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Mentor vs. Richmond Heights Scrimmage: The Best Boys Basketball Game This Season That No One Has Seen In College Sports

Coaches love scrimmages because they can control every aspect of it – including the opponent.

When Quentin Rogers plans a scrimmage, he never goes soft on the opposition.

“I like scrimmaging teams that want to win the state,” said Rogers, coach of the Richmond Heights boys’ team that runs the Division IV state tournament. “I know what they play for – the same as we are.”

The same goes for the basketball coach Bob Krizancic from Mentor Boys, who is never afraid to compete against the best. However, this season has created some obstacles due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The good thing about the programs is that everyone has navigated through a season like no other and advanced to the state tournament at the University of Dayton. Mentor (25-0) will play Centerville in a Division I semi-final on March 20. Richmond Heights (17-4) will face Botkins in a D-IV semi-final on March 19th.

The journey was not without breaks and stops and starts. What the season included was a delicious game fans might have paid for – a fight between two of the state’s top teams, regardless of division. This is how it went:

The Cardinals preseason was far from normal as it closed from November 11th to December 7th. The team’s non-conference schedule, which included Cincinnati Moeller and Canton McKinley, had to be revised.



The Richmond Heights boys’ basketball team celebrates March 12th after winning the D-IV Firestone Regional and qualifying for the state tournament.



Meanwhile, the Richmond Heights season wasn’t perfect either. The Spartan’s top player – Josiah Harris, who has an offer for the state of Ohio – missed the team’s first two games due to COVID-19.

On the mentor’s side, Luke Chicone had to be quarantined for a few weeks in the preseason due to COVID protocols.

By the first week of January, the Cardinals were finally ready to start their regular season with a home game against Kenston on January 6th and a tough street game in Medina on January 8th. Krizancic wasn’t sure his team was ready without another game -like terms.

The Spartans were fortunate enough to play four games against all the top teams in December – St. Edward, St. Ignatius and Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary and University.

When Krizancic contacted Rogers in the first week of January and asked about a scrimmage, it wasn’t a long discussion.

“We always partner with Mentor,” said Rogers. “It’s always fun. You are like us. They have the same mentality. You compete. “

Rogers said the scrimmage was important to his team too, largely because Harris needed work on his return after a missed time due to COVID.

“We weren’t working on a full roster at the time,” said Rogers. “We had a training session with Josiah and then we got St. Vincent-St. Maria.”

The Spartans were related to St. V (70-57) in that game, but Rogers knew the challenge of playing Mentor would be beneficial.

“We did it, four quarters, anything but referee,” said Krizancic. “We really needed our boys in playful situations.”

Starters like Chicone, Steven Key and Jonah Waag each played 25 to 28 minutes. In addition to Harris, Richmond Heights has top-notch talent such as Priest Ryan, Lorenzo Nettles and Jamaar Talbert, who was injured and sidelined during the regular season. Everyone played against Mentor, which leads to the biggest question – which team won?

The coaches didn’t reveal a lot of peculiarities except that it was consistently very close and the Spartans won.

“We squeaked it out,” said Rogers.

In scrimmages, the scoreboard is not very important. It’s important to stay healthy and leave teams better than before. Krizancic and Rogers said this definitely happened for both teams.

“It was a war, that’s for sure. It was a great job and we needed it, ”said Rogers. “We really started after that.”

For Mentor, the crowd has obviously paid off. The cardinals haven’t lost all season. With two more victories, they become only the second undefeated DI national champion in boys’ basketball since 1980.

“That was one of the better problems of my time,” said Krizancic.

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Richmond

Bubba Wallace tests next generation car in Richmond

The second test for NASCAR’s new next-gen car at Richmond Raceway will take place on March 16-17, and 23X1 racing driver Bubba Wallace will get his first taste of the new car as a driver, NASCAR announced on March 15. March known.

