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Virginia sloppy in loss
By Andrew Joyner  / Daily Progress staff writer
February 14, 2003

 

Virginia entered Wednesday’s game at the Dean E. Smith Center hoping to steal a road victory. Instead, it was the Tar Heels who did much of the thieving, in this case courtesy of errant UVa passes and a total of 21 UVa turnovers. In total, the quicker Tar Heels recorded 10 steals during their 81-67 victory over Virginia, as sloppy UVa ballhandling was the particular detriment on this night. “I think our defense bothered them a lot. We trapped them with our height. We trapped them and it caused a lot of problems for them,” said UNC forward Jawad Williams, who at 6-foot-8 was the Tar Heels’ tallest starter Wednesday. While UNC’s pressure caused a certain amount of havoc for the Cavaliers, it was not the only cause of the plethora of turnovers. Even when Virginia managed to get past the UNC defenders, passes were not delivered with extreme care or precision. “Our turnovers I thought beat us. We had 21 turnovers and that led to several easy baskets for them. You can’t win that way,” said UVa coach Pete Gillen. For Virginia, it was the fourth-straight road game in which it committed 19 or more turnovers and Virginia is currently last in the ACC in turnover margin (-2.14). “On the road, there are different surroundings and everything. You use a different ball and those are just some of the things you have to overcome,” said UVa point guard Todd Billet, who scored 16 points but combined with Majestic Mapp to commit 10 turnovers. “They were a quick and athletic team and did a good job disrupting our offense. Those are things we had to deal with and overcome and we couldn’t this time.” A Nike basketball was used Wednesday night and while the Tar Heels seemed accustomed to it, the Cavaliers appeared to have problems dealing with the ball that appeared a little more slippery in their hands. Mapp in particular had trouble with the adjustment as he committed six turnovers and visibly was uncomfortable with handling the ball on this night. “I’m not using the ball as an excuse or anything but we usually use a Spalding ball and it was a Nike ball tonight,” said Travis Watson, who had three turnovers. Asked if the ball was a particular problem for him, Watson just shrugged. “I have big hands,” Watson said. If the ball was a little slick, Virginia made it appear even slicker by attempting some low-percentage passes and in general being a little careless with the ball. According to several of the Virginia players, the solution to their turnover woes on the road is simple in message, difficult in practice. “You have to keep your poise. You have to make sure passes and the short and easy passes. You have to maintain your poise and not force anything,” said sophomore guard Jermaine Harper. Added freshman Derrick Byars: “We just have to handle it. They had an uptempo defense against us and we have to handle that better.” Note. Junior guard Todd Billet is organizing a minority bone marrow registration and blood drive which will be held on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cage, located in Onesty Hall. Billet is organizing the event after being involved in the same activity at Rutgers. Although the bone marrow registration and blood drive is specifically targeting minorities, all ethnicities are encouraged to register and/or donate blood. Billet said that he wanted to start the registration and drive at UVa to spread awareness about the importance of becoming a bone marrow and blood donor, especially for minority groups. … As of Thursday, about 40 tents have been set up by UVa students awaiting entrance to Saturday’s game against Duke.

 

 

VIRGINIA

INSIDE SLANT— The glitter wasn't as big, but coach Al Groh still sees the gold with his second major recruiting haul.

"This class isn't quite as jazzy," he said. "Last year we had a lot of numbers. This guy rushed for this; this guy rushed for that. This guy scored X number of touchdowns.

"Offensive linemen don't have numbers. But numbers like 6-6, 318 or 6-6, 309 ... those impress me."

Though top heavy on linemen, the Cavaliers still were ranked among the Top 25 classes. UVa signed seven SuperPrep All-Americans, including four out-of-state players who were ranked among the Top 100 nationally.

"We had a terrific class last year," Groh said. "And what I said was, 'If we get one more like it, we'd be really good. And if we got two more like it, we'd be as good as anybody.'

"We're on track with that. We got another very strong class."

One of the players signed in 2002 was linebacker Ahmad Brooks, the USA Today national player of the year in 2001. He failed to qualify then, but has already enrolled and will participate in spring practice.

NOTES AND QUOTES— TE Jon Stupar, Harrisburg Pa. — Considered in some circles as the nation's best tight end prospect, he was a guy Florida State really wanted to fill its needs. Stupar should develop nicely in Al Groh's scheme that employs the tight end as a pass receiver.

LB Ahmad Brooks, Woodbridge, Va. — The consensus No. 1 defensive player after the 2001 season, he failed to qualify but gained his eligibility last year and has enrolled. He was a player everyone recruited and when Groh signed him, it stamped Virginia as a recruiting force and probable future power.

C Jordy Lipsey, Longwood, Fla. — A SuperPrep All-American and a player who really fits Virginia's needs. The Cavaliers were in dire straights last year on the offensive line. It was the team's main weakness.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL— GLANCING AT 2003: Along with N.C. State, the Cavaliers will be a preseason favorite to challenge for the league title. They will be led by the return of quarterback Matt Schaub, along with many young players who stood out in 2002 like running back Wali Lundy and linebacker Kai Parham. Even better, they get to play Florida State at home.

PRO POTENTIAL: Though injuries slowed him down, LB Angelo Crowell is the team's biggest NFL prospect. If not for knee injuries, this guy could have been first-round potential. He was able to participate in the Senior Bowl and made an impression.

WR Billy McMullen is not far behind Crowell, but he lacks breakaway speed. Still, McMullen is a big (6-4), physical receiver who catches the ball well and is a good downfield blocker. That will be worth a solid draft selection.

INJURY IMPACT: OG Elton Brown (foot) has a stress fracture that bothered him all of last season. DE Chris Canty may have a shoulder separation, although Virginia won't disclose the extent of his injury. Both players may miss spring practice, along with several offensive linemen like center Kevin Bailey, who needed ACL surgery.

 

 

 

PARITY: ACC teams find rare equal footing
Jack Wilkinson - Staff
Friday, February 14, 2003
 

Parity or parody? Competitive balance or relative mediocrity? Has ACC basketball, if only for one winter, become the NFL on the hardwood? Hardly, Pete Gillen says.

"I think it's a sign of strength," the Virginia coach said of the logjam in the ACC standings. "A lot of leagues --- I won't mention leagues or teams --- but you're about guaranteed two wins when you play a team. With Virginia, every game we play is a war."

With every other ACC team, too, in nearly every conference game. Consider last-place Florida State, 2-8 in the ACC: a 75-70 upset of Duke (its second consecutive loss at Tallahassee); a last-second 61-60 loss at North Carolina; a 74-72 home defeat by defending NCAA champ Maryland, ending the Terps' two-game losing streak and making them the only team with three ACC road wins.

"There's parity," North Carolina coach Matt Doherty said, "which is bad for North Carolina but good for basketball."

"Maybe we don't have a great team," Gillen said. "But we have some tremendous teams, and some top-10 teams and a couple of other ranked teams. I think it's a much better league this year. . . .

"When one team goes 15-1 (in the ACC, as Maryland did last year and Duke did in 2000 and 1998) and gobbles up all the wins, I think it's great for the fans, but it's not good for the conference."

"It really seems to be more evenly balanced through the first [10 ACC] games," N.C. State coach Herb Sendek said. "There's never a layup in our league. You have to be ready every night."

"I think it's one of the most interesting and exciting years because the league's incredibly balanced and really good," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "I really believe this is a year where we become like a lot of other conferences, and we should get six or seven bids to the NCAA tournament because we're beating each other up."

 

 

Rebounding a concern for the future

Prince emerging as OC frontrunner

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

After watching Virginia self-destruct Wednesday night at North Carolina, I wondered how things possibly could be any better next year. Or, even as good.

Specifically, I keep asking myself who is going to get a rebound after Travis Watson completes his eligibility.

There will be at least three post men in the program — likley returnees Elton Brown, Nick Vander Laan and Jason Clark — but those three combined for four points, two rebounds and five turnovers against the height-challenged Heels.

Former UVa coach and athletic director Terry Holland said he thinks Vander Laan, who played four minutes against Carolina, will be a rebounder if given the time. As for the other two, who knows?

In 25 minutes of playing time against North Carolina State and North Carolina, Brown, a 6-foot-9, 270-pounder, did not have a single rebound. As mentioned previously in this column, Brown frequently resorts to a one-handed rebounding style that is reminscent of another noted non-leaper, Craig McAndrew.

Brown and McAndrew use or used one hand because they're using the other arm to fend off an opposing rebounder.

Unlike Brown, Clark (6-8, 234) can jump, but he has two rebounds in 32 minutes over the past two games. Media gadfly Jeff White likes to argue that Clark is ranging farther from the basket in order to cover wing players, but Clark wasn't doing much rebounding when he was in the post.

Clark has had more than five rebounds only once this year, when he grabbed eight rebounds at Rutgers, and he had as many as five rebounds in only one other game, at Virginia Tech.

VIRGINIA HAS EARMARKED each of its two available scholarships for post players and last week entertained Donte Minter, a 6-foot-8 left-hander from Fork Union Military Academy and Salisbury, N.C., where he played on a West Rowan High School team that went 30-0 and captured a state championship last year.

This week, the Cavaliers will play host to Jason Cain, a 6-9, 200-pounder from John Bartram High School who is similar in build to the post players UVa coach Pete Gillen used in previous stops at Xavier and Providence. Cain is visiting unofficially, as was Minter.

Minter, once listed at 260 pounds, apparently fits the Gillen mold more closely after getting down to 225 in half a year at Fork Union.

Virginia has made an offer to Linas Kleiza, a 6-8 Lithuanian who is at Montrose Christian in Kensington, Md. The competition is stiff for Kleiza, a national Top 50 player, and the Cavaliers have contingency plans.

It is unlikely that Virginia will pursue another guard after signing Gary Forbes and J.R. Reynolds in the fall. However, a combined 10 turnovers by Todd Billet and Majestic Mapp at North Carolina had some observers if much-maligned Keith Jenifer might have helped.

