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  • Butler completes perfect Horizon season (AP)
    No. 12 Butler insists the real work is just beginning. After winning 20 straight games, cruising to the Horizon League regular-season title and routing second-seeded Wright State 70-45 for the conference tournament title Tuesday night, the Bulldogs suddenly have bigger aspirations. Among them: extending the nation's longest winning streak.
  • Edwards placed on 3 weeks' probation (AP)

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    Sticking with its ``boys, have at it'' attitude, NASCAR won't force Carl Edwards to miss any races after he deliberately wrecked Brad Keselowski's car last weekend in Atlanta.


  • Bryant's late jumper ends Lakers' slide (AP)

    Toronto Raptors forward Hedo Turkoglu of Turkey reacts after Raptors guard Jose Calderon was called for a foul in the final seconds of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, March 9, 2010, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 109-107.

    Kobe Bryant never gets tired of being the Lakers' closer. And though he savored the chance to stop Los Angeles' longest losing streak in nearly three years with yet another flawless game-winning shot, Bryant is hoping he won't have to bail out the Lakers quite so frequently in the final weeks before they defend their title.


  • Chiefs sign former Jets RB Jones (AP)

    FILE - In this Dec. 27, 2009, file photo, New York Jets running back Thomas Jones, left, is pushed out of bounds by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jamie Silva during an NFL football game in Indianapolis. The Kansas City Chiefs have signed free agent running back Jones, who led the Jets to the AFC championship game last season and was the NFL's third-leading rusher.

    The Kansas City Chiefs' running game just got a big boost. The Chiefs signed free agent running back Thomas Jones, who led the New York Jets to the AFC championship game last season and was the NFL's third-leading rusher. The team announced the deal Tuesday, but declined to disclose the terms.


  • Dunleavy out as Clippers GM (AP)

    FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2010, file photo, then-Los Angeles Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy glares at his team during an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta. Dunleavy is out as general manager of the Clippers, barely a month after relinquishing his head coaching duties. The team announced it severed ties with Dunleavy late Tuesday afternoon, March 9, 2010, in an e-mail. Assistant general manager Neil Olshey will take over Dunleavy's job.

    Mike Dunleavy and the Los Angeles Clippers parted company for good Tuesday, barely a month after he relinquished his head coaching duties to focus solely on being general manager. Now that arrangement is over, with the team announcing his departure in an e-mailed statement. Assistant general manager Neil Olshey will take over Dunleavy's job.


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California, here we come

The Bassmaster Elite Series returns to the West Coast to start off the 2010 Season

TroKar™ Duel in the Delta

Tournament fishery: California Delta
Host city: Stockton, Calif.
Dates: March 11-14, 2010

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS


 

Visit the TroKar booth Learn about the world's sharpest fish hook from factory experts and top pros who have changed the way you think about fish hooks.

TroKar Free giveaway! On Sat., the first 500 people at the TroKar booth will receive a TroKar Hat (MSRP $15); on Sun., the first 500 people will receive a TroKar Professional weight bag (MSRP $20)

Splash Dogs Dock jumping dog shows all weekend

Facepainting & cabbage bowling for the kids

Toyota Kids Casting Challenge

Yamaha VMax SHO Demo Tour

The Bassmaster Shamrock 5K Run & Walk Click here to register for the run-walk.

Daily Launches Come out early to see the official launch activities.

Daily weigh-ins What's in your lake? See what the pros can pull from your lake.


LAUNCH INFORMATION

Morelli Park Boat Launch
828 W. Weber Ave.
Stockton, CA 95203

Boats Launch
Thurs. to Sat., 6:20 a.m. PT
Sun., 7 a.m. PT


WEIGH-IN INFORMATION

Weber Point Events Center
221 North Center Street
Stockton, CA 95202

Venue Opens
Sat. & Sun., Noon PT

Weigh-in Begins
Daily at 3:30 p.m. PT


BASS MEMBERS

BASS Members receive a 5% discount on all merchandise including Classic items at www.BASSstuff.com.
(Phone 877-BASS-USA for promo code.)


