't think it's tough to buy into. I think we got the hard lesson last year we were too open," with a league-worst 281 goals allowed.

This season the offense is again potent with 19 goals in four games. The defensive transformation began by adding G Anders Lindback and veteran defensemen Sami Salo and Matt Carle. But as Boucher said, "It's everybody, forwards, defense, goaltending."

For example, forwards — or defensemen, for that matter — must not get caught too deep in the offensive zone. That creates the potential for odd-man rushes, which plagued Tampa Bay during Monday's 4-3 loss to the Islanders and in the second period in Friday's 6-4 win over Ottawa.

For Boucher, the key is allowing fewer than 12 scoring chances a game. In the team's two wins entering Friday, Tampa Bay allowed 11. In its loss to the Islanders, it allowed 24.

"We're better because of the new players," Boucher said. "But it's a team mentality and philosophy we want to progress with."

SHOOTING GALLERY: The Lightning entered Friday's game allowing an average 37 shots, third-most in the league, and it allowed 36 to the Senators. But Boucher said it is not a concern if opponents are away from the net: "They can shoot from the outside as much as they want, I couldn't care less."

RISING: D Keith Aulie has gone from an unsure, tentative player to a confident, physical one. "He's hit everybody, and hard, some pancakes on boards everywhere," Boucher said.

Aulie, 23, acquired in February from the Maple Leafs for Carter Ashton, clearly benefited from playing last season with AHL Norfolk during its Calder Cup title run. He played with AHL Syracuse, the Lightning's new affiliate, during the lockout.

"It starts by being here, and once you're here, you want more," said Aulie, who has a goal, two points and a team-high eight hits. "It's up to me to work hard and show them what I can do."

VINNY HONORED: C Vinny Lecavalier, in a pregame ceremony, received the traditional silver stick to commemorate his 1,000th game, played Monday on Long Island. In front of 40 friends and family he also received a Rolex watch from the team and a Tiffany crystal from the league. Video congratulations came from former teammates Brad Richards, Ruslan Fedotenko and Dan Boyle, and former coach Jacques Demers.

ODDS AND ENDS: F Adam Hall received a 10-minute misconduct after a scrum with 10 seconds left in the game. … Salo is the seventh Lightning player to be plus-5 in a game. … Carle's goal was his first in 58 games. His last was with the Flyers against the Lightning on Dec. 10, 2011. … Forwards Dana Tyrell and P.C. Labrie, and D Brendan Mikkelson were scratched.

Lightning outshoots Senators in win

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Friday, January 25, 2013

TAMPA — So, what do you want to talk about, the Lightning's terrific third periods or terrible second periods?

Both were on full display during Friday night's 6-4 victory over the Senators. Tampa Bay allowed four second-period goals to fall behind 4-3 but scored three in the third — with Ryan Malone getting the tying and winning tallies — to send the sellout crowd of 19,204 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum into delirium.

So, while Tampa Bay (3-1-0) reveled in another victory — "That's character," coach Guy Boucher said — it also fretted over being outscored 10-3 in the second period but outscoring opponents 11-1 in the third this season.

"We get away from everything that works," Boucher said. "It's been four games in a row. We take penalties, turn the puck over at their blue line. We don't play 200 feet of hockey."

Against Ottawa, the Lightning overcame two two-goal deficits in a wild second period in which the teams combined for six goals, five of which were scored in 3 minutes, 40 seconds. Three were scored in 30 seconds, a franchise record for two teams in a game.

Malone did the dirty work in the third, tying the score 4-4 3:39 into the period by tipping Vinny Lecavalier's shot and getting the winner with 7:02 left on a rebound.

Tom Pyatt scored an empty-netter.

Matt Carle, Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman also scored. Sami Salo had two assists and tied a team record by going plus-5, and Cory Conacher, with two assists, took over the league's rookie scoring lead with seven points.

Anders Lindback made 32 saves as Ottawa had a 36-31 shot advantage, including 16-5 in the second period. The goaltender probably wants a couple of those goals back. But his 13 saves shut out the Senators in the third period, and his reach-back save on Chris Neil at 5:25, smothering the puck along the goal line, preserved the 4-4 tie.

Still, Salo said, "You can't every game expect to come back in the third period. The league is so tight, we can't expect to do that every time."

And consider this: The Lightning has outscored opponents 5-1 in the first period, meaning if you take out all the second periods, it is up 16-2.

Malone said players remind each other before second periods to stick to the game plan. And yet, "in the first period we come out shooting the puck, crashing the net, and in the second period we get away from that."

"This is the mental part we have to work on," Boucher said.

"We don't have forever to change that before it bites us in butt. It's enough."

Lightning 1 2 3 6
Senators 0 4 0 4
Lightning 1 2 3 6
Senators 0 4 0 4

First Period1, Tampa Bay, Carle 1 (Conacher, Bergeron), 1:09 (pp). PenaltiesMichalek, Ott (hooking), :35; Regin, Ott (delay of game), 3:53; Phillips, Ott (interference), 12:09; Karlsson, Ott (interference), 15:09; Neil, Ott, major (fighting), 18:10; Crombeen, TB, major (fighting), 18:10.

