It is 2015 and Real Madrid is the team to beat in domestic and international play. While it is cold on the west side of the Atlantic Ocean, a fire is burning in Spain. This fire is Cristiano Ronaldo, whom FIFA has crowned the best player in the world for the past two years. Prior to his two stellar seasons, it was Lionel Messi who was dribbling around the world and back with ease. However, perhaps it was the “Messi Era” that began to spark a fire in Cristiano Ronaldo, a player who grew up on an island far off the coast of Portugal and left his family in pursuit of a dream, a dream that Ronaldo claims he has still not achieved even in 2015. In fact, when the 2014-2015 season began, Ronaldo stated that the goal was the same: win La Liga, the Champions League, and along the way break the records he previously set. Thus the question becomes what is Ronaldo? Is he human? Is he a prodigy? Is there any individual to whom he compares? 

Perhaps Cristiano Ronaldo is the personification of soccer. An individual blessed with natural talent and an indomitable work ethic which has been rewarded time and time again. Whether it was rising through the ranks at Sporting in Portugal or solidifying his name at Manchester United, one thing has remained the same: an unquenched desire for success. From a physical standpoint, Ronaldo has relentlessly trained to become the player he currently is. Ronaldo is 6’1”, weighs 176 lbs and is one of, if not the fastest players in the game. He also has one of the hardest shots in the game. He is a phenomenal leaper and his combination of strength, jumping ability and height make him a deadly threat on balls in the air.

 Perhaps it is only right that Ronaldo succeed after seeing evidence of this work ethic in a recent documentary on his life. When Ronaldo was 14 and still at Sporting, his coach caught him weight training at four in the morning, capturing a moment in Ronaldo’s life that solidifies his hunger for success. Even if a player has all of the physical attributes to play, it doesn’t mean they will be great or even good. This brings us to another facet of Ronaldo’s work ethic, which is his technical proficiency. Besides his physical prowess, he is known as one of the most gifted players with the ball at his feet, displaying phenomenal control and flair in his dribbling.

“[Ronaldo] would just go out after training and dribble the ball in the rain – doing his step-overs, the ‘Cruyff’ turns, all the things you see on television … he’d run with the ball at his feet around whole the perimeter, working on his own. It is no secret then. It is no surprise that this is how he has ended up. Not everyone does that. He is incredible,” Tim Howard once stated in an interview with DailyMail in the UK.

Therefore, it is an inherent desire to become great that makes Cristiano Ronaldo so great rather than prodigal talent at birth. Perhaps the title of prodigy isn’t fitting of Ronaldo. Even though Ronaldo is technical and creates beautiful works of play, there is an aura of passion and aggression that separates Ronaldo from his peers. Look no further than Ronaldo’s header against Manchester United in 2013, a goal in which an elegant leap off the pitch was combined with a fiery trike into the net. Furthermore, after scoring the goal, Ronaldo’s teammates clamored him with congratulations, but from the look in his eyes, he knew there was still work to be done. Thus, with Champions League in full swing and Real Madrid being the defending champions, Ronaldo may achieve what no other club has been able to achieve: back-to-back Champions League wins. By winning the Champions League again this year, Ronaldo would further solidify his legacy as being one of the best players to ever play the world’s game. In fact, Ronaldo is not unlike another athlete with an indomitable spirit and still trying to solidify his legacy: Kobe Bryant.  

Kobe Bryant, a five-time NBA Champion, is also well-known for his tireless work ethic à la Cristiano Ronaldo. Perhaps Kobe is the most relevant comparison to Ronaldo because both individuals have an incessant desire to achieve greatness. Both athletes have continued to show the world their continued perseverance and dedication by choosing to play games with injuries. In fact, Bryant is so determined to succeed that he stated in his recent documentary that he sees failure as being almost as bad as death. Perhaps it is only a matter of time before Ronaldo reaches Kobe’s age yet he still has that same burning desire in his eyes – a desire to not just be Ronaldo, but to be great. 

New York City FC (NYCFC), one of Major League Soccer’s newest expansion teams, began their inaugural season in early March. The club was announced in 2013 and has backing from both Manchester City and the New York Yankees, who fronted the $100 million MLS franchise expansion fee. The team will play at Yankee Stadium until a “soccer-specific” stadium is built in one of the city’s five boroughs. Any potential stadium would not be completed until 2018 at the earliest. The brains behind the club can be attributed to Claudio Reyna, long time U.S. men’s national team captain, who is director of football operations. That means he has control over the ins and outs of who the team signs and their general vision.

