South Florida Sun Sentinel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • C4

4C Sun Sentinel SunSentinel.com Sunday, January 27, 2013 pn MHIIW-l'lVII Manuel named MVP KsSjP JjS DONALD MIRALLEGETTY PHOTO Greg Owen practices at Torrey Pines. Fog wiped out all but five minutes of play Saturday in the Farmers Insurance Open. Fog wipes out play; Tiger waits DERICK E. HINGLEUSA TODAY PHOTO South squad quarterback EJ Manuel, of Florida State, threw for another in Saturday's Senior Bowl. 'Noles QB leads South to 21-16 Senior Bowl win By Omar Kelly Staff writer Florida State's Manuel likes the company he now keeps.

Of the last 12 quarterbacks who have participated in the last two Senior Bowls 10 of them have gone on to start multiple games in the NFL. One of them happens to be the quarterback Manuel replaced at FSU, Christian Ponder, who won the MVP honors of the 2011 Senior Bowl and used the game to push his draft stock into the first round, where he was selected by the Minnesota Vildngs. Manuel, who entered this week projected as a third- or fourth-round prospect, passed for a touchdown and rushed for another on the South's first two drives in a 21-16 victory over the North on Saturday. His performance, and the fact he led all three of the South's scoring drives in this showcase game for NFL prospects, helped him win the MVP honors and will likely boost his draft stock. In a league searching for athletic quarterbacks, Manuel believes he's entering the NFL at the right time because he possesses the skill set that's now in vogue.

"This is the perfect time to be a thrower and a runner," Manuel said, pointing out the success Washington's Robert Griffin III, San Francisco's Colin Kaeper-nick and Seattle's Russell Wilson had this season. "I feel like I can be a pocket passer, but I know how to run That definitely helps my stock." BYU defensive end Ezeldel Ansah received the Woods finished at 11-under 133 with little-known Billy Horschel alone in second after carding a 69. "I have been out here long enough to know that this is part of the game," Woods said of Saturday's delay. "I'll be ready to go Sunday." Woods has gone on to win 34 times out of 44 when holding at least a share of the 36-hole lead on the PGA Tour and he heads a relatively weak leaderboard going into the final two rounds. Wood captures first title: Chris Wood said he felt a huge weight had been lifted after he recorded his first European Tour victory at the Qatar Masters thanks to an eagle on the 18th green.

The 25-year-old Englishman started the final hole a shot behind Sergio Garcia and George Coetzee, but a 12-foot putt at the par-five 18th handed him a one-stroke victory. Wood came home with a three-under 69 while Garcia (66) and Coetzee (65) had to settle for a tie for second. Tribune news services Tiger Woods' bid for a 75th PGA victory was put on hold when thick fog allowed only five minutes of play in the Farmers Insurance Open third round Saturday, forcing the event into a Monday finish. Initial tee times were pushed back three hours before play eventually started at Torrey Pines but the action was halted just five minutes later as visibility swiftly deteriorated. "We basically lost the whole day Saturday, so we'll be back here in the morning," Mark Russell, the PGA Tour's vice president of rules and competition, said.

"We're going to play golf all day until dark and then when it gets dark, we'll suspend play. We'll come back Monday morning and finish the championship." Woods leads the tournament by two shots, having taken control with a seven-under-par 65 in rain-sodden conditions during Friday's second round. A six-time champion in the event at Torrey Pines, honors for the South team while Purdue defensive lineman Kawann Short was the North's top player. They were the defensive standouts, but Manuel led the South squad to the victory, completing 7 of 10 passes for 76 yards with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Alabama tight end Michael Williams. "I think I had a great career.

I'm proud of my career and the games I won. I ended up being the most accurate passer in Florida State's history. I did some good things," said Manuel, who also scored on a 2-yard run Saturday. "I didn't win a national championship. That was something I definitely wanted to do, but now I have a chance to win the crystal ball in the Super Bowl.

That's my next step." The next step for University of Miami tailback Mike James is to continue his playing career. could impact East race for a touchdown and ran back." "I can do anything that anybody else in the country can do," said James, who finished the game with 10 yards rushing on six carries. He became the 63rd Hurricane to participate in the Senior Bowl. UF tailback Mike Gillis-lee contributed 46 rushing yards on 10 carries and was viewed by most scouts and draft expects as one of the week's top performers. Gillislee, who had a quiet first three seasons at Florida before rushing for L152 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior, hoped the Senior Bowl would push him higher up the list of prospects.

"I proved my point that when I've gotten opportunity I can make things happen," Gillislee said. "I want to stand out and show people that I am that complete back they are looking for." Andrew Bynum trade with the Philadelphia 76ers (OK, maybe not) or even something with the Indiana Pacers involving Roy Hibbert The point being that beyond the Lakers' Feb. 10 visit to AmericanAirlines Arena, those at 601 Biscayne Boulevard are likely to currently stand as closet Lakers fans. The status quo in Los Angeles could make things a lot easier for the Heat's Big Three when it comes to the Eastern Conference playoffs. It's one thing to have a rehabilitating Derrick Rose injected into the mix with the Chicago Bulls, it would be another to have Dwight or Gasol injected into the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Last summer, it appeared the Lakers were primed to make a dramatic impact on the NBA championship race. Depending on what happens before Feb. 21, they still could. iwindermantribune.com or follow him at twitter.comiraheatbeat James was a late addition to the Senior Bowl, and he took advantage of the invite by putting the game out of reach for the South when he scored a 4-yard touchdown with 2:41 left James, who began practicing with the South team Wednesday after a hamstring injury sidelined Clemson tailback Andre Ellington, has some pretty good company when it comes to players getting late Senior Bowl invites. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, a former Delaware standout who impressed at the Senior Bowl and was taken in the first round, and former Florida Atlantic tailback Alfred Morris, a six-round draft pick who rushed for 1,613 yards as a rookie with the Redsldns, were both late Senior Bowl additions.

