Same old, same old for UVa on ACC road
By ANDREW JOYNER
Daily Progress staff writer
One wonders if UVa coach Pete Gillen simply gets sick and tired of it. The
“it” in this case is having to explain his team’s losses on the road,
particularly the lopsided ones. Perhaps Gillen could use footnotes like “See
at N.C. State a week and a half ago” or “See the four games on Tobacco Road
last season.” It surely would save Gillen from certain angst and repetition.
Gillen found himself in that all too common and unenviable position again Sunday
night as Wake Forest zipped past the Cavaliers for a 92-70 victory. The loss
makes the Cavaliers 4-10 in ACC road games the past two seasons and they’ve
now lost those games by an average of 19.1 points. Only three times has Virginia
lost by 10 or less points in those games.
Sunday’s loss at Wake followed nearly the same pattern as those that have come
before it: A slow start by UVa and a quick start by the opponent that seemed to
shatter the Cavaliers’ confidence to a point in which it could never recover.
It’s almost a quicksand-like aspect as Virginia then struggles in other facets
of the game in the haste of the comeback effort; it just compounds the hole
they’re already in.
That facet on Sunday, just like at N.C. State, was defense. The Deacons
“carved up” his team according to Gillen as they shot 57.9 percent from the
field — a season best for a Virginia opponent.
“Wake Forest executed very well and we did a poor job on defense,” Gillen
said. “I don’t know if we would have beaten Wake Forest no matter how we
played but I was disappointed in our defensive effort.”
UVa’s defense is often predicated on its ability to pressure the ball but when
that press is beaten it will usually lead to fairly easy baskets or easy looks
for the opponent. That’s exactly what happened Sunday as the Wake guards
easily beat UVa’s pressure and traps and were able to get teammates baskets
with very low degrees of difficulty. Darius Songaila, who made 11 of 13 shots
from the floor for a career-high 30 points, could have lined up the distance of
those made shots and they would perhaps have totaled the length of the NBA’s
3-point line. Maybe.
“The traps didn’t work. They spread us out when we got behind and they did a
good job attacking our pressure,” Gillen said. “It was effective for a
couple of minutes but they adjusted and they’re a veteran team.”
Virginia’s offense was not much better than its defense as the Cavaliers
managed to shoot a season-low 33.8 percent (23 of 68) from the field.
Considering that junior guard Roger Mason Jr. scored a career-high 31 points and
was 10 of 20 from the field, his teammates made just 13 of their 48 shots (27
percent).
Perhaps statistics do tell the whole story because when you defend as Virginia
did and shoot as Virginia did, you simply will not win basketball games.
“We let them do whatever they wanted to do and we couldn’t do anything we
wanted to do,” Mason said. “Everybody wanted to win this game but that’s
not how you win. You have to execute the gameplan. You don’t win just because
you want to win.”
Gillen is likely hoping Mason’s message is well received by his teammates by
Wednesday’s game at Florida State or he will have to recite that same postgame
rhetoric once again.
