SPORTS
Saturday, February 28, 2015
East Oregonian
College Basketball
Pac-12 has several teams on NCAA bubble
By JOHN MARSHALL
Associated Press
The Pac-12’s NCAA tournament
bubble is beginning to pulsate.
No. 7 Arizona and No. 13 Utah
are virtual locks to make the bracket,
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$IWHU WKDW WKH 3DF KDV WKUHH
teams that could have a good shot
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that will really need to make some
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Once on the outside looking in,
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inside the bubble with its massive
home win over Utah last Sunday.
7KH 'XFNV EHDW &DOLIRUQLD RQ WKH
road Wednesday and could enhance
their bracket chances by knocking
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The Cardinal (18-9) did not make
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HV LQ ¿YH JDPHV EXW IROORZHG WKDW
up with wins over Cal and Oregon
State. Sunday’s game against Ore-
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closes the regular season with a road
trip against the two Arizona schools.
UCLA (17-12) still has some
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$UL]RQD WKDW UHVXOWHG LQ D SDLU RI
losses. The Bruins bounced back to
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slipups against Washington State
and rival USC to close out the reg-
ular season. UCLA is 14-1 at home
with its only loss to No. 3 Gonzaga,
which could help.
7KHVXUSULVHRIWKHHDUO\FRQIHU-
ence season, Oregon State (17-11)
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LQ ¿YH JDPHV 7KH %HDYHUV KDYH
some ugly losses — Quinnipiac was
D ELJ RQH ² DQG DQ 53, RI VR
AP Photo/Ben Margot
Oregon guard Casey Benson (2) lays up a shot in front of Califor-
nia’s David Kravish during the second half of an NCAA college bas-
ketball game Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, in Berkeley, Calif.
winning the Pac-12 tournament may
be their only shot.
Arizona State (15-13) is in the
VDPHOLIHERDWDV2UHJRQ6WDWHOLNH-
O\ QHHGLQJ WR ZLQ WKH FRQIHUHQFH
tournament to get into the bracket
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6XQ'HYLOVNQRFNHGRIIULYDO$UL]R-
na, but have too many losses and an
RPI too low (82) to expect an invite
at this point.
$IHZPRUHWHDPVULVLQJDQGIDOO-
ing on the NCAA tournament bub-
ble.
———
ON THE RISE
Georgia. The Bulldogs (18-9)
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their resume and got it Wednesday
QLJKW E\ NQRFNLQJ RII IHOORZ EXE-
bler Mississippi 76-72. A decent RPI
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should keep Georgia in good shape
LILWGRHVQ¶WWULSXSGRZQWKHVWUHWFK
Davidson. The Wildcats (20-6)
have won six straight and recent-
ly got point guard Jack Gibbs back
DIWHUKHVXIIHUHGDNQHHLQMXU\'D-
YLGVRQ¶V 53, RI LV DYHUDJH DQG
LWV VWUHQJWK RI VFKHGXOH LV ZHDN DW
QG VR D IHZ PRUH ZLQV FRXOG
strengthen its case.
LSU. The Tigers (20-8) aren’t
exactly on the rise, more holding
steady. A loss to Texas A&M last
week didn’t look good, but LSU
FRPSOHWHG D VHDVRQ VZHHS RI )ORU-
LGDDQGNQRFNHGRII$XEXUQRQWKH
road since then. Some tough games
coming up, including Ole Miss on
Saturday.