Given the club’s significant financial backing from two of the richest and most profitable teams in the world, it was expected that NYCFC would look to put together a team of expensive, older European players looking to follow in the footsteps of David Beckham and be a part of the growth of MLS. Reyna’s first order of business, though, was to find a coach. He landed on MLS’s young coaching star, Jason Kreis, who led Real Salt Lake, his own former club, to a MLS cup in 2009. At 36 years old, he was the youngest coach to ever lead a team to an MLS cup. 

After landing the most promising young coach in the league, Reyna set his sights on players, specifically the three that would occupy the three all-important designated player slots. The designated player rule allows all MLS teams to sign expensive players without going over the league mandated salary cap. In June 2014 the club announced they would be signing Spanish international David Villa as their first designated player. In July, English superstar and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard was announced as the second designated player.

While the Villa addition has been nothing but positive for NYCFC, as he was named the club’s first captain, the Lampard signing has been marred by controversy. Following the supposed signing, it was announced that Lampard would be sent on loan to Manchester City until the MLS campaign started up in March. Lampard came out on fire for City, which eventually led to another announcement: that Lampard would be staying in the Premier League with City for the rest of their season. It was also unearthed that Lampard had never signed with NYCFC at all. He had signed with Man City and would sign with New York at a later date. While the situation has been resolved and Lampard will be joining NYCFC in May, club supporters felt slighted and duped.

NYCFC was also able to pick up a rising star on the U.S. men’s national team, Mix Diskerud, who was an integral part of the run made during last summer’s World Cup in Brazil. Mix will hold down the midfield until Lampard arrives from England. The rest of the squad is made up of primarily MLS role players from different teams, with a few decent international players mixed in. Surely Reyna has big plans for his third designated player spot, which will likely not be filled until after the European seasons are over in May, and the transfer window opens up.

The team kicked off league play on March 8 against Orlando City FC, also an expansion team that started play this year. The game ended in a 1-1 tie, following some last minute heroics from Orlando’s captain and superstar Kaka, who deflected in a free kick off a NYCFC defender in stoppage time. Mix Diskerud scored to give NYCFC its first MLS goal. Currently, they are at the top of the Eastern Conference table with a win and two ties. Early season success can surely be attributed to Villa and goalkeeper Josh Saunders, who has only given up one goal (the Kaka deflection) so far this season. Saunders was also nominated for the MLS save of the week in Week 1. Even more impressive is Villa being voted MLS player of the week for Week 2 of this season, after scoring one goal and assisting another in the team’s home opener at Yankee stadium against the New England Revolution.

The future is surely bright for not only NYCFC but also for MLS and American soccer as a whole. After a hugely successful World Cup and the addition of two new clubs in the home league, there is a lot for U.S. soccer fans to be excited about. Additionally, the U.S. national team is embarking on a trip to Europe this week. They are set to play Denmark on March 25th and Switzerland on March 30th, so be on the lookout for those games. 

Head coach Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse University basketball program were dealt a major blow when the NCAA released a detailed report that found the program guilty of multiple infractions dating back to 2001. The NCAA’s 94-page report highlighted a culture that failed to live up to the high standards that the NCAA expects from its coaches and players. Jim Boeheim, who has been the head coach at Syracuse since 1976, was given a nine game conference suspension for the following season.

The NCAA deemed, “During the 10-year period of violations, the head basketball coach did not promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program and did not monitor the activities of those who reported to him as they related to academics and booster involvement.” 

While Syracuse already had issued a self-imposed postseason ban for this year, the NCAA additionally ordered that three scholarships be taken away for each of the next four years. Also, an estimated 108 wins will be vacated (not including the 2003 national championship) dropping Boeheim from second to sixth on the all-time wins list. Jim Boeheim has said that he plans to appeal the particularly harsh sanctions against him and the program.

The NCAA sanctions have spiraled the Syracuse basketball program into even further turmoil when on March 18, the university announced that Athletic Director Daryl Gross would resign from his position that he has held since 2005. Gross will remain with the university as Vice President and Special Assistant to the Chancellor for the near future. Following this announcement, coach Boeheim announced that he would retire in three years. Boeheim’s aims are to see out the remainder of the sanctions in order to leave his successor with no lasting repercussions for things that happened under his watch. 

Where does Syracuse basketball go from here? After an 18-13 season, and an eighth place finish in the competitive Atlantic Coast Conference, the program will be forced to rebuild into a championship contender with a lack of scholarships to do so. Despite the lack of resources, the 2015 recruiting class may very well be the best in program history. The class features four ESPN top 100 recruits highlighted by the fourth ranked shooting guard Malachi Richardson. Each of these recruits has committed to honoring their letter of intent and will be playing for Syracuse next season.

