2B Tuesday, December 11,2018
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
SPORTS
COLLEGE BASKETBALL | AP Top 25 Poll
Kansas returns to No. 1
BY JOHN MARSHALL
Associated Press
Kansas is back where it
started the season.
The preseason No. 1, the
Jayhawks are again the top-
ranked in The Associated
Press Top 25 despite strug
gling to get past New Mex
ico State at home. Kansas
received 57 first-place votes
from a 65-person media
panel in the poll released
Monday, sliding into the top
spot after previous No. 1
Gonzaga lost to Tennessee.
No. 2 Duke moved up a
spot and received four first-
place votes. No. 3 Tennes
see, No. 4 Gonzaga, No. 5
Michigan and No. 6 Virginia
received the other first-
place votes.
No. 7 Nevada, Auburn,
Michigan State and Florida
State rounded out the top 10.
The Jayhawks were the
preseason No. 1, but dropped
a spot after Duke decimated
then-No. 2 Kentucky to open
the season.
Gonzaga moved to No. 1
after beating Duke in the
Maui Invitational title game,
lasting two weeks before los
ing 76-73 to the Vols Sunday
in Phoenix.
Kansas (8-0) kept winning,
though needed a big game
from Dedric Lawson to beat
New Mexico State in Kansas
City on Saturday. Lawson,
a preseason All-American,
had 20 points, including the
final 14 for Kansas, and 10
rebounds in the tighter than
expected 63-60 victory.
Kansas played without
center Udoka Azubuike,
but coach Bill Self was not
buying any excuses for the
struggles.
“We were fortunate
tonight,” he said. “How in
the world we’ve won these
games... it’s one thing to not
play well, it’s another thing
to not play well and not be
intellectually into the game
and that was certainly the
case tonight.”
It was good enough to
get the Jayhawks past the
Aggies — and move to No. 1.
VOLS RISING
Tennessee picked up its
biggest win in four seasons
under coach Rick
Barnes by knocking
off Gonzaga in the
Colangelo Classic.
The Vols (7-1)
kept their poise
and made the big
gest plays down the
stretch, holding off
the Zags 76-73 after
Admiral Schofield
scored 25 of his 30 points in
the second half and hit two
key 3-pointers.
The victory was Tennes
see’s first over a No. 1 team
since beating Kansas in 2010
and Barnes’ first in 31 years
as a head coach.
The Vols have their high
est AP ranking since hitting
No. 1 in 2007-08.
FURMAN HOLDS
STEADY
Furman moved into the
poll for the first time last
week, thanks to a resume
that includes wins over 2018
Final Four teams Villanova
and Loyola-Chicago.
The Paladins (10-0)
moved up two spots in this
week’s poll to No. 23 after
beating Elon and South Car
olina Upstate.
Furman plays Charleston
Southern on Tuesday and
UNC Wilmington Saturday.
TOP 27
This week’s poll had a rar
ity: Three teams tied for the
final spot.
Syracuse, Indiana and
Kansas State all came in at
No. 25 after receiving 118
points. It’s the first three-
way tie in the AP Top 25
since three teams shared
No. 13 in 1991.
The Hoosiers are ranked
for the first time
since climbing to
No. 3 in 2016-17.
The Orange moved
back into the Top
25 after beating
Northeastern and
Georgetown.
The Wildcats
dropped nine spots
from No. 16 after
losing to Tulsa.
RISING
Tennessee matched the
biggest climb of the week,
moving up four spots from
No. 7.
No. 15 Ohio State, No. 17
Villanova and No. 18 Missis
sippi also moved up four.
FALLING
No. 19 Kentucky had the
largest drop this week, los
ing 10 spots to No. 19 after
losing to Seton Hall in over
time. Kansas State was next
at nine.
MOVING IN
In addition to Syracuse
and Indiana, No. 21 Mar
quette and No. 24 Houston
each moved into the poll this
week.
ATHLETE
■ Continued from 1B
Elephants.
When she’s not leading on
the high school court, Griffin
says Shelton devotes time to
the local youth by coaching
basketball camps at the ele
mentary and middle-school
levels.
“Tia almost takes it over,”
Griffin added. “Tia loves
working with little kids ... is
very motivated to pass the
game along.... It’s these lit
tle things.... They both have
real leadership qualities
about them.”