St. John’s. The Red Storm (19-9)
picked up a huge win on Monday
E\ NQRFNLQJ RII IHOORZ EXEEOH WHDP
;DYLHU E\ RQH WKHLU IRXUWK ZLQ LQ
¿YHJDPHV7KHUH¶VVWLOOVRPHWRXJK
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9LOODQRYDLQWKHUHJXODUVHDVRQ¿QDOH
———
FADING HOPES
Illinois. The Illini (17-11) had
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resume on the road against Iowa on
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XS D TXDOLW\ URDG ZLQ ,OOLQRLV ORVW
68-60, its third straight loss since
NQRFNLQJ RII 0LFKLJDQ 6WDWH DQG
Michigan. The Illini play North-
western and Nebraska at home next,
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1&$$FKDQFHVHYHQLIWKH\ZLQ
Texas. The Longhorns (17-11)
have been bouncing along the bub-
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KDYH ODQGHG RQ WKH RXWVLGH DIWHU D
three-game losing streak. Texas is
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win against RPI top-50 teams, which
doesn’t look good. The Longhorns
KDYHDFRXSOHRIELJFKDQFHVWRPDNH
an impression coming up, though:
at No. 8 Kansas on Saturday and
against No. 19 Baylor next week.
Temple. The Owls (20-9) stum-
bled last week with two big chances
to boost their resume, losing road
games to No. 21 SMU and Tulsa.
Temple has a rout over Kansas on its
UHVXPHEXWPD\QHHGDVWURQJ¿QLVK
WRJHWLQWRWKH¿HOGRI
Indiana. The Hoosiers (19-10)
GLGQRWGRWKHPVHOYHVDQ\IDYRUVE\
losing to Northwestern this week.
Indiana closes out the season against
,RZDDQG0LFKLJDQ6WDWHEHIRUHWKH
Big Ten tournament, so there are
still chances to impress the selection
committee.
1HZORRN:HHNVKRSHVIRUIUHVKVWDUWZLWK0¶V
By JOSE M. ROMERO
Associated Press
PEORIA, Ariz. — The
most noticeable thing is
the hair. Gone are the long
dreadlocks that were once a
Rickie Weeks staple.
He’d worn them since
2008, but said he grew tired
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WKLQJV´:HHNVVDLG
Weeks also made more
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seasons in the Milwaukee
organization, he signed a
one-year contract with the
Seattle Mariners.
And the 32-year-old vet-
eran won’t be strictly be
playing second base, his
longtime position with the
Brewers. The Mariners are
trying him out in the out-
¿HOG
That’s where Weeks, a
VHFRQG EDVHPDQ IRU PRUH
than 1,000 games with the
Brewers, could make his
biggest contribution this
season.
Weeks hasn’t played out-
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EXW IRU WKH SDVW IHZ GD\V
KH¶V EHHQ WDNLQJ À\ EDOOV
and said it comes naturally
to him.
“It brought me back to
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“That was the last time I
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Not to say Weeks won’t
EH H[FOXVLYHO\ XVHG LQ OHIW
¿HOGIRUWKH0DULQHUV0DQ-
ager Lloyd McClendon has
said that Weeks will play
second base and third base,
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File
This is a 2015 file photo shows Rickie Weeks of the Seattle Mariners. Weeks has
never played any position other than second base. It’s no wonder he’s spending
the early days of spring training with the Seattle Mariners in the outfield, learning
a new position.
DQG SRVVLEO\ ¿UVW RQ RFFD-
sion.
That makes Weeks the
Mariners’ second utility
player expected to be on the
opening day roster, along
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:HHNVFRXOGDOVR¿QGKLP-
VHOI VKDULQJ SOD\LQJ WLPH
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and then maybe work my-
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McClendon likes what
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WKH ODVW WKUHH GD\V´ 0F-
Clendon said Friday. “I’ve
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the way he’s moving around
out there. Listen, I made
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WR RXW¿HOG 5LFNLH LV FHU-
tainly a much better athlete
than I ever was. I don’t see
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people see. I think he’s go-
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$IWHU DQ$OO6WDU VHDVRQ
in 2011, Weeks’ numbers
slipped to a .230 batting av-
erage in 2012 and .209 in
2013. The Brewers opted
IRUDSODWRRQDWVHFRQGEDVH
with Weeks and Scooter
Gennett.
