Are there positives to UVa's 0-4 ACC start?
By Andrew Joyner / Daily Progress staff writer
January 18, 2005

Mike Krzyzewski was fairly gracious in his compliments about Virginia after his Blue Devils sent the Cavaliers to 0-4 in the ACC with an 80-66 decision Sunday night.

Krzyzewski claimed that Elton Brown was “one of the better inside guys in the country” and stated that UVa freshman Sean Singletary and sophomore forward Gary Forbes “were terrific.”

Leave it to a Virginian, Duke guard J.J. Redick of Roanoke and a one-time Keswick resident, to point out the troubles of the Cavaliers.

“I know that UVa has a lot of trouble guarding people off screens, and they certainly did tonight. Once I got going, I felt like I could hit the shots,” said Redick after torching the Cavaliers for 28 points.

It likely pains Virginia fans that Redick isn’t in a Cavalier uniform in the first place but it must be a double-whammy to hear comments like that.

Redick’s 20 second-half points and pinpoint shooting from the perimeter allowed the Blue Devils to break open a relatively close game at the half and continue the Cavaliers’ misery with another lopsided ACC setback.

The Cavaliers have lost their four ACC contests by an average of 16.7 points per game and are 0-4 in the league for the first time since UVa coach Pete Gillen’s initial season in 1998-99.

Looking at this stretch for the Cavaliers, it is hard to imagine that after playing Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Duke that their record would-be much better than 1-3 or perhaps 2-2. The Cavaliers have rarely played well at Duke or at Georgia Tech and Wake proved itself this weekend as one of the nation’s best teams. Sunday’s loss at Cameron was probably about what could be expected in that building even if the Cavaliers entered at 3-0 instead of 0-3. Yet, it is the losses taken collectively, especially the 11-point home loss to Miami that makes the Cavaliers’ outlook so bleak at the moment.

While Sunday’s game followed a similar script in that the Cavaliers were essentially taken out of the game by a slow start to the second half, Gillen indicated that he was at least pleased at the Cavaliers’ effort in this contest compared to the other contests.

“We’re disappointed in losing the game but I was very proud of our kids. I told them we played really hard and gave it what we had,” Gillen said.

Redick’s comments about being able to find holes in Virginia’s defense was not so plainly stated by other recent opponents but that may only been because of a lack of candor. If the poor starts to the second half have been particularly woeful for the Cavaliers, so has the confluence of two damaging events: Poor defense and poor shooting.

Like the other recent setbacks, Virginia shot poorly while allowing its opponent to shoot well. The Cavaliers shot just 34.9 percent from the field Sunday as the Blue Devils were connecting on 50.9 percent of their shots. That’s a disparity no team can overcome.

“We’ve got to do a better job. I thought we played hard defensively. I thought we did a pretty good job in that, but we have to shoot the ball better. We’re better than a team shooting 34 percent,” Gillen said. “We’ve got to do a better job shooting the ball and we got to defend a little better. … We’ve got to play better for longer periods of time.”

Suspended Hokies quarterback Marcus Vick rejoins team
Associated Press
© January 18, 2005 | Last updated 8:51 PM Jan. 17

BLACKSBURG -- Suspended Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick has been cleared to rejoin his team, the school said Monday.

Vick, the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, joined the team for a meeting, re-enrolled at the university and started classes Monday after being suspended for the fall semester. The university and head coach Frank Beamer cleared the 20-year-old to return to all football-related activities.

Click here Vick was suspended this past season after a night of drinking with underage girls. He avoided jail by pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge in September.

Vick was arrested last February, along with teammates Mike Imoh and Brenden Hill, after an encounter with 14- and 15-year-old girls at the quarterback's apartment in Blacksburg. Vick also pleaded guilty to reckless driving and no contest to marijuana possession after a traffic stop last summer.

"I'm excited to be back - I missed this place," Vick said in a statement. "I know that I hurt a lot of people who only want to see me succeed. I'd like to try to make that up to them. I'm appreciative to the university and Coach Beamer for giving me this opportunity. Now I'm ready to put the past behind me and concentrate on the future."

 Subject: Insight into a Dukie: Cameron Crazee Cliff Notes for UVa game
Posted by: beachlokal on Mon Jan 17 2005 10:11:00 PM
Message:

Ever wondered what is on that list they pss around? A copy of the
Cameron Crazee Cliff Notes for UVa:

Duke vs. Virginia
Cameron Indoor Stadium
January 16, 2005

The Basics -
-For most of us, welcome back. This is the first ACC home game for
Duke with school in session. Let's be loud,
-Though most of you probably know, the team is a little thin at the
moment, but they keep pulling out gutsy wins. Let's give them the
applause they deserve when they step on the court.
-Please, Please, please remember to slow down your cheers. If they
starting to fast people don't have enough time to catch on.

The No, No's...
-Freshman...when we are on defense, DO NOT WAIVE YOUR HANDS
while shouting "ohhhhhh"... this is only for when a player fouls out or
when the opposing team does something we don't agree with.
-The "Our House" cheer should be used very sparingly, not when we're
crushing an opponant.
-Please do not bring bags into Cameron. Security doesn't like it, and
they're going to start turning people away for it

The dirt on Our Opponant - The UVA Cavaliers
-The head coach is Pete Gillen. Many of you know about his recent
problems with job security. This is NOT something to taunt him about.
Coach K berated the crowd for such taunts to another coach last year
-Coach Gillen if often criticized for calling quick timeouts. Perhaps if
Duke scores the first basket or right around the first minute of the game
we could start chanting "Time out, Pete", "Time out, Pete."
-I'm going to set the over/under for UVa's first time out at 2
minutes...any takers?
-Coach Gillen sweats...a lot
-Gillen has a big head, and kind of looks like a goomba from Super
Mario Brothers
Gillen tends to put a towel on the ground and kneel on it during games.
Perhaps we can point back and forth between him and crazy towel guy
and chant, "Crazy Towel Guy, Sweaty Towel Guy."
-#32 - Jason Cain: When he goes to shoot a free throw, try
chanting "you killed Abel" (as in the story of Cain and Abel)
-#44 Sean Singletary: He is UVa's freshman point guard. Let's do
everything to get under his skin (much like we did to Wake's Chris Paul
as a Freshman last year). His mom's name is .... Father's name is ...,
and has two older brothers, .... and ..... Apparantly he enjoys listening
to music.
-#33 Devin Smith: This kid is impressive. Last year he had a heniated
disk and wasn't able to practice, but still played in all the games. If
anyone has ever had a herniated disk, they know its hard enough to
walk. He deserves our respect.

The Blue Devils - We've got some new ones...
-Any time someone makes a nasty play against the other team (like a
block or a steal) try chanting "you got served, you got served".
-#15 Sean Dockery: any time Dockery makes a steal, let's
chant "Kleptomaniac! Clap Clap Clap, etc
#5 Daniel Ewing: Dan the Man, in the same cadence as Let's Go Duke.
#21 Demarcus Nelson: "He's on Da-Mark" or "Hey Markie You're so
fine" (Hey Mickie)

-Have suggestions for ideas or cheers? Add the name "CheerSheets"
to your AIM Buddy List. Thanks to those of you who have already sent
stuff...keep it up!
-Please do not give out CheerSheets screen name to people at other
schools...I'm tired of dealing with them!
-Next Home Game-Maryland, Wednesday, January 26 @ 9:00.


Anyway, though some of you (especially students) might find this
interesting.....

Georgia's Garner set to interview at LSU
By STEVE WYCHE
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/17/05

Already having lost two assistant coaches in the past week, Georgia could be on the verge of losing a third – and the impact of the potential change could have a resounding impact on this year's recruiting class.

Defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner is scheduled to interview at Louisiana State University Wednesday for a yet-to-be determined position. That Garner is exploring a possible move — to a rival SEC school — could be problematic for Georgia, especially in terms of recruiting with national signing day Feb. 2.

Garner, 38, is considered one of the top recruiters in the SEC and has played a main role in the Bulldogs securing nearly a dozen commitments from some of the nation's blue-chip prep players over the past few months. He also has helped mold Georgia's defensive interior and developed defensive tackles Richard Seymour, Marcus Stroud, Charles Grant and Jonathan Sullivan into first-round NFL draft picks since joining Georgia's staff in 1998.

