Will Virginia gain a learning experience from loss to Duke?
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
January 30, 2006

A year ago, Laurynas Mikalauskas and Mamadi Diane were playing in front of sparse crowds in high school gymnasiums.
On Saturday night, Virginia's freshmen were playing in one of the country's most storied venues, on ESPN, against the No. 2-ranked team in the country. They also - at times - were matched up with two of the best players in the nation.

Mikalauskas and Diane didn't light up the stat sheet in the Cavs' 82-63 loss to Duke, but going head-to-head with J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams should only help them down the road.

"It's a good learning experience for them playing against All-American players," Cavalier guard Sean Singletary said. "Now they know what you need to do to win big games in our league, what you have to bring every day, and what you have to do to win."

Mikalauskas had six points and two rebounds in 22 minutes of action. In the first half, he got into foul trouble, compliments of Williams and Duke's other big men.

Mikalauskas admitted his heart was pumping pretty hard just a few minutes before tip-off. However, he said Cameron was no tougher place to play than Gonzaga or Virginia Tech (where the Cavs have played this season).

"It was kind of crazy in the beginning, but then once the game started it was the same as any other place," Mikalauskas said. "We played against a really good team. I think that's the biggest reason we [lost]."

The look on Mikalauskas' face as he talked about facing Williams - last year's National Defensive Player of the Year - was almost one of awe.

"I got to play against a very good player," he said. "He's strong. Obviously, he's a senior and has a couple of years on me, but I just have to keep working hard."

Diane didn't score in 12 minutes, which tied for his briefest stint of the season. However, he did have four rebounds.

Diane, one of many Cavs responsible for allowing Redick to score 40 points, agreed with Mikalauskas in saying the Cameron crowd wasn't that crazy.

"We've played in a lot of tough environments, so it wasn't anything that [crazy]," Diane said, "but it was a great experience.

"You definitely see the level of intensity that you have to bring and the execution that you need. I think that's what we'll take away from this game the most."

Did Cavs coach Dave Leitao feel his youngsters gained anything from the game?

"The only way I can answer that is if practices become better as a result," Leitao said. "Our moments have to be as much in practices as in games. Sometimes we have bad moments in games because we still have a lot of bad moments in practice. We've got to continue to work at that aspect of it before we can start to use these games to take away anything positive or negative."

Singletary, who had one of his poorest performances against the Blue Devils, said the team isn't about to let a loss on the road to one of the best teams in the country get it down. The Cavs (10-7, 4-3) play at North Carolina State on Wednesday night.

"We've got a special group of guys playing and we're not sulking at all," Singletary said. "We're going to come together and turn it around. I think we'll see [Duke] again. Maybe in the [ACC] Tournament or something."

 

Former Cavalier now face of Arena football
Darryl Hammond is in 16th season in the indoor league.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Darryl Hammond is a busy member of the Arena Football League's historical committee, selecting key players and highlights from the first two decades.

But he can't vote for himself because he's still playing for the Nashville Kats.

Hammond entered his AFL-record 16th and final season with a 57-28 win Saturday night over the New York Dragons.

"I feel like I've been like the stepfather of the Arena League," said Hammond, a member of the AFL's All-Time Ironman team since 2001.

Hammond is rarely off the field -- playing both wide receiver and linebacker -- and he's one of only two AFL players with 8,000 yards receiving and 30 interceptions. He has 8,459 yards receiving and 142 TDs, and his 631˝ tackles rank third all time.

"I've seen it grow," he said. "Shoot, man, it's really grown compared to what it used to be, compared to the organizations, the money, just the quality of the whole league. It was kind of rinky-dink when I first started."

Hammond's first two AFL teams no longer exist and a third relocated only to be reborn thanks to an NFL owner. He knows he's lucky he's never missed a paycheck.

"I've heard stories where guys didn't get paid. I was like, 'Man, better you than me,' " he said.

Hammond, who turns 40 in September, went from practicing at college fields in his first years with the Albany Firebirds to working out on NFL fields with the Kats. Owner Bud Adams also owns the Tennessee Titans.

