UVa football lands running back, lineman
By JERRY RATCLIFFE
Daily Progress sports editor
Virginia closed out perhaps its most successful recruiting class in school
history Tuesday when the Cavaliers received commitments from another blue-chip
running back and an unheralded lineman, giving UVa 26 commitments heading into
today’s national signing period.
At least two national recruiting services had Virginia’s class ranked among
their top 10 in the country with the addition of running back Wali Lundy from
Willingboro, N.J., and offensive lineman Brett Tobin of Green Bay, Wisc.
Lundy is particularly intriguing in that he chose the Cavs over Boston College
the day after Virginia gained a commitment from highly coveted running back
Michael Johnson of Newport News.
Lundy is also unique in that after making first-team, all-state as a junior at
the wide receiver position, he repeated the honors as a running back last
season.
Tobin, a 6-foot-6, 280-pounder, was honorable mention all-state by the Wisconsin
Football Coaches Association. A unanimous All-Bay Conference choice, Tobin
played both ways for Pulaski High School in the suburbs of Green Bay.
Meanwhile, Lundy was the talk of South Jersey as he rushed for 2,030 yards and
30 touchdowns, while catching 29 passes for 411 yards and six more scores.
“He’s more of a slasher,” said Holy Cross coach Tom Maderia of the 6-1,
195 back with 4.5 speed. “Once in the open field, you’re probably not going
to catch him.”
As evidence, Maderia said that in the state championship game, Lundy was racing
down the sidelines when Notre Dame recruit Ryan Grant tried to knock Lundy out
of bounds. Lundy bulled over Grant and scored.
“He has great balance and explosive speed,” Maderia said. “He’s just an
all-around football player who could play a variety of positions. Once college
coaches saw him on film, they knew right away that he was a big-timer.”
According to Maderia, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Syracuse and Michigan
State all pursued Lundy until the star back narrowed his choices to Virginia and
Boston College.
“It was a tough choice,” Lundy said. “A lot of people were telling me
different things about the schools, but I decided to just listen to myself. I
was more comfortable at Virginia. I liked the school and the players seemed very
close to each other.”
Lundy, who was hosted by All-ACC receiver Billy McMullen on his Jan. 18 visit
here, has good hands and also plays basketball. He has two older brothers who
also play college football, one at Connecticut and the other at Kent State.
The Daily Progress will profile each of Virginia’s 26 commitments and will
feature coach Al Groh’s reaction to the recruiting class in Thursday’s
editions.
Tensions run high in ACC
By JERRY RATCLIFFE
Daily Progress sports editor
Scattershooting around the ACC, while remembering when every outing in the
league used to be a war …
Remember Frank McGuire’s South Carolina teams? It was like going to a fight
and watching a basketball game break out. There have been many rumbles in the
ACC over the years but things became so intense this past week that Commish John
Swofford decided to nip it in the bud.
Swofford suspended N.C. State freshman Julius Hodge for tonight’s game against
Virginia after the Wolfpack player struck Maryland guard Steve Blake in the head
during Sunday’s game. Reprimands were handed out to UVa assistant Walt Fuller
and Clemson coach Larry Shyatt after minor incidents last week.
“Over the past week, several violations of the league’s sportsmanship code
have occurred,” Swofford said. “This suspension and these reprimands are a
direct result of unacceptable behavior during last week’s games.”
Strong statement
Swofford said his action was intended to send a loud and clear message that ACC
basketball will not tolerate such behavior.
Hodge said that Blake gave him a cheap shot to his throat and was caught when he
retaliated.
“I guess he thought I boxed him out too hard,” Blake said. “He hit me with
an elbow in the back of the head. It takes more than that to knock me out. I
boxed him out. Of course you’re going to get hit when you get boxed out.
He’s just a little punk.”
The incident was the second involving Hodge and Blake. In Raleigh, Hodge fell to
the floor and stayed there more than a minute and said later it was because
Blake elbowed him in the stomach.
The ACC meltdown continued at Cole Field House when State coach Herb Sendek got
his first technical foul of the season. Sendek, usually a mild-mannered soul,
was hot about officials not calling fouls on Maryland in the Terps’ defending
of Wolfpack guard Anthony Grundy. Sendek charged onto the floor after official
Ray Natili and had to be restrained by assistant Larry Harris.
“I wasn’t happy,” Sendek said with a smile.
Too much talk
Meanwhile, Shyatt was fuming about Duke forward Dahntay Jones taunting the
Tigers’ players during the Devils’ win at Littlejohn Coliseum last Saturday
night.
