Apr 8, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey (33) delivers to the plate during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets defeated the Phillies 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

With the first week of Major League Baseball down and the regular season now in full swing, several teams and players are beginning to standout. Whether its teams like the Atlanta Braves and the Oakland A’s, or players like Bryce Harper and Justin Upton, the season has started with a handful of positive story-lines.

In New York rite now, for Mets fans they are witnessing something fans at Chapel Hill got to see a few years ago. When it comes to young starting pitching and overall efficient pitching thus far in the Majors for 2013, Matt Harvey has started the season especially well for the New York Mets(5-4).

The onetime UNC Tar Heel hurler came on the MLB scene last year and showed from the start his arm was more than Big League ready throwing in the mid to high 90′s fastballs consistently. Harvey finished the 2012 season with 10 starts, pitching 59.1 innings, recorded 70 strikeouts, allowed 42 hits and 18 earned runs. The New London, Connecticut native allowed just 5 home runs but walked 26 batters. Harvey’s 2.73 ERA was the same as his then National League Cy Young Award winning teammates, R.A. Dickey. Though Dickey had more than triple the innings pitched as Harvey in 2012, the two of them were tied atop the Mets in ERA to end the season, among starters with ten or more starts.

Fast forward to today and through Matt Harvey’s first two starts of 2013 he finds himself ranked in the top ten of every major statistical category for starting pitchers in the National League. Harvey is 2-0 with a .64 ERA and has gone at least seven innings in both games totaling 14 on the season. Another big number is his 19 strikeouts, which is third in the NL and tied for third in the Majors. His WHIP is .57 ranking him 4^th in MLB, meaning the average number of walks and hits divided by the number of innings pitched through the first 10 or so games is among the best in baseball. The icing on the cake for Harvey in some ways could has been now after the two games he has put himself in a rare category along with the likes of Nolan Ryan, David Cone, and Pedro Martinez. He joined Nolan Ryan as the only other pitcher in Mets history to open the season with 3 or fewer hits in seven plus innings in their teams first two starts. When it comes to Cone and Pedro, Harvey joined the two of them as the only group of Mets to start a season with two straight games of 9 or more strikeouts. Really some rarefied company for the former Diamond Heel ace.

Overall the start of 2013 has been one of the best we have seen from a former Tar Heel pitcher in recent memory. Matt Harvey has showed all of the tools to become not just a star for the New York Mets, but an overall star in Major League Baseball. Lucky for New York Mets fans and Tar Heels fans alike he decided to go to UNC instead of taking the money he was offered by the LA Angels in 2007 after being drafted 118^th overall out of High School.

Either way Matt Harvey is here to stay in the MLB and has been one of the best to start 2013, and as long as the Mets can keep scoring some runs for him, combined with his ability to strikeout batters consistently, I see Harvey filling in just fine long-term as the Mets new ace. The aforementioned R.A. Dickey is gone from New York , yet when it comes to his All-Star selection, 20 wins, and Cy Young Award from 2012, the thought of those things never happening again for a Mets starting pitcher would be crazy. Harvey could accomplish two of the three by the end of this season. Also, what may be more appealing with Matt Harvey is the success could happen for several years to come, whereas Dickey may have seen the last of his dominating years. All signs point to the 24-year old Harvey being a major part of the New York Mets and the future of their franchise.

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Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Since the All-Star break the Nuggets are 12-1 and have been dominating their opponents overall outscoring them by an average of over 12 points per game. Denver is averaging over 109 points a game during the streak and have scored over 104 points in all but one of their match-ups. The Nuggets seem to be surging at the rite time finding themselves second to the Thunder in their division with a 45-22 record overall, which is good enough currently for the five seed in the Western Conference. Head coach George Karl has his team playing especially well at home in the Pepsi Center where the Nuggets are 30-3, a record that is tied for the best in the NBA with guess who?, the Miami Heat.

Led by a former Tar Heel star, point guard Ty Lawson, and a Morehead State alum in Kenneth Faried, the youth and athleticism of the Nuggets has been their strength. Lawson is having arguably his best pro season yet. On the season, the former UNC standout is averaging team highs in both points(16.8 ppg) and assists(7 apg) per game and during the eleven game winning streak has stepped his game up even more. In the 13 games since the all-star break, Ty Lawson is averaging over 20 points a game and just under 7 assists(6.9). Along with averaging one steal per game as well, Lawson is shooting just over 50 percent from the field overall while giving away just over 2 turnovers a game. A possible area for improvement for Lawson could be his free throw percentage that is just over 76 % during the winning streak.

Along with the improvement of Ty Lawson this season came the emergence of second-year standout Kenneth Faried. Faried made a name for himself in the 2011 NCAA Tournament when he showed his energy and rebounding ability to the entire nation after his 13^th seeded Morehead State team upset the 4^th seed Louisville Cardinals. On the season, Faried is fourth on the team in scoring averaging 11.8 points per game and leads the Nuggets in rebounding grabbing 9.5 boards a game. During the winning streak, Faried’s numbers haven’t increased or decreased significantly averaging just under a double-double with just over 9 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game. Defensively his energy and rebounding has been key to the Nuggets success after the break averaging over one block a game. When you watch Kenneth Faried play you would think he was the energizer bunny. Combined that with the fact that his nickname is the “Manimal” should tell you the guy plays hard from start to finish.

Faried and Lawson are not the only players producing for the Nuggets during their winning streak. Denver has seven players averaging double-digits in scoring since the all-star break. Along with the consistent play and production of Andre Iguodala, this Nuggets roster is the definition of what it means to be a team. Not one star who demands the ball and needs shots because his contract dictates so, just a bunch of guys who want to win and place the teams success above personal accomplishment.

For Denver the streak is something that hasn’t happened in quite sometime for this franchise. In fact, the last time the Nuggets won eleven games in a row the year was 1983 and the only player alive on their current roster was point guard Andre Miller. The streak has been 30 years in the making for all the young fans in Denver.

On the season now, Denver ranks 3^rd in the NBA in scoring averaging over 105 points per game but will need to stop somebody in the playoffs defensively if they want to advance. The Nuggets will need to work on holding opponents under 100 points. They rank 22^nd in the NBA in that category allowing opponents to score just over 100 points a game(100.9).

Overall, Denver definitely has a team that could do some damage in the playoffs if the team they play is not prepared and full of athletes that can match-up with the Nuggets athleticism. With Ty Lawson in just his fourth NBA season, and Kenneth Faried in just his second season, the future for the Denver Nuggets looks positive as long as these two players are kept as their core. Both players have just begun to scratch the surface of their potential, and that potential could result in both Faried and Lawson eventually becoming household names. They could even become NBA stars like those guys in South Beach who seem to get all the attention.

Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan – USA Today Sports

Two names who make the early list of quality teams left out belong to the same conference in the ACC. Both Maryland and Virginia find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the 2013 NCAA Tournament and will likely find a spot in the NIT this postseason. To breakdown these two teams, lets first place them in a group of teams that did make the tournament to compare them to. The last four teams selected in this years field of 68 are La Salle, Boise State, Middle Tennessee, and Saint Mary’s(all of which are outside of a power six conference).

For Maryland, the win over Duke in the ACC Tournament was just too little, too late. The Terrapins finished the season 22-12 overall and finished 7^th during the regular season with an 8-10 record in conference . Their overall strength of schedule ranked 91^st in the nation and though they were 12-1 overall against non-conference opponents, their strength of schedule in that area ranked a miserable 305 out of 347. If you combine the lack of a schedule out of conference with losses on the road to Georgia Tech and Boston College in February, Maryland came into the ACC Tournament needing to win. When it comes down to it, the Terps really had just two big wins on the season, one coming against NC State when the Wolfpack was ranked #14, and the other came over Duke just a few days ago in the ACC tourney. Compared to the last four in, the thing Maryland does not have in common with them is winning the games they should and need to on the road and at home this season.

Virginia on the other hand, when you look at their resume and overall season, should have been one of the last four in. Middle Tennessee had just one win on the season over a team ranked inside the top 100 RPI (strength of schedule), while the Cavaliers had six. Virginia finished the season 5^th in the ACC at11-7 in conference and a record of 21-11 overall. Each team in conference that finished ahead of the Cavaliers was selected to the group of 68. Strong positives that should have pushed Virginia over the hump, you would think came with big non-conference wins at Wisconsin and at home over Tennessee. You could also include conference wins over UNC, Duke, and NC State in the reasons to be selected category. Yet, with all that said, Virginia did lose some games that should have been won against inferior opponents like Delaware, Wake Forest, Clemson, and Old Dominion. The Cavaliers non-conference schedule ranked just two spots ahead of Maryland at 303. Not a good ranking at all even if they did finish 10-3 outside of the ACC.

Overall, both Maryland and Virginia finished this season with over 20 total victories and played well enough to be considered to the NCAA Tournament even though they did not make it. Each of the two teams will get some post season action when they play Tuesday March 19^th to open the NIT Tournament. The Cavaliers will host Norfolk State(21-11) and Maryland will play host to Niagara(19-13).

Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

With Miami losing their first conference game over the weekend in Winston-Salem it brought them to a 13-1 record still atop the ACC. Wake Forest played great at home, which they have done most of the season despite a 12-14 record overall(5-9 ACC). The Demon Deacons have big wins over #2 Miami, the then #18 NC State Wolfpack, Virginia, and Xavier all coming at home.

How Wake Forest played, and more so the play of a one-time ACC Player of the Year candidate in C.J Harris, made me wonder if anyone has really ran away with this seasons conference player of the year award(ACC) after Harris dropped 23 points. Another possible POY candidate in Shane Larkin was on the wrong end of the 80-65 debacle for the Hurricanes and seemed to somewhat show his age when it came to rallying the troops in a hostile environment. Larkin did score 13 points, but when his expertise was needed in the second half, and the potential 2013 ACC POY needed to prove himself worthy of the award, he kinda dropped the ball.

Though lets not feel sad for Larkin because my estimations still show him as one of the top three in my opinion of the available candidate for player of the year in the ACC. The son of one of the greatest middle infielders to play baseball (Barry Larkin) is still averaging 13.1 points per game, 4.3 assists per game, and at 5’11” is grabbing 4.1 rebounds per game. Larkin is also ranked number one in the conference in steal per game averaging over two a contest. You could definitely point to Shane Larkin as being a major part of the resurgence in Miami basketball and has shown early and often that he can lead as just a Sophomore with a 22-4 overall record(13-1 ACC) and sole possession of first place in the N.C Tobacco road conference. I’m sure regardless of how the Hurricanes basketball season ends fans in Miami see a bright positive future with a guy like Shane Larkin hopefully sticking around for a little while.

Erick Green is an interesting name considering he is on a 12-15 Virginia Tech squad that has only won 3 of 14 games in conference play. Green is leading not only the ACC but the entire nation in scoring at 25.2 points per game. In fact, since conference play started for the Hokies in early January, Green has scored more and in some cases even played better. In his 14 conference games Green is averaging 26 points each night out and has only scored under 20 one time. The only team to hold him under the twenty mark thus far in conference play has been the UNC Tar Heels, whadda ya know? The Heels and BYU are the only teams to hold Green under 20 points so far in the season. The 6’3” guard is shooting over 47% overall from the field and is 5^th in the ACC shooting just over 82% from the free-throw line. Really, Erick Green deserves a shot at the award and I’m sure he will get a few votes.

And then there’s Mason Plumlee. More than likely he is the favorite in most eyes rite now being one of just two players in the conference averaging a double-double. Plumlee has somewhat blossomed in this his Senior season into a presence in the low post, both offensively and defensively. He is averaging over 17 points per game, 10.7 rebounds per game, and is also dishing out 2 assist per game. Plumlee has also showed up when he has needed to in big games like against Wake Forest on the road when he scored 32 points on 12-15 from the field in a close 75-70 win. Then again a week later against NC State when he dropped 30 points on a couple other possible POY candidates in Richard Howell and C.J Leslie.

Currently I believe Plumlee is a frontrunner for this seasons player of the year award but don’t count out Shane Larkin if he can rebound and gain a winning pace again for the Hurricanes after their upset loss this past weekend. Two other names that have played well for mediocre or bad teams this season that may get some recognition are a couple of Harris boys in Joe from Virginia and C.J from Wake Forest.

POLL

Who do you think will win the 2013 ACC Player of the Year Award?

 POLL

Erick Green Virginia Tech

Mason Plumlee Duke

C.J Leslie NC State

Kenny Kadji Miami

Shane Larkin Miami

Joe Harris Virginia

C.J Harris Wake Forest

James Micheal McAdoo North Carolina

Ryan Anderson Boston College

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Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons have exchanged six players between the teams. The most noticeable name of the bunch is Rudy Gay, a former NBA All-Rookie team member and a guy averaging over 17 points a game. Gay was sent along with backup center Hamed Hadaddi to Toronto for Ed Davis, the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, and veteran Jose Calderon. The Raptors also sent a second round draft pick in 2013 to the Grizzlies as part of the deal.

The 31-year old, seven year veteran point guard Calderon was then sent by himself to Detroit for  forwards Tayshaun Prince and the Pistons 15th overall pick in the 2009 draft, Austin Daye. Prince leaves Detroit as the last remaining player  from the 2004-05 Championship team. He also leaves the Pistons as potentially one of their all-time greats ranking in the top-ten statistically in several significant categories. After eleven seasons in Detroit Prince ranks fifth in games played(769), fifth in three-pointers made(499), seventh in blocks(441), eighth in points (9838), tenth in rebounds(3586), and tenth in assists with 2,036. Each category is really significant when you look at some of the Hall of Fame players who are above Tayshaun Prince and have played in Detroit, as well as the fact that the franchise has been around since the late 1940′s(joined NBA in 1948 as Fort Wayne Pistons).

The Gold Medal as part of the 2008 USA Olympic roster, along with an NBA Championship ring, could prove to be the perfect amount of credentials and veteran leadership needed from Tayshaun Prince in Memphis.

With that said, perhaps the name lost in the “hoop-la” is that of the surging center coming from north of the border in Ed Davis. Prior to this trade, Davis had been coming out of his shell so-to-speak, and had begun to really produce as a Raptor. When starting center Andrea Bargnani tore a ligament in his elbow and was sidelined in early December, Davis stepped in and the Raptors seemed to play better on both ends of the court, especially defensively. Immediately following Bargnani’s injury the Raptors would finish December winning 7 of their final 9 games to end the month.

Even more recently, after the winning for Toronto began to level out and the team came back down to reality, Ed Davis didn’t slow down his productive play. In his last ten games as a Raptor leading up to the trade Thursday afternoon, Davis has been averaging over 14 points and 8 plus rebounds a game. The former Tar Heel is also averaging just over one block in 32.7 minutes a game over that same ten-game span. All of this production had folks in Toronto talking about the former number one overall selection in the injured Andrea Bargnani as a potential player to be traded. Along with the  play of Davis in the last month plus, had to make the final decision at least a little more difficult on the Canadian side.

Lets not forget that Ed Davis is still in just his third NBA season out of Chapel Hill and won’t celebrate his 24th birthday until early June. The 6’10″, 230 pound center is still scratching the surface and now on his way to Memphis he will have a great opportunity to play behind two very talented big men in Marc Gasol and All-Star Zach Randolph. The Grizzlies are currently the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff race as of now and have been one of the more consistent teams through the first half of the regular season. Come playoff time we may look back at this trade as not a negative in the loss of a Rudy Gay for Memphis, but as a positive with the additions of Ed Davis , Tayshaun Prince, and Austin Daye. This transaction gives a dangerous team in the Memphis Grizzlies a deeper bench instantly, and also, it gives them a potential future star in the budding youngster Ed Davis.

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