Weeks ended up with
DERXWIHZHUDWEDWVWKHQ
Gennett in 2014. Weeks hit
.274 with eight homers and
29 RBIs in 121 games.
$ KDPVWULQJ LQMXU\ KDG
cost him the last two months
RIWKHVHDVRQ)ROORZ-
ing the 2014 season, the
Brewers decided to move
on, declining his contract
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There were no takers
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the Mariners and general
manager Jack Zduriencik
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$2 million. Zduriencik and
Weeks go back a long way
— Zduriencik approved
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Weeks while serving as the
%UHZHUV¶ GLUHFWRU RI VFRXW-
ing in 2003.
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to Brewers’ camp in the
nearby Maryvale neighbor-
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VDLGWKHUHLVQ¶WPXFKGLIIHU-
HQFHVZLWFKLQJIDFLOLWLHV
“When you show up
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Weeks said. “I don’t have
any regrets, or how is it here
compared to there. I don’t go
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:HHNVFRPSDUHGKLV¿UVW
Mariners workout earlier
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school.
“New teacher, new guys
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“You’re trying to learn
names. That’s probably the
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NOTES: Former Mari-
ners pitcher Brandon Maur-
er, traded to the San Diego
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LWHG KLV IRUPHU WHDPPDWHV
in the clubhouse. Maurer’s
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complex with Seattle. ...
The Mariners will play an
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GD\LQSUHSDUDWLRQIRUWKHLU
¿UVWVSULQJWUDLQLQJJDPHRQ
Wednesday, weather per-
mitting. Rain is expected
in the area this weekend. ...
RHP Erasmo Ramirez is be-
ing worked as a starter and
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pen spot, McClendon said.
5DPLUH] LV RXW RI PLQRU
OHDJXH RSWLRQV DIWHU VSHQG-
ing the past three seasons
shuttling between Seattle
and Triple-A Tacoma.
NASCAR
Dude, where’s my car: NASCAR machine stolen before race
By PAUL NEWBERRY
Associated Press
HAMPTON, Ga. — When Tra-
YLV.YDSLOJRWWKHFDOO)ULGD\KH¿J-
ured someone on his race team was
SOD\LQJDMRNH
“They said there was trouble with
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the garage area. They’re like, ‘No,
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The No. 44 NASCAR Sprint
Cup car owned by small-budget
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a hotel parking lot near Atlanta
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LQJ .YDSLO WR ZLWKGUDZ IURP WKLV
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The $250,000 race car was still
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police were hoping the public could
DVVLVW LQ WKH VHDUFK 7KH RZQHU RI
RQH1$6&$5VSRQVRURIIHUHGDSLW
SDVVWRHYHU\UDFHWKHUHVWRIWKH\HDU
to anyone who helped located the
high-powered Chevrolet.
³,W¶V LQVDQH´ VDLG WHDP RZQ-
er John Cohen, who didn’t have a
backup car to run in Atlanta.
)RU D IHZ KRXUV WKH WHDP KHOG
RXW KRSH RI WKH FDU EHLQJ IRXQG LQ
WLPHIRUTXDOLI\LQJ)ULGD\EXWLWZDV
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NASCAR’s mandatory inspection.
The Sprint Cup race is Sunday.
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³<RXFDQKDQGOHPD\EHJHWWLQJDÀDW
tire, or getting caught up in a wreck,
or a blown engine, something that
actually happens on the race track.
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don’t have enough speed. But to not
even get a chance ... that’s pretty dis-
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It was an especially tough blow
IRU7HDP;75(0(ZKLFKGRHVQ¶W
KDYHWKHIXQGLQJRIPDMRUPXOWLFDU
operations such as Hendrick Motor-
sports and Joe Gibbs Racing. De-
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PDQDJHG WR PDNH WKH ¿HOG IRU WKH
season-opening Daytona 500 with
Reed Sorenson behind the wheel. He
¿QLVKHGQGLQWKHUDFH
6RUHQVRQ VZLWFKHG WR D GLIIHUHQW
WHDPIRUWKH$WODQWDUDFHSURPSWLQJ
Team XTREME to hire Kvapil, a
one-time Sprint Cup regular who had
RQO\¿YHVWDUWVLQWKHWRS1$6&$5
series last season and was looking to
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³, ZDV H[FLWHG WR EH SDUW RI D
small team and trying to build up
ZLWKWKHP´.YDSLOVDLG³3HUVRQDO-
O\LW¶VDELJVHWEDFN´
A trailer with the red race car
inside was hitched to a black 2004
Ford F-350 pickup truck parked
outside a hotel in Morrow, Georgia,
DERXWPLOHVVRXWKRI$WODQWDDQG
DVKRUWGULYHIURPWKHVSHHGZD\SR-
lice said. Surveillance video showed
the truck and trailer being driven out
RIWKHSDUNLQJORWDURXQGDP
Morrow police Detective Sgt. Larry
Oglesby said.
