Red Sox place Shane Victorino on 15-day disabled list, recall Jackie Bradley Jr.

Shane Victorino will start the 2014 season on the DL (Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

The Boston Red Sox placed right field Shane Victorino on the 15-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain, just hours before their opening day tilt against the Baltimore Orioles. Victorino injured his right hamstring while running the bases in Saturday’s Grapefruit League finale against the Minnesota Twins. His DL stint is retroactive to March 30.

Rookie outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Victorino’s spot on the roster. Bradley Jr. batted just .158 in a dismal spring training, totaling almost double the amount of strikeouts (17) as hits (nine) in 19 exhibition contests. Bradley Jr. lost the competition for the starting center field spot to veteran Grady Sizemore, who emerged as one of the biggest surprises of spring training.

Manager John Farrell does not believe Victorino’s injury is serious, noting that his club will simply have to adjust in the short term without the “Flyin' Hawaiian."

“I don’t know that you look at it as troubling,” John Farrell said, per the Boston Herald. “You look at it as a situation that has to be managed. You’ve got to remain aware that you might have to change on the fly.”

The depth of the Red Sox will be relied upon in the absence of Victorino. Backup outfielder Jonny Gomes should see extended playing time with Victorino sidelined, along with utility man Mike Carp, who will start in left field and bat fifth for the Red Sox in their regular season opener.

Paul Pierce-led Nets pummel Timberwolves for franchise record-tying 13th straight home victory

Paul Pierce hits one of his five 3-pointers over Kevin Love. (Andrew Theodorakis/ NY Daily News)

Paul Pierce scored a game-high 22 points as the Brooklyn Nets thrashed the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-99 on Sunday night at Barclays Center for their franchise record-tying 13th straight home victory.

For the second consecutive game, Pierce had a flawless first quarter shooting performance. Pierce registered 16 points in the opening period, just two nights after recording 17 in the first quarter of the Nets’ victory over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers. In his past two opening quarters combined, he is a perfect 10-for-10 from the field, including 8-for-8 from three-point territory, as well as 5-for-5 from the free throw line in 17 minutes played. This is the first time in Pierce’s storied career that he has totaled at least 16 points in back-to-back first quarters.

As Pierce continues to dominate, his confidence in his team’s ability to make some noise in the upcoming postseason has risen as well.

"Wherever we end up in the seedings, bring 'em on,” Pierce said.

Foul trouble limited Pierce to just 26 minutes of action, but the Nets were able to feed off his hot start with an all-around team effort.

Joe Johnson chipped in 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, while Shaun Livingston and Mason Plumlee added 13 points apiece in the win. Plumlee continues to shine in the absence of Kevin Garnett, who has missed 16 straight games due to back spasms. Garnett is targeting Friday versus the Detroit Pistons for his return to the court. The Nets have won 12 of 16 with Garnett sidelined.

The Nets’ bench had another solid outing, outscoring the Wolves’ reserves 41-23. Andray Blatche led the Nets’ backups in scoring with 14, corralling six rebounds in the win. Alan Anderson drained three treys in a 13-point showing, adding five rebounds as well.

The Nets boast one of the deepest rosters in the league, a reason why the club was able to turn their season around after a dismal 10-21 start to the season.

"I think a lot of teams with bad character, bad leadership in the locker room would've laid down a long time ago. Probably by Christmas would've been making summer plans," Pierce said. "But not this group."

Clay Buchholz unperturbed by designation as No. 5 starter; All-Star aims to stay healthy throughout season

Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell divulged his plans for the order of the starting rotation on Monday. Jon Lester is slated to be the ace of the pitching staff, followed by John Lackey, Felix Doubront, Jake Peavy and (finally) Clay Buchholz.

            Lester was the most consistent pitcher for the Red Sox during the regular season and the playoffs in 2013. Therefore, the southpaw deserves to spearhead the rotation and make his fourth consecutive Opening Day start.

            Farrell’s decision to tab Buchholz as the fifth starter was the most noteworthy, given the right-hander’s incredulous 1.74 ERA last season. The challenge for Buchholz was staying healthy as the 29-year-old started just 16 games last season.

Clay Buchholz looks to avoid the injury bug in 2014: Michael Ivins/ Getty Images

            Buchholz was not bothered by his placement in the rotation.

            "My first or second year in the big leagues my job was to be the fourth or fifth starter," Buchholz told MassLive.com reporter Jason Mastrodonato. “And there was a span during the season when four or five games in a row I faced (CC Sabathia, Max Scherzer and Zack Greinke), so it doesn't matter where you start."

            Staying healthy is the focus for Buchholz, who could care less about his positioning in the pitching rotation. His inability to stay on the field has led to criticism towards the 2013 All-Star by the media, including Boston.com’s Eric Wilbur. In his most recent column regarding Buchholz, he wrote:

            "In 2014, he’s already been tabbed Boston’s fifth starter, a status not indicative of his talent, but his penchant to either break down or refuse to pitch at anything less than 100 percent."

            Wilbur goes on to characterize Buchholz as a fragile player that has only shown flickers of his true skill.

