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March 9, 2018

Duke-North Carolina: A Rivalry Which Will Always Matter

Baseline Perspective | Duke-North Carolina — (Image Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty)

Duke and North Carolina isn’t just a college basketball rivalry, it’s the rivalry.

It’s the matchup which pulls in the casual sports fan and turns a normal Friday night into must-see television.

This game is at the center of the sports world whenever it hits the calendar. The regular season games never feel regular, but when the stakes are raised, however, so does the intensity.

Whenever asked to describe Duke and North Carolina, the thoughts begin to run through my mind like a fast break.

It’s Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill to Eric Montross, George Lynch, and Donald Williams. It’s Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace to Vince Carter and Antwan Jamison. It’s Jay Williams, Shane Battier to JJ Redick and Sheldon Williams. From Raymond Felton, Sean May, and Rashad McCants to Ty Lawson, Danny Green, and Tyler Hansbrough.

It’s Dean Smith to Roy Williams. There’s Mike Krzyzewski. Michael Jordan.

It’s simply Duke and North Carolina. And it always matters.

The backdrop for the next installment in this classic won’t be in the state of North Carolina. This time the stage is set for their semifinal matchup in the ACC Tournament, in Brooklyn.

Duke and North Carolina split their regular-season series this season, each team winning on its home court. The winner will move on to the championship game, with an added emphasis for seeding in the upcoming NCAA Tournament also on the line.

[irp posts=”613″ name=”ACC Tournament: Experienced North Carolina Won’t Panic In Postseason”]

The Blue Devils, behind Marvin Bagley III, shut down Notre Dame in the quarterfinal round. Bagley was dominant, the freshman showed why he’s an elite top NBA prospect. He repeatedly pulled the plug on any momentum Notre Dame could gather in the second half when he made 11-of-12 shots.

Bagley finished with a game-high 33 points and with 17 rebounds. If his next stop is the NBA draft in June, he made a strong case to be the number one pick.

“Bagley was just the first pick in the draft,” Notre Dame Head coach Mike Brey said afterward. “He’s a can’t-miss star in my opinion from what I’ve seen tonight.”

Duke senior Grayson Allen was also can’t-miss in the first half, he drained his first five shots from the three-point line and finished with 23 points.

When Bagley and Allen are both on like that, Duke’s an entirely different monster.

North Carolina took an early punch in the mouth from Miami, in their quarterfinal game, when they fell behind, 14-0. But the Tar Heels, led by seniors Theo Pinson and Joel Berry III, showed their poise and came back to finish the Hurricanes with a game-ending 13-0 run.

Bagley and Allen to Pinson and Berry. Their names can be added to the history between these two teams.

Time to Buckle Up

On a Friday night in Brooklyn, Duke and North Carolina will hit the court fully aware of what’s on the line. The winner moves on to play in the ACC championship game, but they also get to pad their case for a potential number one seed in the NCAA tournament.

It’s been another controversial season for the NCAA with the annual debate of issues and scandals dominating the headlines off the court.

But its rivalries, such as this one, which provides the die-hard and casual sports fan a much-needed break. For two to three hours, the focus shifts to what college basketball is supposed to really be about, the passion.

The stakes are high for this game and so will be the intensity. Most of the talk around Barclays Center this week has been about what if Duke and North Carolina get it on Friday night?

Well, we have it. Buckle up for a rivalry which will always matter.

March 7, 2018

ACC Tournament: Experienced North Carolina Won’t Panic In Postseason

Baseline Perspective | Joel Berry — North Carolina point guard Joel Berry – (Image Credit: SI.com)

The postseason road begins for North Carolina with their matchup against Syracuse in the second round of the ACC Tournament.

It could’ve been a little easier for the Tar Heels in Brooklyn this week. A six-game winning streak had them in prime position to secure a high seed. This would have provided the comfort of a double-bye into the quarterfinal round.

A big key to gaining peace of mind comes is making sure what needs to be done gets done.

