By K.C. Johnson

MEMPHIS --- Cruising along with a makeshift lineup, the Bulls hit a massive dry spell and trail the Grizzlies 55-44 at halftime Tuesday night at FedEx Forum.

The Bulls failed to score on 10 straight possessions and surrendered a 17-0 Grizzlies run to waste their 37-32 lead. The Bulls committed three turnovers in the stretch and allowed the Grizzlies to sink three uncontested 3-pointers.

O.J. Mayo leads all scorers with 17 points. Flip Murray has 14 and Acie Law 13 for the Bulls.

Tribune News Services

Highly regarded Boston Red Sox minor league prospect Ryan Westmoreland has undergone surgery in Arizona to remove a cavernous malformation in his brain.

The team made the announcement Tuesday night, saying a five-hour procedure was performed at the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. The surgery was performed by Dr. Robert Spetzler.

A brief team statement said Westmoreland remains in the intensive care unit "but has come through the surgery well." It added that because of the complexity of the surgery, the 19-year-old outfielder will "face a difficult period initially before beginning his recovery."

Westmoreland is one of Boston's top prospects. He left minor league camp on March 4 and was diagnosed the following day at Massachusetts General Hospital.

A cavernous malformation of cavernoma is a cluster of abnormal or dilated blood vessels that effects the central nervous system. Symptoms can include bleeding in the brain, seizures and headaches.

By K.C. Johnson

MEMPHIS --- Raise your hand if you thought the Bulls would lead the Grizzlies 26-25 after one quarter Tuesday night at FedEx Forum.

Not you, Vinny Del Negro.

Riding 54.5 percent shooting and the Grizzlies' sloppy seven turnovers, the Bulls led by as many as 22-11 before reality hit. The Bulls are without Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Kirk Hinrich and started a lineup that averages just 35.3 points combined.

Acie Law hit his first four shots and leads the Bulls with nine points. Flip Murray matched that output.

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President Barack Obama predicts Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky and Villanova to make the men's basketball Final Four.

Obama filled out a bracket for ESPN for the second straight year. This time, he's also making picks for the women's tournament, selecting Connecticut, Notre Dame, Stanford and Tennessee.

ESPN will reveal the full brackets Wednesday. His interview about the men's tournament will air that day during the 11 p.m. CT SportsCenter, with the discussion of the women's tourney broadcast Friday during the 8 a.m. show.

Last year, Obama correctly picked North Carolina to win the national championship. His bracket ranked 903,125th overall, just above the 80th percentile in the ESPN's online contest.

By Mark Gonzales

GLENDALE, Ariz. - The only minor concern following the White Sox after their impressive 6-1 win over Colorado was the health of Alex Rios and Carlos Quentin, whom were both pulled early.

Rios ripped a two-out, two-run triple in the first but left after three innings because of a sore left quadriceps muscle. Rios said he was fine but won't be in Wednesday's lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Quentin was pulled in the fourth inning after getting hit for the second time in the game. Quentin will be in Wednesday's lineup.

By Chris Hine

CHAMPAIGN -- There's little doubt that Illinois is a better team than Stony Brook. Under ordinary circumstances, Stony Brook would be the type of team Illinois would trounce in a non-conference tune-up. But Wednesday's first round NIT matchup between the two teams isn't exactly typical.

When Illinois (19-14) takes the floor, it will be about 72 hours removed from the disappointment it felt Sunday, when it failed to make the NCAA tournament.

Stony Brook (22-9), meanwhile, is thrilled to be in the NIT. It is the school's first postseason appearance since joining Division I in 1999. Even better for the Seawolves, they are hosting the game because Cirque du Soleil is beginning a multiple-night run at Assembly Hall on Wednesday.

By Paul Sullivan

MESA, Ariz -.- Carlos Silva texts his mother in Venezuela before and after every game he pitches.

After throwing four shutout innings Tuesday against the Texas Rangers, Silva texted his mom: "The way I feel today, I haven't felt in a long time."

"I threw like it was me," he said. "I threw the sinker the way I wanted to throw it. I used my breaking ball, my changeup was good, and good command. For me, even if I play a game against my brother and I do good and pitch good, I will be excited."

Silva (2-1) said he was "fired up" after learning his mother, Zulay Silva, was granted a 10-year visa to visit the United States.

Photo: Carlos Silva delivers during his four-shutout-inning stint Tuesday. (Morry Gash/AP)

By K.C. Johnson

MEMPHIS -- Acie Law has replaced James Johnson in the starting lineup for the banged-up Bulls on Tuesday night against the Grizzlies.

Two team sources said Johnson came late to Monday's practice at the Berto Center and thus forfeited an opportunity to start coming off his 20-point effort against the Heat.

"I'm disappointed in myself, Johnson said. "I just have to take the consequences like a man and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Coach Vinny Del Negro basically is starting three guards in Law, Jannero Pargo and Flip Murray against a team with a 6-foot-8-inch athletic small forward in Rudy Gay. Murray, at 6-3, will match originally against Gay.

The Bulls' top four scorers are out to either injury or suspension and only Taj Gibson is a regular starter as they try to snap a seven-game losing streak.

By Mark Gonzales

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The White Sox pounced on Colorado starter Aaron Cook for six runs on six hits in the first three innings to take a 6-1 lead at Camelback Ranch after five innings.

Alex Rios ripped a two-out, two-run triple in the first, and Mark Kotsay followed with an RBI single.

In the third, Mark Teahen's sacrifice bunt set up a wild pitch that scored Teahen, and Juan Pierre followed with an RBI single.

Freddy Garcia pitched three innings of five-hit ball and was supported by exceptional defense from shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who made a strong relay throw to nail Omar Quintanilla at home plate in the third.

Tribune News Services

Illinois State has suspended a member of its men's basketball team after he was charged in an alleged sexual assault.

The McLean County Clerk's office says 22-year-old Bobby Hill was charged Tuesday with criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Hill faces a March 26 arraignment.

Police say they arrested Hill on Monday after an incident at his apartment involving a teenage girl younger than 16.