HOST ORGANIZATION

Stockton Sports Commission

HOTEL INFORMATION

RAMADA WORLDWIDE is a proud sponsor of BASS.
BASS members may be eligible for a 10% discount.

MORE INFORMATION

Phone 877-BASS USA or e-mail us.

 

Your fantasy news

Roto Arcade - Fantasy - Yahoo! Sports
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  • Court Report: Tuesday's gone

    Trevor Ariza(notes) and Marcus Camby(notes) returned to the court Tuesday, but it doesn't look like Kenyon Martin(notes) is coming back any time soon.

    Trevor Ariza returned to the active roster for the Rockets Tuesday, his first game action since February 21. His shot was off (4 of 13 FG) but he was reasonably effective as a reserve (28 minutes, 13 points, 3 treys, 2 steals), given the circumstances, and he's likely to push Shane Battier(notes) to the bench once he's back to game speed. I don't anticipate a serious drop-off in his fantasy impact with Kevin Martin(notes) in town. He'll certainly lose some usage but is better suited as a supporting offensive player, and he should offset the drop in quantity of looks with an uptick in quality, with no drop-off in opportunities for defensive stats. 

    What to do with Randy Foye(notes)? Tuesday's line (19 minutes, 2 points, 1 of 6 FG) dropped his averages over the past 12 games to 10.7 points on 36-percent shooting, 1 three, 2.1 boards, 5.7 assists, 1.4 turnovers, and 0.3 steals in 29 minutes. With both Shaun Livingston(notes) and Earl Boykins(notes) around to poach minutes on his off-nights, you will not be faulted if you drop Foye for a better option, regardless of the quality of the Wizards' schedule moving forward.  

    An off night for JaVale McGee(notes) (17 minutes, 4 points, 7 boards, 0 blocks), as well, but he saw pine for much of the game as the teams ran opposing small lineups against each other. James Singleton(notes) was the beneficiary on this night (28 minutes, 12 points, 4 boards, 2 steals, 3 blocks). 

    The Clippers' starting backcourt on Tuesday consisted of Steve Blake(notes) (30 minutes, 11 points, 3 treys, 5 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal) and Rasual Butler(notes) (35 minutes, 9 points, 1 three, 5 boards, 2 blocks), as Baron Davis(notes) dealt with an illness and Eric Gordon(notes) dealt with a nagging leg injury. Davis ended up putting in a very effective 26 minutes off the bench (16 points, 2 threes, 4 boards, 9 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 1 block).

    Chris Kaman's(notes) extended slide continued Tuesday (26 minutes, 12 points, 6 boards, 3 turnovers, 1 block). His per-game rank is 200th (!) since January 20, a span of 22 games. During that time, he's averaged catchy numbers like 17.5 points and 9.5 boards, but it's been all bad otherwise (46% FG, 72% FT, 1.4 assists, 3.3 turnovers, 0.3 steals, 1 block). 

    It's not often when a starting point guard doesn't merit fantasy consideration, but Carlos Arroyo(notes) has largely been just a placeholder for the Heat. He did next-to-nothing in 31 minutes Tuesday (2 points, 5 assists, 1 turnover) and has averaged 5.6 points on 39-percent shooting, 0.2 threes, 3.9 assists, 0.8 turnovers, and 0.9 steals in 26 minutes during his 17 starts. 

    How many of you picked up Quentin Richardson(notes) just in time for Tuesday's stinker (7 points, 2-of-8 FG, 2 boards)? He did hit two threes, though, so I suppose it wasn't a total loss...

    So that makes two consecutive very good lines for Jrue Holiday(notes) (36 minutes, 21 points, 2 threes, 1 steal, 2 blocks Tuesday), albeit with two favorable matchups (@TOR, @IND). Still, there is potential here, especially when you consider that he's made 51 percent of his threes over the past 14 games. He's clearly comfortable playing off of Louis Williams(notes), so now we just need Eddie Jordan to give him a bit longer of a leash and keep Willie Green's(notes) minutes in the 20ish range.

