METRO DIGEST || Reporting prep results

Reporting prep results

The Vindicator encourages coaches and statisticians to report winter prep results by email (sports@vindy.com) or fax (330-747-6712).

Phone calls (330-747-1478) are also acceptable but emails and faxes are strongly preferred.

Cavs’ Varejao still out with bruised knee

CLEVELAND

Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao will miss his fourth straight game because of a bruised right knee.

The Cavs said Varejao won’t travel with them to Washington for tonight’s game against the Wizards. Varejao, who leads the NBA in rebounding, wasn’t with the Cavs on Saturday when they snapped a six-game losing streak with a win in Milwaukee. He stayed in Cleveland to receive additional treatment, and the Cavs had hoped the extra rest would help him return this week.

Varejao injured his knee last week against Toronto. The 6-foot-11 Brazilian has been replaced in the starting lineup by rookie Tyler Zeller.

Cavs claim guard Shaun Livingston

CLEVELAND

The Cavaliers claimed guard Shaun Livingston on waivers from Washington.

To make room on their roster, the Cavs waived guard Donald Sloan, who appeared in 20 games for Cleveland this season.

Livingston made four starts for the Wizards this season. He was waived on Sunday by Washington and the Cavs had until 5 p.m. Tuesday to claim him. He averaged 3.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 17 games. The 6-footer has appeared in 341 career NBA games.

Sloan has appeared in 53 games — 11 starts — for Cleveland, which signed him from the Development League in March.

Bengals acquire Dane Sanzenbacher

CINCINNATI

The Cincinnati Bengals have acquired wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher on waivers from the Chicago Bears and placed first-round draft pick Dre Kirkpatrick on injured reserve.

Sanzenbacher was released this week by the Bears and was picked up Tuesday by the Bengals. He played in five games with one catch for 7 yards this season.

Kirkpatrick, the 17th overall selection in the 2012 draft, has been sidelined with a knee injury. He played in five games this season, with two tackles on defense and two on special teams.

New WVU graduate has wrestling career

CHARLESTON, W.Va.

Recent West Virginia University graduate Michael Paris spent years traveling from Morgantown to small-scale wrestling gigs.

Now it’s all paying off.

Paris recently earned his advertising degree. It comes a year after he inked a deal with TNA wrestling.

Paris travels the globe performing as alter ego Zema Ion, a hair-obsessed Filipino supermodel. While attending college, Paris struggled to make ends meet while traveling to wrestling performances. Now he travels to Florida every week to tape the wrestling shows that are shown on Spike TV.

Even though he was signed last year, Paris didn’t want to give up on his dream of earning a degree.

Iraq denies it wants Maradona as coach

BAGHDAD

The Iraqi Football Association denies it is negotiating with Argentine great Diego Maradona to take over as a coach of the national team.

Deputy IFA head Abdul-Khaliq Masoud tells The Associated Press the association isn’t in talks with Maradona “and doesn’t have any intention to hire him.”

Masoud’s comments came a day after an Argentine soccer official was quoted saying Maradona was a leading candidate to take over as Iraq coach. The Buenos Aires daily La Nacion reported that Maradona was close to signing a deal with Iraq.

Former Brazil great Zico resigned as Iraq coach last month over what he said was the Iraqi association’s failure to live up to its commitments. Zico had been coach since August 2011.

Vindicator staff/wire reports