The Bulls have an opportunity to become the first team in NBA history to go undefeated against their own division for a full season.

If they accomplish that, it doesn't mean much in the big picture. But it is an interesting footnote in a surprisingly good season. The Bulls are 12-0 against the NBA's Central Division. Without a doubt, that's a sad commentary on the state of the Central -- with four of the five teams languishing below .500.

Nevertheless, it would be cool if the Bulls can pull something off that's never been done before. Not even the 1995-1996 Bulls, who won an NBA record 72 games, can say they went undefeated in their own division. You might recall the Indiana Pacers of that era were pretty solid, and they beat the Bulls twice that season.

The Pacers of this year are not so solid. Neither are the Milwaukee Bucks, the Detroit Pistons or the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Bulls need to win the following four games to finish 16-0 against Central opponents. All are on the road:

March 18 at Indiana
March 26 at Milwaukee
April 1 at Detroit
April 8 at Cleveland

For the record, three teams in NBA history have gone 15-1 against their own division. They are the 2008-09 Boston Celtics, the 2003-04 Miami Heat and the 1949-1950 Syracuse Nationals.

I know it pretty much stinks we don't publish a Saturday paper here at The Beacon-News anymore. Several readers have expressed their disappointment to me over the last couple weeks. All I can really say is you can still turn to our Web site on Friday night/Saturday morning to catch up on all the local high school results.

Our reporters are still out there covering the games, and I'm still here working the desk Friday nights to make sure everything is available to our readers on the Web site.

As the midnight hour approaches, I already have all the key games posted:

Aurora Christian won a regional title tonight.

Ryan Boatright took over down the stretch to help East Aurora turn away Batavia's upset bid.

First-year program Metea Valley upset its "big brother," Neuqua Valley.

Kaneland clinched its first conference championship in 29 years.

You can read all this and more at beaconnewsonline.com/sports. Don't give up on us. Our staff is still committed to being your best source for Aurora-area sports.

The ex-Bulls coach was assessed some technical fouls last night. The official showed good form on the technical...

Bulls center Joakim Noah made his much-anticipated return to the lineup Wednesday after missing 30 games with a torn ligament in his thumb.

Given that it was his first game since Dec. 15, you can't complain too much about Noah's stat line -- seven points and 16 rebounds in just over 24 minutes played. The Bulls as a whole, however, were completely out of sync in a 118-113 loss to a miserable Toronto team. The Raptors are 16-42 on the season and have lost 20 of their last 25 games, even with this victory over the Bulls.

Chicago's defense was miserable beyond comprehension in this one. The Bulls (38-17) gave up 58 points in the paint and allowed the Raptors to shoot 58 percent from the field. Did the Bulls get caught looking ahead to Thursday's showdown with the Miami Heat?

Possibly. I'd have to ask the players.

My theory is teams often struggle the first couple games after they welcome a key player back into the fold. It just takes a little while to get used to playing with a guy again after he's been out for significant length of time.

Most Bulls fans will recall that starting power forward Carlos Boozer missed the first 15 games of the season. What happened when Boozer returned? The Bulls got blown off their homecourt by the Orlando Magic. They lost again to Boston two nights later. Then, they rattled off a seven-game winning streak.

I wouldn't be surprised if the same pattern follows here with Noah's return. The Bulls played poorly tonight. I won't be shocked if they struggle tomorrow, too. But by next week, I expect they'll get it together and be back to playing the type of basketball we've seen from them for most of the season.

Illinois shot a robust 53 percent from the floor Tuesday night at No. 3 Ohio State. The Illini hit 11 3-pointers. They stayed even on the glass, with Ohio State enjoying a slim 29-28 rebounding advantage. The Illini had 18 assists to Ohio State's 11.

All that sounds pretty good, right?

Well, it wasn't. Despite all those fairly positive statistics, the Illini got blown off the court by a vastly superior Ohio State team, 89-70. Why? Because Illinois simply does not take care of the ball or value possessions.