After Jones dunked an alley-oop for a nine-point lead with 3:26 to play, Jones
taunted Clemson players as he passed their bench. Shyatt chased after Jones,
screaming at the Duke player. That brought Mike Krzyzewski off the bench as the
Duke coach approached Shyatt to defuse the problem.
“That’s not the way we run our program at Duke,” Krzyzewski said later. He
said Shyatt did nothing wrong and apologized if Jones did something wrong.
Shyatt said he reacted after Jones said something he shouldn’t have.
“It was a spur-of-the-moment thing,” Shyatt said. “It was no more of a
heightened moment. I may have reacted inappropriately, but it was to defend my
turf.”
Fuller approached Maryland’s bench to help guard Keith Jenifer after the UVa
freshman was pushed out of the Terps’ sideline huddle by a Maryland coach.
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to tangle with big Walt.
No laughing matter. Clemson guard Tony Stockman had to explain to
teammates that his happy-go-lucky nature does not mean that he doesn’t take
basketball seriously. After UNC drilled Clemson a week ago, coach Larry Shyatt
said his team was going through some internal problems.
Some of the Tigers believed that Stockman, a free spirit, needed to take a more
serious approach to the game.
“People look at you and say you’re not being serious … you don’t want to
win and stuff like that,” said Stockman, who is laughing almost all the time.
“I tried to explain to some of my teammates who think like that. I told them
that I want to win and I play hard, too. But when we get in the locker room,
I’m not just going to be sitting there and be all down. That’s not me.”
Out of doghouse. Guard Brian Morrison is out of coach Matt Doherty’s
doghouse at Carolina and back into the rotation after having been benched at
Clemson last week.
The sophomore has driven Doherty and the UNC fans crazy with erratic play and
has been described by some Carolina beat writers as “a turnover waiting to
happen.”
“When he comes in the game and he’s kicking the ball in the stands, he’s
not helping the team,” Tar Heels forward Jason Capel said.
Must win for Wolfies. Everyone talks about tonight’s game between
Virginia and N.C. State in Raleigh being a must for the Cavaliers. But the
Wolfpack need a win just as badly.
After getting off to their best start (16-4) in 26 years, State has lost
back-to-back ACC games and appears to be staggering after losing at home to Wake
and at Maryland.
Guard Archie Miller said the Pack is down to a seven-game season.
“It’s not panic time,” Miller said. “If someone would have said N.C.
State would have been 16-6 and 5-4 in the league, what would you say? We’re
not panicking about anything right now. We need to take care of business against
Virginia. You get to the second half of the ACC and teams are fighting for their
lives.”
Free throws … In the last three halves of play, Georgia Tech has given up
only a dozen 2-point field goals, five in the second half against Florida State
and seven against North Carolina. … Tech’s seven-footer Luke Schenscher is
coming on strong for the Yellow Jackets, holding UNC’s Kris Lang to only four
points, Lang’s season low. In the first meeting between the two teams, Lang
had his way inside with 13 points and 13 boards, but this time, he missed all
three of his second-half shots and went scoreless after the break. …
Ran into Dickie V. in the pressroom at the Missouri game and he was shouting
about his All-Rolls Royce team: Duke point guard Jason Williams; Maryland
shooting guard Juan Dixon; power forward Drew Gooden of Kansas; small forward
Mike Dunleavy of Duke; and center David West of Xavier. … Clemson freshman
forward Jemere Hendrix has left school and won’t return. He suffered a stress
fracture in his right foot early in the season and hasn’t played since Jan.
12, but it had been determined the injury would prevent him from playing the
rest of this season.
Pack's Hodge Suspended
Commissioner John Swofford, after interviewing game administrators and conference officials, made the announcement that Hodge has been suspended and will miss Wednesday night's game against Virginia. Also Clemson head basketball coach Larry Shyatt and Virginia assistant basketball coach Walt Fuller have been reprimanded.
Hodge was suspended for hitting Maryland's Steve Blake in the head during Sunday's game at Cole Field House in College Park, Md.
Official reprimands were also issued to Clemson's Shyatt for his conduct in Saturday's game with Duke, and Virginia's Fuller for his actions in Virginia's game against Maryland last Thursday. In addition, Swofford indicated that several other discussions regarding specific sportsmanship issues had been held with conference personnel, including game officials.
"Over the past week, several violations of the league's sportsmanship code have occurred," said Swofford in a statement. "This suspension and these reprimands are a direct result of unacceptable behavior during last week's games. While we all understand that emotions can be at a high level during this time of the season, the ACC cannot tolerate this kind of behavior. ...
