Virginia loses ACC opener for eighth straight season
The Virginian-Pilot
© January 6, 2003

RALEIGH — In a long and frustrating season last year, the Virginia Cavaliers looked disjointed and out of sorts any number of times. But never more so than when they played N.C. State.
The Cavaliers’ three losses to the Wolfpack were among the low points of a disappointing 17-12 season. They fell by 17 in Raleigh and by an embarrassing 20 in the first round of the ACC tournament.

Virginia returned to Raleigh on Sunday night with a clean ACC slate and a new-look lineup. The result, though, looked all too familiar. The Cavaliers fell 75-63 at the RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) Center, formerly known as the Entertainment and Sports Arena.

The loss extended several dubious streaks for the Cavaliers (9-3, 0-1 ACC). The defeat was Virginia’s fifth straight to N.C. State, their sixth straight in Raleigh and their eighth straight in an ACC opener.

Virginia coach Pete Gillen’s frustration surfaced in his postgame remarks, which focused on the officiating. His primary complaint was that center Travis Watson played 37 minutes and didn’t shoot a free throw.

“Travis Watson’s got to change his name,” Gillen said. “They don’t like him.”

Gillen has complained all season about what he perceives as a lack of respect for Watson among officials. But until Sunday, his contention was that Watson, an imposing 6-foot-8 and 255 pounds, was called for too many “touch” fouls, not that he was being fouled on the other end.

“He got eight shots and people were hanging all over him,” Gillen said. “I’m very disappointed that a player like that doesn’t get any respect. I’ve said it before, and obviously I’m talking to the wall.”

Virginia was called for 21 fouls to N.C. State’s 15. Five of U.Va.’s fouls were whistled in the final two minutes, when the Cavaliers, out of timeouts, had to foul to stop the clock.

Virginia trailed most of the game and was never able to solve N.C. State’s aggressive man-to-man defense. The Wolfpack sagged inside on Watson and forced U.Va. into taking perimeter shots.

Not many fell. Virginia shot 4 of 22 from 3-point range.

N.C. State, meanwhile, found the touch that deserted it in a 68-56 loss to UMass last Thursday. The Wolfpack (8-2, 1-0) shot 9 of 20 from 3-point range, and 47 percent overall.

N.C. State received sweet shooting from some unexpected sources. Josh Powell, a 6-9 forward/center who had one career trey to his credit prior to the game, canned a textbook-perfect 3-pointer to put N.C. State up 49-36 with 9:26 left.

Virginia cut the margin to six, at 53-47, but then lost track of Levi Watkins on an inbounds play right after. Watkins, who had three career treys prior to Sunday, swished his second of the game to put N.C. State up by nine.

“We certainly bring out the best in them,” Gillen said.

N.C. State sophomore Julius Hodge scored 21 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and typified his team’s hustling play by beating Virginia to several loose balls. In a play that summed up the type of night it was for Virginia, the slinky, 6-6 Hodge drove to the basket hard late in the game, bounced off Watson, scored on a layup and was fouled.

“Were they stronger than us? No,” said Virginia power forward Elton Brown. “They were scrappy.”

Particularly on defense. Watson took just four shots in the first 32 minutes.

Asked if he expected to hear from the conference office for his remarks on the officiating, Gillen said he wasn’t worried. He said he’s merely sticking up for his players.

“I’m telling the truth,” he said. “I’m saying Travis Watson did not shoot a free throw. I’m not criticizing the officials.”

 

Virginia's Gillen cries foul after loss

UVa coach Pete Gillen says Travis Watson was held to eight shots because of some overly aggressive defense by the Wolfpack.

By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

   RALEIGH, N.C. - There was little chance Sunday that Virginia center Travis Watson would match either the 29 points or seven turnovers he had recorded in his last visit to the newly renamed Royal Bank of Canada Center.

    Not when he didn't have the ball.

    Watson, coming off the first 20 point-20 rebound game of his college career, was limited to eight shots as North Carolina State defeated the Cavaliers 75-63 in the ACC opener for both teams.

    It was the Wolfpack's fourth straight victory over UVa and came on the one-year anniversary of the 2001-02 opener in which State won 81-74 in Charlottesville.

    To some, it may have appeared that Watson's teammates, who were 4-for-21 on 3-pointers, could have done a better job of getting him the ball. To UVa coach Pete Gillen, it was a case of the officials misinterpreting conference directives.

    "Travis Watson's got to change his name," Gillen said. "They don't like him."

    In the past, Gillen has been upset by fouls on Watson that have sent the Cavaliers' leading scorer and rebounder to the bench. This time, Gillen felt the Wolfpack should have been penalized.

    "The first thing I looked at after the game was the statistics," Gillen said. "Travis Watson played 37 minutes, we got him the ball a lot inside and he did not take a free throw. That is very disappointing.

    "He's telling me, 'They grabbed my arm. They're pulling me. They're hand-checking.' We shoot 12 free throws; they shoot 27. We're playing zone. It's just frustrating. Frustrating and disappointing."

    By the time the media followed Gillen into Virginia's locker room, Watson was nowhere to be found.

    "Everybody in the country knows that Travis is our best player," fellow post player Elton Brown said, "so everybody in the country is going to try and double him. We're all trying to get him the ball, but somebody else has to step up."