It has been an across-the-
board effort for Gainesville,
from it’s senior class down
to freshmen, that has made
this first leg of the season
promising. From an 0-2 start
to now, Griffin’s current
group continues to surprise
him every day.
“We have an early Satur
day morning practice, and
every kid is there 15 minutes
before practice starts, in uni
form, on the floor shooting,”
Griffin said. “You know, to
start 0-2 and have that kind
of reaction, and then fight
a really good White County
team the next Monday to the
very end and hit a 3 to win
the game, Showed that they
all have a lot of heart.
“And that’s what’s inspir
ing (for) us coaches to watch
the girls just never quit.
... That’s what’s been real
exciting so far.”
Gainesville hosts Clarke
Central for a 7 p.m. tip this
Friday.
SCOREBOARD
Football/College
AP All-American Teams
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Kyler Murray, junior,
Oklahoma
Running backs — Jonathan Taylor, sopho
more, Wisconsin; Darrell Henderson, junior,
Memphis
Tackles — Jonah Williams, junior, Alabama;
Mitch Hyatt, senior, Clemson
Guards — Beau Benzschawel, senior,
Wisconsin; Bunchy Stallings, senior, Kentucky
Center — Garrett Bradbury, senior, North
Carolina State
Tight end — Jace Sternberger, junior, Texas
A&M
Wide receivers — Jerry Jeudy, sophomore,
Alabama; Marquise Brown, junior, Oklahoma
All-purpose player — Rondale Moore, fresh
man, Purdue
Kicker — Andre Szmyt, freshman, Syracuse
DEFENSE
Ends — Clelin Ferrell, junior, Clemson; Sutton
Smith, junior, Northern Illinois
Tackles — Quinnen Williams, junior, Alabama;
Christian Wilkins, senior, Clemson
Linebackers — Josh Allen, senior, Kentucky;
Devin White, junior, LSU; Ben Burr-Kirven, senior,
Washington
Cornerbacks — Deandre Baker, senior,
Georgia; Julian Love, junior, Notre Dame
Safeties — Grant Delpit, sophomore, LSU;
Deionte Thompson, junior, Alabama
Punter — Braden Mann, junior, Texas A&M
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Tua Tagovailoa, sophomore,
Alabama
Running backs — Travis Etienne, sophomore,
Clemson; Trayveon Williams, junior, Texas A&M
Tackles — Dalton Risner, senior, Kansas
State; Andrew Thomas, sophomore, Georgia
Guards — Dru Sarnia, senior, Oklahoma;
Michael Dieter, senior, Wisconsin
Center — Ross Pierschbacher, senior,
Alabama
Tight end — T.J, Hockenson, sophomore,
Iowa
Wide receivers — Tylan Wallace, sopho
more, Oklahoma State; Andy Isabella, senior,
Massachusetts
All-purpose player — Greg Dortch, sopho
more, Wake Forest
Kicker — Cole Tracy, senior, LSU
DEFENSE
Ends — Montez Sweat, senior, Mississippi
State; Jachai Polite, junior, Florida
Tackles — Jerry Tillery, senior, Notre Dame;
Gerald Willis III, senior, Miami
Linebackers — Devin Bush, junior, Michigan;
David Long Jr., junior, West Virginia; Joe Dineen,
senior, Kansas
Cornerbacks — Greedy Williams, sophomore,
LSU; Byron Murphy, sophomore, Washington
Safeties — Taylor Rapp, junior, Washington;
Amani Hooker, junior, Iowa
Punter — Mitch Wishnowsky, senior, Utah
THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks — Dwayne Haskins, sopho
more, Ohio State
Running backs — Benny Snell, junior,
Kentucky; Eno Benjamin, sophomore, Arizona
State
Tackles — Andre Dillard, senior, Washington
State; Cody Ford, junior, Oklahoma
Guards — Terrone Prescod, senior, North
Carolina State; Chris Lindstrom, senior, Boston
College
Center — Michael Jordan, junior, Ohio State
Tight end — Noah Fant, junior, Iowa
Wide Receivers — A.J. Brown, junior,
Mississippi; David Sills V, senior, West Virginia
All-purpose player — J.J. Taylor, sophomore,
Arizona
Kicker — Matt Gay, senior, Utah
DEFENSE
Ends — Chase Winovich, senior, Michigan;
Jaylon Ferguson, senior, Louisiana Tech
Tackles — Jeffery Simmons, junior,
Mississippi State; Ed Oliver, junior, Houston
Linebackers — Paddy Fisher, sophomore,
Northwestern; David Woodward, sophomore,
Utah State; Te’Von Coney, senior, Notre Dame
Cornerbacks — Hamp Cheevers, junior,
Boston College; Lavert Hill, junior, Michigan
Safeties—Andre Cisco, freshman, Syracuse;