Charlottesville Daily Progress reporter Andrew Joyner, working the beat with renewed vigor after a reported uptick in his love life, predicted Wednesday night that Jenifer would return to action and that it most likely would occur on the road, possibly at Ohio University on Feb. 25.

There is another school of thought that Jenifer will never play for Virginia again, depending on an investigation into his Feb. 1 arrest on misdemeanor assault and battery, which would leave Billet, Mapp and Reynolds as point-guard possibilities for next year.

QUALITY POINT GUARDS are easier to uncover than post players at this point in the recruiting process but the Cavaliers would not want to do anything to interfere with their pursuit of Marquie Cooke, a 6-3 junior at Nansemond River in Suffolk.

The Cavaliers have put themselves in good position with Cooke and the Boo Williams AAU program he represents and can lay out a scenario in which Billet would be gone by the time of his arrival, with Jenifer and Mapp facing their final season of eligibility, if still in the program.

THE MORE I HEAR about Virginia's search for a succesor to offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, the more convinced I become that coach Al Groh will elevate line coach Ron Prince to coordinator, elevate graduate assistant Andy Heck to full-time status and have receivers coach Mike Groh take over the quarterbacks.

Even if that is the case, questions remain. Who would call the plays? Prince or Al Groh? Would Prince continue to coach the offensive line or would Heck take over that responsibility? Would Mike Groh coach the quarterbacks and receivers? Could Heck, who handled tight ends this year, add the wide receivers? Could somebody move over from the defense or could the duties of special-teams coach Corwin Brown be expanded?

In another week, the situation should become much clearer.

DOUG TARRING, the athletic director at St. Anne's-Belfield and an assistant in game operations at UVa, said that Cavaliers' recruit Chris Long has grown to 6-5 and 258 pounds. Long, son of former NFL great Howie Long, was listed at 6-3, 245 when he committed to UVa this past fall, midway through his junior season.

 

 

Virginia hosts No. 8 Duke, seeks ACC win
The Cavaliers have taken the last two home meetings between these two clubs, look to make it a trifecta in highly-anticipated contest
J.d. Moss
Cavalier Daily Gameday Editor

Sophomore guard Jermaine Harper's performance has been particularly important in the recent absence of suspended teammate Keith Jenifer. He, Majestic Mapp and Todd Billet will man the backcourt against Duke Saturday.
For Virginia students, tomorrow night's 9 o'clock game against Duke is the most anticipated of the year.

For the Cavaliers, the game represents an opportunity to bounce back from a disappointing loss at UNC and stay perfect at U-Hall.

Virginia (14-8, 5-5 ACC) has beaten Duke (16-3, 6-3) at home each of the last two seasons, upsetting the then-third ranked Blue Devil squad last year, 87-84, by going on a 17-0 run late in the second half.

Earlier this season, then top-ranked Duke beat Virginia, 104-93, at home behind 34 points from Duke freshman guard J.J. Redick. Redick made 9-of-13 shots from the field, including five three-pointers and 11-of-11 free throws to set a new Duke freshman scoring record. Senior forward Dahntay Jones added 23 points as well.

Both teams shot over 50 percent from the floor in what was a very physical game, but the Blue Devils went 37-of-40 from the free throw line, allowing them to pull away. Four Cavaliers scored in double figures, led by senior forward Travis Watson's 26 points.

"It was a weird game," Duke guard Chris Duhon said afterward. "There were a lot of fouls. We couldn't stop them, and they couldn't stop us. It was just one of those games where everything was just going right for both teams. We did a great job of just holding them off and making the most plays to be victorious."

Virginia is coming off an 81-67 loss in Chapel Hill. The Cavaliers fell behind early, as the Heels scored the game's first 10 points and jumped out to a 34-15 lead. Virginia rallied back to tie the game at 47, but UNC responded with an 18-5 run that sealed the game. The Cavaliers committed 21 turnovers and shot just 38 percent from the floor.

"Our kids fought back down nine at the half, and we tied it and then we went through another bad stretch where we had turnovers," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "Our turnovers I thought beat us. 21 turnovers that led to I thought three or four or five easy baskets. You can't win that way."

Junior guard Todd Billet led Virginia with 16 points, and Watson, despite 3-of-11 shooting, added 13 points and 15 rebounds.

UNC freshmen Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants both had 21 to lead the Heels, who shot 51 percent from the field and 46 percent from behind the arc.

Coming into the game, Virginia was perhaps the ACC's hottest team, having won four of its last five.

"We got out, pressured them and made them turn the ball over a lot," McCants said. "We capitalized on the turnovers that they had and came out and blew them out."

Duke is coming off a 94-80 double overtime loss at Wake Forest last night in a closely officiated game in which there were 64 fouls and eight players disqualified with five apiece. Duke shot only 31 percent from the floor -- an uncharacteristically low number for the sharpshooting Blue Devils.

Virginia's game with Duke will be televised nationally on ESPN.