    Watson finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for his 44th career double-double. When he got the ball near the basket, he was virtually unstoppable, going 5-for-8 from the field, with one of the misses a 3-pointer.

    "I don't think any team in college basketball stops Travis Watson alone," State coach Herb Sendek said. "When someone scores 21 points and grabs 20 rebounds in a game and leads all active ACC players in double-doubles, enough said. He has your attention."

    After a dreadful first half that found State leading 29-24 despite shooting 41.7 percent from the field, play picked up in the second half. The Wolfpack was leading 49-36 before Virginia mounted one last surge to reduce the margin to 53-47.

    The Cavaliers stiffened defensively, forcing State to inbound the ball from the wing with eight seconds left on the shot clock, but Brown left Levi Watkins uncovered and Watkins drained a 3-pointer with 5:32 remaining. UVa did not get closer than eight the rest of the way.

    "That was a big shot," Brown said. "At first, I heard we were in man. Then, I heard zone. When I started out to cover [Watkins], next thing I know somebody was telling me to get off of him. [The other player] had him. I don't know who it was. He was wide open."

    It was one of two field goals for Watkins. State (8-2) had four scorers in double figures, led by sophomore guard Julius Hodge with 21 points and 11 rebounds. UVa sophomore Devin Smith came off the bench to lead the Cavaliers (9-3) with 14 points.

    Although UVa is idle until next Saturday, when North Carolina visits Charlottesville, Gillen may find himself explaining his remarks to ACC officials.

    "I'm telling the truth," Gillen said. "I'm saying Travis Watson did not shoot a free throw. I didn't criticize the officials. I said he didn't shoot a free throw. I've got to fight for my players. That's all."

Cavs sneak up with better year than expected
Virginia loses only a few key players from this season's surprising team.
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

In a contemplative moment following his team's final Continental Tire Bowl practice, Virginia football coach Al Groh spoke longingly of trying to "sneak in" one last victory.
It may be a while before the Cavaliers, winners this year over six favored opponents, will sneak up on anybody else again.

Standing on the practice field at Charlotte Country Day School, Groh could not have known that a 48-22 Continental Tire Bowl victory over West Virginia would lift the Cavaliers into a season-ending Top 25 ranking, 22nd by The Associated Press and 25th by the coaches. He was referring to the talent differential that faced the Cavaliers when he took over the program in the winter of 2000-01.

Unlike his first Virginia team, which finished 5-7 with 15 seniors, Groh had so little proven, returning talent that UVa was picked eighth in the ACC before the season. The Cavaliers were underdogs in 10 of 14 games, including the last six.

Virginia split its last six games - all against Top 25 opposition - and finished 9-5. Only the 1989 squad that went 10-3 has won more games.

Call it the Groh factor. The Cavaliers had not won as many as nine games or prevailed in a bowl since performing the feat in back-to-back years, 1994-95, with Mike Groh as the quarterback. The younger Groh coaches the wide receivers on his father's staff.

The ranking was the first for the Cavaliers since Sept.27, 1999, when they were 24th before losing to Virginia Tech 31-7. UVa's last previous appearance in the postseason poll followed the 1998 season at 18th.

An added bonus will be the points that UVa will receive toward the Sears Directors' Cup, which recognizes all-around athletic performance. Because football is the only NCAA sport that does not determine its champion by a playoff, Sears Directors' Cup points only go to football teams in the final Top 25.

Voters found Virginia's victory over West Virginia to be so impressive that the Cavaliers were able to rise 10 places, from 32nd among teams receiving votes in the final regular-season AP poll. UVa leapfrogged four other teams that won bowl games: TCU, Marshall, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

Who would have thought, when Virginia trailed Florida State 34-0 in the third quarter Aug.31 in Tallahassee, Fla., that the Cavaliers would finish one place behind 21st-ranked Florida State and ahead of unranked Florida? Among the teams UVa passed in the final poll was Colorado State, a 35-29 winner Aug.22 in Charlottesville.

The Cavaliers lost their best offensive lineman, center Kevin Bailey, to a season-ending injury in the second game. Other in-season casualties included starting safety Chris Williams; Alvin Pearman, the team's rushing leader in 2001; Chris Canty, a second-team All-ACC defensive tackle, and Mike Mullins, senior member of the offensive line. None were in uniform for the bowl.

On top of that, two-time All-ACC wide receiver Billy McMullen suffered a dislocated elbow on the sixth play of the Continental Tire Bowl and did not return. The Cavaliers seemed oblivious to his absence, scoring 31 consecutive points after falling behind 10-7.

McMullen was the only senior who played for Virginia on offense, which was one reason that television commentators were quick to promote the Cavaliers as a preseason Top 25 team. Returnees include quarterback Matt Schaub, the ACC player of the year, and freshman tailback Wali Lundy, named Continental Tire Bowl MVP after scoring four touchdowns.

There are some significant losses on defense, including three players who combined for close to 400 tackles. First-team All-ACC inside linebacker Angelo Crowell, inside-turned-outside linebacker Merrill Robertson and safety Jerton Evans will not return. Evans was a second-team All-ACC choice and Robertson this week was rated the No.8 inside-linebacker prospect for the NFL Draft, according to The Sporting News.