Amidst all the BS about Bruce Weber's job status and his refusal to play zone defense, most fans are missing the single most obvious reason the Illini have struggled to a 7-8 record in Big Ten play: Turnovers.

Illinois had 16 turnovers Tuesday night. Ohio State had 3. As a result, the Buckeyes got 66 attempts up at the rim, while the Illini had only 53. That's a difference of 13 shots. Not surprisingly, the difference in total turnovers also numbered 13. Both teams shot 53 percent from the field, yet Ohio State rolled in this game.

It's the continuation of a disturbing and season-long trend for the Illini. In 15 conference games, Illinois has committed 191 turnovers. Their opponents have committed 135. That's a big difference. It might mean the difference between the NCAA tournament and the NIT.

I have no interest in seeing Illinois play a zone defense. It won't help a damn thing. If the Illini guards could keep the turnover count to single digits for a change, that would be extremely helpful. There have been WAY TOO MANY empty possessions this season.

It hasn't been forever since the Blackhawks last won two games in a row. It only feels that way.

The Hawks gave themselves and their fans a much needed dose of hope over the last 24 hours, as they followed Sunday's 3-2 shootout victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-3 win at St. Louis Monday afternoon.

The last time the Hawks won back-to-back games? It was a full month ago, when they beat the Nashville Predators 6-3 on Jan. 16 and followed that up with a 4-1 win at Detroit on Jan. 22.

Since then, it has been mostly win one, lose one, win one, lose one, win one, lose one. It's hard to make up any ground in the tightly-packed Western Conference playing .500 hockey, but the good news for the Hawks is they are still right in the hunt despite themselves.

Even with Monday's win, the Hawks remain in 11th place in the West. However, they are only four points out of fourth. Give it a week's time and things could change drastically, either positively or negatively. Here's how the standings look right now:

4. San Jose 72 points, 60 games played
5. Nashville 70 points, 59 games played
6. Calgary 70 points, 61 games played
7. Minnesota 68 points, 59 games played
8. Dallas 68 points, 59 games played
9. Los Angeles 68 points, 59 games played
10. Anaheim 68 points, 60 games played
11. Hawks 68 points, 60 games played
12. Columbus 64 points, 58 games played
13. St. Louis 63 points, 58 games played

Based on the mood in town, you'd think the Hawks were in need of a miracle to make the postseason. Obviously, that is not the case. There is a need for urgency. There is no need for panic. One good winning streak will get the Hawks right where they need to be. Of course, one bad losing streak will send things the other way. However, there is no need to jump off the bridge right at this moment.

One thing the Hawks do need to do immediately is find more consistency in their game. Even in victories, they have stretches of play that are just brutal. Their first period against St. Louis on Monday was enough to cause me to send an empty box of Cheez-Its flying across the living room. The Hawks found themselves trailing 2-0 after the first 20 minutes. It was brutal.

In contrast, the Hawks totally dominated St. Louis in the second period, scoring four straight goals to take a 4-2 lead. The third period was an exercise in holding on for dear life. Up and down, up and down, even within games. That's the story of the season.

But if you're looking for a reason to believe, here are a few:
1. Patrick Kane has seven goals and seven assists in his last nine games. He's been playing his best hockey of the season the last two weeks.
2. Jonathan Toews has three goals and 14 assists in his last 10 games.
3. Patrick Sharp has five goals in his last seven games.
4. Marian Hossa played his best game in months Monday, a goal, an assist, +2, three shots on goal, two hits, two blocked shots. Hossa mixed it up physically for the first time in forever. Maybe that means he's finally getting close to full health.

If all four of those guys play well the last 22 games of the season, the Hawks make the playoffs easy. If not, well, it's going to be a long summer for the organ-I-zation.

Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther announced Wednesday that football coach Ron Zook will receive a $250,000-per-year raise.

Zook will make $1.75 million over the final three years of his contract. He had been slated to make $1.5 million per season -- until he went a robust 7-6 this past year.

Man, I wish I could get a 15 percent pay raise for being really mediocre at my job. I could see giving Zook a little bump in pay had he guided his charges to an 11-2 mark. But 7-6? Really?