Following the release of the report highlighting the findings of nearly ten years of NCAA investigations into the Syracuse basketball program, many have called for Jim Boeheim to be fired or retire immediately. Those who say this feel that Boeheim should be held fully responsible for each infraction that included grade changes to keep players eligible and improper benefits that happened at the local YMCA. While it is unrealistic for a head coach of any program in any sport to know everything that goes on, it is ultimately his or her responsibility to make sure that their program is kept squeaky clean. In the NCAA’s eyes, Jim Boeheim failed to do this and thus was punished accordingly.

I would argue that coach Boeheim was punished appropriately, but that he should be able to remain head coach of the Syracuse men’s basketball program for as long as he wishes. Before the vacation of wins, Boeheim ranked second all-time behind only Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Now, he will drop back to sixth all-time with a total of 858 wins. He has been the head coach for almost 40 years after playing at Syracuse from 1962-1966. He has brought the only men’s basketball championship to the program when Carmelo Anthony led the team to victory in 2003. Firing Boeheim at this point in his career would be a shame by the university and would undermine the great accomplishments of his hall of fame career.

I have a feeling that Jim Boeheim will go out with a bang in his final three years as head coach of the Syracuse Orange. The recruiting class coming in next year is second to none and will allow this team to rebound from a mediocre 2014-2015 campaign. This upcoming squad should be one that can compete for a national title next season and one that will be a staple in the top-25 all season. Look for coach Boeheim and the Orange to not only recover, but flourish following the harsh NCAA sanctions levied on them. 

3 p.m. this past Monday, March 2, marked the passing of another NHL trade deadline. The trade deadline is a point in the season when teams must evaluate themselves and decide whether they want to make a serious push for the playoffs or if they should sell off assets and look towards the future. This year’s deadline was generally considered less exciting than past years’. This is likely because it was very defense focused, as many of the top contenders across the league elected to add steady defensemen rather than high-profile forwards.

The biggest trade of this year’s deadline came on Sunday, when the New York Rangers made a trade for Arizona Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle. While Yandle is occasionally a liability in his own end of the ice, he is without a doubt one of the top offensive-defensemen in the league. Yandle is one of two defenseman to have 40 points in five of the last six seasons and this year he has the second most assists among defensemen. The Rangers acquired him primarily to act as a quarterback for their power play, as Yandle leads the NHL in power play assists this year and is fourth in power play points. 

The Rangers had to send a hefty package back to the Coyotes to get Yandle, giving up top prospect Anthony Duclair (who showed great chemistry with another Coyotes prospect, Max Domi, at this year’s World Junior Championship), defenseman John Moore, a 2016 first round pick and a 2015 second round pick. After losing in the Stanley Cup Finals last year and with star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist getting older at the age of 33, the Rangers are betting big for the chance to win a cup now.

Not to be outdone by New York, many of the other top contenders in the Eastern Conference were active in acquiring defensemen to solidify their teams on the back-end. The first-place Montreal Canadiens acquired Jeff Petry, a good, young right-handed defenseman with decent offensive potential, from Edmonton for a pair of draft picks. The Tampa Bay Lightning grabbed Braydon Coburn from Philadelphia, a veteran defenseman with playoff experience who is capable of playing a ton of minutes. The Detroit Red Wings added 38-year-old Marek Zidlicky to mentor their younger defenseman and provide stability as the playoffs approach. Lastly, the Pittsburgh Penguins swapped defenseman Rob Bortuzzo for the more sure-handed Ian Cole from the St. Louis Blues.

There were also a handful of moves made in the Western Conference in an attempt to finalize rosters before the playoffs. The Chicago Blackhawks started things off a few days before the trade deadline when they traded for veteran winger Antoine Vermette. After Patrick Kane got injured last week (he could be out until the Western Conference finals), the Blackhawks needed to find a top-six winger to replace him. Vermette does exactly that, and while he doesn’t have the world-class talent of Kane, he has proven to be a very capable scorer in the NHL. 

The Coyotes continued to dump players in their effort to secure a top draft pick when they traded defenseman Zybnek Michalek to the St. Louis Blues for a prospect and a third round draft pick. Michalek is currently injured, dealing with a suspected concussion  he suffered on February 14. Michalek is a true defensive defenseman who can block a ton of shots and shut down an opponent’s top line. The Blues are hopeful that he will be able to return soon and add valuable depth to their already solid defensive core. The Anaheim Ducks traded for James Wisniewski, a player they are familiar with after he was traded to Anaheim at the 2009 trade deadline and helped them reach the second round of the playoffs that year. The Minnesota Wild were also active on Monday. They added forward Chris Stewart from Buffalo, a player known for his strength and ability to score the tough, gritty goals that become crucial during the playoffs. 