| Traps play right into Deacs plans |
| By
DOUG DOUGHTY THE ROANOKE TIMES |
Wake Forest senior Darius Songaila said he would have been "disappointed" Sunday if Virginia had not come at the Deacons with the traps for which Wake had been preparing for three days. "Rather disappointed than surprised," Songaila said. The foundation of Virginia's defensive philosophy is a full-court, zone trap, but what has become increasingly evident is that most ACC teams can handle the ball well enough to beat a trap, at least UVa's traps. Wake got so many easy shots Sunday night that it was ridiculous as the Deacons cruised to a 92-70 victory at Lawrence Joel Coliseum. The Cavaliers (16-7 overall, 6-6 ACC) have lost five of their last seven games and travel to Florida State (10-13, 3-9) for a game Wednesday night that could decide their NCAA Tournament fate. "I know one thing: This is the toughest conference in the country," said UVa's Roger Mason Jr., who has a career-high 31 points in a losing effort. "I don't care what anybody says. If you don't bring your 'A' game on the road - or at home - you're not going to win. "If we don't play, then Florida State will beat us. Everybody was enthusiastic for this game [at Wake]. Everybody wanted to win, but that's not how you win. Defensively, it's not just about wanting to stop them, but making it happen." CHANGE AT UVa: Virginia football coach Al Groh announced Monday that defensive-line coach Mike London will become the Cavaliers' recruiting coordinator, taking over duties handled this year by outside linebackers coach Danny Rocco. Rocco also has served as assistant head coach and Groh feels he needs more administrative help going into his second year "so that I may devote my time to coaching and recruiting," he said. "Danny did a terrific job with the recruiting, but being the assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator, he wasn't much assistant head coach," Groh noted. "Mike has tremendous contacts in the state and a great energy for recruiting. "I try to concentrate on some major functions. I'm really involved with coaching the team, all phases. I want to maintain a very solid infrastructure of the program: discipline, off-season program, training room, academics." SEALS ON BOARD: Groh said that walk-on defensive back Alex Seals from Magna Vista is participating in off-season conditioning and will take part in spring ball after receiving the George Welsh Special Teams Award. That's a good sign that Seals will return for a fifth year. "What's not to like about Alex?" Groh said. "Plus, he's very productive for us. He's been a terrific special teams player. He wants to come back and play. He knows what his role is. I told him, 'If there's room for you, I want you back.'" UVa was close to the 85-scholarship limit for a time "and I told him, 'Hey, Alex, before I say anything, I don't want to have go back on my word,'" Groh said. "We've got to treat this like a salary-cap issue [in the NFL]. I needed to see what the final roster looked like." PERSONNEL MATTERS: Three scholarships came open when sophomore wide receiver Scott Penwell "retired" from football, as Groh put it, and offensive lineman Butch Jefferson and cornerback Rashad Roberson said they would not return following graduation this spring. Groh said he is sympathetic toward two-year deep snapper Ryan Childress from Shawsville, who is not on scholarship. Groh has been pleased with Childress' snapping but wishes that Childress, a former running back, had more bulk. "I told him, 'I'm alert and sensitive to your situation without you even asking,'" Groh said. "I went to school as a walk-on and I said, 'I don't want you to be in the position where you're always begging.' I'm going to be fair with him.'" |
They seem like an unlikely pair: the seasoned veteran and the eager rookie who have arrived early for practice. They shoot around and talk casually before their teammates arrive, and it is obvious that senior guard Jason Dowling and freshman guard Bret Gladstone have a bond beyond being teammates. Both fill the role of walk-on players on the Virginia men's basketball team; one nearing the end of his Virginia career, the other just beginning to delve into his.
Unlike many of their teammates, neither Dowling nor Gladstone arrived at Virginia amid recruitment hype or huge college expectations, but instead came with the knowledge that their role would be pushing the starters in practice, while working their way off the bench and onto the court. They often miss out on the recognition and personal glory their teammates enjoy, but they - along with their coach - appreciate the value of their role.
Dowling "is a tireless worker and he really pushes the other players in practice with his tough defense and his quickness on offense," Virginia coach Pete Gillen told the media before this season.
And over the years, Dowling has earned the respect of those teammates along with more court time. While his effort and positive attitude serve as an example for the team as a whole, particular note is taken by the walk-on stepping in behind him.
"I have a lot of respect for J.D.," Gladstone said of Dowling. "I won't tell you that sitting on the bench is a great experience, because that wouldn't be the truth. But the thing about Jason Dowling is that he's always practicing to play, to get minutes."
Surely, it is difficult to make such a huge commitment to a Division I program without the reward of the limelight. After all, Gladstone came from Connecticut where his 2,468 high school career points made him the third all-time leading scorer in state history. Dowling was named an outstanding athlete at his high school, earning three letters at small forward and shooting guard. Now, Dowling and Gladstone play minimal roles during games.
Even so, both men stay for a pure love of the game. "I love basketball," Dowling said. "It's always been a part of my life."
