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TORONTO -- Cory Rasmus needed time to appreciate the significance of his first appearance at Rogers Centre. A rookie reliever with the Atlanta Braves last May, Rasmus left the mound angry after giving up a home run to Edwin Encarnacion and a double to his older brother, Blue Jays centre fielder Colby Rasmus, in an eventual 9-3 interleague loss for Atlanta. Now with the Los Angeles Angels, Cory is back in Toronto for a four-game set against Colbys Blue Jays. And one year later, the younger Rasmus (by 15 months) feels a lot different about his last outing at Rogers Centre. "To be honest with you, I didnt really get to enjoy the moment like I wish I would have, but to have an opportunity to come up here and maybe face him again is awesome," Cory Rasmus said hours before first pitch Friday. "Hopefully I can embrace it a little more and I wont be so uptight about everything, because looking back on it, it was awesome. Brothers dont get to face each other too often in the big leagues." Rasmus made his major league debut a week before the Toronto outing last year, and was traded to the Angels the following month. He finished the 2013 season with a 5.40 ERA through 21 2/3 innings. Since being called up by the Angels a week ago, the 26-year-old, whos endured three shoulder surgeries over the last seven years, has pitched two scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out one. With Colby Rasmus on a hot streak as well -- batting .391 with a .417 on-base percentage and .913 slugging percentage over the last seven days -- both brothers say theyre looking forward a possible rematch of last years at-bat. The two had breakfast together Friday morning, and younger brother Cyle, whos just finished his college career at Columbus State University, will be in the Rogers Centre stands taking in the action this weekend. Colby Rasmus says the playing field between him and Cory is a bit more even these days. "I didnt really like (facing him) a whole lot last year." he said. "Ive had the good fortune of hanging around the big leagues a bit longer and he was having struggles with his shoulder. Hed just been in the minor leagues, it wasnt really a fun time." Cory and Colby were always teammates throughout their childhood, playing together in the Little League World Series in 1999, and winning a State Championship with Russell County High School in Seale, Ala., in 2005. With that kind of history, Colby Rasmus admits its strange having Cory on the other side of the diamond. But hes glad to see his younger brother getting his shot in the big leagues. "Id love nothing more than to have him do well," he said. "Through everything weve been through, all the work we put in when we were younger ... for us to both be on the same big league field and have a chance to do this, its very special." http://www.atleticomadridpro.com/Kids-Rodri-Jersey/ . Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Wild team that has a nice mix of proven veterans along with young, inexpensive talent on the rise. When the Wild signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, making a big splash in the summer of 2012, it set the franchise on a path to being more competitive, but a big reason that they have been so competitive is the contributions of young players who still have more to give. http://www.atleticomadridpro.com/Kids-Jose-Gimenez-Jersey/ . Since coming to the big leagues in late May, La Stella is 6 for 7 with the bases loaded, driving in 13 runs in those at-bats. http://www.atleticomadridpro.com/Kids-Ni...nic-Jersey/.com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. Atletico Madrid Jerseys . But Paul Osbaldiston, Hamiltons assistant special teams and kicking coach, said the team still relished the championship game workout. http://www.atleticomadridpro.com/Kids-Lucas-Hernandez-Jersey/ . Go to turbozone.ca to see more of his epic work and you can follow him on twitter (@Turbo_Zone). Gaurav Shastri - A tribute to the amazing fan base who stand outside during games at "Jurassic Park" and an unbelievable shot of Paul Pierce fearing a Raptor.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - No McDonalds All-Americans. No top-50 recruits. And no projected future first-round NBA draft picks. Virginia does have a successful system, however. Its one that isnt going to win any beauty pageants, but it may be good enough to cut down the nets in Indianapolis come April. Welcome to Tony Bennetts world. The Cavaliers (19-0) and their vaunted Pack-Line defense are just four wins away from matching the 1980-81 team for the best start in school history. Virginia, which has kept 44 straight ACC opponents under 50 percent shooting, is holding its adversaries to just 34.1 percent from the floor on the season. And this has come a year following the departures of Joe Harris -- Virginias No. 11 all-time leading scorer -- and Akil Mitchell -- the schools No. 7 rebounder. The improvements of Justin Anderson and Anthony Gill have picked up their slack. But its the system thats most responsible for the Wahoos prosperity. The main tenet of the Pack-Line is the defensive shape, with four defenders forming an imaginary arch several feet inside of the 3-point line. Then theres an on-the-ball defender who pressures the ball handler. Basically, the defense is designed to force difficult, contested jumpers. And with four defenders sagging inside the Pack-Line, it eliminates dribble penetration. Due to the wall of defenders, the gaps for an offensive player to navigate through are minimal. The strategy also