Jonathan Abram, senior, Mississippi State
Punter — Jason Smith, sophomore,
Cincinnati
Basketball/College
Men’s AP Top 25
Record
Pts
Prv
1. Kansas (57)
8-0
1583
2
2. Duke (4)
9-1
1454
3
3. Tennessee (1)
7-1
1421
7
4. Gonzaga (1)
9-1
1412
1
5. Michigan (1)
10-0
1398
5
6. Virginia (1)
9-0
1384
4
7. Nevada
10-0
1283
6
8. Auburn
8-1
1151
8
9. Michigan St.
8-2
1066
10
10. Florida St.
8-1
991
11
11. Texas Tech
8-0
914
13
12. North Carolina
7-2
890
14
13. Virginia Tech
8-1
833
15
14. Buffalo
9-0
664
17
15. Ohio St.
8-1
621
19
16. Wisconsin
8-2
599
12
17. Villanova
8-2
532
21
18. Mississippi St.
8-1
441
22
19. Kentucky
7-2
385
9
20. Arizona St.
7-1
351
20
21. Marquette
8-2
281
—
22. Iowa
7-2
208
18
23. Furman
10-0
189
25
24. Houston
8-0
173
—
25. Syracuse
7-2
118
—
25. Indiana
8-2
118
—
25. Kansas St.
6-2
118
16
Others receiving
votes:
Nebraska
115,
Maryland 105, Oklahoma 82, Cincinnati 73, St.
John’s 57, Purdue 40, N.C. State 26, Iowa St.
19, TCU 13, San Francisco 5, UCLA 3, Butler
2, Minnesota 2, Davidson 1, Florida 1, NJIT 1,
Seton Hall 1, Texas 1.
Women’s AP Top 25
Record
Pts
Prv
1. UConn (31)
9-0
775
1
2. Notre Dame
8-1
736
2
3. Baylor
7-0
705
4
4. Louisville
10-0
685
5
5. Mississippi St.
9-0
654
6
6. Maryland
9-0
605
7
7. Oregon
7-1
576
3
8. Oregon St.
7-1
555
8
9.Tennessee
8-0
545
9
10. NC State
10-0
486
10
11. Stanford
6-1
464
11
12. Texas
7-2
389
12
12. Texas
7-2
389
12
13. Minnesota
9-0
374
14
13. California
8-0
374
13
15. Syracuse
8-2
336
15
16. Iowa
8-2
299
16
17. Arizona St.
7-2
226
17
18. Kentucky
9-1
196
19
19. Marquette
7-2
184
18
20. DePaul
7-3
182
20
21. Gonzaga
9-1
142
24
22. Missouri
8-2
122
23
23. Michigan St.
8-1
121
-
24. Miami
8-2
82
25
25. South Carolina
5-4
77
22
Others receiving
votes:
Drake
39, Texas
A&M 24, Florida St. 22, Virginia Tech 21, South
Florida 16, Iowa St. 14, Indiana 12, Georgia
11, South Dakota 10, Utah 5, West Virginia 5,
Southern Cal 3, North Carolina 1, South Dakota
St. 1, Cent Michigan 1.
