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Virginia keeps searching for killer instinct

By ANDREW JOYNER
Daily Progress staff writer

No. 15 Virginia’s 73-63 win over North Carolina on Tuesday night was a microcosm of its entire season.
The Cavaliers showed the flashes of how good they can be as they vaulted to a 19-3 lead in the game’s first four minutes. In the final four minutes of the game, too, they showed a resolve to make the plays they needed to in order to win a basketball game.
The 32 minutes in between, however, they showed the flaws that have hampered them from being that complete team for a full 40 minutes.
Both UVa coach Pete Gillen and his players labeled that 32-minute lull in which the struggling Tar Heels erased UVa’s lead and briefly took a one-point lead as “a lack of killer instinct.”
After that earlier surge, North Carolina did not exactly bounce back with a vengeance but rather went to Virginia’s Achilles’ heel: the zone.
The Tar Heels sat back in a 2-3 zone and it literally halted Virginia’s offense. The Cavaliers, which made seven of their first 11 shots from the field in those first four minutes, made just 20 of their next 51 the rest of the way.
“We got tentative against it [the zone] and we tried to attack it. Our fouls also brought the game to a screeching halt,” Gillen said. “We fouled a lot and put them in the bonus or double-bonus quickly. … Between the fouls stopping the game and the zone stopping the game, there wasn’t that much rhythm.”
Virginia committed 24 fouls compared to UNC’s 20 but that disparity was more reflective at the charity stripe as North Carolina made 27 of its 33 attempts from the line while Virginia was 14 of 19. It could be argued that the line was the biggest offensive weapon for the Tar Heels, who made a UVa opponent-low 17 field goals in the game.
That was enough to spur the Tar Heels back into the game as the zone made Virginia’s own offense just as ineffective. Virginia was just 11 of 31 from the field in the second half. Still, it was the effort and mentality behind those shots that concerned Gillen most.
“I think when we got the lead, our guys just thought we had to cruise and chill out and nothing could be further from the truth,” Gillen said. “It’s a 40-minute game.”
Instead, in a game it likely should have secured before halftime, Virginia only ensured itself of the victory after a layup by freshman guard Keith Jenifer with 1:14 left to play pushed UVa to a 67-63 advantage. Of course, the lack of killer instinct showed again even after that as J.C. Mathis missed three free throws in the final minute that kept at least a little drama in the game.
The whole experience, of course other than the fact they did indeed win, was a pleasant one, according to junior guard Roger Mason Jr.
“We can be disappointed if we want but we won. You have to just take a deep breath and forget about this game,” Mason said. “It was ugly but we have a ‘W’ in our column and we have to run with it and get ready for Wake Forest.”
Free throws. About a 1,000 student seats went unfilled for Tuesday’s game, which drew this reaction from Gillen. “I have no comment. We appreciate those that we here and those that camped out for the game. We saw that there were some empty seats. That’s their choice. We just appreciate the ones that were here.” … Senior swingman Adam Hall, who missed nine of the last 10 games with torn plantar fascia tissue in his right foot, could play against Wake Forest on Sunday but it’s likely that determination will be based on if Hall feels he’s able to play and can perform on the sore foot. …
Mason and junior center Travis Watson are members of the 2002 Division I All-District 5 Team as selected by members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches on Tuesday. Mason is a first-team selection and Watson a second-team selection. The NABC Division I All-District 5 first team is comprised of Mason, Carlos Boozer (Duke), Mike Dunleavy (Duke), Juan Dixon (Maryland) and Jason Williams (Duke). The second team is made up of Watson, Lonnie Baxter (Maryland), Anthony Grundy (North Carolina State), Josh Howard (Wake Forest) and Darius Songalia (Wake Forest).

 

 

Don't overlook UVa trip to Florida State

UVa signees could take field as a team

By DOUG DOUGHTY
Exclusive to roanoke.com by 5 p.m. Thursdays

I've found it amusing over the years that Virginia-based columnists invariably attend the UVa-Florida State football game in Tallahassee, Fla., or the UVa-Duke men's basketball game in Durham, N.C.

If they want to write about a game that really means something, they should go to the UVa-Florida State men's basketball game next Wednesday in Tallahassee. For this particular Cavaliers team, there may not be a more important game all season.

