White: 'Hoos Need Board Work from Scott
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 01/27/2010
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- To students, fans and alumni, it's a huge deal.

To UVa basketball player Mike Scott, not so much. Never mind that the Chesapeake resident is one of the few Virginians on a team stocked with out-of-staters.

When UVa meets Virginia Tech, it's just another game to the 6-8, 239-pound junior.

"I'm really not that seriously into the rivalry," Scott said after practice Tuesday at JPJ, "but I know it's a rivalry that goes back to who knows when. These two schools, we just compete in every sport and everything."

The Cavaliers will face the Hokies at least twice this season. The first of their two regular-season clashes is Thursday night at John Paul Jones Arena, where a near-capacity crowd is expected.

Virginia (3-1 ACC, 12-5 overall) is coming off a one-sided loss at Wake Forest, a setback that ended the team's eight-game winning streak. Tech (2-2, 15-3) edged Boston College on Saturday in Blacksburg.

Scott missed the first two games of the Wahoos' winning streak with an ankle injury, but he averaged 13.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in the next six. Against Wake, however, he finished with 6 points and 2 rebounds, both season lows.

If the 'Hoos are to beat Tech, they'll need more than that from Scott, and he knows it. Asked if he's satisfied with his recent play -- he scored 12 points but had only 3 rebounds Jan. 18 against UNC Wilmington -- Scott shook his head.

"Nah, not really," he said. "I gotta rebound more. Gotta get more offensive rebounds, more defensive rebounds."

For the season he's averaging 7.2 boards per game, a slight dropoff from 2008-09, when Scott was 10th in the ACC at 7.4. As a sophomore, however, he averaged 3.4 offensive rebounds, second only to Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal in the ACC.

Scott's average in that category has plummeted to 1.9 this season, in part because he's expanded his game to include a midrange jumper with which he's been accurate. But he's operating farther from the basket, which reduces his effectiveness on the boards.

"I just need to work some more in the paint," Scott said, "so I can get more offensive rebounds."

Scott is UVa's only consistent threat to score in the low post, and when his shots are falling, his teammates get better looks on the perimeter. He's averaging 12.7 points -- 2.4 more than in 2008-09 -- and he's fourth among ACC players in field-goal percentage (55.3).

Tony Bennett talks often about wanting sophomore swingman Sylven Landesberg to become a more complete player. The Cavaliers' first-year coach wants Scott to aspire to the same thing.

"He can help us by offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding, being a presence in all ways," Bennett said. "Yes, the scoring is important, post moves are good, all those things. But sometimes players feel like, 'If I'm not making my shot or scoring, I'm letting my team down,' and it affects the rest of their game.

"Certainly when he's scoring, yes, that's when we're at our best, when he can score in the post. But when he's doing other things, it makes a big difference. Just his ability to draw a little attention, to set a screen, play off of a screen, pass, offensive rebound.

"I think sometimes you can get tentative or timid if you miss a few shots or you make a couple mistakes, if you have a couple breakdowns. You have to have a short memory and play on. You can't get it back in one play. You just gotta keep chipping away."

From Chesapeake's Deep Creep High, Scott went to Hargrave Military Academy, where he enrolled in the postgraduate program. His teammates at Hargrave included Jeff Allen and Dorenzo Hudson, both starters now for Virginia Tech.

"We're cool," Scott said. "I talk to them on and off. I watch some of their games. We normally talk to each other when it's close to game time."

Hudson, a 6-5 guard, is an explosive scorer -- witness his 41 points in an overtime win over Seton Hall in Cancun, Mexico -- but Scott will be more concerned with the 6-7, 230-pound Allen.

"That's the matchup most of the time [when the teams meet]," Scott said.

Inconsistency remains a problem for Allen, but he's an immensely gifted player whose career highs are 30 points, 21 rebounds, 6 steals, 5 assists and 5 blocks, respectively. Allen leads the Hokies in rebounding and steals.

"That's him," Scott said. "He's quick with his hands, quick with his feet."

The Hokies have won three of the past four games in a series that moves to Cassell Coliseum on Feb. 13. Virginia needs a victory Thursday night to climb into a tie for first in the ACC with Maryland, and this is Bennett's first game against his school's biggest rival.

All of which makes it particularly important to the 'Hoos, right?

"I think every game, especially in this league, is a big game," Scott said. "This game is especially big because of the rivalry, but every game is a big game."

 

Cavaliers Host Virginia Tech At JPJA On Thursday
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 01/27/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE—The Virginia men’s basketball team returns to John Paul Jones Arena on Thursday (Jan. 28) to play Virginia Tech in an Atlantic Coast Conference game that is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
The game will be televised by Comcast SportsNet and broadcast by the Virginia Sports Radio Network.
The 2009 NCAA Champion Virginia men’s soccer team will sign autographs prior to the game from 5:30-6:45 p.m. in the East Upper Concourse of JPJA. A ticket to the men’s basketball game is required to attend the autograph session. The men’s soccer team will also be recognized at halftime of the basketball game.
Virginia will be looking to bounce back from a 69-57 loss at Wake Forest last Saturday (Jan. 23). The loss was the first for the Cavaliers to an ACC opponent this season and ended an eight-game Virginia winning streak. UVa is now 12-5 overall and 3-1 in the ACC.
Virginia Tech enters Wednesday’s game with an overall record of 15-3 and a 2-2 record in the ACC. The Hokies are coming off a 63-62 home victory over Boston College last Saturday (Jan. 23).
Sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg scored 18 points to lead three Virginia players in double figures in the loss at Wake Forest. Landesberg is the only player in the ACC to score in double figures in every game he’s played this season. Junior guards Mustapha Farrakhan and Jeff Jones each added 10 points for the Cavaliers against the Demon Deacons.
UVa trailed 34-15 at halftime after Wake Forest closed the first half on a 16-1 run. Virginia's 15 first half points were their fewest in the first 20 minutes of a game since scoring 15 points against Connecticut on Nov. 29, 1993.
Virginia shot 33.8 percent (22-65) from the field in the game, including 23.8 percent (5-21) from three-point range, and 50 percent (8-16) from the free throw line. The Cavaliers tied their season high with 12 steals and forced 24 Wake Forest turnovers. Wake Forest out-rebounded Virginia 42-29.
“Not a whole lot to say, I think we got outplayed early and often," Virginia head coach Tony Bennett said after the game. "They were really aggressive, they kind of hit us in the mouth with their play on the offensive glass and we had way too many breakdowns defensively. I think that affected us; they had so many easy hoops.
"You’re going to have games where you struggle to shoot the ball, which showed at the free throw line tonight. Usually our defense is good enough to keep us in there until we can get something going offensively, but that wasn’t the case today and then certainly some foul trouble hurt us. You have to credit Wake Forest, they did the job, they were aggressive, they were ready. We made a nice run at the end, there was some effort shown that we didn’t die, but the game got out of hand too soon and it was just a mad dash to get a chance.”
Landesberg continues to lead Virginia in scoring and minutes played. He is averaging 17.5 points and 31.1 minutes played a game, and is shooting 83.0 percent (83-100) from the free-throw line. Landesberg is fourth in the ACC in free throw percentage, fifth in scoring and 10th in minutes played.
Junior forward Mike Scott leads the team in rebounding with an average of 7.2 rebounds a game and he is second in scoring with an average of 12.7 points a game. He is shooting 55.3 percent (78-141) from the field. Scott ranks fourth in the conference in field goal percentage and 13th in rebounding.
Sophomore guard Sammy Zeglinski is the third player averaging in double figures in scoring for Virginia. He is averaging 10.1 points a game and leads the team in assists (47 assists, 2.8 apg.) and steals (22 steals, 1.3 spg.). Zeglinski leads the ACC in three-point field goal percentage at 46.9 percent (38-81) and is third in the conference in three-point field goals made per game with an average of 2.2 a game.
Farrakhan and Jones are both averaging 7.3 points a game. Farrakhan is also averaging 2.0 assists a game, while Jones is shooting 45.3 percent (24-53) from three-point range, including 61.5 percent (8-13) in ACC games.
As a team Virginia is averaging 70.3 points a game and allowing an average of 60.9 points a game. The Cavaliers are shooting 45.3 percent (429-947) from the field, including 40.1 percent (107-267) from three-point range, and 74.9 percent (230-307) from the free-throw line. UVa is averaging 13.8 assists and 10.3 turnovers a game.
Virginia ranks third nationally in fewest turnovers a game. The Cavaliers rank first in the ACC in three-point field goal percentage, second in free throw percentage and assist to turnover ratio, and third in scoring defense.
Junior guard Malcolm Delaney, a third-team All-ACC selection last season, leads Virginia Tech in scoring and assists. Delaney leads the ACC in scoring with an average of 19.5 points a game and ranks seventh in the conference in assists with an average of 4.2 a game (71 assists). He is shooting 83.3 percent (105-126) from the free-throw line and ranks third in the ACC in that department.
Junior guard Dorenzo Hudson averages 12.8 points a game for the Hokies, while junior forward Jeff Allen is averaging 11.2 points and a team-leading 7.8 rebounds a game. Allen ranks eighth in the conference in rebounding.
As a team Virginia Tech is averaging 72.3 points a game and allowing an average of 59.9 points a game. The Hokies are shooting 43.2 percent (457-1057) from the field, including 33.3 percent (92-276) from three-point range, and 68.6 percent (295-430) from the free-throw line. Virginia Tech ranks first in the conference in scoring defense
Virginia leads the series with Virginia Tech 79-50, and the Cavaliers have a 32-10 advantage in games played in Charlottesville. UVa has won two of the three games played at John Paul Jones Arena in the series.
After the game with Virginia Tech, Virginia plays at North Carolina on Sunday (Jan. 31). That game is scheduled to begin at 7:45 p.m. and will be televised by Fox Sports Net.
 

HooYa! Blog
by HooYa

Virginia and Virginia Tech battle Thursday at the John Paul Jones Arena
by Trent Thurston, January 27th 07:42pm
Virginia (12-5, 3-1) returns to action Thursday night in a key match-up at the JPJ. Yes, the dreaded Hokies from Blacksburg return to town, and bring one of the ACC’s most feared competitors in Malcolm Delaney. The Wahoos spit the series with the Hokies last season, winning in Charlottesville and losing by three in the away game. In the Blacksburg game , Tech scored 25 points on Virginia turnovers, which is an incredible number! But last season’s Virginia team had a different coach and system and was plagued by bad decisions and way too many turnovers. Gone is the scary and curse-word–screaming Dave Leitao, and now in charge is the easy-going and media-friendly Tony Bennett.
The Hoos are still tied for first-place with Maryland, and both teams only have one ACC loss. Virginia's last outing was a tale of two halves against Wake. The Hoos got hammered in the first-half, and actually played pretty well in the second stanza. But it’s going to take a complete game to keep the pesky Hokies at bay.
Tech is 15-3 overall and 2-2 in the conference so far this season. The Hokies are the only team in the ACC that shoots under 40% from the field. Also, Tech has a difficult time scoring from the inside, and that will help Virginia win this game. The Hoos struggle mightily against teams with big, inside scorers. The Hokies also have the lowest turnover rate in the entire conference, with Virginia right behind them. Tech’s Jeff Allen has really struggled in ACC play so far this season (7.5 PPG), but I think this will be a break-out game for the aggressive big man.
If Virginia is going to win this game, they will have to shoot the ball better than they did against Wake. Virginia is also going to need a big 20+ scoring-night from someone other than Sylven Landesberg. Calvin Baker has done nothing in the Tony Bennett system (other than complain about playing-time), and the Wahoos need another consistent scorer besides Mike Scott and Landesberg. Time for Jeff Jones or Mustafa Farrakhan to get into the action!
The Hoos win this game 79-69 and Jeff Jones and Farrakhan both have great games from the perimeter! Go Hoos, whoop those damn Hokies!

Defense the name of VT vs. UVa game
Virginia Tech is the stingiest team in the ACC this season.
By Mark Berman
981-3125

While Virginia men's basketball coach Tony Bennett employs the "Pack Line Defense," Virginia Tech counterpart Seth Greenberg does not have a name for his defense.

Just call it No. 1 in the ACC, at least for now.

Restoring Tech's defense to its previously stingy nature was Greenberg's top offseason goal, and that emphasis is paying off. The Hokies (15-3, 2-2) lead the ACC in scoring defense, allowing just 59.9 points per game.

"That's a big thing in our practices, is defense -- trying to get stops and trying to dive on the floor, get the 50-50 balls," guard Dorenzo Hudson said. "It's kind of like becoming second nature to us."

Tech has held 15 foes this season to 66 points or fewer, including three ACC teams. Tech achieved that feat in just 10 games last season, including two ACC games.

"We're a lot more alert than we were a year ago," Greenberg said. "We're a little bit tougher in the halfcourt. ... It's just a stick-to-itiveness -- being hard to screen, not melting on screens, being prideful in all the little things.

"A constant for our program is we're going to be tough-minded, physical and defend people."

The Hokies ranked second in the ACC in scoring defense in 2005-06 (65.2 ppg) and again in 2006-07 (64.1 ppg), the season when defensive stalwarts Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon led the Hokies to the NCAA tournament.

Tech led the ACC in scoring defense in 2007-08 (64.7 ppg), when defensive stopper Deron Washington was a senior and the current core of five juniors were freshmen.

Last year, Tech fell to eighth in scoring defense (70.7 ppg).

"The attitude of last year's team wasn't to stop people," point guard Malcolm Delaney said in October. "We knew we could score with anybody."

So Greenberg spent the offseason preaching a renewed commitment to defense.

"He was like, 'We can't be trying to outscore people. We need to get back to who we are, this tough team playing defense,' " Hudson said. "We just bought into it."

The Hokies rose at 6 a.m. for summer workouts, where they would practice for 45 minutes without the ball, just working on their defensive stances. Taking charges was an emphasis as well.

"It's what we worked for all summer, playing harder on defense," forward Terrell Bell said. "People [last season were] just more worried about scoring, trying to see how many points they could get.

"It's a new year. [Defense] is our mind-set for this year. Coach Greenberg instilled it in us."

That mind-set was evident in last weekend's 63-62 win over Boston College. The Eagles committed 20 turnovers, including two on shot-clock violations.

BC turned the ball over three times in the final minute. With 21 seconds left, Biko Paris caught the inbounds pass and was surrounded by Bell, Hudson and Jeff Allen. Allen got his hands on the ball, forcing a jump ball that resulted in Tech gaining possession and scoring the winning basket.

The Hokies improved to 4-1 this season in games decided by five points or fewer or by overtime. Tech was 8-8 in such games last season.

"Our guys realized there's a very fine line between winning and losing and that we're probably not a team that's going to outscore people. ... [Defense] is what we have to hang our hat on," Greenberg said. "We have a good defense, and that's why we've been able to win some close games."

But is Greenberg focusing too much on defense? After spending a total of 35 minutes on offense in practice last week, Tech shot just 38.6 percent from the field against BC. The Hokies have the worst field-goal percentage (43.2 percent) in the ACC.

Tech averages about 80 minutes each practice on defense and just 15 minutes on offense.

"I'm trying to get a little more balance in that, but ... if we can't guard, we're not going to be in games," Greenberg said.

Hudson and Bell have had success guarding other teams' standouts. Bell usually guards wing players but held BC power forward Joe Trapani to six points, seven below his average. Hudson harassed Seton Hall guard Jeremy Hazell, who was just 7-of-17 from the field in an overtime loss to Tech.

Tech's post players have also stifled foes. Georgia's Trey Thompkins was 0-of-6 for the field against Tech, while Miami's Dwayne Collins was 2-of-7.

Allen ranks second in the ACC in steals (1.8 spg).

"I'm quicker than most big men, and I have long arms," Allen said.

The Hokies rank second in the ACC in turnover margin, forcing an average of 3.8 more turnovers than they commit. They scored 26 points off turnovers against BC.

"When offense ain't working, defense kicks in," Allen said.

Tech aide Courtney faces former employer
Doug Doughty

Virginia Tech basketball assistant Bill Courtney doesn't think there is any way he will take a seat on the wrong bench tonight.

Finding the visitors' locker room might be another matter.

"I don't think I've ever been in there," said Courtney, an assistant coach at Virginia from 2006-2009. "All I know is, it's down the hall somewhere."

Aside from that, Courtney probably could give a tour of John Paul Jones Arena, the setting for a 7 p.m tipoff between the Hokies (15-3 overall, 2-2 ACC) and the Cavaliers (12-5, 3-1) tonight.

Virginia's first season at JPJ in 2006-2007 coincided with Courtney's first season on the staff of then-UVa coach Dave Leitao. The Cavaliers got to the second round of the NCAA tournament and finished 21-11 with Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds leading the way.

Less than two years later, Courtney and the rest of Leitao's staff were looking for new jobs after a 10-18 season in 2008-2009.

"I wouldn't say there was bitterness," Courtney said. "When it first happened, I was stunned more than anything else. But, you've got to move on. I'm not a guy who holds grudges or takes shots at people."

Last year's winning percentage was Virginia's lowest in more than 40 years but the Cavaliers had participated in postseason play in three previous seasons under Leitao.

"Obviously, it was a surprise to all of us," Courtney said, "but, it's the kind of thing that happens in this business. You've got to roll with the punches.

"I'd never gone through anything like that before. There was a sense of 'what the heck do I do now?' For the first time since I had been involved in basketball, I wasn't part of a team."

Leitao and another one of his full-time assistants, Steve Seymour, are not coaching this year and still live in the Charlottesville area.

Courtney keeps up with them and two other members of that staff, former UVa director of basketball operations Rick Brunson, now an assistant coach at Hartford, and Drew Diener, who is the head coach at Cardinal Stritch, an NAIA Division II program in Wisconsin.

Courtney wasn't out of coaching for long, but he didn't go directly from UVa to Tech.

On April 15, less than month after the UVa staff was let go, new Virginia Commonwealth coach Shaka Smart announced the appointment of Courtney to his staff.

Courtney was at VCU for less than six weeks before he accepted an offer to join Seth Greenberg at Virginia Tech. Weeks earlier, Greenberg had lost former assistant Stacey Palmore to Virginia.

"Those guys [at VCU] were very good to me," Courtney said. "It wasn't like I was looking to go anywhere but then this opportunity came about. Can't look back."

Courtney previously had been an assistant coach for eight years at George Mason, whose coach, Jim Larranaga, offered a glowing recommendation to Greenberg.

"Jim was very high on him," Greenberg said. "He's [Courtney] been terrific. He's a coach's coach. He's got a great work ethic. He's committed and passionate about recruiting. He's excellent on the court. It's just like Jim told me: 'He's the total package.' "

Greenberg said he has never been in a situation where he has coached a game against players he had coached previously.

"It's always going to be difficult because there are a number of kids he's developed close relationships with," he said.

Courtney said some of the UVa players in whose recruiting he was heavily involved were Sylven Landesberg, Assane Sene and Tristan Spurlock. Landesberg was last year's ACC rookie of the year and is leading the Cavaliers in scoring for the second year in a row.

If he were coaching in another part of the country, Courtney said, he would be keeping up with the players and would not hesitate to correspond with them.

"Obviously, you still have some affection for those guys, but this is the first time I've seen them since we were let go," he said.

Normally, assistant coaches stand and watch as players warm up in the hour or so before a game.

Courtney expects to exchange the normal pleasantries tonight, but he won't go overboard

"I've got the players in the Virginia Tech uniforms to think about," he said. "but, I don't mind telling you, it's probably going to be a little weird."

Jerome Meyinsse making his mark as a Cavalier senior
By Michael Phillips
Published: January 28, 2010
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CHARLOTTESVILLE When Jerome Meyinsse went to Ghana -- his father's homeland -- this summer, word got around that he was a basketball player.

"There were a lot of people that asked me if I was Michael Jordan," he said with a laugh. "Or asked me if I played against Michael Jordan, or things like that."

He's not quite a household name yet, but Meyinsse (me-YIN-see) has worked his way into the starting lineup for the University of Virginia thanks to his hustle and selfless play.

He also provides a service to teammates as the resident statistics whiz. The economics major and math minor says that when the other players have questions, he's usually got the answer. But as for his own play, he's not all about the numbers.

"I feel like my contribution to the team is not really stats so much," he said. "I'll go and guard the best post player, and I'll try to set a lot of screens to get my teammates open."

This is Meyinsse's senior season, and he's finally found his role at U.Va. after a rough start. He didn't play the final weeks of the 2008 season, and had started only one game in his first three years.

"As far as basketball, my first three years didn't go as I'd hoped," he said. "But I hung in there and kept working hard. Now in my fourth year, I've gotten my opportunity to play and I've taken advantage of it.

Some of that corresponded with the arrival of new coach Tony Bennett, who told the players that everybody would start over with a clean slate.

Bennett has been impressed by Meyinsse's hustle ever since -- the way he dives for loose balls and throws his body around to help his teammates.

"Offensive rebounding is so much about having a nose for the ball," the coach said.

Meyinsse is averaging about four rebounds per game, and has recently started putting up numbers on offense as well, scoring a career-high 14 points against UNC Wilmington.

Against Wake Forest on Saturday, he had a more typical game, playing 23 minutes, scoring three points and pulling down four rebounds. It won't earn him a Michael Jordan level of recognition, but he's helping clear the way for his teammates.

Aside from Ghana, he also has roots in Baton Rouge, La., where his parents live and where he grew up. He's a big New Orleans Saints fan, and said he's been wearing his Drew Brees jersey since Sunday's game.

"Oh, I was on the edge of my seat during the game," he said. "I was ecstatic."

Football will take a back seat tonight as Virginia takes on Virginia Tech in the annual rivalry game. This year's is a big one: Besides playing for state supremacy, both teams are enjoying ACC success.

It's a change of pace from Virginia's usual situation this time of year. And for Meyinsse, he's also breaking with the norm -- in every season, his minutes have gone down starting on Jan. 1. But this year, they've been trending upward, a welcome change of pace for the senior.

Hokies, Cavaliers seek loftier ACC relevance as state rivalry resumes
By Dave Fairbank 247-4637
January 28, 2010

As a college basketball player at Wisconsin-Green Bay, Tony Bennett's exposure to heated rivalries was fairly lukewarm.

"When I was at Green Bay, it was the Chicago Bears," Virginia's head coach joked, "so that was about it. The Packers and the Bears."

Later, as an assistant coach at Wisconsin, Bennett was immersed in the Badgers-Marquette rivalry. At Washington State as an assistant and later as head coach, he lived the in-state blood feud with the University of Washington.

"But as a college player," Bennett recalled, "it was Southwest Missouri State with (coach) Charlie Spoonhour and Cleveland State with Kevin Mackey, but nothing like the Tech-Virginia games."

Bennett gets his first sideline taste of Cavaliers-Hokies tonight in Charlottesville as Virginia (12-5, 3-1 ACC) attempts to rebound from Saturday's thumping at Wake Forest.

Meanwhile, Virginia Tech (15-3, 2-2 ACC) seeks its first conference road win. The Hokies lost their first two ACC road games, at Florida State and North Carolina. They lost six of their last seven league road games dating back to last year, though they've won at least three ACC road games each of the past three seasons.

"It becomes a bigger game," Tech coach Seth Greenberg said, "because it's a league game and both teams are having some semblance of success. Both teams are fighting to stay alive and be relevant within the league. Obviously it's an in-state rivalry, but it's also a league rivalry right now.

"It's something that … your kids are aware of, but it's not like we're an hour away from each other and they're seeing each other all the time. We understand how big a game it is because they need to win their home games and we need to try to find a way to break serve on the road."

Since Tech joined the ACC in 2004 and the teams began playing at least twice a year, Virginia leads the series 6-5. Each has won on the other's home court — Tech in Charlottesville in 2008, Virginia in Blacksburg in 2006.

This season, the Cavaliers had won eight in a row before Saturday's 69-57 loss at Wake Forest, where the Deacons pulled away late in the first half and controlled the second half.

"Our key, I think," Bennett said, "will be getting back and trying to play the quality basketball that we need to play and that's required every night out in this league. When we're a little off, as we were against Wake Forest, that thing got out of hand pretty quick. Try to regain some continuity and just getting back to the things that have given us a chance in the past few games."

Virginia Tech most recently escaped with a 63-62 win Saturday against Boston College at Cassell Coliseum, a critical result if the Hokies are to finish in the top half of the conference. Tonight is another step in that direction, for both teams.

"To everyone else surrounding the game," Greenberg said, "fans, alumni, students, obviously it takes on even greater significance. For the coaches, it's the next game, and it's a game that we need to find a way to break serve and win on the road."

Inconsistent, enigmatic Allen can help Hokies by being consistent
David Teel
January 28, 2010

Good luck evaluating Jeff Allen.

One moment you'll project this Virginia Tech junior as an NBA power forward. He's that athletic, that skilled.

The next you'll dismiss him as a CBA lifer. He's that immature, that temperamental.

The Show with LeBron and Kobe? The on-again, off-again Continental Basketball Association with other wannabes?

Who knows, but here's an acronym that definitely applied to Allen last season against Virginia: MIA.

Allen's first opportunity to atone for those disappearances comes tonight when the Hokies (15-3, 2-2 ACC) and Cavaliers (12-5, 3-1) collide in Charlottesville.

And if Tech is to reverse last season's defeat at Virginia, and post its first ACC road victory of the season, Allen likely will play a leading role, owning the glass, defending Mike Scott and complementing Malcolm Delaney's offense.

"We need Jeff to play well," Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. "We're going to empower him and stay with him, and he's going to have some big games. If he has some good games, then we're going to have a chance to have a great season."

A 6-foot-7 product of renowned high school programs DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) and Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), Allen averages a solid 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. But in four ACC games, those numbers dive to 7.5 and 6.0.

Last season against Virginia, Allen was even less productive. He shot 0-for-7, scored three points and snared six rebounds in Tech's 78-75 home victory; he missed the Hokies' 75-61 loss at John Paul Jones Arena after drawing a one-game suspension for flipping off a fan at Maryland.

This season, Allen has been particularly ineffective in ACC road games. He contributed four points and seven rebounds, all in the first half, of a 78-64 loss at North Carolina; in 17 foul-plagued minutes at Florida State, he managed three points and three rebounds, this against a Seminoles front line that includes 7-foot-1 Solomon Alabi, 6-11 Xavier Gibson and 6-9 Chris Singleton.

Media took proper notice, prompting a soap-box defense from Greenberg.

"Yeah, he got in foul trouble (against Florida State)," Greenberg said. "He's playing against 6-9, 7-foot, 6-11. It's gonna happen. He's not the only guy that gets in foul trouble. You guys magnify everything negative that happens to Jeff Allen. Why don't we accentuate the good stuff that he does?

"How many guys in this league average 12 and eight? How many guys? The guy is a good player. Everyone wants Jeff Allen, Jeff Allen, Jeff Allen. He's not alone. Jeff Allen wasn't the reason we didn't compete offensively at Florida State. We lost as a team. It ain't about Jeff Allen. It's about our team. Do we need him to play well? Yeah, we need him to play well.

"But you know what? Jeff Allen sneezes the wrong way, you guys kill the guy. I think he's made some progress. We've just got to get him the ball."

Three points:

Greenberg "kills" Allen, too. In fact, he removed Allen from the starting lineup for three games earlier this season due to poor performances.

Allen deserves much of his bad ink. He deserved it for bumping an official two years ago at Georgia Tech and for last season's Maryland stunt.

Allen does not quite average 12 points and eight rebounds, but if he did, he'd join six others: Wake Forest's Al-Farouq Aminu, North Carolina's Ed Davis, Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal, Miami's Dwayne Collins, North Carolina State's Tracy Smith and Clemson's Trevor Booker.

The shortest of the bunch are Allen and Booker, both at 6-7, and Allen has hovered near those averages since setting foot on Tech's campus. He's on pace to become the first player since Ace Custis (1994-97) to lead the Hokies in rebounding for three consecutive seasons, the first forward to lead the team in steals for three straight years.

But after Allen's three-steal effort in Saturday's home victory over Boston College, Greenberg fussed about his gambling, fundamentally unsound defense.

"There was one play where he reached for the ball and the guy just goes and lays it in," Greenberg said. "It's feast or famine. We love it when it (works), but at a pivotal time, you've got to say, 'All right, keep the guy in front of you.' "

Feast or famine? It applies to far more about Jeff Allen than his defense.

NCAA prospects for ACC teams - David Teel

Seven ACC basketball teams earned NCAA tournament bids last year, including eventual national champion North Carolina. So with seven weekends remaining in the 2010 regular season, let's assess the conference's chances of matching or exceeding that number.