The team, which had been work-
ing 18-hour days to get the car ready
IRU$WODQWDZDVVFKHGXOHGWROHDYH
IRUWKHWUDFNDWDPDQGDFUHZ-
PDQKDGEHHQRXWVLGHDIHZPLQXWHV
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³,¶YHEHHQGRLQJWKLVVLQFH´
FUHZFKLHI3HWHU6RVSHQ]RVDLG³,¶YH
probably been to 1,200 hotels and
1,200 race tracks. Never once has
this happened. It’s crazy. But there’s
D¿UVWIRUHYHU\WKLQJ,JXHVV´
The trailer is plain white with no
markings. The person who stole it
likely didn’t realize the race car was
inside, and may have thought it was
ODZQ HTXLSPHQW RU VRPHWKLQJ HOVH
he could easily sell, Oglesby said.
³+RSHIXOO\WKH\¶OORSHQWKLVRQH
up and say, ‘Oh no, this isn’t what
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the nearest vacant lot or apartment
FRPSOH[RUVRPHZKHUH´KHVDLG
Normally, the car would have
been transported using the team’s
hauler, an 18-wheel tractor trailer.
But, with a winter storm moving
through the Southeast this week, Co-
hen sent the hauler to Atlanta earlier
in the week. Back at the shop, the
team was still working on the car, a
GLIIHUHQWYHUVLRQWKDQWKHRQHWKDWUDQ
under restrictor-plate rules in Dayto-
na. It was sent separately to Atlanta
ODWH7KXUVGD\DIWHUWKHVWRUPFOHDUHG
out, accompanied by Sospenzo and
six other crew members.
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said Cohen, who has been running
a Sprint Cup car since 2012 and is
RQH RI WKH IHZ $IULFDQ$PHULFDQV
involved in NASCAR’s top series.
In addition to the race car, the
trailer also contained a spare engine
YDOXHGDWDQGUDFLQJHTXLS-
ment valued at $17,500, according
to a police report. Even so, Cohen
YRZHG WKH WHDP ZRXOG UHWXUQ IRU
next weekend’s race in Las Vegas.
Kvapil said the thieves probably
won’t be able to cash in on their sur-
prising haul.
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WKHJHQHUDOSXEOLF´KHVDLG
Page 3B
Hernandez
prosecution
reveals text
messages
By MICHELLE R. SMITH
Associated Press
FALL RIVER, Mass.
— Texts and phone records
VKRZQ WR MXURUV )ULGD\ LQ
WKH PXUGHU WULDO RI IRUPHU
New England Patriots play-
er Aaron Hernandez showed
that several messages he ex-
FKDQJHGZLWKDFRGHIHQGDQW
EHIRUHWKHNLOOLQJZHUHGHOHW-
HGIURPKLVSKRQH
Evidence presented to
WKH MXU\ )ULGD\ DOVR VKRZHG
PXOWLSOH FDOOV SODFHG IURP
WKH SKRQH RI FRGHIHQGDQW
Ernest Wallace to the victim,
Odin Lloyd, in the hours be-
IRUHKHZDVNLOOHGLQFOXGLQJ
the same minute that Lloyd
was seen getting into a car
outside his home about an
KRXUEHIRUHKHGLHGHDUO\RQ
June 17, 2013.