It’s the second time the next generation has appeared on the 0.75 mile short haul. Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon tested the car in October 2020.

The last time the next generation car was on the track was at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Kurt Busch of Chip Ganassi Racing in January.

Wallace will be Toyota’s third driver to test the new car, which is expected to debut in 2022. Erik Jones tested the car at Homestead-Miami Speedway in January 2020 when he was still with Joe Gibbs Racing, and Martin Truex Jr. tested the car alongside Busch on both Charlotte Motor Speedway layouts.

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Richmond

Fire destroys Richmond’s backyard shed, which is used as living space

RICHMOND, Ind. – No one was injured Monday morning when a fire destroyed a backyard shed that served as living quarters.

“It was a shed that was used as an apartment,” said deputy chief Doug Gardner, the fire investigator for the Richmond Fire Department. “The inmates said a kerosene heater exploded.”

RFD was sent to the fire in the backyard of 532 S. 13th St., located on the northwest corner of South 13th and South F Streets, at around 9:50 a.m. Monday. Smoke could be seen in the distance as it rose from the burning plastic structure, which Gardner estimated to be 8 feet by 8 feet.

Fire trucks parked in the alley between South 13th and South 12th Streets to gain access to the fire, which was in a fenced back yard, and firefighters quickly put it out even though the shed was completely destroyed.

Firefighters dug into the rubble and poured water on hot spots to make sure the fire was completely extinguished.

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Richmond

ACC so that broadcasts within the conference can be played immediately | Ap

GREENSBORO, NC (AP) – The Atlantic Coast Conference has lifted its rule that athletes must skip a season if they move within the league.

The move is the latest in all college sports to ease restrictions on transferring athletes so they can switch schools and play immediately. The NCAA endeavors to make the so-called one-time exception available to all athletes.

Currently, athletes in high-profile Division I sports such as soccer and basketball must skip a season if they move to a different DI school. The NCAA was expected to vote on more permissive broadcast rules legislation in January – and expected to be passed – but an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice delayed that vote.

“It is time for all student athletes to have the opportunity to switch and compete immediately,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips College Career. “

Conferences may have their own intra-conference broadcast rules that supersede the NCAA rules. The ACC took the step to lift its 1996 restrictions, with changes to the NCAA rules on hold.

The NCAA is expected to set the transfer rules next month.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in any way without permission.

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Richmond

Richmond Casino could have annual gaming revenues of $ 320 million to $ 389 million

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The development of a casino-hotel complex should be a minimum of two thousand new jobs and at least $ 31 million in new income for Richmond City in Virginia, after Scott Fisher and Suzanne P. Leckert of the New Orleans-based Convergence Strategy Group.

Fisher and Leckert, who have consulted on more than 400 gambling projects worldwide, offered their projections during a city council briefing last week, Richmond Free Press reports. The city uses them to help select the company to build and operate a gambling resort.

Six companies responded to the city’s call for proposals, five on the south side and one on the north side. Black-owned media company Urban One is one of the bidders for a location on the south side.

The advisors projected A casino should attract around 2.8 million visitors per year and generate between $ 320 million and $ 389 million in annual gaming revenue, depending on location and the level of competition from existing gaming establishments such as the Rosie facility in Richmond and the four other licensed casinos that are said to be in cities along the North Carolina border.

One element of competition is made illegal on July 1st – the so-called “skill game” slot machines Now set up in convenience stores, gas stations and other retail stores.

Fisher and Leckert tried to calm the city council down The casinos would be good community partners and would not cause any significant increase in social grievances, including gambling addiction and crime. According to the consultants, any disease would be relatively negligible based on a review of repeated studies in Las Vegas, Massachusetts and other cities and their own interviews with law enforcement in cities with casinos.

Fisher noted that the information indicates this About 1 percent of those who gamble are addicts in need of help. He reminded the council that the state will use part of casino tax revenues to provide programs to support problem gamblers.