Then again, we do have to keep in mind the Illinois football program has gone 88-132-2 since 1992. By those crappy standards, 7-6 is a really good year.

And people wonder why I say rooting for the Illini is a lot like rooting for the damn Cubs....

Mediocrity! Hooray!

It won't be long until I have this view from my seats at U.S. Cellular Field on the South Side of Chicago.

The Major League Baseball regular season begins in 43 days, but who is counting?

Oh, yeah, me.

Forty-nine days from now, the White Sox will play their home opener against the defending American League East champion Tampa Bay Rays. I'll be there in Sec. 535. I got my tickets in the mail Wednesday.

In our newsroom, one thing Sox fans and Cubs fans can agree upon is we can't wait for the start of baseball season. Unlike other sports, baseball is a day-to-day game, so even if your team stinks, there's always hope that maybe they can win tomorrow. None of this week-between-games stuff. That's the beauty of baseball.

Not to mention, I'm ready to look at something new. I'm getting a little tired of watching a disappointing hockey team barely beat crap outfits like the Minnesota Wild. I'm absolutely fed up with watching a mediocre college basketball team that "lacks confidence," is allergic to leads and can barely beat NIT-bound clubs like Michigan.

Enough of these frustrating teams. Bring on baseball!

Thank goodness rankings have no bearing on which team wins the national championship in college basketball.

In any given season, there are a number of rankings decisions that leave you shaking your head. I had one of those moments Monday when this week's top 25 polls were released.

Ohio State was 24-0 overall, 11-0 in the Big Ten and ranked No. 1 in the country -- until it lost by four points Saturday at Wisconsin. Anyone who knows anything about college basketball knows that Madison is one of the toughest places to win in the entire country. Wisconsin has been ranked in the top 20 all year. Ohio State doesn't need to feel bad about losing in Madison -- most teams lose in that arena.

Personally, I didn't see any reason for Ohio State to drop in the polls as a result of that loss. The Buckeyes still have only one blemish on their record, and there aren't any undefeated teams left in the country that deserve the top ranking more. But the voters always penalize you for a recent loss, regardless of circumstances.

Thus, previously-No. 2 Kansas was elevated to the top spot in both polls. The Jayhawks inexplicably got waxed by Kansas State on Monday night, so their stay at the top will be a short one.

By next week, Ohio State might be back atop the polls again. IMO, the Buckeyes never should have been dropped to No. 2 in the first place. If you believed last week that Ohio State was the best team in the country, a close loss on the road to No. 13 Wisconsin probably shouldn't change that opinion. Apparently, for some people, it did. That is the folly of college basketball rankings.

Fortunately, rankings count for nothing in basketball.

If I'm Illinois coach Bruce Weber, I'm glad point guard Demetri McCamey is finally a senior this year. That means McCamey will be exiting the program soon, thus lessening the chance that he'll get Weber fired.

McCamey's inconsistent and sometimes indifferent play continues to dog the Illini (16-9, 6-6 Big Ten), who dropped an 81-70 decision to No. 14 Purdue Sunday at Assembly Hall.

It's pretty hard to beat a ranked opponent -- even at home -- when your so-called best player shoots 1 for 10 from the field and scores only four points. That was McCamey's line Sunday. Sophomore guards Brandon Paul (23 points) and D.J. Richardson (13 points) tried to pick up the slack, but the Boilers were just too strong.

The loss squanders whatever momentum the Illini might have gained from their Thursday night road win at Minnesota and leaves them squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble.