Gladstone seconded the sentiment, saying that when he stops having fun, "that's when I'm going to stop playing basketball."
Clearly, the Cavalier squad keeps this love alive, as Dowling and Gladstone also share a fierce commitment to their team and to the University. Dowling spoke with fondness of the season so far, and for the players whom he will leave behind.
"This year has been really special with these guys," he said. "All of them are like little brothers to me. I want to help teach them to succeed as people as well as basketball players."
Those lessons particularly apply to his younger counterpart, Gladstone, who is balancing his competitive nature and desire for a bigger role on the team with a practical outlook for the future. Both Gladstone and Dowling entertain dreams of playing in Europe after college, but also are preparing for other career possibilities. Gladstone plans to declare an English major, while Dowling says his alternative to basketball would be the financial trade market. "They're both lucrative options," he said with a smile.
It is this balance between life on and off the court that typifies the Virginia experience for Dowling and Gladstone. While they love their sport, they also appreciate the quality of the education they are receiving and what it can do for them.
When asked why he was at Virginia, Dowling did not hesitate to answer that it is "mainly because of the academic opportunities." "I couldn't turn down a top school like this," he said. "I love basketball, but academics always come first."
If you look at the Virginia-Maryland game Jan. 31, it would appear Virginia boasts some of the best fans in the nation. A sea of orange cloaked the University Hall student sections as Cavalier fans worked their way up the decibel chart to reach a sound somewhere between the level of a live rock show and a jet takeoff.
Unfortunately, scenes like this storied one take place less than a half dozen times each year.
When the Cavaliers go up against the big boys like Duke and Maryland, Virginia "fans" come out of the woodwork to flood U-Hall. These "fans" camp out for weeks just to secure a seat. These "fans" barbecue, throw footballs and fight the cold nights on the concourse simply for the sheer novelty of it.
These "fans" just want to be able to brag that they camped out for eight nights to get into the game, even if it's one of the only games they attend all season.
This unfortunate scenario reached an even more unfortunate low in last week's home game against North Carolina. An announced crowd of 7,331 was far short of the 8,392 that U-Hall can hold. The 1,061 empty seats largely were in sections 7-11 and 22-26, better known as the student section where the real "fans" should sit.
We're not talking about a game against Wagner or East Tennessee State, either. These are the North Carolina Tar Heels. The hated North Carolina Tar Heels. A Virginia fan loathes the Tar Heels and would not miss a chance to see them play in U-Hall.
Well, at least that's the way it's supposed to be.
And where were some of these so-called Virginia "fans?" They were outside, during the UNC game, waiting for a chance to camp out for a Duke game still a full two and half weeks away.
We love Hooville. We love the idea of Virginia fans camping outside just to get into a basketball game. We love the guys and girls that would give up their Valentine's Day with their significant other (as they did last year) just to go to the Duke game. We do not, however, love the fans that skip a game, just to be the first in line.
But that's not even the worst part. The fact that many true fans will get shoddier seats, or no seats at all, just because some fans want to be known as the "first in line" and "down on the floor" for the big Duke game.
Camping out for two and a half weeks does not a fan make.
So what is a fan?
They are the people who will sit in front of their radio to listen to the Florida State game that is not on TV. They are the people that show up two hours early for the game against Howard. They are not the people aiming to be first in line just to get on SportsCenter with a "Hi Mom" sign.
So, in an attempt to keep the Georgia Tech game from resembling a library or rustling leaves on the decibel chart, let's see if the "fans" can go out and make the team feel at home for a game against a team that isn't a Duke or Maryland.
We have, after all, according to Duke star Jason Williams "the best fans in the country."
UVa men enter final four-game stretch, seeking NCAA bid
Through 23 games last season, the Cavaliers were 17-6, 6-6 in the ACC. Granted, those 17 included wins over Maryland and Duke, but they also included a 23-point loss at Wake Forest, a flat showing at North Carolina State and a terrible effort in two losses to Georgia Tech. Virginia still made it to the NCAA Tournament.