The Wild were also responsible for the most heart-warming trade of the weekend when they acquired defenseman Jordan Leopold from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Leopold grew up in Minnesota and played college hockey at the University of Minnesota, so he was surely excited by the opportunity to return home and join a contending team. Shortly after the trade went through, a letter that Leopold’s 11-year-old daughter had written to the Wild went viral, asking them to bring her dad back to Minnesota because she and the rest of the family was lonely without him. Obviously, the trade was made primarily with hockey in mind, but at a time when so many players are getting displaced from home, it’s always nice to see trades that work out for players and their families. 

To many it may seem as though baseball season just ended, but to devout fans, the 2015 MLB season could not come soon enough. Kansas City Royals fans are probably still downtrodden about their team’s loss in last year’s World Series to the San Francisco Giants. With the taste of last season still on many team’s tongues, spring training is now in full swing for all 30 teams in the American and National Leagues. Spring Training allows new players to start to learn the ropes of their new teams and allows young prospects the chance to make it to a higher league. Most importantly, Spring Training allows the players a chance to start preparing for the 162-game season.

The American League East division, which many claim to be the toughest division in the MLB, is stacked with offensive powerhouse teams. However, it has become clear from last season that the once-dominant Yankees are far from the top spot of the league. The majority of predictions have favored the Boston Red Sox to claim the top spot of the division in the 2015 season. The Red Sox’ major strength will likely be their offense. David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia remain on the roster and the franchise acquired Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, two major power players. The Yankees, however, are suffering from the loss of their captain Derek Jeter. Didi Gregorious is set to take Jeter’s place at shortstop. Pitching will likely be a weakness, as Ivan Nova is still recovering from Tommy John surgery. Alex Rodriguez is coming off a year-long drug suspension and fans are counting on him to bring some life into this rather old Yankee team. 

The Washington Nationals are heavily favored to clinch the top spot in the National League East division. After a disappointing post-season loss to the Giants last season, the Nationals carry high hopes of a successful playoff campaign. The already talented team picked up starting pitcher Max Scherzer in the winter transfer window. Veteran players, like outfielder Bryce Harper, seem eager and confident about their chances of winning the World Series. 

The American League Central division is also filled with competitive teams. However, polls have the Detroit Tigers filling the top position on the table. The Chicago White Sox are predicted to follow the Tigers and contend for a Wild Card draw in the post-season. The White Sox have also spent $128 million in the transfer window. Although the Minnesota Twins are expected to finish last, the franchise finally fired manager Ron Gardenhire. Under his reign, the Twins’ last four years have been the worst in franchise history. The team is counting on veterans like Joe Mauer and youngsters like Miguel Sano to gain a few more wins than last season. 

The St. Louis Cardinals are predicted to top the National League Central division. In the off-season they have added Jason Heyward, Jordan Walden and Matt Belisle. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who have been making a comeback the past few years after terrible performances about a decade ago, are thought to end up right behind the Cardinals. The Pirates resigned pitcher Francisco Liriano but were unable to keep catcher Russell Martin. The Chicago Cubs will likely find themselves in the middle of the standings but it may take the team a few years to reach their full potential. The Cincinnati Reds are relying on 2010 National League MVP Joey Votto to carry the team, which will probably not be enough. The Milwaukee Brewers are not expected to contend.

The American League West division will likely be dominated by the Los Angeles Angels. Their roster contains Mike Trout, last year’s American League MVP. The Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics will likely battle it out for the second slot in standings. The Mariners hold Felix Hernandez, arguably one of the best pitchers in the league. The Texas Rangers were plagued with a season filled with scandal and injuries and are looking for a return to normalcy and a stellar year from talented third baseman Adrian Beltre. The Houston Astros, who were the worst team in baseball over the last three years, are looking to make a

comeback with some younger players.

The Los Angeles Dodgers hope to clinch the National League West division. The Giants, last year’s ultimate victors, will probably be near the top of the standings although predictions have them falling from where they stood last year. An interesting case in this division is the San Diego Padres, who have revamped their offense and hope to redeem themselves after a decade of disappointing performances. It will be interesting to see how the season plays out and which teams will make it to this year’s World Series. 

The NBA season is nearing 20 games left in the regular season. While the league has seen young players such as Steph Curry, James Harden and Russell Westbrook rise to superstar status, the NBA has also watched some of the game’s elite players fall to injury. Among this list is 2014 MVP Kevin Durant, 2011 MVP Derrick Rose, New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony and New Orleans’ budding star Anthony Davis. While only Carmelo Anthony is out for the remainder of the season, these superstars are certainly missed by their respective teams as the playoffs are just around the corner.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant was diagnosed with a right foot fracture in October of 2014 near the start of the season which caused him to miss the team’s first 17 games. After returning for only about two weeks, Durant injured his ankle in the second quarter of a 109-114 loss to the Golden State Warriors on December 18.  Durant had 30 points in only 18 minutes of play in this game and he went on to miss six more games. 

