Big announcements expected Monday
From Staff Reports / Charlottesville Daily Progress
January 30, 2004

Two of the Gold List's top five high school football prospects, including top-rated Olu Hall of Fairfax are expected to announce their college choices on Monday.

Hall, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound defensive end from Robinson High School, will choose between Virginia, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and N.C. State. He is the state's top prospect on The Daily Progress Gold List and rated one of the top prospects in the nation by Rivals.

Hall will take his last official visit this weekend to Virginia.

Eddie Royal, considered the top wide receiver prospect in the state, is also expected to announce his choice on Monday. Royal, ranked No. 5 on the Gold List, will choose between Virginia, Virginia Tech and Marshall. His brother attends Marshall, which is getting his final visit this weekend. Royal, who plays for Westfield High in Chantilly, met with UVa's coaches this week.

Meanwhile, the state's No. 7 ranked player on the Gold List, defensive end Clint Sintim of Gar-Field High in Woodbridge, said he is close to a decision between Virginia and Virginia Tech.

"I am going to sit down and talk things over with my dad," Sintim said. "I feel that I am very close. I will be ready to announce soon."

Two other state running backs will join Hall on his visit to UVa this weekend, Western Albemarle's Bryan Lescanec and Poquoson's Josh Zidenberg. Lescanec is the Gold List's "Sleeper of the Year," and Zidenberg is the No. 46 player on the list.

Former Virginia commitment Andrew Pearman, the brother of current Cavalier running back Alviin Pearman, is taking his final visit this weekend to Hawaii. He has visited UVa, Army, South Carolina and Wake Forest. Pearman pulled back his commitment to Virginia when his recruiter, Kevin Ross, left Virginia to become offensive coordinator for his father, new Army head coach Bobby Ross.

"They are all even now," said Pearman, the No. 11 all-purpose back in the nation by Rivals.

New Jersey defensive tackle Dwayne Hendricks' high school coach, Dave Heck, confirmed that Hendricks' commitment to Miami is solid. Hendricks chose the Hurricanes over Virginia, Florida, Iowa, Penn State and Michigan.

The Cavaliers have not given up on New Jersey offensive tackle Phil Trautwein, who committed to Florida a week ago. Apparently Trautwein, is having second thoughts about the Gators.

"I'm as confused as ever right now," Trautwein said. He is still considering Virginia and Michigan State.

Meanwhile, two players from The Daily Progress' Silver List, have announced their commitments. No. 37 Steve Tate, a wide receiver/defensive back from Centreville High in Clifton, is headed to Division I-AA William & Mary, while No. 38 Kevin Allen, a defensive back from Highland Springs, will play for I-AA Hofstra.

National letter-of-intent day is Wednesday, Feb. 4.
 

Extra year's golden for CB Brown
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
January 31, 2004

About this time last year, Philip Brown’s life was in turmoil.

The Phoebus High School product was ranked the No. 1 college football prospect in the state of Virginia on The Daily Progress Gold List. He was ready to sign with Coach Al Groh’s Cavaliers, but he was not academically eligible.

Hampered by poor study habits, Brown enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy at mid-year but couldn’t handle the adjustment. Frustrated, he left FUMA in the spring and returned home to Newport News, where he spent time taking care of his one-year-old son Tavion. He also took care of some academic issues by taking and scoring A’s in both English and algebra during summer school at Heritage High School.

Fast forward to this weekend, the eve of national signing day for college football, and Brown is ready for Virginia this time. Having spent the past six months at Hargrave Military in Chatham, he has gained the necessary SAT score to qualify. All that is left is for him to graduate this spring, which he is on schedule to do.

An immediate impact?

“I think Philip is going to help Virginia right away,” said Hargrave coach Robert Prunty.

If that is the case, Brown, a superb cover corner, could be the answer to Virginia’s prayers for the 2004 season after losing both starting cornerbacks last season. Prunty is usually a good indicator because he said the same of current Cavalier linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who came in and started as a true freshman and led the team in tackles.

Brooks, of course, had one advantage on Brown. Brooks qualified in one semester at Hargrave and enrolled at UVa last January, went through spring practice and all the off-season work with Cavalier teammates. Brown will be reporting with the rest of the freshmen in August.

“Philip had a great year for us,” Prunty said. “He’s a great cover corner who can play the run or the pass. He’s the total package.”

Vital stats

Brown is a 5-foot-11, 185-pound athlete, who was rated the No. 8 cornerback in the nation last season by Rivals. His senior year at Phoebus, Brown was nothing short of phenomenal.

He returned seven kicks for touchdowns and returned two of his eight interceptions for scores.

“He only gave up a couple of catches his senior season,” said Phoebus coach Bill Dee. “He just locks receivers down. People tried to throw at him, but he broke two games open with interceptions.”

At Hargrave, Brown took up where he left off at Phoebus.

He had three interceptions, including a big one in the fourth quarter against Fork Union. He broke up at least 10 passes and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

“He can return punts, do it all. He’s an athlete, man,” Prunty said.

Not only will Brown leave Hargrave a better student, he will leave as a better athlete. Prunty took pride in talking about how hard the coaching staff worked Brown in the weight room. The work paid off.

He lowered his 40-yard-dash speed from 4.4 to 4.2 and increased his vertical leap by five inches (29 to 34).

