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These Five Mid-Majors Can Make a Cinderella Run in the NCAA Tournament

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These Five Mid-Majors Can Make a Cinderella Run in the NCAA Tournament


In just a few days, the ball will be tipped and the greatest tournament in sports will get underway. One of the reasons that it is considered the greatest tournament in sports is because of the Cinderella run.

Across the board, no matter whether professional or college, it is rare to see upsets in a tournament setting. The NBA, MLB and NHL all have seven-game series, so an off night doesn’t kill a team. 

The NFL and the College Football Playoff are the closest product to March Madness because like college basketball, you have one game to play and win or else you pack your bags.

Some of the greatest upset runs of all time include Florida Gulf Coast’s 2013 run to the Sweet 16, George Mason’s 2006 run to the Final Four and VCU’s vault from Play-In game to Final Four in 2011.

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Which Mid-Major is primed to make a run this year? These five teams have the best shot.

Lipscomb is fresh off of the Atlantic Sun Championship over North Alabama. They were the regular season champion of the conference and came into the tournament with a record of 25-9, but will be no surprise to the big stage. 

They had early season losses to Kentucky and Arkansas, but have shown the ability to score the ball on offense. They are led by senior forward Jacob Ognacevic, who stands at 6-foot-8 and scores 20.1 points per game. Their first-round matchup with Iowa State is one to keep an eye on because if they can score on the Cyclones, they will be in line for an upset.

Kentucky's Brandon Garrison (10) put up a shot during the first half against the Lipscomb Bisons at Rupp Arena on Tuesday, No

Kentucky’s Brandon Garrison (10) put up a shot during the first half against the Lipscomb Bisons at Rupp Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. / Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal & USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The High Point Panthers took over the scene last week with a huge comeback victory over Winthrop in the Big South Tournament Championship. They are much more than a late run and a nasty mean mug. They can muck it up. 

They do not have any matchups on their schedule with a high-profile opponent, but they take care of business no matter what. Their Round 1 matchup is with a Purdue team that has been sputtering down the stretch. If they take down Purdue they will either have Clemson or McNeese State, who we will get to in a minute.

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An old friend is back in the mix in college hoops and that is Will Wade. Wade’s career has had its ups and downs, but he has settled in at McNeese State and built a great team. The Cowboys are 27-6 on the season and are led by 6-foot-3 guard Alyn Breed, who averages 17.3 points per game. 

Of their six losses, none of them have been by more than nine points. They have single-digit losses to Alabama, Liberty, and Mississippi State. If you aren’t on your A-Game, this team will get you.

It’s the battle of the plains in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament between the Drake Bulldogs and the Missouri Tigers. Missouri better have their head on a swivel because Drake can play basketball. 

The Bulldogs enter the tournament with a 30-3 record and have shown the ability to suffocate teams on defense. They give up only 58.4 points per game, which is the best in all of college basketball. They have wins over Miami, Vanderbilt and Kansas State on the season. 

Mar 9, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA;  Drake Bulldogs guard Bennett Stirtz (14) dunks against the Bradley Braves  during the

Mar 9, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Drake Bulldogs guard Bennett Stirtz (14) dunks against the Bradley Braves during the second half of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

If they get by Missouri, they will take on the winner of Texas Tech and UNCW for the right to go to the Sweet 16.

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Look out, these Akron Zips can flat-out play. They needed a miraculous comeback to win the MAC Championship to finish with a 28-6 record. 

Akron can score in bunches. They average 84.5 points per game, but they don’t get it from one guy. Nate Johnson leads the way at 14 points per game, but eight different players average over seven points per game. They have a balanced attack and they are relentless in their attack. The Zips have Arizona up first and if they get that win they face the winner of Oregon and Liberty. 

It’s an uphill climb for every Mid-Major team, but every single year there is at least one team that makes a run. These five could be the team that does it this year.



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Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Homicide Unit investigates early morning shooting near bars

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Cleveland Homicide Unit investigates early morning shooting near bars


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Division of Police responded to a report of shots fired early Sunday morning.

The Fourth District officers responded to 3547 E 93rd St. at approximately 3 a.m., near the VSP Lounge Inc and Skeets Bar.

Police said when arriving to the scene, officers located a man lying near the entrance of the location.

The man was unresponsive and wasn’t breathing.

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Cleveland EMS responded and pronounced the 24-year-old man deceased on scene.

Cleveland police said three adult men with gunshot wounds arrived separately at three area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

There are no suspects who have been identified at this time.

The Cleveland Police Homicide Unit is investigating.

