Kritik und Anregungen » in four innings in his Pirates deb

BOULDER, Colo. -- Home-cooked meals at her house, featuring all the lasagna the players could eat and a game of hide-and-seek with her kids. A more lighthearted atmosphere at practice, complete with friendly football contests.In no time, first-year Colorado basketball coach JR Payne has changed the course and culture of the 18th-ranked Buffaloes. At 8-0, theyve already surpassed their win total (seven) from a season ago.This amount of success so early is somewhat of a surprise. Payne figured it might take a little bit more time to install her system. But her players instantly bought in and now theyre off and rolling.We have a great group of girls here, who just play their hearts out, said Payne, whose team hosts rival Colorado State on Thursday night. But I definitely did not expect to start this way.A little bonding went a long way. The first thing Payne did after being hired from Santa Clara last March was chat with each player. Just a get-to-know-you session. Whats your family like? Hopes and aspirations? That sort of thing.We really worked to build relationships with the kids, because we didnt recruit any of them, said Payne, who was 23-9 in her final season at Santa Clara. We didnt know any of them.But she could see their work ethic. Hard to miss, actually.Guards Kennedy Leonard and Alexis Robinson were always on the floor whenever she walked past the gym.Turns out, those two had adopted what they termed their 7-to-9 rule. They showed up each day from 7 to 9 a.m. and again from 7 to 9 p.m. to get in some extra shooting. The workouts actually started before Payne was brought on board and they would sometimes be joined by other players. Simply doing their part to bounce back from a 7-23 season a year ago that led to the exit of coach Linda Lappe.That (extra work) was for us, our team, because we were sick of losing, Leonard said.Payne didnt ask about last season. It didnt matter. This was a new beginning as the Buffaloes try to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012-13.Were a very positive staff and always upbeat, encouraging, Payne said. We have a lot of fun with our team.Like the other day, when the Colorado football team was playing Washington in the Pac-12 Championship game. The basketball team decided to play a little football. Later, they had dinner at their coachs house as they took in the game. They even played with her three kids.And last weekend, Leonard & Co. took two of Paynes children to see the movie, Moana.Everything with us is about family, said Leonard, a sophomore from Southlake, Texas. Constantly hearing that day in and day out, it builds an even stronger team and unity.The Buffaloes have taken to heart the three pillars of Paynes program -- be the toughest team on the floor, be the hardest-working squad and play with discipline. Theyve won by an average of 25.8 points and knocked off No. 15 Kentucky 79-69 on Nov. 19.We give everyone a role on the team that plays to their strength, said Payne, whose real name is Ali-Marie but was nicknamed JR as a kid by her father after getting into fights with her brother. Its an ode to the character J.R. Ewing in the show Dallas.Paynes system is a hybrid of what she ran at Santa Clara. They push the pace at times and theyre aggressive on defense. Also making the Buffaloes difficult is that they have seven players averaging at least five points, with Leonard leading the way at a 16.3.No one has to go for 30 for us to be successful, Payne said. All these different players, on any given night, have the ability to put the ball in the basket. Thats such a great thing for a first-year coach.So is this: A little chip on the shoulder of the players. Just to show everyone this program is on the rise again.Expect the unexpected, Leonard said. Because every day we go into practice and work on something new to try and get better. Well probably surprise a few people along the way. Jordan 11 For Sale Cheap Real . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Cheap Air Jordan 11 Free Shipping .875,000, avoiding arbitration. Clippards deal Monday means all eight Nationals players who filed for arbitration wound up settling before a hearing. http://www.cheapairjordan11freeshipping.com/ . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Cheap Real Jordan 11 . The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Cheap Air Jordan 11 Retro . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. PITTSBURGH -- Joey Votto is having one special finish to the season. So good even he isnt sure it can continue for much longer.Votto celebrated his 33rd birthday with four hits, including a home run, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the collapsing Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7 on Saturday night.Votto led off the ninth inning with his 23rd homer, a drive to right off Juan Nicasio that gave the Reds a two-run cushion. The 2010 NL MVP is hitting .427 in 51 games since the All-Star break and could become the first major leaguer to hit .400 in the second half since Ichiro Suzuki had a .429 average in 2004 with the Seattle Mariners.Its pretty unlikely, Votto said. Well see. Just mathematically, its very unlikely to hit .400 for such a long period.Reds manager Bryan Price, who was the Mariners pitching coach in 2004, believes Votto can follow in Ichiros footsteps.Joey is such a great hitter, Price said. He can hit the ball out of the ballpark, hit the ball all over the field and has such great plate discipline that he gets on base at a .430 clip. Its special when you see this kind of production over this period of time.The Pirates flickering hopes of a fourth consecutive postseason berth took another hit as they dropped 5 1/2 games back of St. Louis for the second NL wild card with their 10th loss in 12 games.When asked if he would call a meeting in an effort to spark his team, manager Clint Hurdle gave a terse answer.The one thing I do is when I talk to guys, I dont tell you I talk to them, he said.Francisco Cervelli hit a two-out RBI single in the ninth for Pittsburgh, but Tony Cingrani held on for his 17th save. With runners on first and second, Jordy Mercer bounced into a fielders choice for the final out.Brandon Phillips had three of Cincinnatis 15 hits, helping the Reds rally from an early 4-0 deficit for their second straight win following nine losses in 11 games. Tucker Barnhart drove in three runs.Phillips is hitting .365 (19 for 52) with four homers and 10 RBI in 14 games against the Pirates this season.The Reds jumped in front with three runs in thhe fifth against rookie reliever Trevor Williams (1-1).dddddddddddd. Scott Schebler had a bases-loaded walk before Barnhart made it 7-4 with a two-run double.Jung Ho Kangs two-run homer off rookie starter Robert Stephenson gave the Pirates a 4-0 lead in the third inning. Kang finished with two hits and three RBI.Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison left in the sixth inning after injuring his right groin while legging out a two-run double that got the Pirates within one at 7-6. He is 17 for 42 (.405) with six doubles during a 10-game hit streak.Josh Smith (3-1) got the win despite allowing two runs in 2 1/3 innings.Stephenson threw 43 pitches during a two-run first inning and made it through just three innings, getting tagged for four runs and five hits.Acquired in an Aug. 1 trade with Toronto and assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis, Drew Hutchison gave up four runs and eight hits in four innings in his Pirates debut.I liked the way guys pushed through, Price said. Were down 4-0. Were struggling to win games. We have to take a struggling starter out after three innings. Then here come the Reds with four runs to tie it, three runs to take the lead then the bullpen bent a little but got the job done.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: LF Starling Marte (back spasms) sat out for a fifth straight game and there is no timetable for his return.KUHL SET FOR RETURNPirates right-hander Chad Kuhl will return to the rotation Thursday night and start at Philadelphia. The rookie was originally supposed to start Saturday but the Pirates decided to give him a break after working 134 1/3 innings between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis this season.UP NEXTReds: LHP Brandon Finnegan (8-10, 4.17 ERA) will start Sunday in the finale of the four-game series. He is winless in his last three starts despite a 3.00 ERA in that span.Pirates: RHP Ryan Vogelsong (3-4, 4.07 ERA) has allowed a combined 10 runs in nine innings in his last two starts while going 0-1. ' ' '