Illinois has now lost six of its last nine games, squandering a 3-0 start to the conference season. A common theme? The woes of McCamey, who earlier this year was being talked about as a potential first-round NBA pick. Right now, McCamey's pro future is every bit as iffy as the Illini's postseason prospects. Check out his line over the last nine games:

57-55 L at Penn State: 3 for 8 FGs, 5 assists, 5 turnovers, 10 points
76-66 L at Wisconsin: 3 for 13 FGs, 5 assists, 1 turnover, 23 points
71-62 W vs. Michigan State: 4 for 11 FGs, 11 assists, 3 turnovers, 15 points
73-68 L vs. Ohio State: 2 for 11 FGs, 5 assists, 4 turnovers, 6 points
52-49 L at Indiana: 2 for 11 FGs, 3 assists, 5 turnovers, 6 points
68-51 W vs. Penn State: 2 for 9 FGs, 5 assists, 1 turnover, 6 points
71-70 L at Northwestern: 4 for 6 FGs, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, 14 points
71-62 W at Minnesota: 6 for 11 FGs, 4 assists, 5 turnovers, 17 points
81-70 L vs. Purdue: 1 for 10 FGs, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, 4 points

I bolded the Michigan State game and the Minnesota game because those are the only two games out of the last nine where McCamey has performed like the All-Big Ten guard he is supposed to be.

Over the last nine games, we see that McCamey is 27 for 90 from the floor. That's a robust 30 percent. That doesn't work from your best player and point guard.

Over the last nine games, we see that McCamey has 46 assists and 30 turnovers -- a mediocre-at-best assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.53. Take out the 11-assist game against Michigan State and that number dips to 1.30. That doesn't work from your best player and point guard.

Weber has to find a way to get through to McCamey. More importantly, McCamey needs to take it upon himself to get his game together. Or, it's going to be NIT all over again for the Illini this March. That would be a huge disappointment for everyone associated with the program, to say the least.

Ryan Boatright wasn't going to lose this time.

The East Aurora senior was 0-3 against West Aurora the first three years of his varsity career. Saturday night represented his last chance to beat the Blackhawks.

Beat them he did.

Boatright scored 41 points in East's 74-66 victory. The Tomcats collected their first win in the crosstown series since 2007. West Aurora still leads the all-time series, 127-87.

While Boatright's star was the brightest in this game, there's always an unsung player who steps up and helps his team win. On this night, we'll go with East senior John Williams, who was the primary defender on West Aurora junior Juwan Starks.

Starks, who is definitely the best player on the Blackhawks, went 3 for 13 from the field and finished with just 12 points -- five below his season average.

Meanwhile, Boatright scored 10 points above his season average. East's best player was awesome on the big stage. West's best player had an off night, largely due to the defense played by Williams and a few others. There's your difference in the game.

East Aurora and West Aurora will meet for the 214th time on the hardwood Saturday night at East High. Head over to beaconnewsonline.com/sports to read our preview stuff and get ready for the game.

Will East star Ryan Boatright get a win over West before he graduates? He's 0-3 and Saturday is more than likely his last shot.

Will an unsung hero step up, the way West's Brandon Hayes did last season? Hopefully, we have some answers.

After the game, be sure to check back on our Web site for full game coverage.

Do you know why this man has a headache? That's Byron Scott, head coach of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, who have not won a single game since before Christmas. For those scoring at home, that means they have a 26-game losing streak.

Cleveland's last victory was an overtime triumph over the New York Knicks on Dec. 18. Prior to that, they had lost 10 consecutive games. Thus, the Cavs have now lost 36 out of their last 37 games.

This is getting so bad that it's actually fun to follow. Pro sports hasn't seen this kind of badness for awhile. Unfortunately, Cleveland started the season a respectable 7-9. That means they are 8-45 right now. Therefore, they would have to go the rest of the year without a single win to break the NBA's record of ineptitude.

The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers are considered the worst team in NBA history. They went 9-73.

If the Cavs can keep this fail train rolling for another 28 games and pull off a 54-game losing streak, they can erase those Sixers from the record book. However, Cleveland has its next six games at home, starting Friday night with a tilt against the Los Angeles Clippers.

You can find out whether the Cavaliers won their last game by clicking here.

Pittsburgh right-hander Ross Ohlendorf went 1-11 with a 4.07 ERA in 21 starts in 2010.

On Wednesday, arbitrators awarded him a raise from $439,000 to $2,025,000.

Man, I wish I could suck at my job and still have my salary more than quadrupled.

We interrupt the national media's Aaron Rodgers lovefest to bring you this cold dose of reality -- the Green Bay quarterback doesn't play that well against the Bears.