Football/NFL
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East
W
L
T
Pet PF
PA
New England
9
4
0
.692 364
293
Miami
7
6
0
.538 278
333
Buffalo
4
9
0
.308 201
320
N.Y. Jets
4
9 0
South
.308 270
330
W
L
T
Pet PF
PA
Houston
9
4
0
.692 323
259
Indianapolis
7
6
0
.538 349
300
Tennessee
7
6
0
.538 251
254
Jacksonville
4
9 0
North
.308 212
273
W
L
T
Pet PF
PA
Pittsburgh
7
5
1
.577 367
306
Baltimore
7
6
0
.538 321
241
Cleveland
5
7
1
.423 292
332
Cincinnati
5
8 0
West
.385 307
397
W
L
T
Pet PF
PA
x-Kansas City
11
2
0
.846 471
351
L.A. Chargers
10
3
0
.769 366
270
Denver
6
7
0
.462 290
282
Oakland
3
10
0
.231 244
388
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
East
W
L
T
Pet PF
PA
Dallas
8
5
0
.615 276
246
Philadelphia
6
7
0
.462 281
295
Washington
6
7
0
.462 249
297
N.Y. Giants
5
8 0
South
.385 307
331
W
L
T
Pet PF
PA
y-New Orleans
11
2
0
.846 447
283
Carolina
6
7
0
.462 324
332
Tampa Bay
5
8
0
.385 332
383
Atlanta
4
9 0
North
.308 316
367
W
L
T
Pet PF
PA
Chicago
9
4
0
.692 359
247
Minnesota
6
5
1
.542 275
270
Green Bay
5
7
1
.423 315
307
Detroit
5
8 0
West
.385 271
319
W
L
T
Pet PF
PA
y-L.A. Rams
11
2
0
.846 425
313
Seattle
7
5
0
.583 319
259
Arizona
3
10
0
.231 178
327
San Francisco
3
10
0
.231 275
350
x-clinched playoff spot
y-clinched division
TODAY ON TV
HOCKEY
■ Red Wings at Capitals, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN
BASKETBALL
■ Villanova at Pennsylvania, 7 p.m., ESPN2
■ Colorado at New Mexico, 9 p.m., ESPN
SOCCER
■ Champions League: Galatasaray
vs. Porto, 12:55 p.m., TNT
■ Champions League: Liverpool vs.
Napoli, 2:50 p.m., UNI
■ Champions League: FC
Barcelona vs. Tottenham, 3 p.m.,
TNT
M LB Hall of Fame
NAM Y. HUH I Associated Press
Harold Baines celebrates with fans as he arrives for his life-sized sculpture ceremony
before a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox in 2008 in
Chicago.
Baines
comes
J "
as surprise
BY BEN WALKER
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS — Harold Baines answered
the phone and learned he was a Hall of
Famer.
“Very shocked,” he admitted.
So were many others around the base
ball world.
In fact, in the hours after his selection by
a Hall-picked panel was announced Sunday
at the Mandalay Bay resort, a lot of conver
sations at the winter meetings started the
exact same way: “Harold Baines?”
No one doubted Baines was a top player
— a six-time All-Star with 1,628 RBIs, 384
home runs and 2,866 hits.
“I had a great career. I’m very proud of
it,” he said.
But a couple other numbers stood out,
too.
Baines never drew more than 6.1 per
cent in five elections by the Baseball
Writers’ Association of America, far from
the 75 percent required. In the key WAR
stat compiled by baseballreference.com,
Baines’ lifetime total was tied for 545th.
Yes, 545th.
Behind the likes of Placido
Polanco, Jim Sundberg and Rafael
Furcal in wins above replacement,
not to mention Gil Hodges, Dick
Allen, Don Mattingly, John Olerud
and dozens more.
The vote by the Today’s Game
Era Committee was sure to spark
renewed cries of cronyism at Coo-
perstown. Especially because the
16-member panel appointed by
the Hall board included longtime
Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
“I’m glad he was on that committee this
year to help to get into the Hall of Fame,”
Baines said.
Baines spent nearly all of his first 10
seasons with the White Sox and currently
serves as a team ambassador in their com
munity relations department.
“So happy for Harold. He’s a great player
and a great human being,” Reinsdorf
praised in a statement. “I am so honored
that I was a member of the committee.
He deserved to be in long ago. I am just so
excited.”
“Not only was Harold one of my favor
ite players to watch, but I have nothing but
admiration for him as a player and as a
human being,” he said.
Tony La Russa, Baines’ first big league
manager, also was on the panel that elected
him.
In the past, Phil Rizzuto and Bill Maze-
roski were among the players who ben
efited from friendly faces on Veterans
Committees to reach the Hall. That panel
has been revamped over the years, and the
Today’s Game Era group was created as
part of changes in 2014.
“The era committees were established
as a sort of a court of appeals for an oppor
tunity in the event that over time it was felt
that maybe somebody slipped through the
cracks,” Hall President Jeff Idelson said.
“And in the case of someone who received
6 percent of the vote in the BBWAA elec
tion, the reason that may have happened
could be for many, many reasons.”
