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NFL Mock Draft 2013: Bears select Alec Ogletree

2013-04-22T15:40:22Z

In SB Nation's latest NFL mock draft, Dan Kadar has the Chicago Bears taking middle linebacker Alec Ogletree of the Georgia Bulldogs with the No. 20 overall pick, replacing Brian Urlacher.

Ogletree has all the talent in the world but the knock on him has come off the field. Ogletree has been in trouble with the law a few times, including a DUI arrest a week before the NFL combine in February.

More: Extended draft analysis Extended Bears coverage

With Georgia, Olgetree showed a unique blend of size and speed. At 6'2 and 240 pounds, Ogletree can play sideline-to-sideline while having the size to play at the point of attack. However, he does struggle at times with being able to shed blocks because of a lackluster technique.

Ogletree is the typical boom-or-bust guy. If he works hard and studies, there is no telling how talented he can be. However, if he continues to have off-the-field problems and shows a lazy nature -- which he's rumored to have -- the team that drafts him may regret it.

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2013 NFL Mock Draft: Bears add a cornerback of the future

2013-04-17T21:08:54Z

The Chicago Bears have been linked to several positions in next week's NFL draft, heavily favoring the linebacker, offensive line, and tight end prospects for the 20th pick. The Bears will likely be looking for a player to either take the spot of Brian Urlacher or to energize the offense by either protecting Jay Cutler or giving him another weapon to use.

So are the Bears really going to consider a cornerback when they already have Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman?

More: Analyzing Bears trade scenarios

While it seems crazy to target a position of little need next season when there are positions of great need that have not been filled. Rob Rang of CBS Sports notes that it appears the Bears are "leaning" that way. In his latest mock draft, he has Chicago taking Desmond Trufant out of Washington:

With 2012 Pro Bowlers Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings on the roster it might seem unlikely the Bears would draft another cornerback this high but that is precisely the direction the team appears to be leaning. Trufant, the younger brother of Marcus (Seahawks) and Isaiah (Jets) has excellent bloodlines, remarkable athleticism and is a four-year starter who is peaking after strong performances at the Senior Bowl and combine.

The Bears would clearly not have a starting position next season open for Trufant, but corners often take a season to adjust to the speed of the NFL anyway. He could be next in line for Chicago, a franchise that takes great pride in its defense, and both Tillman and Jennings will be over 30 next year.

But could they really pass over a linebacker or tight end for the future at cornerback?

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2013 NFL Mock Draft: Bears tab Tyler Eifert in Todd McShay's latest

2013-04-10T22:23:55Z

When it comes to projecting a player to the Bears in the first round of this year's draft, there has not been much variation in mock drafts thus far. Offensive line, linebacker, and tight end have been the most speculated positions pointed to, and at the 20th overall pick, there are only so many options. For that reason, tight end Tyler Eifert of Notre Dame has been projected to Chicago many times.

More: Alec Ogletree to Bears?

The Bears have long had offensive issues, and finished 28th in total offense in 2012. It is the 12th time in the last 13 years that Chicago has failed to finish in the top 20 in that category. Rebuilding has been underway for quite some time with the additions of Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, and Brandon Marshall, but still the points on offense are rarer than the average team. Could Eifert be the key?

ESPN's Todd McShay thinks so, projecting him to Chicago at 20th overall:

Bears QB Jay Cutler could use a weapon in the middle of the field, and Eifert could help new coach Marc Trestman exploit mismatches in the passing game with his size, ball skills and versatility.

If not Eifert, Chicago could go for the best available offensive lineman though they did add Jermon Bushrod in free agency. What they have yet to really do is replace linebacker Brian Urlacher, though that might be kind of hard to imagine anyway.

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NFL Mock Draft 2013: Bears target guard, tight end with first two picks

2013-04-08T21:30:07Z

With the NFL Draft just two weeks away, it's time to start looking at the bigger picture, and that means expanding mock drafts to look beyond the first round. The Chicago Bears only hold two picks in the first three rounds, having given up their third-rounder in the Brandon Marshall trade before last season.

SB Nation's Matthew Fairburn released his first three-round mock on Monday. In this version, he sees the Bears continuing to upgrade their offensive line, taking North Carolina OG Jonathan Cooper with the 20th pick:

The Bears aren't done revamping the offensive line. At least, they shouldn't be. Jonathan Cooper is arguably the draft's best guard and can play both guard positions as well as center. He's well worth a first-round pick.

Despite signing Martellus Bennett, Chicago could still use a receiving weapon out of the tight end position, and choose to select San Diego State TE Gavin Escobar in the second round:

The Bears beefed up the offensive line in the first round, now they need to find another weapon for Jay Cutler. Gavin Escobar is our top ranked tight end on the board at this point.