Should Garner leave, he would join former defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Brian VanGorder (Jacksonville Jaguars) and running backs coach Ken Rucker (Texas) as assistants to bolt after this 10-2 season that culminated with an Outback Bowl victory over Wisconsin. VanGorder and Rucker left Jan. 10.

Garner is believed to have been contacted by LSU over the weekend. Schools have to ask permission to speak to a coach under contract about a job so it is believed that head coach Mark Richt is aware of the situation.

Richt was unavailable for comment but Monday evening he pulled out of his coaching duties for this weekend's Hula Bowl in Hawaii, citing recruiting and the need to indoctrinate recently hired assistants John Jancek (linebackers) and Kirby Smart (running backs). Coincidentally, Smart came to Georgia after spending last season coaching the secondary at LSU.

LSU's coaching staff is amid an overhaul after former Oklahoma State coach Les Miles took over for Nick Saban, who left to take the head coaching job for the Miami Dolphins. Miles has put together most of his staff, however, there are a few positions open, including defensive coordinator. Garner, who has expressed aspirations to be a head coach, said earlier this season he is very comfortable in Athens and has high regard for Richt and would only leave if he had the chance to bolster his career.

Farrior has his turn in line for Steelers
By Brent Jones
Sun Staff
Originally published January 18, 2005

The year before he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, James Farrior registered 181 tackles, forced three fumbles and defended nine passes - numbers that surely put him among the pantheon of the league's good linebackers.

Farrior, however, wanted to be great, so he went to a place where he knew he could be.

"The Steelers have a great tradition with their linebackers. If you want to be a great linebacker, this is a good place," Farrior said.

Farrior left the New York Jets for Pittsburgh following the 2001 season, and now, after leading the team with 119 tackles, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries this year, it may be time to include Farrior with the likes of Ray Lewis and Zach Thomas as the game's elite middle linebackers.

Farrior, 30, in fact, beat out Thomas to earn his first Pro Bowl berth and finished second behind Ravens safety Ed Reed for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.

Asked about his season (which also included four interceptions), Farrior gives the company line, crediting the system and the players around him. Considering how the Steelers keep churning out Pro Bowl linebackers year after year, Farrior may be correct in giving the system its due.

The Steelers' 3-4 defense does appear to be bigger than any individual, and will have its biggest test of the year in Sunday's AFC championship game against the New England Patriots.

Since coach Bill Cowher took over in 1992, the Steelers have lost a number of quality linebackers, but always seem to have an able replacement waiting in the wings. This year, former Defensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl player Kendrell Bell has participated in just three games because of a groin injury, but Larry Foote's play has made Bell's absence negligible.

When Bell was healthy enough to play in those games midway through the season, he was a part-time player behind Foote, who was primarily a special teams player the previous two years.

"We try to keep good depth so that when we have lost players, other players have been able to step in within this system," Cowher said. "The system really hasn't changed through the years, so players when they are learning through the system, when they step in, they are well-groomed players.

"And that's been the one thing that has been good about keeping the continuity on both sides of the ball. I can say that we have changed coordinators on both sides of the ball but the systems have not changed one bit."

Foote, who has started every game this season, finished fourth on the team with 78 tackles and also recorded three sacks.

"My teammates had faith in me," said Foote, who had four tackles in the Steelers' 20-17 overtime win over the New York Jets on Saturday. "They'd never seen me do it in front of the lights. So that was my goal when they told me I was a starter the first game, to gain the respect and the trust from my teammates and coaching staff. As the season kept going, they had more faith in me.

"When you put on the black and gold for the Steelers and the great linebackers they had coming through here and the defense they play around here, I feel good about it. I know it's a lot of pressure, but I accept the challenge."

Foote was not the only new face asked to do what many of the previous linebackers had done. After starting just four games in four years, Clark Haggans replaced longtime Steeler Jason Gildon, a passing of the torch that happens frequently with this franchise.

Gildon, a three-time Pro Bowl player who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, originally replaced Chad Brown in 1998, who was coming off a Pro Bowl year but signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Haggans, with six sacks this season, may find himself in Hawaii soon.

"They look for guys to be part of this family," outside linebacker Joey Porter said. "[The organization] prides itself on that. We pride ourselves in being part of this."

Before Foote replaced Bell, Bell took over for Levon Kirkland in 2001 and Farrior replaced Earl Holmes the next year. Kirkland and Holmes had manned the middle of the defense since 1997 and were two of their more popular players.

Porter, the current leader of the group, replaced Carlos Emmons, who left as a free agent in 2000. Emmons has been a productive player, starting the past five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, but Porter was voted to his second Pro Bowl this year.

Porter and Haggans combined to miss four games this season, but in stepped James Harrison, who was cut in 2003 during the Ravens' training camp. Harrison, as athletic as the four starters, was a disruptive force, especially against the Ravens (Dec. 26) when he kept pressure on quarterback Kyle Boller and batted down two passes.

"We're a very resilient group," Farrior said. "All the linebackers on the team have done a great job all year. If somebody got hurt, whoever came in stepped up and made big plays and had an impact. As a group we feel like we are one of the best group of linebackers in the league."

 

Forbes serves as Cavs' glue
By Andy Bitter / Lynchburg News & Advance
January 18, 2005

Gary Forbes has all the qualities that would make him a perfect candidate for what Sports Illustrated college basketball writer Seth Davis calls a Glue Guy.

He's the guy who takes the charge. He's the guy who (until recently) comes off the bench to supply a spark and does so without complaint. He's the guy who volunteers to cover the opponent's best player. He's the guy who wins the team's end-of-year hustle award (in fact, he was UVa's Mr. Hustle last season).

He does all the little things that should help a team win. Just one problem. Virginia hasn't been winning much lately.

Forbes knows it, and, after Virginia's better-but-still-not-close defeat to Duke on Sunday night, said the kind of thing that one would expect a Glue Guy to say.

"I can't take anything from this loss. It's not like a moral victory. We lost another game," he said. "We're trying to win games and we're trying to go to the NCAA Tournament, and moral victories aren't going to get us there."

Perhaps, if Virginia begins winning some games, Sports Illustrated can review Forbes' Glue Guy application later in the season. Lately, he's certainly played like he was worthy of consideration.

Forbes notched his first career double-double against the Blue Devils, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in his second start of the season, a far cry from his first against Loyola Marymount, when he scored only one point in 29 minutes.

That was an aberration, however. After starting the season slow, Forbes has scored in double figures in five of the last six games. His scoring average is at 13.5 points per game in ACC play, up over four points from non-conference games.

That's a reversal of his freshman season, during which he started the season hot and simmered once ACC action started. The former Newsday Player of the Year while at Benjamin Banneker Academy in Brooklyn, N.Y., watched his points and minutes dwindle.

He finished strong, however, putting up a 19-point effort on 8-of-11 shooting in the NIT against Villanova in Virginia's final game.

The 6-foot-6 wing showed a similar scoring burst Sunday night against Duke. If J.J. Redick or Sean Dockery guarded him, Forbes would post them up and take advantage of the size differential. If Shavlik Randolph or Lee Melchionni guarded him, Forbes went around them with his speed.

"I just think I'm versatile," Forbes said. "I can do just about anything on the court - rebound, score, pass, defend."

That's Forbes' game - finding niches. He does it on offense by creating mismatches.

He does it on defense by playing where the team needs him most.

When Auburn's Toney Douglas was lighting up the Cavaliers in Richmond in early December, it was Forbes who volunteered to guard him in the second half. Douglas found the going tougher after the break and Virginia pulled out the win.

"I love the fact that he had the courage to say, 'I want to guard him,'" UVa head coach Pete Gillen said after that game. "He didn't shut him out, but I thought it was a big key to the game, Gary locking that guy up."

That was the case Sunday night with Redick. Forbes shut Redick down for 13 minutes, holding the former Cave Spring star scoreless. But Redick got going in the second half and made some shots even with Forbes draped all over him.

Still, Forbes was the one willing to take on the challenge, something UVa is in desperate need of with Devin Smith and Jason Clark, the team's other potential Glue Guys, limited by injuries.

"He brings a lot of energy and that's really beneficial," freshman point guard Sean Singletary said. "He's pretty much an all-purpose player. He can do it all."