Seriously, he doesn't.

It seems like quite a few writers are under the mistaken notion that Rodgers has been "on fire" for the last six weeks. It is true the Packers won six consecutive win-or-go-home games, culminating in their 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday in Super Bowl XLV.

Green Bay deserves full marks for that. However, Rodgers only played well in four of those six games, not all six, as the national pundits would have you believe.

Here are the quarterback ratings for Rodgers over the last six weeks:
Week 16 vs. N.Y. Giants: 139.9
Week 17 vs. Bears: 89.7
Wild card at Philadelphia: 122.5
Divisional round at Atlanta: 136.8
NFC title at Bears: 55.4
Super Bowl vs. Pittsburgh: 111.5

Note the two lackluster ratings Rodgers had against the Bears. In particular, his performance was nothing special in the NFC championship game. Rodgers threw only three interceptions in those six games, but all of them were against the Bears.

A lot of column inches have been wasted the last few days by people claiming the Bears need to beef up their defense in some way to contain the "unstoppable" Aaron Rodgers. Well, the Bears have already proven they *can* stop Rodgers. They lost to Green Bay twice in a month's time because their offense was not nearly good enough.

My advice to people is to stop sucking up to Rodgers and give some credit to the Packer defense. That unit thoroughly dominated the Bears in head-to-head competition. In three games against Green Bay this season, the Bears' offense scored a grand total of three touchdowns. Given that poor production, it's a miracle the Bears won one of the three.

No, the presence of Aaron Rodgers in the NFC North shouldn't be a big concern for the Bears and their fans. Rather, the Bears should spend this offseason figuring out what they need to do to beef up their offense.

The Bears aren't going to get anywhere near the Super Bowl next year if they can't figure out a way to put some points on the board in head-to-head games against the Packers.

Great newsroom humor ... we were all idealistic once ...

In case your Thursday newspaper ended up in a snow drift somewhere (like mine did), Jim Owczarski wrote an interesting story on the state of West Aurora football.

With Buck Drach's retirement, the head coaching position is open. From what we are hearing around town, this coaching search is about more than just Xs and Os. A fundamental change is needed for an underachieving program that has had only 11 winning seasons in the last 40 years.

Make no mistake about it, West Aurora has had some good coaches over the years. John Wrenn (1982-84) won six state championships in Arizona and Illinois as a high school coach after he left town. West grad and Aurora native Randy Melvin (1985-88), currently the defensive line coach at Rutgers, won a Super Bowl ring as a the defensive line coach with the 2001 New England Patriots.

Ira Jefferson (1993-99) led West High to its only state playoff appearance in the last 25 years (1994) and had success at Kankakee after he left Aurora. Tim Cederblad (1989-91), Bob Williams (1993) and Drach (2006-10) are all Hall of Famers who had tremendous success at other schools.

Yet, none of these guys were able to get the West football program winning with any degree of consistency. As Jim points out, these men are all good coaches. All of them have the track record to prove it. However, they did not win at West High because there is no foundation for success here. The youth programs and the middle school programs in Aurora simply do not measure up.

Coaching is not and has not been the problem on the West Side. There are plenty of athletes in that school, too. We've seen the success West has had in boys basketball and boys track through the years.

But to win in football, you gotta get kids interested in the sport from a young age. They do that in Naperville and Wheaton and that's why they win. In Aurora, we don't do that. That's why we lose.

As most people know, I grew up in Aurora and graduated from West High (Class of 1994). I never played football. In fact, I never even thought about playing football. Even if you wanted to play, there was no place to go until you reached middle school. Those middle school programs have never been particularly successful, and they certainly aren't teaching the same offensive and defensive systems that are being run at West High.

That needs to change, and I think administrators on the West Side are starting to realize that. Good for them. It's time to find a coach who can implement a youth program that starts kids at a young age and nurtures them all the way through the varsity level. That's how you win consistently.

If you're a West alum or a fan of local football, I recommend reading Jim's article. He flushes out all these issues in greater detail. It's good stuff.