Tucker’s targeting consistency

FLORIDA STATE AT VIRGINIA

Today:4 p.m.

TV:CSN
Radio:WRVA (1140), 3:30

By Jeff White
Published: January 24, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Today at John Paul Jones Arena, Jamil Tucker will try again to make personal history.

The 6-9 junior from Gary, Ind., has long since established himself as a scoring threat for the University of Virginia men's basketball team, especially from 3-point range.

Never, however, has Tucker scored in double figures in three consecutive college games.

He's posted back-to-back games of at least 10 points five times, beginning in last season's College Basketball Invitational. In his most recent outing, he scored a career-best 21 points Tuesday night at Maryland, five days after totaling 12 against North Carolina. And today against ACC rival Florida State (2-2, 15-4), Tucker has another chance to finally demonstrate some of the consistency that's eluded him as a college player.

In College Park, Tucker matched his career high with four 3-pointers and was 7 for 12 from the floor overall.

"Obviously, getting better is something that he's been able to do," U.Va. coach Dave Leitao told reporters at Comcast Center. "He's older, he's a little bit more understanding of what we're trying to do. But as is usually the case, I'm still trying to raise the bar for him. There's a lot more left in him that we're trying to get out.

"What we see from a productivity standpoint is good. What I'd like to see overall from everybody, including him, is that we play much more solid in all the important areas."

Since beating Brown on Jan. 6, Virginia (1-3 ACC, 7-8 overall) has dropped three in a row. After the Cavaliers' 84-78 loss to the Terrapins, Tucker downplayed his performance.

"I can't personally feel good when the team doesn't feel good, so having a decent game doesn't really satisfy me if we're not winning," he said. "If I get an 'L' and I have 21, that means nothing to me."

Tucker, usually the first big man off the bench for U.Va., is averaging 8.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 18.1 minutes. He's made 17 treys this season and 69 for his career.

Virginia is 2-5 this season when Tucker fails to score in double figures. Still, Leitao said yesterday, as he has on other occasions, that "the last thing I look at is point production in terms of how well or how much a guy plays."

Leitao is more concerned with his players' effort on defense and on the boards.

"When I judge Jamil and his productivity, I think when he does some of those other things well, he just happens to score the ball more," Leitao said. "There's always a correlation between how active he is in the other categories and how much the ball's going in the basket."

FSU ranks third among ACC teams in field goal percentage defense and second in scoring defense, so points aren't likely to come easily today for Tucker and his teammates. The Seminoles have size -- their starting frontcourt goes 7-1, 6-9 and 6-9 -- and athleticism.

"If you move the ball around, you'll get some opportunities," Leitao said. "The key is, if you get an opportunity to get an open shot, you're going to have to know that it's a good rhythm shot, and you're going to have to make it. Because there's not going to be an overabundance of open looks, whether it's inside or outside."

 

FSU needing second scoring option
Douglas is top threat, but lacks support
By Corey Clark
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Against Maryland, he scored seven straight points in overtime and finished with 25 points.

Against Miami, he scored 14 points in the final five and a half minutes and finished with 30 points.

Florida State senior guard Toney Douglas has shown a knack for taking over games offensively when the Seminoles have needed him.

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The problem has been, at least in the past two conference games, he hasn't had a whole lot of help down the stretch.

The FSU coaching staff hopes he gets some today at Virginia (7-8, 1-3 ACC).

"I do credit Toney a lot for the other night (against Miami)," assistant coach Stan Jones said. "He will do anything to win and he is playing like a senior all-conference guard. . . . But we do need some consistency to develop with that second and third option."

With this particular Florida State team, those options will likely rotate all season long depending on the opponent.

Two players who have shown the potential to fill the role of No. 2 scorer are freshman forward Chris Singleton and sophomore guard Derwin Kitchen.

However, both are currently mired in offensive slumps.

Singleton is averaging just 6.4 points since the New Year and has missed 18 straight 3-point attempts dating back to the Seminoles' win over Western Kentucky on Dec. 28.

"Most freshmen who are asked to fulfill a major role like Chris has been, at this time of year they'll hit a bit of a mental wall," Jones said. "But I expect Chris at any time to have one of those step-out games and then catch his wind for the second half of the season."

Kitchen has been even more of an enigma of late.

The JUCO transfer, who was forced to sit out the first nine games of the season while waiting to be ruled eligible, gave an immediate spark to the Seminoles when he moved into the rotation.

Over a four-game span he averaged 12.3 points per game for FSU, including a 16-point effort against No. 2 Duke.

But in the last two contests, the 6-foot-4 guard has scored just six total points and hit one shot from the field in 48 minutes.

"We do need Derwin to regain that aggressiveness that in the last couple of games he's lost," Jones said.

Otherwise, Douglas' shoulders might give out while trying to carry the Seminoles offensively in late-game situations.

The senior guard was the only FSU player to hit a basket in overtime against Maryland and he was the only one to hit a shot from the floor in the final 10:30 of the game against Miami.

Douglas is currently averaging 19.5 points per contest. No other Seminole is in double figures.

 

Cavs’ Zeglinski still shooting
By Whitey Reid
Published: January 24, 2009

Through the first seven games of the season, Virginia guard Sammy Zeglinski was one of the most consistent performers on the team, scoring in double figures six times.

Zeglinski’s early success included a scintillating performance against Liberty in which he scorched the nets for 24 second-half points.

Zeglinski, however, is just 1 of 12 from the field in his last two games.

But this afternoon when Virginia hosts Florida State at John Paul Jones Arena, “Sammy Z” is planning on turning things around.

“I’ve been working on my shot every day,” Zeglinski said. “I’m still shooting with confidence. It’s just that these last couple of games they haven’t been falling for me.

“But I’m definitely going to break out of it, and [today] is the perfect chance to get back on the right track.”

Ditto for the entire Virginia team, which has dropped its last three games after opening its ACC slate with a win at Georgia Tech.

In the loss at Maryland on Tuesday, UVa (7-8, 1-3 ACC) allowed Maryland — the worst-shooting team in the league — to shoot 54 percent from the field, including 50 percent from 3-point range. Virginia committed 13 turnovers in the first half and trailed by 17 at one juncture.

That kind of start won’t cut it against too many opponents, especially talented ACC teams.

“The first half was horrible,” Zeglinski said.

Virginia desperately needs junior Jamil Tucker to build on his career-high 21-point effort versus Maryland. That would take a lot of pressure off Zeglinski, as well as struggling freshman Sylven Landesberg, who has scored just nine points in his last two games after averaging 18.5 through his first 13.

Tucker’s track record for playing consistently is not strong, though. He’s scored in double figures in consecutive games just four times in his career. Until this season, he had averaged just 3.0 points in games following double-figure outings.

Zeglinski, meanwhile, knows he has to change his game up a bit if he wants to break out of his mini-slump.

“I need to be a little more aggressive and get to the rim, get to the foul line — that’s something I haven’t been doing the past couple of games,” said Zeglinski, who is 3 of his last 19 from 3-point range. “If I can get to the foul line, that will make things a lot easier on the rest of my game.

“I need to work from the inside out instead of just settling for 3s.”

But Zeglinski’s defense could be just as important, maybe more, as his offense. He will have the unenviable task of trying to stay in front of Florida State guard Toney Douglas, who is third in the ACC in scoring (19.5 points per game).

The Seminoles also feature freshman forward Chris Singleton, a McDonald’s All-American who is second on the team in scoring (9.1 ppg) and first in rebounding (5.8 rpg), and 7-foot-1 redshirt freshman Soloman Alabi, who nearly came to Virginia out of high school two years ago.

FSU, which has six freshman and two sophomores, is even younger than Virginia, but hasn’t used that as an excuse. The Seminoles (15-4, 2-2) have defeated Maryland and N.C. State while losing to Duke and Miami.

Douglas, who started his career at Auburn — he scored 33 points in a loss to Virginia that season — is clearly the player UVa must pay the closest attention to.

“He’s a great player and a great scorer,” Zeglinski said. “It’s going to be a collective effort to not let him get off and to keep him in check.

“I think we’ll be able to do it. I think we’ll have a lot more energy.”

Dunks

Virginia leads the series, 17-5. FSU won the lone meeting last season, 69-67, in Tallahassee. … Alabi is second in the ACC in blocked shots, averaging 2.0 per contest. … FSU is last in the ACC in points per game (67.5), but is allowing the second-fewest (62.5).

 

Virginia Defeats No. 15 Illinois 6-1 in Home Opener
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 01/23/2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE – The No. 5 Virginia men’s tennis team opened its 2009 home schedule with a 6-1 win over No. 15 Illinois Friday night before a crowd of 649 at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. The Cavaliers improve to 2-0 with the win, while the Fighting Illini (3-1) suffered their first loss.

“I was really pleased with the overall performance tonight,” said Virginia head coach Brian Boland. “We are ahead of schedule from where I thought we would be this early in the season. The hard work we put in during the first few weeks of practice has paid off thus far.”

Virginia opened the match by sweeping the doubles contests. The Cavaliers got an early win at No. 3, where Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) and Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) topped Marc Spicijaric and Brian Livingston 8-5. The Cavaliers clinched the opening point at the No. 2 position as Dominic Inglot (London, England) and Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) won in a tiebreaker against Dennis Nevolo and Ruan Roelofse. At No. 1, Houston Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn.) and Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) completed the sweep with an 8-5 win over Billy Heiser and Marek Czerwinski.

The Cavaliers used the momentum of doubles, along with the excitement of the jersey retirement ceremony for former Cavalier great Somdev Devvarman at intermission, to get off to a fast start in singles. Virginia won all six first sets and quickly completed three wins to clinch the dual match. At No. 1 singles, No. 43 Inglot downed No. 23 Roy Kalmanovich 6-1, 6-4 to make the score 2-0. Singh cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Spicijaric at No. 3 singles to make the lead 3-0. Barrick then clinched the win with his 6-4, 6-1 win over Roelofse at the No. 4 position. Singer’s win at No. 6 singles over Heiser, 7-6, 6-4, made the score 5-0 before the Illini got their lone point of the night as Czerwinski rallied to defeat Courtney in a superbreaker at No. 5 singles. Shabaz closed out the match with a three-set win over Nevolo at No. 2 singles to make the final score 6-1.

“Illinois is an outstanding team and they pushed us tonight,” said Boland. “We played well when we needed to and the final score is not indicative of how much this was a battle.”

The Cavaliers continue their homestand Sunday as they host No. 30 Notre Dame at the Boyd Tinsley Courts. Match time is noon and admission is free.

No. 5 Virginia 6, No. 15 Illinois 1

Doubles
1. #3 Singh/Barrick (UVa) def. Czerwinski/Heiser (Ill) 8-5
2. #27 Inglot/Shabaz (UVa) def. Nevolo/Roelofse (Ill) 9-8(3)
3. Singer/Courtney (UVa) def. Spicijaric/Livingston (Ill) 8-5

Singles
1. #43 Dominic Inglot (UVa) def. #23 Roy Kalmanovich (Ill) 6-1, 6-4
2. #11 Michael Shabaz (UVa) def. #41 Dennis Nevolo (Ill) 6-3, 6-7(9), 6-4
3. #24 Sanam Singh (UVa) def. #101 Marc Spicijaric (Ill) 6-2, 6-1
4. #68 Houston Barrick (UVa) def. Ruan Roelofse (Ill) 6-4, 6-1
5. Marek Czerwinski (Ill) def. #108 Drew Courtney (UVa) 2-6, 7-6(4), 10-5
6. #109 Lee Singer (UVa) def. Billy Heiser (Ill) 7-6(5), 6-4

Order of Finish
Doubles: 3,2,1
Singles: 1,3,4,6,5,2
Attendance: 649

 

UVa Insider, The Column

Doug Doughty

If you rely on The Roanoke Times for information on the University of Virginia’s athletic program, which can be a risky venture at times, perhaps you have lost track of one-time basketball recruiting target Eric Wallace.

Wallace, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound swingman, was described as an “extraterrestrial” athlete by talent scout Tom Konchalski at the time of his oral commitment to Virginia during the 2006 Five-Star Basketball Camp.

I remember driving to Hampden-Sydney and back after camp director Howard Garfinkel had advised me of Wallace’s choice of Virginia and had promised me exclusive access to the future Cavalier.

"I was looking for a comfort level and I found it," Wallace told me.

Less than four months later, Wallace had changed his mind, and he signed with Ohio State. (I do believe that “Garf” fed me).

As a freshman at Ohio State, Wallace played in 15 games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds. He eventually decided to transfer and it was reported on various recruiting websites this summer and fall that he had enrolled at DePaul.

Sometimes, players will transfer to one of the finalists in their earlier recruiting, but I’ve received no indication that Wallace considered Virginia on the second go-‘round. Or, that UVa had an interest in him.

The first mention of Wallace’s decommitment in the print edition of The Roanoke Times was in October 2006, at which time I wrote that UVa had “discontinued” its recruiting of Wallace. So, I’m assuming that Dave Leitao and his staff had been turned off by the way Wallace had allowed his courtship to continue.

I found it coincidental that Wallace, one of Letiao’s most noteworthy early recruits, ended up at a school, DePaul, where Leitao most recently had coached. More interesting is the way Wallace’s departure opened up a spot at UVa for one of his 2006-2007 Hargrave teammates, Mike Scott.

Scott (6-8, 233 pounds) was more of a power player than Wallace, now listed at 6-5, 195, and certainly had a better freshman year than Wallace. Scott played in 32 games, starting 21, and averaged 5.7 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Through 15 games this year, Scott is averaging 11.9 points and 8.9 rebounds. His 16-point, 10-rebound performance Tuesday in an 84-78 loss at Maryland represented his sixth double-double of the season. In a seventh game, he had nine points and 17 rebounds in an 86-82 loss to Liberty.

Most impressively, Scott was 10-for-10 from the free-throw line against the Terps, lifting his percentage to 75.4 (40-of-53) for the season. He is shooting close to 57 percent from the field despite a 3-for-8 game night Tuesday.

For all the things they did poorly Tuesday, the Cavaliers did look to get the ball inside against a Maryland team that is challenged in the post. And, once the ball got inside, Scott looked to take it to the basket.

Scott starts alongside 7-foot Assane Sene in the frontcourt, but, if Sene is in the game, that means that either Scott or Jamil Tucker is not in the game. On Tuesday night, they were two of UVa’s best players, with Tucker connecting on four of six 3-pointers on a career-high, 21-point night.

That’s one of UVa’s problems. A bunch of players have had good games but nobody plays well consistently. While some of the other players were coming on, like Sammy Zeglinski and Mustapha Farrakhan, Calvin Baker was playing horribly and it seemed like a matter of time until his minutes dropped to single figures.

Then, in the last two games, Baker has come off the bench to score 27 points in 33 minutes. He still insists on pulling up on the fast break and taking his hanging one-handers in 1-against-3 situations, but he’s been a lot better than Zeglinski and Farrakhan over the last 10 days.

We were all ready to anoint Farrakhan when he scored 15 points in the last five minutes at Virginia Tech, but he’s 5-for-22 in the last two games, including 2-for-11 on 3-pointers. Maybe his best stat of late was a four-assist, one-turnover outing against North Carolina, and he has continued to receive increased playing time at point guard.

Maybe that’s an admission that Baker isn’t best-served by playing the point but, if you have to worry about one guy over the others, it’s Zeglinski. Earlier in the season, he appeared to be a better scorer than anticipated and it didn’t seem as if he was easily flustered.

That’s not to say Zeglinski is playing scared now, but he hasn’t been protecting the ball and that’s just as bad.

They’re all just so unpredictable. Senior Mamadi Diane was 4-for-5 from the floor at Maryland, lifting his percentage from 29.3 to 32.0 in the process, but, what’s coming next, nobody knows.

Then, there’s Jeff Jones, listed on the Maryland boxscore as having played 0+ minutes. Until Richmond reporter Jeff White told me, I did not know Jones had been on the floor.

You wonder if Jones has a future at UVa, which makes me wonder because I’m still not convinced he can’t be a player, if you’ll forgive the double negative.