Unlike predecessor Groh, London's willing to delegate to top aides
David Teel
Daily Press
9:04 p.m. EST, January 6, 2010

Jim Reid's impending arrival as the University of Virginia's defensive coordinator speaks to his affection for college football, its rhythms, athletes and missions.

More important, it reveals the Cavaliers' new head coach, Mike London, as a man of his word.

During his introductory news conference last month, London called himself a delegator. He said he would hire top-shelf assistants and get out of their way.

That's not as easy as it sounds, not in an ego-fueled racket such as coaching, not when millions in revenue hinge on victory and defeat.

Deposed head coach Al Groh micromanaged. He served as defensive coordinator, job titles to the contrary notwithstanding, and insisted on being the program's sole voice — staff members were prohibited from speaking on-the-record to media.

London promised to be different. His assistants would be accessible, personable and candid.

The first test of that vow would be the offensive and defensive coordinators, the linchpins of any football staff.

London has yet to select an offensive coordinator — Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave, a former Virginia assistant, is among the candidates — but Reid is a remarkable choice.

First, he's beyond qualified.

Second, he's familiar with Virginia's morés and recruiting turf.

Third, he reveals London as secure enough to hire someone more experienced and accomplished.

In fact, Reid used to be London's boss.

London worked for Reid at the University of Richmond, where Reid served as head coach from 1995-2003. A former UR defensive back, London coached the Spiders' outside linebackers and coordinated recruiting from 1995-96.

In 17 seasons as a head coach, six at Massachusetts, nine at Richmond and two at Virginia Military, Reid earned five conference Coach of the Year honors. His teams played rugged defense — Villanova coach Andy Talley referred to games against the Spiders as "bloodlettings" — qualified for the national playoffs four times and produced scores of graduates.

Yes, Reid's last three Richmond teams went a combined 9-24. But that was in the face of university-mandated scholarship reductions that since have been reversed.

And sure, Reid languished at VMI. But so has every other Keydets football coach of the last generation.

Reid was universally respected, and among his most ardent fans was then-Virginia coach George Welsh. Their teams met twice, the Cavaliers winning 26-7 in 1997 and 34-6 three years later, and Welsh was especially impressed with the Spiders' defense.

Eventually, Reid tired of the big chair's 24-7 burdens — unlike London, he's a self-proclaimed, incurable micromanager — and returned to the assistant ranks, at Syracuse, Bucknell and, most recently, as the Miami Dolphins' outside linebackers coach. In 2008, Reid's first season in Miami, the Dolphins made the playoffs, and Joey Porter became the team's first Pro Bowl outside linebacker in 16 years, producing a career-high 171/2 sacks.

Not to dismiss London's credentials, which include Richmond's 2008 national championship in his rookie season as a head coach. But Reid's been around the bend a few more times, and upon Reid's official unveiling, London will be the first to acknowledge as much.

As an assistant at Richmond, William and Mary, Boston College, Virginia and with the Houston Texans, London coached defense. So Reid can expect parameters, but also considerable freedom within those boundaries.

Otherwise, it's difficult to imagine Reid leaving Miami. He worked for a stable franchise run by Bill Parcells and for a defensive coordinator, former Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni, who's a longtime friend.

In addition to his coaching chops, Reid will bring a crusty but charming northeastern edge — he hails from Medford, Mass. — and plenty of recruiting connections. He's 59, a decade London's senior, but unlikely to have lost his zest for the job.

The next test for London is landing an offensive coordinator. Musgrave, who directed Virginia's offense in 2001 and '02 before returning to the NFL, would be an equally sage choice — his play-calling was balanced, imaginative and daring, and his pro connections would impress quarterback recruits.

But even if Musgrave elects to remain in the NFL — he was a backup quarterback in San Francisco and Denver when new Redskins coach Mike Shanahan worked for those franchises — look for another inspired hire.

London may have only two seasons' head-coaching experience, but he appears eager and unafraid to surround himself with quality assistants, some of whom may know more than the boss.

Football: Payne to remain at Virginia

Running back Keith Payne will remain at Virginia instead of transferring to Liberty, according to a source close to the situation.

Payne, a first-team All-Met at Oakton High in 2005, left the Cavaliers program before the season opener against William & Mary. He told The Post last month that he planned to transfer to Liberty, although that was before Coach Mike London became the Cavaliers' head coach.

Now, Payne will apparently finish his college career with the Cavaliers. He rushed for 255 yards on 63 carries with two touchdowns in two seasons

Please continue reading Cavaliers Journal for more information.

By Zach Berman | January 6, 2010; 4:33 PM ET

 

White: Landesberg's Ascension Continues
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 01/06/2010
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- He's better as a sophomore than he was as a freshman, and he wasn't bad then.
Far from it. On a UVa men's basketball team that finished 10-18, Sylven Landesberg was one of the few players who gave fans hope for the program's future.
The 6-6 swingman from Queens, N.Y., averaged 16.6 points, 6 rebounds and 2.8 assists and became the first Cavalier since Chris Williams in 1999 to be named ACC rookie of the year.
A season later, Landesberg's numbers haven't changed dramatically. Heading into Virginia's ACC opener at N.C. State this weekend, he's averaging 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Defensive lapses can still be a problem for No. 15, but his turnovers are down, he's blocking more shots and his shooting has improved, especially from 3-point range. He's consistently hitting mid-range jumpers, shots that weren't part of his repertoire in 2008-09. And he's doing it all against defenses designed to stop his signature slashes to the hoop.
"Just mentally I think he's stepped his game up from last year," sophomore guard Sammy Zeglinski said. "He knows defenses are scheming against him, he knows defenses are going to collapse against him. He's got a bull's eye on his chest.
"I think he's shown a lot of poise when he gets in the lane at making the right decision. He's great at getting fouled, but this year I think he's shown people his vision and his ability to find the open guy when the defense collapses on him."
One such play came last week, late in Virginia's upset of then-No. 24 Alabama-Birmingham at John Paul Jones Arena. With the outcome still in question and the shot clock winding down, Landesberg drew two defenders on a drive and fed forward Mike Scott for a layup that pushed UVa's lead to four with 2:35 to play.
"It's a great feeling, especially when we needed a bucket at that point, and it was a big play," said Landesberg, who doubts he would have made that pass as a freshman.
"Just the fact that I was able to make a play, come down and find Mike, and he was able to finish. It felt just as good as scoring myself."
The coach for whom Landesberg expected to play throughout his college career, Dave Leitao, was replaced after the 2008-09 season. In came Tony Bennett, who'd spent the previous three seasons as head coach at Washington State, where his teams went 69-33 and twice advanced to the NCAA tournament.
Bennett's directive to Landesberg: Make your teammates better by becoming a more complete player.
Outside the program, observers raised questions about Bennett's offensive philosophy and how Landesberg would fit into a system that supposedly did not accommodate creativity -- or fast breaks.
The concerns about Bennett's offense appear to have been unfounded. In Leitao's final season at UVa, his team averaged 70 points per game. After beating the University of Texas-Pan American on Tuesday night, Virginia is averaging 70.2 points.
Still, Landesberg admits he's struggled at times under Bennett.
"It wasn't really his system I was hesitant about," Landesberg said. "It was basically the whole thing. He's always saying, 'Try to make your teammates better,' and I didn't really know what he meant by that when he was telling me it.
"I just continued playing my way. I guess I was a little hard-headed. I didn't really understand what he meant, so I just continued playing the way I felt like was the right way. But as practice kept going on, as we kept playing games, he would talk me through it. Just being the coach he is, he's just real easy to talk to. Whatever is on his mind, he says.
"Maybe at times he'll push me or yell at me to get the message through to me. But him doing all those little things helped me better understand what he wanted to do, and I think it's taken me a long way."
Bennett said he's seen Landesberg "getting his teammates involved more, just using more parts of his game. I think his ability to draw and create and pass has maybe been understated, and when he does that, it helps our team. And then when he needs to be aggressive, he will.
"I don't think you'll ever have to get on Sylven for passing up shots or not being aggressive enough offensively. He's wired that way, and that's OK. I just want him to keep becoming as cerebral and as sound as possible in terms of creating more himself, creating for others and developing his [defensive] slides. I think he's improved on the ball with his slides. Again, I think that it helps us and helps him to be as complete and well-rounded at both ends of the floor."
Among those following Landesberg's progress closely is Craig Littlepage, Virginia's athletics director and a man with an extensive background in hoops. Littlepage is a former head coach at Penn and Rutgers and a former assistant at Villanova, Yale and UVa.
"He's becoming, I think, a much more complete player," Littlepage said. "It's not always about scoring, but being a threat. When he is a threat for longer periods in the game, he's drawing the defense, and that's where the extra pass comes in."
To raise his game, Littlepage said, Landesberg also needed to get stronger physically after his freshman season. The added strength would allow Landesberg to finish more plays around the basket, to remain effective at the end of games and to hold up through a grinding campaign.
"The hope is that he'll have the strength and physical maturity that allows him to finish the season as well as he started," Littlepage said.
Landesberg made the McDonald's All-America team as a Holy Cross High senior, so it's not accurate to say he was unheralded as a UVa freshman. Still, opponents weren't fully prepared for his unconventional game, at the heart of which is Landesberg's uncanny ability to get to the basket.
Rest assured, scouting reports on Landesberg are more detailed this season.
"It's definitely a lot harder than it was last year," he said. "The fact that I have to shoot more mid-range shots is a little bit because I worked on them, but it's also because I'm not able to get into the lane and get those open looks like I was last year. So I had to make little adjustments."
His coach can empathize. Bennett had an illustrious career as a point guard at Wisconsin-Green Bay.
"I understand the challenges he faces as a marked man," Bennett said. "And that's why I keep challenging him and I'm delighted when I see that completeness. Because if certain people take away things, boy, you can make differences in other ways, and I just know how that will help him in the long run and help this team.
"At this position, that completeness [is crucial]. You've got to be able to do all things well, and that's why I'll keep harping on that and keep trying to get him to raise the play of his teammates. Because when he's drawing a crowd and he's finding [other UVa players], he's making the game a lot easier for his teammates."
With one non-conference game left -- Jan. 18 against UNC Wilmington -- Virginia is 8-4 outside the ACC. As always, though, however the 'Hoos fare in league play will determine how their season is remembered.
The ride starts Saturday in Raleigh.
"I know what to expect from last year, and we all can't wait," Landesberg said of the ACC schedule.
"It's definitely more intense. The scouting reports are a lot more in-depth, so each team knows each player a little bit more, and that makes the games a lot tougher, a lot more competitive. And also there's some teams you won't be seeing just once, you'll be seeing them multiple times, and just having that in the back of your head, you want to get the best of them each time you play. It's just a lot of competition."

Men's Basketball: Mike Scott's ailing ankle

Mike Scott played 29 minutes in Tuesday's 72-53 win over Texas-Pan American and did not show many ill effects from the right ankle sprain that held him out for most of December.

However, the ankle continues to bother Scott entering Saturday's ACC opener against North Carolina State.

"Probably 80, 85 percent," Scott said when asked about an update on the injured ankle. "I felt it tonight, but I was trying to play through it."

With three days of practice, Scott said he would participate, but likely not go at the rate of his teammates. He said the ankle still needs rest to heal.

Scott is averaging 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in nine games this season. He's also shooting 58.9 percent.

By Zach Berman | January 6, 2010; 3:30 PM ET

Meyinsse comes on for Cavs
By Whitey Reid
Published: January 7, 2010
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It was just after Thanksgiving last year when Jerome Meyinsse played the best game of his college career — a 10-point, eight rebound outing on the road against Syracuse and Arinze Onuaku.

However, soon after, Meyinsse fell into former coach Dave Leitao’s doghouse. He played sporadically before being benched for the team’s final 10 games.

This season, under Virginia coach Tony Bennett, Meyinsse — to a certain extent — has been given a new lease on basketball. The Baton Rouge, La., native hasn’t exactly been lighting up the stat sheet, but he’s played in all 12 of the team’s games.

“I’m happy that I’m a contributor. I finally have a consistent role on the team, which is different from my previous years,” said Meyinsse, following Virginia’s win over Texas-Pan American on Tuesday night.

“You can always hope for more, but you have to just keep working hard every day and to continue to win as a team.”

Meyinsse had just two points, a rebound and a block in five minutes against the Broncs. But, prior to that, the 6-foot-9 center had been averaging 18 minutes per game.

Meyinsse played a sizable role in Virginia’s upset win over No. 24 UAB last Wednesday, scoring six points, all of which came at key junctures.

Meyinsse’s prettiest move was a turn-around jumper late in the game. “I try and get to the middle,” Meyinsse explained, “and if the defender takes that away, that’s my counter move.”

Bennett has been relatively pleased with what he has seen from Meyinsse — on the offensive end.

“I think Rome has been pretty steady in terms of being one of our better — if the ball’s in his hands — making some moves and some scores,” Bennett said. “I think he needs to keep improving on the defensive end and reacting to some things.”

Bennett referenced the loss last month at Auburn as an example of where Meyinsse needs work. In the game, Meyinsse didn’t play ball screens the way that was expected.

Overall, though, Bennett is clearly glad to have Meyinsse, a two-time All-ACC Academic selection. During a recent teleconference, Bennett, unsolicited, went on and on about the senior’s leadership qualities.

“The thing about Rome is, whatever his role is, he embraces it,” Bennett said. “He’s got a lot going for him. His off-the-court stuff is terrific with his grades and what he’s involved with. He’s a good man to have as part of your team.

“I like it that he wants to play, but he’s just hungry to help this team get better, and has embraced that.”

Meyinsse is well aware of how he can become a more consistent member of Bennett’s rotation.

“I have to work on keeping people in front of me [on defense] and not fouling so much,” he said. “In a couple of the games I played, I had four fouls. I have to keep my hands off the defenders and move my feet.”

 

Toe-to-toe
Harris scores 37 to lead Chelan boys over Eastmont, which gets 29 from Roberts
By Brent Stecker
World staff writer
Originally published January 6, 2010 at 1:25 a.m., updated January 6, 2010 at 11:36 a.m.

Tale of the court

Here is how Chelan’s Joe Harris and Eastmont’s Malachi Roberts fared in Tuesday night’s game:

Harris / Roberts

Points 37 / 29

Rebounds 12 / 12

Steals 2 / 4

EAST WENATCHEE — Nine games into the prep basketball season and the Chelan Goats have proven a point — they can play with anybody.

The Class 1A Goats rode a 37-point performance from star Joe Harris en route to a 71-60 win over Class 4A Eastmont in front of a packed crowd Tuesday night, improving to 8-1 overall in their final non-league game of the year.

Their only loss this season came in their season opener against Class 2A Ephrata, which is sitting at 6-0.

“This team would compete in the hardest division of the Big Nine. They’re that good,” Eastmont coach Mike Waters said of the Goats. “I can’t imagine there’s going to be any team from the Caribou Trail League that’s going to match up player for player with Chelan.”

Tuesday’s contest brought high expectations thanks to the pairing of Harris against Eastmont’s dynamic Malachi Roberts, former teammates on the elite AAU team Friends of Hoop. The superstars didn’t disappoint.

Though they battled foul trouble late, each scored about half of their team’s points. Roberts canned three 3-pointers and finished with 29 points, while Harris made up for 1-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc by shooting 13-for-17 inside it.

“They went toe-to-toe,” Harris’ coach and father, also named Joe Harris, said of the pair.

Both coaches were complimentary of the other team’s star.

“We won’t face another kid like (Harris) in the Big Nine,” said Waters. “(Walla Walla’s Gary) Winston and (Michael) Weisner don’t do what he does.”

“Malachi is a great kid, and his game has really taken off. He’s improved a ton,” coach Harris said.

Missing his usual touch from outside, Joe Harris had to get creative to get his buckets.

“I just tried to work hard,” Joe Harris said. “My jumper wasn’t necessarily there, so I was just trying to do other stuff to help us get the win — just battling for rebounds and pushing the ball for a chance to make things happen.”

In the end, it was the offensive help from junior Goat forward Aaron McQuaid that made the difference. McQuaid made the Wildcats pay when they paid too much attention to the University of Virginia-bound Harris by shooting 7-for-14 (2-for-4 from outside) to finish with 16 points.

“If you’re going to allow one kid to score, you have to keep the others at bay,” Waters said. “McQuaid was a guy we knew we couldn’t leave wide open.”

The Wildcats took control of the game early and led 5-0, but Chelan responded with a 12-0 run that included a pair of dunks from Harris to take the lead for good.

“For the first three minutes, we were rushing everything. Then we cooled down, started executing and doing what we normally do,” Joe Harris said.

Eastmont played catch-up the rest of the game, never getting closer than five points of the Goats’ advantage.

“We started hitting some easy buckets, and Eastmont had to work for their shots,” coach Harris said.

“They were just too strong, and we made too many mistakes,” Waters said.

Things got interesting with about four minutes left on the clock, when Roberts drained a trey to make it a 62-56 game. The teams continued to trade blows from there, but freshman guard Michael Amsel Jr. hit a pair of free throws inside the final two minutes to push Chelan’s lead to 68-60, forcing Eastmont to resort to fouls.

The Wildcats missed multiple attempts from 3-point land in the final 60 seconds, and Harris hit two free throws and Evan Reister made one to lock up the win for Chelan.

Harris grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out six assists, and made two steals for the Goats.

Roberts had 12 boards and four steals for Eastmont.

Cody Robinson made three 3-pointers and had 11 points, and Darren Spaeth added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Wildcats.

After the game, both teams were looking ahead to Friday — Chelan to its meeting on the road against an improved Okanogan team, and Eastmont to its home game against Richland, the eighth-ranked 4A team in the state.

“This is pretty good momentum going into Okanogan on Friday,” Joe Harris said.

“That was a great game, with a fantastic atmosphere. But we’re moving on,” said Waters.