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Snow keeps stacking up: See early city-by-city totals as parts of NE Ohio near 8 inches

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Snow keeps stacking up: See early city-by-city totals as parts of NE Ohio near 8 inches


CLEVELAND, Ohio — Snow piled up fast across parts of Northeast Ohio over the past 24 hours, with some snowbelt communities already seeing 6 to 8 inches even as lake-effect snow continues to fall.

Those totals, released by the National Weather Service on Sunday morning, reflect snowfall from Saturday into early Sunday.

Reports collected between 6 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Sunday showed 7 inches near Strongsville, 6 inches near Bath, and 7.5 inches near Newbury in Geauga County.

Those early totals, however, do not tell the full story. Lake-effect snow remains ongoing Sunday and is expected to continue into Monday, meaning additional accumulation is likely in many areas.

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Forecasters say snow will be steady to heavy at times through Sunday evening, as cold, moisture-rich air remains locked over Lake Erie.

Many Northeast Ohio locations are expected to see 3 to 6 inches of additional snow through Monday morning, with higher totals possible where lake-effect bands persist the longest.

The greatest risk for heavier additional snowfall on Sunday — potentially 5 to 8 inches — includes northern Lorain, southwestern Cuyahoga, northern Medina and central Summit counties, along with portions of the primary snowbelt east of Cleveland.

Read more: Lake-effect snow machine continues Sunday: 5-8 more inches could hit some areas

Within the strongest bands, snowfall rates could reach around 1 inch per hour on Sunday, quickly reducing visibility and making travel hazardous.

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Gusty winds, with gusts up to 35 mph near Lake Erie, may also lead to blowing and drifting snow.

It will remain bitterly cold, with highs Sunday only reaching the mid-teens to mid-20s, and subzero wind chills possible at times into Monday.

Reported snowfall totals

(Measured between 6 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Sunday)

Cuyahoga County

  • Lakewood: 2.7 inches
  • Parma: 3.2
  • Richmond Heights: 2.0
  • Shaker Heights: 2.5
  • Strongsville: 7.0
  • University Heights: 3.6
  • Westlake: 3.9
  • Woodmere: 3.8

Geauga County

  • Auburn Corners: 4.3
  • Middlefield: 4.0
  • Newbury: 7.5

Lake County

  • Madison: 1.3
  • Mentor-on-the-Lake: 1.6
  • Willoughby: 0.5

Lorain County

  • Amherst: 3.5
  • Avon: 3.7
  • Elyria: 2.5
  • Lorain: 2.0
  • North Ridgeville: 3.8
  • Oberlin: 1.0–2.4
  • Vermilion: 2.7

Medina County

  • Homerville: 1.7
  • Medina: 2.8–3.5
  • Spencer: 2.1
  • Wadsworth: 3.3

Portage County

  • Craig Beach: 2.0
  • Kent: 3.0–3.5
  • Mantua: 5.0
  • Ravenna: 2.8–3.0
  • Streetsboro: 3.4
  • Windham: 2.5

Summit County

  • Barberton: 2.5
  • Bath: 6.0
  • Copley: 4.2
  • Macedonia: 4.1
  • Munroe Falls: 3.5
  • Reminderville: 4.5
  • Stow: 2.5
A map shows snowfall totals reported across Northeast Ohio as of Sunday morning, after some communities picked up more than 7 inches of snow in the past 24 hours.Cleveland NWS



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Abrupt funding freeze leaves Ohio manufacturing programs with uncertain future

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Abrupt funding freeze leaves Ohio manufacturing programs with uncertain future


CLEVELAND — On Friday, Ohio’s Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, known as MAGNET, learned that its public funding had been frozen, effective immediately.


What You Need To Know

  • Funding for Ohio’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership programs have been abruptly pulled, leaving six non-profits without $14.6 million in public funding
  • MEP programs aim to assist small to medium sized manufacturers grow and remain competitive
  • The freeze was announced due an ongoing audit, but local MEP programs says they have complied with the audit and the results of the audit have not been made available to them 

“I was initially shocked. Immediately after it, it was action mode: how do we get to all the people that understand how important it is and what’s at stake?” said Ethan Karp, President and CEO of MAGNET. 

“We help small and medium manufacturers, as a nonprofit, grow,” Karp explained. 

The Cleveland-based nonprofit has assisted local manufacturers for over 40 years. This includes helping them implement new technology to stay competitive, providing workforce training to help fill positions in manufacturing, and helping companies create prototypes. 

“That’s a start-up who has an idea on the back of their napkin that makes changing air filters easier,” Karp said. “This space we would actually prototype for those companies.”

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They get state and federal funding through Ohio’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, or MEP program, which funds six similar organizations throughout the state that aim to assist local manufacturers. 