In North Carolina’s case, their regular season ended with a loud thud. They lost their final two games of the regular season, a heartbreaker to Miami on Senior Day and a road loss to Duke where they coughed up a 13-point second half lead.

Fortunately, for the Tar Heels, there’s more that comes with securing peace of mind. And that’s letting go of the things you don’t control.

That’s not easy. With experience, however, the goal becomes easier to meet. And that’s where North Carolina can thrive on this year’s road to the Final Four. The Tar Heels, seeded sixth in the ACC Tournament, can rely on their experience to help them move forward.

[irp posts=”609″ name=”Syracuse Must Bring Lunch Pail to Brooklyn for ACC Tourney”]

North Carolina … Battle-Tested

Its experience which will help senior point guard, and team leader, Joel Berry shake off a disappearing act in the regular season finale against Duke. Berry, ranked fifth in the ACC in scoring with 17.8 points per game, was held to only six points against the Blue Devils on 3-of-11 shooting from the field. This included a surprising 0-for-7 from the three-point line.

The odds of Berry having a repeat-performance in Brooklyn are slim to none. He’s too good and battle-tested. This also goes for fellow senior Theo Pinson, junior Luke Maye, and the rest of the Tar Heels who follow their lead.

North Carolina is 15-2 in the postseason the past two years. A two-game losing streak to end the season, as deflating as those losses were, won’t rattle them. They know it’s winning time.

March 6, 2018

A Healthy Matt Harvey Can Still Thrive With Mets

Baseline Perspective | Matt Harvey — Matt Harvey – (Image Credit: Anthony J. Causi)

Matt Harvey may not be the ace of the New York Mets anymore, but he can still thrive in 2018.

Harvey pitched three scoreless innings in a 4-2 victory for the over the Detroit Tigers in spring training. Mets beat writer Anthony DiComo, of MLB.com, described his fastball as resting in the mid-90’s for a second straight start.

Velocity for the right-hander was a concern last season during his return from injury. There was a bout with shoulder weakness, a result from dealing with the aftermath of horacic outlet syndrome and arterial surgery.

To see Harvey finding his groove with his fastball again is an encouraging sign for the Mets. In 48 pitches, against Detroit, he struck out two, walked one, and allowed one hit.

Anthony’s Perspective

It’s no secret on this site that I really like the hiring of new manager Mickey Callaway for the Mets. There’s a confidence and charisma to his approach on the field. This was a team badly in need of a new voice and a player like Harvey can benefit from it.

Callaway, as Anthony DiComo noted in his article, spotted a mechanical flaw in Harvey’s delivery from past seasons. The results obviously are helping with Harvey’s approach this spring on and off the field.

Harvey might not turn back into the dominant force he was which took New York City by storm. But with Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, now at the front of the starting rotation, Harvey has a chance to fly under the radar for the start of the 2018 season.

Callaway, with new pitching coach Dave Eiland, were brought in for their leadership skills as much as their knowledge of pitching. Part of those skills include getting their players to embrace change. Harvey appears to be buying in and so far the results have been on the money.

March 4, 2018

Same Steven Matz Looks Like Familiar Problem

Baseline Perspective | Steven Matz — Steven Matz (Image Credit: . (Jeff Roberson/AP)

The Mets would like to see Steven Matz be a key member of their starting rotation in 2018. Now if someone can just remind Matz of this, preferably before the Mets begin their season.

Matz, for the second time in as many starts, allowed five runs. He recorded only one out, gave up five hits, and walked two in a 7-3 loss to the Washington Nationals.

It’s only spring training, and he’s working his way back from injury, but the early signs are alarming and familiar.

The Nationals didn’t hit him hard, however the left-hander didn’t help himself by working deep into counts and running his pitch count up.

Mets manager Mickey Calloway, after the game, called his struggles a “bump in the road”. Well, it’s a bump the Mets have seen before.