We'll go in order of the league standings.


Maryland (14-5, 4-1): Maybe the Terps, second-round NCAA losers to Memphis a year ago, are legit. None of Maryland's non-conference conquests is among the top 100 of the Rating Percentage Index, and the Terps' marquee ACC win was at home over Florida State. We'll learn much more about Maryland, Greivis Vasquez, Landon Milbourne and Co. in upcoming road tests at Clemson (Sunday) and FSU (next Thursday). NCAA odds: 50 percent.

Virginia (12-5, 3-1): Encouraging start to the Tony Bennett coaching era aside, merely a winning record and NIT bid would qualify as a success in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers just aren't as talented as their ACC rivals. NCAA odds: 15 percent.

Duke (16-3, 4-2): The Blue Devils are the early class of the conference, and if the Plumlee brothers develop consistency, they could be Final Four-caliber. Duke has not reached a regional final since 2004, its longest absence since the early 1980s. NCAA odds: 99 percent.

Wake Forest (14-4, 4-2): Ish Smith's speed and Al-Farouq Aminu's size make the Deacons imposing for anyone. Non-conference victories over Gonzaga, Richmond and Xavier make them a virtual tournament lock, but memories of last season's first-round implosion against Cleveland State linger. NCAA odds: 85 percent.

Florida State (15-4, 3-2): The Seminoles' first NCAA bid in 11 years ended with a first-round exit to a 12th-seed (Wisconsin) last season. Now they're poised for their first back-to-back NCAAs since 1992 and '93 -- that latter team advanced to the regional finals. FSU lost go-to scorer Toney Douglas to graduation, but an interior defense led by 7-foot-1 Solomon Alabi has compensated. Solid non-league wins over Iona, Alabama and Marquette, and a road victory at Georgia Tech, all but assure a bid. NCAA odds: 75 percent.

Virginia Tech (15-3, 2-2): The Hokies' chances are the most difficult to handicap. Their non-conference resume is a liability, and they're 0-2 against the top 50, losing to Temple and Florida State. Will Malcolm Delaney get enough scoring help? Can Jeff Allen avoid foul trouble? Will Tech sweep next week's Thursday/Saturday homestand against North Carolina and Clemson? NCAA odds: 40 percent.

(We interrupt our ramblings for a trivia quiz: Kentucky's loss last night at South Carolina assures that Indiana's 1976 team remains college basketball's last unbeaten champion. Name the Hoosiers' starters.

Bonus: Whom did IU beat in the title game?)

Georgia Tech (14-5, 3-3): Paul Hewitt's Yellow Jackets are arguably the ACC's most gifted team. But cogs Derrick Favors, Brian Oliver, Mfon Udofia and Glen Rice Jr., are freshmen, and point guard Iman Shumpert is a sophomore. Tech has not finished better than 9-7 in conference since 1996, though with a credible outside record (wins over Siena, Southern California, Charlotte and George Mason), 8-8 should be enough to make the tournament. NCAA odds: 65 percent.

Clemson (15-6, 3-4): The Tigers can't be trusted. Again. Last night's loss at Boston College was their third straight and among their worst defensive efforts this season. Trevor Booker is the lone consistent player for a program that hasn't won an NCAA tournament game since 1997, when Rick Barnes was coach. Non-conference victories over Butler and South Carolina enhance Clemson's prospects. NCAA odds: 65 percent.

Boston College (12-9, 3-4): Al Skinner's Eagles have made seven of the last nine NCAAs, but they have serious work to do to extend that run. Led by forward Joe Trapani, BC starts five veteran juniors, but wins in upcoming home games against Florida State (Saturday) and Duke (a week later) are essential to compensate for losses to Harvard and Maine. NCAA odds: 20 percent.

North Carolina (13-7, 2-3): Does anyone doubt that Hall of Famer Roy Williams will steady his young roster enough to secure a bid? Last night's victory at North Carolina State was a start and showcased the importance of sophomore forward Ed Davis, who missed the Tar Heels' loss to Wake Forest with a bum ankle. Remember, Carolina was good enough to beat Ohio State and Michigan State earlier this season. NCAA odds: 75 percent.

N.C. State (13-8, 2-5): Wolfpack forward Tracy Smith may be the league's most unappreciated talent, but he doesn't have enough around him. Coach Sidney Lowe, a starter on State's 1983 national title team, is a program icon, but a fourth consecutive season without an NCAA bid will make the faithful antsy. The Pack's next two ACC games are on the road, at Virginia and Georgia Tech. NCAA odds: 15 percent.

Miami (15-5, 1-5): The Hurricanes are 14-0 against a wretched non-conference schedule, but last night's loss at Maryland was their fourth straight. Three of those defeats were on the road, by 15, 18 and 22 points. Miami next plays Sunday, at home, against Virginia Tech. NCAA odds: 10 percent.

Best guess: The ACC rolls lucky seven again with Maryland, Duke, Wake Forest, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson and North Carolina making the NCAA field.

Quiz answer: Indiana's 1976 starters were Quinn Buckner, Scott May, Kent Benson, Bob Wilkerson and Tom Abernathy.

The Hoosiers defeated Big Ten rival Michigan in the NCAA final.

Confident Cavaliers ready for Hokies
By Whitey Reid
Published: January 28, 2010
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Two seasons ago in Blacksburg, a frustrated Mike Scott sat at his locker stall and essentially told a reporter that he wished his coach was more like Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg.

“They had a lot of confidence,” said Scott, following Virginia’s loss to the Hokies in February 2008. “Playing with Seth Greenberg, he gives them a chance, a little more leeway when they make a mistake. They make a mistake, they just get through it, and they still stay on the court, whereas we don’t have enough time to make a mistake. If we make a mistake, we’re coming out. They have a lot of confidence.

“You see [guard Dorenzo] Hudson, you see [forward Jeff] Allen, you know they’re going to stay in through mistakes. That’s what it’s all about — confidence. If somebody scores on me, just let me play through it. Don’t take me out. That’s what I would like to see.”

This season, Scott and Virginia players have been granted that wish. Gone are the herky-jerky substitution patterns of former coach Dave Leitao. They’ve been replaced by a palpable patience in the form of first-year coach Tony Bennett.

Bennett has, for the most part, picked a lineup and rotation and stuck with it. The result has been players understanding their roles and being more confident.

That, more than anything, is why Bennett’s bunch — which is mainly the same group of players as last season — finds itself in second place in the ACC heading into tonight’s clash with Virginia Tech (15-3, 2-2) at John Paul Jones Arena.

“I’m not sure that it’s that drastically different, except they’re a confident team right now,” said Greenberg, when asked to compare this year’s Virginia outfit with past ones. “They feel good about themselves, and they should. They’ve won a lot of games ... you have to give their coaching staff credit for that.”

Indeed.

But a big question should be answered tonight — was Virginia’s 3-0 start in league a precursor to a successful season or just a lucky winning streak?

In the loss at Wake Forest on Saturday, UVa (12-5, 3-1) looked deficient in many areas. With a road game looming at North Carolina on Sunday, tonight’s contest could be tantamount to staving off a three-game slide.

“We’re coming off a game where we didn’t play well, and Wake certainly played well,” Bennett said. “I think our key is to really learn from where we weren’t strong in that game and try and get better in those areas.”

One of Virginia’s main points of emphasis will be Tech’s Malcolm Delaney, who has developed into one of the top guards in the country.

In the loss to Wake, Virginia was picked apart by Demon Deacons floor general Ishmael Smith. Bennett says Delaney will present a similar challenge.

“They’re both terrific guards,” Bennett said. “We didn’t do a real good job on Ish. He played really well and had his way with us in a number of different phases of the game.

“Certainly, Delaney is a guy who can score the basketball and is very talented. They use him in a lot of different ways. With players like that, you just have to do your best to make them earn the baskets, and that’s what was disappointing about Wake Forest.”

But Greenberg says it’s been much more than the Delaney Show this season. Hudson and Terrell Bell have been keys, with the former averaging 18.7 points since Jan. 1.

“I’m really pleased with the niche that Bell and Hudson are basically settling into,” said Greenberg, whose team is coming off a win against Boston College on Saturday. “They’re really embracing their roles and doing a lot of things to help us win — things that don’t show up in the stats.”

Greenberg knows he’ll need the duo’s best tonight against Sylven Landesberg. The Virginia sophomore has scored in double figures in every game this season and has started doing a lot of those little things himself.

“When you prepare for Virginia, you start with Sylven for sure, and then you go to Scott,” Greenberg said. “They have a lot of different guys who can score the basketball. Sammy [Zeglinski] can make shots. [Mustapha] Farrakhan can make shots. Jeff Jones can make shots. So you have to be very aware of that.”

Bennett, whose biggest nemesis while he was at Washington State was Washington, is looking forward to tonight.

“It’s a rivalry game that I’m sure will have a nice atmosphere,” Bennett said. “Our key will be to just get back to playing the quality basketball that we need to play and is required every night in this league.

“When we’re a little off, like we were against Wake Forest, things can get out of hand pretty quick.”

Dunks

Virginia senior captain Calvin Baker, who didn’t make the trip to Wake Forest for disciplinary reasons, is expected to be in uniform and available for tonight’s game. ... Virginia leads the all-time series, 79-50, including a 31-11 mark in Charlottesville. The teams split last season’s meetings, with each team winning at home.

Men's Basketball: More on the pack-line...

In Saturday's story on the history of Virginia's pack-line defense, I wrote how Tony Bennett measures the success of the defense on how it defends three-point shooting. I've received e-mails asking about this criterion, considering the players who are not pressuring the ball are packed inside the imaginary line.

It's a good question. When I posed it to Arizona Coach Sean Miller, he said most three-pointers are the result of dribble penetration. The pack-line prevents penetration, forcing teams to pass around the perimeter. If the defense is played correct, the perimeter defenders remain in position between "ball and man" to jump out at the shooter once the ball is swung. The idea of the defense is for ever player to move within the "pack" together.

This was explained to me by the person who created the defense, Dick Bennett, who expected the three-point defense out of the pack as such:

"It's designed so that you can get from the help to the shooters. The ability from the help to the shooters is the key. If you're just so totally help oriented that you don't recover, it's just so easy to shoot over the top. But if you can anticipate the recovery, it really enables you to be in a position to help and then anticipate the recovery of the ball. You could get there -- and should get there -- just as it's caught. So, you're not going to be able to intercept the pass, but you ought to be able to affect the shooter.

"So, that's the key to it. But if you're going two ways -- in other words, you're going to help and then a recovery, that's too slow. It's got to be, you can be in the help position, thus have the pack mentality, so you can recover to the shooters."

By Zach Berman

Men's Basketball: Thoughts on U-Va.-Va. Tech rivalry

When Virginia and Virginia Tech meet, the in-state rivalry is a much-discussed story line. Although when Virginia is 3-1 in the ACC and Virginia Tech is 2-2, the game is not about bragging rights as it is about simply winning a game that both teams need to win.

"To everyone else surrounding the game -- fans, alumni, students -- it takes on great significance," Virginia Tech Coach Seth Greenberg said. "For the coaches, it's the next game."

And it's a game in which the Cavaliers must protect their home court, while the Hokies must steal a game on the road to avoid falling below .500 in the ACC.

Virginia Coach Tony Bennett joked that when he played at Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Chicago Bears were still considered the rival. While an assistant coach at Wisconsin, he experienced the rivalry with Marquette and some Big Ten schools. Upon arriving at Washington State, Bennett saw the in-state, intra-conference rivalry that matches that of Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Greenberg said the games have become more significant since the Hokies joined the ACC. Both teams need to stay alive to remain competitive in the ACC, considering neither entered the season as one of the league's top teams.

The game also can factor into the living rooms of recruits, as Virginia and Virginia Tech are often competing for players around the state and within the region. Virginia's Jerome Meyinsse said the in-state players all know one another, and the game takes on significance to them.

But the rivalry aspect means more to the students, alumni and fans than it does to the players and coaches -- both of which just need another win.

"Its not like we're an hour away from each other and they're seeing each other all the time," Greenberg said.

By Zach Berman

Tony Bennett keeping his cool during his first season at Virginia
By Zach Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 28, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Minutes after Virginia beat Georgia Tech on Jan. 13 for the biggest win of the Tony Bennett era, the Cavaliers' first-year coach arrived at a news conference armed not with an opening statement but with an opening question.

"Did St. John's make that free throw?" Bennett asked, referencing a close game on television as if what happened with his team during the previous three hours was already forgotten.

And in a way, it was. He discussed the game, reviewed the film and then moved on to the next day's practice. For a coach who warns his team about becoming "too high or too low," Bennett acts as he instructs.

"You just have to be true to your personality," Bennett said. "If you're a yeller or a hollerer, then you do that. When I played, I was a little more even-keeled, and I think I coach that way."

When Bennett described a game-winning shot that was flawlessly designed and executed against UNC Wilmington on Jan. 18, he deemed it a "simple little play." When the Cavaliers entered halftime with a 19-point deficit in Saturday's loss to Wake Forest, his players said he did not march into the locker room with words reverberating through the arena's bowels but instead had the same even-keeled demeanor that has marked his 10 months in Charlottesville.

"It is not phony, it's not a facade," said assistant coach Ron Sanchez, who came to Virginia with Bennett from Washington State. "He knows who he is, how he can communicate. He's not trying to be something that he's not, other than what he truly is. He can be very, very calm and competitive without using foul language, without jumping up and down."

Sanchez has watched Bennett coach in NCAA tournaments and preseason scrimmages, and finds no difference. Sanchez said Bennett is one of the few coaches he has encountered who is not as concerned with the result as the way the team plays.

Because to Bennett, every practice, every shoot-around and every game is another step toward playing the desired way -- which, in the Bennett family, begins on the defensive end.

"Only thing that gets him fired up is if we're playing bad defense," freshman guard Jontel Evans said, "or if we're playing defense good."
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His players insist that the personality should not be confused with a lack of competitiveness. Sanchez said Bennett is one of the most competitive people he has ever met. The difference is Bennett remains careful about how that competitiveness manifests itself in front of his team.

Bennett followed a collegiate career at Wisconsin-Green Bay with three seasons in the NBA. While playing with the Charlotte Hornets for Allan Bristow (a Virginia Tech alum, Bennett begrudgingly notes), he witnessed a coaching style different than when he played at Green Bay for his father, Dick Bennett. There was more discussion in the NBA and more input sought from the players.

"Every player responds differently, and you got to read your players," Bennett said. "In the NBA, it's a little more of a player-coach relationship. . . . A little more give-and-take, letting guys play with a little more rhythm."

Sanchez said Virginia's assistant coaches are not meant as intermediaries between the head coach and the players because Bennett often confers directly with the players.

Junior guard Jeff Jones said Bennett approaches players in practice to learn what they experience on the court during certain plays. Sanchez has witnessed Bennett ask players for input during games.

The residual effect is that the players feel comfortable with Bennett. After Sylven Landesberg was whistled for his second personal foul in the first half of Saturday's loss to Wake Forest, he said he approached Bennett as he came off the floor to tell Bennett he could play in that situation.

"He's a player's coach; he knows how it is," Jones said. "He's been out there. He keeps his cool, keeps calm. He knows we'll play hard for him whether he yells and screams or not."

Before the season, guard Sammy Zeglinski said that Bennett told the team that his "bite is louder than his bark." Although Dick Bennett had the reputation as a fiery coach, Tony Bennett said he has his mother's personality.

Jones called Bennett one of the most "consistent" people he has ever met, and Sanchez said this personality allows Bennett to remain most composed in pressure situations.

His players point to Landesberg's game-winning shot against UNC Wilmington, when Bennett maintained the same even-handed approach in the huddle as in a preseason practice.

"It was cool," Evans said. "Mr. GQ. Nothing got to him."

And when the shot fell through, Bennett barely wrinkled his tie -- a new look for a coach who prefers the open-collared shirts that he wore at Washington State and sports during road games with the Cavaliers. The wardrobe is just another way that Bennett shows he can still coach without acting -- or sometimes, looking -- like other coaches.

"He's the same, and I don't know how he does it," Evans said. "I'm used to being around coaches who lose their lid when things are going wrong. But with Coach Bennett, he just keeps the same swagger throughout the whole game. He doesn't get too mad, he doesn't pout. He's always positive throughout the whole game."

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
January 28, 2010 12:36 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

When Tony Bennett played basketball for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the only rivalry that existed in the area was the NFL's Packers against the Chicago Bears.

Virginia's first-year head coach got a taste of intense hoops rivalries when he was an assistant at Wisconsin and the Badgers played in-state foe Marquette every season.

It ratcheted up a notch when he became the head coach at Washington State and faced archrival Washington twice a year.

Bennett will get his first dose of the Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry tonight at 7 p.m. when the Cavaliers host the Hokies (15-3, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) in an early-season ACC clash in John Paul Jones Arena.

Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg is a veteran in the rivalry compared with Bennett.

"It's something that obviously has been here prior to Tony being at Virginia or myself arriving at Virginia Tech," said Greenberg, who has spent the past seven seasons in Blacksburg. "But it becomes a bigger game because it's a league game and both teams are having some semblance of success."

Bennett said he's expecting a frenzied crowd in Charlottesville as fans, students and alumni hope to gain bragging rights. They'd also like to help Virginia (12-5, 3-1) keep pace with Maryland atop the ACC standings.

Still, an intense atmosphere isn't the only thing anticipated.

There should be fierce defense on both sides and an individual matchup worth watching.

The Hokies rank first in the ACC in points allowed per game (59.9). The Cavaliers rank third (60.9).

Bennett brought along the well-known "pack-line" defense when he arrived at Virginia.

Greenberg said his defense needs no name.

"Obviously Coach Bennett is a brilliant tactician and a brilliant coach," Greenberg said. "But it's all the same--stay between the ball and the basket, make sure you don't get split and block out. That's the definition of our defense."

The Hokies' offense has been stagnant lately, but one player has been consistent all season.

Junior point guard Malcolm Delaney (19.5 points per game) is the leading scorer in the ACC.

The Cavaliers had difficulty containing Wake Forest standout point guard Ishmael Smith on Saturday in a 69-57 loss that snapped their eight-game winning streak.

Smith finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Bennett said the Cavaliers will need to be aware of Delaney at all times because he's a game-changer.

"They're both terrific guards and we didn't do a real good job on Ish," Bennett said. "He had his way with us in a number of different phases in the game."

The Cavaliers have a perimeter threat of their own in sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg (17.5 points per game), who is fifth in the ACC in scoring.

The reigning ACC rookie of the year is the only player in the conference to score in double figures every game this season.

"When you prepare for Virginia," Greenberg said, "you start with Sylven."

However, Greenberg acknowledged that Landesberg isn't the only Cavalier with a hot hand lately.

The entire roster appears more relaxed under Bennett than it was under ex-head coach Dave Leitao, who was fired at the end of last season.

"I'm not sure they're drastically different except they're an extremely confident team," Greenberg said. "They feel good about themselves, and they should."

OUR LEAGUE: Topsy-turvy start in ACC
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: January 27, 2010
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Scattershooting around the ACC returns after a six-week hiatus as conference basketball hits full gear ...

The biggest shocker is that defending national champion North Carolina is near the bottom of the ACC standings, while Virginia is near the top. Who would have thunk it?

While the Cavs keep receiving praise by basketball pundits across the nation for their 3-1 ACC start under Tony Bennett, it’s a different story down in Chapel Hill.

To quote the old movie line, Roy Williams is mad as hell, and he isn’t going to take it any more.

Carolina had a rare three-game losing streak heading into a road game against N.C. State on Tuesday night, and it was definitely getting to Williams.

“My confidence level is that I’m going to work,” the Tar Heels coach said of the losing skid. “I don’t give a darn about what’s going on. I’m going to coach my rear end off and it’s up to them to come along with me.

“There’s only so much I can do. They’ve got to come along,” Williams continued. “I’m going to ask them, ‘Do you want to keep playing?’ If they don’t want to, we can figure out something for them to do.”

Williams confirmed the losing is eating at him big-time.

“If I live long enough, maybe this will help us a couple of years down the road,” he said. “But I don’t know if I can live through this.”

Hokies come callin’

My personal opinion on Thursday night’s Virginia Tech visit to John Paul Jones Arena to take on the Cavaliers is that rebounding is the key.

The team that controls the boards will win the game, and neither the Hokies nor the Wahoos have been overly impressive in that department in conference play.

In fact, there’s not a single Cavalier ranked among the ACC’s top 20 rebounders in conference games only. The Hokies have two — Terrell Bell is 15th with 6.3 per game, and Jeff Allen, from whom we all expected more, is pulling down an unimpressive 6.0 boards per game.

If Virginia is going to win this one, then Mike Scott, Jerome Meyinsse and Assane Sene are going to have to bring their ‘A’ game to “The Jack,” which should be crazy. This should be the best crowd of the season so far, which should help the Cavs if you believe their players, many of whom have noted how much an energetic crowd means to their efforts.

Stat of the week I

Who was it that said there’s always some team out there that has your number?

In ACC basketball, that’s truly the case.

The longest streak by one team over another in ACC basketball, in fact, two of the four longest streaks in the league belong to Maryland, while the other two belong to North Carolina.

The Terps have beaten Georgia Tech eight times in a row, the longest current streak in the league. Those two meet again on Feb. 20 in College Park, and a ninth straight would be somewhat mind-boggling considering the talent that Yellow Jackets’ coach Paul Hewitt has had on his roster, but has clearly underachieved with.

Maryland also has a six-game streak over N.C. State (the two meet in Raleigh on Feb. 17). Carolina has six-game streaks over two teams, including N.C. State (heading into Tuesday night’s game — this column was written prior to the game’s start), and the Tar Heels own a six-game streak over Virginia, which will travel to Chapel Hill on the last day of the month.

Stat of the week II

When Virginia scored only 15 points in the first half at Wake Forest last Saturday, it was the second-lowest scoring half by an ACC team this season.

Best sign of the season

ACC fans are rather clever when it comes to signs at basketball games.

Best one so far this season was spotted at Clemson’s Littlejohn Coliseum when Carolina — minus current NBA players Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson — came to town on Jan. 13.

The sign read: “No Hansbrough, No Ellington, No Lawson, No Chance.”

So, you wanna be ...

A star athlete?

Most people will tell fathers to teach their sons to be left-handed pitchers, but if it’s basketball you’re thinking about, teach you kid how to rebound.

That’s what Maryland’s Gary Williams and every other Division I coach would love to sign.

“Coaches want guys that will rebound and play defense inside,” Williams said. “That’s a rarity. All those teams have guys that can shoot the ball. What they’re looking for is what they don’t have, which is a player that will rebound. They don’t care if he’s 6-2 or 7-2. If he can rebound, he’ll play for them.”

That’s what Jordan Williams is giving the Terps right now, something Maryland hasn’t had since Lonny Baxter, a four-year player who can play with his back to the hoop, rebound and play some ‘D.’

ACC legends

The conference has announced its 2010 ACC tournament legends and among them is one of the most underrated players in Virginia history: guard Harold Deane, a four-year starter at point guard and All-ACC player.

A list of the legends: N.C. State’s Rodney Monroe, UNC’s Sam Perkins, BC’s Terry Driscoll, Clemson’s Dale Davis, Georgia Tech’s Bruce Dalrymple, Maryland’s Keith Booth, Miami’s Will Allen, Virginia Tech’s Chris Smith, Wake Forest’s Dave Wiedeman, Duke’s Jack Marin and Florida State’s Otto Petty.

They will be honored at the ACC tournament this March in Greensboro, N.C.

ACC Pro Bowl

It’s not hard to see that the ACC is producing great talent on the gridiron.

Just look at this weekend’s NFL Pro Bowl and it’s evident that ACC players are standing out in the league.

In fact, for the second consecutive year, the ACC has more of players (23) in the Pro Bowl than any other conference, including three former Wahoos: D’Brickashaw Ferguson of the Jets, Heath Miller of the Steelers and Matt Schaub of the Texans.

A breakdown of the ACC stars in the game looks like this: Miami 10, UVa 3, N.C. State 3, Maryland 2, UNC 2, BC 1, Clemson 1 and Florida State 1.

Free throws ...

Former Virginia head football coach Al Groh said that he will keep his residence in Charlottesville but get a smaller place in the Atlanta area now that he’s the defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech. “Instead of going to the beach on vacation, we’ll just come back to Charlottesville,” Groh said. ... It’s unusual that so many former UVa head football and basketball coaches remain in Charlottesville. Groh’s predecessor, George Welsh, resides in Charlottesville, as do former UVa head basketball coaches Pete Gillen and Dave Leitao. ... Clemson could be hurting with Demontez Stitt’s foot injury sure to reduce his minutes this week. ... Speaking of the Tigers, if they are to get back into the ACC title hunt, then Tanner Smith must step up his game. In 50 minutes of playing time in two games against Duke this season, Smith was a mere 1 of 12 from the field, and that ain’t gonna get it done. ... Georgia Tech guard Mfon Udofia is watching his playing time evaporate as well. He went from 41 minutes against UVa a few weeks ago in Charlottesville to just 13 minutes in Tallahassee in Sunday’s loss to FSU. Part of that is because of Iman Shumpert’s recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery, but part of it is that ACC coaches have learned what to take away from Udofia. ... As always, you can catch more of my thoughts on two other media: The Daily Progress weekly podcast “The Hootie & Whitey Show,” with myself and beat writer Whitelaw Reid; and on Jay James’ “Best Seat in the House” radio show on WINA (1070 AM), normally on Tuesday night.
 

Virginia aims to claim state bragging rights
Conference-leading Cavaliers host Hokies, seek to rebound from loss to Wake Forest
Jack Bird, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Men's Basketball / Sports
January 28, 2010 0

After failing to extend its eight-game win streak last week, a Virginia team eager to regain momentum will face its fifth ACC opponent of the season tonight at John Paul Jones Arena, taking on in-state rival Virginia Tech.

“I think that’s the beauty of sports — you can’t be too discouraged or too elated if it goes well,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “We’ll prepare for the in-state rival and learn from the breakdowns — address those, and get ready to play. That’s all we can do.”

The Cavaliers (12-5, 3-1 ACC) began conference play with a 3-0 record after a road win against N.C. State and two impressive home victories against then-ranked Miami and Georgia Tech.

After a lackluster performance and loss in Winston-Salem last weekend, however, Virginia fell to 3-1 in the ACC. The Cavaliers also ranked first in the conference until Maryland picked up a win the same weekend tying with the Cavaliers for the top spot in the ACC.

“This game will be a learning experience for us — we’ll look at the tape [and] we’ll learn from it,” senior forward Jerome Meyinsse said of the Cavaliers’ showing against Wake Forest.

The Hokies (15-3, 2-2 ACC), meanwhile, have struggled through their conference schedule for the most part. Apart from a convincing win against Miami at home, Virginia Tech has lost both of its road games and barely edged Boston College — picked to finish ninth in the preseason media poll — by one point in the squad’s most recent home contest.

Though Tech is seemingly struggling, the Hokies are actually off to their best start since the 1994-95 season.

One threat the Cavaliers will have to look out for is Hokie junior guard Malcolm Delaney and his 19.5 average points per game, a statistic which is also tops in the ACC.

The Cavaliers were the only team in the conference to return all five starters from the 2008-09 season, but the Hokies’ starting lineup arguably possesses more overall experience. Tech will most likely field four juniors and a sophomore at tip-off, while Virginia’s likely line-up has only two upperclassmen to accompany two sophomores and freshman guard Jontel Evans at point.

Backing up Delaney for the Hokies are junior forward Jeff Allen and junior guard Dorenzo Hudson — both of whom average double figures in scoring. The key to a Virginia victory, therefore, will be to contain Tech’s multiple scoring threats and to bounce back from the team’s poor defensive showing last weekend against the Demon Deacons. In that game, Wake Forest shot 52.3 percent from the floor while the orange and blue managed only 33.8 percent.

Momentum will not only prove critical for the Cavaliers to win this game, but down the road as well, as the young squad prepares to face North Carolina on the road and Duke at home in the near future.

Meeting Mike London, part 2
Andrew Seidman, Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor
Featured / Football / Sports
January 28, 2010 0

New head football coach Mike London hopes to build men of character on and off the field. Photo courtesy Virginia Sports.

It’s the height of recruiting season, but Mike London was generous enough to spend an hour of his time with me. Recruits are walking in and out the building every day.

So while we settled into his office and made some small talk, I tried to think of what we have in common … which led to the following exchange:

Me: “So, I assume with recruiting you haven’t gotten a chance to see Tony Bennett’s team yet?”

The 49-year-old football coach: “No, no — I went to the Miami game, and the make-up game.” (Apparently the basketball players weren’t the only ones who considered UNC-Wilmington, which followed the win against Miami, somewhat of an afterthought.)

We found our common ground. Excellent.

Later, as I got ready to leave London’s office at the conclusion of the interview, he turned to me and asked, “Are you going to this?” He showed me a ticket for ‘Step Up to the Plate,’ the annual fundraiser for the Virginia baseball team.

The message was clear: Mike London wants to immerse himself in the Virginia community. He talked about trying to plan a meeting with the presidents of all the fraternities and sororities to try to create some new traditions at home football games.

He suggested orange afros.

He stressed that he can’t bring Virginia back to prominence by himself and needs the full support of the community. He even tried to solicit my help before the interview had started; I have soft hands.

In yesterday’s edition of The Cavalier Daily, London talked about his life experiences and how they shaped him as a coach. Today, he unveils his master plan.

What did you learn about Virginia football in your six years as an assistant and coordinator here, and what do you think has changed since you left or needs to change now that you’ve returned as head coach?

I’ve learned that outside of these walls that, nationally, there are people that respect and acknowledge a Virginia education — the degree, the opportunities and the doors that it can open for you. I’ve come to learn that, from a football standpoint, there’s tremendous history here — from the George Welsh days, in terms of taking a program of nothing and turning it into a program of significance. That, in the years that coach [Al] Groh was here and we were here and having winning seasons and bowl games, capped off with the Gator Bowl, which is one of those Jan. 1 bowls — something you always try to get to.

And then having stepped away on the outside looking in, just seeing that the state of Virginia is big enough for two teams to be really good, you know what I mean? The state of Virginia has enough talent and enough opportunities here that two teams can do well. I believe that. They’re two different kind of schools — the profile of the student-athletes that we recruit are different, although both schools educate the student-athletes who go there. We’re just different, and that’s the bottom line with that — you can be successful. And you can enjoy the best of both worlds opportunity here — it’s being done at Stanford, Northwestern, Cal and it was done at Richmond. So, that’s the goal.

I’m a high school senior, and Frank Beamer just visited my house a week ago. I’m thinking about going to Virginia Tech. Now, Mike London comes to my door. What does he tell me? What does he say about Virginia football and why I should come to U.Va.?

If I’m coming to your door, obviously there’s two things that you have: You have the academic capabilities to do well here, and you have the athletic abilities to help us win and for us to help you materialize and develop your skills. Whatever preconceived notions that you might have had about Virginia football — I would say that was then, this is now.

Hopefully reflective of the type of men that I’ve hired on staff here. Reflective of the culture that’s gonna be created in terms of what I believe that you have to have in order to be successful. And not just on-the-field things. There’s off-the-field things that can take priority, which will lead to on-the-field success. Building young men of character: Go to class, show class and treat people with dignity and respect … We’re not entitled to anything, we don’t belong here just because we’re this and that. I’m a product of a military man, 25 years Air Force. My dad always believed that what you do speaks so loud, I can’t hear what you say.

What role do you envision for coach [Jim] Reid as ‘associate head coach’ in addition to being defensive coordinator?

He’s been a head coach before, couple of different places. You learn this only when you become a head coach and when you’re an assistant: A lot of times the head coach makes a decision that maybe as an assistant you don’t quite get it or understand it — but there’s a perspective that he has, when you have to make decisions like that, that he can also echo those sentiments … Having been a head coach, he can make suggestions in the matters of recruiting, or the practice schedule, or whatever, because he’s had to make those evaluations and decisions himself. So, I value that type of experience he has — so that’s why we gave him the title that I think he deserved.

You’ve stated your intention to use the 4-3. What advantages do you see in that particular scheme and how difficult do you think it will be to convert a defense that has operated in the 3-4 to the 4-3?

The stand-up outside linebackers can now become the down-rush defensive ends. The players that were head-up now can get on the edge and rush the passer and do different things. So, I think from a mindset, it changes. I know it’s hard to recruit high school players to be a 3-4 defensive lineman because of the prerequisite of size, bulk, things like that. It’s easier to find a high school young man who might be at 215 now, and you project him as a “Will” linebacker in a 4-3 scheme. Or, you know what, he’s gonna gain 25 more pounds, and project him as a down-lineman in a 4-3 scheme — he can rush the passer. So, that process, too, will change as we go ahead and recruit. It goes back to recruiting — all the commitments that held firm, and obviously there were some recruited for the 3-4 defense, but I think in looking at them, at the transition from where they were projected to where we think they can be in a 4-3 scheme, we think we can make that transition seamlessly … I recruited Cam Johnson as a defensive end — I think he could do well. I recruited Nick Jenkins. I was here when Matt [Conrath] was like Bambi — he was like all sticks and bones — and now you watch him grow and develop, imagine him getting on the edge and doing some things. He played with a high-ankle sprain the last couple games, and now is getting himself back healthy. So, just excited about opportunities for guys like that to hopefully be able to put him in position to make plays.

Can you talk about what you’re going to do with the offense? Shawn Moore was on the phone recently and talked about how U.Va. tried to use a spread offense last year, but just didn’t have the personnel.

You think about this school in years past, you’ve had first-round draft pick offensive lineman — this is a place [with] offensive linemen, tight ends, good running backs, quarterbacks that can handle the play action pass and manage the game — things like that. And rely on some toughness and athleticism on the edge, talking about the wide receivers. I think we have to be able to run the ball, run the ball with authority. You have to be able to keep the clock moving at the end of the game by running the ball, but you also have to be able to protect the quarterback and say, ‘You know what, we got one of the best wide receivers, let’s block it up and throw it down deep. Let’s get the ball out in space to the playmakers’ … Everything will be new. There’s nothing that’ll be the same offensively and defensively, so the terminology, the play-numbering, the play-calling, all that — so there’s a learning curve for everybody. Michael Strauss is here — he’s a mid-year quarterback from Gulliver Prep, he’s here. Of course Marc [Verica] is here. Ross Metheny is the other quarterback. Riko Smalls is another quarterback prospect. So, the thing now — to find out who can do what, and who can do it better than who and then go from there.

Quite simply, what are your expectations for next year’s team?

First and foremost, my expectations are to make sure that those three things I talked to you about, going to class, showing class — the change in the culture from that standpoint — we gotta do a better job of being students. We gotta do a better job of being athletes. I think the first part of this is to set those expectations back in motion again that you’re here to get an education, but we’re also here to compete and play. So I think you can take care of foundational things, as I did at Richmond, I think what you’ll see on the field will speak for itself. And I’m excited about that. I’m excited about the talent that’s here, the mindset about who we’re gonna recruit, those things like that. The positive energy that we’ve gotten since we’ve gone into some of these households. We’ve been all over — from Florida to Georgia, to Jersey, to Connecticut, but particularly in-state in Virginia — the positive feedback that we’ve gotten … To be reflected in not this year’s class, although this year’s class is a good class, but next year’s class will be my first recruiting class.

Coach Groh was defensive coordinator last year, so clearly he had a lot of influence on play-calling. Can you speculate right now how much influence you will have on play-calling?

Part of the process of that is getting together with your staff prior to spring, during spring as to how I envision we need to play both offensively and defensively. I think the benefit of being a defensive coach for such a long time — you have an idea of how offensively what things can hurt you defensively, and vice versa. Being able to interject the way you think we have to play … We’re gonna have one of the best corners in the country, and that’s Ras-I Dowling. He’s gonna be a first-round draft pick before it’s all said and done. Don’t wanna put too much pressure on him, but he’s a tremendous talent. And when you have corners and safeties like Rodney McLeod, guys like that, then you have the ability to do things. That’s why it’s exciting to see going into spring practice as I watch winter workouts, and then as we’re in spring practice as I’m watching to see how we craft this thing.”

What do you plan to do differently from coach Groh to transform a program that’s had three losing seasons in the past four years to be more successful?

One is I’ve talked to more media people than I can remember in the last — Look, I understand that I want people to get to know the team. I want the team to know the community. I want the students to get to know the team, people to know the coaches. And I think providing a window like that — and to see we’re just regular guys like you, I think that’s important. Hopefully the style of play and the attitude and the energy is something that catches on, wanting to get involved out there in the sororities and the fraternities — things like that. It’s something that probably hasn’t been done before, but that’s part of my nature — to be inclusive. Also do my job, win games, educate these guys so they can graduate.

What is the ideal ‘Mike London Player’ like?

The ideal? A guy that’s focused and committed, a guy who loves, loves the game and has a lot of energy and passion. When you turn on the tape, the film and you say, ‘The prototypical, alright, he’s 6-foot-6 and blah blah blah.’ Turn on the film and look at that guy play, and you can tell he loves to play football. And that’s me — I’ll take a bunch of those guys like that. In the end, when it’s a tough game, you gotta give everything you got. Sometimes, that talented player, if things are kind of tough — all that talent he has — he didn’t rise to the occasion. But you got a guy who loves to play and has passion and energy — you can win a lot of games with that.

Coach Reid said he had a conversation with coach Welsh a few years back, and Welsh said, ‘We did it right, we can win a national championship.’ In your view, what does it mean to do it the right way?

Not sacrificing your principles or morals, in terms of recruiting a young man. You don’t have to cheat to do things. There are a certain set of NCAA rules and regulations that you live by. You go in the homes of people and parents and you rep them with integrity and honor. You look a parent in the eye and say, ‘I’m gonna take care of your son,’ and mean it. And then in the end, the greatest accomplishment will be in the development of that player and that person … And then win games along the way, have fun and win games along the way.

UR hoping no more football oral commitments switch to London, U.Va.
By John O'Connor
Published: January 28, 2010
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There is no specific, written agreement between the University of Richmond and Mike London that prevents London from recruiting for the University of Virginia those prospects from the Class of 2010 who orally committed to the Spiders.

However, "Mike indicated that was not going to be happening," UR Athletic Director Jim Miller said yesterday.

Earlier this week, Collegiate quarterback Jake McGee switched his oral commitment to U.Va. from UR, to which he committed in August.

London was Richmond's coach the past two seasons and gained 14 oral commitments from the Class of 2010 for UR before becoming Virginia's coach in mid-December. McGee, one of the 14, said he felt allegiance to London, and the opportunity to be part of an ACC program attracted him.

"Each young man has to make his own decision about where he wants to go to school," Miller said. He added that he would not be disappointed in a recruit who changed his mind over a period of several months. "Where you elect to go to school is probably one of the most important decisions of your life because it affects so much going forward after that," Miller said.

UR did not request of London that as Virginia coach he avoid recruiting prospects who orally committed to Richmond. But according to Miller, London said that was not his intention or expectation.

"I would be disappointed if a coach recruited a young man with the full knowledge that he would not be able to play at that school long-term, and would not be able to play the position he really wanted to play, just to get numbers," Miller said. If a prospect were signed "just to make [the coach] look good in the recruiting process, I'd be disappointed if that were to be the case," Miller said.

The signing period for football begins Wednesday, and there has been speculation that more of the 14 prospects who orally committed UR while London was Spiders' coach may end up on Virginia's list of letter-of-intent signees.

"We have been told specifically by the coaches at Virginia that they will not be recruiting any more student-athletes that are committed to Richmond," Miller said.

Miller said that he hasn't spoken to London since London accepted the Virginia job. Coaches are prohibited from discussing oral commitments until prospects sign letters of intent. UR opens at Virginia on Sept. 4.

Lineman Lawe commits to UVa
By The Daily Progress Staff
Published: January 28, 2010
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Virginia coach Mike London wasted little time in landing a player from the Tidewater area.

Late Tuesday night, Virginia’s new coach secured a verbal commitment from Stephen Lawe, a 285-pound offensive tackle from Maury High School in Norfolk.

London was quick to offer Lawe a scholarship after he took the position at Virginia.

Originally considered a prospect at defensive tackle, the coaching staff reportedly will slot Lawe at offensive tackle when he arrives for training camp in August.

As a senior, Lawe had four sacks and 15 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Lawe becomes the 16th player to commit to the Cavaliers.

Lawe picked Virginia over an offer from Old Dominion, but received interest from Maryland, Purdue and Virginia Tech.
 

Maury High's Stephen Lawe commits to U.Va.

While none of the recruits U.Va. has picked up this week will impress the guru types, the Cavaliers' coaching staff continues to make a late push to populate its 2010 football recruiting class.

Stephen Lawe, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound lineman from Maury High in Norfolk, has committed to U.Va. His final decision came down to scholarship offers from U.Va. and Old Dominion. He also had offers from Memphis, Norfolk State and Virginia Union.

Lawe will likely start out as an offensive tackle at U.Va., but he could also fit in at defensive tackle. He's scheduled to visit U.Va. this weekend. He's the 16th commitment for U.Va.'s class. Next Wednesday will be the first day recruits can sign a letter of intent.

Posted by Norman Wood

 

Free Football Meet & Greet with Mike London Set for Feb. 5
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 01/27/2010

Charlottesville, VA - Cavalier fans will have the opportunity to meet new head football coach Mike London when the Virginia Athletics Foundation and the athletics department hosts a free Meet & Greet event for the public Friday, Feb. 5, at John Paul Jones Arena. Coach London will be joined by the members of his staff for the program.
While the event is free, fans are asked to register online at the VAF website if they plan on attending.
Doors at JPJA will open at 6 p.m. for the UVa Football Meet & Greet and the program portion of the event is scheduled to start at 6:45 p.m. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free hot dog. A cash bar and concessions will also be available. The Cavalier Team Shop in the main lobby will feature specials of up to 50 percent off on official Cavalier merchandise. Both the Cavalier Marching Band and Virginia cheerleaders will be on hand to perform.
Fans unable to attend the event in person can watch a live webcast starting at 6:45 p.m. on VirginiaSports.com.
"My schedule has been very hectic since accepting the head coaching position in December," London said. "The focus has been on meeting our current players, recruiting, developing relationships with high school coaches around the state and hiring a staff. Our staff is looking forward to wrapping up the signing period by finally getting to meet and talk to all the Wahoo fans out there. This is going to be a fun night and we are looking forward to it."
In addition to introducing his staff and discussing the future of the Virginia football program, London will provide commentary on the 2010 Cavalier recruiting class. National Letter of Intent signing day takes place earlier in the week on Feb. 3. Video highlights of the members of the signing class will be shown on Hoo Vision at John Paul Jones Arena.
VirginiaSports.com will provide up-to-date information on this year's recruiting class Feb. 3 as each student-athletes' letter of intent arrives at the McCue Center. In addition to posting biographies, photos and video of each signee, VirginiaSports.com's Jeff White will provide a running blog from the UVa football offices to give Cavalier fans an intimate look at the day's activities.



 

Best of the decade: Teams
Dan Stalcup, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Sports
January 27, 2010 1

Last week, I introduced my “Best of the Decade” series of columns, in which I planned to rank my personal choices for the greatest Virginia athletic accomplishments of the past decade. After looking at Cavalier coaches from the ‘00s, I named swim and dive coach Mark Bernardino the best of the decade, with men’s lacrosse coach Dom Starsia a close runner-up.

Today, I’ll be counting down my choices for greatest teams of the aughts. I tried to evaluate each season in terms of overall accomplishment and significance to the University.

At the end of each list is a shout-out to one of the teams that didn’t make the cut but stood out as one of my favorites nevertheless.

1. 2006 men’s lacrosse

“Complete and utter domination” might be the best way to describe the first perfect season in lacrosse history. The NCAA champion Cavaliers didn’t just finish 17-0, they slaughtered everyone in their path; apart from a 7-6 win against Princeton and a 14-10 win against Notre Dame, every victory of the season came by a margin of five goals or more. And that includes the postseason.

2. 2009 men’s soccer

Who would’ve thought three weeks into last semester that we were about to witness the soccer team complete a national title run? Who knew that goalie Diego Restrepo would become a hero on Grounds? The preseason was ugly and disappointing, and the team didn’t really get kicking until the end of September. But the Cavaliers got hot at the perfect time, storming through the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament and edging then-undefeated Akron in penalty kicks to win the title. It was storybook-perfect.

3. 2003 men’s lacrosse

The ‘06 team was more successful, but the decade’s other national champion squad had Chris Rotelli, Tillman Johnson and a young Matt Ward on its roster. All three players would eventually win at least one national player of the year award.

4. 2006-07 men’s basketball

They didn’t win the championship. They didn’t even make it to the Sweet Sixteen. But I’d argue that there hasn’t been a more memorable and meaningful season for students this decade than the 2006-07 basketball season, which certainly makes it one of the greatest.

The Cavaliers lost only one home game during John Paul Jones Arena’s debut season. Sean Singletary and J.R. Reynolds led Virginia all season long to some huge wins and one lasting image: No. 44 pointing to the camera after an overtime win against Duke.

5. 2007-08 men’s tennis

It’s a shame the undefeated Cavaliers were upset in the national semifinals because the 2006 lacrosse team would’ve had a competitor for the best team of the decade if the tennis team had survived two more games.

Led by individual NCAA champ Somdev Devvarman, who dominated college tennis that year at an unprecedented level, Virginia won the indoor national title and routinely crushed touted opponents. The Cavaliers shut out 13 foes ranked in the top 50.

6. 2004 women’s lacrosse

Virginia has the reputation of being a lacrosse school, but most people forget that refers to women’s lacrosse, too. Three times during the last decade, the ladies made incredible runs to the title game but fell short of victory. Only in 2004 did the 19-3 squad win it all.

7. 2009 baseball

What’s most incredible about the best Virginia baseball season of all time is just how unexpected it was. By all accounts — even the team’s — ‘09 was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Yet the greenhorn Cavs streaked to the College World Series and set the expectations impossibly high for coming seasons.

8. 2004 football

The 2007 Cardiac Cavs have a special place in my heart, but the best Virginia football team of the decade played in 2004. Heath Miller and Marques Hagans kept the Cavaliers nationally ranked most of the season, even though the 1-3 stretch to close out the season — including losses in a bowl game and to the Hokies — ended it on a sour note.

9. 2000 swim and dive

Virginia swimmers are so good, year in and year out, that it’s hard for one particular season to stand out. Having two national champions on the squad — Cara Lane and Ed Moses — helped the ‘00 squad go down as a special one, though.

10. 2003 women’s lacrosse

Losses don’t come more gut-wrenching than an overtime loss in a national title game to a rival. Ask the 2003 women’s lacrosse squad, which fell a single goal short of taking home the trophy in an 8-7 loss in extra minutes to Princeton.

Dan’s Salute: 2007-08 women’s basketball

Another postseason win or two, and the squad would’ve seen serious consideration for this list. The set-up seemed perfect: it had a trusted leader (Sharnee Zoll), a rising star (Monica Wright), solid support (Lyndra Littles, Aisha Mohammed), an underdog walk-on with rare three-point shooting talent (Tara McKnight), a defining game (senior night versus Georgia Tech). The team got hot at the right time. Unlucky seeding, however, set Virginia up in what amounted to a home game for No. 11 Old Dominion in the second round of the NCAA tournament, and the Cavs lost by three points.