2/15/03 - Princely

While there has been no shortage of intriguing candidates from the outside, Virginia football coach Al Groh is giving serious thought to picking a new offensive coordinator from his staff.

"It's been very interesting," said Groh, who learned Jan. 20 that offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave had taken a position with the Jacksonville Jaguars. "There have been inquiries from fellows in some very high-profile operations."

Under one possible scenario, Groh would call the offensive plays, which he hasn't done since 1987, when he was the offensive coordinator at South Carolina for one season.

"I would have to see how the whole thing washed out," Groh said. "I don't have a reluctance to do that, if that's what would give us the best operation, but it's too easy just to say, 'Oh, yeah, I'm going to do that.'

"Andy Reid calls 'em; Jon Gruden calls 'em," said Groh, referring to the coaches in the NFC championship game between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay. "It went pretty well for them."

"There's a way that we play on offense here, and it wasn't just created by Bill [Musgrave] and it didn't leave with Bill. It's the way I want our offense to play and we're going to continue to play that way with yearly alterations."

The most experienced coach on Groh's offensive staff is Ron Prince, 33, described by Groh as "a very good line coach."

"The start to this was two years ago," Groh said. "It wasn't three weeks ago. This coaching staff is a lot like the team, [with] a lot of young, talented, ambitious people who have shown the ability to expand their capacity.

"That was one of the criteria from the start: Not just can this guy coach his position, but can he grow into the next level when that's necessary?"

A possible consideration in elevating Prince would be the desire to find a full-time spot for former NFL lineman Andy Heck, a graduate assistant for the past two years. The NCAA would allow Heck to serve in that position for only one more year.

Groh said he has spoken to outside candidates, but it sounds like he has made his decision.

COMMUNITY-MINDED: Todd Billet, who recently became the Cavaliers' starting point guard, is serving as point man in another arena, a minority bone-marrow registration and blood drive that will take place outside University Hall today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"For someone with leukemia, their only hope may be a bone-marrow transplant, which requires a donor," Billet said. "We are targeting minorities because they are the largest group in need, but we want everyone to come out to donate and register."

Billet became aware of the cause through his girlfriend, Jennifer Tan, and one of her classmates at Robert Wood Johnson Medical College in New Brunswick, N.J. He hopes to register himself at some point prior to the Cavaliers' 9 p.m. game with Duke.

HEADBAND EXCEPTION: UVa men's basketball coach Pete Gillen said senior center Travis Watson donned a headband in Wednesday's game only after it was determined that a normal bandage would not have protected a cut that required eight stitches after he took an elbow from Nick Vander Laan in practice Tuesday.

"As soon as it heals, the headband's off," Gillen said. "I don't care for them. I don't think it's class. To each his own, but we want to look first-class. Times change. People change. Nothing lasts for ever. Is it bad? No. I just don't think it's the image we want to have."

JENIFER UPDATE: Point guard Keith Jenifer has filed assault-and-battery charges against Karl Brimmer, the UVa student who previously had charged Jenifer in connection with a fight Feb.2, but Gillen says he remains on indefinite suspension. Jenifer has not been practicing with the team.

One of the most curious phenomena in Virginia football recruiting this year was the overwhelming presence of two Mid-American Conference schools, Ohio University and Kent State.

In particular, the Bobcats and Golden Flashes made a living at two military schools, Fork Union and Hargrave, which shouldn't be surprising given the personalities involved.

Former Hargrave head coach Lonnie Messick is in his first year as an assistant at Kent State and the Ohio ffensive coordinator, Greg Gregory, is a former University of Richmond player and assistant coach with lengthy ties to the state.

Of the 14 schools in the MAC, only Ohio and Kent State signed as many as one player from Virginia. Ohio had six, two each from Fork Union and Hargrave, and Kent State had eight, including three from Hargrave.

Ohio signed one player each from the undergraduate (Theo Jefferson) and postgraduate (Taj Henley) programs at Fork Union. Kent State's signee from signee (Jon Erik Frederickson) played in Fork Union's undergraduate program.

Frederickson is the son of one-time Auburn star Tucker Frederickson, who also played for the New York Giants.

Signees from the postgraduate programs at Hargrave included defensive lineman Ivann Parker and linebacker Ma'tron Church with Ohio, and linebacker Jonathan Eggleston, cornerback Gary Ham and defensive lineman Justin Latimer with Kent State.