[irp posts=”443″ name=”Mickey Callaway Brings What Mets Need Most”]

Anthony’s Perspective

In past seasons, whenever he’s struggled, Matz consistently falls behind batters. All this does is run up his pitch count and make it difficult to pitch deep into ballgames.

The potential has always been there for Matz, however, his inability to stay healthy has been a problem.

With his health concerns and command issues, the Mets have to think about their options for the 26-year old talent. With his history of arm problems, the bullpen doesn’t seem like a good fit. But, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News points out in her article, Matz does have an option left and could be sent to the minor leagues. If it comes to that.

Callaway, and pitching coach Dave Eiland, are preaching patience, and as they should because it’s still spring training. But there’s enough depth on the roster to spark debate on what role their lefty should have when the regular season starts.

February 20, 2018

Seton Hall Must Ride Seniors Through Tough Times

Baseline Perspective | Desi Rodriguez — Desi Rodriguez of Seton Hall (Image Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

In the biggest game of the season for Seton Hall, Desi Rodriguez couldn’t buy a bucket. The senior forward missed his first five shots from the field, he also committed two turnovers.

The timing simply couldn’t be worse.

Seton Hall’s season, full of promise, was spiraling out of control. They’re in a fight to stay afloat in what’s become a logjam in the middle of the Big East standings. A loss this past Sunday in Newark to DePaul, the last place team in the conference, would be a body blow for the Pirates and their postseason hopes for March.

But with the pressure on and a sense of urgency inside the Prudential Center, there was Rodriguez and his fellow seniors struggling from the opening tip.

With a little over seven minutes left in the first half, Rodriguez found his shot. He drained a three-pointer to break a 23-23 tie. He hit two more from downtown which keyed a 10-3 run from Seton Hall.

Rodriguez found his shot just in time, he finished with a career-high 33 points. When Angel Delgado, the walking double-double, wasn’t pulling down rebounds he was diving on the floor for loose balls. It wasn’t pretty by any means but the Pirates escaped with a hard-fought 82-77 victory over DePaul.

[irp posts=”565″ name=”Seton Hall Keeps Tournament Hopes Alive With Win Against DePaul”]

These are tough times for Seton Hall and they needed badly to beat DePaul. The win over the Blue Demons snapped a four-game losing streak which raised red flags all over the place. With the Big East tournament quickly approaching, these are desperate times for the Pirates.

Head coach Kevin Willard’s senior core group of Delgado, Rodriguez, Khadeen Carrington, and Ismael Sanogo have struggled with bouts of inconsistency. It would’ve been easy to understand Willard shaking things up.

But instead of playing his younger players more against DePaul, Willard doubled down on playing his seniors. When Rodriguez missed his first five shots, it looked like it wasn’t going to be his night. Instead of sitting him down, Willard let him work through it. The move paid off.

The logic is simple, Willard knows this group has been through this before. What made Seton Hall an early favorite to make noise in March is their experience. This team is battle-tested and familiar with adversity visiting around this time of the season.

Seton Hall’s win over DePaul, gritty as it was, did little to remove any of the current concerns surrounding them. Their final four games left on the schedule will set the tone for their last postseason run together. It won’t be easy.

These are tough times for the Pirates, but history has shown they’ll rise to the occasion for one last ride.

February 19, 2018

Seton Hall Keeps Tournament Hopes Alive With Win Against DePaul

Seton Hall won a tight game against Big East foes DePaul, 82-77 Sunday afternoon in Newark. The win pushed the Pirates to a .500 record in the conference and gave them an 18-9 overall record.

Desi Rodriguez scored a career-high 33 points and Angel Delgado added 16 points with 19 rebounds for Seton Hall.

The game was close in the first half until Rodriguez sparked a 10-0 run. The senior hit two three pointers in the run which helped the Pirates take a 31-23 advantage. The lead grew to 12 before DePaul went on a 10-0 run of their own to cut the lead to 38-36 at halftime.

Delgado kept Seton Hall afloat in the first half with another double-double. The senior scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Delgado’s play energized the Pirates at a time where they struggled to get it going.