Durant also missed time in late January and early February for a sprained big toe and is currently out after undergoing minor surgery to help reduce discomfort in his previously repaired right foot. There is no timetable for his return and the Thunder are 33-27 despite the injuries to Durant.  This is largely because of the fantastic play of emerging MVP candidate Russell Westbrook.

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose tore his ACL in his left knee in Game 1 of the 2012 NBA playoffs and was forced to miss all of the following season. Rose returned in the 2013-2014 NBA season looking like his former MVP self but on November 22 of 2013, Rose tore his meniscus in his right knee forcing him to miss the rest of the season. This season, Rose appeared in 46 games, looking tentative at times but extremely explosive at others. The Bulls looked like like one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference until it was revealed on February 24 that Rose would require surgery on his meniscus in his right knee for a second time with the possibility of returning for the playoffs. The Bulls’ championship hopes were further crushed when 2015 MVP candidate Jimmy Butler was ruled out for three to six weeks with an elbow sprain. The Chicago Bulls are in trouble down the stretch.

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony re-signed with the team with a five year, $124 million contract this past offseason. Anthony and the Knicks have had an extremely disappointing 2014-2015 season as they are just 12-46 in head coach Derek Fisher’s first year. Anthony was voted a starter for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game this year where he played 30 minutes and scored ten points. 

The Knicks announced that Anthony will be ruled out for the remainder of the season as he underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery on February 18. Anthony has complained of knee pains since the second game of this season and was diagnosed with a partially torn patellar tendon, a fairly common injury for basketball players of Anthony’s age. The New York Knicks will continue to struggle without their superstar on the court.

New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis hit the game-winning shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 6 while adding 41 points and ten rebounds in the outstanding effort. That performance marked his 13th straight game with at least 20 points, surpassing Pete Maravich of the 1976-1977 New Orleans Jazz for the New Orleans franchise record. The following day, only a week before the NBA All-Star weekend, Davis fell from the rim while going up for an alley-oop and injured his shoulder in the process. Davis was replaced in the All-Star Game starting lineup by LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trail Blazers. The Pelicans are 32-27 this season and sit just .5 games out of eighth place in the extremely competitive Western Conference. 

“He’s strengthening his shoulder and doing a lot of ice and stim…He’s working around the clock. He’s feeling better every day, I’m sure. We thought we were close, but we just don’t want to put a timetable on him, because that puts pressure on guys, when you start telling them when they should be back. We know AD and where his heart is. If he can play, he’ll be the first to tell us,” Head coach Monty Williams said Monday. Look for Davis to return soon for a late season playoff push.

The 2014-2015 NBA season may be remembered for who was not on the court. These four players are superstars, All-Stars, MVP candidates and game changers year-in and year-out. Their respective teams are feeling the pressure of having to replace them every single night. If Durant, Rose and Davis can return this season, look for their teams to make great strides at a run to the NBA playoffs.

While Mid-February might seem bleak for those of us in Hamilton, for the NBA it’s a pivotal point in the season: the trade deadline. February 19 came and went, and with it more trades during a deadline than ever before. After the 3 P.M. deadline, 37 players had shifted teams, along with numerous draft picks. Some teams are motivated to make a run into the playoffs this year, some are looking to rebuild for the future, but everyone looks to improve their outlook in some fashion.

In one of the more notable moves of the day, NBA veteran Kevin Garnett was traded back to the team that drafted him as a high school kid, the Minnesota Timberwolves. While Garnett isn’t the force on the low post he once was, he will surely provide leadership to younger players like Andrew Wiggins and Slam Dunk Champion Zach LaVine. Philadelphia continued their seemingly never-ending rebuilding process, trading the 2014 Rookie of the year Michael Carter-Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks for a first round draft pick.  Through other minor trades on the day, Philadelphia has the potential to have nine draft picks in the upcoming draft, nearly 15 percent of the entire draft.

The trade deadline does, however, come with its winners and losers, and this year it seems as if the Miami Heat might be that loser. Fresh off the heels of losing LeBron James to the Cavaliers, the Heat began revamping their team, led by Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, to win in a different way. With the emergence of the monstrous Hassan Whiteside, Miami fans have begun to slowly believe in their team again. In a mediocre Eastern Conference, the Heat’s front office executives decided to build for a playoff run this year, acquiring point guard Goran Dragic from the Phoenix Suns for two first-round draft picks in the coming years and current point guard Norris Cole. Dragic is a severe upgrade over Norris Cole and gives Miami a true point guard to facilitate the offense. However, this trade comes at a price of mortgaging the future.