Kent State signed three players ranked among the top 100 prospects in Virginia: No. 33 Flordell Kissee, a first-team All-Group AAA lineman from Gar-Field; No. 59 Rasheed McClaude, a running back from Gar-Field, and Frederickson, who was 72nd on the list.

Ohio also had three Top 100 recruits: No. 45 Matt Miller, a lineman from Atlee outside Richmond; No. 46 John Taylor, the Richmond metro player of the year from L.C. Bird; and Jefferson, who was 78th after quarterbacking FUMA to a 9-1 record.

Ohio very nearly got Robbie Powell, a former All-Timesland defensive lineman from Cave Spring, who accepted a late offer from Purdue and also had Clemson calling him in the days leading up to the signing date.

KENT STATE AND OHIO were contributors to what is a record number of more than 50 Division I-A prospects from Virginia. That includes a pair of Kent State signees who were not ranked among the state's top 100 prospects by The Roanoke Times, running back Darrell Pierce from Menchville High School and defensive back Jack Williams from Booker T. Washington.

If a player who was not ranked among the top 100 is then offered a I-A scholarship, clearly it was a mistake on my part. Falling in that category are Western Albemarle placer-kicker Nathan Weltman (Penn State), Varina defensive end Kevin Burke (West Virginia), L.C. Bird defensive end Patrick Powell (Maryland), First Colonial lineman Khalif Mitchell (North Carolina) and Lake Taylor tight end Marc Jones (East Carolina).

Weltman signed with Penn State after getting an offer to walk on from hometown Virginia, which also lost out on walk-on candidate Ross Pinkett, a two-time All-Group AA defensive lineman from Lafayette in Williamsburg who will enroll at Virginia Tech. Pinkett (6-1, 215) felt better suited to play defensive end in the Hokies' 4-3 scheme than outside linebacker in Virginia's 4-3 defense.

Another Tech-bound walk-on is Pulaski kicker John Hedge, considered scholarship material until an injury hampered his summer-camp performance. Hedge is rated the No. 56 prospect in the state and Pinkett is 60th.

GRUNDY FOOTBALL COACH Greg Rowe is mystified by an absence of scholarship offers for 6-foot-4, 270-pound Albert Childress, a second-team All-Group AA offensive tackle this year after making first-team All-Group AA in 2001.

Rowe said that Childress received substantial interest from Marshall and was cool to walk-on overtures from other schools, including Virginia Tech, before the Thundering Herd elected not to make him an offer.

Rowe said that he was unaware of any college activity currently with Childress, a three-time state champion as the heavyweight for the Grundy wrestling team. Childress has a 92 grade-point average but some schools might want for his SAT to be a little higher.

Childress was rated the No. 66 prospect in the state by The Roanoke Times and another Grundy senior, Justin Hipps, was 74th. Hipps has good speed and demonstrated some power when I saw him in the Group AA semifinals against Liberty, but Rowe projects him as a small-college prospect.

A PLAYER TO FOLLOW in the next year is Maurice Reevey, a 6-4, 213-pound "athlete" who spent his senior year at Highland Springs after moving from New Jersey, where he had no chance of qualifying academically after his junior year.

Highland Springs coach Scott Burton said that Reevey will go to Fork Union and that "many recruiters whio have come in here have told me that he is the best prospect in the state this year because of his size and great speed."

"Just about every recruiter who has seen him on film and met him in person has told both he and I that he will have his pick of any school in the country next year," Burton added. "He has the total package athletically and is an intelligent kid who will have no problem with the SAT."

JASON CAIN, THE 6-9, 200-pounder who is taking an unofficial visit to Virginia this weekend, is described as "a face-up player" by Lou Beester, his basketball coach at John Bartram High School in Philadelphia.

Beester says that Cain was a 6-foot guard when he joined the program as a ninth grader and has grown 9 inches without losing any of his guard skills. Cain is averaging 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots and is his team's best passer, Beester said.

Cain has been to Penn State and North Carolina-Greensboro unofficially and has been recruited by Villanova since the start of the year. "He gets better every time out," said Beester, who said Cain is capable of playing for a Top 25 program "without a doubt."

Cavs in blue heaven?
Virginia out to extend home hex over Duke
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Feb 15, 2003
DUKE AT U.VA.
TODAY: 9 p.m. ON THE AIR: TV - ESPN; Radio - WRVA (1140), 8:30 TICKETS: Sold out

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Nothing else fires up Virginia basketball fans like the sight of Blue Devils inside University Hall. In the days of Dean Smith, North Carolina's annual appearance at U-Hall was "The Game" for most Virginia fans, but Duke's visit now holds that distinction.