And it didn't include nonconference wins much better than Georgetown and Rutgers, which beat its fourth top-25 opponent last week and might be the Cavaliers' best nonconference win of the year.
But, two years ago, Virginia was 15-8, 5-5 in the ACC at this point in the year, and ended up settling for the NIT.
Those two stretch runs offer an idea of which way the season can go.
Virginia alone controls its fate, with four games left: at Florida State Wednesday, home games against Georgia Tech Saturday and Duke Thursday, and the road trip for Cole Field House's finale March 3.
That means Virginia has two eminently winnable games and plays two of the consensus three most respected teams in the country, both of which the Cavaliers have showed they can play with, including one at home. It's hard to imagine a better setup for a team trying to prove itself anew.
Virginia likely needs two wins to feel somewhat comfortable entering Selection Sunday, though an upset of Duke or Maryland may clinch the deal all by itself.
Then there is the ACC Tournament, where Virginia can make up a lot of ground and exorcise a recent demon - winning in the postseason - which the Cavaliers haven't done since 1995.
sss
The catch phrases of this season for coach Pete Gillen and Mason have been "our best win of the year" and "this is a crossroads game," respectively. Both get a chance to trot them out again this week.
The loss to the Demon Deacons was not as troubling as the way the Cavaliers lost it. They looked disorganized, tentative, uninspired in a game that might have gotten them into the NCAA Tournament.
"It's concerning," senior Chris Williams said. "We had a big game and we didn't step up."
So now Wednesday's trip to the Leon County Civic Center becomes "really" a crossroads, according to Mason, and a win might prompt Gillen to use the "best win" label for the fourth time this year. (Previous "best wins" were at Georgetown and at home against Wake Forest and North Carolina.)
A victory over Florida State would go a long way toward righting Virginia's ship. Last year, the Cavaliers were a Mason 3-pointer-at-the-buzzer away from another bout of midseason depression, but the shot went in and a 69-66 victory put Virginia in good enough spirits to whip North Carolina and Clemson at home the next week.
But a loss to the Seminoles, like two years ago, might turn the ditch the Cavaliers have been digging into a grave.
Florida State has lost six games in a row. The Seminoles are 10-13 overall, 3-9 in the ACC. Seniors Delvon Arrington, Monte Cummings and Antwuan Dixon give them a chance every night, as witnessed when Florida State shocked Duke in Tallahassee earlier this year and gave the Cavaliers all they could handle for most of a 91-74 victory in University Hall on Jan. 20.
Virginia faces another important ACC game
By ANDREW JOYNER
Daily Progress staff writer
Overall, the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center is not the best place to watch
a college basketball game. It is a good venue for minor league hockey or even a
boat show — which oddly always seems to be in town when UVa visits.
The building is a lot of things but a great atmosphere for college basketball it
is not. Yet, it will be there tonight that the No. 22 Cavaliers play their most
important game of the season. And it is in this not-so-great college basketball
facility that Virginia’s college basketball fate for this season could be
decided.
The Cavaliers (16-7, 6-6 ACC) have lost five of their past seven games including
a 92-70 loss at Wake Forest on Sunday and enter tonight’s game in the cliche
but appropriate must-win game. Tonight’s game and Saturday’s contest against
Georgia Tech will be the final ones in which UVa is likely to be favored.
The other two games, home against No. 3 Duke on Feb. 28 and at No. 2 Maryland on
March 3, are games Virginia could win but would be unlikely to at this given.
Thus, if Virginia needs to get to at least 18 wins and a record of 8-8 in the
ACC to feel confident of a NCAA bid, then a slide-rule is not exactly needed to
determine the importance of tonight’s game for Virginia.
“We talk to them about where we are and what we have to do,” UVa coach Pete
Gillen said. “We have to be honest with the players. Of course, we don’t
know exactly how many we have to win but we have to tell truth. ... We know that
we have to win some games to go where we want to go.”
And about this particular game?
“I think every game is pivotal. This one is and so is Saturday and then so is
the game against Duke. ... They’re all giant games,” Gillen said. “Every
game is a must-win game now. You want to win as many as you can and that will
depend on our execution, attitude and work ethic. There are a lot of things
involved.”
It’s likely that it’s that attitude that needs to be most repaired after a
sort of the sky-is-falling-like loss at Wake on Sunday.
“You have to remind everybody that it’s just one game. Wake played great and
we played poorly,” Gillen said. “We were embarrassed, but you have to turn
the page and you can’t get too down. We have to put our energy into practicing
well and hopefully we’ll play well [against Florida State].”
Added junior guard Roger Mason Jr.: “In this conference, you have to bring
your ‘A’ game each and every night. If you don’t at home or on the road,
you’ll lose. If we don’t show up and play, Florida State will beat us.”
The Hall saga. The question of when or if senior swingman Adam Hall will play
again was addressed by Gillen on Tuesday but Hall’s status did not become any
more clear. Hall has missed 10 of Virginia’s past 11 games with torn plantar
fascia tissue in his right foot. He suffered the injury in the waning seconds of
a 71-67 victory at North Carolina on Jan. 12.
“He’s still being looked at by another doctor today. He did a little
practicing yesterday [Monday]. It’s still day-to-day and I don’t know when
he’ll be back or if he’ll be back. ... You’d have to ask him,” Gillen
said. “We’d love to get him back. He wants to be back, I think. So hopefully
we get him back some time. ... He could play [against Florida State] but I
don’t know.”
Drifting south, U.Va. faces road
work ahead Pete Gillen's Virginia team visits Florida State tonight for that rarest of
ACC events -- a nontelevised basketball game. The blackout is unusual. But it may prove to be merciful for U.Va. fans.
Considering the way the Cavaliers have been known to unravel on the road, it is
sometimes better not to look.
Gillen's team takes to the highway like an exploding Pinto. A trip to Florida
State (3-9 in the conference) is usually considered a humdrum obligation. But
with the memory of U.Va's Sunday debacle at Wake Forest fresh in mind, does
anybody doubt that the Cavaliers could turn this next game into a wild
adventure?
U.Va. had better be careful. At 16-7 and only 6-6 in the conference, the
Cavaliers are the ACC's poster child for underachievement. But somebody out
there likes them and has all season. Likes them enough to have kept them in the
top 10 long after they proved unfit for that lofty perch. Likes them enough now
to slot them at No. 22 in the AP poll. This is after they've lost five of their
last seven games.
Meanwhile, underrespected North Carolina State, having twice hammered the
Hoos to move ahead of U.Va. in the standings, must settle for honorable mention
this week.
Gillen is the Blanche DuBois of college basketball. His team depends on the
kindness of strangers.
There's no telling how high the Cavaliers can climb in the estimation of
strangers (and the NCAA tournament selection committee) should U.Va. win a
modest two of its final four games to finish at .500 in the ACC. And if U.Va.
would somehow find a way to beat Duke in Charlottesville, the victory could set
off another round of wild speculation about this team's postseason potential.
In truth, nobody's seen much of U.Va.'s potential for quite some time. And
though the law of averages would seem to favor a Gillen team actually winning
some sort of tournament game this year, we can just as easily envision the
Cavaliers going down again in the first-round of the ACC clambake.
Who, exactly, has U.Va. beaten this season? The early victory at Georgetown
was celebrated as a big deal. But have you noticed what's become of the Hoyas?
Going into Tuesday night's game against UConn, they were 6-6 in the Big East and
scrambling to make the NCAAs.
Georgetown needs to get busy. U.Va., too. But we just saw how Virginia
reacted to its last big game, the 22-point loss at Wake Forest.
``Our defense was horrible,'' Gillen said.
Like the game before, when he complained that his players began to coast
after getting a big first-half lead on North Carolina, Gillen sometimes appears
to be out of touch with his team's chronic deficiencies. As if the letdowns and
glaring lapses don't reflect on his coaching. As if there's nothing he can do to
remedy the situation.
The Virginia team that held such promise has even lost a little of its edge
at University Hall. As underwhelming as they can be on the road, it was the
Cavaliers' home losses to N.C. State and Maryland (when they held a nine-point
lead with 3:22 to play) that make tonight vital.
``We can still survive if we don't win,'' Gillen said of the Florida State
game. He may be right if the NCAA selection committee is determined to accept
five ACC teams.
Still, more was expected of U.Va., wasn't it? Survive? This team was meant to
thrive.
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 20,
2002
Virginia seeks course correction
Does Virginia need to finish 9-7 in ACC play to be assured a spot in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, or would 8-8 be good enough? How about 7-9, with a couple of wins in the ACC tourney?
Cavaliers coach Pete Gillen isn't exactly sure what it will take. But he knows if his team doesn't start playing better, its goal of returning to the NCAAs could slip away. He's made sure his players know that, too.
"We've let them know that, 'Hey, this is where we are, this is what we got to do,'" Gillen said. "I think the best thing is to be honest. We don't know how many we have to win, but we do talk about it. Not every day, but you got to tell the truth."
The truth is, a U.Va. team that was ranked No. 4 nationally in December has plummeted to No. 22 in The Associated Press poll. Virginia has beaten only one conference foe with a winning record, Wake Forest, and that was last month in Charlottesville. When the teams met Sunday night at Winston-Salem, N.C., Wake shot 57.9 percent from the floor and romped 92-70.
That was the fifth loss in seven
BY THE NUMBERS: Look for state standings and statistics.games for Virginia (6-6, 16-7), which plays at Florida State (3-9, 10-13) tonight.
At various times during a teleconference yesterday, Gillen called tonight's game "pivotal," "giant," "crucial" and a "must win." Lose this one, and the Wahoos might have to settle for their second trip to the NIT in three seasons.
"This is a time when we can either come together as a team or go our separate ways," said junior center Travis Watson, the ACC's leading rebounder.
The Seminoles, who lost 91-74 at University Hall last month, have dropped six straight. Still, U.Va. guard Roger Mason Jr. said, the ACC "is the toughest conference in the country, I don't care what anybody says, and if you don't bring your A game on the road - or at home - you're not going to win. And if we don't play, Florida State will beat us."
Cavs on a Bubble, Hoping It Doesn't Burst
By Jim Reedy
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, February 20, 2002; Page D04
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Feb. 19 -- In the past seven weeks, as Virginia slid gradually from fourth in the nation to 22nd, tri-captain Roger Mason Jr. said more than once that the Cavaliers were "at a crossroads."
Mason realizes he has used the same analogy after multiple frustrating losses, but he can think of no better description for the precarious situation U-Va. finds itself in now.
With four games remaining in the regular season, Virginia (16-7, 6-6 ACC) appears perched on the edge of the NCAA tournament field. The Cavaliers have lost five of the past seven games and have not beaten a team with a winning record in more than a month. Sunday at Wake Forest, they were dominated in a 92-70 loss.
"I'm concerned right now, because we've said before at different times in the season that we're at a crossroads, but when there's four games left, it's really tough," said Mason, whose career-high 31 points were not enough on Sunday. "There's pressure on us because now there really is a crossroads. Every game is so important."
Virginia plays Wednesday night at Florida State (10-13, 3-9), a team it beat 91-74 in Charlottesville on Jan. 20, two weeks after the Seminoles handed Duke its first loss. But a month later, the Cavaliers seem like a different team.
"This is toughest conference in the country; I don't care what anybody says," Mason said. "If you don't bring your 'A' game, you're not going to win. If we don't play [well], Florida State will beat us."
The Cavaliers, who escaped Tallahassee with a 69-66 win last season after Mason hit three-pointer as time expired, would do well to emerge with another victory on Wednesday. After Saturday's home date with Georgia Tech, they host No. 3 Duke and visit No. 2 Maryland for the last game in the 47-year history of Cole Field House.