Seton Hall barely shot over 30 percent from the field in the first half. But Delgado’s relentless hustle, diving for loose balls and extra effort on the boards helped give his team life.

In the second half, Rodriguez caught fire by shooting 9 for 11 from the field and making all five of his free-throw attempts. Delgado kept his production up by grabbing eight rebounds and scoring six more points.

As Seton Hall kept scoring so did DePaul, keeping the game within reach with the lead being no bigger than eight points. Marin Maric kept the Blue Demons in the game. The center shot eight of nine from the field and knocked down two three-pointers.

In the final minute of the game Seton Hall looked poised to close the game with a win, but DePaul kept fighting and the Pirates found themselves in a tight game. Eli Cain made two free throws for the Blue Demons to cut the lead down to 77-71.

Seton Hall freshman guard Jordan Walker missed two free throws, which kept the Pirates’ lead at 77-73. DePaul’s Max Strus hit a huge three to trim the lead down to 79-77. Walker was at the line again, but this time made one out of two free throws. Cain’s missed layup led to Rodriguez closing out the game with two made free throws.

After the game, Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard described the importance of Delgado’s leadership and why the team feeds off his energy.

“He’s our emotional leader, Willard said. “He always has been, since day one when he stepped on campus.”

Willard also confirmed Degado’s improved play and his feeling better after having knee problems.

“The fact that he feels really good right now, he got back into playing basketball and playing the way he always plays.”

What’s Next?

Seton Hall will look to get a win streak going against Providence Wednesday night at the Dunkin Donuts Center.

February 13, 2018

Mets Manager Mickey Callaway Hits Right Note Praising Rotation

Baseline Perspective | Mickey Callaway — (Image Credit: Ames Keivom/New York Daily News)

The Mets report to Port St. Lucie, Florida this week. There’s plenty of buzz around the team with new manager Mickey Callaway taking over.

Pitching is once again the projected strength of this team. Their ability to stay healthy, however, is a legitimate area of concern.

What doesn’t appear to be a concern is the communication skills of Callaway. That’s not a knock on his predecessor, Terry Collins, but how quickly Callaway can win over his new team will be intriguing.

In his press conference, with pitchers and catchers already reporting to camp, Callaway raved about his first extended look at his pitching staff.

“I got to sit there and watch bullpens in the last week and I’ve never seen anything like that,” Callaway said. “The amount of very good arms and quality stuff we have in this Mets organization, I promise you nobody else has that. I have been around some pretty good arms and this is the best group of arms and stuff that I’ve ever seen, from top to bottom. It’s really amazing.”

Callaway, along with first-year pitching coach Dave Eiland, have their hands full with a staff full of question marks. Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, and Steven Matz missed significant time last season and highlighted the injury woes of the Mets in 2017.

Anthony’s Perspective

By praising his pitching staff, I thought new Mets manager Mickey Callaway made a great early impression in his first spring training.

There is great power in compliments. Client strategist Kathryn Christensen wrote compliments can increase productivity, performance, and morale.

The injuries to Syndergaard and Harvey helped put the Mets in an early hole they never recovered from. Of the five projected starters for 2017, only Jacob deGrom managed to avoid the major injury bug.

Harvey and Matz are still major question marks in the rotation, not far behind is Zach Wheeler.

The Mets are coming into camp this year excited and already talking about getting back to the playoffs. But this is a team which must crawl before they can walk again.

Every team coming into spring training gets excited for the fresh start a new season begins. But those early expectations lead to humbling realities really quick.

Callaway’s early praise of the pitching staff will help sustain the confidence of his players as the spring progresses.

February 8, 2018

Fordham Shoots Their Way Into A Second Half Comeback Victory

Baseline Perspective | Ivan Raut — Fordham freshman guard Ivan Raut (Image credit: fordhamsports.com)

After being down as many as 17 points in the first half the Fordham Rams made an incredible come back in the second half to secure a 67-66 win over George Mason, at historic Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx.