Second Period2, Ottawa, Condra 1 (Neil, Gonchar), 4:11. 3, Ottawa, Spezza 2 (Alfredsson, Gonchar), 14:30 (pp). 4, Ottawa, Karlsson 3 (Michalek, Turris), 14:45. 5, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 2 (Salo, St. Louis), 15:00. 6, Ottawa, Turris 4 (Alfredsson, Daugavins), 17:30. 7, Tampa Bay, Hedman 1 (Stamkos, St. Louis), 18:10. PenaltiesPurcell, TB (hooking), 12:56; Neil, Ott (interference), 13:37; Lee, TB (elbowing), 14:20.

Third Period8, Tampa Bay, Malone 2 (Salo, Conacher), 3:39. 9, Tampa Bay, Malone 3 (Lecavalier, Hedman), 12:58. 10, Tampa Bay, Pyatt 2 (Stamkos), 19:18 (en). PenaltiesAulie, TB (interference), 3:52; Condra, Ott (roughing), 19:50; Borowiecki, Ott, minor-misconduct (roughing), 19:50; Hall, TB, minor-misconduct (roughing), 19:50; Aulie, TB, double minor-misconduct (roughing), 19:50. Shots on GoalOttawa 7-16-13—36. Tampa Bay 15-5-11—31. Power-play opportunitiesOttawa 1 of 4; Tampa Bay 1 of 4. GoaliesOttawa, Bishop 0-1-0 (30 shots-25 saves). Tampa Bay, Lindback 2-1-0 (36-32).


2013 Florida State Seminoles signing day outlook

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By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 26, 2013

Florida State

Key losses: DE Tank Carradine, DT Everett Dawkins, PK Dustin Hopkins, QB EJ Manuel, LB Nick Moody, FB Lonnie Pryor, WR Rodney Smith, RT Menelik Watson, DE Bjoern Werner, LB Vince Williams.

Oral commitments (16)

Davin Bellamy, DE, 6-5/240, Chamblee (Ga.)

Ira Denson, OL, 6-4/317, Madison County

John Franklin, QB, 6-1/171, South Plantation

Austin Golson, OL, 6-6/284, Prattville (Ala.)

Ryan Green, RB, 5-10/187, St. Petersburg Catholic

Ryan Hoefeld, OL, 6-3/265, New Orleans Brother Martin

Desmond Hollin, DE, 6-4/265, ASA Junior College

Ro'Derrick Hoskins, LB, 6-3/215, Orlando Evans

Michael Johnson, DB, 5-9/153, Miami Booker T. Washington

Isaiah Jones, WR, 6-4/194, Milton

Jeremy Kerr, TE, 6-6/254, St. Petersburg

E.J. Levenberry, LB, 6-3/226, C.D. Hylton (Va.)

Tyrell Lyons, LB, 6-2/220, Jacksonville First Coast

Marquez White, DB, 6-1/180, Northview (Ala.)

Levonte Whitfield, WR, 5-9/176, Orlando Jones

Jesus Wilson, ATH, 5-9/165, Miami Columbus

Early enrollees (2)

Freddie Stevenson, LB, 6-1/220, Bartow

DeMarcus Walker, DE, 6-4/280, Jacksonville Sandalwood

Hot prospects: This class so far is considered average, perhaps because coach Jimbo Fisher has lost six assistants from last season's staff. The Seminoles have not lured any five-star recruits. Miami Washington five-star WR Matthew Thomas is said to be deciding between Alabama and FSU. The other five-star recruits listed by rivals.com have either orally committed to another school or do not have FSU listed as a choice. The hope for Fisher is to get some top recruits to flip, as St. Petersburg TE Jeremy Kerr did after first committing to Miami.

Rodney Page, Times staff writer

USF Bulls lose 73-65 to No. 24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

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By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 26, 2013

TAMPA — As much as the Bulls carried over from last year's special season, from playmaking point guard Anthony Collins to exciting swingman Victor Rudd, their ability to make another NCAA Tournament run depended on their men in the middle.

As coach Stan Heath says, size and experience inside are "valuable commodities," and USF doesn't have a lot of either.

That continued to be a theme in another deflating defeat Saturday afternoon, as the Bulls blew a nine-point second-half lead to lose 73-65 to No. 24 Notre Dame in front of 6,373 at the Sun Dome.

USF (10-9, 1-6 Big East) has dropped six of its past seven, already matching the number of conference losses it had last season, when it went 12-6.

"They lost some studs on that front line," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. "They're a very different team."

Though the Bulls got a lift from freshman forward Zach LeDay, who had a team-high 17 points, they still struggle to make up for the losses from last season of big men Ron Anderson and Augustus Gilchrist. They had trouble defending pin-down screens and once again were dominated on the boards, 34-17, including allowing 13 offensive rebounds.