    Speaking of Jordan, he opted to bench both Andre Iguodala(notes) (30 minutes, 5 points) and Elton Brand(notes) (20 minutes, 7 points) in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Pacers, saying that he felt the second unit was bringing more energy. I'm not one to wish unemployment on anyone in the current economic climate, but my guess is that most 76ers fans and fantasy owners are at least close to making an exception.

    It took long enough that it tested the limits of even the most patient of fantasy owners, but Boris Diaw(notes) is finally back to consistently putting up Diaw-like numbers that we've come to know and love. Tuesday's line was big-time (11 points, 8 boards, 5 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, 3 blocks) and he's averaged 13.9 points on 51-percent shooting, 0.9 threes, 6.6 boards, 4.6 assists, 2.3 turnovers, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 37 minutes over his past 14 games. At his lowest point (late December and early January), he had a 12-game streak of not reaching double figures in scoring, while also failing to record a steal or block in eight of those games.

    Danny Granger(notes) served a one-game suspension Tuesday for his part in the fracas with the Suns on Saturday (Channing Frye(notes) will serve his Friday). Picking up the slack in Granger's absence were Brandon Rush(notes) (40 minutes, 24 points, 4 threes, 9 boards) and Dahntay Jones(notes) (29 minutes, 25 points, 4 boards, 2 blocks). Maybe this will be a springboard for Rush to finish the season strong, not unlike how he did last season? He's been playing consistent minutes (32 per game over the past 14), but his jumpshot has been an entirely different story (38% FG over the same stretch).

    The Bucks got strong performances from a number of starters in their impressive 86-84 win over the Celtics. Andrew Bogut(notes) led the way again (42 minutes, 25 points, 17 boards, 4 blocks, but he got plenty of help from Carlos Delfino(notes) (41 minutes, 19 points, 5 threes, 8 boards, 2 steals), John Salmons(notes) (43 minutes, 16 points, 2 threes, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 steals), and Brandon Jennings(notes) (40 minutes, 13 points, 5-of-10 FG, 1 three, 4 assists, 2 turnovers). The Celtics got limited contributions from Ray Allen(notes) (34 minutes, 3 points, 0 of 3 FG) and Paul Pierce(notes) (35 minutes, 12 points, 3-of-13 FG) in the loss. The Bucks have now won 10 of their past 11 games and have overtaken the Raptors for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

    Defense was not the name of the game in the Jazz/Bulls matchup. Both teams shot 54% from the field, with rebounding and foul shots proving to be the deciding factors in Utah's 132-108 win. The usual suspects got it done for the Jazz, but C.J. Miles(notes) went nuts (19 minutes, 26 points, 6 threes) and Wesley Matthews(notes) was also in fine form (26 minutes, 12 points, 2 threes, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 5 steals). In the loss, Derrick Rose(notes) continued his scoring spree and notched (just?) his third double-double of the season (25 points, 13 assists), Brad Miller(notes) continued his strong offensive play (33 minutes, 20 points, 3 treys), and Taj Gibson(notes) fouled out in only 13 minutes (0 points, 1 board, 3 turnovers).

    How about a quick reset of the Kings' major contributors? Tyreke Evans(notes), Beno Udrih(notes), and Carl Landry(notes) are locked in. Spencer Hawes(notes) has been hit-or-miss since taking over for Jason Thompson(notes) (who has since returned), so it's hard to have tremendous faith in either player when it comes to consistent minutes at the center spot. At small forward, Omri Casspi(notes) needs rest and may or may not return to the rotation, Donte Greene(notes) has been starting but is as inconsistent as a player can possibly be, and Francisco Garcia(notes) has been playing consistently but barely moving the needle in terms of actual production. 

    Marcus Camby was back in the starting five for the Blazers Tuesday and his fantasy owners can't be too displeased with the production (33 minutes, 6 points, 8 boards, 1 steal, 5 blocks). His ankle will be tested again soon, as the team plays a back-to-back on Thursday/Friday (@GSW, @SAC).

    Jarrett Jack(notes) has been playing some fantastic basketball lately, averaging 17.4 points on 59-percent shooting, 1.6 threes, 89-percent foul shooting, 3.1 boards, 6.1 assists, 2.7 turnovers, and 1.6 steals in 29 minutes over the past nine games. His per-game rank over the past month is 35th, but clearly not everyone has noticed, as his percent-owned number is currently 57 percent.