"Every game is pivotal. Every game is a must-win," said Cavaliers Coach Pete Gillen, whose team had not been ranked outside the top 20 since the first month of last season. "We can still survive if we don't win [at FSU], but you want to win as many as you can. A lot has to do with how we execute, our attitude, our work ethic -- a lot of things we can control."
Too often of late Virginia has forced Mason and junior center Travis Watson to shoulder the scoring burden by themselves, but its biggest problem has been porous defense. The teams that have beaten the Cavaliers in the past seven games -- the formidable quintet of Duke, Maryland, Missouri, N.C. State and Wake Forest -- have averaged 88.6 points.
Virginia's half-court defense was especially ineffective against the Wolfpack and the Demon Deacons. Sunday at Wake, the Cavaliers allowed 53 points in the first half and made little headway in the second half despite resorting to a full-court trap.
"We've got to play harder defensively," Gillen said. "I think that's a big key. We're not going to outscore people, not in this league. That's one constant in the [past five] games we've lost."
Mason, who has criticized the team's defense, pointed out the Cavaliers need to do more on defense than simply try harder.
"We've got to realize that defensively; it's not just about wanting to stop them," he said, "but [about] making it happen."
With the close of the ACC regular season in sight, Virginia men's basketball coach Pete Gillen and his team realize their remaining games take on new significance after a dismal performance against No. 20 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. Sunday.
"All of our games are important now," Gillen said. "We need to come together and work on the fundamentals."
Despite problems plaguing the No. 22 Cavaliers (16-7, 6-6 ACC), Florida State, who Virginia faces in Tallahassee, Fla., tonight, appears to be weathering a worse situation.
The Seminoles (10-13, 3-9) are in the midst of a six-game losing streak, including embarrassing losses at Maryland by 21 points, at a vengeful Duke by 31 points, and to lowly North Carolina by 10 points at Chapel Hill. Florida State's encounter with the Cavaliers earlier this season was no better. In the meeting between the teams at U-Hall Jan. 20, the Seminoles managed a brief lead with a little over seven minutes remaining in the first half. But the Cavaliers pulled away for a 92-74 victory, led by Chris Williams' 24 points, three point displays by Roger Mason Jr. and Elton Brown, work on the boards by Travis Watson and an unusual 44-11 free throw ratio.
However, a lot of basketball has been played since then, and the Cavaliers are starting to feel the pressure after the Wake Forest loss.
Though the Seminoles are in no danger of vaulting to the top of the conference, the Cavaliers are not distinguishing themselves either with a .500 record in the ACC.
"We've just got to stick together," Watson said. "We are better than we have been playing."
When the Cavaliers take the court tonight, an experience-laden Florida State team will test them. Senior guards Monte Cummings (15 points per game) and Delvon Arrington (11 ppg, 6.5 assists per game) will be joined by senior forward Antwuan Dixon and sophomore forward Michael Joiner. In the post, coach Steve Robinson likely will play freshman Anthony Richardson, a McDonalds all-American, or junior fan favorite Nigel Dixon, the starting center against the Cavaliers in the January encounter.
So what weapons will Gillen bring to bear after the inconsistent play the Cavaliers continue to demonstrate even when they win?
Despite losing to Wake Forest, Mason scored 31 points. Mason, averaging 18.7 points per game, will have to squeeze out better performances from his teammates.
"We need to play better defense," Mason said. "We all want to win, so we must play together better."
The Cavalier frontcourt likely will be Watson, who is averaging 13.9 points per game and an ACC-leading 10.5 rebounds per game, senior forward Chris Williams (13.7 points per game), and freshman forward Jason Clark. Freshman guards Keith Jenifer and Jermaine Harper will back up Mason. Senior forward Adam Hall most likely will not play because of a persistent foot injury.
To beat the Seminoles, the Cavaliers need to bring their offensive and defensive abilities to the court at the same time. Poor ball movement, poor shooting combined with porous defense - the Cavaliers shot only 34 percent against Wake Forest while the Demon Deacons shot 58 percent - will result in more double-digit losses like the team experienced Sunday.