Unfortunately for Miami fans, and truthfully basketball fans everywhere, just hours after the trade deadline passed, Chris Bosh was discovered to have possible blood clots in his lungs and will be out for the season. While the health of Chris Bosh is a priority, the basketball implications for Miami are massive. Goran Dragic has an option to opt out of his contract at the end of the season and become a free agent, where he will surely receive a large offer. Without Chris Bosh, with an aging Dwyane Wade and no first round draft picks in the immediate future, Dragic could choose to opt out of his contract and seek a max deal with another contender. If this were to occur, Miami would have lost its promising young point guard in Norris Cole and two first round draft picks for half of a season with Goran Dragic.

The Suns were not finished revamping their backcourt with the Dragic trade. They also traded bench spark plug Isaiah Thomas to the Boston Celtics and acquired guard Brandon Knight from Milwaukee to try to replace the losses of Dragic and Thomas as they continue to fight for a playoff spot in the West. 

Out in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder had an eventful day acquiring Enes Kanter, Steve Novak, D.J. Augustin and Kyle Singler in a three-team trade. The deadline could not have gone better for Kevin Durant and the Thunder, who added several scoring threats to a once-decrepit bench. In the torrid Western Conference, with teams like Golden State, which can play ten good players every night, Oklahoma City needed to improve their depth if they wanted to compete. Enes Kanter is a sizeable upgrade over Kendrick Perkins, giving Oklahoma a great post threat off their bench, an area in which they had been lacking. Kanter is able to effectively pass the ball from the inside, complementing Oklahoma City’s playmakers like Durant and Russell Westbrook. 

Along with the various additions, Oklahoma City unloaded the dysfunctional Reggie Jackson and underperforming Perkins in these trades that will surely improve the locker room chemistry. With the added bench depth, the Thunder should surge up the Western Conference standings behind their two superstars and their new-look second line. Elsewhere in the Western Conference, the Portland Trailblazers traded for veteran shooting guard Aaron Afflalo. Afflalo provides much needed depth for a Trailblazers team that is looking to make a long playoff run this season.

The 2015 trade deadline was historically active, and it just goes to show how much the landscape of the league can change in a single day. It will be exciting to see the transformation of teams like Oklahoma City and Miami as they push for the final playoff spots. While fans will not see immediate results from teams such as Philadelphia who are rebuilding, the trade deadline provided an opportunity to prepare to compete in the future.  

The rivalry between Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is arguably the most storied in all of sports. Both of these teams have bred iconic superstars such as Michael Jordan, Grant Hill and Christian Laettner. A new superstar may have been added to this list following the performance that Duke freshman point guard Tyus Jones put on this past week. Jones has had to perform in the shadow of another Duke freshman, Jahlil Okafor, who is predicted by many to be the first pick of the 2015 NBA draft. However, Jones scored 22 points and led Duke back up from a seven-point deficit with under 90 seconds to play. Duke forced overtime and went on to win 92-90 for yet another “W” in the famed Cameron Indoor Stadium against their longtime rivals.

The Tobacco Road Rivalry features two universities that are separated by just 10.5 miles. UNC leads the all-time series 133-106. Over the last 88 meetings, the teams have split 44 each in victories, and Duke owns the point differential by a mere eight points. Their 239 matchups have seen some of the greatest coaches in the history of college basketball go head-to-head. 

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who grabbed his 1,000th career victory earlier this year, has been the face of the Duke program since 1980. Current UNC head coach Roy Williams is 10-14 against Coach K in this rivalry. The late UNC head coach Dean Smith, who passed away earlier this month, had been the icon of Carolina from 1961-1997 and retired with 879 career victories.

The first 2015 meeting was one for the ages. The Duke Blue Devils were behind for most of the game as UNC took a 49-42 lead into halftime. But the No. 4 ranked Blue Devils fought back behind big performances from three big time freshmen. Jones, Okafor and Justise Winslow combined for 50 of the team’s 92 points. Senior guard Quinn Cook also added 22 points to lead the Blue Devils to a surprising second half comeback. The Tar Heels had five players in double figures but only got five points from Preseason Player of the Year candidate Marcus Paige. Paige was 2-11 from the floor and also missed a shot at the end of regulation that could have sent UNC home with a victory.