He sees the AFL changes as growing pains.

"The NFL went through the same thing back in the day from what I hear. Now I think most organizations coming into the league, you've got to pay millions of dollars to get in and make sure you have a sound financial organization," he said.

Hammond, a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, was cut by the New Orleans Saints and then declined an invitation to come back the next year.

"I decided I didn't want anything to do with football because I'd never been cut before. It was devastating. I got a job," said Hammond, who played for coach George Welsh at Virginia in 1986-87 and Hank Norton at then-Ferrum Junior College.

But he couldn't stay away, playing some semi-pro football before finding a spot with the now-defunct Firebirds in 1991. He's been in the AFL ever since.

Nashville coach Pat Sperduto played against Hammond. Sperduto, who calls Hammond the AFL's public face, asked him to return.

"He was kind of a fringe NFL guy. Some people think in the right situation he might have stuck for a bunch of years. The reality is he didn't, and he took, I guess, chicken parts and made chicken salad," Sperduto said.

Hammond's 169 games played over his first 15 seasons aren't as impressive as the NFL records of Jim Marshall's 282 consecutive games played for Minnesota or George Blanda's 26 seasons.

But the former forklift driver at a Ben & Jerry's distribution center in New York hasn't had to work off the field for the last seven or eight years.

A friend has a job waiting for him in medical equipment, or he might coach. Hammond was an assistant at Penn State while finishing his graduate turf management degree.

He hopes this season ends with his third appearance in the ArenaBowl.

"Oh, I'm done. I'm done. Win, lose or draw, I'm done. I was done last year. I was persuaded to come back. This is it in a nutshell," Hammond said.

"I'm glad to have helped the league, but it's time for me to go."
 

Quality doesn't count on ACC football slates
JOHN MARKON
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST Jan 30, 2006

Our question of the week for Times-Dispatch readers is "Which team faces the tougher football schedule in 2006, Virginia or Virginia Tech?"

Which leaves me with a question about the question. Is it possible to vote "None of the above?" In fact, is it possible to ask why the Atlantic Coast Conference as a whole seems to have lost its nerve in terms of football scheduling?

In case you missed the ACC schedules released last week, we've listed the four nonconference games to be played by each team:

Boston College -- at Ohio U. (4-7); Brigham Young (6-6); Maine (Div. I-AA, 5-6); Buffalo (1-10).

Clemson -- Florida Atlantic (2-9); Louisiana Tech (7-4); at Temple (0-11); South Carolina (7-5).

Duke -- Richmond (Div. I-AA, 9-4); at Alabama (10-2); Vanderbilt (5-6); Navy (8-4).

Florida State -- Troy (4-7); Rice (1-10); Western Michigan (7-4); Florida (9-3).

Georgia Tech -- Notre Dame (9-3); Samford (Div. I-AA, 5-6); Troy (4-7); at Georgia (10-3).

Maryland -- William and Mary (Div. I-AA, 5-6); Middle Tennessee (4-7); at West Virginia (11-1); Florida International (5-6).

Miami -- Florida A&M (Div. I-AA, 5-5); at Louisville (9-3); Houston (6-6); Florida International (5-6).

North Carolina -- Rutgers (7-5); Furman (Div. I-AA, 11-3); South Florida (6-6); at Notre Dame (9-3).

North Carolina State -- Appalachian (Div. I-AA, 12-3); Akron (7-6); at Southern Mississippi (7-5); East Carolina (5-6).

Virginia -- at Pittsburgh (5-6); Wyoming (4-7); Western Michigan (7-4); at East Carolina (5-6).

Virginia Tech -- Northeastern (Div. I-AA, 2-9); Cincinnati (4-7); Southern Mississippi (7-5); Kent State (1-10).

Wake Forest -- Syracuse (1-10); at Connecticut (5-6); at Mississippi (3-8); Liberty (Div. I-AA, 1-10).