The tents that pop up outside U.Va.'s aging arena before Duke comes to town each year reflect the students' passion for this matchup. So do the raucous celebrations that inevitably follow U.Va. victories over the Blue Devils at U-Hall. The Cavaliers beat Duke there in 2000-01 and again last season, and each time fans stormed the court when the final horn sounded.

"I think our fans and students have been phenomenal," Pete Gillen, Virginia's fifth-year coach, said yesterday. "I think they helped us, certainly, win those games. But you've got to do it on the court.

"The crowd can be fantastic, but if the players don't play, you're in trouble."

A month after Duke beat U.Va. 104-93 in Durham, the teams meet tonight at University Hall, again on ESPN. The Blue Devils (6-4, 16-4) are ranked No.8 nationally, but they're only 1-4 in ACC road games. The Cavaliers (5-5, 14-8), meanwhile, are unbeaten at U-Hall.

"They always play their better games at home," Duke junior guard Chris Duhon said. "It's going to be a challenge. I've never won there."

Duhon scored a career-high 23 points Thursday night, but that wasn't enough to keep the Blue Devils from losing in double-overtime at No.15 Wake Forest. Fewer than 48 hours after that epic game ended, Duke will have to take the court again. The Wahoos will be more rested, having last played Wednesday night in Chapel Hill, N.C., where they lost to North Carolina.

"Every week in the ACC is a little bit different, and a lot of it has to do with where you play and the day you play on and the time you play," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Tuesday.

"There's so much variance. We have a very unusual week - I'm not sure anybody has this this year - where we play a Thursday night game away and then a Saturday night game away. That's different, and it's a little bit tougher, and hopefully our kids can do a good job in that situation."

Is Virginia fortunate to be catching the Devils coming off an exhausting loss and facing yet another demanding road game? Depends on whom you ask.

"I think that'll strengthen their resolve," Gillen said. "I think they'll be even more fired up, more determined. But we can't control that. All we can do is control our own team and try to do the best we can."

At UNC, Virginia struggled simply to control the basketball. It piled up 21 turnovers - point guards Todd Billet and Majestic Mapp had 10 between them - and the Tar Heels took full advantage in their 81-67 victory at the Smith Center.

"We've got to take care of the ball," Gillen said, "because I'm sure Duke will be coming after us."

Virginia's victims this season include Kentucky, Rutgers, Wake Forest, N.C. State and UNC, and a victory tonight would further enhance its chances of making the NCAA tournament. A win also would push U.Va.'s record at U-Hall to 11-0.

The Cavaliers' fans, some of whom have spent much of the past week shivering outside the arena, are ready. Gillen, as always, is wary.

"Once you start thinking, 'Hey, we're at home, we've got a great edge,' then you're setting yourself up for a fall," he said.

NOTE: At halftime tonight, members of Virginia's football team, including ACC player of the year Matt Schaub, will be recognized for their accomplishments in 2002. U.Va. finished 9-5 after crushing West Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl.

Reynolds sets Warriors mark with 14 treys
FROM STAFF REPORTS

J.R. Reynolds made a school-record 14 3-pointers en route to 44 points as Oak Hill Academy drubbed Laurinburg (N.C.) Institute 112-73 on Friday night in Mouth of Wilson.
Rashaad Carruth held the previous record with 12 3-pointers in a game in 2001.

Reynolds, who was just 5-of-15 from the floor and was held to 12 points in a victory over Roanoke Catholic at the Roanoke Civic Center on Wednesday night, nearly matched Carruth's previous mark by halftime Friday. Reynolds, of Roanoke, made seven 3-pointers in the first quarter and 11 in the first half.

Marcus Williams finished with 17 points and 10 assists for the Warriors (28-3), who are ranked sixth nationally by USA Today. Isaiah Swann scored 15 points and Dion Dacons had 12.

Bobby Mason paced the visitors with 25 points. David Belizario chipped in with 14, while Herve DeSouza had 11.

Virginia Braces For Blue Devil Invasion
By Chris Wallace
Date: Feb 14, 2003

One date Virginia basketball fans always circle on the schedule when it's released is the home date with Duke. Well that date has nearly arrived as the Blue Devils make their annual trip to University Hall on Saturday night. The Cavaliers have sent Duke back to Durham with losses the last two years and will look to do the same this season, a feat that would pull Uva even with the Devils in the ACC standings.

While the wins the last two years would certainly have qualified as upsets, things are a little different this year. Mike Krzyzewski's team comes in having lost four consecutive road games in conference play, including a 94-80 heart-breaker at Wake Forest in double-overtime on Thursday night. Virginia, meanwhile, is 10-0 at home on the season, including a 4-0 mark in league contests.
This edition of the Blue Devils isn't quite as potent as the team's ACC fans have seen in years past. Duke (16-4, 6-4 ACC) still has tremendous talent, great athleticism and a stable of deadly shooters, but Coach K's team lacks the inside presence that it has usually had. That, however, didn't prevent Duke from pinning a 104-93 loss on Virginia (14-8, 5-5) last month, although the game was much closer than that score would indicate. The Cavaliers were in the game until the final two minutes, but a 37-40 performance by the Devils from the free-throw line and a career-high 34 points from freshman guard J.J. Redick were too much to overcome.

There were a lot positives in that contest for Virginia, most notably the Cavs' domination of the paint. Travis Watson scored 26 points on the night and Elton Brown added 19 as Uva scored at will on the interior. But Virginia's defense was not good and trying to simply outscore Duke is like playing Russian roulette. The Blue Devils will again be at a severe disadvantage on the inside, so look for them to try to utilize a game plan much like the one North Carolina used to dismantle the Cavaliers on Wednesday night, 81-67.

The Tar Heels really pressured the Virginia perimeter players and made it tough for the Cavs to get the ball to their interior players. UNC also was able to force 21 turnovers, many of which led to easy baskets. Duke has the players to employ a similar strategy, so ball-handling will again be at a premium for Uva.

The Devils are also tough to matchup with on defense as they will often use a lineup that features five legitimate 3-point threats. Duke generally relies on dribble penetration and kick-out passes to open shooters as a staple of its offense. And there are plenty of shooters to choose from, led by Redick, who's as dangerous as they come. The 6-foot-4 Roanoke native averages nearly 16 points per game and is likely to really hear it from the crowd tonight. Virginia will have to do a better job of limiting his chances to be successful in this game (ESPN, 9 p.m.).

But there are plenty of other guys to be concerned with. Dahntay Jones, another Devil likely to be singled out by the Virginia students, leads Duke with 17 points per game. The 6-5 senior had 23 points in the first meeting and will be looking to redeem himself after an 0-12 shooting night against the Deacons on Thursday. Additionally, Daniel Ewing and Chris Duhon are dangerous 3-point shooters, as is freshman Shavlik Randolph.

If Virginia can take care of the ball, it should get plenty of good shots. This is arguable the weakest defensive team that Duke has fielded in many years. The Cavaliers also need to do a better job on the glass than they did in the first meeting. Rebounding is another weakness for the Blue Devils and UVa will have to do better than the 32-31 advantage it had in Durham.

But the biggest key for the Cavaliers will be to come out and play with a sense of urgency because there's no doubt that Duke will play that way. There's no good time to play the Blue Devils, but after a loss is the worst time. Coach K will have his kids ready to play and they certainly won't care -- and probably more likely will enjoy -- the fact that Virginia has yet to lose at home this year. This one should be an absolute war.

ACC not mediocre, but balanced
By AL FEATHERSTON : The Herald-Sun
afeatherston@heraldsun.com
Feb 15, 2003 : 12:05 am ET

RALEIGH -- Is the ACC merely an average conference this season or have critics, dazzled by the league dominance in the past, mistaken balance for mediocrity?

"A lot of time, we have a tendency to chop up the ACC, but I think it�s a great league," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "Maybe we don�t have a top five team in the country. ... I think a sign of strength [is the depth of the ACC]. In a lot of leagues, you have teams where you have almost two guaranteed wins. In the ACC, every game is a battle.

"I think it�s a mark of strength where maybe we don�t have a great, great team, but we have some tremendous teams and a couple of top-10 teams."

It�s true that the ACC lacks the kind of powerhouse team that Duke, Maryland and, before that, North Carolina have been over the last decade. The latest RPI listings have the top three ACC teams at No. 10 (Duke), No. 15 (Wake Forest) and No. 32 (Maryland). That�s a poor showing compared to the SEC, which has three teams in the top eight, or the Big 12, which boasts three in the top nine.

But both the RPI and the Sagarin rankings also list the ACC as the nation�s second-strongest conference, barely behind the SEC and well ahead of the third-place Big 12.

What�s the secret?

As Gillen said � depth. Look at the bottom teams in each conference. The ACC�s three "worst" teams in the RPI are N.C. State at No. 62, Florida State at No. 64 and Clemson at No. 68. The SEC has three teams ranked lower than the Tigers. The Big 12 has three teams that aren�t in the top 100 and four ranked lower than the ACC�s lowest.

Duke�s Mike Krzyzewski, the dean of ACC coaches, finds it amusing that the ACC suddenly is "down" because it lacks a dominant team.

"Since I�ve been in this league, there�s something about the league being down every year," he said. "When you had a couple of teams that won national championships winning almost every game in the league, then the rest of the league was down. Our league has been penalized because we�ve had a couple of dominant teams and everybody said, �Well, the other teams must not be that good.�

"They are that good, and they�re showing it this year."

The result is a closer, more competitive league than at any time since at least 1997.

"I think it�s a much better league," Gillen said. "Before, we had such super powers � Maryland and Duke � they just pounded everybody and won almost every game. I think it�s much better now where anybody can beat anybody. It�s better with the parity.

"There are still very good teams. Duke�s still great. Maryland�s still great. Wake Forest is tremendous. N.C. State is very good. Carolina�s very good with some injuries."

And all those good teams are beating up on each other.

"All these people who have said that you�ve got to be .500 in your league to go to the tournament are full of baloney because in some leagues, you don�t even play three of the other teams," Krzyzewski said. "In some leagues, you don�t play the top teams twice."

For example, in the Big 12, Kansas doesn�t play at Texas. Big 12 bubble team Texas Tech doesn�t play at Kansas and faces Colorado (tough at home, easy on the road) only in Lubbock. In the SEC, staggering Alabama doesn�t have to play at Kentucky or at Georgia and faces Florida just once. In the Big East, bubble team Villanova doesn�t have to play at Pittsburgh and doesn�t have to face Notre Dame at all.

Imagine not having to play Duke at Cameron or maybe not having to play Maryland. Nobody in the ACC gets either luxury.

"My feeling is that the league is incredibly balanced and really good," Krzyzewski said. "Our non-conference records are terrific. I really believe this is a year where we become like a lot of conferences, and we should get six or seven teams in the NCAA Tournament."

It�s interesting that while the ACC has produced the last two national champions and five Final Four teams over the last four seasons, the league has received just 16 NCAA bids in those four years. That�s far less than the 21 bids it received in the previous four-year span (5.3 a year).

Krzyzewski�s prediction of six or seven bids does not appear too farfetched.

Wake Forest, Duke, Maryland and Virginia all appear to be in good shape at the moment, even if none is a serious contender for a No. 1 seed at the moment. That�s news in Durham, where the Blue Devils have earned an NCAA record four straight top seeds. It would take a very strong finish for Duke to extend that streak ... if the bids were extended today, the Blue Devils would probably be a No. 3 seed.

Three other ACC teams have a reasonable chance to make the NCAA field.

N.C. State has some issues with its weak non-conference schedule that could prove to be a problem. That No. 62 RPI ranking doesn�t help, although it�s been climbing as the Pack faces off with ACC opponents. Herb Sendek�s team is on pace to win nine or 10 ACC games and that could be enough, especially if the Pack could add what would be viewed as a solid road win this weekend at Temple.

One point to keep in mind � since the NCAA expanded to 64 teams in 1985, only one ACC team with nine league wins has failed to make the field. The great majority of ACC teams with eight league wins have been invited and every 10-win team has gotten a bid.

Georgia Tech has created some problems for itself with a series of close out-of-conference losses. It�s easy to look back and say that if Minnesota and Tennessee had not beaten the Jackets on last second shots, Paul Hewitt�s team would be in good shape. But Georgia Tech did lose those games � and an embarrassing loss at Tulane, as well � putting the Jackets in a spot where they probably need at least 10 ACC wins to earn a bid. That�s not going to be easy for a team that hasn�t won on the road this season.

UNC�s problem is different. The young Tar Heels have the ACC�s best non-conference credentials � victories over Kansas, Stanford and Connecticut and the nation�s No. 2 overall schedule. If Matt Doherty can bring his team in close to .500 in the ACC, the Heels will get a bid � even over some other league rivals with better overall records. The return of Sean May could help, too. If the injured center can prove he�s healthy enough to be a factor, the selection committee will discount (to some extent ... not entirely) UNC�s losses without him.

Neither Clemson nor Florida State looks like an NCAA team at this point. But Larry Shyatt�s Tigers need just two wins down the stretch to qualify for the NIT � and that would be a good showing for the ACC�s lowest ranked team. FSU needs three more wins to become NIT eligible.

It�s not impossible that all nine ACC teams could finish at .500 or better overall. That happened in 1978, when the league had just seven teams, and in back-to-back years 1984-85 when the ACC was an eight-team league.

Short turnaround for road-tripping Devils
By BRYAN STRICKLAND : The Herald-Sun
bstrickland@heraldsun.com
Feb 15, 2003 : 12:04 am ET

When the Duke Blue Devils take to the court tonight at Virginia, they will deal with the toughest turnaround that any ACC team will face during the regular season.

It will be even tougher if the Blue Devils don�t turn around their recent shooting woes.

Less than 48 hours after a draining, double-overtime loss at Wake Forest, the Blue Devils are on the road again. Duke has dropped its last four ACC road games and its last two games at University Hall, and of late the Blue Devils haven�t been dropping down their shots.

"We�re getting good looks, and I think we�re taking confident shots," Duke freshman J.J. Redick said. "For whatever reason, the ball isn�t going in."

Recent Duke teams have been record-setting offensive machines, but Duke�s latest edition hasn�t ran so smoothly. Duke has fallen to seventh in the ACC in field-goal percentage, thanks in large part to 35.8-percent shooting over the last four games.

The team�s top guns are really sputtering.

Dahntay Jones, Duke�s leader scorer, has missed 40 of 51 shots over the last four games, including a 4-for-21 showing from 3-point range. At Wake Forest, Jones missed all 12 of his shots.

And Redick, Duke�s second-leading scorer and a renowned shooter, has been struggling for six-plus games now. Since scoring 20 points in the first half of Duke�s 80-71 at N.C. State on Jan. 22, Redick has hit just 23 of 77 shots, including 13 of 51 from 3-point range � below 30 percent in both categories. Before that, Redick had been shooting 48 percent overall, 45 percent on 3-pointers.

"Because of the way we�ve shot from 3-point range in the past, I think people get a little bit down and put a little bit more pressure on themselves if they miss a shot," Duke senior Casey Sanders said. "But it�s just a shot � just shoot it.

"I�ve seen Jason [Williams] go 1-for-22 and then come back the rest of the season and play great because of the mental attitude he took, thinking that the next one is going in.

"We�re young, and we�re going to learn to do that."

Redick seems to have learned that, refusing to say that he�s in a slump and not seeming to shy away from shooting it. But even so, as Redick returns to his home state for the first time in a Duke uniform, he doesn�t have an answer.

"Just from watching tape of myself � using myself as an example � I�m getting good looks," Redick said. "A lot of my shots have been short. They�re just not falling for us right now."

To make matters worse, fatigue could be a factor tonight. No other ACC team will play back-to-back road games with just one day in between all season.

Only one other ACC team � Wake Forest � is scheduled to play two ACC games in three days. But the Deacons played the first game at home and played cellar dwellers Florida State and Clemson, winning both games in late January.

"That�s the way it is. That�s the schedule, and we�ll play it," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We�re not going to cry about things � we�re big boys. It�s different and a little bit tougher. Hopefully our kids can do a good job in that situation."

And if that weren�t enough, the Blue Devils are traveling to a building that they�ve left as losers two straight seasons. Two years ago, Virginia ended Duke�s ACC-record road winning streak at 24; last season, the Cavaliers overcame a 15-point deficit over the final eight minutes.

But even with the losses, Duke has at least shot well at Virginia the last two visits, averaging 86.5 points while hitting exactly half of its shots. Earlier this season, Duke had its biggest offensive explosion to date at the expense of the Cavaliers, putting up 104 points in an 11-point victory.

In that game, Redick poured in 34 points, a Duke freshman record.

And, while Virginia is unbeaten at home this season, Wake Forest was unbeaten at home as well. And even with Duke shooting a season-low 31.5 percent, the Deacons needed two overtimes to stay that way.

"I thought it was the hardest our kids have played on the road," Krzyzewski said. "As far as effort goes, it was a winning effort.

"We�ve just got to go to Virginia, play hard and try to win that game � no excuses."

NOTES � Duke�s shooting percent Thursday was its lowest since a season-opening loss to Stanford on Nov. 11, 1999, when Duke shot 28.2 percent. ... Krzyzewski, who turned 56 Thursday, fell to 4-4 when coaching Duke on his birthday. All four losses have come to Wake Forest. ... Virginia is looking to become the first team to win at home three straight seasons against Duke since UNC beat the Devils seven straight times at the Dean Dome from 1992-98.

MAC football recruiters contribute to record haul