Leckert and Fisher said the casino would give the city a financial shot in the arm. You estimated that tThe city’s share of state casino tax should be $ 19 million to $ 21 million a year in new revenue for the city’s general fund, with local real estate, personal property, meals, entrance and housing taxes that add $ 10 to 12 million more annually. And if Richmond bargains as well as Danville, the capital could get one $ 15 million to $ 20 million upfront from the winner and potentially gain another fraction of the gross income that will be used on top of the state tax that the city would be involved in.

By triggering the competition, “Richmond is in a great position” to win concessions, Ms. Leckert said. Amongst other things, The city could ensure that black and minority owned companies participate in construction and secure opportunities as a seller and that city dwellers are considered first for jobs. And there would be plenty of job opportunities, said the advisors. The casino resort hotel would be a Pipeline for skilled and unskilled jobs in a wide variety of fieldsThis ranges from management, computer technology and finance to custody services, customer service, security and operation of gaming tables.

Along with a casino that has concerts, restaurants, and hotel services that could encourage attendance, the advisors said Virtually every casino currently in operation donates $ 15 to 30 million annually benefit non-profit organizations and other organizations.

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Richmond

Jim Boeheim shares injury updates on Kadary Richmond, Marek Dolezaj ahead of the NCAA tournament

Syracuse basketball security guard Kadary Richmond faced tendonitis in his knee as he went to the NCAA tournament, head coach Jim Boeheim said Sunday. The Orange standout freshman has averaged just 15 minutes in the team’s last three games after playing over 25 in six of the last seven competitions.

Boeheim is confident that Richmond will be available for the SU’s 64th round matchup against San Diego State on Friday. But he implied the injury cut Richmond’s practice time off.

“Kadary is a little injured but he will be able to play,” said Boeheim. “He’ll be able to train this week. He’s got tendinitis, that’s all. So I think we should be in full strength by Friday.”

The Richmond knee problem came to the fore ahead of the team’s matchup against North Carolina on March 1, when SU ​​broadcaster Matt Park tweeted that Richmond and second striker Quincy Guerrier were being monitored for knee problems ahead of the game. Richmond saw 31 minutes against the Tar Heels – the most run he has had in a game in which SU had starting guards Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard this year.

Richmond seemed to exacerbate the injury in the waning moments of the competition, and after that Boeheim described his knee as “injured”. Since then, Richmond has received special attention from SU training staff during the pre-game warm-up and has made a concerted effort to prepare his knee for the Games.

After SU’s heartbreaking 72-69 loss to Virginia in the quarter-finals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, Boeheim said Richmond wasn’t sure he was healthy enough to play before the tip.

“Kadary said his knee was injured before the game, our coach Brad Pike said he didn’t know if he could walk,” said Boeheim. “This is the same thing that has happened before. I said to him, ‘Let’s try it.’ He seemed fine … He didn’t seem quite like himself, but he didn’t complain about it when the game started. “

Richmond has emerged as one of SU’s finest drivers and defenders in its first season in college. He averaged 6.4 points, 3.3 assists, and a team high of 1.8 steals per game, despite having only watched 21.4 minutes. Its 3.36 steals per 40 minutes lead the ACC and rank eighth nationwide.

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Richmond isn’t the only key SU employee dealing with an injury in big dance. The great senior Marek Dolezaj continues to play with a broken finger on his left hand. Dolezaj, who is at the center of the injured Bourama Sidibe all year round, suffered the injury against UNC two weeks ago.

On Sunday, Boeheim kept his answer short when asked what Dolezaj can do in practice.

“Marek can do anything but use his left hand,” said Boeheim.

Dolezaj has not seen any decline in use. He played 40 minutes against the Cavaliers, 37 minutes in the regular season final against Clemson, and 30 minutes in SU’s win over NC State to open the ACC tournament. During the year, Dolezaj averaged 9.9 points from a team high of 54.8 percent, which translates to 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists.