U.Va. beating the odds
The Cavaliers are confounding preseason expectations with a 4-2 start that has them tied for second in the ACC.
BY MELINDA WALDROP
247-4634
January 28, 2006

One word keeps cropping up as Sean Singletary describes Virginia's basketball season, and it's a word no one expected to hear this year in much more than a morale-building sense: Positive.

There are other verbal candidates to sum up the 4-2 ACC start that has the Cavaliers (10-6 overall) tied for second in the league going into tonight's game at No. 2 Duke. Surprising. Unexpected. Inexplicable.

There's no real reason why U.Va. should have won three straight ACC games and already matched its total of league victories from last season. The Cavs, who haven't had a winning league season since 2001, have no intimidating post presence. They rely heavily on two skinny guards who take a beating on a nightly basis. They have a first-year leader with scant big-time head coaching experience.

But they've beaten their in-state rival on its home court. They've upset the defending national champion, ranked No. 24 in the country at the time. And they've halted the hot start of a head-turning up-and-comer.

Along the way, they've quieted the doubters who picked them to finish last in the 12-team conference.

"It doesn't surprise us, because we know we've been working," said Singletary, who is averaging 18.7 points per game - 19.5 in ACC play and 21.3 in his last seven games. "If you've been putting the work in and doing the extra stuff, the results should be positive."

Singletary is the most obvious reason for the Cavs' early success. In U.Va.'s 54-49 win at Virginia Tech on Jan. 15, he scored all 13 of his team's points during a decisive eight-minute second-half stretch. In a 72-68 victory over North Carolina four days later, he had 18 points.

But those performances were just warm-ups for Tuesday's one-man demolition of Miami, which came into University Hall with wins over Maryland and at North Carolina to its credit. Singletary poured in 29 points and was unstoppable in the final minutes of U.Va.'s 71-51 rout, hitting 3-pointers and 360-degree turnaround jumpers with the easy showmanship of a backyard pickup game.

"A large part of our success has been obviously on the perimeter, and specifically with Sean, with a guy that has at times carried us on his shoulders," said first-year U.Va. coach Dave Leitao, who came to Charlottesville after three years at DePaul. "He's a tremendous, not only physical, talent but as I keep saying, he's got a tremendous desire that keeps showing itself."

Singletary has gotten help from fellow guard J.R. Reynolds, who is averaging 14.7 points per game and has scored in double digits in 11 consecutive games. Reynolds' availability at Duke is questionable, though, after he hit his head hard on the court in the second half against Miami.

Reynolds and Singletary were expected to carry a young, thin team. But U.Va.'s motley crew of big men wasn't supposed to make that load a lot lighter.

Junior forward Jason Cain came into the 2005-06 season having scored a total of 58 points the year before. This season, Cain - who packs of all 212 pounds onto his 6-10 frame - is averaging 8.2 points and 7.8 rebounds, and his four double-doubles are four more than he previously had to his college credit.

But Cain's post play may not be the Cavs' biggest surprise. True freshman Lars Mikalauskas' raw strength is evident in his 6-8, 241-pound build, but has also flashed finesse underneath the basket. In U.Va.'s last two games, Mikalauskas has averaged 11 points and 6.5 boards.

On the other end of the court, the Cavs have bought into Leitao's defense-first philosophy. U.Va. is giving up just 63 points per game, third in the ACC, and outrebounding opponents by a respectable 6.2 boards per game.

"We're just growing," Leitao said. "I'm saying the same things now that I said earlier in the year but this just happens to be maybe the 254th time I've said it. And now I think they understand a little bit more than they did before what that message is. It's creating good habits. ... It's repetition, repetition, repetition, on what things are going to be accepted and ultimately not accepted in order to be successful."

U.Va. has achieved enough success to head into tonight's game at Cameron Indoor Stadium "knowing that we can go out there any night and beat any team in our league," Singletary said. " ... We know that nobody really believes we're gonna do anything and the cards will be stacked against us, but we have confidence in each other."

Leitao has another shot at Blue Devils
Twelve years after starting career against Duke, U.Va. coach goes back to Durham
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Jan 28, 2006

What a story it would have been had Dave Leitao won his debut as a college head coach. The date was Nov. 26, 1994. Leitao was boss at Northeastern, his alma mater, and its opening-night opponent was mighty Duke.

Alas, the Blue Devils refused to cooperate. They whipped the Huskies 93-70, and Leitao didn't leave Cameron Indoor Stadium with a headline-grabbing victory.

"Not many people do," Leitao said Thursday.

Northeastern lost again to Duke the next season. Tonight, Leitao, in his first season as Virginia's coach, takes aim at Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils for a third time. An ESPN audience and a sellout crowd will watch second-ranked Duke (6-0, 18-1) and U.Va. (4-2, 10-6) battle at Cameron.

The Cavaliers are among three teams tied for second in the ACC.

Asked this week about his first game as Northeastern's coach, Leitao said the "experience was good and special for me, and competing against Coach Krzyzewski was also an opportunity and an honor at the same time."

That said, his debut was a "long, long time ago," Leitao pointed out, and "so it's hard to tie in that particular night with the night we're preparing for."

Virginia hasn't won at Cameron in 11 years, and an upset isn't likely tonight. But Leitao at least should have his full complement of eight scholarship players.

Junior guard J.R. Reynolds ran through non-contact drills in practice Thursday and is expected to play tonight. Reynolds sat out most of the second half Tuesday night against Miami after hitting his head on the court at University Hall.

The victory over Miami stretched the Cavaliers' winning streak to three and came five days after they'd upset North Carolina.

"My biggest fear coming into the game was that we'd still be drinking the North Carolina Kool-Aid, and not be ready, and it looked like at the start of the game that we were," Leitao said late Tuesday night.

The Wahoos soon steadied themselves, however, and they won going away, even with Reynolds dazed on the bench.

"We're just growing," Leitao said. "I'm saying the same things now that I said earlier in the year, but this just happens to be maybe the 254th time I've said it, and I think they understand more what that message is."

Sophomore Sean Singletary (18.7 ppg) and Reynolds (14.7) form one of the ACC's best backcourts. Their challenges tonight will include trying to keep national-player-of-the-year candidate J.J. Redick from taking over the game.

Redick, a 6-4 senior who, like Reynolds, is from Roanoke, leads the ACC in scoring by a large margin. Redick scored 24 points -- three below his average in Duke's win at Virginia Tech on Thursday night. He's scored 30 or more points seven times this season.

"The more you watch him closely, the more amazed you are," Leitao said.

At Cassell Coliseum, Redick was asked about his final regular-season game against U.Va. He's 8-0 against the Cavaliers, including three wins in the ACC tournament.

"They're a hot team right now," Redick said. "Obviously the key to stopping their team is their guards. Singletary and Reynolds are two of the best guards in the league, and we have to do a good job of containing those guys."

 

Changes net good results for Devils
By BRYAN STRICKLAND : The Herald-Sun
bstrickland@heraldsun.com
Jan 27, 2006 : 9:29 pm ET

The Duke men's basketball team set out Thursday night to erase the problems that contributed to their first loss of the season while also penciling in some subtle system changes designed to prevent those problems from cropping up again.

The Blue Devils' blueprint worked as planned in their 80-67 victory at Virginia Tech, and they plan to keep working on it when Virginia visits Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight.

"There was a lot of stuff going on -- not just the reaction to the loss," said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose Blue Devils bounced back from last Saturday's 87-84 loss at Georgetown to improve to 23-3 this century in games after a loss. "We were trying to implement a little bit of a system that we'll try to build on from now on.

"We decided to make some changes in how we positioned some guys and how we're rotating."

The most obvious change was one the Blue Devils (18-1, 6-0 ACC) had been hoping to make for a couple of weeks -- a change in wardrobe for sophomore DeMarcus Nelson. After two weeks of games spent in street clothes since his latest injury, a bone bruise in his right foot, Nelson returned to action against the Hokies and scored seven points in 16 minutes.

"The type of injury I had was a very critical injury, and if it's not treated the right way, it can pretty much be a nagging injury," Nelson said. "Everyone was worried about that. It took a little bit longer than we expected because I still didn't have the range of motion that we thought was good enough to play, and I still didn't have the strength yet, so we thought we should take a couple of more days to be a hundred percent sure.

"Now it's just about constantly progressing and continuing to get healthier and stronger, and at the same time, our team will continue to get stronger."

Beyond Nelson, Krzyzewski also aimed to get his big men well following some subpar showings. Senior Shelden Williams bounced back from a four-point game at Georgetown with a 24-point, 15-rebound performance, and freshman Josh McRoberts returned to the starting lineup after two games in a reserve role behind Lee Melchionni and contributed eight points and seven rebounds.

Krzyzewski, by tweaking the way he rotates players -- a process helped by Nelson's return -- and by the way he worked McRoberts into post position more, helped Williams have one of the better games of the season and McRoberts have one of the better games of his short college career.

"I thought Josh played more like a veteran tonight; I thought this was his best game," said Krzyzewski, adding that the plan revolved around "putting Josh in a spot where he can be more successful and freer."

Krzyzewski continued: "He's had steals and has dribbled the ball and stuff like that, but tonight he had a workmanlike performance and was smart out there, and he gave us another physical presence.

"And then Lee coming in gives us a different look, and then Shelden can go to the post when Lee is in."

Virginia Tech had outrebounded Duke twice and matched the Blue Devils once on the boards in the teams' three meetings since the Hokies joined the ACC, but Duke held a 42-34 edge Thursday night -- the Blue Devils' first rebounding edge in six games.

While Virginia Tech entered the game last in ACC games in rebounding margin (Duke was 11th), Virginia enters tonight's game second in that category -- just one of numerous surprising things the Cavaliers have done under first-year coach Dave Leitao.

The Cavaliers (10-6, 4-2), who won no more than four ACC games in three of Pete Gillen's seven seasons -- including the last two -- currently are part of a logjam for second place in the league behind Duke.

"They've played really well in conference play," said Duke senior J.J. Redick, who will face a team from his home state for the second time in three days. "They're a hot team right now, and obviously the key to stopping their team is their guards.

"[Sean] Singletary and [J.R.] Reynolds are two of the best guards in the league, and we've got to do a good job of containing those guys."

Singletary and Reynolds are the scoring leaders for a team that lost to Fordham and Western Kentucky and struggled with Maryland-Baltimore County and Hartford. But the Cavaliers have won three in a row -- a narrow victory at Virginia Tech and convincing home wins over North Carolina and Miami -- and are an overtime loss to Florida State away from standing in second place alone.

The Cavaliers haven't, however, won at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995 and have dropped 21 of their last 23 games to Duke regardless of venue.

"It's a quick rebound for us, going home to play Virginia," Redick said. "It has been a week-and-a-half since we've played at home, so we are anxious to play in front of our home crowd and hopefully put up a good performance."

 

Of 'boot the hoot' and Doughty’s education
Pettinella shares UVa-McQuaid Jesuit connection
By Doug Doughty
THE ROANOKE TIMES

I’ll be honest. When I first heard that former University of Pennsylvania basketball player Ryan Pettinella was transferring to Virginia, I just assumed that he would not be coming on scholarship.

As one-time UVa men’s basketball coach Bill Gibson told me: “You know what happens when you assume something? You make an ‘ass’ out of ‘you’ and ‘me.’ “

I can still picture myself sitting in Gibson’s office – more than 30 years ago -- and him writing the word “assume” on the blackboard and dividing it by syllables.

Bill Gibson?

”Who was Bill Gibson?” I’m sure a lot of UVa fans are asking.

Gibson was the head coach at UVa for 11 years and the immediate predecessor to Terry Holland. Virginia fans campaigned for Gibson’s scalp with their infamous “Boot the Hoot” campaign, but he persevered and recruited Barry Parkhill and oversaw UVa’s move to big-time status when it went 21-7 in 1972.

I can’t remember why Gibson resigned and took the South Florida job after the 1974 season. I don’t think he was pushed, but he may have felt unappreciated.

In any case, I digress.

THE MORE I READ about Pettinella, the more I can see why he might have intrigued some people.

As a sophomore at Penn, Pettinella averaged 4.8 points and 3.0 minutes. He wasn’t a starter, but he played in all 29 games for a Quakers’ team that went 20-9. He shot 50 percent from the field but he needs some work from the free-throw line, where he was 34-of-80 (42.5 percent).

The fact that he attempted 80 free throws in 361minutes says something for his mobility and aggressiveness, as does the fact that he was headed to Cincinnati before Bearcats’ coach Bob Huggins was dismissed. He even had a “bio” on Cincinnati’s website for a time.

Petinella’s subsequent decision to attend Monroe College, a two-year college in Rochester, N.Y., was well-advised. If he graduates from Monroe, he will be eligible for Virginia next season, and, because he has not played basketball for Monroe, he will have two years of eligibility at UVa.

With five players signed or committed for next season, Virginia currently does not have a scholarship available for Pettinella, but he is capable of paying his way until one becomes available. His father, Ed, is a Syracuse graduate and member of the board of the Syracuse School of Business.

Pettinella, an avid weight-lifter who expects to play at 6-9 and 240 pounds, was a third-team All-New York selection at McQuaid Jesuit in Pittsford, N.Y. That’s the alma mater of Tom Sheehey, a highly touted 1983 UVa signee who went on to a respectable career for the Cavaliers.

McQuaid Jesuit is also the alma mater of former Virginia walk-on Cade Lemcke, who lives in Charlottesville and informed the Cavaliers’ staff of Pettinella’s availability. Current UVa assistant Rob Lanier was familiar with Pettinella from his tenure as head coach at Siena.

“It’s awesome,” Pettinella told the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester. “To think I’d be going to Virginia after everything that’s happened – I never thought that.”

IN THIS COLUMN last week, it was suggested that the hiring of Dave Borbely as UVa’s new offensive-line coach represented a shift toward national recruiting since Borbely’s last three jobs were at Stanford, Notre Dame and Colorado.

“I don’t think there’s any interpretation to it,” Groh said. “We’re looking to hire the best-fit offensive-line coach we could find and he’s got a significant background in doing the things that are foundation things in our system. I try to keep everybody in the same philosophical family for compatibility purposes.”

Unlike earlier hire Bobby Diaco, whom Groh remembered from an all-star game in which Groh’s son played, his association with Borbely has lasted about 3 ˝ weeks.

“When we hired the original staff, the one position I didn’t have a fix on in our ‘network’ was the offensive line,” Groh said. “I called up a number of guys I respected and said, ‘Tell me some guys.’ Ron Prince’s name came up two or three times and I said ‘whoa.’ “

REGARDING SAFETY Tony Franklin, whose marijuana-possession case has been pushed back to Feb. 21, Groh indicated he’s not in any hurry to make a decision on Franklin’s return for a fifth year.

“I’ve only been there a day and a half since the students have been back,” said Groh, located on his carphone between recruiting visits. “What I told Tony was, when I get off the road and I’m there full time, we’ll get together and talk about it.’


 

Enthusiasm carries Cavs to Cameron
Riding conference win wave, Virginia takes on two of ACC's top teams
Barney Breen-Portnoy, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Even the more optimistic folks among Virginia's fan base may not have seen this coming. The Cavaliers have reeled off three straight victories and have already matched last season's conference win total of four. While the going could get tougher during the upcoming road swing through No. 2 Duke and No. 15 N.C. State, there is a level of excitement sweeping through the men's basketball program that has not been felt in several years. From the HooCrew to the diehard posters on The Sabre message board, fans are getting behind this underdog squad and its first-year coach Dave Leitao.

"One part of building a program is to play the kind of basketball that your players like and your fans appreciate," Leitao said. "Our guys are playing hard, and that is the first and most important part of being appreciated as you play the game the right way. I think [the fans] really appreciate these guys because [the players] are putting their hearts out for them every night."

What a difference a year makes. Last Jan. 27 the Cavaliers fell on the road to Virginia Tech to drop their conference record to a dismal 1-6. Calls for Pete Gillen's firing or resignation dominated the chatter among Virginia basketball fans. Three-hundred and sixty-five days later, Leitao looks like an early contender for Coach of the Year honors in the ACC, and the chatter among the hoops faithful is of NIT and even NCAA possibilities.

Leitao, however, understands the importance of not looking too far ahead on the schedule.

"Enthusiasm in this game is a tremendous thing," Leitao said. "We just have to contain and harness our enthusiasm and also understand that it is part of the growth process to know how to handle success just like you can handle failure. That is what good teams do. You don't make an excuse for winning; you just try to win the next game."

The players have noticed the surge in fan enthusiasm as well. Forward Laurynas "Lars" Mikalauskas has played stellar basketball in Virginia's past two games and has endeared himself to the U-Hall crowd with his aggressive play.

"When the crowd is in the game, it is so much easier to play," Mikalauskas said. "I feel great when the crowd is into the game, and we get pumped up."

After struggling earlier this season with frequent foul trouble, Mikalauskas has adjusted to the pace and style of ACC play. After the Jan. 15 54-49 win at Virginia Tech in which Mikalouskas fouled out, Leitao and Mikalauskas had a 45-minute chat, during which Leitao told the freshman he needed to score more because Virginia would not be able to win many games without a consistent scoring presence inside. Mikalauskas has responded by notching a total of 22 points and 13 rebounds in the wins over UNC and Miami.

"I worked with [assistant coach] Seymour a lot in practice," Mikalauskas said. "He helped me with setting legal screens and boxing people in without fouling. I also think I'm getting a little better with the referees. I'm getting used to playing ACC basketball right now."

Virginia will be entering the Mecca of fan enthusiasm Saturday evening when it faces Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham. The Cavaliers will have their hands full, not only contending with J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams, but also with the raucous intensity of the Cameron Crazies.

"We're going to get on a plane Friday and get ourselves ready," Leitao said, following the win over Miami. "[Duke] is obviously as good of a team as there is in America, so we have to make sure that we use every available minute to get ready for them."

 

Virginia shocks the No. 2 Blue Devils if...
Will Searcy, Cavalier Daily Sports Columnist

The Virginia men's basketball team is hot; winners of three ACC games in a row and tied for second in the conference standings. Unfortunately, the Wahoos' next two games are on the road against the two top teams in the ACC.

First up is Duke this Saturday. Before the season began (and maybe even recently as a few weeks ago) many people, including yours truly, penciled this game in as a loss. However, judging from the play of the Cavaliers and the recent demonstration that Duke -- believe it or not -- is not perfect, it is safe to say that Virginia has a shot at winning this one.

Now keep in mind there is not a very good chance of the 'Hoos pulling out a victory this weekend, and that is not to slight the team. They are playing a Duke squad that is arguably the best team in the country in possibly the most difficult place to play. That is not a good start. However, as one delves a little deeper into this game, possibilities start to arise.

When talking about Duke, one must start with their star sharp-shooter J.J. Redick. Clearly, Redick is an immense talent and gifted scorer, and, despite Virginia's best efforts, he will score some points. Shutting down Redick is nearly impossible; however, forcing Redick out of his game is a realistic goal.

Virginia has two tall, athletic swingmen in Adrian Joseph and Mamadi Diane. If these two players can keep constant pressure on Redick and force him to drive rather than rain three-pointers, the Cavaliers' odds improve. Granted, Redick can score driving to the basket, but he also is more prone to turning the ball over, which plays into the Wahoos' hands.

Speaking of turnovers, Duke has a freshman point guard who is averaging 4.2 turnovers per ACC contest. Greg Paulus is a very talented player and will undoubtedly be a menace for Virginia hoopsters for years to come, but, for now, he is a freshman, and Virginia should aim to keep the ball in his hands.

This is especially true in the most critical moments of the game. The Wahoos need to pressure Paulus and deny the ball to anyone else on the floor, consequently forcing Paulus to try to make the play rather than being able to rely on one of the clutch seniors.

This alludes to the key to upsetting Duke: keep the ball out of Sheldon Williams' hands. Against Georgetown, Williams only attempted eight shots and two free throws and ended the game with a meager four points.

This is easier said than done, but Virginia has proven they can handle good big men well. A scheme similar to the one used against North Carolina's Tyler Hansborough must be employed. This consisted of the man guarding him, often Larynus Mikaulauskas, to be physical and try to deny him the ball. When Hansborough got the ball, the other big man immediately came on a double team.

Against Duke, this will be trickier, because their other starting forward, Lee Melchioni, is an excellent shooter. The Cavaliers must have excellent perimeter rotation off the ball to prevent Duke from getting open three-point shots, something they thrive on.

The most fail-proof way to stop Sheldon Williams, though, is to get him into foul trouble. This means Jason Cain and Larynus Mikaulauskas must be very aggressive offensively and seek to draw fouls from Williams. If Williams gets into foul trouble, Duke's lack of depth will come into play. Since DeMarcus Nelson has been out, only six Duke players have played regular minutes.

Even if all of this goes to plan, Virginia needs to put up some points. Unlike Miami and North Carolina, Duke will make the wide open three-point attempts they get, which means Virginia must keep pace with their scoring.

Finally, there will be times during the game when Virginia will be struggling and in jeopardy of letting things get out of hand. At these moments, Sean Singletary must take over the game like he did against Miami. At these points, and during most of play, the game will be in his hands, and I would not wish it any other way.
 

UVa seeking success on Duke's court
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
January 28, 2006

Since he came aboard as University of Virginia basketball coach, Dave Leitao has talked frequently about his team's inexperience and lack of depth.
On Thursday, Leitao explained how his squad has overcome these hurdles to win four of its first six ACC games - the school's best start since the 2001-02 season.

"Because we're not whole as a group, we almost have to be like a chameleon a little and change on the fly," said Leitao, whose team is riding a three-game winning streak. "Sometimes you need your fastball working, and other days your curveball's got to work."

Tonight, Virginia will need a change-up, knuckleball and possibly a spitter in its arsenal. The Cavaliers play at Duke, the No. 2-ranked team in the country, in a game that will be nationally televised on ESPN.

"We had a great practice," said the Cavs' Adrian Joseph, just before the team boarded a bus for Durham on Friday. "Hopefully it will all show up in the game."

UVa hasn't won in Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995 - the year Hootie and the Blowfish won a Grammy for Best New Artist.

In the 10 games at Cameron since, the Cavs have lost by an average margin of 23 points. Overall, UVa has lost 21 of its last 23 games to Duke since 1996, including the last eight.

Tonight, the Cavs may have to play without co-captain J.R. Reynolds, the team's second-leading scorer. Reynolds, who had concussion-like symptoms following a hard fall in the win over Miami on Tuesday, remains questionable heading into the game (although Reynolds essentially said on Wednesday that he would have to feel like Clubber Lang at the end of "Rocky III" to not play).

The loss of Reynolds, arguably the team's best defensive player, would be devastating because Duke features J.J. Redick - last year's National Player of the Year who's leading the ACC in scoring at 27.1 points per game.

"The more you watch him closely, the more amazed you are," Leitao said. "His game has continued to evolve and get better and better.

"Teams are focused on taking shots away from him, yet he doesn't let that happen and performs at an extremely high level. I'm awestruck watching him do the things he does on film. He's a consummate player and will go down as one of the best college players in the history of this game."

If Reynolds plays, he'll likely guard Redick. If not, freshman Mamadi Diane could be stuck with the assignment.

Without Reynolds, UVa would be down to seven scholarship players and might be forced into its 2-3 zone.

Of course, the Cavs can't focus entirely on Redick. If they do, Sheldon Williams will maul them inside. The 6-foot-9, 250-pounder and last year's National Defensive Player of the Year, scored a season-low four points in the Blue Devils' first loss of the season at Georgetown last Saturday, but came back with a 24-point, 15-rebound performance in the Blue Devils' win over Virginia Tech on Thursday.

"Williams is a good one-on-one player who you have to give help on," Joseph said, "but it's tough because you also have to help on J.J. who's capable of getting really hot."

Although they are clearly overmatched against Duke - at least on paper - UVa players should be heading into the game feeling good about themselves. In the last three wins over Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Miami, there's been vast improvement.

Jason Cain, Laurynas Mikalauskas and Joseph - who were contributing next to nothing earlier in the season - have become producers.

Leitao said there's been no magic potion that has led to their awakenings.

"We're just growing," he said. "I'm saying the same things now that I said earlier in the year. This just happens to be the 254th time I've said it, and now I think they understand a little better than they did before, and it's creating good habits.

"It's repetition, repetition, repetition."

For any chance of scoring one of the bigger upsets in college basketball this season, the Cavs will need point guard Sean Singletary to have another huge game. In Tuesday's win, Singletary toyed with Miami defenders and completely took over, scoring 22 of his 29 points in the second half.

"He's a guy, who at times, has carried us on his shoulders," Leitao said.

Joseph said Cavs' players were actually looking forward to their encounter with the zealous Duke fans, known as the Cameron Crazies.

"That's the kind of environment you want to play in," he said. "You play basketball your whole life?you look forward to playing in an environment like that.

"It's going to be a challenge. We'll have to keep our poise."

And maybe get a few tips from Gaylord Perry before tip-off.

DUNKS: Duke leads the all-time series 106-47?Only two schools have registered more assists than turnovers in a game against Duke this season (Valparaiso and Georgetown)?Redick has more 3-pointers by himself this season (71) than the Blue Devils have surrendered as a team?Leitao made his head coaching debut at Cameron Indoor Stadium during the 1984-85 season when he was at Northeastern, his alma mater. "It was a good experience for me competing against Coach [Mike] Krzyzewski," said Leitao, whose team lost. "It was an opportunity and an honor at the same time, but it was a long, long time ago."?ESPN announcers Mike Patrick and Jimmy Dykes will call the game.
 

Cavs won't roll over in Cameron
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
January 28, 2006

Perhaps it's just urban legend, but for years a story has circulated about Duke's domination in college basketball since the end of Virginia's Ralph Sampson era.
During Ralph's rein of terror, the Cavaliers pillaged the Dookies on a regular basis. The rivalry was capped by a lopsided 109-66 romp over the Blue Devils in the first round of the ACC Tournament in 1983. Many observers believed that UVa ran the score up in the game, to which then-Wahoos coach Terry Holland provided strong evidence he hadn't.

Legends of the fall

As unconfirmed legend has it, at a Duke team dinner of some sort after that season, someone offered up a toast in reference to that tournament beating by Virginia that went something like, "Here's to a defeat to forget."

Allegedly, Coach Mike Krzyzewski answered that toast with another, supposedly saying, "Here's to never forgetting."

Whether there's any truth to the toasts or not is questionable, but certainly the aftermath is indisputable: Duke has owned Virginia ever since.

Decades of dominance

In the last 52 meetings since that fateful ACC blowout 23 years ago, Duke has won 42, leaving former UVa coach Pete Gillen to repeatedly say, "Duke is Duke ? what ya gonna do?"

Long before Gillen, one UVa point guard John Johnson expressed his frustration this way: "Why can't we ever beat Duke?"

Tonight, armed with a newfound grit and a willingness to fight for every inch of the court, a new Wahoo regime will try to do something that no Virginia basketball team has done since Jeff Jones' 1995 squad: win at Cameron Indoor Stadium. It's as intimidating a venue as exists in sports, with the Crazies surrounding the court with synchronized taunts and cheers, Krzyzewski barking orders from the sidelines in the cozy quarters, Final Four banners hanging from practically every nook and cranny.

Rarely does any visitor win there. Some are merely satisfied to not unravel before their coach's eyes. The Cavs have lost 10 straight in the storied building.

Leitao's tough mentality

Dave Leitao doesn't care. He's not easily intimidated. Leitao has looked the likes of John Thompson, Louie Carnesseca, Rollie Massiminio, Rick Pitino and Bob Thuggins ? or, er Huggins, right in the eye and hasn't flinched.

He preaches toughness daily, not only the physical brand but the mental stuff, enough so that even Bob Rotella would be impressed.

Maybe that's why the upstart Cavaliers will roll onto the Duke campus this evening tied for second place in the ACC after having been picked last in the 12-team league in the preseason polls. The four conference wins already match last year's league win totals.

To further appreciate what Leitao and his team have done, take a quick glance around the country and look at what other programs picked to finish last in their leagues have done thus far:

South Florida was voted to be the bottom feeder of the Big East and has lived up to the role as it stands 6-13 overall and 0-6 in the league.

In the Pac-10, Arizona State was picked 10th and that's where the Sun Devils reside, dead last at 1-8 (7-11).

In the SEC, where two last-place teams are picked in the split divisions, Auburn was deemed the worst in the West and Georgia least in the East. Currently, Auburn is 0-5 and bottomed out in its division (8-8 overall), while the Dawgs are tied for last with Dave Odom's Gamecocks in the other at 2-4.

As far as the Big 12 goes, Baylor, the first modern-day program to play no nonconference games due to NCAA sanctions, is living up to its preseason expectations as the Bears are 0-5.

Although the Big 10 doesn't release an official preseason poll (only the top three teams in the conference in order), the general consensus was that Penn State would sleep with the fishes. However, the 2-4 Lions (10-7 overall), have managed to bolt past 1-6 Purdue and 0-6 Minnesota in an early season get away.

The point is, the majority of the time you're picked dead last there's a good reason and almost impossible to dig out. Leitao said back in October that he realized what prognosticators were predicting, but that they weren't privy to what was going on inside his lockerroom on a daily basis or attending his practices.

For the few of us who did show up for a few practices, it was easy to detect that Leitao wasn't settling for last. Toughness was the order of the day and discipline was a close second. His booming voice echoed off the walls of a near empty University Hall as he expressed his displeasure of a drill gone bad. Some of his layup-take the charge drills more resembled a football practice than basketball.

Leito's not afraid.

Whether he can convey that boldness to his team as they attempt to snap a decade-old losing streak in Durham remains to be seen. But you can bet it won't be another decade before a Virginia team walks out of Cameron a winner.

 

Newest Cavalier likes his coaches fiery
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
January 28, 2006

Ryan Pettinella admits it. He doesn't mind screamers. In fact, he kind of likes them.
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

The 6-foot-8 Pettinella, who was admitted to Virginia this week as a transfer student, was set to play for Bob Huggins at Cincinnati before the longtime Bearcats coach was forced out over the summer.

Now, the Pittsford, N.Y. native, who played his first two seasons at the University of Pennsylvania, will be lacing up his hightops for Cavs coach Dave Leitao, another guy known for his fiery demeanor.

"I love the intensity in coaches," said Pettinella, who won't be eligible until next season. "I was actually down [in Charlottesville] for practice and saw the fire in coach Leitao. He gets the most out of his players, and I really like that.

"He has a very similar style to Huggins. Huggins may be a little more extreme, but it's the same type of style I'd say."

Pettinella averaged 4.8 points for Penn and had a season-high 10 points against Villanova last season, but said the team's slow-paced style wasn't to his liking.

Pettinella, who will enroll in classes at UVa beginning in the fall, has known Cavs assistant coach Rob Lanier for several years. When he was head coach at Sienna, Lanier recruited Pettinella. That relationship was one of many things that attracted Pettinella to UVa.

"It has great tradition," Pettinella said, "and I went down there and really hit it off with coach Leitao. Campus is unbelievable. The level of basketball - you can't beat that, and the academics are second to none."

Pettinella originally applied to UVa last spring, but was not admitted. After briefly attending Cincinnati, he attended a local community college in New York, got his grades up and was accepted to UVa on his second try.

At 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds, Pettinella is a bruiser known for his physical play. However, he says he likes to also get up and down the court. Pettinella's favorite NBA team is the New York Knicks. His favorite player is rookie David Lee, the former University of Florida standout.

"I love his style and I've tried to mimic a lot of the things he does," Pettinella said.

Pettinella, who played at McQuaid Jesuit High School in Pittsford, describes himself as a "high-energy player."

"I'd say I'm pretty athletic and a scrappy player," he said. "I like to run the floor. I like to work inside. Ten feet is really my range. I just like running the floor, rebounding and creating havoc."

Currently, the Cavs only have three scholarship post players on the team. The only incoming freshman big man is Johnnie Lett. With two years of college experience under his belt, Pettinella believes he can contribute right away.

"They have a need for big bodies, and I think I'll have a chance to make an immediate impact," Pettinella said. "It's a great opportunity."

The Cavs now have six players committed for next year, but only have five scholarships at their disposal. However, only three of the six players have signed letters of intent.

"I can't really comment on the details," said Pettinella, when asked if he was worried about receiving a scholarship, "but I'm pretty confident things will work out."