    An MRI on Antawn Jamison's(notes) knee revealed nothing serious and he is day-to-day in advance of Friday's game. LeBron James(notes) will be in the lineup Friday, with the two games off to rest his ankle (and everything else) having given him a full six days days between games before we hit the stretch run.

    Rodney Stuckey(notes) was with the Pistons Tuesday and, although he did not participate in the team's practice, he said everything is good and he's just waiting for doctors to let him play. 

    "They ran a lot of tests on me and everything came back good. I'm just taking it day by day. When the doctors tell me I'm right to play, I'll be ready to play. It's my job."

    There are two schools of thought in terms of whether or not the team should let him return to the court this season (yes and no), but I do anticipate a decision coming regarding his availability soon. We do know that he won't play Wednesday, meaning that Will Bynum(notes) will get at least one more turn in the starting lineup. The team has Thursday off and then plays four games in five days, with two sets of back-to-backs (Fri/Sat and Mon/Tues). 

    Kenyon Martin's fantasy season appears to be largely finished, as he's been declared out indefinitely with patella tendinitis and will undergo platelet rich plasma therapy. The Nuggets plan to have him back "this season," but their focus for his return is the playoffs at this point. He's a fairly safe drop, particularly for those of you in default h2h leagues, where the championship matchup ends on April 4. If carrying him as dead weight won't affect your standing for the next week or so, then you can wait and see if surprisingly positive updates emerge during that time, but I personally wouldn't hesitate to drop him for someone like Jonas Jerebko(notes) if the opportunity were there.

    Johan Petro(notes) got the start at center on Monday (pushing Nene Hilario(notes) to power forward) and contributed six points and 10 boards in 23 minutes. He's never shown an inclination to do much more than grab a few boards, so only consider him in the deepest of leagues. Chris Andersen(notes) is already rostered in most competitive leagues at this point, but he still merits a mention based on his real fantasy potential. In 17 games where he's seen at least 25 minutes of playing time, he's averaged 8.6 points on 57-percent shooting, 8.4 boards, 0.9 steals, and 2.2 blocks. It makes sense for everyone to check the wire to be sure he's not currently available.

    It sure was nice of Don Nelson to acknowledge that injuries - more specifically, playing with a sports hernia and muscle tear in his abdomen - were at least part of the reason that Andris Biedrins(notes) wasn't his usual productive self this season. Stay classy, coach. [If you follow that second link, you'll find Nelson answering "Yes" to the question of whether Biedrins was 100 percent healthy just over two weeks ago.]

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    Photos via Getty Images

  • Spin Doctors: Matt Wieters vs. Miguel Montero

    http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_fantasy_experts__25/ept_sports_fantasy_experts-687228029-1268168585.jpg?ymJuEzCDCe0l5.Ey

    Let's be clear from the start: every Yahoo! expert endorses Miguel Montero(notes), and we all endorse Matt Wieters(notes). None of us ranked either player lower than fifth at the position. Today, Mr. Pianowski and I are simply addressing a small difference of opinion, in the traditional 250 words or less. Let's play the feud…

    Scott says: I realize I'm setting myself up for a fall as I publicly challenge the Legend of Matt Wieters. And it's not like I'm down on him; he's fairly high on my board, too. But there's logical roto theory that will probably keep him off my roster this year.

    Generally, it's a mistake to pay extra for a player to the point that he needs to climb a level to justify the investment; you want breakthrough players, but don't shell out for the privilege. The higher you move up the skill level in fantasy baseball, the more likely you'll see a crazy markup applied to hotshot rookies and prospects. Everyone wants to play scout, everyone wants to stick their flag in the ground first.

    Has Wieters become a value off his disappointing rookie season? Hardly. His ADP has jumped 34 spots; if you want Wieters, you'll have to part with a seventh or eighth-round pick. That's just bad business.