Notre Dame senior forward Tom Knight, making his fourth career start (for injured senior captain Scott Martin), had 17 points, his first game in double figures.

"I think it's obvious: We've lost an experienced front line," Heath said. "Ron Anderson, who really controlled the middle and … Augustus Gilchrist, 6-foot-10, 240 (pounds), who gave us some muscle and scoring inside. And Hugh Robertson was a lockdown defender; some things that are happening now, guys didn't get those kinds of looks because he'd take a guy out. We've been trying to fill those kind of roles."

With two of the Bulls' top scorers, forward Toarlyn Fitzpatrick and Rudd (seven points each), relatively quiet, two of their freshmen came off the bench to deliver a spark. LeDay took over for starting forward Kore White (zero points, zero rebounds in eight minutes), and guard JaVontae Hawkins (11 points) continued to impress to give USF a seven-point halftime lead.

Said LeDay: "We're trying to get bigger and better, and trying to make it to the next level."

In the second half, Notre Dame (16-4, 4-3) quickly erased the deficit and took control of the game, clamping down defensively and getting easy baskets in transition. The Bulls, who shot 60 percent in the first half, missed nine of their first 11 attempts in the second (when they shot 38.5 percent), with the Irish regaining the lead five minutes in and never looking back.

The Irish also did a better job of containing Collins, who had just two of his 12 points in the second half. "If we didn't fix that, we would have lost by 15," Brey said. "He's a fearless guy. There's no one else like him in our league."

Heath prefers to have an inside-out type of offense, but without a true low post threat, he says the Bulls are "very reliant" on 3-pointers. They struggled in that category, too, going 6-for-21.

Said Heath: "I just thought that once (Notre Dame) got momentum going in the second half, we just couldn't get it back."

2013 USF Bulls signing day outlook

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 26, 2013

USF

Key losses: LB Sam Barrington, PK Maikon Bonani, QB B.J. Daniels, G Danous Estenor, DT Cory Grissom, RB Lindsey Lamar, TE Evan Landi, RB Demetris Murray, OL Mark Popek, CB Kayvon Webster.

Oral commitments (18)

Zach Benjamin, WR, 6-4/190, Tampa Catholic

Derrick Calloway, DT, 6-1/300, Bradenton Manatee

Hassan Childs, DB, 6-2/175, Kissimmee Osceola

Joe Fennell, OT, 6-4/300, Fort Myers South Fort Myers

Cameron Fraser, OT, 6-5/300, Phenix City (Ala.) Central

Robby Garcia, G, 6-3/260, Jesuit

Nate Godwin, CB, 5-11/185, Freedom

Bruce Hector, DT, 6-2/270, Robinson

Mike Love, DE, 6-2/210, Countryside

Eric Mayes, DE, 6-5/250, Sarasota Booker

Cameron Ruff, G, 6-4/275, Jesuit

Auggie Sanchez, TE, 6-3/230, Northeast

Dominique Threatt, DT, 6-2/290, East Point (Ga.) Tri-Cities

Johnny Ward, CB, 6-0/170, Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County

Michael White, QB, 6-5/195, Fort Lauderdale University

Darius Whitty, CB, 6-0/180, Jacksonville First Coast

Howard Wilder, CB, 5-11/185, Sea Pleasant (Md.) Roosevelt/Pierce (Calif.) JC

Mitchell Wright, LB, 6-2/200, Plant

Early enrollees (3)

Rahmon Swain, LB, 6-0/216, Lithonia (Ga.) MLK/Butler (Kan.) CC

Torrel Saffold, CB, 5-11/180, Kansas City (Kan.) Sumner/Butler (Kan.) CC

Emilio Nadelman, PK, 5-6/165, Miami Central

HOT PROSPECTS: The Bulls' biggest needs are at quarterback and running back. There likely will be a oral commitment or two this weekend with Kissimmee's Stafon McCray and DeLand's JoJo Kemp making official visits. Quarterback isn't as solid. Former USF commitment Asiantii Woulard is visiting UCLA after visiting Clemson last weekend. Backup plans include Fort Lauderdale's John O'Korn, who is pledged to Houston. Another key visit this weekend is Jesuit TE Travis Johnson. The Bulls might get a teammate of committed tackle Dominique Threatt: offensive lineman Jeremi Hall, who had committed to Georgia Tech.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

2013 UCF Knights signing day outlook

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 26, 2013

UCF

Key losses: CB A.J. Bouye, DE Troy Davis, RB Brynn Harvey, S Kemal Ishmael, WR Quincy McDuffie, RB Latavius Murray, C Jordan Rae, T Phil Smith.