Only eight seniors received appreciable playing time, two of whom suffered season-ending injuries, Williams and Mullins. One of the others was Alex Seals, a walk-on who was awarded a scholarship and was a two-time recipient of the George Welsh Special Teams Award.

"I've played on a lot of teams in my life, starting with sandlot, and no group of players was any closer than this one," Seals said. "We didn't just live up to our potential. We exceeded it."

The most glaring holes will be at wide receiver, linebacker and safety, but Groh said there is nearly as much talent among the 10 freshmen who did not play as the 12 who did. UVa has commitments from seven preseason All-Americans, not counting top 2002 signee Ahmad Brooks, a linebacker who will enroll this month.

Groh, in the process of hiring a strength coach after the preseason departure of Tony Decker, won't have to worry about any other staff losses at this time. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave reportedly has decided not to take a similar position at UCLA after interviewing in Los Angeles this past week.

Penn State and Colorado State go off the schedule, but the Cavaliers will play six road games, facing No.12 North Carolina State and No.13 Maryland on their fields. Florida State, with seven straight victories over UVa, and Virginia Tech, which has a four-game winning streak against UVa, come to Charlottesville.

"You can never just pick up where you left off," said Groh, realizing that team chemistry is a delicate variable. "Every year, you have to start over."

 

U.Va. 0 for 5 in matters of State
Cavs miss 18 3-pointers, drop ACC opener, their 5th loss in row vs. Pack
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Jan 06, 2003
N.C. STATE 75 VIRGINIA 63
RALEIGH, N.C. - Virginia opened ACC play with a loss last night.

Nothing new there. The Cavaliers have dropped eight straight ACC openers, and they didn't come close to ending that streak last night.

N.C. State extended its mastery of Virginia, winning 75-63 before an appreciative crowd of 14,718. The Wolfpack, which took the lead for good on Julius Hodge's 3-pointer with 3:19 left in the first half, has won five straight over U.Va. No other ACC team has a current streak of more than three straight against the Cavaliers.

"I thought our defense was good," U.Va. coach Pete Gillen said. "We just couldn't put the ball in the basket."

U.Va. (0-1, 9-3) carried a six-game winning streak into the RBC Center, but the confidence it presumably gained from those victories wasn't apparent against State (1-0, 8-2). The Cavaliers struggled to run their offense, shot poorly (40 percent from the floor) and had trouble getting the ball to their top player, 6-8, 255-pound senior Travis Watson.

In Virginia's loss at State last season, Watson had a career-high 29 points and 12 rebounds. He attempted only eight shots last night and finished with 10 points and 12 boards.

"I don't think any team in college basketball stops Travis Watson alone," N.C. State coach Herb Sendek said. "It cer-tainly was a team effort today."

Gillen, after looking over the stat sheet, suggested that the Pack had help against Watson, who, like all but two of his teammates, wasn't available for post-game interviews.

"He did not take a free throw," Gillen said. "He took eight shots, and had people hanging all over him. . . . I'm very disappointed that a player like that doesn't get any respect. I've said it before, and obviously I'm talking to the wall."

Virginia was called for 21 fouls, to 15 for State. Gillen noted that the Pack took 27 foul shots, to 12 for Virginia, which played zone much of the game. Fifteen of the Wolfpack's free throws, however, came in the final 3:52, when U.Va. was forced to foul.

Hodge, a 6-6 sophomore, led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He made 2 of 3 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc, and he wasn't the Wolfpack's only marksman. Six players hit at least one trey for State, which was 9 for 20 from long range.

The sight of Pack 3-pointers dropping through the net was all too familiar for Virginia. In last season's ACC tournament, State hit 13 of 18 treys and buried the Cavaliers 92-72.

"We certainly bring out the best in them," Gillen said.

Virginia, by contrast, was 4 for 22 on 3-pointers last night. Junior guard Todd Billet missed 5 of 6 from outside the arc, and freshman forward Derrick Byars, sophomore center Elton Brown and sophomore guard Jermaine Harper were a combined 0 for 8.

The Wolfpack led by five at halftime and by 14 with 10:25 left. Nonetheless, Sendek said, "You just knew Virginia was going to make a run like they did."

Back-to-back baskets by Watson pulled U.Va. to 51-44, and after Hodge scored on a stickback, sophomore swingman Devin Smith (team-high 14 points) sank an NBA-length trey to make it a six-point game with 6:03 left.

Then came perhaps the game's decisive sequence. State, inbounding the ball from the sideline, capitalized on a communication breakdown by Virginia. Brown said he believed a teammate had State forward Levi Watkins covered. By the time Brown realized that wasn't the case, Watkins was wide open in the near corner. He caught the inbounds pass and stroked a 3-pointer that made it 57-46 with 5:28 remaining.

Virginia never recovered. Sophomore point guard Keith Jenifer turned the ball over at the other end, then Hodge hit a jumper to make it a 12-point game. State made 9 of 13 free throws in the final 3 minutes.

"We let a good opportunity" slip away, Brown said. "In my opinion, there's no way we should have lost. We just didn't come with our 'A' game."