prevents backdoor cuts and players are always in position to clear the defensive glass. Bennett also wants all five of his players on the court to sprint back following an offensive possession to prevent the fastbreak. As good as the Cavaliers defensive statistics look, there are some disadvantages. The 3-point shot is an equalizer, although Virginias foes are shooting just 29.9 percent from long distance. Defenders are always playing off their man and in a help position so if they dont anticipate quick enough and close out on a shot, a team can get hot from beyond the arc. This was seen in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season when 16th-seeded Coastal Carolina led by as many as 10 in the opening half and was up five going into the break. The Chanticleers made 5-of-10 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes and finished 9-of-19 for the game. Looking back, some of the fans in Charlottesville werent enthused when Bennett was hired in 2009. Tubby Smith was the shiny glittering name that had won a national championship at Kentucky with ties to the Commonwealth. He was an assistant coach for VCU from 1979-86 when it won a trio of Sun Belt conference titles. Smith, though, decided to stay at Minnesota and Bennetts Pack-Line defense was brought in instead. Theres no second guessing the hiring of Bennett now. The Hoos had made just two NCAA Tournament appearances in the 12 years prior to Bennetts arrival -- in 2001 under Pete Gillen and 2007 with Dave Leitao. Only the 2007 team won a tournament game. But Bennett was used to turning programs around. Washington State hadnt been in the Big Dance since 1994 until Bennett led it there in his first season at Pullman. The Cougars went 26-8 in 2006-07, tying the school record for wins, and earned a No. 3 seed in the tourney. They won their first round game but lost to Vanderbilt in the second. But the team the following season reached the Sweet 16 before falling to North Carolina. The script has repeated itself in Charlottesville. Bennett guided the Cavaliers to a 22-10 mark in 22011-12.dddddddddddd They reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five seasons, but lost to Florida in the Round of 64. Last season, Virginia set a school record for victories, earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and swept the ACC regular season and tournament titles for the first time in school history. And this year the Cavaliers are attempting to race off to their best start ever. Theyll have to get past highly-touted Duke to get there and a win over the Blue Devils should silence some doubters. As great as Bennetts current run at Virginia has been, it still doesnt match the Ralph Sampson era, at least not yet. The Cavaliers earned three straight No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament from 1981-83, Sampsons last seasons with the program. The 1980-81 squad was the best of the bunch, not only sporting Sampson but also Jeff Lamp, who was the 15th pick in the 1981 NBA Draft. They began 23-0 and reached the Final Four in Philadelphia before falling to North Carolina. Sampson never got back to the national semifinals. Virginia lost to fourth- seeded UAB on its home floor in Birmingham during the Sweet 16 of the 1982 NCAA Tournament and was upset by eventual national champion and No. 6 seed NC State in the Elite Eight of the 1983 tourney. Ironically, the Cavaliers reached the Final Four as a seventh seed the year after Sampson graduated in 1984. Kentucky, of course, is also unbeaten, but its gaining most of the national attention with its nine former McDonalds All-Americans. If there is a team that can clip the Cats, though, its Virginia. Its no secret that the Wildcats weakness is their outside shooting. Well, that plays right into Virginias advantage. Due to its length, UK snatches about 45 percent of offensive rebounds, which leads the country. The Cavs, however, grab 78.8 percent of defensive boards, which is third in the nation. Its a fascinating matchup that would savor the appetite of basketball junkies everywhere. We just might see it on April 6. PROJECTED BRACKET MIDWEST (Cleveland) 1. Kentucky* vs. 16. New Mexico State*/Alabama State* winner 8. Stanford vs. 9. Oklahoma State 4. Louisville vs. 13. Murray State* 5. Butler vs. 12. Stephen F. Austin* 6. Indiana vs. 11. Xavier 3. Notre Dame vs. 14. Kent State* 7. Northern Iowa vs. 10. Dayton 2. Kansas* vs. 15. Georgia Southern* SOUTH (Houston) 1. Duke vs. 16. Sacramento State* 8. Colorado State vs. 9. Ohio State 4. Wichita State* vs. 13. Western Kentucky* 5. VCU* vs. 12. Wofford* 6. Providence vs. 11. NC State/Tennessee winner 3. Iowa State vs. 14. Long Beach State* 7. SMU vs. 10. Iowa 2. Arizona* vs. 15. Albany* EAST (Syracuse) 1. Virginia* vs. 16. Bucknell*/Robert Morris* winner 8. Cincinnati vs. 9. LSU 4. Georgetown* vs. 13. Iona* 5. West Virginia vs. 12. Wyoming* 6. Oklahoma vs. 11. Georgia/Old Dominion winner 3. Utah vs. 14. Northeastern* 7. Miami-Florida vs. 10. St. Johns 2. Wisconsin* vs. 15. High Point* WEST (Los Angeles) 1. Gonzaga* vs. 16. North Florida* 8. Seton Hall vs. 9. San Diego State 4. North Carolina vs. 13. Yale* 5. Baylor vs. 12. Green Bay* 6. Arkansas vs. 11. Tulsa* 3. Maryland vs. 14. NC Central* 7. Texas vs. 10. Washington 2. Villanova vs. 15. South Dakota State* FIRST FOUR OUT Michigan State Syracuse George Washington Oregon State NEXT FOUR OUT Davidson Temple BYU Harvard * - denotes conference leader. In a result of a tie atop the standings, the team with the higher RPI was chosen. 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