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Benjamin Simon

Staff Writer

Just a little more than a week ago, March Madness wrapped up yet another eventful and exciting couple weeks. Here is a look into my personal awards of the tournament.

Biggest Upset: NC State over Villanova

Who saw this game coming? The Wolfpack were quite shaky entering the tournament, carrying an 8-0 record in the month of February. And the Wildcats were a stellar 32-2 entering the tournament, the most consistent team outside of Kentucky. They had senior poise (JayVaughn Pinkston) and staggering talent (Josh Hart), but more importantly, they played as one. Their fantastic team play pushed them through the adversity they faced. If they were going to lose, it would be to a stellar team such as Duke or Virginia. No one saw them defeated by the struggling and unimpressive NC State Wolfpack.

MVP: Justise Winslow

Winslow has been overshadowed all year by the fantastic play of potential number 1 draft pick Jahlil Okafor. But Justise was unstoppable throughout the tournament. He shot above 60 percent in 3 of his 6 games during March Madness, and he also added 2 double doubles. He scored in double digits in every game but the opener, when he only played 24 minutes, a tournament low for him. While Tyus Jones was great in the championship, he was not as consistent as Winslow through the entirety of the six games.

Best Moment: Georgia State’s comeback and game winning shot

Baylor led by 12 with 2 and a half minutes to go in the game. It was a heroic effort, but the Georgia State Panthers could not compete for the full 40 minutes. That was the storyline, until the 14 seeded team stormed back to upset the 3 seeded Baylor. Down by 2 with 15 seconds to go, the Panthers got the ball into their half court. The clock ticked and they looked shaky as they tried to find the best shot possible. But with 3 seconds left, there was no more time to work the ball around. TJ Shipes got the ball at the top of the key and handed it back to the coach’s son, RJ Hunter. He set up two steps behind the 3 point line and fired a long jumper. Buckets. Throughout the entirety of the game, Coach Ron Hunter had been sitting in a chair because of a cast that suffocated his foot. But as his son hit the game winning shot, he could not contain himself. He fell off the side of the chair and squirmed on the floor out of celebration. What a better story then an underdog coming back, hitting a last second shot which happened to be made by the coaches son.

Most Disappointing Performance: Kentucky

Kentucky was 34-0 throughout the regular season. They were unstoppable. Anything less than a National Championship and a 40-0 record would be nothing more disappointing. They lost in the Final Four, and despite their fantastic season, it was a let down for the entire Wildcat nation that they did not bring home the title banner.

Best Game: Notre Dame vs. Kentucky, Elite Eight

A game for the ages. These two basketball powerhouses squared off in one of the best matchups all year. The outing was close the entire game and no team ever had complete control. Kentucky was fierce down the stretch and traded baskets with Notre Dame. But the unsurprising late game heroics of Andrew Harrison sealed the deal for the Wildcats. The game was filled with fire and competitiveness. Both teams played with heart and desire. Zach Auguste was spectacular and beat up the fantastic front court of Kentucky with 20 points and 9 rebounds in just 27 minutes. It was fun to watch these super talented squads square off and play their hardest.

Predictions for Next Season’s Champion: North Carolina

UNC loses only 3 seniors. Neither played a plethora of minutes. Next season they return everybody who averaged above 10 minutes a game with the exception of slasher JP Tokoto (declared for draft). This team has perimeter scorers (Marcus Paige, Justin Jackson) and inside bangers (Kennedy Meeks, Brice Johnson). As of now, their recruiting class looks a little light, but no need to worry, the returning players are more than suitable to contend. And the bottom line is, Marcus Paige is the best player in the country with the game on the line. With his star power (14.1 points per game) and strong role players (Meeks: 11 ppg, 7 rpg. Jackson: 10 ppg, .48 fg%) to complement him, the Heels should be a tough out come March.

William Derry

Staff Writer 

When Phillies closer Brad Lidge struck out Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Eric Hinske with his nasty slider in the ninth inning of Game 5 to end the 2008 World Series, the city of Philadelphia went into a frenzy. The Philadelphia Phillies had won their first World Series since 1980 when they defeated the Kansas City Royals in six games. It was also the first championship that a professional Philadelphia sports team had won in a while. Before 2008, the last professional sports team to win a championship was the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. Philadelphia fans had to wait twenty-five years between titles.