While many may scoff at the notion of running a 4.2, there were a gym full of witnesses, college recruiters at Hargrave’s annual combine. Brown ran back-to-back, sub-4.3 times before dozens of stopwatches.

“He’s just amazing,” Prunty said. “Just his athletic ability alone, the way he breaks on the ball, his closing speed. He has great cover skills.

“One of his biggest strengths is that he’s football savvy and is a very intelligent player,” the coach said. “He has a natural instinct for the game and is naturally gifted.”

Prunty was quick to point out that Brown was exposed to a high level of football by playing against junior varsity teams from North Carolina, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

“So, he understands the game better, too,” the coach said.

Prunty said he would love to have Brown back in the program because the kid has worked hard and has been a model citizen.

Brown acknowledged that “this is my last chance and I’m going to make the most of it.”

This time, he wasn’t kidding around.
 

Wake features stellar guards
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
January 31, 2004

Last Saturday, Virginia coach Pete Gillen extolled the virtues of North Carolina point guard Raymond Felton after the Tar Heels downed the Cavaliers 96-77.

Gillen certainly hopes he doesn’t find himself in the same position today despite the fact his team again will face another top lead guard in an ACC that now features a plethora of them.

Freshman Chris Paul is averaging 13.1 points and 5.5 assists a contest and is similar to Felton in possessing lightning quickness and great court sense.

“I’ve never been in a league that has this many great point guards. We have the best group of point guards in the country. Felton is unbelievable, [Duke’s Chris] Duhon is having a great year and Chris Paul is great,” Gillen said. “Everyone from top to bottom has great point guards. … I’ve never seen that many great point guards in one league at one time.”

In a league of great guards, the Deacons are the most guard-oriented of the bunch. Paul’s backcourt mate, sophomore Justin Gray, is another quick guard as is junior Taron Downey. At times, Wake coach Skip Prosser plays all three guards together and thus creates certain matchup problems.

“A lot of times, you have to go quick against them. A lot of times, we might have two smaller guards in there. You have to see how you can match up against them. Sometimes we’ll have the smaller guys or maybe one big guy,” Gillen said. “It’s a game of matchups. Hopefully, we aren’t always counter-punching. Hopefully, we can cause some problems and make them react to us. We want to make them react to us as well.”

After opening the season 11-0 and rising to No. 3 in the polls, the Deacons lost four games in a row to three nationally ranked squads - Texas, Duke and Georgia Tech - and then fell at Florida State.

The Deacons snapped their skid with a 93-85 win over Maryland on Thursday night in a game it trailed by 10 at the half.

“We have another huge game on Saturday. Tonight’s game made our season seem like it was hanging on the precipice,” said Prosser after Thursday’s contest. “I told our guys to play with a sense of urgency, not desperation. But in the second half it did turn into desperation.”

At this point of the season, Gillen has received equal if not better production from his freshmen than his upperclassmen. The five freshmen are accounting for 35.8 percent of the team’s scoring, 33.4 percent of the team’s rebounding and 42.2 percent of the team’s assists and 39.7 percent of the team’s minutes.

“We’re playing a lot of young people and as I’ve said, we need the veterans to help the young guys. It’s tough to win with young players in this great, great league and you need your veterans to step up and we need that to happen more consistently,” Gillen said.

Two obvious veterans that have been struggling since the turn of the year have been junior Elton Brown and sophomore Derrick Byars. While Brown might have been moving - slightly - out of his funk with 12 points against North Carolina, Byars is still mired in it. Byars has scored just 12 points in the last seven games. Byars has lost his starting spot on occasions and has seen his minutes reduced.

“He’s still been doing well in practice. He’s had good practices this week and we’re hoping we can translate over to the games. He’s done some extra work. He’s been putting the time in. … He’s a perfectionist and puts a lot of pressure on himself and he gets down too quickly,” Gillen said.

Note. During his weekly call-in show Monday, Gillen told a listener to “go root for the Hokies” after the caller complained that Gillen should have solicited a technical foul Saturday at North Carolina and also questioned Gillen’s philosophy on timeouts. Gillen is expected to make some kind of apology for the comment during this week’s show.

“Anyone that has been in a public position has made a comment they would like to take back. That is the case here and I know it was not a serious comment,” said Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage. “No one here has an interest in pushing our fans away from UVa to cheer for any of our competitors. Fans that have listened to Pete’s shows understand he frequently uses humor or hyperbole.”
 

UVa Basketball
Thursday, January 29, 2004
College notebook
Gillen lets temper boil over
By Doug Doughty the Roanoke times

Always fast with a quip, Virginia men’s basketball coach Pete Gillen may be a little faster on the draw in days ahead.
Gillen’s comments on his radio show Monday night created a stir after he advised one listener to "go root for the [Virginia Tech] Hokies.”

After complaining that Gillen should have solicited a technical foul Saturday at North Carolina, a caller asked for Gillen's philosophy on timeouts. That aroused Gillen's ire.

“I’ll tell you what got Pete upset,” said Mac McDonald, play-by-play analyst for UVa men’s and women’s basketball. “The guy accused him of not supporting your players. He said, ‘Jason Clark got knocked out of bounds. Why didn’t you get a technical?'

Gillen did not respond immediately to a request for a phone interview Wednesday, although it is likely he will make a public statement in the days ahead.

UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage said he has heard a clip of the conversation and felt the comment about Virginia Tech was made tongue-in-cheek.

“He said something to the effect of ‘I know you've been a coach for many years,’ and ‘if you've never been in the ring, don’t attack the bullfighter,’ ” McDonald said.

“The next guy calls and says, ‘I hope I can phrase my question a little better,’ and Pete says, ‘No, no, no, hey, look, if we're losing, I'll take the criticism. I don't mind the criticism.’ ”

The Cavaliers will carry a 12-5 record into a Saturday visit to Wake Forest, but all five of the losses have been by 15 points or more.

“My personal opinion is that, particularly with everything else going on right now, our staff needs to be as positive as possible,” said Littlepage, referring specifically to the men’s basketball program.

“I’m absolutely certain that Pete was saying something he thought was a quip. If Pete had a chance to take it back now, I’m sure he would.”

Change of hearts

The Virginia Tech staff doesn't think there is any comparison between Damian Sims and Mike Mangold, a pair of Floridians who this week backed off football commitments they had made to the Hokies.

Mangold, nephew of Tech athletic director Jim Weaver, committed to the Hokies in December but it was understood that he would take a visit to Florida. When he visited Florida this past weekend and was offered a scholarship, Mangold committed.

Sims, on the other hand, was told that the Hokies would withdraw their scholarship offer if he visited Iowa this past weekend. Sims, recruited by the Hokies as a defensive back but still interested in playing running back, no longer had Tech as an option after going to Iowa City over the weekend.

More recruiting

Virginia Tech has received commitments from five players named to SuperPrep’s All-America team: running backs George Bell from Fayetteville, N.C., and Branden Ore from Chesapeake; linebacker Andrew Bowman from Richmond; quarterback Sean Glennon from Fairfax County, and defensive back Rod Council from Charlotte, N.C.

The G&W Report out of State College Pa., has rated Tech fifth and Virginia sixth among the ACC football recruiting classes at mid-January. The Cavaliers have commitments from two SuperPrep All-Americans, lineman Chris Long from Charlottesville and running back Ahmad Bradshaw from Bluefield.

In a Jan. 20 update of the nation's top 100 prospects that he does for ESPN.com, Tom Lemming rates Bell the No. 28 prospect in the country and has Long at No. 73. Long is the only Virginian on Lemming's list.


 

UVa nearing agreement with Temple, Littlepage says
Marque Hall to visit Tech, but not D'Imperio
By DOUG DOUGHTY
Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Fridays

Having reported that Virginia was almost certain to play Texas-El Paso and then seeing that series fall through, I pass along the latest UVa schedule rumor with some trepidation.

Needless to say, if UVa had to go on the road, it could do worse than a proposed game at Temple.

The Cavaliers, with Miami coming on the schedule and Syracuse beginning a home-and-home, weren't looking for a killer opponent but felt they wanted to go on the road.

Temple is a team Virginia might beat (remember, the Owls took Virginia Tech into overtime at the Linc), but mostly, Temple does not draw well and, given the location, Virginia could have close to as many fans as the Owls.

Temple, which is being ousted by the Big East after next season, is looking for games. The Owls already have added a two-game series with Clemson, but it's unclear how firm a Virginia matchup is.

Having had new UTEP coach Mike Price give a thumbs-down to a Virginia series, the Cavaliers are running out of options and may have to add a Division I-AA opponent, an alternative that coach Al Groh has not favored.

The Cavaliers had wanted to go on the road in order to make sure they had a home game in 2005, when they go to Syracuse, but seven home games is not out of the realm of possibility.

"We're closing in on being able to finalize the game with Temple for next year," UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage said late Friday afternoon.

THE STATE'S No. 1-ranked prospect, Robinson defensive end Olu Hall, headlines a group of players — few of them uncommitted scholarship recruits — visiting UVa this weekend. Virginia Tech was expecting four players, including SuperPrep All-American Marque Hall from Marshville, N.C.

Hall is rated the No. 15 defensive lineman in the country by SuperPrep, but the Hokies were disappointed when another of this weekend's expected visitors, 6-5, 230-pound linebacker-defensive end Hugh D'Imperio from Washington Township, N.J. , committed to Michigan State.

SuperPrep All-American Clint Sintim from Gar-Field High School had hoped to visit Tech this weekend, but was advised against it by the doctor who recently operated on his fractured knee. Sintim, also considering UVa, said he has received ample exposure to Tech during unofficial visits.

Other Tech visitors include previously committed Jeremy Gilchrist and Branden Ore, as well as Hilton Pitts, a defensive back from John I. Leonard High School in Riviera Beach, Fla., where he was a teammate of running back Damian Sims.

Sims committed to Iowa this week after having a scholarship offer pulled by Tech, to whom he had made an earlier commitment. Tech said it no longer wanted Sims if he visited Iowa.

LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL football coach Chris Watts reports that Division I-AA Tennessee-Martin is a likely destination for Minutemen running back and outside linebacker Chris Spinner, rated the No. 42 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times.

Spinner received a scholarship offer from Maryland last summer "and thought the offers would start rolling in," Watts said. "It came out that he had committed to Maryland [which he hadn't] and, when it got late in the game, there was nobody."

The Terps had decided to move on — "That's a very long shot right now," Watts said — and Spinner joined teammate and All-Group AA defensive tackle Nathan Bryant last week on visits to UT-Martin and Marshall.

Watts said he thinks there is a good chance Bryant could end up at Division I-A Marshall, maybe under an arrangement in which Bryant would pay his way for a semester or two and then go on scholarship.

Spinner, Bryant and tight end-defensive end Ian Childress all have made the test score required by the NCAA, but Childress' came too late to suit James Madison, which had offered him a conditional grant last summer. Childress will go to either Liberty, which he visited last week with Bryant, or spend a year at Hargrave Military Academy.

Bryant is rated the state's No. 62 prospect by The Roanoke Times, and Childress was 98th.

 

Lyles to play at Virginia
Safety chooses Cavaliers over Notre Dame
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
January 30, 2004

Nate Lyles said that choosing Virginia over Notre Dame wasn’t an easy thing to do, especially for a kid who grew up in Chicago. But the strong safety, ranked among the top 15 overall prospects in Illinois, said Thursday that he would sign with the Cavaliers next week.

The 6-foot, 195-pound defensive back from Hubbard High School, also had offers from Oregon and Boston College and turned down an official visit to Nebraska this weekend. Lyles was one of Virginia’s top 15 recruiting targets.

Equipped with 4.4 speed in the 40 and a 300-pound bench press, Lyles has been a four-year starter at Hubbard.

“I think I bring a lot to the table,” Lyles told The Daily Progress on Thursday. “I play strong safety but I have the speed to play cornerback. I’m planning on playing strong safety only at Virginia.”

According to Lyles, he had eight interceptions as a senior and two as a junior. He also said he had 78 tackles last season.

Lyles visited Virginia on Dec. 12 and said he had been leaning toward Charlottesville ever since but took other visits to make sure.

“It came down to Virginia and Notre Dame,” Lyles said. “Notre Dame isn’t a place that you can just blow off, but I could only choose one school. All of the schools had something appealing about them, but there was something I liked about Virginia.”

Actually, there were several factors that swayed the Lyles, one of the top 25 defensive back prospects in the country by Rivals, toward the ACC.

“I had a real good relationship with Virginia’s players when I visited,” the Chicago prospect said. “It was a good environment, like one big family. It was a great school, a great campus, great academics. Throughout the recruiting process I felt like my heart was with Virginia.”

The Cavaliers were the first school to begin recruiting Lyles after his sophomore year.

“Coach Groh’s background in the NFL was definitely a factor in my decision,” Lyles said. “He coached winning teams in the NFL and runs basically the same type of defense that he used in the pros. That is one of the things that excited me about the program.”

The newest commitment said he came into his own as a junior and had a better understanding of the safety position.

“Opposing offenses tried to avoid me a lot this past season,” Lyles said.

National signing day is next Wednesday.







Latest UVa commitment a pleasant surprise
Cavs appear to have contingency plan
By DOUG DOUGHTY
Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Thursdays

Of all the highly regarded players on Virginia's football recruiting list, few were surrounded by less buzz than defensive back Nate Lyles.

Given the fact that Lyles was from Chicago and was being recruited by nearby Notre Dame, no one was predicting that he would provide the Cavaliers with their latest oral commitment.

"I was always leaning toward Virginia," Lyles was quoted Thursday in the Chicago Sun-Times. "I had a great vibe [on a Dec. 10-12 visit], and the players and the coaches just seemed to fit, but Notre Dame is not the place you just blow off. I respect coach [Tyrone] Willingham, but I can only choose one school.''

Lyles was a four-year starter at Hubbard High School and was rated the No. 67 player in the Midwest by SuperPrep magazine, which had him 15th among players from Illinois.

Of the players ahead of Lyles on SuperPrep's list, two are his teammates, linebacker Chris Patterson and defensive tackles Marques Walton. Patterson committed to Oklahoma and Watson to Michigan State.

The commitment from Lyles represents a major breakthrough for the Cavaliers and assistant coach Corwin Brown, who recruits the Chicago area, not previously a UVa stomping ground.

UVa is also among the finalists, with Notre Dame and Illinois, for wide receiver Bryant Creamer from Simeon High School in Chicago.

FROM A DISTANCE, it's hard to determine the intensity of a particular school's recruiting push, but, if initial reports are to be believed, Virginia has now beaten Notre Dame for a pair of defensive backs, Lyles and Chris Gorham from Pottstown, Pa., both outstanding students.

It appears that the Cavaliers have gone a long way toward solidifying their secondary with commitments from Lyles, Gorham and in-state defensive-back prospects Phillip Brown, Cedric Peerman, Ahmad Bradshaw and Jamaal Jackson.
Thierrien Davis from Greenbelt, Md., has been listed as a defensive-back prospect, but it's hard to picture all of these players in the secondary. And, what about Andrew Pearman, expected to sign with the Cavaliers despite late visits to Army and Hawaii?

Pearman, Peerman and Bradshaw all rushed for more than 2,000 yards this past season, and Davis made second-team All-Washington Metro as a running back. Presumably, one or more of them could end up on defense.

ONE OF THE mysteries of Virginia's recruiting year -- to date -- has been its inability to come up with a big-time wide receiver, although they remain in the mix for Dwayne Jarrett from New Brunswick, N.J.; Eddie Royal from Westfield High School in Chantilly, and Creamer.

If there is a Plan B, it probably involves 5-foot-8, 165-pound Larry Baker, a first-team All-Richmond Metro selection who led the Central Region in receptions and had nearly 2,000 yards in total offense.

Baker was at Virginia last weekend on an official visit.

Another prospect who has gotten the Cavaliers' attention is Leroy Ford Jr., a 6-6, 339-pound offensive and defensive lineman from Yorktown High School. Ford is expected to visit Virginia this weekend but is likely to spend a year in prep school.

Yorktown coach Bruce Hanson said Thursday that Ford scored 850 on the SAT but lacks a course he would need to go to Virginia next year. "He moves pretty well and, as big as he is, he's not fat,” Hanson said. "Coach Groh was in here this week.”

VIRGINIA PREPS is reporting that UVa is entertaining a pair of All-Group AA running backs as recruited walk-ons, Bryan Lescanec from Western Albemarle and Josh Zidenberg from Poquoson. ... Rivals.com reports that defensive back Martel Thatch from Greensboro, N.C., is contemplating a visit to UVa for this weekend. Thatch, rated the No. 19 prospect in North Carolina by SuperPrep, has been committed to North Carolina since the summer. How a proposed Thatch visit will be effected by Lyles' commitment is unclear at this time. ... Millville, N.J., defensive end Dwayne Hendricks, rated the No. 34 defensive prospect in the country by the G&W Report, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he has not committed to Miami -- as has been reported -- and is still considering UVa, with proximity to home a factor.







UVa Basketball
Gillen apologizes for talk show comment

Virginia men’s basketball coach Pete Gillen said Thursday that he was “wrong” with his response to a caller on his Monday call-in radio show and would apologize on next Monday’s broadcast.

After a caller said Gillen’s failure to draw technical fouls reflected a lack of support for his players, Gillen advised him to “go root for the [Virginia Tech] Hokies.”

“The guy was negative and antagonistic and to me that’s an insult that we don’t support our players,” Gillen said, “but I should have been thinking about the situation. I've got to bite the bullet.

“I shouldn’t have snapped. I didn’t like the way the guy came at me, [but] I was wrong.”

— Doug Doughty





Gillen proteges credit mentor for success
Four former assistants of Virginia coach could beNCAA tournament-bound
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Jan 30, 2004

In Charlottesville, Pete Gillen is struggling to field a basketball team that can compete with the ACC's elite. Should he seek assurance that his coaching philosophy is sound, however, Gillen need only look to Winston-Salem, N.C., or Charleston, S.C., or New York City or South Orange, N.J.

"Literally everything I learned about college coaching, from A to Z, soup to nuts, I learned from Coach," said Wake Forest's Skip Prosser, who spent eight seasons on Gillen's staff at Xavier University.

Gillen's job security at the University of Virginia may be tenuous, but four of his former assistants are enjoying banner seasons: Prosser at Wake, Tom Herrion at the College of Charleston, Bobby Gonzalez at Manhattan and Louis Orr at Seton Hall. Each has his team in contention for an NCAA tournament bid.

"I'm really thrilled that they're all doing so well," said Gillen, whose squad is 12-5. "They did a great job for me when they were my assistants . . . They worked their brains out. Whatever they got, they deserved."

Gillen estimated he talks to Gonzalez and Herrion every 10 days, to Prosser every couple of weeks, to Orr every six or seven weeks.

"I ask them what they think if they've seen our games," said Gillen, whose Cavaliers visit 19th-ranked Wake tomorrow afternoon. "I don't give them any suggestions. I don't want to mess them up. They're doing better than I am."

Prosser was a successful high school coach who'd never worked at the college level when Gillen hired him in 1984 to be an assistant at Xavier. Prosser was still on Gillen's staff in 1991-92 when Orr began helping the Musketeers as a volunteer coach. A Cincinnati native, Orr had returned home after his NBA career ended and was working for an insurance company.

Gillen knew Orr casually, and the former Syracuse star would drop by Xavier's gym from time to time. Gillen, sensing that Orr missed hoops, invited him to help the program.

"I took a chance," Gillen recalled, "and said, 'Hey, when you're doing insurance, I bet you're thinking a little bit about basketball. When you're coaching basketball and working with kids, I don't think you're going to be thinking a lot about insurance.'"

Orr couldn't resist, and before long he was coaching full time. In 1993, after Prosser left to become head coach at Loyola (Md.), Gillen made Orr an assistant and hired a fast-talking New Yorker named Bobby Gonzalez.

A year later, Gillen took the head job at Providence College, and Orr and Gonzalez followed him to Rhode Island. Herrion, who'd been an assistant at his alma mater, Merrimack College, joined them at PC. Orr left after two seasons to return to Syracuse as an assistant. After four seasons under Jim Boeheim, Orr became head coach at Siena.

In'98, Gillen headed south to U.Va., where his first staff included Gonzalez and Herrion. In'99, Gonzalez was hired as Manhattan's coach. Herrion left after the 2001-02 season to replace John Kresse, a legend at the College Charleston.

The former assistants have flourished as head coaches, Herrion believes, in part because Gillen "does a good job of delegating. He let us do a lot from day to day."

Gillen said he tries to give his assistants opportunities to "do everything: to recruit, scout future opponents, meet with the media, help scheduling, a lot of hands-on work in practice."

Attempts to reach Orr for comment were unsuccessful, but the others' devotion to their former boss was unmistakable in recent phone interviews.

"When I hear criticism of Coach," Prosser said, "I take it a bit personally, because he means so much to me personally . . . Obviously, it's like someone in your family who you feel is being unduly criticized, and by people who don't come to practice and perhaps don't understand how incredibly difficult it is to be successful in this league."

The memorable victories outnumbered the bad losses early in Gillen's career at U.Va. After taking over a moribund program, he led the Cavs to the NIT in his second season. They advanced to the NCAAs in year No. 3 but haven't been back since.

Gillen has guided U.Va. to only one postseason victory - over Brown in last year's NIT - and his team's average margin of defeat this season is 18.2 points. Virginia collapsed down the stretch in 2001-02 and again last season. A vocal portion of the U.Va. fan base would like to see a coaching change.

"I feel bad when I hear that he's getting negative publicity or he's struggling or people say he's not doing well," Gonzalez said. "It's very hard to hear that . . . because I know first of all what a great coach he is, and I know Pete stands for the right things in this business. He's not going to cheat, he wants his kids to graduate, he cares about his staff, and he works very hard at it."

And so his former assistants pull from afar for Gillen, hoping he can revive a program that not so long ago seemed destined for top-25 residency.

"You talk about loyalty and family, we try to be in it together," Herrion said. "We're all in the circle. We all follow each other's scores pretty closely. I root like hell for all of them."

 

Cavs seek experienced help
Virginia's veterans have been struggling to contribute this year
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Jan 31, 2004
U.VA. AT W. FOREST
TODAY: 2:30 p.m. ON THE AIR: TV - WTVR-6; Radio - WRVA (1140), 2

If he had to grade his basketball team on its performance thus far in 2003-04, Virginia coach Pete Gillen said, he'd give it a B-minus.

That mark doesn't figure to satisfy most U.Va. fans, and Gillen feels the same way.

"Everybody's impatient," he said. "I'm impatient."

This is a young Virginia team, as Gillen is quick to point out. Of the Cavaliers' 11 scholarship players, five are freshmen, and the newcomers have contributed more than many observers expected them to this season.

Guard J.R. Reynolds, the reigning ACC rookie of the week, has averaged 11.3 points in his past three games. Swingman Gary Forbes averages 9.9 points and 5.4 rebounds. Center Donte Minter, in fewer than 15 minutes per game, averages 7.4 points.

It's been difficult, however, to predict what Virginia's veterans - especially junior center Elton Brown and sophomore forward Derrick Byars - will do from game to game, and their inconsistency has hindered the team's progress.

Brown, still the Cavaliers' top scorer and rebounder, lost his starting job after a weak performance Jan. 15 at Georgia Tech. He had 12 points and four rebounds in a 17-minute stint against North Carolina last weekend but continued to struggle on defense. Byars has totaled 12 points in his past seven games.

"We need our veterans to help the young guys," Gillen said. "We need our veterans . . . to really step up. It's happened this year, but we need it to happen more, and more consistently."

Virginia (2-4, 12-5) meets 19th-ranked Wake Forest (3-3, 12-4) in Winston-Salem, N.C., this afternoon.

The Demon Deacons' point guard, freshman Chris Paul, is a spectacular talent. So it goes for U.Va. in ACC play. The Wahoos already have faced Duke's Chris Duhon, Georgia Tech's Jarrett Jack and North Carolina's Raymond Felton. Maryland's John Gilchrist, who's from Virginia Beach, visits University Hall on Wednesday night.

"We have, I think, the best group of point guards in the country," Gillen said. "I've never seen that many great point guards in one league at the same time."

Paul scored a career-best 25 points Thursday night in Wake's 93-85 victory over Maryland at Lawrence Joel Coliseum. The Demon Deacons trailed by 10 at halftime and came uncomfortably close to dropping their fifth straight game.

"I don't want to overly dramatize it, because we obviously have another huge game [today]," Wake coach Skip Prosser told reporters afterward, "but it was almost like the season, in many ways, might have been hanging on the precipice right there."

Deacons guard Taron Downey said: "We didn't want to go back to the dorm tonight saying, 'We should have done this, we could have done that.' We just came out and played hard."

Playing hard - at least for 40 minutes - hasn't been a trademark of this U.Va. team. The Cavaliers rallied to take a one-point lead early in the second half against UNC, only to end up losing 96-77. The defeat was Virginia's 15th in its past 16 ACC road games.

"We've got to play with confidence and be more aggressive on the road," Gillen said.

"We have 10 [regular-season] games left, and we're hoping to finish strong. I think we can, but some guys are going to have to step up."
 

BAD REPUTATION
Terp fans face national scrutiny for obscene behavior
By Evan Millar
Senior staff writer


CHRIS LAUBER--THE DIAMONDBACK
The Comcast Center student section needed a cheer, something to show it hated the man who kept shooting Terrapin fans in the heart.

Duke guard J.J. Redick had tortured the crowd, drilling 3-pointers every time the Terrapin men's basketball team tried to cut the deficit. As Redick, the best player on the No. 1 team in the country, stepped to the free throw line to ice the Blue Devils' 68-60 victory Jan. 21, thousands of Maryland students, many wearing "F--- Duke" T-shirts - or the more risque "F--- Duke and Saddam" - added Redick's name to the list of people and places they despise.

"F--- you, J.J.," the crowd chanted.

Redick smiled. Terp coach Gary Williams, university alumni and officials, members of the media and other students did not.

"I'm just disappointed," Williams said. "The obscenity exchanges, that's got to stop. And they're not our best fans, those people that chant that or wear the T-shirts."

The J.J. chant was the latest in a long line of poor behavior by many Terrapin students whose penchant for rioting and fascination with a certain four-letter word continues to put the university in a negative spotlight.

In a sport where passion is high, student fans will do anything to give their team an edge. But many think fans at this university often go over a line that other student sections don't cross - Williams said behavior here is "not like at any other school" - to the point where it makes the university and its students look classless.

A riot following the team's 2001 Final Four loss to Duke led to more than $500,000 in damages to College Park. Two riots during the 2002 Final Four - which gave the Terps their first national title - also caused extensive damage.

During a 2001 home game, a student threw a water bottle at the mother of then-Blue Devil Carlos Boozer. As a result, university officials stopped letting students sit within a few rows of the visiting team's bench for the rest of the season and still only allow student groups to sit there.

Producers at ESPN, which broadcast the game last week, told the athletic department before the Duke game last year the network was hesitant to show shots of the crowd - a staple of college broadcasts - because of the profane shirts, said Michael Lipitz, associate athletics director. Several shots slipped in this year, to the dismay of those watching at home.

The morning after last week's game, complaints poured into the athletic department and The Diamondback. Alumni and students were outraged by the behavior, which included stories of threatened rape, homophobic signs and stickers that called Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski "a pussy."

"That was such an embarrassment, such a classless display," said former Maryland student and current ESPN SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt, who was sitting courtside. "If they realize that there's genuine outrage and embarrassment at this and that they should feel the same way, then maybe they'll look in the mirror."

But recent attempts to hold up a mirror have received as much praise from many students as do bad calls from referees - the ones that draw chants of "bulls---" down from the stands.

Last year's $30,000 "Act Like You Know" sportsmanship campaign fizzled within weeks and was criticized as a waste of money during a university budget crisis. An SGA program that lets fans exchange profanity-laced shirts for free ones without curses has gone largely unused, evidenced by how many students still sport "F--- Duke" on the campus.

University officials seized 100 T-shirts and knit hats being sold outside Comcast Center during last week's game. But besides confiscating the unlicensed merchandise, there's not much else the university can do to stop the behavior.

Public universities must abide by the First Amendment, which guarantees the right to free speech, said university chief counsel Terry Roach. While freedom of speech does not cover inciting a riot or fighting words, the student cheers are protected, Roach said, citing a 1971 Supreme Court case (Cohen v. California) in which a man was found not guilty of obscene conduct for wearing a shirt that said "F--- the draft."

Roach has talked recently with John Anderson, chief of the Education Affairs Division in the State's Attorney's office, who told him freedom of speech laws still allow cursing during games.

"Such language and T-shirts, while offensive to many, remains protected free speech," Athletic Director Debbie Yow said in a statement. "The vast majority of Maryland supporters disapprove of profane T-shirts or cheers."

But students appear to be the only ones who can stop the behavior.

To be fair, they are not the only students to curse during games. Nor are they the only ones to disrespect the opponent.

During the Terps' victory over Florida Dec. 10, Gator fans were heard calling guard D.J. Strawberry a "crack baby." Strawberry is the son of former Major League Baseball star Darryl Strawberry, who has a history of drug problems. In 2001, several Virginia students chanted "crack-head parents" to former Terp Juan Dixon, whose parents struggled with drugs before dying from AIDS complications.

Years before, Duke fans threw condoms and underwear on the court during a game after an opposing player was accused of sexual assault.

"It's so stupid that we get criticized for saying 'F--- Duke' when other schools like UVA don't get crapped on for chanting," said senior Meredith Zaslow. "If it gets the crowd pumped, and gets the entire student section together, then who cares? We're all behind our team."

There are ways to support the team without being vulgar, however, which is what many officials hope students will realize.

"Fans, I want them to be as loud, louder than any fan group in the country, but you don't have to say that one thing," Williams said. "We respect other teams who can play hard, like a Duke. There's respect there as well as wanting to win. And our fans should understand that."

Lipitz, who was a student when former stars Joe Smith and Keith Booth played for Williams, pointed out how passionate fans were during his days in Cole Field House. Fans occasionally cursed during games, but since then, the vulgarity and disrespect has escalated exponentially, Lipitz said.

University president Dan Mote, in a letter published in The Diamondback yesterday, said students who use profane cheers "tear down precisely what they want to build."

And with 10 straight NCAA tournament appearances, including two Final Fours and one national title, university basketball fans have more with which to build than most other programs. Like the slogan suggests, officials want fans to act like they know they're champions.

In addition, Van Pelt said the cheers show no imagination, despite a student body whose average incoming GPA continues to rise.

"We might have been dumb, but we were dumb enough not to act like a--holes," Van Pelt said of his days at the university.

Fans at other schools research the opponent and invent new chants, sometimes receiving sheet guidelines from other students.

At the bottom of one sheet distributed at Duke, students are reminded that Krzyzewski does not approve of profanity.

"That is something that Maryland students do and we don't need to stoop to their level," the sheet reads.

The SGA tried to pass out cheer sheets to Maryland students in 2000 before the process faded.

"I doubt any of the students would pay attention to them," said sophomore Thomas Wible. "They've gotten pretty set in their ways."

That is the problem, Van Pelt said. Students no longer adapt, or research. They simply try to degrade the opponent into submission, and in the process, become vulgar.

"Are you kidding? Are you joking? 'F--- you, [J.J.]?' The guy comes in here and abuses us, and that's your response?" Van Pelt said last weekend, still fuming. "Do you go back to your dorm room and get a hard-on thinking, 'Man, I really gave it to Redick tonight'? No, no. He gave it to you, dude. He torched you for 26 and he left. I'm embarrassed to say that this is what it's come to."

When the late Terp great Len Bias scored 41 at Duke in 1986 while Van Pelt was a student, Bias received a standing ovation. Terp fans did not show Redick the same respect.

"Why behave like an animal? There's nothing worse than losing with no class," Van Pelt said of the crowd last week. "We got treated to a performance [by] one of the best shooters that they'll ever see come through the ACC. If you lose, you should give him some respect."

And so Williams and the athletic department continue to discuss how to best handle the situation, which seems mostly out of their control.

They can talk to the crowd, which Williams might do at an upcoming home game (the next one is Sunday vs. N.C. State). They can write letters to the community, which Williams did years ago. They can create public address messages to broadcast before games and on television.

But ultimately, a change in behavior comes down to the students.

"We don't need that to help our program, and those people have to grow up," Williams said. "It's a shame because there's kids there at the games. And that's the main thing. You get 10-, 12-year-old kids, you're trying to teach them certain things and then that happens. It's not right. I don't care what the laws are, that's not right. I just think that has to be said."
 

Vick's status? Tech says, 'It all depends'
Quarterback may face sanctions from university
By Norm Wood
Daily Press
Published January 31, 2004

Though criminal charges have not been filed against Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick after he allegedly had sex with a 15-year-old girl Tuesday, he may face sanctions from the university's Office of Judiciary Affairs, according to university spokesman Larry Hincker.

Hincker said that Vick's case is subject to interpretation of the university's policies for student life and wouldn't speculate whether Vick will be brought before a university judicial hearing. Students don't have to be charged with a crime to be brought before facing such a hearing, according to Hincker. If Vick, a Warwick High graduate, is charged with a crime, university guidelines dictate that his status with the football team will be handled by the university's Comprehensive Action Plan, which provides a wide range of penalties based on the nature and severity of the charge.

"In cases like this that are very sensitive and have very high consequences, (the university's Office of Judiciary Affairs) will normally let it go through the courts before they would do anything," Hincker said. "In this case, I'm afraid to say what may happen. It's an 'all depends' kind of situation."

Vick's apartment was searched by Blacksburg police at 4 a.m. Thursday after two teenage girls alleged Vick had sex with their 15-year-old friend, according to a search warrant affidavit. The two girls told officers Wednesday that they and their friend, all ages 14 and 15, were provided vodka and rum at Vick's apartment, the affidavit stated.

One of Vick's two roommates, who are also Virginia Tech football players, took pictures of the three girls "as they danced and stripped from their clothing," according to statements made by two of the girls for the affidavit.

Police searched for two liquor bottles, a digital camera, pictures, sheets from Vick's bedroom and a used condom, according to the affidavit. The incident is being investigated as contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor, the affidavit stated.

Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech's football coach, and Jim Weaver, the university's athletic director, referred all questions regarding Vick's case to Hincker on Friday. Calls to Vick's apartment were forwarded to John Ballein, Virginia Tech's associate athletic director for football operations.

Joey Showalter, the Commonwealth's Attorney for Montgomery County, said Friday the decision whether or not to charge Vick is pending the completion of the Blacksburg police's investigation.

"I would imagine that the investigation is going to be wrapped up about mid-week," Showalter said.

Vick wouldn't face sanctions from the Office of Judicial Affairs unless a referral is made to the university via a complaint, according to Hincker. A complaint does not have to come from a student. If a person not associated with the university is involved in an incident that is deemed harmful with a university student, the student may be subject to university judicial sanctions. Possible sanctions include a formal warning, restitution, probation, denial of privileges or association, suspension or dismissal.

Included in the school's code of conduct are policies against sexual misconduct, as well as the illegal consumption of alcohol.

In spring 2000, Rolan Roberts and Dennis Mims, former basketball players at Virginia Tech, were accused of violating the abusive conduct policy by the Office of Judicial Affairs and were charged with assault, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. Hearing officers found Roberts "responsible" for assault and sexual misconduct and Mims "responsible" for assault. Roberts was suspended, and Mims was placed on deferred suspension.

While a student-athlete does not have to be charged with a crime to be subject to sanctions from the Office of Judicial Affairs, the student-athlete does have to be charged to be subject to review via the Comprehensive Action Plan. The CAP dictates that any student-athlete charged with a misdemeanor will be subject to review by the university's athletic director.