Prokop Slanina and freshman Ivan Raut led the comeback by shooting 50% from the 3-point line in the second half. Will Tavares and Joseph Chartouny also contributed with each making a pair of threes in the second half.

The game started slow for the Rams. In the first half they shot a poor 31 percent from the field and 18 percent from the 3-point line. In the middle of the first half the Rams gave up a 21-0 run which lasted 8 minutes. That run was led by George Mason’s junior guard Otis Livingston II who scored 8 points in that stretch.

The Rams were killed on the glass, George Mason out rebounded Fordham 28-14 which helped give them a 10 point lead to close out the first half, 33-23. Despite Fordham’s struggles in scoring, junior forward Prokop Slanina led the team in scoring with 9 points while shooting a little under 40 percent.

Rams Begin To Click In Second Half From Three

Within a few minutes into the second half Slanina started the three-point attack cutting George Mason’s 11 point lead down to eight. The next couple of threes came from senior guard Will Tavares and junior forward Joseph Chartouny, cut the lead down to one, at 47-48.

In the six minute mark of the second half the Rams took the lead thanks to a critical 3-pointer from Raut making it 58-56. With the three-point surge coming along, the Rams looked more energized on defense and on the glass. Fordham pushed the lead to five, at 67-62, but George Mason’s freshman guard Ian Boyd hit 2 shots to cut the lead the down to one.

With 24 seconds to go, Tavares struggled down the stretch. He missed a jumper then turned over the ball, which led to a George Mason steal. The Patriots couldn’t convert that turnover into points cause of a missed layup by Javon Greene. Tavares got another chance to score thanks to a block by Joseph Chartouny and he was fouled. Unfortunately, Tavares missed the free throw and the Patriots got one more chance to win the game. Otis Livingston II, with three seconds left, heaved a long distance three that fell short and the Rams won 67-66.

Fordham out rebounded George Mason in the second half 20-19. This was huge given that George Mason destroyed them 28-14 on the glass. The star of the night was forward Prokop Slanina. He was the team leader in points scoring 17 while getting 5 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals.

Coach Jeff Neubauer said of Slanina, “He is the center of our universe, he is important. It’s like asking how important is the sun? The sun is pretty important in this world.”

What’s Next?

The Rams will look to get revenge against Duquesne this Saturday at 12:00pm in A.J. Palumbo Center.

February 8, 2018

Eagles Embracing Underdog Role Leads to Super Bowl Glory

Baseline Perspective | Nick Foles — Eagles quarterback Nick Foles led the underdog to Super Bowl glory. (Image Credit: John Biever/NFL)

“Hate it or love it, the underdog’s on top.” – 50 Cent

If the greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do, then the Philadelphia Eagles must be on cloud nine.

Because of a willingness to embrace the role of underdog, the Eagles left Minneapolis, Minnesota as Super Bowl champions. They did it with a stunning 41-33 victory over the favored New England Patriots at U.S. Bank Stadium.

History has shown us how much we love watching the underdog dream the impossible dream. Fans of the Rocky movies can attest to watching Rocky Balboa run the streets of Philadelphia training for a fight no one thought he’d win.

The Patriots, the team most outside of New England love to hate, were heavily-favored to win their sixth Super Bowl title. The Eagles found themselves pitted against the NFL’s juggernaut, and defending champions.

How did the Eagles do it? What did it take in order for them to overcome the odds? Here were three factors I believed played key roles:

Heart and Fire

For over a decade now, the Patriots have stayed at or near the top of the NFL with the arrogance, skill, and star power of Apollo Creed. Their resume is intimidating enough to make you think Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago were coming through the tunnel before kickoff.

We already know how it turned out for the “Italian Stallion”. A mixture of “heart and fire” fueled Rocky in each of his battles inside the ring, he was the underdog in all of them.

Heart and fire is a key component for any underdog to achieve success. You have to really want to win, that’s where it starts and ends. That passion inside of us, once realized, must be ignited.