Of course, there are financial considerations in sending two staff members to a midweek game in Florida. For one thing, airfare without a Saturday night layover can be astronomical. However, I'm guessing that a lot of sports editors see Florida State at the bottom of the standings and think, 'Who cares?'

You can bet UVa coach Pete Gillen and his staff care. If the Cavaliers (16-6 overall, 6-5 ACC) can beat Georgia Tech in Charlottesville next Saturday -- this week's scare against North Carolina shows that nothing is a given -- then they probably need to win two more games to get into the NCAA field.

A victory Sunday at Wake Forest (17-8, 7-4) would help immensely, but the Cavaliers aren't going to be favored. They'll be favored against Georgia Tech next Saturday and maybe one other time all season -- Wednesday at Florida State. And, I'd like to emphasize maybe.

Virginia has enjoyed a fair degree of success at Florida State, going 6-4 at the Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center since the Seminoles joined the ACC in 1992, but you can look at the last Cavaliers "bubble team," in 1999-2000, and see how a 71-64 loss at Florida State helped keep them out of the tournament.

Some of the most important games for UVa every year involve visits to the teams at the bottom of the ACC standings. I may be in the minority, but I don't think the Cavaliers have killed themselves with poor play on the road. Sure, they lost at Clemson, but they took care of business with road victories at North Carolina and Georgia Tech.

Virginia is in its current predicament because it lost its ACC opener to North Carolina State at home, blew a nine-point lead in the final 3:22 and lost to Maryland at University Hall and because its game with Michigan State in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge was stopped and never replayed.

People have stopped talking about that game, but I found it unconscionable when UVa athletic director Craig Littlepage said there would be talks with the Richmond Coliseum about future games, especially with the impact it could have on UVa's season.

SCARCELY A GAME goes by that Gillen doesn't have something nice to say about sophomore foward J.C. Mathis in his postgame news conferences, but you could hear the moans whenever Mathis touched the ball late in the Cavaliers' 73-63 victory over North Carolina on Tuesday night.

Gillen praised Mathis for taking a charge against Carolina's Kris Lang with 1:00 remaining and UVa clinging to a 67-63 lead, but then Mathis went down to the other end of the floor and missed the front end of a one-and-one that could have put the Cavaliers ahead by six.

If Jason Capel hadn't missed a 3-pointer seconds later, UVa might have been in big trouble. Mathis had a nice outlet pass to Travis Watson for a dunk, but then Mathis missed two more free throws to drop under 50 percent (23-of-48) for the year.

When he changed his lineup following a four-game losing streak, Gillen made the decision not to start games with Mathis and poor free-throw shooting makes Mathis a liability at the end of games. Virginia fans remember an 86-85 loss to Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament last year that followed a missed Mathis one-and-one with 21.4 seconds left.

Mathis has been sharing time with Elton Brown and Jason Clark in an arrangement that must be handled carefully to keep all three happy. Brown seems to be the moodiest of the three, although he had little reason to complain Tuesday after missing a layup and a one-and-one with the game on the line.

"WHAT'S WITH ADAM HALL?" I've been getting that question a lot and all I can do is repeat what Hall said Feb. 3 in a brief interview following the UVa-Missouri game, when he said he would not play until his injured left foot felt better.

Hall suffered a partial tear of the plantar fascia Jan. 12, missed five games, then attempted to play Jan. 31 against Maryland, when he was on the floor for five minutes. He has missed four subsequent games.

Hall may feel that playing while injured could jeopardize his chances for an NBA career, but he wasn't playing so well before the injury that he could have been projected as a certain NBA draft pick. He may feel that he needs to be 100 percent for pre-draft camps and can only come close to that by resting.

I DOUBT I'M THE FIRST PERSON to notice this -- maybe I am -- but Virginia's 26-man football recruiting class literally could take the field and hardly play anybody out of position.

Here's the lineup:

Of course, Virginia plays a 3-4 defense and the above lineup includes only one outside linebacker, Blackstock. However, Evans could grow into a linebacker and one of the wideouts -- Tynes, say -- could play safety.

Or, you could put Hagan in the secondary. In the eight prep games I covered, he was the best defensive back I saw all year.

Campbell was rated the No. 16 tight end in the country by recruiting analyst Tom Lemming and barely missed Lemming's 160-man All-America team, but Campbell is more likely to be a defensive lineman for the Cavaliers.

Bell, listed as a defensive lineman here in an effort to come up with a lineup, is the only lineman signed by the Cavaliers who is listed as an OL/DL.