Ever since Brad Lidge and Carlos (Chooch) Ruiz hugged in front of the pitching mound that October evening, the Philadelphia Phillies have been in a downward spiral. That next year, they went back to the World Series but lost to the 2009 World Series Champions, the New York Yankees. Following that, they went to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) and would eventually lose in six games to the San Francisco Giants, who would later go on to win the World Series that year. The last time the Phillies were in the MLB playoffs was in 2011, when they lost the national league division series in five games to the St. Louis Cardinals.

It’s been seven years since the Philadelphia Phillies paraded down Broad Street, which was flooded with over a million screaming fans. Now, the Phillies can barely fill Citizens Bank Ballpark, with last years average attendance being 29,924, which doesn’t sound bad but for a team that had a sellout streak that totaled 257 consecutive baseball games, that’s a significant drop. (Citizens Bank Ballpark seating capacity: 43,651)

The Phillies are in the beginning stages of a massive rebuild project. The ball began rolling when veteran shortstop James Calvin Rollins, better known as Jimmy Rollins or to most Phillies fans, “J-Roll” was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for two minor league pitching prospects. Those two pitching prospects are Zach Eflin and Tom Windle. Rollins was a fan favorite, who played for the Phillies for fourteen years and was apart of a core group of Phillies players that included Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Phillies fans were definitely sad to see J-Roll go but they understood why the move was made. It was the best decision for both sides.

Since Rollins was traded to the LA Dodgers, the starting shortstop position for the team is now open, but will most likely be filled by sure-handed infielder Freddy Galvis, who spent a good portion of the 2014 season on the disabled list and in the minor leagues before being a late-season call up. Galvis will occupy the position until shortstop prospect J. P. Crawford is ready to play at the big league level. Crawford was the Phillies’ first-round pick (16th overall) in the 2013 baseball draft and played last season in the minor leagues.

Pitcher Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, has been linked to many trade rumors over the past few years. The Phillies do not see Hamels as part of their future. In addition, he would bring back the most in return if they were to trade him. Hamels is only in year three of a six year contract extension he received in 2012, which will pay him $23.5 million in 2015.

It is still unclear what the Phillies would want in return for Hamels but three top prospects from another team would possibly satisfy Ruben Amaro Jr. and the Phillies front office. Acquiring 2013 American League Rookie of the Year Wil Myers from the San Diego Padres has been among the trade rumors. Hamels was born and raised in San Diego.

The departure of Hamels would not only help the team financially, it would also free up a spot in the Phil’s starting rotation. This spot in the rotation could be taken over by recently signed veteran righthander Aaron Harang or lefthander Wandy Rodriguez but that remains to be seen. Being that both previously named pitchers are 35 years or older, the Phil’s are biding their time until some of their young pitching prospects are ready. Those prospects include Germantown native Jesse Biddle, a first-round draft pick in 2010, and Aaron Nola, a first-round pick in 2014. The group also includes Adam Morgan, who is making his way back from shoulder surgery. Eflin and Windle also are in that mix as is Ben Lively, who the Phillies got by trading veteran rightfielder Marlon Byrd to the Cincinnati Reds.

Then we have 2006 NL MVP Ryan Howard, who is known as the “Big Piece.” He is on borrowed time with the club because of the Phillies’ decision to rebuild. It is unclear if Howard will be traded before the team takes the field for spring training in early March at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Florida or if he will be at first base for the Phils when they open up the 2015 baseball season at home against the Boston Red Sox.

Amaro tried to trade Howard, but has been unsuccessful so far. Amaro recently spoke on the radio (97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia). He stated that the organization would be better off without Howard and that he had told Ryan that, but then he said that if Howard was with the team that they would work around him.

Howard is currently signed to five­ year, $125 million contract with the Phillies and within that contract, Howard has a clause that allows him to block trades to twenty MLB teams. That leaves nine teams he can be traded to without the Phillies having to ask Howard for permission to do so.

If Howard were traded, it would open up a spot at first base for either, 28-year-old Darin Ruf or prospect Maikel Franco. Ruf has had trouble with playing time at the major league level, only playing in 105 games for the Phil’s over the past two seasons. Franco is a traditional third baseman but could make the move to first base. Time will tell if Howard will continue his playing career in a Phillies uniform.

The man tasked with turning this team around is Amaro. He has come under fire since he took over the position after Gillick vacated the GM job after the 2008 World Series season. Gillick still holds a position within the organization, as Senior Adviser to Phil’s President David Montgomery.

Let’s face it, Amaro has been on the hot seat ever since. He has made his fare share of questionable decisions in the last six years, but the Phillies are sticking with him. Amaro would like to bring back competitive baseball to Citizens Bank Park soon. The question is will he be here when that happens?