Oral commitments (14)

Deondre Barnett, DE, 6-3/215, Cocoa

Wilson Bell, G, 6-4/295, Eight Mile (Ala.) Blount

Jake Berman, LB, 6-1/220, Naples Barron Collier

Chequan Burkett, LB, 6-2/230, Montgomery (Ala.) Carver

Aaron Evans, OT, 6-5/270, Armwood

Shaquem Griffin, S, 6-1/185, Lakewood

Shaquill Griffin, CB, 6-2/190, Lakewood

Antonio Guerad, DE, 6-4/250, Tampa Bay Tech

Tate Hernly, G, 6-3/270, Fort Myers

Blake Keller, LB, 6-2/210, Bradenton Manatee

Seyvon Lowery, DE, 6-3/230, Jacksonville First Coast

Mario Mathis, LB, 6-1/220, Thomasville (Ga.)

Micah Reed, RB, 5-11/190, Crestview

Dontravious Wilson, RB, 5-11/220, Buford (Ga.)

Early enrollees (3)

D.J. Killings, CB, 5-10/175, Jacksonville First Coast

Pete DiNovo, QB, 6-1/205, East Lake

Justin Holman, QB, 6-4/200, Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson

Hot prospects: RB Dontravious Wilson is a late addition. He previously committed to new USF coach Willie Taggart when Taggart was at Western Kentucky. He said he was canceling a scheduled visit to USF when he chose the Knights. UCF will be playing some defense down the stretch. Commit G Wilson Bell visited Florida State last weekend and could be poached by the Seminoles.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer

2013 Florida Gators signing day outlook

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 26, 2013

Florida

Key losses: LB Jon Bostic, S Matt Elam, S Josh Evans, DT Sharrif Floyd, RB Mike Gillislee, WR Frankie Hammond Jr., WR Omarius Hines, DT Omar Hunter, LB Jelani Jenkins, LB Lerentee McCray, OL Xavier Nixon, TE Jordan Reed, PK Caleb Sturgis, OL James Wilson

Oral commitments (18)

Alvin Bailey, WR, 5-11/170, Armwood

Caleb Brantley, DT, 6-3/304, Crescent City

Jarrad Davis, LB, 6-3/215, Kingsland (Ga.) Camden County

Careron Dillard, OL, 6-3/285, Canton (Mich.) High

Ahmad Fulwood, WR, 6-4/189, Jacksonville Bishop Kenny

Vernon Hargreaves III, DB, 5-44/185, Wharton

Marcell Harris, DB, 6-1/207, Orlando Dr. Phillips

Marqui Hawkins, WR, 6-2/190, Columbus (Ga.) Carver

James Hearns, LB, 6-3/230, Tallahassee Lincoln

Octavious Jackson, OL, 6-4/285, Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County

Roderick Johnson, OL, 6-6/315, Delray Beach American Heritage

Adam Lane, RB, 5-8/216, Winter Haven

Keanu Neal, DB, 6-1/203, Bushnell South Sumter

Antonio Riles, DE, 6-4/262, Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer

Jordan Sherit, DE, 6-5/234, Hillsborough

Max Staver, QB, 6-5/235, Brentwood (Tenn.) Acad.

Chris Thompson, WR, 6-0/170, Gainesville

Nick Washington, DB, 6-0/183, Jacksonville Trinity Christian Acad.

Early enrollees (8)

Alex Anzalone, LB, 6-3/232, Reading (Pa.) Wyomissing

Darious Cummings, DT, 6-3/305, East Mississippi CC *

Joey Ivie, DE, 6-4/270, Pasco

Daniel McMillian, LB, 6-3/220, Jacksonville First Coast

Tyler Moore, OL, 6-6/305, Countryside/Nebraska *

Demarcus Robinson, WR, 6-2/200, Fort Valley (Ga.) Peach County

Matt Rolin, LB, 6-4/209, Ashburn (Va.) Briar Woods

Kelvin Taylor, RB, 5-11/216, Belle Glade Glades Day

* Transfer

Hot prospects: The Gators remain in contention for Loganville, Ga., DE Robert Nkemdiche, the consensus No. 1 player in the nation, who has decommitted from Clemson. However, some analysts consider the Gators a long shot. With a desperate need at receiver, the UF staff is making a late run at Levonte Whitfield, an oral commitment for Florida State, and James Clark. The Gators have a top-three national class, the major recruiting services say. So at this point, it's a matter of them closing strong.

Antonya English, Times staff writer

2013 Miami Hurricanes signing day outlook

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 26, 2013

Miami

Key losses: RB Mike James, CB Brandon McGee

Oral commitments (8)

Devante Bond, LB, 6-3/230, Rocklin (Calif.) Sierra College

Artie Burns, DB, 6-0/183, Miami Northwestern

Jamal Carter, DB, 6-1/175, Miami Southridge

Alex Gall, OL, 6-5/295, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller

Ufomba Kamalu, DE, 6-5/280, Eldorado (Kan.) Butler CC

Ray Lewis III, RB, 5-10/192, Lake Mary Prep

Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE, 6-4/225, Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep

Kevin Olsen, QB, 6-3/196, Wayne (N.J.) Wayne Hills

Early enrollees (5)

Standish Dobard, TE, 6-5/235, New Orleans Edna Carr

Alex Figueroa, DE, 6-4/215, Fork Union (Va.) Military Acad.