U.Va. played without its most athletic big man, 6-8, 235-pound sophomore Jason Clark, who has a sprained ankle. Clark's status is uncertain for Virginia's next game, Saturday against North Carolina at University Hall.

 

Bland opening: U.Va. shoots blanks in first ACC road game
BOB LIPPER
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Jan 06, 2003
Contact Bob Lipper at (804) 649-6555 or e-mail blipper@timesdispatch.com

RALEIGH, N.C. Nothing's changed. They still can't win on the road in this league, still can't stymie N.C. State's spread offense, still don't have a coherent attack of their own, still can't remember they have a 6-8 beast in the low post, still can't shake the reputation they're not candidates for the Choir Boys Hall of Fame.

Other than that, this was a swell entry to ACC competition for Virginia's Cavaliers.

The Cavs fell 75-63 to State last night, not with a bang but a snicker. This last item occurred with 13.6 seconds to go, the Pack's Clifford Crawford marching to the other end of the floor after drawing Keith Jenifer's fifth foul, the ball in Jenifer's hands and referee Gary Maxwell a few feet away and with his arms outstretched.

That's when Jenifer spun the ball toward the baseline and away from Maxwell and headed for the bench. Not a wise move. Maxwell barked Jenifer to a halt and told him (he maybe said please - I can't read lips) to retrieve the ball. A smirk on his face, Jenifer complied. He bounced the ball with some authority in Maxwell's general direction and then proceeded once again toward the sideline and some fatherly words from Pete Gillen.

Nobody else got any laughs from this mess - certainly not Gillen, who was reduced to whining about State's physi- cal play as if the Pack was the second coming of Hulk Hogan. The Pack hand-checked us excessively, Gillen complained. They got way too many more free throws than we got, he moaned. Travis Watson can't get no respect, he lamented.

That was Gillen's view from the bench. Out on the floor, at least one Cav saw it through a different prism.

"I was in the Big East for two years," said Todd Billet, a transfer from Rutgers. "You're playing Georgetown, Providence. Some of those games turn into a wrestling match. It wasn't overly physical out there. You've just got to play through it as best you can."

But the Cavs didn't. They came to town 9-2 and facing a vulnerable State crew that dropped its last start to UMass and hadn't yet beaten a quality opponent. And they led four times for the grand total of 2˝ minutes. Their offense was a hodge-podge (which is maybe OK if you have Julius Hodge on your side, but he was wearing a State uniform). And their defense was familiarly out of position often enough to permit the Pack nine 3-pointers and 27 attempts from the foul line.

For the record, State outscored U.Va. from the line 20-7, and Watson had no attempts. One night's circumstance or a conspiracy theory? Gillen made the call.

"People are hanging all over him," Gillen said. "I'm very disappointed that a player like that doesn't get any respect. I've said it before, and obviously I'm talking to the wall."

If he next talks to ACC supervisor of officials John Guthrie, he might be told it would be a nice idea for U.Va.'s perimeter troops to pitch the ball inside to Watson with more frequency. Watson took eight shots last night. He got his first basket 1˝ minutes into the game and hardly got an entry pass thereafter until the closing eight minutes, when he scored three more times. But State had a double-digit cushion by then, and Gillen probably was warming up his postgame act.

This is Gillen's fifth year at U.Va. Take away his first season - when he bled 14 wins from a roster that included six scholarship players and a few warm bodies - and he's 7-18 in ACC road games. Armed with considerable heft and a couple of new shooting threats - and the diluted competition - there were reasonable hopes for something of a breakthrough this time around.

But it didn't happen on this occasion. State had been limited to 32 percent accuracy in losses to Gonzaga and UMass. It knocked down 47 percent of its tries against Virginia. The Cavs, meanwhile, fell behind by missing 20 of 30 attempts before intermission and wound up at the 40 percent level. And 0-1 in the standings heading into what should be a get-well assignment Saturday against North Carolina.

"It's one game," Billet said. "You can't put too much stock in it."

You could say the same thing about lame postmortems. Time to button it up and play.
 

N.C. State bumps off Virginia
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press
Published January 6, 2003

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Travis Watson wasn't talking, but Virginia coach Pete Gillen had plenty to say.

Following the Cavaliers' 75-63 loss to N.C. State in the RBC Center on Sunday night, Gillen saw one number on the stat sheet that set his blood boiling. No, not the Wolfpack's 9-of-20 shooting from the behind the 3-point arc. Nor Virginia's 40-percent accuracy from the field.

This one you had to look for.

"Travis Watson is a very fine player," Gillen said of his team's leading scorer and rebounder. "He played 37 minutes, we got him the ball a lot inside, and he did not take a free throw. That is very disappointing. He's telling me, 'They're grabbing my arm, they're bumping me.' That's very disappointing.

"We shoot 12 free throws; they shoot 27. We're playing zone. It's just frustrating. We get a memo saying they want to cut down the physical play and I thought we'd try to do that. If it's going to be physical, we're going to have to adjust. But it's very disappointing that a player like that gets the ball inside, gets bumped (and) does not get a free throw."

Gillen wasn't done.

"People were hanging all over him, hanging all over him," he continued. "I'm very disappointed that a player like that does not get any respect. I said it before, but obviously I'm talking to the wall. Maybe Travis Watson's got to change his name. Maybe they don't like him."

Asked later if he expected to be contacted by the league office, which prohibits criticizing officials, Gillen said, "I'm telling the truth. ... I'm trying to fight for my players."

You can't argue with Gillen's numbers: Watson did not go to the line, and the Wolfpack (8-2, 1-0) did attempt 15 more free throws. But you can question his argument. Watson had only eight attempts from the field, four in each half. Virginia (9-3, 0-1) took 22 3-pointers, making four.

State went 9-of-13 from the line in the final 2:59 as the Cavaliers, trailing by double digits, fouled to stop the clock. And though Virginia was called for 21 fouls to State's 15, seven U.Va. fouls came in the final three minutes.

Watson had left the locker room before reporters arrived, and school media relations director Rich Murray said he had declined interview requests.

In truth, there were more obvious factors that led to Virginia's fifth straight loss to the Wolfpack, its longest current losing streak in the conference. Save for a few spurts, the Cavaliers' offense was lost against N.C. State's zone defense. Derrick Byars and Todd Billet were a combined 6-of-17 from the field. After scoring on Virginia's first possession, Elton Brown missed eight of 11 attempts.

Defensively, Virginia didn't defend the 3-point shot. And in the end, the Cavs lost their conference opener for the eighth straight year.

Gillen called it a physical game, but Brown and Billet - the only players left in the locker room - downplayed it.

"There was a lot of pushing, but it was far from being physical," Brown said. "A lot of calls didn't go our way, whatever, but we've got to learn to play through it."

"I played in the Big East for two years," said Billet, a transfer from Rutgers. "Some of those games were wrestling matches."
 

Gillen questions refs after loss to Pack

News & Record

RALEIGH -- Nothing during Sunday afternoon's game between N.C. State and Virginia was nearly as interesting as what was said afterward.

Cavaliers coach Pete Gillen, after losing his fifth consecutive ACC opener and his fifth consecutive game to the Wolfpack (1-0 ACC, 8-2 overall), spent a good portion of his postgame interview complaining about how abused Virginia center Travis Watson was by a trio of N.C. State interior players.

The defense played by Josh Powell, Marcus Melvin and Levi Watkins was indeed the reason the Wolfpack beat the Cavaliers again, 75-63, in front of 14,718 spectators at the RBC Center.

But did they cross the line in how closely they guarded Watson, the first-team All-ACC player from last year? Gillen thought so.

"The first thing I did was look at the statistics and noticed that Travis Watson didn't take any free-throw shots," Gillen said afterward. "That is very disappointing. He is telling me, 'They are grabbing my arm and holding me.' We take 12 free throws and they take 27, and we are playing a zone defense. That is frustrating and disappointing."

For the record, Watson only took four shots in the first 32 minutes of the game, missing two. He made three baskets in the final eight minutes, but they mostly came long after the Wolfpack stretched its lead back to double digits with a seven-point burst led by Julius Hodge, the ACC's scoring leader.

Hodge provided the offense for the Wolfpack, scoring a game-high 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. But Powell, Melvin and Watkins were the stars of the game for subduing Watson and burly forward Elton Brown. Watson, who had 22 points and 20 rebounds in the Cavaliers' last game, managed 10 mop-up points and 12 rebounds. Brown had nine points and seven rebounds, but he was 4-for-12 from the field.

The Cavaliers (0-1, 9-3) were even worse from the outside. They finished 4-for-22 on the night from 3-point range, easily their worst outside shooting performance of the season.

That didn't bother Gillen nearly as much as Watson's inability to get shots.

"He got off eight shots with people hanging all over him," Gillen said. "I am very disappointed that a player like that doesn't get any more respect. I've talked about that before. Obviously, I am talking to a wall."

Gillen may well be talking to ACC supervisor of officials John Guthrie or league commissioner John Swofford after his comments, which walked a fine line between griping about and criticizing the officials, which is against league policy.

"I did not criticize the officials," Gillen said. "I told the truth. I said Travis Watson did not shoot a free throw, and that is the truth. I thought he got fouled. I am trying to take care of my player and fight for my players.

"They send out memos about cleaning certain things up, and obviously they don't. We will just have to adjust."

Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek, whose team has six days off before traveling to Georgia Tech for a Saturday afternoon game, was a little taken aback by all the postgame fuss about his interior defense, which has been as soft as warm cheese for most of the season. He was especially surprised since Gillen was talking in defense of Watson, one of the league's most physical players.

"You look up the word 'physical' in the dictionary, and his picture is there beside it," Sendek said. "He is a strong, physical young man. He is as physical as anyone we play."

The game was actually a revelation for Powell, who got pushed around much of the latter half of last season. But he added 30 pounds of muscle since then, and increased his bench-press in the weight room from 210 to 285 pounds. He's obviously much stronger and much more capable of playing a physical game.

But Watson didn't say if he thought the Wolfpack was too rough on him. He was not available for interviews after the game.

Gillen left his postgame interview convinced that the officials could have done more to open things up for Watson.

"Maybe Travis Watson has to change his name," said the coach. "Maybe they don't like him."

Contact Tim Peeler at 373-7062 or tpeeler@news-record.com

Pack shuts down Cavs, sets off Gillen
By AL FEATHERSTON : The Herald-Sun
afeatherston@heraldsun.com
Jan 5, 2003 : 9:26 pm ET

RALEIGH -- N.C. State continued its mastery of the Virginia Cavaliers on Sunday and Pete Gillen is getting sick of it.

The Virginia coach, speaking moments after the Pack stretched its winning streak over his Cavs to five games, launched a bitter tirade about the officiating in the game, claiming that Cavaliers star Travis Watson was abused by the Wolfpack defense.

"The first thing I did was look at the stats and see that Travis Watson did not shoot a free throw," Gillen said. "That is very disappointing. He’s telling me, ‘They’re grabbing my arm and holding me.’

"We shoot 12 free throws, they shoot 27 ... and we’re playing zone. That’s frustrating and disappointing."

Watson, coming off a 21-point, 20-rebound game against Wofford, scored just 10 points in N.C. State’s relatively easy 75-63 victory in the ACC opener for both teams.

Wolfpack junior Marcus Melvin suggested that Josh Powell’s defense was the reason for Watson’s ineffectiveness.

"It was a team thing, but without Josh being there and moving his feel on defense and things like that, I think Travis Watson would have been able to maneuver more in the post and get the buckets he normally gets against teams," Melvin said.

It’s hard to tell what Watson thinks — he refused to talk to the media after the game. But N.C. State coach Herb Sendek said that Watson was the victim of good team defense.

"I don’t think anybody stops Travis Watson alone," Sendek said. "It has to be a team effort. There can’t be many better than him. Watching on tape, he’s an awesome player."

But the Wolfpack coach appeared confused when asked if his team was physical with Watson.

"He’s as physical as anybody in the league," Sendek said of the Cavaliers star. "His picture is next to ‘physical’ in the dictionary."

With Watson MIA, Virginia struggled to find an offensive replacement. Newcomer Devin Smith chipped in nine first-half points, but he’s coming off an injury and was only able to play briefly in the second half. Rutgers transfer Todd Billet, who scored 22 in a recent victory over his old school, missed 5 of 6 3-pointers and finished with just 10 points.

Overall, the Cavs shot much like N.C. State did earlier in the week at Massachusetts, missing 18 of 22 3-point tries and hitting just 40 percent from the field.

The Pack, meanwhile, regained its touch and buried 9 of 20 3-pointers — getting 21 points and 11 rebounds from Julius Hodge, 13 points from Powell (including his first 3-pointer of the season) and 14 points from senior Clifford Crawford, a doubtful starter who played 39 minutes.

Sendek was happy with the way his team bounced back after the disappointing loss at UMass.

"I thought the way we came out and played reflected our character," he said. "It’s been a challenging few days for us."

Perhaps the Wolfpack win was predictable: N.C. State (8-2, 1-0 ACC) has not only beaten Virginia (7-2, 0-1 ACC) five straight times, but each Wolfpack win in the streak has come on the heels of an N.C. State loss.

"They play very well against us," Gillen said. "They’re a very good team. We certainly bring out the best in them."

But the Pack has never before been as effective against the Virginia inside game. Not only was Watson shut down, but center Elton Brown scored just nine points on 4-of-12 shooting.

"The coaches emphasized good low post activity," Powell said. "I just played aggressively, trying not to let him catch it as much as possible."

Gillen insisted that Powell played Watson a little too aggressively.

"He got eight shots [with] people hanging all over him," the Virginia coach said. "I’m very disappointed that a player like that does not get any respect. I’ve said it before ... obviously I’m talking to a wall.

"We’ve got great refs. Travis Watson has got to change his name. They don’t like him."

Gillen was asked if he feared punishment from the ACC office.

"I’m telling the truth," he said. "I said that Travis Watson did not shoot any free throws. I didn’t criticize the officials. That’s the truth. I thought he got fouled."

NOTES — N.C. State will have six days off before the Pack returns to action Saturday at Georgia Tech. Virginia also has the week off before a Saturday matchup with North Carolina in Charlottesville. ... Virginia has lost eight straight ACC openers, including all five under Gillen. ... Overall, N.C. State has won 9 of the last 12 games with the Cavs. ... Scooter Sherrill hit two free throws to extend his streak to 33 straight over two seasons. He hasn’t missed since the Temple game last season.

 

Cavaliers Just Don't Travel Well
By Kevin Brafford
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, January 6, 2003; Page D04

RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 5 -- Many of the faces have changed, but the result hasn't. When Atlantic Coast Conference play begins, the University of Virginia can't seem to win away from University Hall.

So it went today in a 75-63 loss to North Carolina State in the conference opener for both teams. The Cavaliers (9-3) struggled to find a rhythm offensively, losing sight of forward Travis Watson, who took just eight shots -- and no free throws -- in 37 minutes against the Wolfpack's ball-hawking, man-to-man, trapping defense.

Thus Virginia's six-game winning streak is history. The Cavaliers' last conference win on the road dates back nearly a year -- Jan. 12, 2002, a 71-67 victory 30 miles down the road in Chapel Hill against North Carolina.

Virginia Coach Pete Gillen said a possible byproduct of playing on the road -- a lopsided number of trips to the foul line in favor of the home team -- was a factor.

"The first thing I did was look at the stats," said Gillen. "Travis Watson didn't take any free throw shots, and that was very disappointing. We shoot 12 free throws and they shoot 27 -- and we're playing zone. We got the ball inside, but we just could not get a free throw."

Three days after recording 21 points and 20 rebounds against Wofford to become the first Cavalier to record 20-plus in both categories since Ralph Sampson in 1983, Watson finished with just 10 points. He scored six of those in a five-minute stretch late in the second half.

That burst of inside play, parlayed with six of center Elton Brown's nine points, helped Virginia trim a 14-point deficit to 53-47 with 6 minutes 7 seconds remaining. But just when the Cavaliers were getting it right on the offensive end, they were doomed by two defensive lapses.

First, Brown was late getting to Wolfpack forward Levi Watkins on an out-of-bounds play, leading to an open three-pointer. Then, following a missed jumper by Keith Jenifer, N.C. State's Julius Hodge (team-high 21 points) was left uncontested and hit a 10-footer in the lane.

Two open looks produced five Wolfpack points and a 58-47 lead with less than five minutes remaining. Virginia got no closer than eight the rest of the way.

"Give N.C. State credit . . . they played physical and aggressively," said Gillen, who then criticized the officiating crew of Mike Wood, Ted Valentine and Gary Maxwell. "I'm disappointed that a player like [Watson] doesn't get any respect. I've said it before; obviously, I'm talking to a wall."

Watson, meantime, wasn't talking following the game, but Brown was.

"They didn't do anything that we didn't expect," he said of the Wolfpack (8-2). "When we did have chances inside, we didn't convert them. This one's on us, not them."

Virginia's inefficiencies spread to the perimeter. The Cavaliers made just 4 of 22 three-point attempts, including a 1-for-6 effort from marksman Todd Billet. Only Devin Smith, who came off the bench to score a team-high 14 points, seemed to find his game offensively.

"They were helping on the weak side and bringing a second guy over to double as soon as we caught the ball inside," Billet said. "They really play just three guards and two forwards, so their quickness is their thing. They kept their feet moving and seemed to beat us to spots."

The Cavaliers have nearly a week to fix what went wrong, as they don't play again until Saturday at noon against North Carolina at University Hall. The road issues will need to be fixed quickly, however, as visits to Duke and Clemson follow the next week.
 

Wolfpack's Powell up to challenge
By CAULTON TUDOR

Raleigh--Virginia's elton brown contends that there's not a defender in college basketball capable of shutting down his teammate travis watson.

The record essentially supports that statement.

Watson, the Cavaliers' 6-foot-8, 255-pound muscleman, dropped 21 points and 20 rebounds on Wofford recently. Thus far this season, he's roughed up Kentucky and Georgetown among others.

But Sunday night in the RBC Center, Watson began his final ACC regular season with a taming almost no one expected.

Saddled largely by N.C. State sophomore Josh Powell, the Virginia all-star was held to four points during the first 32 minutes, settled for 10 points overall and basically was a non-factor as the Wolfpack extended its recent domination of the Cavaliers, 75-63.

"It was Josh's job and he did a great job," said State junior Marcus Melvin. "That was some strong work."

Virginia coach Pete Gillen couldn't entirely agree, pointing the finger as much at the game officials as Powell.

"Travis is one of the best players in the country, and he shot no free throws ... he didn't get any respect tonight," Gillen said.

But really, Watson didn't get to the line because he didn't get the ball very often. Last season against the Pack in the same arena, he scored a career-high 29 points.

When the Cavaliers (9-3, 0-1 ACC) were firing and missing 3-pointers Sunday, Powell had Watson in check on the low post.

"I just tried to shadow him as much as I could and stick with him," Powell said.

Much of the credit for Powell's success can be traced to offseason conditioning. He has increased his bench press 75 pounds to 285 and has gained 30 pounds to 230.

"I felt more confident going against him," Powell said. "I tried to be aggressive and stay active. He's a great player, but we executed against him this time. I have to stay hungry."

Another factor was State's attitude. A 68-58 loss at Massachusetts on Jan. 2 lowered the Pack's record to 7-2 and set an urgent tone for the ACC opener.

"We had an inside-the-family meeting and a pretty good team talk right after that game," senior guard Cliff Crawford said. "We just decided that enough was enough. We decided that we were going to come out and prove to ourselves that we're a good team."

Like several State players, Crawford cited Powell's defense as one of the primary keys.

"Josh came in mentally focused," Crawford said. "All he had been hearing this week was 'Travis Watson this, Travis Watson that.' He's one of the best big men in the country. He's a great player, but Josh was ready for the challenge. He wanted to step up and play. He hit some buckets, too. It just wasn't all defense."

Powell finished with 13 points, three rebounds, a block and two steals. He also managed to stay in the game all the way, even after picking up his fourth foul with nine minutes left.

Given the way State's rotation is unfolding, it's going to be imperative that almost no one gets into foul trouble.

After dipping into the bench liberally in the early season, coach Herb Sendek used only six players in the most important game thus far.

One sub, forward Levi Watkins, was in for 25 minutes. Otherwise, the subs played a total of three minutes -- two by Will Roach and one by Cameron Bennerman.

Wingers Scooter Sherrill, Crawford and Julius Hodge (21 points, 11 rebounds) combined to get five minutes rest.

"We needed to get them into some more foul trouble, but we couldn't," said the Cavs' Brown. "We thought we had a chance to make better use of our depth, but they did a good job of playing tough without getting into trouble."

All things considered, State was good enough across the board. With the Pack having games against struggling Georgia Tech and Florida State on the conference schedule, the win sets the stage for a possible 3-0 league start and was enough to rejuvenate the team's confidence.

"The last thing we wanted was to start the conference race with a loss," Powell said. "There's a lot of work to do, but we got off on the right foot."


 

Character-builder
N.C. State uses defense, heart to subdue Virginia in ACC opener
By CHIP ALEXANDER, Staff Writer

RALEIGH -- One look at a stat sheet after the game was enough for Virginia coach Pete Gillen, his face crimson and his voice betraying disgust. But N.C. State's Herb Sendek knew better.
The Wolfpack topped the Cavaliers 75-63 Sunday night in its ACC opener at the RBC Center, and Virginia's Travis Watson had eight shots from the field, did not take a free throw and scored just 10 points. Many in the crowd of 14,718 undoubtedly left after the game convinced that the Wolfpack's hustling defense on the Wahoos' big man decided it.

"He's a warrior, a great competitor," Sendek said of Watson. "He devours guys."

But the Pack's victory was more than about containing one player, even one as rugged and effective as Watson, a 6-foot-8, 255-pound senior who should be in the NBA next year. It was more than about doubling down on defense, using backside help or using the body well in the paint.

It was more than getting a hand in Todd Billet's face, stopping his 3-point shots, keeping burly Elton Brown away from the boards or keeping Keith Jenifer from penetrating. And though patience on offense was critical for State (8-2, 1-0 ACC), it was about more than making shots.

"This is the kind of game that really shows your character," said the Pack's Julius Hodge, who had a game-high 21 points to go with 11 rebounds. "It's not talent that wins these games but heart, by who wants it the most."

That's what Sendek demanded of his team: a show of character. He talked about it before the game and throughout the game.

"We told them the way we came out and played, the way they carried themselves, would reflect their character," Sendek said. "The way they responded was special."

Heart? State's Clifford Crawford wasn't able to practice after the Pack's dismal 68-56 loss at Massachusetts on Thursday night. He was slowed by painful back spasms and not sure if he could play against the Hoos.

But there he was, putting in 39 minutes, scoring 14 points, going nonstop on defense. The Pack needed him, and Crawford responded.

"It's my senior year, and I didn't want to sit out," Crawford said. "It's a mental thing, and I just tried to block it out. Once I was on the court, I didn't even want to think about it."

Sendek also liked the body language shown by center Josh Powell -- confident, determined. Powell went head-to-head with Watson, getting backup help from Levi Watkins and Marcus Melvin, and made every one of Watson's touches inside a battle.

Gillen, now 0-5 in ACC openers at Virginia, was irked that Watson did not get to the foul line. It was a point he made to the ACC referees several times during the game, stomping about.

"Very disappointing," he said.

By game's end, Gillen's face was even redder than usual. The Pack shot 27 free throws, hitting 20, and the Cavs (9-3, 0-1) were 7-for-12.

"They take 27 and we take 12 and we're playing zone?" Gillen said, shaking his head.

The Hoos actually alternated defenses, mixing in a zone and triangle-and-two with its man-to-man, while the Wolfpack relied more on half-court man-to-man, backing off from its normal full-court pressure. The Pack forced the Cavs into 33.3 percent shooting in the first half, taking a 29-24 lead, and Virginia closed at 40 percent from the field.

Billet, who had made 26 3-pointers in Virginia's first 11 games, was 1-for-6 on the long balls against the Pack and never got an open look. The Hoos, who have lost five straight games to State, were 4-for-22 from behind the arc.

"N.C. State is very athletic and a very good defensive team," Billet said. "We beat them low at times in the second half, but we should have exploited it more.

"But every time Travis got the ball, they doubled-teamed him. They had one guy on him and another roaming, looking to help. It was effective."

Hodge called it another "grind-it-out" victory, and the sophomore was right. It was a matter of making hustle plays on offense -- Hodge darting inside for a follow shot, Melvin snatching the ball away from Watson and Brown for a putback, Crawford driving hard to the basket -- and going all out for 35 seconds, if need be, on the defensive end.

Melvin's follow gave the Pack a 46-32 lead with 10:38 to play. A 3-pointer by the Hoos' Devin Smith pulled Virginia within 53-47 with 6:05 to go, but Watkins answered with a 3 from the corner and the Pack maintained a comfortable lead the rest of the way.

On one play late in the game, with the Hoos pressing in the backcourt, Hodge found himself with the ball driving to the basket with Watson waiting. But Hodge went up, the ball went in and Watson picked up the foul.

"We took our lumps against UMass, but we were really mentally focused today," Crawford said. "It was the ACC opener, one we had to have. We played our hearts out."