Cavs make tough trip to Cameron
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
January 16, 2005

Staring into a sea of crazy, blue-and-white clad fans with 1400 SATs and high GPAs is not exactly the same as staring into the abyss but it’s close enough for the Cavaliers.

Virginia, 0-3 in the ACC and having lost three of their last four games, travels to Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight to face No. 5 Duke. It is hardly the ideal place for the Cavaliers to try to perhaps salvage their season.

With a 10-39 ACC road record under Pete Gillen, there are few ACC venues that the Cavaliers have played well in but Cameron is a place they have had zero success. Under Gillen, the Cavaliers are 0-6 at Cameron as it and N.C. State’s RBC Center are the only ACC arenas in which Gillen teams have never won.

Overall, Virginia has lost nine straight games at Duke and many of those contests have not been close. Virginia has lost those contests by nearly 25 points a game.

Certainly playing a No. 5 ranked Duke squad at Cameron would be a daunting task for any Virginia team but a double challenge for the reeling Cavaliers.

Virginia is coming of a 91-80 lost to upstart Miami on Wednesday at U-Hall and have started 0-3 in the ACC for the second consecutive year. The Cavaliers have lost their three ACC games by an average of 17.3 points a contest.

Freshman point guard Sean Singletary said the team needed to come to practice with a new attitude after the Miami game. It’s a mantra that Singletary stated after last Saturday’s loss at Georgia Tech as well.

Gillen said Saturday that the team’s practices after Wednesday have indeed been productive.

“They’ve done a good job. They’ve worked hard. Of course you get frustrated after losing a few games. Miami is a good team but it is a game we should have won. We certainly need to get a league win,” Gillen said. “The attitude has been good. I think our psyche is good. I’m sure our confidence is down but I think they are fine. We just need to play a little better and get more guys on the same page at the same time.”

Singletary used a little stronger language when he was aksed about tonight’s game after Wednesday’s contest.

“We have to go there with a new attitude. We can’t hold back. We need to leave everything out there on the floor. We need a win desperately. I know it’s a long season but we need a win,” Singletary said.

One thing that has been particularly troubling in the three league losses has been Virginia’s dreadful second-half starts. In two of the games, Virginia trailed by six at the half and led by six in the other. In each instance, the opponent hit Virginia with a decisive run to open the second half and each case the Cavaliers couldn’t muster a recovery.

“We have to concentrate more and focus a little more. … We have come out flat as a pancake in the second half. We have stunk in these second halves,” Gillen said.

Duke is 12-0 and 2-0 in the ACC despite a rash of injuries that have further depleted an already thin team. First, Shavlik Randolph was out indefinitely with a mononucleosis and then reserve forward Reggie Love, who normally would be little more than a bench player on most Duke squads, went down with a broken foot. The absences of Randolph and Love leave the Blue Devils with just one legitimate inside player in Shelden Williams. Currently, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is starting 6-foot-6 Lee Melchionni at the power forward spot.

Don’t put Gillen, however, among those that claim that Duke is overrated or vulnerable.

“They have three great players in Ewing, Redick and Shelden Williams. The other guys are good players and they are making great contributions right now to take the pressure off those other guys,” Gillen said.

Baker the TD maker picks Pack
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
January 16, 2005

Scattershooting around the ACC, while noting that Toney Baker the touchdown maker is officially a Wolfie ...
Baker, who tore up state high school records in North Carolina this past season, announced late in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s U.S. Army Bowl, an all-star game for high school All-Americans, that he will play for N.C. State. Baker also considered UVa, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and UNC.
Meanwhile, Rivals recruiting analyst Mike Farrell, who was in San Antonio for the game and practices, told this columnist that big offensive lineman Eugene Monroe, headed to Virginia, has looked awesome all week.

No excuses
Duke’s basketball team has been hit as hard as anyone in the ACC by injuries and illness, but Coach Mike Krzyzewski isn’t using the problems as a crutch.
The undefeated Blue Devils host Virginia tonight at Cameron Indoor Stadium as the Wahoos seek their first win in the league this season (8 p.m., televised).
“We have some injuries but come on ... we’re playing basketball,” Krzyzewski said. “If we make excuses because of injuries, we’re complete idiots as far as what’s happening around us. Hey, this is the hand you get. Let’s play it. That’s how you get better. And if guys come back, then you’re going to be better.
“You don’t become a winner by rationalizing or making excuses,” Coach K said. “You become a winner by defeating rationalism and having no excuses. That’s the way we’re going to run our program.”