Hunter Knighton, DT, 6-6/265, Princeton (N.J.) Hun School

Sunny Odogwu, OT, 6-8/307, Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Acad.

Beau Sandland, TE, 6-6/260, Woodland Hills (Calif.) Pierce College

Hot prospects: The Hurricanes pulled a major coup Thursday with the hiring of former Florida State quarterbacks coach James Coley as offensive coordinator. Coley was a top recruiter for the Seminoles, and parts of Miami-Dade County were his recruiting area. Five-star LB Matthew Thomas of Miami Booker T. Washington is one of the players still considering Miami and FSU, and Coley was his lead recruiter. Coley's hiring is expected to majorly affect how the Hurricanes finish during the final week of the recruiting process. Miami also remains in the hunt for RB Alex Collins, WR Stacy Coley and WR Jordan Cunningham.

Antonya English, Times staff writer

Tom Jones: Brothers in sports

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By Tom Jones, Times Sports Writer
Saturday, January 26, 2013

tom jones' two cents

Throughout sports history, we've had brothers facing brothers. But we've never seen anything like we're going to see next week when two brothers coach against one another in the Super Bowl. • John Harbaugh of the Ravens goes against Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers in a game that has become by far the biggest sporting event in this country. That makes this the greatest brother-versus-brother matchup of all time. • Through the ages we've seen plenty of brother acts. There are the DiMaggios, the Aarons and, of course, football brothers Ronde of the Bucs and twin Tiki of the Giants. We have had hockey twins (Sedins), NBA coaching brothers (Van Gundys) and even more baseball brothers — the Alomars, Boones and Molinas among them. • A quick glance at 10 of the more intriguing matchups between brothers:

Eli and Peyton Manning

Though the Harbaughs coaching in the Super Bowl is a much-anticipated matchup, the one Super Bowl showdown NFL fans have always wanted to see is Eli and Peyton. It hasn't happened on that stage, and time is running out. Peyton turns 37 in March. The quarterbacks have faced each other twice in the regular season, with Peyton winning both matchups while he was with the Colts. In those games, Peyton combined for five touchdown passes and one interception; Eli, 32, had four touchdown passes and two interceptions. Eli, however, has more Super Bowl rings. He has two. Big brother has one.

Phil and Tony Esposito

It doesn't get much more talented that this when it comes to brothers. Lightning founders Phil, above left, and Tony Esposito are hockey royalty. Phil is one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history, and brother Tony is one of the best goalies. Both are Hall of Famers. Phil once joked that he once scored a hat trick against his brother but his team lost by a goal and fans complained it was because he didn't want to score any more against Tony.

Racing brothers

Car racing has long been a family affair, and we've seen a bunch of brothers rub paint with one another. There have been the Labontes (Bobby and Terry), the Burtons (Jeff and Ward), the Allisons (Donnie and Bobby) and the Bodines (Geoff, Brett and Todd). But the best brother rivalry in racing is Kurt and Kyle Busch. Neither is exactly beloved by the rest of the drivers on the NASCAR circuit, but these two even get on each other's nerves (and bumpers). They wrecked each other during a 2007 race, and that started a bit of a feud that lasted for a while.

George and Ken Brett

George Brett, top left, is best known for being one of the best baseball players and finest hitters in history. Ken Brett is best known as George's brother. Actually, Ken was a decent pitcher who hung around for 14 seasons, albeit with 10 teams. And like his brother, he wasn't bad with a bat, at least for a pitcher. He was a lifetime .262 hitter. George, who spent his 21-year career with the Royals, had 20 plate appearances against Ken with six hits for a .300 average but no homers and only one RBI.

The Sutter brothers

The Sutters are the first family of hockey, and when you consider their sheer numbers, the most successful brother act in sports. Incredibly, six brothers made the NHL. A Sutter brother was in the NHL from 1976 to 2001 with what seems like every team, including the Lightning (Rich Sutter played four games in 1995). There were even times the brothers fought. The battle of the brothers has continued after their playing days. Darryl, Brian and Brent went on to become NHL head coaches for a bunch of teams (Darryl is the Kings' current coach). All three coached for the Flames at some point. None of the brothers have met in the Stanley Cup final as coaches.

Brook and Robin Lopez

Hockey has a set of twins with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, but they play on the same team in Vancouver. The Lopez twins of the NBA play on different teams. They also the most odd-looking brother act because of their freakish size; both are 7 feet tall. Brook plays for the Nets. Robin plays for the Hornets. You can see what a basketball player playing against himself in a mirror looks like when they play each other Feb. 26 in New Orleans.

Pau and Marc Gasol

These two NBA big men have nearly identical numbers. Pau, above right, averages 12.7 points per game for the Lakers, little brother Marc 13.2 for the Grizzlies. The difference is Marc, 28 on Tuesday, is just about at his career average, and Pau, 32, is way down from his 18.5 career average and could be on the trading block.