 

 

Cavaliers have woeful roll call
Students skipping ACC showdowns

BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER 		Feb 14, 2002

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Where have all the students gone at University Hall?

The University of Virginia announced Jan. 14 that its men's basketball team's remaining home games were sold out. Yet only once in their past five home games have the Cavaliers - who have been ranked in the top 10 nationally most of this season - actually played before a full house at 8,392-seat U-Hall.

Average attendance at those games was 7,714, and most of the no-shows were students who get in free with their U.Va. identification.

North Carolina's visit Tuesday night drew 7,331. That means students, of whom U.Va. has 18,550, filled only about 1,700 of their standard allotment of 2,700 seats at U-Hall.

Yes, UNC is struggling, but still it's the school Virginia has most savored beating over the years. Even the hated Tar Heels, however, couldn't entice many students to set aside their books and make the trek to U-Hall.

"It's one of those situations where maybe we've all become a little bit complacent," Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said yesterday, "to the degree that last year's success and being back in the national rankings was to a generation of our students a novelty. Now that we've been there all season, maybe we expect to win."

Last month's games with nationally ranked Wake Forest and Maryland attracted full complements of students, many of whom camped outside U-Hall to ensure they'd get good seats. Lately, though, student apathy has made University Hall considerably less hostile for visiting teams.

After his team's 73-63 victory over UNC, Virginia coach Pete Gillen was asked about the empty seats.

"We appreciate the people that were here," Gillen said. "We had students camping out, and we appreciate those that did. There were probably about 30 or 40 of them. I have no comment on people who [didn't show]. That's their choice."

What makes the situation worse for U.Va. officials is that there's no shortage of fans around the state willing to buy the tickets students don't use.

"Usually they go hand in hand," said Dick Mathias, who manages Virginia's athletic ticket office. "When student interest is down, the public's interest is down. But that's not the case this season."

In addition to hurting the atmosphere inside U-Hall, student no-shows may have cost Virginia as much as $50,000 in ticket revenue this season.

"To play North Carolina, an ACC game, a traditional rival like that," Littlepage said, "we certainly could have sold many more tickets and had the building filled."

A season ago, a raucous and usually packed student section helped make playing in U-Hall an intimidating experience for opponents. Duke guard Jason Williams, in fact, said that "Virginia last year was the toughest [place to play]. That surprised me. They were just crazy."

The Cavaliers, 12-2 at home this season, went 14-1 at U-Hall in 2000-01, beating such powers as Duke, Maryland and UNC and losing only to Georgia Tech. Of Virginia's eight ACC home games last season, six sold out, and only Clemson's visit failed to attract at least 8,240 fans.

The lead editorial in Tuesday's edition of The Cavalier Daily, U.Va.'s student newspaper, contended that because of the 15th-ranked Cavaliers' recent four-game losing streak, "many students have written off the season for the weary Wahoos, choosing to stay at home sulking instead of showing support for the struggling squad. Looks like 'dedicated' and 'hardcore' were mere euphemisms for 'fair weather.'"

After students stayed away in droves from the Jan. 20 game with Florida State, U.Va. officials reduced their allotments for the Clemson and Georgia Tech games. The numerous vacancies in the student section at Sunday's Clemson game prompted U.Va. to further cut the allotment for the Feb. 23 game with Georgia Tech.

Eleven hundred tickets went on sale to the public Monday, and they sold out in 50 minutes, Mathias said. "They were gobbled up."

 

 

Tar Heels really are Carolina blue

Published February 14 2002

You knew it was bad. But not this bad. Unstable leadership and dubious recruiting carry a price, and North Carolina basketball had to pay. But a complete meltdown?

Inconceivable. Combine pedigree, pride and home-court advantage, and presto, the Tar Heels post another winning season. OK, maybe the NCAA Tournament was a stretch. But the NIT was a lock.

It's like Florida State football. The Seminoles' dynasty cracked, but did not crumble, in 2001. Rather than compete for the national championship, Florida State settled for the Gator Bowl.

There will be no such settling for North Carolina basketball in 2002. The Tar Heels' unrivaled stretch of excellence -- 35 consecutive postseason appearances -- is shattered. No NCAA, NIT or winning record.

Just humility and a daunting reclamation project.