Canes pick up steam
Forgive ACC coaches if they’re looking over their shoulder toward Coral Gables, Fla.
Everyone knew Miami would be a bear to deal with in ACC football. But basketball?
The Hurricanes have already won three conference games, three more than Virginia.
Miami’s success is starting to show at the box office. Season tickets are up from 650 last year to 3,400 in a building that seats 7,000 (1,000 are reserved for students), so there are 2,500 single tickets for sale each game.
The Canes’ win over N.C. State was the second sellout in the Convocation Center’s two-year history, but the
Jan. 19 game against Duke is already sold out.
One of the main reasons the Hurricanes are playing well is fireball sophomore guard Guillermo Diaz, a former member of the Puerto Rican junior national volleyball team. His 41-inch vertical leap is amazing as UVa fans witnessed during Miami’s upset win over the Cavs in Charlottesville Wednesday night.

Recruiting update
Apparently, Virginia wide receiver commitment Brandon Woods is sticking with the Cavaliers after a flirtation with South Carolina.
Woods, who had a good season for Durham Southern, will be making his official visit to UVa on Jan. 21 along with teammate Maurice Covington and a host of other prospects, some committed, some not.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound wideout, became interested in South Carolina when the Gamecocks hired Steve Spurrier as coach. But Woods said this week that he is solid with UVa.
That’s not the case with two other Wahoo commitments. New Jersey linebacker Lamont Robinson, who reneged on an early commitment to UVa and has now recommitted to Oklahoma, chose the Sooners over the Cavaliers and Georgia.
Meanwhile, Roanoke linebacker Darryl Greshman Jr., of William Fleming, said he is interested in UVa and Florida. He is ranked the No. 11 linebacker in the nation by Rivals.
According to Jamie Oakes of Rivals’ thewagononline.com, a site committed to UVa athletics, Virginia will get a visit from New Jersey linebacker Brian Cushing (6-4, 220), who played in Saturday’s U.S. Army Bowl in Texas. Southern Cal is Cushing’s leader, but UVa, Miami, Boston College and Florida are on his list.
Cushing will visit on Jan. 28 after coach Al Groh and staff made serious strides with the linebacker during a recent home visit.
Oakes also reported that Harrisburg. Pa., running back Mikell Simpson, who was down to UVa and Alabama last week, was scheduled to visit Florida this weekend. Virginia coaches are recruiting Simpson against Alabama running backs coach Sparky Woods, former offensive coordinator at UVa under George Welsh.
Oakes also said that UVa has offered Travis Norton, a cornerback/wide receiver from Tallahassee, Fla. He is also being recruited by Oklahoma, Penn State, Iowa State, Louisville and Central Florida. He may be visiting Charlottesville on Jan. 28 with Cushing.

Who’s afraid? Of N.C. State’s Wolfpack ... well, not anyone at the moment.
State is paying a price for winning eight straight games against cupcakes to start the season, having now lost five of its last seven and four straight.
“We’ve got to stick together and keep working hard,” coach Herb Sendek said. “We’re in the middle of a difficult stretch right now, but it’s a long season and we’ve got to bounce back.”
The Wolfies host Georgia Tech this afternoon.

Free throws ... Man, you have to take your hat off to former UVa linebacker James Farrior for the incredible season he has had for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season. ... Maryland defensive end Shawne Merriman has declared for the NFL draft, meaning the Terps have lost a potential senior All-American to the pros for the second straight year. Virginia fans can start to relate to that, having lost All-American Heath Miller and star linebacker Darryl Blackstock already this season. ...Think Boston College is going to be a pushover in the ACC next season? The Eagles are off to their best start in school history and have knocked off UConn, the second time in the last four meetings. ... Virginia Tech tight end Jeff King has joined the Hokies’ basketball team, that is, as Coach Seth Greenberg chuckled, “If we can find a uniform to fit him.” ... If Carolina wants revenge against Wake Forest for Saturday’s beating, the Tar Heels will have to wait until the ACC Tournament for a chance. Because of the conference realignment, the two teams only face each other once during the regular season this year.

UVa's lacrosse season just around the corner
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
January 15, 2005

It’s hard to think that lacrosse season will begin in about a month but then again, we haven’t exactly had January-like temperatures of late.
Next week, the Virginia men’s lacrosse team begins practice for the 2005 season. The Cavaliers open their season
Feb. 20 at home against Drexel and will face Navy (Feb. 5), Washington and Lee (Feb. 8) and Georgetown (Feb. 13) in scrimmages before then.
“I think we are about as ready as we can be to get started,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said.
The Cavaliers finished 5-8 last season - their first losing season in
17 years - and missed the NCAAs for the first time since 1992.
“Last year was certainly unusual for us and I think everybody has a different sense of anticipation getting back to it,” Starsia said. “I’m ready to get going.”
Last season, the Cavaliers were coming off a national championship run in 2003 and at times the last year and a half has been something of a roller coaster, according to Starsia.
“We’ve been through so much in the last 18 months. We haven’t been through a situation like last year. I’m sure some people look at it as an aberration and say ‘don’t worry about it’. Other people, like myself, are a little anxious about the start of things,” Starsia said. “I think the only thing that matters is us getting into the season. I think there is a sense of anticipation that’s a little different from other years. Everyone is very anxious to get back to the field and show people who we are and what we are capable of.”
One issue that hopes to be resolved during the preseason will be the goaltender position.
Right now, sophomore Kip Turner and redshirt freshman Bud Petit were in close competition to replace Tillman Johnson, a three-time All-ACC selection and a very integral part of the national title team in 2003.
“It is as close to dead heat as it can be. I asked the players before we left for the break who they thought it should be and to a man they said it was too close to call,” Starsia said. “I’ve allowed myself not to be anxious about it and I know it probably won’t be decided to the Georgetown scrimmage, the last one before our first game.”

Yevoli’s status. Senior Joe Yevoli, who had 19 goals and 12 assists last season, is still questionable for the upcoming season. Yevoli played with a stress fracture in his lower back last season and while the injury has improved, it’s not clear if it has improved to the point he will opt to play this season. Yevoli did not participate in Virginia’s fall practices and scrimmages.
“We still have to assess where he is. In two and a half weeks, we scrimmage Navy. Unfortunately, we can’t give Joe a month to see where we are with everything. Probably in another week we will have to make a decision,” Starsia said. “We will see if he just simply sucks it up and tries to play with it or he just can’t go. I don’t know the answer to that now.”
One player who will redshirt this season is freshman Kevin Coale of Lexington, who played at Episcopal High School. Coale suffered a broken foot last fall and will not be able to play this season.

King me. Redshirt freshman defender James King, the 2003 Central Virginia Player of the Year while at STAB, had a strong fall season and is ready to make contributions this season. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound King excelled as a close-down defender in high school and could also fill a similar role for the Cavaliers.
“He had an outstanding fall. He is starting to get it. His confidence grew over the course of the fall. He was one of our most improved players in the offseason workouts,” Starsia said. “He’s starting to demonstrate the kind of confidence needed to make a contribution on the field.”

Driscoll on the links. Former Virginia golfer James Driscoll is playing this week in the PGA Tour’s Sony Open. Driscoll, who automatically earned a spot on the Tour by finishing No.7 on the Nationwide Tour’s money list last year, shot an opening-round 2-over-par 72 on Thursday and shot a 71 on Friday for a 143. He missed the cut by one stroke.

Golf recruits. Both of Virginia’s men’s golf signees, Conrad Von Borsig of Swarthmore, Pa., and Daniel Kefale of Woodbridge, have received accolades since signing with the Cavaliers in November. Von Borsig recently captured the prestigious Doral-Publinx Junior Classic in December. Von Borsig shot a three-day total of 213 on the famed Doral Blue Course to take the title. Von Borsig also finished 16th at the 41st Junior Orange Bowl International, another prestigious junior event in the Miami area in December.
Kefale was named the VSGA Junior Golfer of the Year last month. Kefale was the 2004 VSGA Junior Amateur champion and also won the Group AAA individual title as a senior at Osborne Park High School.

Reeling Cavaliers look to steal win
"We have to have more guys play well at the same time," UVa coach Pete Gillen says.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Virginia men's basketball coach Pete Gillen has lost a few games - three out of four overall, including three in a row in the ACC - but he doesn't feel he has lost his team.

"Miami was a bad loss," said Gillen, whose Cavaliers fell to the Hurricanes 91-80 on Wednesday night at University Hall. "Please! They're a very good team, but it's a game we should have won. We didn't play well. "So, we've had one bad loss. We've got to try and recoup that and maybe steal one where we're a big underdog."

The Cavaliers (9-4, 0-3 ACC) certainly will fit that description tonight, when they visit No.5 Duke (12-0, 2-0) for an 8:03 tipoff. UVa goes to Cameron Indoor Stadium with 19 losses in its last 21 games with Duke.

Moreover, UVa's three ACC losses all have been by double figures, including setbacks to Wake Forest in Charlottesville (89-70) and Georgia Tech in Atlanta (92-68).

"We're struggling in the league and everybody has a nervous breakdown when we lose a game," said Gillen in a phone interview Saturday, "but we're 9-4. Oh-and-three in the league is bad, yes, but we've lost to two top-10 teams and we've got another one [today]."

It might take an NCAA bid for Gillen to return for an eighth season as Cavaliers' coach, and he admitted Wednesday that the team had dug a big hole for itself and maybe its coach.

"I've been better; I've been worse," he said. "We've just got to go day by day. Teams can get into the NCAA in this league with 7-9 [conference] records."

Virginia got a lift Wednesday from the return of senior Devin Smith, who came off the bench to score a team-high 21 points in his first game since Dec.23, when he suffered a severely sprained ankle in a double-overtime victory over Loyola Marymount.

On the other hand, fellow senior Jason Clark was unable to start as the result of a strained Achilles tendon that had kept him out of an earlier game. Clark, a defensive specialist who had averaged 10.7 points in his previous three games, was limited to 10 minutes and did not take a shot from the field.

In addition, sophomore guard J.R. Reynolds did not take a shot from the field after averaging 19.3 points in the previous three games. After watching Reynolds pick up two early fouls, Gillen was contemplating a substitution when Reynolds picked up foul No.3 with more than 13 minutes remaining.

Unlike some other coaches, Gillen does not routinely pull players after a second first-half foul.

"We've been pretty fortunate with that," he said. "J.R. is a pretty smart player who has shown he can stay away from fouls in the past. If it's a more aggressive player, like Jay Clark, you tend to be a little more careful."

Sophomore Gary Forbes came off the bench to score 13 points against the Hurricanes, and freshman Adrian Joseph had 11. Joseph, a starter in four games as the result of Smith's and Clark's injuries, is averaging 12.7 points in ACC play. Forbes is averaging 12.3.

Virginia will be closer to full complement today than it has been since Christmas. A MRI on Thursday on Clark's Achilles revealed no tear.

"We have to have more guys play well at the same time," Gillen said. "We need [freshman point guard] Sean [Singletary] to play the way he did early against Arizona and Auburn. I still think we've got a good team. We've just got to play better."

Sleepers like Davis can be available late
Toney Baker to announce today
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

Among the more flattering Internet posts that I read this week was the one that contended Doug Doughty has been “mailing it in for 20 years.”

That’s 30 years, thank you.

Which reminds me, can anyone spare a stamp?

Fridays frequently find me on the road and scrambling for a column, but I actually enjoy working the phones. Bill Renner, the football coach at West Springfield High School, was full of information and insight when I called him today.

West Springfield has a 6-foot-7 1/2, 305-pound offensive lineman, Eric Davis, who recently was named sleeper of the year in Virginia by The Roanoke Times. Davis’ grade-point average is in the 3.0-3.5 range and he scored approximately 1,100 on the SAT.

It is likely that Davis will commit to Virginia Tech when he visits Blacksburg next weekend, but how does a player with that kind of size and those academics slip through the cracks?

“Here’s his situation,” Renner said. “He didn’t play a down as a freshman. He grew bigger than his body could adjust to and he was a little awkward. He was playing JV as a 10th-grader, broke his wrist and missed half the year. He was starting as a junior, broke his foot and missed five games. So, I didn’t really know what Eric was going to be.

“I thought he was going develop into a pretty good kid, based on what I’d seen of him, but I hadn’t even seen him for a whole year. Long story short, in between his sophomore year and going into his senior year, he gained 60 pounds. The athleticism starts to mature and his footwork gets really good for a heavy kid and a tall kid.

“He starts to top out in the 6-6 1/2 to 6-7 range and now his neuromuscular stuff is starting to catch up and he’s starting to become an athlete. Starting last summer, you’d tell yourself, ‘Wow, this kid has a chance.’ He was starting to put it together. That track hasn’t stopped. People who make junior evaluations, they missed this kid.”

Until Tech offered, Army was Davis’ best bet. Virginia stopped by West Springfield “and the worst-case scenario for [the Cavaliers] was that they would take Eric as a preferred walk-on,” Renner said. “Marshall and Richmond and some other schools liked him, but once Tech offered, they were like, ‘Well, we won’t get him. That’s it.’ You know, that’s probably true. A lot of those people have just moved on.”

By the time Virginia got involved with Davis, the Cavaliers had 24 oral commitments (now down to 22). With five commitments from offensive linemen, including All-American offensive lineman Eugene Monroe and 2004 signee Brandon Albert, the offensive line no longer was a need. But, it’s no secret that recruiting evaluations are done earlier and earlier every year, and that’s not just the case at UVa.

“It has been the nature of the beast,” Renner said, “and I don’t think it’s effective. I understand that that’s what you have to do to get kids now because it’s so pushed back, but I believe you can put together a team of Eric Davises and compete just fine. There’s enough of those kids out there.”

If Davis were a junior, everybody would be offering him.

“Absolutely, and that’s what Tech saw when Bud [Foster] came up and got the film and talked to him and said, ‘OK, I’m going to take these games back,’ ” Renner said. “It was midyear and then all of a sudden, boom, it was like, ‘Hey, we’re coming back.’ They’re at the top of his list. I don’t think that’s any secret.”

Frequently, the Hokies will ask players like Davis to enter at mid-year, which gives them an extra spring practice before beginning their five-year eligibility clock. With 17 commitments to date, Tech does not appear to have any numbers issues at the present time, “but I don’t know what they’re thinking along those lines,” Renner said.

“I think he’ll find that out when he goes down there.”

RENNER, A ONE-TIME Virginia Tech punter, is best known as a kicking guru and has served as a mentor for Westfield High School’s Brent Bowden, the first-team All-Group AAA punter.

Tech is one of the schools in touch with Bowden, a former Westfield teammate of first-year Hokies Eddie Royal and Sean Glennon.

Bowden is the younger half-brother of Florida State punter Chris Hall, who played at Centreville High School in Fairfax County.

“The name’s different; that’s what will throw you off,” Renner said. “Chris has been at our camp since the ninth grade and Brent came with him. Literally, he’s [Bowden] been around since seventh grade. He’s polished, he’s mentally mature and he knows what he’s doing.

“He’s a big kid, around 6-3, 200. He’s very good. He’s a legit D-I coming out, and he’ll be able to kick at a high level right away. I believe there’s quite a few people talking to him.”

RENNER SAID THAT West Springfield wide receiver Mike Caussin, rated the No. 68 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times, has the opportunity to go Virginia or Virginia Tech as a “preferred” walk-on but will visit James Madison next week with a chance to get a grant from the Division I-AA champions.

“They’ve been all over him,” Renner said. “I would not be surprised if they offer him. Tech and UVa would offer him if he weighed 20 pounds more. I really think he’s a receiver [and not a tight end]. Once he starts speed training year-around -- he’s playing basketball -- look out. He’s got a stride that covers over 5 yards.

“He’s a late bloomer, too. I think he’s a receiver, but you can’t take a chance at their level that a kid’s going to go from a 4.65 [for 40 yards] to a low 4.5. Or, you can’t take a chance that a 205 frame is going to be 245. You’ve just got to walk on. At Madison’s level, you can take that chance.”

MARYLAND AND WVU have expressed interest in Renner’s top junior, punter-place-kicker Josh Czajowski, but the big-time underclassmen in the West Springfield program is 6-5, 225-pound sophomore Peter Lalich.

Lalich is a basketball player and his father played in the Continental Basketball Association, but football will be his sport in college. Pressed into service when Renner lost his returning quarterback, Lalich immediately led West Springfield to victories over Annandale and Hayfield.

“When you see his arm and see him throw, there’s no question [football is] where he’s going,” Renner said. “He’s in the top 1 percent in the country who can throw how he throws. It’s no exaggeration: He can throw it 70 yards in the air. And, he’s gotten training from some of the best in the country.”

TO ME, THERE’S a silver lining for UVa in the decommitments issued by one-time recruiting targets Lamont Robinson and Darryl Gresham. It means that the Cavaliers, who once had 24 commitments, won’t have to answer question constantly about where they will find scholarships for the uncommitted players on their list.

A third Virginia recruit who had been wavering, wide receiver Brandon Woods from Southern Durham (N.C.) High School, has elected not to visit South Carolina and is now firmly back in the UVa fold, according to two websites devoted to UVa football recruiting, the sabre.com and wagononline.com.

Chris Horne of the sabre.com writes that N.C. State is the favorite for High Point, N.C., running back Toney Baker, who will announce his decision Saturday at the Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, but I wouldn’t be stunned if he picks Virginia.

It was felt that the Cavaliers might falter because Baker did not visit Charlottesville officially, but he has not taken official visits to all the other schools in his top five -- Tech, State, North Carolina and Tennessee.

The Hokies made up considerable ground to get in his top five but I think they’d have to be considered a longshot. Baker reportedly is rooming with Elan Lewis, who committed to Tech earlier in the fall, which might be good for the Hokies, except that they’re both running backs.

FROM THE TOP 100: Albemarle High School quarterback R.J. Archer, rated the No. 79 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times, has committed to William and Mary.

Duke unlikely to fulfill Virginia's need
No. 5 Blue Devils (12-0) will play host to Cavaliers, who are 0-3 in the ACC
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Jan 16, 2005
U.VA. AT DUKE
TODAY: 8 p.m. ON THE AIR: TV - CSN; Radio - WRVA (1140), WKLV (1440), 7:30

To hear senior center Elton Brown, Virginia's 0-3 start in ACC play isn't cause for excessive concern. He'd rather lose early than late in the season, Brown said Wednesday night at University Hall, and there's plenty of time left for the Cavaliers to turn things around.

"People are going to doubt us," Brown said. "They going to say, 'Virginia's terrible.' But we're a good team."

Other U.Va. players appear to feel a greater sense of urgency. Sean Singletary hasn't been in college for long, but the freshman point guard from Philadelphia is savvy enough to know that, if the Cavs are to avoid a total collapse, changes are needed, and quickly.

"We have to go out there with a new attitude," Singletary said after Virginia's latest setback, a 91-80 loss to Miami. "We can't hold back. We need to leave everything out there on the floor."

Unfortunately for U.Va. (0-3, 9-4), the next floor on which it will play is Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. Even a great effort by Virginia tonight isn't likely to result in a victory over the fifth-ranked Blue Devils (2-0, 12-0).

In Pete Gillen's seven seasons as their coach, the Cavaliers are 10-39 in ACC road games and never have won at Cameron. The Blue Devils are missing power forward Shavlik Randolph, who's recovering from mononucleosis, and frontcourt reserve Reggie Love is sidelined with a broken foot. Even short-handed, though, they're more than most teams can handle.

"They still got great players," Gillen said yesterday, "they just don't have maybe the depth they usually have."

Duke is coming off a Thursday night victory over N.C. State in Raleigh. The Devils looked vulnerable early, but they regrouped, as they generally do, and pulled away for an 86-74 win.

"I really love this team," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters afterward. "They're not [Christian] Laettner or [Elton] Brand, but they make plays. I enjoy watching the evolution of this team, and I'm just so proud of what they're accomplishing."

Junior center Shelden Williams led all scorers with 22 points Thursday night and added six rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals.

"I think we showed again tonight that when you're going against us, you know we're going to play 40 minutes," Williams told reporters. "You may think we're down, because we always kind of start off slow, but you better not get comfortable, because we're going to keep on fighting."

For Virginia, which is facing its third top-10 team in the past five games, such determination and resolve have been conspicuously absent of late. In the second halves of U.Va.'s losses to Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Miami, Gillen's club was outscored 146-98.

"We've got to dig down, play tougher and be more physical," he said. "We're getting pushed around out there."

That Wake and Georgia Tech beat Virginia shocked no one. To Gillen, the loss to unranked Miami was more disappointing.

"It's a game we should have won," he said, "as simple as that."

The Miami game marked the return of senior forward Devin Smith, who'd been out since late last month with a sprained ankle. Smith scored 21 points against the Hurricanes, but sophomore guard J.R. Reynolds, who'd averaged 19.3 points in his previous three games, had only two.

"We just need several guys to play well at the same time," Gillen said.

Above all, Singletary said, the Cavs need to break their ACC losing streak.

"I know it's a long season," he said, "but we've got to get a win."