The Staal brothers

They are the modern-day version of the Sutters, with four hockey-playing brothers. Eric, Marc and Jordan play in the NHL. Jared is in the minors for the eighth season. The Rangers' Marc is a solid defenseman known for hard hits, which once included a smashing check against Eric. But in 2011 Eric hit Marc so hard that Marc was sidelined for more than two months with a concussion. Jordan, a fixture with the Penguins for six seasons, was traded to Carolina last summer and now is teammates with Eric.

Phil and Steve Mahre

Two of the best skiers in American history were twins and had their showdown in the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo. Phil, left, won the gold in the slalom, nipping Steve, who took the silver. Phil raced down the mountain in 1 minute, 39.41 seconds. Steve, who is four minutes younger than Phil, was less than a blink of an eye behind at 1:39.62. They also competed on the World Cup circuit from 1976 to 1984, with Phil holding the edge, winning three World Cup titles to none for Steve.

Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko

This boxing brother act is known for refusing to face one another. Vitali, 41, is a longtime WBC world heavyweight champ. Little brother Wladimir, 36, holds all the other heavyweight crowns, including WBO and IBF. Maybe they would play basketball or hockey against one another. Maybe they'd be willing to stand on the opposite sides of a pingpong table. But there is no way they are going to get into the ring and try to rearrange the other one's face. They have never fought, and they say they never will.


Lightning seeks solutions for second-period woes

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 26, 2013

BRANDON — The Lightning was supposed to practice Saturday at the Ice Sports Forum. Instead, players watched a really bad video.

For 20 minutes or so they saw clip after clip of turnover after turnover, sloppy play after sloppy play, all culled from the second period of Friday's 6-4 victory over the Senators.

This was the coaching staff's attempt to stop a disturbing trend, namely that Tampa Bay seems to forget how to play in second periods.

The Lightning has been outscored 10-3 in second periods, startling because in first and third periods combined it has outscored opponents 16-2, including 11-1 in the third.

The team has ridden those strong starts and finishes, and a league-best 19 goals entering Saturday, to a 3-1-0 mark. But as coach Guy Boucher said, "You don't want to trail all the time because you're playing with fire."

And center Steven Stamkos admitted, "We don't have an answer. If we did, we'd smarten up."

The Ottawa game is instructive, though. The Lightning entered the second period up 1-0 but was outshot 16-5 and allowed four goals to end it down 4-3.

Penalties to right wing Teddy Purcell and defenseman Brian Lee contributed to a four-on-three goal. And goalie Anders Lindback allowed a couple of softies. More harmful were the bad reads and turnovers.

Lee and Stamkos had turnovers that led to goals. Lee and defensive partner Keith Aulie were out of position on another.

The collective brain freeze is even more curious because players remind each other not to let it happen.

"It's frustrating whenever you see a developing pattern," forward Adam Hall said. "Sometimes it's just the way you read a situation. Sometimes there are great plays to be made with a pass. Other times, just keep it simple, just chip it in and get in behind them. Make them turn around so we keep our speed and we're forechecking and get some offense going."

Perhaps the inconsistency comes from a short training camp with zero preseason games or that most Lightning players did not play elsewhere during the lockout. Perhaps it's just that the season is young.

Whatever it is, you can't ignore a team with so much firepower looking so helpless while being outshot 51-37 in four second periods and taking 10 penalties.

"Everything is a habit," Boucher said. "Habits are created because you reproduce them over and over. Right now it's crept in only in our second periods. But at the same time, if we want to progress fast, we have to do it now."

"It's just finding a rhythm to be able to progress as the season goes on," Stamkos said. "We want to adjust as soon as possible so we're one of the teams ahead of the curve and can gain as many points at the beginning of the year as we can."

The Lightning got two points Friday with three third-period goals and Lindback's 13 saves.

"We always come back in the third and do it the right way," captain Vinny Lecavalier said. "If we played that way for three periods … "

It's not hard to figure out the rest.

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

Azarenka keeps calm, carries on

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Times wires
Saturday, January 26, 2013

MELBOURNE, Australia — Victoria Azarenka was expecting to be the finalist with the bigger obstacles to surmount in the Australian Open women's final Saturday.

She had been far from her relentless best in the tournament, and she expected to be greeted with hostility after an emotional 48 hours in which she was widely criticized for seeking medical attention at a critical phase of her semifinal victory over Sloane Stephens.

But as it turned out, Li Na was the finalist in for a traumatic evening, and in a momentum-swinging final interrupted by fireworks and, yes, more medical timeouts, Azarenka successfully defended her title by rallying to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Li, also a Australian finalist in 2011, twisted her ankle not once but twice, and she said she even blacked out for a moment when the back of her head slammed into the court surface early in the third set, after her second tumble of the night. "Maybe if I'm not falling down, it's another story," Li said. "You never know. But the truth: I was falling down, so nothing can change."

The victory, which allowed Azarenka to retain the No. 1 ranking ahead of Serena Williams, was a tribute to her powers of resilience and concentration.

