Al Groh checks in
Jeff White
Jan 08, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE – Al Groh is on the road recruiting, but I caught up with him before his last visit of the day. (Not surprisingly, Groh hoped to finish that visit in time to watch the BCS title game between Florida and Oklahoma.)

Of note from our phone conversation:

* “It would have to be an unusual ruling” by the NCAA, Groh said, for wide receiver Cary Koch to be granted another year of eligibility. Koch, a senior in 2008, is expected to petition for another season. He played in only two games in 2006 after transferring to U.Va. from Tulane.

*Defensive end Jason Fuller and offensive guard Patrick Slebonick were not invited back to compete as fifth-year seniors in 2009, Groh said. Brandon Woods will be back for a fifth year and will remain at safety. For now, at least, kicker Yannick Reyering, a former all-ACC soccer player, plans to play football again for Virginia in 2009.

*Rico Bell plans to transfer, Groh said, though the seldom-used safety hasn’t settled on a destination.

*Chris Cook, a standout cornerback in his first three seasons, could move to safety. “What I’ve been looking for for a number of years is what I would refer to as a cover safety,” Groh said. Cook was one of four U.Va. football players placed on academic suspension last January, and he missed the 2008 season.

*Another one of those suspended players, inside linebacker Darnell Carter, also is back in school. “He’s got starter’s ability,” Groh said, but Carter needs to show the coaching staff that he’s more mature and more committed than he was in 2007. With three-year starters Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby out of eligibility, playing time is available at inside linebacker in U.Va.’s 3-4 defense.

*An announcement about U.Va.’s new strength coach for football is likely to come tomorrow. Groh didn’t tell me his choice, but I’ve heard that the leading candidate is Aaron Hillmann, who oversees strength and conditioning for all the varsity sports at Bowling Green. U.Va.’s new offensive coordinator, Gregg Brandon, worked with Hillmann at Bowling Green.

*Expect to see Vic Hall, who started and sparkled at quarterback against Virginia Tech in the regular-season finale, used in various ways this year. Hall has been a starting cornerback for the Cavaliers, as well as a punt-returner, but there figures to be a role for him in Brandon’s new spread offense. What that role might be, however, it’s too early to say.

*Groh would have loved to have had Kevin Ogletree back for another season, but the coach is high on Jared Green’s potential at wide receiver. Ogletree, of course, announced this week that he’ll forgo his senior season at U.Va. to enter the NFL draft. Green impressed as a redshirt freshman in 2008.

 

Va. Beach lineman commits to U.Va.
By Jeff White
Published: January 9, 2009

-- There's a chance he could enroll at the University of Virginia this summer, but in all likelihood Hunter Steward will be the school's first football recruit for the 2010 season.

Steward, a first-team all-Group AAA offensive tackle from Kellam High in Virginia Beach, committed to U.Va. this week. Steward, a senior, is expected to meet NCAA eligibility standards, but he didn't turn 17 until late last month, so he's young for his grade.

Virginia would like the 6-7 300-pounder to spend at least part, if not all, of the 2009-10 school year in the postgraduate program at Fork Union Military Academy. That's fine with Steward.

"I'm actually pretty keen on Fork Union," he said. "I've heard nothing but great things about that place, so I'm excited to get that started."

A native of Calgary, Alberta, who lived in Ontario before moving to Virginia Beach, Steward looks forward to joining fellow Canadians Austin Pasztor and Brent Urban in Charlottesville. Pasztor, who's from Ontario, started at offensive guard for the Cavaliers as a true freshman this past season. Urban, a high school senior in Ontario, plans to enroll at U.Va. this summer.

Steward's father, who serves in Canada's military, has been working at Fort Monroe in Tidewater. "He asked for that position so that I could play my senior year of football in the States, hopefully to get a scholarship," said Steward, who also had offers from Marshall and Kent State.

"Before I even knew I was going to move down here, playing NCAA ball was like a dream I never thought would happen. Coming down here and making all-Tidewater and all-state and going to U.Va., it's phenomenal."

 

UVa gets commitment from Brooklyn offensive lineman
By Doug Doughty | The Roanoke Times

Oday Aboushi, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound offensive lineman from Brooklyn, N.Y., has become the third four-star football recruit to make an oral commitment to Virginia for 2009.

Aboushi, rated the No. 4 prospect in New York by rivals.com, decided that an early commitment to Boston College was made in haste and reopened his recruiting after his Xaverian High School season had ended.

Aboushi subsequently took an official visit to Virginia and was in the process of setting up a trip to Rutgers before ending his recruiting. He had offers from UVa, Rutgers, BC, Maryland and Iowa.

Aboushi is the sixth offensive-line prospect to commit to the Cavaliers, who have 24 commitments overall. Aboushi, running back Dominique Wallace and “athlete” Quintin Hunter received four stars from rivals.com on its five-star scale.

The Daily News Record in Harrisonburg reported on its Web site that Alex Owah, a Harrisonburg High School running back who committed to the Cavaliers in December 2007, delivered a letter to the newspaper in which he said UVa has rejected him for admission.
 