Losses to Virginia -- Jan. 12 in Chapel Hill, Tuesday in Charlottesville -- serve as distressing bookends for Carolina. Distressing because the Tar Heels (6-16 overall, 2-10 in the ACC) showed no hint of improvement in the rematch.

Yes, Carolina rallied from a 19-3 deficit to take a one-point lead midway through the second half. And yes, center Kris Lang finally provided some low-post offense.

But the Tar Heels never looked like winners -- even with the lead. Their defense was too slow, their ballhandling too shaky, their guards too timid.

It's strange. Carolina once carried a champion's air no matter the score. Down 18? Big deal. You just knew the Tar Heels would make a run. More important, they knew.

Tuesday at University Hall, you just knew the Tar Heels would lose, no matter the score. More important, they knew.

Sure enough, the final was 73-63, Carolina's 11th defeat in its past 12 games. All but one of those 11 were by a double-figure margin. Losing is one thing. Failing to compete is another.

Jason Capel, a senior forward, is the saddest sight. He's the Tar Heels' best player and a quality young man at heart. But his teammates' shortcomings magnify his flaws, especially on defense.

Like his brother Jeff did at Duke, Jason is discovering how the other half lives. As a freshman in 1994, Jeff started on a Blue Devils' team that advanced to the national championship game. As a sophomore, he endured the program's worst season in 12 years.

Jason, who started on a Final Four team as a sophomore, is enduring arguably the worst season in Carolina history. The question is, how long before the Tar Heels return to the elite?

Duke needed just two years. The Blue Devils won the 1997 ACC regular-season title, advanced to the Final Four in 1999 and won the national championship in 2001.

Carolina is not positioned for such a dramatic reversal. Coach Matt Doherty is too callow, his roster too depleted.

Doherty's predecessors, the legendary Dean Smith and grandfatherly Bill Guthridge, seriously misjudged recruits such as Brian Bersticker, Adam Boone, Brian Morrison and Neil Fingleton. Meanwhile, the revolving door in the head coach's office created instability for a program spoiled by Smith's 36-year reign.

Doherty, in his second season, clearly is learning on the job. He's in no danger of dismissal, but some of his assistants would be wise to scour the want ads.

Incoming freshmen Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants should restock the backcourt, while Sean May bolsters the front line. Still, it's difficult to imagine Carolina challenging Duke, Virginia and North Carolina State next season.

Almost as difficult to imagine as this season's meltdown.

 

 

Welcome to the ESPN.com moderated chat room! On Thursday, Virginia's Travis Watson stopped by to talk about the Cavs' season and Sunday's game against Wake Forest.

Watson, a junior, is currently the only player in the ACC averaging a "double-double" in points and rebounds. Tuesday night against North Carolina, the 6-8 forward scored 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in a 73-63 win.

At present, Watson leads the ACC in rebounding with 10.5 rebounds per game and is vying to become the first Virginia player since Ralph Sampson in 1983 to lead the conference in rebounds.

Watson has helped Virginia to a 16-6 overall record this season and the Cavaliers have spent the entire season ranked among the nation's top-15 teams.

The full transcript from Watson's Feb. 14 chat follows:

For more on ACC men's basketball, visit TheACC.com!

For a list of upcoming ESPN.com chat guests, visit the Community section.

Moderator: ESPN.com and TheACC.com would like to welcome Virginia's Travis Watson.

CJ: Travis, how will you guys control Darius Songaila? What do you think of his abilities to rebound the ball? Do you think you can outrebound him on Sunday?

Travis Watson: He is a good player. Defenders are going to need help with him. He is a real versatile player. We will need to contain him.

Macon (Charlottesville, Va): Travis, being one of the smaller big men in the ACC, how has the emergence of Elton Brown helped take some of the load off of you? Good luck Sunday!

Travis Watson: Whenever Elton comes in he usually defends the bigger guy on the court. When he is in the game that definitely helps take a lot off of me.

Chapel Hill: How are you able to consistently play so well when you are matched up against taller guys in the post?

Travis Watson: I don't know. I just play hard and let the game come to me. I don't try to force shots. I know my ability to score, so I just try to play hard and that is really it.

Travis (Ortonville, MN): I know in past seasons, you guys have had trouble winning on the road and also in the tournament. Do you believe that this season is any different, and if so, how?

Travis Watson: Yes we are a very different team. We try not to live in the past. We will have to face those things when they come to us.

Mickey (Arlington, VA): TRex- You've been hitting that 10-12 foot jumper with a lot more regularity recently but you and EB are unstoppable inside. What do we need to do to create better position and passing lanes inside?

Travis Watson: Really moving without the ball. Moving and set screens to get open. Everyday in practice we work on those short range shots. Elton has proved he can step out and hit those shots. We need to keep working hard on those things in practice.

Josh(DC): Travis, What is the overall attitude of the team. It appears to be down since UMd! Do you feel confident you can go to W-S and beat Wake Forest on their floor?

Travis Watson: We feel confident. We are on a two-game winning streak. We are trying to get that bad taste out of our mouth. We need to go down there ready to play and let things take care of themselves.

Marcus (Cville): Travis, what routine do you have to keep healthy and how do you wind down after so much bruising inside?

Travis Watson: Really just ice and get treatment every day. A lot of ice usually does the trick.

Jay (Charlotte, NC): How do you think the improved play of the four freshman has helped the team to this point?

Travis Watson: We definitely need them to play well because they are the first four guys coming off the bench. They work hard in practice and take that attitude into the games. The way they play will have a lot to do with our success as a team.

Nick (Boston): Hey Travis, who's the tougher center to play against - Carlos Boozer or Lonny Baxter? Any predictions for their game on Sunday?

Travis Watson: Both of them are real good players. I like to go against Lonny Baxter because he is more my height. I like to bang with both of them, but I am more familiar with Lonny because I have played against him at other times outside of college basketball.

Jared, Emporia: What is the team focusing on to bounce back from the four consecutive losses to Top 25 opponents?

Travis Watson: We are trying to get our focus back. The will to win. That comes from practice and taking that into the game. Those losses came when some guys were sick and now we are getting those guys back. So I think that will help with the way we will be playing in the upcoming games.

Carty (NYC): Travis, where do you see this team in March? Is the team preparing differently than last year?

Travis Watson: Definitely still playing, but that is a long way from now.

John (C'ville): Travis, Coach Gillen seems like such a funny and nice guy. Can you describe what being recruited by him was like? How was his in-home visit?

Travis Watson: It was a good experience. It was really him and his assistant Bobby Gonzalez that had a lot to do with me coming here. He is a good coach.

Jill (Raleigh): Travis, how do you guys plan to be more effective against zone defense? Go Hoos!

Travis Watson: We have to shoot the ball better. We are really not shooting the ball well right now. Guys need to step up and hit the open shots. We will attack and if we can hit our shots, I don't think too many people will play zone against us.

Jim (Chapel Hill): Outside of basketball, have you enjoyed going to UVA?

Travis Watson: Yes. It is a wonderful atmosphere. Especially the education side of it. Plus the athletics are great too, so to have two great things at one place makes you appreciative.

Chas (NYC): Travis, you starred for the legendary Oak Hill Academy (OHA) in high school. How do you think it prepared you as an athlete and student?

Travis Watson: The coach there was wonderful. The practicing was hard. We did a lot of traveling as well. We had to take our school work on the road with us. It was the same type of atmosphere as college. It definitely helped me adjust to the college atmosphere much easier.

 

 