When Li missed her final shot, Azarenka dropped her racket, eyes wide, and then went to the net to shake hands. She was soon on her chair sobbing into a towel.

"It's been a long match … a tough match," said Azarenka, the No. 1 seed. "Li Na was absolutely playing great tennis. Unfortunate things that happened to her, you know, but that's sport.

"But I'm just happy that everything I went through, I still could manage to give my best and really come out there and try to focus on my game and play tennis, that I can produce."

Azarenka joined an elite club. She is the fifth active women with more than one major singles title. The others are Serena Williams with 15, Venus Williams with seven, Maria Sharapova with four and Svetlana Kuznetsova with two.

In the wake of the debate over Azarenka's medical timeout in the semifinals — she was accused of gamesmanship and manipulating the rules to get time to regain her composure; she said she was having difficulty breathing because of a rib injury — the crowd greeted Li with considerably more warmth as the two walked onto the court. The support for Li became more evident as the match progressed.

Azarenka recovered from the first-set loss and kept her focus despite three extended breaks in play: two when Li required medical timeouts, and one for the customary Australia Day fireworks display.

"I had to stay calm. I had to stay positive," Azarenka said.

BRYANS SET DOUBLES MARK: Americans Bob and Mike Bryan defeated Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling, 6-3, 6-4, to win the men's doubles title for their 13th Grand Slam championship, the most in history. The Bryans, 34-year-old twins, had been tied with Australians John Newcombe and Tony Roche. "To be a part of history is pretty special," Mike Bryan said.

Captain's Corner: With light winds, go for hogfish

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By Tyson Wallerstein, Times Correspondent
Saturday, January 26, 2013

What's hot: Light winds the past few days have made safe bets of running offshore a few miles for light-tackle action for hard-fighting hogfish and other bottom dwellers.

Tactics: Target ledges in 30-50 feet with fresh shrimp. Using medium-action rods spooled with 15-pound braid, 25-pound fluorocarbon leader and a half-ounce pink jig head, thread the shrimp onto the hook tail. Bring plenty of shrimp. Hogfish get progressively chummed as more shrimp are dropped.

What else: Early morning low tides have redfish pushed to the edge of the flat, where they root on the bottom for crabs. Unless you have a microskiff, exit the boat and quietly stalk them. No-motor-zone flats are among the locales. Many spoil islands and grass flats along the east side of the Intracoastal Waterway in north Pinellas are holding good numbers of less-pressured redfish.

Tyson Wallerstein runs Inshore Fishing Charters in the Clearwater/St. Petersburg area and can be reached at (727) 692-5868 and via email capt.tyson@hotmail.com.

Is it just enough of a game to keep playing?

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Times wires
Saturday, January 26, 2013

HONOLULU — Adrian Peterson signed and tossed miniature footballs into the Aloha Stadium stands, then chatted up Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson and Marcus Allen. Arian Foster played Peyton Manning's bodyguard for stadium cameras and told fans he recently walked on hot lava.

The Pro Bowl players practiced a little, too, on a sunny Saturday in Honolulu one day before an all-star game that likely will be used to determine its future.

But the game's main purpose is fun, said several players, including Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph and Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles.

"I feel like there's no responsibility; it's just all about fun," Charles said. "You work hard during the year. It's not like a competitive game."

Competition — or at least the appearance of it — is exactly what the NFL seeks as it uses today's game to measure whether the Pro Bowl is worth playing in future years. Commissioner Roger Goodell has said the game will stop if play doesn't improve, drawing mixed reactions from top players.

Chicago cornerback Charles Tillman says he doesn't want this year's Pro Bowl players to be the group that led to the game's end, taking away an honor and privilege for future players.

"I don't want this to happen on my watch," he said.

Rudolph said the players' natural competitiveness will help make the game entertaining.

"It's a game we want to win, so it'll be fun," Rudolph said.

The game should see plenty of scoring, thanks to limits on blitzing and defensive schemes. Bookmakers in Las Vegas expect a combined 811/2 points, with the AFC squad slightly favored (by 1). The NFC and AFC have split the past 10 meetings.

Peterson said moments like his chat with two NFL greats are what make the trip worthwhile for him.

"It's the best part," he said. "It's a bonus, man."

Charles said he's enjoyed watching the leadership of other Pro Bowl players as he has taken on a bigger leadership role with the Chiefs.

"I'm just trying to keep grinding and working hard," he said. "Trying to be where I'm at right now — trying to get back here next year."

USF coach Taggart is 'other' Harbaugh brother

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By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Saturday, January 26, 2013

By now everyone knows about John, the oldest brother. He's the cerebral one. He's a little calmer, a little quieter.

By now everyone knows about Jim, the middle brother. He's the fiery one. No one has to look twice to see he is willing to fight over every blade of grass.

By now you have heard about Jack and Jackie and Joani and the rest of the Harbaugh clan.

Perhaps it is time the world paid a little attention to Jason Harbaugh, the little brother.