The funding freeze was announced in a letter from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the federal agency that funds Ohio’s Department of Development. The Ohio Department of Development is the department that runs the MEP program.  

In the letter, the NIST cites an ongoing audit as the reason for the freeze.

“Preliminary findings in connection with an active financial assistance audit being performed by the DOC Office of Inspector General (OIG) which identifies various instances of material noncompliance by the Recipient and/or its Subrecipients, several of which were confirmed by the Recipient or the applicable Subrecipient.” – Letter from NIST to Ohio’s Department of Development announces funding freeze

The audit of Ohio’s MEP program started over a year ago, and the results aren’t set to be published until Spring 2026. 

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The letter specifically cites three MEP programs for misreporting income. MAGNET is not one of the programs mentioned specifically in the letter. 

One program that is mentioned is the Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT). In the letter announcing the freeze, CIFT states:

“CIFT did not report 2.3 million in unreported program income on the earlier five-year award. CIFT has acknowledged at least 1.8 million is unreported program income.” 

CIFT President and CEO Rebecca Singer denies any wrongdoing and says the discrepancy is because of unclear guidelines about what a program should report as income.

“CIFT has fully cooperated with the audit and the statements are misleading and inaccurate,” Singer said in a statement. “Any issues that occurred were administrative in nature and we are prepared to address them once a drafted report is provided. There is consistency in the findings among the organizations further demonstrating lack of clarity and understanding on administrative reporting. Several OIG audits of other state programs have noted under-reporting of program income but they have been given the opportunity to counter findings.”

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Singer said that the typical process of an audit has not been followed, and CIFT did not see a draft of the audit and respond, which she said is the standard process for a financial audit. 

According to Singer, because of the freeze CIFT lost $1.6 million in public funding and, as a result, they are suspending operations on Monday, Dec. 15. Singer said 13 employees will be affected as well as 22 businesses that rely on CIFT’s mini food processing kitchen, which allows them to make their products to sell at retail outlets. 

With the freeze of federal funds, the state of Ohio has also frozen its portion of funding to the MEP program. 

In a statement, Mason Waldvogel, the Deputy Chief of Media Relations for Ohio’s Department of Development, explains that the state funding is tied to federal funding. 

“The majority of state funding provided to Ohio MEP partner organizations consists of matching dollars, which cannot be spent without corresponding federal funds. Therefore, the Department of Development has suspended the program at the state level.”

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The freeze affects roughly $14 million in funds to Ohio manufacturing nonprofits over the next year, with MAGNET receiving $5.9 million of those funds. 

Karp said MAGNET has been complying with the audit and is frustrated the freeze was started before there had been communication with the MEP programs about the findings. 

“If there is an issue, then you need to tell somebody there is an issue and give somebody a chance to fix it. In this case, there’s nothing for us to fix because we don’t know what, or if, there are findings and a report. That lack of transparency, that lack of process makes no sense,” Karp said. 

Karp said the funding cut-off will change how MAGNET functions, prompting decisions to be made about potential lay-offs of their staff of roughly 75 people. 

“We’re going to have to structurally make huge changes at MAGNET to continue at a much smaller scale,” Karp said. 

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According to Karp, approximately 35% of their budget comes from state and federal funding. The rest is from a private industry that pays for MAGNET’s services. However, Karp said they can only provide many of those services because of their public funding. 

“Helping people understand that the investment that the state and federal governments have been making for 40 years, this is a 40-year partnership — shouldn’t be turned off at a moment’s notice, depriving all these people and companies of necessary support.”

This funding freeze could impact the manufacturing sector in Ohio. 

“We’re saying we want to restore manufacturing? Well this is not how you restore manufacturing. This is not how you bring jobs back from overseas; we are actually going to be cutting Ohio jobs as a result of this decision,” said Jack Schron, President of Jergens Incorporated, a Cleveland-based manufacturer.

Schron sits on MAGENT’s board and has used its resources to test out Jergens products. 

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Micheal Canty, president and CEO of Alloy Precision Technologies, said the freeze will impact small and medium-size companies the most. 

“I think it will be devastating to manufacturing,” Canty said. “If MAGNET and all the MEP’s are gone, then a lot of those projects to develop and promote smart manufacturing and manufacturing in general go away.”

Karp said the irony is that MAGNET’s goals align with the current administration’s efforts to make U. S manufacturing more competitive. 

“I desperately want tariffs to help companies. Every single day I am out there talking about how we need to compete against international sources and how our companies need to be the most technologically advanced in the world. It is the same thing the Trump administration says, and we are totally aligned. So it is ironic that this is happening to us now,” Karp said.



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