Down 79-72 with under 90 seconds to go, Jones drove to the basket and finished a tough layup in the lane to cut the UNC lead down to five. After a sloppy final minute with both teams turning the ball over and a few UNC missed free throws, Jones drove into the paint untouched and scored to tie the game at 81-81. UNC guard Marcus Paige got a good look at a game winning shot but couldn’t convert, sending the game into overtime with the momentum in the hands of the Blue Devils.

A back and forth overtime saw Okafor physically overpower the smaller UNC defenders and finish an easy layup with 1:44 left to play. Duke would never surrender the lead from that point on, as they only gave up one more point to the Tar Heels in the final two minutes of overtime. This was a stunning comeback for Duke, which trailed behind almost the entire game.

No. 4 Duke is now 24-3 and is firmly in the mix for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The North Carolina Tar Heels, who are now 19-8 on the season, are in a dogfight for a No. 3 seed in the tournament. Okafor has clearly asserted himself as a worthy candidate for player of the year, but the most valuable player for this Duke team may very well be Jones. Jones has scored 22 points in games against then-No. 2 Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, at St. Johns in Coach K’s 1,000th win and against North Carolina. Jones has been poised with the basketball and has been dominant in clutch situations.

Duke and North Carolina will meet again March 7 in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels will look to avenge their recent loss against Duke in what is now one of the most anticipated matchups left on the college basketball schedule. This game is the last of the regular season for both teams and they will likely be fighting for ACC supremacy. Look for both of these teams to be in the running to raise yet another NCAA championship banner to their respective rafter. 

BACK AT IT:Manchester City and FC Barcelona’s rematch in the Champions League Round of 16 highlights an exciting slate of matchups in the next few weeks.

The Big Ten conference added two schools, Rutgers University and the University of Maryland, to its ranks in 2012, as  part of a major conference realignment. This 2014 basketball season Rutgers, from the Big East, and Maryland, from the ACC, began participating in Big Ten league play. So far, Big Ten teams have been beating up on each other. Besides league-leading #5 Wisconsin (23-2 overall, 11-1 Big Ten), no team has been able to establish any sort of supremacy over the rest of the league. Just last week, #16 Maryland (21-5, 9-4) squeezed by Penn State (15-11, 3-10) with a score of 76-73 in a game that has been representative of this season’s conference play: no team is safe, no matter their opponent’s record. 

This sentiment shows that the Big Ten has depth, not that it is a league full of mediocre teams. According the ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, guru of NCAA tournament bracket selection, 7 out of 14 teams from the Big Ten are projected to receive tournament invitations, with two other teams outside of the bubble still with the chance to prove their worth.

Rutgers (10-16, 2-11) has brought little value to Big Ten basketball this season. They are last in the league, although they did hand Wisconsin their only conference loss this season, again demonstrating the parity within the league. On the other hand, Maryland has found rebirth in their new conference, recording their best season since 2010 when they finished the season ranked 20th in the country and made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. 

The Terps this season are being led by senior guard Dez Wells (14.6 ppg), junior forward Jake Layman (13.5 ppg), and freshman phenom point guard Melo Trimble (15.7 ppg). While head coach Mark Turgeon has stated how lucky he is to have three go-to guys, Trimble has been the clear number one guy. In a league full of incredible freshman scorers, Trimble has been one of the best. Not only can he hit jump shots, but he also uses his athleticism and agility to find open lanes to get to the hoop.

In many ways Maryland’s season can be characterized by players who have “stepped up.” Before the start of the season, Maryland lost five players who transferred to different programs that made up a significant portion of the Terps productivity last season. The five players accounted for 36.4 points per game, which was 51% of the team’s total last year. A particularly crucial loss was starting point guard Seth Allen, who averaged 13.4 points per game. Luckily, Trimble has been more than able to fill in as the team’s new floor general.

Maryland’s tournament resumé is solid enough to earn a projected 5 seed from Joe Lunardi but still slightly ambiguous given a lack of “signature wins.” Their sole win against a top-25 team came early in the season against #13 Iowa State in a game where ISU’s best player, Georges Niang, was held to only 10 points on 4-14 shooting and 1-6 from behind the arc. They also have only played three teams in the top-25, one of which was against #2 Virginia. The Terps have also only lost to one team outside of the RPI top 50, a very impressive statistic. They have been essentially unbeatable at home (15-1), only losing to Virginia, and they know how to win close games, going 5-0 in games decided by less than five points.

While Maryland does not have particularly impressive statistics when it comes to shooting percentage (153th), points scored (90th), or points against (125th), Maryland has been able to win at home, avoid bad losses and win close games largely because of its ability to rebound (27th) and get to the foul line. The Terps are number two in the country in free throws made with 459. 