Virginia picks up another commit
By Jay Jenkins
Published: January 9, 2009

In November, Oday Aboushi was all but headed to Boston College.

The tides turned and Virginia reaped the ultimate reward Thursday when the four-star offensive lineman verbally committed to play for coach Al Groh.

Aboushi, who is from Xaverian High in Brooklyn, N.Y., made the announcement after talking to a pair of Virginia’s assistant coaches, Bob Diaco and Dave Borbely.

It had been rumored that Aboushi would take an official visit to Rutgers in the coming weeks, but decided to end his recruitment and join the Cavaliers’ ever-growing class for 2009.

“Virginia has everything with football, academics, their coaching staff,” Aboushi said, “Everything was what I wanted.”

The late-night announcement gave Virginia its third four-star commitment. Orange County quarterback Quintin Hunter and Chancellor running back Dominque Wallace verbally committed last year.

 

Owah Out At U.Va. Posted 2009-01-08
By Marcus Helton

HARRISONBURG - Alex Owah still hopes to be an impact football player in college. It won't, however, be at the University of Virginia.

Harrisonburg High School's senior tailback said Thursday he will not be attending U.Va. - the school he committed to after his junior season - because he failed to satisfy the university's academic standards.

"Though I will meet all of the NCAA eligibility requirements to be admitted into a Division I football scholarship program," Owah said in a hand-delivered written statement, "I will fall short of the rigid U.Va. admissions requirements due to a class that I am currently retaking while working to improve my SAT scores. Due to these circumstances I am making myself available to other schools that had expressed interest in me prior to my verbal commitment with U.Va."

As a junior, Owah received scholarship offers from U.Va., Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Division I-AA James Madison. Tennessee and West Virginia also were interested at the time. In a brief interview Thursday, Owah said Connecticut, Marshall and North Carolina State have shown interest since hearing of his situation with U.Va.

Michael Colley, the assistant sports information director in charge of football at Virginia, said the university would have no comment on Owah.

 

Devvarman knocks off former No. 1
From staff, AP reports
Published: January 9, 2009

CHENNAI, India — Former No. 1 and two-time champion Carlos Moya was stunned in the second round of the Chennai Open on Thursday by a local player ranked No. 202 in the world.

Unheralded Somdev Devvarman of India, a two-time U.S. collegiate champion, upset the sixth-seeded Moya 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Devvarman, a 23-year-old who won the collegiate NCAA titles in 2006 and ’07 for the University of Virginia, had received a wild card entry for this tournament in the city where he honed his skills as a child.

Making the first ATP Tour quarterfinal of his career, Devvarman will now meet fourth-seeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, who outplayed Czech player Ivo Minar 6-1, 6-4.

Moya, the 2004 and 2005 champion, said he was at a disadvantage with organizers scheduling matches in the heat of the Chennai afternoon to make up for matches that had been delayed by rain.

“The heat affected me more than it bothered him,” Moya said.

“[Devvarman] plays much better than his rankings reflect,” Moya added. “I was not surprised, because I saw him play two days ago and knew he was very fast and was solid from the back of court.”

Moya got a break point in the second game of the opening set before Devvarman pulled even at 3-3. Another break by the veteran Spaniard in the 10th game decided the first set.

Devvarman won the second set when he broke Moya in the 11th game and then held his own serve with ease. Moya fell behind early in the third, dropping serve in the third game, and Devvarman played with aplomb to deny him a chance of getting back into the match.

“I sent a message to him that I just wasn’t going to go away,” Devvarman said.

“When you see a player on the other side trying to do too much, you know he’s under pressure,” said Devvarman, who became the first Indian player to reach the quarterfinals in Chennai since Leander Paes reached the semifinals in 1998.

“Hopefully, I’m not just quarters. I’m not one of those guys who gets content easily,” he said.

With his performance in Chennai, Devvarman will move into the top 200 for the first time in his career. Next week, he will head to Melbourne, Australia for the 2009 Australian Open qualifying draw.

“He defeated Moya on the court I first recruited him on when I went to see him play,” said Virginia men’s tennis coach Brian Boland. “Talk about coming full circle. This kid is just beginning.”

Third-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia also advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin.

The No. 27-ranked Cilic is the highest ranked player left in the tournament after top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko pulled out of his second round match Wednesday with a heel injury and second-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland was knocked out in the opening round.

In the quarterfinals, Cilic will meet seventh-seeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, who overcame Israel’s Dudi Sela 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Others advancing to the quarterfinals were fifth-seeded Rainer Schuettler and Bjorn Phau of Germany and eighth-seeded Spaniard Marcel Granollers.

Schuettler won 6-4, 6-2 against Simon Greul in an all-German contest, Granollers coasted to a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Andreas Beck of Germany and Phau beat Flavio Cipolla of Italy 6-1, 6-2.

 

Tale of the tape: U.Va.-Tech
Breaking down Saturdays U.Va.-Tech showdown:
By NORM WOOD | Daily Press
11:01 PM EST, January 8, 2009
 

Best player

U.Va. Freshman guard Sylven Landesberg is third in the ACC in scoring (18.3 ppg) and ninth in free-throw percentage (81.3).

Tech Forward A.D. Vassallo is fourth in the ACC in scoring (18.1 ppg) and 15th in rebounding (6.7 rpg).

Nicest win

U.Va. Hmmm?tough to find one here. For lack of better options, it's the 88-84 overtime win Dec. 28 at Georgia Tech.

Tech Nothing jumps out at you here either. Let's go with the 81-67 win Dec. 21 against St. John's in Madison Square Garden. Ugh.

Ugliest loss

U.Va. Slipping up 86-82 at home against Liberty on Nov. 25 should never happen, even in a rebuilding season.

Tech Tech's 67-66 loss to Georgia on Dec. 9 was on the road, but it was still awful.

X factor

U.Va. It's hard to call slumping guard Mamadi Diane much of a factor (2-for-25 from 3-point range), but a breakout game would be a welcome sight for the Cavs.

Tech Forward J.T. Thompson has only played in four games since having sports hernia surgery, and he's just now getting some stamina while averaging 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Last shot

U.Va. Landesberg is option number one, but guard Sammy Zeglinski wouldn't be a bad choice (41.4 percent from 3-point range).

Tech Vassallo is shooting 39.4 percent from 3-point range, and guard Malcolm Delaney has the ability to go coast-to-coast.

Most imposing

U.Va. Freshman 7-footer Assane Sene is emerging as shot-blocking force, but Mike Scott is almost averaging a double-double (11.3 ppg and 9.3 rpg).

Tech Like Scott, forward Jeff Allen is on the verge of averaging a double-double (13.6 ppg and 8.9 rpg), but Allen lacks a mean streak.

Job security

U.Va. It might be getting a little hot for coach Dave Leitao, whose team could be headed for its first losing record in his four seasons in Charlottesville.

Tech Though Tech has underachieved a bit this season, coach Seth Greenberg has led the Hokies to back-to-back 20-plus win seasons, which has developed some good will in Blacksburg.

Key stat

U.Va. In four of the Cavaliers' five losses this season, the bench has scored 17 or fewer points.

Tech In 10 games with a two-guard starting lineup, Tech has failed to have both starting guards in double figures scoring.

 

Ryan seeks a better effort
By Jay Jenkins
Published: January 9, 2009

Sitting a spot above Maryland, a recent power, in at least one national poll would lead you to believe that Virginia coach Debbie Ryan would awake all smiles.

That is not the case. Not yet at least.

Virginia, despite a 13-2 start, the best since 1992, and a No. 15 ranking faces a tough slate ahead and appears in dire need of better chemistry.

The Cavaliers, after a lackluster 16-point win over lowly St. Francis (Pa.), rank in the middle of the ACC in scoring offense (No. 6) and scoring defense (No. 7) and have the worst shooting figure in the league, connecting on just 39.8 percent of their shoots from the field.

“Obviously, you would want to have something like the Georgia game heading into ACC play,” Ryan said, while noting Virginia’s previous win. “You have to give St. Francis a lot of credit. They made us play the way that we did, but at the same time, we did contribute to that a little bit, mentally.

“I do think that we want to want to be playing a little better when we head into the Wake Forest game and then on into [North] Carolina. We will see.”

As bad as it may sound and look at times, Virginia is riding an eight-game winning streak after the victory over St. Francis. That is not important, however, to Ryan.

“That doesn’t really mean anything to me. One game is one game,” she said. “One game does not make the next game better nor does it make it worse. You have to understand that each game is in and of itself. Each game has to be treated that way.

“We had an opportunity against [St. Francis] to be better than we were against Georgia. They had the opportunity to step up and play even better and that didn’t happen, so that is why it is so disappointing.”

Ryan’s players learned that winning a pivotal game does not produce an ensuing win after upending Tennessee on the road. Four days later, Virginia fell at Old Dominion, one of the team’s two losses to date.

“Everybody talks about riding the wave and there is no such thing. It is all mental,” Ryan said. “If you want to play the game today, play the game today and if you don’t, sit down. There is no in between. It is just like if we went out to the [on-campus outdoor courts at the] Dell and played; if you feel like playing, you go out there and play your butt off or you don’t.

“There isn’t any in between. It is not like because we won Friday night that we are going to play well [the next game]. That is obvious.”

Luckily, Virginia’s schedule should get the attention of the players. The Cavaliers will play three of their next five games on the road, a stretch that includes a road date at No. 2 North Carolina on Jan. 16.

“We have definitely have had a lot of lessons in this preseason, but in the ACC you have teams coming at you every single night so it is important that we use our past experiences to help us know how to prepare,” Virginia sophomore Jayna Hartig said. “We know we have to bring it in practice because what you do in practice carries over into the games.

“We would have liked to have used all these opportunities to help us fine tune things and really work on stuff, but I think you can turn every situation into a positive. If you can learn from the situations then you can overcome them. I think we are going to be fine going into ACC play if we pick it up.”