It took 12 votes for election by the panel
— longtime reliever Lee Smith was unani
mous, Baines got 12 and former outfielder
and manager Lou Piniella fell just short
with 11.
George Steinbrenner, Orel Hershiser,
Albert Belle, Joe Carter, Will Clark, Davey
Johnson and Charlie Manuel all received
fewer than five votes.
Baines, now 59, had a smooth, consistent,
left-handed stroke. But he never finished
higher than ninth in an MVP vote, and
never was among the top five AL hitters in
the yearly batting race. His single-season
high was 29 home runs at a time when lots
of players hit more.
As this vote approached, his name drew
little-to-no buzz in debates over who might
be selected.
“I wasn’t expecting this day to come,”
the career .289 hitter said.
Mattingly said he was happy for Baines,
calling him a great hitter.
The Miami manager was a six-time All-
Star, won nine Gold Gloves at first base
for the Yankees and hit .307 lifetime. Mat
tingly was the 1985 AL MVP and four times
finished in the top seven of the
MVP voting.
Mattingly had 2,153 hits, 222
home runs and 1,099 RBIs in 14
seasons in a career limited by back
trouble.
“I just didn’t play long enough.
Wasn’t able to stay healthy long
enough to really put that pile of
numbers together,” he said Mon
day at the winter meetings. “So
there was a period of time that I
could hit with anybody and do things on the
field at my position and with the bat that
nobody was doing.”
“When I think of myself, when you see
Harold, played 22 years or something like
that and you end up with a pile of numbers
that grow and grow,” he said.
Baines became a designated hitter after
knee trouble ended his days in the outfield,
and DHs have struggled to gain backing
from Hall voters.
Baines joined Frank Thomas as the only
players in the Hall who spent more than
half his games as a DH.
“Everything I hear or read is DH is
really not part of the game, I guess. But I
disagree. But maybe this will the open up
the doors for some more DHs,” Baines said.
Both closers and DHs could see the num
bers increase again very shortly.
Mariano Rivera is eligible for the first
time and big-hitting DH Edgar Martinez
will be back on the ballot when results of
the next BBWAA election are announced
Jan. 22.
Induction ceremonies are scheduled for
July 21 at Cooperstown, New York.
Between now and then, there’s certain to
be more discussion about who else should
be in the Hall. Drug-tainted Barry Bonds
and Roger Clemens are on the upcoming
BBWAA ballot, influential players’ union
head Marvin Miller has been denied seven
times by various committees, and steroids
user Mark McGwire wasn’t among Sun
day’s candidates.
Mattingly
UNITED
■ Continued from 1B
final, announced on the
field right after the game
that he’s leaving the team.
He told media in his native
country that he’s headed to
Atlanta United.
Martinez, who scored a
record 31 goals during the
regular season and added
four more in the playoffs,
appears likely to remain
with the team for at least
one more season. He’s had
much more success in MLS
than his previous stint in
Italy’s Serie A.
“I am going to be here
as long as they want me,”
Martinez said after winning
the MVP award. “I feel like
I’m at home.”
Atlanta United could
target another South
American coach as Mar
tino’s replacement, with
an eye toward maintain
ing a pipeline to promising
young players from that
continent. As Almiron has
shown, the MLS can pro
vide a useful stepping-stone
to those wishing to further
their careers in Europe.
Among those mentioned
as candidates: Guillermo
Barros Schelotto, who pre
viously won the MLS Cup as
a player in Columbus and
coached Boca Juniors to
the Copa Libertadores final
this season; along with Mar-
celo Bielsa, who has close
ties to Martino and is cur
rently managing Leeds in
England’s second division.
Atlanta United will have
an additional priority in
2019 after qualifying for
the CONCACAF Champions
League, the continent’s top
club competition. They will
face Herediano in the two-
legged opening round, with
the first game to be played
in Costa Rica in a Feb. 19-21
window before the second
leg at Mercedes-Benz Sta
dium a week later.
That 16-team competi
tion, which runs through
the first of May, figures to
be the team’s top priority
in the early part of the 2019
season. The only U.S. team
to win the title was D.C.
United two decades ago.
But Atlanta is intent on
defending its MLS champi
onship, as well.
“It’s an honor to rep
resent this city,” said
goalkeeper Brad Guzan,
saluting the fans who broke
numerous attendance
records during the club’s
first two seasons. “We’ll be
back next year to defend
this cup.”