Representatives of Duke (always capable of going 1-11 against any schedule), North Carolina and Georgia Tech can leave the room. Everyone else stays for the lecture.

Doesn't anyone associated with ACC football find this just a little embarrassing? In an era when half the teams in Division I-A play in bowl games, both Virginia and Wake Forest managed to locate four opponents incapable of playing in a bowl. Boston College was able to find four opponents with records at .500 or below, also a bit of a coup.

Florida State and Virginia Tech, two of the ACC's "flagship" programs, opted for pleasure cruises over serious naval warfare, scheduling all four of their nonleague games at home. While "Schedule Lite" has been an operating philosophy at Tech for many years, it's stunning to see Florida State with nothing to show but its mandatory game with Florida and three public workouts.

Isn't FSU the home of Bobby Bowden's "Sod Cemetery," where patches of turf from big-name opponents' fields are displayed like scalps? The only thing the Seminoles are burying now is their hard-won reputation for being willing to play anyone, anywhere at any time.

Not a single Big Ten, Pac-10 or Big 12 opponent appears on an ACC schedule. Several ACC schools won't place any of their nonconference game on television, for the good reason that only obsessive "superfan" types would want to watch them. When these Guaranteed Win Night games are played at home, however, those same fans will be paying full price for second-level entertainment.

Don't bother sending e-mails about how "everyone does it" and that "financial realities" demand an annual bowl appearance and a steady diet of creampuffs. Most lower-tier bowls don't make anyone any money and the illusion that any season that ends in a bowl game is, by definition, a good season is wearing very thin.

You're starting to see coaches fired after reaching bowl games, a trend highlighted this year when Colorado's Gary Barnett was axed with ample justification after playing in not only a bowl game, but his conference championship game.

I also don't care if your favorite ACC program has a great schedule booked for 2009 or played a tough schedule in 2001. It was probably highly unintentional.

Since fluffed-up, phony records tend to extend coach's contracts and delight bowl promoters, you also won't see any changes in scheduling philosophy until athletic donors and season ticket holders start demanding more for their money. As long as fans keeping signing checks and filling seats, they can look forward to more high-priced, low-intensity evenings in the company of Florida Atlantic, Florida A&M and Florida International.

Class dismissed.

 

Redick-ulous night in Cameron leaves many awestruck
Barney Breen-Portnoy

DURHAM, N.C.--­­A few observations from my trip to the State University of New Jersey --Durham (oops, I mean Duke):

This is tough for me to say, but the time has come. I respect J.J. Redick. I know that I am supposed to hate him, yet I cannot turn away when he touches the ball. Redick is undeniably the best player in the nation. I do not want to hear anymore about Gonzaga's Adam Morrison. The ACC is inestimably more difficult for a player to consistently excel in than is the West Coast Conference, and Redick generally plays with a level of class that Morrison can only dream of. Virginia is the only squad other than Memphis that has had to play against both of these star players this season.

Watching J.J. in person only accentuates the brilliance of his playmaking skills. He is a complete offensive player and his defense has improved immensely. An example of this occurred about three minutes into the second half when Redick stripped the ball from J.R. Reynolds as he was going in for a fast break lay-up. Redick sent a quick outlet pass up the court, leading to an emphatic dunk by freshman forward Josh McRoberts.

Despite losing by 19 points, there is no reason for the Cavaliers to feel ashamed of their performance. They were beaten by a clearly superior team, perhaps the best in the country. After falling behind 20-2 with 11 minutes remaining in the first half, Virginia actually played Duke evenly for the rest of the night. I know that Coach Leitao is not a believer in moral victories but he should be happy that his squad continued to scrap and battle hard in a hostile road environment. Every Virginia player would have had to play the game of his life for the Cavaliers to have a shot at winning and even then, Duke would have had to have a cold night. With the way Redick was playing Saturday night, however, the Blue Devils were virtually unbeatable.

The only thing that disappointed me about Virginia's performance was the fact that the Cavaliers seemed unable to keep their uniforms tucked in throughout the contest. I know this is a small detail but, when a program is trying to rebuild its image, small details are important. This is ACC basketball, not the And1 Mix Tape Tour.

There is much in the antics of the Cameron Crazies that could be emulated by the Hoo Crew. One of the most important lessons that the Hoo Crew could learn is that student fans do not all have to wear the same article of clothing in order to create an intimidating atmosphere. The costume creativity of the Crazies adds to the special atmosphere in Cameron. While the Crazies may be the nerdiest fans in the nation, they are also the most knowledgeable and passionate student basketball fans that I have seen.

Virginia heads down to North Carolina again Wednesday evening for a matchup with N.C. State in Raleigh. If the Cavaliers can internalize the tough lessons learned in Durham, they should be able to bounce back and regain the momentum from their recent three-game conference winning streak. Road victories are extremely important in building a résumé for post-season play. Virginia should be able to match up with Herb Sendek's Wolfpack much better than with the Blue Devils, and Wednesday's game could provide the Cavaliers with a solid chance to burnish their credentials and erase the memories of Saturday night's loss to Duke.

 

Joseph's hoops skills nearing his cricket talents
By Whitelaw Reid / Daily Progress staff writer
January 31, 2006

The sport of cricket, which originated in England around the 17th century, requires multiple skills. Players must be able to run, bat, field and throw.
As a kid growing up in Trinidad, Adrian Joseph could do all of those things. By the age of 11, he was a cricket stud.

"I was pretty good," confessed Joseph, a University of Virginia sophomore. "I was the team captain."

In basketball, Joseph's overall game hasn't developed as quickly - but he's made huge strides recently.

In the first seven games of the season, Joseph averaged 8.2 points. In the last 10, he's averaging 11.8.

"Coach has been saying that he wants a guy to be that third scorer and he's doing it now," said UVa guard J.R. Reynolds. "He's understanding what he needs to do and is doing a tremendous job."

Joseph says his transformation started on the defensive end.

"Coach [Dave Leitao] has been trying to inject the idea of playing good defense into me, which creates good offense," said Joseph, who had nine points and three rebounds at Duke on Saturday. "My whole life I never really tried to focus on defense while I was playing basketball. I tried to score and dunk, and do stuff like that.

"This year, it's something I've really focused on - and while I do that, good things have happened on offense."

As a kid, Joseph - in addition to playing cricket - played a lot of soccer and ran track. He didn't pick up basketball until he was 12. Joseph says he was inspired by watching Michael Jordan on television. He laughed when he recalled playing one of his first games in a pair of black Timberland boots. "I think I twisted my ankle a couple of times in those," Joseph said.

The 21-year-old, whose family still resides in Trinidad, attended a prep school in Connecticut for his first year of high school. He then played two years at a New Jersey school before finishing at a prep school in New Hampshire.

Initially, Joseph said the move to the United States was tough.

"It was a big adjustment in terms of the culture, atmosphere and weather," he said.

"Over here, people don't really know their neighbors. In Trinidad, everybody who lives in the area knows everybody."

Last year, as a freshman, Joseph was ensconced behind older players. He missed several games with a leg injury and averaged 4.2 points.

In September, when Gary Forbes transferred to Massachusetts, Joseph's role on the team expanded exponentially.

There's never been any question about Joseph's athletic ability. In practices, he's clearly one of the Cavs' most gifted players.

He's one of the fastest guys on the team. He jumps the highest. He has one of the smoothest-looking jumpers.

However, in the early part of the season, Joseph struggled with the nuances of the game - when to help on defense, when to make the extra pass on offense.

Freshman Mamadi Diane started at the "3" position in the team's first 11 games. Leitao yanked Joseph in and out of the lineup following mistakes. Joseph's low point came in the Cavs' loss to Georgia Tech on Dec. 4 when he went scoreless in just nine minutes of action and was benched for the entire second half.

Shortly after, Joseph seemed to get his act together. His coming-out party was against Loyola (Md.) on Dec. 23. He was 5 of 8 from 3-point range en route to scoring a career-high 24 points.

Joseph's been in the staring lineup for the last six games - and appears to have earned Leitao's trust.

"We challenged him defensively to get better and he's made a conscious effort to do that," Leitao said. "He's more well-rounded. He still has a long way to go to complete the package, but I'll give him a ton of credit . . . [for] asking the right questions or being the first one at practice to do this or that. I'm proud of him for that."

Joseph said there was a transition period he had to go through. After all, Leitao's coaching style is a lot different than former Cavs coach Pete Gillen.

There have been times when Leitao has been incensed with Joseph. For a while, Joseph and teammate Jason Cain seemed to be sharing a sublet in Leitao's doghouse.

"You just have to take it as a message he's giving you," said Joseph, referring to Leitao's aggressive nature. "I never think of it as a negative."

In the loss at Western Kentucky on Jan. 2, Joseph missed two crucial free throws late in the game. When the team got back to Charlottesville, Joseph went straight to University Hall to work on his foul shots - in the middle of the night.

"That's what you want a guy to do," said Leitao, when told of Joseph's personal practice session. "He cares about this. It means a lot to him. If he's not doing something well he's been able to respond positively in trying to make those corrections on a day-to-day basis."

In the Cavs' loss to Florida State on Jan. 11, Joseph passed up an open 3-pointer that could have won the game. In the team's next game at Virginia Tech, Joseph found himself in a similar situation.

"I said, 'If it's open, take the shot,'" Joseph recalled.

The former cricket player from Trinidad buried the 3-pointer that propelled the Cavs to victory and started a three-game winning streak.

Joseph said it was the biggest play of his career. His basketball career, that is.
 

Cavs get commitment from tackle
Deep Creek standout picks UVa day after running back prospects waver
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports editor
January 31, 2006

On a day when Virginia's football coaching staff was in damage control mode due to the threat of losing two four-star running back commitments, there was some good news for the Cavaliers on Monday.
Billy Cuffee, a 6-foot-5, 330-pound offensive tackle from Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake, committed to UVa. Cuffee chose the Cavaliers over offers from Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Maryland, East Carolina and Marshall.

"My mother and I sat back and considered everything and prayed on it and that's just how it came out to be," Cuffee told The Daily Progress on Monday night. "I liked the atmosphere, the location, the coaches and players at UVa. And one of my former teammates, Jamaal Jackson, already attends there, but I would have decided on Virginia anyway because I liked the overall feel."

A two-star rated player by Rivals.com, Cuffee was rated the No. 38 overall player in the state by The Daily Progress on the 2005 Gold List. He can bench press 375 pounds, squats 625, and has been clocked in 5.25 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

"He can be as good as he wants to be," said Deep Creek coach David Cox. "He's a big solid kid who's not fat and moves very well. He's a combination of a little of everything."

Cuffee made his official visit to Charlottesville last month and most recently visited Virginia Tech last weekend, when the Hokies were the last school to offer him a scholarship. But a trio of UVa assistant coaches visited the big tackle at Deep Creek last Thursday, which obviously made an impact on his choice.

New defensive coordinator Mike London, who is a familiar face in that part of the state, joined new offensive line coach Dave Borbely and longtime Cavalier assistant Bob Price, who has recruited that area for years on the stop to Deep Creek, which has produced several Division I-A prospects over the past decade.

"We've [he and Borbely] only talked a few times and we have gotten along," Cuffee said. "Being big and that I can move was a couple of things they liked about me because it's rare to find a big guy who can move and is agile."

Cuffee is the second player from his school to commit to the 2006 Cavalier football recruiting class, joining teammate Ras-I Dowling. Deep Creek also produced Virginia Tech standouts Darryl Tapp, DeAngelo Hall and Josh Hyman.

"Virginia was the first of my official visits, so I had four more officials [visits to other schools] after that," Cuffee said. "So, the Virginia trip really stuck in my head."

Physically, some observers compare Cuffee to former Virginia All-American guard Elton Brown, who Cuffee said he met last season at the Cavaliers' home win over Florida State.

"That was a big turning point in Virginia's season, but it didn't have any impact on my decision," Cuffee said about that upset and meeting Brown. "I've been pretty much bigger than everybody else all my life. But I consider myself a pretty good all-around player."

Cuffee said that while he would like to play as a true freshman, that if it requires a redshirt year for him to get ready then that's what he'll be happy to do.

Meanwhile, Pottstown, Pa., running back Brent Carter, who only committed to UVa last week, said Monday that he would make an official announcement today regarding his choice of schools. Speculation is that Carter, a four-star back who chose the Cavs over Penn State and Boston College, had changed his mind and will now attend Penn State.

Kordell Young, another four-star running back commitment from West Deptford, N.J., took an official visit to Rutgers over this past weekend and on Monday appeared to be wavering about his choice.

"No, I have not made my decision yet," Young told CavsCorner.com. "I will decide between Virginia and Rutgers over the next few days."

He said that he started having second thoughts after making his official visit to Virginia two weekends ago.

"Something just wasn't right for me," Young said. "Everyone there was so happy and were saying that Virginia was the place for them. I agreed with them on the outside but at the same time, I did not feel the same way on the inside."

National signing day is Wednesday and if Carter and Young both officially decommit, then Virginia would stand at 24 commitments.
 

The Return of Reynolds
After leaving Virginia's game versus Miami with a concussion, J.R. Reynolds returned to play last weekend versus Duke
Barney Breen-Portnoy, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Resiliency is one of the most important attributes for a team while navigating through the highs and lows of the ACC regular season. Virginia went to Durham Saturday evening on a high created by a three-game winning streak. Saturday's 82-63 loss to No. 2 Duke, however, quickly brought Virginia (10-7, 4-3 ACC) back to earth.

When asked if there was anything that his team could learn from the loss, Virginia coach Dave Leitao said that only time would tell.

"The only way I can answer that is if the practices become better as a result," Leitao said. "Sometimes we have bad moments in games because we still have a lot of bad moments in practice. We've got to continue to work at that aspect of it before we can start to use these games the right way and to take anything positive or negative out of it."

Sophomore point guard Sean Singletary, who scored 13 points in the loss, seconded his head coach.

"We are just going to have to turn a page and fix things in practice," Singletary said. "We've got a special group of guys and we're not selfish at all. We're going to come together and turn it around. I think we'll see [Duke] again, maybe in a tournament or something."

Both Leitao and several of his players said that the intense atmosphere in Cameron Indoor Stadium did not affect the outcome of the game. Freshman forward Laurynas Mikalauskas was not that impressed by the famed Cameron Crazies.

"I don't think Cameron Indoor was any different from Virginia Tech or Gonzaga," Mikalauskas said. "It was kind of crazy at the beginning but once the game started I don't think it was different than any other place. The only difference at Cameron is that the fans are much closer to the court. We played against a very good team, and that is the reason we lost."

Leitao was more impressed by Duke's players than Duke's fans.

"I don't think Cameron was anywhere near as intimidating as were the five guys they had on the floor," Leitao said.

Mikalauskas battled down low all night with Duke's senior forward Shelden Williams. Williams posted 17 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks against the Cavaliers.

"I got to play against a really good player," Mikalauskas said. "[Williams] is a really strong guy. He's a great player. I got some good experience."

Mikalauskas also commented on J.J. Redick's 40-point outburst.

"We really tried to guard him," Mikalauskas said. "On some days you can't stop a player. I mean, Kobe Bryant got 81 the other day."

After leaving Virginia's Jan. 24 win over Miami with a concussion, junior guard J.R. Reynolds started and played 33 minutes while leading the Cavaliers with 19 points on six of 12 shooting.

"I don't think he had any ill-effects," Leitao said of the injury. "If anything, I think he didn't quite have the same rhythm that he's had. Maybe that's a byproduct of the missed practice time."

