Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
PBT: Jeremy Lin wasn't his hot self on Saturday, but he still led the Knicks to victory.
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.
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.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
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.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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.
AP
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Maryland freshman Greivis Vasquez wasn’t bothered by Illinois’ loud homecourt that has been intimidating to visiting non-conference schools for eight years.
Terps teammate Mike Jones even likened the atmosphere to the raucous one at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Tuning out the orange-clad partisans, Vasquez and Jones led No. 23 Maryland to a 72-66 win Tuesday night, ending Illinois’ 51-game non-conference winning streak at Assembly Hall dating back to 1988.
“I’m not afraid. I’m ready for this,” Vasquez said after scoring 15 of his 17 points in the second half as the Terps recovered after blowing a 15-point lead.
“I’m from Venezuela, and I didn’t come here just to sit on the bench. I came here to play,” Vasquez said.
Vasquez’s steal and layup with 1:22 left to play gave the Terps the 65-60 lead.
With Jones scoring 19 and Vasquez playing like an experienced veteran, Maryland was able to overcome the absence of shot blocker and rebounder Ekene Ibekwe, who sat out with an ankle injury. The Terps’ 8-0 start is their best since the 1988-89 team won its first 10.
“I don’t feel like a hero,” Vasquez said. “I was just helping my team win.”
Maryland (8-0) built a 14-point lead less than 8 minutes into the game and was up 20-6 when James Gist dunked with 12:55 left in the first half. Jones and Gist led Maryland in the first half. Jones had 13 points including 3-of-3 3-point shooting, and Gist added 9 points and 5 rebounds.
Maryland increased the lead to 29-14 when Jones hit another 3-pointer with just more than 7 minutes to go in the half.
“We were tough enough to handle the crowd early, and I think that was one of the keys to the game,” Maryland coach Gary Williams said.
“We were able to score early.”
The Illini (7-1), behind Warren Carter, went on a 12-3 run in the last 6:48 of the first half to make it 33-28 at the break.
“It should have been closer in the second half than it was,” Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. “Then in the second half we didn’t grab it.”
Illinois took a five-point lead in the second half but couldn’t hold on.
“I think we just thought the lead was going to extend itself when we went up five,” Carter said. “We’ve just got to know how to close the gap.”
Maryland grabbed the lead back when Jones and D.J. Strawberry hit back-to-back jumpers, making it 55-52 with 5:36 to go.
Illinois’ Rich McBride tied it with a 3-pointer, but Jones answered with one of his own.
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Maryland was up 63-58 on a layup and a free throw from Bambale Osby and a pair of free throws from Vazquez.
Illinois’ Trent Meacham made two free throws cut it to three with 1:59 to go before Vazquez made his key steal. Osby, who filled in nicely for Ibekwe, made a pair of free throws to give the Terps a 67-60 advantage with 43 seconds to play.
The Illini finally caught up in the second half and then took the lead at 42-40 on Calvin Brock’s 3-pointer with just more than 12 minutes left.
“We shouldn’t lose at home, I don’t care who’s here,” Weber said. “We gave up 72 percent shooting in the second half. I understand the competition’s good, but that shouldn’t happen at home.”
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.
Herb Pope scored 19 points, including four free throws in final 10 seconds, and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Seton Hall to a 73-66 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday.
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Five up, five down from college hoops’ huge day15 hr 22 min ago Michigan State sure shook up Big Ten by beating Buckeyes16 hr 7 min ago UNLV’s thrilling win vs. SDSU adds spice to MWC race20 hr 35 min ago |
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 Getty Images Highlights: No. 14 UNLV 65, No. 13 SDSU 63 Mike Moser scored 19 points, and UNLV forced three turnovers in the final 42 seconds to win. |
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