Students should be ashamed

By JERRY RATCLIFFE
Daily Progress sports editor

Scattershooting around the ACC, while wondering what happened to UVa’s students at men’s basketball games …
Several longtime Virginia fans were steamed to see hundreds of empty seats in the student section at Tuesday night’s home game against bitter rival North Carolina. In a small arena that seats only 8,392 fans, there was an official attendance of 7,331.
That’s a disgrace.
For the past two decades, every North Carolina game has been a sellout. Even though the Tar Heels are in last place in the ACC, they are still considered the Cavaliers’ major rival within the conference.
Like one angry UVa fan said upon looking at all the empty spaces, “For years, they’ve been showing up yelling, ‘Carolina sucks,’ and now that Carolina does, they don’t show up.”
Another fan complained that he had friends who wanted to come to the game but were under the impression that the place was sold out and that no tickets were available.
Subpar student section
It’s just another example that UVa students are a second-class imitation of Duke’s students when it comes to supporting their basketball team. They camp out like Duke students do, they copy the same taunts to opponents, the same free-throw distractions and the same jumping up and down before the tipoff, but when it comes to really supporting the team, where are they?
There is a core of loyal student supporters who show up every game but that’s only a small fragment of the total student body.
Because the student attendance has been so poor for recent ACC games, UVa athletic officials have cut their number of available tickets. Perhaps they should cut some more.
And another thing …
UVa officials need to put a muzzle on the guy with the microphone who does promotions during timeouts. And by all means, he shouldn’t allow students to say anything they want after they participate in one of the mindless promotions.
One participant took a verbal shot at Carolina’s team huddled only a few feet away from him as he walked off the floor following the shoot-for-a-car promotion the other night.
The guy with the mic asked him to comment on his shooting performance and the kid said something back, like, “Hey, maybe Jason Capel can learn to shoot like that.”
That’s strictly bush league, and UVa shouldn’t be involved in anything that’s bush league.
In defense of Walt
Gillen said this week that he stood behind assistant coach Walt Fuller for his actions that drew a reprimand from the ACC office but also agreed with the reprimand.
Fuller drew the action after leaving the coach’s box during UVa’s home game with Maryland after freshman guard Keith Jenifer was pushed out of the Terps’ huddle on his way back to the bench during a time out. Gillen said the ACC was right in handing out the reprimand because only the head coach is permitted to leave the box, not assistants.
But then he defended Fuller, a big, loveable guy, who wasn’t trying to cause any harm, but rather trying to prevent an ugly situation from getting uglier.
Gillen explained that Maryland’s Byron Mouton had twice elbowed UVa center Travis Watson in the face and when the
timeout came, Jenifer and Watson stayed around the Maryland huddle, which prompted Terps coach Gary Williams and assistant Jimmy Paatsos to curse at Jenifer.
Jenifer didn’t exactly back down and was pushed from the huddle, that brought Fuller down the sidelines to protect his players and to stop a potential fight.
“Walt’s intentions were good,” said Gillen. “He was upset when he saw their coaches cursing our players.”
Virginia ends the regular season at Maryland in what will be the final game ever played in Cole Field House.

Matt who? When Maryland coach Gary Williams met North Carolina’s Matt Doherty at midcourt after the Terps’ recent win, it was more than the customary grip and grin. The two talked for about a minute before leaving the court.
When a sportswriter asked Williams in his post-game chat, “What did you say to Matt?” the coach was taken aback.
“Matt who?” Williams asked.
Doherty. You know, the tall fellow. Coached the other team.
Williams then figured out what everyone was talking about.
“I’ve got a Matt Kovarik,” he said, referring to his assistant and former player who hasn’t played for the Terps since 1998. “Sorry, senior moment.”

On dogs and car salesman. North Carolina coach Matt Doherty has had to issue apologies to both in recent days after mentioning both in post-game news conferences.
He said after one of the Tar Heels’ mounting losses that he wished he had a dog so he could go home at night and kick it.
“My comment about the dog was a joke,” said Doherty. “I’m anticipating getting letters from the animal activists. I hope that people don’t take themselves too seriously that I can’t find the time to make a joke at myself.”
Doherty went on to say that he doesn’t have a dog, won’t buy a dog and that if he did have one that he wouldn’t dare kick it.
“I made a comment about used care salesmen awhile ago and I’m getting a lot of letters about that,” said the coach. “I think sometimes people have to let us blow off some steam and not take everything so seriously.”
Hey Matt, welcome to politically correct America where everything you say or do is going to upset somebody.

Orange Roof Inn? Clemson officials had already dedicated $21.5 million to renovate Littlejohn Coliseum before workers on the project recently discovered that beams in the roof of the arena needed to be replaced. Now the school plans to replace the whole roof, which could put next season’s home basketball schedule in jeopardy.
AD Bobby Robinson, who announced his resignation earlier this week, said that the Tigers are already looking at the possibility of playing games at one or possibly three arenas out of town next season: the Bi-Lo Center, Furman University in Greenville and the Anderson Civic Center.
If the rafters didn’t fall during Wednesday night’s double-overtime cliffhanger, seems like the building will last forever.

13th game for Groh. It is now official. Virginia will play a 13-game football schedule this fall now that it has been approved for the Cavaliers to host Colorado State in the second Jim Thorpe Classic. The game will be played on Aug. 22 at Scott Stadium in a Thursday night contest.
The Rams were 7-5 last season and defeated North Texas State in the New Orleans Bowl by a 45-20 score.
This will be UVa’s fourth “preseason bowl” game since 1989, having lost all three previous games: to Notre Dame in 1989; to Michigan in 1995 and to Wisconsin last season. This will be the first of those such games played in Charlottesville.

Marathon Tigers. If you missed Clemson’s 118-115 double-overtime upset over Wake Forest late Wednesday night, then you missed the most exciting ACC game of the season.
At least 10 team or conference records fell in the game. The 233 combined points were one shy of the ACC record set back in 1978 when Maryland defeated N.C. State, 124-110.
Note to Virginia: Wake Forest has now given up back-to-back 100 point games to its last two opponents. The Cavs play at Wake on Sunday.

Free throws … UVa’s Roger Mason Jr. heads into Wake Forest on Sunday with temporary ownership of the ACC’s all-time free-throw percentage title, having connected on on 87.79 of his career foul shots, which betters the league’s lifetime free-throw king, Wake’s Charlie Davis, who made 578 of 662 (87.31) between 1969-71. … Mason also has a streak of 33 consecutive games of scoring in double figures. … Clemson guard Ed Scott has recorded eight or more assists in eight straight games and is trying to become the first Tiger to ever lead the ACC in that department. … Maryland leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage even though the Terps have attempted fewer shots from that range than any other team in the ACC other than Virginia. …
If you think Virginia is young, what about Georgia Tech? A whopping 79 percent of Tech’s scoring and 89 percent of its rebounds have been produced by either freshmen or sophomores. … UVa’s spring football practice is set to begin March 27. … Groh said he is planning on having quite a few walk-ons to the team.

 

 

ACC NOTEBOOK


Feb 15, 2002

CRAZY STUFF: Shortly before midnight Wednesday, one of the wildest regular-season games in ACC men's basketball history ended at Littlejohn Coliseum. Clemson, which had squandered an eight-point lead in the last 18 seconds of regulation, fought back to defeat 19th-ranked Wake Forest 118-115 in double overtime.

When the teams met Jan. 12 in Winston-Salem, N.C., the Demon Deacons had romped 96-55.

The rematch drew only 7,600 fans to 11,020-seat Littlejohn, but they were treated to an amazing game. Junior point guard Edward Scott had 30 points and 16 assists - both career highs - to help the Tigers snap their eight-game losing streak.

"What can I say but, 'Wow?'" an emotional Clemson coach Larry Shyatt told reporters. "This was a special night. I think anyone who was a part of this will always remember it."

The 233 combined points were one shy of tying the record for an ACC game, set Dec. 20, 1978, when Maryland beat N.C. State 124-110. Also of note:

  • Wake guard Craig Dawson, who came off the bench for the first time all season, made 11 of 17 shots from 3-point range and scored a career-high 38 points. His 11 treys tied the ACC record set by Georgia Tech's Dennis Scott against Houston on Dec. 28, 1988.
  • Wake set a record for most points by a losing ACC team. Virginia, which had scored 111 in a triple-overtime loss to Georgetown in the first round of the 2000 NIT, held the previous mark.
  • The 115 points were the most the Demon Deacons ever had scored in the road game.
  • Clemson's 118 points were the most by a Wake opponent since Duke scored 122 on Feb. 12, 1969.

    HOO KNOWS? Asked on Tuesday's ACC coaches' teleconference about swingman Adam Hall's status, U.Va.'s Pete Gillen said, "He still has some pain in the foot. When he'll come back - if he'll come back - I honestly can't tell you."

    Hall has played all of five minutes - Jan. 31 against Maryland - since hurting his right foot Jan. 12 against North Carolina. After the Maryland game, the 6-5 senior said he wouldn't play again until his foot was 100 percent.

    "Now, if he'll ever be that way this season, I don't know," Gillen said. "We just go day by day."

    Hall, a two-time member of the ACC's all-defensive team, is averaging 9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals. "We need him back," Gillen said. "He's a high-octane guy. We miss him badly."

    BEDEVILED: Georgia Tech lost by 32 to top-ranked Duke in Atlanta last weekend, and Paul Hewitt initially attributed the blowout to a poor performance by his team. Then the Yellow Jackets' second-year coach played the videotape.

    "I was a little disappointed, but I realized after watching the tape that Duke was just that good," Hewitt said.

    CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS: With 742 rebounds, junior center Travis Watson has climbed into eighth place on Virginia's all-time list. The Cavaliers figure to play at least seven more games this season. At his current rate - he tops the ACC at 10.5 per game - Watson would rank at least fourth at U.Va. by season's end.