You might know him as Willie Taggart.

Taggart laughs loudly as he tells you about his alter ego. After all, Taggart, the USF coach, is as close to being a Harbaugh as DNA will allow. He walks like them, he talks like them, he coaches like them.

"My brothers,'' he calls Jim and John, the opposing Super Bowl coaches, Jim with 49ers, John the Ravens. "I owe them everything.''

How close are they?

So close that Taneshia Taggart, Willie's wife, has a pet name for her husband: "Jason Harbaugh.''

Is that a dig or a compliment?

"When she says it, it's probably a little of both,'' Willie said.

The Harbaughs are a part of his family, and he is a part of theirs.

In the good times and in the bad, he has leaned on them. Some players like the families of their coaches, and some admire them. Taggart? He bonded with his.

Taggart, 36, played for the father, Jack Harbaugh, at Western Kentucky. He worked as an intern for the Eagles when John (now 50) was an assistant coach there. He worked for the Raiders when Jim (now 49) was an assistant.

Jim was the best man in Willie's wedding. Willie was an usher in Jim's. Willie's second son, Jackson, was named after Jack. When Taneshia and Willie's child was stillborn last summer, constant phone calls from the Harbaugh family helped him endure the pain.

"I wouldn't be where I'm at without them,'' Taggart said. "Without the Harbaughs, I wouldn't be the head coach at the University of South Florida. They showed me the way. They gave me the blueprint. Not just being a coach, but being a person. They taught me how to be a coach, a husband, a father.

"I would do anything for that family. Anything. Willie Taggart owes a debt to the Harbaughs.''

Interesting how strangers can become family, how intersections can change lives. Taggart was a high school senior when the Harbaughs came into his life. Jim Harbaugh was an NFL quarterback for the Bears, but with Western Kentucky talking about shutting down its football program, he volunteered to be an assistant coach for his father as well.

His pay? Nothing.

His plan? Make Willie Taggart his first phone call.

Turns out there was a problem. Taggart, a senior at Bradenton Manatee High, didn't believe that was really Jim Harbaugh on the other end of the phone, not even when Jim handed the phone to Jack. It was only later, when his high school coach vouched for them both, that Willie believed.

"When you're 18 or 19, you need a mentor,'' Willie said. "From the time they recruited me, they have never changed.

"Jim was the one who first told me to write down my goals and put them up where I could see them and every day do something to get closer to your goal. To this day, I do that. I want our players to do it, too. I'll laminate them, and they can put them in their locker or on a mirror.''

There were other lessons. Every day Taggart saw how the Harbaughs interacted with their players. He saw when the boxes came, filled with practice shoes Jim had gotten from his NFL teams.

Taggart can tell you a few stories about the Harbaugh brothers. Both are smart. Both are driven. Both have a gift to inspire others to play as if they are on a personal mission.

On John: "I remember going to study some things in Baltimore, and he was running gassers with his team. At the end, he was diving toward the line so he could beat his players. Here's an NFL coach, and he's diving across the grass so he can win a wind sprint.''

On Jim: "He and the defensive line coach would play basketball, and they would play to 10, and it would take 45 minutes. Neither one of them wanted to give up a goal.''

On sister Joani: "She's a winner, too. She married a coach (Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean).''

On Jack: "I don't know that anyone knows how good a coach he was. No one was better at dealing with people. He saved football at Western Kentucky. Saved it. Without him, they wouldn't have football at Western Kentucky.''

On Jack's wife, Jackie: "She's the head coach. People think Jim and John got their competitiveness from Jack. They didn't. They got it from her.''

Taggart grins as he ticks off the stories. He picks through his telephone, showing you this photo and that one featuring one Harbaugh or another. They talk often on the telephone. Whenever they say goodbye, each side tells the other that he loves him. Yeah, they are on the same team.

"Being around John, being around Jim, I can see their dad," Taggart said. "They have a passion and a desire to make a difference in their players. They have that rare combination of sincerity and forcefulness. You don't get that with most coaches.''

Still, the best man?

Taggart could have asked a dozen people to be his best man. He picked Jim.

"Because he was the best man,'' Taggart said. "He's been my role model. He's been everything I want to be.''

Later on, Taggart was an usher in Jim's wedding.

Then there were the hard times. Losing a child. Having two of his Western Kentucky players injured in an April shooting. Who else is a man going to lean on?

"You just talk about life,'' Taggart said. "You appreciate what you have. When you can call and get some advice, it makes things easier.''

There were other times, too. When Taggart coached at Stanford with Jim, the Cardinal beat USC in a game in which it was a 41-point underdog. That was a hoot.

He is going, of course. How would you keep Taggart — or Jason, for that matter — away from the Super Bowl next Sunday? He's going to watch, and he's going to feel good for the winning brother, and he's going to commiserate with the losing brother.

Ah, you ask him. But which are you going to do first?

"It depends,'' Taggart said, "on which one I get to first.''

Listen to Gary Shelton weekdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on 98.7-FM The Fan.

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