BK third best Big East coach The Sporting News 3. Brian Kelly, Cincinnati. The guy has been a winner at three schools now. No way that's a fluke. Kelly has the Bearcats poised to be the next big thing in the Big East, thanks largely to sitting in fertile recruiting territory. But one wonders: How long will this great mind stay in the Queen City?

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Reds news
Volquez and Belisle today pitched in extended spring training games.
Volquez, 7.2ip, 2h, 0r, 0bb, 13k, 93 pitches
Belisle, 6ip, 4h, 1er, 0bb, 2k, 63 pitches

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Bengals news The National Football League announced today that the Bengals have been awarded four compensatory choices in the 2008 draft. Cincinnati will have an extra pick in Round 3 (97th overall), an extra pick in Round 6 (207th), and two extra picks in Round 7 (244th and 246th) The Bengals currently have 10 total selections in the 2008 draft.  Prior to the compensatory pick announcement the Bengals had one selection each in Rounds 1 through 6.  The Bengals traded their original pick in round 7. Compensatory picks are awarded by the League for net player losses in unrestricted free agency for the previous year.  In addition to player movement, a formula including salary, playing time and post- season honors determines the specific picks awarded.

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Reds news RHP Richie Gardner today was claimed off waivers by the Brewers.

Reds news Today the Reds placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to 3/21, RHP Matt Belisle (right forearm) and SS Alex Gonzalez (left knee) and, retroactive to yesterday, C David Ross (lower back); designated for assignment LHP Mike Stanton and LHP Jon Coutlangus; purchased the contracts of non-roster invitees C Paul Bako (#9), RHP Johnny Cueto (#47), RHP Mike Lincoln (#57), LHP Kent Mercker (#50) and OF Corey Patterson (#23)...another spot on the 40-man roster will be cleared after 1:00 p.m. today.

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See ya Monday
Gameworks Newport On The Levee
Live 8am-1pm
8am Alan Cutler, C Trent
10am Mo Egger and Lance McAlister
Guests:
Former Reds pitcher Mo Sanford
Former Reds minor leaguer/Dragons batting coach 2000-02 Brian Conley
Brian and Mo now run SWOBAT, a baseball/softball academy
Former Reds INF Chris Sexton
Breakfast Buffett
Opening Day Tickets
T-Shirts
Prizes

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Bracket Challenge

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Bennett won't be next coach at IU ESPN
After speaking to Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan on the telephone Saturday night, Washington State coach Tony Bennett told ESPN.com Sunday he has decided not to pursue the Hoosiers' head coaching job.

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 Miami falls in OT heartbreak
Did you watch that!? The Miami Redhawks hopes of their first ever Frozen Four appearance ended in a 4-3 OT loss to Boston College. Miami led 2-0 late in the 2nd when BC scored three goals in 1:58 to take the lead. Miami tied the game with 12-minutes left in regulation. BC won the game at the 7:48 mark of OT on a rebound goal by freshman Joe Whitney. Whitney dove the thru the air like Bobby Orr to slap home the winner. Miami had dominated OT....and as Barry Melrose said, "Miami had been the better team in OT".
BC has knocked Miami out of the NCAA tournament three consecutive seasons.This will be the 21st Frozen Four appearnace by Boston College.
There is nothing better in sports than overtime hockey.

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Reds news
Opening Day lineup
Patterson, CF
Keppinger, SS
Griffey, RF
Phillips, 2B
Dunn, LF
Encarnacion, 3B
Hatteberg, 1B
Valentin, C
Harang, RHP
Also:
Josh Fogg threw a complete game today in a minor start. He pitched for Billings vs Sarasota.  9ip, 6h, 2er, 1bb, 3k, 93 pitches

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Most painful end to a game...maybe ever
Memphis 85 Texas 67
Is it really over?
Trying to play catch up, Texas fouled 13 times from the 4:03 mark to the :46 mark. Memphis hit 18 of 22 during that time and 30 of 36 (83%) for the game.

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Q/A with Jr
Dayton Daily News
With me, people don't know a whole lot about me, and that's fine. I take a lot of shots because I do say things that other players won't say. That's part of my job because I can handle it and have done it for years. People will say and write what they want, but they can't take away anything I've done on the field, so I don't worry about it.

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Hal's predictions
Dayton Daily News
Josh Hamilton is hitting .325 with 20 home runs and 47 RBIs at the All-Star break for Texas and Reds fans continue asking, "Why did we trade this guy?" Meanwhile, Edinson Volquez is 9-4 with a 3.50 earned-run average and the same fans ask, "How'd we get this guy?"

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Latest on Bennett to IU rumors
Indy Star 
There has also been a report today that Bennett is not interested in the IU job, thinking he's not a good fit for it. I've heard from enough people close to Bennett now to also believe this story isn't accurate either. I think Bennett has some interest, and I think there's good reason to suggest that he's on IU's list, too.

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What they are saying about Xavier-UCLA
The Arizona Republic
Xavier had a team of exceptional role players who overachieved and bought into Miller's family philosophy. But in the end it didn't have what it took to combat UCLA's powerful one-two punch of freshman center Kevin Love and junior point guard Darren Collison.
All Xavier players could do was recognize the amazing talents of Love (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Collison (19 points, five assists).