Talk » 5.5 sacks despite playing in just 10 games.Ha

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky forward Julius Randle took a lot of time and talked to a lot of people before deciding to leave after one season for the NBA draft, where he is expected to be among the top five selections. With five days left before the deadline for underclassmen to declare, the 6-foot-9 Dallas native announced the decision many expected even before he arrived as part of Kentuckys best recruiting class ever. Projected as a lottery pick from the outset, Randle solidified his draft stock by leading Kentucky (29-11) to the NCAA final behind a string of double-doubles despite being double- and triple-teamed. Randle averaged 15.0 points and 10.4 rebounds and was voted to The Associated Press All-American third team. With Tuesdays announcement, he joins guard James Young, who said last week that he would enter the June 26 draft. "Kentucky will always have a special place in my heart, but growing up as a kid, theres always been my dream to play in the NBA, and theres no better opportunity for me to achieve that goal than now," Randle said at a news conference attended by his mother, Carolyn Kyles, and teammates Alex Poythress and Willie Cauley-Stein, who rode in on a scooter. Decisions remain for three more freshmen -- twin guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison and centre Dakari Johnson -- along with sophomore forward Poythress, who didnt talk about his future Tuesday. But Randles announcement was the most anticipated, even though Kentuckys fan base was resigned to him becoming the latest of the programs "one and done" players. Randles steady low-post play led to positive feedback from league executives about his NBA potential. After spending the past couple of weeks talking with his family, Kentucky coach John Calipari -- who didnt attend the news conference -- teammates and others, Randle made the decision many expected. His next step is hiring an agent. "It wasnt something that we said we were going to do overnight," Kyles said of the decision-making process. "We prayed about it and talked about it for a while and decided this is the best decision for him. ... "It was important to know their feedback, if they thought he was ready to go out there and contribute to a team. The positive feedback, there was enough of it coming from coach Cal that we felt this was the right thing to do." Added Randles mentor, Jeff Webster, "I just wanted to hear him say it, that this is what he wanted to do." Considered the best player of Kentuckys much-heralded eight-man recruiting class featuring six high school All-Americans, the 250-pound Randle was initially described by Calipari as the "alpha beast" of this talented group. The Wildcats overcame a stretch-run slump to reach the NCAA championship game before they lost 60-54 to Connecticut. Randle had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists in the final, but the Huskies defence kept him from being a threat in the paint. The left-handed freshman led the Wildcats in rebounding and scoring and posted a nation-leading 24 double-doubles in spite of opponents work in limiting his options near the basket. Calipari said in a statement that Randle "was Shaqd all year -- in every way," referring to defences applied to former NBA great Shaquille ONeal. "I cannot wait to watch him shine at the next level." Randle scored nearly half of his 599 points from the foul line, as he often had to muscle his way through double teams. He also provided one of Kentuckys season highlights in late February with a game-winning putback in the final seconds of a 77-76 overtime victory over LSU, one of many hard-fought games for a gifted yet inexperienced Wildcats squad that needed all season to come together. Through it all Randle remained a steady force with physical play that reinforced speculation that he would be among the top players chosen in June. "I came here to win a national championship. I came here to mature on and off the court, and I did that," Randle said. "I came (up) one game short of winning a national championship, we did as a team. But everything we went through this year was just an experience Ill never forget. That alone kept me at peace." Dellin Betances Jersey . 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Hello Kerry, After watching Nino Niederreiter clobber Alex Burrows with an open-ice hit on Wednesday, do you think he should have gotten more than the two minutes for interference.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - LeVeon Bell spent four months helping the Pittsburgh Steelers return to the top of the AFC North and four painful quarters watching helplessly as it all came undone.Sure, there were pangs of what if for the second-year running back and team MVP as the season came to a decisive end with a 30-17 loss to Baltimore in the wild-card round last Saturday. Yet while Bell believes his hyperextended right knee would have been good enough to go this weekend if the Steelers had advanced, hell have to settle for a trip to the Pro Bowl and the growing confidence that deeper playoff runs are coming for a team in the midst of an identity shift.For the longest, the Steelers have only been known for defence, Bell said. This is the first year really the offence has really talked about being a dynamic offence and having playmakers all over the field. We love that. Were definitely going to get better.On paper and on the field. Bell set a franchise record for yards from scrimmage, wide receiver Antonio Brown put together the second-highest single-season reception total in NFL history (129) and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tied Drew Brees for the league lead in yards passing. Pittsburgh finished as the NFLs second-ranked offence and smashed the team mark for points in a season.Yet out of all those gaudy numbers, the most important ones might be their ages.Bell is 22. Brown is 26. Rookie Martavis Bryant — who caught nine touchdown passes in 11 games — is 23. All five starters on the offensive line are in their 20s. And while Roethlisberger turns 33 in March, he shows no signs of slowing down.The skys the limit, Bryant said when asked about his potential. He might as well have been talking about the other guys in the huddle too.The sometimes gaudy production came after two painful seasons of restructuring as the offence adjusted to Todd Haleys diverse scheme, Brown developed into one of the NFLs best players and Bell morphed from raw rookie into one of the most versatile weapons in the league. Finding the right chemistry took time and patiencce.dddddddddddd Its a process the Steelers now find themselves making on the other side of the ball.The transition will likely finally begin in earnest during the off-season. Defensive end Brett Keisels torn triceps likely means his career is over. Cornerback Ike Taylor will be 35 in May and missed most of the year with forearm and shoulder injuries. Safety Troy Polamalu was slowed by knee issues over the second half of the season and is hardly talking like a guy who plans on spending a 13th fall playing his own unique brand of football.Time will tell, Polamalu said when asked whether hes going to return.Oddly, perhaps the most likely candidate to return next season is somebody who began 2014 retired. Linebacker James Harrison needed a solid month to get into shape after re-signing with the Steelers in mid-September but at times looked every bit like the player who was among the NFLs most feared defenders in his prime. The 36-year-old finished third on the team with 5.5 sacks despite playing in just 10 games.Harrison stressed when he initially came back this would be his last ride. Now he doesnt sound so sure.The first few weeks it was a feeling of my body couldnt take this, it couldnt handle this, Harrison said. Over the course first 3-4 weeks, my body adjusted, started to feel a lot better. ... I dont feel nowhere near (as badly as) I thought I would feel.Whether Harrison dons his No. 92 jersey again, however, the torch is all but officially passed. For Pittsburgh to return to the leagues elite, the defence doesnt need to be dominant, though it wouldnt hurt. Either way, it is time for the likes of linebackers Jarvis Jones, Sean Spence, Ryan Shazier and safety Shamarko Thomas — all 25 or under, all expected to be leaders of the next wave — to begin the process of building a legacy of their own.I think a lot of younger guys took a lot of big steps this year, defensive end Cam Heyward said. We have to continue to make steps if we want to make the ultimate goal.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '