Finally, time to reflect

By DOUGLAS HAIRSTON
Bulletin Sports Editor

The last five years for Magna Vista High School graduate Alex Seals have been an odyssey of aspiration, struggle and making the most of one's abilities and opportunities.

As that journey came to an end last month, Seals was not spending time reflecting on the meaning of it all. Rather, on Dec. 29, the 6 foot-2, 185-pound University of Virginia football player was too busy hurtling his body across Ericsson field and into flying gladiators to have much time for sentimental fineries.

"The Continental (Tire Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.) game was pretty emotional, knowing that was the last time I will play for U.Va.," Seals said this week. "But I was mostly concentrating on beating West Virginia (Mountaineers) to think too much about it."

Seals, the son of George and Debbi Seals, will have time for that when he heads back to Charlottesville for spring session to continue working on his master's degree, which he expects to complete this year. But in December, there was a game to win.

In the second quarter with the contest still in doubt, Seals helped close a running lane to enable the Cavaliers to return the West Virginia punt for a touchdown. "When we scored that touchdown, you could see it took the fight out of them."

The Cavaliers, who ended the season at 9-5 and 6-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, went on to trounce the then-15th ranked Mountaineers, 48-22, and cap the most successful season Virginia has had since Seals has been there.

For a scholarship athlete, who began his U.Va. football campaign as a walk-on, personal accomplishments have come grudgingly -- but they have come.

The 1998 Magna Vista graduate was twice named U.Va.'s most outstanding special teams player, earning the George Welsh award for the first two years of its existence.

"It's exciting," Seals said of playing on special teams, "because every time you're out there you have a chance to make game-altering plays."

This year he received the award on the strength of 22 tackles in 13 games and a career interception in the upset victory over the University of Maryland.

In addition, Seals made his first appearance in a game this year outside of special teams play. Seven games into the season, Seals came in as a defensive back in short-yardage situation against Clemson, which the Cavaliers won 22-17.

Two weeks later, he was given credit for the stop when U.Va. forced Georgia Tech to punt late in the game. The Yellow Jackets won 23-15.

However, of his five years of competition, the game Seals said he would most likely treasure was on Oct. 19 in Charlottesville against the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The Tar Heels jumped out to a 27-0 half-time lead, Seals recalled. "Going into the locker room we were shell shocked. 'How did they score all those points?' we were asking ourselves."

However, on the initial kickoff of the second half, Seals and his kick-return team brought the ball back 101 yards for a touchdown, setting the stage for a U.Va. 37-27 come-from-behind win. "Who knows how our season would have turned out had we not won that game," he now says.

Although Seals racked up football awards in high school for his play at linebacker and wide receiver -- including All-District, region and state -- Seals said he received letters of interest mostly from Division I, AA schools, such as the University of Richmond, the College of William and Mary and James Madison University.

At the time, Seals' brother, George, was a 6 foot-5, 275-pound offensive lineman at Virginia. Alex had been in contact with members of the U.Va. coaching staff who were encouraging him to come to Virginia as a walk-on. Since none of the AA schools offered him a scholarship, Seals decided, "If I'm going to walk on, why not do it at the highest level."

In retrospect, Seals thinks it was a good move. He got to play two years with his brother, who now works in financial investment with Merrill Lynch in Washington, D.C.

George was instrumental in helping his younger brother make the transition from high school to college, Seals said.

"U.Va. has a big social climate and with so much free time on your hands, it can be a distraction. George helped me learn how to carry myself on and off the field," Seals said.

Earning an athletic scholarship before the start of the 2001 season, Seals graduated from U.Va. last year with an undergraduate degree in economics.

The challenge now is returning to school for a master's degree in education without the demands of football and instead focusing on his career. But again, Seals expect the transition to be made easier with the help of his brother. Like his brother, Seals said he wants to work in finances and remain in Virginia.

"It will be strange watching football from the stands as an alumni," said Seals, but he expects to stay involved in sports in some capacity. At the very least, he expects to knock points off his golf handicap, he laughed.

Reflecting on the past five years, Seals said the games were fun, but what he probably will remember most as he settles into being a Virginia alumnus are the summer twice-a-day practices.

"They are mentally, physically and emotionally so hard. Heck, they made a movie out of it," he said in reference to the ESPN movie The Junction Boys. "I can't think of any aspect of life other than family where you're so dependent on one another," he added.

Doherty, Tar Heels face hefty concern
Matt Doherty's Tar Heels, who have only one player over 225 pounds, may have matchup problems against a bigger UVa team.
By DOUG DOUGHTY
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Early risers Friday could have watched an ESPN Classic rebroadcast of the 1984 Virginia-North Carolina game in which Tar Heels senior Matt Doherty made two one-and-ones in the final 1:37.
"Maybe that was a good omen," said Doherty, who, in his third season as UNC's head coach, will bring the Tar Heels to Charlottesville for a noon tip-off today.

Carolina won both regular-season meetings in 1984, including a 69-66 triumph in Chapel Hill, N.C., site of Doherty's clutch free-throw shooting. However, Virginia got the last laugh, winning the East Region championship over an Indiana team that had beaten Carolina in the semifinals.

That wasn't a bad trade-off for the Cavaliers, but that 1984 team barely made the NCAA Tournament and UVa (9-3, 0-1 ACC) finds itself in a similar situation after losing its ACC opener -its eighth straight loss in a conference opener - at North Carolina State.

In a five-game stretch starting with the State game, Carolina is the only UVa opponent that will come to University Hall. After today, UVa has consecutive road games with Duke, Clemson and Virginia Tech.

The Tar Heels (9-4, 1-0) are one of four teams tied for the ACC lead, but they have split eight games following a 5-0 start that lifted them as high as No.12 in The Associated Press poll.

For the last three games, they have been without the services of Sean May, a 6-foot-8, 272-pound freshman who underwent surgery Dec.30 for a broken left foot. At the time of his injury, May was averaging 13.3 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds.

"A lot of college basketball is matchups," Doherty said Friday, "and we don't match up real well with Virginia because they're so big and strong. We're going to have to hustle and scrap and do the little things that keep us in position to be there at the end. I certainly think they're a big favorite."

Tar Heels fans will be watching to see what Doherty does with Rashad McCants, the third-leading scorer in the ACC, with 18.5 points per game. McCants did not start Wednesday in a 79-64 victory over Davidson in what has been described as a motivational ploy.

McCants, benched after a 5-for-15 shooting effort in a 64-61 loss to Miami of Florida, had 19 points in 28 minutes against Davidson. He earlier had gone 4-for-16 in the Tar Heels' conference opener, a 69-48 triumph at Florida State.

"I talked to him and said, 'I think you handled everything well, with a lot of class,'" Doherty said. "I thought his post-game comments were great. His focus [Thursday] in practice was great. He's a proud kid, a smart kid. He knows the deal."

Co-captain Will Johnson started in place of McCants and played eight minutes. McCants' 28 minutes were fourth on the team and Doherty indicated that he would return to the starting lineup today.

"To me, starting is a reward for someone's talent," Doherty said. "You just can't give it to the hardest workers because sometimes, those aren't your most-gifted players. It's a combination of rewarding a guy for his ability and the effort he gives you day in and day out.

"It's [benching McCants] not my first choice. It's my last choice. You communicate. You sit down, you discuss, you prod. You say, 'Hey, I need you to play harder. I need you to run the floor harder. I need you to dive on loose balls. You've got to guard better.'

"If you don't get the result you want, you go to more drastic measures."

McCants is part of a celebrated recruiting class that included May, point guard Raymond Felton and 6-11, 262-pound Damion Grant, who, in May's absence, is the only UNC player over 225. It concerns Doherty that UVa has six players who weigh 230 or more.

Another UNC freshman, 6-9, 225-pound Byron Sanders, has gotten a lot of May's minutes and contributed seven points and seven rebounds against Davidson on a night when his dunk and subsequent fall made many highlight shows.

"He's a very good defender, he's a good ball-handler [and] a passer," Doherty said. "Offensively, he's just got to get more comfortable. He didn't play on the major AAU circuit, so this is totally new to him."

 

UNC has growing pains
By Dave Johnson
Daily Press

Published January 11, 2003

In only his fourth season as a head coach, Matt Doherty is new at this. And he's still learning.

The one thing his mentors -not Roy Williams, not even Dean Smith - could teach him was how to handle a young team. North Carolina, the most-storied program in the ACC, is now the youngest. On opening night, the Tar Heels started three freshmen. A couple of weeks ago, they started four.

So far, the results have been, to quote Doherty, "a roller coaster." The high points: A victory against second-ranked Kansas, the preseason NIT championship, a No. 12 ranking. The low points: A 27-point loss to Illinois, unexpected defeats by Iona and Miami, a season-ending broken foot to post player Sean May. But already, Carolina (9-4, 1-0 ACC) has surpassed last year's win total.

Highs and lows are hard for veterans. For freshmen, they're perplexing.

"This is my first time coaching such a young team, and it's tough," said Doherty, whose Tar Heels face Virginia today in University Hall. "We started out of the gates undefeated and won the preseason NIT. The world was great. Then we lose to Illinois and Kentucky. I realized after (the UK) game that the kids were really confused and puzzled as to why, why we had lost. I've had to learn to educate them better after losses.

"I said this before the season: With young players, there's going to be high highs and low lows. That's one part of college basketball, but especially when you have young players because they're dealing with so much. So many people pat them on the back after great games and get down on them after tough losses."

After last season's 8-20 finish, the worst in the UNC's 92-year history, anything would have been an improvement. From the start, Doherty knew he would have to rely on his incoming freshman class, which was ranked among the five best in the nation. He gave the ball to 18-year-old point guard Raymond Felton. He gave most of the shots to fellow rookie Rashad McCants. And May was Carolina's inside threat.

After 13 games, six freshmen are combining for 62 percent of UNC's scoring. McCants has scored in double figures in every game, with a 28-point night in his debut against Penn State. Felton has a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. May had three double-doubles in 10 games before sustaining the injury against Iona.

"They've been a pleasure to coach," Doherty said.

But with May out, Carolina is thin. They have two players, both freshmen, who weigh more than 215 pounds: Byron Sanders (6-9/225), who has started since May's injury, and Damion Grant (6-11/262), who had played just 26 minutes.

Conversely, five of Virginia's top nine players go 230 pounds or better. Doherty said Sanders will cover Travis Watson, the Cavaliers' 255-pound center.

"He was a load for Brendan Haywood when he was a sophomore," Doherty said, referring to the former Tar Heels center who went 7 feet, 270 pounds. "That'll be a challenge in defending the post and rebounding."

For Virginia (9-3, 0-1), the challenge will be to bounce back after Sunday's lackluster performance in a 75-63 loss at N.C. State. Dropping your conference opener isn't the kiss of death. The Cavaliers have done that eight consecutive years. But starting 0-2 - and losing its home ACC opener - could put Virginia in a huge hole.

A touchy situation for Cavs' Watson
U.Va. needs to get ball to its star
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Jan 11, 2003
UNC AT U.VA.
TODAY: Noon ON THE AIR: TV - ESPN; Radio - WRVA (1140), 11:30 a.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Get the ball to Travis.

University of Virginia basketball players probably heard their coaches repeat that message a few hundred times this week. Against N.C. State last weekend, 6-8, 255-pound senior Travis Watson, one of the ACC's premier post players, went long stretches without touching the ball and took only eight shots in 37 minutes at the RBC Center.

Not coincidentally, perhaps, the Cavaliers lost 75-63, ending their six-game winning streak.

U.Va. (0-1, 9-3) returns to action today at sold-out University Hall, where its guest is North Carolina (1-0, 9-4). If 6-8, 272-pound freshman Sean May were healthy, Tar Heels coach Matt Doherty would feel better about his team's matchup with Watson, the ACC's leading rebounder. But May is out with a broken left foot, which means another, less powerfully built freshman, 6-9, 225-pound Byron Sanders, will start against Watson today.

"You have anybody else I can choose?" Doherty said yesterday. "I don't have any other options."

That said, Doherty emphasized it's "not one person against Travis Watson. It's got to be a team effort. He was a load for [7-footer] Brendan Haywood to handle when [Watson] was a sophomore, and Brendan was one of the best defenders I've ever coached."

In May's absence, the Heels' lack of brawn is striking. The Wahoos' rotation, by contrast, includes Watson, 6-10, 255-pound junior Nick Vander Laan, 6-9, 270-pound sophomore Elton Brown, 6-8, 234-pound sophomore Jason Clark and 6-5, 230-pound sophomore Devin Smith.

"I wish they were smaller, because we're smaller," Doherty said. "I think a lot of college basketball is matchups, and we don't match up well with Virginia, because they're so big and strong."

U.Va.'s home opener carries special significance for fifth-year coach Pete Gillen's club. The Cavaliers won't play at U-Hall again for nearly two weeks, and in the interim they must visit top-ranked Duke, once-beaten Clemson and upset-minded Virginia Tech.

It's a long season, of course, but if Virginia loses today, its hopes of reaching the NCAA tournament might start to crumble. Given the Cavaliers' lack of success in ACC road games under Gillen, they can't afford to squander their opportunities at home.

"It kind of is a must-win situation," said Smith, U.Va.'s third-leading scorer (11.4 ppg). "We've got to come out and get this one."

Today is Reunion Day at U.Va., and more than 70 former players are expected back for the game, including Matt Blundin, Yuri Barnes, Mel Kennedy, Scott McCandlish, Barry Parhkill and Roy Peabody (class of 1936).

The sight of vintage Cavaliers roaming U-Hall might not be the only thing that pumps up the crowd. Point guard Majestic Mapp, who because of knee problems hasn't played in a college game since March 15, 2000, has assumed a more prominent role in recent practices and could return today.

Gillen, who has been reluctant to set a date for Mapp's return, wasn't available to comment yesterday.

Doherty spoke to reporters in a teleconference. After stunning the college basketball world by winning the Preseason NIT, his team has lost four of its past eight games, but the dark clouds have parted in Chapel Hill.

UNC finished 8-20 in 2001-02, the first time since 1970 it failed to win at least 21 games, and its run of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances ended at 27.

Sparked by the addition of blue-chip recruits May, Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants, the Tar Heels are showing that 2001-02 was an aberration, not the start of a marked decline in their storied program.

"I certainly think that the mood is a lot better," Doherty said. "There's hope, because we have some young, talented players, and I think [people] see a glimpse of what the future holds for the program."
 

Doherty's dilemma: finding balance

1-11-03

By LARRY KEECH, Staff Writer
News & Record

How ready can you be to dive into the heart of an ACC basketball schedule when your top seven players are freshmen or sophomores and you're still trying to adjust to the long-term loss of your center?

But ready or not, today's visit to Virginia (noon, ESPN) will launch North Carolina and third-year coach Matt Doherty into a stretch of 11 games against 10 ACC opponents and Top 10 non-conference foe Connecticut.

"All the experiences that are part of a college basketball season are new to most of our guys," Doherty said. "They're still learning to adjust to the pace and intensity. Their heads swirl sometimes. They get tired and hit the wall quicker."

Doherty's dilemma? Although his team is 9-4, it lacks ACC-caliber size and depth, especially with 6-9, 272-pound freshman Sean May sidelined by a foot fracture at least until late February.

But 13 games overall and three without May have provided a reasonable indication of the capabilities and limitations of the 10 remaining scholarship players. Those players will determine whether Carolina is able to return to an NCAA tournament in which it was once an annual participant.

BYRON SANDERS: May's replacement in the lineup is a raw, gangly 6-9, 225-pound freshman. He's a willing defender but not as strong as he needs to be. His offensive contribution depends on an inconsistent confidence factor.

"Byron has some things going for him," Doherty said. "He can shoot, pass, handle the ball and run the floor pretty well. But what we need more from him now are rebounding and defense."

RASHAD McCANTS: McCants is a scorer who has little difficulty creating his shots. But without May to draw defensive attention close to the basket, McCants has to subordinate his dunk opportunities to perimeter shots.

"When you coach a player as gifted as Rashad," Doherty said, "you have to fight the tendency to be impatient while you wait for him to be as good as he can be."

RAYMOND FELTON: Hyped as one of the nation's top incoming freshmen, Felton has set aside his flashy game to become a much-needed steadying influence at point guard. He penetrates enough to keep defenses honest, gets the ball into the proper hands and usually minimizes turnovers. He's not an exceptional shooter yet, but Jason Williams was turnover prone and an inaccurate shooter when he was a freshman at Duke.

"Raymond is a capable scorer, but I'd rather that he continue to look for his teammates first," Doherty said.

JAWAD WILLIAMS: The sophomore forward probably has been Doherty's most pleasant surprise -- more for maturity and leadership than for his improved physical contributions. He is averaging 13.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and defending in the post as well as his slender 6-9 frame permits.

JACKIE MANUEL: The term "shooting guard" might be a misnomer for Manuel. Instead, he shines as a long-armed, 6-5 defender against opponents' best perimeter scorers. He rebounds, runs the break and shoots just enough to keep defenses honest.

MELVIN SCOTT: Although Doherty repeatedly cites Felton and Williams as capable scorers, May's loss has exposed the need for a second reliable shooting option to go with McCants. Scott has shown he can be that option, but not consistently. He filled the need by making five of seven 3-point shots in Wednesday's 79-64 win over Davidson.

"Some days, I shoot well; some days I don't," Scott said in one breath. "I'm more confident and consistent now, especially when I can find room to square up."

DAVID NOEL: The physicality of this 6-5, 216-pound freshman forward became more valuable in May's absence. Though an inconsistent shooter, he is no slouch when it comes to rebounding and defense.

WILL JOHNSON AND JONATHAN HOLMES: UNC's senior co-captains are capable spot players. Johnson can score from 3-point range and draw fouls inside. Holmes is a heady backup for Felton and Scott at the point.

DAMION GRANT: At 6-11 and 262 pounds, Carolina's biggest body hasn't been much more than that because of persistent knee problems. Doherty can only hope the freshman becomes healthy enough to get some minutes in which he can lean on opposing post players. But the prognosis doesn't appear favorable for the coming weeks.

The available personnel no doubt tempts Doherty to unleash a small, fast lineup into the pell-mell, running, pressing style that best suits his personnel.

Doherty's better judgment tells him that a running, pressing style will mean foul trouble and fatigue, exposing his team's lack of depth and experience late in games.

Hence, Doherty finds himself trying to strike the most effective balance between forcing the action and killing the clock.

Two games ago, in a 64-61 overtime road defeat at Miami, he admittedly erred on the side of caution. Leading 58-49 with more than seven minutes left in regulation, Doherty orchestrated delay tactics. Limited to three free throws the rest of the way, Carolina squandered its lead on a 3-point buzzer-beater in regulation, then lost in overtime.

"We were stagnant, and part of that is my fault," Doherty said afterward. "We wanted the clock to burn quicker than it did, so we weren't as aggressive offensively."

One of his second-guessers was McCants.

"Running is our game, and we wanted to keep pounding them, but we slowed it down," he groused after the Miami game.

Doherty benched McCants until the first TV timeout of the Davidson game, and McCants responded with a team-leading 19-point effort.

"I was glad to have the green light to shoot," McCants said. "Well ... it was more like a yellow caution light."

At its best, Carolina should be able to compete on reasonable terms against Virginia and the rest of an ACC field that is younger and more inconsistent than usual. But part of Doherty's job will be to convince them to put the bad nights behind them in time to get ready for the next game.

"I've said all along that this team will have high highs and low lows," he said. "We've already had plenty of both.

Tar Heels must size up situation
By Neil Amato : The Herald-Sun
namato@heraldsun.com
Jan 10, 2003 : 11:55 pm ET

Matt Doherty talks often about matchups. Two seasons ago, he liked the way his team matched up well with most opponents, with good defensive guards and imposing inside players such as Brendan Haywood and Julius Peppers.

Last season, the Tar Heels had more size than speed, and the quick teams gave 8-20 UNC a load of trouble.

This season, with a major upheaval of the roster, the Tar Heels are heavy on quickness, light on bulk — and that was before Sean May’s broken foot. So it should come as no surprise that Doherty sees a gargantuan challenge in front of his team today — burly and experienced Virginia.

Virginia "could be one of the bigger teams in the league," Doherty said. "They’ve got four or five guys that are 230 [pounds] or more. … We’re not one of the biggest, especially without Sean. It will be a big challenge."

May, a skilled 272-pounder, is wearing a stabilizing boot on his left foot after breaking a bone Dec. 27. He said he could be back six weeks after the injury; the original estimated bench time was 8-10 weeks.

Either way, UNC (9-4, 1-0 ACC) will have played the Cavaliers (9-3, 0-1) without him. His absence means the task of containing 255-pound senior Travis Watson and other brutes falls mainly to freshman Byron Sanders, who is 6-9 and a spindly 225.

Sanders, a lightly regarded big man out of Gulfport, Miss., has held his own since entering the lineup as a starter Dec. 28 against St. John’s. In his past two games, he has 14 rebounds. In his first 11 games, he had 11 rebounds. However, Miami and Davidson had neither the inside talent nor strength of Watson — who led the ACC in rebounding a year ago despite standing closer to 6-6½ than 6-8, his listed height.

Doherty said Sanders can’t be asked to handle Watson all by himself. He expects Jawad Williams, David Noel and possibly others to take turns inside.

"It’s not one person against Travis Watson," he said. "It’s gotta be a team effort. He was a load for Brendan Haywood to handle when he was a sophomore, and Brendan was one of the best defenders I’ve ever coached."

Virginia should be eager to involve Watson, the ACC's top returning scorer (14.7 points a year ago). In the Cavaliers’ last game, a 75-63 loss at N.C. State, he attempted eight shots and no free throws, prompting Coach Pete Gillen to lash out at the officials.

Gillen later apologized, to N.C. State and the refs. He also talked about how his team must adjust when the opponent focuses on Watson.

"Every game, we try to get it to him. He’s our best player," Gillen said. "Teams do a good job taking it away. We’ve got great coaches, and they find ways to keep him from getting [the ball]. Teams double-team, triple-team. We’ve got to work inside out. One guy can be taken away, and you have to have four or five guys that can score."

That’s what UNC dealt with after May’s injury, but the young Tar Heels have managed to win two of three games since. Today, however, will be a different sort of challenge.

Besides Watson, the Cavaliers use 6-9 Elton Brown, 6-6 junior college transfer Devin Smith and 6-10 Nick Vander Laan, a transfer from California.

Also, UNC will have to contend with a usually hostile crowd. The players say they’re accustomed to the jeering of home crowds, but UNC is 0-2 at University Hall under Doherty, losing by a combined 30 points in the past two trips.

Still, after Wednesday’s 79-64 victory over Davidson, the Tar Heels are hoping to gain some momentum as they head into the meat of the conference schedule.

"Winning [against Davidson] was important," swingman Rashad McCants said. "It gives us an edge going into the ACC."

Notes — The Tar Heels and Cavaliers have two common opponents, Kentucky and Rutgers. UNC played both teams at home, beating Rutgers and losing to Kentucky. Virginia won at Rutgers and beat Kentucky in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational.

 

Bowl payout tops guarantee
Virginia, W.Va. likely to get close to $1 million
DAVID SCOTT

From the sports business notebook:

The payout to West Virginia and Virginia from Charlotte's sold-out Continental Tire Bowl -- a guaranteed $750,000 per school -- will easily exceed that. Raycom Sports CEO Ken Haines, whose company organized and promoted the game, said the payout should approach $1 million each, but officials haven't finished the calculations.

The Peach Bowl, also a sellout at Atlanta's Georgia Dome, had a $1.6 million guarantee, but ended up paying Maryland and Tennessee nearly $2 million each. A little context: Bowl Championship Series big-boy bowls -- the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta -- had payouts of $11 million to $13 million.

Payout money comes from sponsors and revenues generated from the bowls.