Check out the complete mock draft at the link below.

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How to watch Final Four online, TV schedule, radio and more

2013-04-06T12:00:05Z

Entering this weekend's Final Four double-header, CBS Sports and the NCAA have provided a number of different viewing and listening options for fans to access the action. Both games will be available on television, streamed online and by smartphone and will also be available on radio.

For more on the story, visit Card Chronicle and Mid Major Madness

The action tips off at 6:09 p.m. ET with Louisville and Wichita State and is followed by Michigan-Syracuse. Both games will be broadcast live on CBS. Fans hoping to catch the games online will also be able to stream them on March Madness Live at NCAA.com.

For fans more inclined to use their smart phones or tablets, iTunes offers its own March Madness Live app for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and iPad Mini, and the same app is also available in the Android store as well.

For more on the story, visit Nunes Magician and Maize 'N Brew

Finally for anyone hoping to catch Saturday's action on radio, both games are available via Dial Global Sports.

WSCR-AM 670 is Chicago's Dial Global affiliate.

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NCAA Final Four, Syracuse vs. Michigan: Game time, TV schedule and odds

2013-04-04T21:52:57Z

The 2013 Final Four finishes on Saturday, when the Michigan Wolverines and Syracuse Orange face off in the night game to determine who will play for the national championship on Monday..

Complete game coverage: Maize n Brew Nunes Magician

Michigan blew through the South region thanks to AP Player of the Year Trey Burke. They defeated South Dakota State, VCU, Kansas and Florida to reach the Final Four for the first time in 20 years. Their most memorable win was over Kansas in the Sweet 16, when Burke scored 18 second half points to bring the Wolverines back from a 14-point deficit. He later drained a 30-foot jump shot with four seconds left to send the game to overtime.

Syracuse also broke a long drought -- this is their first time in the semifinals since their championship run in 2003. They used their withering 2-3 zone defense to dispatch Montana, California, Indiana and Marquette in the East region. Only one of their victories was by less than double digit points.

Here's the complete schedule for Saturday's game:

Game time: 8:49 p.m. ET

Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga.

TV: CBS (also streaming online at March Madness Live)

Line: Michigan by 2

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McDonald's All-American Game 2013 results and stats: Jabari Parker and the West win it, 110-99

2013-04-04T03:49:46Z

In a night of high-flying dunks and not much defense, the West emerged 110-99 winners over the East in the annual McDonald's All American Game on Wednesday in Chicago.

Chicago native Jabari Parker, who will play for Duke next season, had 10 points and eight rebounds to help the West to victory.

Arizona commit Aaron Gordon led all scorers with 24 points on his way to being named the game's MVP. He also had eight rebounds and nine dunks.

Six players in the game have agreed to play for Kentucky next season, including the twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison, both playing for the West. They each proved they could score throughout the night, and Aaron Harrison also showed off his ability to distribute the basketball with five assists.

The West led for most of the night and built a huge lead shortly after halftime, but an 18-5 run from the East brought them within four points with under five minutes to play. But their run was stopped, not surprisingly, by back-to-back dunks form Aaron Harrison and Gordon.

Dakari Johnson and Julius Randle, who are also going to Kentucky, both found their way into double figures. Johnson had 12 points and Randle had 11.

The most coveted uncommitted player, Andrew Wiggins, led the East with 19 points. He is considering Florida State and, of course, Kentucky.

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2013 McDonald's All-American Game: West leads, 56-44

2013-04-04T02:35:20Z

The West team leads the East team at halftime of the McDonald's All American, 56-44. As one would expect from a high school all-star game, the first half was filled with highlight reel plays, but was ultimately a sloppy, turnover-filled affair.

While the West takes the halftime lead, the McDonald's All American is all about individual players. Top-ranked recruit Andrew Wiggins, who is still undecided, lead the East with 12 points. Meanwhile the No. 2 recruit in the country and McDonald's Player of the Year, Jabari Parker, struggled on offensive in the first half, going 1-for-8 from the field. Parker is headed to Duke.

Kentucky's impressive recruiting class was on display as well. With six McDonald's All Americans headed to the Wildcats, and Wiggins possibly joining them, the game certainly has a Kentucky feel. The Harrison twins, Andrew and Aaron, made their presence felt connecting on an early alley-oop.

Aaron Gordon, headed to Arizona, made the highlight, or lowlight play of the half with a missed between-the-legs dunk.

To Gordon's credit, he did make five dunks in the first half and leads all scorers with 14 points.

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