Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
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BOSTON - Maryland coach Brenda Frese twice stepped onto the court — the first time to scream in slumping star Marissa Coleman’s face, and a second to celebrate the Terrapins’ first national championship with her.
In the end, it was Coleman who calmly hit a pair of free throws with 13.4 remaining in overtime to seal the Terrapins’ 78-75 win over Duke on Tuesday, capping a 14-point comeback and Frese’s quick rise among the nation’s elite.
“She was yelling at me because of the emotions of the game, but it was a positive thing,” Coleman said. “She said ‘We need you for this win. Don’t worry about your turnovers or not making your shots. You’re going to hit a key basket for us, so put a smile on your face and go out and play the game you’ve been playing for so long.”’
Coleman didn’t let her down.
“Every player on this team stepped up and made big shots,” said Frese, who spent much of the first half flashing gnashed teeth, squeezing her head in her hands and beaming intense glares at her players in what looked like a blowout in the making.
But there was method to Frese’s madness, as she seemed to single-handedly will the second-biggest comeback in NCAA women’s finals history. And when the game went to overtime — where the Terps were 6-0 this year — Frese cooled finally off.
“Overtime,” she said, “is our time.”
It could very well be Frese’s time for a while now.
In her four years at Maryland, Frese revived a program that hadn’t been to the Final Four since 1989. She arrived in 2002 after a year at Minnesota where she was honored as AP coach of the year.
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After going 10-18 in her first season at Maryland, Frese led the Terps to three straight NCAA appearances — and then this, a record-breaking year. The Terps 33-4 record is the most wins by any Maryland basketball team, men or women.
Frese’ starting lineup was young, yet feisty, much like their coach. She started two freshman, two sophomores and a junior.
She paced the sidelines for 45 minutes Tuesday night, alternately stomping, cheering, and when necessary, getting right into the face of whatever player needed it. Late in the first half, it was Coleman, a freshman wing, who drew the coach’s ire.
Duke had just fired off a 5-0 run to go up 34-21. During that run Coleman had been stripped of the ball, made a lazy pass and sagged with frustration trotting up the floor while glaring at her teammates. At the next timeout, Frese met her halfway out and lit into her.
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Coleman helped lead the second half turnaround, scoring 6 points, all on fadeway jumpers in a 13-6 Maryland run. Her bucket with 6:51 left in regulation pulled the Terps within one at 57-56.
“Coach B is never going to put you down. Even when she’s yelling at you she’s going to be picking you up,” Coleman said. “We definitely feed off her emotions. She loves coaching and we love playing for her.”
Time and again her young team played like veterans. Freshman guard Kristi Toliver hit a 3-pointer with 6.1 seconds left to tie it at 70-70 to send the game into overtime. The Terps hit all six of their free throws in the extra period to keep Duke at bay. When Duke’s last chance — a 3-point attempt by Jessica Foley — fell short at the buzzer, Frese hugged her assistants then hurried back out to join her young champions.
They had been waiting for her.
“I’m living out a dream,” Frese said. “The thing that’s so special is just looking into the eyes of each and every person, player, staff member, fan. Just how much joy is out there because they understand how much hard work went into this game.”
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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