"This is intended to send a loud and clear message that college basketball in the Atlantic Coast Conference is not going to be played in the way exhibited by these behaviors. The college game is something very special to many people and it must be respected by those who play it, coach it and watch it."
The disciplinary action was not surprising.
Hodge was assessed a technical in the game, and he contended afterwards that Blake elbowed him first. UM coach Gary Williams denied that claim on Tuesday.
"Blake didn't do anything. I think our player got hit," said Williams.
Williams was later asked why Blake and his teammates were grinning when Blake came out of the game following the incident.
"We were happy we won the game."
State coach Herb Sendek stated on Tuesday that he had spoken with Hodge and that there was a chance that the ACC could take action against Hodge.
Sendek, however, did allude that perhaps Hodge's incident wasn't the lone one during the game.
"I think the conference is taking a look at some of the aspects that led up to it," said Sendek.
No other player has been suspended, nor is more disciplinary action likely to take place.
The ACC's coaches agreed on Tuesday that work should be done to corral the growing sportsmanship problem.
"It's a national thing. This isn't just an ACC problem," said Williams about the recent ring of poor behavior. "It's up to us as coaches and administrators to make sure it doesn't happen anymore. For a lot of players (trash-talking) has been a part of how you play basketball. If there is something harming the game then hopefully we can put an end to it."
"I have all confidence in the world that the leaders in the league will take the responsiblity to continue in a very positive approach," said Shyatt.
"We try to learn from all situations," said Duke's Mike Krzyzewksi. "Throughout the country there's been more talking between players and coaches and things like that. I think we should elimininate that kind of stuff. Our conference is going to take steps to eliminiate that and I think it's good.
"Kids think that that's a way of being tough; that that's part of gamesmanship. It's put out there that you get notoriety, so people will do it because they think it's the way of getting good. It will always be there because of the competitive nature of the game. We need to take some steps to take it back to a less-prominent view in college basketball."
"You gotta draw a line in the sand," said Virginia's Gillen, "and I think we've crossed it too many times."
Younger Vick chooses Tech
NEWPORT NEWS -- When Ricky
Bustle left the Virginia Tech football staff in December to become head coach at
Louisiana-La fayette, the Hokies lost an offensive coordinator.
But they ultimately gained a top quarterback prospect.
Warwick High's Marcus Vick, younger brother of former Tech star and No. 1
draft pick Michael Vick, announced Tuesday that he also will attend school in
Blacksburg. Before Bustle departed and was replaced by former Syracuse and Notre
Dame assistant Kevin Rogers, however, Tech wasn't among Vick's finalists.
``That became the main focus,'' said the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Vick, a Parade
and Super Prep All-American who led Warwick to a 7-3 record that included an
upset of state champion Phoebus. He passed for 1,812 yards and ran for 810 this
season.
``I wasn't even considering Tech when Bustle was there. Now with coach Rogers
there, he has experience with several quarterbacks who are in the pros now. I
think he'll add the style to the offense that was missing. Coach Bustle was too
conservative.''
Under NCAA rules, Tech's coaching staff can't comment on commitments until
after it has received the signed letter of intent. That is expected to come
today, the first day of the national signing period for football.
Rogers became a friend of the Vick family when he was recruiting Michael Vick
for Syracuse in 1997. After joining the Hokies, Rogers and Marcus Vick spoke
fewer than 10 times, far less often than Vick had with his recruiters from
runner-ups Virginia and Tennessee. Yet, Tech won his services.
``The change to Rogers was an issue,'' Warwick coach Tommy Reamon said.
``Once they had Rogers, I knew it was going to be tough for any school to beat
out Tech.''
Michael Vick, who left Tech after his sophomore year and just finished his
rookie season with the Atlanta Falcons, attended his brother's announcement, but
downplayed his role in the process. In fact, Marcus said he decided on Tech
Sunday night, but didn't tell his brother until 24 hours later.
``I'm glad he's going to Tech,'' Michael Vick said. ``Two years ago, I never
thought he'd go to Virginia Tech. I left early, and now this gives (coach) Frank
Beamer another `'MV.' ''
Unlike Michael Vick, Marcus may not redshirt as a freshman. It depends how
comfortable he is with the offensive system installed by new offensive
coordinator Bryan Stinespring and Rogers. Last year's starter, senior Grant
Noel, plus sophomore backup Bryan Randle of Williamsburg and redshirt freshman
Chris Clifton of Chesapeake all will be in the same position in learning a new
scheme.
Reamon, who also has coached New Orleans Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks,
doesn't expect Vick's grasp of the system to be a problem. He said the younger
Vick is a better quarterback than Michael was at the same stage.
``He has such a strong arm and intellect,'' Reamon said. ``You have to
understand that he already can make all the throws they make at Division I
schools.''
Asked to compare the two, Reamon said Marcus Vick, who is righthanded,
doesn't have the quick wrist snap that characterized his brother's passing
motion. He's also slightly slower in the 40 -- 4.4 seconds to Michael's 4.3. But
he has an ability Michael Vick never seemed to learn in college: putting a touch
on the ball to feather it into places only his receivers can reach.
``He's going to do some things Michael Vick didn't do,'' Reamon said.
``People who criticize him when he makes a mistake by saying, `Michael never did
that' are going to have to acknowledge the things he does that Michael didn't.
The things he's working to do, I guarantee you, not many high school
quarterbacks are able to do.''
Marcus Vick said at least one local high school star tried to influence his
decision. Michael Johnson of Heritage High School, a Parade All-American running
back and close friend, phoned Vick Monday trying to persuade him to join him at
Virginia.
``At Virginia, I thought there would be a two-year wait before I played,''
Vick said. ``At Tennessee, I thought there would be a two-year wait. At Tech, I
may play next year. I may not, but the opportunity to play may be presented to
me earlier.`
Teammate Brendan Hill, a wide receiver who also signed with Tech, said he
doubted Marcus would have trouble dealing with the expected comparisons to his
older brother.
``Even at our games this year, sometimes the public address guy would slip
and say, `Michael Vick passes' or `Michael Vick runs,' when he meant Marcus,''
Hill said.
``Marcus is so strong as an individual, he just handles it well. He's not
concerned about being his own person because he already is.''
Marcus Vick smiled when asked whether he would resent being compared to his
brother.
``He was the No. 1 pick in the NFL,'' he said. ``Why wouldn't I want to be
compared to him?''
In other recruiting news, Virginia received a pair of commitments
Tuesday, bringing its total to 26.
Wali Lundy of Willingboro, N.J., rated the nation's No. 14 running back by
Rivals100.com, selected Virginia over Boston College. The Cavaliers also
received a commitment from Brett Tobin, a 6-foot-5, 275-pound offensive lineman
from Green Bay, Wisc. Tobin had previously committed to Vanderbilt.
By JIM DUCIBELLA,
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 6, 2002
| Cavaliers manage to dodge Pack's Hodge |
| N.C. State freshman Julius Hodge, who scored 24 points vs. UVa on Jan. 5, is suspended for tonight's game against the Cavs. |
| By
DOUG DOUGHTY THE ROANOKE TIMES |
As he tried to gauge the availability of his players, Virginia men's basketball coach Pete Gillen learned Tuesday that he didn't have to worry about one of N.C. State's top threats. The ACC announced at mid-afternoon that State freshman Julius Hodge has been suspended for two games "for deliberately and blatantly hitting Maryland's Steve Blake in the head," according to a statement released by the league office. Hodge, who had a game-high 24 points Jan.5 in State's 81-74 upset victory at Virginia, will miss the return meeting tonight at 7:30 in Raleigh, N.C., as well as the Wolfpack's game Sunday at Florida State. The ACC office also announced that Clemson head coach Larry Shyatt and Virginia assistant Walt Fuller have been reprimanded for their involvement in other altercations, Fuller when he crossed midcourt last Thursday night during a flare-up in the Maryland-Virginia game. Fuller has not been barred from tonight's game, but the suspension and reprimands are "intended to send a loud and clear message that college basketball in the Atlantic Coast Conference is not going to be played in the way exhibited by these behaviors," commissioner John Swofford said in a prepared statement. Hodge, the only Wolfpack player to start all 22 games, has built a reputation for inciting opposing crowds that was in evidence in the first State-UVa game. "I think he's made some real improvements and, obviously, he still has some measure to go," State coach Herb Sendek said Wednesday during the weekly ACC coaches' teleconference. "He's a wonderful young man. He's very competitive, very spirited, [but] we're working so he understands some other things." Gillen reported that senior swingman Adam Hall would not play, the seventh game out of eight that Hall has missed with a foot injury, but some of his other players are day-to-day. The big question concerns ACC rebounding leader Travis Watson, who did not start and played 13 minutes Sunday before removing himself in an 81-77 loss at No.22 Missouri. Watson has a sprained foot and a hip pointer to go with chronic cramps that have limited his practice availability. "It's frustrating," Gillen said. "You can't practice, you don't have good timing. As Teddy Roosevelt said, 'Do the best you can, where you are, with what you've got.' "Teddy's my idol. He's from New York City. I hope I don't go down hard like Teddy. Teddy's planted right now. So, hopefully, I don't get planted." |
Dialed In For Conference Call?
The leading candidate for the ACC's rookie-of-the-year award, N.C. State swingman Julius Hodge, will miss tonight's game against Virginia in Raleigh, N.C.
The 6-6 freshman must serve a one-game suspension for "deliberately and blatantly" hitting Maryland guard Steve Blake in the head Sunday at Cole Field House, the ACC announced yesterday.
The 10th-ranked Cavaliers (4-4, 14-5) won't bemoan the absence of Hodge (10.7 ppg). They've seen what he can do. When the teams met Jan. 5 in Charlottesville, the former McDonald's All-American made 7 of 8 shots from the floor, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, and scored a game-high 21 points in the Wolfpack's 81-74 victory.
The bad news for the Cavs, of course, is that they won't be at full strength tonight, either. Senior swingman Adam Hall (right foot) will miss his seventh game, and junior center Travis Watson, the ACC's leading rebounder, played only 13 minutes Sunday against Missouri because of a sprained left foot and hip pointer. His status for tonight is uncertain.
"Injuries are part of the game," U.Va. coach Pete Gillen said. "You got to deal with it."
The Cavaliers also are dealing with their first extended slump of the season. They've lost three straight, their longest skid since they closed last season with three consecutive defeats. Virginia's players are frustrated and "down about it," Gillen said, "but you can't feel sorry for yourself."
A victory over N.C. State (5-4, 16-6) would be huge for Virginia, which has potential get-well games against Clemson and North Carolina coming up at U-Hall. Beset by injuries and illness, the Cavaliers staggered out of Missouri's Hearnes Center on Sunday afternoon, but they conceded nothing to the Wolfpack.
"I don't think we're discouraged," freshman point guard Keith Jenifer said. "They came into U-Hall and stole one from us. We'll try to go down there and steal one from them."
The final minute Sunday evoked memories of Gillen's first team at U.Va., which had only six scholarship players for most of 1998-99. After guards Jenifer and Roger Mason Jr. fouled out, and with Watson and Hall sidelined by injuries, Gillen had to turn to walk-on Jason Dowling.
"Hopefully we can get everybody back eventually," Gillen said. "It is frustrating, but as Teddy Roosevelt said, 'Do the best you can with what you've got.' Teddy's my idol; he's from New York City."
Mason played with a fever and severe congestion Sunday. Also on medication were senior forward Chris Williams and 6-9 freshman Elton Brown.
"I think all this stuff happens for a reason," Mason said, "and hopefully the outcome in March and April will be something good."
NOTE: In addition to suspending Julius Hodge, the ACC reprimanded Clemson coach Larry Shyatt and Virginia assistant Walt Fuller for their actions in recent games.
Saturday at Littlejohn Coliseum, Shyatt ran onto the court to confront Duke forward Dahntay Jones, who after dunking an alley-oop pass had shouted insults and gestured with both arms in front of the Clemson bench.
Last Thursday at University Hall, Fuller stormed down the sideline to defend Jenifer, who was arguing with Maryland coaches in front of the visitors' bench. Fuller exchanged harsh words with the Terrapins' coaches before referees intervened.
"This suspension and these reprimands are a direct result of unacceptable behavior during last week's games," ACC Commissioner John Swofford said in a statement. "While we all understand that emotions can be at a high level during this time of the season, the ACC cannot tolerate this kind of behavior and will promote adherence to the league's code of conduct," which stipulates that players and coaches must carry themselves in a sportmanslike manner.
Halfway through the regular season, the Virginia men's basketball team now stands at a crossroads. With eight games left, including tonight's game at N.C. State, the No. 10 Cavaliers must set a tone for their remaining conference games and the not-too-distant ACC tournament.
"We need to win as many of these last eight games as we can," freshman guard Keith Jenifer said.
Tonight delivers up a dangerous N.C. State squad (16-6, 5-4 ACC) that won 81-74 at University Hall Jan. 5. Before that loss, Virginia (14-5, 4-4 ACC) was undefeated and ranked fourth in the nation.
Whether the Cavaliers were overconfident or N.C. State was underrated, Virginia was outmatched at home. The Wolfpack out-shot Virginia from the free-throw line (14 of 17, while the Cavaliers hit 13 of 20), and from the three-point arc (N.C. State made 11 of 23, while Virginia went 7 for 20).
"They came to U-Hall and stole one from us," Jenifer said. "We want to go down there and steal one from them."
Both teams are coming off tough losses going into tonight's game. Wake Forest beat the Wolfpack by only one point in Raleigh and the 'Pack kept Maryland on its toes throughout the game in College Park. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers fell to Duke, Maryland and out-of-conference opponent Missouri, creating an emotional week of basketball.
"This year we are a better road team than last year, but the last few games it hasn't looked like it," sophomore forward J.C. Mathis said. "It doesn't matter where we play, the court is still the same and the rim is still the same."
Still, the Cavaliers' 27-game winning streak against out-of-conference opponents reached an end against the No. 22 Tigers last Sunday.
Virginia's depth was tested as senior Adam Hall did not dress with an injured left foot and junior center Travis Watson had to leave the game early with a sore arch.
Further exacerbating the Cavaliers' personnel problems, flu symptoms plagued three key players. Roger Mason Jr., Virginia's leading scorer with 18.3 points per game, senior forward Chris Williams and freshman forward Elton Brown all had the flu.
"There weren't too many positives," to take from the Missouri loss, Mathis said. "A couple of guys were really under the weather and battled through that, so that's a positive. But after a couple years of being underdogs, now we're being favored and can't take too many positives away from this."
Virginia will have to get healthy if they hope to beat N.C. State on its own turf.
The Wolfpack has more than one offensive weapon to use against the Cavaliers.
Senior guard Anthony Grundy, who averages 16.5 points per game, freshman guard Julius Hodge (10.7 points per game), and freshman forward Josh Powell (9.1 points per game) offer just three examples of N.C. State's blossoming talent.
Rounding out the Wolfpack's top performers are senior captain Archie Miller (9.5 points per game) and sophomore forward Marcus Melvin (9 points per game).
The Cavaliers have a difficult task in front of them. With Duke and Maryland looming at the end of the season, the Cavaliers need an ACC win to bolster their case for the postseason.
"There is more pressure for us to get a win now, after three losses in a row," Mathis said.
Tonight a bruised but determined Cavalier squad must focus on their opponent if they hope to keep their Top 10 status.
Sidetracked Cavs Are Road Leery
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, February 6, 2002; Page D03
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Feb. 5 -- Nineteen games into its season, Virginia's men's basketball team remains a team of contradictions. The Cavaliers have been ranked in the top 10 since Thanksgiving and rose to No. 4 for two weeks in December, but they have won only half of their last 10 games and are fifth in the ACC midway through the conference schedule.
To regain its place as the ACC's third-best team -- assuming No. 1 Duke and No. 3 Maryland maintain the top two spots -- No. 10 Virginia likely will have to win on the road, a difficult task in recent years. Of the Cavaliers' remaining four regular season road games, three are against teams above them in the standings: North Carolina State, Wake Forest and Maryland.
The Wolfpack, which beat Virginia, 81-74, in Charlottesville on Jan. 5, is first; it will host the Cavaliers Wednesday night. With a win, Virginia (14-5, 4-4 ACC) would move past North Carolina State (16-6, 5-4) into fourth place in the conference. And most important, the Cavaliers said, a win would snap their three-game losing streak.
"We want to end this bleeding right now," said junior guard Roger Mason Jr., one of three Cavaliers who played despite flu-like symptoms in Sunday's 81-77 loss at No. 22 Missouri. "We've lost three straight, and we just want to end it. It's a very important game."
A win in the Entertainment and Sports Arena, where North Carolina State has won 75 percent of its games, would help Virginia distance itself from past road failures. After going 14-17 away from University Hall the last two seasons -- compared with a 25-4 mark at home -- the Cavaliers have improved to 4-3 in away games this season.
"So far this year we've done a little bit better on the road, even the games we lost," Virginia Coach Pete Gillen said. "We've still got a ways to go on the road, frankly, but we've shown improvement from last year and hopefully that'll continue."
Gillen said the addition of freshman post players Elton Brown and Jason Clark and increased contributions from sophomore forward J.C. Mathis have spurred that improvement. The Cavaliers are better equipped to play tough inside, whereas in Gillen's first three seasons at Virginia, they won with a frenetic, pressing style that did not always work without the support of a home crowd.
"This year we've done a better job of not thinking about the crowd either way," Mathis said. "It's the same two teams on the court no matter where we play. The court is still the same, and the rims are still the same."
Gillen said he will not know until game time which of his five sick and injured players will be able to play. Mason, Brown and senior forward Chris Williams struggled through flu-like symptoms in Sunday's game, while junior center Travis Watson played only 13 minutes because of a sprained left foot.
Senior swingman Adam Hall is a scratch for the seventh time in eight games; Virginia plans to hold him out until his right foot injury has healed.
The Cavaliers will not have to contend with North Carolina State freshman guard Julius Hodge, who was suspended by the ACC today for one game for hitting Maryland's Steve Blake in the back of the head in Sunday's game. Hodge, one of the conference's top rookies, scored a game-high 21 points in the Wolfpack's January win at Virginia. ACC Commissioner John Swofford also reprimanded Cavaliers assistant coach Walt Fuller for his actions during a sideline altercation last week against Maryland.
Regardless of who suits up for Wednesday's game, Gillen said the Cavaliers have time to regain their form, though he admitted consecutive losses to Duke, Maryland and Missouri left them frustrated.
"It's no disgrace getting knocked down, but it is a disgrace not getting up," Gillen said. "We're trying to get up. . . . A lot of teams in the country would lose those three games. But we've got to keep swinging and try to keep our spirits up, which isn't easy."
Groh, Golden help UVa win some recruit battles from Tech
He had hit seven that day.
"And I didn't need to ask for directions," Groh said, referring to his time as a Virginia player in the 1960s and an assistant coach in the early 1970s at UVa and North Carolina and later as head coach at Wake Forest. "I still knew how to get around."
This winter, Groh has shown he knows his way around the entire state, landing a large share of the commonwealth's top prospects, including Monday's windfall of three Parade All-Americans: C.D. Hylton High School (Woodbridge) linebacker Ahmad Brooks, the USA Today Defensive Player of the Year, Princess Anne (Virginia Beach) linebacker Kai Parham and Heritage (Newport News) running back Michael Johnson. He also nabbed two offensive linemen from the Lynchburg area, Damian Spradlin from Liberty and Brad Butler from E.C. Glass.
Groh has extended Virginia's national profile as well, landing several top New York players (including a fourth Parade All-American, Kwakou Robinson of Brooklyn).
Today is signing day, and Groh's bounty is expected to be the Cavaliers' biggest bumper crop in years. He has provided a significant foundation to rescue the program, which went 5-7 last year in his inaugural season.
"I think everything came together at the right time for them," said Mike Farrell, East coast recruiting analyst for rivals.com. "They had a new staff, coming in with a lot of energy, and the state had more top-notch talent than before. Top to bottom, in the top 50, the state of Virginia had as much talent as I've ever seen it."
Virginia also had a lot of playing time to offer, combining a program that had been treading water with the graduation of many top players.
"They're speaking in terms of all hands on deck," Spradlin said. "Everyone's going to get a shot. I think that's why they're getting such a good class."
A dramatic change was needed for the Cavaliers to compete. The state had been owned by Virginia Tech recently, thanks in part to Michael Vick and the national attention that ensued with his two wildly successful seasons, and then-Virginia coach George Welsh's eventual retirement looming at any given year.
Vick's younger brother, Marcus, a senior at Warwick, had his choices narrowed down to Tech and Virginia before announcing Tuesday afternoon, that he would follow his brother's footsteps into Blacksburg. But while Vick will be part of yet another strong recruiting class at Tech, the Cavs' recruiting class represents a remarkable turnaround.
Virginia's staff in the later years of Welsh's career had grown distant, limiting the majority of contact throughout the state to go through recruiting coordinator Danny Wilmer. Only a handful of coaches went on the road, Welsh joining them rarely. The Cavaliers' reputation suffered.
"They were using one guy, in Danny, to basically cover the whole state," Hampton coach Mike Smith said. "It would come down to three guys who would be out there. One man can only carry so much of a load. They (Groh's staff) have diversified that. Everybody's out there now, which is very good."
Virginia offensive line coach Ron Prince is in charge of the Lynchburg area. Danny Rocco, the recruiting coordinator and assistant head coach, handles the Roanoke area and Bedford. Rocco and defensive coordinator Al Golden, regarded as one of the nation's top recruiters while a Penn State assistant, have spearheaded the turnaround.
"I think they (Welsh's staff) might have grown a little complacent," Hylton coach Bill Brown said. "They're like me. They had been around awhile, been doing well for awhile, and they grew comfortable in their position. … There was no complacency in Blacksburg. They worked hard at it. I think the Virginia Tech staff had better in-state relations than UVa at the time. There's a big change now."
Brown credited Groh's leadership for the turnaround. His NFL pedigree - particularly that Groh left the New York Jets' head coaching job to return to college - established credibility and stability. His work ethic ingratiated him even further. Groh's goal was to visit every state high school in the spring, and if he did not make it, he came very close.