            "But having to slot Buchholz there not only speaks to his brittle nature, but his dependability. Other than his 17-7 campaign of 2010, expectations for Buchholz have annually been disappointing despite flashes of brilliance."

            The injury that hampered Buchholz for over two months last season was certainly mysterious. He stayed on the disabled list from the end of May until the beginning of September with a sore neck, apparently caused from holding his sleeping child in his arms in a very uncomfortable position.

            Buchholz did not endear as much as scrutiny as one would expect a pitcher to have to deal with in a media and sports crazed city like Boston, mainly because of how well the Sox played throughout the entire year. Buchholz returned to the rotation for the playoffs, and while he was not the dominant pitcher he was in the regular season, he helped the franchise earn its eighth World Series championship. Now, Buchholz is ready for 2014 and is concentrating on remaining healthy all season.

            "I would've loved to pitch all the through (2013) but it didn't happen," Buchholz said via MassLive.com. "So I have to try to find a way to do it this year."

Could Grady Sizemore Seize Starting Center Field Job?

The Boston Red Sox’s battle for the starting center field spot is heating up. With Jacoby Ellsbury defecting to the rival New York Yankees in the offseason, the general assumption was that Jackie Bradley Jr. would take over the duties in center. However, veteran center fielder Grady Sizemore, who has not suited up for a regular season game since 2011, could earn the nod on Opening Day.

Red Sox outfielder Grady Sizemore (38) at bat during spring training at JetBlue Park: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Sizemore has reached base in four of nine plate appearances in spring training. The former Cleveland Indians' star has also played commendable defense in center field thus far for the Sox. Still, Sizemore will have to prove that he can play on a consistent basis before snatching the starting job.

“The competition is there,” manager John Farrell told NESN.com reporters in Sarasota, Fla. on Saturday. “But we haven’t arrived at a conclusion with Grady yet. We’re hopeful that Monday and Tuesday he’s got a chance to go back-to-back days. We still have to get answers to some questions that aren’t there yet.”

This will be a telling week for Sizemore, who needs to show he is a reliable everyday player. While his days as a speed demon are long gone, the 31-year-old veteran’s emergence this spring can’t be ignored.

The ongoing struggles at the plate by Bradley Jr. may also open up the doors for Sizemore. Bradley Jr. is hitting just .190, recording more strikeouts (5) than hits (4) in spring training. 

Previewing the 2014 Southern Conference Tournament

The 2014 Southern Conference Tournament begins Friday. With College of Charleston moving to the Colonial Athletic Conference this past season, the Southern Conference shrunk to 11 teams . This meant that the number of first-round byes for the SoCon Tournament would increase from four to five. The five teams with a first-round bye in this year's tournament are Davidson (#1 seed), Chattanooga (2), Wofford (3), Elon (4) and Western Carolina (5). Although Elon and Western Carolina each have byes, they already know they will play one another on day two of the tournament in the quarterfinal round. Elsewhere, Davidson will play the winner of the Samford (8) versus Appalachian State (9) contest. Chattanooga, meanwhile, will await the winner of the Georgia Southern (7) versus Furman (10) matchup. Wofford will battle the victor of the UNC Greensboro (6) versus Citadel (11)  game. 

This will be the final SoCon Tournament that Davidson, Elon, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern will participate in. Davidson and Elon are merging into the Atlantic-10 and the Colonial Athletic Conference, respectively, while Appalachian State and Georgia Southern are both transitioning to the Sun Belt Conference. Eastern Tennessee State University, Virginia Military Institute and Mercer University will join the Southern Conference next season, which will feature 10 teams for the 2014-2015 season.

Here is the 2014 Southern Conference Tournament  Bracket:

First Round Friday, March 7					Quarterfinals Saturday, March 8 ESPN3					Semifinals Sunday, March 9 ESPN3					Championship Game Monday, March 10 ESPN2
						1	Davidson
	8	Samford
	9	Appalachian State
						4	Elon
						5	Western Carolina
						2	Chattanooga
	7	Georgia Southern
	10	Furman
						3	Wofford
	6	UNC Greensboro
	11	The Citadel

Below are my responses to the questions provided by John Roberts of MocsMania as a part of his annual "Scanning the SoCon: Tournament Edition" post on his website. 

1)      Which team playing Friday do you think will go the furthest in the tournament? Why?

I don’t envision any of the six teams playing on Friday to make it past the quarterfinal round. If I had to pick one team, I would select UNC Greensboro, the No. 6 seed in the 2014 Southern Conference Tournament. The Spartans draw a favorable first-round matchup against Citadel, a club that lost its first 14 conference games before finishing the season on a two-game winning streak. If the Spartans are to advance as expected, they will battle Wofford on Saturday with the winner earning a spot in the semi-finals. The Spartans defeated the Terriers on Wofford’s home floor on Saturday night so an upset is fathomable.

2)      Which Top-3 seed is most likely to disappoint? Why?

