BARCELONA, Spain -- Tito Vilanova is stepping down as Barcelonas coach following a recurrence of throat cancer, just a month before Lionel Messi and his teammates begin the defence of their Spanish league title. Club president Sandro Rosell told a hurriedly called news conference at Barcelonas training facility on Friday that Vilanova will "follow a treatment" that will be "incompatible" with staying on as coach. Rosell said that a new head coach would be named next week and that Barcelona was cancelling its first friendly of the preseason, scheduled to be played in Poland on Saturday against Lechia Gdansk. Spanish media was rife with speculation that little-known Joan "Rubi" Ferrer would replace Vilanova. Ferrer was hired on June 28 as Barcelonas new assistant coach after his strong season with Catalan club Girona in the second division. The 44-year-old Vilanova had twice previously had to take a medical break from his duties at Barcelona, once as Pep Guardiolas assistant in the 2011-12 season and again as its manager last season. In his single season in charge he led Barcelona to the Spanish league title with a record-tying point 100 points. "This is a piece of news I would have never in my life wanted to give," Rosell told a packed media room including Barcelonas first team with Messi and captain Carles Puyol. "After evaluating the results of the routine tests and checkups for Tito Vilanova, the option arose of following a treatment that will be incompatible with the development of the responsibilities as the coach of the first team," Rosell said. Vilanova was not in attendance. Vilanova had battled the recurrent tumour in a saliva gland for the past two years, coming back to coach each time. He first fell ill in Nov. 2011 and had to have surgery. He then had a second tumour removed last December and travelled to New York several times to receive further treatment. In his absence last season, assistant Jordi Roura took over. First as Guardiolas assistant, Vilanova provided the tactical know-how that helped his boss forge one of the best teams in the history of the sport -- winning 14 of a possible 19 titles from 2008-2012, including two Champions League trophies. As a young player, Vilanova spent six years at Barcelonas training academy -- from 1984-90 -- but never made it to the topflight team, going on to play for clubs such as Celta Vigo and Mallorca before his playing career was cut short by a serious knee injury. That injury led Vilanova into coaching and to Barcelonas cadets, tutoring current first-team players Messi, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique. Vilanova moved on from Barcelona to work as sport director at third division club Terrassa before answering Guardiolas call to help him take Barca B up from the third division in 2007-08.Mike Ditka Bears Jersey . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. Mitchell Trubisky Youth Jersey . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. http://www.chicagobearfootballauthentic.com/authentic-dan-hampton-bears-jersey/ .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. Brian Urlacher Youth Jersey .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. Tarik Cohen Youth Jersey . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators.MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Nathan Adrian will have to be West Virginias best player if the Mountaineers are going to make a deep March Madness run this season.So far, so good.Adrian had 15 points and 14 rebounds for his first career double-double, helping No. 19 West Virginia cruise past Mississippi Valley State 107-66 on Monday night.Nate just cant get hurt, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. I dont know what wed do without him. We run everything through him. You watch him and then you watch everybody else, it looks like everybody else has their feet in cement. He wants to win, he wants to do things right.Adrian set a career high for rebounds in this one, and his point total was his highest since getting 16 on Dec. 29, 2013 against William & Mary.Im just listening to coach and what he has to teach me and doing the best I can, the 6-foot-9 forward said. I dont expect to be the leading scorer on the team. It doesnt matter who does. Whoever can score points to help us win the game.The Mountaineers (2-0) were sluggish at first, but after four lead changes in the first two minutes, Adrian and Jevon Carter fueled a 17-0 run that put West Virginia ahead 21-5 at the first media timeout.West Virginia shot 72.7 percent from the free-throw line, a spike from when they made 58.6 percent in their game against Mount St. Marys last Friday. The Mountaineers also scored 34 points off of 26 turnovers Monday.Teyvon Myers and Lamont West scored 12 points for West Virginia, and Carter and Esa Ahmad had 10.For the second straight game, Daxter Miles, Jr. did not see any time on the court.Marcus Romain had 13 points for the Delta Devils (0-2). Its his eleventh straight game in double figures.Hiim scoring in double figures is a given, Mississippi Valley State coach Andre Payne said.dddddddddddd. What were concerned about with him is his turnovers. Its two bad games back to back where hes had six turnovers and thats where we got to get him, from turning the ball over so much, because if youre going to have the ball in your hand that much, you got to make good decisions.POLL IMPLICATIONSWest Virginia went up one spot in the AP Top 25 on Monday due to Connecticuts loss to Wagner on Friday. If the Mountaineers can handle New Hampshire on Sunday, they will likely remain at 19 or move up a spot or two depending on what happens above.THE BIG TWELVEA dozen players scored for the Mountaineers, and nine of them got more than 10 minutes on the court. Huggins is showing, once again, how deep West Virginia can be.PRESS VIRGINIAIn the first 20 minutes, the Mountaineers took advantage of the Delta Devils miscues by scoring 26 points off 18 turnovers. They continued that dominance in the second half with another eight points off eight turnovers.BIG PICTUREMississippi Valley State: After losses to two Power 5 schools, the Delta Devils continue their 15-game season-opening road trip which includes stops at No. 13 Michigan State, No. 6 Indiana, No. 14 Gonzaga and No. 20 Iowa State.West Virginia: The Mountaineers start the NIT Season Tip-Off on campus against New Hampshire before going to Brooklyn, New York to face Illinois on Thanksgiving Day.UP NEXTMississippi Valley State plays at Kent State on Wednesday.West Virginia hosts New Hampshire on Sunday. ' ' '