"The biggest thing was noticing right from the beginning that Groh went on the road," Brown said. "It was like he was an assistant coach. He didn't just go to schools with prospects ready to play right now, but he went everywhere. He sent a message to Virginia schools that he was going to work hard at it."
And Groh is landing blue-chip players, such as Parham, in places like the Hampton Roads area where the Cavaliers have been shut out for years.
"They're doing the same things Tech has done," E.C. Glass coach Ed Landis said. "They're holding clinics for high school coaches all over the place, trying to get into every school they can. … He came to visit me last spring when I was at Jefferson Forest, just to introduce himself face-to-face. That meant a lot."
Landis took 35 of his players up to Charlottesville last Friday afternoon for two and a half hours. They were given a tour of the facilities, watched some players work out and then were given a talk by the Virginia coaches on academics.
"The biggest change I've seen is that they opened their doors to us," Landis said. "They're available to answer questions and work with you."
If more than a handful of those 35 became Division I prospects, it would be surprising. But it's no longer surprising that Virginia would go to such lengths to keep up relations with state high schools - and be in the running for just about everyone.
UVa returns to N.C. State trying to end three-game skids
Virginia has never done well in Raleigh under Pete Gillen, and now the No. 10 Cavaliers have a more difficult than usual challenge: North Carolina State is actually good.
For years, the Wolfpack was the poster team for unfulfilled promise, with Herb Sendek bringing in top recruits every year and still turning out big, physical, intimidating but disappointing teams. But this year, the big trio of Ron Kelley, Damon Thornton and Kenny Inge are gone, yielding a well-balanced State team that has not lost one bit of its toughness, thanks in large part to senior guard Anthony Grundy.
Virginia found out the hard way Jan. 5, when the Cavaliers dropped their ACC opener to the Wolfpack, 81-74. Grundy was instrumental, scoring 19 points, dishing six assists and making three steals. Freshman Julius Hodge scored 21, and the Wolfpack's zone defense shut down Virginia's offense.
Now, the Cavaliers (14-5, 4-4 ACC) are heading into the Wolfpack's home court on a three-game losing streak and with a pronounced limp. Center Travis Watson has a foot injury, Roger Mason, Chris Williams and Elton Brown are recovering from the flu and Adam Hall is out with his foot problem.
"We hope to have everyone (Wednesday night), but we won't know until game time," Gillen said. "There's no disgrace getting knocked down, but there is disgrace in not trying to get up."
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N.C. State (16-6, 5-4) will be without Hodge tonight after he put a forearm into Maryland guard's Steve Blake's neck in the Terrapins' 89-73 victory Sunday. Hodge received a technical foul and the ACC Commissioner John Swofford suspended him Tuesday afternoon.
Also getting in Swofford's line of fire were Clemson coach Larry Shyatt and Virginia assistant Walt Fuller, who each received official reprimands. Shyatt left the bench during his team's loss to Duke Saturday, charging after Dahntay Jones taunted his team after a dunk. Fuller charged down the sideline after Maryland coach Gary Williams yelled at Keith Jenifer and Watson to leave the Terps' huddle after a timeout was called on the sideline.
"Over the past week, several violations of the league's sportsmanship code have occurred," Swofford said in a statement. "This suspension and these reprimands are a direct result of unacceptable behavior during last week's games. While we all understand that emotions can be at a high level during this time of the season, the ACC cannot tolerate this kind of behavior and will promote adherence to the league's code of conduct as stated in the ACC Manual that both coaches and players have the responsibility of conducting themselves in a sportsmanlike manner.
"This is intended to send a loud and clear message that college basketball in the Atlantic Coast Conference is not going to be played in the way exhibited by these behaviors. The college game is something very special to many people and it must be respected by those who play it, coach it and watch it."
Gillen, on the ACC media teleconference hours before the suspensions were announced, had similar sentiments.
"We're going to try to tighten the screws. We have to, otherwise there could be some ugly incidents. Everybody is playing for something: NCAA, NIT, winning record. The season takes a lot out of you. There's a strain. Every game is life and death. … It's great to be emotional, but we've got to control it. Hopefully these incidents will not occur the rest of the year, but if they do, hopefully they'll be minor."
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Hall may be out for a while still. He played against Maryland last Thursday after a five-game absence, entering the game for five minutes and missing a pair of 3-pointers, but the trainers and Hall agreed the pain suggested he was not ready to return.
"I don't think I made it worse by playing, but it sure hurt," Hall said. "We wanted to check it out to see if it was better enough where I could play. I'm not going to play again until it is better. That's not happening Wednesday, that's for sure."
In end, Lundy commits to Virginia