The records showed that
Hernandez, at times using his
lawyer’s phone, called Wal-
ODFH UHSHDWHGO\ WKH QLJKW RI
-XQHDIWHUSROLFHKDGJRQH
to his home and asked him
to come to the station while
they investigated Lloyd’s
death.
Ricardo Leal, who works
IRU WKH SKRQH FRPSDQ\
6SULQWWHVWL¿HGIRUKRXUV
Friday.
Prosecutor Patrick Bomb-
HUJ ZHQW WKURXJK GR]HQV RI
nondeleted text messages
Hernandez exchanged with
Wallace in the days sur-
rounding the killing. Prose-
cutors have previously said
Lloyd sent his last text to his
sister at 3:23 a.m. and was
killed within minutes, shot
to death at an industrial park
near Hernandez’s home in
North Atteborough.
Lloyd was dating the sis-
WHURI+HUQDQGH]¶V¿DQFHH
Wallace and a third man,
Carlos Ortiz, are also charged
and have pleaded not guilty.
They will be tried separately.
Prosecutors have said Her-
nandez orchestrated the kill-
ing.
Bomberg on Friday
VKRZHGWKHMXU\VHYHUDOWH[WV
IURP +HUQDQGH] WR :DOODFH
KRXUV EHIRUH WKH NLOOLQJ LQ
which Hernandez pushed
Wallace to come see him.
One, at 9:02 p.m., said
“Please make it back Cuz Im
'HIWU\LQJWRVWHSIRUDOLWWOH´
Another, at 10:23 p.m., told
KLPWR³KXUU\XS´ZLWKDFRX-
SOHRIH[SOHWLYHV
On June 11, Hernandez
DVNHG:DOODFHLIKHUHPRYHG
HYHU\WKLQJ IURP D FDU ³FOLS
DQG FGV DQG HYHU\WKLQJ"´
7KH IROORZLQJ GD\ KH WHOOV
Wallace he needs “those
NH\V´DQGWKLQJVDUH³FUD]\´
³8 JRWWD OLVWHQ \R´ KH
writes. “I need them by 6
PDQSOHDVHKHDGEDFNQRZ´
$IHZKRXUVODWHUHDUO\RQ
June 13, he writes: “I wanted
to kill u but u kno I love u hit
me tomorrow get some rest
DQGWHOOWKHUHVW,ORYHWKHP´
/HDO WHVWL¿HG WKDW VHYHU-
al other text messages that
appeared in records did not
appear on the phone. It’s not
clear yet whether investi-
gators were able to retrieve
them.
+H DOVR WHVWL¿HG WKDW UH-
cords showed Wallace’s
phone was used to call Lloyd
¿YHWLPHVEHWZHHQDP
and 2:32 a.m. on June 17.
Video surveillance previous-
O\VKRZQWRWKHMXU\VKRZHG
Lloyd getting into the back
VHDW RI D VHGDQ DW DP
outside his home.
/OR\G¶V ERG\ ZDV IRXQG
WKH HYHQLQJ RI -XQH DQG
police soon tied him to Her-
nandez because Lloyd had a
key in his pocket to a Chev-
rolet Suburban that Hernan-
dez had rented. That night,
police went to Hernandez’s
home and asked him to go to
the police station, which he
did.
9LGHR IURP WKH SROLFH
station parking lot previous-
O\VKRZQWRWKHMXU\VKRZHG
Hernandez using his lawyer’s
phone to make several calls.
Phone records introduced
Friday showed Hernandez
repeatedly calling Wallace
WKHQLJKWRI-XQHDQGHDU-
O\ WKH QH[W PRUQLQJ RIWHQ
using the lawyer’s phone.
More than a dozen calls were
made to Wallace that night
between 9:47 p.m. and about
DP IURP +HUQDQGH]¶V
phone, his lawyer’s phone
RU WKH SKRQH RI KLV ¿DQFHH
Shayanna Jenkins.