With the ACC tournament just two and a half weeks away, the Cavaliers need to improve their basic skills and strategies for winning games if they want to avoid getting knocked out in the first round. Although Florida State is not as formidable an opponent as Duke and Maryland will be in the coming week, the Cavaliers need this win over a weaker conference opponent to use as a springboard for the bigger games.
The Florida State Seminoles
By Mike Andrews and Greg Waters
Game Two Preview
Florida State is led by All-ACC candidates guard Delvon Arrington (Sr. 5-11 166)
and guard Monte Cummings (Sr. 6-4 179). Arrington, (11 ppg, 4.1 rpg) enters
Wednesday's game tied for ninth in the nation with a 6.9 assists per game
average. The senior point guard is ranked third in the conference with a
career-high 6.7 assists per game average. Cummings (15.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg) enters
the game against Virginia ranked second in the ACC in field goal percentage
(55.2), tenth in free throw shooting (75.0) and eleventh in scoring (15 ppg). He
has led Florida State in scoring 12 times in 23 games this season.
Forward Antwuan Dixon (Sr. 6-5 191) is one of only two Seminoles to start every
game this season (the other being Delvon Arrington) and 52 consecutive games
dating back to last season. Dixon is averaging 9.9 points per game and 4.7
boards but has struggled of late offensively being held under 10 points in 6 of
the last 10 FSU games and five of the last six prior to the North Carolina game.
Florida State must have more production out of Dixon if they are to challenge
the Hoos. Forward Michael Joiner (So. 6-7 230) the former Mr. Basketball from
the State of North Carolina is maturing. When Joiner plays well, FSU plays well,
when he doesn't, neither do the Noles. In the 10 FSU wins this season Joiner has
averaged 11.3 ppg and shot 50% from the field. During FSU's 6 game loosing
streak, Joiner has only averaged 6.5 points per game. Overall, Joiner is adding
7.9 points per game and 4.7 rebounds.
Coming out of Marshalltown Iowa Community College Trevor Harvey (Jr. 6-10 221)
was rated as one of the top five Junior College centers in the nation. He earned
his first start on Feb 2nd against Wake and had started four consecutive games
averaging 5.7 point and 4.0 rebounds in those contests. Harvey will likely start
against the Hoos although Nigel "Big Jelly" Dixon did get the start
against UNC.
The Cavs are simply better than Florida State and should come away with a win.
The Noles are playing poorly and have struggled offensively averaging only 65
points a game over their last seven contests. If Virginia plays solid defense, a
big if lately, and can force some early turnovers and foul trouble for the Noles,
this one shouldn't be close.
Game One Recap
Total domination of the boards and exceptional free throw shooting were the
difference in the Cavaliers (12-2, 3-2 ACC) 91-74 win over the Florida State
Seminoles (9-7, 2-3 ACC) Sunday afternoon. For the 3rd game in row Virginia had
a solid night at the charity stripe going 37-44. The Cavs have shot an
impressive 73-85 (85%) from the free throw line during that span. Travis Watson
garnered his 9th double double of the year and led the Hoos with 15 rebounds.
Virginia totally dominated the offensive and defensive glass (40-26) including
13 offensive rebounds that led to 18 second chance points. Chris Williams led
the Cavaliers in scoring with 24 points.
The key to this one however was not the play of Roger Mason, Jr., Watson or
Williams but the contribution of Virginia's four freshmen. In fact, at the 8:47
mark in the second half Pete Gillen was playing with all four of his young
stars. Keith Jenifer played flawlessly at the point dishing out 6 assists to
only 2 turnovers while scoring 5 points. Jermaine Harper added 9 points on a
seven for eight performance from the free throw line and Jason Clark contributed
with 2 boards and a blocked shot. One of the more notable performances among the
freshmen came from one of college basketball's premier 3-point shooters,
"Downtown" Elton Brown. O.k., maybe that's a stretch but 3-3 from
behind the arc to go along with16 points and 4 rebounds is impressive.
Cavs' thoughts turn to survival