Reynolds and Redick are both from Roanoke and are familiar with each other from the past. Reynolds went to Oak Hill Academy, while Redick starred at Cave Spring High School. Redick has lit up Virginia over the past four seasons, averaging 20.9 points per game against the Cavaliers, while Duke has notched a perfect 9-0 record against Virginia during Redick's career.

 

When it comes to NCAA's, does men's basketball have a shot?
Chad Gallagher, Sports Columnist

While tour guides often harp on the marvelous traditions that this fine University has embraced, one tradition is often ignored in the U-guide speech. Outside of the Rotunda or the honor code, a growing tradition has taken hold of Virginia the past four years -- the inevitable collapse of the men's basketball team.

It seems each year around this time there is an aura of optimism around the University that the team could make a postseason appearance. Each time this hope is quickly shattered as the team regresses in play and finds itself grappling for an NIT bid.

After Hurricane Redick tore apart the much-improved Virginia defense this past weekend (and made one unnamed sports columnist quite happy), the wreckage was severe. Like a scene from the horror flick Hostel, the Wahoos were gored to the tune of 20-2 in the opening five minutes and left for dead without a single blood platelet in hand.

The ghosts of Gillen once again appeared to be on the prowl for another February debacle. Yet, I will go on the record and say this season will be different. This year's Blue Devil team is more the exception than the rule in a weaker ACC conference. More importantly, this year the Virginia faithful have a true coach to rally the troops for the second half of the ACC season.

Maybe I'm just a poor fourth year who wants to see just one NCAA tournament bid in my years at the University, but I don't think a bid is out of the question.

Currently, the squad stands at 4-3 in the ACC. Any ACC Tournament talk must begin with the five teams from the conference that are a reasonable lock for the tourney (B.C., Maryland, N.C. State, UNC and Duke).

While the ACC is not having an incredibly strong year, it is still ranked in the top three of conference RPI rankings. In the new 12-team alignment of the ACC, it seems quite reasonable to assume that at least six ACC teams reach the tourney.

So the question remains, what does Virginia need to get that last berth? Let's keep in mind that a 7-9 ACC record has gotten teams into the tourney in previous years. With Virginia's weak out-of-conference record, a stronger record of 9-7 will be necessary to go dancing come March.

Next, a glance at the remaining schedule shows a less daunting task than in previous years. In forecasting a final record, two assumptions were made: This is a tough Virginia team at home, and Leitao will improve this team as the season continues. While point one is a fairly obvious and universal facet of collegiate basketball, the second point is slightly more controversial. Some will argue that a young team would hit a wall and become fatigued by the end of a tough ACC season. However, Leitao's ability to command the respect of this young squad yields a glimmer of hope that the team will continue to improve over the course of the rest of the season.

A look at the remaining road games shows this team could reasonably finish with two more road wins and three more road losses. Road games at N.C. State, Maryland and UNC appear to be tough competition, while Clemson and FSU appear to be very winnable contests.

While the home schedule is not easy, with the tenacity this team has shown at home, I would take my chances with them any day. Virginia should be able to handle both Virginia Tech and Wake Forest easily at home. Although Boston College and Maryland will clearly be a challenge, this team has already shown a propensity to defend the U-Hall court in convincing wins against tough foes UNC and Miami. Both Boston College and Maryland come to Charlottesville towards the end of the season, which should give the Hoos an edge. Coach Leitao has often said in interviews that this team is just starting to understand his coaching style. This leads one to believe that this will be an even stronger Wahoo team after a full season of coaching.

To be realistic, let's say the team loses one of those winnable games. This puts the team at a final conference record of 9-7. An opening win in the ACC tournament should be enough to send the Hoos dancing in March for the first time since 2001.

I completely understand that these are lofty expectations for an extremely young team. Yet, I maintain my stance that this team under the tutelage of an amazing coach has a very reasonable chance to make a March Madness run and break the tradition of a February collapse. Even Mr. Jefferson would admit that some time--honored traditions are better off changed.