    Miguel Montero represents how you want to invest in our game; last year he clicked as a post-hype sleeper, and this year he's settled in as a fantastic mid-round value (ADP 142, six rounds after Wieters). Montero's glove is no longer an excuse to keep him on the bench, and there's no question about his bat (.294, 16 homers, plus the backing of A.J. Hinch). You can pay a premium for growth seasons, but that's not my style; I'd rather get behind production we've already seen, especially when the price is so affordable.

    http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_fantasy_experts__25/ept_sports_fantasy_experts-90085133-1268168500.jpg?ym0sEzCD59BmUls8Andy responds: OK, here's a point I've made before that I'm happy to make again: Wieters may have disappointed those of you who were expecting a full-season roto contribution, but if you owned him in a head-to-head league, the guy was a playoff MVP candidate.

    He hit .362/.425/.511 with 13 runs scored and 14 RBIs in the month of September. He contributed in no small way to plenty of fantasy championships. Be careful not to overstate the extent of the disappointment.

    At Wieters' current Mock Draft Central ADP (93.7), the downside risk really isn't so great. And you should all be familiar with his upside. Wieters was everybody's 2008 Minor League Player of the Year following a ridiculous .355/.454/.600 line across two levels. No, he didn't reinvent his position last year. But he did manage to hit .305 with five homers over 141 Triple-A at-bats, then .288 with nine homers in his introduction to the majors. That ain't bad, and he's only 23.

    If owning Wieters in 2010 required, say, a fifth or sixth round pick, then I'd likely never draft him. That isn't the case, though. You're investing an eighth round pick in a player who has a chance to be great, not merely good. In a standard mixed league – where you can afford to take chances throughout the draft – Wieters is exactly the sort of player you should target. As much as I like Montero, the ceiling for Wieters is much higher.

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    Photos via AP Images 

  • 5U: Nathan has 'significant' UCL tear; Strasburg, Chapman debut

    http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_fantasy_experts__25/ept_sports_fantasy_experts-749683351-1268161139.jpg?ymz5CzCDCxJjZo6l

    The Joe Nathan(notes) news is every bit as bad as feared. He reportedly has a "significant tear" in his right ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), which obviously makes Tommy John surgery a strong possibility.

    This via the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

    Nathan will get a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, the renowned orthopedic surgeon who removed bone spurs and chips from the right-hander's elbow this offseason. In the meantime, Nathan will let the soreness he's still feeling after injuring his pitching arm on Saturday subside, then try to rehab for the next one to two weeks before deciding whether to have surgery.

    So that's all kinds of bad. The strongest in-house candidates to replace him are Matt Guerrier(notes), Jon Rauch(notes), Pat Neshek(notes), Jose Mijares(notes) and Jesse Crain(notes) – and if we were drafting today, that's the order in which I'd rank 'em). Of course the Twins could also make a play for Heath Bell(notes), Kerry Wood(notes), or one of the Toronto semi-closers. There are options, and it's only March 9. Please stay tuned.

    Early reports that Aroldis Chapman(notes) had hit 102 mph on the radar gun in his spring debut were, apparently, false. He topped out at 100. And his slider reached the low-90s. The final line was rather impressive: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.

    Stephen Strasburg(notes) nearly matched Chapman's line in his exhibition start on Tuesday afternoon, pitching two scoreless frames against Detroit. He allowed two hits, no walks, struck out two (including Miguel Cabrera(notes)), and reached 98 on the gun.

    Nats manager Jim Riggleman has strongly suggested that Strasburg will begin the season in the minors, regardless of the quality of his spring performance:

    "I think it's going to come down to a philosophical decision more so than a performance decision," Riggleman said. "We anticipate that he is going to throw great."

    So far: pretty great.

    For those who enjoy checking out other men's drafts, Fake Teams is reviewing LABR rosters. Enjoy, voyeurs. 

    Over at Fangraphs, Dave Golebiewski reviews the Madison Bumgarner situation (terrific history, velocity worries). It's worth a look for those in dynasty formats. 

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    Photo via AP Images 

Local news

 by David Wruck

Bassmaster ELITE series comes to Stockton, CA

Join us on march 11th thru the 14th for this great event!

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