James said his goal was to use the week to prove "I'm a top player, I'm a top Recall, Boston supposedly was on the verge of making a move for Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins earlier in the month with pieces that still left Garnett, Pierce and Rajon Rondo intact Those pieces are still available, even if it would take added filler to meet Gasol's $19 million salary. As for the Nets, Billy King and P. J. Carlesimo might be saying all the right things when it comes to Brook Lopez, but they don't make the ultimate choice in Brooklyn That decision comes from Mikhail Prokhorov, who always thinks bigger. With the Hawks, Howard would get to play at home and Danny Ferry would be able to escape the recurring nightmare that is Josh Smith.

As for the Knicks, Amar'e Stoudemire for Dwight would create a comfort zone for D'Antoni, although it also would lessen the impact of Tyson Chandler. Heck, at this point you probably could make an argument for a Howard- 'l JAYNE KAMI N-ONCE AUSA TODAY PHOTO If the struggling Lakers decide to trade Dwight Howard, left, or Pau Gasol it could bolster teams on the fringe of contention in the Eastern Conference. In the lane STOLEN THUNDER: Even as his popularity grew with the Heat, it was long apparent that Dan Majerle would be a Phoenix Sun for life, adored in Arizona for his playing exploits, broadcasting, community efforts. That's what made the ugly coaching transition there so ugly, when not only was long-time NBA assistant Elston Turner bypassed as a replacement for deposed coach Alvin Gentry, but when Majerle was bypassed, as well. "The thing I keep hearing management say on the radio is that hiring me would've been the popular and easy thing to do," Majerle told the Arizona Republic.

"I earned it. I deserved a shot if it's not going to be Elston. I coached 5 12 years. I coached the summer leagues. I didn't need a favor." Majerle declined to stay on as an assistant to Lindsey Hunter.

"I'll do anything for the Suns. It was a kick to the stomach when I got passed over. I heard that they wanted discipline and accountability, and that's what I've been all about since I was a player." BETTING ON BEASE: Then there is Hunter's hope of getting something out of former Heat first-round pick Michael Beasley, whose offseason signing made it all the more difficult for Gentry, the former Heat coach. "I think to get to the root of Michael Beasley you have to kind of look at him off the court first," Hunter said in a radio interview. "You look at how he was raised and the situations he was put into, people of influence that probably did things that weren't productive to his development." STOLEN GLORY: With the Sacramento Kings' expected move to Seattle, it likely will stoke plenty of SuperSonics nostalgia, of Gary Payton, Lenny Wilkens, Gus Williams, "Downtown" Freddy Brown, Jack Sikma.

The question is where that will leave those with retired KingsRoyals numbers, with former Broward prep standout Mitch Richmond among that group. "I'm being optimistic and hoping they will stay," Richmond said during a recent radio interview in Sacramento. "We can't hang it up in my room. I want it hanging up in that Sacramento arena. There's so much history there.

It would be a shame just to see those jerseys come down and move to Seattle." FIRST THINGS: About the only thing we know about the Heat's 2013 first-round NBA Draft pick is that it won't be staying home (making the assumption that the Heat make the playoffs). It still could wind up with the Cavaliers, where it was initially sent to complete the 2010 LeBron James sign-and-trade agreement, or it yet could wind up with the Los Angeles Lakers or Phoenix Suns due to subsequent trades. Essentially, the Cavaliers negotiated the rights to swap 2013 picks with the Lakers as part of sending Ramon Sessions last season to Los Angeles, and could use the Heat's choice in that process, albeit with the Lakers holding lottery protection with their own pick. Then there is the 2013 first-round pick the Lakers owe to the Suns in the Steve Nash trade, which could have the Heat pick on the move there. The Heat also owe one additional first-round pick to Cleveland to complete the LeBron sign-and-trade (most likely in 2015, top-10 protected).

Lakers L.A. housecleaning would inject hope into several teams The Los Angeles Lakers may yet impact the NBA championship race. Although perhaps not the way Jerry Buss, Jim Buss, Jeanie Buss or busloads of fans in the Southland anticipated. With every Lakers loss making it clearer that the mix is not working, it moves the Lakers closer to considering the possibilities. The possibilities that Dwight Howard won't be sticking around in free agency- The possibilities of discarding Pau Gasol as a scapegoat for Mike D'Antoni's lack of offensive creativity (who would have The possibilities of caring less about potentially bolstering another contender, but rather more about bolstering their own future.

Make no mistake, the league's contenders prefer the status quo: the Lakers feeble; Dwight, Pau, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash home for the playoffs. That will have many championship hopefuls on edge until the Feb. 21 NBA trading deadline, not because of any of their own acquisition desires, but of how a move by the Lakers could bolster teams on the fringe of contention Put Gasol on the Boston Celtics, and it's a game changer. Kevin Garnett moves back to power forward, the offense has someone other than Paul Pierce to turn to for late-game scoring. Put Howard on the Atlanta Hawks and you crate, arguably, the best four-five combination in the conference.

Add Howard to the Brooklyn Nets or Gasol to the New York Knicks, and Ira Winderman the dynamic changes beyond the two boroughs. The perfect Heat scenario? The Lakers start winning, gain enough confidence amid the recent struggles of the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers that they come to the realization the current mix might work, at least in the short run Because the reality is that there are deals to be made for the Lakers, including deals that would move their current headaches out of the conference, where they won't return to haunt as often 47 3-pointers by Wayne Ellington with the Grizzlies this season before being dealt Tuesday to the Cavaliers, with seven coming in a 104-86 Nov. 11 win over the Heat..