This is a make or break stat that could prove very costly or very fortuitous for the Terps come tournament time. Down the stretch of a game, making free throws is crucial to winning NCAA tournament games. Consequently, living and dying from the free throw line is risky. In Maryland’s two biggest losses of the season to Indiana (18-8, 8-5) and #24 Ohio State (19-7, 8-5), both away games, the Terps went 6-12 and 11-16 from the free throw line respectively. These numbers are incredibly low considering that the Terps average 17.7 made free throws per game. Concerns about the sustainability of the Terps’ reliance on free throw shooting have consistently been raised when discussing their postseason chances.

If Maryland can continue to get to the free throw line, they have a chance to really do some damage in the tournament. What remains to be seen is if they can beat top teams and prove that the early season win against Iowa State was not just a fluke. They will have their chance to prove just that at home on February 24 when they go up against Wisconsin.

The Barclays Premier League (BPL) table might look a bit different than the novice fan might expect, as the season’s midseason point is now weeks behind us. Most notably, annual juggernaut Manchester United had slipped into third place as of last Sunday, 12 points behind Diego Costa and Chelsea. However, if it weren’t for a late goal in last week’s match against West Ham United, another contender this year, United’s chances for a recovery would be even bleaker. Late in injury time, midfielder Daley Blind rocketed a one-timer in past the West Ham keeper to secure a much-needed draw for Manchester United. 

David De Gea kept Manchester United in the game early, making one acrobatic save after another. The only goal allowed by De Gea was an unbelievable volley by West Ham’s Cheikhou Kouyate in the 49th minute. Kouyate settled the ball, juggled it three times, spun and fired a shot into the back of the net. However, this was another game in which Manchester United had an opportunity to capitalize and gain three points, but failed to do so. Manchester did rebound nevertheless this past week versus lowly Burnley. Chris Smalling, a substitute defender, had two key goals in the 3-1 victory. The win moved United up two crucial places in the standings, into third place, albeit still 12 points behind Chelsea.

As the season began, Manchester United fans felt confident, as the team continued to sign high profile players such as Angel Di Maria and Daley Blind to large contracts and still retain legends such as Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie. With the potential offensive firepower, not to mention the tremendous keeper David De Gea, Manchester United fans expected greatness. While Manchester United certainly isn’t out of contention for a title yet, their season can only be defined as a disappointment thus far. Some critics point a finger at first year coach Louis Van Gaal, a first timer in the ultra-competitive Premier League. Previously, Van Gaal was the coach of the Netherlands national team, and his last experience with a club team was with Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga. It has been a difficult transition period for United since the retirement of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson had coached United since 1986 until his retirement at the end of 2013 and transformed Manchester United into what they are today, winning 13 Premier League titles during his stint. The microscope will continue to focus on new coach Louis Van Gaal as he attempts to right the ship and capture his first Premier League title.

A notable success story in the Premier League thus far is scrappy Southampton. Not typically a powerhouse, they have ascended the Premier League standings, moving into fourth place using a balanced attack throughout the year. Their success has been largely due to their tremendous defense and goalie, Fraser Forster. The England native is leading the league with 12 clean sheets and has only allowed 17 goals throughout the entire season. He is also ahead of World Cup heroes like Tim Krul and Joe Hart. In their most recent match, Southampton played to a 0-0 draw with the aforementioned West Ham United. However, the score was not nearly indicative of how the game was played. From start to finish, Southampton dominated possession and shots, thoroughly outplaying West Ham. However, Southampton failed to capitalize on several opportunities, including the ejection of the West Ham starting goalie, Adrián. With a substitute goalie in the game and only ten West Ham players on the pitch, it seemed certain that Southampton would break through and put one in the back of the net. Southampton upped their tempo, firing an onslaught of shots at the backup goalie. Time and time again, however, Jussi Jaaskelainen turned those shots away, preserving the draw for West Ham United.

While a Premier League title is what all these teams strive for, there is also the fight to qualify for the UEFA Champions League and the fight to avoid relegation. Each year, several of the top teams from the league around Europe qualify for the UEFA Champions League. In the Premier League’s case, the top four teams are qualified for this exclusive tournament that takes place the following year. Teams like Manchester United, West Ham United and Southampton will all be fighting for a spot in that elusive top four, even if they cannot reel in the dominating Chelsea. On the other end of the spectrum, Premier League teams fight to avoid relegation into the second tier league of England, the Football League Championship. Currently, there are six teams within four points of the relegation zone including Aston Villa, who has historically had great success in the Premier League. With so much at stake, the last few months of the Premier League should provide fans with the ample excitement and drama for which the league is known.