TORONTO - Although Wednesdays overtime loss was one that Jonas Valanciunas would sooner forget than relive, his coach hopes its something the Raptors sophomore centre will learn from. Charles Sims Buccaneers Jersey . In what promised to be a tricky matchup for the 21-year-old, Valanciunas held his own against the crafty Al Jefferson offensively but was taught a lesson or two on the other end. One of those moments occurred at the end of the extra period. Jefferson set a hard screen that freed up Kemba Walker, forcing Valanciunas to switch off and close out on the Bobcats guard. Walker would drain the game-winner over Valanciunas as time expired. "Weve watched film with him [and] work on it with him individually," Dwane Casey said after practice Thursday afternoon. "In the NBA, a lot depends on game experience and hes seeing every different post-up situation." Valanciunas scored 10 points and added six rebounds in 22 minutes of action Wednesday however, Jefferson poured in 24 to go along with 11 boards, leading the Bobcats with five points in overtime. "Hes still in the process, hes still learning the league, learning the speed of the game and again, hes [getting] better," Casey said, commending Valanciunas growth on the offensive end. "I thought he did an excellent job offensively when he got his catches in the post. Hes really grown from that standpoint." His biggest challenge continues to come on the defensive end, where hes still being exposed by quicker, versatile and more experienced big men. Jefferson is a nightmare assignment for any player, let alone a young and developing big. "My whole career, to this day, people always ask who the hardest [players] are to guard and I surprise them every time when I tell them Al Jefferson and Zach Randolph," said veteran forward and new teammate Chuck Hayes, who participated in his first full practice with the Raptors Wednesday. "For their size - theyre so wide - theyre light on their feet and theyve got great footwork and their shooting touch is just as good as any guard in the league." "It sucks that [Valanciunas] went through that torture chamber in a game that we needed before this road trip but its a learning process," Hayes continued. "Well see them again, Im sure and hell remember that overtime where Al got the best of him." Although Valanciunas shares the blame for what went wrong in overtime, theres plenty of it to go around. The Raptors, as a team, missed their first six field goal attempts while DeMar DeRozan shot 1-of-4. You can also cut the seven-footer some slack, given the amount of time he had spent on the bench. Valanciunas sat for over 17 minutes of game time, including the entire fourth quarter, before coming back in to start overtime. Facing Charlottes unconventional frontcourt of Jefferson and Josh McRoberts, a stretch four, Valanciunas became a late-game afterthought once again, sitting out in favour of Amir Johnson, Tyler Hansbrough, and the newly acquired Patrick Patterson. As Casey notes, it is sometimes a give-and-take with Valanciunas on the floor, certainly in a matchup like Wednesdays. Whatever advantage is gained on the offensive end, assuming the team is utilizing it, is often given right back on defence. With the game on the line, Casey - like he has done in past - opted to play it safe with more experienced and versatile defenders at the position. "Thats why its hard to win consistently with young players in the NBA," said the Raptors coach. "Jonas is going to be okay but thats the patience you have to have with a young player; take the good with the bad." While those who expected the world from Valanciunas in his second NBA season may be disappointed in the early returns, Casey is just as realistic as he is optimistic. It wont happen overnight, Casey reiterates regularly. It didnt with Tyson Chandler, it didnt with Roy Hibbert or Joakim Noah and it wont with Valanciunas. Inevitably, developing Valanciunas will become more of a priority now that Rudy Gay has been dealt. The challenge for Casey - who is trying to win first and foremost, as you would expect - centres on finding that balance between competing and nurturing the future of the franchise, a future he may not even be a part of. "I love the challenge of coaching young players, I enjoy that. I enjoy winning more," he said, half-jokingly. "But I understand where we are and what were about." Valanciunas represents the future of this team more than anyone else that is currently on the roster. The expectations, at least internally, have not changed. The word Casey continues to stress is patience. "Its a process," he insists. "Were patient [but] hes our guy, hes our starting centre for a long time and were just going to have to roll with