    No. 1 on the list is Ralph Sampson (1,511 boards), light years ahead of No. 2 Junior Burrough (929). Watson is trying to become the first Cavalier to lead the ACC in rebounding since Sampson in 1982-83.

    HONOR ROLL: The National Association of Basketball Coaches has named its all-District 5 teams. The first team comprises Virginia junior Roger Mason Jr., Maryland senior Juan Dixon and three juniors from Duke: Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy and Jason Williams. The second team consists of U.Va.'s Watson, Maryland senior Lonny Baxter, N.C. State senior Anthony Grundy, Wake Forest junior Josh Howard and Wake senior Darius Songaila.

    HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN: Matt Doherty, coach of last-place North Carolina (2-10, 6-16), doesn't spend much time thinking about all the history his team is making this season.

    "I don't have to remind myself about those streaks," Doherty said good-naturedly. "Every time you pick up the paper, people are writing about 'this streak's gone and that streak's gone.'"

    Through all the hard times, though, fans in Chapel Hill have continued to support the Tar Heels. Sunday night, they gave Doherty a warm ovation after UNC's loss to Maryland,

    "It's really been a touching experience for me and the team," he said. "I talk about the fans a lot to the team and how we owe them effort. I thought we gave the fans a good effort Sunday, and they appreciated that." -Jeff White

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    Virginia faces off against Wake Forest
    By Jeremy Williams
    Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

    When the Virginia men's basketball team enters Joel Coliseum Sunday, the Cavaliers will attempt to accomplish a feat that a Virginia team has not pulled off in nearly two years: beat a ranked team on their home court.

    No. 15 Virginia (16-6, 6-5 ACC), who will take on No. 19 Wake Forest (17-8, 7-4) at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, has won two straight after falling to four of the nation's hottest teams in a row. The Cavalier players hope to be healthy for the first time since early January as they aim to regain the services of swingman Adam Hall, although his status still is unknown.

    The Cavaliers will hope to catch the Demon Deacons at an opportune time, as Wake Forest is coming off of two tough losses, to No. 5 Cincinnati and a double overtime loss to Clemson Wednesday night. The Clemson loss was extremely painful, as the Deacons' star forward, Josh Howard, re-injured his ankle in the first overtime.

    If Howard is unable to go against the Cavaliers, Wake Forest's talented frontcourt will take a significant hit, as Howard is second on the team in scoring and rebounding at 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds a game, while leading the team in offensive rebounds with 85.

    Leading scorer Darius Songaila (17.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg) will have to pick up the slack if Howard is out, and he is more than capable of doing just that, as he has caused fits for the Cavaliers in the past.

    "We are going to have to find some way to stop Songaila," Virginia center Travis Watson said. "He is a very versatile player and he always has played good against us in the past. We will have to be tough."

    The other player in the Wake Forest frontcourt that could present problems for Virginia is Antwan Scott, who was a monster on the boards in Charlottesville Jan. 14, before an errant pass jammed his middle finger, putting Scott on the bench for the better part of the second half. Watson and low-post teammates Jason Clark, J.C. Mathis and Elton Brown will have to contain Scott and Songaila in order to steal a win in Winston-Salem.

    The Cavaliers also will have to keep an eye on dead-on shooter Craig Dawson, who tied an ACC record Wednesday night with 11 three pointers, surpassing former Demon Deacon great Randolph Childress and tying former Georgia Tech star Dennis Scott. Dawson ended up with 38 points for the night off the bench.

    Taking over the point guard duties midway through the ACC season is freshman Taron Downey, who has provided an instant spark for Wake, replacing the struggling Broderick Hicks. Hicks now is more productive off of the bench, while Downey runs a good ship for the third-place Deacons.

    "They are very talented and deep in the front and back court," Virginia guard and leading scorer Roger Mason Jr. said. "We will have to come with our best game if we hope to leave down there with a win."

    Wake Forest's newest editions also have come in handy in clutch situations in the form of Steve Lepore, Jamal Levy and Vytas Danelius. Danelius and Levy have provided strength down low when Songaila has been in his normal foul trouble, and Lepore is a good, but streaky, three point shooter who can light it up at times off of the bench.

    If Virginia hopes for a chance to finish in the top three in the ACC standings this season, they will need to go down to Wake Forest and steal a win from a Demon Deacons team that will, no doubt, be fired up after two straight losses.