I believe successful motivational speaker Eric Thomas captured it best with this quote:

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.”

Throughout the 2017-18 season, the Eagles showed plenty of heart and fire during a campaign which had plenty of setbacks along the way. But it still came down to embracing their role.

Baseline Perspective | Doug Pederson — Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson (Image Credit: Kirt Dozier-USA TODAY Sports)

Owning Your Truth

Of the three, this one I feel provides the most impact. The Eagles, by embracing their role as the underdog, owned their truth.

Mindset and transformational coach Rebecca Mckown, in the Huffington Post, wrote “The truth of the soul is powerful. The weight of the ego is sometimes more powerful.”

The numbers rarely ever lie. The Patriots came into Super Bowl LII with future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, a future Hall of Fame head coach in Bill Belichick, and five Super Bowl rings in seven tries together.

Those are tough odds to go up against for any team. The Eagles had backup quarterback Nick Foles, who took over late in the season for the injured Carson Wentz. Their head coach, Doug Pederson, didn’t begin his coaching career until 2005 at a private high school in Shreveport, Louisiana. In February of that year, Belichick and Brady were winning their third Super Bowl in four years.

In the game, Brady threw for 505 passing yards, a Super Bowl record. He added three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

But from the opening kickoff, the Eagles were the aggressors and made sure they stayed that way until the clock hit 00:00. Pederson rolled the dice twice on fourth down and came up a winner. It’s really the only way to beat a juggernaut like the Patriots, you have to stay aggressive.

Foles threw for 373 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. It was enough to not only win the game, it earned him the Most Valuable Player Award.

It would be easy for anyone to look at the tale of the tape and put the smart money on New England. But, despite a 13-3 regular season record (identical to New England), Philadelphia went throughout the playoffs as the underdog. This included their NFC wild-card win over the Atlanta Falcons, at home.

This wasn’t new territory for the Eagles and, like they’ve done all season, they embraced the role of underdogs because the numbers clearly said that’s what they were. By doing so, the Eagles lived in their truth and owned it all the way to a Super Bowl title.

Baseline Perspective | Tom Brady — Tom Brady came up short in his bid for a sixth Super Bowl ring. (AP/Chris O’Meara)

The Resilient Eagles

Every NFL team wants to succeed, however, in the end it always comes down to which team’s the most resilient.

If there’s a new poster-team for the next-man up position, it must be this year’s Eagles team. They lost Wentz, a regular-season MVP candidate, in week 14. Before that, it was nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters, linebacker Jordan Hicks, running back and speedster Darren Sproles, and Chris Maragos. All key players on offense, defense, and special teams.

“The human capacity for burden is like bamboo-far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.” – Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister’s Keeper

The Eagles didn’t take a knee once the injury list began to fill up with names, they plugged the next player in and persevered on with their season.

With every step forward afterwards, confidence grows. By the time the Eagles lined up against the almighty Patriots in the Super Bowl, they were ready for what was ahead because they’ve been battling all season through adversity.

Resiliency is an important characteristic for the underdog to possess. This life will throw punches at us which will occasionally put even the strongest down on the mat. Those who can get up and keep fighting leave a lasting legacy.

It’s been a long time coming for the city of Philadelphia and its football fans.

By showing heart, owning their truth, and displaying remarkable resiliency, the Eagles showed what it takes as an underdog to win on the field. They also gave justification to life’s sweet pleasure of doing what everyone said they couldn’t do.

Now that’s a truly a feeling to embrace.

January 17, 2018

Mets Adding Adrian Gonzalez Better Wake Up Dominic Smith

Dominic Smith | Baseline Perspective — Dominic Smith (Image credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The Mets are not getting the Adrian Gonzalez from five years ago, but his signing is enough to raise eyebrows on who they’ll be starting the season with at first base.

Throughout the second half of the 2017 season, the Mets were believed to be leaning towards Dominic Smith as their first baseman going forward. Continue reading “Mets Adding Adrian Gonzalez Better Wake Up Dominic Smith”