Chattanooga is most likely to disappoint. The Mocs will draw the winner of the Georgia Southern-Furman contest. Assuming Georgia Southern defeats Furman, a club that recorded two of its three conference wins against the last-place Citadel Bulldogs, they will face off against a Chattanooga squad that they blew out on the road less than two weeks ago. Even if the Mocs are able to sneak past the Georgia Southern Eagles, they will likely oppose the Wofford Terriers in the semi-finals. The Mocs defeated the Terriers twice in the regular season, but it is an arduous task to beat a formidable conference opponent three times in one calendar year.

3)      What do you think would be the best match-up to see on Sunday in the semifinals?

A matchup featuring Davidson versus Elon (split season-series) will bring immense intrigue based on the sole fact that the Phoenix handed the Wildcats their only conference loss of the season. The Phoenix would love to avenge Davidson after getting torched by the first-place Wildcats at Alumni Gym on Senior Night.

4)      What team has the best chance to advance in the NCAA Tournament? Why?

Elon played better than any other Southern Conference team in its non-conference portion of the schedule. That being said, Davidson is riding a 12-game win streak (and if they win the SoCon Tournament their streak will increase to 15) and no team in the country wants to play a squad that has not lost since mid-January.

5)      Who do you think will play in the SoCon Championship Game? Who will win? Why?

My gut feeling tells me that Davidson will square off against Wofford for the Southern Conference Championship game. But the fourth seeded Elon Phoenix, the preseason conference favorites, could make some major noise in the tournament. Elon has the most talented starting lineup in the conference, featuring four seniors (Lucas Troutman, Ryley Beaumont, Jack Isenbarger and Sebastian Koch) with over 1,000 points scored in their respective careers. Davidson versus Elon seems like an inevitable semi-final matchup and the winner of that contest will likely win the SoCon Tournament. Conventional wisdom says that Davidson will be representing the Southern Conference in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, but it’s called “March Madness” for a reason: anything is possible. 

Southern Conference 2013-14 Season Wrap-Up: Player & Coach of the Year, All SoCon Teams & Final Power Rankings

Player of the Year

1.      Z. Mason, Chattanooga: The senior forward topped the SoCon in rebounds (9.5) and blocks (3.0) per contest and finished fourth in scoring (18.2 ppg). Mason is the best all-around player in the conference and was the main driving force behind a Chattanooga squad that far exceeded expectations.

2.      De’Mon Brooks, Davidson- The best player on the elite team of the SoCon, Brooks finished third in the conference in scoring (18.4 ppg) and field goal percentage (.590), while finishing sixth in rebounds per contest (7.0). 

3.      Trey Sumler, Western Carolina- Arguably the most talented 1-on-1 player in the SoCon, Sumler led the league in assists (4.4 apg),  finished fifth in scoring (17.9 ppg) and fourth in free throw percentage (.794).

Coach of the Year

1.   Will Wade, Chattanooga: Rookie head coach led the Mocs to a second-place finish in the SoCon, despite being picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll.

2.   Mike Young, Wofford- Directed young Wofford sqaud (only one senior on roster) to eight consecutive wins after starting off 2-3 in conference play.

SoCon Awards 2013-2014

1st Team All SoCon

Guard:  Trey Sumler, Western Carolina

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
17.9	4	4.4	.431	0

Guard:  Jelani Hewitt, Georgia Southern

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
20	4.5	3.2	.409	0.2

Forward: Z. Mason- Chattanooga

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
18.2	9.5	0.8	.492	3

Forward: De'Mon Brooks, Davidson

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
18.4	7	1.3	.590	0.8

Forward: Tim Williams, Samford

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
17.9	7.3	0.7	.611	1.5

2nd Team All SoCon

Guard: Stephen Croone, Furman

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
19.3	4.4	3.7	.468	0.3

Guard:  Karl Cochran, Wofford

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
15.2	4.9	3.1	.414	0.6

Forward: Sebastian Koch, Elon

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
11.8	5	2.8	.469	0.2

Forward: Kyle Cain, UNC Greensboro

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
15.3	9	1.2	.474	0.4

Forward: Lucas Troutman, Elon

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
16.1	6.3	0.8	.534	1.9

3^rd Team All SoCon

Guard: Brian Sullivan, Davidson

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
13.5	2.4	2.1	.409	0

Guard: Tre Bussey, Georgia Southern

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
16.3	2.4	1.9	.455	0.1

Forward: Matt Van Scyoc, Citadel

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
14.4	5.5	1.1	.429	0.7

Forward: Ryley Beaumont, Elon

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
10.2	5.1	1.8	.444	0.3

Forward: Lee Skinner, Wofford

PPG	RPG	APG	FG%	BPG
11.1	8.6	2	.472	0.2

Final Power Rankings

1.     Davidson (19-11, 15-1)

2.     Wofford (17-12, 11-5)

3.     Elon (18-13, 11-5)

4.     Chattanooga (18-13, 12-4)

5.     Western Carolina (17-14, 10-6)

6.     UNC Greensboro  (14-17, 7-9)

7.     Samford (12-19, 6-10)

8.     Georgia Southern (13-18, 6-10)

9.     Appalachian State (9-20, 5-11)

10.    Furman (9-20, 3-13)

11.    Citadel (6-25, 2-14)