it." Clinton McDonald Jersey . Mike Ribeiro and Mikkel Boedker each had a goal and two assists as the Phoenix Coyotes started off a four-game trip on solid footing with a 6-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Bobby Rainey Buccaneers Jersey . The World Group first round series will now continue Monday with Spain leading 1-0. Earlier Sunday, Czech Klara Zakopalova led the second singles match against Maria Torro-Flor 6-3, 2-0.MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Kansas States Marcus Foster was battered and bruised, just like everyone else on the court, and was having a hard time limping around during breaks in the play. When the final buzzer sounded, he had no problem jumping up in celebration. Foster scored a game-high 20 points, two coming on free throws in the closing seconds of overtime, and helped the Wildcats hold off No. 7 Kansas 85-82 on Monday night. "Marcus is Marcus," Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said of the freshman. "He hit a lot of big shots." Will Spradling added 15 points for the Wildcats (17-7, 7-4 Big 12), who blew a nine-point lead with less than 2 minutes left in regulation, only to survive for just their third win over the Jayhawks (18-6, 9-2) in 26 games played at Bramlage Coliseum. Hundreds of students flooded the court when the final buzzer sounded to celebrate the end of a six-game skid against Kansas. The Wildcats, who had lost 48 of the last 51 in the series, hadnt beaten their rivals in their on-campus octagon since Feb. 14, 2011. "We just went out there and played hard," said Foster, who turned his right ankle and showed up to the postgame news conference in a walking boot. "We knew if we played hard, the rest would take care of itself." Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points for the Jayhawks, including a putback of his own miss with 6.9 seconds left to force overtime. Perry Ellis had 19 points, Naadir Tharpe added 13 and Brannen Greene scored 10, making two key baskets near the end of regulation. "I thought momentum was on our side," Kansas coach Bill Self said. Tarik Black even scored the opening basket of overtime, but every time the Jayhawks tried to build a lead, the Wildcats had an answer -- a three-point play by Foster, a free throw by Omari Lawrence, or a big putback from unheralded big man D.J. Johnson, who had nine points. "We felt good. We felt energized," Ellis said. "We just couldnt get no stops. We couldnt get no stops in the second half and overtime." Still, it wasnt over until Fosters two free throws with 21.9 seconds left gave Kansas State an 833-79 lead, and Wiggins missed a 3-pointer at the other end. Lavonte David Jersey. Black missed another shot, and the Wildcats finally corralled the rebound, allowing time to run out. "If we lost," Weber said, "it would have been a heartbreaker." Unlike the first meeting in January, when the Jayhawks raced out to a big lead and then simply nursed it through the second half, the rivals played to a draw Monday night. Kansas State surged to an early lead thanks to some poor shooting by the Jayhawks, only to go into a slump of its own. Both teams eventually got into foul trouble as the game began to resemble an old Big Eight tussle, and the result was a 29-29 halftime tie. In fact, there may have been more bodies on the court than baskets made, and the Jayhawks Black even had to limp off after twisting his ankle while going up for a rebound. The angst reached a crescendo midway through the second half, when Thomas Gipson of the Wildcats and Kansas guard Frank Mason got into a shoving match. Both were given technical fouls. Kansas was already playing without reserve forward Jamari Traylor, whom Self sat for disciplinary reasons. With the nagging injury to Black on top of the foul trouble, one of the deepest teams in the nation had its depth tested in one of the rare instances all season. "Both teams are beat up," Self said afterward. After taking a 35-34 lead with 17:34 remaining, the Wildcats ripped off the next nine points. And even when Foster turned his ankle and briefly went to the locker room, Kansas State was still able to match the Jayhawks basket for basket. The Wildcats couldnt close the game in regulation, though. Wesley Iwundu made one of two free throws with 30 seconds left to give Kansas State a 69-65 lead, but Tharpe quickly answered with a layup. Iwundu was fouled again but missed the front end of a 1-and-1, giving Wiggins a chance to send the game to overtime. The Wildcats simply refused to give up. "We made mistakes," Weber said. "To their credit they came back, but our character, and thats something we talked about, let us overcome the emotion." cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' '
